Nov. 17, 2007

Tulane senior RB Matt Forte' became just the 11th player in FBS history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season after he ran for 194 yards and five touchdowns in the Green Wave's 45-31 win at Rice. UCF remained in control of its own destiny to host the C-USA Championship Game with a 49-20 victory at SMU. Houston knocked off Marshall, 35-28, while Southern Miss and Memphis became bowl-eligible with wins over UTEP and UAB, respectively. Tulsa won a non-conference game at Army, 49-39.

TULANE 45, RICE 31
Senior running back Matt Forté ran for 194 yards and tied his own school and league record with five touchdowns as the Tulane University football team defeated Conference USA foe Rice, 45-31, Saturday afternoon at Rice Stadium.

Along the way, Forté - who also posted 51 receiving yards on a catch and a pitch on a hook-and-lateral - became just the 11th player in NCAA Division I-Bowl Subdivision history to surpass the 2,000-yard rushing barrier and currently has 2,007 yards and 22 touchdowns on 336 carries in 2007. With the win, Tulane posted back-to-back victories for the first time since 2005 to improve to 4-7 on the year and 3-4 in C-USA play. Rice, meanwhile, falls to 3-8 overall and 3-4 in league play.

"I am so happy for him," Tulane head coach Bob Toledo said of Forté. "He's a great football player as I've mentioned all along. We are so pleased. He did a great job, the offensive line did a super job, and the fullbacks and tight ends all blocked for him. He's just a special guy."

In addition to topping the 2,000-yard mark, Forté set a couple of C-USA records on the day as well. He surpassed the former league single-season rushing record of 1,964 set by Memphis' DeAngelo Williams in 2005 and his 22 touchdowns ties Williams mark set in 2004.

Forté's five touchdowns ties the Tulane single-game record he set on Sept. 22 against Southeastern Louisiana and ties the C-USA mark shared by five other league backs. He had 96 yards and two touchdowns by halftime, and did more of the same in the second half with 98 yards and three scores in the game's final 30 minutes.

"To do something that you dream of in your wildest dreams, get 2,000 yards and make history is very special," Forté said. "We've had a great season stat wise, and I just want to thank my offensive line, my teammates and my coaches to give me a chance to come out here and do that."

Forté accounted for the bulk of Tulane's 267 yards rushing against the Owls, but sophomore quarterback Anthony Scelfo had his fair share with 55 yards on two carries while senior running back Ade Tuyo ran for 24 yards and a touchdown on eight totes.

Scelfo started under center for Tulane, completing 5-of-12 passes for 63 yards, but redshirt-freshman Kevin Moore - who alternated series with Scelfo throughout the ballgame - came off the bench to lead the team with 125 yards on 6-of-10 passing. Sophomore wide receiver Jeremy Williams led the Green Wave with four catches, and junior wideout Michael Batiste led the squad with a career-best 61 yards on three grabs.

The Green Wave drew first blood as sophomore Ross Thevenot was true on a 38-yard field goal on the game's opening drive, but Rice took a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter when Chase Clement connected with Jarett Dillard for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

The rest of the day, however, belonged to Forté and the Wave. Forté scored on a 46-yard run with 3:44 left to play before halftime, touched paydirt a little over three minutes later with a one-yard jaunt, and scored on a five-yard run less than five minutes into the third quarter to stake Tulane to a 24-7 lead.

Rice made it a 10-point ballgame on Clement's second scoring strike to Dillard with 7:38 to play in the third quarter, but Forté answered with a one-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter to push the lead back to 17. Owls kicker Clark Fangmeier drilled a 30-yard field goal a little over three minutes later to make it a 31-17 ballgame, but Forté all but put the game out of reach on the ensuing possession when he scored on a 13-yard run with 7:24 remaining on the clock.

Rice's James Casey sandwiched 61- and six-yard touchdown receptions around Tuyo's touchdown - the first of the Tulane senior's career - to account for the final score. Senior strong safety Joe Goosby led all players with 14 tackles, including 13 of the solo variety and two tackles for loss, while junior cornerback Josh Lumar paced the Tulane secondary with a career-high six pass break-ups.

UCF 49, SMU 20
Kevin Smith rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns as UCF handed SMU its ninth straight loss 49-20 Saturday.

UCF (8-3, 6-1 Conference USA) clinched at least a share of the East Division with the win and can host the league championship game with a victory next week against Texas-El Paso.

Smith, who did not play in the second half after the Knights jumped out to a 35-13 halftime lead, set a Conference USA record with 25 touchdowns this season. He broke the mark established in 2004 by Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams.

SMU (1-10, 0-7) hasn't won since beating North Texas on Sept. 8. Phil Bennett, in his sixth season with the Mustangs, coached his final home game. He was fired three weeks ago but agreed to finish the season.

The Mustangs play their final game next weekend at Memphis.

Bennett's home finale got off to a rocky start as UCF's Khymest Williams returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.

Smith's 22-yard TD run gave UCF a 14-3 lead midway through the first. He added an 80-yard touchdown run just before halftime.

Smith, who has 1,945 yards rushing this season, has three runs of at least 80 yards this season.

SMU quarterback Justin Willis threw for 112 yards and was intercepted twice.

The Knights built their lead to 42-13 when Johnell Neal picked off a Willis pass and returned it 72 yards for a score.

Phillip Smith, who had a 7-yard TD run in the first half, gave UCF a 49-13 cushion in the third with a 10-yard scoring run. UCF racked up 484 yards against a SMU defense allowing nearly 500 per game.

SMU's Chris Butler scored on a 1-yard run and Zach Rhodes added a receiving touchdown.

HOUSTON 35, MARSHALL 28
A 62-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Hafner with 4:22 left in the fourth quarter sealed a 35-28 Homecoming win for the University of Houston football team Saturday on John O. Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium.

The Cougars (7-4, 6-2 Conference USA) withstood a late Marshall rally and had a bit of luck as Marshall (2-9, 2-5 C-USA) had an onside kick attempt go out of bounds with just over two minutes left.

Marshall crept within seven points, 35-28, with 2:31 left after Kelvin Turner closed out a seven-play, 69-yard drive with a one-yard run to the end zone. The Herd's ensuing onside kick attempt went out of bounds and UH kneeled on it twice to close out the win.

Hafner had a career night, catching six balls for 128 yards and a touchdown. On the clinching touchdown, Case Keenum found Hafner open down the middle and the junior tight end did the rest, scampering over, around and through the Thundering Herd defense to find the endzone.

Anthony Alridge added his 10th career 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 103 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. Keenum finished 24-for-32 with 298 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also added 44 yards rushing and a one-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter.

The Cougars pushed their 10-7 halftime lead to 20-7 late in the third quarter when T.J. Lawrence added his second field goal of the day, splitting the uprights from 24 yards out. Lawrence also hit a 32-yarder to open up the scoring in the first half.

Alridge hauled in a 26-yard pass from Keenum for a touchdown with 4:31 left in the quarter.

Chubb Small's 13-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the third quarter pulled the lead down to six, 20-14, the Cougars answered with an 11-play 64-yard drive that ended with Keenum's one-yard touchdown run. Keenum also scored on the ensuing 2-point conversion, giving UH a 14-point cushion, 28-14, with 10:50 left in the game.

Marshall's Darius Marshall had a one-yard touchdown with 5:10 left in the game, making the score 28-21 and setting up Houston's two-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Hafner's catch and run.

Marshall finished with 66 yards rushing on 12 carries. Small carried the ball eight times for 43 yards. Emmanuel Spann had three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.

Herd quarterback Bernard Morris completed 20 passes for 260 yards and a TD, but he was sacked three times by the Cougar defense.

Kenneth Fontenette and Rocky Schwartz paced the defensive effort with 10 tackles apiece.

Marshall's C.J. Spillman led all players with 16 tackles.

SOUTHERN MISS 56, UTEP 30
Damion Fletcher ran for 211 yards and three touchdowns and Southern Miss scored 42 second-half points in a 56-30 victory against Texas-El Paso on Saturday night.

The Golden Eagles (6-5, 5-3 Conference USA) led 14-10 at halftime and scored on the first play of the second half when Jeremy Young found receiver Gerald Baptiste wide open down the sideline for a 53-yard touchdown.

The Miners (4-7, 2-5) lost their fifth consecutive game and gave up more than 40 points for the sixth time. Marcus Thomas had 22 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Southern Miss had 566 total yards.

MEMPHIS 25, UAB 9
-- Joseph Doss rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown and Matt Reagan kicked a career-high four field goals on Saturday as Memphis became bowl-eligible with a 25-9 victory over UAB.

Martin Hankins threw for 298 yards and Duke Calhoun led Memphis receivers with 159 yards on four catches, including a pair of 70-yard receptions.

UAB's scores came on a 26-yard field goal by Swayze Waters, and a 1-yard run by Brandon Thornton, the first rushing touchdown by a Blazer running back this season.

Sam Hunt completed 11-of-19 passes for 121 yards for UAB (2-9, 1-5 Conference USA).

Memphis (6-5, 5-2) held a 13-3 lead at the break behind a pair of field goals by Reagan and a 1-yard touchdown run from reserve quarterback Will Hudgens.

Hankins, who had thrown for an average of 406 yards over the previous two games, completed 9-of-18 for 197 yards in the first half. The Tiger running attack managed 106 yards in the first half, and finished with 265 rushing for the game.

The Blazers switched quarterbacks between Joseph Webb and Hunt. The pair combined to complete 10-of-14 passes in the half for 82 yards, as UAB managed only 147 yards of offense before the break.

Reagan would add field goals of 24 and a season-high 38 yards in the second half.

Memphis is bowl-eligible for the fourth time in five years.

TULSA 49, ARMY 39
Tulsa took the lead just before halftime and held on for a 49-39 victory over Army in front of 27,687 fans at Michie Stadium.

It was a day in which both teams saw the end zone frequently. The Hurricane amassed its fourth straight game of 40 points, while Army's 39 points was a season-high. Tulsa totaled 600 yards, while Army had 491 yards of offense. Paul Smith threw for 390 yards and two TDs, while Tarrion Adams gained 118 yards and two TDs rushing.

Tulsa receivers Brennan Marion and Trae Johnson totaled 110 and 119 yards, respectively.

After the Hurricane took its first lead of the game, 28-24, just before halftime, the Cadets scored out of the gates in the second half and took a 31-28 lead at the 10:20 mark of the third quarter. Army scored on a nine-yard pass to Jeremy Trimble.

Tulsa went just 36 yards in four plays to retake the lead, 35-31 with 5:42 left in the third quarter. Tarrion Adams scored his second touchdown of the game, this time on a seven-yard run around right end. The Hurricane put seven more points on the board with 13:42 left in the game as Smith hit Trae Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown, capping a 12-play, 70-yard drive.

The score gave the Hurricane an 11-point lead, 42-31, but the Cadets scored to cut the lead to just three points as Tony Dace ran nine yards, and Carson Williams threw the two-point conversion to Justin Larson. Tulsa went to the Army six-yard line before losing a fumble, and giving the Cadets a chance to take the lead. The Tulsa defense held on fourth-down and gave the Hurricane offense the ball back at the Army 11-yard line when Smith ran in from one-yard out on the third play to give Tulsa a 49-39 cushion with 1:33 left in the game.

As much of the entire game unfolded, the first quarter was an exciting one for the fans at Michie Stadium as the two teams totaled 28 points.

Army shut down Tulsa on the first Hurricane possession, and wasted little time in scoring itself on a 37-yard pass from Carson Williams to Justin Larson, capping a two-play 94-yard drive, marking the first time this year that the Black Knights have scored on their first possession.

The Hurricane responded in just 1:19 marching 91 yards in five plays. After a 60-yard pass from Smith to Brennan Marion, Adams ran in from three yards out for the score.

The Knights took its next possession 57 yards in seven plays as Williams threw 35 yards to Jeremy Trimble for a 14-7 lead.

The Hurricane responded with a 69-yard scoring drive and converted the touchdown on a halfback pass by Adams to Cameron Clemons for 18 yards.

The Cadets had their third straight possession and their third straight score, as Owen Tolson connected on a 35-yard field goal for a 17-14 lead with 12:45 left in the first half. Army kept up its scoring, tallying a 26-yard touchdown run for its fourth straight scoring drive, giving the Cadets a 24-14 lead at the 7:26 mark of the first half.

Tulsa cut the Army lead to three points, 24-21, at the 5:21 mark of the second period as the Hurricane marched 80 yards in 2:05 as A.J. Whitmore took a reverse for a 14-yard touchdown.

A 40-yard Army field goal attempt went wide left, and the Hurricane took possession with 0:35 on the first half clock. On the third play if the drive, Smith connected with Marion in the end zone in stride for a 50-yard TD pass to take its first lead of the game at 28-24.

Tulsa will look to clinch the Conference USA West Division title next week when the Hurricane travels to Houston to face the Rice Owls on Saturday, November 24, the final regular season home game for both schools. A Tulsa win would put the Hurricane in the C-USA Championship game for the second time in three years.