UCF stays unbeaten, loses QB
Memphis advances to AAC final; Iowa prevails on field goal; Va. Tech wins in OT
No. 9 UCF lost quarterback McKenzie Milton to injury but still trounced South Florida, 38-10, on Friday to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 24 games and complete a second consecutive undefeated regular season.
Milton, eighth in Heisman Trophy balloting a year ago, hurt his right knee when he was tackled at the end of a 5-yard run in the second quarter. Darriel Mack Jr. replaced him and may make his second start of the year when UCF (11-0, 8-0) faces Memphis next week in the American Athletic Conference title game.
Players from both schools, which are located about100 miles apart via Interstate 4, kneeled on one knee while a cart was rolled onto the field and Milton received medical attention in front of the South Florida bench. The entire UCF squad left their sideline at one point to form a crowded circle around Milton, who was placed on the cart and taken to the locker room and later a nearby hospital.
Before leaving, Milton completed 5 of 10 passes for 86 yards, including a 14-yard scoring throw to Gabriel Davis for a 7-0 lead. The Knights kicked a field goal on the first play after the quarterback departed to make it 10-0.
Mack got plenty of help from a talented supporting cast that includes Greg McCrae to make sure UCF finished the job. South Florida (7-5, 3-5) finished the regular season on a five-game losing streak, its longest skid since 2013.
MEMPHIS 52, HOUSTON 31: Junior Darrell Henderson rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns — setting a conference rushing record — and Memphis (8-4) rallied. Henderson set the single-season 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.
IOWA 31, NEBRASKA 28: Miguel Recinos drilled a 41-yard field goal through a driving rain as time expired and Iowa beat Nebraska despite blowing a 15-point lead. Mekhi Sargent ran for a career-high 173 yards and scored twice for the Hawkeyes (8-4, 5-4 Big Ten), who have won four straight over the Cornhuskers for the first time.
VIRGINIA TECH 34, VIRGINIA 31, OT: Brian Johnson kicked a 42-yard field goal in overtime and Virginia Tech pulled out the wildest victory in its 100 meetings with Virginia. The Hokies won their 15th in a row in the series and kept alive their hopes for a 26th consecutive bowl appearance. Virginia Tech (5-6, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) tied the game on a fumble that went into the end zone, through the hands of a Cavaliers defender and was covered by Hezekiah Grimsley with 1:51 remaining. They won it when, after Johnson’s field goal madeit 34-31 in the first overtime, the Cavaliers botched a handoff from Bryce Perkins to Jordan Ellis at the Hokies’ 14 and Emmanual Belmar recovered.
MISSOURI 38, ARKANSAS 0: In his final home game, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more as the Tigers beat Arkansas. Lock completed 16 of 25 passes for 221 yards, surpassing the 3,000-yard mark for the third straight season.
BUFFALO44, BOWLINGGREEN14: Tyree Jackson threw a touchdown pass and Buffalo ran in four scores to beat Bowling Green to claim the Mid-American Conference East Division championship. The Bulls (10-2, 7-1) will face Northern Illinois in the conference title game on Nov. 30 at Detroit’s Ford Field.
TOLEDO 51, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 13: Freshman Bryant Koback rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns, helping Toledo (7-5) beat Central Michigan.