SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • NOON • CBS SPORTS NETWORK
ARMY at FLORIDA ATLANTIC
FAU Stadium (29,945/Natural Grass) Boca Raton, Florida
Television CBS Sports Network
Army radio Jordan Kent and Logan Ryan
Florida Atlantic Radio WBNR-AM 1260 (flagship) WMEN-AM 640 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Army and Florida Atlantic … It will be Army’s first conference game as a member of the American Athletic Conference as the Black Knights play a league game for the first time since 2004 … Florida Atlantic is 1-3 all-time against service academies.
ARMY 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Jeff Monken (Millikin ’89) 71-55, 11th season at Army 107-71, 15th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Army enjoyed a successful debut as an American Athletic Conference program as the Black Knights handled Lehigh 42-7 … Army finished with 375 rushing yards as three players had at least 75 yards … QB Bryson Daily rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns and completed 3 of 6 passes for 22 yards … RB Kanye Udoh also found the end zone twice as he had 15 carries for 75 yards … RB Noah Short led all players with 83 yards and a TD on just eight carries … The Army defense kept Lehigh off the scoreboard for the final three quarters and limited the Mountain Hawks to 282 yards … LB Kalib Fortner led the team with eight tackles …Army’s 2004 conference schedule (its last season in Conference USA) included games against East Carolina and UAB, which are on this year’s ledger.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 0-1, 0-0 American
Head Coach Tom Herman (Cal Lutheran ’97) 4-9, second season at Florida Atlantic 58-31, eighth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Florida Atlantic looks to rid itself of a losing streak that spans five games, dating to the end of last season … The Owls opened 2024 with a 16-10 setback at Michigan State … Florida Atlantic faced a 16-0 deficit midway through the second quarter, but the Owls held the Spartans scoreless the rest of the way and had three fourth-quarter drives with the chance to take a lead … Florida Atlantic held the Spartans to 293 total yards and 15 first downs … QB Cam Fancher, a transfer from Marshall, got the Opening Day start and completed 12 of 25 passes for 116 yards and had a team-high 67 rushing yards on 25 attempts … WR Omari Hayes had five receptions for 74 yards … LB Jackson Ambush had a team-high 10 tackles, while CB Khazir Brown and S Phillip Dunnam had interceptions.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • NOON • ESPNU
TROY at MEMPHIS
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (58,325/AstroTurf) Memphis, Tennessee
Television ESPNU Mike Corey and Rene Ingoglia
Radio WXMX-FM 98.9 (Memphis flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the sixth meeting between Memphis and Troy in a series that dates to 1937 … The schools played five times between 1937-41 … Troy won the initial meeting, but the Tigers won the last four … The teams are scheduled to complete the current home-and-home series in Troy, Alabama, Sept. 13, 2025 .
TROY 0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach Gerard Parker (Kentucky ’03) 0-1, first season at Troy 0-7, first full season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Troy looks for its first win after the Trojans fell 28-26 against Nevada in Week 1 in Gerard Parker’s debut as head coach … The Trojans trailed 28-17 midway through the fourth quarter and scored 10 points in the final 6:12 to close within two, but Troy saw the tying two-point conversion try fall incomplete … The Trojans have dropped back-to-back games for the first time since the beginning of the 2023 season, when they fell to Kansas State and James Madison … Troy has won the last two Sun Belt titles, both under former coach Jon Sumrall, who is now at Tulane … QB Goose Crowder went 20-for-30 for 201 yards and a touchdown against Nevada … RB Damien Taylor rushed for 103 yards and TD, while WR Devonte Ross had seven catches for 103 yards and a touchdown.
MEMPHIS 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Ryan Silverfield (Hamden-Sydney ’03) 32-19, fifth season
Notes
Memphis rolled to a 40-0 win against North Alabama in the 2024 season-opener as the Tigers had a 367-185 advantage in total offense and didn’t allow the Lions to advance past the Memphis 19-yard line … The win was Memphis’ 11th consecutive victory in a home-opener and it marked the 27th consecutive game for the Tigers with at least 20 points — the longest active streak in FBS … QB Seth Henigan moved into third place on The American’s career passing chart with his 306-yard effort against North Alabama … Henigan has 11,702 career yards, trailing only East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers (13,927) and Houston’s Clayton Tune (11,996) all-time … WR Roc Taylor had five receptions for 87 yards against North Alabama … The defense was paced by LB Chandler Martin, who had eight tackles.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • NOON • ESPN
KANSAS STATE at TULANE
Yulman Stadium (30,000/Hellas Synthetic) New Orleans, Louisiana
Television ESPN Bob Wischusen, Louis Riddick and Kris Budden
Radio KVDU-FM 104.1 (Tulane flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between Tulane and Kansas State … Tulane has taken the first two meetings with a 20-16 win in New Orleans in 1988 and a 17-10 decision in Manhattan, Kansas, in 2022 … The 2022 meeting saw Tulane’s defense make three fourth-down stops in the second half.
17/16 KANSAS STATE 1-0, 0-0 Big 12
Head Coach Chris Klieman (Northern Iowa ’90) 40-24, sixth season at Kansas State 112-37, 12th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Kansas State opened the 2024 season in impressive fashion as the Wildcats scored a 41-6 win against UT Martin in Manhattan, Kansas … The Wildcats rushed for 283 yards, registered 11 tackles for loss and did not commit an accepted penalty in the season-opener … RB DJ Giddens rushed for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and extended his streak to five striaght 100- yard performances following his 124-yard day against UT Martin … QB Avery Johnson passed for 153 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 37 yards … The defense returns eight starters, including five of its top six tacklers from last year … LB Desmond Purnell led the team with seven tackles against UT Martin … Kansas State has won at least eight games in each of the last three seasons.
TULANE 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Jon Sumrall (Kentucky ’05) 1-0, first season at Tulane 24-4, third season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulane made a winner of new head coach Jon Sumrall in his Green Wave debut with a 52-0 victory against Southeastern Louisiana in Week 1 …Tulane has won 24 games since the start of the 2022 season … Only Georgia, Michigan and Washington have had more wins since the 2022 … The Green Wave overwhelmed Southeastern Louisiana with a 472-201 advantage in total offense and a 25-14 margin in first downs … QB Darian Mensah made his first career start and completed 10 of 12 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns, while QB Ty Thompson added two rushing touchdowns in goal-line situations … RB Makhi Hughes rushed for 59 yards and a TD on 14 carries … WR Mario Williams had four catches for 124 yards … CB Rayshawn Pleasant had a 100-yard pick-six for a touchdown.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 3:30 P.M. • ACC NETWORK
CHARLOTTE at NORTH CAROLINA
Jerry Richardson Stadium (15,314/Synthetic) Charlotte, North Carolina
Television ACC Network Jorge Sedano, Orlando Franklin and Morgan Uber
Radio WZGV-AM 730 (Charlotte flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Charlotte and North Carolina … The 49ers are 1-4 all-time against current ACC members with the lone win coming against Duke in 2021 … The Tar Heels are 31-23-3 against current members of The American after North Carolina defeated Temple in the 2019 Military Bowl.
CHARLOTTE 0-1, 0-0 American
Head Coach Biff Poggi (Duke) 3-10, second season
Notes
Charlotte held a 7-3 lead in the final minute of the second quarter in its season-opener against James Madison, but the 49ers allowed a late touchdown to close the half and never recovered as the Dukes pulled away for a 30-7 victory … Charlotte’s roster includes 44 transfers new to the team in 2024, tying with Colorado for the most in FBS, while the 71 total newcomers trail only North Texas (77) and Army (74) nationally … QB Max Brown, a transfer from Florida, got the Opening Day start against James Madison and completed 22 of 45 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions … RB Terron Kellman rushed for 76 yards on nine carries, while WR Sean Brown had six catches for 70 yards … LB Reid Williford had a career-high 10 tackles, while CB Dontae Balfour had an interception to lead the defense.
NORTH CAROLINA 1-0, 0-0 ACC
Head Coach Mack Brown (Florida State ’74) 108-73-1, 16th season at North Carolina 283-149-1, 36th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
North Carolina is off to a 1-0 start after the Tar Heels took a 19-17 victory at Minnesota in the 2024 season-opener … Head coach Mack Brown’s 283 career wins are the most of any active FBS head coach … The Tar Heels got the win against Minnesota with a second-quarter touchdown and four second-half field goals from K Noah Burnette … Burnette hit a 52-yard field goal to bring North Carolina within one point, and his 45-yard kick with 1:44 left held up as the game-winner … The win at Minnesota was North Carolina’s first road victory to start a season since 1992 … RB Omari Hampton rushed for 129 yards on 30 carries … QB Max Johnson suffered a season-ending injury in the third quarter … QB Conner Harrell came on in relief and completed 2 of 4 passes for 34 yards.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 3:30 P.M. • CBSSN
TEMPLE at NAVY
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000/FieldTurf) Annapolis, Maryland
Television CBS Sports Network Carter Blackburn, Randy Cross and Sheehan Stanwick Burch
Temple Radio Navy Radio OwlSports.com/Listen WBAL-AM 1090 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 19th meeting between Temple and Navy … The game will break a 9-9 tie in the series, which began in 1988 … The teams are tied 3-3 in American Athletic Conference regular-season games … The Owls defeated Navy in the 2016 American Championship Game … Temple took a 32-18 win last year in Philadelphia
TEMPLE 0-1, 0-0 American
Head Coach Stan Drayton (Allegheny ’93) 6-19, third season
Notes
Temple looks to rebound from a 51-3 loss at No. 16 Oklahoma in the 2024 season-opener … The Owls fell behind 17-0 after the first quarter and 34-0 at halftime and were unable to cut into the lead in the second half … Temple has lost its last four games, dating to last year, a streak that began following a win against Navy … QB Forrest Brock got the start against Oklahoma and completed 12 of 25 passes for 128 yards with two interceptions … RB EJ Wilson, a transfer from FIU, had six carries for 31 yards on a day in which the Owls were limited to 69 rushing yards … LB Cam’ron Stewart had four tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss … Temple is the only American Athletic Conference team to open with back-to-back road games in 2024 … The Owls play their home opener next Saturday against Coastal Carolina.
NAVY 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Brian Newberry (Baylor ’98) 6-7, second season
Notes
Navy stands a 1-0 for the first time since 2019 after the Midshipmen scored a 49-21 win against Bucknell … The game against Temple is the second of three straight home games to start the season for Navy, which hosts Memphis Sept. 21 … Navy reeled off 438 yards of offense in the first game with its new Wing-T scheme, the Midshipmen’s best offensive showing since 2022 … QB Blake Horvath thew a pair of touchdown passes, while QB Braxton Woodson had one, marking the first time since 2017 that Navy has had three TD passes in a game … Horvath completed 7 of 12 passes for 108 yards, while Woodson was 3-for-7 for 65 yards … FB Daba Fofana rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on eight carries as the Midshipmen finished with 264 rushing yards … LB Luke Pirris had 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss with a forced fumble.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 4 P.M. • ESPNU
UTSA at TEXAS STATE
UFCU Stadium (30,000/FieldTurf) San Marcos, Texas
Television ESPNU Doug Sherman and Tyoka Jackson
Radio KTXR-AM 760 (UTSA flagship)
THE GAME
THE I-35 SHOWDOWN Saturday’s game will be the sixth meeting between UTSA and Texas State … The Roadrunners have won all five previous matchups after last year’s 20-13 victory at the Alamodome … UTSA RB Kevorian Barnes rushed for 103 yards on 26 carries in last year’s win … UTSA is 2-0 in San Marcos, including a 51-48 thriller in 2020.
UTSA 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Jeff Traylor (Stephen F. Austin ’90) 40-14, fifth season
Notes
UTSA was impressive out of the chute in its 28-16 win against Kennesaw State to start the season as the Roadrunners held the Owls out of the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter … UTSA finished with a 416- 253 advantage in total offense … QB Owen McCown led the way with a 340-yard, three-touchdown performance on 28-of-38 passing … McCown’s favorite target was WR Devin McCuin, who had 11 receptions for 79 yards and two touchodwns …The defense limited Kennesaw State to 51 rushing yards and a 1.3-yards-per-carry average … The win improved UTSA to 40-14 overall and 24-3 at the Alamodome under head coach Jeff Traylor … Traylor is 15-4 against teams from the state of Texas … UTSA has won nine of its last 10 games, dating to last season … The Roadrunners are 7-6 all-time in road openers.
TEXAS STATE 1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach GJ Kinne (Tulsa ’11) 9-5, second season
Notes
Texas State looks to build on last year’s 8-5 campaign as former Tulsa quarterback GJ Kinne begins his second season in San Marcos … The Bobcats were 34-27 winners against Lamar in Week 1 as Texas State built an 18-0 lead by halftime … QB Jordan McCloud, who began his career in The American at South Florida and spent a year at Arizona before earning Sun Belt Player of the Year honors at James Madison last year, passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns in his Texas State debut … RB Ismail Mahdi rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown against Lamar … Texas State registerd seven sacks, finishing one shy of the program’s single-game record … The Bobcats won their first bowl game in program history in 2023 with a 45-21 win against Rice in the Independence Bowl … Texas State has won six of its last seven home games.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 6 P.M. • ESPN+
EAST CAROLINA at OLD DOMINION
S.B. Ballard Stadium (21,944/Astroturf GameDay) Norfolk, Virginia
Television ESPN+ Chip Tarkenton and Andy Mashaw
Radio WNCT-FM 107.9 (East Carolina flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 12th meeting between East Carolina and Old Dominion … The teams met seven times between 1934 and 1940 before ODU had discontinued its program and have played four times since the Monarchs’ return … East Carolina is 7-3-1 in the series and has won the last five meetings after a 39-21 victory in 2022.
EAST CAROLINA 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Mike Houston (Mars Hill ’94) 25-34, sixth season at East Carolina 105-59, 14th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
ast Carolina won its season-opener for the first time since 2016 as the Pirates took a 42-3 victory against Norfolk State in Week 1 … The Pirates had a 506-114 advantage in total yards and a 31-7 margin in first downs, allowing East Carolina to dominate despite having six turnovers … East Carolina’s defense forced Norfolk State to punt 12 times and held the Spartans to 11 three-andouts … QB Jake Garcia, a transfer from Missouri, made his first start in an East Carolina uniform and passed for 308 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions … WR Anthony Smith had five receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown … The Pirate defense registered 18 tackles for loss and two sacks … LB Zakye Barker led the way with eight tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss.
OLD DOMINION 0-1, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach Ricky Rahne (Cornell ’02) 15-24, fourth season
Notes
Old Dominion looks for its first win of the season after the Monarchs fell 23-19 at South Carolina … The Monarchs held a 19-16 lead midway through the fourth quarter finished with a 305-288 advantage in total offense, but were undone in part by four turnovers, including two in the fourth quarter … QB Grant Wilson completed 22 of 38 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions against the Gamecocks … WR Isiah Paige had eight receptions for 115 yards and a TD … The Monarchs went 6-7 last season, walling to Western Kentucky in overtime in the Famous Toastery Bowl … ODU’s campus is 125 miles from East Carolina’s, and the Monarchs expect a near-sellout crowd Saturday … Old Dominion’s women’s lacrosse team competes in the American Athletic Conference as an affiliate member
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 7 P.M. • ESPN+
UAB at LOUISIANA-MONROE
Malone Stadium (27,617/FieldTurf) Monroe, Louisiana
Television ESPN+ Sean Fox and Desmund Lighten
Radio WJOX-FM 94.5 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be third meeting between UAB and Louisiana-Monroe … The teams split a home-and-home series in 1998 and 1999 as each team won on its home field … UAB took a 47-0 win in Birmingham in the second of those meetings … Louisiana-Monroe head coach Bryant Vincent was UAB’s interim coach for the 2022 season.
UAB 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Trent Dilfer (Fresno State) 5-8, second season
Notes
UAB impressed in its season-opener as the Blazers cruised to a 41-3 win against Alcorn State last Thursday in Birmingham … The Blazers allowed 177 total yards and 60 passing yards against the Braves and had eight tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble … The offense, meanwhile, gained 517 yards, including 302 rushing yards … QB Jacob Zeno completed 23 of 32 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns … Zeno, who ranked second nationally with a 73.6% completion rate, is at 71.8% through the first week of 2024 … RB Lee Beebe Jr. rushed for 82 yards and two TDs … WR Kam Shanks finished with 171 all-purpose yards as he had six catches for 73 yards and three punt returns for 98 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
LOUISIANA-MONROE 1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach Bryant Vincent (West Alabama ’98) 1-0, first season at Louisiana-Monroe 8-6, second season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Louisiana-Monroe scored the final 16 points of the game as the Warhawks pulled away for a 30-14 victory against Jackson State in last week’s season-opener … The game was tied at 14-14 midway through the third quarter before ULM went on the decisive run … The Warhawks face one of the tougher nonconference schedules nationally, with road games against Texas and Auburn on the docket in addition to the home game against UAB … QB General Booty, a transfer from Oklahoma, made his first career start and went 10-for-14 for 104 yards and a touchdown against Jackson State … RB Ahmad Hardy, a true freshman, rushed for 103 yards and a TD on 19 carries, while WR Javon Campbell had four receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 7 P.M. • ESPN+
TEXAS SOUTHERN at RICE
Rice Stadium (47,000/FieldTurf) Houston, Texas
Television ESPN+ Shawn Kenney and LaDartrin McLane
Radio Varsity Network
THE GAME
Despite the proximity between the two campuses, Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between Rice and Texas Southern … The Owls have taken both previous matchups with a 48-34 win in 2021 and a 59-7 decision in 2023 … The schools are located about four miles apart in Houston.
TEXAS SOUTHERN 1-0, 1-0 SWAC
Head Coach Cris Dishman (Purdue ’88) 1-0, first season
Notes
Texas Southern made a winner of first-year head coach Cris Dishman as the Tigers took a 27-9 victory against Prairie View A&M in the Labor Day Classic … The Tigers held Prairie View A&M without an offensive touchdown for the first time since 2003 … It was Texas Southern’s third win against the Panthers in 21 meetings since the 2004 season … Texas Southern does not leave the state of Texas for a game until November … Five of the Tigers’ first seven games will be played in Houston, including Saturday’s trip to Rice … QB KJ Cooper completed 19 of 29 passes for 180 yards and a touchdown and added 52 rushing yards in the win against Prairie View A&M … RB Danny Green had 15 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns … The Tiger defense registered five sacks, including two from DE Keelan Cox, a transfer from Wyoming.
RICE 0-1, 0-0 American
Head Coach Mike Bloomgren (Florida State ’99) 22-47, seventh season
Notes
Rice was unable to find its footing in Week 1 as the Owls dropped a 34-14 decision to Sam Houston at Rice Stadium … The Owls bell behind 17-0 in the first quarter and were limited to single touchdowns in the second and third periods as Sam Houston had possession for more than 20 minutes of the second half … QB E.J. Warner, a transfer from Temple, threw for 227 yards and a touchdown in his Rice debut, but was intercepted twice … RB Dean Connors rushed for 52 yards and a TD on 12 carries, but Rice managed only 47 rushing yards collectively … LB Josh Pearcy was a stalwart defensively for Rice, with a team-high eight tackles and a forced fumble … Rice’s defense registered seven sacks, one shy of the team’s single-game record … The Owls play five of their first six games in the city of Houston.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 7 P.M. • ESPN
SOUTH FLORIDA at ALABAMA
Bryant-Denny Stadium (100,077/Natural Grass) Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Television ESPN Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Katie George
Radio WHPT-FM 102.5 (South Florida flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between South Florida and Alabama … The Crimson Tide has taken each of the first two matchups — a 40-17 victor in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2003, and a 17-3 decision in Tampa last season that was tied at 3-3 at halftime … Saturday’s game will be the first in the series in Tuscaloosa.
SOUTH FLORIDA 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Alex Golesh (Ohio State ’06) 8-6, second season
Notes
South Florida, which closed the 2023 season as one of the hottest teams nationally, got the 2024 campaign off to a strong start with a 48-3 win against Bethune-Cookman … The Bulls have won their last three games by at least 45 points, dating to last season … The Bulls have outscored their last three opponents by a combined score of 141-17 … QB Byrum Brown was the only FBS player aside from Heisman Trophy-winner Jayden Daniels of LSU to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 800 yards last season … Brown went 13-for-20 for 152 yards and rushed for 74 yards and a TD on eight carries in the win against Bethune-Cookman … RB Kelley Joiner rushed for 78 yards and two TDs on 14 carries … WR Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen had five catches for 73 yards … The Bulls’ defense registered 14 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.
ALABAMA 1-0, 0-0 SEC
Head Coach Kalen DeBoer (Sioux Falls ’96) 1-0, first season at Alabama 105-12, 10th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
New head coach Kalen DeBoer, who took Washington to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last year, is off to a resounding 1-0 start at Alabama after the Crimson Tide overwhelmed Western Kentucky with a 63-0 win in Tuscaloosa last week … Alabama is 298-55-3 all-time at Bryant-Denny Stadium … The Crimson Tied has been ranked in 263 consecutive Associated Press polls, the longest active streak nationally … Alabama limited Western Kentucky to 10 first downs and 145 total yards in last week’s opener … QB Jalen Milroe was an efficient 7-of-9 for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while he rushed for 79 yards and two TDs on 10 carries … RB Justice Haynes ran for 102 yards on only four carries, including an 85-yard TD.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 7 P.M. • ESPN+
TULSA at ARKANSAS STATE
H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000/FieldTurf) Tulsa, Oklahoma
Television ESPN+ Roger Twibell and Darrell Greene
Radio KXBL-FM 99.5 (Tulsa flagship)
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the second meeting between Tulsa and Northwestern State … The only previous matchup came Sept. 17, 1983, when the Golden Hurricane took a 26-19 victory in Tulsa … Tulsa was coached by College Football Hall-of-Famer John Cooper that season and the Golden Hurricane went on to win the Missouri Valley title.
TULSA 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Kevin Wilson (North Carolina ’84) 5-8, second season at Tulsa 31-55, eighth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulsa scored early, often and in a number of ways as the Golden Hurricane handled Northwestern State 62-28 last Thursday … Tulsa had four touchdown passes, three rushing TDs and found the end zone twice on special teams … QB Kirk Francis, a redshirt freshman, completed 23 of 30 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns without an interception … RB Lloyd Avant was Tulsa’s leading rusher with 64 yards on 11 carries and delivered 127 yards on kickoff returns, including a 100-yard touchdown … WR Kamdyn Benjamin had five catches for 65 yards and a TD and scored on a 66-yard punt return, while WR Zion Steptoe, a transfer from Purdue, had five receptions for a team-high 88 yards … The defense registered 11 tackles for loss on 53 Northwestern State offensive plays.
ARKANSAS STATE 1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach Butch Jones (Ferris State ’90) 12-26, fourth season at Arkansas State 96-80, 15th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Arkansas State takes a 1-0 mark into its second straight home game after the Red Wolves scored a 34-31 win against Central Arkansas last Saturday … The game against Tulsa marks the ninth consecutive season in which Arkansas State plays an American Athletic Conference team … QB Jaylen Raynor, who was the Sun Belt’s Freshman of the Year in 2023, completed 24 of 47 passes for 317 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 49 yards and a TD in the season-opener … RB Zak Wallace rushed for 41 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries against Central Arkansas … Wallace has 40 career rushing touchdowns, the most of any active FBS player … WR Corey Rucker had nine catches for 179 yards and a touchdown against Central Arkansas.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 7 • 7 P.M. • ESPN+
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN at NORTH TEXAS
DATCU Stadium (30,850/FieldTurf) Denton, Texas
Television ESPN+ Peter Sousa and Doc Holliday
Radio KEGL-FM 97.1 (North Texas flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the second meeting between North Texas and South Alabama … The only previous meeting came in the 2012 season, when the Mean Green took a 24-14 victory in Denton, Texas … RB Brandin Byrd rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown for the Mean Green in that game.
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 1-0, 0-0 Southland
Head Coach Colby Carthel (West Texas A&M ’07) 27-30, sixth season at Stephen F. Austin 85-48, 12th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Stephen F. Austin rolled to a 77-0 win against an overmatched squad from North American University in the Lumberjacks’ season-opener last Thursday … SFA had a 675-40 advantage in total offense and had 32 first downs while allowing only three … The Lumberjacks held North American to -5 rushing yards and 0-for-12 on third down … .Stephen F. Austin went 3-8 overall and was 0-6 in the United Athletic Conference last season … The program is back in the Southland Conference, where they competed for 34 years before joining the WAC and eventually the UAC … QB Sam Vidlak went 8-for-8 for 288 yards and five touchdowns in the opener … RB Qualan Jones rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries, while WR Kylon Harris had four receptions for 115 yards and a TD.
NORTH TEXAS 1-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Eric Morris (Texas Tech ’08) 6-7, second season at North Texas 30-25, sixth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
North Texas was one of the more intriguing teams to watch in Week 1 as the Mean Green raced to a 52-38 road win against South Alabama … The Mean Green, which leads all FBS programs with 77 newcomers on this year’s roster, saw a blend of new players and established returners contribute to the victory … QB Chandler Morris, a transfer form TCU, completed 32 of 41 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns while adding two rushing TDs on his way to American Offensive Player of the Week honors … Morris is fifth among FBS players in passing through the first week … WR Damon Ward Jr. had the best day of his career with 12 receptions for 230 yards and two touchdowns … North Texas is looking for its 10th 2-0 start since 1966, when Mean Joe Greene was a freshman.
