UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES CT)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3
UTEP at Rice (CBSSN) 6 pm

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5
WKU at Charlotte (CBSSN) 11 am

Middle Tennessee at LA Tech (ESPN+) 2 pm

UTSA at UAB (Stadium) 2:30 pm

FIU at North Texas (ESPN+) 3 pm

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK, PRESENTED BY BLENDERS EYEWEAR (WEEK 9)

OFFENSE – QB CHRIS REYNOLDS, CHARLOTTE
Redshirt Senior, Mocksville, North Carolina
Reynolds matched a school record with five touch- down passes, connected on 16-of-19 passes to set a single-game school record for completion
percentage (.842), and led the 49ers to a record-breaking 56-23 road win at Rice. The 56 points are the most Charlotte has scored in a C-USA game and the most scored as an FBS program. Reynolds finished with 254 passing yards to surpass 9,500 yards in his career. He averaged 15.85 yards per completion and more than half his completions (10) were for 15 or more yards, including three touchdown passes. Reynolds engineered seven straight touchdown drives and Charlotte scored 35 unanswered points to overcome a 17-14 deficit and take a 49-17 lead.

DEFENSE – DB LOGAN WILSON, NORTH TEXAS
Sophomore, Dallas, Texas
Wilson finished the day with five tackles, including three solo stops, an interception and two pass break-ups in the 40-13 win at WKU on Saturday. Wilson’s first career interception with 11:54 to play came in the red zone and ended a potential scoring drive for the Hilltoppers. Wilson was a significant contributor for a defense that held WKU, C-USA’s highest scoring team coming into the week (37.5 points per game) to 13 points scored through the three quarters, the fewest points the Hilltoppers have scored through three quarters all season. North Texas recorded its first second half shutout since Nov. 6, 2021 at Southern Miss.

SPECIAL TEAMS – KR, SHADRICK BYRD, CHARLOTTE
Redshirt Sophomore, Alabaster, Alabama
Byrd had a career-high 229 all-purpose yards in the 49ers 56-23 Conference USA victory at Rice, including 88 on three kick returns (29.3 per re- turn). He had a pair of returns of 30+ that gave Charlotte the ball near midfield (at the 49ers’ 40) to set up short touchdown drives. Charlotte scored touchdowns after each of his returns, including one to tie, 14-14, one to take its first lead, 21-17, and a 35-yard return to open the second half, as Charlotte scored to break away for a 35-17 lead. Byrd also had career highs of 83 rushing yards and 58
receiving yards and scored on a four-yard rush.

QUICK HITTERS

A LOOK AT WEEK 10
Ten C-USA teams are in action once again this week, with all five scheduled games being league contests. Thursday night sees UTEP travel to Houston to take on Rice at 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network. A four-game slate on Saturday starts with an 11 a.m. CT matchup between WKU and Charlotte, a 2 p.m. CT matchup that sees Middle Tennessee travel to Louisiana Tech, a 2:30 p.m. kickoff in Birmingham between league-leading UTSA and UAB and finally a 3 p.m. CT kickoff in Denton between surging FIU and C-USA’s second place team, North Texas.

UTEP (4-5, 2-3 C-USA) travels to Houston to take on Rice (4-4, 2-2 C-USA) on Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network. Both teams enter Week 10 following disappointing losses – UTEP at home 24-13 to Middle Tennessee, and Rice at home to Charlotte, 56-23. Both teams remain in the hunt for bowl eligibility, and this week’s matchup will go a long way towards that landmark for the winner.

The Saturday slate gets kicked off at 11 a.m. CT on CBS Sports Network as Charlotte (2-7, 1-4 C-USA) is at home this week as the 49ers welcome WKU (5-4, 3-2 C-USA) to Jerry Richardson Stadium. Charlotte, picked up a dominant 56-23 win at Rice in interim head coach Pete Rossomando’s first game on the sidelines in that role. The Hilltoppers dropped their homecoming game last week, 40-13 to North Texas.

Middle Tennessee (4-4, 1-3 C-USA) is on the road for the second consecutive week, as the Blue Raiders travel to Ruston to battle Louisiana Tech (2-6, 1-3 CUSA) on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Middle Tennessee picked up its first conference win of the season last week with a 24-13 victory in El Paso over UTEP, while Louisiana Tech fell for the second consecutive week in overtime, this time, 42-34 at FIU.

UTSA (6-2, 4-0 C-USA) travels to Birmingham to take on UAB (4-4, 2-3 C-USA) Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT on Stadium. UTSA is coming off a bye following a massive home win in Week 8 over North Texas, while UAB dropped a tough decision on the road last week at Florida Atlantic, 24-17. UTSA can inch closer to a second straight Conference USA championship game appearance with a win – already holding head-to-head tiebreakers over North Texas, WKU and FIU.

The final game of the day is another conference duel between the league’s second place team, North Texas (5-4, 4-1 C-USA) and FIU (4-4, 2-2 C-USA) in Denton at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+. North Texas, who is 9-1 in its last 10 C-USA contests, has the opportunity to move itself closer to a spot in the league title game with another win, while surging FIU seeks a winning record this late in the season for the first time since they were 5-4 in early November of 2019.

MEAN GREEN SEIZE SECOND PLACE WITH KEY ROAD WIN AT WKU
North Texas (5-4, 4-1 C-USA) took sole possession of second place in the race to the 2022 Ryan Conference USA Championship Game with a complete, 40-13 win at WKU (5-4, 3-2 C-USA) on Saturday afternoon in Bowling Green. UNT has now won nine of its last 10 C-USA contests dating back to last season. UNT rolled up 536 yards of total offense and were paced by QB Austin Aune, who completed 19-28 for 317 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. WR Damon Ward, Jr., caught four passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, and the Mean Green stable of backs ran for 196 yards in the win. UNT’s defense held down the league’s highest-scoring offense, allowing just 13 points to the Hilltoppers, who entered play averaging 37.5 ppg. The Mean Green currently hold head-to-head tiebreakers over the following: WKU (3-2 C-USA), Florida Atlantic (3-2 C-USA), UTEP (3-2 C-USA) and Louisiana Tech (1-3 C-USA).

FAU UPENDS UAB 24-17
It came down to the wire in Boca Raton as Florida Atlantic (4-5, 3-2 C-USA) held off a late comeback effort from UAB (4-4, 2-3 C-USA), holding on for a 24-17 win over the Blazers. It marked FAU’s third consecutive game decided by one score (the Owls are 2-1 in that stretch). QB N’Kosi Perry threw for 187 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and also ran for 50 yards in the win. Defensively, DB Jaylen Wester led the way for the Owls with 11 tackles. Despite the loss, UAB RB DeWayne McBride, the FBS leader in rushing yards per game, carried 24 times for 168 yards and a touchdown, his 12th of the season.

CHARLOTTE SHOCKS RICE, PICKS UP FIRST C-USA WIN
Charlotte (2-7, 1-4 C-USA) earned its first league win on Saturday afternoon in dominating fashion, 56-23 at Rice (4-4, 2-2 C-USA). The 49ers rolled up 514 yards of total offense in interim head coach Pete Rossomando’s first game in his new role. Charlotte QB Chris Reynolds completed 16-19 passes for 254 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions, connecting five times with WR Elijah Spencer for 84 yards and three scores. Defensively, DL Dez Morgan finished with five tackles and 1.5 sacks in the win, Charlotte’s first since a 42-41 win at Georgia State on Sept. 17.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE KNOCKS OFF UTEP TO EARN FIRST C-USA WIN
Middle Tennessee (4-4, 1-3 C-USA) picked up its first C-USA win of the season, knocking off UTEP (4-5, 2-3 C-USA) 24-13 Saturday night in El Paso. Blue Raider QB Chase Cunningham completed 21- 27 passes for 265 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. WR Jaylin Lane hauled in seven catches for 147 yards and a score in the win. Defensively, Middle Tennessee held UTEP to just 292 yards of total offense.

FIU WINS SECOND STRAIGHT, IMPROVE TO 4-4 WITH DOUBLE OT THRILLER
FIU (4-4, 2-2 C-USA) picked up its second straight win on Friday night with an exciting 42-34 double overtime victory over Louisiana Tech (2-6, 1-3 CUSA). FIU won back-to-back games for the first time in 30 games, dating back to 2019 (the Panthers won three straight from Oct. 5-Oct. 19). FIU now has four wins in head coach Mike MacIntyre’s first season at the helm, after combining for just one win over the past two seasons. Sophomore QB Grayson James was impressive again for the Panthers, completing 31-48 passes for 321 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. TE Rivaldo Fairweather caught six passes for 89 yards, the majority of which came late in the fourth quarter and in overtime, and WR Tyrese Chambers hauled in seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in the win. Defensively, four Panthers recorded 10 or more tackles – DB Demetrius Hill (11 with a TFL and two forced fumbles), LB Gaethan Bernadel (11), LB Donovan Manuel (10, a half sack and a pass break-up) and DB D’verik Daniel (10, a half sack and 1.5 TFL).

HARRIS IS TOTALLY OFFENSIVE
UTSA QB Frank Harris ranks third in the FBS in total offense (357.1 yards per game). The redshirt senior ranks seventh nationally in passing yards per game (317.2). Harris is also ninth nationally in completions per game (25.75), 15th in completion percentage (68.9%), 20th in points responsible for (134), and 22nd in points responsible for per game (16.8). Harris has completed 206-299 passes for 2,538 yards with 17 touchdowns and has also carried 71 times for 319 yards and five more scores in eight games thus far in 2022.

DEBO4DOAK

UAB RB DeWayne McBride leads the nation in rushing yards per game (163.7), ranks eighth in the FBS in scoring per game (10.3 ppg), is fourth in all-purpose yardage per game (164.29), third in rushing yards per carry (6.99) and seventh in rushing touchdowns (12). McBride has carried 164 times for 1,146 yards with 12 touchdowns in just seven games played thus far in 2022.

REED MAKING MAJOR IMPACT FOR WKU
WKU QB Austin Reed ranks 10th nationally in total offense (325.8 yards per game). The graduate transfer ranks eighth nationally in passing (307.1), ranks third in the FBS in points responsible for (174), ninth in points responsible for per game (19.3), sixth in passing touchdowns (22), fifth in completions per game (28.11) and 18th in completion percentage (68.6%). Reed has completed 253-369 passes for 2,762 yards with 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions, while also carrying 68 times for 168 yards and six more scores in nine games thus far in 2022.

TAKEAWAYTOPS

WKU enters Week 10 second in the nation in turnovers forced (21 in nine games). The Hilltoppers are tied for ninth nationally in interceptions with 11. WKU has brought four of their 21 forced turnovers back for touchdowns, which is tied for the lead in the FBS.

MTSU’S PATTERSON PICKING IT
Middle Tennessee DB Decorian Patterson is tied for the sixth nationally in interceptions with four through seven games.

ROADRUNNER WR TRIO SHOWING OUT
UTSA may have the best receiving trio in the nation

• as WRs De’Corian Clark, Zakhari Franklin and Joshua Cephus are each within the top-30 in receiving yards (732, 692 and 675, respectively) and have combined for 18 touchdowns.

UTSA IS BOWL ELIGIBLE
UTSA (6-2) is bowl eligible entering Week 10, and North Texas (5-4) and WKU (5-4) are just one win away heading into the week.