THIS WEEK
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1
Houston at Tulsa *
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Series: Houston leads, 25-19
Last Meeting: Nov. 23, 2019 (Houston, 24-14)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2
Memphis at Temple *
Time: Noon
Series: Tied, 3-3
Last Meeting: Oct. 24, 2020 (Memphis, 41-29)
Cincinnati at Notre Dame
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Series: Notre Dame leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Oct. 20, 1900 (Notre Dame, 58-0)
Central Florida at Navy *
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: UCF leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 10, 2018 (UCF, 35-24)
Tulane at East Carolina *
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: East Carolina leads, 11-5
Last Meeting: Nov. 7, 2020 (Tulane, 38-21)
South Florida at SMU *
Time: 4 p.m.
Series: South Florida leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 28, 2019 (SMU, 48-21)
All times Eastern
* American Athletic Conference game
TALKING POINTS
CENTRAL FLORIDA
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 …………………..4th
Scoring Offense ………………………..44.7 ……………………1st
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 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ……………………….43.0 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Defense ……………………….15.0 …………………. 2nd
• 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
2-2, 0-0 American
@ECUPiratesFB
Last: Beat Charleston Southern, 31-28
Next: Oct. 2 vs. Tulane (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….400.0 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense…………………………498.0 …………………10th
Scoring Offense ………………………..27.3 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ………………………29.8 …………………..5th
• East Carolina trailed Charleston Southern 14-0 after the first quarter, but the Pirates reeled off 31 consecutive points to take the win.
• RB Keaton Mitchell rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown against Charleston Southern, turning in his second consecutive 100-yard game.
• CB Ja’Quan McMillian matched his career high with 10 tackles to go with his third interception of the season against Charleston Southern. McMillian has an INT in three of the Pirates’ four games.
• The Pirates have forced at least one turnover in 12 consecutive games and in 23 of their last 24.
• WR Tyler Snead had 159 all-purpose yards against Charleston Southern and has at least one reception in 25 consecutive games.
HOUSTON
3-1, 1-0 American
@UHCougarFB
Last: Beat Navy, 28-20
Next: Oct. 1 at Tulsa (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….353.0 …………………..9th
Total Defense…………………………. 255.7 ……………………1st
Scoring Offense ………………………..31.3 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ……………………….19.3 …………………. 2nd
• CB Marcus Jones scored on a 73-yard punt return and a 47-yard reception to spark the come-from-behind win against Navy.
• The Cougars trailed Navy 17-7 at halftime, but limited the Midshipmen to 64 total yards in the second half. Houston did not allow Navy to convert a third down in the final two quarters (0-for-6).
• QB Clayton Tune was 22-of-30 for 257 yards and a touchdown against the Midshipmen.
• Houston improved to 7-2 all-time in American Athletic Conference openers.
• Jones became the first Houston player with a punt return touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the same game since Patrick Edwards at Tulane in the 2011 season.
MEMPHIS
3-1, 0-0 American
@TigersAthletics
Last: Lost to UTSA, 31-28
Next: Oct. 2 at Temple (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….. 477.8 …………………..4th
Total Defense………………………….461.8 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ……………………….39.0 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ……………………….31.8 …………………..8th
• Memphis saw a 17-game winning streak at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium come to an end as UTSA got the game-winning field goal as time expired.
• The Tigers also saw a streak of 22 consecutive wins in nonconference home games come to an end.
• WR Calvin Austin III had six receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown against UTSA, giving him five touchdowns of at least 50 yards this season (four receiving, one punt return).
• QB Seth Henigan passed for 329 yards and a touchdown, giving him two 300-yard games in four career starts.
• TE Sean Dykes had six catches for 167 yards against UTSA, giving him four career 100-yard games.
NAVY
0-3, 0-1 American
@NavyAthletics
Last: Lost to Air Force, 23-3
Next: Sept. 25 at Houston (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..255.3 ………………….11th
Total Defense…………………………..357.7 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense ………………………..10.0 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ………………………33.3 …………………..9th
• Navy built a 17-7 lead at halftime, but the Midshipmen were outscored 21-3 in the second half of their conference opener at Houston.
• Navy had 190 rushing yards and finished with 288 total yards against the Cougars, but the Midshipmen managed only 64 total yards in the second half.
• QB Xavier Arline led Navy with 64 rushing yards and a touchdown.
• Navy is 0-1 in The American for the first time. Navy had won its American Athletic Conference opener in each of its first six seasons in the league.
• LB Diego Fagot had nine tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack against the Cougars.
SOUTH FLORIDA
1-3, 0-0 American
@USFFootball
Last: Lost at BYU, 35-27
Next: Oct. 2 at SMU (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..331.3 …………………..6th
Total Defense………………………… 503.5 …………………10th
Scoring Offense ………………………..21.3 …………………10th
Scoring Defense ………………………34.8 …………………10th
• South Florida trailed BYU 21-0 after the first quarter, but the Bulls were able to close within a touchdown before falling in Provo.
• RB Jaren Mangham rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns against BYU.
• QB Timmy McClain was 17-of-24 for 186 yards and had 55 rushing yards against the Cougars.
• The Bulls had 214 of their 367 yards in the second half agianst BYU. USF held BYU to seven points and 164 total yards in the final 30 minutes.
• WR Xavier Weaver had five receptions for 76 yards and added a 3-yard rushing touchdown against BYU.
SMU
4-0, 0-0 American
@SMU_Football
Last: Won at TCU, 42-34
Next: Oct. 2 vs. South Florida (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….549.8 …………………. 2nd
Total Defense………………………….441.8 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Offense ……………………….43.0 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ………………………23.0 …………………..3rd
• QB Tanner Mordecai had four more touchdown passes in SMU’s win against TCU in the 100th battle for the Iron Skillet
• Mordecai has 20 touchdown passes through four games, by far the most among FBS players.
• SMU is off to a 4-0 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 12 consecutive regular-season nonconference games.
• The win at TCU marked the first time since 1992 and 1993 that the Mustangs have won two straight in the Iron Skillet series.
• RB Ulysses Bentley had 20 carries for 153 yards and a touchdown against TCU.
TEMPLE
2-2, 0-0 American
@Temple_FB
Last: Beat Wagner, 41-7
Next: Oct. 2 vs. Memphis (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….336.3 …………………..9th
Total Defense………………………….281.0 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Offense ………………………. 25.8 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Defense ………………………30.0 …………………..6th
• QB D’Wan Mathis was 22-of-32 for a career-high 292 yards and two touchdowns to lead Temple past Wagner.
• Mathis had missed the Owls’ last two games due to injury.
• WR Jose Barbon had eight receptions for a career-high 130 yards against the Seahawks. It was Borbon’s first career 100-yard game.
• The Owls limited Wagner to eight first downs, 159 total yards and 2-of-15 efficiency on third down.
• RB Kyle Dobbins scored three rushing rouchdowns against Wagner, becoming the first Temple player with three TDs since Ryquell Armstead against Houston in 2018.
TULANE
1-3, 0-0 American
@GreenWaveFB
Last: Lost to UAB, 28-21
Next: Oct. 2 at East Carolina (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..420.2 …………………..6th
Total Defense………………………… 449.5 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense ……………………….38.0 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ……………………….37.2 ………………….11th
• Tulane fell behind 21-0 in the first half before its comeback bid came up short in the Green Wave’s home opener against UAB.
• QB Michael Pratt threw for 296 yards and matched his career high with three touchdown passes, but was intercepted twice against UAB.
• Pratt has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 14 consecutive games. He has 30 career touchdown passes, ranking ninth in program history only four games into his sophomore season.
• Tulane, which had played its first three games away from Yulman Stadium, is back on the road for its conference opener against East Carolina Saturday.
TULSA
1-3, 0-0 American
@TulsaFootball
Last: Beat Arkansas State, 41-34
Next: Oct. 1 vs. Houston (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….489.8 …………………..3rd
Total Defense…………………………394.8 …………………..6th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 25.3 …………………..8th
Scoring Defense ………………………30.5 ………………….. 7th
• Tulsa had a season-high 663 yards of offense in the win against Arkansas State.
• QB Davis Brin threw for a career-high 355 yards and three touchdowns against the Red Wolves.
• The Golden Hurricane had two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers against Arkansas State.
• WR Sam Crawford Jr. had two receptions — both for touchdowns —totaling 105 yards against Arkansas State.
• Tulsa had three one-play scoring drives against Arkansas State. The three plays totaled 197 yards.
• The win against Arkansas State snapped a five-game losing streak.
