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EAST DIVISION:
EAST CAROLINA - QB Dominique Davis totaled five TDs, as East Carolina coasted
past Memphis, 49-27, this past weekend. Davis threw for 244 yards and three
scores and add another two TDs on the ground, a nice follow up to his season
opening performance in which he accounted for six TDs in a last-second 51-49
win over Tulsa. Jonathan Williams rushed for a career-high 109 yards and a
score on 17 carries and he also had 50 receiving yards on six catches for ECU
(2-0, 2-0), which remained unbeaten under first-year head coach Ruffin
McNeill. The two-time defending C-USA champions have now won eight straight
league games. Things are about to get a whole lot tougher for the Pirates,
however, as they begin a three-game road trip this weekend at Virginia Tech.
MARSHALL - The Thundering Herd let a 15-point fourth-quarter lead slip away,
as nationally-ranked West Virginia rallied for a 24-21 overtime victory this
past week. Marshall (0-2) extended its lead to 21-6 early in the final period
before allowing WVU to rally in the final five-plus minutes. The Mountaineers
tied the score on a TD pass and two-point conversion with 12 seconds left and
then went on to win in overtime after Marshall's Tyler Warner missed game-
tying field goal. Brian Anderson gave the Herd a chance for the upset by
throwing for 229 yards and three scores on 20-of-29 passes, while Aaron Dobson
hauled in four balls for 120 yards, including a 96-yard TD grab. It marked the
second longest reception in program history. Martin Ward paced the ground
attack with 101 yards on just 11 carries, as the Herd remained winless under
new coach Doc Holliday. Marshall, which lost its opener to highly ranked Ohio
State, will return to action this weekend at Bowling Green.
MEMPHIS - The Tigers went down 28-3 in the opening quarter and never recovered
in a 49-27 loss to East Carolina this past weekend. Memphis (0-2, 0-1), which
was handled by Mississippi State in its opener, has now dropped eight games in
a row dating back to last season. Freshman QB Ryan Williams was the lone
bright spot in the setback, as he completed 18-of-25 pass attempts for 293
yards and three TDs. The Tigers will open their home slate next weekend versus
Middle Tennessee and they will try again to deliver Larry Porter his first win
as head coach.
SOUTHERN MISS - The Golden Eagles dialed up 464 yards of offense, including
253 on the ground, as they soared past Prairie View, 34-7, over the weekend.
It was a nice bounce back for USM (1-1), which was suffered a 41-13 loss to
South Carolina to open the season. QB Austin Davis threw for 178 yards and a
score on 11-of-18 tosses, while DeAndre Brown pulled in five passes for 100
yards and a TD. Kendrick Hardy went for 86 rushing yards on 20 carries, while
V.J. Floyd added 59 yards and a TD on nine totes. The Eagles will face a stiff
challenge this week, when they host Kansas on Friday.
UAB - The Blazers scored the game's first points midway through the first
quarter and then were blanked the rest of the way in a 28-7 loss to SMU this
past weekend. It was the C-USA opener for UAB (0-2, 0-1), which began the
season with a heart-breaking 32-31 loss to Florida Atlantic. David Isabelle
hit Mike Jones on a four-yard scoring strike at the 8:19 point of the opening
quarter before the Blazers went flat. UAB gained only 261 total yards and 11
first downs, while possessing the ball for less than 24 minutes. The Blazers
will hope for a better effort this weekend against Troy.
UCF - The Knights turned the ball over five times and that made the difference
in a 28-21 loss to NC State over the weekend. UCF (1-1) trailed 28-7 after an
INT was returned for a TD late in the third quarter, but the Knights rallied
behind freshman QB Jeff Godfrey to make it a 28-21 game with four-plus minutes
remaining. Unfortunately, the comeback attempt fell short when Quincy McDuffie
fumbled deep in NC State territory in the final minute. Godfrey, though,
showcased his talent, as he threw for 107 yards on 7-of-10 passes while
adding 53 yards and two TDs on the ground. The rookie sensation entered the
game in the third quarter in place of struggling starter Rob Calabrese, who
had thrown for just 106 yards with two picks. The Knights take to the road for
the first time this weekend and will face Buffalo.
WEST DIVISION:
HOUSTON - The Cougars rolled up 308 yards and six TDs on the ground, as they
took down Texas-El Paso, 54-24, this past week. Bryce Beall led the charge in
Houston's (2-0, 1-0) league opener with 195 yards and three scores on 19
carries, while Michael Hayes added 77 yards and three TDs on 17 totes. Heisman
hopeful QB Case Keenum got involved with 279 yards through the air, but he
was injured late in the third quarter. Patrick Edwards was the team's leading
receiver with 118 yards on six receptions, as the Cougars extended their
school record home winning streak to 17 games. Houston, which crushed Texas
State in its opener, will hit the road for the first time next weekend with a
trip to UCLA.
RICE - Charles Ross scored on a two-yard run with 6:22 remaining and that
proved to be the game-winner, as Rice edged North Texas, 32-31, over the
weekend. The Owls (1-1), who opened the season with a 34-17 loss to Texas,
forced three turnovers and got two 50-yard field goals from Chris Boswell. QB
Nick Fanuzzi came on in relief of starter Taylor Mc Hargue and threw for 189
yards and a score, while Sam McGuffie grabbed four passes for 91 yards and a
score. Luke Wilson also had four receptions that went for 86 yards and a
score, while Tyler Smith rushed for a team-high 92 yards on 14 carries. Rice
will host Northwestern this weekend to kick off a three-game homestand.
SMU - Zach Line ran for 122 yards and two TDs, as the Mustangs scooted past
UAB, 28-7, in C-USA play over the weekend. SMU (1-1, 1-0) totaled 247 yards on
the ground as a team and scored the final 28 points of the contest. QB Kyle
Padron added 66 yards on the ground, while throwing for 145 yards and two TDs
on 18-of-33 attempts. Darius Johnson was his main target with seven receptions
for 45 yards and two scores, as SMU began its three-game homestand on a high
note. The Ponies, who were narrowly defeated by Texas Tech in their season
opener, will next face Washington State this coming weekend.
TEXAS-EL PASO - The Miners' defense failed to show up this past week, allowing
656 total yards to Houston in a league-opening 54-24 loss. UTEP (1-1, 0-1)
gave up 308 of those yards and six TDs on the ground, permitting 7.3 yards per
carry. Offensively, Trevor Vittatoe led the way with 340 yards and three TDs
on 30-of-54 tosses, while Kris Adams hauled in seven balls for 114 yards and a
score. The loss was UTEP's eighth straight on the road in league play. This
weekend the Miners return home to host New Mexico State.
TULANE - The Green Wave trailed 24-3 at the intermission and despite a solid
second half, it was unable to overcome Ole Miss in a 27-13 loss. After opening
the season with a 27-21 win over Southeastern Louisiana, Tulane (1-1) came out
a bit flat and managed just 312 total yards in the loss. QB Ryan Griffin
completed an efficient 21-of-30 tosses for 203 yards, but was sacked five
times. D.J. Banks grabbed six balls for a team-high 41 yards, while Orleans
Darkwa toted six times for 53 yards and a TD. Tulane will have the week off
before heading out the road to face Houston on September 25th.
TULSA - The Golden Hurricane used 546 yards of total offense to come away with
a 33-20 win over Bowling Green this past weekend. Tulsa (1-1, 0-1), which
suffered a heart-breaking last-second loss to East Carolina to start the
season, was also solid on defense with three forced turnovers and five sacks.
QB G.J. Kinne threw for 356 yards and two TDs on 27-of-47 tosses, while Trae
Johnson had six receptions for 80 yards and a score. Alex Singleton added 74
yards and a score on the ground for Tulsa, which racked up 190 rushing yards
as a team. The Hurricane will make its way to Stillwater this coming weekend
to face Oklahoma State.