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 | 1-1 (0-0) | — OFF — | — | vs North Texas |
| Charlotte | 1-2 (0-0) | vs Monmouth | W, 42-35 | vs Rice (Thr) |
| ECU | 2-1 (0-0) | at Coastal Carolina | W, 38-0 | vs BYU |
| FAU | 1-2 (0-0) | at FIU | L, 38-28 | — OFF — |
| Memphis | 3-0 (0-0) | at Troy | W, 28-7 | vs Arkansas |
| Navy | 3-0 (2-0) | at Tulsa | W, 42-23 | — OFF — |
| North Texas | 3-0 (0-0) | vs Washington St | W, 59-10 | at Army |
| Rice | 2-1 (0-0) | vs PVAMU | W, 38-17 | at Charlotte (Thr) |
| Temple | 2-1 (0-0) | vs Oklahoma | L, 42-3 | at Georgia Tech |
| Tulane | 3-0 (0-0) | vs Duke | W, 34-27 | at Ole Miss |
| Tulsa | 1-2 (0-1) | vs Navy | L, 42-23 | at Oklahoma St (Fri) |
| UAB | 1-1 (0-1) | vs Akron | W, 31-28 | at Tennessee |
| USF | 2-1 (0-0) | at Miami | L, 49-12 | vs South Carolina St |
| UTSA | 1-2 (0-0) | vs Incarnate Word | W, 48-20 | at Colorado St |
Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll
Mensah’s Return Rendered Moot
Darian Mensah made headlines when he transferred from Tulane this offseason, signing a high-profile NIL deal at Duke. That Duke and Tulane would be scheduled to play this season, and in New Orleans, no less, was an interesting twist of fate. Mensah played well, throwing for 313 yards and three touchdowns, but the Green Wave emerged victorious with Jake Reztlaff accounting for all four Tulane touchdowns.
Top Teams Begin to Emerge
Along with Tulane, Navy and Memphis enter the fourth week of the season as the only undefeated teams in the conference. USF has taken a loss, but falling to a top-10 Miami squad on the road is forgivable. All four of those teams were preseason favorites — and then there’s North Texas. The Mean Green hung 59 points on Washington State to push their way into the conversation for the league’s frontrunners in Mid-September.
To the Bottom We Go
FAU saw it’s seven-game winning streak in the Shula Bowl rivalry against FIU snapped on Saturday and the game wasn’t even as close as the final score might indicate after FIU ripped off 21-unanswered points to start the second half. Joining the Owls on danger watch are Charlotte and UAB who, although they both won this weekend, needed some good fortune against teams they ought to have handled rather convincingly if things were going smoothly.
Looking ahead – Key storylines
The Tigers Get Their Shot
South Florida has the preeminent win of the American thus far, knocking off Florida last week. Memphis could enter the conversation of SEC spoilers this coming Saturday when they pay a visit to Arkansas to face the Razobacks. A win against the Hogs would give the American a pair of bonafide playoff candidates and while it’s unlikely two from the league get in, it would be a strong statement for the conference to open the season.
Wave Hope to Keep Rolling
Tulane might not have the headline grabbing win like USF does, but they do have two Power conference victories under their belt in the first three weeks. Adding a third by defeated Ole Miss in Oxford would be quite an impressive start for the Green Wave. The Rebels are off to a shaky start, but have plenty of talent. It bodes well for the American if Tulane can keep this interesting.
Seperating Contenders from Pretenders
It’s too early in the calendar for any team to be knocked out of conference contention for good, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot at stake when North Texas visits Army next week. The Mean Green were silenced in Denton a year ago, managing just three points. Army has an FCS loss and a power conference win, so it’s hard to say exactly what onlookers should expect from this team going forward. This game should be a good litmus test for both programs.
