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Week 5 brought blowouts, close finishes, overtime drama, and several huge individual performances across the American Conference. North Texas opened the action with an overtime thriller against Tulsa on Thursday night. Memphis followed with complete domination against Charlotte two days later. Temple also delivered one of the weekend’s biggest surprises by handing USF its first loss. Meanwhile, UTSA survived Rice in another tight conference matchup. Florida Atlantic produced the weekend’s biggest scoring explosion. UAB pulled away late, while Navy fell against rival Air Force. Finally, Army nearly completed a fourth-quarter comeback against Louisiana Tech.
North Texas 45, Tulsa 44 — Overtime
North Texas escaped Tulsa with a thrilling 45-44 overtime victory Thursday night. Tayven Jackson scored on a one-yard run during North Texas’ overtime possession. Tulsa answered with Damari Alston’s two-yard touchdown. However, Tulsa attempted a two-point conversion for the victory. North Texas stopped Oran Singleton short of the goal line. Jahiem White delivered a monster performance with 219 rushing yards on 32 carries. He also scored once and broke an 84-yard run. Jackson completed 24 of 39 passes for 332 yards. He threw four touchdowns and two interceptions. Max Reese caught five passes for 101 yards. Justin Stevenson added two touchdown receptions. Meanwhile, Baylor Hayes accounted for five touchdowns for Tulsa. He threw three and rushed for two more. North Texas finished with 559 total yards compared with Tulsa’s 352.
Memphis 59, Charlotte 8
Memphis had little trouble during its 59-8 road victory over Charlotte. Quarterback Marcus Stokes completed 20 of 25 passes for 318 yards. More importantly, he threw a career-high five touchdown passes. Jermane Hayes became his biggest target. Hayes caught six passes for 163 yards and one touchdown. Memphis took a commanding 24-0 advantage into halftime. However, Charlotte opened the third quarter with its biggest play. Henry Rutledge exploded for a 75-yard touchdown run. Rutledge finished with 111 rushing yards on only six carries. Memphis immediately answered with a 75-yard scoring drive. Stokes finished that possession with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Stonka Burnside. The Tigers eventually scored 59 points and improved to 4-1 overall. Charlotte dropped to 0-5.
UAB 33, Samford 14
UAB needed a strong fourth quarter before finally putting away Samford. The Blazers entered the final quarter leading only 16-14. Then UAB scored 17 unanswered points to secure the victory. Bam McReynolds delivered a 28-yard touchdown run during the decisive quarter. Ryder Burton later found CJ Smith for a 31-yard touchdown. Jonah Delange also provided an important contribution. He kicked four field goals for the Blazers. Samford briefly produced one of the weekend’s wildest plays. LaShong Young forced Roderick Robinson II to fumble. Jalen Nelson recovered the ball and raced 95 yards for a touchdown. However, UAB’s defense eventually took control. The Blazers intercepted Gabarri Johnson three times. Burton finished with 139 passing yards, while Robinson led UAB with 75 rushing yards.
Air Force 14, Navy 9
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy competition started with Air Force defeating Navy 14-9. Liam Szarka scored both Air Force touchdowns. His first came on a one-yard run during the second quarter. Szarka later scored from eight yards before halftime. That touchdown gave Air Force a 14-3 advantage. Navy responded during the third quarter. Jackson Gutierrez connected with Truman Brasfield for a 68-yard touchdown. However, Navy failed on the following two-point conversion. The Midshipmen never scored again. Navy struggled badly on third down and converted only one of 11 opportunities. Gutierrez threw for 140 yards and added 33 rushing yards. Szarka rushed for 81 yards and passed for 82. However, Navy intercepted Szarka twice. Air Force still protected its lead and improved to 3-1. Navy fell to 1-3.
Florida Atlantic 66, Texas Southern 10
Florida Atlantic produced the wildest opening sequence of the American Conference weekend. Leonard Farrow returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Texas Southern then kicked a field goal. Farrow responded by returning the next kickoff 92 yards for another touchdown. FAU still had not run an offensive play. Then Wilky Denaud returned a fumble 31 yards for another score. Suddenly, FAU led 21-3 before its offense touched the field. Caden Veltkamp eventually joined the fun. Veltkamp completed 13 of 16 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns. Three touchdown passes went to Kelby Valsin. Valsin finished with seven catches for 126 yards. FAU accumulated 323 passing yards and 130 rushing yards. The Owls also gained 214 yards on kick and punt returns. Florida Atlantic led 49-10 at halftime before finishing the 66-10 rout.
UTSA 16, Rice 14
UTSA survived a defensive second half and defeated Rice 16-14 in Houston. Michael Petro gave UTSA an early advantage with field goals from 32 and 53 yards. Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown answered with a 38-yard touchdown run. However, Will Henderson III score from 12 yards during the second quarter. Petro added another field goal before halftime. That gave UTSA a 16-7 advantage. Rice dominated possession during one second-half scoring drive. The Owls marched 88 yards across 20 plays. Brown finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. However, Rice failed to score again. Henderson rushed for 90 yards on 18 carries. Owen McCown completed 19 of 29 passes for 148 yards. Brown rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw for 88 yards.
Temple 17, USF 13
Temple delivered the biggest American Conference upset by handing USF its first loss. The Owls defeated the Bulls 17-13 at Raymond James Stadium. Nico Gramatica opened the scoring with a 35-yard field goal. Temple answered with Carl Hardin’s 34-yard kick. Ajani Sheppard then connected with Jojo Bermudez for a 24-yard touchdown before halftime. USF answered after halftime with D.J. Crowther’s one-yard touchdown run. Gramatica later connected from 49 yards. That kick gave USF a 13-10 fourth-quarter lead. However, Temple responded with a 96-yard drive. Sheppard finished that drive with a 34-yard touchdown run. Temple took a 17-13 advantage with 3:08 remaining. USF reached Temple territory during its final possession. However, Mudia Reuben fumbled after a 22-yard reception. Sheppard rushed for 87 yards and threw for 92. Michael Van Buren Jr. passed for 205 yards for USF. Crowther added 68 rushing yards for the Bulls.
Louisiana Tech 31, Army 29
Army nearly completed a dramatic comeback before falling 31-29 at Louisiana Tech. Louisiana Tech running back Dylone Brooks became the difference-maker. Brooks rushed seven times for 119 yards and one touchdown. His biggest rushing play covered 72 yards. However, Brooks also delivered through the passing game. Wide receiver Marcus Calwise Jr. threw a 74-yard touchdown pass to Brooks on a trick play. Army’s Samari Howard answered with a huge performance. Howard rushed 12 times for 158 yards and one touchdown. His 54-yard touchdown run helped Army take a 15-14 third-quarter lead. Louisiana Tech responded and eventually built a 31-22 fourth-quarter advantage. Army quarterback Cale Hellums then led a late 95-yard touchdown drive. Hellums found Parker Poloskey for a six-yard touchdown with 1:07 remaining. However, Army failed to recover the ensuing onside kick. Louisiana Tech finished with 503 total yards. Army generated 421 yards, including 270 on the ground.
Week 5 Shows the American’s Unpredictability
Week 5 showed exactly how unpredictable the American Conference could become this season. North Texas survived a shootout after Tulsa erased a 14-point deficit. Memphis showed its offensive ceiling with 59 points. Meanwhile, Temple changed the conference race by knocking off previously unbeaten USF.FAU continued its strong start with an explosive 66-point performance. UTSA also opened conference play with an important road victory. UAB handled its nonconference business, while Navy struggled against another service academy. Army also showed plenty of fight despite its narrow nonconference defeat. Most importantly, the conference race now looks far less predictable. USF no longer carries an unbeaten record. Memphis looked dangerous, while North Texas proved it can survive a shootout. Temple also showed it can disrupt the championship race. After a weekend filled with explosive plays and surprising finishes, the American Conference has plenty of intrigue ahead.
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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