All 13 C-USA teams are scheduled to be in action this weekend with six conference games and one non-conference contest. Five of the six matchups are division games with one on Friday night and the rest all on Saturday afternoon.
The annual Shula Bowl is slated to lead off the league’s action on Friday night when Florida Atlantic (2-1, 2-1 in C-USA) makes the 45-mile trek to FIU (0-3, 0-1 in C-USA) for a battle of south Florida (6 pm CT on CBS Sports Network. FAU has won the last three Shula Bowl trophies, named after the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Shula, who was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995.
Saturday’s action starts with Gardner-Webb (0-0, 0-0 in Big South) visiting Charlotte (2-3, 2-1 in C-USA) in a non-conference game that was added to the schedule on Nov. 3 to give the 49ers a third non-conference game after two were canceled due to COVID-19-related issues (11 am CT on ESPN3). 49ers junior Chris Reynolds is averaging 220.0 yards per game through the air and has thrown six touchdowns.
Marshall (6-0, 4-0 in C-USA) will host Middle Tennessee (2-5, 2-3 in C-USA) in what will be a special day in Huntington (11 am CT on CBS Sports Network). The game will take place 50 years to the day of the 1970 plane crash that took the lives of 75 people in the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, fans, and supporters. More on the Marshall Plane Crash Memorial
A pair of teams with very different strengths will meet in Birmingham when North Texas (2-3, 1-2 in C-USA) squares off with UAB (4-3, 2-1 in C-USA). The Mean Green have the top-ranked passing offense (338.6 yards per game) and total offense (593.6) in the conference, while the Blazers have the No. 1 passing defense (179.3) in C-USA and allow 328.6 yards of total offense (fourth).
The Lone Star State rivalry between UTEP (3-3, 0-2 in C-USA) and UTSA (4-4, 2-2 in C-USA) will be renewed at the Alamodome (2 pm CT on ESPN+). Each team has multiple receivers ranked in the top 10 of the league, with Jacob Cowing (34 receptions for 515 yards) and Justin Garrett (31 for 445) representing the Miners and Zakhari Franklin (32 for 390) and Joshua Cephus (40 for 386) being listed for the Roadrunners.
Rice (1-1, 1-1 in C-USA) will play at Louisiana Tech (4-3, 3-2 in C-USA) at 2:30 pm CT (ESPN3). Owls’ graduate transfer QB Mike Collins has thrown eight touchdown passes in his first two games in a Rice uniform. The Bulldogs are the first team in C-USA history to have two different QBs named Offensive Player of the Week in the same season when Aaron Allen earned the honor after LA Tech’s win over UAB on Oct. 31.
Southern Miss (1-5, 1-1 in C-USA) will make the trip to Bowling Green to battle WKU (2-5, 1-2 in C-USA) on Saturday afternoon (2:30 pm CT on CBSSN). Golden Eagles RB Frank Gore, Jr. leads all C-USA freshmen in rushing with 461 yards, while Hilltoppers QB Tyrrell Pigrome has not thrown an interception in six games and 152 pass attempts.
WEEK ELEVEN C-USA FOOTBALL PREVIEW
FLORIDA ATLANTIC (3-1, 3-1 in C-USA) at FIU (0-3, 0-1 in C-USA)
Friday, November 13
7 p.m. ET
Miami, Florida (Riccardo Silva Stadium)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: John Sadak (PxP), Randy Cross (AN)
All-Time Series: Florida Atlantic leads 13-4
Last Meeting: at Florida Atlantic 37, FIU 7 (Nov. 9, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**The south Florida matchup is known as the Shula Bowl. The game and trophy are named after the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Don Shula, who was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995. Each school’s first head coach has previous ties to Don Shula (Don Strock at FIU and Howard Schnellenberger at Florida Atlantic).
**Florida Atlantic has won the last three meetings, including a 37-7 victory in Boca Raton last season. Owls RB Malcolm Davidson had career highs in both rushing yards (153) and rushing touchdowns (three) in the win.
**Florida Atlantic is 3-1 for the first time since 2007 and its defense is a big reason for that start. The Owls are allowing 11.5 points on the season, second-lowest in the FBS among teams with multiple games. The FAU defense hasn’t allowed a TD in the last 141 minutes, 24 secs of game action, more than nine 10 quarters. The unit has allowed one rushing touchdown in four games, No. 1 in the nation for teams with multiple games. FAU has allowed just four total touchdowns in the first four games.
**The Owls are averaging average 3.5 sacks per game, tied for 8th among those with two or more games played. Redshirt sophomore DE Jaylen Joyner is tied for second in the league with four along with senior DE Leighton McCarthy. Freshman DE Chris Jones has three sacks.
*Punter Matt Hayball was named C-USA Special Teams Players of the Week for his performance in last Saturday’s 10-6 win over Florida Atlantic. Hayball had five punts, including a field flipping and season-long 70-yard boot. He tallied 229 yards, averaged 45.8 yards per punt and three of his kicks were downed inside the 20-yard line. WKU only attempted one return for no yards on the night.
**Redshirt freshman Javion Posey entered the WKU game in the fourth quarter, his first game as a collegiate quarterback, and ran for 60 yards on nine carries. He led the Owls on a game-winning scoring drive, culminating with an 11-yard TD run. Posey saw limited action last season as a wide receiver in 2109, appearing in three games, including the Boca Raton Bowl victory over SMU.
**FIU senior P Tommy Heatherly earned recognition from the Ray Guy Award on Oct. 25 as of its Ray’s 4 for Week 8 list as one of the best punters from the previous weekend. Heatherly boomed five punts against Jacksonville State, with an average of 49.0 yards per kick and a long of 69. Heatherly has earned a 43.8 average for the year, which ranks 25th overall in the nation. The senior from Oklahoma has also pinned four punts inside the 20, while booming four over 50 yards.
**The great punting from Heatherly has also led to the Panthers ranking second in the nation for punt return defense. FIU has allowed an impressive -3.67 yards per return this year.
**The Panthers special teams unit also leads C-USA in kickoff return average (30.0) and kickoff coverage (net average of 46.1 with 12 touchbacks on 14 attempts.
**Redshirt freshman QB Stone Norton made his first career start in the Panthers last game (Oct. 23 against Jacksonville State) and provided FIU’s lone touchdown of the game when he connected with redshirt freshman WR Nate Jefferson for a six-yard strike.
**FIU senior RB D’vonte Price ranks fourth in C-USA in rushing, averaging 101.0 yards per game. In three games he has 35 carries for 303 yards (8.6 yards per carry) and three scores.
**Senior DB Richard Dames has registered eight tackles in each of the first three games, leading the team twice. Nineteen of his 24 stops have been solo and he has added 1.5 tackles for loss and two pass breakups.
**FIU’s defense has earned 25 tackles for loss this season in only three games, to give the Panthers an 8.3 TFL average per contest. That total leads C-USA and is tied for the 12th-best in the FBS. Junior DL Tevin Jones leadsFIU with 3.5 so far this year.
GARDNER-WEBB (0-0, 0-0 in Big South) at CHARLOTTE (2-3, 2-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 14
12 p.m. CT
Charlotte, North Carolina (Richardson Field)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Bobby Rosinski (PxP), Reginald Walker, Jr. (AN)
All-Time Series: Charlotte leads 2-1
Last Meeting: at Charlotte 49, Gardner-Webb 28 (Aug. 29, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**This game was added to the schedule on Nov. 3 to give Charlotte a third non-conference game after two were canceled due to COVID-19-related issues.
**Charlotte opened the 2019 season with a 49-28 victory over Gardner-Webb, scoring five first half touchdowns. 49ers RB Benny LeMay and QB Chris Reynolds each had a pair of touchdown runs and Reynolds also threw for a three-yard score.
**With 171 passing yards last game at Duke, junior QB Chris Reynolds now has 1,100 yards through the air this season. He is the first player in 49ers history to pass for over 1,000 yards in three straight seasons and has now passed for 4,837 yards in his career, 163 shy of becoming the second Charlotte player to pass for 5,000 career yards. Reynolds has six TD passes and 0 INTs in the last four games.
**Sophomore WR Micaleous Elder continues to make an impact on the Charlotte offense. In the 49ers last game at Duke, he had six receptions for 86 yards (his second game with 85 or more yards in the last three outings) and rushed for a five-yard touchdown, his second straight game with a rushing TD.
**Redshirt junior WR Victor Tucker has scored each of the last two weeks and now ranks third all-time in receiving touchdowns, one shy of second all-time (Trent Bostick, 12). He has caught at least one pass in 12 consecutive games and now has 1910 career receiving yards, 90 yards shy of becoming the second 49er in school history to reach 2,000 (Austin Duke)
**Senior S Ben DeLuca posted six tackles at Duke to matching the 49ers all-time record of 306, held by LB Jeff Gemmell. DeLuca’s is Charlotte’s all-time leader in forced fumbles with nine.
**Gardner-Webb has practiced this fall, but this will be its first game. It also marks the debut of new head coach Tre Lamb, who came to GWU following two seasons as offensive coordinator at Tennessee Tech. The school is expected to play a Big South schedule in the spring.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE (2-5, 2-3 in C-USA) at (15) MARSHALL (6-0, 3-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 14
12 p.m. ET
Huntington, West Virginia (Joan C. Edwards Stadium)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Carter Blackburn (PxP), Aaron Murray (AN), Jenny Dell (SL)
All-Time Series: Marshall leads 5-4
Last Meeting: at Middle Tennessee 24, Marshall 13 (Oct. 5, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**The game will take place 50 years to the day of the 1970 plane crash that took the lives of 75 people in the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, fans, and supporters.
**Middle Tennessee has won the last two meetings, including a 24-13 victory in Murfreesboro last season. Asher O’Hara had 337 yards of total offense, throwing one touchdown and running for another.
**Middle Tennessee redshirt junior QB Asher O’Hara, who became the second QB in program history to rush for 1,000 yards last season, currently ranks second nationally in rushing yards among QBs with 476. He leads in C-USA in total offense, averaging 283.6 yards per game, with 11 passing touchdowns and six rushing scores. Through seven games, O’Hara has accounted for 76.5% (1,985) of the team’s total yards (2,594). O’Hara has 1,509 yards passing and 476 yards on the ground.
**Senior WR Jarrin Pierce already has a team-high 46 receptions in eight games, surpassing his total of 42 from a year ago. His 46 grabs this year is tied for the C-USA lead and ranks fifth in the country entering this week. Pierce is second in C-USA and ranks 19th nationally in receptions per game with 6.6.
**Senior receiver CJ Windham enjoyed the best game of his career in the win over Rice. Windham hauled in a career-high seven receptions for a personal-best 107 yards and a touchdown. It went down as the first 100-yard game of his career. Windham enters the Marshall game with 23 receptions on the season which is just two shy of his career best of 25 set in 2017.
**Junior safety Gregory Grate continued his outstanding junior season with his team-leading third interception of the season in the first quarter against Rice. The three interceptions are also tied for the national lead. Grate also established a new career high for total tackles with 14 at Rice to extend his team high season total to 61.
**The Blue Raiders are giving up just 197.3 yards passing per game on the season to rank fourth in C-USA and 26th nationally.
**Marshall remained 15th in the Amway Coaches Poll and 16th in the Associated Press Poll when each ranking was released Sunday. The Thundering Herd’s AP ranking is its highest since September 8, 2002. At 6-0, Marshall is one of seven undefeated teams that are 6-0 or better: BYU is 8-0, Coastal Carolina, Liberty and Notre Dame are 7-0 and Marshall, Alabama and Cincinnati are 6-0.
**Marshall is now allowing an average of 252.5 total yards per game, which ranks No. 3 in the nation – and is No. 2 among teams that have played more than one game. Among teams with multiple games played, the Thundering Herd leads the FBS in scoring defense (9.5 points per game) and rushing defense (66.8 yards per game).
**Redshirt freshman QB Grant Wells recorded 257 yards of total offense in Saturday’s 51-10 win over UMass and earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors. He completed 21-of-30 passes to seven different receivers for 228 yards and three touchdowns (no interceptions) to go with 29 more yards on the ground. Wells had touchdown tosses of 19 yards to sophomore WR Corey Gammage in the second quarter and 13 and 16-yards to senior TE Xavier Gaines in the third quarter. The Charleston, West Virginia signal-caller led a Thundering Herd attack that registered 495 yards of total offense and clicked at an average of 6.8 yards per play. Through six games, he ranks in the top four in Conference USA in pass efficiency (2nd, 155.9), passing average (3rd, 223.0) and total offense (4th, 242.3).
**Senior LB Tavante Beckett had a league-high 11 tackles with a half-tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry in Marshall’s 51-10 win over UMass Saturday afternoon in Joan C. Edwards Stadium. The Chesapeake, Va. native led a Thundering Herd defensive effort that limited the Minutemen to just 41 rushing yards on 29 carries (1.4 avg.) and 190 total yards. Beckett is fourth in C-USA in tackles, averaging 9.7 per game, and has 5.0 tackles for loss.
NORTH TEXAS (2-3, 1-2 in C-USA) at UAB (4-3, 2-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 14
2 p.m. CT
Birmingham, Alabama (Legion Field)
Television: Stadium
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), A.J. Hawk (AN)
All-Time Series: UAB leads 4-1
Last Meeting: UAB 26, at North Texas 21 (Nov. 30, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Last season in Denton, UAB closed out the regular season with a 26-21 win that allowed the Blazers to clinch their second straight West Division title. Defensive back TD Marshall made the play of the game as his 76-yard interception return with 20 seconds to go in the third quarter gave UAB a 26-21 lead and proved to be the game-winning touchdown. Mason Fine closed out his exceptional Mean Green career by throwing 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
**North Texas has not played a game since Oct. 17 due to a bye week and then back-to-back games that were not played due to COVID-19-related issues.
**Sophomore QB Jason Bean was the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose National Player of the Week following the 52-35 win at Middle Tennessee on Oct. 17. Bean entered the game with the Mean Green down 21-7 early in the second quarter and accounted for 350 total yards and five touchdowns in a little under three quarters. He completed 12-of-17 passes for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions, while rushing 10 times for a career-high 169 yards and three scores as the Mean Green outscored the Blue Raiders 45-14 with Bean in the game. The 350 yards accounted for 46% of North Texas’ total of 768 yards, a new program record, and also the second-highest offensive output in college football this season.
**North Texas senior WR Jaelon Darden continues to lead the FBS in receiving touchdowns (10), despite not playing since Oct. 17 due to multiple game postponements. His average of 137.9 receiving yards places him fifth, with 46 catches going for 640 yards. Darden is the only C-USA player with two 200+-yard receiving games. Darden’s 202 career catches put him into second place on the program’s all-time receptions list.
**UNT had three 100-yard rushers against Middle Tennessee in redshirt sophomore QB Jason Bean (169), senior RB Deandre Torrey (143) and redshirt junior RB Tre Siggers (101). Bean’s 169 yards were the fifth-most by a QB in C-USA history.
**In the 52-35 win at Middle Tennessee, on Oct. 17 North Texas finished the game with a program-record 768 total yards, producing 407 yards in the first half alone. It was the second time this season the Mean Green have set this mark (721 in the season-opening win over Houston Baptist). The Mean Green rushed for 462 yards and threw for 306, marking the second time ever they have rushed and passed for 300 yards in a game, matching the effort from the Houston Baptist win on Sept. 5. The 768 yards were the third-highest total in C-USA history and moved North Texas to second in the FBS in total offense with an average of 593.2 yards per game.
**Senior S Makyle Sanders recorded a team and career-high 11 tackles (10 solo) in the win at Middle Tennessee. After falling behind 21-7 early, the North Texas defense came up big on several occasions, holding the Blue Raiders to only seven points in the second half. Sanders has 19 of his 28 tackles on the season during the last two games.
**Senior RB Spencer Brown carried the ball 29 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 31, was his league-leading fifth 100-yard game this season and the 18th of his career (tied for 8th in C-USA history). UAB’s record holder in total touchdowns with 42, he moved into a tie for 10th on C-USA’s all-time rushing TD list with 41. Brown increased his school-record career total to 3,862 rushing yards, second among all active rushers in the FBS (behind Clemson’s Travis Etienne), and he is now No. 11 in C-USA history. In 2020, Brown’s 740 total rushing yards rank eighth among all FBS players.
**Freshman RB DeWayne McBride has erupted onto the scene and in five games has compiled 396 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while averaging an impressive 10.2 yards per carry. His 75-yard touchdown run at Louisiana Tech was the longest touchdown run in school history.
**UAB has scored on 29 of its 31 red zone possessions (.935) this season, including 22 touchdowns (12 rushing, 10 receiving).
**UAB is currently 18th nationally in total defense amongst teams who have played multiple games this year. The Blazers have held their opponents to under 300 yards of total offense in three of the last four games.
**The Blazers defense ranks ninth nationally in passing yards allowed amongst teams that have played multiple games. UAB is giving up just 179.3 yards per game through the air and have held six of seven opponents to less than 200 yards passing. The Blazers finished eighth nationally in this category last year.
**Blazers redshirt freshman K Matt Quinn was recently named to the FWAA Freshman All-America Watch List. The rookie is having an outstanding season, having made 8-of-9 field goal attempts (including seven in a row), and 27-of-27 PAT. He has made each of his last seven field goal attempts and is a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond 40 yards.
UTEP (3-3, 0-2 in C-USA) at UTSA (4-4, 2-2 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 14
2 p.m. CT
San Antonio, Texas (Alamodome)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Lincoln Rose (PxP), Darrin McLane (AN)
All-Time Series: UTSA leads 5-2
Last Meeting: UTSA 26, at UTEP 16 (Oct. 5, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**UTSA has won three straight wins in the series, including the 26-16 victory last season in El Paso. Sincere McCormick set a then-single-game rushing record with 189 yards and a touchdown and Lowell Narcisse also topped the century mark on the ground to help lead the Roadrunners.
**UTEP has a chance to notch program win No. 400 when it visits UTSA.
**Due to having two home games postponed and a third canceled, this will be UTEP’s fourth straight road game. The last time the Miners played four in a row on the road was the 1986 season, when they played five straight on the road at NM State, Hawaii, #15 Iowa, Tennessee and New Mexico. The last time the Miners played at the Sun Bowl was a 17-13 win over Abilene Christian on Sept. 19.
**UTEP WR Jacob Cowing is currently ranked 25th in the nation and 2nd in Conference USA in receiving yards six games into the 2020 season. Cowing leads the Miners with 34 receptions for 515 yards in six games. The Arizona native is averaging 15.1 yards per catch and 85.8 yards per game this season. As for WR Justin Garrett, he is currently ranked 44th nationally and 6th in C-USA with 31 catches for 445 yards and 3 TDs. He is averaging 14.4 ypc and 74.2 yards per game.
**Miners redshirt freshman RB Deion Hankins is currently ranked 27th in the country and fourth in Conference USA with six rushing TDs on the season. He leads the Miners with 83 carries for 431 yards and 6 TDs in five games played this season.
**Improvement on defense has been a big key for UTEP this season. The Miners are second in C-USA and 21st nationally in total defense, allowing 326.5 yards per game. That figure is down from an average of 430.8 yards per game in 2019. UTEP is allowing 25.2 points per game this season, which is down from 35.6 last season. If you remove the one-sided loss at Texas (59-3), that figure drops to 18.4 per game.
**UTEP sophomore DE Praise Amaewhule enters the week atop Conference USA in total sacks with 7.0 on the season, a figure that is tied for fifth nationally. He racked up 3.5 of his seven sacks in one game after a dominating performance against Louisiana Tech on Oct. 10.
**The UTSA defense has emerged as one of the best units in the nation when it comes to forcing turnovers. The Roadrunners have come up with 13 total takeaways through eight games, which leads Conference USA and stands fourth nationally. Eight of those turnovers have come in the form of an interception, including two apiece by junior CB Corey Mayfield Jr. and sophomore S Rashad Wisdom. UTSA’s eight picks pace C-USA and rank eighth in the FBS, while Mayfield Jr. and Wisdom are tied for third in the league and 20th in the country in INTs.
**UTSA sophomore S Rashad Wisdom posted a game-high 13 tackles at Florida Atlantic last week, his 3rd double-digit total of the season. He now has 63 total tackles this fall to rank 3rd in C-USA and 6th among all FBS players.
**Senior Hunter Duplessis leads all FBS kickers with 15 field goals in 2020, the third-best single-season total in UTSA history. The senior leads C-USA and ranks 10th nationally in field goals per game (1.9) and he also paces the league in field goal percentage (.938).
**Roadrunners sophomore Lucas Dean is averaging 46.3 yards per punt, which leads C-USA and ranks 5th among all FBS punters. The Australian native averaged 47.9 yards at Florida Atlantic last week and had a career-long 67-yarder, the second-longest punt in UTSA history.
RICE (1-1, 1-1 in C-USA) at LOUISIANA TECH (4-3, 3-2 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 14
2:30 p.m. CT
Ruston, Louisiana (Joe Ailett Stadium)
Television: ESPN3
Announcers: Lyn Rollins (PxP), Chris Mycoskie (AN)
All-Time Series: Louisiana Tech leads 9-4
Last Meeting: Louisiana Tech 23, at Rice 20 (ot) (Sept. 28, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Last year’s game at Rice Stadium went into overtime, where Louisiana Tech took its only lead of the game on a 12-yard TD run by J’Mar Smith in the first OT proved to be the game-winner. Smith also threw a touchdown for the Bulldogs, while Aston Walter ran for 112 yards and two scores for the Owls.
**Rice has extended its C-USA road winning streak to three games. The last time Rice won more than three consecutive C-USA road games was during a five-game streak from 10/27/12 to 10/12/13.
**Rice’s 30-6 victory over Southern Miss was the Owls’ first win by 20 or more points since a 44-24 victory over UTEP on Nov. 19, 2016.
**Rice has scored 30 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since closing the 2014 season by scoring more than 30 in the final three games, including a victory in the Hawai’i Bowl.
**Rice senior WR Austin Trammell is one of five offensive standouts from around the nation who were named to the Paul Hornung Award Weekly Honor roll on Nov. 2. Trammell set career highs with three touchdown receptions and 143 receiving yards to lead Rice to a 30-6 win at Southern Miss as the Owls snapped a five-game losing streak vs. Southern Miss. He extended his reception streak to 29 games (tied for the fourth longest active streak in the nation) with a six-yard completion in the second quarter, his shortest reception of the afternoon. He reached the end zone for the first time on a 72-yard catch and run, the longest pass play for the Owls since 2014 and added scoring grabs of 13 and 14 yards later in the game. After being shutout in the first half of the season opener vs. Middle Tennessee, Trammell has 10 receptions for 219 yards and five TDs in his last six quarters. He is the first receiver in school history to have five touchdown catches in the first two games of a season and the first to have five in a two-game stretch since James Casey and Jarett Dillard in 2008.
**Before its season opener on Oct. 24, a Rice quarterback had not thrown four touchdown passes in a game since the 2016 season opener. Mike Collins, a graduate transfer from TCU, has now done it in his first two games as an Owl. Last Saturday at Southern Miss, he finished 12-of-17 for 233 yards and four TDs. After just two games, Collins is tied for third in C-USA with eight TD passes. He is the first player in Rice history to throw eight touchdowns in the first two games of the season.
**Owls redshirt sophomore RB Juma Otoviano rushed 24 times for 107 yards in the game at Southern Miss. It was his second career 100-yard rushing game.
**After coming off the bench to complete 18-of-26 passes for a career-high 191 yards and two touchdown passes to lead Louisiana Tech to a 37-34 comeback victory over UAB in double overtime, Bulldogs sophomore QB Aaron Allen was voted the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 2. Allen threw a 30-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it a one possession game and tied it by leading the Bulldogs on a 13-play, 90-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard TD pass to senior WR Adrian Hardy with 10 seconds left in regulation. Allen remained at quarterback through both overtime periods where he helped set up K Jacob Barnes for a 36-yard and a 35-yard field goal to secure the win.
**Senior WR Adrian Hardy recorded the second two-touchdown performance of his career in Saturday’s victory over UAB, catching seven passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He has now recorded more than 100 receiving yards in two of the past three games and has eight games with over 100 receiving yards in his career. With Hardy’s two touchdown receptions, the Bulldogs now have six skill players who have recorded multiple touchdowns in a single game.
**In his two games against Rice, senior WR Adrian Hardy has totaled 16 catches for 238 receiving yards and one touchdown.
**Redshirt freshman WR Jawuan Johnson’s 30-yard touchdown reception vs. UAB was the longest TD catch of his career. He set a new career high in catches (six) and receiving yards (73) vs. the Blazers.
**Sophomore DB Bee Jay Williamson was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Williamson recorded 10 tackles and intercepted a career-best two passes against UAB, returning the first one for 79 yards. Williamson’s second interception came in the second quarter where he gained two yards before he lateraled the ball to DB Khalil Ladler who then ran it for an 81-yard touchdown. He also had a crucial pass breakup on a UAB third down play late in the fourth quarter to force a punt and set up a game-tying TD drive. In the second overtime period, Williamson forced a fumble at the goal line that was then recovered by LA Tech to set up the game-winning field goal.
**Redshirt freshman K Jacob Barnes earned his second C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week award this season following the win over UAB. He made three field goals, including one in each overtime period, hitting a 35-yarder to secure the win in double-overtime. Barnes was perfect in extra point attempts against the Blazers, making all four point after kicks to remain perfect in PATs this season. He also punted the ball six times for an average of 42.5 yards, including a career-long 53 yard punt, and placed three punts inside the UAB 20.
SOUTHERN MISS (2-5, 1-2 in C-USA) at WKU (2-6, 1-3 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 14
2:30 p.m. CT
Bowling Green, Kentucky (Houchens Stadium)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Dave Ryan (PxP), Corey Chavous (AN)
All-Time Series: WKU leads 3-0
Last Meeting: WKU 28, at Southern Miss 10 (Nov. 23, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**In last year’s meeting in Hattiesburg, Ty Storey threw two touchdowns and DeAngelo Malone turned in a dominant defensive performance with seven sacks, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble return for a touchdown.
**Redshirt senior RB Kevin Perkins had touchdown runs of 1, 11 and 17 yards in the Golden Eagles’ 24-13 win over North Alabama last Saturday. The three rushing scores were a career high for the second-year Golden Eagle who leads the team in touchdowns on the ground this season with five. Two of his touchdown runs came in the final quarter, which spearheaded a 17-point fourth period comeback for the Golden Eagles giving them the 24-13 victory over North Alabama.
**Golden Eagles RB Frank Gore Jr., has taken over the C-USA league lead in rushing among freshman with 476 yards through seven. That figure ranks fourth among all FBS freshmen. Incidentally, Gore, Jr. is 90 yards ahead of his future Hall of Fame father, who has 386 yards rushing in nine games for the New York Jets this season.
**The Golden Eagles finished the game with a total of 245 rushing yards, marking the most rushing yards for Southern Miss since tallying 252 on Nov. 24, 2018 at UTEP. The 245 rushing yards mark the third time in their last four games that they have run for 200-plus yards.
**Last week against North Alabama, junior LB Santrell Latham tied for the team-high in tackles with 10, including two tackles for loss for six yards. It was his second-straight double-digit tackle performance and third this season. Latham ranks fourth on the team in tackles with 45, while holding team bests for TFLs (6.5) and sacks (4.0). He helped the Golden Eagles limit the Lions to 175 yards of total offense, which is the fewest allowed by the Golden Eagles since holding UAB to 173 last season.
**Southern Miss has now recorded at least one sack and one turnover in each of its seven games. The Golden Eagles finished the North Alabama with two sacks and an interception.
**Senior DE DeAngelo Malone was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Malone recorded season-highs in total tackles (12), quarterback hurries (3) and sacks (2.0) in WKU’s matchup at Florida Atlantic. His two sacks were the most by a Conference USA player last weekend and resulted in 14 yards of loss for the Owls, while one of his quarterback hurries led to an interception for the Hilltoppers. For the season, Malone currently ranks first on the team in both tackles for loss (9.0) and sacks (4.0), while ranking fourth in total tackles (53).
**Senior DB Devon Key led WKU with 12 tackles at Florida Atlantic for his fourth double-digit tackle game of the season and 11th of his career. He Leads the team with 65 tackles (37 solo, 28 assisted) this season. Key ranks No. 4 among active FBS defenders with 323 tackles. He also ranks No. 4 among active FBS defensive backs with 39 consecutive starts in the secondary.
**The WKU defense has 41 pass breakups this season, which leads the FBS. Junior DB Dominique Bradshaw and senior CB Dionté Ruffin are tied for the lead with 7, while senior Roger Cray has 6. The Hilltoppers are second in C-USA in pass defense, allowing 179.8 yards per game through the air. That average is ninth nationally among teams with multiple games.
**Graduate transfer QB Tyrrell Pigrome has 182 pass attempts this season without an interception. He is only one-of-three FBS quarterbacks with 8+ passing touchdowns without throwing a pick.
**Redshirt sophomore K Brayden Narveson converted field goal attempts from 49 and 32 yards against Florida Atlantic and is now 8-for-9 on the season for field goal attempts while being a perfect 14-for-14 on PATs.
https://conferenceusa.com/news/2020/11/10/football-week-eleven-preview.aspx
