Rice football fell at home to UTSA in Week 6. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 7?
| Team | Last Week | Result | This Week |
| Charlotte | — OFF — | — | vs WKU |
| FAU | vs ODU | W, 52-33 | — OFF — |
| FIU | — OFF — | — | vs MTSU |
| LaTech | vs UAB | L, 28-7 | at UTSA |
| Marshall | vs MTSU | L, 34-24 | at ODU |
| MTSU | at Marshall | W, 34-24 | at FIU |
| North Texas | at UTEP | W, 27-24 | vs Southern Miss |
| ODU | at FAU | L, 52-33 | vs Marshall |
| Rice | vs UTSA | L, 20-3 | vs UAB |
| Southern Miss | — OFF — | — | at UNT |
| UAB | at LaTech | W, 28-7 | at Rice |
| UTEP | vs UNT | L, 27-24 | — OFF — |
| UTSA | at Rice | W, 20-3 | vs LaTech |
| WKU | — OFF — | — | @ Charlotte |
Notable Week 6 results
Wild, wild West
Even though the 2018 season is only six weeks old it’s already time to throw out the preseason predictions. North Texas looked to be unbeatable, but they were upset by Lousiana Tech at home in Week 5 and barely escaped upset against winless UTEP in Week 7. Tech turned around and lost to Middle Tennessee. Now UAB and UTSA sit atop CUSA West. Nothing makes sense anymore.
Should we buy into the Blazers?
Sitting at 4-1 (2-0 CUSA), the surprising UAB Blazers own the best record in the West. The defense has carried this team to wins over Charlotte and Louisiana Tech, both of which were held to just seven points. The defense has been so dominant that UAB quarterback A.J. Erdely was able to complete 8-of-24 passes for 136 yards and the Blazers still won by three touchdowns.
Rice speechless after disappointing home result
The Rice Owls were home favorites against a UTSA squad that had struggled to produce any sort of consistent offense in 2018. The Owls defense was rock solid, but the offense never found any real momentum. That’s going to prompt some difficult conversations on South Main this week.
Week 7 storylines
Kings of the East
Middle Tennessee entered the year without much in the form of preseason accolades. They now stand alone with FIU as the only teams in CUSA East without a loss in conference play. A win over FIU in Week 7 would give them a massive lead in the division with tiebreakers over both FIU and FAU.
Sneaky Southern Miss?
Off this past week, Southern Miss remains very much alive in the West. The Eagles have a win over Rice under their belts and an opportunity to make a statement on the road against North Texas in Week 7. A win over Mean Green propels them into no worse than second place in the West.
A game with unexpected importance
Louisiana Tech and UTSA combined for four first-place votes in the preseason CUSA poll. Now both squads have legitimate shots at a divisional title. They can set themselves up nicely with a win on Saturday; the Roadrunners host the Bulldogs.
