A week of record-setting performances and come-from-behind victories didn’t make the American Athletic Conference divisional races much clearer in Week 9 as eight of the league’s 12 teams hold are at least .500 in conference play. The American is the only conference in FBS football in which every team has at least three wins
Temple remains in control of the East Division race as the Owls are tied with USF for first place, but hold a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Bulls. The West Division picture has Navy in front, despite the Midshipmen’s loss to USF, but Tulsa is in control of its outcome as the Golden Hurricane sit a half-game behind Navy.
Temple remains the hottest team in The American as the Owls scored a solid 34-13 win against Cincinnati at Lincoln Financial Field for their third straight victory. QB Phillip Walker threw two touchdown passes, RB Jahad Thomas rushed for 151 yards, and the Owls’ defense limited the Bearcats to 186 yards to help Temple retain control of the East Division race.
USF bounced back from its first conference loss of the season with a 52-45 winner against No. 22 Navy at Raymond James Stadium, keeping the Bulls tied atop the East Division standings. USF raced to a 28-0 first-quarter lead and held a 42-14 halftime cushion, but had to hold off a furious Navy rally in the fourth quarter. QB Quinton Flowers rushed for 176 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 219 yards and two TDs to carry the Bulls. Navy QB Will Worth threw for a career-high 299 yards and a TD and rushed for 129 yards and four touchdowns.
Tulsa had the most impressive offensive performance of the week as the Golden Hurricane outpaced Memphis, 59-30, in a battle for second place at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. RB James Flanders tied the American Athletic Conference’s single-game record with five rushing touchdowns to go with 249 yards on 33 carries, while Memphis WR Anthony Miller had 12 catches for 250 yards and two TDs. Turnovers proved to be the difference as the Golden Hurricane leveraged four takeaways into 21 points. Tulsa clinched bowl eligibility with the win and sits even with Navy in the loss column in the West Division race.
Houston also remains in striking distance in the West Division after the Cougars overcame a 24-3 third-quarter deficit to stun UCF, 31-24, at TDECU Stadium. QB Greg Ward Jr. shook off a slow start to rush for two touchdowns in the second half, including the game-winning score with 7:27 left. Ward finished with 240 passing yards, while UCF LB Shaquem Griffin had a career day with 14 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.0 tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.
SMU picked up back-to-back wins in The American for the first time since 2013 as the Mustangs rallied for a 35-31 victory at Tulane. SMU faced a 31-21 deficit in the fourth quarter, but RB Braeden West delivered two short touchdown runs as part of a 119-yard day. Freshman WR James Proche had six catches for a career-high 164 yards and two touchdowns for the Mustangs, who evened their record at 4-4.
East Carolina ended a five-game slide in impressive fashion as the Pirates were 41-3 winners against UConn at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Pirate WR Zay Jones continued his climb up the record books as he had 19 receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown against the Huskies. That performance moved Jones into second place on the NCAA career receptions chart and leaves him 22 catches shy of former teammate Justin Hardy, who holds the all-time record of 377.