Cincinnati 24, Houston 17: Brendon Kay threw for 386 yards and two touchdowns as the Bearcats held off the host Cougars for their sixth straight win.

Anthony McClung had nine catches for 137 yards while Shaq Washington added 10 receptions for 132 yards for Cincinnati (9-2, 6-1 AAC), which kept its hopes alive for a share of the conference title. Chris Moore had four receptions for 72 yards and two scores.

John O'Korn was 13-of-30 for 171 yards and a touchdown for Houston (7-4, 4-3), which dropped its third straight after a 7-1 start to the season. The Cougars managed just 33 rushing yards on a wet, messy field.

Kay found Moore from 40 yards out and Tony Miliano kicked a 25-yard field goal to put the Bearcats up 10 in the second quarter. After O'Korn connected with Deontay Greenberry for a 12-yard scoring toss, Kay upped the lead back to 10 with his second hookup with Moore, this one from 3 yards out with 1:29 to play in the first half.

Kay made it 24-7 with a 14-yard touchdown run midway through the third, but the Cougars scored 10 straight points on Trevon Stewart's 15-yard fumble return for a score and Kyle Bullard's 27-yard field goal. Still, despite multiple chances — including two fourth-quarter field-goal misses by Miliano — the Cougars couldn't get the tying score before time ran out.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Washington had double-digit catches for the fourth time this season, after he caught 11 three other times. … Freshman QB Greg Ward Jr. came in for Houston when O'Korn was ineffective in the second half, though O'Korn returned for the Cougars' final drive of the game. … Cincinnati now leads the all-time series between the teams 14-8.