UCF
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HOUSTON
Saturday, Oct. 29 • Noon • ESPNU
TDECU Stadium (40,000/Synthetic)
Houston, Texas
Television
ESPNU
Roy Philpott, Tom Ramsey and Dawn Davenport
UCF Radio - WYGM-FM 96.9 (flagship)
Houston Radio - KPRC-AM 950 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the eighth meeting between UCF and Houston in a series that dates to 2005 … The Knighs hold a 5-2 series lead and had won four straight against the Cougars until Houston’s 59-10 win in Orlando last season … RB Kenneth Farrow rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s Houston win.
UCF
4-3, 2-1 American
Head Coach
Scott Frost (Nebraska ’97)
4-3, first season
NOTES
UCF came away from a physical matchup with UConn with a 24-16 victory last weekend, giving the Knights three wins in their last four games … The only game keeping the Knights from a four-game winning streak was a 26-25 loss to Temple Oct. 15, when the Owls scored the winning points with one second left … QB McKenzie Milton has thrown for 960 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions this season … RB Dontravious Wilson has a team-high seven rushing touchdowns and 371 rushing yards … WR Tre’Quan Smith has 23 catches for 360 yards and three touchdowns … LB Shaquem Griffin has team highs with 6.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss, while LB Mark Rucker leads the squad with 52 total tackles … CB Shaquill Griffin and S T.J. Mutcherson have a team-high two interceptions each.
rv/24 HOUSTON
6-2, 3-2 American
Head Coach
Tom Herman (Cal Lutheran ’97)
19-3, second season
NOTES
Houston, which had won 18 of its first 19 games under second-year coach Tom Herman, has dropped two of its last three following a 38-16 setback at SMU … The Cougars rank sixth the nation in rushing defense (98.5 ypg) and 13th in total defense (312.1 ypg) … The Cougars have been ranked as high as No. 5 in the USA Today coaches’ poll … QB Greg Ward Jr. has completed 178 of 257 passes (69.3 percent) for 2,179 yards and 13 touchdowns with five interceptions … Ward, who also has six rushing TDs, is 24-4 as Houston’s starting quarterback … WR Linell Bonner leads the team with 59 catches for 677 yards and two TDs … RB Duke Catalon returned to the lineup against SMU after he missed three games due to injury … DT Ed Oliver has a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss as a true freshman.
UCONN
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EAST CAROLINA
Saturday, Oct. 29 • Noon • ESPNews
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (50,000/Grass)
Greenville, N.C.
Television
ESPNews
Mike Couzens and Dan Hawkins
UConn Radio - WTIC-AM 1080 (flagship)
East Carolina Radio - WNCT-FM 107.9 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the third between UConn and East Carolina … Each team has defended its home field in the series as the Pirates took a 31-21 win in Greenville in 2014 before the Huskies were 31-13 winners in East Hartford last season … UConn RB Arkeel Newsome had 244 all-purpose yards and two TDs in last year’s game.
UCONN
3-5, 1-4 American
Head Coach
Bob Diaco (Iowa ’95)
11-22, third season
NOTES
UConn has dropped back-to-back games and four of its last five following a 24-16 setback to UCF … The Huskies have gone 3-0 when they have held their opponent to 21 points or fewer and 0-5 when the opponent has scored more than 21 … UConn has been outscored by a 38-9 margin in the first quarter this season … QB Bryant Shirreffs has completed 150 of 253 passes (59.3 percent) for 1,830 yards and seven touchdowns and four interceptions … WR Noel Thomas is ranked fourth nationally in receptions (9.5 per game) … Thomas has 76 catches for 923 yards and three touchdowns … RB Arkeel Newsome has a team-high 513 rushing yards with four TDs … S Obi Melifonwu has a team-high 64 tackles with two interceptions … DE Luke Carrezola has 3.0 sacks and a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss.
EAST CAROLINA
2-5, 0-3 American
Head Coach
Scottie Montgomery (Duke ’00)
2-5, first season
NOTES
East Carolina started the season with back-to-back wins, but the Pirates look to rid themselves of a five-game slide after a 31-19 setback at Cincinnati last week … The Pirates have played four of their last five games on the road … East Carolina is 2-1 at home this season … The Pirates are ranked fifth in the NCAA in passing offense (364.4 ypg) and ninth in total offense (513.7 ypg) … QB Philip Nelson has completed 188 of 276 passes (68.1 percent) for 2,124 yards and 13 touchdowns with six interceptions … WR Zay Jones leads the NCAA in receptions (13.6 per game) and has 95 catches for 909 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 129.9 yards per game … RB James Summers leads the squad with 454 rushing yards and three TDs … LB Terrell Richardson has a team-high 43 tackles … East Carolina has registered only one sack in seven games.
CINCINNATI
at
TEMPLE
Saturday, Oct. 29 • Noon • CBS Sports Network
Lincoln Financial Field (68,532/Grass)
Philadelphia, Pa.
Television
CBS Sports Network
Dave Ryan, Corey Chavous and Melanie Gardner
Cincinnati Radio - WLW-AM 700 (flagship)
Temple Radio - WPEN-FM 97.5 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 20th meeting between Cincinnati and Temple in a series that dates to 1979 … Temple holds a 10-7-1 lead after the Owls snapped the Bearcats’ five-game series winning streak with a 34-26 victory in Cincinnati last year … The Bearcats have won the last three meetings in Philadelphia.
CINCINNATI
4-3, 1-3 American
Head Coach
Tommy Tuberville (Southern Arkansas ’76)
29-17, fifth season at Cincinnati
160-94, 21st season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Cincinnati snapped a two-game slide as the Bearcats took a 31-19 win against East Carolina … The Bearcats lead the nation with 14 defensive interceptions, giving them five more than they had in the entire 2015 season … QB Gunner Kiel made his first start since last season and threw for 348 yards and four touchdowns … Kiel became the third player to start at quarterback for Cincinnati this season … RB Tion Green has rushed for 431 yards and two touchdowns, while RB Mike Boone has 342 yards and two TDs … WR Nate Cole leads the squad with 38 catches for 392 yards and four touchdowns … LB Eric Wilson is the American Athletic Conference leader with 81 tackles and is ranked fourth nationally at 11.6 tackles per game. … Wilson also has 3.0 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
TEMPLE
5-3, 3-1 American
Head Coach
Matt Rhule (Penn State ’97)
23-23, third season
NOTES
Temple has won back-to-back games, and four of its last five, after the Owls’ 46-30 win against USF last Friday … Temple is in first place in The American’s East Division and has tiebreaker advantages against both USF and UCF… QB Phillip Walker has thrown for 1,791 yards and 11 touchdowns with 10 interceptions … RB Ryquell Armstead has a team-high 613 rushing yards, while RB Jahad Thomas has 413 … The duo has combined for 18 rushing touchdowns (nine for each player), while Thomas has three TD receptions as well … WR Keith Kirkwood has 25 receptions for 382 yards and three touchdowns … DE Haason Reddick has a team-high 37 tackles with 6.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss … Reddick is the NCAA FBS leader in tackles for loss with his average of 1.9 per game … Reddick has 6.5 sacks this season.
SMU
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TULANE
Saturday, Oct. 29 • 4 p.m. • ESPNews
Yulman Stadium (30,000/UBU Speed Series 5M)
New Orleans, La.
Television
ESPNews
Dave Lamont and Brian Kinchen
SMU Radio - KTCK-FM 98.7 (flagship)
Tulane Radio - WMTI-FM 106.1 (flagship) )
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 23rd meeting between SMU and Tulane in a series that dates to the 1943 season … Tulane is 13-9 against the Mustangs, but SMU has won four of the last five meetings, including a 49-21 victory in Dallas last year … SMU RB Xavier Jones rushed for 117 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s win.
rv/- SMU
3-4, 1-2 American
Head Coach
Chad Morris (Texas A&M ’92)
5-14, second season
NOTES
SMU turned in its best performance of the season as the Mustangs’ were 38-16 winners against then-No. 11 Houston … SMU held Houston to 303 offensive yards and registered seven sacks against the Cougars … SMU is fifth in the nation with 13 defensive interceptions in 2016, or three more than the Mustangs’ had in 2015 … S Jordan Wyatt and CB Horace Richardson have four interceptions each, while Wyatt has scored two touchdowns on pick sixes … RB Braeden West has 521 rushing yards and three touchdowns in six games … QB Ben Hicks has thrown for 1,512 yards and nine TDs with nine interceptions … WR Courtland Sutton has 37 catches for 673 yards and five touchdowns … DE Justin Lawler has 39 tackles, 6.0 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss to go with two blocked kicks.
TULANE
3-4, 0-3 American
Head Coach
Willie Fritz (Pittsburg State ’83)
3-4, first season at Tulane
158-70, 20th season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Tulane looks to snap a two-game slide after the Green Wave fell 50-27 at Tulsa last week …Tulane had won three of four games prior to back-to-back losses to Memphis and Tulsa … Tulane ranks third in the American Athletic Conference in total defense, allowing 358.6 yards per game … The Green Wave leads The American and is fourth nationally in turnover margin (1.29 per game) … QB Glen Cuiellette has thrown for 653 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions … WR Terren Encalade has a team-high 23 receptions for 302 yards and four TDs … RB Dontrell Hilliard has rushed for 529 yards and seven touchdowns … The defense is led by LB Nico Marley, who has 52 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss, an interception and two forced fumbles.
TULSA
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MEMPHIS
Saturday, Oct. 29 • 8 p.m. • ESPNews
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (58,862/FieldTurf)
Memphis, Tenn.
Television
ESPNews
Mike Corey and Rene Ingoglia
Tulsa Radio - KXBL-FM 99.5 (flagship)
Memphis Radio - WREC-AM 600 (flagship)
THE GAME
Tulsa and Memphis first met in the 1961 season, and the schools have 26 previous meetings prior to Saturday’s game … The Tigers hold a 16-10 series lead … Last year’s meeting saw both starting quarterbacks — Memphis’ Paxton Lynch and Tulsa’s Dane Evans — throw for more than 400 yards and four TDs in the Tigers’ 66-42 win.
-/rv TULSA
5-2, 2-1 American
Head Coach
Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State ’95)
11-9, second season
NOTES
Tulsa bounced back from a heartbreaking loss to Houston with a solid 50-27 win against Tulane Saturday … The Golden Hurricane has won four of its last five and sits a game behind first-place Navy in the American Athletic Conference West Division loss column … RB D’Angelo Brewer leads The American in rushing with 114.7 yards per game, which ranks 13th nationally … Brewer has 803 yards and four touchdowns on 163 carries … QB Dane Evans has completed 136 of 236 passes for 1,736 yards and 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions … WR Keevan Lucas has 44 receptions for 663 yards and six TDs … The defense is led by LB Trent Martin, who has 48 tackles, and LB Petera Wilson, who has a team-high 4.5 sacks … K Redford Jones leads American kickers in scoring with 10.3 points per game..
MEMPHIS
5-2, 2-1 American
Head Coach
Mike Norvell (Central Arkansas ’05)
5-2, first season
NOTES
Memphis fell to 5-2 on the season with a 42-28 setback at Navy last week … The Tigers are 5-0 against unranked opponents and 0-2 against nationally ranked teams this season … Memphis is 4-0 at home this season and 1-2 on the road … The Tigers have been led by QB Riley Ferguson, who has completed 154 of 237 passes for 1,929 yards and 14 touchdowns with six interceptions … RB Doroland Dorceus has team highs with 469 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns … WR Anthony Miller has a team-high 41 receptions for 572 yards and three touchdowns … LB Genard Avery leads the defense with 44 tackles and two interceptions … WR Tony Pollard is averaging 32.92 yards on kickoff returns with two touchdowns … Memphis had not had a kickoff returned for a TD in 20 years prior to this season.