Memphis in title game

Downs Houston, sets up rematch with No. 8 UCF

MEMPHIS — Junior Darrell Henderson rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns — setting a conference rushing record — and Memphis rallied past Houston 52-31 on Friday to set up a rematch of last season’s American Athletic Conference championship game with No. 8 UCF.

Henderson set the singleseason rushing record, passing the previous mark of 1,629 by Tulsa’s James Flanders in 2016.

Memphis (8-4, 5-3) trailed Houston 21-17 at halftime but rushed for five touchdowns in the second half and scored 21 unanswered points to close it out. The Tigers rushed for 401 yards, with 277 in the second half after Houston star DT Ed Oliver left the game with what coach Major Applewhite said after the game was a knee injury.

“What it took to get to this point and to be back-toback West Division champions, I could not be more proud of this football team,” Memphis coach Mike Norvell said. “This sets up another opportunity going back down to Orlando to face an opponent that we are becoming very familiar with these last few years. It sets up for a classic game.”

Sam Craft opened the second-half scoring with a 28-yard run, Tony Pollard went in from 6 yards out, Patrick Taylor Jr. had a short TD run and Henderson capped it with a 63-yard sprint and a short plunge to help the Tigers pull away.

Memphis lost to UCF 62-55 in double overtime in the title game last year and fell 31-30 to UCF earlier this season.

Gleson Sprewell made two interceptions for Houston (8-4, 5-3), returning one 63 yards to cap the first-half scoring. The Cougars have scored 30-plus points in 12 straight games, ranking second among FBS active teams behind UCF with 23. Oliver was seen getting emotional on the sideline in the second half.

CINCINNATI CRUISES: The Bearcats surpassed their win total from the last two years combined and were in the American Athletic Conference race right to the end. By any measure, their young roster surpassed expectations.

Redshirt freshman Desmond Ridder threw a career-high four touchdown passes in the first half, and Cincinnati wrapped up the regular season with 10 victories for the first time since 2012, routing East Carolina 56-6.

The Bearcats (10-2, 6-2 American Athletic) put an exclamation point on a resurgent season under second-year coach Luke Fickell, topping it with a display of big plays and dominating defense.

“The thing that’s so gratifying is just to see the growth,” Fickell said.

After winning a combined eight games the last two seasons, the Bearcats opened the season 6-0 and made it back into the Associated Press top 25.

“Sometimes it was one of those pinch-me-I’mdreaming moments,” senior offensive lineman Garrett Campbell said.

Ridder had touchdown passes of 10, 30 and 57 yards in the first quarter. Charles McClelland broke a careerlong run of 55 yards for another score, and Kahlil Lewis caught a 28-yard touchdown pass for a 42-6 lead at halftime. Ridder got the rest of the game off after going 20 of 29 for 335 yards in the opening half.

Lewis finished with nine catches for 203 yards and a season-high three touchdowns.