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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTSA | 7-1 (4-0) | at Tulane | W, 42-19 | — OFF — |
| North Texas | 5-2 (3-0) | at Navy | W, 49-39 | vs FAU (THU) |
| Army | 5-2 (4-1) | at Tulsa (FRI) | W, 38-35 | at Memphis |
| Memphis | 6-2 (3-1) | vs ECU (THU) | W, 41-34 (1 OT) | vs Army |
| FAU | 5-2 (2-1) | vs Rice | W, 51-49 | at North Texas (THU) |
| UAB | 4-3 (2-1) | — OFF — | — | at USF |
| USF | 5-2 (1-2) | — OFF — | — | vs UAB |
| Tulane | 3-4 (1-2) | vs UTSA | L, 19-42 | at Charlotte (FRI) |
| Temple | 2-5 (1-2) | — OFF — | — | at ECU |
| Charlotte | 1-6 (1-2) | — OFF — | — | vs Tulane (FRI) |
| Tulsa | 4-4 (1-3) | vs Army (FRI) | L, 35-38 | — OFF — |
| ECU | 3-4 (1-3) | at Memphis (THU) | L, 34-41 (1 OT) | vs Temple |
| Navy | 2-5 (1-4) | vs North Texas | L, 39-49 | — OFF — |
| Rice | 1-7 (0-4) | at FAU | L, 49-51 | — OFF — |
Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll
Ochoa vs Messer
There was quite the shootout in Boca Raton on Saturday afternoon. Rice’s Gael Ochoa had five touchdowns (four 50+ yard rushing scores and a 71 yard touchdown pass) was outdueled by FAU’s Easton Messer who also had five scores (two receiving, two rushing and the last via an 82-yard punt return). It was Rice’s seventh loss, making them the first team in the American Conference to officially fall short of the six wins required for bowl eligibility.
Memphis Survives
A week removed from their first conference loss on the road against Tulane, Memphis found itself on the ropes once again, trailing East Carolina 16-3 at half. The Tigers would rally, making it to overtime where cornerback Ellis Ellis kept their conference championship game aspirations alive by intercepting Pirates’ QB Mitch Griffins to seal the win.
Roadrunners Roll
UTSA made its case to be the clear frontrunner in the conference with a rather thorough dismantling of Tulane, which wasn’t nearly as close as the box score conveyed. Owen McCown threw a pick-six on the first play of the game, then barely found the end zone again. The Roadrunners aren’t the only team unbeaten in league play — North Texas is 3-0 — but they’ve more than earned their spot on top of the conference standings.
Looking Ahead
First to 100
North Texas and FAU combined to score 100 points on Saturday, each earning shootout wins. They meet in in Denton for a primetime ESPN matchup. Quarterbacks Caden Veltkamp and Tayven Jackson have combined for more than 3,500 passing yards so far this season. First team to 100 points wins?
Can the Black Knights Keep Rolling?
The Army defense is not very good and it cost the Black Knights dearly in early losses by four points to South Florida and two points to Louisiana Tech. The offense though? It has been lights out. Army dropped 56 points on FAU and 38 this past week against Tulsa. If they can get going against Memphis they’ll earn another impressive conference win, having already taken down Tulane this season at West Point.
Bowl Watch
We’ve officially reached the part of the season where postseason stakes become more palpable. For some, that’s the danger of a second conference loss eliminating them from a trip to the title game. For others, it’s the slow slippage of enough opportunities to reach six wins and secure a bowl trip. East Carolina (three wins) and Temple (two wins) will find themselves in dire straights in that regard if they lose next week’s matchup.