Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) -
EAST CAROLINA: The Pirates (6-4, 5-1) went into their bye week just one game
behind UCF in the East Division standings. ECU's loss to the Knights earlier
in the season will make it very hard for it to earn a trip to the league
championship game. ECU has to defeat Tulane this week and Marshall on Nov. 23
and hope UCF loses out for a chance to become league champions.
HOUSTON: The Cougars (4-6, 3-3) continued to struggle under coach Tony Levine
as they were defeated 41-7 by Tulsa at Robertson Stadium. Tulsa held a massive
505-262 edge in total yards and controlled the ball for the majority of the
game with a nearly 16-minute edge in time of possession. David Piland
completed only 15-of-32 pass attempts for 144 yards and was intercepted twice.
Piland was pulled in the fourth quarter for Crawford Jones who completed 3-
of-7 passes for 36 yards and the team's lone touchdown pass. With Charles Sims
sidelined with an injury, Kenneth Farrow led the team on the ground with 15
carries for 54 yards. Sims is doubtful to return to action when the Cougars
head to Huntington to play Marshall on Saturday.
MARSHALL: The Thundering Herd (4-6, 3-3) suffered a backbreaking, 38-31,
setback to UAB at Legion Field. Marshall now has to win both of its final two
games to become bowl eligible. The Herd, which came into the contest with the
third best passing offense in the FBS with a 374.4 yard average, managed just
216 yards through the air in the loss. MU's total of 337 yards on offense was
its season-low. Rakeem Cato threw for 216 yards, two touchdowns and an
interception while completing 25-of-34 pass attempts. In the process, Cato set
a new program single-season record with 343 completions. He also extended his
streak of games with a touchdown pass to 14. Gator Hoskins made a touchdown
catch for the third game in a row. The Herd return to Joan C. Edwards Stadium
on Saturday to host the struggling Houston Cougars.
MEMPHIS: Justin Fuente managed to pick up the second win of his head coaching
career as the Tigers (2-8, 2-4) downed Tulane, 37-23, a Liberty Bowl Memorial
Stadium. The 37-point scoring output was the most by Memphis since it tallied
41 points against UT Martin in 2009. Jacob Karam completed 14-of-18 attempts
for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Brandon Hayes paced the rushing attack with
51 yards on 16 attempts. Marcus Rucker reeled in four catches for 55 yards
while Jesse Milleson made three grabs for 52 yards and a score. The Tigers'
defensive unit came up big with four interceptions, a fumble recovery, and
three sacks. Fuente will aim for the first winning streak of his career when
Memphis visits Legion Field to play UAB on Saturday.
RICE: The Owls (4-6, 2-4) had a bye week after winning their second game in a
row on Nov. 3. Rice returns to action this Saturday when it hosts SMU for its
home finale.
SMU: The Mustangs (5-5, 4-2) were dominant in their 34-6 rout of Southern Miss
at Ford Stadium. SMU outgained the Golden Eagles in total yards of offense,
435-178, as it cruised to its third win in four outings. Graham Gilbert
completed 27-of-43 attempts for 249 yards with a touchdown and also rushed for
94 yards and two scores. Jeremy Johnson and Der'Rikk Johnson each made eight
receptions in the contest. Johnson tallied 97 yards and Thompson finished with
66 yards. Zach Line was the most frequent ball carrier with 22 carries which
he turned into 92 yards and six points. Margus Hunt made an impact on the
other side of the ball with a tackle for loss, sack, and interception. The
Mustangs can become bowl eligible this weekend when they go on the road to
play Rice in a Lone Star State showdown.
SOUTHERN MISS: The Golden Eagles (0-10, 0-6) were held to a season-low 178
yards of total offense as they fell, 34-6, to the SMU Mustangs at Ford
Stadium. The Golden Eagles achieved only 10 first downs and played three
different quarterbacks in their 10th straight loss. Chris Campbell completed
8-of-18 attempts for 93 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions. Jamie
Collins continued his strong play on the other side of the ball with seven
tackles, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. USM will host Texas-El
Paso for its home finale this Saturday.
TEXAS-EL PASO: Despite a strong effort, the Miners (2-8, 1-5) lost for the
second time in a row as they were defeated 31-24 by UCF. UTEP overcame a 14-
point deficit in the second half before the Knights' Latavius Murray broke
away for a 47-yard touchdown run to bury its hopes. The Miners played tough
and gave their fans a glimpse of the future with freshman Blaire Sullivan
managing the offense. The rookie went 5-of-11 for 79 yards with an
interception, but made an impact by rushing for 74 yards and a touchdown on 23
carries. Nathan Jeffery racked up 175 yards and two scores on 23 carries,
while Jordan Leslie made two catches for 51 yards. Josh Fely and Shane Huhn
made 10 tackles each for UTEP's defense. UTEP will try to avoid their third
loss in a row when they visit Hattiesburg for a bout with the winless Southern
Miss Golden Eagles on Saturday.
TULANE: The Green Wave (2-8, 2-4) were unable to overcome their four turnovers
and lost 37-23 to Memphis on the road. Memphis held a 286-291 advantage in
total yards of offense in the contest. The miscues limited the offense that
had produced an average of 51 points per game over the team's last two
outings. Ryan Griffin struggled under center with a season-high three
interceptions and only 211 yards on 25-of-43 passing. Ryan Grant continued to
excel by making 11 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. Darion Monroe had
a strong showing on the defensive side of the ball with nine total tackles,
two fumble recoveries, and a defensive score. Tulane will try to bounce back
on Saturday when it hosts the East Carolina Pirates at the Mercedes Benz
Superdome.
TULSA: The Golden Hurricane (8-2, 6-0) kept their perfect league record intact
by completing a 41-7 rout of Houston on the road. Tulsa led 41-0 before
allowing a late touchdown to the Cougars. The Golden Hurricane gained 505
yards of total offense in the victory. It was the first time they gained more
than 500 yards since Sept. 15. The Golden Hurricane forced four turnovers on
the way to their 17th win in their last 18 C-USA games. Alex Singleton set a
new school record for touchdowns with 18 by rushing into the end zone twice in
the opening half. Ja'Terian Douglas had a team-high 87 yards on 12 carries.
Trey Watts had 11 carries for 57 yards while Cody Green had 10 attempts and
scored a pair of touchdowns. Green went 17-of-31 for 130 yards with an
interception under center. Tulsa will face its toughest league opponent of the
season on Saturday when it hosts UCF.
UAB: The Blazers (3-7, 2-4) picked up their second win in a row as they earned
a 38-31 decision over Marshall at Legion Field. UAB's defense held MU to a
season-low 337 yards of total offense as the team strung together wins for the
first time in 2012. The Blazers rushed for over 200 yards for the third
straight game as they ended with 209 and two TDs. Darrin Reaves rushed for 184
yards and a pair of touchdowns on 32 attempts. Austin Brown threw for 197
yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times in a 20-for-34
passing effort. Eight different receivers caught passes for UAB. The Blazers
stay at home to host Memphis this weekend.
UCF: Although it was not pretty, the Knights (8-2, 6-0) managed to fend off
the Miners and earn a 31-24 victory over Texas-El Paso in Texas. The win was
the sixth in a row for the team. UCF saw a 14-point lead slip away in the
fourth quarter before Latavius Murray put it back on top with a 47 yard
touchdown run. Murray tallied 117 yards on 23 carries. Blake Bortles played
well under center, completing 16-of-27 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown.
Bortles also rushed for 39 yards and two scores. Rannell Hall made three
catches for 72 yards while Jeff Godfrey reeled in three receptions for 67
yards and a touchdown. The Knights' defense forced four total turnovers. Ray
Shipman anchored the unit with 14 total tackles. UCF needs just one more win
to secure a spot in the league championship game. It will try to get that done
this Saturday when it faces the only other C-USA team without a loss in league
action, Tulsa.
The Sports Network