Photo Credit: Underdog Dynasty
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The American Conference enters Week 3 with several teams facing major tests. South Florida currently leads the league at 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Florida Atlantic also owns a 1-0 conference record. However, Week 3 brings another challenging slate for the American. Twelve conference teams will take the field Saturday. Several teams face strong nonconference opponents. The biggest spotlight belongs to Tulane, UTSA, and South Florida. Meanwhile, several teams need wins to change their early-season momentum.
Tulane Faces Another Big Challenge
Tulane travels to Manhattan to face Kansas State on Saturday. The Green Wave enters the game at 1-1 overall. Kansas State enters at 2-0. Tulane already faced Duke during the opening week. The Green Wave lost that game 28-20. They bounced back with a 41-17 victory over South Alabama. Now, Tulane faces another major road challenge. Kansas State presents a difficult matchup on both sides of the football. The Wildcats also bring a perfect record into the matchup. Tulane needs another strong defensive performance to stay close. This game could become one of the American’s biggest nonconference wins.
UTSA Visits Texas
UTSA faces perhaps the toughest challenge of the entire Week 3 slate. The Roadrunners travel to Austin for a meeting with Texas. UTSA enters the game at 2-0. The Roadrunners opened the season with a victory over UTRGV. They then defeated Texas State. Now, the level of competition jumps significantly. Texas also enters the matchup at 2-0. The Longhorns have national championship expectations entering the season. UTSA will need to play nearly perfect football to pull the upset. Still, this matchup gives the Roadrunners another chance to gain national attention. A competitive performance could strengthen UTSA’s standing across the country.
South Florida Hosts Delaware State
South Florida returns home after a dramatic conference-opening victory. The Bulls defeated Army 28-24 last Saturday. That win moved USF to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Now, the Bulls host Delaware State at Raymond James Stadium. The Hornets enter with a 2-1 record. USF should enter as the favorite, but the Bulls cannot overlook their opponent. This game gives USF a chance to build momentum. It also gives the Bulls another opportunity to improve offensively. USF has already shown resilience during the young season. A convincing win could keep the Bulls atop the American standings.
North Texas Looks to Rebound
North Texas travels to Texas State for an important regional matchup. The Mean Green enters Week 3 at 1-1. Texas State enters at 0-2. That record makes this game especially important for both programs. North Texas needs to avoid another setback. Meanwhile, Texas State desperately needs its first victory. The winner could gain valuable momentum before conference play intensifies. North Texas already faced defending national champion Indiana in Week 1. That experience should help the Mean Green handle another road challenge.
Temple Heads to Toledo
Temple travels north for a matchup against Toledo. Both teams enter the game at 1-1. The Owls opened the season with a victory over Rhode Island. They then lost to Penn State. Now, Temple faces another challenging opponent. Toledo also enters with a .500 record. This game could provide a useful measuring stick for Temple. The Owls need better consistency if they want to compete near the top. A road victory would also provide an important boost.
Charlotte Travels to Appalachian State
Charlotte faces a difficult road assignment against Appalachian State. The 49ers enter the game at 0-2. Appalachian State enters at 2-0. Charlotte needs a major turnaround after losses to The Citadel and Ole Miss. App State has already established early momentum. The Mountaineers will enter this matchup with plenty of confidence. Charlotte must find a way to slow down App State’s offense. An upset would completely change the 49ers’ early-season outlook.
East Carolina Seeks Its First Win
East Carolina travels to Old Dominion on Saturday night. The Pirates enter at 0-2. Old Dominion enters at 1-1. East Carolina has already faced Alabama and Appalachian State. Those games provided extremely difficult tests. Now, the Pirates need to take advantage of a more manageable matchup. Old Dominion will have home-field advantage. Still, East Carolina has enough talent to compete. A victory would provide a major boost before the conference schedule arrives.
Florida Atlantic Hosts FIU
Florida Atlantic welcomes FIU for a South Florida rivalry matchup. FAU enters at 1-1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Owls already earned a conference victory over Navy. Now, they can strengthen their position with another win. FIU enters at 1-1. That makes this matchup much more interesting than the records might suggest. FAU needs to protect home field. The Owls also need continued improvement after opening the season against Florida.
Memphis Hosts UT Martin
Memphis returns home to face UT Martin. The Tigers enter at 2-1 after three games. Memphis opened the season against UNLV in Week 0. The Tigers then defeated Arkansas State before losing at Boise State. UT Martin enters at 1-2. Memphis should have the advantage at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. However, the Tigers cannot afford another sluggish performance. A strong victory would restore confidence before conference play begins.
Rice Hosts Western Michigan
Rice welcomes Western Michigan to Houston. Both teams enter the matchup at 1-1. The Owls opened with a victory over Houston Christian. They then lost at Notre Dame. Western Michigan also enters with a .500 record. This game gives Rice a chance to respond after its trip to South Bend. The Owls need a strong performance from their defense. They also need to establish the running game early.
UAB Travels to Louisiana
UAB travels to Louisiana for an evening matchup. The Blazers enter at 1-1. UAB opened with a loss at Illinois. The Blazers then defeated ULM at home. Louisiana also enters at 1-1. That creates another important opportunity for the American. UAB can gain momentum with a road victory. The Blazers also need to show they can win outside Birmingham.
Tulsa Hosts East Texas A&M
Tulsa welcomes East Texas A&M to Chapman Stadium. The Golden Hurricane enters at 2-0. Tulsa opened the season with a win over Oklahoma State. The Golden Hurricane then defeated Sam Houston. That start has made Tulsa one of the American’s early surprises. East Texas A&M enters at 1-2. Tulsa should have a clear opportunity to reach 3-0. However, the Golden Hurricane must avoid an unexpected letdown.
The Week 3 Picture
Week 3 provides several opportunities for the American to strengthen its national reputation. USF can improve to 3-0 with another victory. Tulsa can also reach 3-0. UTSA faces the biggest challenge against Texas. Tulane also faces a difficult road test at Kansas State. Meanwhile, teams such as East Carolina and Charlotte need wins badly. The American went 15-11 outside conference play through Week 2. The league also enjoyed major national success during the 2025 season. Nine American teams reached bowl games last season. Tulane also earned a College Football Playoff berth.
That history makes every nonconference game important. Week 3 could produce another statement victory. It could also create another contender for the American championship race. For now, USF holds the conference’s only 1-0 record among the teams with a conference game completed. The Bulls will try to keep that advantage Saturday night. Meanwhile, the rest of the American will continue chasing them.
All of these games and teams could make a big impact on the conference.
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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