Week 9 will be a tough act to follow for the American after wild comebacks and near-upsets littered the landscape last week. However, though unimpressive at first glance, upset-minded teams and schools pursuing late bowl pushes could make Week 10 a worthy sequel to last week’s excitement.
Conference Contenders on Upset Alert?
Two of the AAC’s top contenders play against upset-minded teams looking to boost their bowl hopes this week. Tonight, Tulane (6-2, 4-0 in the AAC) travels to Charlotte (3-5, 2-2 in the AAC) for an ESPN primetime game. The game presents an opportunity for the Green Wave to gain much-needed “style points” with the College Football Playoff committee. Fans and experts wrote Tulane off as a playoff contender after two losses to Power Four schools to start the season. Nonetheless, Tulane has a solid resume with a non-conference win against one-loss Louisiana and another against a good in-conference team, North Texas. The Green Wave can build upon their resume with upcoming games against Navy and Memphis.
Additionally, the country gets another chance to see star Tulane RB Makhi Hughes, who’s rushed for 939 yards in just eight games. Hughes follows a recent tradition of outstanding Green Wave running backs like Darius Bradwell and Tyjae Spears. Hughes could have a prolific game this week given that Charlotte allowed Memphis RB Mario Anderson Jr. to run for 141 yards last week.
However, an upset-minded Charlotte team awaits the Green Wave. One of the most inconsistent teams in the country had one of its best efforts last week against Memphis, nearly knocking the Tigers out of the conference championship race in a heartbreaking 33-28 loss. Getting an upset over Tulane would substantially increase Charlotte’s bowl hopes, so this game might not be an easy Green Wave win.
Fellow AAC contender Memphis (7-1, 3-1 in the AAC) travels to the Alamodome to take on UTSA (3-5, 1-3 in the AAC) this Saturday. The Tigers showed serious vulnerability against Charlotte last week. They now face a potentially serious challenge in the Alamodome against UTSA.
Both offenses should take center stage this week. Memphis’s balanced attack faces a UTSA squad that scored 45 points last week in their road loss to Tulsa. Roadrunner QB Owen McCown continues improving in his first full year as a starter with 16 touchdowns and over 2000 passing yards through eight games. Memphis cannot afford another conference setback given their conference loss to Navy and with a game against Tulane looming on Thanksgiving Weekend.
Navy Looks to Rebound Against Rice
Navy’s blowout loss to Notre Dame made some of the AAC’s biggest headlines last week. Still, the Midshipmen (6-1, 4-0 in the AAC) remain undefeated in conference play, and they still — maybe — have a slim chance at the College Football Playoff. Can the Midshipmen rebound against a Rice squad (2-6, 1-3 in the AAC) that boasts a solid defense but will be without starting QB EJ Warner.
The Owl offense looked flat in their 17-10 loss up at UConn. Backup QB Drew Devillier threw for just 88 yards, while RB Dean Connors averaged less than 3 yards/carry on the ground. However, Rice’s defense could surprise Navy given how well they performed over the past two weeks against Tulane and UConn. Rice held both teams to a combined 41 points and to just over 300 yards each. They did allow running backs from both teams to run for more than 100 yards, though. The Owls must address their run defense issues against the Midshipmen.
Middling Teams Fight For Bowl Position
Three teams in the middle of the AAC bowl picture hope to increase their chances this Saturday. First, FAU (2-5, 0-3 in the AAC) faces USF (3-4, 1-2 in the AAC). QB Bryce Archie had his best game for the Bulls since taking over for the injured Byrum Brown against UAB two weeks ago with 201 yards passing and two touchdowns. Brown’s status remains questionable, but USF Head Coach Alex Golesh hinted that Brown may not retake his starting role upon return from injury.
FAU lost its last game against UTSA, making their near upset of North Texas look like a fluke. FAU QB Cam Fancher regressed against UTSA, posting just 96 yards passing after throwing for over 300 yards against the Mean Green. Both Sunshine State schools have manageable slates, but a loss hurts FAU more than USF.
Meanwhile, Tulsa (3-5, 1-3 in the AAC) may have turned its season around after its 28-point comeback victory against UTSA. Veteran Utah State transfer QB Cooper Legas looks like the man for the Golden Hurricane in a five-touchdown comeback performance. This week, he and his squad face UAB (1-6, 0-4 in the AAC).
UAB had one of its best performances of the season two weeks ago against USF despite blowing a 12-point second-half lead. Still, Blazers QB Jalen Kitna put together a terrific game with 384 total yards. He finally looks confident after taking over midseason for former UAB QB Jacob Zeno.
If the Golden Hurricane can get a win this week, they have a real shot at a postseason berth. They have winnable games against East Carolina, South Florida, and Florida Atlantic remaining. Don’t look now, but they may yet make their first bowl appearance since 2021.
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— Tulsa Football (@TulsaFootball) October 31, 2024
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