While Memphis got a signature win in a time-tested series, the AAC was not so lucky in several other matchups against the Power Four. With non-conference play nearing an end, the time for College Football Playoff resume-building wins is quickly running out.
Memphis Beats Florida State for the First Time Since 1976
The Memphis Tigers have set their resume for this yearβs Playoff push after a 20-12 win over Florida State. Memphis’s signature teams from the 2010s all featured high-flying offenses, but this year itβs the defense that could carry this squad to the Playoff.
The Tigers held the Seminoles to just 238 yards of total offense, including a paltry 37 yards rushing. That shocking level of physicality showed this Memphis team could fare well in a quarterfinal matchup against a Power Four school. Tigers QB Seth Hennigan performed well with 272 all-purpose yards, but Memphis’ 20-point performance hurts his dark horse Heisman campaign.
The Tigers now have a Power Four win, but NIU’s win over Notre Dame, who themselves just beat Purdue 66-14, and UNLV’s two Big 12 wins against Kansas and Houston dwarf Memphis’ win over the winless Seminoles. The Tigers face arguably a more difficult test this weekend against a 2-0 Navy squad off a bye week.
Sights & Sounds from the win against Florida State βοΈ #GoTigersGo | Presented by @firsthorizonbnk pic.twitter.com/cMy82XjHdJ
— Memphis Tigers (@TigersAthletics) September 17, 2024
Power Four Teams Dominate Several AAC Schools
North Texas’ game against Texas Tech could have been the Mean Green’s coming-out party on the national stage. However, a 52-point drubbing in the first half put North Texas in the headlines for the wrong reasons.
After two weeks of stellar numbers, the Mean Green offense suddenly looked mortal. Despite combining for a whopping 736 yards in North Texas’ first two games, QB Chandler Morris only threw for 165 yards and had three passes intercepted this past week. Worse, the Mean Green defense showed some major liabilities, allowing 403 yards and 52 points in just one half of play. UNT still looks like a bowl team, but their playoff hopes ended in Lubbock.
Similarly, UTSA grabbed headlines when Texas QB Arch Manning, son of Cooper and nephew of Peyton and Eli, torched the Roadrunners for four passing touchdowns and a dazzling 67-yard touchdown run. If the loss to Texas State was not a sign, Saturday’s 56-7 loss to Texas showed the Roadrunners are not the same team they were in the previous seasons.
On the bright side, UTSA’s running back room finally showed flashes of their 2023 form. RB Robert Henry ripped a 53-yard run, while RB Rocko Griffin added a 17-yard run. Unfortunately for the offense, a quarterback change could soon come after Owen McCown threw for just 132 yards.
Tulsa’s losing streak to Oklahoma State extended to ten games following a 45-10 loss to the Cowboys on Saturday. Hardly anyone thought the Golden Hurricanes would win, but many hoped for a more competitive performance. Tulsa’s pass defense struggled against OK State WR De’Zhaun Stribling, who caught seven passes for 174 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This performance is a bad omen for a defense that will face North Texasβs and South Florida’s prolific offenses later this season.
Across the Sooner State, Tulane competed well with Oklahoma but could not avenge their 2021 heartbreak. The Green Wave lost, 34-19. QB Darian Mensah looked merely human for the first time this year, completing less than half of his 32 passes for just 166 yards. Tulane still pulled to within one score of the Sooners in the fourth quarter, but ten unanswered Oklahoma points sealed a 15-point win.
Tulane still looks like one of the league’s best teams, but their Playoff path appears impassable with a 0-2 mark against Power Four teams.
Finally, Houston avenged its shocking loss to Rice last year with a strong-looking 33-7 victory against the Owls. Rice QB E.J. Warner struggled again, finishing 12/212 passing for just 50 yards through the air. Meanwhile, Houston’s ground game wore Rice down. The Cougars finished with 237 yards rushing on nearly six yards per carry.
The Owls better figure out their front seven issues soon. They travel to West Point this Saturday and then face Navy later in the year.
East Carolina and UAB Blow Big Leads
East Carolina and UAB both nearly earned big-time non-conference wins but faltered down the stretch.
East Carolina raced to a 16-0 first quarter lead against Appalachian State off a handful of Mountaineer turnovers, but they couldnβt quite hold on to that lead. QB Joey Aguilar led App State back through the middle half of the game, going up 21-16 late. But ECU created one last turnover to give themselves a chance, only to again turn the ball over themselves and let the Mountaineers finish.
ECUβs rushing defense played extraordinarily well despite being on the field for damn-near for 40 minutes, but the Pirates still somehow let Aguilar throw for 424 yards and two touchdowns. ECU has as much talent as any team in the Group of 5, but at -5, their turnover margin and (lack of) ball control is giving teams a chance.
UAB got close to righting things against Arkansas following their embarrassing 32-6 loss to ULM. The Blazers led 17-3 in the second quarter but let the Razorbacks gradually climb ahead for a final 37-27 win.
The Razorbacks’ ground game flat ran over UAB with 266 yards rushing on seven yards/carry. Like Rice, UAB needs to solidify its rushing defense before facing the AAC’s two service academies later in the season.
Other Notes From the League
Temple improved from their first two showings behind new starting QB Evan Simon, but the Owls still lost 28-20 to Coastal Carolina (3-0). Following his 101-yard effort against Navy, Temple WR Dante Wright caught nine passes this week for 99 yards. Wright could make First Team All-AAC honors by season’s end.
USF got back on track with a dominant 49-24 win over former Conference USA cohort Southern Miss. RBs Kelley Joiner and Nay’Quan Wright both exceeded 100 yards for a Bull offense that ran for 369 yards total. However, the Bulls’ pass defense looked shaky, allowing 397 yards through the air. That might prove to be a liability over the next three weeks when the Bulls face elite quarterbacks from Miami, Memphis, and Tulane.
FAU past FIU by forcing five turnovers and putting together a steady ground attack. RB Zuberi Mobley finished with 134 yards and three touchdowns after totaling just 40 yards in the Owls’ first two games.
Finally, Charlotte struggled to a 27-26 win against FCS Gardner-Webb. The 49ers showed real resilience by mounting a 17-point comeback, but they still need to address multiple issues before they begin conference play. Among other things, Charlotte allowed six sacks on offense and 340 passing yards on defense. After Temple’s respectable performance against Coastal Carolina, the 49ers suddenly look like the league’s weakest link.
THREE touchdown's in the first half from Zuberi Mobleyππ#AmericanWay x @FAUFootball pic.twitter.com/ngcsGZoFfR
— The American (@American_Conf) September 15, 2024
Go Army! Beat Rice!!!
Cover image via @MemphisFB.
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