Williams, Memphis Get Win

DeAngelo Williams lived up to the hype.

Williams set an NCAA record with his 34th 100-yard rushing game and scored three touchdowns, leading Memphis to a 38-31 victory over Akron in the Motor City Bowl on Monday.

Williams ran for 233 yards in 30 carries and finished his career with 6,021 yards rushing -- trailing only Ron Dayne, Ricky Williams and Tony Dorsett in Division I-A history -- and an NCAA-record 7,568 all-purpose yards.

“I’m really not a statistical guy, but when you mention those guys, it’s huge,” Williams said.

The Tigers (7-5) took a 21-point lead with 3:09 left, but needed to recover an onside kick with 55 seconds left to secure the win after Luke Getsy threw his fourth touchdown pass to cut the lead to seven points.

“I didn’t want to be the only coach in the country to get a Gatorade bath, then lose the game,” Memphis Coach Tommy West said. “I give them credit. Akron has been doing that all year, that’s why they won their championship.”

Akron (7-6) made a good showing in its first Division I-A bowl game after scoring 21 fourth-quarter points to beat Northern Illinois in the Mid-American Conference championship game.

Getsy was 34 for 59 for a Motor City Bowl-record 455 yards, and tied Chad Pennington’s mark for passing touchdowns in the bowl’s nine-year history.

Jabari Arthur broke Randy Moss’ bowl record with 180 yards receiving, scoring twice on eight receptions.

“I would’ve rather won,” Getsy said.