WEEK 8 PREVIEWS
THURSDAY, OCT. 21 • 7:30 P.M. • ESPN
TULANE at SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000/FieldTurf)
Dallas, Texas
Television
ESPN
Matt Barrie, Roddy Jones and Harry Lyles Jr.
Tulane Radio SMU Radio
KVDU-FM 104.1 KTCK-FM 96.7
SiriusXM 381/971 SiriusXM 84
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the 28th meeting between Tulane and SMU in a series that dates to 1943 … The Mustangs have won six meetings to take a 14-13 series lead … The schools last met Oct. 16, 2020, in New Orleans when the Mustangs scored a 37-34 overtime win in a game that produced seven lead changes.
TULANE
1-5, 0-2 American
Head Coach
Willie Fritz (Pittsburg State ’83)
30-37, sixth season at Tulane
184-106, 25th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulane is looking to snap a four-game slide after the Green Wave fell 40-22 to Houston Oct. 7 … The Green Wave had an open date last week … After opening the season by battling then-No. 2 Oklahoma in a 40-35 setback and cruising past Morgan State 69-20, the Green Wave has allowed an average of 45.2 points in its last four games … Tulane ranks fifth in The American in scoring at 32.8 ppg,
but has allowed 40.2 points to rank 11th in the league … QB Michael Pratt has completed 114 of 190 passes for 1,364 yards and 13 touchdowns against five interceptions … TE Tyrick James has been the top receiver with 22 catches for 343 yards and three touchdowns … RB Cameron Carroll has a team-high 272 rushing yards with two touchdowns, while Pratt leads the squad with four rushing TDs.
21/19 SMU
6-0, 1-0 American
Head Coach
Sonny Dykes (Texas Tech ‘93)
28-14, fourth season at SMU
67-59, 11th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
SMU is off to a 6-0 start for the second time in three seasons after the Mustangs took a 31-24 win at Navy before enjoying an open date last weekend … The Mustangs have averaged 40.7 points and a league-leading 511.0 yards through their first six games … QB Tanner Mordecai has led the way with 1,893 passing yards and an NCAA-best 26 touchdown passes … Mordecai has completed 71% of his passes this season (157 of 221) … RB Ulysses Bentley IV is averaging 7.4 yards per carry and has 405 rushing yards … WR Danny Gray has 30 receptions for 469 yards and seven touchdowns, while WR Rashee Rice has 30 catches for 375 yards and six TDs … LB Gary Wiley has a team-high 4.0 sacks …LB Shane Haley leads the team with 37 tackles and two forced fumbles.
FRIDAY, OCT. 22 • 7:30 P.M. • ESPN2
MEMPHIS at UCF
The Bounce House (44,206/Natural Grass)
Orlando, Florida
Television
ESPN2
Roy Philpott, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra
Memphis Radio UCF Radio
WKIM-FM 98.9 WYGM-FM 96.9
SiriusXM 383/973
THE GAME
Friday’s game will be the 16th meeting between Memphis and UCF … The Knights hold a 13-2 series lead and had won 13 straight in the series before Memphis’ 50-49 win at the Liberty Bowl last season … UCF is 7-0 against Memphis in Orlando … The schools met in the 2017 and 2018 American Athletic Conference championship games.
MEMPHIS
4-3, 1-2 American
Head Coach
Ryan Silverfield (Hamden-Sydney ’03)
12-7, second season at Memphis
Notes
Memphis snapped a three-game slide with a 35-17 win against Navy last Thursday … Memphis began the season with three consecutive wins, including a 31-29 decision against Mississippi State Sept. 18, but the Tigers fell to UTSA, Temple and Tulsa by a combined 12 points before getting the win against Navy … Freshman QB Seth Henigan has completed 138 of 227 passes for 2,153 yards and 16 touchdowns against four interceptions … The leading receiver is WR Calvin Austin III, who has 50 catches for 857 yards and eight touchdowns, leading The American in all three categories … Austin ranks fifth nationally in both receiving yards (122.4 rypg) and all-purpose yards (151.6 ypg) … LB JJ Russell is second nationally with 11.0 tackles per game, while CB Greg Rubin is fourth in NCAA FBS with 1.6 passed defended per game .
UCF
3-3, 1-2 American
Head Coach
Gus Malzahn (Henderson State ‘90)
3-3, first season at UCF
80-41, 10th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
UCF evened its record at 3-3 after the Knights fell 56-21 at No. 3 Cincinnati last Saturday … The Knights opened the season with wins against Boise State and Bethune-Cookman, but have dropped three of their last four … Injuries have hit the Knights hard as QB Dillon Gabriel and WR Jaylon Robinson have missed the last three games, while RB Isaiah Bowser had missed two games before returning in a limited role against Cincinnati … QB Mikey Keene has started the last three games and has completed 60 of 96 passes for 571 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions … WR Brandon Johnson has a team-high six touchdown receptions, while RB Johnny Richardson has averaged 6.1 yards per carry … DE Big Kat Bryant has 22 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries.
SATURDAY, OCT. 23 • NOON • ESPN2
CINCINNATI at NAVY
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000/FieldTurf)
Annapolis, Maryland
Television
ESPN2
Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore and Stormy Buonantony
Cincinnati Radio Navy Radio
WLW-AM 700 WBAL-AM 1090
SiriusXM 81 SiriusXM 206/202/965
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the fourth meeting between Cincinnati and Navy … The schools first played in 1940, met again in 1956 and played as conference rivals in 2017 and 2018 … Navy is 3-1 against the Bearcats, though Cincinnati took the most recent meeting with a 42-0 decision in 2018 … Navy is 3-0 in Annapolis against Cincinnati.
2/3 CINCINNATI
6-0, 2-0 American
Head Coach
Luke Fickell (Ohio State ’97)
41-14, fifth season at Cincinnati
47-21, sixth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Cincinnati is one of the nation’s 11 unbeaten teams after the Bearcats scored a 56-21 win against UCF last Saturday … Cincinnati is ranked No. 2 in this week’s Associated Press poll, marking the highest AP ranking in program history and the highest by an American Athletic Conference team in the conference’s nine years … The Bearcats have scored at least 50 points in consecutive games for
the first time in program history and have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 261-82 … QB Desmond Ridder is firmly in the Heisman Trophy race as he has thrown for 1,444 yards and 13 touchdowns against two interceptions and has three rushing TDs as well … RB Jerome Ford has 709 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns … LB Darrian Beavers has 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
NAVY
1-5, 1-3 American
Head Coach
Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii ‘89)
102-72, 14th season
Notes
Navy fell to 1-5 on the year as the Midshipmen fell 35-17 at Memphis last Thursday … Navy will play host to the No. 2-ranked team in the nation for the third time in program history … Navy fell 45-0 to No. 2 Pitt in the 1976 season and defeated No. 2 South Carolina 38-21 in 1984 … Navy has two other wins against tams ranked No. 2 — a 32-12 victory against Notre Dame in 1944 and a 14-2 decision
against Army in 1950 … Navy has been led by QB Tai Lavatai, who has started four games and has 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go with 157 passing yards and two TD passes … FB Isaac Ruoss has a team-high 308 rushing yards with two touchdowns … The defense is led by LB Diego Fagot, who has a team-high 54 tackles to go with 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown.
SATURDAY, OCT. 23 • 4 P.M. • ESPNU
EAST CAROLINA at HOUSTON
TDECU Stadium (40,000/FieldTurf)
Houston, Texas
Television
ESPNU
Kevin Brown and Hutson Mason
East Carolina Radio Houston Radio
WNCT-FM 107.9 KPRC-AM 950
SiriusXM 383/973 SiriusXM 382/972
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 15th meeting between East Carolina and Houston … The series is tied at 7-7 … Houston is 2-0 against the Pirates in American Athletic Conference games … East Carolina’s last win against Houston was in the 2012 season … The Pirates were 38-32 winners in the 2009 Conference USA Championship.
EAST CAROLINA
3-3, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Mike Houston (Mars Hill ’94)
10-17, third season at East Carolina
90-42, 11th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
East Carolina saw a three-game winning streak with a heartbreaking 20-16 loss at UCF Oct. 9 before the Pirates had an open date last week … East Carolina has averaged 17.3 points in its three losses, but has averaged 42.7 points in its three wins … RB Keaton Mitchell has averaged 106.5 rushing yards per game and 8.3 yards per carry … Mitchell has 639 yards and four touchdowns on 77 attempts … QB Holton Ahlers has completed 121 of 202 passes for 1,485 yards and eight touchdowns … The leading receiver is WR Tyler Snead, who has 28 catches for 362 yards and two TDs … CB Ja’Quan McMillian is the national leader in passes defended (2.7 per game) and interceptions (four) … McMillian leads the Pirates with 37 tackles and 12 pass breakups.
rv/rv HOUSTON
5-1, 3-0 American
Head Coach
Dana Holgorsen (Iowa Wesleyan ’93)
12-14, third season at Houston
73-55, 11th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Houston has a five-game winning streak for the first time since the 2018 season after the Cougars cruised to a 40- 22 win at Tulane Oct. 7 … The only loss on Houston’s ledger was a 38-21 setback to Texas Tech in the season-opener … Houston has limited its opponents to 16.2 points and 262.7 yards per game … Houston is fourth nationally in total defense and sixth in pass defense (156.0 ypg) … QB Clayton Tune has thrown for 1,258 yards and 10 touchdowns and has completed 115 of 165 passes (69.7%) … WR
Nathaniel Dell has 35 receptions for 477 yards and three touchdowns … Freshman RB Alton McCaskill is the leading rusher with 412 yards and eight TDs … CB Marcus Jones has two punt returns for touchdowns and is averaging 17.4 yards per return, ranking fourth nationally
SATURDAY, OCT. 23 • 7 P.M. • ESPN2
TEMPLE at SOUTH FLORIDA
Raymond James Stadium (65,857/Natural Grass)
Tampa, Florida
Television
ESPN+
Courtney Lyle and Brandon Weeden
Temple Radio South Florida Radio
WPEN-FM 97.5 WHNZ-AM 1250
SiriusXM 381/971
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the eighth meeting between Temple and South Florida in a series that dates to 2012, when Temple rejoined the Big East Conference … The Owls hold a 5-2 series lead and have won the last three meetings … South Florida’s last win in the series was a 43-7 decision in Tampa in 2017.
TEMPLE
3-3, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Rod Carey (Indiana ’93)
12-14, third season at Temple
64-44, ninth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Temple saw a two-game winning streak end with a 52-3 setback to No. 3 Cincinnati Oct. 8 … The Owls had an open date last week … The Owls are 1-1 in conference play with a 34-31 win against Memphis preceding the loss at Cincinnati … Temple is 2-1 at home and 1-2 on the road this season … QB D’Wan Mathis has thrown for 884 yards and five touchdowns against two interceptions in four games … The leading receiver is WR Jose Barbon, who has 26 receptions for 325 yards and a touchdown … RB Edward Saydee, with a team-high 191 rushing yards, leads a group of three players with at least 100 yards … The defense is led by S Amir Tyler, who has 47 tackles … LB Yvandy Rigby has 30 tackles with 3.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss … DE Manny Walker has a team-high two interceptions.
SOUTH FLORIDA
1-5, 0-2 American
Head Coach
Jeff Scott (Clemson ’03)
2-13, second season
Notes
South Florida enters Saturday’s game looking to snap a three-game slide following a 32-31 heartbreaker against Tulsa … South Florida has faced one of the nation’s most challenging schedules … Four of the Bulls’ first six opponents have been ranked in the top 25 this season … Freshman QB Timmy McClain has emerged as the Bulls’ starter and has thrown for 929 yards and a touchdown while gaining 182 rushing yards … RB Jaren Mangham has 264 rushing yards and is second in the American Athletic Conference with 10 touchdown runs … WR Xavier Weaver is the top receiver with 21 receptions for 380 yards and a touchdown … LB Antonio Grier has 38 tackles to go with, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery … K Spencer Shrader has gone 7-for-7 on field goal attempts and 16-for-16 on PATs.
