Tulsa World: No comeback this time as UCF tops Keenum, Houston

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No comeback this time as UCF tops Keenum, Houston
C-USA

By Associated Press
Published: 11/15/2009 2:31 AM
Last Modified: 11/15/2009 7:02 AM

Central Florida not only found a way to slow down Case Keenum and No. 13 Houston, the Knights didn't give the nation's most prolific passer a chance to pull off another improbable comeback.

Brett Hodges outplayed the Cougars quarterback and Brynn Harvey rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns Saturday in Orlando, Fla., leading UCF to a 37-32 upset that stopped a five-game winning streak Keenum had kept alive with a pair of last-minute rallies.

Harvey scored on runs of 1, 41 and 7 yards, the last set up by an interception that stopped Keenum's streak of consecutive passing attempts without a pick at 123. Hodges completed 21 of 25 passes for 241 yards and one TD.

Keenum threw for two TDs in the closing minutes, cutting into a 17-point deficit. He finished 33 of 56 for 377 yards and three scores. He had more than 500 yards in each of the previous two games.

UCF entered the game leading the conference in total defense and fewest points allowed despite ranking near the bottom of the league against the pass. The Knights gave up 470 yards passing to Colt McCoy in a 35-3 loss to Texas the previous week, but did a nice job against Keenum after yielding a 51-yard TD throw to Tyron Carrier that gave Houston a 10-0 lead.

After a quick start, Houston (8-2, 4-2) sputtered on offense, and the Cougars added to their woes by not being able to stop Hodges and Harvey after Central Florida (6-4, 4-2) was outgained 179-40 in the first quarter.

Keenum threw a 31-yard TD pass to Carrier to finish

a 94-yard that trimmed Houston's deficit to 37-26, then led an 80-yard to score again on a 15-yard TD pass to Chaz Rodriguez. Carrier had nine receptions for 149 yards.

Central Florida had the ball for more than nine minutes of the opening quarter, but couldn't take advantage. Houston produced a field goal and Keenum's first TD pass on its first two possessions, then lost fumbles at the UCF 9 and 20 on its next two drives. Amazingly, the Cougars clung to a 17-10 lead at the half after Central Florida's offense and special teams, which yielded Devin Mays' 100-yard kickoff return, managed to keep Keenum on the sideline for all but the final 1:18 of the second quarter.

SMU beats UTEP: Kyle Padron completed 17 of 24 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns and added a pair of TD runs to lead SMU to a 35-31 win over UTEP in Dallas.

SMU (6-4, 5-1 C-USA) gained sole possession of first place in the conference's West Division after Houston lost at Central Florida earlier in the day. The Miners (3-7, 2-4) have lost three straight.

UTEP took a 31-28 lead on Donald Buckram's 30-yard touchdown reception from Trevor Vittatoe with 8:57 left.

But Padron threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders with 4:34 left in the game to give SMU the lead. UTEP drove to the Mustangs' 14-yard line but Vittatoe was sacked by SMU's Taylor Thompson on fourth-and-6 with 26 seconds left.

Vittatoe finished 23-of-40 for 396 yards, one interception and two touchdowns. Buckram also rushed for 241 yards and one score.

Rice snaps losing streak: Nick Fanuzzi passed for four touchdowns as Rice snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 28-20 home win over Tulane.

Fanuzzi completed 15 of 24 passes for 218 yards, including touchdown passes of 32, 70, and 29 yards to Toren Dixon. He also hit Pierre Beasley on a 17-yard touchdown pass as the Owls climbed out of last place in Conference USA with their first win of the season.

Southern Miss topples Marshall: Martevious Young threw two second-half touchdown passes to lead Southern Miss to a 27-20 win over Marshall in Huntington, W.Va.

Southern Miss (6-4, 4-2 Conference USA) became bowl eligible for the eighth-straight season and denied Marshall (5-5, 3-3) a chance at becoming bowl eligible for the first time under fourth-year coach Mark Snyder.

Webb leads UAB past Memphis: Joe Webb passed for 378 yards, threw three touchdowns and rushed for another score to lead Alabama-Birmingham to a 31-21 win over host Memphis.

Webb, who was 18-for-25 passing, ran for 52 yards for the Blazers (5-5, 4-2 Conference USA). Will Hudgens passed for 333 yards for Memphis (2-8, 1-5). By Associated Press

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