Each of the week three games in Conference USA will be played on Saturday this week, with 11 contests on the docket against a wide array of opponents.
2019_Week_Three_Previews (.pdf)
Three of the games are against Mid-American Conference schools, with two being played on the road. Florida Atlantic will visit Ball State, while Louisiana Tech ventures to Bowling Green. Longtime rivals Ohio and Marshall will meet in Huntington.
C-USA will face a pair of opponents from the ACC, as Louisville takes on WKU at Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans) in Nashville, while just down the road, Duke visits Middle Tennessee.
Two other Power 5 opponents are scheduled for Saturday. North Texas will play its first Pac-12 opponent in 17 years, making the trek to Berkeley to face Cal. Rice will host No. 10 Texas a couple of miles from campus at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans.
Southern Miss will make the short trip to Troy to face the Trojans Saturday night, UTSA hosts Army at the Alamodome, Charlotte welcomes Massachusetts and FIU takes on New Hampshire in Miami.
WEEK THREE C-USA FOOTBALL PREVIEW
FLORIDA ATLANTIC (0-2, 0-0 in C-USA) at BALL STATE (1-1, 0-0 in MAC)
Saturday, September 14
2 p.m. ET
Muncie, Indiana (Scheumann Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Jim Barbar (PxP), Mark Hermann (AN)
All-Time Series: Ball State leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Ball State 31, at Florida Atlantic 27 (Sept. 24, 2016)
FAST FACTS
**After being the only team in the FBS to face top 20 opponents in each of its first two games (No. 5 Ohio State and No. 17 UCF), the Owls visit MAC foe Ball State for the first time.
**Florida Atlantic freshman RB
Larry McCammon had 69 rushing yards on 18 carries against UCF last week to lead the Owls' ground gainers. He also ran for a touchdown for the second straight week.
**Through the first two games of the season, FAU’s top two tight ends have a combined 21 receptions. Senior
Harrison Bryant has 10 catches for a team-high 130 yards, while senior
John Raine has a team-best 11 grabs for 76 yards and one touchdown.
**Redshirt sophomore K
Vladamir Rivas connected on a pair of field goals against UCF, including a career-long 48-yarder.
**Ball State junior QB Drew Plitt tied the Ball State record with six touchdown passes, and the Cardinals rolled up nearly 600 yards of offense in a 57-29 victory over Fordham last Saturday.
MORE
Florida Atlantic Football:
http://www.fausports.com/sports/m-footbl/fau-m-footbl-body.html
Ball State Football:
https://ballstatesports.com/index.aspx?path=football
ARMY (1-1) at UTSA (1-1, 0-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, September 14
2:30 p.m. CT
San Antonio, Texas (Alamodome)
Television: NFL Network
Announcers: Rhett Lewis (PxP), Max Starks (AN), Molly Sullivan (SL)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
FAST FACTS
**Home to one of the largest concentrations of military bases in the United States, San Antonio is Military City USA and it is only fitting that UTSA will host a game against one of the service academies this weekend at the Alamodome. Joint Base San Antonio consists of three installations — Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base — and it is the largest joint base in the Department of Defense. UTSA’s game against Army is presented by USAA and designated as the annual Military Appreciation Game with numerous activations and ceremonies planned to honor the military.
**UTSA freshman RB
Sincere McCormick has enjoyed a successful start to his collegiate career. He has rushed 24 times for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the first two games and is averaging 6.7 yards per carry and 80.5 yards per contest, marks that rank second and fourth, respectively, in Conference USA. McCormick gained 87 yards and scored twice on 12 rushes, including a 54-yard TD scamper, at Baylor last week.
**UTSA has had a history of controlling the clock in the
Frank Wilson era. This season’s opener saw UTSA hold the ball for 40:02 in the 35-7 win against UIW and for 31:31 vs. Baylor. The Roadrunners are averaging 35:46 of possession time per game, which leads C-USA and ranks eighth among all FBS teams.
**This is the second C-USA school that Army has faced in three weeks. The Black Knights, a football-playing member of C-USA from 1998-2004, opened the season with a 14-7 victory over Rice on August 30.
MORE
Army Football:
https://goarmywestpoint.com/index.aspx?path=football
UTSA Football:
http://www.goutsa.com/index.aspx?path=football
LOUISVILLE (1-1, 0-0 in ACC) vs. WKU (1-1, 1-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, September 14
3 p.m. CT
Nashville, Tennessee (Nissan Stadium)
Television: Stadium
Announcers: Josh Appel (PxP), Jordan Palmer (AN)
All-Time Series: Louisville leads 20-12
Last Meeting: at Louisville 20, WKU 17 (Sept. 15, 2018)
FAST FACTS
**This will be the first time in the 33-game series that the teams will meet at a neutral site. WKU has played at LP Field in Nashville twice before, facing Kentucky in 2013 and 2011.
**WKU junior RB
Gaej Walker rushed 27 times for 100 yards and a touchdown, helping lead WKU to a 20-14 victory over FIU to begin league play Saturday night. Following a 19-carry, 152-yard performance in week one, Walker leads C-USA in rushing attempts (46) and yards (252), placing him 11th in the FBS in rushing average per game (126.0). Walker became the first Hilltopper since Anthony “Ace” Wales in the 2016 C-USA Championship Game and Boca Raton Bowl to rush for 100-plus yards in consecutive games.
**Tight end
Kyle Fourtenbary was named honorable mention John Mackey Tight End of the Week. The junior caught five passes for a career-high 74 yards in WKU's 20-14 victory at FIU, each of which produced first downs.
**The WKU defense has posted 16 tackles for loss through the first two games, which ranks second in C-USA and is tied for 20th in FBS. Junior DE DeAngelo Malone leads the Hilltoppers with 4.5.
** Australian freshman P John Haggerty has a gross punting average of 50.9 through the first two games. With 356 gross yards on seven punts, he ranks second in FBS among players with seven or more punts.
**Louisville is coming off a 42-0 win over Eastern Kentucky, its first shutout since 2013. Freshman Javian Hawkins ran for a career-high 123 yards — the second consecutive 100-yard game. He’s the first UofL running back with back-to-back 100-yard games since 2016 and just the third freshman running back with back-to-back 100-yard games in program history.
MORE
Louisville Football: https://gocards.com/index.aspx?path=football
WKU Football: http://wkusports.com/index.aspx?path=football
NORTH TEXAS (1-1, 0-0 in C-USA) at CALIFORNIA (2-0, 1-0 in Pac-12)
Saturday, September 14
1:15 p.m. PT
Berkeley, California (Memorial Stadium)
Broadcast: Pac-12 Networks
Announcers: Kate Scott (PxP), Lincoln Kennedy (AN)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
FAST FACTS
**This will be the first time that North Texas has faced a Pac-12 opponent since visiting Arizona in 2002.
**Redshirt sophomore Tre Siggers burst onto the scene with 164 rushing yards and a touchdown in his first career game at running back for the Mean Green at SMU last week.
**Senior DE LaDarius Hamilton was a menace on UNT's defensive front last Saturday at SMU, ending the night with six total tackles, including four solo stops, a sack, 2.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries.
**Sophomore K Ethan Mooney went 2-for-2 on field goals last week, bringing his season ledger to 5-for-5 on the season after his 3-for-3 in the week one win over Abilene Christian. Only four kickers in the FBS have made more field goals this season than Mooney.
**California is off to a 2-0 start following a 20-19 win over No. 14 Washington last weekend. Senior LB Evan Weaver earned National Defensive Player of the Week honors following his 18-tackle performance that included two TFL’s and a fumble recovery in the victory.
MORE
North Texas Football: http://www.meangreensports.com/sports/m-footbl/ntex-m-footbl-body.html
California Football: https://calbears.com/index.aspx?path=football
LOUISIANA TECH (1-1, 0-0 in C-USA) at BOWLING GREEN (1-1, 0-0 in MAC)
Saturday, September 14
5 p.m. ET
Bowling Green, Ohio (Perry Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Announcers: Michael Reghi (PxP), Dustin Fox (AN)
All-Time Series: Louisiana Tech leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Louisiana Tech 28, at Bowling Green 21 (Aug. 31, 1995)
FAST FACTS
**Louisiana Tech senior QB J’Mar Smith, the only current four-year starter in the FBS, went 17-for-25 for 220 passing yards and one touchdown in Saturday’s win over Grambling. He had a pair of completions of 40 yards in the game. Smith now has 7,097 career passing yards. He became only the fifth QB in LA Tech history to eclipse 7,000 career passing yards as well as moving up to fourth on the all-time career passing list (passed Matt Dunigan, 1979-82).
**Sophomore WR Griffin Hebert reeled in his second touchdown reception of the season against Grambling, a career-long of 40 yards. He also hauled in a TD catch in the season opener at Texas. Hebert had a game and career-high 68 yards receiving last week.
**Senior LB Collin Scott has registered 18 tackles through the first two games, tying him for fourth in Conference USA.
MORE
Louisiana Tech Football: http://www.latechsports.com/sports/m-footbl/latc-m-footbl-body.html
Bowling Green Football: https://bgsufalcons.com/index.aspx?path=football
MASSACHUSETTS (0-2) at CHARLOTTE (1-1, 0-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, September 14
6 p.m. ET
Charlotte, North Carolina (Richardson Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Bobby Rosinski (PxP), Reggie Walker (AN), Libby Clark (SL)
All-Time Series: Massachusetts leads 1-0
Last Meeting: at Massachusetts 49, Charlotte 31 (Sept. 4, 2010)
FAST FACTS
**Charlotte scored over 40 points for the second straight game on Saturday at Appalachian State – the first time the 49ers have scored over 40 in back-to-back games since the inaugural season of 2013. Charlotte has also piled up 500+ yards of total offense (season-high 526 at App State) in both games. Charlotte ranks first in C-USA in scoring offense (45.0 ppg), rushing offense (276 rushing yards/game) and total offense (518.0 yds/gm).
**Senior RB Benny LeMay (118 rushing yds; 3 TDs at Appalachian State) has rushed for over 100 yards and scored two or more TDs in both games this year. He has had a rushing TD of 50 or more yards in both games this year (65 vs. Gardner-Webb; 58 at App State). LeMay ranks sixth in the FBS and leads C-USA in scoring (30 pts), while placing third in the nation in rushing TDs (4) and total TDs (5).
**Sophomore QB Chris Reynolds set 49ers school records for passing yards (296) and passing TDs (4) vs. an FBS opponent at Appalachian State. He finished the day 20-of-31 for those 296 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 35 yards and threw a two-point conversion pass. Reynolds completed nine passes of 15 or more yards including three TD passes of 20+ yards.
**Senior DL Alex Highsmith has a pair of sacks in each of the first two games and leads C-USA and ranks second in the FBS with 4.0 sacks. He is second in C-USA and tied for ninth in the nation in TFL’s (4.0; 2.0 TFL/gm).
**This is the first of three games that Massachusetts will play against Conference USA schools this season. The Minutemen also visit FIU and Louisiana Tech.
MORE
Massachusetts Football: https://umassathletics.com/index.aspx?path=football
Charlotte Football: http://www.charlotte49ers.com/index.aspx?path=football
SOUTHERN MISS (1-1, 0-0 in C-USA) at TROY (1-0, 0-0 in Sun Belt)
Saturday, September 14
5 p.m. CT
Troy, Alabama (Veterans Memorial Stadium)
Television: ESPN+
Announcers: Matt Stewart (PxP), Wayne Gandy (AN)
All-Time Series: Southern Miss leads 7-2
Last Meeting: Troy 37, at Southern Miss 31 (Sept. 17, 2016)
FAST FACTS
**This is the 10th all-time meeting between the schools, but the first time they will play at Troy.
**Southern Miss senior WR Jordan Mitchell had a career-long 65-yard grab for a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Mississippi State last Saturday and finished the day with a team-high six catches for 94 yards. He leads Conference USA with 13 catches for 227 yards over his first two games, placing him 17th nationally in receiving yardage (113.5 per game).
**Sophomore DB Shannon Showers, making his fifth career start, tallied a career-high 10 tackles against Mississippi State. It was the first Golden Eagle double-digit tackle performance in 13 games, the last by Tavarius Moore in the 2017 Independence Bowl.
**The Golden Eagles special teams has been strong in the early season. Southern Miss leads C-USA in kickoff return average (28.8), punt return average (31.7) and kickoff coverage (47.6).
**Southern Miss was flagged for one penalty last week and that did not come until the final quarter. The one penalty for five yards was the fewest penalties and yards surrendered in a game since they gave up the same thing against Rice on Oct. 27, 2012, spanning 80 games.
**Troy first-year head coach Chip Lindsey was the offensive coordinator for Southern Miss from 2014-15. He helped lead the Golden Eagles to the 2015 C-USA West Division crown and a trip to Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl.
MORE
Southern Miss Football: http://www.southernmiss.com/sports/m-footbl/smis-m-footbl-body.html
Troy Football: https://troytrojans.com/index.aspx?path=football
OHIO (1-1, 0-0 in MAC) at MARSHALL (1-1, 0-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, September 14
6:30 p.m. ET
Huntington, West Virginia (Joan C. Edwards Stadium)
Television: Stadium on Facebook
Announcers: Noah Coslov (PxP), Ike Ndukwe (AN), Amani Smith (SL)
All-Time Series: Ohio leads 33-20-6
Last Meeting: at Ohio 21, Marshall 10 (Sept. 12, 2015)
FAST FACTS
**Marshall has faced Ohio more than any other program, as this will be the 60th all-time meeting between the teams.
**Thundering Herd sophomore RB Brenden Knox scored on a 13-yard run in the first quarter at Boise State, extending his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to four games, dating back to last season. In seven career appearances, he is averaging 6.1 yards per carry with seven touchdowns.
**Fermin Silva, a senior playing in his second game at Marshall at Boise State last week, was credited with his first sack with the Herd and forced a fumble on the same play that was recovered by fellow defensive lineman Sam Burton.
**Junior LB Tavante Beckett leads C-USA in tackles after two weeks with 20. He registered a career-high 13 stops against Boise State.
**Junior P Robert LeFevre did a spectacular job in the field position part of the Boise State game, pinning four of his seven punts inside the 20-yard line and three inside the 10.
**Junior RB De’Montre Tuggle has three rushing touchdowns in his first two games as a Bobcat, including the team’s only TD in a 20-10 loss at Pittsburgh last week.
MORE
Ohio Football: https://ohiobobcats.com/sports/fball/index
Marshall Football: http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/mars-m-footbl-body.html
NEW HAMPSHIRE (0-1, 0-0 in CAA) at FIU (0-2, 0-1 in C-USA)
Saturday, September 14
7 p.m. ET
Miami, Florida (Riccardo Silva Stadium)
Television: ESPN3
Announcers: A.J. Ricketts (PxP), Kenny Kelly (AN)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
FAST FACTS
**FIU hosts New Hampshire looking to bounce back from last week’s loss to WKU, just the second defeat in the Panthers seven C-USA openers since joining the league in 2013.
**Senior RB Napoleon Maxwell, who led the Panthers with seven rushing touchdowns last season, scored his first TD of 2019 last week against WKU. It was his 14th career rushing touchdown.
**FIU senior LB Sage Lewis, the preseason C-USA Defensive Player of the Year and 2018 league leader in tackles, has a team-best 14 stops through the first two outings.
**Junior DB Rishard Dames scored his first career touchdown as a Panther last week when he returned an interception 80 yards for a score. It was his third career INT.
MORE
New Hampshire Football: https://unhwildcats.com/index.aspx?path=football
FIU Football: http://www.fiusports.com/index.aspx?path=football
DUKE (1-1, 0-0 in ACC) at MIDDLE TENNESSEE (1-1, 0-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, September 14
6 p.m. CT
Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Floyd Stadium)
Television: Stadium on Facebook
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), A.J. Hawk (AN), Kristen Balboni (SL)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
FAST FACTS
**Junior S Reed Blankenship was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week following his performance in the win over Tennessee State. He led the team with nine total tackles, two interceptions and the first blocked kick of his career. It went down as the second two-interception game as a Blue Raider. Both of Blankenship's interceptions were in the end-zone to stop TSU drives and now he has eight total picks for his career. Of the eight interceptions, three have been in the end-zone.
**Sophomore QB Asher O’Hara became the first quarterback in Middle Tennessee’s 105-year program history to throw for 300 yards and run for 100 yards in a game in MT’s 45-26 win over Tennessee State. O’Hara finished with 367 yards through the air on 22-of-30 passing. On the ground, O’Hara tucked the ball 11 times for 110 yards for an average of 9.4 yards per carry.
**Senior WR Ty Lee’s 22-yard touchdown reception against TSU was the 22nd of his career. That ties him with Kerry Wright for second all-time in school history and brings him within one of tying the all-time mark of 23 set by Richie James. Lee also moved into third place all-time in career receiving yards with 2,653.
**Middle Tennessee racked up 604 total yards on just 58 plays for a 10.4-yard average against Tennessee State. That marks the first time the Blue Raiders have generated more than 600 total yards since Nov. 26, 2016.
**Senior Quentin Harris has slotted in as the new starting QB for Duke after Daniel Jones was selected sixth overall in the NFL Draft. After a rough first week against No. 2 Alabama, he showed his dynamite athleticism against North Carolina A&T on Saturday, throwing for 345 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 83 more yards and another score.
MORE
Duke Football: http://www.goduke.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&SPID=1843&SPSID=22672&KEY=
Middle Tennessee Football: http://www.goblueraiders.com/index.aspx?path=football
(12) TEXAS (1-1, 0-0 in Big 12) at RICE (0-2, 0-0 in C-USA)
Saturday, September 14
7 p.m. CT
Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Carter Blackburn (PxP), Aaron Taylor (AN), Jenny Dell (SL)
All-Time Series: Texas leads 72-21-1
Last Meeting: at Texas 42, Rice 28 (Sept. 12, 2015)
FAST FACTS
**Graduate transfer (Harvard) QB Tom Stewart made his Rice debut late the first quarter last week when sophomore starter Wiley Green was injured. Stewart led the Owls to touchdowns on his first two drives and finished the game 19-of-30 for 185 yards and a TD, along with a 10-yard rushing score.
**Junior transfer WR Brad Rozner caught six passes for 103 yards against Wake Forest. It was his first career 100-yard game.
**Junior WR Austin Trammell caught six pass for 67 yards and a touchdown. It was his fourth career TD.
**Junior DE Anthony Ekpe recorded a career-high nine tackles against Wake Forest and has a team-best 17 stops, along with two TFL’s, on the season.
**This is the second game in three weeks for Texas against a C-USA opponent. The Longhorns opened the season with a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech.
**Texas head coach Tom Herman served as Rice’s offensive coordinator during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, helping the Owls to a 10-win season and a victory in the Texas Bowl in 2008.
MORE
Rice Football: https://riceowls.com/index.aspx?path=football
Texas Football: https://texassports.com/?path=football