We’re through another week in the American Conference.
It started with a bang, as North Texas defeated Tulsa 45-44 in a Thursday night overtime affair filled with action, excitement, and controversial replay reviews. Then on Saturday, Memphis collected its largest road win as an FBS program, annihilating Charlotte by 51. UTSA survived Rice in a 16-14 defensive struggle. Temple stormed into Tampa and spoiled South Florida’s undefeated season. Both service academies lost road non-conference games, while
Florida Atlantic and UAB scored wins over FCS competition.
Here are the highs and lows of the week in the American:
The best: Florida Atlantic scoring 21 before its first snap
Florida Atlantic defeated FCS opponent Texas Southern 66-10 Saturday for its fourth consecutive victory. The Owls scored 21 points before they even took their first snap.
Leonard Farrow scored consecutive kick return touchdowns in the first quarter, tying 26 other players for the FBS record for most kick return touchdowns in a single game. He became the first player since Baylor’s Richard Reese in 2023 to accomplish the feat.
After Farrow’s back-to-back house calls, Wilky Dennard handed FAU a 21-3 lead on a scoop-and-score. The Owls didn’t take their first offensive snap until 2:21 remained in the first quarter. At that point, Texas Southern already completed three possessions and committed two turnovers. FAU wound up only having its offense on the field for 17:38 in the 56-point win — its largest margin of victory in program history.
The worst: It’s not the year of the service academy
Several top American contenders — Tulane, North Texas, South Florida, and Memphis — all lost their head coach and starting quarterback this offseason. With substantial turnover defining the top of the conference, 2026 appeared to be the year of the service academy, as Army and Navy enjoyed some of the best continuity in the conference.
However, Army is 2-2 and Navy is 1-3. Both teams already had a conference loss in Week 2, and both wound up dropping non-conference bouts this weekend. Army played catch-up nearly the entire game against Louisiana Tech, surrendering 503 yards in a 31-29 defeat. Meanwhile, Navy struggled mightily on offense, finishing 1-of-11 on third down in a 14-9 defeat at Air Force.
In 2024, Army went 12-2, won the conference, and finished ranked, while Navy went 10-3. Last season, the Midshipmen finished 11-2 and finished ranked. However, the odds of a ranked service academy for a third-straight season are slim as the Black Knights and Midshipmen already combine for three losses in early October.
The best: Daveon Hook returning
One of the most terrifying moments of the 2025 season transpired one day after New Year’s. In the Armed Forces Bowl between Rice and Texas State, Owls strong safety Daveon Hook was the victim of a nasty collision. During a long pause, he was immobilized on a stretcher and transported to the hospital. That could have been the end of his football career, but Hook returned to Rice for a fifth season.
He didn’t make his debut until Saturday against UTSA, and he hadn’t missed a beat. The team captain chipped in three tackles and led the Rice defense to its best performance of the season, as the Roadrunners only managed 16 points and were shut out in the second half. Hook also logged his first career interception in the contest, which was Rice’s second of the season. It’s been a journey of obstacles since the Armed Forces Bowl incident, but Hook persevered through it all and should be a major piece of this Rice defense moving forward.
The worst: Signs of progress in Charlotte
Charlotte lost its 14th consecutive game Saturday, and things aren’t getting any better. The 49ers moved their homecoming kickoff time to a standalone 11 a.m. ET timeslot due to inclement weather, and the game was essentially over before the 12 p.m. ET games kicked off. Charlotte lost 59-8 to Memphis for its fourth-worst loss since becoming an FBS program and its worst since 2022.
Memphis outgained Charlotte 674-209. Memphis converted 10-of-16 third downs, Charlotte converted 1-of-10. Memphis collected 36 first downs, Charlotte got eight. Memphis won the turnover battle 4-0.
Charlotte scored just one touchdown — a 75-yard run by Henry Rutledge on the first play of the third quarter. But the 49ers managed just eight points. In four games against FBS competition, they’ve scored single-digits three times. They have a combined three offensive touchdowns in those three games.
During this 14-game skid, Charlotte has only come within one possession of its opponent twice — against The Citadel, an FCS program that is 1-3 against its FCS peers, and against Appalachian State after scoring on a pick-six in the final two minutes.
The best: North Texas’ rebuild
North Texas had one of the most difficult rebuild efforts this offseason. The Mean Green lost their entire coaching staff and every starter from their winningest team in program history. 2025 North Texas looked like it could be a one-hit wonder, but Neal Brown wants to prove otherwise.
Through five games, the Mean Green are 3-2 with a 44-6 victory over UNLV and a road win over Tulsa. North Texas’ offense proved effective in its losses as well, outgaining reigning national champion Indiana and posting 605 yards on Texas State.
On Thursday at Tulsa, North Texas once again proved it belongs in the contenders circle in the American. The Mean Green went on the road, produced 559 yards, and overcame a double-digit deficit on the road. Had they not lost the turnover battle 3-0, the game wouldn’t have come down to overtime. Still, North Texas got the resulted it wanted. Brown’s team is 1-0 in conference play, and the schedule shapes up favorably for another conference championship run, as Florida Atlantic, UTSA, and UAB are the only teams with winning records remaining.
The worst: South Florida first halves
South Florida was the last remaining undefeated team in the American. The Bulls started the Brian Hartline with a 4-0 record, but they weren’t the most convincing performances, especially on offense. Evidence included a 19-9 win over FIU 19-9 and a 14-6 win over Bowling Green.
The Bulls’ biggest issue has been first halves. Against four FBS opponents, they’ve been outscored 30-16 before halftime. South Florida has managed one first half touchdown all year, and that was on the opening scripted drive Week 2 against Army. Typically, the Bulls elevated their offense in the fourth quarter, but that was not the case again Temple. USF lost the final frame 7-3 to the Owls, allowing a 34-yard rushing touchdown by Ajani Sheppard in the final minutes.
South Florida’s defense under former East Carolina coordinator Josh Aldridge has proven to be championship caliber. But the offense has scored under 20 points in three of four FBS matchups, and there hasn’t been much week-to-week improvement. Now USF must take the road to battle an explosive UTSA offense, and it feels like a now-or-never moment if this team wants to contend for the American Championship Game.
