UCF rallies to claim AAC crown
Mack scores three TDs in second half against Memphis in 56-41 win
Unbeaten Central Florida updated its sparkling resume with an impressive comefrom-behind victory over Memphis in the American Athletic Conference title game in Orlando.
Now the seventh-ranked Knights (12-0, No. 8 CFP), who proclaimed themselves national champions last January after finishing as the only undefeated team in the FBS, will see whether repeating as AAC champs and having the nation's-longest winning streak are good enough to get them into the College Football Playoff.
T`here's been a national conversation for 11 months since UCF won the Peach Bowl and claimed a championship,” athletic director Danny White said after Saturday's 56-41 victory over Memphis.
“Our football team has now won 25 straight games. They deserve to be in this playoff, and I hope that's a decision that's made [today],” White added. “If that does not occur, I think that's another pretty glaring example a four-team playoff is not adequate for the postseason.”
Darriel Mack Jr. shrugged off two early turnovers to rush for four second-half touchdowns and rally the Knights past the Tigers (8-5) for the fourth time in two seasons.
With the redshirt freshman filling in for injured quarterback McKenzie Milton, UCF amassed 698 yards total offense and tightened defensively after shaky start to limit Memphis to three points after halftime.
Mack completed 19 of 27 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He began the Knights' comeback from a 17-point halftime deficit with a 54-yard TD pass to Otis Anderson and finished the Tigers off with scoring runs of 2, 2 and 5 yards in the fourth quarter.
“Everybody has confidence in [Mack]. You saw that tonight,” UCF coach Josh Heupel said. “He has a lot of confidence in himself, too.”
Greg McCrae rushed for 206 yards and one TD for the Knights, who beat the Tigers 62-55 in the 2017 AAC title game and rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to win 31-30 at Memphis during the regular season.
This time, UCF trailed 38-21 at halftime before scoring touchdowns on five straight possessions in the second half.
“Our locker room was extremely calm at halftime. There was a great belief because this was a situation we've already been in with Memphis the first time around. I don't think anyone blinked an eye.”
Darrell Henderson scored on runs of 62, 12 and 82 yards and also throw a 4-yard TD pass to help Memphis (8-5) build its big halftime lead.
But the nation's second-leading rusher only gained 3 yards on six carries in the second half, finishing with 210 yards on 16 carries.
“This was a learning experience for us,” Henderson said.
“It was a hard fought matchup between two really good football teams. They made more plays than we did in the second half,” Memphis coach Mike Norvell said. “I'm proud of our football team and proud of the way these guys competed this season to help us get to the game. Obviously we're disappointed in the outcome. Whenever you come up short it hurts everybody.”
Mack lost two first-quarter fumbles, setting up Henderson's second touchdown and a field goal. The young quarterback making his second start of the year also fumbled into the end zone from inside the Memphis 1; however teammate Michael Colubiale bailed him out by recovering for a UCF touchdown in the second quarter.
Milton was injured at South Florida in the Knights' regular- season finale. He was released from a Tampa hospital and returned home to Orlando, where he watched Saturday night's game on television with his parents.
“I just got off the phone with him before I came in here,” Mack said during a postgame news conference. “He told me he loved me and stuff like that. We'll have a longer conversation when I get out of here and things die down.”
UAB 27, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 25: Spencer Brown ran for 156 yards and a touchdown, Nick Vogel put Alabama-Birmingham ahead with a field goal with 3:23 remaining and the Blazers, who reinstated their program last season after a two-year hiatus, beat the Blue Raiders in the Conference USA championship game in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Middle Tennessee, which beat UAB in Murfreesboro 27-3 last weekend in a regularseason finale, was set to get a final chance with 1:21 to play but was flagged for having 12 men on the field as the Blazers prepared to punt, and UAB took a knee twice to run out the clock.
The victory gave the Blazers (10-3) their first 10-win season and their first Conference USA championship. The program was shut down after the 2014 season before being reinstated and taking two years off. Middle Tennessee is 9-4.
VIRGINIA TECH 41, MARSHALL 20: Ryan Willis had the best half of his career, and the host Hokies set the tone early to earn a bowl berth for the 26th straight season, the longest streak in the nation.
Virginia Tech is expected to play in the Military Bowl in Annapolis.
Willis threw touchdown passes to four receivers before halftime.
“We came out hot, the defense played great and my receivers made plays for me,” Willis said after completing 18 of 26 attempts for 312 yards. And he wasn’t the only first-half hero. Senior Ricky Walker made a strip sack of the Thundering Herd’s Isaiah Green on the first play from scrimmage, setting a tone from the outset in the game that was scheduled specifically so the Hokies could try to extend their streak.
Virginia Tech (6-6) paid the Thundering Herd $300,000 to play the game, then put together one of its best efforts of the season.
“That set the tone,” Walker said of the sack and fumble, which TyJuan Garbutt recovered at the Marshall 17. “Guys were excited and from there on we just played.”
NO. 24 IOWA STATE 27, DRAKE 24: David Montgomery ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns and the Cyclones (8-4) barely survived a near-upset by the Football Championship Subdivision Bulldogs (7-4).
Brock Purdy had 153 yards passing and a TD for Iowa State, which fought through persistent rain and a sloppy field to win their sixth straight home game, tying a school record.
Drake forced turnovers on back-to-back possessions to open the second half. It turned the second one, a pick of Kyle Kempt's pass, into a 19-yard TD pass from Grant Kraemer to Devin Cates and a 24-20 lead in the third quarter. Iowa State responded with a 7-yard touchdown reception by Deshaunte Jones to jump back on top, and Spencer Benton and JaQuan Bailey came up with sacks to force Drake punts. Montgomery's 2-yard run on a third-down-and-1 with 1:26 left sealed it.
Kraemer threw for 221 yards and three TDs. Drake outgained Iowa State 279-273.L
ALCORN STATE 37, SOUTHERN 28: De'Shawn Waller ran 16 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns and the Braves (9-3) beat the Jaguars (7-4) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship in Lorman, Miss.
Alcorn State won its third SWAC title in five years and advanced to the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta to face Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champion North Carolina A&T on Dec. 15.
STANFORD 23, CALIFORNIA 13: Paulson Adebo made two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including a spectacular one-handed grab in the end zone, to help prevent the game-tying score, as the Cardinal (8-4, 6-3 Pacific 12) relied on their defense to win its ninth straight Big Game over the Golden Bears (7-5, 4-5).