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AAC Football 2024: Week 9 Roundup

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AAC 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 7-0 (6-0) — OFF —  — vs Air Force
Charlotte 3-5 (2-2) at Memphis L, 33-28 vs Tulane
ECU 4-4 (2-2) vs Temple W, 56-34 — OFF —
FAU 2-5 (0-3) — OFF —  — vs USF
Memphis 7-1 (3-1) vs Charlotte W, 33-28 at UTSA
Navy 6-1 (4-0) vs Notre Dame L, 51-14 at Rice
North Texas 5-3 (2-2) vs Tulane L, 45-37 — OFF —
Rice 2-6 (1-4) at UConn L, 17-10 vs Navy
Temple 2-6 (1-3) at ECU L, 56-34 — OFF —
Tulane 6-2 (4-0) at North Texas W, 45-37 at Charlotte
Tulsa 3-5 (1-3) vs UTSA W, 46-45 at UAB
UAB 1-6 (0-4) — OFF —  — vs Tulsa
USF 3-4 (1-2) — OFF —  — at FAU
UTSA 3-5 (1-3) at Tulsa L, 46-45 vs Memphis

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Tulsa???

You wouldn’t be alone if you turned this game off at halftime. That’s typically what happens when one team faces a 35-7 deficit. The Golden Hurricane had other plans. Quarterback Cooper Legas threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns off the bench, rallying the home team past the reeling Roadrunners to pull off one of the more stunning finishes of the weekend.

Midshipmen mishaps

Navy hadn’t lost a fumble all season before losing five fumbles to Notre Dame on Saturday. The Middies were off their game from the start and things only continued to go downhill from there. The lone solace, the defeat came in non-conference play and Navy remains very much alive in the race for a spot in the AAC Championship Game.

Memphis keeps playing with fire

Memphis might only have one conference loss, a nailbiter to Navy, but the Tigers have struggled to get through their schedule in recent weeks, including an escape against Charlotte on Saturday. The 49ers had the lead in this game late in the fourth quarter. Mathematically, Memphis is still in the mix for a title game appearance, but they haven’t taken care of business to nearly the same degree as their one-loss-or-better counterparts.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Rivalry game?

Things get weird when rivalries are involved. That’s part of what makes college football so endearing. Army will be hoping for no wild antics this coming Saturday when they host Air Force. The Black Knights have won three of the last four in the series and five of the last even, but Air Force won 10-of-11 before that. On paper, Arny should win comfortably, but they don’t play these games on paper.

Sun Shine State Season Savers

Despite high hopes entering the year, neither Florida Atlantic nor South Florida are going to contend for a conference championship this season. Their realities are quite the opposite, actually, with postseason trips on the line in the weeks ahead. A loss in this game would significantly impact bowl game odds for the losing program making the intra-state battle all that more intriguing.

Bowl dreams on the line

Speaking of a long offseason starting sooner than they’d like, three AAC teams enter this coming week with six losses and are in danger of seeing their bowl dreams crushed a little over the midpoint of the 2024 campaign. Temple will have hope for at least one more week as the head to a bye, but Rice (vs Navy) and UAB (vs Tulsa) are playing for their postseason dreams starting Saturday.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 8 Roundup

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AAC 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 7-0 (6-0) vs ECU W, 45-28 — OFF —
Charlotte 3-3 (2-1) at Navy L, 51-17 at Memphis
ECU 3-4 (1-2) at Army L, 45-28 vs Temple
FAU 2-3 (0-3) at UTSA L, 38-24 — OFF —
Memphis 6-1 (2-1) vs North Texas W, 52-44 vs Charlotte
Navy 6-0 (4-0) vs Charlotte W, 51-17 vs Notre Dame
North Texas 5-2 (2-1) at Memphis L, 52-44 vs Tulane
Rice 2-5 (1-3) at Tulane L, 24-10 at UConn
Temple 2-5 (1-2) vs Tulsa W, 20-10 at ECU
Tulane 5-2 (3-0) vs Rice W, 24-10 at North Texas
Tulsa 2-5 (0-3) at Temple L, 20-10 vs UTSA
UAB 1-6 (0-4) at USF L, 35-25 — OFF —
USF 3-4 (1-2) vs UAB W, 35-25 — OFF —
UTSA 3-4 (1-2) vs FAU W, 38-24 at Tulsa

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Memphis holds on

For a team that did not trail from the midpoint of the second quarter onward, it sure felt like Memphis escaped with a win on Saturday evening against North Texas. The Tigers corralled a late on-side attempt and still had to pick off a pass in the endzone with time expiring to close out a win over the Mean Green. Memphis is 6-1, but they haven’t really appeared like the sort of AAC juggernaut many had expected them to be prior to the season.

Tulane survives

Three touchdown favorites, Tulane didn’t expect to find themselves locked in a tied ballgame in the fourth quarter with Rice football. The Owls had their chance, but five turnovers, one of which led to another Tulane defensive touchdown, quelled any real thoughts of an upset. The Green Wave won, and that’s all that will matter down the road.

49ers not for real

One of the more surprising starts to conference play came from Charlotte, who found themselves in the upper third of the conference standings after a 2-0 start in league play which includes victories over Rice and East Carolina, neither of which is a true contender. When faced with a Navy squad with real tenacity on both sides of the ball, Charlotte wilted. Not a surprise, but one less pretender now adorns the top of the standings.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

CFB Playoff meets AAC

One of the marquee games of the upcoming weekend involves an AAC team, albeit not one that many would have expected entering the year. The undefeated Navy Midshipmen head to Metlife Stadium to take on a Notre Dame team that still has College Football Playoff aspirations. However, so does Navy. This one will be must-see TV.

Tulane get’s opposite test

Tulane was tested by the Rice defense a week ago and only escaped thanks to a woeful Rice offense who couldn’t hang on to the ball. Can the Green Wave handle the inverse in a North Texas team that can seemingly score at will but won’t play much defense of any kind?

Save your (post) season

UTSA clearly isn’t going to be challenging for a conference championship this season, but the Roadrunners are still alive for the postseason as they prepare for a road trip to a dismal Tulsa squad. That game takes on adding importance with UTSA’s win over FAU keeping them alive and on a path for a bowl berth. The schedule gets tough down the road, making this a must-win game for the Roadrunners if they want to go bowling.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 7 Roundup

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AAC 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 6-0 (5-0) vs UAB W, 44-10 vs ECU
Charlotte 3-3 (2-0) — OFF —  — at Navy
ECU 3-3 (1-1) — OFF —  — at Army
FAU 2-4 (0-2) vs North Texas L, 41-37 at UTSA
Memphis 5-1 (1-1) at USF W, 21-3 vs North Texas
Navy 5-0 (3-0) — OFF —  — vs Charlotte
North Texas 5-1 (2-0) at FAU W, 41-37 at Memphis
Rice 2-4 (1-2) vs UTSA W, 29-27 at Tulane
Temple 1-5 (0-2) — OFF —  — vs Tulsa
Tulane 4-2 (2-0) — OFF —  — vs Rice
Tulsa 2-4 (0-2) — OFF —  — at Temple
UAB 1-5 (0-3) at Army L, 44-10 at USF
USF 2-4 (0-2) vs Memphis L, 21-3 vs UAB
UTSA 2-4 (0-2) at Rice L, 29-27 vs FAU

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Memphis won’t go quietly

When Memphis lost to Navy a few weeks ago much of the ire fell on the Tigers who seemingly had coughed away the driver’s seat in the AAC team despite being a heavy favorite. That loss looks more understandable as time goes on and Memphis might not be out of it just yet, especially if they keep posting results like they did on Saturday. USF isn’t the same without Byrum Brown and the challenges thrown their way by the hurricane couldn’t have helped. Still, Memphis took care of business and looks to be the real deal.

Rice gets off the mat

A heroic last-second touchdown pass from EJ Warner to Matt Sykes gave Rice Football its first FBS win of the season and moved the Owls to 1-2 in AAC play. The victory over UTSA got Rice out of the basement of the league standings, leaving Temple and UAB as the only one-squads remaining in the AAC. Six AAC teams remain winless in league play, but the Owls are not among them.

FAU underwhelms

Florida Atlantic was picked to finish sixth in the preseason but the 2-4 (0-2) Owls keep falling down the standings. They went toe-to-toe with North Texas on Saturday and looked to have the game won with a Morgan Suarez field goal in the fourth quarter that put them up by 10 points with 4:21 remaining. Instead, North Texas engineered back-to-back touchdown drives in the final minutes to hand FAU another loss. North Texas has now outscored their opponents 135 to 63 in the second half this season.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Can anyone slow down Army?

The Black Knights continue to run roughshod through the AAC in their first season in the league. Nobody has been able to stop quarterback Bryson Daily who tied the school record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games and ranks in the top five in the nation in rushing touchdowns. ECU is on deck. The Pirates rank third in the conference in yards per carry allowed, but the triple option is an entirely different monster.

Somebody has to win

Basement dwellers Tulsa and Temple square off next weekend in a battle to avoid the bottom spot in the league standings and keep feeble postseason hopes alive for at least another week. Both teams are coming off a bye so there’s no excuse not to be ready for what should be a winnable game with the potential to salvage some hope in an otherwise challenging season for both sides.

Prove your mettle, Mean Green

North Texas is the surprise entrant to the top of the league standings, but how long they stay there might depend on what happens next weekend. The Mean Green travel to Memphis for what could be a pivotal game in determining the pecking order at the top of the league. A win by Memphis keeps them in the AAC title race. A win by North Texas would be a statement that declares they belong in that conversation.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 6 Roundup

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AAC 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 5-0 (4-0) at Tulsa W, 49-7 vs UAB
Charlotte 3-3 (2-0) vs ECU W, 55-24 — OFF —
ECU 3-3 (1-1) at Charlotte L, 55-24 — OFF —
FAU 2-3 (0-1) — OFF —  — vs North Texas
Memphis 4-1 (0-1) — OFF —  — at USF
Navy 5-0 (3-0) at Air Force W, 34-7 — OFF —
North Texas 4-1 (1-0) — OFF —  — at FAU
Rice 1-4 (0-2) — OFF —  — vs UTSA
Temple 1-5 (0-2) at UConn L, 29-20 — OFF —
Tulane 4-2 (2-0) at UAB W, 71-20 — OFF —
Tulsa 2-4 (0-2) vs Army L, 49-7 — OFF —
UAB 1-4 (0-2) vs Tulane L, 41-20 at Army
USF 2-3 (0-1) — OFF —  — vs Memphis
UTSA 2-3 (0-1) — OFF —  — at Rice

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

5-0 Troops

For the first time since 1945, both Army and Navy have started the season 5-0. Army owns the nation’s longest winning streak (nine games) and has not trailed at any point during a game this season. Meanwhile Navy is cruising, too. The Midshipmen are the only team in the nation to score on every red zone appearance, converting 19-of-19 trips for scores this year. It’s a good time to be a service academy in the AAC.

Blazers down bad

UAB is not having a good time right now. Weeks removed from putting a scare into Arkansas the Blazers appear to have fallen apart, most recently being completely dismantled by Tulane. The Green Wave appear to be among the best of the best in the AAC, a stark difference from the product the Blazers are putting on the field right now. That’s not where Trent Dilfer and his staff hoped the program would be in year two, but that’s the reality they’re living in.

Niners off the mat

A similar sob story was close to being written about Charlotte, but the 49ers have rebounded from a perilous 1-3 start with back-to-back conference wins, this week blasting East Carolina in a burgeoning rivalry game. As things currently stand, the Nines are one of five AAC teams without a conference lost. That’s not someone anyone could have predicted a month ago, but things change quickly in this sport.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

In the thick of double bye weeks

It’s been back-to-back relatively light weeks for the AAC with almost half the league on bye this week and the other half on bye next week. If that feels like a lot of missing football, you’re not wrong. Because of the way the calendar falls this season each team will have two open weeks, split roughly in the first half and second half of the season. We’ll have much fuller AAC slates in Weeks 8 and Week 9 before another lull inaction later in the year.

Memphis and South Florida square off

Entering the year this Week 7 matchup between Memphis and South Florida was meant to be pivotal for the AAC Championship race, and that still very well might be true, but it’s taken on an additional degree of importance in recent weeks. Early stumbles by both squads and the hot starts of Army and Navy have upped the ante in this contest. The winner stays in the race while the loser might be out of luck before the calendar reaches Halloween.

What about the Mean Green?

North Texas has a Power conference loss to Texas Tech, but has otherwise handled business entering their first bye week of the season. The Mean Green weren’t expected to be among the conference frontrunners, but their offense looks like the real deal and they’re flying a bit under the radar following wins over Wyoming and Tulsa. A win over FAU this weekend would set them up for a potentially pivotal trip to Memphis in two weeks.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 5 Roundup

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AAC 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 4-0 (3-0) at Temple (Thr) W, 42-14 at Tulsa
Charlotte 2-3 (1-0) at Rice W, 21-20 vs ECU
ECU 3-2 (1-0) vs UTSA W, 30-20 at Charlotte
FAU 2-3 (0-1) vs Wagner W, 41-10 — OFF —
Memphis 4-1 (0-1) vs MTSU W, 24-7 — OFF —
Navy 4-0 (3-0) at UAB W, 41-18 at Air Force
North Texas 4-1 (1-0) vs Tulsa W, 52-20 — OFF —
Rice 1-4 (0-2) vs Charlotte L, 21-20 — OFF —
Temple 1-4 (0-2) vs Army (Thr) L, 42-14 at UConn
Tulane 3-2 (1-0) vs USF W, 45-10 at UAB
Tulsa 2-3 (0-1) at North Texas L. 52-20 vs Army
UAB 1-3 (0-1) vs Navy L, 41-18 vs Tulane
USF 2-3 (0-1) at Tulane L, 45-10 — OFF —
UTSA 2-3 (0-1) at ECU L, 30-20 — OFF —

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Green Wave Roll

Although South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown did leave this game early with an injury, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome in the slightest. Tulane mopped the floor with South Florida, exorcising some demons from a few near-misses against Power conference opponents in recent weeks. Army and Navy are the conference frontrunners thus far, but don’t sleep on a complete Tulane squad that can score and play elite defense.

Tell me more

East Carolina upset UTSA in a game in which the Roadrunners led 13-3 in the waning minutes of the first half. The Pirates have shown some spunk in recent results while UTSA hasn’t quite found its groove without Frank Harris. Which reality is more causal, though? Is ECU rising or UTSA sliding? Both? To what degree? It’s just too early to tell.

To the bottom

Rice outgained Charlotte and at the two-minute timeout but was unable to prevent the go-ahead score and missed a field goal at the end of regulation that would have won the game. Instead, they lost and now sit a 1-4 through five games. A promising season now sees the Owls enter the bye week tied with Temple for the worst record in league play. Temple has an FBS win, though. Rice does not.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Rivalry, Beware

Navy has looked much improved this season while Air Force has struggled, but those things tend to go out the window when rivalry games arrive. A non-conference loss wouldn’t be catastrophic for the Midshipmen by any means, but it would mean a hit for — and I can’t believe I’m saying this — they’re potential College Football Playoff aspirations. Those are the sorting of dreams you get to have after taking down the preseason conference favorite and starting league play a sterling 3-0.

Bye week blues

Rice, UTSA and South Florida all enter their bye weeks in varying states of unrest. All three lost the week before and have some adjustments to do before kicking off the second half of their seasons in Week 7. None of this trio expected to be below ..500 at this point in the season, but it’s the cards they’ve been dealt. Whoever makes the most of this extra time has a chance to salvage things. UTSA and Rice will find that answer soon enough, meeting in Houston following their bye.

Fluke or Fortune?

Charlotte got a big win in Houston on Saturday, knocking off Rice. The game was going sideways before the 49ers made a quarterback change, sitting Trexler Ivey in favor of Deshawn Purdie, who led three scoring drives in the second half. Another win next week against East Carolina has the potential to bolster the 49ers’ aspirations and turn this from a lost season into a competitive one. We’ll find out soon enough.

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