AAC Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.
| Team | Record | This Week | Result | Up Next |
| Army | 2-0 (1-0) | at FAU | W, 24-7 | — OFF — |
| Charlotte | 0-2 (0-0) | at North Carolina | L, 38-20 | vs Gardner-Webb |
| ECU | 2-0 (0-0) | at ODU | W, 20-14 | vs App State |
| FAU | 0-2 (0-1) | vs Army | L, 24-7 | vs FIU |
| Memphis | 2-0 (0-0) | vs Troy | W, 38-17 | at Florida State |
| Navy | 2-0 (1-0) | vs Temple | W, 38-20 | — OFF — |
| North Texas | 2-0 (0-0) | vs SFA | W, 35-20 | at Texas Tech |
| Rice | 1-1 (0-0) | vs Texas So. | W, 69-7 | at Houston |
| Temple | 0-2 (0-1) | at Navy | L, 38-11 | vs Coastal Carolina |
| Tulane | 1-1 (0-0) | vs Kansas St | L, 34-27 | — OFF — |
| Tulsa | 1-1 (0-0) | at Arkansas St | L, 28-24 | vs 16 Oklahoma St |
| UAB | 1-1 (0-1) | at ULM | L, 32-6 | at Arkansas |
| USF | 1-1 (0-0) | at 5 Alabama | L, 42-16 | at Southern Miss |
| UTSA | 1-1 (0-0) | at Texas St | L, 49-10 | at Texas |
Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)
Missed opportunities
The American Conference had a trio of marquee nonconference games in Week 2 and was unable to win any of them. UTSA demolished by Texas State in a stunning rout while Tulane and South Florida played power conference opponents much closer. USF entered the fourth quarter trailing Alabama 14-13 before things unraveled in Tuscaloosa while Tulane was a late defensive touchdown away from a resume-boosting win. Alas, the AAC will have to wait at least one more week for their first significant nonconference win of the season.
Blazers burned
UAB received plenty of heat when they decided to go off the beaten path and hire Trent Dilfer out of the high school ranks. To select Dilfer, they passed on interim coach Bryant Vincent who was hired this offseason as the head coach at Louisiana Monroe. Not only did the coach UAB spurned beat them, he oversaw a rout of epic proportions including three turnovers and a 19-0 run to finish the game.
Strong start for the Troops
There have been two conference games played to this point with Army and Navy each moving into Week 3 a perfect 1-0 in league play and 2-0 overall. The Black Knights still have yet to lose a game since joining the conference this offseason. Memphis, North Texas and ECU also earn a nod for making through the first two weeks without a loss.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
Back-to-back buckets
Don’t look now but Rice football (1-1) has a better record right now than crosstown rival Houston (0-2) courtesy of the Owls’ blowout win over Texas Southern on Saturday. The Cougars will be favored, but that didn’t stop Rice from claiming the intracity rivalry a season ago. Rice was the only AAC team to upset a Power Conference opponent last season and will look to do it for a second year in a row.
Other Owls on Alert
While Rice rebounded this weekend, Florida Atlantic did not. Temple (0-2) was expected to struggle this season, but people were largely optimistic about Florida Atlantic’s season. They host FIU which looked spunky in a thrashing of Central Michigan this weekend. The schedule eases up for FAU soon, but falling to 0-3 makes the chances of reaching bowl eligibility that much more challenging. With several of the AACs heavy hitters still on the schedule, FAU could really use this win.
From upset bid to must-win?
Going into the season, Memphis’ Week 3 game against Florida State was supposed to offer the Tigers a chance at a marquee win to bolster a potential College Football Playoff case. Now, this game is starting to feel like one the Tigers need to win against a struggling, but talented, Seminoles team. ESPN FPI still lists FSU as a heavy favorite with a 79.5 percent chance to win, but this game has taken on an entirely different outlook given FSU’s 0-2 status and early season woes.
