Photo Credit: FBSchedules.com
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Week 5 brings another busy slate for American Conference football. Eight games will feature teams from the conference this weekend. The schedule includes several conference matchups and important nonconference tests. North Texas and Tulsa get things started Thursday night. Then, seven more games follow Saturday. Meanwhile, East Carolina and Tulane will have the week off. Here is a look at all eight Week 5 games.
North Texas at Tulsa
North Texas travels to Tulsa for Thursday night’s conference matchup. The game kicks off at 8 p.m. Central time at H.A. Chapman Stadium. ESPN will carry the game nationally. North Texas enters the week after hosting Houston Christian on September 26. The Mean Green also opened the season against Indiana. They then faced UNLV and Texas State before starting conference play. Tulsa enters its second conference game of the season. The Golden Hurricane opened the year against East Texas A&M. Tulsa then traveled to Arkansas before returning home. This game gives both teams an important early conference opportunity. North Texas will need to handle the short week carefully. Meanwhile, Tulsa gets the benefit of playing at home. The Thursday night spotlight adds another layer to this matchup.
Memphis at Charlotte
Memphis opens American Conference play Saturday at Charlotte. The Tigers enter the matchup with a 3-1 record. Charlotte enters the game at 0-4. Kickoff comes at 2:30 p.m. Central time inside Jerry Richardson Stadium. ESPN+ will carry the conference opener. Memphis has already faced a challenging early-season schedule. Now, the Tigers begin their American schedule on the road. Charlotte needs a strong performance after a difficult opening month. The 49ers have shown flashes but still search for their first victory. Memphis cannot overlook Charlotte despite the records. Conference games often create different challenges than nonconference contests. This matchup also gives Charlotte another chance to defend its home field.
UTSA at Rice
UTSA visits Rice Stadium for another Texas conference matchup. The Roadrunners and Owls meet Saturday at 6 p.m. Central time. ESPN+ will carry the game. UTSA enters American play after a demanding nonconference stretch. The Roadrunners opened with victories over UTRGV and Texas State. They then traveled to Texas for a difficult road test. Rice enters the game with a 1-3 record. The Owls opened with a victory over Houston Christian. However, Rice dropped its next three games. Those losses came against Notre Dame, Western Michigan and Fresno State. Now, Rice gets its first American game at home. UTSA will look to establish itself early in conference competition. Rice needs to turn its home-field advantage into a strong performance. This matchup could set the tone for both teams’ conference seasons.
Army at Louisiana Tech
Army travels to Ruston for a nonconference matchup against Louisiana Tech. The game starts Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Central time. ESPN+ will carry the contest. Army enters the game with a 2-1 record. The Black Knights opened the season with a dominant win over Bryant. They then lost a close game to South Florida. Army bounced back with a victory at Temple. Louisiana Tech enters at 1-2 after three games. The Bulldogs opened with a massive win over Northwestern State. They then lost against LSU and Baylor. Army and Louisiana Tech have some recent history. The Black Knights defeated the Bulldogs 27-6 in the 2024 Independence Bowl. This matchup marks Army’s first trip to Ruston. Louisiana Tech will look to reverse the result from their previous meeting. Army will rely on its physical rushing attack and disciplined style. The Bulldogs will try to create problems with their home-field advantage.
Navy at Air Force
Navy travels to Colorado Springs for one of college football’s biggest rivalry games. The Midshipmen face Air Force Saturday at Falcon Stadium. Kickoff comes at noon Eastern time. CBS Sports will televise the matchup. Navy enters the game at 1-2. The Midshipmen opened with a victory over Towson. However, Navy dropped consecutive games against Florida Atlantic and UAB. Air Force enters with a 2-1 record. The Falcons have also started conference play this season. This game marks the opening leg of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy competition. Both service academies bring unique rushing attacks into the matchup. That makes the line of scrimmage especially important. Navy must protect the football after costly turnovers against UAB. Air Force will look to control the clock and create explosive runs. The rivalry atmosphere should make this one of Saturday’s most intriguing games.
Texas Southern at Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic hosts Texas Southern Saturday night in Boca Raton. Kickoff comes at 6 p.m. Eastern time. ESPN+ will carry the matchup. The Owls enter the game with a 3-1 record. FAU opened with a loss against Florida. The Owls then responded with three consecutive victories. Those wins came against Navy, FIU and ULM. Now, FAU gets another opportunity to build momentum. Texas Southern provides a different challenge before conference play continues. The Owls must avoid overlooking a nonconference opponent. FAU has already shown it can respond after adversity. A strong performance could give the Owls additional confidence. The Owls will also enjoy home-field advantage at Flagler Credit Union Stadium.
Samford at UAB
UAB hosts Samford Saturday in a Birmingham matchup. The Blazers scheduled this game as their final nonconference contest. UAB announced the matchup as part of its 2026 schedule. Samford provides UAB with a local opponent and familiar regional competition. The Blazers opened the season against Illinois. They then hosted ULM before traveling to Louisiana. UAB also began American play against Navy. Now, the Blazers return home for the Samford matchup. UAB needs to use the game to continue building its identity. Samford will enter Protective Stadium looking for an opportunity against an FBS opponent. The matchup also gives UAB another home game before conference play intensifies. This game could provide valuable momentum for both programs.
Temple at South Florida
Temple travels to Tampa for a major American Conference matchup. The Owls face South Florida Saturday at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff comes at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. ESPNU will televise the game nationally. South Florida enters the matchup with a perfect 4-0 record. The Bulls already own an American Conference victory over Army. They also defeated FIU, Delaware State and Bowling Green. USF’s defense helped the Bulls survive a difficult Bowling Green game. Now, the Bulls return home for their American Conference home opener.
Temple enters with a 1-3 record. The Owls opened with a win over Rhode Island. However, they then lost three straight games. Those losses came against Penn State, Toledo and Army. Temple has already played several close games this season. The Toledo game ended in a wild 49-48 overtime loss. South Florida cannot afford to overlook the Owls. Temple will need to slow down the Bulls’ defense and create offensive consistency. For USF, the goal remains simple. The Bulls want to keep their unbeaten start intact while opening conference play at home.
Week 5 Storylines
Week 5 gives the American Conference plenty of different storylines. North Texas and Tulsa start the action Thursday night. Then, Memphis begins conference play against winless Charlotte. UTSA and Rice also begin their American schedules in Houston. Army faces Louisiana Tech in a nonconference matchup with recent history. Navy and Air Force renew their service-academy rivalry in Colorado. FAU looks to continue its winning streak against Texas Southern. UAB closes its nonconference schedule against Samford. Finally, Temple travels to Tampa for a major test against unbeaten USF. The conference also gets a pair of teams back later in the season. East Carolina and Tulane sit out Week 5 with byes. With conference play beginning for several teams, the standings will start taking shape. Week 5 could provide an early glimpse at the American Conference race.
Conference play starts this where it separates the men from the boys.
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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