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 | 3-4 (2-3) | at Tulane | L, 24-17 | — OFF — |
| Charlotte | 1-6 (0-4) | vs Temple | L, 49-14 | vs North Texas (FRI) |
| ECU | 4-3 (2-1) | vs Tulsa | W, 41-27 | — OFF — |
| FAU | 3-4 (2-2) | at USF | L, 48-13 | at Navy |
| Memphis | 6-1 (2-1) | at UAB | L, 31-24 | vs USF |
| Navy | 6-0 (4-0) | — OFF — | — | vs FAU |
| North Texas | 6-1 (2-1) | vs UTSA | W, 55-17 | at Charlotte (FRI) |
| Rice | 3-4 (1-3) | — OFF — | — | vs UConn |
| Temple | 4-3 (2-1) | at Charlotte | W, 49-14 | at Tulsa |
| Tulane | 6-1 (3-0) | vs Army | W, 24-17 | — OFF — |
| Tulsa | 2-5 (0-4) | at ECU | L, 41-27 | vs Temple |
| UAB | 3-4 (1-3) | vs Memphis | W, 31-24 | — OFF — |
| USF | 6-1 (3-0) | vs FAU | W, 48-13 | at Memphis |
| UTSA | 3-4 (1-2) | at North Texas | L, 55-17 | — OFF — |
Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll
Memphis’ Winning Streak is No More
Memphis entered Saturday tied with Ohio State with the nation’s longest winning streak. The Buckeyes now hold that distinction alone as Tigers fell as three touchdown favorites on the road against a UAB team under an interim head coach. In a conference title race expected to go down to the wire, it’s the kind of loss that could prove costly down the road. If nothing else, Memphis’ margin for error just got significantly more narrow.
Tulane gets Revenge
The conference title rematch was a much more competitive contest this time around. Army successfully held the ball and milked the clock, forcing Tulane to be effective every time they touched the ball; they came close. Tulane punted just one time before quarterback Jake Retzlaff hit receiver Shazz Preston for the go-ahead touchdown with 27 seconds on the clock.
North Texas Gets Right
A week removed from suffering their first loss of the season, the Mean Green made it abundantly clear they wouldn’t be adding to that ledger again any time soon. Despite a close game at half, North Texas would go on to outscore UTSA 31-3 in the second half including a forth quarter shutout to secure an important home win.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
A GameDay-less Big Game
So much for College Gameday. Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti talked this week about the possibility of the American pitting two ranked teams against each other next weekend, but Memphis loss to UAB will assuredly skuttles that dream. GameDay or not, though, this is a massive game for the conference title race and potential College Football Playoff bids.
Well Rested Rice
Rice football got off to a strong 3-1 start to the season before injuries and a tough schedule began to take their tole on the team, which got a much needed bye this past weekend. The road doesn’t get easier against a 5-2 UConn squad, but the Owls hope they’ll be in a better place after the off week and more capable of playing their best brand of football.
Can Temple Take Care of Business?
Winning on the road is never a sure thing, especially under a new head coach, but Temple can get within one win of bowl eligibility with a road win over Tulsa this coming Saturday in a game they’ll more than likely be favored to win. The schedule gets tougher after this with games against ECU, Army, Tulane and North Texas to close out the year.
