WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5 • 7 P.M. • ESPN2
SMU at UCF
FBC Mortgage Stadium (44,206/Natural Grass)
Orlando, Florida
Television
ESPN2
Tiffany Greene, Rene Ingoglia and Dawn Davenport
SMU Radio UCF Radio
KTCK-FM 96.7 WYGM-FM 96.9
SiriusXM 84
THE GAME
Wednesday’s game will be the 11th meeting between SMU and UCF … The Knights hold an 8-2 series lead and have won four of the five matchups under the American Athletic Conference banner, but the Mustangs took last year’s meeting 55-28 in Dallas … UCF is 5-0 against SMU in Orlando.
SMU
2-2, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Rhett Lashlee (Arkansas ’08)
2-2, first season
Notes
SMU looks to bounce back from back-to-back losses after the Mustangs dropped a 42-34 decision to TCU in the annual Battle for the Iron Skillet … The Mustangs opened the season with wins against North Texas (48-10) and Lamar (45-16), but fell at Maryland 34-27 in Week 3 … SMU has averaged 38.5 points and 506.3 yards through its first four games … QB Tanner Mordecai has completed 97 of 166 passes for 1,385 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions … Mordecai is ranked third nationally with 346.2 passing yards per game … RB Tre Siggers has 200 yards and four touchdowns on 50 carries… WR Rashee Rice has 34 receptions for 565 yards and four touchdowns and leads all FBS players with 141.2 receiving yards per game … LB Isaac Slade-Matautia leads the team with 26 tackles.
-/rv UCF
3-1, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Gus Malzahn (Henderson State ’90)
12-5, second season at UCF 89-43, 11th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
UCF has strung together consecutive wins after the Knights handled Georgia Tech 27-10 last Saturday in Orlando … The only loss on UCF’s ledger was a 20-14 setback to Louisville in Week 2 … The other wins were against South Carolina State (56-10) and Florida Atlantic (40-14) … QB John Rhys Plumlee is averaging 206.8 passing yards and 101.0 rushing yards per game … Plumlee has hit 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in two of the Knights’ first four games and is The American’s leading rusher … RB Isaiah Bowser has a team-leading five rushing touchdowns … WR Javon Baker has team highs with 18 receptions, 257 receiving yards and two touchdown catches … LB Jason Johnson has a team-high 32 tackles to lead the defense.
FRIDAY, OCT. 7 • 7:30 P.M. • ESPN2
HOUSTON at MEMPHIS
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (58,325/AstroTurf)
Memphis, Tennessee
Television
ESPN2
Roy Philpott, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra
Houston Radio Memphis Radio
KPRC-AM 950 WKIM-FM 98.9
SiriusXM 386/976 SiriusXM 384/974
THE GAME
Friday’s game will be the 31st meeting between Houston and Memphis in a series that dates to the 1963 season … The Cougars hold a 16-14 series lead, though the Tigers have taken five of the nine games under The American’s banner … Houston snapped Memphis’ five-game series winning streak with a 31-13 decision last season.
HOUSTON
2-3, 0-1 American
Head Coach
Dana Holgorsen (Iowa Wesleyan ’93)
21-18, fourth season at Houston 82-59, 12th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Houston has played a challenging schedule to a 2-3 record thus far, including three overtime games to start the season … The Cougars look to rebound from a 27-24 overtime loss to Tulane in their conference opener … The other overtime games were a 37-35 win in three OT periods at UTSA and a 33-30 setback in two OTs at Texas Tech … Houston has been assessed an average of 10.40 penalties per game, ranking last in FBS … QB Clayton Tune has completed 105 of 161 passes for 1,201 yards and nine touchdowns against three interceptions … WR Nathaniel Dell has 33 receptions for 453 yards and five TDs … RB Brandon Campbell has 243 rushing yards and three touchdowns … LB Donavan Mutin has 27 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss to lead the defense.
MEMPHIS
4-1, 2-0 American
Head Coach
Ryan Silverfield (Hamden-Sydney ’03)
18-13, third season
Notes
Memphis has won four straight games after the Tigers scored a 24-3 victory against Temple to get off to a 2-0 start in conference play … Memphis is 2-0 in The American for the first time since the 2016 season … The only loss on the Tigers’ ledger is a 49-23 decision at Mississippi State in Week 1 … QB Seth Henigan has completed 105 of 166 passes for 1,276 yards and nine touchdowns with one interception … TE Caden Prieskorn has 18 receptions for 178 yards and a team-high five touchdowns and is one of five Memphis players with at least 100 receiving yards … RB Brandon Thomas has 211 yards and six touchdowns on 54 carries … Special teams are an area of strength as K Chris Howard has made all seven of his field goal attempts, while P Joe Doyle is second nationally in punting average (49.3 yards).
SATURDAY, OCT. 8 • 2:30 P.M. • ESPN+
SOUTH FLORIDA at CINCINNATI
Nippert Stadium (40,000/UBU Speed Series 55-M)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Television
ESPN+
Richard Cross and Taylor McHargue
South Florida Radio Cincinnati Radio
WHPT-FM 102.5 WLW-AM 700
SiriusXM 382/972
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 19th meeting between Cincinnati and South Florida in a series that dates to 2003 … The schools have met each year since then, as the Bearcats have built a 12-6 series lead … Cincinnati took a 45-28 win in Tampa last year to register its fourth straight win against the Bulls … South Florida’s last win was in 2017.
SOUTH FLORIDA
1-4, 0-1 American
Head Coach
Jeff Scott (Clemson ’03)
4-22, second season
Notes
South Florida looks to snap a three-game slide after the Bulls fell 48-28 to East Carolina in a game that was moved to Boca Raton, Florida, due to Hurricane Ian … Cincinnati will be South Florida’s third top-25 opponent in the first five games … The Bulls opened the season with a 50-21 setback to then-No. 25 BYU and battled No. 18 Florida to the wire in a 31-28 loss … The lone victory was a 42-20 decision against Howard … QB Gerry Bohanon has completed 73 of 131 passes for 822 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions … RB Brian Battie, an NCAA consensus All-America pick as a return specialist last year, has rushed for 391 yards and three touchdowns … WR Xavier Weaver has 25 receptions for 307 yards … The defense is led by LB Dwayne Boyles, who has 35 tackles with an interception and a forced fumble.
24/rv CINCINNATI
4-1, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Luke Fickell (Ohio State ’97)
53-16, sixth season at Cincinnati, 59-23, seventh season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Cincinnati takes a four-game winning streak into Saturday’s game after a 31-21 victory at Tulsa last Saturday … The lone loss on the ledger was a 31-24 setback to Arkansas in the season-opener … Cincinnati has won 29 straight games at Nippert Stadium, trailing only Clemson (37) for the nation’s longest home field winning streak … QB Ben Bryant has completed 107 of 164 passes for 1,383 yards and 13 touchdowns and four interceptions … The leading receiver is WR Tyler Scott, who has 28 catches for 500 yards and a conference-leading six TDs … RB Charles McClelland has 323 rushing yards and three touchdowns … LB Ivan Pace Jr. has 56 tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and two forced fumbles … Pace leads The American with 11.2 tackles per game.
SATURDAY, OCT. 8 • 3:30 P.M. • ESPNU
EAST CAROLINA at TULANE
Yulman Stadium (30,000/UBU Speed Series 5M)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Television
ESPNU
Anish Shroff, Brock Osweiller and Taylor McGregor
East Carolina Radio Tulane Radio
WNCT-FM 107.9 KVDU-FM 104.1
SiriusXM 383/973
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 18th meeting between East Carolina and Tulane in a series that dates to 1991 … The Pirates hold a 12-5 series lead after a 52-29 victory last season in Greenville … Tulane had won the three previous meetings, including a 38-21 decision in New Orleans in 2020.
EAST CAROLINA
3-2, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Mike Houston (Mars Hill ’94)
17-21, fourth season at East Carolina, 97-46, 12th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
East Carolina responded to a heartbreaking loss to Navy with a 48-28 against South Florida in Boca Raton, Florida … East Carolina is playing its second consecutive road game after playing its first four at home … The Pirates are led by QB Holton Ahlers, who has completed 120 of 175 passes for 1,532 yards and 15 touchdowns with three interceptions … Ahlers, who already owns The American’s career passing and total offense records, needs six touchdown passes to tie the career mark of 90, held by former Memphis QB Brady White since 2020 … RB Keaton Mitchell is second in The American in rushing at 96.5 yards per game, but did not play last week against South Florida … WR Isaiah Winstead has 34 catches for 475 yards and a touchdown.
rv/rv TULANE
4-1, 1-0 American
Head Coach
Willie Fritz (Pittsburg State ’83)
35-44, seventh season at Tulane, 206-113, 25th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulane, which was stunned in a 27-24 loss to Southern Miss in Week 4, rebounded with an overtime win at Houston by the same score last week in its conference opener … Incredibly, Tulane has not been assessed a defensive penalty on 321 snaps … Tulane’s defense leads the nation with only 123.6 passing yards allowed per game … QB Michael Pratt has completed 61 of 96 passes for 905 yards and seven touchdowns against three interceptions … Pratt missed the game against Houston with an undisclosed injury, but was expected to return against East Carolina … RB Tyjae Spears has 259 rushing yards and six TDs on the ground and has a team-high 13 receptions for 191 yards and a TD … LB Dorian Williams has 37 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and an interception.
SATURDAY, OCT. 8 • 3:30 P.M. • CBSSN
TULSA at NAVY
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000/FieldTurf)
Annapolis, Maryland
Television
CBS Sports Network
John Sadak, Randy Cross and Sheehan Stanwick Burch
Tulsa Radio Navy Radio
KXBL-FM 99.5 WBAL-AM 1090
SiriusXM 381/971 SiriusXM 111/202/965
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 10th meeting between Tulsa and Navy … The Midshipmen have won seven of the first nine meetings and have taken six of the seven American Athletic Conference matchups … Navy took a 20-17 win in Tulsa last season, while the Golden Hurricane was a 19-6 winner in Annapolis in 2020.
TULSA
2-3, 0-1 American
Head Coach
Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State ’95)
40-49, eighth season
Notes
Tulsa enters Saturday’s game looking to snap a two-game slide after losses to Ole Miss (35-27) and Cincinnati (31- 21), a pair of teams that are in the AP top 25 … The two wins have been against Northern Illinois (38-35) and Jacksonville State (54-17) … Tulsa ranks 10th nationally in passing offense (336.6 ypg), thanks in large part to QB Davis Brin … Brin has completed 101 of 168 passes for 1,555 yards and 12 touchdowns against three interceptions … Brin suffered an injury against Ole Miss in the second quarter and left that game, but returned to the starting lineup against Cincinnati … WR Keylon Stokes has 37 receptions for 613 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 122.6 yards per game (third in FBS) … S Bryson Powers has a team-high 47 tackles, ranking second in The American.
NAVY
1-3, 1-1 American
Head Coach
Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii ’89)
106-78, 15th season
Notes
Navy was unable to string together back-to-back wins as the Midshipmen dropped a 13-10 decision at Air Force in the first leg of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy series … Navy opened conference play with a 37-13 setback to Memphis, but stand at 1-1 in The American after a 23-20 overtime win at East Carolina … The Midshipmen, who had 16 sacks in the 2021 season, have 12 sacks through four games of the 2022 campaign … QB Tai Lavatai has passed for 515 yards and two touchdowns and has 135 rushing yards with three TDs on the ground … RB Maquel Haywood is the leading rusher with 181 yards … The defense has been led by LB John Marshall, who has 34 tackles with 2.0 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble … DE Jacob Busic has 4.0 sacks, while LB Colin Ramos has 28 tackles with a forced fumble, a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
