Tulsa clinches spot in title game

Tarrion Adams ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns to lead Tulsa past Marshall, 38-35, to clinch Conference USA’s West Division on Saturday at Huntington, W.Va.

Adams scored from one, one and six yards out, and Tulsa finished with 516 total yards to Marshall’s 437.

Tulsa (10-2, 7-1) came into the game needing help to reach its second consecutive conference championship game.

The Golden Hurricane, which will be making its third appearance in the conference title game, plays host to East Carolina next weekend.

Tulsa’s David Johnson was 21 for 33 for 313 yards and two touchdown passes.

Marshall fell to 4-8, 3-5.

In other games: Chase Clement threw for 381 yards and five touchdowns for Rice (9-3, 7-1) in a 56-42 win over Houston (7-5, 6-2) to deny the Cougars a chance at the Conference USA championship. James Casey caught three touchdown passes from Clement, scored another on a one-yard plunge and threw a three-yard touchdown pass for the Owls. His 104 catches this season are a single-season conference record. Houston’s Case Keenum threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns, and set a Football Bowl Subdivision record with 25 consecutive pass completions. Keenum finished 30 for 54, and he is one game shy of tying the NCAA record of 14 consecutive 300-yard passing games. . . . Steven Black ran for three touchdowns and Memphis (6-6, 4-4) capped a wild season with a 45-6 rout of Tulane (2-10, 1-7) at Memphis, Tenn. . . . Austin Davis threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns and Southern Mississippi (6-6, 4-4) won its fourth straight game to earn bowl eligibility with a 28-12 win over Southern Methodist (1-11, 0-8) at Dallas. . . . Swayze Waters kicked five field goals and Alabama Birmingham (4-8, 3-5) recorded its first shutout in a conference game in school history with a 15-0 victory over Central Florida (4-8, 3-5) at Orlando, Fla.

Western Athletic

Vai Taua ran for a 22-yard touchdown with 3:15 left to lead Nevada (7-5, 5-3) to a 35-31 victory over Louisiana Tech (7-5, 5-3) at Ruston, La. The Wolf Pack had trailed 31-14 with 4:48 left in the third quarter.

Diondre Borel threw for 118 yards and had a TD run to lead host Utah State (3-9, 3-5) to a 47-2 win over New Mexico State (3-9, 1-7) at Logan.

Sun Belt

Reggie Arnold ran for two touchdowns and Arkansas State (6-5, 4-2) became bowl-eligible with a 33-28 win over North Texas (1-11, 0-7) at Denton, Texas.

Rusty Smith threw five touchdown passes, including the game-winner in overtime, to lead Florida Atlantic (6-6, 4-3) to a 57-50 victory over Florida International (4-7, 3-4) at Miami.

Elsewhere

Sophomore quarterback Cameron Higgins threw for 399 yards and two touchdowns to lead Weber State (10-3) to a 49-35 win at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (8-3) in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Greg Dillon accounted for 287 yards and two touchdowns, and Grambling State (10-2, 7-0) clinched a spot in the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game with a 29-14 victory over Southern (6-5, 5-2) in the Bayou Classic at New Orleans.