Week 6 Conference USA Football Scores, Picks Recap, Quick Analysis

Check out the Week 6 Conference USA scores and recaps with Louisiana Tech winning a thriller, Rice slipping by FAU, and Western Kentucky bombing Middle Tennessee.

GAMES IN ORDER FROM BEST TO WORST

Louisiana Tech at UTSA

Final Score: Louisiana Tech 34, UTSA 31
Pick: Louisiana Tech 34, UTSA 17
Line: Louisiana Tech -11.5, o/u: 62

Louisiana Tech dominated for most of the game, but needed a 32-yard Jonathan Barnes field goal with ten seconds to play to pull out the win. The Bulldogs were up 24-10 at halftime, helped by Jarred Craft, who ran for a one-yard score and caught a two-yard touchdown pass. But UTSA rolled back in the second half with three Dalton Sturm touchdown passes including strikes to JaBryce Taylor for a 38-yard score in the third and on a 57-yard play in the fourth. Jeff Driskel took the team on a 62-yard drive in 11 plays for the game-winning kick.

Player of the Game: Louisiana Tech QB Jeff Driskel completed 28-of-44 passes for 351 yards and a score with two picks, and ran eight times for 14 yards.

Rice at Florida Atlantic

Final Score: Rice 27, Florida Atlantic 26
Pick: Florida Atlantic 28, Rice 23
Line: Florida Atlantic -3.5, o/u: 58

Down 26-14 in the fourth, Rice got a 21-yard touchdown run from Driphus Jackson to get within five, and with just over two minutes to play, got 14-yard Jackson scoring pass to Darik Dillard, but missed on the two point conversion. Down one, FAU had one last chance, but stalled at midfield. FAU came up with 20 straight points in the middle of the game, and finished with two Jaquez Johnson touchdown passes and two Greg Joseph field goals, but the O couldn’t come through late.

Player of the Game: Rice QB Driphus Jackson completed 22-of-34 passes for 284 yards and three scores, and ran 12 times for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Middle Tennessee at WKU

Final Score: WKU 58, Middle Tennessee 28
Pick: WKU 34, Middle Tennessee 24
Line: WKU -8.5, o/u: 65

The WKU passing game rocked and rolled with Brandon Doughty throwing five touchdown passes including three to Taywan Taylor in a stunning blowout. The Hilltoppers got out to a 21-0 lead with Doughty throwing two scoring passes and a six-yard D’Andre Ferby run. Taylor caught scoring passes on a 28-yard play in the first and caught a nine-yarder in the second, but it was a 31-yard Garrett Schwettman field goal put WKU over the 50-point mark in the first half going into the locker room up 52-14. Brent Stockstill threw three touchdown passes for the Blue Raiders.

Player of the Game: WKU QB Brandon Doughty completed 28-of-36 passes for 359 yards and five scores with a pick.

Southern Miss at Marshall

Final Score: Marshall 31, Southern Miss 10
Pick: Marshall 34, Southern Miss 27
Line: Marshall -5.5, o/u: 59

Marshall forced five Southern Miss turnovers – four fumbles – to overcome a rocky day from the offense. Nick Mullens found Michael Thomas for a six-yard touchdowns, and Parker Shaunfield hit a 33-yard field goal for a 10-7 USM lead early in the second, and then it was all Thundering Herd the rest of the way, with 24 unanswered points. Chase Litton threw two touchdown passes – including a 61-yard play to Deandre Reaves – and the defense did the rest, highlighted by a sack and a fumble recovery for a late third quarter score to put the game out of reach.

Player of the Game: Marshall DE Gary Thompson made seven tackles, two sacks and forced two fumbles, with one going for a score.

UTEP at FIU

Final Score: FIU 52, UTEP 12
Pick: FIU 24, UTEP 16
Line: FIU -14.5, o/u: 49.5

FIU rolled at will cranking up 518 yards of total offense and getting out to a 35-0 lead with a pick six from Jeremiah McKinnon, two Alex McGough touchdown passes, and scoring runs from Alex Gardner and Anthon Samuel. UTEP was never in it, unable to stop the Golden Panther attack, only getting into the end zone on a 23-yard Cole Freytag catch in the third, but that only made it 42-10.

Player of the Game: FIU QB Alex McGough complete 13-of-17 passes for 270 yards and two scores, and ran for ten yards.

Portland State at North Texas

Final Score: Portland State 66, North Texas 7
Pick: North Texas 24, Portland State 20
Line: No Line, o/u: No Line

How do you lose your job? Start the season 0-5 and lose at home to an FCS team, even if it’s a good one. Portland State roared to a 66-0 lead with an unstoppable attack with 670 yards led by Alex Kuresa, who found Darnell Adams for a 34-yard touchdown and Thomas Carter for a 56-yard score, and the rout was on. Nate Tago ran for two scores and David Jones took off for scoring runs from 70 yards out and seven in the second, and took a pass 60 yards for a score in the third. North Texas finally got on the board with just over a minute to play on a nine-yard Carlos Harris catch.

Player of the Game: Portland State RB David Jones ran nine times for 134 yards and two scores, and caught a pass for a 60-yard score.

MORE: Week 6 College Football Rankings, No. 1-128