The University of Memphis football team had its four-game winning streak snapped on Friday night at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, 33-32, to Houston.
The Cougars (3-3, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) clawed back from a 19-point deficit in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 of the game's final 32 points to take down the Tigers (4-2, 2-1 AAC).
Sophomore quarterback Seth Henigan completed 21-of-32 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown for Memphis, while wide receiver Gabriel Rogers did a little bit of everything. Rogers totaled 127 all-purpose yards (23 rushing, 71 receiving, 33 kick return) and threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to running back Asa Martin.
Tiger kicker Chris Howard stayed perfect on the season in field goals, hitting all four of his attempts (26, 28, 36, 39) to move his mark to 11-for-11 on the year.
Defensively, linebacker Xavier "Zay" Cullens had a game-high 10 tackles with a tackle for loss, pass breakup and quarterback hurry. Defensive back Sylvonta Oliver had a career-high eight tackles, all solo, with a pass breakup, while Quindell Johnson grabbed his team-leading third interception of the season.
Leading 26-7 with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter after the Rogers touchdown pass to Martin, the Cougars used special teams and fourth down conversions to stage a comeback against Memphis. Houston had a 100-yard kickoff return and recovered an onside kick on special teams, while also converting both fourth-down conversions in the final frame.
The Memphis Tigers will be back on the field on Saturday, Oct. 15 when the team heads to Greenville, N.C. to face AAC rival East Carolina. The game is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. kick and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.