FRIDAY, NOV. 24 • NOON • ESPN
MEMPHIS at TEMPLE
Lincoln Financial Field (67,594/Natural Grass)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Television ESPN Jay Alter and Rene Ingoglia
Memphis Radio Temple Radio WXMX-FM 98.9 WPEN-FM 97.5
THE GAME
Friday’s game will be the ninth meeting between Memphis and Temple in a series that dates to the formation of The American in 2013 … Each team has won four games in the series and no team has registered consecutive wins against the other … Memphis took last year’s matchup 24-3 … Temple is 3-1 against the Tigers in Philadelphia.
MEMPHIS 8-3, 5-2 American
Head Coach Ryan Silverfield (Hamden-Sydney ’03) 29-19 fourth season
Notes
Memphis saw a four-game winning streak end with a 38-34 loss to SMU which eliminated the Tigers from contention for The American Championship Game … All three losses have been to teams ranked in the top 25 of this week’s USA Today Coaches’ Poll … Memphis scored at least 20 points in 25 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak nationally … QB Seth Henigan has completed 275 of 413 passes for 3,266 yards and 24 touchdowns against eight interceptions … RB Blake Watson is second in The American in rushing at 86.4 yards per game … Watson has rushed for 950 yards and 13 touchdowns … WR Roc Taylor has 58 receptions for 925 yards and four touchdowns, while WR DeMeer Blankumsee has 49 catches for 783 yards and six TDs … LB Chandler Martin has 82 tackles with 12 tackles for loss.
TEMPLE 3-8, 1-6 American
Head Coach Stan Drayton (Allegheny ’93) 6-17, second season
Notes
Temple looks to end its season on a positive note as the Owls try to snap a two-game slide … Temple fell 34-24 at UAB last week … The Owls have gone 0-5 on the road, but have turned in a 3-3 mark at Lincoln Financial Field this season … QB E.J. Warner enters Saturday’s game as The American’s passing leader at 305.1 yards per game … Warner has thrown for 2,746 yards and 21 touchdowns in nine games and ranks third in The American in total offense (306.7 ypg) … RB Darvon Hubbard is the leading rusher with 317 yards and two touchdowns on 73 carries … The leading receiver is TE David Martin-Robinson, who has 38 catches for 506 yards and four touchdowns … LB Jordan Magee has team highs with 80 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks … CB Tywan Francis has 78 tackles and two interceptions with five pass breakups.
FRIDAY, NOV. 24 • 3:30 P.M. • ABC
UTSA at TULANE
Yulman Stadium (30,000/UBU Speed Series 5M)
New Orleans, Louisiana Television
ABC Clay Matvick, Rod Gilmore and Lauren Sisler
UTSA Radio Tulane Radio KTXR-AM 760 KVDU-FM 104.1
THE GAME
Friday’s game will be only the second meeting between UTSA and Tulane … The only previous matchup was a 10-7 win by the Roadrunners at the Alamodome in the 2013 season … That game produced a combined 22 penalties for 199 yards and five turnovers before UTSA got the winning field goal with 14 seconds left.
-/rv UTSA 8-3, 7-0 American
Head Coach Jeff Traylor (Stephen F. Austin ’90) 38-13, fourth season
Notes
UTSA is off to a 7-0 start in conference play after a 49-21 win against South Florida last Friday… The Roadrunners, who started 1-3, have reeled off seven straight wins … UTSA has won 17 consecutive games against conference opponents (regular season and postseason) … The Roadrunners are 13-1 in the month of November under head coach Jeff Traylor … QB Frank Harris has thrown for 2,308 yards and 17 touchdowns … RB Kevorian Barnes has rushed for 606 yards and six touchdowns, but has been limited by injury for the last two games … WR Joshua Cephus has 76 catches for 966 yards and nine touchdowns … LB Trey Moore leads the nation with a school-record 14 sacks and is 0.5 sacks shy of The American’s single-season record, set by Marcus Smith of Louisville in 2013 and matched by East Carolina’s Nate Harvey in 2018.
18/18 TULANE 10-1, 7-0 American
Head Coach Willie Fritz (Pittsburg State ’83) 53-46, eighth season at Tulane 207-115, 25th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulane stands at No. 18 in the national polls this week following a 24-8 win at Florida Atlantic last Saturday … Tulane’s only loss was a 37-20 decision to Ole Miss in Week 2 in which QB Michael Pratt did not play … Pratt, who missed two games due to injury, has completed 155 of 225 passes (68.9%) for 2,043 yards and 19 touchdowns against four interceptions … Freshman RB Makhi Hughes leads The American in rushing at 98.2 yards per game … Hughes has rushed for 1,080 yards and six touchdowns on 206 carries and has six 100-yard games … WR Lawrence Keys and WR Jha’Quan Jackson have missed the last two games due to injuries … DE Darius Hodges has a team-high 7.5 sacks, while DE Patrick Jenkins has 4.5 sacks and a team-high nine tackles for loss.
SATURDAY, NOV. 25 • NOON • ESPN2
NAVY at SMU
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000/FieldTurf) Dallas, Texas
Television ESPN2 Roy Philpott, Roddy Jones and Taylor McGregor
Navy Radio SMU Radio WBAL-AM 1090 KTCK-FM 96.7
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 25th meeting between Navy and SMU in a series that traces its origin to 1930 … The schools have met each year since 2015, when Navy joined The American … Navy holds a 13-11 series lead, though SMU has won the last three meetings, including a 40-34 decision in Dallas last year.
NAVY 5-5, 4-3 American
Head Coach Brian Newberry (Baylor ’98) 5-5, first season
Notes
Navy got evened its record at 5-5 with a 10-0 win against East Carolina last Saturday … The Midshipmen began their season Aug. 26 against Notre Dame and won’t finish the regular season until Dec. 9 against Army, making for the longest regular season of any NCAA team … Navy has shut out three opponents (Wagner, Charlotte, East Carolina) and has held four teams without a touchdown in 2023 (UAB) … QB Xavier Arline has started the last three games … FB Alex Tecza has 723 yards and five touchdowns on 10 carries and has averaged 7.2 yards per carry … Tecza ranks fourth in The American in rushing … S Rayuan Lane has a team-high four interceptions and seven pass breakups to lead a solid defense … LB Colin Ramos has 88 tackles and six tackles for loss, while LB Will Harbour has 71 stops with 7.5 tackles for loss.
rv/25 SMU 9-2, 7-0 American
Head Coach Rhett Lashlee (Arkansas ’08) 15-8, second season
Notes
SMU takes a seven-game winning streak into Saturday’s game after the Mustangs scored a 38-34 win at Memphis … The Mustangs would clinch a spot in The American Championship game for the first time with a win against Navy … SMU is 7-0 in conference play for the first time since 1977, when the Mustangs won their first seven games in the Southwest Conference … SMU is one of two schools to rank in the top 15 nationally in both scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and total defense (No. 1 Georgia is the other) … QB Preston Stone has completed 192 of 325 passes for 2,875 yards and 25 touchdowns against six interceptions … TE RJ Maryland has 25 catches for 398 yards and seven touchdowns … DE Elijah Roberts has a team-high 8.5 sacks to lead a defense that has registered 36 sacks this year.
SATURDAY, NOV. 25 • 1 P.M. • ESPN+
FLORIDA ATLANTIC at RICE
Rice Stadium (47,000/FieldTurf) Houston, Texas
Television ESPN+ Richard Cross, Leger Douzable and Smacker Miles
Florida Atlantic Radio Rice Radio WMEN-AM 640 Varsity Network
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the fifth meeting between Florida Atlantic and Rice … Rice won the first two meetings, in 2013 and 2015, while Florida Atlantic has taken the last two, in 2016 and 2022 … The teams comprise two of The American’s three teams with Owl nicknames (Temple) … Florida Atlantic scored a 17-14 win last year in Boca Raton.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 4-7, 3-4 American
Head Coach Tom Herman (Cal Lutheran ’97) 4-7, first season at Florida Atlantic 58-28, seventh season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Florida Atlantic looks to end a three-game slide in its final game of the 2023 season following a 24-8 setback against No. 17 Tulane last week in Boca Raton … The Owls are led by WR LaJohntay Wester, who is the NCAA leader in receptions (9.5 per game) … Wester has 104 catches for 1,128 yards and eight touchdowns and has 279 yards and a TD on 13 punt returns … Wester is the 10th American Athletic Conference player to register 100 receptions in a season … QB Daniel Richardson has thrown for 1,908 yards and 12 touchdowns against 10 interceptions … RB Larry McCammon has rushed for a team-high 675 yards and five TDs … LB Jackson Ambush leads and S Jarron Morris lead the team with 74 tackles each … Morris has 6.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions.
RICE 5-6, 3-4 American
Head Coach Mike Bloomgren (Florida State ’99) 21-45, sixth season
Notes
Rice improved to 5-6 as the Owls snapped a three-game slide with a 28-7 win at Charlotte last Saturday … The last three losses were to teams that are a combined 21-0 in The American, with two of those losses coming by a combined seven points … QB JT Daniels has missed the last two games while he remained in concussion protocol … Daniels has thrown for 2,443 yards and 21 touchdowns … QB AJ Padgett has passed for 381 yards and four touchdowns in Daniels’ place … WR Luke McCaffrey has 56 receptions for 822 yards and 11 touchdowns, … RB Dean Connors is the leading rusher with 632 yards and five touchdowns to go with 38 receptions for 384 yards and three TD catches … LB Josh Pearcy leads the team with seven tackles for loss, while DE Coleman Coco has a team-high three sacks.
SATURDAY, NOV. 25 • 2 P.M. • ESPN+
UAB at NORTH TEXAS
DATCU Stadium (30,850/Power Blade HP) Denton, Texas
Television ESPN+ Ted Emrich and LaDarrin McLane
UAB Radio North Texas Radio WJOX-FM 94.5 KEGL-FM 97.1
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the eighth meeting between UAB and North Texas in a series that dates to 1995 … The Blazers have won six of the first seven meetings, including four straight, after last year’s 41-21 win in Birmingham … The Mean Green’s lone win was a 46-43 decision in Denton in 2017.
UAB 4-7, 3-4 American
Head Coach Trent Dilfer (Fresno State) 4-7, first season
Notes
UAB looks to finish the 2023 season with back-to-back victories after the Blazers took a 34-24 win against Temple last Saturday … UAB has been led offensively by QB Jacob Zeno, who has completed 74.5% of his passes (263 of 353) for 2,841 yards and 18 touchdowns with nine interceptions … Zeno is third in The American in passing (284.1 ypg) and fourth in total offense (301.8 ypg) … RB Jermaine Brown Jr. has a team-high 687 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns … Brown is a receiving threat out of the backfield with 40 catches for 369 yards … WR Amare Thomas has a team-high 49 catches for 427 yards and three touchdowns, while Tejhaun Palmer has 45 receptions for a team-leading 760 yards and six touchdowns … LB Desmond Little, a transfer from LSU, leads the defense with 5.5 sacks.
NORTH TEXAS 4-7, 2-5 American
Head Coach Eric Morris (Texas Tech ’08) 4-7, first season at North Texas 28-25, fifth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
North Texas snapped a four-game slide after the Mean Green took a 35-28 win at Tulsa last Saturday … The Mean Green leads in The American in total offense (482.4 ypg) and is third in scoring offense (33.5 ppg) … QB Chandler Rogers has thrown for 2,979 yards and leads The American with 26 touchdown passes against only four interceptions, the fewest among regular starters in the conference … WR Ja’Mori Maclin has 48 catches for 886 yards and a conference-leading 11 touchdowns … WR Damon Ward has five touchdown receptions … RB Ayo Adeyi has rushed for 885 yards and four touchdowns and is third in The American at 80.5 rushing yards per game … RB Oscar Adaway has rushed for 625 yards and a team-high six touchdowns.
SATURDAY, NOV. 25 • 2 P.M. • ESPN+
TULSA at EAST CAROLINA
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000/Natural Grass) Greenville, North Carolina
Television ESPN+ James Westling and Reggie Walker
Tulsa Radio East Carolina Radio KXBL-FM 99.5 WNCT-FM 107.9
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 17th meeting between Tulsa and East Carolina in a series that began in 1984 … Each team has won eight games in the series after the Golden Hurricane has taken each of the last three … The teams have not met since a 34-30 Tulsa win Oct. 30, 2020 … Each team has won four matchups in Greenville.
TULSA 3-8, 1-6 American
Head Coach Kevin Wilson (North Carolina ’84) 3-8, first season at Tulsa 29-55, seventh season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulsa has lost six straight games after the Golden Hurricane fell 35-28 to North Texas last Saturday … Tulsa has had to play from behind for much of the season as the opponent has scored first in eight of the Golden Hurricane’s 11 games … QB Kirk Francis, a true freshman, has been a bright spot since moving into the starting spot … Francis has started the last two games and has completed 45 of 82 passes for 670 yards and four touchdowns … RB Anthony Watkins has rushed for 783 yards and four touchdowns … WR Kamdyn Benjamin has 41 receptions for 584 yards and five TDs … S Kendarin Ray has a league-leading 116 tackles, while DE Ben Kopenski has 8.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss … CB Jaise Oliver leads the squad with three interceptions.
EAST CAROLINA 2-9, 1-6 American
Head Coach Mike Houston (Mars Hill ’94) 23-33, fifth season at East Carolina 103-58, 13th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
East Carolina was unable to register back-to-back wins as the Pirates fell 10-0 at Navy last Saturday … The Pirates were shut out for the first time since a 56-0 loss to Syracuse Oct. 4, 1997 – a span of 322 games … East Carolina has held four of its last five opponents to 13 points or fewer, but has gone only 1-4 in those games… QB Alex Flinn has passed for 1,374 yards and four touchdowns with 10 interceptions … RB Rahjai Harris has 340 yards and four touchdowns … WR Jaylen Johnson has 42 receptions for 447 yards and a touchdown … The Pirate defense has been one of the better units in The American … S Julius Wood has a team-high 79 tackles with two interceptions … DE Chad Stephens has 36 tackles with 3.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss.
SATURDAY, NOV. 25 • 7:30 P.M. • ESPNU
CHARLOTTE at SOUTH FLORIDA
Raymond James Stadium (65,000/Natural Grass) Tampa, Florida
Television ESPNU Drew Carter and Dustin Fox
Charlotte Radio South Florida Radio WZGV-AM 730 WHPT-FM 102.5
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Char – lotte and South Florida … It will be Charlotte’s second game in the Sunshine State this season after the 49ers faced Florida Sept. 23 in Tallahassee … The game will be the second consecutive matchup for South Florida against a first-time opponent.
CHARLOTTE 3-8, 2-5 American
Head Coach Biff Poggi (Duke) 3-8, first season
Notes
Charlotte looks for a win in its final game in the first season for head coach Biff Poggi … The 49ers fell 28-7 to Rice last week after back-to-back overtime games against Tulsa and Memphis … QB Trexler Ivey has started the last three games and has completed 99 of 181 passes for 1,165 yards and four touchdowns this season … QB Jalon Jones is the leading rusher with 476 yards and four touchdowns … Wilson had just one career carry prior to last week … WR Jack Hestera, who did not play against Rice, has 28 catches for 349 yards and three touchdowns … LB Demetrius Knight II leads the squad with 83 tackles to go with 5.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions … LB Nikhai Hill-Green has 73 tackles and nine tackles for loss, while DE Eyabi Okie-Anoma has 56 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss .
SOUTH FLORIDA 5-6, 3-4 American
Head Coach Alex Golesh (Ohio State ’06) 5-6, first season
Notes
South Florida needs a win in its regular-season finale to gain bowl eligibility in head coach Alex Golesh’s first year in Tampa … The Bulls have established themselves as one of the nation’s most improved teams under Golesh, who has led South Florida to as more wins this season than in the previous three years combined (four) … QB Byrum Brown has passed for 2,825 yards and 19 touchdowns and has 702 yards and 10 TDs on the ground … Brown leads The American in total offense at 320.6 yards per game … RB Nay’Quan Wright has 757 rushing yards and seven TDs … WR Sean Atkins has 79 receptions for 900 yards and four touchdown catches, while WR Naiem Simmons has 33 catches for 564 yards and four TDs … S Daquan Evans has a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss, while LB DJ Gordon IV has 3.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
