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AAC Football 2024: Week 4 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 3-0 (2-0) vs Rice W, 37-14 at Temple (Thr)
Charlotte 1-3 (0-0) at Indiana L, 52-14 at Rice
ECU 2-2 (0-0) at Liberty L, 35-24 vs UTSA
FAU 1-3 (0-1) at UConn L, 48-14 vs Wagner
Memphis 3-1 (0-1) at Navy L, 56-44 vs MTSU
Navy 3-0 (2-0) vs Memphis W, 56-44 at UAB
North Texas 3-1 (0-0) vs Wyoming W, 44-17 vs Tulsa
Rice 1-3 (0-1) at Army L, 37-14 vs Charlotte
Temple 1-3 (0-1) vs Utah State W, 45-29 vs Army (Thr)
Tulane 2-2 (0-0) at Louisiana W, 41-33 vs USF
Tulsa 2-2 (0-0) at Louisiana Tech W, 23-20 (OT) at North Texas
UAB 1-2 (0-1) — OFF —  — vs Navy
USF 2-2 (0-0) vs Miami L, 50-15 at Tulane
UTSA 2-2 (0-0) vs Houston Christian W, 45-17 at ECU

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Salute the Troops

Army was the home favorite in their first-ever AAC home game against Rice and took care of business handily, but it was the other academy that made the biggest waves this weekend. Navy came out guns blazing and roughed up Memphis, knocking the preseason No. 1 team off in their first conference game. Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath paved the way with 211 rushing yards and Rayuan Lane delivered a game-sealing pick-six in the final minute to secure the upset.

Temple finds the win column

It wasn’t uncommon to see Temple predicted to go winless this season as recently as this past week. These Owls had other plans though. After falling behind by 14 points in the second quarter, the underdogs rallied to score 31 of the game’s final 38 points and secure the upset.  Quarterback Evan Simon’s five-touchdown day was impressive.

Tulane gets right

A brutal non-conference schedule left Tulane 1-2 entering their final non-conference game against a feisty Lousiana squad. The Green Wave could still make some noise in AAC action without this game, but the chance to get back on the right track before conference play begins has to provide some comfort. Makhi Hughes went for 166 on the ground to pace the victory.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Heavy Weight Fight No. 1

The game of the week in the AAC takes place in New Orleans where Tulane hosts South Florida. With Memphis falling to Navy, the driver’s seat in the AAC is up for grabs. This pair of conference frontrunners could earn themselves some extra margin with a win on Saturday.

Basement bowl

Through four weeks, Charlotte and Rice are the only teams that have played four games and remain winless against FBS opponents. That duo squares off at Rice Stadium this coming Saturday. Whoever loses this game will find themselves at the bottom of the AAC standings with a hard road to climb out.

Are the Pirates for real?

East Carolina is 2-2 on the season but isn’t that far away from being 4-0. The Pirates lost to Appalachian State by two points in Week 3 and had a 17-point lead at Liberty on Saturday in a game that included a four-hour weather delay that stifled their early momentum. UTSA comes to town next. It’s not a game they’re supposed to win, but combining those early flashes into a consistent effort could make this a sneak shot for an upset for ECU.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 3 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 2-0 (1-0) — OFF —  — vs Rice
Charlotte 1-2 (0-0) vs Gardner-Webb W,27-26 at Indiana
ECU 2-1 (0-0) vs App State L, 21-19 at Liberty
FAU 1-2 (0-1) vs FIU W, 38-20 at UConn
Memphis 3-0 (0-0) at Florida State W, 20-0 at Navy
Navy 2-0 (1-0) — OFF —  — vs Memphis
North Texas 2-1 (0-0) at Texas Tech L, 66-21 vs Wyoming
Rice 1-2 (0-0) at Houston L, 33-7 at Army
Temple 0-3 (0-1) vs Coastal Carolina L, 28-20 vs Utah State
Tulane 1-2 (0-0) at Oklahoma L, 34-19 at Louisiana
Tulsa 1-2 (0-0) vs 16 Oklahoma St L, 45-10 at Louisiana Tech
UAB 1-2 (0-1) at Arkansas L, 37-27 — OFF —
USF 2-1 (0-0) at Southern Miss W, 49-24 vs Miami
UTSA 1-2 (0-0) at Texas L, 56-7 vs Houston Christian

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

3-0 Tigers

And then there was one. Memphis is the only 3-0 team in the American Conference, knocking off Florida State in Tallahassee to secure a perfect start. They’re not the only undefeated AAC squad — Army and Navy (2-0) were both off this week — but they’re in pole position in the conference and have a College Football Playoff spot in reach thanks to the power conference win. Now they need to stay the course.

Soul searching in Birmingham

A week removed from being blasted by Louisiana Monroe, UAB looked to have banished their demons entirely, opening their second quarter against Arkansas with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Zeno that put them up 17-3 over the Razorbacks. From that point onward, Arkansas outscored UAB 34-10, dropping the Blazers to 1-2 on the season and o-2 in games against FBS opponents. There are a lot of things to work on for this team headed into a bye.

Rivalries split

A year removed from knocking off Houston in double overtime to win the Bayou Bucket, Rice football was customarily dismantled in their return trip to TDECU stadium. Florida Atlantic, the other Owls in a rivalry battle this weekend faired much better, dispatching FIU to earn their first win of the season. Both of these teams are 1-2 both the Florida-based Owls have some momentum on their side now.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Sunshine state slugfest

A game both sides have had circled since the season began arrives in Week 4 when South Florida hosts Miami at Raymond James Stadium. USF has scared Alabama in back-to-back seasons, could this be the game they break through with a signature win? To do so against an intrastate rival who is nationally ranked would surely catapult the Bulls into the College Football Playoff conversation as AAC play nears.

Are the Troops the real deal?

Even though they commended Memphis for a job well done on social media, the Midshipmen will still have to square off with the Tigers next weekend. Army draws a Rice team licking their wounds. Both service academies enter Week 4 undefeated through two games. A win by either squad would serve another step toward legitimizing their case a AAC contenders this season, particularly if the Naval Academy can make a victory announcement for one of their own games.

Can the Green Wave get off the mat?

Tulane might be the best 1-2 team in the country. The Green Wave acquitted themselves well against No. 17 Kansas State and No. 15 Oklahoma but were unable to pull out a win in either game. They scheduled hard and it didn’t work out. Now it’s time to prove they’re still a legitimate AAC contender which starts next weekend on the road against a 2-0 Louisiana team that’s off to a strong start. Three straight nonconference losses would sour a season with relatively high expectations for Jon Sumerall and company.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 2 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 2-0 (1-0) at FAU W, 24-7 — OFF —
Charlotte 0-2 (0-0) at North Carolina L, 38-20 vs Gardner-Webb
ECU 2-0 (0-0) at ODU W, 20-14 vs App State
FAU 0-2 (0-1) vs Army L, 24-7 vs FIU
Memphis 2-0 (0-0) vs Troy W, 38-17 at Florida State
Navy 2-0 (1-0) vs Temple W, 38-20 — OFF —
North Texas 2-0 (0-0) vs SFA W, 35-20 at Texas Tech
Rice 1-1 (0-0) vs Texas So. W, 69-7 at Houston
Temple 0-2 (0-1) at Navy L, 38-11 vs Coastal Carolina
Tulane 1-1 (0-0) vs Kansas St L, 34-27 — OFF —
Tulsa 1-1 (0-0) at Arkansas St L, 28-24 vs 16 Oklahoma St
UAB 1-1 (0-1) at ULM L, 32-6 at Arkansas
USF 1-1 (0-0) at 5 Alabama L, 42-16 at Southern Miss
UTSA 1-1 (0-0) at Texas St L, 49-10 at Texas

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Missed opportunities

The American Conference had a trio of marquee nonconference games in Week 2 and was unable to win any of them. UTSA demolished by Texas State in a stunning rout while Tulane and South Florida played power conference opponents much closer. USF entered the fourth quarter trailing Alabama 14-13 before things unraveled in Tuscaloosa while Tulane was a late defensive touchdown away from a resume-boosting win. Alas, the AAC will have to wait at least one more week for their first significant nonconference win of the season.

Blazers burned

UAB received plenty of heat when they decided to go off the beaten path and hire Trent Dilfer out of the high school ranks. To select Dilfer, they passed on interim coach Bryant Vincent who was hired this offseason as the head coach at Louisiana Monroe. Not only did the coach UAB spurned beat them, he oversaw a rout of epic proportions including three turnovers and a 19-0 run to finish the game.

Strong start for the Troops

There have been two conference games played to this point with Army and Navy each moving into Week 3 a perfect 1-0 in league play and 2-0 overall. The Black Knights still have yet to lose a game since joining the conference this offseason. Memphis, North Texas and ECU also earn a nod for making through the first two weeks without a loss.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Back-to-back buckets

Don’t look now but Rice football (1-1) has a better record right now than crosstown rival Houston (0-2) courtesy of the Owls’ blowout win over Texas Southern on Saturday. The Cougars will be favored, but that didn’t stop Rice from claiming the intracity rivalry a season ago. Rice was the only AAC team to upset a Power Conference opponent last season and will look to do it for a second year in a row.

Other Owls on Alert

While Rice rebounded this weekend, Florida Atlantic did not. Temple (0-2) was expected to struggle this season, but people were largely optimistic about Florida Atlantic’s season. They host FIU which looked spunky in a thrashing of Central Michigan this weekend. The schedule eases up for FAU soon, but falling to 0-3 makes the chances of reaching bowl eligibility that much more challenging. With several of the AACs heavy hitters still on the schedule, FAU could really use this win.

From upset bid to must-win?

Going into the season, Memphis’ Week 3 game against Florida State was supposed to offer the Tigers a chance at a marquee win to bolster a potential College Football Playoff case. Now, this game is starting to feel like one the Tigers need to win against a struggling, but talented, Seminoles team. ESPN FPI still lists FSU as a heavy favorite with a 79.5 percent chance to win, but this game has taken on an entirely different outlook given FSU’s 0-2 status and early season woes.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 1 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 1-0 (0-0) at Lehigh (Fri) W, 42-7 at FAU
Charlotte 0-1 (0-0) vs James Madison L, 30-7 at North Carolina
ECU 1-0 (0-0) vs Norfolk St W, 42-3 at ODU
FAU 0-1 (0-0) at Michigan St (Fri) L, 16-10 vs Army
Memphis 1-0 (0-0) vs N. Alabama W, 40-0 vs Troy
Navy 1-0 (0-0) vs Bucknell W, 49-21 vs Temple
North Texas 1-0 (0-0) at S. Alabama W, 52-38 vs SFA
Rice 0-1 (0-0) vs Sam Houston St L, 34-14 vs Texas So.
Temple 0-1 (0-0) at 16 Oklahoma (Fri) L, 51-3 at Navy
Tulane 1-0 (0-0) vs SE Louisiana (Thr) W, 52-0 vs Kansas St
Tulsa 1-0 (0-0) vs Northwestern St (Thr) W, 62-38 at Arkansas St
UAB 1-0 (0-0) vs Alcorn St (Thr) W, 41-3 at ULM
USF 1-0 (0-0) vs Bethune-Cookman W, 46-3 at 5 Alabama
UTSA 1-0 (0-0) vs Kennesaw St W, 28-16 at Texas St

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Return of the Mean Green

North Texas had 77 new players on its roster this fall and 11 new starters in their season-opening win on the road against a strong South Alabama squad. The touchdown underdogs sure didn’t look like a team in the midst of an unexpected Year 2 reboot. This was by far the most impressive win for the AAC in Week 1.

Cooked Rice

On the other side of the coin, Rice football significantly underwhelmed high expectations in their first game of the year. The Owls were pushed around by a Sam Houston team that went 3-9 a season ago, the Bearkats’ first year in FBS. There were some positives — EJ Warner looked the part and the defense tallied seven sacks — but those things don’t make up for a Week 1 egg that’s going to take a while to get past.

Tune up: Complete

Outside of FAU, who hung around with a lackluster Michigan State team for a while, the bulk of the conference played FCS opponents in their openers. That led to five AAC squads that held their opponents to three points or less, including shutouts by Memphis and Tulane. The schedule will get harder as the season progresses, but all of these schools past their first test. That’s how opening week is supposed to go.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Texas-sized tussle

In what’s turning into one of the most heated rivalries in the state, UTSA and Texas State face off in Week 2 after rather mediocre wins to open their season with UTSA edging out Kennesaw State and Texas State squeezing past Lamar. A win is a win, but both teams have a lot of work to do this week before they play one of the biggest games of the season which — if either squad does put it into gear — could possibly impact the College Football Playoff down the line.

Conference play is here

Part of the reworked conference schedules, including the late addition of Army has meant conference games are already on the docket. The Black Knights travel to Florida Atlantic this week to play their first-ever AAC game while fellow service academy Navy hosts Temple. Oddly enough, there are no conference games for the AAC in Week 3.

P4 shots

The American built its brand on knocking off power programs, but last year the conference only finished with one Power 4/5 win: Rice beat Houston to win the Bayou Bucket. This year there appear to be a few reasonable chances for the AAC to get one of those marquee upsets under its belt, but it will be a tall order. The best shot this week is probably Tulane, which hosts Kansas State, but the South Florida faithful won’t be writing off their rematch with Alabama after they went toe to toe with the Tide last year.

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The Roost Podcast | Ep 181 – 2024 Army/Navy Preview with Omar Borja

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Next up as The Roost Podcast continues its AAC opponent previews: Omar Borja dives into Army and Navy Football in 2024.

Rice football gets both academies this season, facing off with Army in an American Conference game before meeting Navy later in the season. These triple option teams share some similarities, but it might not be as cookie-cutter of an offensive scheme as one might think. Omar Borja joins the shows to talk through the eventful offseasons for both programs and preview what the Owls can expect from both squads this fall.

You can find previous episodes on the podcast page. For now, give a listen to Episode 181.

Episode Notes

DCTF

The Roost Podcast is now part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You’ll still get the same content with the same hosts, but now under the DCTF banner.

Homefield

We’re thrilled to partner with Homefield Apparel, the premier proprietor of college football clothing. First-time buyers can use the code ROOST for 15% off their order. The Owls hoodie is a personal favorite as is the Luv-Ya-Owls shirt. Make sure you check out the brand-new sailor hat (pictured below) as you shop the Rice collection or pick up something else (or both)!

Patreon

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Become a Patron!

Previewing 2024 Army and Navy Football with Omar Rashon Borja

  • Was joining a conference a good thing for Army?
  • Fliterations with non-traditional offensive schemes at Army and Navy
  • What makes the Army offense go?
  • Differences with the Navy offense with a new offensive coordinator
  • Key playmakers for both teams
  • The Lightning Round

Where can you find us?

The Roost Podcast is part of the Dave Campbell’s Republic of Football Podcast Network. You can find this podcast and all of our partner podcasts on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

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