The Sentinel-Record

No. 17 Memphis tops No. 18 Cincinnati, set for rematch

-

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Brady White threw for

233 yards and two touchdowns and No. 17 Memphis beat 18th-ranked Cincinnati 34-24 on Friday for the Tigers’ third straight American Athletic Conference West title and the right to host the league championsh­ip — and the Bearcats again — next week.

This will be the first time that Memphis (11-1,

7-1, No. 18 CFP) will host a conference title game in program history.

And the league championsh­ip will be a rematch between these teams after Memphis snapped a nine-game winning streak by the East Division champs. Cincinnati (10-2, 7-1, No.

19 CFP) hadn’t lost since being routed by Ohio State on Sept. 7.

Joseph Dorceus and Bryce Huff had two sacks apiece, and Memphis finished with five. The Tigers came up with three turnovers, including an intercepti­on by Sanchez Blake Jr. with 1:35 left.

Memphis also forced Cincinnati three-andout after Ahmad Gardner intercepte­d White with 7:49 left with the Tigers up only 27-24.

The Tigers led only 20-17 when they put together their longest drive, going 83 yards over nine plays capped by a flea flicker. Patrick Taylor took the handoff, handed to Kedarian Jones who flipped the ball to White, and he hit Damonte Coxie for a 46-yard TD with 13:22 left.

Antonio Gibson scored on a 29-yard TD run with 3:16 left for the final margin for Memphis.

No. 19 Iowa 27, Nebraska 24

LINCOLN, Neb. — Keith Duncan kicked a 48-yard field goal with a second left to lift Iowa past Nebraska and keep the Cornhusker­s out of the postseason for a third consecutiv­e season.

The Hawkeyes (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) overcame a sluggish second half offensivel­y to beat the Cornhusker­s (5-7, 3-6) for a fifth straight year and second year in a row on a late field goal. Last year, they won on a 41-yarder as time expired.

Iowa, which had its 14-point lead wiped out in the third quarter, started its final possession at its 26 with 32 seconds left. Stanley had a long pass to Nico Ragaini overturned to incomplete on video review, but then completed a pair of

22-yard passes to Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Sam LaPorta to bring on the reliable Duncan.

The Huskers called two timeouts before Duncan drilled the winner down the middle,

Nebraska, down 24-10 at half, tied it with back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter. Luke McCaffrey entered the game for a play in place of quarterbac­k Adrian Martinez, rolled to his left and hit JD Spielman with a perfect

39-yard TD pass.

Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz moved ahead of the man he replaced, Hayden Fry, on the Big Ten list for career conference wins. Ferentz has 97, behind only Ohio State’s Woody Hayes (153), Michigan’s Bo Schembechl­er (143) and the University of Chicago’s Amos Alonzo Stagg (115).

No. 20 Boise State 31, Colorado State 24

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Jaylon Henderson accounted for three scores, defensive tackle David Moa came up with a big late sack and Boise State beat Colorado State to finish undefeated in Mountain West Conference play for the first time.

Boise State (11-1, 8-0, No. 20 CFP) will host Hawaii next week in the Mountain West title game.

Henderson ran for a short score early in the fourth to give Boise State some breathing room. He also threw two TD passes, giving him eight over the past three games as he fills in for banged-up starter Hank Bachmeier and backup Chase Cord.

Garrett Collingham hauled in one of Henderson’s TD passes and ran in another as the Broncos head into the league’s championsh­ip game with a head of steam. They host Hawaii on Saturday.

Patrick O’Brien threw for 289 yards and two TDs for the Rams (4-8, 3-5). They are 0-9 against Boise State.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States