Week 14 of Conference USA action features games spread over four days. One conference game is scheduled for Thursday night, two league games and one non-conference tilt are slated on Saturday and the action finishes up with a rare Sunday afternoon conference matchup.
Louisiana Tech (4-3, 3-2 in C-USA) hasn’t played since Halloween due to four straight COVID-19-related postponements, but will look to get back on the field Thursday night vs. North Texas (3-4, 2-3 in C-USA) in Denton (5 pm CT on CBS Sports Network). Expect points to be scord, as the Mean Green is second in the league in scoring offense (34.3 points per game) and the Bulldogs are fourth (30.2).
Rice (1-2, 1-2 in C-USA) will visit No. 15 Marshall (7-0, 4-0 in C-USA) for an 11 am CT kickoff on Saturday (ESPN+). The game will feature standout linebackers in Owls senior Blaze Alldredge (32 tackles, one sack in three games) and Thundering Herd senior Tavante Beckett (69 tackles, 1 fumble forced, two fumbles recovered in seven games).
FIU (0-5, 0-3 in C-USA) will make a trip to Charlotte to face a 49ers team (2-3, 2-1 in C-USA) that is trying to get back into action for the first time in 35 days. Panthers senior RB D’Vonte Price is averaging 116.2 yards per game with four touchdowns in five outings. Charlotte junior QB Chris Reynolds averages 220.0 yards per game through the air with six TD passes in five games.
Florida Atlantic (5-1, 4-1 in C-USA) will be seeking its fifth straight victory when it steps out of conference to visit Georgia Southern (6-4, 4-3 in Sun Belt) in a matchup that was postponed back in September (5 pm CT on ESPN+). Redshirt freshman QB Javion Posey is 2-0 as the Owls starting quarterback and has run for 332 yards and three touchdowns in nine quarters of action this season.
UAB (4-3, 2-1 in C-USA) hasn’t played since Halloween due to a bye and three straight COVID-19-related postponements, but will look to get back into action with a Sunday afternoon game (1:30 pm CT on ESPN3) three hours up the road at Middle Tennessee (3-6, 2-4 in C-USA). The Blazers defense is third in the league in total defense (328.6 yards per game) and scoring defense (23.4 points per game). That unit will be challenged by Blue Raiders junior QB Asher O’Hara, who leads C-USA in total offense at 284.3 yards per game with 12 passing touchdowns and seven rushing scores.
WEEK FOURTEEN C-USA FOOTBALL PREVIEW
LOUISIANA TECH (4-3, 3-2 in C-USA) at NORTH TEXAS (3-4, 2-3 in C-USA)
Thursday, December 3
5 p.m. CT
Denton, Texas (Apogee Stadium)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), Danny Kanell (AN)
All-Time Series: North Texas leads 11-7
Last Meeting: at Louisiana Tech 52, North Texas 17 (Nov. 9, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Louisiana Tech rolled up 542 yards of total offense and had five rushing touchdowns in last year’s meeting in Ruston, winning 52-17. RB Justin Henderson ran for two scores and QB J’Mar Smith had 307 total yards and one passing TD. Tre Siggers ran for 77 yards and a TD for the Mean Green.
**Louisiana Tech has not played a game since defeating UAB on October 31. Games scheduled against North Texas, Rice, Louisiana-Monroe and FIU were all postponed or canceled due to COVID-19-related issues.
**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.
**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 Nov. 2. 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.
**North Texas senior WR Jaelon Darden continues to lead the FBS in receiving touchdowns (12), despite not playing more than a month due to a bye and three game postponements. At UTSA last Saturday, he hauled in eight passes for 143 yards and a touchdown, marking his eighth straight game with at least one touchdown catch, dating back to the 2019 season finale. The 75-yard touchdown catch, the longest reception of his storied career, tied Darden for the most receiving TDs in program history (31) and he now has the third-most total touchdowns in program history (32). His eight receptions give him 58 on the season and he is third all-time in program history in career catches with 214. Darden’s 143 receiving yards marked his third game this season with 100-plus yards receiving and sixth of his career. He also moved into fourth place all-time in career receiving yards at North Texas with 2,474.
**Redshirt freshman RB Oscar Adaway III finished the game at UTSA last week with 15 carries for 101 yards – his second 100-yard game this season and the third of his career. He is one of four Mean Green players to run for more than 100 yards in a game in 2020.
**The 75-yard touchdown pass from redshirt sophomore QB Jason Bean to Jaelon Darden was the seventh scrimmage play of 50 yards or longer for North Texas in seven games this season. That is the second-most in C-USA, trailing only UTSA, which has eight in 11 games played.
**North Texas is ranked fourth in the FBS in total offense with an average of 536.9 yards per game. The Mean Green lead C-USA and rank 10th nationally in rushing, averaging 246.9 yards per game on the ground. UNT also tops C-USA in passing with a 290.0 yard average.
**Junior LB KD Davis finished the UTSA game with eight tackles and one tackle for-loss. He leads the Mean Green with an average of 8.0 stops per game and has added 3.0 sacks.
**Senior DL Dion Novil is tied for sixth in C-USA with 8.0 tackles for loss this season. He is in 11th place all-time in UNT history with 28.0 in his career. Novil has added 36 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and 2.0 forced fumbles on the season.
RICE (1-2, 1-2 in C-USA) at (15) MARSHALL (7-0, 4-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, December 5
12 p.m. ET
Huntington, West Virginia (Joan C. Edwards Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Jake Griffith (PxP), Dave Wilson (AN)
All-Time Series: Marshall leads 5-2
Last Meeting: Marshall 20, Rice 7 (Nov. 2, 2019)
FAST FACTS
**Marshall won last season’s meeting at Rice, 20-7. Brenden Knox ran for 130 yards and a touchdown, while Armani Levias caught seven passes for 96 yards to lead the Herd offense.
**Graduate transfer QB Mike Collins was 23-of-34 for 327 yards and two touchdowns at North Texas. Collins’ 23 completions tied a career-high and the 327 passing yards are the most since Tyler Stehling had 407 against Prairie View A&M on Oct. 22, 2016 and the most in a conference game since Driphus Jackson’s 359 at UTSA on Nov. 21, 2015. Collins leads C-USA with an average of 267.3 yards passing and is fourth in touchdown passes with 10, despite playing just three games.
**Rice senior WR Austin Trammell caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown at North Texas last week. It was Trammell’s second 100-yard game this year and the fourth of his career. He became the first Owls player with consecutive 100-yard games since Jorden Taylor in 2014. Trammell now has 13 receiving touchdowns in his career, tying him for eighth-place on Rice’s all-time list.
**Sophomore WR Jake Bailey set career-highs with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown vs. Nort Texas. It is his second touchdown of the season. Bailey’s 35-yard reception in the first quarter was the longest of his career.
**Senior LB Blaze Alldredge recorded 11 tackles, his second double-digit tackle game this year and seventh in his career. He has 32 tackles through the first three games with one sack and two TFLs. Alldredge’s 10.7 tackles per game ties for the C-USA lead and ties for 22nd nationally.
**Redshirt freshman DE Josh Pearcy recorded a career-high seven tackles at UNT to give him 10 stops on the season. He has one sack and a team-high 2.5 tackles for loss.
**Marshall will be seeking its 10th straight home win when it host Charlotte on Saturday. That streak is currently tied for the 10th-longest in the FBS.
**Marshall (7-0, 4-0 in C-USA) remained 15th in the Amway Coaches Poll and moved up one spot to 15th in the Associated Press Poll when each ranking was released on Sunday. The Thundering Herd’s AP ranking is its highest since September 8, 2002. With a 7-0 mark, Marshall is one of six undefeated teams that are 7-0 or better this season: BYU, Liberty and Notre Dame are 8-0, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina and Marshall are all 7-0.
**On an emotional day during a 50th anniversary tribute to its players lost in the 1970 plane crash, Marshall overwhelmed Middle Tennessee in a 42-14 home win. For remaining undefeated at the top of the Conference USA standings and in honor of its special occasion, the Thundering Herd has earned the Reveal Suits National Team of the Week honor for games of the weekend of Nov. 14, as selected by the Football Writers Association of America. This is the second time for Marshall (7-0) to earn the Team of the Week honor and first since 2003, the second year of the award when the Herd earned its first win over a ranked FBS team (Kansas State).
**Marshall is now allowing an average of 259.7 total yards per game, which ranks No. 4 in the nation – and is No. 3 among teams that have played more than one game. The Thundering Herd lead the FBS in rushing defense (65.3 yards per game), are second in scoring defense (10.1 points per game) and 13th in third down conversions (29.6%).
**Redshirt freshman QB Grant Wells earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second straight week and third time this season Monday. He was also named to The Davey O’Brien Award Great 8 list, was listed as a Manning Award Star of the Week and was named the National Offensive Freshman of the Week by Athlon’s. Wells completed 25-of-37 passes for 336 yards and five touchdowns (most ever by a Thundering Herd freshman) in a 42-14 victory over Middle Tennessee, also adding 39 rushing yards. Wells’ banner day marked the 20th five-touchdown game in Marshall history, but from that list the last quarterback to also throw for at least 300 yards without an interception was by Byron Leftwich in 2001.
**Redshirt senior WR Willie Johnson caught eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, establishing new career highs in all three categories. It was a breakout performance for Johnson, who entered the game with seven catches for 70 yards in five games this season.
**Redshirt senior S Nazeeh Johnson had a game-high 13 tackles (with a league-high nine solo) with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in Saturday’s 42-14 win over Middle Tennessee. On his 200th career tackle, Johnson chased down the Blue Raiders’ Marquel Tinsley at the Thundering Herd’s 8-yard line, punched the ball free and fell on it at that spot. Marshall then scored four plays later to go up 28-7.
FIU (0-5, 0-3 in C-USA) at CHARLOTTE (2-3, 2-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, December 5
12 p.m. ET
Charlotte, North Carolina (Richardson Stadium)
Television: ESPN3
Announcers: Bobby Rosinski (PxP), Reginald Walker, Jr. (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.
**Senior RB D’vonte Price has rushed for 100 or more yards in four of five games this season. He also has a team-best four touchdowns. Price now ranks third in C-USA for rush yards per carry (6.84) and 11th in the country for rush yards per game (116.2).
**After his 116-yard receiving game vs. Florida Atlantic, Rivaldo Fairweather became the first true freshman TE to earn a 100-yard receiving game at FIU. He also scored on a 67-yard catch and run.
**Senior DB Richard Dames has registered at least eight tackles in four of the first five games, leading the team four times. Of his 36 stops, 26 have been solo and he has added 2.0 tackles for loss and two pass breakups.
**FIU’s defense has earned 36 tackles for loss this season in only five games, to give the Panthers a 7.2 TFL average per contest. That total ranks third in C-USA and is 31st in the FBS. Junior DL Davion Strickland leads FIU with 4.0 so far this year.
**FIU senior P Tommy Heatherly has earned a 44.4 average on punts this season, ranking 23rd overall in the country. The senior from Oklahoma has also pinned seven punts inside the 20, while booming seven over 50 yards.
**The great punting from Heatherly has also led to the Panthers ranking sixth in the nation for punt return defense. FIU has allowed an impressive -0.43 yards per return this year (seven returns for -3 yards total).
**Charlotte has not played a game since Oct, 31 at Duke due to COVID-19-related issues causing the postponement/cancelation of the last four games.
**With 171 passing yards in his 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.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC (5-1, 4-1 in C-USA) at GEORGIA SOUTHERN (6-4, 4-3 in Sun Belt)
Saturday, December 5
6 p.m. ET
Statesboro, Georgia (Edwin Jackson Memorial Stadium)
Television: ESPN3
Announcers: Matt Stewart (PxP), Danny Waugh (AN)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
FAST FACTS
**This game was re-scheduled from September 19 when COVID-19-related issues caused the postponement of the first meeting between the schools.
**Florida Atlantic has won four straight games to move to 5-1 on the season and the Owls defense has played a large role in that success. FAU has allowed just six touchdowns in six games and rank second nationally in scoring defense, allowing 11.2 points per game. The unit is eighth in total defense, surrendering an average of 293.8 yards per game.
**With three sacks against UMass on Nov. 20, the team is up to 22 sacks this year. The Owls are averaging 3.67 sacks per game, tops in C-USA and tied for eighth among all FBS teams.
**The Owls used a dominating defensive performance to defeat Massachusetts, 24-2, last Friday night. The FAU defense held the Minutemen to 147 total yards: 62 rushing (2.5 per carry) and 85 passing. UMass was 3-of-14 on 3rd down and 0-2 on 4th. UMass’ 14 drives were 10 punts, two that ended on a turnover-on-downs and the two interceptions.
Senior LB Leighton McCarthy is tied for second in the FBS with 8.0 sacks per game and is 17th in tackles for loss with 10.0. He has at least one sacks in five of six games, has added seven quarterback hurries and posted 26 total tackles.
**Last week, redshirt sophomore DE Jalen Joyner was added to the watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, given to the nation’s top defensive end. He is tied for second in C-USA with 6.0 sacks, has 24 total tackles and one forced fumble.
**Redshirt freshman QB Javion Posey is 2-0 as the Owls starting quarterback after he threw for 203 yards on just 13 completions and rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown in a 24-2 win over Massachusetts last Friday night. His 70-yard touchdown run was the longest rush by a quarterback in FAU history. Posey has run for 332 yards and three touchdowns in nine quarters of action this season.
**Georgia Southern has played an FBS-high eight one-possession games this season, winning five of them.
UAB (4-3, 2-1 in C-USA) at MIDDLE TENNESSEE (3-6, 2-4 in C-USA)
Sunday, December 6
1:30 p.m. CT
Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Floyd Stadium)
Television: TBA
Announcers: TBA (PxP), TBA (AN)
All-Time Series: Series Tied 4-4
Last Meeting; UAB 27, at Middle Tennessee 25 (C-USA Championship Game) (Dec. 1, 2018)
FAST FACTS
**This game was added to the schedule on November 29 to help make up for games that been lost for each school due to COVID-19-related issues.
**This will be the ninth meeting between the schools, with the series currently tied at 4-4. UAB won the last matchup, 27-25 over Middle Tennessee in the 2018 C-USA Football Championship in Murfreesboro. That came one week after the Blue Raiders had defeated the Blazers to earn the right to host the Championship Game in Murfreesboro.
**UAB has scored on 29 of its 31 red zone possessions (.935) this season, including 22 touchdowns (12 rushing, 10 receiving).
**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.
**After combining for 91 catches, 1,646 yards and 11 touchdowns last year, redshirt senior receivers Austin Watkins Jr. and Myron Mitchell are once again the go-to receivers for UAB, combining for 60 catches, 828 yards and five touchdowns in seven games. Watkins has 34 receptions for 468 yards and three touchdowns, while Mitchell has 26 catches for 360 yards and two scores.
**UAB is currently 22nd nationally in total defense, allowing 322.6 yards per game. The Blazers have held their opponents to under 300 yards of total offense in three of the last four games.
**UAB ranks second in C-USA and 10th nationally in passing yards allowed. 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.
**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 fourth nationally in rushing yards among QBs with 601. He leads in C-USA in total offense, averaging 284.6 yards per game, with 12 passing touchdowns and seven rushing scores. Through nine games, O’Hara has accounted for 77.8% (2,561) of the team’s total yards (3,293) with 1,960 yards passing and 601 yards on the ground. In 2019, O’Hara accounted for 75% of the Blue Raiders total yards.
**MT senior linebacker DQ Thomas forced his second fumble of the season and seventh of his career in the second quarter against Troy last week. The seven forced fumbles moved Thomas into a tie with Jeremy Kellem and Mike Caldwell for second on the school’s career list and two shy of the all-time program record. Thomas also added a first-half sack giving him 15.5 for his career to move past Anthony McCord for fifth place on the MT all-time list. Thomas made his team-leading 33rd straight start on Saturday and finished with six total tackles — four solo — two tackles for loss and a strip sack.
**Junior S Gregory Grate continued his outstanding season with another stellar day at Troy. He moved into a tie for this in the nation in interceptions with his fourth pick of the year in the third quarter. The INT came with Troy at the MT 21 and threatening to tie the game. Grate is tied for the FBS lead with three forced fumbles and he’s 18th nationally in tackles with 74.
**The Blue Raiders are tied for 18th nationally and second in C-USA in turnovers gained with 14. MT has forced at least one turnover in eight straight games. After starting the year -6 in turnover margin through five games, MT is +4 over its last four outings.
**Senior K Crews Holt continued to move up the career lists in two kicking categories against Troy. His second-quarter field goal was the 36th of his career, moving him into fifth on the school’s career list. Holt connected for one of the biggest field goals of his career when he booted a career-long 49 yard effort to give the Blue Raiders a 20-10 lead late in the fourth quarter. With two extra points, Holt cruised past Colby Smith for seventh on the all-time PAT list and now has 97 for his career.
https://conferenceusa.com/news/2020/12/1/football-week-fourteen-preview.aspx
