Game of the Week:
Rice 56, UTEP 48 – UTEP’s inability to compete for a full four quarters has been the Miners’ undoing all year, and this one, a 28-point fourth quarter gag undid them right out of any hope to win the C-USA West. Rice rattled off three Chase Clement TD passes and and a Clement TD run with 8 minutes in the fourth quarter to turn a 10-point deficit into an 8-point lead. Of course, this was after UTEP dominated the 2nd and 3rd quarters with an A-game performance, 39-14. Rice junior Jarrett Dillard is now the conference’s second leading pass catcher on the year.
Best of the Rest:
ECU 56, Memphis 40 – ECU lit the lamp for the fifth straight week against C-USA foes, with at least 37 points against every single opponent in that span. The only conference foe to hold the Pirates below 37 was Southern Miss, and that was way back on September 15th. Chris Johnson vaulted himself in to the nation’s top 30 rushers with a 301 yard, 4 score performance on just 20 carries. ECU only got 105 yards throwing from Patrick Pinkney, but it didn’t matter, as the swashbucklers out ran the Tigers by a whopping 491-77. Memphis got a big day from Martin Hankins, but they’re not going to win many games where they attempt 60 passes.
Houston 38, SMU 28 – Phil Bennett’s troops came out with an inspired effort in front of the ESPN cameras, stomping on the Cougar logo before the game. I guess when you’ve already gotten your public pink slip, you can just stop caring. Regardless, the buzz wore off faster than a cappuccino, as Houston got 153 rushing yards from Alridge and 117 yards from Avery to win by 10. The tally was 31-14 at half before Houston let up a little bit and allowed the Ponies with 3 before icing it late.
Ho Hum:
Tulsa 49, Tulane 25 – This game was a surprisingly dull affair, but that’s a welcome thing for Tulsa fans after some too-close-for-comfort calls in the last few weeks. Tulsa rolled up 600 yards and kept Matt Forte dutifully in check, limiting the nation’s leading rusher to just 103 yards on 26 tries. Jamad Williams dazzled in his debut as a Tulsa feature back, busting off 153 yards on 31 carries to outduel Forte. Tulsa also won the QB battle, as Paul Smith looked surehanded, throwing for 319 yards on just 27 pass attempts.
Booooooooring
Southern Miss 37, UAB 7 – Man, the Blazers have gone in the tank. Southern Miss blew UAB out of the water, leading 30-nil at the half, and winning by 30. UAB’s leading rusher, Joseph Webb, had just 38 yards, while 5 Southern Miss Golden Eagles topped the half-century mark as part of a smothering rushing attack that netted 362 yards on 56 attempts. Bright spots for the Blazers….mmm…Sylvester Mencer, 4 catches for 65 yards? It’s a stretch, I know. I’m trying.
UCF 47, Marshall 13 – The Herd got back to business after last week’s stirring win with a predictable 34 point loss to UCF. Outside of his 87-yard score, Kevin Smith only had 101 yards on 28 carries, but that’s kind of a classic “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how’d you like the play?” The home run sprint put UCF up 20-0 and really knocked Marshall out of the game. Redshirt freshman Brian Watters caught a couple of TD scores from the arm of Kyle Israel. The Knights looked crisp, without a single penalty all day.
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