C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP SET
Middle Tennessee’s 27-3 win over UAB on Saturday meant that the Blue Raiders (8-4, 7-1 in C-USA) had clinched both the East Division Championship and the right to host the 2018 Globe Life Conference USA Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 1. UAB (9-3, 7-1 in C-USA) punched its ticket as West Division Champion back on November 10. The C-USA Championship Game will be televised live on CBS Sports Network, beginning at 1:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. CST.
Championship Notes
2018 C-USA Football Stats
This marks the first time that C-USA schools will have met on the final day of the regular season and turned around and matched up once again in the conference’s Championship Game. It will be the third meeting between the schools in a little over 13 months, with the home team winning the first two games.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE TO HOST UAB IN THE 2018 GLOBE LIFE C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP
Middle Tennessee (8-4, 7-1 in C-USA) won its first East Division title and will host the 2018 Globe Life Conference USA Football Championship Game on Saturday, December 1 against West Division Champion UAB (9-3, 7-1 in C-USA).
UAB at MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Saturday, Dec. 1 Murfreesboro, Tennessee
12:30 p.m. (CST) Floyd Stadium (30,500)
All-Time Series: Middle Tennessee leads 4-3
Last Meeting: at Middle Tennessee 27, UAB 3 (Nov. 24, 2018)
Television: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Carter Blackburn (PxP), Aaron Taylor (AN), John Scriffen (SL)
Radio: TuneIn
Announcers: TJ Rives (PxP), Kelly Holcomb (AN)
UAB (9-3, 7-1 in C-USA)
Website: www.uabsports.com
Head Coach: Bill Clark (4th year, 3rd at UAB)
Leading Passer: E.J. Erdely (111-of-198, 1,539 yds., 7 TD, 7 INT)
Leading Rusher: Spencer Brown (216 att., 993 yds., 15 TD)
Leading Receiver: Xavier Ubosi (27 rec., 594 yds., 5 TD)
Leading Tackler: Chris Woolbright (63 tackles, 41 solo)
Total Offense: 403.2 ypg (5th in C-USA)
Rushing Offense: 207.5 ypg (2nd in C-USA)
Passing Offense: 195.8 ypg (10th in C-USA)
Scoring Offense 29.5 (5th in C-USA)
Total Defense: 287.2 ypg (2nd in C-USA)
Rushing Defense: 120.9 ypg (5th in C-USA)
Passing Defense: 166.2 ypg (1st in C-USA)
Scoring Defense: 16.7 (1st in C-USA)
MIDDLE TENNESSEE (8-4, 7-1 in C-USA)
Website: www.goblueraiders.com
Head Coach: Rick Stockstill (13th year, all at MT)
Leading Passer: Brent Stockstill (272-of-382, 2,852 yds., 26 TD, 6 INT)
Leading Rusher: Chaton Mobley (104 att., 576 yds., 4 TD)
Leading Receiver: Ty Lee (65 rec., 806 yds., 7 TD)
Leading Tackler: Reed Blankenship (90 tackles, 45 solo)
Total Offense: 388.8 ypg (6th in C-USA)
Rushing Offense: 142.5 ypg (8th in C-USA)
Passing Offense: 246.5 ypg (6th in C-USA)
Scoring Offense 29.5 (5th in C-USA)
Total Defense: 373.6 ypg (6th in C-USA)
Rushing Defense: 154.4 ypg (6th in C-USA)
Passing Defense: 219.2 ypg (6th in C-USA)
Scoring Defense: 25.2 (7th in C-USA)
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
Here are the results and MVP’s of the first 13 C-USA Football Championship Games:
2017 at Florida Atlantic 41, North Texas 17
MVP: Kalib Woods, WR, Florida Atlantic
2016 at WKU 58, Louisiana Tech 44
MVP: Anthony Wales, RB, WKU
2015 at WKU 45, Southern Miss 28
MVP: Brandon Doughty, QB, WKU
2014 at Marshall 26, Louisiana Tech 23
MVP: Justin Haig, K, Marshall
2013 at Rice 41, Marshall 24
MVP: Luke Turner, RB, Rice
2012 at Tulsa 33, UCF 27 (ot)
MVP: Trey Watts, RB, Tulsa
2011 Southern Miss 49, at Houston 28
MVP: Tracy Lampley, RB, Southern Miss
2010 at UCF 17, SMU 7
MVP: Latavius Murray, RB, UCF
2009 at East Carolina 38, Houston 32
MVP: Dwayne Harris, WR, East Carolina
2008 East Carolina 27, at Tulsa 24
MVP: Travis Simmons, DB, East Carolina
2007 at UCF 44, Tulsa 25
MVP: Kevin Smith, RB, UCF
2006 at Houston 34, Southern Miss 20
MVP: Kevin Kolb, QB, Houston
2005 Tulsa 44, at UCF 27
MVP: Garrett Mills, TE, Tulsa
CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCHES
This will be the third year in a row and sixth time in 14 years that teams that played each other in the regular season have re-matched in the C-USA Championship Game. The regular season winner is 3-2 in the five previous title game rematches:
2017: Florida Atlantic vs. North Texas: Florida Atlantic won the regular season game, 69-31, in Boca Raton. FAU then won the Championship Game, 41-17, in Boca Raton.
2016: Louisiana Tech vs. WKU: LA Tech won the regular season game, 55-52, in Ruston. WKU then won the Championship Game, 58-44, in Bowling Green.
2012: Tulsa vs. UCF: Tulsa won the regular season game, 23-21, in Tulsa. Tulsa then won the Championship Game, 33-27 in OT, in Tulsa.
2007: Tulsa vs. UCF: UCF won the regular season game, 44-23, in Orlando. UCF then won the Championship Game, 44-25, in Orlando.
2006: Southern Miss vs. Houston: Southern Miss won the regular season game, 31-27, in Hattiesburg. Houston then won the Champ. Game, 34-20, in Houston.
CHAMPIONSHIP TRENDS
*Both schools will be making their first appearance in the C-USA Championship Game. The last time that happened was 2013, when Rice defeated Marshall in the title game.
*This will be the sixth time that the teams playing in the C-USA Championship met during the regular season. The team that won the regular season contest is 3-2 in the rematch.
*Since C-USA began holding a conference championship in 2005, the host school is 10-3 all-time, including a current six-game winning streak.
*Both schools will be making their first appearance in the C-USA Championship Game. This marks the second straight year that has happened and whichever team wins will become the seventh different school to win the title game in the last eight seasons.
C-USA CHAMPIONS
Year Champion (C-USA Record)
2017 Florida Atlantic (8-0)
2016 WKU (7-1)
2015 WKU (8-0)
2014 Marshall (7-1)
2013 Rice (7-1)
2012 Tulsa (7-1)
2011 Southern Miss (7-1)
2010 UCF (7-1)
2009 East Carolina (6-2)
2008 East Carolina (6-2)
2007 UCF (7-1)
2006 Houston (8-0)
2005 Tulsa (6-2)
2004 Louisville (8-0)
2003 Southern Miss (7-1)
2002 TCU (6-2)
Cincinnati (6-2)
2001 Louisville (6-1)
2000 Louisville (6-1)
1999 Southern Miss (6-0)
1998 Tulane (6-0)
1997 Southern Miss (6-0)
1996 Houston (4-1)
Southern Miss (4-1)
C-USA BOWL ELIGIBILITY
Conference USA has produced seven bowl-eligible teams this season.
2018 C-USA BOWL-ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS (Nov. 26)
UAB 9-3
North Texas 9-3
Marshall 8-3
Middle Tennessee 8-4
FIU 8-4
Louisiana Tech 7-5
Southern Miss 6-5
C-USA BOWL SYNOPSIS
C-USA has six primary bowl selections in 2018: the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl, Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu, Hawai’i), Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas), New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, N.M.), and R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, along with either the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl (Tampa Bay, Fla.) or the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (Dallas, Texas).
The league has a secondary agreement with the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl (Shreveport, La.), should the ACC or SEC not be able to fill its spot in that game and a secondary agreement with the DXL Frisco Bowl (Frisco, Texas).
There is no set selection order among C-USA’s bowl partners.