The midway point of the season is almost upon us and week seven in Conference USA will feature five division games and a pair of non-conference home games.

2019 Week Seven Previews.(pdf)
 
Old Dominion and Marshall begin the day’s action in Huntington (1:30 pm CT on Stadium).  Both schools will look to get their offenses back on track after tough divisional losses last Saturday.
 
Florida Atlantic will put its three-game winning streak on the line when Middle Tennessee comes to town (3 pm CT on ESPN+).  The Owls have topped the 40-point mark in all three of those wins, with sophomore QB Chris Robison completing 75% of his passes with 11 TD passes and one INT over that stretch.  The Blue Raiders won their conference opener last week and sophomore QB Asher O’Hara is ranked in the top 10 in the league in passing (231.2 ypg) and rushing (62.2 ypg).
 
UAB will visit UTSA (5 pm CT on ESPN+) looking to improve to 5-1 on the season and will try to do it armed with the ninth-ranked defense in the FBS (274.0 yards per game).  The Roadrunners are coming off a win at UTEP, aided by freshman RB Sincere McCormick running for a program record 189 yards and a touchdown.
 
Charlotte comes off its bye week heading to south Florida to take on FIU (6 pm CT).  49ers senior DE Alex Highsmith has six sacks and Charlotte has 18 as team.  They will look to put pressure on Panthers graduate QB James Morgan, who has 659 yards and four TD passes the last two weeks.
 
A West Division showdown will take place in Hattiesburg when North Texas visits Southern Miss (6 pm CT on Stadium on Facebook).  Both schools won their C-USA opener in convincing fashion and this matchup features a showdown of highly productive quarterbacks in Mean Green senior Mason Fine (11 TD passes) and Golden Eagles junior Jack Abraham (league-high 303.0 ypg).
 
Massachusetts will face its third C-USA opponent this season when it takes on Louisiana Tech in Ruston (6 pm CT on ESPN+).  The Bulldogs, winners of four straight, will be seeking their first 5-1 start since the 2012 season.
 
WKU steps out of conference play to welcome Army and its tricky triple option offense to Bowling Green (6 pm CT on Stadium).  Hilltoppers junior DE DeAngelo Malone has 46 total tackles (fourth in the league), leads C-USA and ranks third in the FBS in sacks (7.0), while topping the nation in tackles for loss (13.0).
 
 
WEEK SEVEN C-USA FOOTBALL PREVIEWS
 
OLD DOMINION (1-4, 0-1 in C-USA) at MARSHALL (2-3, 0-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 12
2:30 p.m. ET
Huntington, West Virginia (Joan C. Edwards Stadium)
Television: Stadium
Announcers: Noah Coslov (PxP), Max Starks (AN)
All-Time Series:  Marshall leads 4-1
Last Meeting: Marshall 42, at Old Dominion 20 (Oct. 13, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**Junior LB Lawrence Garner had a game-high 12 tackles in ODU’s 20-3 loss to WKU.  Garner added one tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a QB hurry.  He leads ODU with 47 tackles on the season, ranking third in C-USA.  Garner has at least eight stops in every game and has increased his tackle total in each of the last four outings.
**ODU junior DT Juwan Ross is fourth in C-USA in sacks (4.5) and tied for third in tackles for loss (7.5).  He has at least one TFL in each game and has 22 total stops on the season.
**Junior S Harrell Blackmon intercepted his first career pass in the first quarter against WKU.  He is the fifth different Monarch to intercept a pass over the first five games of the season.
**Old Dominion has the second-ranked run defense in C-USA, allowing 100.6 yards per game on the ground.  Opponents are averaging just 2.94 yards per carry against the Monarchs.
**Junior K Nick Rice has made six straight field goal attempts after he hit a 24-yarder in the second quarter last week vs. WKU.
**Marshall ranks second in C-USA in total offense, averaging 427.4 yards per game.  The balanced Thundering Herd attack averages 221.8 yards through the air and 205.6 yards on the ground.
**Marshall sophomore QB Isaiah Green had a big day of yardage at Middle Tennessee last week – 365 through the air and a career-high 95 on the ground.  He completed 24 of 40 passes with one touchdown against three interceptions, and also carried the ball 16 times. Green's 95 rushing yards are the third-most by a quarterback in 10 seasons under head coach Doc Holliday.
**Sophomore RB Brenden Knox narrowly missed his second 100-yard rushing day of the season last week, carrying the ball 19 times for 99 yards.  He ranks fifth in C-USA with 395 rushing yards and has run for four touchdowns.
**Herd senior LB Omari Cobb established a new career-high with 12 tackles at Middle Tennessee last week.  It is the second straight game that he has set a new career mark, as he had 11 stops the week before against Cincinnati.
 
MORE
Old Dominion Football:  http://www.odusports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31100&SPID=127313&SPSID=750425&DB_OEM_ID=31100
Marshall Football: http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/mars-m-footbl-body.html
 
 
MIDDLE TENNESSEE (2-3, 1-0 in C-USA) at FLORIDA ATLANTIC (3-2, 1-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 12
4 p.m. ET
Boca Raton, Florida (FAU Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Frank Forte (PxP), Jason Pugh (AN)
All-Time Series: Middle Tennessee leads 12-4
Last Meeting: at Middle Tennessee 25, Florida Atlantic 24 (Sept. 29, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**Middle Tennessee has won 10 of the last 11 meetings in the series, dating back to 2005.
**The Blue Raiders have now won nine of its last 10 conference games.  This will be MT’s 50th conference game as a member of C-USA and the Blue Raiders have a 34-15 all-time mark in league play.
**With 261 passing yards against Marshall Saturday, sophomore QB Asher O’Hara tallied his fourth career game of 200 or more passing yards in seven appearances.  He is the 16th MT signal-caller all-time with four or more games of at least 200 passing yards, collecting all four this season.  O’Hara also led the team in rushing with 76 yards to finish with 337 yards from scrimmage against the Herd.  He is ranked in the top 10 in the league in passing (231.2 ypg) and rushing (62.2 ypg).
**Middle Tennessee has excelled this season in protecting the football with only four giveaways to rank eighth nationally.  In fact, MT has not committed a turnover in three straight games, which is its longest streak since going three straight outings in 2012.
**Senior S Jovante Moffatt was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following the win over Marshall.  He registered a career-high 13 solo tackles and 14 total, which intercepting two passes.
**Blue Raiders senior LB Khalil Brooks has 16.0 career sacks, which ranks tied for 15th nationally among active players.  He also has 36.0 career tackles for loss.
**Florida Atlantic comes into the game on a three-game winning streak.  The Owls have scored more than 40 points in each of the three victories.
**During the current winning streak, redshirt sophomore QB Chris Robison has been outstanding. He has completed 75% of his passes (78-104) for 1,057 yards (352.3 per game) and 11 touchdowns with just one interception. Robison has 12 touchdown passes on the season, which matches his total from all of last season when he was named C-USA Co-Newcomer of the Year.
**Freshman RB Malcolm Davidson is coming off his best showing in an Owl uniform, rushing for 83 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Charlotte.
**Florida Atlantic has the top red zone offense in Conference USA. The Owls have scored 20 of the 21 times they’ve been in the red zone (95.2%), producing 16 touchdowns and four field goals.
**Florida Atlantic’s run defense has showed tremendous improvement during the three-game winning streak.  The Owls have allowed a combined total of 213 rushing yards in the three outings, including holding Charlotte RB Benny LeMay (who entered the game 10^th in the nation in rushing) to 46 yards.  FAU has moved up to fifth in C-USA in rushing defense and this comes after allowing more than 500 yards on the ground against Ohio State and UCF.
**Through five games, Florida Atlantic has 37 tackles for loss, which is tied for 26th nationally and third in C-USA behind UAB and WKU.
**After being together at Middle Tennessee for the past six seasons, Blue Raiders head coach Rick Stockstill and his son, Brent, will be on opposite sidelines of a game.  Brent Stockstill, the record-setting quarterback from Middle Tennessee and 2018 C-USA MVP, is in his first season on the Florida Atlantic coaching staff, serving as an Offensive Player Personnel Assistant.
 
MORE
Middle Tennessee Football: http://www.goblueraiders.com/index.aspx?path=football
Florida Atlantic Football: http://www.fausports.com/sports/m-footbl/fau-m-footbl-body.html
 
 
UAB (4-1, 1-1 in C-USA) at UTSA (2-3, 1-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 12
5 p.m. CT
San Antonio, Texas (Alamodome)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: Lincoln Rose (PxP), LaDarrin McLane (AN), Brooke Shoemaker (SL)
All-Time Series: UAB leads 2-1
Last Meeting: at UAB 52, UTSA 3 (Nov. 3, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**With the win against Rice, UAB is now 23-9 since returning to action in 2017.  The 23 wins are the most of any team in Conference USA since the start of the 2017 season.
**Three UAB receivers combined for 257 of the Blazers 282 receiving yards in Saturday’s 35-20 win over Rice.  Senior WR Kendall Parham posted three catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns, junior WR Austin Watkins Jr. had a team-high five catches which went for 78 yards and a TD, while junior WR Myron Mitchell added 70 receiving yards on three catches, along with 35 kickoff yards.  That trio has combined for 48 catches for 994 yards and 10 touchdown receptions on the season.  Those figures represent 62% of the team’s catches, 82% of its receiving yards and 91% of its scoring receptions.
**Senior WR Kendall Parham had touchdown receptions of 57 yards and 46 yards against Rice last week.  He leads the nation in yards per reception at 29.5 yards per catch and has 12 catches for 354 yards and five touchdowns for the season.
**UAB enters the game ranked ninth nationally in total defense, allowing 274.0 yards per game.  The Blazers are also ninth in sacks per game (3.75), 12th in third down defense (27.1), 18th in scoring defense (16.4) and 24th in TFL’s per game (7.6).
**After forcing and recovering four Rice fumbles last week, UAB is second in the country in fumble recoveries with eight.
**Junior LB Kristopher Moll had a career night versus Rice with 15 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Despite missing the first game of the season, Moll has a team-high 35 tackles and ranks seventh in Conference USA with an average of 8.8 tackles per game.
**This matchup marks the 100th game and 50th home contest in UTSA history.
**Freshman RB Sincere McCormick earned C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honors after breaking UTSA's single-game rushing record in the Roadrunners' 26-16 victory at UTEP on Saturday night.  The true freshman tailback rushed for 189 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries to help UTSA pile up 320 yards on the ground.  McCormick averaged 8.6 yards per carry en route to eclipsing the previous school standard of 186 yards set by Jarveon Williams in 2015 against Charlotte.  He leads UTSA and ranks third in C-USA with 439 rushing yards through five games and his 6.6 yards-per-carry average stands second in the league and 25th nationally.
**The Roadrunners have piled up 986 rushing yards through the first five games, an average of 197.2 per contest, which ranks third in C-USA. UTSA already has recorded two of the top eight team rushing yardage totals in program history this season, as the Roadrunners gained 320 (No. 3) in the 26-16 win over UTEP on Oct. 5 and tallied 284 (No. 8) in the 35-7 triumph over UIW on Aug. 31.  UTSA is one of only 12 FBS teams with three individual 100-yard rushing performances this fall, and two have been registered by quarterbacks.
**Sophomore QB Lowell Narcisse has stepped up in his role as UTSA’s new starter after an injury to freshman QB Frank Harris on the second snap of the North Texas game on Sept. 21.  The lefthander has rushed for 240 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 179 yards and a TD in two games.
**UTSA leads Conference USA and ranks sixth among FBS teams — one spot ahead of Michigan and one behind Ohio State — in passing yards allowed per game.  Through five games, the Roadrunners have surrendered a total of 769 yards through the air, an average of 153.8 yards per contest.
 
MORE
UAB Football: http://uabsports.com/index.aspx?path=football
UTSA Football: http://www.goutsa.com/index.aspx?path=football
 
 
CHARLOTTE (2-3, 0-1 in C-USA) at FIU (2-3, 0-2 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 12
7 p.m. ET
Miami, Florida (Riccardo Silva Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: A.J. Ricketts (PxP), Kenny Kelly (AN)
All-Time Series: FIU leads 4-0
Last Meeting: FIU 42, at Charlotte 35 (Nov. 17, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**While FIU is 4-0 all-time in this East Division series, the Panthers have won by a touchdown or less in each of the last three seasons. 
**Charlotte senior DE Alex Highsmith has been the productive leader of the 49ers defense. Highsmith recorded his sixth sack of the season against Florida Atlantic on September 28, setting a new 49ers single-season school record in just the fifth game of the year. That figure ranks sixth nationally, while his 7.5 tackles for loss rank third in C-USA.
**As a team, Charlotte is second in the league in sacks with 18 (3.60 per game).  Last season the Niners had 19 sacks all season.  Charlotte has put up 4.0 sacks or more in three games.
**Redshirt sophomore WR Victor Tucker tied the 49ers C-USA single-game record with 115 receiving yards vs. Florida Atlantic in Charlotte’s last game.  It was his fourth career 100-yard game (first this season) and he is the second 49er to post a 100-yard receiving day this season (Freshman WR Micaleous Elder had 119 yards at Appalachian State on Sept. 7).
**Charlotte now has 12 passing touchdowns through five games.  Last year, the 49ers had 10 passing TDs all season.  The 12 passing TDs have gone to seven different receivers, with Victor Tucker leading the team with three TD grabs.
**FIU posted just the second shutout in program history and its first since its inaugural 2002 season with a 44-0 win over Massachusetts last Saturday night. The Panthers set a new program record by allowing just 115 yards of total offense, beating the previous low of 154 yards allowed against FAMU in 2005.
**On the other side of the ball, the FIU offense rolled up 527 total yards vs. UMass. Graduate QB James Morgan led the Panthers with 263 yards passing and two touchdowns.  Since returning from an injury that caused him to miss a game-and-half, Morgan has 659 yards and four TD passes the last two weeks.
**Senior WR Tony Gaiter IV set new career-highs with seven passes for 103 yards last week vs. UMass.  He also scored his first touchdown of the season.
**Senior PR Maurice Alexander was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after he electrified FIU on Saturday night with a 90-yard punt return touchdown in the second quarter vs. Massachusetts.  The 90-yard return ranks as the second-longest in program history, behind only current Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton’s 97-yard return in 2011 vs. Florida Atlantic.  Alexander finished the game with 140 total punt return yards, as he also had a 50-yard return.  The 90 yard return and 140 total punt return yards are the most by any player in the nation this season.  With Alexander’s career night, the senior now leads the nation with his 28.7 yards per punt return average. 
 
MORE
Charlotte Football: http://www.charlotte49ers.com/index.aspx?path=football
FIU Football: http://www.fiusports.com/index.aspx?path=football
 
 
MASSACHUSETTS (1-4) at LOUISIANA TECH (4-1, 2-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 12
6 p.m. CT
Ruston, Louisiana (Joe Aillet Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: x (PxP), x (AN)
All-Time Series: Louisiana Tech leads 4-2
Last Meeting: Louisiana Tech 56, at Massachusetts 28 (Oct. 15, 2016)
 
FAST FACTS
**A Louisiana Tech win would give the Bulldogs a 3-1 record in non-conference play.  That would be the program’s best non-conference mark since 2012.  That is also the last year that LA Tech started 5-1.
**Senior QB J’Mar Smith, who scored the game-winner on a 12-yard TD run in the first overtime at Rice in the Bulldogs last outing, is third in the conference in passing, averaging 263.6 yards per game through the air. The four-year starter has thrown six touchdown passes and has only two interceptions in 282 passing attempts this season.
**Four different LA Tech players lead in the top four receiving categories through five games. Junior Cee Jay Powell in catches (25), junior Adrian Hardy in receiving yards (291), graduate Malik Stanley in yards per catch (16.9) and Griffin Hebert in touchdown receptions (two).  Five players have at least 10 receptions.
**Over his last three games, Bulldogs junior RB Justin Henderson has 36 carries for 300 yards (8.3 yards per carry) with four touchdowns.
**LA Tech is averaging a league-high 23.0 first downs per game
**Junior CB Amik Robertson leads C-USA and is tied for third nationally with 2.00 passes defended per game (10 total).  He also has 32 tackles, three TFL’s, an interception and two touchdowns (one on an interception and another on a kickoff return).
**This is the third game for UMass against C-USA schools this season.  The Minutemen lost at Charlotte, 52-17, on September 14th and at FIU, 44-0, last week.
 
MORE
Massachusetts Football: https://umassathletics.com/index.aspx?path=football
Louisiana Tech Football: http://www.latechsports.com/sports/m-footbl/latc-m-footbl-body.html
 
 
NORTH TEXAS (2-3, 1-0 in C-USA) at SOUTHERN MISS (3-2, 1-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 12
6 p.m. CT
Hattiesburg, Mississippi (M.M. Roberts Stadium)
Broadcast: Stadium on Facebook
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), A.J. Hawk (AN), Kristen Balboni (SL)
All-Time Series: North Texas leads 8-5
Last Meeting: at North Texas 30, Southern Miss 7 (Oct. 7, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**North Texas has won the annual meeting between these West Division rivals each of the last three years and five of six matchups since the Mean Green joined C-USA for the 2013 season.
**North Texas is averaging 451.4 yards per game of total offense, which leads Conference USA through its first five games of the season. UNT also ranks 36th nationally in that category.
**Senior QB Mason Fine is the active FBS leader in career passing yardage (10,710) and he has extended his own program record for career touchdown passes to 75.  He attempted a career-high 55 passes in the Mean Green’s last game (vs. Houston on Sept. 28) and his 353 yards passing against the Cougars gives him 15 career games of more than 300 yards passing, which is the most in program history.
**Redshirt sophomore RB Tre Siggers has emerged as a key weapon in the North Texas offense. He has appeared in four games as a running back for UNT after being converted from safety during spring ball 2019 and has recorded at least 83 rushing yards in each of his four games, while averaging 7.5 yards per carry.  Siggers leads C-USA in rushing yards per game at 119.0 and has four touchdown runs.
**Senior WR Michael Lawrence had nine catches for 120 yards against Houston.  Both numbers are new season highs for Lawrence, beating his previous marks this year of five grabs for 58 yards.  His 120 yards set a new career high, exceeding his 112 yards at Florida Atlantic in 2017.
**Senior S Khairi Muhammad surpassed 200 career tackles in his last appearance and enters this week with 205 stops in a Mean Green uniform.  He has 29 tackles on the season through five games.
**Southern Miss has produced plenty of big offensive plays in the first five games of the season. The Golden Eagles lead Conference USA in the number of plays of 20 yards or longer (33), 40 yards or longer (10), 50 yards or more (7) and 60 yards or longer (4).
**In the win over UTEP on Sept. 29, senior WR/RB De’Michael Harris became the first Golden Eagle to register a rushing and receiving score in the same game since current Atlanta Falcons RB Ito Smith collected a pair of rushing touchdowns and one receiving TD against Louisiana-Lafayette in the 2016 New Orleans Bowl.  He finished the game with 191 all-purpose yards in the contest (62 rushing, 80 receiving, 49 kickoff return).  Harris’ 74-yard touchdown grab off a screen pass became the eighth TD of the year for the Golden Eagles of 50 yards of more. It is also the longest play from scrimmage in 2019.
**Junior QB Jack Abraham leads C-USA in passing yards per game at 303.0 following a 351-yard effort against UTEP.  That was his second 300-yard game this season and fifth in 14 starts as a Golden Eagle.  After leading the FBS in completion percentage last season (73.1), Abraham is completing 69.4 percent of his passes in 2019.  He is completing a league-high 10.5 yards per attempt.
**Senior DB DQ Thomas leads the way for the Golden Eagles on defense this season.  His 40 tackles and 7.0 tackles for loss both rank first on the squad.  He also has posted a team-leading two interceptions and a team-best tying 2.0 sacks.  He recorded a career-best 10 stops at Alabama and has led the team in tackles in three of five games this season.
**The Southern Miss defense has held two opponents under 300 yards of total offense this season and is 15-3 under head coach Jay Hopson when limiting the opposition to less than 300.
 
MORE
North Texas Football: http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-footbl/ntex-m-footbl-body.html
Southern Miss Football: http://www.southernmiss.com/sports/m-footbl/smis-m-footbl-body.html
 
 
ARMY (3-2) at WKU (3-2, 3-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, October 12
6 p.m. CT
Bowling Green, Kentucky (Houchens Stadium)
Broadcast: Stadium
Announcers: Chris Vosters (PxP), Jordan Palmer (AN)
All-Time Series: WKU leads 2-0
Last Meeting: at WKU 52, Army 24 (Nov. 15, 2014)
 
FAST FACTS
**The Hilltoppers haven’t allowed a single point in the fourth quarter of the last four games.  That’s the first time since 2007 that WKU’s defense has accomplished that feat.  On the season, the Hilltoppers are second in scoring defense in C-USA, allowing 20.6 points per game.
**WKU junior DE DeAngelo Malone turned in a dominant performance in Saturday’s win at ODU. He recorded a career-high three sacks (for 26 yards lost), becoming the first WKU defender to reach that for a single-game mark since 2016. Malone also registered nine total tackles, four TFL’s and three quarterback hurries. He has 46 total tackles (fourth in the league), leads C-USA and ranks third in the FBS in sacks (7.0), while topping the nation in tackles for loss (13.0).
**Junior RB Gaej Walker rushed 25 times for 114 yards and one touchdown in WKU’s 20-3 victory at Old Dominion last Saturday.  It was his third 100-yard performance of the season, tying Charlotte’s Benny LeMay for the most among Conference USA running backs.  Coming into the game, the Monarchs had allowed only 94 yards rushing per game and not given up more than 64 yards to a single player in a game this season.
**Junior WR Jahcour Pearson leads the Hilltoppers with 28 receptions for 291 yards for the season.  He came into the 2019 campaign with 20 receptions for 172 yards in 2017 and 2018 combined.  Pearson matched his career-high with seven catches at Old Dominion last week.
**Army WR Camden Harrison caught five passes for 103 yards last week vs. Tulane to become the first Black Knights player to have a 100-yard receiving day since 2015.
**This will be Army’s third game against a C-USA school this season.  The Black Knights defeated Rice at home in the season opener, 14-7, and won at UTSA on Sept. 14, 31-13. 
 
MORE
Army Football: https://goarmywestpoint.com/index.aspx?path=football
WKU Football: http://wkusports.com/index.aspx?path=football