Mordecai leads SMU in rally
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Tanner Mordecai threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 24 SMU rallied from a 14point second-quarter deficit to beat Navy 31-24 on Saturday.
Bryan Massey scored on a 95-yard kickoff return to begin the comeback for the unbeaten Mustangs. SMU (6-0, 2-0 American Athletic Conference) had the game tied by halftime and went up 31-24 on a 22-yard TD pass from Mordecai to Jordan Kerley with 8:19 remaining in the final quarter.
Mordecai now has 26 touchdown passes on the season. He also threw a 66-yarder to Reggie Roberson on fourth-and-1 to open the scoring, but
Navy (1-4, 1-2) answered with the next 21 points.
Chance Warren tied the game with a 23-yard scoring run, then Tai Lavatai threw the first touchdown pass of the season for the Midshipmen, 37 yards to Kai Puailoa-Rojas on a flea-flicker.
Then a couple big turnovers went Navy’s way. Mordecai was intercepted in the end zone, and later in the second quarter, he fumbled — and Diego
Fagot returned that turnover 20 yards for a touchdown and a 21-7 lead.
Navy never had a chance to get comfortable, though. Massey took the ensuing kickoff all the way back for a touchdown, and then Tre Siggers scored on a 2-yard run to tie it with 1:54 left in the half.
UTSA 52
WESTERN KENTUCKY 46
Frank Harris threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns and hauled in a 23-yard touchdown pass himself as UTSA outlasted the Hilltoppers on the road for the Roadrunners’ school-record sixth straight win to start the season.
Harris threw three touchdown passes to De’Corian Clark, the third on a 43-yard hook-up to give UTSA (6-0, 2-0 Conference USA) a 52-43 lead with 6:39 left.
NORTHWESTERN ST. 21 HOUSTON BAPTIST 17
Zachary Clement bulled in from the 2-yard line midway though the fourth quarter to complete the Demons’ comeback road win over the Huskies in a battle between each looking for the first win of the season.
Houston Baptist got a 33-yard touchdown run from Fudge Woods and a 37-yard field goal from Gino Garcia to take a 10-0 lead after one quarter.
MISSOURI 48 NORTH TEXAS 35
Tyler Badie rushed for a career-high 217 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a victory over the Mean Green at home.
Badie is the only player in school history with more than 1,000 career rushing and receiving yards, and he showed his receiving skills in the first quarter with a toe-tap in the end zone while he hauled in 3-yard scoring pass from Connor Bazelak.
JACKSONVILLE ST. 28 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 24
Josh Samuel scored on a 4-yard, fourth-quarter run — capping an 11-play, 75yard drive — and the Gamecocks held off the Lumberjacks at home in the ASUN-WAC Challenge.
Cooper completed 11 of 21 passes for 153 yards and a TD for the Gamecocks .
Self connected on 26 of 47 passes for 305 yards with two TDs.
UTEP 26
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
Breon Heyward scooped up a fumble and raced 53 yards for a touchdown to spark the Miners to a road win over the Golden Eagles.
Ronald Awatt ran for 159 yards and a touchdown and Jacob Cowing broke free for a 53-yard touchdown to give UTEP a 14-7 halftime advantage.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 30 ABILENE CHRISTIAN 15
Parker McKinney passed for 202 yards and ran for another 98 to lead the Colonels to a home victory over the Wildcats.
McKinney accounted for all three EKU touchdowns, throwing for two and running for the other. Patrick Nations added three field goals.
TEXAS SOUTHERN 35 SOUTHERN 31
Jacorey Howard ran for three touchdowns, including a 4-yard score with 39 seconds to play, and the Tigers beat the Jaguars at Global Life Park in the Arlington Football Showdown.
Freshman Andrew Body was 28-of-35 passing for 338 yards and added 16 carries for 85 yards for Texas Southern. LaDarius Owens had 59 yards rushing and two TDs on five carries.
TEXAS ST. 33
SOUTH ALABAMA 31 (OT)
Quarterback Jake Bentley was 19-of-26 for 190 yards and two touchdowns, running back AJ Phillips ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns and the Bobcats held on to defeat the Jaguars in overtime at home.