POSTSEASON HONORS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Michael Pratt • Jr. • QB • Tulane
Pratt becomes the second consecutive Tulane player to be named as Offensive Player of the Year, following running back Tyjae Spears’ win last season. Pratt has gone 10-0 as Tulane’s starter this season and has gone 21-2 in the last two years, leading the Green Wave to back-to-back appearances in The American Championship Game. Pratt leads The American and ranks 10th nationally in pass efficiency (164.94) and enters the postseason with 2,168 passing yards and 21 touchdowns against only four interceptions – the fewest of any starting quarterback in The American. A four-year starter, Pratt has passed for 9,364 career yards and 89 touchdowns with 25 interceptions and has 27 career rushing touchdowns.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Trey Moore • So. • LB • UTSA
Moore was named Defensive Player of the Year in UTSA’s first season as an American Athletic Conference member after he finished the regular season with an FBS-leading 14 sacks, leaving him a half-sack shy of The American’s single-season record. Moore is sixth nationally with 17.5 tackles for loss and has 45 total tackles to go with an interception, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LaJohntay Wester • Jr. • WR/RS • Florida Atlantic
Wester becomes Florida Atlantic’s first American Athletic Conference postseason honoree after he finished as the conference leader in punt return average at 19.9 yards per return. Wester had 14 returns for 278 yards and a touchdown and also finished as The American’s leading receiver at 97.3 yards per game. Wester was second in The American in all-purpose yards at 126.7 yards per game.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Makhi Hughes • Fr. • RB • Tulane
Warner becomes the first Temple player to be chosen as The American’s Rookie of the Year. The true freshman took over as the Owls’ starter in the third game of the season and finished the 2022 campaign with 3,028 passing yards and 18 touchdown passes, capped by a 527-yard, five-touchdown effort in the season finale against East Carolina. Warner finished fourth in The American in passing, averaging 275.3 yards per game in his debut season.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Willie Fritz • Tulane
Fritz becomes the third American Athletic Conference coach to repeat as Coach of the Year, joining Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo (2015-16) and Cincinnati’s Luke Fickell (2020-21). Fritz has led Tulane to its best two-year period in program history as the Green Wave has gone 23-3 since the start of the 2022 season, including a 15-1 mark in conference games. Fritz enters The American Championship Game ranked fifth among all FBS coaches with 208 career victories and led Tulane to its first 8-0 season in conference play since 1934.
AMERICAN NOTEBOOK
Anytime, Anyplace
Through the 2023 regular season, American Athletic Conference teams have played 11 games against teams ranked in this week’s Associated Press top 25, including six games against top-10 teams (Nos. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12).
One Of Six
Saturday’s American Athletic Conference Championship Game will be one of six FBS conference title games between two ranked teams. The others will be in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC.
Second Time’s The Charm
This year’s American Athletic Conference Championship Game will be the second between teams that were 8-0 in conference play (Cincinnati vs. Houston in 2021) and the third championship game between conference unbeatens (Cincinnati and Tulsa were both 6-0 in 2020).
Goose Eggs
The American is the only NCAA FBS conference with three unbeaten teams in conference play through Week 12 and is one of two conferences that will have two unbeaten teams in conference play against each other in the final week of the season (Big Ten – Ohio State vs. Michigan)
Auld Lang Syne
The American Athletic Conference has sent its champion to a New Year’s Six bowl game in eight of the conference’s first 10 seasons after Tulane was chosen for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
The American in CFP/New Year’s Six Bowls
2013 UCF 52, Baylor 42 (Fiesta Bowl)
2015 Houston 38, Florida State 24 (Peach Bowl)
2017 UCF 34, Auburn 27 (Peach Bowl)
2018 LSU 40, UCF 32 (Fiesta Bowl)
2019 Penn State 53, Memphis 39 (Cotton Bowl)
2020 Georgia 24, Cincinnati 21 (Peach Bowl)
2021 Alabama 27, Cincinnati 6 (CFP Semifinal/Cotton Bowl)
2022 Tulane 46, USC 45 (Cotton Bowl)
People Watching
This year’s American Athletic Conference Championship Game will be the conference’s ninth consecutive championship game to be televised on ABC.
Play On
The American Athletic Conference will have six bowl-eligible teams in the 2023 season (Memphis, Rice, South Florida, SMU, UTSA and Tulane).
Welcome Back
Tulane is the third school to host the American Athletic Conference Championship Game in back-to-back seasons, joining UCF (2017-18) and Cincinnati (2020-21).
Just Win
Tulane is 23-3 in the last two seasons. The Green Wave trails only Georgia (27) and Michigan (25) in total wins among FBS teams in the last two seasons.
Milestone
Tulane head coach Willie Fritz earned his 200th career victory as an NCAA head coach with the Green Wave’s 36-7 win against Nicholls Sept. 23. Fritz enters The American Championship Game ranked fifth among active FBS coaches in career wins.
Most Career Wins Among Active NCAA FBS Head Coaches
291 Nick Saban, Alabama
282 Mack Brown, North Carolina Brian Kelly, LSU
262 K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston
208 Willie Fritz, Tulane Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Road
Sweet Road
Tulane has won 10 consecutive road games, which ranks as the third-longest active streak nationally (Georgia – 15, Michigan – 11).
Feels Like The First Time
SMU went 8-0 in conference play for the first time in program history. The Best Offense … SMU leads the nation with five defensive touchdowns.
The Company We Keep
SMU is one of only three teams nationally (No. 1 Georgia and No. 5 Oregon are the others) to rank in the top 15 nationally in total offense, scoring offense, total defense and scoring defense. Pass Protection SMU ranks fourth nationally in sacks (3.3 per game) and 13th nationally in fewest sacks allowed (1.2 per game).
Eighteen And I Like It
Tulane and SMU both set an American Athletic Conference record with 18 players chosen to the league’s all-conference teams.
Twenty
Memphis has scored at least 20 points in 26 consecutive games, marking the longest active streak among FBS teams
Paper Or Plastic?
UTSA LB Trey Moore enters Bowl Season ranked second nationally in sacks (1.17 per game). Moore has 14 sacks in 2023 and needs 0.5 sacks to tie The American’s single-season record, set by former Louisville DE Marcus Smith in 2013 and matched by former East Carolina LB Nate Harvey in 2018.
Catching On
Florida Atlantic WR LaJohntay Wester ended the regular season as ranked second nationally in receptions per game (9.0). 3K, 1K, 1K North Texas had a 3,000-yard passer (QB Chandler Rogers), a 1,000-yard rusher (RB Ayo Adeyi) and a 1,000-yard receiver (WR Ja’Mori Maclin) for the first time in program history Bowling Lanes Memphis is bowl-eligible for the 10th consecutive season, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa and Wisconsin as the only teams nationally to make 10 straight bowl appearances.
New Era, Same Power
The American Athletic Conference is in its first season under its new 14-team configuration in 2023. The American’s six new members are UAB, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice and UTSA.
One And Only
The American Athletic Conference is the only conference that has a 2023 New Year’s Six bowl winner (Tulane) and an NCAA Men’s Final Four participant (Florida Atlantic) in its ranks for the 2023-24 academic year.
The Long Gray Line
The American Athletic Conference has announced that Army will join the conference as a football-playing member in the 2024 season.
TALKING POINTS
UAB 4-8, 3-5 American
Last: Lost to North Texas, 45-42
Next: Season complete
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….450.0 …………………..5th
Total Defense………………………….435.1 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ……………………….29.9 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Defense ………………………36.9 …………………13th
• RB Jermaine Brown Jr. became the third player in program history to surpass 3,000 career rushing yards.
• QB Jacob Zeno had 3,126 passing yards in 2023, good for second on the Blazers’ single-season chart.
• UAB went 4-2 at Protective Stadium and has gone 12-5 all-time at its home facility.
CHARLOTTE 3-9, 2-6 American
Last: Lost at South Florida, 48-14
Next: Season complete
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..312.8 …………………12th
Total Defense………………………….374.2 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Offense …………………………17.5 …………………13th
Scoring Defense ………………………28.6 …………………..8th
• Charlotte had six players named to The American’s all-conference teams, including LB Demetrius Knight, who earned first-team honors.
• Knight ranked second in The American in total tackles and third in tackles per game through the regular season.
• CB Dontae Balfour set a school record with 11 pass breakups in 2023.
EAST CAROLINA 2-10, 1-7 American
Last: Lost to Tulsa, 29-27
Next: Season complete
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 265.3 …………………14th
Total Defense………………………….331.8 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ………………………..16.5 …………………14th
Scoring Defense ……………………….21.8 …………………..4th
• East Carolina had a season-high 409 yards of offense, but the Pirates saw Tulsa get the game-winning field goal with one second left.
• RB Rahjai Harris, who had four career 100-yard games entering the season, hit triple digits for the first time in 2023 with his 145-yard day against Tulsa.
• The Pirates’ average attendance of 35,903 ranked second in The American.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 4-8, 3-5 American
Last: Lost at Rice, 24-21
Next: Season complete
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….330.8 ………………….11th
Total Defense………………………….397.3 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense ……………………….23.8 …………………..9th
Scoring Defense ……………………….25.5 …………………..6th
• WR LaJohntay Wester finished the season with 108 receptions and a school-record 1,168 yards and 10 touchdowns.
• Florida Atlantic’s schedule included three teams that won conference titles in 2022 (Clemson, UTSA, Tulane) and a fourth that played in its conference championship game.
• Florida Atlantic closed the season with a fourgame losing streak.
NORTH TEXAS 5-7, 3-5 American
Last: Defeated UAB, 45-42
Next: Season complete
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….495.9 ……………………1st
Total Defense………………………….476.6 …………………14th
Scoring Offense ……………………….34.5 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ………………………..37.1 …………………14th
• North Texas had a 3,000-yard passer (QB Chandler Rogers), a 1,000-yard rusher (RB Ayo Adeyi) and a 1,000-yard receiver (WR Ja’Mori Maclin) for the first time in program history.
• K Noah Rauschenberg kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to give the Mean Green the win against UAB in the season finale.
• North Texas closed the 2023 season with backto-back victories.
MEMPHIS 9-3, 6-2 American
Last: Won at Temple, 45-21
Next: To be determined
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..452.3 …………………..4th
Total Defense………………………….421.3 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ………………………..39.7 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Defense ………………………29.0 …………………..9th
• Memphis has scored at least 20 points in 26 consecutive games, marking the longest active streak nationally.
• QB Seth Henigan enters the postseason as the Tigers’ career leader in completions (814). Henigan needs 321 yards to tie Brady White’s career passing yards record (10,730).
• Memphis bowl-eligible for the 10th consecutive season.
RICE 6-6, 4-4 American
Last: Defeated Florida Atlantic, 24-21
Next: To be determined
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..376.8 …………………..9th
Total Defense…………………………. 370.1 …………………..6th
Scoring Offense ……………………….30.3 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ……………………….26.7 ………………….. 7th
• QB AJ Padgett passed for 255 yards and three touchdowns as Rice defeated Florida Atlantic to secure bowl eligibility.
• WR Luke McCaffrey had a career-high 12 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown against Florida Atlantic.
• The Owls will make their 14th bowl appearance.
NAVY 5-6, 4-4 American
Last: Lost at SMU, 59-14
Next: Dec. 9 vs. Army (CBS)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 299.5 …………………13th
Total Defense………………………… 362.3 …………………..4th
Scoring Offense ………………………..18.3 …………………12th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 22.9 …………………..4th
• QB Braxton Woodson rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Navy..
• The Midshipmen have held four teams without a touchdown this season (Wagner, Charlotte, UAB, East Carolina). Navy is the only team nationally with three shutouts this season.
• The Midshipmen have won their last 68 games when leading after three quarters, marking the longest active streak nationally.
SOUTH FLORIDA 6-6, 4-4 American
Last: Defeated Charlotte, 48-14
Next: To be determined
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..455.3 …………………..3rd
Total Defense………………………….455.3 …………………13th
Scoring Offense ……………………….30.8 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ………………………34.9 ………………….11th
• South Florida clinched bowl eligibility for the first time in five seasons with the win against Charlotte in the regular-season finale.
• QB Byrum Brown became the first South Florida quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards in a season. He enters the postseason with 3,078 yards.
• WR Sean Atkins has reigstered seven conecutive games with seven or more receptions.
SMU 10-2, 8-0 American
Last: Defeated Navy, 59-14
Next: Dec. 2 at Tulane (ABC)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….. 471.9 ………………….
2nd Total Defense………………………….302.1 ……………………1st
Scoring Offense ………………………..41.8 ……………………1st
Scoring Defense ……………………….. 17.7 ……………………1st
• SMU is making its first appearance in a conference championship game since 2010, when the Mustangs played for the Conference USA title.
• QB Preston Stone went 11-for-14 for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter against Navy, registering the most yards by an FBS player in a quarter this season.
• SMU held a 52-14 halftime lead against Navy.
TEMPLE 3-9, 1-7 American
Last: Lost to Memphis, 45-21
Next: Season complete
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..372.3 …………………10th
Total Defense………………………….441.3 ………………….11th
Scoring Offense …………………………21.1 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ……………………….35.7 …………………12th
• QB E.J. Warner set Temple’s single-season record for touchdown passes in the season-finale against Memphis. Warner finished the year with 23 TD passes.
• Warner finished the year with 3,076 yards, becoming the first player in program history with two 3,000-yard seasons.
• WR Amad Anderson Jr. registered five games with at least 100 receiving yards.
UTSA 8-4, 7-1 American
Last: Lost at Tulane, 29-16
Next: To be determined
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 424.6 …………………..6th
Total Defense…………………………369.3 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense …………………………31.7 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ……………………….24.7 …………………..5th
• UTSA saw a streak of 17 consecutive wins against conference opponents come to an end with the setback at Tulane in the regular-season finale.
• QB Frank Harris enters the postseason with 11,862 career passing yards and 92 career touchdown passes.
• The Roadrunners are 38-14 under head coach Jeff Traylor.
TULSA 4-8, 2-6 American
Last: Won at East Carolina, 29-27
Next: Season complete
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 385.4 …………………..8th
Total Defense………………………….444.7 …………………12th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 23.4 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ………………………33.8 ………………….11th
• K Chase Meyer hit a 37-yard field goal with one second left in regulation as Tulsa ended a six-game slide with a win at East Carolina.
• Freshman QB Kirk Francis started the last two games of the year and passed for 967 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions on the season.
• The Golden Hurricane had four different starting quarterbacks in 2023.
TULANE 11-1, 8-0 American
Last: Defeated UTSA, 29-16
Next: Dec. 2 vs. SMU (ABC)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….388.3 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense………………………… 328.2 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Offense …………………………21.1 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ……………………….18.3 …………………. 2nd
• Tulane will host the American Athletic Conference Championship Game for the second straight year after the Green Wave capped an 8-0 conference season with the win against UTSA.
• Tulane went 8-0 in conference play for the second time in program history and the first time since 1934 in the SEC.
• The Green Wave is 23-3 in its last 26 games.
