Conference USA Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron in Week 11.
Team | Week 11 | Result | Up Next |
Charlotte | at MTSU | L, 24-14 | vs LA Tech |
FAU | at FIU | W, 52-7 | at MTSU |
FIU | vs FAU | L, 52-7 | at UTEP |
LA Tech | at UTSA | L, 51-7 | at Charlotte |
MTSU | vs Charlotte | W, 24-14 | vs FAU |
North Texas | at UAB | L, 41-21 | — OFF — |
Rice | at WKU | L, 45-10 | vs UTSA |
UAB | vs North Texas | W, 41-21 | at LSU |
UTEP | — OFF — | — | vs FIU |
UTSA | vs LA Tech | W, 51-7 | at Rice |
WKU | vs Rice | W, 45-10 | at Auburn |
Notable Week 11 results – Standings
Owls implode
Rice turned the ball over a staggering six times in their road loss to Western Kentucky. The Owls controlled the ball and reached the redzone on their first two possession, but costly interceptions sent them into a spiral from which they were never able to recover.
Shula bowl statement
FAU has now won six consecutive Shula Bowl rivalry games against FIU, this one coming at a key juncture for head coach Willie Taggart, who had been facing questions regarding his job security in recent weeks. The Owls aren’t out of the woods just yet, but this win puts them within reach of a bowl berth, a must for Taggart this season.
No quarterback, no problem
Middle Tennessee was without quarterback Chase Cunningham against Charlotte on Saturday. At times, that seemed to matter, but in the end, the Blue Raiders managed to take care of business. The 49ers led 14-7 at halftime but were shut out after halftime as Nick Vattiato led three scoring drives to secure the win.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
One more shot
The preseason rumors circulating around Auburn’s expected coaching change have come to fruition. Despite a win over a historically bad Texas A&M team, the Tigers aren’t infallible and Western Kentucky has plenty of firepower to work with. If Conference USA is going to pull a P5 upset, this might be the one.
“Elimination” game
UTEP and FIU are running out of time. Both programs enter this coming weekend’s matchup with 4-6 records. The Panthers might be slightly ahead of schedule, making good progress in Year 1 under head coach Mike McIntyre. UTEP had high expectations in Year 5 of Dana Dimel. Neither program can clinch a bowl berth with a win, but a loss would drop them to seven losses and no postseason opportunity.
Who’s number two?
UTSA has a two-game lead plus some tiebreakers over the rest of the conference. They’ve had a few close calls but so far, nobody has been able to unseat the defending champs. The Roadrunners will be playing in the conference championship game. For now, they need to stay healthy and figure out who they’ll be matching up with in a few weeks.