Three key divisional showdowns, two cross-division matchups and one non-conference game comprise the week 11 schedule in Conference USA.

2019 Week Eleven Previews.(pdf)
 
WKU graduate transfer QB Ty Storey will return to Fayetteville as the Hilltoppers take on Arkansas to begin the day’s action (11 am CT on SEC Network).  This will be the first meeting between the schools, as WKU looks to follow in the footsteps of North Texas, which won in Fayetteville last season.
 
UTSA will play its first game outside of Texas this season when the Roadrunners travel east to take on Old Dominion (2 pm ET on ESPN3).  The Monarchs rank third in C-USA in total defense, allowing 360.2 yards per game.
 
Charlotte will make the trip west to meet UTEP for the first time (1 pm MT on ESPN+).  The 49ers have won their last two games and sophomore QB Chris Reynolds has accounted for 775 yards of total offense in those victories.  Miners senior RB Treyvon Hughes had three rushing touchdowns last week to allow him to become the first UTEP player with 10 TDs in a season since Aaron Jones in 2016.
 
The NFL Network will carry the key West Division showdown between UAB and Southern Miss as the winners looks to keep pace with first place Louisiana Tech (2:30 pm CT).  The Blazers have won the last three meetings in the series and will bring the conference’s top-ranked passing defense (169.2 yards per game) to go against Golden Eagles junior QB Jake Abraham and C-USA’s top passing offense (315.1 yards per game).
 
North Texas will visit Louisiana Tech in another important West Division matchup (3 pm CT on Stadium on Facebook).  Mean Green senior QB Mason Fine passed 12,000 career passing yards and has thrown 12 touchdown passes the past two weeks to give him 27 on the season (tied for third nationally).  He will be going against a Bulldogs secondary led by junior CB Amik Robertson, the nation’s 2019 leader in passes defended (17), who ranks second this year in interceptions (5) and is the FBS active leader in INT’s (14).
 
The 17^th annual Shula Bowl between south Florida rivals FIU and Florida Atlantic takes place Saturday night in Boca Raton (6 pm ET on Stadium).  The Panthers lead C-USA in passing defense, allowing just 165.0 yards per game through the air (seventh nationally).  The Owls rank third in C-USA in scoring at 33.1 per game, having scored 35 or more in five of their six wins.
 
 
WEEK ELEVEN C-USA FOOTBALL PREVIEWS
 
WKU (5-4, 4-2 in C-USA) at ARKANSAS (2-7, 0-6 in SEC)
Saturday, November 9
11 a.m. CT
Fayetteville, Arkansas (DWR Razorback Stadium)
Television: SEC Network
Announcers: Taylor Zarzour (PxP), Matt Stinchcomb (AN), Alyssa Lang (SL)
All-Time Series: First Meeting:
 
FAST FACTS
**WKU graduate senior QB Ty Storey will make his return to The Natural State, as he grew up in the town of Charleston (80 minutes south of Fayetteville) and spent the first four years of his collegiate career with the Razorbacks.  With Arkansas, Storey started nine games as a junior in 2018 and passed for 1,584 yards with 11 touchdowns.  He also rushed for 146 yards and one score.  Storey has made six starts (seven appearances) for the Hilltoppers this season, completing 69.8% of his passes for 1,477 yards with seven passing touchdowns and four rushing scores.  He set career-highs last week in completions (32), attempts (47) and passing yards (380).
**A week after he caught a WKU program record 16 passes for 168 yards and became the first FBS receiver since SMU’s Trey Quinn on Oct. 21, 2017 with 16+ receptions in a game, WKU senior WR Lucky Jackson caught nine passes for a career-high 194 yards vs. Florida Atlantic. Jackson has topped the 140-yard receiving mark in three-straight games, totaling 30 receptions for 403 yards and two touchdowns. His 766 receiving yards leads C-USA on the season.
**Junior DE DeAngelo Malone led WKU with 10 total tackles (9 solo, 1 assisted) and three quarterback hurries last week vs. FAU.  He also added his league-leading 17th tackle for loss on the season (second in the FBS).  Malone also continues to lead C-USA in sacks with 9.0 (tied for sixth nationally).
**The Hilltoppers defense has allowed a total of 48 points in the second half over the past eight games.
**Junior P John Haggerty had career-highs of five punts for 257 yards in WKU’s game vs. Florida Atlantic last week, with all five of his punts going for 48+ yards (48, 49, 50, 54 and 56).  For the season, Haggerty leads Conference USA with a 46.2 gross average on his 30 punts and WKU ranks third with a 40.6 net average on punt coverage.  His 12 punts of 50+ yards ranks second in the league.
**Arkansas averages 217.9 yards per game through the air, but has thrown 13 interceptions this season (only two FBS teams have thrown more).  The Razorbacks have 10 total turnovers in the last three games to give them 19 on the season (just four schools in the country have more turnovers). 
 
MORE
WKU Football: http://wkusports.com/index.aspx?path=football
Arkansas Football: https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/sport/m-footbl/
 
 
UTSA (3-5, 2-3 in C-USA) at OLD DOMINION (1-8, 0-5 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 9
2 p.m. ET
Norfolk, Virginia (S.B. Ballard Stadium)
Television: ESPN3
Announcers: Ted Alexander (PxP), Andy Mashaw (AN), Doug Ripley, (SL)
All-Time Series: Old Dominion leads 2-0
Last Meeting: at Old Dominion 33, UTSA 19 (Sept. 24, 2016)
 
FAST FACTS
**Old Dominion won the first two games of this series during the Monarchs’ first two seasons as a member of Conference USA (2015-16).
**This will be UTSA’s first game played outside the state of Texas this season.  The Roadrunners played their first eight games in the Lone Star state.
**UTSA tackled Texas A&M players in the backfield six times last week, including a trio of sacks.  Eighteen different Roadrunners have had a hand in a TFL this season and UTSA now is averaging 6.9 tackles for loss, which ranks third in C-USA and 33rd nationally, and 2.0 sacks per game this season.
**Of the 55 tackles for loss and 16 sacks recorded by the Roadrunners so far this season, the defensive line has been responsible for 33 TFL and 11 sacks.  Leading the way is senior DE Jarrod Carter-McLin, who owns 25 total tackles, six tackles for loss and a pair of sacks to go along with one interception and a forced fumble.
**UTSA freshman P Lucas Dean has had an immediate impact in his first season as a Roadrunner and he recently was added to the Ray Guy Award watch list for his performance.  As the program’s first player from Australia, the Dunsborough native is averaging 41.1 yards on 39 punts this season.  He has boomed seven punts that have sailed 50-plus yards and he has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line eight times and induced 16 fair catches.
**The Roadrunners now have had 31 players make their UTSA debuts with 13 first-time starters this season.  When including special teams, five true freshmen have made starts this fall, which is tied for ninth-most among all FBS teams.  Additionally, UTSA’s three true freshmen starters on offense is tied for third-most in the nation behind Stanford and Texas A&M.
**Old Dominion true freshman QB Hayden Wolff made his first start and appearance last week at FIU, completing 19 of 36 passes for 169 yards.  He led the Monarchs on a pair of touchdown drives, including going 76 yards in three plays in the fourth quarter.
**Sophomore CB Kaleb Ford-Dement tied the single-season school record for pass breakups in the FIU game, recording one in the second quarter.  He now has 11 on the year, tying him with Brandon Addison and T.J. Cowart for the all-time mark at ODU.  Ford-Dement also has two interceptions this season, giving him 13 passes defended, second-most in Conference USA.
**Sophomore DL Keion White had eight tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in ODU’s game at FIU.  He also had a pass breakup and quarterback hurry.  He has 14.5 tackles for loss on the season, which ties him for third in the conference.
**Senior LB Derek Wilder recorded a sack in his second-straight game at FIU and also registered his first career forced fumble.  Wilder has 25 tackles on the season to go with two sacks and four TFL’s.
 
MORE
UTSA Football: https://goutsa.com/index.aspx?path=football
Old Dominion Football:  http://www.odusports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31100&SPID=127313&SPSID=750425&DB_OEM_ID=31100
 
 
CHARLOTTE (4-5, 2-3 in C-USA) at UTEP (1-7, 0-5 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 9
1 p.m. MT
El Paso, Texas (Sun Bowl)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: Andy Morgan (PxP), Trevor Vittatoe (AN)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
 
FAST FACTS
**Charlotte has won back-to-back Conference USA games for just the second time in five years in the league and has topped the 30-point mark in two straight league games for the first time.
**Charlotte headed into its game against Middle Tennessee last Saturday without senior RB Benny LeMay (the league’s leading rusher with 822 yards) due to a leg injury, but the 49ers responded with two players rushing for more than 100 yards in a 34-20 victory. Junior RB Aaron McAllister rushed for a season-high 104 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore QB Chris Reynolds ran for a career-high 103 and one score to go along with a passing TD. 
**In addition to rushing for a career-high 103 yards and a touchdown, sophomore QB Chris Reynolds completed 14-of-21 passes for 192 yards and a TD in Charlotte’s win over Middle Tennessee.  Reynolds engineered TD drives on the 49ers first three possessions as Charlotte scored 34-straight points.   He has thrown a TD pass in five-straight games (all C-USA games), totaling 9 TD passes over that span. In the last two games he has put up 199 rushing yards (103 vs. MT; 96 vs. NT) with two rushing scores.  Reynolds now ranks second in C-USA in passing efficiency (153.7) and third in passing TDs (16) and passing yards/completion (13.55). He is also second in number of points responsible for with over 14.0 per game.
**With seven tackles last week against Middle Tennessee, senior LB Jeff Gemmell became the 49ers all-time leader in career tackles with 269, breaking the mark set by Karrington King from 2014-17.  During Charlotte's current two-game win streak, Gemmell has had a total of 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
**Senior DE Alex Highsmith (8.5) and sophomore LB Markees Watts (7.5) rank second and third in C-USA in sacks this season.  The duo ranks first and second on the 49ers all-time charts and have led Charlotte to a school-record 27.0 sacks this year (22nd in the FBS).
**Senior RB Treyvon Hughes currently leads the Miners in touchdowns with 10 rushing scores in eight games, which ranks second in C-USA and 16th nationally.  He has scored a touchdown in all but two games this season, including scoring in each of the last four outings.  Hughes had 97 yards and three touchdowns last week at North Texas.
**Redshirt junior WR Justin Garrett recorded career-highs in receptions (11) and yards (77) at North Texas last Saturday.  Garrett’s 11 receptions are tied for ninth-most in program history.  The last Miner to register double-digit catches was Jordan Leslie with 10 in 2012, while it’s the highest catch total since Jeff Moturi tallied 12 receptions in 2007.
**Senior DB Michael Lewis led the Miners with 10 tackles last week, making it his fourth contest with double-digit stops this season. It’s the second game in a row in which he tallied double-digit tackles after his 14 stops the previous week against LA Tech.  Lewis has 65 tackles on the season and ranks eighth in C-USA, averaging 8.1 per game.
**Redshirt junior KR Duron Lowe was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday.  He provided a spark of energy for the Miners early in the second quarter of Saturday’s game at North Texas when he went untouched and returned a kickoff the full 100 yards for a touchdown.  Lowe became the first Miner since Autrey Golden in 2014 to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a game.  Overall, Lowe had five kick returns for 204 yards against the Mean Green, which is the second-highest kickoff return yardage total in UTEP history.
**UTEP enters this week ranked third in C-USA and 23rd in the nation in the red zone through the first 10 weeks of the season.  The Miners are 21-for-23 inside the 20-yard line.  In eight games, UTEP has 13 touchdowns (12 rushing) and eight field goals for a total of 112 points put on the board in the red zone.
 
MORE
Charlotte Football: http://www.charlotte49ers.com/index.aspx?path=football
UTEP Football: http://www.utepathletics.com/index.aspx?path=football
 
 
UAB (6-2, 3-1 in C-USA) at SOUTHERN MISS (5-3, 3-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 9
2:30 p.m. CT
Hattiesburg, Mississippi (M.M. Roberts Stadium)
Broadcast: NFL Network
Announcers: Dave Ryan (PxP), Michael Robinson (AN), Ashley Stroehlein (SL)
All-Time Series: Southern Miss leads 10-7
Last Meeting: at UAB 26, Southern Miss 23 (2ot) (Nov. 10, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**Southern Miss won the first nine games of the series from 2000 to 2008 before UAB won seven of the last eight, including three straight.
**Last season’s meeting went to overtime in Birmingham, as Spencer Brown ran 17 yards for the game-winning touchdown that allowed UAB to clinch its first C-USA West Division title.
**In conference play, UAB has the top ranked total defense, allowing 224.2 yards per game.  Southern Miss is second at 321.8 yards per contest.
**The UAB defense proved it can play with anyone in the country as the Blazers entered the Tennessee game ranked No. 5 nationally in total defense, and that is still where they rank this week.  Although UAB gave up 30 points to the Vols, 20 of those came off turnovers.  The defense only yielded 302 yards of total offense and had multiple 3-and-outs in its own territory to make UT settle for field goals.
**UAB held Tennessee to 5-of-13 on third down attempts last Saturday and has held opponents to just 28.4 percent this year on third down conversions (31-of-109).  UAB is ranked No. 6 nationally this week in third down defense.
**Junior LB Kristopher Moll hit his season average with nine tackles at Tennessee.  He is second in Conference USA with an average of 9.0 tackles per game.  In four C-USA games, Moll is leading the league with an average of 10.8 stops per game (WKU - 9, Rice - 15, UTSA - 7, Old Dominion - 12).  He also has 9.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks this season.
**Blazers junior WR Kendall Parham ranks seventh in the FBS in yards per reception at 21.9.  Four of his six touchdown receptions have come from 40 yards or longer.  Parham has 25 receptions for 458 yards on the season.
**Southern Miss junior QB Jack Abraham leads C-USA and ranks fifth nationally in passing yards per game at 308.8.  After leading the FBS in completion percentage last season, he tops C-USA and ranks 12^th nationally at 69.5% this season.  Abraham has 13 TD passes this season, just two shy of matching his 2018 total.  He has now thrown for more than 200 yards 14 times in his 17 career games.
**Junior WR Quez Watkins averages a league-high 116.2 receiving yards per game, having posted three 100-yard games in six played.  He also averages 21.8 yards per catch (seventh nationally) with 32 receptions for 697 yards.  Watkins has the most plays from scrimmage of 30+ yards (9), 40+ yards (6) and 50+ yards (4) in C-USA.
**The Southern Miss defense has registered at least one sack in each game this season, including eight at Rice in its last game.  The Golden Eagles rank third in the league, averaging 3.25 sacks per game.  Senior LB Terry Whittington (4.5), senior DB DQ Thomas (4.0) and junior DL Jacques Turner (4.0) lead the way individually.
**Golden Eagles freshman K Andrew Stein has made six of his last seven field goal attempts to improve to 12-of-15 on the season.  The 12 field goals made rank fifth among the nation’s rookie kickers.  Stein ranks sixth in C-USA in scoring with 59 points in seven games (7.4 per game). 
**At 5-3, the Golden Eagles enter the game needing a win to become bowl-eligible for the 23rd time in the last 26 years.
 
MORE
UAB Football: https://uabsports.com/index.aspx?path=football
Southern Miss Football: https://southernmiss.com/index.aspx?path=football
 
 
NORTH TEXAS (4-5, 3-2 in C-USA) at LOUISIANA TECH (7-1, 3-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 9
3 p.m. CT
Ruston, Louisiana (Joe Aillet Stadium)
Broadcast: Stadium on Facebook
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), A.J. Hawk (AN), Kristen Balboni (SL)
All-Time Series:  Louisiana Tech leads 10-7
Last Meeting: Louisiana Tech 29, at North Texas 27 (Sept. 29, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**In last year’s meeting in Denton, Louisiana Tech snapped a nine-game home winning streak by North Texas with a come-from-behind 29-27 victory.  Jaylon Ferguson posted four sacks and Bailey Hale booted five field goals for the Bulldogs, while Mason Fine threw for 296 yards and three TDs for the Mean Green.
**North Texas senior QB Mason Fine was named C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after he completed 24-of-39 passes for 332 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in a 52-26 win over UTEP.  Fine’s seven touchdowns broke his previous career-high that he set the previous week at Charlotte when he threw five.  He is the first Conference USA quarterback to throw for seven touchdowns in a game since Marshall’s Rakeem Cato (Nov. 28, 2014) and the fourth signal-caller to accomplish the feat.  Fine became the seventh player in C-USA history to throw for 12,000 yards in a career (now 12,026) and he moved into seventh place all-time in C-USA with his school-record 91 career touchdown passes.  Fine’s 27 TD passes on the year lead C-USA, are tied for third nationally and equal his 2018 season total.
**For the second time this season, North Texas junior WR Jaelon Darden caught three touchdown passes in a game during the Mean Green’s win over UTEP.  He is joined by UNT freshman WR Jyaire Shorter and junior TE Jason Pirtle to allow the Mean Green to have the most games this season where a player has three or more receiving touchdowns with four.
**Junior WR Jaelon Darden has moved into a tie for fourth on the all-time, single-season touchdown reception list at North Texas with a league-high 11 and is now seventh for career touchdown receptions with 18.  He's also now ninth on the all-time receptions list with 139 in his career.
**Redshirt freshman WR Jyaire Shorter now has eight touchdown receptions in his last seven games on just 19 receptions. 
**Senior DE Ladarius Hamilton tied a season-high with two sacks last week against UTEP.  He is now seventh in the conference with 5.0 sacks on the season.
*Louisiana Tech has won seven straight games, currently the 11th-longest winning streak in the FBS.
*The Bulldogs have scored 35 points or more in five of their victories, including the last three with 42 or more.
**LA Tech leads C-USA in scoring offense at 36.4 points per game (22nd among all FBS teams) and tops the conference in total offense with 471.2 yards per game (also 22nd nationally).  The Bulldogs have posted 400 yards or more of total offense in six games this season.
**Louisiana Tech junior CB Amik Robertson is one of 14 semifinalists for the 2019 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, awarded to the best defensive back in college football.  He became the third LA Tech player and 12th player in C-USA history to intercept three passes in a game against Southern Miss on Oct. 19 and has a league-leading total of five INTs this season (tied for second nationally).  His career total of 14 interceptions is the most among all active FBS players.  Robertson’s 17 passes defended this season are the most for any player in the nation.
*Senior QB J’Mar Smith is the only four-year starting signal-caller in the FBS and is enjoying his finest career year. He is completing 67% of his passes and averaging 277.5 yards per game with 13 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.  Smith is coming off his 10^th career 300-yard passing game, as he was 29-of-35 for 338 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a 42-21 win at UTEP.
**Junior WR Cee Jay Powell is having a career-best year for the Bulldogs, leading the team in both receptions (38) and yards (446).  He is averaging 55.8 yards per game in 2019, and his 4.8 receptions per game is eighth-most among all Conference USA leaders.  Powell has recorded at least four catches in six of Tech’s eight contests this season.
**Louisiana Tech’s defense has forced at least one turnover in 12 consecutive games and has forced multiple turnovers in four of the last five.  Only Ball State (13) has a longer active streak of forcing a turnover.
 
MORE
North Texas Football: https://meangreensports.com/index.aspx?path=football
Louisiana Tech Football: https://latechsports.com/sports/football
 
 
FIU (5-4, 3-3 in C-USA) at FLORIDA ATLANTIC (6-3, 4-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, November 9
6 p.m. ET
Boca Raton, Florida (FAU Stadium)
Television: Stadium
Announcers: Noah Coslov (PxP), Max Starks (AN), Amina Smith (SL)
All-Time Series: Florida Atlantic leads 12-4
Last Meeting: Florida Atlantic 49, at FIU 14 (Nov. 3, 2018)
 
FAST FACTS
**The south Florida matchup is known as the Shula Bowl.  The game and trophy are named after 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 in Boca Raton and is 8-1 overall at home in the series.
**Last season in Miami, Florida Atlantic scored 28 fourth-quarter points to post a 49-14 victory.  Devin Singletary ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Owls.
**FIU Redshirt senior DL Teair Tart recorded three tackles for loss, one sack, and a forced fumble last week vs. Old Dominion.  He has at least a half tackle for loss in each of the eight games he has played this season.  Tart is tied for eighth in the league with 8.5 total TFL’s.
**The FIU secondary has proven tough to move against this season.  The Panthers lead C-USA in passing defense, allowing just 165.0 yards per game through the air, which ranks seventh nationally).  FIU has allowed a league-low eight passing touchdowns (tied for 14th in the FBS) and intercepted eight passes (third in C-USA).
**Senior RB Napoleon Maxwell ran for his sixth touchdown of the season last week, just one shy of his career high.  He and senior RB Anthony Jones (7) have combined for 13 of the team’s 18 rushing scores and have also helped FIU to its No. 3 ranking in C-USA in rushing offense at 187.9 yards per game.
**Junior WR Shemar Thornton caught six passes for a career-high 125 yards in the win over Old Dominion last week.  Included in that total was a career-long 54-yard reception. 
**Florida Atlantic ranks third in C-USA in scoring at 33.1 per game, having scored 35 or more points in five of its six wins.
**Florida Atlantic junior LB Akileis Leroy registered a career-high 12 tackles, including two sacks and a forced fumble in the Owls 35-24 victory over WKU to earn C-USA Defensive Player of the Week honors.  Leroy’s second sack of the game came mid-way through the second quarter with the Hilltoppers holding a 14-0 lead. On second down and six at the WKU 36, Leroy recorded a sack for a loss of 11 yards and he forced a fumble on the play, freeing the ball for CB Chris Tooley to scoop and score from 25 yards out for the Owls’ first points.  His night would end with a game-high 12 tackles (five solo) and two sacks for a loss of 21 yards, along with a forced fumble and a pass breakup. FAU used the Leroy momentum shifter to battle back and outscore the Hilltoppers 35-10 in the final three quarters.
**The Owls defense leads C-USA and is tied for third nationally with 13 interceptions.  Individually, senior CB Meiko Dotson is second in C-USA with four interceptions, while junior CB James Pierre is tied for third with three.
**Freshman P Matt Hayball had a program-long 77-yard punt in the first quarter at WKU that was downed on the WKU 2 yard line last Saturday.  He averaged 50.0 yards on five punts on the day, placing three inside the 20.  Hayball also ran a fake punt and scampered eight yards for a first down.
**The Florida Atlantic backfield has seen six different players rush at least 15 times on the season.  At WKU last week, the one-two punch of juniors James Charles and Chauncey Mason combined for 124 yards on just 20 carries.  Both players set career-highs in the process, with Charles having nine totes for 64 yards (averaging 7.1 per rush) and Mason carrying it 11 times for 60 yards, (5.5 per carry).
 
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FIU Football: http://www.fiusports.com/index.aspx?path=football
Florida Atlantic Football: http://www.fausports.com/sports/m-footbl/fau-m-footbl-body.html