The source for Rice sports news

  • Football
    • Recruiting
    • Offer Tracker
    • Roster
    • Schedule
    • NFL Owls
  • Premium
    • Patreon
    • Season Preview
    • Join / FAQ
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Store
    • News
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • About
    • Contact
  • Login

American Conference Football 2025: Week 9 Roundup

October 25, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army3-4 (2-3)— OFF — —at Air Force
Charlotte1-7 (0-5)vs North Texas (FRI)L, 54-20— OFF —
ECU4-3 (2-1)— OFF — —at Temple
FAU3-5 (2-3)at NavyL, 42-32— OFF —
Memphis7-1 (3-1)vs USFW, 34-31at Rice (FRI)
Navy7-0 (5-0)vs FAUW, 42-32at North Texas
North Texas7-1 (3-1)at Charlotte (FRI)W, 54-20vs Navy
Rice4-4 (1-3)vs UConnW, 37-34 (2OT)vs Memphis (FRI)
Temple5-3 (3-1)at TulsaW, 38-37 (OT)vs ECU
Tulane6-1 (3-0)— OFF — —at UTSA (THR)
Tulsa2-6 (0-5)vs TempleL, 38-37 (OT)— OFF —
UAB3-4 (1-3)— OFF — —at UConn
USF6-2 (3-1)at MemphisL, 34-31— OFF —
UTSA3-4 (1-2)— OFF — —vs Tulane (THR)

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

Memphis Bounces Back

The Tigers were humbled last weekend with a loss to a Trent Dilfer-less UAB squad. Rather than sulk, they went toe-to-toe with South Florida at the Liberty Bowl. Memphis fell behind 31-17 on the final play of the fourth quarter before shutting out USF in the final frame, scoring the final 17 points to take down the Bulls and earn a potentially important tie-breaker for the conference championship game race.

Well Rested Rice

Beat up and worn down entering their bye week, the Owls looked well-rested and spunky at home against UConn on Saturday. Rice fell behind early but rallied to tie the game in the fourth quarter before running back Quinton Jackson walked it off in double overtime, part of a four-touchdown 248 all-purpose yard performance.

Temple Tough

Two games ago, Temple took Navy down to the wire only to watch the Midshipmen convert a game-winning two-point attempt at the buzzer. A similar situation transpired this week against Tulsa, but this time the Owls stonewalled the Golden Hurricane, and held on to win. Now 5-3, Temple is one win away from bowl eligibility in head coach KC Keeler’s first season.

Mestemaker Makes History

In what was largely an uneventful Friday night blowout of a terrible Charlotte team, North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker set a program and conference record with 608 passing yards. He edges out Dillon Gabriel who threw for 601 yards against Memphis in 2020.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Tussle on Top

First place is on the line when Navy heads to North Texas next Saturday. The Midshipmen are one of two unbeatens still standing in the American and can stay No. 1 in the standings with a win. A loss would potentially set up a messy multi-team tie with as many as four or five teams in the mix with just one conference loss.

Pirates and Owls Hanging Around

Speaking of teams still in the mix, East Carolina and Temple each have just one conference loss and have played well against some of the league’s better competition. Now they face off against each other in a game that could have bowl implications and, if things get crazy, dark horse conference championship ramifications.

Roadrunners at Home

UTSA has played significantly better in the Alamodome this season than they have on the road and they’ll need to be playing at their best when they host a South Florida squad on Thursday night which just took their first conference loss and can’t afford another. The Bulls will be looking to make a statement while the Roadrunner will be looking to keep their season afloat.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 8 Roundup
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 217 – QJack Magic and a Rice Football 2OT win over UConn
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Memphis
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 9 Roundup

Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

American Conference Football 2025: Week 8 Roundup

October 18, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army3-4 (2-3)at TulaneL, 24-17— OFF —
Charlotte1-6 (0-4)vs TempleL, 49-14vs North Texas (FRI)
ECU4-3 (2-1)vs TulsaW, 41-27— OFF —
FAU3-4 (2-2)at USFL, 48-13at Navy
Memphis6-1 (2-1)at UABL, 31-24vs USF
Navy6-0 (4-0)— OFF — —vs FAU
North Texas6-1 (2-1)vs UTSAW, 55-17at Charlotte (FRI)
Rice3-4 (1-3)— OFF — —vs UConn
Temple4-3 (2-1)at CharlotteW, 49-14at Tulsa
Tulane6-1 (3-0)vs ArmyW, 24-17— OFF —
Tulsa2-5 (0-4)at ECUL, 41-27vs Temple
UAB3-4 (1-3)vs MemphisW, 31-24— OFF —
USF6-1 (3-0)vs FAUW, 48-13at Memphis
UTSA3-4 (1-2)at North TexasL, 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.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 8 Roundup
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 217 – QJack Magic and a Rice Football 2OT win over UConn
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Memphis
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 9 Roundup

Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

American Conference Football 2025: Week 7 Roundup

October 12, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army3-3 (2-2)vs CharlotteW, 24-7at Tulane
Charlotte1-5 (0-3)at ArmyL, 24-7vs Temple
ECU3-3 (1-1)at TulaneL, 26-19vs Tulsa
FAU3-3 (2-1)vs UABW, 53-33at USF
Memphis6-0 (2-0)— OFF ——at UAB
Navy6-0 (4-0)at TempleW, 32-31— OFF —
North Texas5-1 (1-1)vs USFL, 63-36vs UTSA
Rice3-4 (1-3)at UTSAL, 61-13— OFF —
Temple3-3 (1-1)vs NavyL, 32-31at Charlotte
Tulane5-1 (2-0)vs ECUW, 26-19vs Army
Tulsa2-4 (0-3)— OFF ——at ECU
UAB1-4 (0-3)at FAUL, 53-33vs Memphis
USF5-1 (2-0)at North TexasW, 63-36vs FAU
UTSA3-3 (1-1)vs RiceW, 61-13at North Texas

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

South Florida runs away from North Texas late

Perhaps the most anticipated American Conference matchup of the season earned a nationally televised, Friday night game on ESPN2 and through the first half, seemed to be delivering on the hype. North Texas and South Florida were tied at halftime. Then the Bulls took over. South Florida ripped off a 35-7 run to start the second half, capitalizing on two Mean Green turnovers to turn a slugfest into a blowout.

This doesn’t end the storybook season in Denton just yet, rather, it confirms South Florida belongs in the hunt for the American Conference title and a potential College Football Playoff berth.

Tulane rallies past upstart East Carolina

In another midweek spotlight game, Tulane remained undefeated in American Conference play by way of a thunderous finish in New Orleans. The Green Wave jumped out to a 12-0 lead on four field goals, fell behind 16-12 in the third quarter before quarterback Jake Retzlaff led two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter. He’s quietly become one of the more effective quarterbacks in the country, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns in this game.

Midshipmen with Moxie

Temple was bearing down on an upset, leading undefeated Navy 31-24 with 76 seconds remaining in regulation. The Midshipmen would rally, scoring a touchdown on a 51-yard scamper by quarterback Blake Horvath and, rather than settling for overtime, went for a two-point conversion to win the game. Horvath came through with a pass to Alex Tecza and Navy remains undefeated.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Conference Title Game Rematch

It feels like a lifetime ago, but Tulane and Army met at Michie Stadium last season in the American Conference Championship game. The Black Knights dominated that meeting but have backslid a bit in 2025 while Tulane has maintained their top-flight status in the conference. The Green Wave would certainly enjoy some revenge.

Texas-Sized Tussle

North Texas and UTSA have shared a conference for quite a while, dating back to their days as Conference USA foes. During that time, it was North Texas which had the upper hand, winning five of seven contests. Since then it’s been all UTSA, which has won four in a row dating back to the 2022 meeting. The Mean Green are having the better season thus far. Can the break the streak and keep themselves in conference title contention or will the Roadrunners extinguish those dreams?

Pirates in Potential Trap Game

East Carolina has one-score road losses to NC State and Tulane and their only other defeat came at home against a BYU team that has been on the fringes of the top 25. They’re probably one of the better 3-3 teams in the country, but at some point that high-quality of play has to translate into wins. Sandwiched between road games at Tulane and Temple, ECU hosts a Tulsa team they’ll be favored to beat this coming Thursday. The Pirates can’t afford to look past the pesky Golden Hurricane who helped send Mike Gundy packing from Oklahoma State earlier this season.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 8 Roundup
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 217 – QJack Magic and a Rice Football 2OT win over UConn
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Memphis
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 9 Roundup

Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

American Conference Football 2025: Week 6 Roundup

October 4, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army2-3 (1-2)at UABW, 31-13vs Charlotte
Charlotte1-4 (0-2)at USFL, 54-26at Army
ECU3-2 (1-0)— OFF — —at Tulane
FAU2-3 (1-1)at RiceW, 27-21vs UAB
Memphis6-0 (2-0)vs TulsaW, 45-7— OFF —
Navy5-0 (3-0)vs Air ForceW, 34-31at Temple
North Texas5-0 (1-0)— OFF — —vs USF
Rice3-3 (1-2)vs FAUL, 27-21at UTSA
Temple3-2 (1-0)vs UTSAW, 27-21vs Navy
Tulane4-1 (1-0)— OFF — —vs ECU
Tulsa2-4 (0-3)at MemphisL, 45-7— OFF —
UAB1-3 (0-2)vs ArmyL, 31-13at FAU
USF4-1 (1-0)vs CharlotteW, 54-26at North Texas
UTSA2-3 (0-1)at TempleL, 27-21vs Rice

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

Memphis is Bowling

Here’s the complete list of FBS teams that are bowl eligible as of the end of Week 6: Memphis. That it’s. That’s the list. The Tigers became the first and only team to clinch bowl eligibility this week, cleanly dispatching of Tulsa without much concern. 6-0 heading into a bye week. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Not the Same Old Owls

Speaking of high notes, Temple stunned UTSA on Saturday on the arm of quarterback Evan Simon, who threw two touchdowns to secure the Owls’ first conference win under head coach K.C. Keeler. Additionally, Temple is the only FBS team to have not committed a turnover of any kind so far this season.

Getting in the (Conference) Win Column

It’s been an eventful start to the season for both Army and South Florida, with the Black Knights on the wrong end of an FCS defeat and USF falling just short of a miracle run through a gauntlet that included Boise State, Florida and Miami. None of that matters in the battle for a spot in the conference championship game. Their comfortable wins this weekend do. Both squads are 1-0 in league play.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

American Showcase

Few had a Week 7 game between North Texas and South Florida circled as one that might have College Football Playoff implications, but here we are. The two teams have combined to start 9-1, with the only loss coming at the hands of a Top 10 Miami team. The winner gets a leg up in the race for a conference championship berth and an all-important potential tiebreaker in what is expected to be a contentious race.

Keep an Eye on the Big Easy

While it might not draw too much initial focus, next weekend’s battle between the Pirates and Green Wave could be particularly intriguing. An ECU win would emphatically announce their intentions to contend under first-year head coach Blake Harrell while Tulane has an opportunity to post what could be their most impressive conference win of the season thus far.

Owls Facing Gut Checks

This week it was Florida Atlantic staving off a lost season with an upset win over Rice. Next week the other Owls in the league face potential turning-point games in their respective seasons. Rice can bounce back above .500 and keep those bowl hopes alive with a win over UTSA while Temple could firmly cement themselves as ahead of schedule should they find a way to shock the Midshipmen.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 8 Roundup
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 217 – QJack Magic and a Rice Football 2OT win over UConn
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Memphis
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 9 Roundup

Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

American Conference Football 2025: Week 5 Roundup

September 27, 2025 By Matthew Bartlett

American Conference Football was back in action this weekend. Here’s the latest from the teams on the gridiron this week.

TeamRecord This WeekResultUp Next
Army1-3 (0-2)at ECU (Thr)L, 28-6at UAB
Charlotte1-3 (0-1)— OFF — —at USF
ECU3-2 (1-0)vs Army (Thr)W, 28-6— OFF —
FAU1-3 (0-1)vs MemphisL, 55-26at Rice
Memphis5-0 (1-0)at FAUW, 55-26vs Tulsa
Navy4-0 (3-0)vs RiceW, 21-13vs Air Force
North Texas5-0 (1-0)at ArmyW, 36-22— OFF —
Rice3-2 (1-1)at NavyL, 21-13vs FAU
Temple2-2 (0-0)— OFF — —vs UTSA
Tulane4-1 (1-0)at TulsaW, 31-14— OFF —
Tulsa2-3 (0-2)vs TulaneL, 31-14at Memphis
UAB1-2 (0-1)— OFF — —vs Army
USF2-2 (0-0)— OFF — —vs Charlotte
UTSA2-2 (0-0)— OFF — —at Temple

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

Middies and Mean Green Take Care of Business

September is over and North Texas and Navy have yet to see the loss column and while the Mean Green did have a scare a few weeks ago against Western Michigan, both of these teams have largely looked the part through the first month of the season. Both handled potentially troublesome opponents with relative ease this week.

Memphis has to work for it

Memphis trailed Florida Atlantic midway through the second quarter and never truly had a comfortable advantage until the midpoint of the fourth quarter when Cortez Braham Jr. hauled in a 73-yard touchdown reception from Brandon Lewis. An onslaught of later scores made the final score appear more one-sided than this game actually was. Nevertheless, 5-0 is 5-0.

Army’s struggles compound

The same cannot be said for Army, which looks to be falling fast from their perch atop the American Conference standings they held at the conclusion of last season. It looked for a moment as if they would rebound from their defeat against an FCS opponent with an upset win over Kansas State, but they’re completely one-sided loss at East Carolina proves there are more systemic problems at hand.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

First Conference Test

Some quirky scheduling have left three American Conference teams without a conference game under their belts entering Week 6: South Florida, UTSA and Temple. The Bulls have established some street-cred with impressive non-conference wins, but the Roadrunners and Owls are less proven. Naturally they taken on each other to open conference play.

Armed Forces, Defenders of Rivalry Games

With so many rivalries going by the wayside with conference realignment, it’s refreshing to take in the ones that have stuck around. Air Force had been riding a four-game winning streak before Navy snapped that streak last season. Can the Midshipmen remain undefeated a make a bid for their second consecutive claim to the Commander in Chief Trophy?

Dilfer Watch Continues

As previously established, Army isn’t quite the same team they were a year ago. They’re mortal, in every sense. That’s what makes their trip to Birmingham next weekend intriguing. UAB head coach Trent Dilfer needs to start stacking wins to save his job. And while a down-on-their-luck Army team seems beatable, a poor performance could serve as just another strike against his ledger.

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

Recent Posts
  • Rice Football 2025: NFL Owls Week 8 Roundup
  • The Roost Podcast | Ep 217 – QJack Magic and a Rice Football 2OT win over UConn
  • Rice Football 2025 Game Preview: Memphis
  • American Conference Football 2025: Week 9 Roundup

Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 19
  • Next Page »
  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3
  4. Item 4
  5. Item 5
  • Rice women's basketball
  • Jack Ben-Shoshan, Rice Baseball
  • Rice Baseball, David Pierce
  • Rice Football
  • “He’s a Bulldog”: Parker Smith’s Journey to Rice Baseball Ace
Become a patron at Patreon!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter