Rice football was off, but Conference USA Football action was as entertaining as ever. Here’s the latest news from around the conference after Week 7.
| Team | Week 7 | Result | Week 8 |
| Charlotte | at FIU | L, 48-23 | at WKU |
| FAU | vs MTSU | W, 28-13 | vs Marshall |
| FIU | vs Charlotte | W, 48-23 | vs UTEP |
| LA Tech | vs UMass | W, 69-21 | vs Southern Miss |
| Marshall | vs Old Dominion | W, 31-17 | at FAU |
| MTSU | at FAU | L, 28-13 | at North Texas |
| North Texas | at Southern Miss | L, 45-27 | vs MTSU |
| Old Dominion | at Marshall | L, 31-17 | at UAB |
| Rice | — OFF — | — | at UTSA |
| Southern Miss | vs North Texas | W, 45-27 | at LA Tech |
| UAB | at UTSA | W, 33-14 | vs Old Dominion |
| UTEP | — OFF — | — | at FIU |
| UTSA | vs UAB | L, 33-14 | vs Rice |
| WKU | vs Army | W, 17-8 | vs Charlotte |
Notable Week 7 results – Standings
Stop sleeping on FAU
FAU never dropped out of the Conference USA Football title race, but two lopsided losses to start the season against two very good teams (Ohio State and UCF) made some forget about the Owls. Now at the midway point of the season, they’ve won four in a row and are 2-0 in conference play.
Oh no Old Dominion
A three-point win over Norfolk State was the only happy moment for the Monarchs and head coach Bobby Wilder who’s seat continues to warm after a loss to Marshall. Old Dominion hasn’t hired a coach other than Wilder since Tommy Scott in 1930, but that could change if the Monarchs don’t turn things around quickly.
Not Fine, not Fine at all
The Week 7 tilt between Southern Miss and North Texas was billed as a battle of the West’s top two teams. The teams traded touchdowns in the first half before Southern Miss took control in the second half. Things took a turn for the worst for North Texas when star quarterback Mason Fine got hit hard on a short run and left the game. If Fine’s injury is serious, the Mean Green might be in big trouble.
Week 8 storylines
Can you beat someone other than UTEP?
UTSA knocked off UTEP in Week 6 as a slight underdog on the road. Rice has yet to win a game, but they haven’t played a team with a sub-.500 record yet this season. Can the Owls earn their first win of the season or will UTSA beat their first non-UTEP FBS opponent since they beat Rice last October?
Speaking of UTEP… Can FIU right the ship?
An 0-2 start to Conference USA action was a worst-case scenario for FIU, but the Panthers did what they could in Week 7 by disposing of a feisty Charlotte squad. A win over UTEP next weekend would put FIU back to .500 and back in the mix in the East.
Wild west showdown
Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech are the only remaining teams in the West with spotless records in conference play. They meet in Ruston in Week 8 in a game which could decide their half of the conference with matchups against UAB later in the season the biggest question mark remaining for whichever team leaves with the win.