THURSDAY, OCT. 19 • 7 P.M. • ESPN2
RICE at TULSA
H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000/FieldTurf)
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Television: ESPN2
Jay Alter, Rene Ingoglia and Lericia Harris
Rice Radio Tulsa Radio
Varsity Network KXBL-FM 99.5
SiriusXM 380 SiriusXM 381
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the 20th meeting between Rice and Tulsa in a series that dates to 1937 … The teams played to a scoreless tie in that first meeting, while Tulsa has won 10 of the 18 games since … The schools last met in 2013, when Rice was a 30-27 winner at Chapman Stadium, snapping a streak of six straight Tulsa wins.
RICE
3-3, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Mike Bloomgren (Florida State ’99)
19-42, sixth season
Notes
Rice looks to bounce back from a 38-31 loss to UConn which preceded the Owls’ open week … The Owls are looking to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in 2023 … Rice has split its first two American Athletic Conference games with a 42-29 loss at South Florida and a 24-17 win against East Carolina … The Owls are 0-2 on the road … The catalyst on offense has been QB JT Daniels … Daniels leads The American in passing at 305.2 yards per game and has a league-leading 15 touchdown passes … WR Luke McCaffrey has 30 receptions for 514 yards and six touchdowns, and is third in The American at 85.7 yards per game … Rice averages a league-low 79.5 rushing yards per game, though RB Daelen Alexander has five rushing TDs … LB Plae Wyatt has a team-high 43 tackles, while DE Coleman Coco has 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.
TULSA
3-3, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Kevin Wilson (North Carolina ’84)
3-3, first season at Tulsa / 29-50, seventh season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulsa saw a modest two-game winning streak snapped as the Golden Hurricane fell 20-17 at Florida Atlantic Oct. 7 before enjoying an open date last week … Tulsa is 2-1 at home with wins against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (42-7) and Temple (48-26) and a loss to Oklahoma (66-17) … Thursday’s game is third of three straight against The American’s three Owl-nicknamed teams (Temple, Florida Atlantic, Rice) … QB Cardell Williams has seen most of the action, though QB Braylon Braxton, the Opening Day starter, returned from an injury against Florida Atlantic … RB Anthony Watkins has rushed for 367 yards and two touchdowns … WR Marquis Shoulders is the top receiver with 16 catches for 283 yards and five touchdowns … S Kendarin Ray has a league-leading 56 tackles.
FRIDAY, OCT. 20 • 7 P.M. • ESPN2
SMU at TEMPLE
Lincoln Financial Field (67,594/Natural Grass)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Television: ESPN2
Anish Shroff, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra
SMU Radio Temple Radio
KTCK-FM 96.7 WPEN-FM 97.5
SiriusXM 380 SiriusXM 381
THE GAME
Friday’s game will be the eighth meeting between SMU and Temple in a series that dates to 1943 … The teams tied in the first two matchups (1942, 1946) before resuming the series in 2013 … SMU holds a 3-2-2 series lead and has won the last two meetings, including a 47-23 decision
in Philadelphia in 2020.
SMU
4-2, 2-0 American
Head Coach
Rhett Lashlee (Arkansas ’08)
11-8, second season
Notes
SMU has won back-to-back games for the first time in 2023 after the Mustangs scored a 31-10 victory at East Carolina last Thursday … SMU is 3-0 at home and 1-2 on the road through six games … The only losses have been road games at Oklahoma (28-11) and TCU (34-17) … SMU leads The American in both total defense (311.3 ypg) and scoring defense (17.0 ppg) … QB Preston Stone has completed 113 of 198 passes for 1,467 yards and 14 touchdowns against five interceptions … RB Jaylan Knighton has rushed for a team-high 358 yards with two touchdowns … WR Jake Bailey has a team-high 20 receptions for 220 yards, while TE RJ Maryland has 18 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns … DE Elijah Roberts and DE Nelson Paul have three sacks each to lead the defense … LB Kobe Wilson has a team-high 37 tackles.
TEMPLE
2-5, 0-3 American
Head Coach
Stan Drayton (Allegheny ’93)
5-14, second season
Notes
Temple looks to snap a four-game slide after the Owls fell 45-14 at North Texas last Saturday … The Owls opened the season with two wins in their first three games, but are looking for their first victory since a 41-9 win against Norfolk State Sept. 16 … Temple is 2-2 at Lincoln Financial field this season … QB E.J. Warner, who has thrown for 1,741 yards and 12 touchdowns, was a late scratch in last week’s game against North Texas … QB Quincy Patterson made his first start in a Temple uniform as the former Virginia Tech and North Dakota State signal-caller got the nod against the Mean Green … RB Joquez Smith is the leading rusher with 280 yards and a touchdown on 58 carries … WR Amad Anderson Jr. leads the receivers with 27 catches for 394 yards and a touchdown … S Tywan Francis leads the defense with 55 tackles and an interception.
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 • NOON • ESPN2
MEMPHIS at UAB
Protective Stadium (47,100/FieldTurf)
Birmingham, Alabama
Television: ESPN2
Brian Custer, Aaron Murray and Lauren Sisler
Memphis Radio UAB Radio
WXMX-FM 98.9 WJOX-FM 94.5
SiriusXM 380 SiriusXM 381
THE GAME • THE BATTLE FOR THE BONES
Saturday’s game will be the 16th meeting between Memphis and UAB in the Battle for the Bones as the schools compete for one of the most unique trophies in college football, a 94-pound bronzed rack of ribs … UAB holds a 10-5 series lead … Memphis won the most recent meeting, a 46-9 decision at Legion Field in 2012.
-/rv MEMPHIS
4-2, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Ryan Silverfield (Hamden-Sydney ’03)
25-18 fourth season
Notes
Memphis suffered its first conference loss of the season as the Tigers fell 31-21 to Tulane last Friday … The Tigers had taken a 21-10 lead late into the third quarter before the Green Wave scored 21 unanswered points to close the game … The loss snapped the Tigers’ five-game
winning streak at Simmons Liberty Bank Stadium … QB Seth Henigan has completed 144 of 218 passes for 1,697 yards and 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions … Henigan ranks second in The American in total offense at 304.3 yards per game … RB Blake Watson a transfer from Old Dominion has 468 rushing yards with six TDs on the season … WR Roc Taylor has 34 receptions for 507 yards and two touchdowns and is one of three players with at least 200 receiving yards … LB Chandler Martin has 35 tackles with six tackles for loss.
UAB
2-5, 1-2 American
Head Coach
Trent Dilfer (Fresno State)
2-5, first season
Notes
UAB evened its American Athletic Conference record at 1-1 after the Blazers fell 41-20 at UTSA last Saturday … UAB had opened conference play with a 56-35 victory against South Florida in Birmingham … The Blazers are 2-1 at Protective Stadium and 0-4 on the road in 2023 … The Blazers rank second in The American in total offense at 439.0 yards per game and have scored 28 offensive touchdowns — the most in the conference … UAB has been led offensively by QB Jacob Zeno, who has completed 74.4% of his passes (189 of 254) for 1,905 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions … RB Jermaine Brown Jr. has a team-high 327 rushing yards and is a receiving threat out of the backfield with 25 catches for 261 yards … WR Amare Thomas has a team-high 35 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 • NOON • CBS
AIR FORCE at NAVY
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000/FieldTurf)
Annapolis, Maryland
Television: CBS
Rich Waltz, Aaron Taylor and Amanda Guerra
Navy Radio
WBAL-AM 1090
SiriusXM 158 or 201
THE GAME • THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF’S TROPHY
Saturday’s game will be the 57th meeting between Navy and Air Force in the first game of the Commander-InChief’s Trophy series between the nation’s three FBSplaying service academies … Air Force holds a 33-22 series lead and has won the last three against the Midshipmen after a 13-10 victory last season in Colorado Springs.
22/22 AIR FORCE
6-0, 4-0 Mountain West
Head Coach
Troy Calhoun (Air Force ’89)
127-78, 17th season
Notes
Air Force is one of 11 remaining unbeaten teams in FBS after the Falcons scored a 34-27 win against Wyoming last Saturday … Air Force has won 11 consecutive games, dating to last season, and brings the fourth-longest active winning streak in FBS into Saturday’s game, trailing only Georgia (24), Washington (13) and Florida State (12) … The 6-0 start marks the Falcons’ best through six games since 2002 … Air Force has not started a season at 7-0 since 1997 … Excluding the shortened 2020 season, Air Force has won at least 10 games in three consecutive seasons … The Falcons have outscored their six opponents by a cumulative score of 222-88 … RB Emmanuel Michel has rushed for 497 yards and eight touchdowns, while QB Zac Larrier has 473 rushing yards and four TDs to go with 468 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air.
NAVY
3-3, 2-2 American
Head Coach
Brian Newberry (Baylor ’98)
3-3, first season
Notes
Navy evened its conference record at 3-3 after the Midshipmen registered their second shutout of the season with a 14-0 decision at Charlotte 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 enters Saturday’s game ranked fifth nationally in rushing at 235.7 yards per game … QB Braxton Woodson became the second quarterback in as many weeks to lead Navy to a win off the bench after he replaced QB Tai Lavatai after the first series … FB Alex Tecza has 503 yards and four touchdowns on 62 carries and leads the nation with 8.1 yards per rush … LB Will
Harbour leads the defense with 47 tackles to go with three sacks … S Rayuan Lane has three interceptions.
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 • 2 P.M. • ESPN
CHARLOTTE at EAST CAROLINA
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000/Natural Grass)
Greenville, North Carolina
Television: ESPN+
James Westling and Leger Douzable
Charlotte Radio East Carolina Radio
WZGV-AM 730 WNCT-FM 107.9
SiriusXM 387
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the eighth meeting between Charlotte and East Carolina, The American’s two North Carolina-based institutions, located about 250 miles apart … East Carolina has gone 5-5 in its last 10 games against North Carolina-based schools, while Charlotte has dropped four of its last five to in-state opponents.
CHARLOTTE
1-5, 0-2 American
Head Coach
Biff Poggi (Duke)
1-5, first season
Notes
Charlotte looks to snap a five-game slide after the 49ers fell 14-0 to Navy in their first American Athletic Conference home game … Charlotte opened the year with a 24-3 win against South Carolina State, but dropped games against Maryland (38-20), Georgia State (41-25), Florida (22-7) and SMU (34-16) before the matchup against Navy … The 49ers have used two quarterbacks through the first six games … QB Jalon Jones has completed 44 of 72 passes for 420 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions and is the 49ers’ leading rusher with 316 yards and three TDs … QB Trexler Ivey has completed 49 of 86 for 601 yards and two touchdowns and two INTs … WR Jack Hestera has 22 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns … DE Eyabi Okie-Anoma has four sacks, seven tackles for loss and eight quarterback pressures.
EAST CAROLINA
1-5, 0-2 American
Head Coach
Mike Houston (Mars Hill ‘94)
23-29, fifth season at East Carolina / 103-54, 13th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
East Carolina looks for its first conference win of the year after the Pirates fell 31-10 to SMU last Thursday … East Carolina opened the season with three consecutive losses, but scored a 44-0 win against Gardner-Webb to close nonconference play … The Pirates have struggled offensively, having scored more than 20 points only twice in six games … East Carolina ranks third in The American in total defense at 331.8 yards per game, and has a stout front that has limited opponents to 110.5 rushing yards per game, good for second in the conference … QB Alex Flinn has passed for 649 yards and a touchdown with six interceptions … RB Rahjai Harris has 250 yards and four touchdowns … The defense is led by DE Chad Stephens, who has a team-high seven tackles for loss.
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 • 3:3O P.M. • ESPN2
NORTH TEXAS at TULANE
Yulman Stadium (30,000/UBU Speed Series 5M)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Television: ESPN2
Beth Mowins, Kirk Morrison and Stormy Buonantony
North Texas Radio Tulane Radio
KEGL-FM 97.1 KVDU-FM 104.1
SiriusXM 390 SiriusXM 391
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be just the second meeting between North Texas and Tulane … The only previous matchup came in the 2013 season, when the Green Wave scored a 24- 21 win at the Superdome … That game saw Tulane score touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams before K Cairo Santos hit a 27-yard field goal as time expired.
NORTH TEXAS
3-3, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Eric Morris (Texas Tech ’08)
3-3, first season at North Texas
27-21, fifth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
North Texas has won three of its last four games after the Mean Green scored a 45-14 win against Temple last Saturday … After allowing 58 points to California in the season-opener, North Texas has held each successive opponent to fewer points than the previous game … The Mean Green leads The American in both total offense (477.5 ypg) and scoring offense (35.7 ppg) … North Texas is 3-1 since QB Chandler Rogers became the starter … Rogers has completed 108 of 170 passes for 1,419 yards and 12 touchdowns with one interception … RB Ayo Adeyi has 481 yards and three touchdowns … WR Ja’Mori Maclin has 25 catches for 587 yards and a conference-leading eight touchdowns … K Noah Rauschenberg has gone 9-for-11 on field goals and is The American’s leading scorer (8.7 ppg).
23/24 TULANE
5-1, 2-0 American
Head Coach
Willie Fritz (Pittsburg State ’83)
48-46, eighth season at Tulane / 202-115, 25th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulane is back in the national polls after the Green Wave rallied for a 31-21 win at Memphis last Friday … Tulane scored the final 21 points of the game to erase what had been a 21-10 third-quarter deficit … 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 returned to the lineup and has completed 65 of 92 passes (70.7%) for 927 yards and nine touchdowns against one interception … WR Lawrence Keys is the leading receiver with 416 yards and five touchdowns, while WR Jha’Quan Jackson has 17 catches for 305 yards and four TDs … Freshman RB Makhi Hughes has a team-high 498 rushing yards with four TDs … DE Patrick Jenkins has 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss to lead the defense.
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 • 3:30 P.M. • CBSSN
SOUTH FLORIDA at UCONN
Pratt & Whitney Stadium (40,000/Natural Grass)
East Hartford, Connecticut
Television: CBS Sports Network
Chris Lewis, Robert Turbin and Keiana Martin
South Florida Radio
WHPT-FM 102.5
SiriusXM 389
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 18th meeting between South Florida and UConn in a series that dates to the 2000 season … The schools competed concurrently in the Big East from 2005-12 and in The American from 2013-19 … South Florida holds a 12-5 series lead and has won the last eight meetings, including four straight in East Hartford.
SOUTH FLORIDA
3-4, 2-2 American
Head Coach
Alex Golesh (Ohio State ’06)
3-4, first season
Notes
South Florida was off to a 2-0 start in American Athletic Conference play for the first time since the 2018 season, but the Bulls look to regroup following losses to UAB (56-35) and Florida Atlantic (56-14) in back-to-back weeks … After holding Alabama to 17 points in Week 3, the Bulls have averaged 42.8 points allowed in the last four games … QB Byrum Brown has passed for 1,662 yards and 12 touchdowns and leads the Bulls in rushing with 506 yards and seven TDs … Brown leads The American in total offense at 309.7 yards per game … WR Sean Atkins has team highs with 43 receptions, 493 yards and three touchdown catches, while WR Naiem Simmons has 24 catches for 438 yards and three TDs … S Daquan Evans has team-highs with 10 tackles for loss and three sacks to go with 35 tackles.
UCONN
1-5
Head Coach
Jim Mora (Washington ’84)
7-12, second season at UConn / 53-42, eighth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
UConn plays its second consecutive game against an American Athletic Conference opponent after the Huskies scored a 38-31 win against Rice Oct. 7 for their first victory of the season … UConn trailed Rice 14-0 late in the first quarter, but reeled off 28 straight points between the second and third periods to pull away … UConn was idle in Week 7 … The Huskies went 6-7 last season and played in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in Jim Mora’s first season … QB Ta’Quan Roberson has passed for 970 yards and seven touchdowns with two interceptions … RB Victor Rosa has 399 rushing yards and two TDs on 75 carries … WR Justin Joly has a team-high 23 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown … LB Jackson Mitchell is the top defensive player with 55 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
SATURDAY, OCT. 21 • 6 P.M. • ESPN+
UTSA at FLORIDA ATLANTIC
FAU Stadium (29,495/Natural Grass)
Boca Raton, Florida
Television: ESPN+
Richard Cross and Taylor McHargue
UTSA Radio Florida Atlantic Radio
KTXR-AM 760 WMEN-AM 640
SiriusXM 380
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the fourth meeting between UTSA and Florida Atlantic … The Owls have won all three previous meetings, including two wins in Boca Raton … The last matchup was Florida Atlantic’s 24-3 decision as the Owls limited the Roadrunners to 230 yards of offense and 104 rushing yards.
UTSA
3-3, 2-0 American
Head Coach
Jeff Traylor (Stephen F. Austin ’90)
33-13, fourth season
Notes
UTSA is off to a 2-0 start in conference play after a 41-20 win against UAB last Saturday… The Roadrunners, who started 1-3 this season, were 1-2 through three games last year and responded with 10 consecutive wins on their way to the Conference USA title … Head coach Jeff Traylor has gone 24-3 in regular-season conference games at UTSA … Veteran QB Frank Harris, who missed UTSA’s games against Army and Tennessee, has thrown for 932 yards and seven touchdowns this season … RB Kevorian Barnes has rushed for 413 yards and four touchdowns …WR Joshua Cephus is the leading receiver with 45 catches for 441 yards and six touchdowns … LB Trey Moore leads the team with 7.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss … The Roadrunners did not have a defensive interception in 2023, but had two against UAB.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
3-3, 2-0 American
Head Coach
Tom Herman (Cal Lutheran ’97)
3-3, first season at Florida Atlantic / 57-24, seventh season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Florida Atlantic has won its first two American Athletic Conference games after the Owls scored a 56-14 win at South Florida last Saturday in Tampa … The win improved head coach Tom Herman to 14-4 all-time in American Athletic Conference regular-season games (12-2 in two seasons at Houston) … QB Daniel Richardson has taken over as the starter in the wake of a season-ending knee injury to QB Casey Thompson … Richardson has completed 97 of 149 passes for 902 yards and five touchdowns … RB Larry McCammon III has rushed for 442 yards and four TDs … WR LaJohntay Wester is the NCAA leader in receptions (10.3 per game) … Wester has 62 catches for 622 yards and three touchdowns and has 190 yards and a TD on seven punt returns.
