This Week in the AAC
THIS WEEK’S GAMES
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14
Navy at Memphis *
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Series: Tied, 3-3
Last Meeting: Nov. 28, 2020 (Memphis, 10-7)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16
UCF at Cincinnati *
Time: Noon
Series: Tied, 3-3
Last Meeting: Nov. 21, 2020 (Cincinnati, 36-33)
Tulsa at South Florida *
Time: Noon
Series: South Florida leads, 3-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 23, 2020 (Tulsa, 42-13)
TALKING POINTS
CENTRAL FLORIDA
3-2, 1-1 American
@UCF_Football
Last: Beat East Carolina, 20-16
Next: Oct. 16 at Cincinnati (ABC)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….469.8 …………………..3rd
Total Defense…………………………365.8 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense ……………………….36.8 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ………………………. 27.4 …………………..4th
• RB Mark-Antony Richards scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 23 seconds left to lift UCF to the win against East Carolina.
• UCF was without regular QB Dillon Gabriel, leading WR Jaylon Robinson and leading RB Isaiah Bowser for the second consecutive game.
• UCF its streak of 53 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown come to an end against East Carolina. It had been the longest streak in the nation.
• The Knights are 44-10 in their last 54 games.
• RB Johnny Richardson rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, turning in his second 100-yard game of the season.
• QB Mikey Keene was 25-of-35 for 194 yards in his first home start.
CINCINNATI
5-0, 1-0 American
@BearcatsFB
Last: Beat Temple, 52-3
Next: Oct. 16 vs. UCF (ABC)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….438.6 …………………..6th
Total Defense………………………… 294.2 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Offense ………………………..41.0 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ………………………. 12.2 ……………………1st
• QB Desmond Ridder threw for 259 yards and three touchdowns as the Bearcats remained unbeaten with the win against Temple.
• RB Jerome Ford rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns against the Owls.
• Cincinnati’s defense registered six sacks and forced three turnovers against Temple.
• Ridder surpassed 10,000 career yards of total offense (10,137) and 8,000 career passing yards (8,209) in the win against Temple.
• Cincinnati is 36-5 since the start of the 2018 season. The Bearcats are 18-1 all-time as a top-10 team.
• Cincinnati has won its last 23 home games and has the second-longest homefield winning streak nationally (Clemson, 31).
EAST CAROLINA
3-3, 1-1 American
@ECUPiratesFB
Last: Lost at UCF, 20-16
Next: Oct. 23 at Houston
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..428.7 …………………..6th
Total Defense………………………….459.2 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 29.5 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Defense ………………………28.0 …………………..5th
• East Carolina saw a three-game winning streak come to an end with the loss at UCF.
• Two of the Pirates’ three losses this season have come when the opponent got the winning points in the final 23 seconds (South Carolina, UCF).
• QB Holton Ahlers went 20-for-32 for 208 yards and a touchdown against the Knights.
• RB Keaton Mitchell rushed for 65 yards on 17 carries against UCF, snapping a streak of three consecutive 100-yard games.
• The Pirates have an open date in Week 7 and return to the road Oct. 23 at Houston.
HOUSTON
5-1, 3-0 American
@UHCougarFB
Last: Won at Tulane, 40-22
Next: Oct. 23 vs. East Carolina
American Ranks
Total Offense……………………………381.7 …………………..8th
Total Defense………………………… 264.5 ……………………1st
Scoring Offense ………………………..30.7 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Defense ……………………….15.2 …………………. 2nd
• QB Clayton Tune passed for 288 yards and three touchdowns against Tulane to lead the Cougars to their fifth consecutive victory.
• RB Alton McCaskill rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against the Green Wave.
• DT Logan Hall had 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.p0 sacks against Tulane.
• The Cougars have won five straight games for the first time since a five-game winning streak in 2018.
• Houston has outscored its opponents by a 73-7 margin in the first quarter this season.
• The Cougars have an open week before they host East Carolina Oct. 23.
MEMPHIS
3-3, 0-2 American
@TigersAthletics
Last: Lost at Tulsa, 35-29
Next: Oct. 14 vs. Navy (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….499.3 …………………. 2nd
Total Defense…………………………. 457.2 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense ……………………….36.0 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ……………………….32.7 …………………..8th
• Memphis reeled off 614 yards of offense, ran 99 offensive plays and had 33 first downs, but it wasn’t enough to get a win against Tulsa.
• WR Calvin Austin III registered his fifth consecutive 100-yard game as he had 13 catches for 200 yards against Tulsa.
• Memphis has had a 100-yard receiver in all six games this season.
• QB Seth Henigan was 34-of-57 for 463 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. Henigan’s 463 yards rank fourth on Memphis’ single-game chart.
• The Tigers missed three field goal attempts and a PAT against Tulsa.
NAVY
1-4, 1-2 American
@NavyAthletics
Last: Lost to SMU, 31-24
Next: Oct. 14 at Memphis (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 299.5 ………………….11th
Total Defense………………………… 350.5 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ………………………..19.3 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ………………………30.2 …………………..6th
• Navy held a 21-7 lead in the second quarter against SMU, but the Midshipmen managed only three points the rest of the way.
• QB Tai Lavatai rushed for 53 yards and completed 4 of 7 passes for 64 yards and a touchdown against the Mustangs.
• LB Johnny Hodges had 14 tackles with an interception against SMU.
• LB Diego Fagot scored a touchdown on a 20- yard fumble recovery against SMU.
• The Midshipmen rank third in The American in total defense (350.5 ypg).
• Navy has a short week as the Midshipmen head to Memphis for a Thursday-night matchup.
SOUTH FLORIDA
1-4, 0-0 American
@USFFootball
Last: Lost at SMU, 41-17
Next: Oct. 16 vs. Tulsa (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..332.2 …………………10th
Total Defense………………………… 495.4 ………………….11th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 20.4 …………………10th
Scoring Defense ………………………36.0 …………………10th
• South Florida, which was idle in Week 6, was within 10 points of unbeaten SMU after the third quarter in Week 5 before the Mustangs
pulled away in the fourth.
• RB Jaren Mangham had two 1-yard touchdown runs, giving him an American Athletic Conference-leading nine rushing touchdowns
in 2021.
• QB Timmy McClain completed 14 of 22 passes for a career-high 223 yards and added 25 rushing yards against the Mustangs.
• WR Jimmy Horn Jr. had five receptions for a career-high 102 yards against SMU.
• LB Dwayne Boyles had 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception against the Mustangs.
SMU
6-0, 1-0 American
@SMU_Football
Last: Won at Navy, 31-24
Next: Oct. 21 vs. Tulane
American Ranks
Total Offense……………………………511.0 ……………………1st
Total Defense………………………….390.7 …………………..6th
Scoring Offense ………………………..40.7 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ……………………….22.2 …………………..3rd
• QB Tanner Mordecai went 30-for-40 for 324 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Mustangs in the win at Navy.
• SMU overcame a 21-7 second-quarter deficit against Navy, marking the Mustangs’ largest deficit overcome since a 21-point comeback against Tulsa in 2019.
• Mordecai improved his season total to 26 touchdown passes, the most of any FBS player this season.
• WR Reggie Roberson Jr. had five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown against Navy, turning in his 10th career 100-yard game.
• SMU is 6-0 for the second time in three seasons. The Mustangs started 8-0 in 2019.
• The Mustangs have clinched bowl eligibility for the third consecutive season.
TEMPLE
3-3, 1-1 American
@Temple_FB
Last: Lost at Cincinnati, 52-3
Next: Oct. 23 at South Florida
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….343.0 …………………..9th
Total Defense………………………….354.7 …………………..4th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 23.3 …………………..8th
Scoring Defense ………………………33.8 …………………..9th
• Temple was limited to 234 yards of offense as the Owls were undone in part by three turnovers in the loss at No. 5 Cincinnati.
• QB D’Wan Mathis threw for 120 yards as he completed 16 of 27 passes. Mathis was sacked five times.
• S Amir Tyler had a team-high 11 tackles with one tackle for loss agianst the Bearcats.
• K Rory Bell provided Temple’s only points against Cincinnati with a 55-yard field goal. The kick marked the third-longest field goal in American Athletic Conference history and was one yard shy of matching the league record.
• Temple has an open week before the Owls visit South Florida Oct. 23.
TULANE
1-5, 0-2 American
@GreenWaveFB
Last: Lost to Houston, 40-22
Next: Oct. 21 at SMU
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..398.7 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense………………………….474.2 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ……………………….32.8 …………………..5th
Scoring Defense ………………………40.2 ………………….11th
• QB Michael Pratt threw for 214 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked eight times in the loss to Houston.
• Tulane held a 22-17 lead against Houston, but the Cougars answered by scoring the final 23 points of the game.
• Pratt has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 16 consecutive games. He has 33 career touchdown passes only six games into his
sophomore season.
• LB Macon Clark had a game-high 10 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack against Houston.
• The Green Wave looks to snap a four-game slide when Tulane returns to action Oct. 21 at SMU.
TULSA
2-4, 1-1 American
@TulsaFootball
Last: Beat Memphis, 35-29
Next: Oct. 16 at South Florida (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….449.8 …………………..4th
Total Defense…………………………396.8 …………………..6th
Scoring Offense ………………………..22.2 …………………..9th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 33.4 …………………..9th
• RB Shamari Brooks rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Golden Hurricane past Memphis.
• WR Josh Johnson had eight receptions for 140 yards and a touchdown against the Tigers. Johnson has had three 100-yard performances in his last four games.
• Brooks turned in his American Athletic Conference-leading 15th career 100-yard game. He also surpassed 3,000 career rushing yards in the win against Memphis (3,116).
• LB Justin Wright had 14 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in the win against Memphis.
• Tulsa snapped a three-game series losing streak to Memphis with Saturday’s win.
