Conference USA Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 8.
| Team | Week 8 | Result | Up Next |
| Charlotte | vs FIU | L, 34-15 | at Rice |
| FAU | at UTEP | L, 24-21 | vs UAB |
| FIU | at Charlotte | W, 34-15 | vs LA Tech |
| LA Tech | vs Rice | L, 42-41 (OT) | at FIU |
| MTSU | — OFF — | — | at UTEP |
| North Texas | at UTSA | L, 31-27 | at WKU |
| Rice | at LA Tech | W, 42-41 (OT) | vs Charlotte |
| UAB | at WKU | L, 20-17 | at FAU |
| UTEP | vs FAU | W, 24-21 | vs MTSU |
| UTSA | vs North Texas | W, 31-27 | — OFF — |
| WKU | vs UAB | W, 20-17 | vs North Texas |
Notable Week 8 results – Standings
And then there was one
A Frank Harris touchdown pass with 15 seconds remaining lifted UTSA past North Texas, 37-21 in San Antonio. The win served as revenge from last season’s upset, but it also ensured the Roadrunners would be the lone unbeaten team remaining in conference play.
Falling back to earth
After a remarkable run under head coach Bill Clark, UAB hasn’t shown nearly the same level of consistency under interim man Bryant Vincent. The Blazers picked up their third loss of the season on Saturday, falling to WKU, and sit at 2-2 in conference play through four games. Barring a late-season run, it’s not looking like the Blazers will have a seat in the championship game this season.
Top heavy?
Following Saturday’s results, there are just four teams (out of 11) with winning records in conference play: UTSA, Western Kentucky, North Texas and Rice. The Owls kept pace with that upper tier with a heart-stopping overtime victory over Louisiana Tech in Ruston this weekend. Luke McCaffrey had more than 200 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
Thinning out the top
North Texas had a chance to seize control of the conference title race on Saturday, but it’s possible the Mean Green will be out of the hunt by the time the month of October concludes if things go wrong next weekend. North Texas faces Western Kentucky, also 3-1 in conference play, with the loser picking up a second loss and without a tiebreaker against UTSA.
Danger zone
Meanwhile, below that tandem in the standings, UAB and FAU meet in Boca Raton. Both have challenging schedules down the stretch and have a lot riding on this game. If there’s any chance of sneaking into a conference title game, this is their last chance to make a move. If not, it sets up the potential for a late season slide for programs picked to finish much more highly in the preseason polls.
Rising Miners?
UTEP fell out of the spotlight with a rough 1-3 start, but has quietly been pretty good since. They dropped a road game against Louisiana Tech, but have still managed to win three of their last four. A win over MTSU — which is still winless in conference play — would put them one win from bowl eligibility with games still remaining against Rice and FIU.
