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AAC preview: 10 conference games to watch
he American Athletic Conference continues the crusade to be seen as one of the top premiere conferences in the country. Success last season has gone far in re-enforcing that image and these 10 games could help as well:
Houston at Cincinnati
Thursday, Sept. 15
Buzz: Cincinnati still feels the sting from last season’s 33-30 loss in Houston – a loss that snapped a five-game win streak in the series. Greg Ward Jr. accounted for 280 total yards of offense and two touchdowns while Houston forced the Bearcats into three turnovers. Cincinnati is an impressive 15-3 at Nippert Stadium under Tommy Tuberville but the program remains winless (0-3) against teams ranked in the top 25.
USF at Cincinnati
Saturday, Oct. 1
Buzz: USF ended Cincinnati’s hopes for another divisional title last season after handing the Bearcats their worst loss in the series – a 65-27 route in Tampa. Quinton Flowers tossed four touchdowns as the Bulls rolled up 567 yards of total offense in the win. USF returns 15 starters this season and according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Bulls are favored in all by one game including against the Bearcats.
Temple at Memphis
Thursday, Oct. 6
Buzz: Temple surprised just about everyone last season when the Owls went on to win the East Division. The Owls finished with 10-wins for just the second time in the program’s history. Memphis, meanwhile, opened with eight straight wins before fading down the stretch. New head coach Mike Norvell looks to continue the program’s recent run of success but the departure of quarterback Paxton Lynch leaves the Tigers a long shot in the West Division race.
Houston at Navy
Saturday, Oct. 8
Buzz: The West Division came down to a November 27 showdown between these two teams. Houston jumped out to an early double-digit lead and didn’t look back, holding Navy’s high-power triple-option attack to just 147 yards rushing while the Cougars’ Greg Ward Jr. accounted for 391 total yards of offense and four total touchdowns. The Midshipmen must find a replacement for Keenan Reynolds at quarterback along with a slew of other positions on offense. The program’s never backed down from a challenge and this one is certainly that.
Tulsa at Houston
Saturday, Oct. 15
Buzz: Both of these teams finished among the leaders in the conference in scoring and total offense. Houston jumped out to a 24-10 lead before holding off a furious rally by Tulsa in the second off to win 38-24. The two teams amassed close to 1,100 yards of total offense in the process. The Golden Hurricanes are a much better team in Year 2 under Phil Montgomery so expect there to be plenty of fireworks in this showdown.
USF at Temple
Friday, Oct. 21
Buzz: The East Division came down to the final weekend of the season with Temple clinching a berth in the conference championship with a win over Connecticut. USF won seven of its final eight games of the regular season including an impressive 44-23 victory over the Owls. Marlon Mack rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulls, who head into this upcoming season as the early favorites to win the division.
UCF at Houston
Saturday, Oct. 29
Buzz: Scott Frost’s instituted a fast and furious approach at UCF as the Knights expect to go-go-go on both sides of the football. One of the team’s biggest tests will come on the road against Houston. Last season the Cougars handed UCF one of its worst losses in the short-lived series – a 59-10 blowout in Orlando. In the win, Houston outplayed the Knights in every facet of the game including more than doubling the number of total yards (600-280).
Cincinnati at Temple
Saturday, Oct. 29
Buzz: This mid-season showdown could go a long way in determining the East Division champion. Cincinnati put up nearly 600 yards of total offense against Temple last season, but still lost a 34-26 decision to the Owls. The Bearcats turned the ball over five times including four interceptions by Gunner Kiel in the loss. With USF picked by most pundits to win the division, Temple and Cincinnati could be playing to see who steps up if the Bulls slip.
Houston at Memphis
Friday, Nov. 25
Buzz: These two teams participated in one of the best games in the American last season. Memphis jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first half of the game, but Houston used a massive fourth quarter effort to score 21 points to come-from-behind and win 35-34. The loss effectively ended the Tigers chances at a divisional title and put a damper on a season that showed so much promise after an 8-0 start.
UCF at USF
Saturday, Nov. 26
Buzz: From the very start of its inception, officials from the American Athletic Conference have stressed the importance of this rivalry. Last season, USF handed UCF a decisive 44-3 loss – the second-largest blowout in the seven games series. Quinton Flowers accounted for five total touchdowns in the win as the Bulls left a lasting impression by celebrating on the field at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando. A new coaching staff at UCF and new up-tempo schemes could energize this series.
AAC preview: 10 conference games to watch
he American Athletic Conference continues the crusade to be seen as one of the top premiere conferences in the country. Success last season has gone far in re-enforcing that image and these 10 games could help as well:
Houston at Cincinnati
Thursday, Sept. 15
Buzz: Cincinnati still feels the sting from last season’s 33-30 loss in Houston – a loss that snapped a five-game win streak in the series. Greg Ward Jr. accounted for 280 total yards of offense and two touchdowns while Houston forced the Bearcats into three turnovers. Cincinnati is an impressive 15-3 at Nippert Stadium under Tommy Tuberville but the program remains winless (0-3) against teams ranked in the top 25.
USF at Cincinnati
Saturday, Oct. 1
Buzz: USF ended Cincinnati’s hopes for another divisional title last season after handing the Bearcats their worst loss in the series – a 65-27 route in Tampa. Quinton Flowers tossed four touchdowns as the Bulls rolled up 567 yards of total offense in the win. USF returns 15 starters this season and according to ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Bulls are favored in all by one game including against the Bearcats.
Temple at Memphis
Thursday, Oct. 6
Buzz: Temple surprised just about everyone last season when the Owls went on to win the East Division. The Owls finished with 10-wins for just the second time in the program’s history. Memphis, meanwhile, opened with eight straight wins before fading down the stretch. New head coach Mike Norvell looks to continue the program’s recent run of success but the departure of quarterback Paxton Lynch leaves the Tigers a long shot in the West Division race.
Houston at Navy
Saturday, Oct. 8
Buzz: The West Division came down to a November 27 showdown between these two teams. Houston jumped out to an early double-digit lead and didn’t look back, holding Navy’s high-power triple-option attack to just 147 yards rushing while the Cougars’ Greg Ward Jr. accounted for 391 total yards of offense and four total touchdowns. The Midshipmen must find a replacement for Keenan Reynolds at quarterback along with a slew of other positions on offense. The program’s never backed down from a challenge and this one is certainly that.
Tulsa at Houston
Saturday, Oct. 15
Buzz: Both of these teams finished among the leaders in the conference in scoring and total offense. Houston jumped out to a 24-10 lead before holding off a furious rally by Tulsa in the second off to win 38-24. The two teams amassed close to 1,100 yards of total offense in the process. The Golden Hurricanes are a much better team in Year 2 under Phil Montgomery so expect there to be plenty of fireworks in this showdown.
USF at Temple
Friday, Oct. 21
Buzz: The East Division came down to the final weekend of the season with Temple clinching a berth in the conference championship with a win over Connecticut. USF won seven of its final eight games of the regular season including an impressive 44-23 victory over the Owls. Marlon Mack rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulls, who head into this upcoming season as the early favorites to win the division.
UCF at Houston
Saturday, Oct. 29
Buzz: Scott Frost’s instituted a fast and furious approach at UCF as the Knights expect to go-go-go on both sides of the football. One of the team’s biggest tests will come on the road against Houston. Last season the Cougars handed UCF one of its worst losses in the short-lived series – a 59-10 blowout in Orlando. In the win, Houston outplayed the Knights in every facet of the game including more than doubling the number of total yards (600-280).
Cincinnati at Temple
Saturday, Oct. 29
Buzz: This mid-season showdown could go a long way in determining the East Division champion. Cincinnati put up nearly 600 yards of total offense against Temple last season, but still lost a 34-26 decision to the Owls. The Bearcats turned the ball over five times including four interceptions by Gunner Kiel in the loss. With USF picked by most pundits to win the division, Temple and Cincinnati could be playing to see who steps up if the Bulls slip.
Houston at Memphis
Friday, Nov. 25
Buzz: These two teams participated in one of the best games in the American last season. Memphis jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the first half of the game, but Houston used a massive fourth quarter effort to score 21 points to come-from-behind and win 35-34. The loss effectively ended the Tigers chances at a divisional title and put a damper on a season that showed so much promise after an 8-0 start.
UCF at USF
Saturday, Nov. 26
Buzz: From the very start of its inception, officials from the American Athletic Conference have stressed the importance of this rivalry. Last season, USF handed UCF a decisive 44-3 loss – the second-largest blowout in the seven games series. Quinton Flowers accounted for five total touchdowns in the win as the Bulls left a lasting impression by celebrating on the field at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando. A new coaching staff at UCF and new up-tempo schemes could energize this series.
