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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 13

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Rice football got a firsthand look at Death Valley under the lights but came up short. What’s next for Conference USA football in Week 13?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte vs FIU L, 42-35 at FAU
FAU at North Texas L, 41-38 vs Charlotte
FIU at Charlotte W, 42-35 vs Marshall
LaTech at Southern Miss L, 21-20 vs WKU
Marshall vs UTSA W, 23-0 at FIU
MTSU at Kentucky L, 34-23 vs UAB
North Texas at FAU W, 41-38 at UTSA
ODU vs VMI W, 77-14 at Rice
Rice at LSU L, 42-10 vs ODU
Southern Miss vs LaTech W, 21-20 at UTEP
UAB at Texas A&M L, 41-20 at MTSU
UTEP at WKU L, 40-16 vs Southern Miss
UTSA vs Marshall L, 23-0 vs North Texas
WKU vs UTEP W, 40-16 at LaTech

Notable Week 12 results

Nothing to see here

Three CUSA squads took their shots at SEC opponents. Middle Tennessee gave Kentucky a fight, UAB hung in there against Texas A&M and Rice challenged LSU. All three were heavy underdogs and all three fell on the road. The individual games themselves will get passed over, but playing blueblood teams is good for Conference USA and needs to continue to be a part of the schedule.

FAU vs North Texas did not disappoint

The preseason “game of the year” in Conference USA had little on the line after both North Texas and FAU each went through rough stretches. Nevertheless, their Week 12 matchup was extremely entertaining. Quinn Shanbour and Devin Singletary each picked up a pair of rushing touchdowns before a 92-yard touchdown run from UNT’s DeAndre Torrey put things out of reach in the fourth quarter.

UTEP still has a ways to go

The Miners looked like they might have turned the corner early in November when they dropped 48 points on Rice and 32 more on Middle Tennessee. The 16 point clunker they dropped at Western Kentucky over the weekend is clear that UTEP’s consistency leaves a lot to be desired. The win over Rice was a good first step, but putting all the pieces together in a singular game remains a challenge.

Week 13 storylines

Will Rice earn their first CUSA win?

Western Kentucky’s victory over UTEP last weekend leaves one CUSA team still waiting on their first conference win, Rice. The Owls have played a few close contests but have yet to break through. ESPN FPI gives the Owls a 30.5 percent chance of winning in their final home contest of the season.

Who takes CUSA East?

FIU and Middle Tennessee sit atop the East entering the final weekend of conference play. The Panthers defeated the Blue Raiders earlier this season, giving them the tiebreaker if the schools finish even after the final week of the regular season. The only way MTSU takes the crown would require a win over UAB and an FIU loss to Marshall.

FAU and Southern Miss fight for bowl eligibility

Six CUSA teams have secured bowl eligibility so far: UAB, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, FIU, Middle Tennessee and Marshall.

Six other teams are too far down to make a bowl this season, even with wins in Week 13. That leaves two squads, FAU and Southern Miss, to fight for their postseason lives in their final games of the year. FAU plays Charlotte and Southern Miss plays UTEP, both win-needy teams are favored to win.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 12

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Rice football took Louisiana Tech to the wire but couldn’t pull out the win. What else happened this weekend and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 12?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte at Marshall L, 30-13 vs FIU
FAU vs WKU W, 34-15 at North Texas
FIU at UTSA W, 45-7 at Charlotte
LaTech vs Rice W, 28-13 at Southern Miss
Marshall vs Charlotte W, 30-13 vs UTSA
MTSU at UTEP W, 48-32 at Kentucky
North Texas at ODU L, 34-31 vs FAU
ODU vs North Texas W, 34-31 vs VMI
Rice at LaTech L, 28-13 at LSU
Southern Miss at UAB L, 26-23 (OT) vs LaTech
UAB vs Southern Miss W, 26-23 (OT) at Texas A&M
UTEP vs MTSU L, 48-32 at WKU
UTSA VS FIU L, 45-7 vs Marshall
WKU at FAU L, 34-15 vs UTEP

Notable Week 10 results

Rice’s big play goes for naught

Shawn Stankavage connected with speedster Austin Walter on a 68-yard touchdown pass on the Owls’ first drive of the second half against Louisiana Tech. The score was the longest touchdown of the year for Rice and gave Rice the lead. They weren’t able to hold on, falling on the road to the Bulldogs despite incredible play in the secondary from freshman safety Prudy Calderon.

Oh my, Old Dominion

Outside of their win over Virginia Tech earlier in the season there hadn’t been too much for Old Dominion fans to celebrate this year. It took a literal miracle to beat Western Kentucky and the Monarchs hadn’t played anyone else close in nearly a month. So, of course, it makes total sense they beat North Texas at home over the weekend. Conference USA is weird.

Wake up call answered

FIU was sitting alone at the top of the Conference USA East standings entering their Week 10 game against rival FAU. Not only did the Panthers lose, they got rocked, suffering a blowout defeat and putting their hopes of a conference championship on edge. How did they respond? Thumping a subpar UTSA squad on the road by five touchdowns.

Week 12 storylines

So much for the Group of 5 game of the year

North Texas and FAU were supposed to meet in the Conference USA Championship game. FAU’s season crumbled early. North Texas started strong, but blown leads have cost the Mean Green a chance to play for the conference title. Now both teams are mired in mediocrity and this game, which many had circled in the preseason, is basically moot.

Someone’s cupcake is another person’s opportunity

Conference USA has three matchups with SEC foes in Week 12. Middle Tennessee takes on a reeling Kentucky squad that just lost to the Tennessee Volunteers, Rice gets LSU and UAB gets Texas A&M. All are heavy underdogs, but we’ve learned not to write off even the loweliest of CUSA squads off in non-conference play. Isn’t that right Virginia Tech?

Here’s your shot Western Kentucky

The Hilltoppers have one win this year — a one-score road victory against Ball State. They’ve yet to win a game on their own field and won’t get a better chance than their upcoming game against UTEP. Outside of Rice, UTEP is winless meanwhile Rice and Western Kentucky are the only two remaining teams without a CUSA win. If WKU can’t get it done this weekend they won’t this season.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 11

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Rice football had a disappointing weekend, falling at home to UTEP. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 11?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte at Tennessee L, 14-3 at Marshall
FAU at FIU W, 49-14 vs WKU
FIU vs FAU L, 49-14 at UTSA
LaTech at Mississippi State L, 45-3 vs Rice
Marshall at Southern Miss L, 26-24 vs Charlotte
MTSU vs WKU W, 29-10 at UTEP
North Texas — OFF —  — at ODU
ODU — OFF —  — vs North Texas
Rice vs UTEP L, 34-26 at LaTech
Southern Miss vs Marshall W, 26-24 at UAB
UAB vs UTSA W, 52-3 vs Southern Miss
UTEP at Rice W, 34-26 vs MTSU
UTSA at UAB L, 52-3 vs FIU
WKU at MTSU L, 29-10 at FAU

Notable Week 10 results

UTEP comes out guns blazing

It’s safe to say nobody saw the result on South Main coming. A UTEP win is one thing, but a 31-3 lead for the Miners against any opponent seemed unthinkable. Well, it happened. The cushion was big enough to fend off 23 unanswered points from the Owls who pulled within one score midway through the fourth quarter but were unable to capitalize. The rebuild at Rice has been a struggle, but there’s nowhere to go but up.

FAU is not dead yet

Even though things went south early this season for Lane Kiffin and the FAU Owls they don’t seem to be packing it in. They’ll now play the role of spoiler — their first victim found that out in Week 10. FIU had been unbeaten in Conference USA play, that was before FAU dropped 49 points on the Panthers in a rout.

“Charlotte has a good football team”

Coach speak is a normal part of college football vernacular. It’s the comments coaches make almost nonchalantly, praising their opponent, offering platitudes about how guys “played hard” and so on and so forth. Tennessee head coach Jeremey Pruit, after the Vols 14-3 win over Charlotte, said the 49ers have “a good football team“. Coach speak or not, worse things could be said about your program from an SEC foe.

Week 11 storylines

Could UTEP win two in a row?

Middle Tennessee and Rice are having two very different seasons. Rice is still hunting for their first conference win and Middle Tennessee sits atop the East. The Miners’ impressive start against Rice was a reminder of what others have seen from UTEP this year. They play physical and have a sturdy defense. A UTEP winning streak might not be likely, but it’s possible. How about that?

Can anyone cool down the Blazers?

UAB is one of the best feel-good stories of 2018. The recently reinstated Blazers have run roughshod over the rest of CUSA West, giving no quarter. UTSA was their most recent victim. Next up is Southern Miss, who’s coming off a win over Marshall. A perfect CUSA season is in play for UAB. Can they finish strong?

A much-needed break

Two Conference USA squads were on bye last week, North Texas and Old Dominion. The Mean Green and the Monarchs return to action in Week 11, facing each other. Both teams had a tough stretch of games entering the break and needed time to recharge. Who will come out ready to play on Saturday?

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 10

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Rice football gave North Texas a scare, but dropped the road contest in Denton, Tx. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 10?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte vs Southern Miss W, 20-17 at Tennessee
FAU vs LaTech L, 21-13 at FIU
FIU at WKU W, 38-17 vs FAU
LaTech at FAU W, 21-13 at Mississippi State
Marshall — OFF — — at Southern Miss
MTSU at ODU W, 51-17 vs WJU
North Texas vs Rice W, 41-17 — OFF —
ODU vs MTSU L, 51-17 — OFF —
Rice at North Texas L, 41-17 vs UTEP
Southern Miss at Charlotte L, 20-17 vs Marshall
UAB at UTEP W, 19-0 vs UTSA
UTEP vs UAB L, 19-0 at Rice
UTSA — OFF — — at UAB
WKU vs FIU L, 38-17 at MTSU

Notable Week 9 results

Rice came close

The process continues to churn for Rice football in 2018. The Owls have lost eight consecutive games, but each successive contest feels more and more winnable. Rice was tied 17-17 with North Texas with minutes to play in the third quarter before a late rally turned the game into a blowout. It’s only a matter of time before this team breaks through.

The Lane Kiffin hype train is off the tracks

When Lane Kiffin signed his 10-year contract last season people balked. How could Kiffin stay at FAU that long? Losing appears to be the answer. The former NFL and college coach has only dirtied his resume this year with a few high-profile losses and no shot at a conference title. Kiffin could very well turn it around, but at the moment he seems to be fighting an uphill battle.

Conference USA East is pretty good

Outside of a hapless Western Kentucky team and a woefully inconsistent ODU squad the rest of CUSA East is looking fairly competitive. Charlotte’s win over Southern Miss made for the fourth team in that division with three wins or more in conference play. The 49ers weren’t supposed to be here, and they’re two games better than FAU. Nothing makes sense, but that’s where we are.

Week 10 storylines

Who will rule the sunshine state?

FAU was projected to be the favorite in the East, instead, it’s FIU that sits atop the division at the midpoint of conference play. The two Florida schools meet in Week 10 with bragging rights on the line. A win against their in-state rivals would do wonders for the Panthers’ momentum.

Battle for the bottom

UTEP and Rice meet in Houston with last place in CUSA West on the line. Neither of these schools have a win in conference play and Rice’s only win came two months ago in Week 0. Both of these schools are in rebuilding mode, but proving progress is being made will be extremely important for both Mike Bloomgren and Dana Dimel.

SEC surprise?

There will be a handful of SEC matchups with CUSA teams in the month of November. Both Charlotte (at Tennesee) and Louisiana Tech (at Mississippi State) will get their crack at an upset in Week 10. Both teams have shown some punch this season, but a win over an SEC school would be a tall order. Nevertheless, that’s why they play the games.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 9

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Rice football fell at home to UAB in Week 7. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 9?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte at MTSU L, 21-13 vs Southern Miss
FAU at Marshall L, 31-7 vs LaTech
FIU vs Rice W, 36-17 at WKU
LaTech vs UTEP W, 31-24 at FAU
Marshall vs FAU W, 31-7  — OFF —
MTSU vs Charlotte W, 21-13 at ODU
North Texas at UAB L, 29-21 vs Rice
ODU at WKU W, 37-34 vs MTSU
Rice at FIU L, 36-17 at North Texas
Southern Miss vs UTSA W, 27-17 at Charlotte
UAB vs North Texas W, 29-21 at UTEP
UTEP at LaTech L, 31-24 vs UAB
UTSA at Southern Miss L, 27-17  — OFF —
WKU vs ODU L, 37-34 vs FIU

Notable Week 8 results

All aboard the Blazers’ train

UAB has become one of the best stories in college football. Two years ago they had no football team, now they’ve clinched their second consecutive bowl trip and their best start in program history. The job that head coach Bill Clark has done in Birmingham is outstanding, including their latest big win over a North Texas team that was the favorite to win the division entering the season. Now it’s UAB out in front and nobody has been able to stand in their way.

Western Kentucky is bad, but their luck couldn’t be worse

The tragedy that befell the Hilltoppers in Week 7 has to be seen to be believed — and even then, you still might not believe it. WKU was in position to force overtime against Old Dominion, instead, they allowed a game-winning field goal at the buzzer in the most befuddling of circumstances.

Rice is alive

Things were looking pretty bleak for the Owls who seemed to have lost their momentum completely. After an encouraging start to the year the Owls were shutout against UAB in Week 7. They responded with an inspiring performance against FIU, leading the Panthers on the road after the first quarter. They weren’t able to hold on to win, but the insertion of redshirt sophomore quarterback Evan Marshman has this team believing in themselves again.

Week 9 storylines

Last chance

One CUSA team that is trending in decidedly the wrong direction is FAU. The Owls have all but squandered any hopes of winning the East and will be fretting their bowl aspirations soon if they can’t turn things around. They’re 3-4 entering Week 9 with a home game against a dangerous Louisiana Tech team. If the Owls can’t bounce back they might be staying home this winter.

Can Old Dominion get on a roll?

Barring whatever exactly happened against WKU, Old Dominion would still be looking for their first conference win against Middle Tennessee. They were gifted a win against WKU, but the offensive production was a positive step. If the Monarchs can keep that side of the ball rolling they’ll be able to contend down the stretch. That starts against Middle Tennessee.

UTEP isn’t bad?

UTEP is 0-7. It’s hard to put too much stock in a team that has yet to win a game, but the Miners have come precariously close more times than they’d like. One of their last four games has been decided by more than seven points and each of their conference games have been winnable. Knocking off UAB is unlikely, but they’re playing well enough that a win on Saturday is absolutely on the table.

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