THIS WEEK IN THE AAC
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7
Houston at Tulane *
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Series: Houston leads, 18-7
Last Meeting: Oct. 8, 2020 (Houston, 49-31)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8
Temple at Cincinnati *
Time: 7 p.m.
Series: Temple leads, 13-8-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 23, 2019 (Cincinnati, 15-13)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9
SMU at Navy *
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: Navy leads, 13-9
Last Meeting: Oct. 31, 2020 (SMU, 51-37)
East Carolina at Central Florida *
Time: 6 p.m.
Series: East Carolina leads, 10-9
Last Meeting: Sept. 26, 2020 (UCF, 51-28)
Memphis at Tulsa *
Time: 9 p.m.
Series: Memphis leads, 19-11
Last Meeting: Oct. 26, 2019 (Memphis, 42-41)
OPEN WEEK
South Florida
Next Game: Oct. 16 vs. Tulsa
All times Eastern
* American Athletic Conference game
TALKING POINTS
UCF
2-2, 0-1 American
@UCF_Football
Last: Lost at Navy, 34-30
Next: Oct. 9 vs. East Carolina (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..497.5 …………………. 2nd
Total Defense………………………….367.3 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense ………………………..41.0 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Defense ………………………30.3 …………………..6th
• QB Mikey Keene threw for 178 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start, but it wasn’t enough for the Knights to get past Navy.
• UCF was without regular QB Dillon Gabriel, leading WR Jaylon Robinson and leading RB Isaiah Bowser for the game against Navy.
• UCF has scored a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown in 53 consecutive games, the longest streak in the nation.
• The Knights are 43-10 in their last 53 games.
• WR Brandon Johnson had four receptions for 79 yards and two touchdowns against the Midshipmen, finishing with two TDs in a game for the first time in his career.
CINCINNATI
4-0, 0-0 American
@BearcatsFB
Last: Won at Notre Dame, 24-13
Next: Oct. 8 vs. Temple (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..412.8 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense…………………………309.3 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Offense ……………………….38.3 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ……………………….14.5 …………………. 2nd
• QB Desmond Ridder threw for 297 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown in the win at No. 9 Notre Dame.
• The win at Notre Dame marked the Bearcats’ first road victory against a top-10 team in program history.
• Cincinnati forced three turnovers against Notre Dame, giving the Bearcats 11 takeaways in the last three games (eight interceptions, three fumble recoveries).
• Cincinnati is 35-5 since the start of the 2018 season. The Bearcats are 17-1 all-time as a top-10 team.
• Cincinnati has won its last 22 home games and has the second-longest homefield winning streak nationally (Clemson, 31).
EAST CAROLINA
3-2, 1-0 American
@ECUPiratesFB
Last: Beat Tulane, 52-29
Next: Oct. 9 at UCF (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..442.4 …………………..5th
Total Defense………………………….479.2 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 32.2 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ………………………29.6 …………………..4th
• RB Keaton Mitchell rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns, turning in his third straight game with at least 100 yards in the Pirates’ win against Tulane.
• Mitchell’s 222 yards were the most by an East Carolina player since Chris Johnson had 223 against Boise State in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl.
• CB Ja’Quan McMillian had six tackles to go with his fourth interception of the season against Tulane. McMillian has an interception in four of the Pirates’ five games.
• East Carolina has won three straight games for the first time since a five-game winning streak in the 2014 season.
• QB Holton Ahlers completed 21 of 32 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns against Tulane, moving into third place on the Pirates’ career passing chart (8,359 yards).
HOUSTON
4-1, 2-0 American
@UHCougarFB
Last: Won at Tulsa, 45-10
Next: Oct. 7 vs. Tulane (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….. 371.0 …………………..8th
Total Defense………………………… 255.8 ……………………1st
Scoring Offense ……………………….28.8 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Defense ……………………….13.8 ……………………1st
• RB Alton McCaskill rushed for 77 yards and three first-half touchdowns as the Cougars improved to 2-0 in conference play with the win at Tulsa.
• QB Clayton Tune completed 17 of 24 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns against the Golden Hurricane.
• Houston limited Tulsa to 31 rushing yards and 289 total yards. The Cougar defense registered four sacks and had three interceptions.
• The 35-point margin of victory against Tulsa was Houston’s largest in a conference road game since a 59-10 win at UCF in 2015.
• The Cougars have won four straight games for the first time since a five-game winning streak in 2018.
MEMPHIS
3-2, 0-1 American
@TigersAthletics
Last: Lost at Temple, 34-31
Next: Oct. 9 at Tulsa (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..476.0 …………………..3rd
Total Defense………………………… 465.2 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense ………………………..37.4 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 32.2 ………………….. 7th
• Memphis led a double-digit lead slip away for the second consecutive week as the Tigers fell to Temple in Philadelphia.
• Memphis held a 17-0 lead in the second quarter against the Owls a week after letting a 21-0 first-quarter lead get away against UTSA.
• Freshman QB Seth Henigan completed 24 of 40 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns, registering his fourth career 300-yard game and his second game with at least three TD passes.
• LB JJ Russell had 14 tackles, turning in his third consecutive game with at least 14 tackles.
• S Quindell Johnson had a career-high 15 tackles against Temple.
NAVY
1-3, 1-1 American
@NavyAthletics
Last: Beat UCF, 34-30
Next: Oct. 9 vs. SMU (CBSSN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….293.0 ………………….11th
Total Defense…………………………349.8 …………………..4th
Scoring Offense ………………………..16.0 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 32.5 …………………..8th
• Navy scored the final 17 points of the game as the Midshipmen rallied past UCF for its first win of the season.
• The Midshipmen had a season-high 348 rushing yards and 406 total yards against the Knights.
• Navy had possession for 39:18 of its win against UCF. The Midshipmen went 7-for-16 on third down and 2-for-3 on fourth down attempts.
• QB Tai Lavatai rushed for two touchdowns and 57 yards on 21 carries against UCF.
• Navy hosts SMU Saturday. The Midshipmen are 21-4 all-time in American Athletic Conference home games in the regular season.
SOUTH FLORIDA
1-4, 0-0 American
@USFFootball
Last: Lost at SMU, 41-17
Next: Oct. 16 vs. Tulsa
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..332.2 …………………10th
Total Defense………………………… 495.4 ………………….11th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 20.4 …………………10th
Scoring Defense ………………………36.0 …………………10th
• South Florida was within 10 points of unbeaten SMU after the third quarter before the Mustangs pulled away in the fourth.
• RB Jaren Mangham had two 1-yard touchdown runs, giving him an American Athletic Conference-leading nine rushing touchdowns in 2021.
• QB Timmy McClain completed 14 of 22 passes for a career-high 223 yards and added 25 rushing yards against the Mustangs.
• WR Jimmy Horn Jr. had five receptions for a career-high 102 yards against SMU.
• LB Dwayne Boyles had 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception against the Mustangs.
SMU
5-0, 0-0 American
@SMU_Football
Last: Beat South Florida, 41-17
Next: Oct. 9 at Navy (CBSSN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..532.4 ……………………1st
Total Defense………………………… 420.6 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 42.6 ……………………1st
Scoring Defense ……………………….21.8 …………………..3rd
• QB Tanner Mordecai had four more touchdown passes in SMU’s win against South Florida, giving him at least four TD passes in every game this season.
• Mordecai has 24 touchdown passes through five games, twice as many as any other American Athletic Conference player.
• SMU is off to a 5-0 start for the third consecutive season. The Mustangs were 8-0 to start the 2019 season and won their first five games last year.
• The Mustangs have won 13 consecutive regular-season nonconference games.
• SMU is 12-1 at Ford Stadium since the start of the 2019 season.
TEMPLE
3-2, 1-0 American
@Temple_FB
Last: Beat Memphis, 34-31
Next: Oct. 8 at Cincinnati (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….364.8 …………………..9th
Total Defense………………………….316.8 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ……………………….. 27.4 …………………..8th
Scoring Defense ………………………30.2 …………………..5th
• QB D’Wan Mathis set a career high for the second consecutive week as he threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns in the come-from-behind win against Memphis.
• Temple trailed 17-0 in the second quarter against Memphis, but scored 17 points in the final 5:03 of the first half.
• WR Amad Anderson Jr. had three receptions for a career-high 108 yards and a touchdown against the Tigers.
• LB Yvandy Rigby had seven tackles, a sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry to lead a Temple defense that held Memphis to 14 second-half points.
• Temple has won three of its last four games.
TULANE
1-4, 0-1 American
@GreenWaveFB
Last: Lost at East Carolina, 52-29
Next: Oct. 7 vs. Houston (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..416.8 …………………..6th
Total Defense…………………………482.0 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense ……………………….35.0 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ………………………40.2 ………………….11th
• QB Michael Pratt threw for 268 yards and a touchdown and had two rushing TDs, but was intercepted three times in the loss at East Carolina.
• Pratt has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 14 consecutive games. He has 31 career touchdown passes, ranking ninth in program history only five games into his sophomore season.
• Tulane had four turnovers against East Carolina and did not have a takeaway for the first time in 2021.
• RB Cameron Carroll rushed for a team-high 80 yards with a touchdown on only nine carries against East Carolina.
• The Green Wave looks to snap a three-game slide with Thursday’s game against Houston.
TULSA
1-4, 0-1 American
@TulsaFootball
Last: Lost to Houston, 45-10
Next: Oct. 9 vs. Memphis (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….449.8 …………………..4th
Total Defense…………………………396.8 …………………..6th
Scoring Offense ………………………..22.2 …………………..9th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 33.4 …………………..9th
• A week after Tulsa had a season-high 663 yards of offense in a win against Arkansas State, the Golden Hurricane was limited to 289 yards in the loss to Houston.
• QB Davis Brin was 20 of 39 for 258 yards and a touchdown, but was undone by three interceptions against the Cougars.
• WR Sam Crawford Jr. had five receptions for 101 yards against Houston, turning in his second 100-yard game of the season.
• WR Keylon Stokes moved into the top 10 on Tulsa’s career receiving chart, ranking ninth with 2,549 yards.
• Tulsa has not had a lead at the end of the first quarter in any of its five games this season.
