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Oct. 5, 2013 The first and only Saturday this season that features seven conference games proved to be incredibly exciting. Five of the games were decided by a touchdown or less, including one in overtime and another on the final play. RICE 30, TULSA 27 (ot) TULSA, Okla. (AP) Taylor McHargue threw for two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime, as Rice withstood a Tulsa comeback to win 30-27 Saturday. Tulsa (1-4, 0-1 Conference USA) outplayed the Owls (3-2, 2-0) in the second half, erasing a 24-10 halftime deficit. Carl Salazar hit a 36-yard field goal to tie the game at 27 with 1:07 to play. Rice won the toss and forced a three-and-out for Tulsa. Salazar hit a 37-yard field goal, his fourth FG of the game, to give Tulsa their first lead. The Owls offense, which was shutout in the second half, finally broke out. McHargue hit Darik Dillard for a 25-yard score to end the game. It was Dillard's only reception. The Golden Hurricanes shut down Rice's rushing game, allowing 167 yards on 48 carries. Trey Watts was a bright spot for Tulsa, rushing two touchdowns and a career high 165 yards. TULANE 24, NORTH TEXAS 21 NEW ORLEANS (AP) Cairo Santos kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to lift Tulane over North Texas 24-21 in a Conference USA showdown. Tulane (4-2, 2-0) registered the school's 500th win in the process. Nick Montana tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Justyn Shackleford in the first quarter for the Green Wave's only offensive touchdown of the game. Tulane benefited from a 62-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown by Derrick Strozier -- the first time in school history for such an event -- and Lorenzo Doss' 59-yard interception return for a score in the third quarter. The Mean Green's Derek Thompson connected with Brandin Byrd for a 1-yard score and Darnell Smith on a 62-yard bomb as North Texas (2-3, 0-1) used two fourth quarter touchdowns to tie the game at 21 with 3:45 left, which ultimately only served to set up Santos' heroics. EAST CAROLINA 24, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 17 MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) Shane Carden had 365 yards passing and accounted for two touchdowns to help East Carolina edge Middle Tennessee 24-17 in a Conference USA matchup Saturday. The Pirates (4-1, 2-0 C-USA) scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter when Carden found Justin Hardy for a 21-yard strike. The Blue Raiders (3-3, 1-1) got the ball with 5:16 remaining following a missed field goal by Warren Harvey, but Logan Kilgore was intercepted by Damon Magazu on the next play. East Carolina milked the remaining five minutes on the clock during the ensuing series, driving 42 yards on 11 plays and converting three times on third down. Carden was 43-for-57 passing and also rushed for a score in the second quarter for the Pirates. Kilgore was 28-for-37 with 245 yards and two interceptions. He connected with Tavarres Jefferson for a 26-yard touchdown to tie the game late in the third. MARSHALL 34, UTSA 10 HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Rakeem Cato threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns and Marshall's defense intercepted three passes in a 34-10 victory over UTSA on Saturday. Marshall (3-2, 1-0 Conference USA) had no turnovers on the day and the Thundering Herd capitalized on the costly mistakes of UTSA, allowing them to go ahead 17-0 in the first quarter. Cato was 22-for 32 passing, with touchdown passes to Demetrius Evans and Devon Johnson. UTSA's (2-4, 1-1) Eric Soza had two interceptions in the first quarter that set up Marshall's first 10 points of the game. The Roadrunners were down 27-3 when Soza scored on a 1-yard run, their only touchdown. A.J. Leggett's third quarter interception was the ninth for Marshall this season, matching its mark for all of the 2012 season. Marshall's defense held UTSA to 254 total yards and limited them to 16 first downs. FIU 24, SOUTHERN MISS 23 HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) Freshman Silas Spearman III rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns and Austin Taylor kicked a 27-yard field goal with 6:53 left in the game that gave the Golden Panthers a 24-23 victory over the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss had a chance at the end after a pass interference call moved the ball to the Golden Panthers' 37-yard line, but Corey Acosta's 44-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game was tipped at the line and fell far short. FIU (1-4, 1-0) won its inaugural Conference USA football game. FLORIDA ATLANTIC 37, UAB 23 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) Jaquez Johnson piled up a career-high 404 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns to lead Florida Atlantic to a 37-23 win over UAB on Saturday. FAU (2-4, 1-3 Conference USA) converted 11 of 17 third down opportunities while racking up 579 yards of total offense and outscored UAB (1-4, 0-1) 20-3 in the second quarter to take a 10-point lead into the halftime break. The Blazers' Austin Brown, who finished the game with 256 yards passing and two touchdowns, found Jamari Staples for a 29-yard score to cap an 8-play, 75 yard scoring drive to open the third quarter. Nearly five minutes later, Ty Long's 30-yard field goal knotted the game at 23 apiece. The Owls responded immediately, marching 75 yards in just five plays to take the lead for good as Jonathan Wallace's 53-yard run set up Jay Warren's touchdown run from 3 yards out. LOUISIANA TECH 38, UTEP 35 EL PASO, Texas (AP) Kenneth Dixon rushed for 200 yards to lead Louisiana Tech to a 38-35 Conference USA victory over UTEP Saturday night. UTEP (1-4, 0-2 C-USA) opened the scoring when Jameill Showers scored from one-yard out. Dixon and the Bulldogs (2-4, 1-1) struck back, scoring 24 unanswered points. The Miners got within ten when Showers, who threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns, hit Jordan Leslie on a 28-yard scoring strike to close out the first half. UTEP opened the second half with another score when Trey Brown recovered a fumbled punt return, making it 24-21. Louisiana Tech led 38-28 in the fourth when the Miners mounted another comeback. Showers hit Craig Wenrick from 6 yards out to make it 38-35 with just over a minute to play. The ensuing onside kick failed. This was Dixon's second time to rush for 200 or more yards. Read more: http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100513aac.html