American Conference 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 | 1-3 (0-2) | at ECU (Thr) | L, 28-6 | at UAB |
| Charlotte | 1-3 (0-1) | — OFF — | — | at USF |
| ECU | 3-2 (1-0) | vs Army (Thr) | W, 28-6 | — OFF — |
| FAU | 1-3 (0-1) | vs Memphis | L, 55-26 | at Rice |
| Memphis | 5-0 (1-0) | at FAU | W, 55-26 | vs Tulsa |
| Navy | 4-0 (3-0) | vs Rice | W, 21-13 | vs Air Force |
| North Texas | 5-0 (1-0) | at Army | W, 36-22 | — OFF — |
| Rice | 3-2 (1-1) | at Navy | L, 21-13 | vs FAU |
| Temple | 2-2 (0-0) | — OFF — | — | vs UTSA |
| Tulane | 4-1 (1-0) | at Tulsa | W, 31-14 | — OFF — |
| Tulsa | 2-3 (0-2) | vs Tulane | L, 31-14 | at Memphis |
| UAB | 1-2 (0-1) | — OFF — | — | vs Army |
| USF | 2-2 (0-0) | — OFF — | — | vs Charlotte |
| UTSA | 2-2 (0-0) | — OFF — | — | at Temple |
Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll
Middies and Mean Green Take Care of Business
September is over and North Texas and Navy have yet to see the loss column and while the Mean Green did have a scare a few weeks ago against Western Michigan, both of these teams have largely looked the part through the first month of the season. Both handled potentially troublesome opponents with relative ease this week.
Memphis has to work for it
Memphis trailed Florida Atlantic midway through the second quarter and never truly had a comfortable advantage until the midpoint of the fourth quarter when Cortez Braham Jr. hauled in a 73-yard touchdown reception from Brandon Lewis. An onslaught of later scores made the final score appear more one-sided than this game actually was. Nevertheless, 5-0 is 5-0.
Army’s struggles compound
The same cannot be said for Army, which looks to be falling fast from their perch atop the American Conference standings they held at the conclusion of last season. It looked for a moment as if they would rebound from their defeat against an FCS opponent with an upset win over Kansas State, but they’re completely one-sided loss at East Carolina proves there are more systemic problems at hand.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
First Conference Test
Some quirky scheduling have left three American Conference teams without a conference game under their belts entering Week 6: South Florida, UTSA and Temple. The Bulls have established some street-cred with impressive non-conference wins, but the Roadrunners and Owls are less proven. Naturally they taken on each other to open conference play.
Armed Forces, Defenders of Rivalry Games
With so many rivalries going by the wayside with conference realignment, it’s refreshing to take in the ones that have stuck around. Air Force had been riding a four-game winning streak before Navy snapped that streak last season. Can the Midshipmen remain undefeated a make a bid for their second consecutive claim to the Commander in Chief Trophy?
Dilfer Watch Continues
As previously established, Army isn’t quite the same team they were a year ago. They’re mortal, in every sense. That’s what makes their trip to Birmingham next weekend intriguing. UAB head coach Trent Dilfer needs to start stacking wins to save his job. And while a down-on-their-luck Army team seems beatable, a poor performance could serve as just another strike against his ledger.
