Rice football was the only Conference USA football team in action in Week 0. The Owls defeated Prairie View at home. What’s next for the CUSA squads in Week 1?
Your weekly check in for all things Conference USA is underway. CUSA went a perfect 1-0 in the opening weekend of college football as the Rice Owls bested Prairie View at home. It was a nailbiter with several notable takeaways for the Owls and their new head coach. Most importantly, their culture of Intellectual Brutality survived its first test.
Week 0 results
Rice 31 – Prairie View 28
Week 1 games
- Savannah State at UAB (Thr)
- Western Kentucky at Wisconsin (Fri)
- FAU at Oklahoma
- Houston at Rice
- Marshall at Miami (OH)
- Old Dominion at Liberty
- Fordham at Charlotte
- Louisiana Tech at South Alabama
- Indiana at FIU
- Jackson State at Southern Miss
- SMU at North Texas
- Northern Arizona at UTEP
- Middle Tennesse at Vanderbilt
- UTSA at Arizona State
Week 1 storylines to follow
FAU’s upset bid
Devin Singletary and FAU against the might Oklahoma Sooners will be a game watched well beyond the typical Conference USA spectrum of fans. Oklahoma starts MLB Draft pick and $5 Million man against Lane Kiffin and the upset-minded Owls. FAU enters as a hefty underdog (21.5 points) but there’s always a chance things could get weird.
UTEP’s quest for No. 1
UTEP went winless in 2017, falling to Rice in a battle of cellar dwellers. The Miners host Northern Arizona this weekend. If they can’t beat NAU, it could set up another tough season in El Paso. ESPN FPI currently has the odds dead even at 50-50.
FIU has the potential to surprise
Butch Davis led his FIU squad to eight wins last season and hosts an Indiana squad that won’t be very good this year. If Conference USA is going to get an upset over a Power 5 program in Week 1 the Panthers have the best chance to make that happen.
