· Navy’s first conference game in program history ended as a success on all fronts for the Midshipmen, who took a 45-21 win against East Carolina in front of 34,717 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. QB Keenan Reynolds rushed for an American Athletic Conference-record five touchdowns as part of his 142-yard day, while he continued his climb toward the NCAA’s career rushing touchdowns record. Reynolds, who already owns the NCAA mark for quarterbacks, needs seven touchdowns to tie the mark of 77, held by Wisconsin’s Montee Ball.
· The win was Navy’s sixth straight victory and it gave the Midshipmen (2-0, 1-0 American) an early head start in the West Division race. East Carolina fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in The American despite a 325-yard passing day and three touchdowns from QB Blake Kemp.
· The American had three teams come away with hard-fought wins on the road, leading to another noteworthy accomplishment on the young season. Only two schools nationally have won two road games in the 2015 season — Memphis and Temple.
· Memphis (3-0) extended its winning streak to 10 games — third third-longest active streak nationally behind Ohio State (16) and TCU (11) — with a 44-41 win at Bowling Green. The Tigers took control of what had been a back-and-forth game with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from QB Paxton Lynch and a go-ahead field goal by K Jake Elliott. Lynch threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns, and the Tiger defense denied the potent Bowling Green offense on the Falcons’ final three possessions.
· Temple improved to 3-0 with a dramatic 25-23 road win against an improved Massachusetts squad. The Minutemen scored what could have been a backbreaking touchdown with 1:20 left, but the Owls blocked the extra point and DB Will Hayes returned it for a rare defensive PAT, leaving Temple with a one-point deficit. QB P.J. Walker led the Owls’ final drive and K Austin Jones won it on a 32-yard field goal with 12 seconds left. Walker threw for a career-high 391 yards and a touchdown for the Owls.
· Cincinnati also won on the road as the Bearcats rallied past Miami (Ohio), 37-33, to win the Battle for the Victory Bell for the 10th straight year. QB Hayden Moore came off the bench in the third quarter, in place of injured starting QB Gunner Kiel, and scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:13 left. RB Mike Boone rushed for 118 yards and touchdown on just four carries for the 2-1 Bearcats.
· Tulane picked up its first win of the season as the Green Wave scored the final 38 points of the game in a 38-7 victory against Maine at Yulman Stadium. The Green Wave’s depth at running back proved to be too much as RB Dontrell Hilliard rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries, while RB Sherman Badie was the top receiver with five receptions for 118 yards.
· Three teams from The American faced top-25 opponents on the road Saturday, and all three made things interesting into the fourth quarter. UConn’s defense held No. 22/20 Missouri to 270 yards and forced a pair of turnovers in a 9-6 setback, as the Huskies fell to 2-1. Tulsa (2-1) and No. 16/17 Oklahoma combined for 1,376 yards of offense before the Sooners pulled away for a 52-38 win in Norman. SMU (1-2) was within five points of No. 3/3 TCU in the fourth quarter before the Horned Frogs prevailed 56-37 in the annual Battle for the Iron Skillet in Fort Worth.
· USF (1-2) was unable to hold on to a second-quarter lead against Maryland as the Terrapins rallied for a 35-17 win in College Park. UCF likewise saw an early lead slip away as Furman escaped with a 16-15 win against the Knights (0-3), thanks to a 55-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
· The win was Navy’s sixth straight victory and it gave the Midshipmen (2-0, 1-0 American) an early head start in the West Division race. East Carolina fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in The American despite a 325-yard passing day and three touchdowns from QB Blake Kemp.
· The American had three teams come away with hard-fought wins on the road, leading to another noteworthy accomplishment on the young season. Only two schools nationally have won two road games in the 2015 season — Memphis and Temple.
· Memphis (3-0) extended its winning streak to 10 games — third third-longest active streak nationally behind Ohio State (16) and TCU (11) — with a 44-41 win at Bowling Green. The Tigers took control of what had been a back-and-forth game with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from QB Paxton Lynch and a go-ahead field goal by K Jake Elliott. Lynch threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns, and the Tiger defense denied the potent Bowling Green offense on the Falcons’ final three possessions.
· Temple improved to 3-0 with a dramatic 25-23 road win against an improved Massachusetts squad. The Minutemen scored what could have been a backbreaking touchdown with 1:20 left, but the Owls blocked the extra point and DB Will Hayes returned it for a rare defensive PAT, leaving Temple with a one-point deficit. QB P.J. Walker led the Owls’ final drive and K Austin Jones won it on a 32-yard field goal with 12 seconds left. Walker threw for a career-high 391 yards and a touchdown for the Owls.
· Cincinnati also won on the road as the Bearcats rallied past Miami (Ohio), 37-33, to win the Battle for the Victory Bell for the 10th straight year. QB Hayden Moore came off the bench in the third quarter, in place of injured starting QB Gunner Kiel, and scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:13 left. RB Mike Boone rushed for 118 yards and touchdown on just four carries for the 2-1 Bearcats.
· Tulane picked up its first win of the season as the Green Wave scored the final 38 points of the game in a 38-7 victory against Maine at Yulman Stadium. The Green Wave’s depth at running back proved to be too much as RB Dontrell Hilliard rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries, while RB Sherman Badie was the top receiver with five receptions for 118 yards.
· Three teams from The American faced top-25 opponents on the road Saturday, and all three made things interesting into the fourth quarter. UConn’s defense held No. 22/20 Missouri to 270 yards and forced a pair of turnovers in a 9-6 setback, as the Huskies fell to 2-1. Tulsa (2-1) and No. 16/17 Oklahoma combined for 1,376 yards of offense before the Sooners pulled away for a 52-38 win in Norman. SMU (1-2) was within five points of No. 3/3 TCU in the fourth quarter before the Horned Frogs prevailed 56-37 in the annual Battle for the Iron Skillet in Fort Worth.
· USF (1-2) was unable to hold on to a second-quarter lead against Maryland as the Terrapins rallied for a 35-17 win in College Park. UCF likewise saw an early lead slip away as Furman escaped with a 16-15 win against the Knights (0-3), thanks to a 55-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
