Five conference games, including two division rivalries and three cross-division contests, are on this Saturday’s schedule. One non-conference game is also on the slate as we move into the seventh week of play in Conference USA.
WKU (1-3, 1-1 in C-USA) will head to Birmingham to take on UAB (3-1, 1-0 in C-USA), where the Blazers have won 20 consecutive games at Legion Field (12:30 pm CT on Stadium). Impressive defensive standouts will be on display in this one as WKU senior DE DeAngelo Malone (31 tackles, 6 TFL’s, 2 sacks) and senior S Devon Key (33 tackles ) square off against UAB LB Kristopher Moll (26 tackles, 2 TFL’s, 2 PBU’s) and DE Jordan Smith (5 TFL’s, 2 sacks, 4 QBH).
UTSA (3-2, 1-1 in C-USA) plays its second straight non-conference game when it hosts Army (4-1) for the second straight season at the Alamodome (12:30 pm CT on CBS Sports Network). Roadrunners sophomore WR Zakhari Franklin caught a team-leading and career-high tying seven balls for 79 yards and a TD last week at BYU and has 208 yards and two scores in three games played this season.
Middle Tennessee (1-4, 1-2 in C-USA) returns home from a thrilling win at FIU to host a high-powered offense in North Texas (1-3, 0-2 in C-USA) at 4 pm CT on Stadium. Two of C-USA’s most productive receivers will be on display in Blue Raiders senior WR Jarrin Pierce (36 catches for 366 yards) and Mean Green senior WR Jaelon Darden (36 receptions, 485 yards, 9 TDs), who posted the sixth-best single-game receiving yardage total in league history (244 yards) last week vs. Charlotte.
Marshall (3-0, 1-0 in C-USA) has been dominant in its three wins, outscoring its opponents 114-21, as the Thundering Herd head to Ruston for the first time since 1942 to face Louisiana Tech (3-1, 2-0 in C-USA) in the doubleheader game on CBS Sports Network (5 pm CT). Talented runners will be on display, as reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Brenden Knox of Marshall (110.0 yards per game, five touchdowns) meets up with All-C-USA RB Justin Henderson of LA Tech (66.7 yards per game, two touchdowns).
A West Division showdown will take place on the western edge of Conference when Southern Miss (1-3, 1-1 in C-USA) travels to UTEP (3-2, 0-1) at 5:30 pm MT on ESPN2. The league’s top two freshman running backs will square off in this one as the Golden Eagles’ Frank Gore, Jr., who ran for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Golden Eagles win at North Texas two weeks ago, meets up with Miners rookie Deion Hankins (300 yards and five touchdowns in four games).
FIU (0-2, 0-1) has dropped two games by a total of just five points and will look to get into the win column when it visits Charlotte (1-2, 0-1) at 8 pm ET on ESPNU. The Panthers have the top rushing offense in C-USA (229.0 yards per game), led by RB D’Vonte Price who is averaging 10.0 yards per carry. With junior QB Chris Reynolds at the helm, the 49ers have been strong through the air, averaging 254.0 yards per game on 9.0 yards per attempt.
WEEK SEVEN C-USA FOOTBALL PREVIEW
WKU (1-3, 1-1 in C-USA) at UAB (3-1, 1-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 17
12:30 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Alabama (Legion Field)
Television: Stadium
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), A.J. Hawk (AN)
All-Time Series: WKU leads 4-3
Last Meeting: at WKU 20, UAB 13 (Sept. 28, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**WKU won last year’s game in Bowling Green, as Ty Storey threw two touchdown passes and The Hilltoppers defense intercepted four passes in a 20-13 victory. Kristopher Moll had nine tackles, 1.5 TFL’s, a sack and two quarterback hurries for the UAB defense.
**WKU head coach Tyson Helton spent the 2007-12 seasons at UAB, the first five as the quarterbacks coach, and then 2012 coaching the running backs and serving as the recruiting coordinator.
**In 2019, WKU was only called for 53 penalties all season long which ranked third in FBS, and that trend has continued into 2020. So far this season, the Hilltoppers have committed only 11 penalties for 97 yards in four games, which ranks third in FBS. Last week vs. Marshall, WKU committed zero penalties for the first time since at least 2007. It was the first time an FBS team did not commit a penalty so far in 2020. There were only eight such instances in 2019.
**Senior WR Xavier Lane had a team-high 74 yards on four receptions last week vs. Marshall, including a career-long 51-yarder in the third quarter. Despite not playing in the Louisville game, he leads the Hilltoppers with 13 receptions for 152 yards along with a touchdown.
**Redshirt sophomore QB Kevarius Thomas came into the game in the third quarter and completed 9-of-18 attempts for 148 pass yards, with one touchdown and zero interceptions. The touchdown – a 26-yarder to Dalvin Smith with 0:06 remaining in the game – was his first collegiate passing score. He also carried seven times for 30 yards and one touchdown, including WKU’s game-long 13-yard rush in the fourth quarter.
**Senior S Devon Key led WKU with 10 tackles (9 solo, 1 assisted) against Marshall last week for his ninth-career double-digit tackle game. The nine unassisted tackles were a career-high. Key is second on the team with 32 tackles.
**UAB senior RB Spencer Brown tallied his third 100-yard rushing game of the season and the 16th of his career in the 21-13 win over UTSA on Oct. 3. Brown finished with 26 carries for 144 yards, increasing his school-record career total to 3,572 rushing yards. The second-leading active rusher in the FBS (behind Clemson’s Travis Etienne), he has moved into the top 15 in C-USA history at No. 14. Brown is also UAB’s career leader in rushing touchdowns with 36. In 2020, Brown’s 450 total rushing yards rank second among all FBS players.
**Senior WR Austin Watkins Jr. and TE Hayden Pittman have each extended their consecutive games with a catch streak to at least 20 games. Watkins’ streak now stands at 22 games in a row, every game he has played in a UAB uniform, while Pittman has tallied a reception in 20 straight contests. Pittman set a career-high in catches with four and was nine shy of his career-high in yards with 50 yards through the air.
**UAB is now 17-of-18 in the red zone this season. The Blazers have found their way into the red zone for a touchdown in 16 of those red zone appearances.
**The Blazer defense, which has finished Top 10 nationally in total defense each of the past two years, has been lights out the last two weeks. In its last two games, UAB has allowed just 23 total points and is averaging just 297.5 yards against. The Blazers have also been very good at getting off the field, holding South Alabama and UTSA to a combined 5-of-25 on third down.
**UAB’s pass defense ranks second nationally in passing yards allowed (153.2/game) amongst teams that have played multiple games this season. The Blazers have yet to allow a team to pass for more than 200 yards, and are coming off a game in which they held UTSA to just 90 total passing yards.
ARMY (4-1) at UTSA (3-2, 1-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 17
12:30 p.m. CT
San Antonio, Texas (Alamodome)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Dave Ryan (PxP), Corey Chavous (AN), Justin Walters (SL)
All-Time Series: Army leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Army 31, at UTSA 13 (Sept. 14, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Teams are meeting in San Antonio for the second straight season after this game was added to the schedule in August. Last year, Army QB Jabari Laws rushed for 137 yards and the Black Knights ran for 340 yards in a 31-13 win. Lowell Narcisse and Sincere McCormick each ran for TDs for UTSA.
**Junior QB Lowell Narcisse came off the bench to throw for 229 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-20 passing in UTSA’s narrow 27-20 loss at No. 15 BYU last Saturday. He entered the game on the final series of the first half and finished the afternoon with his best performance of the season in a little more than one half of football against the Cougars, who led the FBS in total defense entering the contest. Narcisse tossed a pair of TD passes in the final quarter, one for 32 yards to junior WR Zakhari Franklin early in the period and a 34-yarder to senior WR Brennon Dingle with 1:17 left to play.
**UTSA has been nearly perfect in the red zone this season. The Roadrunners have reached the opponent’s 20-yard line 21 times through the first five contests and they have scored on 20 of those trips with 11 touchdowns and nine field goals. The only unsuccessful visit to the red zone occurred in the first half of the UAB contest when UTSA did not convert on four tries following a first-and-goal opportunity from the 2-yard line.
**The Roadrunners have come up with 10 total takeaways through the first five contests, which leads Conference USA and stands fifth nationally. Seven of those turnovers have come in the form of an interception, which trails only Syracuse (8) among all FBS teams.
**UTSA senior K Hunter Duplessis was 2-for-2 in field goal attempts at BYU last Saturday. Duplessis leads the FBS with 11 field goals made on the year and has the longest active streak of field goals made with 20.
**At 4-1 Army is off to its best start since the 1996 team opened 5-0. Among teams that have played multiple games, Army is averaging a nation’s-best 311.0 yards per game rushing with 17 touchdowns on the ground.
NORTH TEXAS (1-3, 0-2 in C-USA) at MIDDLE TENNESSEE (1-4, 1-2 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 17
4 p.m. CT
Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Floyd Stadium)
Television: Stadium
Announcers: Chris Vosters (PxP), Max Starks (AN)
All-Time Series: Middle Tennessee leads 8-7
Last Meeting: at North Texas 33, Middle Tennessee 30 (Oct. 19, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Last year in Denton, Ethan Mooney booted a 22-yard field goal as time expired to give North Texas a 33-30 victory. Mason Fine finished 33-for-45 for 375 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing score for the Mean Green, while Crews Holt booted three field goals for the Blue Raiders.
**North Texas senior WR Jaelon Darden continued his strong start to the season with a career-best performance against Charlotte last Saturday, hauling in 13 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns. This marked Darden’s fourth career three-touchdown game and his 244 receiving yards gave him the second-highest single-game total in program history and tied for the sixth-most receiving yards in a single game in Conference USA annals. Darden enters this week with 192 career catches, which ranks third in program history and makes him the active career leader in FBS.
**Redshirt sophomore QB Austin Aune threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns on 23-of-43 passing last week against Charlotte in just his second career start. He is 70-of-126 for 1,108 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions, and has carried 17 times for 20 yards and another score thus far in 2020. Aune leads C-USA and ranks fifth in the nation in yards per completion (15.83), and is 16th in the nation (and third in C-USA) in yards per pass attempt (8.79).
**North Texas quarterbacks have spread the ball to 12 different receivers through the first four games of the season, three of which have over 170 yards receiving thus far.
**Redshirt junior RB Tre Siggers and senior RB DeAndre Torrey have combined to rush for 1,233 yards and eight rushing touchdowns for the Mean Green in 2019.
**Redshirt senior linebacker Kyleb Howell, was thrust into action early on at MIKE linebacker last week against Charlotte and led the team in tackles with 10, and added a half tackle for loss. Howell, who moved from fullback to linebacker after the season opener, has 23 total tackles through his first three appearances in 2020 and is tied for second on the team in tackles.
**Middle Tennessee redshirt junior QB Asher O’Hara produced four total touchdowns and 374 yards of total offense in the Blue Raiders’ 31-28 win at FIU last Saturday. O’Hara was responsible for 247 of MT’s 249 first half yards and finished with all but 30 yards of MT’s total offense. Through the air, O’Hara finished 23-of-42 with two touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Jarrin Pierce with 1:20 remaining. On the ground, O’Hara accounted for both MT rushing touchdowns in his 23 carries and 106 yards. He became the only quarterback in school history with five games of 100-plus yards rushing.
**Junior safety Gregory Grate returned to his hometown of Miami last week and enjoyed a happy homecoming when his second interception of the season thwarted FIU’s final drive and sealed the MT victory. Grate had eight tackles in the win, one shy of his career high of nine at Georgia in 2018. Grate ranks sixth nationally in interceptions and 25th in forced fumbles, while being tied for the team lead in tackles this season with 36.
**Sophomore DB Decorian Patterson is well on his way toward his most productive season as a Blue Raider. The sophomore is doing it all with 24 stops, 4.5 TFLs to rank second on the team, has a share of the team lead with 2.5 sacks while also owning an INT, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
**The Blue Raiders are giving up just 166.6 yards passing per game on the season to rank ninth nationally.
**Junior P Kyle Ulbrich came up big for the Blue Raiders in the fourth quarter at FIU last week. He had three consecutive tremendous efforts, two of which established new career highs, to give the Blue Raiders a chance for the comeback. Ulbrich had a 66-yarder, 43-yarder and 75-yarder in succession. It gave Ulbrich seven punts of 50-plus yards in his career. He has also pinned the opponent inside its 20 seven times in his career, including two inside the 10 at FIU. The career-long 75-yarder was also the fifth longest punt in program history.
MARSHALL (3-0, 1-0 in C-USA) at LOUISIANA TECH (3-1, 2-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 17
5 p.m. CT
Ruston, Louisiana (Joe Aillet Stadium)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Rich Waltz (PxP), Aaron Murray (AN), A.J. Ross (SL)
All-Time Series: Marshall leads 2-1
Last Meeting: at Marshall 31, Louisiana Tech 10 (Nov. 15, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**The only previous meeting between the teams in Ruston came in 1942 when Louisiana Tech posted a 42-0 shutout victory over Marshall.
**In last year’s game in Huntington, Brenden Knox ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns to lead Marshall to a 31-10 win. Justin Henderson ran for 87 yards and a TD for LA Tech.
**Marshall redshirt senior LB Tavante Beckett has been named the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following each of his last two games. Beckett tied a school record with three fumble recoveries in just over two and one-third quarters in Marshall’s 38-14 win at WKU last Saturday, the final resulting in a 38-yard touchdown return in the third quarter. All three turnovers led directly to Thundering Herd touchdowns. He also posted two tackles as Marshall held the Hilltoppers scoreless until the final drive of the third quarter. For the game, WKU converted just two of 12 times on third down.
**Marshall is tied for the national lead in scoring defense, allowing just 7.0 points per game. The Thundering Herd did not allow a point for 97:49 from the first quarter of the Appalachian State game until the third quarter at WKU. The unit ranks 10th in total defense, allowing 274.7 yards per game and have forced six turnovers in three games.
**Junior RB Brenden Knox, the 2019 C-USA Most Valuable Player, is off to a strong start in 2020. In last Saturday’s 38-14 win at WKU, he ran 15 times for 107 yards and his first career three touchdown game. Knox has now topped 100 yards in 12 of his 21 career games. In helping the Thundering Herd improve to 3-0, he became the 15th player in school history with 20 career rushing touchdowns and moved into 10th place on the school’s all-time rushing list with 2,295 yards in less than two full seasons.
**Sophomore WR Broc Thompson established a new career-high with 94 receiving yards on four catches – all in the first half – in the WKU game.
**Marshall leads C-USA in third down conversions at 51.3 % (20-of-39) and is third in fourth down conversions at 67% (4-of-6). The Herd is 14th nationally in third down conversions.
The Bulldogs have won eight straight games inside The Joe after defeating Houston Baptist (66-38) and UTEP (21-17) so far in the 2020 season. Louisiana Tech was an undefeated 6-0 mark inside Joe Aillet Stadium in 2019. The eight game winning streak is tied for the fourth longest home winning streak at The Joe.
**Senior RB Israel Tucker became the fifth LA Tech skill player to record multiple touchdowns in a single game this season when he ran for a pair of scores in the 21-17 win over UTEP last Saturday.
**Sophomore WR Wayne Toussant had a season-high 60-yard kickoff return against UTEP to put LA Tech at the UTEP 40 to start a drive during the third quarter. This season, Toussant averages 29.4 yards per kickoff return after returning eight kickoffs for a total of 235 yards.
**Louisiana Tech freshman LB Tyler Grubbs leads the nation in tackles with 42 through the first four games of his collegiate career. Included are four tackles for loss, along with a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
**Senior LB Trey Baldwin recorded a season-high-tying nine tackles in the win over UTEP. He also had two pass breakups on UTEP third down plays during the third quarter to force the Miners to punt on one drive and take a field goal on another.
**In his last 10 games, junior DL Milton Williams has totaled 7.5 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss. He has recorded a tackle for loss in nine of those 10 games and has recorded a sack in seven of those 10 games. He posted a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss in the win over UTEP.
SOUTHERN MISS (1-3, 1-1 in C-USA) at UTEP (3-2, 0-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 17
5:30 p.m. MT
El Paso, Texas (Sun Bowl)
Television: ESPN2
Announcers: Roy Philpott (PxP), Kelly Stouffer (AN), Kris Budden (SL)
All-Time Series: Southern Miss leads 8-3
Last Meeting: at Southern Miss 31, UTEP 13 (Sept. 28, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Southern Miss has won five straight in the series, including last year’s 31-13 triumph in Hattiesburg. Golden Eagles QB Jack Abraham completed 19-of-238 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns.
**Southern Miss junior WR Jason Brownlee is making an impact in his first season as a Golden Eagle. He has scored in three straight games and has topped the 100-yard mark in back-to-back weeks after catching four passes for 110 yards and a touchdown in the Golden Eagles’ 41-31 win at North Texas this past Saturday. Brownlee has also displayed big play prowess, following up an 88-yard touchdown against Tulane on Sept. 25 with a 68-yard scoring reception at North Texas. He is one of four players in the FBS with multiple receptions of 60+ yards.
**Freshman RB Frank Gore Jr., registered his career-high of 130 rushing yards on 23 carries in the win at North Texas. It was his first career 100-yard game rushing and his rushing yards marked the most by a Golden Eagle since Trivenskey Mosley posted 142 against UTSA on Oct. 20, 2018. His 130 yards helped Southern Miss record a total of 202 rush yards and 437 total yards, which were both the team’s most since having Nov. 16, 2019 at UTSA. Gore, Jr. averaged 5.7 yards per carry in the contest and recorded the first career rushing touchdown of his career from 11 yards.
**Redshirt junior RB Darius Maberry entered the Oct. 3 game at North Texas with 29 carries for 64 yards over the previous two years as he battled through injuries. He finished the night in Denton with career-highs of 17 carries for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
**Redshirt sophomore LB Hayes Maples has 25 tackles in the last two games following his 10-stop effort at North Texas. The Hattiesburg native has a team-high 38 tackles on the season, including 3.5 tackles for loss.
**Redshirt junior Briggs Bourgeois has handled most of the kicking duties over the first four games, after missing last year with a leg injury. This season, Bourgeois has hit six of eight field goals, 12 extra-point attempts and he followed up a career-long 49-yard field goal against Tulane two weeks ago with a 46-yarder at North Texas.
**UTEP returns to El Paso looking for its third win at the Sun Bowl this season. The Miners will also be seeking the 400th win in program history.
**UTEP sophomore DE Praise Amaewhule wreaked havoc on Louisiana Tech’s offense for the entirety of last Saturday’s game. He recorded career-highs for tackles (5), sacks (3.5 for 27 yards), tackles for loss (3.5) and pass breakups (four). Amaewhule now leads C-USA in sacks (6.0) an average of 1.20 sacks per game (11th in the nation). Amaewhule led a Miner defense that held the Bulldog offense to just 210 yards of total offense, which is the fewest for a LA Tech team since Nov. 30, 2013 at UTSA.
**Senior LB Stephen Forester came on strong late last season to earn a starting spot and hasn’t looked back since. The Dallas native leads the UTEP defense with 35 total tackles (15 solo, 20 assists), 2.5 tackles for a loss of 9 yards and 1.0 sack (6 yards) through the first five games of the 2020 season.
**UTEP QB Gavin Hardison is only the third sophomore in program history to throw for over 1,000 yards through the first five games of the season and just the 11th player all-time to achieve the feat. Hardison enters this week ranked 17th nationally among FBS quarterbacks in total passing yards. Through five games, Hardison is 75-of-143 passing for 1,056 yards and two touchdowns.
**Miners senior KR Duron Lowe was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday. Lowe responded to a LA Tech touchdown drive by taking the ensuing kickoff to the house with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in fourth quarter to make it a 21-17 game. The 100-yard kickoff return for a TD was the second of his UTEP career. On the night, Lowe had three kick returns for a total of 159 yards and a touchdown.
FIU (0-2, 0-1 in C-USA) at CHARLOTTE (1-2, 1-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 17
8 p.m. ET
Charlotte, North Carolina (Richardson Field)
Television: ESPNU
Announcers: Mike Couzens (PxP), Rene Ingoglia (AN)
All-Time Series: FIU leads 5-0
Last Meeting: at FIU 48, Charlotte 23 (Oct. 12, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**FIU extended its series winning streak to five games in Miami last October, exploding for 350 yards on the ground in posting a 48-23 victory. Anthony Jones and Napoleon Maxwell each crossed the century mark on the ground, as Jones had 117 yards and four scores, while Maxwell earned 114 yards and one touchdown.
**FIU senior RB D’vonte Price has topped the 100-yard mark in each of the first two games of the season, marking his first career back-to-back 100-yard efforts. He followed up a career-high 148 yards in the opener at Liberty with 112 yards on 13 carries on Saturday vs. Middle Tennessee along with a touchdown. In two games he has 26 carries for 260 yards (10.0 yards per carry) and three scores.
**Redshirt sophomore RB Shaun Peterson, Jr. rushed for a career-high 117 yards and two touchdowns vs. Middle Tennessee last week. He entered the season with just 73 yards on the ground in 15 games, but has rushed for 171 on 23 attempts (7.4 per carry) in the first two games of 2020.
**FIU sophomore CB Josh Turner recorded his first career interception and had two pass-breakups last Saturday vs. Middle Tennessee. He also has nine tackles in the first two games.
**Senior DB Richard Dames has registered a team-high eight tackles in each of the first two games. Twelve of his 16 stops have been solo and he has added 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups.
**After opening the season with three road games, along with a pair of postponements, Charlotte will play its first home game of the season.
**Charlotte set school records for points (49), touchdowns (7) and total offense (599) in a Conference USA game in a 49-21 road victory at North Texas last Saturday night. The 49ers balanced offense included 308 yards and three touchdowns from the passing game and 291 yards and four TDs from the running game.
**Senior RB Aaron McAllister was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week Monday after he powered a record-setting offensive performance with a pair of breakaway touchdowns and a career-best 214 yards of total offense at North Texas. Charlotte set school C-USA records for points scored (49) and total offense (599) thanks to McAllister, who rushed for 140 yards and added 74 yards through the air. He broke behind the secondary for a 71-yard touchdown reception to give Charlotte a 14-0 lead in the second quarter and he sped to a 66-yard TD run early in the 4th quarter. McAllister’s two TDs — the 49ers longest pass and longest run of the season — are the 49ers two longest plays from scrimmage – from a player who set a school-record with a 97-yard kickoff return earlier in the season.
**Transfer RB Tre Harbison III scored on an 11-yard run at North Texas – his third straight game with a rushing touchdown. The last time a 49er rushed for a TD in three s
traight games was 2016 (QB Hasaan Klugh with five 5 straight). Harbison finished with 51 rushing yards.
**Junior QB Chris Reynolds completed 15-of-22 passes (68%) for 290 yards and two TDs at UNT, including a 71-yard TD pass to Aaron McAllister that matches the longest pass of Reynolds’ career. Reynolds also caught a 15-yard TD pass for his first receiving score.
**Graduate transfer LB Tyler Murray led the 49ers with a game-high 11 tackles last week, including 7 solo takedowns. It was his second of three games with double-digit tackles (14 in debut at Appalachian State). Murray leads the team with 31 tackles on the season (10.3/gm).
