CINCINNATI vs UCF NAVY vs USF SMU vs TULSA HOUSTON vs VANDERBILT MEMPHIS vs TULANE
TEMPLE vs NOTRE DAME
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USF at NAVY
Saturday, Oct. 31 • Noon • CBSSN
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000/FieldTurf)
Annapolis, Md.
Television
CBSSN -
LIVE STATS
John Sadak, Randy Cross and Sheehan Burch
USF Radio - WWBA-AM 820 (flagship)
Navy Radio - WBAL-AM 1090 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between USF and Navy … USF coach Willie Taggart faced Navy in 2011 as head coach at Western Kentucky, when the Midshipmen took a 40-11 win … It is the first of two straight opponents that the Midshipmen had not previously faced … Navy is at Memphis next week.
USF
4-3, 2-1 American
Head Coach
Willie Taggart (Western Kentucky ’98)
10-20, third season at USF
28-40, sixth season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
USF improved to 4-3 with a 38-14 win against SMU, giving the Bulls their first three-game winning streak since the 2011 season USF has matched its four victories from last year … RB Marlon Mack, who was The American’s Rookie of the Year in 2014, did not play against SMU last week, but is expected to return Saturday against Navy … Mack is second in The American in rushing at 114.8 yards per game and has registered three straight 100-yard efforts … QB Quinton Flowers has started all seven games and has completed 86 of 142 passes (60.6 percent) for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns with six interceptions … Flowers also has rushed for 563 yards and seven TDs after he set The American’s single-game record for a quarterback with 201 yards against SMU … WR Rodney Adams has 17 receptions for 247 yards and five touchdowns … The Bulls rank ninth nationally in tackles for loss, averaging 8.1 per game … S Jamie Byrd has 53 tackles with four sacks, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles and is the team leader in all five categories.
-/rv NAVY
5-1, 3-0 American
Head Coach
Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii ’89)
60-36, eighth season
NOTES
Navy bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 31-14 win against Tulane last week … Navy had reeled off four straight wins to start the season, including a pair of conference victories and a 33-11 decision against Air Force in the first game of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy series, before falling to Notre Dame … The offensive leader is QB Keenan Reynolds, who already holds the NCAA career record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (75) … Reynolds needs two rushing TDs to tie the NCAA mark for all players, held by former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (77) … Reynolds has rushed for 636 yards and 11 touchdowns and has thrown two touchdown passes … Navy ranks fifth in the nation in rushing offense, averaging 301.7 yards per game … FB Chris Swain has rushed for 451 yards and four touchdowns, while FB Quentin Ezell has five rushing TDs … WR Jamir Tillman has a team-high 11 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown … LB Micah Thomas has a team-high 43 tackles, while LB Kevin McCoy has 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles to lead the front seven … CB Brandon Clements has two interceptions … The Midshipmen have recovered nine fumbles on defense.
UCF at CINCINNATI
Saturday, Oct. 31 • Noon • ESPNews
Nippert Stadium (40,000/UBU Speed Series 55M)
Cincinnati, Ohio
#UCFvsCIN
Television
ESPNews -
WATCH LIVE -
LIVE STATS
Jim Barbar and Rene Ingoglia
UCF Radio - WYGM-AM 740 (flagship)
Cincinnati Radio - WLW-AM 700 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between UCF and Cincinnati … Despite competing in The American together in the first two years of conference play, UCF and Cincinnati had not been paired on the schedule until this season … UCF interim coach Danny Barrett is a 1988 graduate of Cincinnati and a former quarterback for the Bearcats.
UCF
0-8, 0-4 American
Interim Head Coach
Danny Barrett (Cincinnati ’88)
0-0, first season
NOTES
UCF is off to an 0-8 start to the 2015 season … Head coach George O’Leary announced his retirement after the Knights fell to Houston Oct. 24 … Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett, a former head coach of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League, will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2015 season … Despite the record, UCF has held a lead in seven of its eight games this year, including five times after the second quarter or later … QB Justin Holman has completed 74 of 144 passes for 759 yards and four touchdowns with eight interceptions … WR Tre’Quan Smith has a team-high 29 receptions for 382 yards and two TDs … RB Dontravious Wilson returned to the backfield against Houston after missing five games due to injury and should bolster an offense that has rushed for two touchdowns … LB Domenic Spencer has 51 tackles with a team-leading 6.0 tackles for loss … CB Shaquill Griffin leads the team with nine pass breakups and recorded the Knights’ first defensive interception of the season against Temple two weeks ago … UCF has forced eight turnovers this season, but has committed 23 turnovers.
CINCINNATI
4-3, 1-2 American
Head Coach
Tommy Tuberville (Southern Arkansas ’76)
21-11, third season at Cincinnati
151-88, 19th season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Cincinnati picked up a 37-13 win against UConn last Saturday … The Bearcats have not had a winning or losing streak this season … Cincinnati has gone 3-1 at Nippert Stadium this season … QB Gunner Kiel started the first four games, but QB Hayden Moore had started two straight before Kiel reclaimed the spot against UConn … Kiel has completed 96 of 146 passes for 1,195 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions … Moore has likewise thrown for seven TDs and five INTs and has 1,280 passing yards … RB Hosey Williams leads a talented trio of running backs with 520 rushing yards and three touchdowns … RB Tion Green has 484 yards and four TDs, while RB Mike Boone is at 380 yards and four TDs … WR Shaq Washington has 47 receptions for 573 yards and two touchdowns, leading a group of five receivers with at least 250 receiving yards on the year … LB Eric Wilson leads the defense with 70 tackles … The Bearcats have committed 16 turnovers in seven games and have seven takeaways … Following Saturday’s game against UCF, Cincinnati will play three of its last four regular-season games on the road.
TULSA at SMU
Saturday, Oct. 31 • 4 p.m. • ESPNews
Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000/FieldTurf)
Dallas, Texas
#TULSAvsSMU
Television
ESPNews -
WATCH LIVE -
LIVE STATS
Jason Benetti and David Diaz-Infante
Tulsa Radio - KTCK-FM 96.7 (flagship)
SMU Radio - KTCK-FM 96.7 (flagship)
College Sports Now Neutral Broadcast
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 22nd meeting between SMU and Tulsa in a series that dates to 1935 … The Mustangs hold a 13-8 series lead, though the Golden Hurricane has taken two of the last three, including a 38-28 decision last year in Tulsa behind five touchdown passes from QB Dane Evans … SMU has won the last two matchups in Dallas.
TULSA
3-4, 0-3 American
Head Coach
Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State ’95)
3-4, first season
NOTES
Tulsa fell to 3-4 with a 66-42 setback to Memphis … The Golden Hurricane has scored at least 40 points in three of its seven games and has at least 34 points in five of the seven … Tulsa ranks eighth nationally in total offense (548.1 ypg) and passing in offense (364.0 ypg) … WR Keyarris Garrett ranks sixth nationally in receiving yards (138.0 ypg) after he had 14 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns against Memphis … Garrett has 59 catches for 966 yards and five touchdowns this season, while WR Josh Atkinson has 40 catches for 675 yards and three TDs … WR Keevan Lucas had a team-high five touchdown receptions before he was lost for the season with a knee injury against Houston … QB Dane Evans has completed 168 of 278 passes for 2,548 yards and 15 touchdowns and is ranked fourth nationally in passing yards (364.0 ypg) … RB Zack Langer has rushed for 596 yards and 11 touchdowns, but missed the game against Memphis … S Michael Mudoh is third nationally with 11.7 tackles per game … Mudoh has made 82 tackles with five pass breakups … LB Matt Linscott has 59 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and an interception.
SMU
1-6, 0-3 American
Head Coach
Chad Morris (Texas A&M ’92)
1-6, first season
NOTES
SMU looks to snap a six-game slide as the Mustangs play three of their next four games at home … SMU fell 38-14 to USF last week as the Mustangs were held to a season low in points … Three of the teams that have defeated the Mustangs are unbeaten this season (Baylor, TCU, Houston) … QB Matt Davis has started all seven games and has completed 117 of 204 passes for 1,539 yards and 11 touchdowns with three interceptions … Davis also is SMU’s leading rusher with 443 yards and seven touchdown on 118 carries, putting him fourth in The American in total offense at 283.1 yards per game … Freshman WR Courtland Sutton has team highs with 30 receptions, 554 yards and seven touchdown catches … Sutton has at least one touchdown catch in six of SMU’s seven games this season … RB Xavier Jones has rushed for 382 yards and five TDs … The defense is led by DE Justin Lawler, who has 36 tackles with 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble … S Darrion Richardson has a team-high 40 tackles, an interception and four passes defended. … The Mustangs have nine defensive interceptions … CB Horace Richardson and S Jordan Wyatt have two picks each … K Chad Hedlund has made 6 of 7 field goal attempts.
TULANE at MEMPHIS
Saturday, Oct. 31 • 7 p.m. • CBSSN
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (61,000/FieldTurf)
Memphis, Tenn.
Television
CBSSN -
LIVE STATS
Dave Ryan, Corey Chavous and Lauren Gardner
Tulane Radio - WMTI-FM 106.1 (flagship)
Memphis Radio - WREC-AM 600 (flagship)
THE GAME
Memphis and Tulane have met 31 times prior to Saturday’s game as the Tigers hold a 19-11-1 series lead … Memphis has won the last eight meetings, including a 38-7 win last year in New Orleans … Tulane’s last victory came in 2000 (37-14), while the Green Wave’s last win in Memphis was in the 1998 season (41-31).
TULANE
2-5, 1-3 American
Head Coach
Curtis Johnson (Idaho ’85)
14-29, fourth season
NOTES
Tulane looks to snap a three-game slide on the heels of a 31-14 setback at Navy … The Green Wave has gone 0-3 on the road this season … QB Tanner Lee returned to the starting lineup against Navy after he had missed the previous game against Houston while recovering from a concussion … RB Dontrell Hilliard leads a talented group of running backs with 292 rushing yards and four touchdowns … Hilliard leads a group of five Tulane runners who have at least 100 rushing yards on the year … WR Teddy Veal leads the Green Wave with 33 catches for 378 yards and three touchdowns, while WR Devon Breaux has 20 catches for 383 yards and three TDs … LB Eric Thomas leads the Green Wave with 51 tackles to go with 6.0 tackles for loss … LB Nico Marley, the grandson of music legend Bob Marley, has 48 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss … The Green Wave had registered one quarterback sack in its first three games, but has 15 sacks in its last four … DE Royce LaFrance has a team-high four sacks with eight tackles for loss … Five players have one interception each for the Green Wave … Tulane is 11th nationally in tackles for loss, averaging 8.0 per game.
16/16 MEMPHIS
7-0 (4-0 American)
Head Coach
Justin Fuente (Murray State ’99)
24-20, fourth season
NOTES
Memphis extended its winning streak to 14 games with a 66-42 victory against Tulsa … The Tigers are ranked in both national polls for the second straight week and take a No. 16 national mark in both polls into Saturday’s game … The Tigers rank third nationally in scoring offense (48.9 ppg), behind only Baylor and TCU, and are sixth nationally in total offense (557.3 ypg) through seven games … Memphis’ 14-game winning streak ranks third among FBS programs, behind only Ohio State (21 straight) and TCU (15 straight) … The Tigers have been led offensively by QB Paxton Lynch, who continues to generate Heisman Trophy buzz with his play … Lynch has thrown for 2,366 yards and has completed 71.6 percent of his passes (174 of 243) with 17 touchdowns and one interception … Four Memphis backs have at least 200 rushing yards, led by RB Doroland Dorceus, who has 335 yards and a team-high six touchdowns … WR Mose Frazier has a team-high 39 receptions for 490 yards and three touchdowns, while WR Anthony Miller has 30 catches for 542 yards and three TDs … K Jake Elliott is one of the top kickers in the nation and has a team-high 76 points (11-12 FG, 43-43 PAT).
VANDERBILT at HOUSTON
Saturday, Oct. 31 • 7 p.m. • ESPN2
TDECU Stadium (40,000/Synthetic)
Houston, Texas
#VANDYvsHOU
Television
ESPN2 -
WATCH LIVE -
LIVE STATS
Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore and Quint Kessenich
Houston Radio - KPRC-AM 950 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the second meeting between Houston and Vanderbilt … The only previous matchup was in the 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl, when the Commodores were 41-24 winners … That game saw Vanderbilt build a 24-0 lead and Houston rally to tie the score at 24-24 before the Commodores closed with 17 unanswered points.
VANDERBILT
3-4, 1-3 SEC
Head Coach
Derek Mason (Northern Arizona ’93)
6-13, second season
NOTES
Vanderbilt enters Saturday’s game at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the SEC following a 10-3 win against Missouri … The Commodores have also scored wins against Austin Peay (47-7) and Middle Tennessee (17-13) and has fallen to Western Kentucky (14-12), Georgia (31-14), Mississippi (27-16) and South Carolina (19-10) … Vanderbilt is allowing an average of 16.3 points per game, which is 13th nationally, and has held five of its seven opponents to fewer than 20 points … Vanderbilt has allowed 109.9 rushing yards per game … The Commodores are led by LB Zach Cunningham, who has 50 tackles and 8.0 tackles for loss … DE Adam Butler has a team-high three sacks, while S Jahmel Mcintosh leads the squad with two interceptions … The offense is paced by QB Johnny McCrary, who has thrown for 1,475 yards and six touchdowns … McCrary has rushed for 162 yards and two TDs as well … RB Ralph Webb has a team-high 594 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 150 carries … WR Trent Sherfield leads the squad with 41 receptions for 518 yards and two touchdowns … Vanderbilt ranks 125th nationally in red zone offense, scoring on 61.5 percent of its chances.
18/19 HOUSTON
7-0, 4-0 American
Head Coach
Tom Herman (Minnesota ’96)
7-0, first season
NOTES
Houston is off to a 7-0 start under first-year head coach Tom Herman … Herman is the second Houston coach in program history to begin his career with seven wins (John Jenkins, 1990) … Herman is the only new head coach nationally who remains undefeated … Houston is ranked in both national polls for the second straight week after cracking the top 25 for the first time since 2011 last week … Houston ranks ninth nationally in rushing defense through seven games (98.3 ypg) and is seventh nationally in rushing offense (291.6 ypg) … QB Greg Ward Jr. has appeared on some Heisman Trophy lists after his outstanding start to the season … Ward is tied with LSU RB Leonard Fournette for the national lead with 15 rushing touchdowns … Ward has rushed for 777 yards and is averaging 96.7 yards per game, which ranks fifth in The American … Ward has also completed 71.5 percent of his passes (133 of 186) for 1,734 yards and 10 touchdowns with two interceptions … RB Kenneth Farrow has 669 rushing yards and eight touchdowns … WR Demarcus Ayers has a team-leading 51 receptions for 654 yards and three touchdowns … LB Steven Taylor leads The American with 8.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss.
NOTRE DAME at TEMPLE
Saturday, Oct. 31 • 8 p.m. • ABC
Lincoln Financial Field (68,532/Grass)
Philadelphia, Pa.
#NDvsTEM
Television
ABC -
WATCH LIVE -
LIVE STATS
Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Heather Cox
Temple Radio - WPEN-FM 97.5 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the second meeting between Notre Dame and Temple … The first meeting was Aug. 31, 2013, when the No. 14 Irish won 28-6 in Matt Rhule’s first game as Temple’s coach … Saturday’s matchup will punctuate a day in which ESPN College GameDay will originate from Philadelphia’s Independence Mall.
9/9 NOTRE DAME
6-1
Brian Kelly (Assumption ’82)
51-21, sixth season at Notre Dame
222-78-2, 25th season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Notre Dame takes a 6-1 record into Saturday as the Fighting Irish come off an open week … The Irish fell to Clemson 24-22 Oct. 3, but bounced back with wins against Navy (41-24) and USC (41-31) before the bye week … The Fighting Irish have scored at least 30 points in all six of their wins and were held to 22 points in their lone loss … The Irish have allowed at least 22 points in all but one game (the season-opener against Texas) … Notre Dame is an excellent second-half team as the Irish have outscored their opponents 140-58 in the final 30 minutes … QB DeShone Kizer has started the last five games and has completed 65.4 percent of his passes (100 of 153) for 1,370 yards and 10 touchdowns with four interceptions … RB C.J. Prosise has rushed for 922 yards and 11 touchdowns and is averaging 131.7 rushing yards per game … WR Will Fuller has a team-high 32 receptions for 702 yards and eight TDs … The defense is led by LB Jaylon Smith, who has 56 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss to go with three pass breakups, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries … DE Romeo Okwara has a team-high three sacks, while S Luke Cole has two interceptions to pace the Irish.
21/22 TEMPLE
7-0, 4-0 American
Head Coach
Matt Rhule (Penn State ’97)
14-16, third season
NOTES
Temple is 7-0 for the first time in program history after the Owls rallied for a 24-14 road win against East Carolina last Thursday … Temple returned to the top 25 last week for the first time since 1979 … The win against East Carolina was Temple’s first victory as a ranked team since 1941 … In their last four games, the Owls scored the final 14 points against East Carolina, the last 16 points against UCF, the last 42 against Tulane and the last 27 against Charlotte … Temple has outscored its seven opponents in the second half by a 137-29 margin … The Owls has been led offensively by RB Jahad Thomas, who is fourth in the nation in all-purpose yards (175.0 ypg) and has rushed for 822 yards and 12 touchdowns on 165 carries … QB P.J. Walker has completed 113 of 189 passes (59.8 percent) for 1,314 yards and nine touchdowns … WR Robby Anderson has a team-high 31 catches for 388 yards and five touchdowns … The defense is led by LB Tyler Matakevich, the Butkus Award candidate who has 65 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss, four interceptions and four pass breakups and is the NCAA’s active career leader in total tackles (419) … Temple’s special teams unit has blocked five kicks this season.