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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 8-2 (5-1) | at USF (THU) | W, 52-41 | at Navy |
| UTSA | 8-2 (5-1) | vs North Texas | W, 35-16 | at UAB |
| North Texas | 7-3 (5-1) | at UTSA | L, 16-35 | at Tulane |
| UAB | 6-4 (4-2) | at Temple | W, 36-10 | vs UTSA |
| ECU | 6-4 (4-2) | at Charlotte | W, 17-16 | at Army |
| Army | 5-4 (4-2) | — OFF — | — | vs ECU |
| FAU | 6-4 (3-3) | at Tulsa | L, 21-38 | vs USF |
| Tulsa | 6-4 (3-3) | vs FAU | W, 38-21 | vs Charlotte |
| Tulane | 5-5 (3-3) | at Rice | W, 20-17 | vs North Texas |
| USF | 6-4 (2-4) | vs Memphis (THU) | L, 41-52 | vs FAU |
| Navy | 3-6 (2-4) | — OFF — | — | vs Memphis |
| Temple | 2-8 (1-5) | vs UAB | L, 10-36 | vs Rice (THU) |
| Charlotte | 1-9 (1-5) | vs ECU | L, 16-17 | at Tulsa |
| Rice | 1-9 (0-6) | vs Tulane | L, 17-20 | at Temple (THU) |
Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll
Memphis Survives Scare
It looked as if Memphis would waltz to an uneventful midweek win over South Florida when quarterback Marcus Stokes scampered into the endzone for his third touchdown of the first quarter. Instead, South Florida rallied from a 21-0 deficit to take a 41-38 lead on their first possession of the fourth quarter. Stokes didn’t miss a step, leading a pair of two-play, fourth quarter touchdown drives to win the game and keep the Tigers alive in the conference title game race.
Blazers are Bowling
The Trent Dilfer years will be looked upon as a dark time for the UAB program, but they’re solidly in the rearview mirror now as new head coach Alex Mortenson has the Blazers bowling for the first time since 2022. They routed Temple on Saturday to clinch their sixth win with two games to spare. That could potentially prove fortuitous with games remaining against UTSA and North Texas.
Break out your Tiebreakers
Memphis, UTSA and North Texas are now all tied atop the league standings after the Roadrunners’ resounding win over the Mean Green in Alamodome on Saturday night. North Texas lost starting quarterback Tayven Jackson to injury in the third quarter and couldn’t keep up with UTSA’s fervent rushing attack. It sure looks as if there are three teams fighting for two spots in the title game.
Looking Ahead
Proof for the Pirates
It’s been a wild season for East Carolina, which lost three of its first four road games before a narrow one-score win over Charlotte this week. That comeback could serve as an important momentum builder as the program heads to West Point next weekend. East Carolina might not be a conference title contender, but they can still finish near the top of the league standings with a couple more wins. If they want to achieve that, they’ll have to go through Army.
Sunshine State Showdown
Both Florida Atlantic and South Florida have had moments of promise this season, but neither will be content to be hovering around .500 in mid-November and, in South Florida’s case, with a losing record in conference play. Even if its only bragging rights on the line this coming Saturday, those tend to matter more in these heated intrastate rivalries, which are becoming fewer and fewer in the sport as conferences continue to change.
Race To the Bottom
The American has had some real bangers in their weekly Thursday night slot on ESPN. This week the conference’s primary rights holder gets a battle for what could be last place in the league standings. The loser of this week’s showdown between Temple (1-5) and Rice (0-6) isn’t guaranteed that distinction — both still have one more game to play afterward — but it more than likely seals their fate. And for Rice, they’d sure prefer not to finish the year winless against FBS competition.