Week One of the American Athletic season is in the books. Despite several seemingly non-consequential games littering the slate, a few notable storylines raised both eyebrows and questions for the coming weeks. Among the noteworthy news events were a non-conference upset and a near-upset against a Power Five foe. These games create intriguing storylines for Week Two of this young season.
Florida Atlantic Nearly Upsets Michigan State
After one of the AAC’s Owls faltered spectacularly against a Power Four foe, another one of the conference’s Owls kept themselves in a much closer game against a Power Four opponent. Despite ending the game with just 248 yards of total offense, Florida Atlantic found itself down by just six points to start the fourth quarter. The Owls could not pull ahead, turning the ball over three times on downs in the game’s final period, including once in Michigan State territory.
Michigan State seemingly did everything possible to keep the Owls in the game, turning the ball over three times, including once at the goal line, and getting stopped on downs in the red zone. Furthermore, after allowing 179 yards and nearly five yards per carry, the Owls appear ill-equipped to deal with Army’s triple option offense.
The score may have stayed close, but this sloppy game provides no moral victories for the AAC. Had FAU beaten Michigan State, it would have helped the conference’s College Football Playoff resume. As things stand, however, no one truly benefits, and FAU remains a long shot to win the AAC. The media picked the Owls to finish sixth in the league in the preseason poll.
Left wiiiiiiiide open @jayplatt5 #TriCountyTakeover #WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/2LtdTxdMtF
— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) August 31, 2024
Rice and UTSA Struggle With Conference USA
Two of the most shocking Week Two results occurred down in Texas. Rice had high expectations stemming from the return of versatile running back Dean Connors and the arrival of former Temple QB EJ Warner, fresh off back-to-back 3,000-yard seasons. Hardly anyone expected Sam Houston to compete, much less beat the brakes off of the Owls in their season opener.
However, the Bearkats shocked the experts convincingly. Warner threw two interceptions, while Connors only ran for 52 yards and averaged a paltry 3.3 yards per catch on his nine receptions. The Owls struggled to defend a balanced Sam Houston attack, which totaled over 400 yards of offense.
Rice looked like a potential sleeper for the AAC title. Now there is some doubt that they will even make a bowl game. This statement could be an overreaction, but a loss to an at-best mid-tier Conference USA opponent damages the AAC’s reputation significantly.
One of the league’s best teams in 2023 also struggled with a Conference USA school. In their first FBS game, Kennesaw State showed that they could compete with the Group of Five’s best in a 28-16 loss to UTSA in the Alamodome. This result appears particularly shocking given that Kennesaw State went 3-6 in their final year in the FCS without a single win over a Division I school.
Perhaps the Roadrunners were looking ahead to their September 7 showdown with in-state rival Texas State. Regardless, they let Kennesaw State stay within one score well into the fourth quarter. UTSA finally pulled away on a touchdown to Oscar Cardenas late in the fourth quarter, escaping the Alamodome with a 12-point win.
Things aren’t all bad for the Roadrunners, however. While Frank Harris’ illustrious career may be over, new starting QB Owen McCown improved on the glimpses of potential he showed in last year’s Frisco Bowl. McCown threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns while adding another score on the ground.
UTSA can remove all doubt this week with a win over College Football Playoff sleeper Texas State. However, their attack must be more balanced. After a solid 715-yard 2023 campaign, UTSA RB Kevorian Barnes only ran for just 22 yards on four carries. A more well-rounded ground game will help keep Texas State’s potent offense off the field.
Damon Ward Jr. Shines Against South Alabama
Last year, the AAC had one of its star receivers inexplicably absent from Biletnikoff Award consideration. Despite catching 108 passes, Florida Atlantic’s LaJohntay Wester was not a Biletnikoff finalist. North Texas’ Damon Ward Jr. avenged Wester’s snub on Saturday against South Alabama.
Ward caught 12 passes for 230 yards and a pair of touchdown passes on Saturday. After having one of the conference’s most electric offenses in 2023, the Mean Green look significantly improved. QB Chandler Morris threw for 415 yards and three touchdowns while adding a pair of touchdowns on the ground.
After UTSA and Rice’s weak performance, North Texas could be a sleeper for the AAC title. However, like the offense, the defense told the same story we saw in 2023. They allowed nearly 600 yards of total offense this week, including 432 passing yards from USA QB Gio Lopez.
Perhaps most importantly, the Mean Green’s win over South Alabama serves as a measuring stick win over the Sun Belt. AFF’s Week One preview implied that this game would make a statement in the current battle for Group of Five supremacy. And while it’s true that James Madison beat down AAC bottom-feeder Charlotte, the Mean Green’s dominant performance more than made up for that specific result. South Alabama had arguably the best win for the Group of Five last season, a 33-7 shellacking of Big 12 runner-up Oklahoma State. Thus, North Texas’ win proves the American’s depth from top to bottom.
North Texas once again has one of the most exciting teams in the entire conference. The Mean Green’s high-flying air raid could cause real problems for league favorites Memphis and Tulane.
Other Notes
Not many notable stories came from the league’s slate of FCS games. Arguably, the biggest takeaway from this week was the success of the service academies’ new offenses. Navy showcased a balanced attack against Bucknell, putting up 173 passing yards and 264 rushing yards. More importantly, after only 72 carries a year ago, Midshipman FB Daba Fofana found meaningful carries once again with an efficient 82-yard performance on eight attempts in the Mids’ 49-21 win.
Meanwhile, Tulane looks like they have found their quarterback of the future in Darian Mensah. Mensah completed 10/12 passes for 205 yards in an easy 52-0 win over Southeastern Louisiana. On the other hand, East Carolina may have some quarterback issues brewing. Returning starter Jake Garcia threw three interceptions against a Norfolk State defense that Florida A&M torched for 286 passing yards in Week Zero.
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Week One of the AAC season provided a welcome warm-up for a thrilling slate of Week Two games filled with match-ups holding Playoff implications for the conference overall.
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