The end of the season approaches, and storylines abound in the always-exciting American Athletic Conference. A pair of weeknight games start this week’s slate, while multiple schools make last-minute pushes to bowl eligibility. Or perhaps even to the College Football Playoff.
These last few weeks have been unpredictable. Week 12 promises more of the same.
Tulane and Navy Play a De Facto AAC Playoff Game (12 PM ET, ESPN2)
One of the AAC’s oldest rivalries will see arguably its most impactful chapter yet this weekend. For the first time since 1958 and the second time in their twenty-five meetings all-time, Navy-Tulane features an AP-ranked team. Tulane (8-2, 6-0 in the AAC) enters Saturday’s matchup at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium ranked #25 in both the AP and College Football Playoff Poll. Because Memphis has two conference losses, including one to Navy (7-2, 5-1 in the AAC), the winner of this weekend’s game will effectively clinch a spot in the AAC Championship.
While Navy is a longshot for the Playoff following losses to Notre Dame and Rice, Tulane’s two competitive losses to Power Five teams means that they still have a shot at the Playoff should Boise State falter.
This weekend’s match-up features two of the most underrated players in the country. Green Wave RB Makhi Hughes has over 1200 yards with two games left in the season, a grand encore to his 1300-yard season in 2023. Hughes brings a streak of five straight 100-yard games to this game. Next year, we might even see Hughes on a similar Heisman trajectory to the one Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty has hit this season. Meanwhile, though the national hype around Navy QB Blake Horvath subsided after the Mids’ two losses, he still received a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist nod just this week.
These Mids will go as far as Horvath can take them.
Vibes are high! 😎#UptownFootball pic.twitter.com/yqf7FQA4ct
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) November 14, 2024
East Carolina Looks To Continue Hot Streak (ECU at Tulsa, 7:30 PM ET, ESPN)
Since losing at Michie Stadium, East Carolina (5-4, 3-2 in the AAC) has become the hottest team in the AAC. That’s when the Pirates turned a grim season around by firing former Head Coach Mike Houston. They then blew out Temple and Florida Atlantic in consecutive weeks.
Pirates QB Katin Houser now has two straight games with five passing touchdowns. The Pirates now have another Thursday night game — tonight! — when they travel to Tulsa (3-6, 1-4 in the AAC). Houser should have no issues with a Tulsa secondary that let UAB QB Jalen Kitna throw for 404 yards and *6* touchdowns.
Despite the Pirates’ recent success, this game might just be a must-win game. ECU has North Texas and Navy left on their schedule over the season’s final two weeks.
It’s Gameday! 🏴☠️
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) November 14, 2024
⏰ 7:30pm est
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/50M9vsg0VJ
Schools Fight For Bowl Positioning
North Texas at UTSA (8 PM ET, ESPN2)
While the Army and Tulane’s College Football Playoff pursuit steals the headlines, several schools in the league are still pushing for bowl spots. UTSA (4-5, 2-3 in the AAC) hosts North Texas (5-4, 2-3 in the AAC) tomorrow night in what will be a must-win for both schools.
A loss will push the Roadrunners to six losses, and they still have to travel to Army later this month. The Roadrunners had a bye after an impressive upset win over Memphis on November 2nd. The struggling UTSA run game, averaging just 3.5 yards/carry, could thrive against a North Texas front recovering from a physical contest against Army. Meanwhile, North Texas caught a tough break having to travel on a short week, but their situation also looks less dire. They need just one win to get bowl eligible and have Temple after Thanksgiving.
USF at Charlotte (3:30 PM ET, ESPN+)
USF (4-5, 2-3 in the AAC) will try to rebound against Charlotte (3-6, 2-3 in the AAC) this weekend. The Bulls’ offense must get back to form following a listless outing against Navy. USF committed three turnovers and scored just seven points in their 28-7 loss to the Midshipmen. The run game struggled in particular, posting just 60 yards.
USF RBs Kelley Joiner and Nay’Quan Wright could bounce back against a Charlotte defense that allows 188 rushing yards/game. Moreover, the Bulls have an easy schedule remaining. Tulsa and Rice come after Charlotte, but if they fall to 4-6, that will eliminate any potential room for error.
⚪️⚪️⚪️#GMG🦅 | #BTB pic.twitter.com/coLQWbTsyH
— UNT Football (@MeanGreenFB) November 13, 2024
Other Notes From Around the League
UAB at Memphis (8 PM ET, ESPN2)
Longtime Conference USA rivals Memphis (8-2, 4-2 in the AAC) and UAB (2-7, 1-4 in the AAC) play this weekend in the Battle of the Bones. The schools played yearly from 1999-2012 before Memphis moved to the American in 2013. That made last year’s meeting the first since 2012. UAB leads the all-time series 10-6, but they’re unlikely to win this week.
FAU at Temple (2 PM ET, ESPN+)
Two Owl teams, Temple (2-7, 1-4 in the AAC) and FAU (2-7, 0-5 in the AAC) face off at noon on Saturday. Florida Atlantic has a new quarterback after starter Cam Fancher broke his clavicle last week against East Carolina. Freshman backup Kasen Weisman looked solid against the Pirates with 188 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Neither of these teams will go bowling this year, but they can at least salvage some pride with a strong finish to the season.
Put on a show 🎬#ALLIN | #GoTigersGo pic.twitter.com/QAB0Paqmj8
— Memphis Football (@MemphisFB) November 13, 2024
Go Army! Beat Notre Dame!!!
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