AAC Week 11 Preview: North Texas Comes to the Alamodome With First Place on the Line

11/10/2026 | Snap Count Press |
AAC Week 11 preview: North Texas at UTSA, Saturday 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU

This is the one. North Texas is the last unbeaten team in American Conference play, UTSA is one game back, and on Saturday night the Mean Green have to come to the Alamodome. It’s Homecoming in San Antonio, it’s on ESPNU, and the winner will be in the driver’s seat for a spot in the American Conference Championship Game.

Week 11 has six league games, all of them conference matchups. Memphis gets things going Thursday night in Tampa, five more games follow Saturday, and Army and Navy both have the week off. If you missed it, catch up with our Week 10 recap. All times are Central, and records are overall, then American Conference.

Week 11 schedule

DateMatchupKickoff (CT)TVSite
Thu., Nov. 12Memphis (7-2, 4-1) at South Florida (6-3, 2-3)7 p.m.ESPNRaymond James Stadium, Tampa
Sat., Nov. 14East Carolina (5-4, 3-2) at Charlotte (1-8, 1-4)NoonESPN+Jerry Richardson Stadium, Charlotte
Sat., Nov. 14UAB (5-4, 3-2) at Temple (2-7, 1-4)NoonESPN+Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Sat., Nov. 14Tulane (4-5, 2-3) at Rice (1-8, 0-5)1 p.m.ESPN+First Community Stadium, Houston
Sat., Nov. 14Florida Atlantic (6-3, 3-2) at Tulsa (5-4, 2-3)2:30 p.m.ESPN+H.A. Chapman Stadium, Tulsa
Sat., Nov. 14North Texas (7-2, 5-0) at UTSA (7-2, 4-1)8 p.m.ESPNUAlamodome, San Antonio

Idle: Army (5-4, 4-2) and Navy (3-6, 2-4). Times and TV from the American Conference; records from the league’s Week 10 standings. Betting lines below are AP opening lines, and they move, so check before kickoff.

Saturday night: North Texas at UTSA, 8 p.m., ESPNU

The setup: Both teams are 7-2. North Texas is 5-0 in league play and has won six straight, scoring 40 or more in every one of them. UTSA is 4-1 after a 60-29 loss at Florida Atlantic last Thursday ended its five-game winning streak (American Conference). It’s UTSA’s Homecoming. The first 10,000 fans get homecoming jerseys from Firstmark Credit Union, and students get in free (GoUTSA).

What’s at stake: As the Denton Record-Chronicle put it, a North Texas win gives the Mean Green a two-game lead over UTSA plus the head-to-head tiebreaker (Denton Record-Chronicle). A UTSA win drops North Texas to one league loss, the same as the Roadrunners, and UTSA would own the head-to-head result. Simple as that: win and the race is wide open again.

The rivalry: This is the 15th meeting, the most-played series in UTSA history. UTSA leads 8-6, is 5-1 at home in the series, and has won four of the last five (GoUTSA). The one loss in that stretch was ugly: North Texas won 55-17 in Denton last season. The Mean Green haven’t won in San Antonio since 2018 (Denton Record-Chronicle). This series has a habit of getting wild, from UNT’s 98-yard drive in the final 67 seconds in 2017 to Frank Harris driving UTSA 75 yards in the final 98 seconds to win it in 2022.

The matchup: UTSA’s run defense vs. the No. 1 offense in the country

North Texas leads the FBS in total offense at 535.4 yards per game and is second in scoring at 44.7 points per game. UTSA allows 200.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks 128th nationally, and that was before FAU ran for 339 on the Roadrunners last week (AP). That’s the whole ballgame for us. If UTSA can’t slow down Jahiem White, it’s going to be a long night.

The good news: the Mean Green defense is beatable. North Texas allows 399.7 yards and 30.9 points per game, and it gives up 172.3 rushing yards per game. UTSA averages 181.3 rushing yards and 33 points per game, and the Roadrunners are plus-5 in turnover margin. One more thing to watch: both teams draw a lot of flags. UTSA ranks 135th in penalty yards per game at 80.4, and North Texas is 126th at 73.2 (AP).

Players to watch

  • Owen McCown, QB, UTSA: 2,016 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. He threw for 265 yards and three scores at FAU.
  • Will Henderson III, RB, UTSA: 682 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 120 carries.
  • Mekhi Anderson, WR, UTSA: team-high 434 receiving yards and five touchdowns, including a career-best 117 yards and two scores at FAU.
  • Tayven Jackson, QB, North Texas: 2,880 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 70.8% completion rate.
  • Jahiem White, RB, North Texas: 1,193 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 163 carries.
  • Justin Stevenson, WR, North Texas: 55 catches for 898 yards and eight touchdowns.

Stats via AP. By the numbers: North Texas opened as a 1.5-point favorite. In our house? We’ll take the points and the Dome. What’s next: UTSA plays at UAB on Nov. 21, with time and TV set after this weekend’s games, and North Texas visits Tulane.

Thursday: Memphis at South Florida, 7 p.m., ESPN

The setup: Memphis (7-2, 4-1) hasn’t played since beating Army 49-22 on Oct. 31, and it’s tied with UTSA for second. USF (6-3, 2-3) lost 20-17 at East Carolina on a 55-yard field goal as time ran out and is, in the Bulls’ own words, essentially out of the title race. Coach Brian Hartline’s team still has plenty to play for. Sweep the last three and win a bowl game and USF gets to 10 wins for only the third time in program history. The Bulls are also chasing their first win over Memphis since 2016 (USF Athletics).

The matchup: It’s strength against strength. First-year coach Charles Huff’s Memphis offense ranks fifth nationally at 514 yards per game. USF’s defense ranks 25th in yards allowed and 10th in scoring defense at 15.1 points per game, and the Bulls are plus-7 in turnover margin. But USF’s offense averages just 319.1 yards per game, which ranks 123rd (AP). All three of the Bulls’ losses came by a combined 14 points (USF Athletics).

Injury watch: Luke Kromenhoek could make his second straight start at quarterback after going 17-of-21 at ECU. Hartline didn’t give an update on starter Michael Van Buren Jr., who was hurt against UAB, or on leading rusher D.J. Crowther, who got hurt in the fourth quarter at ECU after running for 111 yards (USF Athletics).

Players to watch

  • Marcus Stokes, QB, Memphis: 2,532 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. He went 29-of-35 for 371 yards and four touchdowns against Army.
  • Jaylin Carter, RB, Memphis: 929 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
  • Hunter Tipton, WR, Memphis: 35 catches for 495 yards and five touchdowns.
  • D.J. Crowther, RB, USF: 689 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, if he’s available.
  • Bryson Rodgers, WR, USF: 38 catches for 395 yards and three touchdowns.

By the numbers: Memphis opened as a 6.5-point favorite (AP). Why it matters to UTSA fans: A Memphis loss would leave the Tigers with two league losses, which would help the Roadrunners. ESPN’s SportsCenter on Campus will be at Bulls Bay at Raymond James Stadium before the game at 5 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. CT (USF Athletics).

East Carolina at Charlotte, noon Saturday, ESPN+

The setup: ECU (5-4, 3-2) is one win from bowl eligibility. A win would clinch three straight bowl trips for the first time since 2012-14. Charlotte (1-8, 1-4) leads the young series 2-1, but the Pirates dominated last year’s meeting in Greenville and still remember their 55-24 loss the last time they visited Charlotte (The Daily Reflector).

Injury watch: This is the biggest storyline. Quarterback Mitch Griffis left the USF game with a concussion, and Emory Williams went 19-of-27 for 175 yards and two touchdowns in relief. Running back TJ Engleman Jr. left with a knee injury in the second quarter, and Ashton Gray ran for 101 yards in his place. Receivers Brock Spalding, Dillon Lorick and Dawson Quarterman have been banged up, and defensive back Ayden Duncanson has missed two straight games (The Daily Reflector).

Players to watch

  • Landon Sides, WR, ECU: 14 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns against USF.
  • Andrew Conrad, K, ECU: the American’s Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting the 55-yard winner in his first field goal attempt of the season.
  • Conner Harrell, QB, Charlotte: 1,006 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
  • Jaden Barnes, WR, Charlotte: team-high 55 catches for 555 yards.

By the numbers: ECU opened as an 11.5-point favorite. Charlotte allows 38.3 points per game, the most in the American (AP; The Daily Reflector).

UAB at Temple, noon Saturday, ESPN+

The setup: UAB (5-4, 3-2) needs one more win for its first bowl eligibility since 2022. The catch: the Blazers are 5-0 at home and 0-4 on the road (UAB Athletics). Temple (2-7, 1-4) is coming off a near-miracle at Navy, where it came back from 28-0 to tie the game before losing 42-35. It’s Senior Day at the Linc, with 23 seniors being honored. It’s also UAB’s first trip to Lincoln Financial Field. The Blazers won the only previous meeting, 34-24, in 2023 (Temple Athletics).

The matchup: UAB leads the nation in pass defense at 122.6 yards allowed per game, and no opponent has thrown for 200 yards against the Blazers in nine straight games. The offense is another story. UAB ranks 124th in total offense, and Ryder Burton has eight interceptions, three of them against Charlotte (UAB Athletics; AP). Temple leads the FBS in punt-return average, so the Blazers’ kicking game had better be sharp (Temple Athletics).

Players to watch

  • Marlin Dean, DL, UAB: 10.5 sacks and five forced fumbles, tied for the national lead in forced fumbles. He’s the American’s Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
  • Rod Robinson II, RB, UAB: 551 rushing yards, including 101 against Charlotte.
  • JoJo Bermudez, WR/PR, Temple: 295 punt-return yards this season, 10 shy of Temple’s single-season record. He set the school single-game record with 159 at Navy.
  • Jaxon Smolik, QB, Temple: three touchdown passes at Navy.

By the numbers: Temple opened as a 2.5-point favorite (AP).

Tulane at Rice, 1 p.m. Saturday, ESPN+

The setup: Tulane (4-5, 2-3) needs to win two of its last three, against Rice, North Texas and USF, to make a bowl. The Green Wave went to the College Football Playoff last season, but they’re coming off a 60-10 Homecoming loss to Tulsa (On3). Rice (1-8, 0-5) has lost eight straight, but it’s Homecoming in Houston, and the Owls are favored over an FBS opponent for the first time all season (At The Roost). Rice leads the series 20-17-1. Tulane won the last meeting, 24-10, in 2024.

The matchup: Rice runs the ball, and that’s about it. The Owls are fourth in the FBS at 270.2 rushing yards per game and 136th in passing at 93.2. Tulane allows 215.3 rushing yards per game, 134th nationally, and its third-down defense ranks 135th at 50%. Both teams are turnover-prone. Rice is minus-8 and Tulane is minus-5 (AP).

Players to watch

  • Jacurri Brown, QB, Rice: team-high 685 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
  • Gael Ochoa, QB, Rice: 325 rushing yards and five touchdowns. He threw for 172 yards against North Texas.
  • Johnnie Daniels, RB, Tulane: 542 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
  • Destyn Hill, WR, Tulane: 36 catches for 445 yards.

By the numbers: Rice opened as a 1.5-point favorite (AP).

Florida Atlantic at Tulsa, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPN+

The setup: FAU (6-3, 3-2) is bowl eligible for the first time since 2020 after hanging 60 on UTSA. Tulsa (5-4, 2-3) is one win from bowl eligibility after its own 60-point game, a 60-10 rout at Tulane, the Golden Hurricane’s biggest margin of victory since 2012 (American Conference). It’s Homecoming at Chapman Stadium (Tulsa Athletics). FAU has won three straight in the series, including 40-21 last season (FAU Athletics).

The matchup: FAU’s offense ranks eighth in scoring at 40.2 points per game and ninth in passing. Its defense ranks 136th in yards allowed and 137th against the run at 244.6 yards per game. Tulsa is plus-12 in turnover margin, fourth-best in the country (AP). Expect points.

Players to watch

  • Caden Veltkamp, QB, FAU: 2,744 yards, 27 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 71.5% completion rate.
  • Easton Messer, WR, FAU: 79 catches, 976 yards and 12 touchdowns. According to the American, he’s the only FBS player this season with a receiving, rushing, passing and special teams touchdown.
  • Baylor Hayes, QB, Tulsa: 1,681 yards, 14 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He went 26-of-33 for 338 yards and four scores at Tulane.
  • Oran Singleton Jr., WR, Tulsa: 56 catches, 712 yards and seven touchdowns, including 13 catches for 177 yards and three scores last week.

By the numbers: Tulsa opened as a 5.5-point favorite (AP).

Storylines to watch

1. The title race comes down to the Alamodome

North Texas is 5-0. Memphis and UTSA are 4-1, and Army is 4-2 and idle (American Conference). The top two teams meet in the American Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7 p.m. CT on ABC (American Conference). Best case for the Roadrunners this week: Memphis loses Thursday and UTSA beats North Texas Saturday, which would leave UTSA and North Texas tied with one league loss each, with UTSA owning the head-to-head win, and Memphis with two losses.

2. Bowl watch

Five American teams are already bowl eligible: North Texas, Memphis, UTSA, FAU and USF (College Football Every Day; American Conference). UTSA has done it for the seventh straight year (GoUTSA). Three teams can clinch this week with a win: East Carolina at Charlotte, UAB at Temple and Tulsa against FAU. Army is also 5-4 but doesn’t play. Tulane has the least room for error. At 4-5, the Green Wave need two wins in their last three. Charlotte, Temple and Rice are out of the bowl picture (College Football Every Day).

3. The heat is on in New Orleans and Charlotte

After the Tulsa loss, Tulane athletic director David Harris issued a public statement calling the team’s performance “unacceptable, and far below the standard that we have come to expect in recent years.” It’s a rough first season for Will Hall, who took over after Jon Sumrall left for Florida (On3). In Charlotte, USA TODAY Sports put 49ers coach Tim Albin on its national coaching hot seat list this week (USA TODAY).

4. Injuries to track

  • USF: QB Michael Van Buren Jr. and RB D.J. Crowther, status not disclosed (USF Athletics).
  • ECU: QB Mitch Griffis (concussion), RB TJ Engleman Jr. (knee), plus several receivers and DB Ayden Duncanson (The Daily Reflector).

5. Players of the Week to watch

The American’s Week 10 honors went to Navy’s Jackson Gutierrez on offense (the John Jay grad and San Antonio’s own, who accounted for six touchdowns against Temple), UAB’s Marlin Dean on defense and ECU’s Andrew Conrad on special teams (American Conference). Gutierrez and Navy are off this week. Dean and Conrad are both in action Saturday at noon.

Sources

First place, Homecoming and the Mean Green, all under one roof Saturday night. Follow @SASnapcount210 on X for every Roadrunners update from kickoff to the final whistle.