Photo Credit: the american.org
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Week 3 delivered plenty of drama across the American Conference. The league finished 2-7 against FBS opponents during the week. Both victories came by one score. Still, several teams found reasons for optimism. South Florida and Tulsa remained undefeated. Memphis also picked up a convincing victory. Meanwhile, Temple suffered one of the wildest losses of the weekend. East Carolina finally earned its first victory of the season. FAU also grabbed an important rivalry win over FIU. However, the conference struggled against several Group of Five opponents. Here is a look around the American after Week 3.
USF Rolls Past Delaware State
South Florida continued its perfect start with a 59-17 win over Delaware State. The Bulls improved to 3-0 under first-year head coach Brian Hartline. USF dominated the second half after leading 28-17 at halftime. The Bulls finished with 611 total yards and seven rushing touchdowns. D.J. Crowther led the way with three rushing touchdowns. He finished with 101 rushing yards on only eight carries. Crowther also caught two passes for 40 yards. Michael Van Buren Jr. completed 23 of 32 passes for 300 yards. He also threw one touchdown. Joshua Porter caught eight passes for 106 yards and one touchdown. The Bulls now prepare for Bowling Green.
Tulsa Continues Perfect Start
Tulsa also remained undefeated after dominating East Texas A&M. The Golden Hurricane cruised to a 42-0 victory. Tulsa improved to 3-0 with the shutout. The Golden Hurricane controlled the game throughout the afternoon. Dexter Williams II stepped in at quarterback for Baylor Hayes. He threw three touchdown passes in the victory. Tulsa now faces a major test. The Golden Hurricane travels to Arkansas next week. That matchup should provide a much stronger measuring stick.
FAU Wins the Shula Bowl
Florida Atlantic earned a rivalry victory against FIU. The Owls defeated the Panthers 16-10 in the Shula Bowl. FAU improved to 2-1 with the victory. The Owls relied heavily on their defense. FAU intercepted FIU quarterback J.J. Kohl three times. Those turnovers helped create two scoring drives. FIU nearly stole the game late. The Panthers reached the FAU 17-yard line before time expired. Instead, the Owls escaped with their second victory. FAU now travels to Louisiana-Monroe.
East Carolina Finally Gets a Win
East Carolina finally broke into the win column. The Pirates defeated Old Dominion 20-17. Ayden Duncanson provided the biggest play of the afternoon. He returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown. The Pirates also ran effectively throughout the game. East Carolina finished with 173 rushing yards. TJ Engleman led the ground attack with 99 yards. However, questions remain at quarterback. Mitch Griffis and Emory Williams both saw action. Griffis eventually returned to the game. He finished 4-for-12 passing for 58 yards. East Carolina hosts North Carolina Central next week.
Temple Suffers Crushing Loss
Temple experienced one of the strangest finishes of Week 3. The Owls lost to Toledo 49-48 in overtime. Temple appeared ready to secure an impressive road victory. The Owls led 42-28 with less than seven minutes remaining. Then everything changed. Toledo scored with 1:05 remaining after an 83-yard drive. The Rockets recovered the ensuing onside kick. Toledo then scored again with 54 seconds remaining. That touchdown tied the game and forced overtime. Both teams scored touchdowns during the extra period. Temple attempted a two-point conversion after its touchdown. The attempt failed. Toledo escaped with the one-point victory. Despite the loss, Temple found an encouraging development. Quarterback Ajani Sheppard delivered three passing touchdowns. He also rushed for another score. Temple now hosts Army on Friday.
UTSA Runs into No. 1 Texas
UTSA faced the nation’s top-ranked team on Saturday night. The Roadrunners traveled to Austin to face Texas. The Longhorns won 30-6. UTSA struggled to generate offense against the Texas defense. The Roadrunners managed only 142 total yards. Luke McCown threw for just 70 yards. Will Henderson III led UTSA with 38 rushing yards. Texas improved to 3-0 with the victory. UTSA returns home next week against Colorado State.
Tulane Falls at Kansas State
Tulane also faced a difficult Power Four opponent. The Green Wave lost to Kansas State 31-20. Tulane struggled to establish its rushing attack. Jaylin Lucas managed only minus-two rushing yards. That followed his 214-yard performance the previous week. Tulane finished with just 95 rushing yards. Kadin Semonza completed only half of his passes. He finished with 165 passing yards. The Green Wave now hosts Southern Miss.
North Texas Loses High-Scoring Battle
North Texas traveled to Texas State for another difficult matchup. The Mean Green lost 49-35. Quarterback Taven Jackson delivered an impressive individual performance. He threw for 483 yards. However, North Texas could not slow Texas State’s offense. The Bobcats produced 605 total yards. Texas State also ran for 214 yards. That defensive performance proved costly for North Texas. The Mean Green now hosts Houston Christian.
Rice Falls to Western Michigan
Rice battled Western Michigan but came up short. The Broncos defeated the Owls 28-21. Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown produced another strong performance. He threw for 121 yards and rushed for 128 more. However, Western Michigan controlled the running game. The Broncos finished with 217 rushing yards. Rice now travels to Fresno State.
UAB Falls at Louisiana
UAB suffered another tough road loss. Louisiana defeated the Blazers 21-14. The Ragin’ Cajuns controlled the ground game. Louisiana finished with 225 rushing yards. UAB managed only 74 rushing yards. That difference helped Louisiana control the game’s tempo. The Blazers now return home. UAB hosts Navy on Friday night.
Charlotte Drops to 0-3
Charlotte remains winless after falling to Appalachian State. The Mountaineers defeated the 49ers 26-21. Charlotte trailed 26-7 before mounting a late comeback. Collin Gill returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown. However, Charlotte’s final onside-kick attempt failed. Quarterback Cole Gonzales also threw two interceptions. Those turnovers continued a difficult start for the 49ers. Charlotte now hosts Louisiana.
Memphis Gets Back on Track
Memphis enjoyed one of the conference’s strongest wins. The Tigers defeated UT Martin 45-21. Memphis dominated the ground game. The Tigers rushed for 299 yards. Marcus Stokes also threw four touchdown passes. Memphis improved to 3-1 with the victory. The Tigers now have a bye week. That gives Memphis time to prepare for the next portion of its schedule.
The Conference Turns Toward Week 4
Week 3 produced plenty of lessons for the American. USF and Tulsa remain the conference’s only unbeaten teams. Memphis also showed signs of becoming a major factor. FAU picked up an important rivalry victory. East Carolina finally earned its first win. However, several teams still have plenty to prove. Temple showed fight despite its heartbreaking loss. UTSA and Tulane now need to regroup after difficult Power Four tests. North Texas, Rice, UAB, and Charlotte also face important weeks ahead. Conference play will soon take center stage again. For now, Week 3 showed that the American remains difficult to predict. The margin between winning and losing proved extremely small. That should make the next few weeks even more interesting.
Looking forward to seeing what happens in week four.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker (VP) and Head of our Florida operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a host on The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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