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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USF | 3-0 (1-0) | vs Delaware State | W, 28-17 | at Bowling Green |
| FAU | 2-1 (1-0) | vs FIU | W, 16-10 | at ULM |
| Tulsa | 3-0 (0-0) | vs East Texas A&M | W, 42-0 | at Arkansas |
| Memphis | 3-1 (0-0) | vs UT Martin | W, 45-21 | — OFF — |
| UTSA | 2-1 (0-0) | at Texas | L, 30-6 | vs Colorado State |
| Rice | 1-2 (0-0) | vs Western Michigan | L, 28-21 | at Fresno State |
| Temple | 1-2 (0-0) | at Toledo | L, 49-48 (1 OT) | vs Army (FRI) |
| Tulane | 1-2 (0-0) | at Kansas State | L, 31-20 | vs Southern Miss |
| UAB | 1-2 (0-0) | at Louisiana | L, 21-14 | vs Navy (FRI) |
| North Texas | 1-2 (0-0) | at Texas State | L, 49-35 | vs Houston Christian |
| ECU | 1-2 (0-0) | at Old Dominion | W, 20-17 | vs NC Central |
| Army | 1-1 (0-1) | — OFF — | at Temple (FRI) | |
| Navy | 1-1 (0-1) | — OFF — | at UAB (FRI) | |
| Charlotte | 0-3 (0-0) | at App State | L, 26-21 | vs Louisiana |
Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll
Pirates Hit Paydirt
A 0-2 start was far from ideal for an East Carolina team with conference championship aspirations. Even if it all came in non-conference play, falling to 0-3 would have made for extremely tough sledding. Fortunately, the Pirates won’t have to worry about that thanks to a second half shutout, punctuated by a 67-yard pick-six from Ayden Duncanson and a game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter.
Holy Toledo
Defense was certainly optional in a near 100-point outburst between the Owls and Rockets on Saturday. Leads flipped back and forth throughout the game before a 21-point fourth quarter from Toledo forced overtime. Each side scored on their opening possession, but Temple went for two and failed, coming up one point short in a wild game.
Shula Bowl Slugfest
Rivalry games are becoming a rarity in today’s ever-evolving landscape of college sports, so even if it comes in Week 3, they’re worth celebrating. This time it’ll be the FAU Owls toasting to a big win, scoring 10 first quarter points to take the lead on rival FIU, then holding on to earn a low-scoring 16-10 victory.
Looking Ahead
Can the Hurricane Strike Twice?
Tulsa sent shockwaves throughout the sport two weeks ago when they knocked off Oklahoma State for the second consecutive season. Then that Oklahoma State team beat Oregon. The Golden Hurricane draw a downtrodden Arkansas squad next Saturday. Lightning isn’t supposed to strike twice, but what about the Hurricane?
Second-Chance Owls?
Rice football got within one score of Western Michigan, but couldn’t complete the comeback. Quarterback Jacurri Brown shined in defeat, though, and could prove dangerous as the Owls look to complete their non-conference slat with a win. Could Fresno State be in trouble? Rice certainly hopes so.
Tulane Test Case
Tulane might not be the same American Conference giant as in years past, but their only losses so far have come against Power Conference foes. They wrap up non-conference play against Southern Miss at home in a game they should probably handle with relative ease. Accomplish that, and it might be enough for onlookers to push the Green Wave back up the list of contenders. A loss would be troubling.