THIS WEEK
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Tulsa at Memphis *
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Series: Memphis leads, 19-12
Last Meeting: Oct. 9, 2021 (Tulsa, 35-29)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11
East Carolina at Cincinnati *
Time: 8 p.m.
Series: East Carolina leads, 13-12
Last Meeting: Nov. 13, 2021 (Cincinnati, 35-13)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Notre Dame vs. Navy
at Baltimore, Md.
Time: Noon
Series: Notre Dame leads, 78-13-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 2021 (Notre Dame, 34-6)
SMU at South Florida *
Time: Noon
Series: Tied, 3-3
Last Meeting: Oct. 2, 2021 (SMU, 41-17)
Temple at Houston *
Time: 3 p.m.
Series: Houston leads, 7-1
Last Meeting: Nov. 13, 2021 (Houston, 37-8)
UCF at Tulane *
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: UCF leads, 9-2
Last Meeting: Nov. 6, 2021 (UCF, 14-10)
- American Athletic Conference game
All times Eastern
WEEKLY HONORS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Tanner Mordecai • Sr. • QB • SMU
Mordecai added to the SMU, American Athletic Conference and NCAA record books in the Mustangs’ 77-63 win against Houston. He went 28 of 37 for 379 yards and a school and conference-record nine touchdown passes with one rushing TD to figure in 10 total touchdowns. Mordecai tied an NCAA record with seven first-half touchdown passes and became the first player in FBS history with seven touchdown passes and a touchdown run in a half. Mordecai was also named as the Walter Camp National Player of the Week.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dorian Williams • Jr. • LB • Tulane
Williams led a Tulane defense that limited Tulsa to one touchdown, 13 points and 257 yards of offense in a 27-13 win to keep the Green Wave atop the American Athletic Conference standings. Williams had 13 tackles with two sacks, including five tackles on third down to help Tulane limit the Golden Hurricane to 5-for-14 efficiency on third-down conversions. Williams enters Week 11 as Tulane’s leader in tackles (72), sacks (4.0) and tackles for loss (6.5).
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Camden Price • Gr. • K • Temple
Price, a transfer from Miami (Fla.), scored a career-high 18 points — the most by an American Athletic Conference kicker this season — to help Temple to 54-20 win against South Florida. Price went 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, connecting from 32, 34, 32 and 35 yards and making all six of his PATs. He hit three first-half field goals to give the Owls a lead they would not relinquish and added his fourth field goal in the third quarter to give Temple a 33-21 advantage.
HONOR ROLL
RJ Harvey • Jr. • RB • UCF
Rushed for a career-high 151 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in a 35-28 win at Memphis.
Tyler Scott • Jr. • WR • Cincinnati
Had 10 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-10 win against Navy.
Clayton Tune • Sr. • QB • Houston
Passed for 527 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 111 yards and a TD to account for 638 yards of total offense in a 77-63 loss at SMU. Became The American’s career leader with 92 touchdown passes.
Edward Saydee • So. • RB • Temple
Rushed for a career-high 265 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in a 54-20 win against South Florida.
Tyjae Spears • Jr. • RB • Tulane
Rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries (11.2 avg.) in a 27-13 win at Tulsa.
Everyone Wins
Since the start of the 2014 season, all 11 American Athletic Conference teams have been ranked at least once in
the Associated Press top 25 poll. The American, the ACC
and the Big 12 are the only FBS conferences that have
had each member ranked since 2014.
Conference Call
The American will finish the regular season with a combined 9-3 record against non-autonomous FBS conference opponents in 2022.
73 Years
Saturday’s game between No. 16/17 Tulane and No. 22/21 UCF will mark the first time that a ranked Tulane team hosts another ranked team since Nov. 26, 1949, when No. 10 Tulane hosted No. 13 LSU in an SEC matchup.
Groundbreaking
Tulane is 5-0 in American Athletic Conference play for the first time.
Scoreboard Watching
SMU (77) and Houston (63) combined for 140 points last Saturday, marking the highest-scoring game in FBS history that did not go to overtime. Houston’s 63 points matched the most in regulation by a losing team in NCAA FBS history.
Out Of The Chute
SMU QB Tanner Mordecai tied the NCAA FBS record with seven first-half touchdowns against Houston. He became the second American Athletic Conference player with seven TD passes in a half, joining Paxton Lynch of Memphis, who had seven in the first half against SMU Nov. 28, 2015.
One And Only
Per ESPN Stats & Info, Mordecai became the first player in FBS history with seven passing touchdowns and a rushing TD in a half. He and former Louisville QB Lamar Jackson (Sept. 1, 2016 vs. Charlotte) are the only FBS players to figure in eight touchdowns in a half.
Nine Times Six
Tanner Mordecai’s nine touchdown passes against Houston broke the American Athletic Conference single-game record, bettering the previous mark of seven last achieved by Mordecai himself against Abilene Christian Sept. 4, 2021.
Great Responsibility
Mordecai added a rushing touchdown against Houston, giving him an American Athletic Conference-record 10 TDs responsible for against the Cougars.
Nine Times Six
Houston QB Clayton Tune became the first player in program history to throw for 500 yards (527) and rush for more than 100 yards (111) in a game. He finished with seven touchdown passes against SMU.
Perfect 10
Ten players caught touchdown passes in the Houston-SMU game last Saturday. Each team had five players with at least one TD catch.
We Must Defend This House
Cincinnati has won 31 consecutive games at Nippert Stadium, trailing only Clemson (38) for the nation’s longest active home field winning streak. UCF has won 34 of its last 37 home games.
Tune Up The Band
Houston QB Clayton Tune has thrown 16 touchdown passes in the Cougars’ last three games.
Gus’ House
UCF is unbeaten (7-0) in American Athletic Conference home games under Gus Malzahn.
Top Of The Charts
East Carolina QB Holton Ahlers has set The American’s career passing yards and total offense records. Houston QB Clayton Tune broke the conference record for touchdown passes after his seven-TD performance against SMU this past Saturday.
Career Passing Yards
- 12,851 Holton Ahlers, East Carolina (2018-)
- 10,782 Dane Evans, Tulsa (2014-16)
Career Total Offense
- 14,247 Holton Ahlers, East Carolina (2018-)
- 12,418 Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati (2018-21)
Career Touchdown Passes
- 92 Clayton Tune, Houston (2018-)
- 90 Brady White, Memphis (2018-20)
- 87 Holton Ahlers, East Carolina (2018-)
Top Of The Chart
Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell’s 55 wins are a program
record and the most by an American Athletic Conference
coach since the league’s formation in 2013.
Catching On
SMU WR Rashee Rice is the national leader in receiving
yards (118.7 ypg). Rice is the only NCAA FBS player with at
least 1,000 receiving yards this season (1,068).
Multi-Talented
Tulsa WR Keylon Stokes enters Thursday’s game against
Memphis with 5,202 career all-purpose yards, ranking
second on The American’s career chart, and 3,514 receiving yards (fourth).
Career All-Purpose Yards
- 5,320 Malcolm Perry, Navy (2016-19)
- 5,202 Keylon Stokes, Tulsa (2018-)
Career Receiving Yards
- 3,949 James Proche, SMU (2016-19)
- 3,675 Zay Jones, East Carolina (2014-16)
- 3,590 Anthony Miller, Memphis (2015-17)
- 3,514 Keylon Stokes, Tulsa (2018-)
Positive Outcomes
Temple scored on all 10 of its drives that did not end a half in the Owls’ win against South Florida.
Negative Outcomes
Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr. is the national leader in tackles for loss at 2.0 per game. Pace has 18.0 tackles for loss in 2022.
Halfway There
Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr. was chosen as an Midseason All-America selection by the Associated Press, Sporting News and The Athletic. SMU WR Rashee Rice was a second-team Midseason All-America choice of The Athletic.
Draft Cards
The American matched its best showing in the NFL Draft with 19 players selected in 2022. Two American players — Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner at No. 4 and Tulsa OT Tyler Smith at No. 24 — were chosen in the first round, while The American had 10 players taken in the first two days of the draft, surpassing the league’s previous high of six players.
Mark Your Calendars
Cincinnati’s selection to the CFP Semifinal in the 2021 season marked the seventh time in the nine-year history of The American that the league has had a team in a Bowl Championship Series or CFP New Year’s Six bowl.
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)
TALKING POINTS
UCF
7-2, 4-1 American
@UCF_Football
Last: Won at Memphis, 35-28
Next: Nov. 12 at Tulane (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..501.0 ……………………1st
Total Defense…………………………360.6 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ………………………..35.7 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ……………………….18.8 …………………. 2nd
• RB RJ Harvey rushed for a career-high 151 yards and a touchdown to lead UCF to the win against Memphis.
• QB Mikey Keene made his first start of the season against Memphis and passed for 219 yards and three touchdowns.
• UCF improved to 38-5 all-time as a nationally ranked team and 12-1 when the Knights are ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25.
• UCF limited Memphis to 4-for-7 on red zone attempts. The Knights have held opponents to 61% efficiency in the red zone, the best mark in the nation.
• UCF would move into a tie for first place in The American standings with a win at Tulane Saturday.
CINCINNATI
7-2, 4-1 American
@BearcatsFB
Last: Defeated Navy, 20-10
Next: Nov. 12 vs. East Carolina (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….408.8 …………………..8th
Total Defense………………………….322.6 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Offense ………………………. 33.2 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ……………………….21.0 …………………..3rd
• WR Tyler Scott had a pair of touchdown passes to lead Cincinnati to the win against Navy.
• The Bearcats have won 31 consecutive games at Nippert Stadium, trailing only Clemson (38) for the nation’s longest home winning streak.
• QB Ben Bryant went 25-for-35 for 299 yards and two touchdowns against the Midshipmen.
• Scott finished with 10 receptions for 139 yards and the two touchdowns. All 13 of Scott’s career touchdown receptions have been 20 yards or longer.
• LB Ivan Pace Jr. had 14 tackles, a sack and 2.0 tackles for loss against Navy. Pace has led the Bearcats in tackles in eight of nine games.
• DT Dontay Corleone made his first career start against Navy and had a career-high 11 tackles.
EAST CAROLINA
6-3, 3-2 American
@ECUPiratesFB
Last: Won at BYU, 27-24
Next: Nov. 11 at Cincinnati (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..467.2 …………………..3rd
Total Defense………………………….391.0 …………………..6th
Scoring Offense ……………………….32.6 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 23.2 …………………..4th
• K Andrew Conrad hit a 33-yard field goal as time expired to give East Carolina the win at BYU.
• RB Keaton Mitchell rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries against the Cougars, turning in his 11th career 100-yard game.
• The win at BYU was the 100th career head coaching victory for the Pirates’ Mike Houston.
• QB Holton Ahlers had two rushing touchdowns against BYU, giving him a program-record 111 total touchdowns (rushing and passing).
• The Pirates, who have an open date in Week 10 gained bowl eligibility for the second consecutive season with their sixth victory of the season.
HOUSTON
5-4, 3-2 American
@UHCougarFB
Last: Lost at SMU, 77-63
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Temple (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….450.8 …………………..4th
Total Defense………………………….431.2 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ……………………….36.8 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Defense ……………………… 32.2 …………………10th
• Houston’s 63 points against SMU were the most by a losing team in a regulation game in NCAA FBS history.
• QB Clayton Tune passed for 527 yards and seven touchdowns and had 111 rushing yards with a TD to account for 638 yards of total offense.
• Tune became The American’s career leader in touchdown passes (92), breaking the previous mark of 90, set by Brady White of Memphis from 2018-20.
• WR Nathaniel Dell had 13 receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns against SMU. Dell was one of five Houston players with at least one touchdown reception.
• Tune is the first Houston player to register 500 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a game.
MEMPHIS
4-5, 2-4 American
@TigersAthletics
Last: Lost to UCF, 35-28
Next: Nov. 10 vs. Tulsa (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..419.4 …………………..6th
Total Defense………………………….412.0 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ……………………….33.9 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ……………………….31.6 ………………….. 7th
• QB Seth Henigan passed for 284 yards and a touchdown, and had a career-high 69 rushing yards with a TD, but was intercepted twice in the loss at No. 25 UCF.
• Memphis has lost four straight games by a combined 20 points.
• LB Xavier Cullens had 13 tackles with a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss against UCF.
• Henigan, a true sophomore, already ranks fifth on the Tigers’ career passing chart (5,830 yards).
• Memphis has forced at least one turnover in 12 of its last 14 games, registering 26 takeaways in that stretch.
NAVY
3-6, 3-4 American
@NavyAthletics
Last: Lost at Cincinnati, 20-10
Next: Nov. 12 vs. Notre Dame (ABC)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….336.3 …………………10th
Total Defense…………………………363.0 …………………..4th
Scoring Offense ………………………..21.9 …………………10th
Scoring Defense ………………………24.8 …………………..5th
• QB Xavier Arline rushed for 87 yards on 12 carries against Cincinnati in his first career start, but left the game in the second half due to
injury.
• Navy’s defense limited the Bearcats to 55 rushing yards and only four rushing first downs.
• LB John Marshall had 10 tackles, with 3.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a pass breakup against the Bearcats.
• QB Maasai Maynor relieved Arline in the game against Cincinnati and went 3-for-5 for 81 yards against the Bearcats.
• Navy has gone 3-0 when it has held the opponent scoreless on its opening drive and 0-6 when the opponent scores on its first drive.
SOUTH FLORIDA
1-8, 0-5 American
@USFFootball
Last: Lost at Temple, 54-28
Next: Nov. 12 vs. SMU (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense……………………………374.7 …………………..9th
Total Defense………………………… 502.9 ………………….11th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 25.8 …………………..9th
Scoring Defense ………………………39.9 ………………….11th
• QB Katravis Marsh threw three touchdown passes, but South Florida fell on the road to Temple.
• RB Brian Battie rushed for 129 yards on 19 carries against Temple, hitting triple digits for the third time this season.
• WR Xavier Weaver had six receptions for a career-high 119 yards and two touchdowns against Temple for his second 100-yard game of the year.
• Weaver moved into fourth on South Florida’s career receiving yards chart (1,675 yards).
• The Bulls had a season-high 471 yards of offense against Temple.
SMU
5-4, 3-2 American
@SMU_Football
Last: Defeated Houston, 77-63
Next: Nov. 12 at South Florida (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..479.0 …………………. 2nd
Total Defense………………………….453.2 …………………10th
Scoring Offense ……………………….40.2 ……………………1st
Scoring Defense ……………………….33.7 …………………..9th
• QB Tanner Mordecai passed for an American Athletic Conference-record nine touchdowns and was responsible for a league-record 10 TDs in the win against Houston.
• The game against Houston was the highestscoring non-overtime game in NCAA FBS history (140 points). SMU tied The American’s single-game scoring record with 77 points.
• Mordecai had an NCAA-record seven first-half touchdown passes against the Cougars.
• Five SMU receivers had at least one touchdown reception against the Cougars. WR Ben Redding had three TD catches,
• S Nick Roberts had six tackles and two interceptions against Houston.
TEMPLE
3-6, 1-4 American
@Temple_FB
Last: Defeated South Florida, 54-28
Next: Nov. 12 at Houston (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..321.8 ………………….11th
Total Defense………………………… 365.2 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense ………………………..19.8 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 26.2 …………………..6th
• RB Edward Saydee rushed for a career-high 265 yards and two touchdowns and had 344 all-purpose yards in the win against South Florida.
• Saydee’s rushing total ranks fifth on The American’s single-game chart.
• QB E.J. Warner completed 27 of 36 passes for a career-high 344 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulls.
• WR Jose Barbon had eight receptions for 103 yards and a TD for his fourth 100-yard game of the season.
• Temple scored on all 10 of its drives that did not end a half against South Florida.
TULANE
8-1, 5-0 American
@GreenWaveFB
Last: Won at Tulsa, 27-13
Next: Nov. 12 vs. UCF
American Ranks
Total Offense……………………………418.7 …………………..6th
Total Defense………………………….307.3 ……………………1st
Scoring Offense ……………………….32.9 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ……………………….16.9 ……………………1st
• RB Tyjae Spears rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in the win at Tulsa.
• Spears surpassed 100 rushing yards for the third consecutive game and the 10th time in his career.
• Tulane is 5-0 in American Athletic Conference play for the first time.
• The Green Wave will finish a season with at least eight wins for the first time since 2002.
• Tulane’s game against UCF will be its first game between nationally ranked teams since Nov. 26, 1949, when the No. 10-ranked Green Wave faced No. 13 LSU.
TULSA
3-6, 1-4 American
@TulsaFootball
Last: Lost to Tulane, 27-13
Next: Nov. 10 at Memphis (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..414.6 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense…………………………402.8 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Offense ……………………….30.2 …………………..8th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 33.2 …………………..8th
• QB Braylon Braxton completed 13 of 25 passes for 146 yards and had 32 rushing yards against Tulane in his first career start, but it wasn’t
enough to get the win at No. 19 Tulane.
• WR Keylon Stokes had four receptions for 40 yards, extending his program record to 3,514 receiving yards, good for fourth on the American Athletic Conference career chart.
• LB Jon Michael Terry had a career-high 18 tackles with a tackle for loss against the Green Wave.
• CB Kendarin Ray had 13 tackles with an interception against Tulane.
• Tulsa has allowed its opponent to score on its opening drive seven times in nine games this season.
