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CFB Week 4 Conference Notes: American Athletic Conference

THIS WEEK

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
SMU at TCU
The Iron Skillet
Time: Noon
Series: TCU leads, 51-41-7
Last Meeting: Sept. 21, 2019 (SMU, 41-38)

Wagner at Temple
Time: Noon
Series: First meeting
UTSA at Memphis
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: First meeting

Arkansas State at Tulsa
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: Arkansas State leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 15, 2018 (Arkansas State, 29-20)

Charleston Southern at East Carolina
Time: 4 p.m.
Series: First meeting

Navy at Houston *
Time: 6 p.m.
Series: Houston leads, 5-2
Last Meeting: Oct. 24, 2020 (Houston, 37-21)

UAB at Tulane
Time: 7 p.m.
Series: Tied, 5-5
Last Meeting: Sept. 15, 2018 (UAB, 31-24)

South Florida at BYU
Time: 8 p.m.
Series: South Florida leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 12, 2019 (South Florida, 27-23)

Open Week
UCF
Next Game: Oct. 2 at Navy

Cincinnati
Next Game: Oct. 2 at Notre Dame
All times Eastern

THE AMERICAN TODAY

A wild week in the American Athletic Conference produced come-from-behind wins, last-second heroics and key road victories by conference teams.

Cincinnati faced a 14-0 deficit on the road against Indiana, but the Bearcats forced four key turnovers and QB Desmond Ridder had a hand in two late touchdowns as the Bearcats won 38-24. The 3-0 Bearcats have an open week in advance of an Oct. 2 showdown at Notre Dame. SMU is 3-0 as the Mustangs scored as time expired to escape with a 39-37 win at Louisiana Tech. QB Tanner Mordecai’s fifth touchdown pass of the game was a 33-yard score to WR Reggie Roberson Jr. at the final gun,
giving Mordecai 16 touchdowns through three games.

Memphis improved to 3-0 with a wild 31-29 win against Mississippi State at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. WR Calvin Austin III led the way again with 212 all-purpose yards, including a game-changing 94-yard punt return for a touchdown.

East Carolina scored a solid road win at previously unbeaten Marshall as the Pirates overcame a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit behind 368 yards and two TDs by QB
Holton Ahlers. The win marked the largest fourth-quarter comeback in program history.

Houston and South Florida earned home wins against FCS opponents as the Cougars handled Grambling State 45-0 while the Bulls topped Florida A&M, 38-17. Houston’s
defense limited the Tigers to 102 yards of offense and only three first downs. South Florida churned out 245 rushing yards against the Rattlers, including three touchdowns from RB Jaren Mangham.

Tulsa and Tulane fell on the road to top-25 opponents. The Golden Hurricane were within seven points of No. 9 Ohio State with four minutes remaining before the Buckeyes scored two late touchdowns to take a 41-20 victory. Tulsa QB Davis Brin had a career-high 428 passing yards with two touchdowns. Tulane was unable to keep pace with No. 17 Ole Miss as the Rebels took a 61-21 win in Oxford.

UCF fell for the first time as the Knights dropped a 42-35 heartbreaker at Louisville, while Temple was unable to find an offensive rhythm in a 28-3 setback to Boston College in the Owls’ home-opener.

TALKING POINTS

UCF
2-1, 0-0 American
@UCF_Football
Last: Lost at Louisville, 42-35
Next: Oct. 2 at Navy (CBSSN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..554.7 ……………………1st
Total Defense………………………… 354.3 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense ………………………..44.7 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Defense ………………………29.0 …………………..4th
• QB Dillon Gabriel figured in five UCF touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough for the Knights to get the road win against Louisville.

• Gabriel threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns and had one rushing TD and one touchdown catch against the Cardinals.

• UCF has scored a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown in 52 consecutive games, the longest streak in the nation.

• The Knights are 43-9 in their last 52 games.

• RB Johnny Richardson rushed for a career-high 101 yards on only nine carries against Louisville.

• Gabriel suffered a fractured clavicle on the final play of the game against Louisville and will be sidelined indefinitely

CINCINNATI
3-0, 0-0 American
@BearcatsFB
Last: Won at Indiana, 38-24
Next: Oct. 2 at Notre Dame (NBC))
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 420.3 …………………..6th
Total Defense………………………….298.7 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Offense ……………………….43.0 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ……………………….15.0 …………………..3rd

• Cincinnati’s defense forced four turnovers to lead the Bearcats past Indiana.

• The Bearcats trailed the Hoosiers 14-0 after the first quarter, but outscored Indiana 38-10 the rest of the way.

• Cincinnati is 34-5 since the start of the 2018 season. The Bearcats are 16-1 all-time as a top-10 team.

• Cincinnati has won its last 22 home games.

• The Bearcats have nine takeaways in their last two games.

• RB Jerome Ford has scored a touchdown in five consecutive games, dating to last season.

EAST CAROLINA
1-2, 0-0 American
@ECUPiratesFB
Last: Won at Marshall, 42-38
Next: Sept. 25 vs. Charleston Southern (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 402.3 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense………………………… 485.3 …………………10th
Scoring Offense ……………………….26.0 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ………………………30.3 …………………..6th

• QB Holton Ahlers threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns and added rushing and receivng TDs in the Pirates’ come-from-behind win against Marshall.

• East Carolina trailed by 17 points midway through the fourth quarter against Marshall, but closed the game with 21 unanswered points.

• CB Ja’Quan McMillian registered his ninth career interception when he had a pick on the 1-yard line with six seconds remaining to clinch the win.

• Ahlers was 13-of-19 for 151 yards in the fourth quarter against Marshall.

• East Carolina (571) and Marshall (647) combined for 1,218 yards of total offense.

HOUSTON
2-1, 0-0 American
@UHCougarFB
Last: Defeated Grambling State, 45-0
Next: Sept. 25 vs. Navy (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..329.7 …………………..8th
Total Defense…………………………200.0 ……………………1st
Scoring Offense ……………………….34.3 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ……………………….15.3 …………………. 2nd

• RB Alton McCaskill rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns, while QB Ike Ogbogu threw two touchdown passes in the shutout win against Grambling State.

• McCaskill became the first Houston freshman with 100 rushing yards in a game since Mulbah Car (109) and Kervin Justice (111) both hit triple digits against Lamar in 2016.

• CB Marcus Jones registered his second career punt return for a touchdown with his 48-yard scoring play against Grambling State.

• QB Clayton Tune left the game against Grambling State in the first quarter with an apparent hamstring injury.

• WR Nathaniel Dell had eight catches for a career-high 134 yards and two touchdowns against Grambling State.

MEMPHIS
3-0, 0-0 American
@TigersAthletics
Last: Defeated Mississippi State, 31-29
Next: Sept. 25 vs. UTSA (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….504.3 …………………..3rd
Total Defense………………………… 482.3 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ………………………..42.7 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ………………………32.0 ………………….. 7th

• WR Calvin Austin III scored three touchdowns — two TD catches and one on a game-changing punt return — to lead Memphis past Mississippi State.

• Austin scored on a 94-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, marking the longest punt return in American Athletic Conference history.

• Austin finished with 212 all-purpose yards as he had nine receptions for 105 yards.

• Memphis won its 17th consecutive game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The Tigers have won 22 straight nonconference home games.

• The Tigers are off to a 3-0 start for the fifth time in seven seasons.

NAVY
0-2, 0-0 American
@NavyAthletics
Last: Lost to Air Force, 23-3
Next: Sept. 25 at Houston (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 233.0 ………………….11th
Total Defense………………………… 344.5 …………………..4th
Scoring Offense ………………………….5.0 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ………………………36.0 …………………..9th

• Navy was limited to 36 rushing yards and 68 total yards in the loss to Air Force in the first game of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy series.

• The Midshipmen gained only six first downs against Air Force and had moved the chains only once through the first three quarters.

• Navy’s defense limited Air Force to 225 yards.

• The loss to the Falcons ended an eight-game winning streak by the home team in the series between Navy and Air Force.

• LB Diego Fagot had 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against the Falcons.

• The Midshipmen were idle in Week 3 and begin conference play Sept. 25 at Houston

SOUTH FLORIDA
1-2, 0-0 American
@USFFootball
Last: Beat Florida A&M, 38-17
Next: Sept. 25 at BYU (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..319.3 …………………..9th
Total Defense………………………….523.7 ………………….11th
Scoring Offense ………………………..19.3 …………………10th
Scoring Defense ……………………….34.7 …………………..8th

• QB Timmy McClain passed for 163 yards and a touchdown and added 51 rushing yards in his first career start to lead the Bulls against Florida A&M.

• RB Jaren Mangham had three rushing touchdowns on seven carries against the Rattlers.

• South Florida snapped a 10-game losing streak with the win against Florida A&M.

• RB Brian Battie rushed for 110 yards on 10 carries against the Rattlers, turning in his second career 100-yard game.

• The Bulls visit BYU Saturday in search of backto-back wins for the first time since 2019, when they defeated UConn and BYU in succession.

SMU
3-0, 0-0 American
@SMU_Football
Last: Won at Louisiana Tech, 39-37
Next: Sept. 25 at TCU (FS1)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..524.3 …………………. 2nd
Total Defense………………………….441.3 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Offense ……………………….43.3 ……………………1st
Scoring Defense ……………………….19.3 …………………..4th

• QB Tanner Mordecai threw for 395 yards and five touchdowns, including a 33-yard touchdown to WR Reggie Roberson Jr. as time expired to give the Mustangs the win against Louisiana Tech.

• SMU is off to a 3-0 start for the third consecutive season. The Mustangs were 8-0 to start the 2019 season and won their first five games last year.

• The Mustangs have won 11 consecutive regular-season nonconference games.

• Mordecai has 16 touchdown passes in three games — five more than any other FBS player in 2021.

• WR Danny Gray has had a touchodwn reception in all three games this season.

TEMPLE
1-2, 0-0 American
@Temple_FB
Last: Lost to Boston College, 28-3
Next: Sept. 25 vs. Wagner (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense……………………………312.7 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense………………………….316.0 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ………………………..20.7 …………………..8th
Scoring Defense ………………………..37.7 …………………10th

• QB Justin Lynch was 17-of-24 for 161 yards, but Temple was kept out of the end zone in the loss to Boston College.

• The Owls limited Boston College to 239 yards and 13 first downs. Temple held the Eagles to 34 passing yards and allowed only five completed passes.

• Lynch also finished as Temple’s leading rusher with 27 yards. The Owls were held to 78 rushing yards.

• P Adam Barry averaged 46.7 yards on six punts against Boston College.

• The Owls return to Lincoln Financial Field Saturday for their first meeting against Wagner.

TULANE
1-2, 0-0 American
@GreenWaveFB
Last: Lost at Ole Miss, 61-21
Next: Sept. 25 vs. UAB (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 428.3 …………………..5th
Total Defense………………………… 455.0 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense …………………………41.7 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ………………………40.3 ………………….11th

• QB Michael Pratt threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns, but the Green Wave was unable to keep pace with Ole Miss.

• Pratt, a sophomore, has had multiple touchdown passes in 11 career games. He ranks ninth in program history in career touchdown passes (27) three games into his second season.

• K Merek Glover has 309 career points, which ranks third in program history. Glover needs 25 points to set Tulane’s career record.

• Tulane allowed 707 yards of offense to Ole Miss.

• The Green Wave hosts UAB Saturday in its first game at Yulman Stadium this season. Tulane had been based in Birmingham, Alabama, since Hurricane Ida moved in on New Orleans.

TULSA
0-3, 0-0 American
@TulsaFootball
Last: Lost at Ohio State, 41-20
Next: Sept. 25 vs. Arkansas State (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 432.0 …………………..5th
Total Defense………………………….406.7 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense ……………………….20.0 …………………..9th
Scoring Defense ………………………29.3 …………………..5th

• Tulsa was within seven points of No. 9 Ohio State in the final four minutes before the Buckeyes added two late touchdowns.

• QB Davis Brin threw for a career-high 428 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against Ohio State.

• WR Josh Johnson had eight receptions for a career-high 149 yards and a touchdown against the Buckeyes.

• The Golden Hurricane allowed 508 yards to Ohio State, marking only the second time in the last 36 games that a Tulsa opponent surpassed 500 yards.

• WR Cannon Montgomery, the son of Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery, had his first career touchdown reception against Ohio State.

Dodgers place Cody Bellinger on IL

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LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled outfielder Luke Raley and placed infielder/outfielder Cody Bellinger on the injured list with a left rib fracture, retroactive to 9/18.

 

Raley, 27, returns for his sixth stint with the Dodgers and has appeared in 30 games this season for the Boys in Blue. He is batting .169 on the season with one homer and two RBI. He has spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City and he batted .295 (75-for-254) with 14 doubles, two triples, 18 homers and 66 RBI in 67 games. He has spent parts of five seasons in the minor leagues and he is a .289 hitter with 64 homers and 244 RBI in 414 games. He was acquired by the Dodgers on February 10, 2020 along with right-hander Brusdar Graterol from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for right-hander Kenta Maeda and minor league catcher Jair Camargo.

 

Bellinger, 26, returns to the injured list for the third time this season and has played in 89 games this year and is batting .159 with nine doubles, nine homers and 34 RBI. The 2019 National League MVP has been with the Dodgers five seasons, batting a combined .257 with 107 doubles, 132 homers and 352 RBI. The 2017 National League Rookie of the Year was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the 2013 First Year Player Draft out of Hamilton High School.

Cubs place INF Alfonso Rivas on 10-day I.L., recall OF Nick Martini from Triple-A Iowa

0

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today placed infielder Alfonso Rivas on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger tendon injury (retroactive to September 20) and recalled outfielder Nick Martini from Triple-A Iowa.

 

Martini, 31, begins his fourth stint with the Cubs this season, having appeared in 17 games and going 3-for-19 (.158) with a double, two RBI and two walks. The left-handed hitter has batted .267 (72-for-270) with nine doubles, three triples, a career-high 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 78 games with Iowa.

 

Martini has appeared in 104 career major league games with Oakland (2018-19), San Diego (2019) and the Cubs, hitting .261 (69-for-264) with 14 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 28 RBI and a .361 on-base percentage. He has appeared in 78 games in left field, four in right field and two in center field.

 

A native of Crystal Lake, Ill., Martini signed a minor league contract with the Cubs in January of this year after spending the 2020 campaign at the Phillies Alternate Training Site.

 

Rivas, 25, is hitting .318 (14-for-44) with one double, one home run and three RBI in 18 games for Chicago this season.

Red Sox announce roster moves

0

BOSTON, MA – Prior to tonight’s game against the New York Mets, the Boston Red Sox made the following roster moves:

 

Placed right-handed pitcher Garrett Whitlock on the 10-Day Injured List with a right pectoral strain, retroactive to September 20.

 

Recalled right-handed pitcher Ryan Brasier from Triple-A Worcester.

 

Returned infielder Christian Arroyo from his injury rehab assignment with Worcester and reinstated him from the COVID-19 Related Injured List.

 

Returned infielder Jack López to Worcester.

 

Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

 

Whitlock, 25, is 8-4 with a 1.99 ERA (16 ER/72.1 IP), a 1.12 WHIP, 79 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 45 appearances this season, the first of his major league career. Acquired by the Red Sox in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, the right-hander ranks second among major league rookies in ERA (min. 50.0 IP), as well as fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.65).

 

Brasier, 34, missed the Red Sox’ first 134 games of the season on the injured list. Since being reinstated on September 1, the right-hander has appeared in five games with Boston, allowing two earned runs in 4.1 innings (4.15 ERA) with one strikeout, two walks, and nine hits allowed.

 

Arroyo, 26, was placed on the COVID-19 Related Injured List on August 27. He appeared in three rehab games with Worcester—all at second base—and went 1-for-11. He has batted .264 (42-for-159) with six home runs, 25 RBI, and a .776 OPS in 53 games for the Red Sox, missing 82 games on the injured list.

 

López, 28, made his major league debut this season, appearing in seven games and going 2-for-13 (.154) with two doubles. The right-handed hitter has split the 2021 minor league season between Worcester (60 games) and Double-A Portland (five games), combining to hit .274 (60-for-219) with 20 extra-base hits and 40 RBI.

A’s option RHP Miguel Romero to Triple-A Las Vegas

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OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland A’s optioned right-handed pitcher Miguel Romero to Triple-A Las Vegas following yesterday’s game to clear a 28-man roster spot for right-handed pitcher Michael Feliz, the club announced today.

 

Romero was recalled from Las Vegas on Sept. 8 but did not appear in a game for the A’s. He is 3-6 with a save, a 6.40 ERA and .286 opponents batting average in 26 games, including 13 starts, with the Aviators.

 

Feliz was claimed off waivers from Boston yesterday and has pitched for three teams this year. He has a save, a 7.32 ERA and .309 opponent batting average in 20 relief appearances. The 28-year-old right-hander was on the Opening Day roster for Pittsburgh, was claimed off waivers by Cincinnati on May 14, released by the Reds on Aug. 25 and signed by Boston to a minor league contract on Aug. 28 before being called up by the Red Sox on Sept. 6. Feliz is 17-9 with a 5.33 ERA in 226 career appearances in seven seasons in the majors.

Twins make roster moves

0

CHICAGO, IL – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have reinstated shortstop Andrelton Simmons from the Restricted List and have returned catcher Mitch Garver from rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day Injured List.

 

Simmons, who missed the three-game series in Toronto over the weekend, has appeared in 122 games for the Twins this season, hitting .223 (87-for-390) with 12 doubles, three home runs, 30 RBI, 36 runs scored and 31 walks.

 

Garver, who played in three games with Triple-A St. Paul on rehab assignment and went 2-for-10 with one walk, was placed on the 10-day Injured List on August 27 (retroactive to August 25) with low back tightness and has missed the Twins’ last 25 games. He has played in 61 games for the Twins this season, hitting .242 (44-for-182) with 13 doubles, 13 home runs, 29 RBI, 27 runs scored, 29 walks, a .527 slugging percentage and an .880 OPS.

 

To make room for Simmons and Garver on the 28-man roster, the Twins have optioned catcher Ben Rortvedt and infielder Drew Maggi to Triple-A St. Paul. Maggi had his contract selected on Saturday and did not appear for the Twins. Rortvedt has hit .169 (15-for-89) with one double, three home runs, seven RBI, eight runs scored and six walks in 39 games across four stints for the Twins this season.

 

Additionally, to make room for Simmons on the 40-man roster, the Twins have transferred left-handed pitcher Lewis Thorpe (left shoulder impingement) to the 60-day Injured List.

Orioles roster moves

0

This afternoon, the Orioles made the following roster moves:

 

Claimed RHP Joey Krehbiel (KRAY-bull) off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays.

 

Designated RHP Manny Barreda for assignment.

RHP Dusten Knight has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

 

Selected the contract of RHP César Valdez from Triple-A Norfolk.

Placed OF DJ Stewart on the 60-day Injured List (right knee osteochondral defect).

Alouettes Tuesday Injury Report

0

Montreal, – Here is the Montreal Alouettes’ injury report for Tuesday, September 21, 2021:

 

Mario Alford (D), ankle, did not participate

 

Cameron Artis-Payne (DO), missed the game in full health, full participation

 

Quan Bray, (D), missed the game in full health, full participation

 

David Foucault, (LO), missed the game in full health, full participation

 

Najee Murray, (DD), missed the game in full health, full participation

 

Samuel Thomassin (LO), hand, limited

 

Michael Wakefield (LD) , missed the game in good health, full participation

 

Tre Watson (SEC), hip, limited

Alouettes Transactions

0

Montreal, – The Montreal Alouettes announced the following transactions on Tuesday:

 

Player added to practice squad (suspended until late quarantine):

Shea Patterson (Q), Q, Michigan

 

Player released from practice squad:

Nick Tiano (A), Q, Chattanooga

NFL Extends and Expands Its Extreme Networks Partnership

0

The National Football League has extended its partnership with the networking company Extreme Networks. With the two parties agreeing to continue and expand their collaboration, Extreme will continue its work as the league’s official Wi-Fi network solutions provider and official Wi-Fi analytics provider until 2024.

 

The Network Deal Expands

Currently, Extreme Networks provides its solutions to 25 teams across 24 stadiums. With the deal expanded, that will increase to 29 stadiums and 31 teams.

 

The extended deal will see the NFL continuing to provide an official Wi-Fi connection at live events as well as real-time analytics that will benefit bettors and fervent fans alike. Extreme Networks’ CEO, Norman Rice, spoke about the importance of a strong Wi-Fi network during live games. Thanks to Extreme Networks’ solutions, the NFL can continue providing an engaging experience to its fans.

 

“We’re proud to extend our long-standing partnership with the NFL, continuing to work together to make technology an integral part of the game both on and off the field,” Rice said.

 

The NFL’s chief information officer, Michelle McKenna, mentioned that fan expectations for technology-driven experiences are evolving and the league grows in response to satisfy their demands.

 

“We do that by providing great Wi-Fi connectivity, leveraging insightful analytics to improve business operations, and creating a simple and effective way for our team to manage the network within a single dashboard,” McKenna explained.

 

She pointed out that the partnership with Extreme Networks is crucial for the NFL’s technological development. McKenna believes that Extreme is the most suitable partner for the league as it’s a partner that is “equally invested in creating a superior fan experience”.

 

Extreme Networks’ Robust Wi-Fi Offerings

With the NFL deal extended, ExtremeAnalytics will cover 29 of the 30 NFL stadiums. The data is important for noticing trends and patterns among fans. Starting this year, Extreme will be doubling its analytical efforts, providing IT teams with even more data to work with. Thanks to this, the organizational efforts will be facilitated and improved.

 

The Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and Seattle Seahawks franchises will be receiving full Wi-Fi 6 coverage at their stadiums and simplified Wi-Fi network management solutions. There will be a focus on optimization and performance improvement.

 

Extreme Networks is a veteran in providing highly-populated events and establishments with a cutting-edge wireless connection. The company also supports the Super Bowl, as well as other sports leagues, teams, and stadiums. Extreme also provides Wi-Fi solutions to numerous learning establishments worldwide.

 

The company’s connection solution takes in mind both how populated a venue is and how demanding some applications used by the people there may be. Extreme has a clever technology that controls traffic and helps organizers prioritize the most crucial apps for the event.