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 | 9-0 (7-0) | — OFF — | — | at Notre Dame |
| Charlotte | 3-7 (2-4) | vs USF | L, 59-24 | at FAU |
| ECU | 6-4 (4-2) | at Tulsa | W, 38-31 | at North Texas |
| FAU | 2-8 (0-6) | at Temple | L, 18-15 (OT) | vs Charlotte |
| Memphis | 9-2 (5-2) | vs UAB | W, 53-18 | — OFF — |
| Navy | 7-3 (5-2) | vs Tulane | L, 35-0 | — OFF — |
| North Texas | 5-5 (2-4) | at UTSA | L, 48-27 | vs ECU |
| Rice | 3-7 (2-4) | — OFF — | — | at UAB |
| Temple | 3-7 (2-4) | vs FAU | W, 18-15 (OT) | at UTSA |
| Tulane | 9-2 (7-0) | at Navy | W, 35-0 | — OFF — |
| Tulsa | 3-7 (1-5) | vs ECU | L, 38-31 | at USF |
| UAB | 2-8 (1-5) | at Memphis | L, 53-18 | vs Rice |
| USF | 5-5 (3-3) | at Charlotte | W, 59-24 | vs Tulsa |
| UTSA | 5-5 (3-3) | vs North Texas | W, 48-27 | vs Temple |
Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)
Title Game Set
It’s official Tulane and Army are meeting in the AAC Championship game on Friday December 6, location TBD. The team with the highest winning percentage in league play will host the game, but that could be moot since the teams don’t play in the regular season. If they finished tied, the College Football Playoff rankings will determine the host.
And the Most Disappointing Team is…
Florida Atlantic, what happened? The Owls were picked to finish sixth in the preseason polls. Not frontrunners by any means, but a far cry from dead last in the league. That’s exactly where they sit now after falling to previous bottom-dweller Temple on Saturday. Not only did the miss the mark, they’re in contention for being the worst team in the conference.
Imagine If They Played Defense
North Texas ranks third in the AAC in points per game, a statistic that seems almost fruitless given their 2-4 record in league play. The Mean Green fired defensive Matt Caponi on Saturday following a loss to UTSA on Friday night in which the Roadrunners hung 48 points on his defense. North Texas be feisty… if they could play even a little bit of defense.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
AAC Game of the Year?
Army had the week to rest up and make preparations for a marquee game against Notre Dame next week. The battle of ranked teams could go a long way toward legitimizing the Black Knights in the College Football Playoff discussion. They could still win the AAC with a loss, but surpassing Boise State probably requires a marquee win of this sort.
How About Six?
South Florida (vs Tulsa), UTSA (vs Temple) and North Texas (vs ECU) are all playing for bowl eligibility next week against opponents facing unique circumstances. Neither Temple or Tulsa can reach bowl eligibility, but both second year coaches are desperate for victories. ECU has clinched bowl eligibility, but interim head coach Blake Harrell wouldn’t mind adding to his perfect resume since taking his new post.
Interim success
ECU isn’t the only team in the conference with an interim head coach. Rice interim Pete Alamar got a win in his first game against Navy and nearly knocked off Memphis last week. He’s said publicly he’s not angling for the permanent job, but he’s not throwing in the towel either. An outside shot at a bowl berth via APR scores should have the Owls motivated against UAB next weekend.
