FULL RECAPS FROM ALL 12 GAMES
Highlights from Week 1:
Teams from The American were a combined 10-2 in the first week of the season as the .833 winning percentage trailed only the Big Ten’s .857 mark among FBS conferences (through Saturday).
The highlight came at NRG Stadium as No. 15/13 Houston scored a 33-23 win against No. 3/3 Oklahoma in front of more than 71,000 fans and a huge network television audience. QB Greg Ward Jr. led the way offensively with 321 yards and two touchdown passes, while CB Brandon Wilson provided the key play of the game with a 100-yard return of a missed field goal that effectively put the game out of reach in the third quarter.
Tulsa rolled to a 45-10 win against San Jose State as the Golden Hurricane got three touchdown runs from RB D’Angelo Brewer along with a pair of defensive scores.
SMU is 1-0 for the first time since 2009 after the Mustangs took a 34-21 win at North Texas. WR Courtland Sutton had three touchdown receptions, while DE Justin Lawler finished with 3.5 sacks to lead the defense.
Saturday was a good day for three first-time head coaches as UCF’s Scott Frost (38--0 against South Carolina State), East Carolina’s Scottie Montgomery (52-7 over Western Carolina) and Memphis’ Mike Norvell (35-17 against Southeast Missouri State) all came away with comfortable victories.
USF, the preseason favorite in The American’s East Division, enjoyed a 56-20 win against Towson in Tampa, while Navy showed little to no rust in a 52-16 victory against Fordham. Cincinnati and UConn scored weeknight wins to get The American off to a solid start to Week 1.
Two American Athletic Conference teams will look to Week 2 to get into the win column as Tulane opened with a 7-3 loss at Wake Forest and Temple fell 28-13 to Army in Philadelphia.