Houston 23 - Memphis 20 recap

CUSA-fans.com has a new staff of team correspondents this fall to help bring you, the fan, more detailed Conference USA football coverage. Today, our Head Football Writer Thomas "Bubba" Rosenbaum recaps Houston's 23-20 OT win @ Memphis on Saturday.

Houston got the win it needed to assure itself of hosting the Conference USA title game, but it didn’t come easy as the Cougars were forced to pull out a 23-20 overtime win at struggling Memphis.

UH (9-3, 7-1) led 20-6 midway through the fourth quarter and it appeared to have everything in hand.

Give Tommy West and his Tigers credit though, as they fought to the bitter end.

Memphis (1-10, 0-7) put together an 11-play, 80-yard drive, which was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Joseph Doss that cut the lead to 20-13.

Houston drove down to the Memphis’ six-yard line, but there their drive stalled and they opted to attempt a 24-yard field goal that would give them a 23-13 lead with just over two minutes to play.

However, Art Briles’ and the Cougars worst dreams came true, as Memphis blocked the attempt and the Tigers’ Greg Jackson took it 80 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

Houston still had time to get in field goal range to win it; however, disaster struck again. The Cougars were faced with second and 25 at their own 20-yard line following a false start penalty and a ten-yard sack of Kolb. UH was going to be content to play it safe and attempt to win it in overtime, but Alridge fumbled and the Tigers took over at the Houston 32-yard line.

Memphis was unable to capitalize, as has been the case for most of the season. The Tigers’ received an offensive pass interference call and a substitution infraction penalty that forced third and 29, which forced Memphis out of field goal range and the game into overtime.

The Tigers were forced to settle for a 40-yard attempt on their first possession in overtime, and Matt Reagan missed it to the right.

Houston’s Jackie Battle rushed for gains of 8, 9 and 6 yards on the first three plays for the Cougars. However, then Memphis’ defense rose to the occasion, holding Battle out of the end zone on second and third down.

Faced with fourth and goal at the one-yard line, the Cougars chose the safe route by taking the 17-yard field goal. Ben Bell knocked it home and the Cougars survived in Memphis.

The Houston ground attack produced 205 yards. Jackie Battle led the way with 137 yards on 22 carries, while Anthony Alridge finished with 81 yards on 14 attempts.

Kolb’s numbers through the air were solid, as he finished the day 19-of-24 for 166 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. However, the Tigers sacked Kolb seven times in the game.

Memphis’ offensive attack was led by Joseph Doss. Doss rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

Rice 18 East Carolina 17

East Carolina traveled to Houston with hopes of beating Rice and locking up the East Division championship. However, following a last-second 18-17 loss to Todd Graham’s streaking Rice Owls, they are forced to wait and hope.

The Pirates (6-5, 5-3) were only able to muster 301 yards against an Owl defense that came in surrendering around 35 points and 450 yards per game. Rice was determined to make things easier on their offense though.

"We felt that we were letting down the team defensively. We either wanted to shut them out or just make a defensive statement," said Rice senior safety Andray Downs.

ECU was able to rush for 218 yards, but the Rice defense bowed its neck when necessary and came up big in the win. Following the Pirates’ loss of tackle Eric Graham to a knee injury, Rice was able to get a lot of pressure on quarterback James Pinkney. The Owls’ 3-3-5 attacking defense kept Pinkney and the East Carolina passing attack out of sync for the entire day. The Pirates’ senior signal-caller finished the day by throwing for only 82 yards. He was 10-of-17 and threw two picks.

Both teams started the game by moving the ball very well, but neither was able to put any points on the scoreboard. ECU drove to the Rice 16-yard line on its first possession, but Robert Lee pushed his 33-yard field goal wide right. Rice also drove inside the red zone on their initial possession, but Clark Fangmeier was unable to connect on his 34-yard attempt.