Conference USA News and Notes

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) –

EAST CAROLINA: The Pirates (3-1) ended a 38-year drought without a win at Kenan Stadium as they defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels, 55-31, in their second to last non-conference game of the season. Shane Carden threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns on 32-of-47 efficiency and scored on three short runs as well. Vintavious Cooper rushed for 186 yards and also led the Pirates with eight receptions for 70 yards. Lance Ray had 84 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions. ECU erupted for 603 yards of total offense and converted on all eight red zone opportunities. The Pirates will look to carry their momentum over to C-USA action as they visit Middle Tennessee on Saturday. They will conclude their non-conference slate at NC State on Nov. 23.

FIU: The Panthers (0-4) had a bye week following their 72-0 loss at Louisville. They will make their C-USA debut at Southern Miss on Saturday.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC: In the first battle of the Owls, FAU (1-4) fell to 0-3 in conference play as it suffered an 18-14 setback to Rice in Houston. FAU held a 14-6 lead with 6:07 remaining before Rice scored two late touchdowns to wrestle away control of the contest. Greg Hankerson completed 22-of-46 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jonathan Wallace led the way with 73 rushing yards, while William Dukes (72 yards) and Darion Howard (68 yards) were each reliable targets for Hankerson in the team’s second consecutive loss. FAU will look to end its slump on Saturday when it visits UAB.

LOUISIANA TECH: The Bulldogs (1-4) lost for the third time in a row as Army rushed for 414 yards and five touchdowns en route to a 35-16 decision at the Cotton Bowl in the inaugural Heart of Dallas Classic Saturday. Louisiana Tech compiled 377 offensive yards and went 6-of-12 on third-down conversions in the game, but turned the ball over twice without registering a takeaway. Ryan Higgins amassed 320 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 20-of-36 passing. Kenneth Dixon scored his 29th career rushing touchdown as he contributed 71 yards on 16 carries. Andrew Guillot was the leading receiver with 123 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Now with their non-conference schedule in the books, the Bulldogs will try to improve their 0-1 C-USA record on Saturday when they face Texas-El Paso at the Sun Bowl.

MARSHALL: The Thundering Herd (2-2) had the week off following their heartbreaking overtime loss to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. They will play their first home game since Sept. 7 on Saturday when they host Texas-San Antonio at Joan C. Edwards Stadium for their conference opener.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE: The Blue Raiders (3-2) took a 10-7 lead into the second quarter but they were held scoreless the rest of the way and lost, 37-10, to BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Friday. The Cougars gained 486 yards of total offense and limited MT to just 212 total yards. The Blue Raiders suffered the double-digit deficit despite forcing five turnovers on the night. Sophomore linebacker T.T. Barber led the team in tackles for the fifth time this season as he registered a career-best 15 stops, a sack and a forced fumble. Logan Kilgore completed 13-of-31 passes for 82 yards with a touchdown and an interception. MT looks to improve to 2-0 in conference play on Saturday when it hosts East Carolina.

NORTH TEXAS: The Mean Green (2-2) had an open week after closing out their non- conference schedule with a 45-21 loss at Georgia. They will play their first league game as a member of the C-USA on Saturday at Tulane.

RICE: In the first battle of the Owls, Rice (2-2) overcame a late deficit to claim an 18-14 victory over FAU in its conference opener in Houston. Rice only produced six points on a pair of field goals by Chris Boswell through the first 55 minutes of the contest and trailed 14-6 with five minutes left to play. Cody Bauer scored on a seven-yard fumble recovery, but Taylor McGargue’s incomplete pass on the conversion try left the hosts trailing by two. Bryce Callahan recorded an interception to return the ball to Rice’s offense and Daris Dillard put it ahead with a 20-yard touchdown run with only 3:35 remaining. Taylor McHargue was ineffective under center, completing just 7- of-25 passes for 69 yards and an interception, but he also led the team with 71 rushing yards. Dillard finished with 62 yards on 11 carries. Rice won despite gaining just 273 yards of offense and converting a meager 3-of-16 third down attempts. It will play its first road C-USA game this Saturday at Tulsa.

SOUTHERN MISS: The Golden Eagles (0-4) lost their 16th game in a row dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season as they were routed, 60-7, by Boise State on Saturday. The 60 points allowed was the most USM has surrendered in a game since 1987. USM was held to 266 yards of total offense and turned the ball over three times, while the Broncos amassed 545 offensive yards. The Golden Eagles converted only 2-of-13 third-down plays. Allan Bridgford went 18-of-30 for 143 yards with one touchdown against a pair of interceptions. Kendrick Hardy paced USM on the ground with 80 yards on 10 carries. Boise State scored on all nine of its red zone trips (seven TDs). The Golden Eagles will return home to play their first conference game of the season versus FIU.

TEXAS-EL PASO: The Miners (1-3) overcame a 21-point deficit with a red hot start to the second half, but ran out of steam and lost, 59-42, to Colorado State at Hughes Stadium. Despite the loss, Jameill Showers had a strong showing, completing 26-of-43 passes for 365 yards and five touchdowns. Jordan Leslie caught three passes en route to 130 yards and two touchdowns. Eric Tomlinson reeled in a team-high eight receptions for 75 yards and a score while Aaron Jones gained 94 yards on 23 rushes. After going into halftime trailing, 28-7, UTEP scored a touchdown 11 seconds into the third quarter as Leslie hauled in a 75-yard pass from Showers. The junior wideout caught a 45- yard touchdown pass less than two minutes later to bring the Miners within seven points. The Rams responded with 24 unanswered points to put it out of reach. The Miners hope to end their two-game losing slide and climb back to the .500 mark in the conference standings on Saturday when they face Louisiana Tech at the Sun Bowl.

TULANE: The Green Wave (3-2) put together a strong all-around performance as they coasted to a 31-14 victory over ULM in their non-conference finale at Malone Stadium. Tulane tallied a season-high 253 rushing yards and its defense recorded five takeaways. The aerial attack was limited as Nick Montana completed only 7-of-20 pass attempts for 65 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Grant turned his two catches into 43 yards and six points. Orleans Darkwa compiled a season-high 118 yards on 17 carries. Rob Kelley produced 76 yards on 16 attempts. Jordan Batiste did a terrific job on the defensive side of the ball, registering eight tackles, a forced fumble, one interception and a single sack. The Green Wave, who have not won consecutive games since 2009, will take on North Texas in Louisiana on Saturday.

TULSA: The Golden Hurricane (1-3) were buried by 24 consecutive Cyclones’ points in their 38-21 loss to Iowa State at H.A. Chapman Stadium. Cody Green passed for 237 yards and two touchdowns but fumbled twice in the opening half and was intercepted late as Tulsa was attempting a comeback. Trey Watts ran for 38 yards and a touchdown and Thomas Roberson caught six balls for 63 yards and a pair of scores. The loss ended an eight-game home winning streak and marked just the third loss at home under coach Bill Blankenship. Shawn Jackson paced the Golden Hurricane defense with 14 tackles. Tulsa will begin its defense of the C-USA title on Saturday when it hosts Rice.

TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO: The Roadrunners (2-3) played their instate rival even through the first 30 minutes before unraveling after halftime in a 59-28 loss to Houston at the Alamodome. UTSA took some momentum into the intermission as Eric Soza completed a touchdown pass to Earon Holmes late in the second quarter to tie the score at 21. The Cougars took control and outscored UTSA, 28-0, in the fourth quarter to deny Larry Coker’s squad its first home win of the campaign. Soza completed 29-of-40 passes for 316 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Kam Jones had four receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown, while David Glasco II rushed for 28 yards and a score on nine carries. UTSA has a tough upcoming matchup as it visits Joan C. Edwards Stadium to play Marshall in week six.

UAB: The Blazers (1-3) ended their non-conference schedule on a sour note as they were dispatched, 52-24, by Vanderbilt on the road. The Commodores scored touchdowns on all six red zone opportunities and generated 540 yards of total offense, compared to 362 for UAB. Jonathan Perry threw for 155 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 9-of-16 passing off the bench. Starting QB Austin Brown threw for just 51 yards and an interception on 10-of-20 efficiency before getting pulled. Jordan Howard carried the ball nine times for 92 yards to lead UAB on the ground. Jamarcus Nelson caught five balls for 69 yards, while Darius Powell finished with five receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. UAB will return home to tangle with FAU in its C-USA opener this week.

Categorized in: NCAA Football