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AAC Football 2024: Week 11 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 9-0 (7-0) at North Texas W, 14-3 — OFF —
Charlotte 3-6 (2-3) — OFF —  — vs USF
ECU 5-4 (3-2) vs FAU W, 49-14 at Tulsa
FAU 2-7 (0-5) at ECU L, 49-14 at Temple
Memphis 8-2 (4-2) vs Rice W, 27-20 vs UAB
Navy 7-2 (5-1) at USF W, 28-7 vs Tulane
North Texas 5-4 (2-3) vs Army L, 14-3 at UTSA
Rice 3-7 (2-5) at Memphis L, 27-20 — OFF —
Temple 2-7 (1-4) at Tulane L, 52-6 vs FAU
Tulane 8-2 (6-0) vs Temple W, 52-6 at Navy
Tulsa 3-6 (1-4) — OFF —  — vs ECU
UAB 2-7 (1-4) vs UConn L, 31-28 at Memphis
USF 4-5 (2-3) vs Navy L, 28-7 at Charlotte
UTSA 4-5 (2-3) — OFF —  — vs North Texas

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

Home for Christmas

Four AAC teams saw their hopes of postseason play die this weekend. Rice, Florida Atlantic, Temple and UAB each picked up loss number seven, eliminating them from traditional forms of bowl eligibility. Rice has gone bowling as a 5-win team in recent memory, but even if that scenario were still on the table, this isn’t the kind of season any of these programs envisioned and as a result, Rice has already made a head coaching change. Could any of these others follow suit?

Not done yet

East Carolina didn’t get the memo their season was over. Despite firing head coach Mike Houston ECU in mid-October, the Pirates are one win away from bowl eligibility after obliterating Florida Atlantic at home this week as quarterback Katin Houser threw for 343 yards and accounted for five touchdowns. Interim head coach Blake Harrell improved to 2-0.

You can’t stop the troops

Owners of the nation’s longest winning streak, Army has won 13 in a row and is one of four remaining unbeaten teams in the nation. They topped North Texas on Saturday in a game that included a jaw-dropping 21-play, 13:54 minute touchdown drive. When The Black Knights are rolling, they’re hard to stop.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

AAC Game of the Year?

One of the unintended consequences of large conferences without divisions was the uneven scheduling that we’re just now starting to see. Add in the unique circumstances surrounding the Army/Navy Game and you get a regular season devoid of many marquee matchups between the top teams, until next Saturday at least when 5-1 Navy hosts 6-0 Tulane, essentially for a spot in the conference championship game against Army. This one will be appointment viewing.

Last chance

South Florida and UTSA need to win two of their final three games to reach the postseason. That task looks easier, on paper, for USF which doesn’t play a team with a winning record for the remainder of the year. UTSA hosts Temple, but also draws North Texas and Army. Both programs would rather have a win this weekend to make that dream more plausible.

For last place

There’s a heated battle for the bottom spot in the league standings, but it’s entirely possible Florida Atlantic can take pole position with one more loss next weekend against fellow cellar dweller Temple. FAU currently holds the bottom spot and is the only AAC team without a conference win. If they can’t get it done against Temple it’s hard to envision any more wins coming.

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AAC Football 2024: Week 10 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 8-0 (6-0) vs Air Force W, 20-3 at North Texas
Charlotte 3-6 (2-3) vs Tulane L, 34-3 — OFF —
ECU 4-4 (2-2) — OFF —  — vs FAU
FAU 2-6 (0-4) vs USF L, 44-21 at ECU
Memphis 7-2 (3-2) at UTSA L, 44-36 vs Rice
Navy 6-2 (4-1) at Rice L, 24-10 at USF
North Texas 5-3 (2-2) — OFF —  — vs Army
Rice 3-6 (2-4) vs Navy W, 24-10 at Memphis
Temple 2-6 (1-3) — OFF —  — at Tulane
Tulane 7-2 (5-0) at Charlotte W, 34-3 vs Temple
Tulsa 3-6 (1-4) at UAB L, 59-21 — OFF —
UAB 2-6 (1-4) vs Tulsa W, 59-21 vs UConn
USF 4-4 (2-2) at FAU W, 44-21 vs Navy
UTSA 4-5 (2-3) vs Memphis W, 44-36 — OFF —

Notable Results and Storylines // (Standings)

How about the Owls?

Rice football was a double-digit underdog to a Navy team previously unbeaten in conference play. Led by an interim head coach following a lengthy five-hour rain delay, the Owls came out swinging. Rice took a 17-0 lead and held on to win 24-10. The win keeps bowl hopes alive for at least one more week with a trip to a struggling Memphis team on deck.

Memphis exposed

For a team picked to run through the AAC with ease in the preseason, the Memphis Tigers never quite looked the part. A 3-0 start with a win over Florida State led to a loss to Navy (who turned out to be pretty good) before a series of close games against North Texas and Charlotte. Memphis was good, but never the juggernaut they were made out to be. That’s probably why it wasn’t too surprising to see them felled by UTSA, who is in the midst of a disappointing season of their own.

Tulane and Army on a collision course

With Navy going down on Saturday there are two teams still unbeaten in league play: Tulane and Army. The Green Wave are right on schedule with their preseason expectations. The Black Knights continue to defy the odds assigned to them by those preseason prognosticators. If everything holds this might set up a thrilling AAC title game between two teams that don’t play in the regular season.

Looking ahead – Key storylines

Navy must keep sailing

All is not lost for the Midshipmen. Despite a disappointing result on Saturday, Navy does play Tulane in the regular season. If the Middies can hold serve against the rest of their schedule, they’ll have a chance to get back into the conference title race with a win over Tulane.  The room for error got a lot smaller this week, though.

So you’re saying there’s a chance?

For other teams, the final nail in the coffin could be coming soon. Both Florida Atlantic and Charlotte will head into next weekend on the edge of bowl elimination with six losses on their ledger and many games still to play. However, the road gets much easier for both teams. It would take some fortune, but one of the running the table isn’t the most inconceivable notion. FAU plays ECU, Temple, Charlotte and Tulsa. Charlotte gets USF, FAU and UAB. The same goes for Rice who gets Memphis, UAB and USF.

Hope alive

One of the odd side effects of a top-heavy AAC in 2024 has been the elimination of the conference’s so-called “middle class”. There are the heavyweights and the cellar dwellers, but very few teams that will enter the final quarter of the season hovering around .500. East Carolina and South Florida each fit that bill. The 4-4 teams couldn’t have taken much different paths to their current state, but getting to six wins is within reach. That sure would be easier with a fifth win next week. ECU gets FAU. USF draws Navy.

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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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