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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 14 C-USA Roundup

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Rice football capped off their year with a third straight win while the Conference USA Football Championship game was set, without a complex tiebreaker.

Team Week 14 Result Record
Charlotte at Old Dominion W, 38-22 7-5 (5-3)
FAU* vs Southern Miss W, 34-17 9-3 (7-1)
FIU at Marshall L, 30-27 (OT) 6-6 (3-5)
LA Tech vs UTSA W, 41-27 9-3 (6-2)
Marshall vs FIU W, 30-27 (OT) 8-4 (6-2)
MTSU at WKU L, 31-26 4-8 (3-5)
North Texas vs UAB L, 26-21 4-8 (3-5)
Old Dominion vs Charlotte L, 38-22 1-11 (0-8)
Rice at UTEP W, 30-16 3-9 (3-5)
Southern Miss at FAU L, 34-17 7-5 (5-3)
UAB* vs North Texas W, 26-21 9-3 (6-2)
UTEP vs Rice L, 30-16 1-11 (0-8)
UTSA at LA Tech L, 41-27 4-8 (3-5)
WKU vs MTSU W, 31-26 8-4 (6-2)
*Clinched Conference USA Football Championship Game berths

Notable Week 14 results – Standings

Make it three!

It took a while for Rice football to get the monkey off their backs, but once they did the results seemed worth the wait. The Owls closed out the season on a three-game winning streak, dispatching Middle Tennesee and North Texas before closing out the year with a road win over UTEP. Rice football looks to be headed in the right direction.

Conference USA avoids tiebreaker drama

After changing the tiebreaker rules in the middle of the week, Conference USA could have found themselves in a tough spot had they had to enforce the newly minted rules on less than six days notice. With Southern Miss losing to FAU on the road, there was no three-team tie to break, making all the drama of the late change for naught.

And then there were two

C-USA East champ FAU will host C-USA West champ UAB will meet in the championship game next weekend. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network with the opening kickoff set for 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT. FAU was picked to finish third in the East in the preseason with three first place votes. UAB was picked to finish fourth in the West in the preseason with two first place votes.

Week 15 storylines

Hot seat watch

UTEP and Old Dominion end the season as the only C-USA teams without a conference win, both went 1-11 with their singular victories over non-FBS teams. UTEP headman Dana Dimel might be in better shape as he’s in Year 2 of a challenging rebuild. Bobby Wilder at Old Dominion is one to watch. After leading the Monarchs to a program-best 10-win season in 2016, they’ve regressed in his next three subsequent season, with the 1-win mark the programs worst-ever finish, by three games.

UTSA’s Frank Wilson and Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill are two others who have had their names come up in those discussions this season. There’s a good chance one, if not multiple C-USA programs have a new man at the helm for the 2020 season.

Will Skip Holtz give answers?

Louisiana Tech was undefeated in conference play and the clear front runner to win the West before the program suspended quarterback J’Mar Smith and lead receiver Adrian Hardy. The two games missed, both losses, proved to be impactful, knocking the Bulldogs out of first place. The fanbase is understandably upset. Will there be a satisfactory resolution to this? Or will fans have to live with a promising season derailed by “internal discipline”.

Bowl season is right around the corner

Conference USA won the Bowl Challenge Cup last year, winning four of their program’s six bowl games. The conference has eight bowl-eligible squads this season, with 6-6 FIU the only team who might have to sweat the selection process should the total of eligible teams exceed the total amount of slots. Regardless, it should be another busy bowl season for C-USA.

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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 13 C-USA Roundup

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Rice football won for their second time in two weeks. FIU pulled a massive upset of their own. That and more from a wild Week 13 for Conference USA Football.

Team Week 13 Result Week 14
Charlotte vs Marshall W, 24-13 at Old Dominion
FAU at UTSA W, 40-26 vs Southern Miss
FIU vs Miami W, 30-24 at Marshall
LA Tech at UAB L, 20-14 vs UTSA
Marshall at Charlotte L, 24-13 vs FIU
MTSU vs Old Dominion W, 38-17 at WKU
North Texas at Rice L, 20-14 vs UAB
Old Dominion at MTSU L, 38-17 vs Charlotte
Rice vs North Texas W, 20-14 at UTEP
Southern Miss vs WKU L, 28-10 at FAU
UAB vs LA Tech W, 20-14 vs North Texas
UTEP at New Mexico St L, 44-38 vs Rice
UTSA vs FAU L, 40-26 at LA Tech
WKU at Southern Miss W, 28-10 vs MTSU

Notable Week 13 results – Standings

Rice Wins Again

After going nine games without wins, Rice football has won twice in the last eight days. The Owls followed up their first road win of the Mike Bloomgren with his first victory over a C-USA West team, holding on to take down Mason Fine and the North Texas Mean Green on Senior Day at Rice Stadium.

Butch Jones gets revenge

There was a time when Butch Davis walked the other sidelines of the former Orange Bowl Stadium. The former Miami head coach led FIU against the Hurricanes this weekend and wasted no time making his mark. FIU jumped out to a 16-0 lead against their crosstown rivals, finishing off Miami for their first Power 5 win in program history.

FAU moves a step closer to clinching the East

FAU took care of business at the Alamodome, beating UTSA with relative ease. Then they got some help from fellow C-USA East squad, Charlotte. The 49ers upset Marshall, knocking them down a peg in the race for the division title. Marshall still holds the tiebreaker against FAU, but sits a game back in the loss column. If FAU wins next weekend they’ll host the C-USA Championship Game.

Potential C-USA Championship Scenarios

Week 14 storylines

Who wins the west?

As the East cleared up the West got messy. Saturday’s results left three teams tied atop the division standings. Louisiana Tech, UAB and Southern Miss all hold 5-2 records entering the final week of the regular season. LA Tech has a step up in the race right now but all three are alive, making the last games of the year particularly intriguing.

Will there be a surprise in the East?

Marshall is still alive and well, even after their Week 13 loss. Marshall hosts FIU in Week 14. If they can beat the Panthers and FAU falls at home to Southern Miss, the Thundering Herd will take the top spot in the East. After watching last weekend’s results, it’s probably fair to assume that just about anything could happen in the final weekend.

Donut watch

Neither UTEP or Old Dominion have managed a win in conference play. The Miners lone victory came over FCS Houston Baptist (by two points). The Monarchs claim a singular win, also over an FCS opponent. They beat Norfolk St (by three points). Both programs will be underdogs at home in Week 14. Will either find enough to pull an upset?

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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 12 C-USA Roundup

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A big road for Rice football was the highlight of Week 12. The latest from this weekend of Conference USA Football as title races begin to wind down.

Team Week 12 Result Week 13
Charlotte — OFF —  — vs Marshall
FAU — OFF —  — at UTSA
FIU — OFF —  — vs Miami
LA Tech at Marshall (Fri) L, 31-10 at UAB
Marshall vs LA Tech (Fri) W, 31-10 at Charlotte
MTSU vs Rice L, 31-28 vs Old Dominion
North Texas — OFF —  — at Rice
Old Dominion — OFF —  — at MTSU
Rice at MTSU W, 31-28 vs North Texas
Southern Miss vs UAB W, 36-17 vs WKU
UAB vs UTEP W, 37-10 vs LA Tech
UTEP at UAB L, 37-10 at New Mexico St
UTSA vs Southern Miss L, 36-17 vs FAU
WKU — OFF —  — at Southern Miss

Notable Week 12 results – Standings

Rice Wins

It took 10 tries, but Rice Football finally put one in the win column in 2019. The Owls came out of the gates white-hot, following a field goal with four first-half touchdowns to stake a 31-14 halftime lead. The points would hold, giving the Owls the first road win of the Mike Bloomgren era.

LaTech vs Marshall

What should have been a battle of C-USA heavyweights ended in a Friday night dud. Louisiana Tech quarterback J’Mar Smith and star wideout Adrian Hardy were suspended against Marshall, silencing the Bulldogs’ offense on the road. Louisiana Tech still controls their own destiny in the West, but the defeat puts added pressure on the players who will suit up next week.

Ruh-roh Roadrunners

Entering the weekend, UTSA had yet to beat a team with a winning record. The Roadrunners needed to knock off at least two in their next three games to clinch bowl eligibility and stave off the pressure bearing down on head coach Frank Wilson. Not only did they fall to Southern Miss, they posted a program-worst home attendance in defeat.

Week 13 storylines

Wild, Wild West

As if things weren’t wild enough through the first 12 weeks of Conference-USA play, the next slate of games could thrust an entire division into chaos. Louisiana Tech beat Southern Miss. Southern Miss beat UAB. UAB can complete the circle with a win over Louisana Tech next weekend. If the Blazers they’ll set up the potential for a three-way tie in the division.

What will Western do?

East Division contender Western Kentucky could play a significant role in who represents the West in the conference championship game. They host Southern Miss, who could take the pole position in the West if they beat a J’Mar Smith-less Louisiana Tech on Saturday. If UAB and WKU, there will be three teams atop the west with identical 5-2 conference records.

Road warriors

FAU holds the tiebreaker over Marshall in the East, but both teams share 5-1 records. Each will go on the road before finishing their seasons in front of their home fans. Both need a win to keep pace in the divisional race. If one stumbles, the other could have their half of the conference locked down prior to the final weekend of the regular season.

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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 11 C-USA Roundup

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Rice football was off in Week 11, but Conference USA Football had plenty of interesting results while the Owls were prepping for Week 12.

Team Week 11 Result Week 12
Charlotte at UTEP W, 28-21 — OFF —
FAU vs FIU W, 37-7 — OFF —
FIU at FAU L, 37-7 — OFF —
LA Tech vs North Texas W, 52-17 at Marshall (Fri)
Marshall — OFF —  — vs LA Tech (Fri)
MTSU — OFF —  — vs Rice
North Texas at Louisiana Tech L, 52-17 — OFF —
Old Dominion vs UTSA L, 24-23 — OFF —
Rice — OFF —  — at MTSU
Southern Miss vs UAB W, 37-2 at UTSA
UAB at Southern Miss L, 37-2 vs UTEP
UTEP vs Charlotte L, 28-21 at UAB
UTSA at Old Dominion W, 24-23 vs Southern Miss
WKU at Arkansas W, 45-19 — OFF —

Notable Week 11 results – Standings

Central Arkansas champs

We’ve come a long way from Week 1. On the opening weekend of the season, FCS Central Arkansas upset Western Kentucky, putting Year 1 of the Tyson Helton era into chaos. The sky was falling in Bowling Green before — all of a sudden — it wasn’t. Not only did Western Kentucky turn it around, they’ve clinched a bowl berth with Saturday win over Arkansas. So, by the transitive property: Central Arkansas > Western Kentucky > Arkansas. That’s college football, folks.

U.A.Bummer

The Blazers had a chance to contend for the West title but they needed to beat Southern Miss for those dreams to hold water. The UAB offense did not contribute any points to that cause on Saturday. A safety represented their lone scoring play of the day, effectively ending aspirations of a repeat in Birmingham on a dour note.

North Texas is in trouble

A tough non-conference schedule did North Texas no favors. Onesided losses to SMU, Houston, Southern Miss and now Louisiana Tech didn’t help the situation either. The high-flying offense led by Mason Fine hasn’t faired well against the better defensive units they’ve faced. The preseason C-USA favorites are in jeopardy of missing the postseason.

Week 12 storylines

Waiting on that win

Three unbeaten teams remain in Conference USA: Old Dominion, UTEP and Rice. One of the Owls and Miners are guaranteed at least one win; they play to close out the season. But Rice hopes to have a tally in the win column before then against an up-and-down MTSU team. Can Rice breakthrough while UTEP and Old Dominion are on bye or will the race for win No. 1 continue?

Title game precursor?

With their dominant win over North Texas, Louisiana Tech has opened up a one-game lead in the West with the tiebreaker over second-place Southern Miss. The Bulldogs would have to lose twice to miss out on a title game trip. Marshall hopes to hand them one of those losses. The Herd sit atop the East with the tiebreaker over second-place FAU. There’s a real possibility that Saturday’s tilt between Louisiana Tech and Marshall is reprised in a few weeks.

Time for a break

Six of Conference USA’s 14 teams are off this coming weekend. The Week 12 slate features four games between conference opponents, the latest of which (Southern Miss at UTSA) kicks off at 6:00 p.m. E.T. If that one goes as most project, C-USA football fans will have plenty of time to go out for a movie or a late dinner on Saturday night without missing any meaningful football.

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Conference USA Football 2019: Week 10 C-USA Roundup

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It was another disappointing weekend for Rice football, but plenty of other Conference USA Football teams had big wins to celebrate in Week 10.

Team Week 10 Result Week 11
Charlotte vs MTSU W, 34-20 at UTEP
FAU at WKU W, 35-24 vs FIU
FIU vs Old Dominion W, 24-17 at FAU
LA Tech — OFF —  — vs North Texas
Marshall at Rice W, 20-7 — OFF —
MTSU at Charlotte L, 34-20 — OFF —
North Texas vs UTEP W, 52-26 at Louisiana Tech
Old Dominion at FIU L, 24-17 vs UTSA
Rice vs Marshall L, 20-7 — OFF —
Southern Miss — OFF —  — vs UAB
UAB at Tennessee L, 30-7 at Southern Miss
UTEP at North Texas W, 52-26 vs Charlotte
UTSA at Texas A&M L, 45-14 at Old Dominion
WKU vs FAU L, 35-24 at Arkansas

Notable Week 10 results – Standings

What could have been?

The Rice football offense showed signs of life under freshmen quarterback Jovoni Johnson, but untimely penalties and his injury stopped the Owls before they could ever get into a rhythm. One proficient half through the air was more than enough for Marshall to beat Rice on Saturday.

Tops turned after hot start

Three weeks ago, Western Kentucky was in the driver’s seat in the C-USA East. Losses to Marshall and FAU, the latter which came at home in Week 10, have not only put the dreams of winning the conference on hold, but severely dampened aspirations of playing in a bowl game this season. Sitting at 4-5 with a date against Arkansas next weekend, the Hilltoppers season might have just turned on a dime.

The Mason Fine we all know and love

It’s been a bumpy ride for preseason offensive player of the year, Mason Fine. A grueling schedule and some injuries have kept Fine off his A-game.  He threw for 300 yards three times in the Mean Green’s first seven-game, averaging 2.1 touchdowns over that span. In his last two games, he’s averaged 363 yards and SIX touchdowns per game. His seven touchdown outing against UTEP was marvelous.

Week 11 storylines

Could Charlotte go bowling after all?

It’s been a roller coaster of a season for Charlotte in 2019. After four straight losses, the 49ers have won their last two games, giving them four victories under their belt with three games to play. They still have Marshall on the schedule, but they also draw UTEP and Old Dominion, neither of which has won a conference game this year.

All-Florida showdown

Florida Atlantic and FIU have had this coming weekend circled on the calendar since the season began. It’s been a bumpy ride for FIU, but the Panthers can clinch a bowl berth and knock FAU out of contention for the East with a win. Rivalry games always seem to live up to the hype. This should be a good one.

For the west

Louisiana Tech has a win over Southern Miss and a one-game lead in the race fo the West. Beating North Texas next weekend at home will keep them in the front of the pack, but perhaps an even more intriguing battle will be happening in Hattiesburg. The winner of Southern Miss vs UAB could thrust themselves back into the mix, particularly if the Blazers can win on the road as they have a date with Louisiana Tech later in November.

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