It is the final week of the regular season, and all 14 Conference USA teams are in action again in Week 13. There is one game slated for Friday afternoon, which kicks off the weekend for Conference USA, as UAB hosts UTEP at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+. There are six other games on tap in the league on Saturday, as Louisiana Tech and Rice kick off the action on Saturday at 12 p.m. CT, when they do battle on ESPN+.

The day is however highlighted by a series of meaningful matchups with a lot on the line - none bigger than a winner-take-all matchup to decide the East Division between WKU and Marshall in Huntington, West Virginia, at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network. The winner will travel to No. 22 UTSA for the 2021 Ryan Conference USA Championship Game on Friday, Dec. 3. Additionally, bowl eligibility is on the line for several five-win teams and the aforementioned Roadrunners have a 12-0 regular season on the line when they travel to Denton, where the Mean Green are one win from hitting six. Two matchups between five-win teams have bowl eligibility as the prize for winning - Charlotte at Old Dominion and Middle Tennessee at Florida Atlantic.

High Stakes in Saturday's Showdown in Huntington
WKU (7-4, 6-1 C-USA) travels to Huntington, West Virginia, to battle Marshall (7-4, 5-2 C-USA) at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network with the East Division title and a spot in the 2021 Ryan Conference USA Championship Game on the line. WKU, who opened the season at 1-4 with a difficult early schedule, has won six straight, including a 52-17 win over Florida Atlantic last week. QB Bailey Zappe threw for 460 yards and six touchdowns, while WR Jerreth Sterns hauled in 12 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown in the win. Both keep rising up the C-USA record books for their monster seasons. Marshall had an impressive 49-28 win last week in Charlotte, paced by RB Rasheen Ali, who ran for 203 yards and three scores.

Six More C-USA Matchups
UAB (7-4, 5-2 C-USA) is coming off a heartbreaking last-second 34-31 loss in San Antonio with the West Division on the line. The Blazers welcome UTEP (7-4, 4-3 C-USA) to Birmingham on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+. UAB grabbed a late fourth quarter lead at UTSA, but the Roadrunners drove 77 yards in the final 1:05 with no timeouts to seize the division title, while also remaining undefeated. UTEP stormed back to knock off Rice 38-28 last week in the final home game of the season in El Paso. WR Jacob Cowing continued his unbelievable season, hauling in 11 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown in the win, where the Miners outscored the Owls 24-7 in the second half.

Louisiana Tech (3-8, 2-5 C-USA) travels to Houston to take on Rice (3-8, 2-5 C-USA) as both teams wrap up their 2021 seasons to kick off Saturday’s C-USA action at 12 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Bulldogs dropped a disappointing contest at home last week against Southern Miss, 35-19, on Senior Night, while the Owls fell 38-28 at UTEP.

CFP No. 22 UTSA (11-0, 7-0 C-USA) had won of the most thrilling wins of the 2021 season, coming back late to stun defending C-USA Champion UAB, 34-31, to keep its dream season rolling. UTSA clinched the West Division and will now host the 2021 Ryan Conference USA Championship Game on Dec. 3. The Roadrunners travel to Denton to take on the surging Mean Green of North Texas (5-6, 4-3 C-USA) at 1 p.m. CT live on ESPN+. UTSA QB Frank Harris orchestrated a phenomenal game-winning drive last week, marching the Roadrunners 77 yards in the final 1:05 with no timeouts remaining. Harris connected with TE Oscar Cardenas on a floated, deflected pass after the snap hit the ground to pull off the improbable victory in front of 35,147 at the Alamodome. UTSA is seeking C-USA’s first unbeaten regular season since 2011, when Houston finished the regular season 12-0 (ultimately fell in the C-USA Championship Game, and wrapped the season at 13-1 with a bowl win). The Mean Green have won four straight, including a 49-7 win at FIU last week, to set up an opportunity to spoil UTSA’s bid for a perfect season and achieve bowl eligibility after starting their season 1-6. UNT, boasting C-USA’s best rushing attack, rolled up 378 yards on the ground, as both RB DeAndre Torrey (18 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns) and RB Ikaika Ragsdale (19 carries for 102 yards and a score), surpassed the century mark.

Charlotte (5-6, 3-4 C-USA) travels to Norfolk to face off against the surging Old Dominion Monarchs (5-6, 4-3 C-USA), at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+ with bowl eligibility on the line. Charlotte has dropped four of its last five, including a 49-28 loss at home last week to Marshall. ODU on the other hand, has won four consecutive games, including a 24-17 win last week at Middle Tennessee to keep the Monarchs’ bowl hopes alive in head coach Ricky Rahne’s first season on the sidelines (after ODU did not play during the 2020 season). Old Dominion WR Ali Jennings caught four passes for 146 yards, while LB Jason Henderson led the way with nine tackles and a forced fumble in the win.

FIU (1-10, 0-7 C-USA) hits the road to take on Southern Miss (2-9, 1-6 C-USA) Saturday at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN3. FIU has dropped 10 straight, including a 49-7 loss at home against North Texas last week. Southern Miss utilized its “Superback” system to knock off Louisiana Tech last week, 35-19, in Ruston for the program’s first FBS win under head coach Will Hall, and first by the Golden Eagles since the regular season finale in 2020.

Middle Tennessee (5-6, 3-4 C-USA) makes the trip to Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic (5-6, 3-4 C-USA) at 6 p.m. CT on Stadium with bowl eligibility on the line. The Blue Raiders fell 24-17 at home last week to Old Dominion, despite having a chance to potentially tie things up late in the fourth quarter.  FAU was beaten 52-17 in Bowling Green by WKU, their third straight loss heading into the regular season finale.