TULSA, Okla. (AP) — Cody Green connected with Keyarris Garrett for three touchdown passes Saturday and Tulsa held on to beat UCF 23-21 in a battle of Conference USA division leaders.
The win sealed the West Division title for Tulsa (9-2, 7-0) and gives the Golden Hurricane the upper hand for home-field advantage for the championship game Dec. 1.
Trey Watts ran for 122 yards for Tulsa, and Green finished with 252 yards passing, going 21 for 34 with an interception. The three scoring passes to Garrett went for 70, 20 and 13 yards — the last one making it 23-14 Golden Hurricane with 5:11 left in the third quarter.
UCF (8-3, 6-1) came within two points on Latavius Murray's 2-yard run with 9:01 to play, but Tulsa ran nearly seven minutes off the clock and the Knights never got another first down.
Blake Bortles was 13 of 31 for 169 yards and a TD for UCF, but was sacked four times.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.