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Week 4 delivered another busy weekend for American Conference football. The conference featured 12 games across Friday and Saturday. Several teams opened conference play, while others finished their nonconference schedules. South Florida stayed unbeaten with a late comeback at Bowling Green. Meanwhile, UTSA survived a wild shootout with Colorado State.
Army 21, Temple 17
Army opened the weekend with a hard-fought win over Temple on Friday. The Black Knights defeated the Owls 21-17 in Philadelphia. Quarterback Cale Hellums led Army with his legs. He rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Army also controlled the ground game throughout the afternoon. The Black Knights finished with 281 rushing yards. Temple struggled to slow Army’s rushing attack. Army improved to 2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play. Temple dropped to 1-3 after another difficult result. The Owls have now lost five straight games against Army.
UAB 24, Navy 20
UAB rallied past Navy in Friday night’s second conference game. The Blazers erased a 20-17 fourth-quarter deficit. Navy quarterback Jackson Gutierrez made his first career start. He rushed for 134 yards and one touchdown. However, Navy committed two costly fourth-quarter turnovers. Marlin Dean forced a fumble with a first-down sack. Chris Spencer recovered the loose ball for UAB. Bam McReynolds then delivered the biggest play. He scored on a 48-yard touchdown run on the next play. UAB held on for a 24-20 victory. The win marked UAB’s first victory over Navy. The Blazers also opened conference play with a win.
Louisiana 34, Charlotte 7
Louisiana controlled Charlotte from start to finish. The Ragin’ Cajuns won 34-7 on Saturday. Charlotte struggled to create consistent offense throughout the afternoon. The 49ers finished with only 137 total yards. Louisiana also forced four turnovers after halftime. Brent Gordon Jr. recorded seven tackles, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Lunch Winfield contributed with his arm and legs. He rushed for a touchdown and threw another score. Charlotte’s only touchdown came from the defense. The 49ers returned a fumble 54 yards for the score. Louisiana improved to 3-1. Charlotte fell to 0-4 after another tough afternoon.
East Carolina 42, NC Central 9
East Carolina put together its most explosive performance of the season. The Pirates rolled past NC Central 42-9. ECU scored six touchdowns during the first half. The Pirates exploded for 35 points during the second quarter. Emory Williams threw three touchdown passes. TJ Engleman Jr. also accounted for three touchdowns. The Pirates led 42-3 at halftime. That allowed ECU to control the second half comfortably. ECU improved to 2-2 with the victory. The Pirates now have consecutive wins after starting the season 0-2.
Florida Atlantic 45, ULM 17
Florida Atlantic continued its strong September with another convincing victory. The Owls defeated ULM 45-17 on Saturday night. FAU dominated the offensive statistics. The Owls finished with 578 total yards. ULM managed 332 yards during the game. Quarterback Aidan Armenta completed 79 percent of his passes. He finished with 278 passing yards and two touchdowns. However, the Warhawks could not keep pace with FAU’s offense. The victory pushed Florida Atlantic to 3-1. ULM remained winless at 0-4.
North Texas 63, Houston Christian 14
North Texas produced one of the weekend’s biggest offensive performances. The Mean Green crushed Houston Christian 63-14. Jahiem White dominated the game on the ground. He rushed for 133 yards and four touchdowns. White scored all four touchdowns during the first half. He needed only 11 carries to reach 133 yards. Quarterback Tayven Jackson also delivered an efficient performance. He completed 16 of 18 passes for 270 yards. Jackson added one touchdown through the air. North Texas improved to 2-2 with the win.
Fresno State 38, Rice 24
Rice traveled west for its final nonconference game. The Owls could not hold their halftime advantage against Fresno State. Fresno State rallied for a 38-24 victory. The Bulldogs scored 24 second-half points. Rayshon Luke led the Fresno State rushing attack. He finished with 167 yards and one touchdown. His biggest play came late in the game. Luke broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown run. Jayden Mandal added three touchdown passes. Rice struggled to slow Fresno State after halftime.
Tulane 24, Southern Miss 21
Tulane pulled off another late comeback at home. The Green Wave defeated Southern Miss 24-21. Southern Miss led 21-14 early in the second half. Tulane needed a major play to change the game. Maurice Turner provided that play. He broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter. Turner finished with 200 rushing yards. He also scored twice. The Green Wave improved to 2-2. Southern Miss dropped to 1-3 after the narrow defeat.
Arkansas 34, Tulsa 6
Tulsa entered Saturday with a perfect 3-0 record. However, Arkansas ended the Golden Hurricane’s unbeaten start. The Razorbacks won 34-6 in Fayetteville. KJ Jackson led Arkansas with his arm and legs. Jackson completed 24 of 36 passes for 309 yards. He also threw one touchdown pass. He added two rushing touchdowns. Arkansas controlled the game after taking an early lead. Tulsa could not generate enough offense to stay competitive. The Golden Hurricane suffered their first loss of the season.
South Florida 14, Bowling Green 6
South Florida remained perfect after surviving Bowling Green. The Bulls won 14-6 in Ohio. USF struggled offensively for most of the game. The defense kept the Bulls within striking distance. The Bulls entered the fourth quarter trailing 6-0. Then, the offense finally found its rhythm. USF scored 14 unanswered points during the fourth quarter. D.J. Crowther provided the biggest offensive spark. Crowther rushed for 143 yards and one touchdown. The Bulls also produced two long scoring drives late. USF finished those final two drives with 116 yards. The Bulls improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2018. The victory also gave USF another important road win.
UTSA 59, Colorado State 45
UTSA and Colorado State produced one of Week 4’s wildest games. The Roadrunners escaped with a 59-45 victory. Colorado State jumped ahead 14-0 in the opening minutes. Mel Brown returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown. K’saan Farrar then connected with Terrence Smith Jr. for 74 yards. That touchdown came on Colorado State’s first offensive play. UTSA responded with five straight touchdown drives. The Roadrunners eventually grabbed a 35-14 lead. Owen McCown threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Will Henderson III added 89 rushing yards. UTSA finished with 542 total yards. The Roadrunners improved to 3-1 heading into conference play.
Week 4 Takeaways
Week 4 gave the American Conference plenty to discuss. USF remained unbeaten after another defensive battle. Army and UAB also opened conference play with victories. Meanwhile, ECU continued its turnaround after a 0-2 start. North Texas and FAU produced convincing offensive performances. Tulane also showed plenty of fight during its comeback win. On the other hand, Tulsa suffered its first loss. Rice also dropped its final nonconference game. UTSA provided the weekend’s fireworks with a 59-point performance. The Roadrunners now turn their attention toward conference competition. As conference play continues, the results should create more separation. Several teams already face important games with major conference implications. For USF, the perfect start provides plenty of momentum. The Bulls now return home to face Temple on October 3. The American Conference enters the next stage of the season with plenty of questions. Week 4 provided several answers, but many more remain.
Its time for the American Conference like the rest to start conference play.
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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[…] 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 […]
[…] USF enters the game after four straight victories. The Bulls opened the season with a 19-9 win over FIU. Next, they traveled to Army and won 28-24. USF then dominated Delaware State by a 59-17 score. The Bulls finished September with a 14-6 victory at Bowling Green. That final game showed both sides of the USF identity. The defense carried the Bulls through a difficult offensive performance. Bowling Green managed only six points in the loss. USF also recorded six sacks in the game. […]