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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.

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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.

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Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

American Conference Football 2025: Week 4 Roundup

September 20, 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
Army1-2 (0-1)vs North TexasL, 45-38 (OT)at ECU (Thrs)
Charlotte1-3 (0-1)vs Rice (Thr)L, 28-17— OFF —
ECU2-2 (0-0)vs BYUL, 34-13vs Army (Thrs)
FAU1-2 (0-0)— OFF — —vs Memphis
Memphis4-0 (0-0)vs ArkansasW, 32-31at FAU
Navy3-0 (2-0)— OFF — —vs Rice
North Texas4-0 (0-0)at ArmyW, 45-38 (OT)vs So Alabama
Rice3-1 (1-0)at Charlotte (Thr)W, 28-17at Navy
Temple2-2 (0-0)at Georgia TechL, 45-24— OFF —
Tulane3-1 (0-0)at Ole MissL, 45-10at Tulsa
Tulsa2-2 (0-1)at Oklahoma St (Fri)W, 19-12vs Tulane
UAB1-2 (0-1)at TennesseeL, 56-24— OFF —
USF2-2 (0-0)vs South Carolina StW, 63-14— OFF —
UTSA2-2 (0-0)at Colorado StW, 17-16— OFF —

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

American On Top

The American Conference has put the nation on notice in the opening weeks of the 2025 season. The conference already holds six victories over Power Conference teams:

  • Army (def. Kansas State, Week 2)
  • Memphis (def. Arkansas, Week 4)
  • South Florida (def. Florida, Week 2)
  • Tulane (def. Northwestern, Week 1; def. Duke, Week 3)
  • Tulsa (def. Oklahoma State, Week 4)

That doesn’t include South Florida’s Week 1 win over a ranked Boise State team and a handful of other impressive non-conference wins. This week, Tulsa took center stage with a Friday national spotlight game in which they took down Oklahoma State for their first win in Stillwater since 1951. Meanwhile, Memphis has been playing so well that their come-from-behind win over Arkansas barely registers as an upset.

Mean Green Ace First American Conference Test

Don’t look now, but North Texas might be dangerous. The defense, if not legitimately good, is definitely better and the offense continues to hang points in bunches. They made things interesting on Saturday by allowing Army to come back and force overtime, but they finished the job to improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2018.

New Look Owls

Another American team turning back the clock, Rice football reached 3-1 for the first time since 2001 with a suffocating win over Charlotte in head coach Scott Abell’s conference debut. The Owls’ new offense was the center of attention in the college football world on Thursday night and put up 28 points, their most against an FBS foe so far this season.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

So You Want to be First Place?

The winner of this coming weekend’s matchup between Rice Football and Navy will find themselves atop the American Conference Standings. For Navy, that’s old hat. The Midshipmen spent a good chunk of last season at least sharing the best record in the league. But Rice is in the first year of a new coaching regime and wasn’t supposed to be quite this good this early.

Shaky Ground

On the other hand, East Carolina and Army both entered the year with moderately high expectations and while a conference title might not have been expected, falling down the standings and picking up a third loss by Week 5 certainly wasn’t where either of these programs hoped to be. Both need a bounce back win, but only one will get it.

Can Tulsa do it again?

The story on Friday night in Stillwater was just as much a funeral dirge for Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State as it was trumpeting Tulsa’s arrival. The Golden Hurricane could earn some additional respect if they can prove they’re no one-hit wonder. They host Tulane in what has the potential to be one of the bigger games for the program in recent memory.

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

Recent Posts
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Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

American Conference Football 2025: Week 3 Roundup

September 14, 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
Army1-1 (0-0)— OFF — —vs North Texas
Charlotte1-2 (0-0)vs MonmouthW, 42-35vs Rice (Thr)
ECU2-1 (0-0)at Coastal CarolinaW, 38-0vs BYU
FAU1-2 (0-0)at FIUL, 38-28— OFF —
Memphis3-0 (0-0)at TroyW, 28-7vs Arkansas
Navy3-0 (2-0)at TulsaW, 42-23— OFF —
North Texas3-0 (0-0)vs Washington StW, 59-10at Army
Rice2-1 (0-0)vs PVAMUW, 38-17at Charlotte (Thr)
Temple2-1 (0-0)vs OklahomaL, 42-3at Georgia Tech
Tulane3-0 (0-0)vs DukeW, 34-27at Ole Miss
Tulsa1-2 (0-1)vs NavyL, 42-23at Oklahoma St (Fri)
UAB1-1 (0-1)vs AkronW, 31-28at Tennessee
USF2-1 (0-0)at MiamiL, 49-12vs South Carolina St
UTSA1-2 (0-0)vs Incarnate WordW, 48-20at 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.

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

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Filed Under: AAC Tagged With: AAC

American Conference Football 2025: Week 2 Roundup

September 6, 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
Army1-1 (0-0)at Kansas StW, 24-21— OFF —
Charlotte0-2 (0-0)vs N CarolinaL, 20-3vs Monmouth
ECU1-1 (0-0)vs CampbellW, 56-3at Coastal Carolina
FAU1-1 (0-0)vs FAMUW, 56-14at FIU
Memphis2-0 (0-0)at Georgia StW, 38-16at Troy
Navy2-0 (1-0)vs UABW, 38-24at Tulsa
North Texas2-0 (0-0)at W. MichiganW, 33-30 (OT)vs Washington St
Rice1-1 (0-0)vs HoustonL, 35-9vs PVAMU
Temple2-0 (0-0)vs HowardW, 55-7vs Oklahoma
Tulane2-0 (0-0)at S AlabamaW, 33-31vs Duke
Tulsa1-1 (0-0)at NMSUL, 21-14vs Navy
UAB1-1 (0-1)at NavyL, 38-24vs Akron
USF2-0 (0-0)at FloridaW, 18-16at Miami
UTSA0-2 (0-0)vs Texas StL, 43-36vs Incarnate Word

Storylines // Standings // Preseason Poll

Running of the Bulls

South Florida stole the show in Week 1 with a rousing win over Boise State on the national stage. A week later, they’ve done it again, this time taking down a ranked Florida team in the Swamp. Not only are the Bulls suddenly the frontrunner in the American, they’ve pulled firmly into the driver’s seat for a College Football Playoff bid.

The Troops Bounce Back

Following a disappointing loss to Tarleton State of the FCS ranks, Army responded with an upset over a Power Conference team in a week’s time. Kansas State had just two drives in the entirety of the second half as the Black Knights held on to the ball for a staggering 40:29 minutes on their way to the landmark victory.

Rotten Weekends for Lone Star Squads

It wasn’t all good news for the American Conference this week, though, particularly for the Texas-based teams. North Texas narrowly escaped upset at the hands of Western Michigan and has to be concerned about their performance, even in victory. UTSA and Rice both lost their rivalry games which each began competitive before spiraling late.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Surely Lightning Won’t Strike Thrice?

Beating Florida already made the 2025 season an unforgettable year for USF, but it could get even better. The Bulls plays Miami this coming weekend in a game the Hurricanes certainly won’t be looking past any more. A loss in this contest wouldn’t damage the Bulls outlook much, if at all, but a win probably should thrust them into consideration for a Top 15 ranking, at a minimum.

The Mensah Bowl

Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah famously departed the program this offseason for a sizable NIL deal at Duke. That the Green Wave would host the Blue Devils the next season with him at the helm is ironic, at best. There will certainly be some folks in New Orleans hopeful that he has a rude return to Louisiana.

Don’t Mess Up 3-0

Memphis, Navy and North Texas all enter next weekend with 2-0 records and are favorites in their upcoming matchups. Three wins is a far cry from where these teams expect to finish their seasons, but it’s halfway to bowl eligibility in mid-September and would keep each near the top of the standings in the American Conference. Don’t mess it up.

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

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Filed Under: AAC, Archive Tagged With: AAC

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