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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 8

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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 8?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte vs WKU W, 40-14 at MTSU
FAU  — OFF —  — at Marshall
FIU vs MTSU W, 24-21 vs Rice
LaTech at UTSA W, 31-3 vs UTEP
Marshall at ODU W, 42-20 vs FAU
MTSU at FIU L, 24-21 vs Charlotte
North Texas vs Southern Miss W, 30-7 at UAB
ODU vs Marshall L, 42-20 at WKU
Rice vs UAB L, 42-0 at FIU
Southern Miss at North Texas L, 30-7 vs UTSA
UAB at Rice W, 42-0 vs North Texas
UTEP  — OFF —  — at LaTech
UTSA vs LaTech L, 31-3 at Southern Miss
WKU @ Charlotte L, 40-14 vs ODU

Notable Week 6 results

North Texas bounces back

The Mean Green saw their perfect record tarnished on the final play against Louisiana Tech. They followed it up with an ugly win against UTEP, causing some to wonder if their hot start caused the hype to become a bit overblown.  North Texas responded by defeating a tough Southern Miss team, handily. Going undefeated is out the window, but a CUSA crown is still very much in play.

Western Kentucky might be broken

Outside of an eight-point victory over Ball State in late September, the 2018 season hasn’t left much for the Hilltoppers to be excited about. They squared off with fellow CUSA East cellar dwellers Charlotte and left. Neither side of the ball is playing all that well and games against FIU, MTSU, FAU and Louisiana Tech await them in the coming weeks.

Rice has plenty of work to do

Rice football has lost six straight games after a last-second field goal lifted the Owls over Prairie View A&M in Week 0. The offense has been the culprit over the latest two-game stretch, scoring three points in the last eight quarters including a Week 7 shutout, the first time that’s happened at Rice since 2000. Execution remains an issue for the Owls.

Week 8 storylines

Will UAB put the West away?

Sitting at 3-0 and 2-1, respectively, UAB and North Texas meet in Week 8 in a game that will play a major role in determining who wins CUSA West. UAB holds the tiebreaker over Lousiaia Tech who holds a tiebreaker over North Texas. The Blazers can lockdown the division with a win on Saturday.

FAU meets Marshall in an elimination game

On the other side of the conference, FAU desperately needs to emerge victorious over Marshall in Week 8. A loss would drop them to 1-2 in CUSA and 3-4 overall, effectively eliminating them from title contention and putting their bowl hopes in jeopardy.

And then there were four…

UTEP, Rice, Old Dominion and Western Kentucky are the lone CUSA programs without a conference win. ESPN FPI gives the Hilltoppers the best chance to pick up their first win, favoring them to beat fellow winless CUSA squad ODU in Week 8.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 7

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Rice football fell at home to UTSA in Week 6. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 7?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte — OFF —  — vs WKU
FAU vs ODU W, 52-33 — OFF —
FIU  — OFF —  — vs MTSU
LaTech vs UAB L, 28-7 at UTSA
Marshall vs MTSU L, 34-24 at ODU
MTSU at Marshall W, 34-24 at FIU
North Texas at UTEP W, 27-24 vs Southern Miss
ODU at FAU L, 52-33 vs Marshall
Rice vs UTSA L, 20-3 vs UAB
Southern Miss  — OFF —  — at UNT
UAB at LaTech W, 28-7 at Rice
UTEP vs UNT L, 27-24  — OFF —
UTSA at Rice W, 20-3 vs LaTech
WKU  — OFF —  — @ Charlotte

Notable Week 6 results

Wild, wild West

Even though the 2018 season is only six weeks old it’s already time to throw out the preseason predictions. North Texas looked to be unbeatable, but they were upset by Lousiana Tech at home in Week 5 and barely escaped upset against winless UTEP in Week 7. Tech turned around and lost to Middle Tennessee. Now UAB and UTSA sit atop CUSA West. Nothing makes sense anymore.

Should we buy into the Blazers?

Sitting at 4-1 (2-0 CUSA), the surprising UAB Blazers own the best record in the West. The defense has carried this team to wins over Charlotte and Louisiana Tech, both of which were held to just seven points. The defense has been so dominant that UAB  quarterback A.J. Erdely was able to complete 8-of-24 passes for 136 yards and the Blazers still won by three touchdowns.

Rice speechless after disappointing home result

The Rice Owls were home favorites against a UTSA squad that had struggled to produce any sort of consistent offense in 2018. The Owls defense was rock solid, but the offense never found any real momentum. That’s going to prompt some difficult conversations on South Main this week.

Week 7 storylines

Kings of the East

Middle Tennessee entered the year without much in the form of preseason accolades. They now stand alone with FIU as the only teams in CUSA East without a loss in conference play. A win over FIU in Week 7 would give them a massive lead in the division with tiebreakers over both FIU and FAU.

Sneaky Southern Miss?

Off this past week, Southern Miss remains very much alive in the West. The Eagles have a win over Rice under their belts and an opportunity to make a statement on the road against North Texas in Week 7. A win over Mean Green propels them into no worse than second place in the West.

A game with unexpected importance

Louisiana Tech and UTSA combined for four first-place votes in the preseason CUSA poll. Now both squads have legitimate shots at a divisional title. They can set themselves up nicely with a win on Saturday; the Roadrunners host the Bulldogs.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 6

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Rice football dropped a road contest at Wake Forest in Week 5. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 6?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte at UAB L, 28-7 — OFF —
FAU at MTSU L, 24-25 vs ODU
FIU vs UAPB W, 29-27 — OFF —
LaTech at UNT W, 55-9 vs UAB
Marshall at WKU W, 20-17 vs MTSU
MTSU vs FAU W, 25-24 at Marshall
North Texas vs LaTech L, 29-27 at UTEP
ODU at ECU L, 37-35 at FAU
Rice at Wake Forest L, 24-56 vs UTSA
Southern Miss at Auburn L, 24-13  — OFF —
UAB vs Charlotte W, 28-7 at LaTech
UTEP at UTSA L, 30-21 vs UNT
UTSA vs UTEP W, 30-21 at Rice
WKU vs Marshall L, 17-20  — OFF —

Notable Week 3 results

Turn the conference upside down

North Texas and FAU were expected to be fixtures atop Conference USA in 2018. FAU had the misfortune of running into Oklahoma and UCF early on this season but looked to be more than competent in their other games. Sitting at 2-2, few had any doubts the Owls were poised to put together a new winning streak.

The same was true for North Texas. The Mean Green were 4-0 entering Week 5 including a blowout win over Arkansas on the road. Mason Fine was lighting up defenses left and right and didn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.

Then FAU fell to Middle Tennessee and North Texas was upset by Louisiana Tech. All of a sudden, the frontrunners in CUSA are a game back in conference play. Both schools have enough talent to bounce back contender for a title, but the path got significantly harder for each on Saturday. North Texas hosts FAU in November.

Short-lived celebration

ODU shocked the college football world when they upset a ranked Virginia Tech team at home in Week 4. Part of what made the win so stunning was the Monarch’s 0-3 record entering the game. They fell to ECU on Saturday, falling to 0-4 in games against teams not nicknamed the Hokies.

Take me home

After playing home games against Prairie View A&M and Houston to start the season, Rice football hit the road to play three games in four weeks. The time away from home has not been kind to the Owls, who dropped all three contests, the latest coming on Saturday against Wake Forest.

Week 4 storylines

Sorry, UTEP

The Miners are still looking for their first win. They fell to UTSA by nine points, but just when things were starting to look like they were trending in the right direction they draw a frustrated North Texas team that will be looking to pour on some points. It’s going to be another long weekend in El Paso.

Did FIU fall into the driver’s seat?

The Panthers own two close losses to Power 5 teams, falling to Indiana by 10 points and Miami by 14 points. Other than that, they’ve powered through the rest of their schedule. FAU’s loss in Week 5 plus further chaos in Week 6 when FIU has an off week could launch them into a win by Middle Tennessee over Marshall could put them in a three-way tie atop the East before their next game.

Time to prove it.

Louisiana Tech’s upset of North Texas was one of the most surprising results of the weekend. The Bulldogs recovered two fumbles and blocked the potential game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. If one or two balls bounce a different way, North Texas is still undefeated. Louisiana Tech can take the first step in proving last week’s result wasn’t a fluke by defeating UAB in Week 6.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 5

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Rice football fell to Southern Miss in Week 4. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for Conference USA football in Week 5?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte at UMass L, 49-31 at UAB
FAU at 16 UCF L, 56-36 at MTSU
FIU at 21 Miami L, 31-17 vs UAPB
LaTech at 6 LSU L, 38-21 at UNT
Marshall vs NC State L, 37-20 at WKU
MTSU OFF  — vs FAU
North Texas @ Liberty W, 47-7 vs LaTech
ODU vs 13 Virginia Tech W, 49-35  at ECU
Rice @ Southern Miss L, 40-22 @ Wake Forest
Southern Miss vs Rice W, 40-22 at 9 Auburn
UAB OFF  — vs Charlotte
UTEP OFF  — at UTSA
UTSA vs Texas State W, 25-21 vs UTEP
WKU @ Ball State W, 28-20 vs Marshall

Notable Week 3 results

Upset of the century

Old Dominion stayed playing football in 1930. Nearly a century later, the Monarchs claimed the biggest win in school history. Few gave 0-3 ODU any chance of knocking off the No. 13 Virginia Tech Hokies, even if the game was being played at S.B. Ballard Stadium.

The four-touchdown underdogs stunned the Hokies, earning their first win over a Power 5 program and their first win over a ranked team in school history. As if that wasn’t enough, they fulfilled a subtle dream they’d hinted at several years before.

When Old Dominion proposed a new stadium in 2016 they included renderings of the new designs. Tucked away in those pictures was a scoreboard that featured a win over Virginia Tech. The prophecy came true, much to the surprise of everyone, including the Monarchs.

More work to be done

Rice football entered the bye week with guarded optimism. The Owls were coming off two close losses to Houston and Hawaii. Their game against Southern Miss did not go as well as they would have liked. Rice trailed by as many as 25 points, falling by 18 on the road. This team is still developing, but they’re headed in the right direction.

Week 4 storylines

Who’s next?

Old Dominion proved that even the weaker CUSA squads can put together a special game and knock off some of college football’s best programs. Southern Miss and Rice are the next two CUSA teams to play Power 5 opponents. Rice hits the road to play Wake Forest; Southern Miss will pay a visit to No. 9 Auburn.

And then there was one

Marshall and Louisiana Tech both fell this weekend, leaving North Texas the lone unbeaten in Conference USA. The Mean Green are the only team in the conference that received votes in the most recent AP Poll and have their eyes on contending for a New Year’s Six Bowl along with fellow Group of 5 counterparts UCF and Buffalo. They’ll have a tough test next weekend against Louisiana Tech.

UTEP has to win eventually, right?

The Miners remain firmly fixed at the bottom of Conference USA. Few opportunities remain for UTEP, who has a long way to go in their rebuilding process. ESPN FPI gives them a 17.3 percent chance to defeat UTSA on the road in Week 5, their second highest odds for the remainder of the season.

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This week in CUSA – Looking ahead at Week 4

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Rice football was off in Week 3. How did the rest of the conference fare and what’s next for the Conference USA football in Week 4?

Team Last Week Result This Week
Charlotte vs Old Dominion W, 28-25  @ UMass
FAU OFF  —  @ UCF
FIU vs UMass W, 63-24  @ Miami
LaTech OFF  —  @ LSU
Marshall CANCELED  —  vs NC State
MTSU vs Georgia W, 49-7  OFF
North Texas @ Arkansas W, 44-17  @ Liberty
ODU @ Charlotte L, 28-25  vs Virginia Tech
Rice OFF  —  @ Southern Miss
Southern Miss CANCELED  —  vs Rice
UAB vs Tulane W, 31-24  OFF
UTEP @ Tennessee L, 24-0  OFF
UTSA @ Kansas State L, 41-17  vs Texas State
WKU @ Louisville L, 20-17  @ Ball State

Notable Week 3 results

Rain, rain go away

Two CUSA games were postponed without any rescheduled date courtesy of the impending impact of Hurricane Florence. Marshall’s trip to South Carolina and Southern Miss’ game at App. State did not happen. Add three scheduled bye weeks to that mix and there wasn’t much CUSA football played this weekend.

People are starting to notice North Texas

A blowout win over an SEC team on the road is a good way to get noticed. North Texas earned votes in the AP Poll following their Week 3 win over Arkansas and figured to continue climbing if they can take care of business in their next several games. On paper, the Razorbacks were the toughest opponent this team was supposed to face this season.

UTEP didn’t get blown out

As for other CUSA teams that took on SEC foes in Week 3, UTEP’s defense faired surprisingly well against the Tennessee Volunteers. The offense was completely shut out, but the 24-0 deficit was well within the 33.5 point spread.

Week 4 storylines

Opportunities aplenty for statement wins

Four CUSA teams play ranked opponents in Week 4. FAU visits No. 16 UCF on Friday night, No. 13 Virginia Tech travels to Old Dominion, FIU plays at No. 21 Miami and No. 6 LSU hosts Louisiana Tech. Any wins in those games would raise eyebrows across the nation.

Can Rice bounce back?

The Owls have had their ups and downs this season, but the sentiment at South Main remains largely positive. A win over Southern Miss would bring Rice back to .500 and give their hopes of a bowl berth renewed life. It’s not a “must win” by any means, but it would be a positive indicator that the rebuild is on schedule.

Does Marshall have the best chance to knock off a Power 5 team?

The encore to North Texas’ win over Arkansas could come from CUSA East in Week 4. Marshall takes on 2-0 NC State in a game that projects to be closer than meets the eye. These are two similar programs that don’t run the ball very well and will try to air it out often. The line opened at NCST +4 and has moved up to 6.5.

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