AAC Week 6 Recap: UTSA Rallies Past USF, Memphis Takes Back the Bones and Army Walks Off Tulane
Week 6 in the American Conference started with a game-winning drive in San Antonio and ended with the Bones going back to Memphis. In between, Army won on a field goal as time expired, Navy came back from 12 points down, North Texas put up 50 and East Carolina pulled away from Rice. Home teams went 6-0 in league games this week, and when it was over, three teams were sitting at 2-0: UTSA, Memphis and North Texas. Florida Atlantic and East Carolina are both 1-0, so five teams are still unbeaten in league play (American Conference postgame notebook).
Here’s every game, starting at the Alamodome. If you missed it, here’s our Week 6 preview.
UTSA 31, South Florida 24: Peterson’s third touchdown wins it with 15 seconds left
For most of the first half, Thursday night looked like USF’s game. D.J. Crowther scored on a 15-yard run on the Bulls’ opening drive. After A’Marion Peterson answered with a 53-yard touchdown run, Michael Van Buren Jr. hit Bryson Rodgers for a 42-yard score with 11 seconds left in the first quarter. USF led 17-10 at halftime (official box score).
The second half belonged to UTSA. The Roadrunners opened it with a 75-yard drive, and Peterson finished it with a 3-yard touchdown run to tie the game 17-17. Michael Petro then made field goals from 41 and 31 yards on two 13-play drives, and UTSA led 23-17. According to UTSA Athletics, the Roadrunners outgained USF 271-87 after halftime and ran for 174 yards in the second half (UTSA Athletics recap).
USF wasn’t done. Van Buren led a 12-play, 75-yard drive and threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Crowther, and the Bulls led 24-23 with 1:56 left. UTSA got the ball back and went 75 yards in 10 plays. Owen McCown kept the drive alive with a 19-yard scramble on third-and-5, and Will Henderson III broke a 26-yard run down the right sideline to the USF 1 with 18 seconds left. Peterson scored from 1 yard out with 15 seconds left, and UTSA added the two-point conversion to make it 31-24. According to UTSA, 70 of the 75 yards on the winning drive came on the ground.
Peterson ran 12 times for 92 yards and three touchdowns, which UTSA’s recap calls a school record-tying total. McCown completed 22 of 31 passes for 209 yards and ran for 52 more. Henderson added 86 rushing yards, and David Amador II caught nine passes for 70 yards. UTSA finished with 486 yards, including 277 rushing, and did not turn the ball over. Owen Pewee and Joel Rogers led the defense with eight tackles each. In front of 17,632 fans, the Roadrunners improved to 5-1 and 2-0, their best six-game start since 2021. It’s also their second 2-0 start in league play in four years in the American (box score; UTSA Athletics). USF fell to 4-2 and 1-2.
Head coach Jeff Traylor was asked after the game what it says about this team’s identity that it keeps finding itself in close games in the fourth quarter. “We say it all the time around here. The champion has the ability to play one play longer than his opponent does. You’re going to have to choke us out. We’re not going to go away,” Traylor said, according to UTSA’s official postgame transcript (video via @zhedrickTV).
UTSA won it on the ground. Its 277 rushing yards were a season high and the most since the Roadrunners ran for 309 against Temple on Nov. 22, 2024, according to UTSA’s postgame notes.
By the PFF numbers (per PFF):
- NT Jusiah Sampleton led UTSA with an 83.2 overall grade on 25 snaps.
- DT Jeremiah Bailey graded 78.2 overall, with an 86.0 pass-rush grade and four pressures.
- A’Marion Peterson posted a 76.9 offense grade, and Will Henderson III graded 75.1.
- The top offensive line run-block grades went to Darrell Jones (73.2), Luke Lapeze (67.3, all 78 snaps), Davion Hurth (67.0) and A’marion Breland (65.4).
- Owen McCown had zero turnovers.
Watch: ESPN full highlights · Peterson’s game-winner
Memphis 38, UAB 13: The Bones go back to Memphis
UAB led the Battle for the Bones 13-10 at halftime. Ja’Vin Simpkins scored on an 11-yard run on the opening drive, and Jonah Delange made field goals from 49 and 57 yards, the second with 44 seconds left in the half. Memphis scored the next 28 points. Jaylin Carter ran 24 yards for a touchdown, and Marcus Stokes found Tychaun Chapman for a 45-yard score. Hunter Tipton’s 1-yard run and Stokes’ 11-yard touchdown pass to Aidan O’Callaghan finished it off in the fourth quarter (official box score; Memphis Athletics).
Carter ran 19 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Stokes threw for 164 yards and two scores. The Tigers forced three turnovers, including Dylan Smith’s third interception of the season. J’Mond Tapp and Elijah Kinsler each had a sack, and Mike Montgomery led the team with nine tackles. Memphis is now 5-1 and 2-0. UAB, which had won two straight, drops to 3-3 and 1-1. Jo’Tavion Pierce had 12 tackles (10 solo) and broke up two passes for the Blazers (ESPN box score; UAB Athletics).
Memphis outscored UAB 28-0 in the second half. Per The American, the Tigers have now scored at least 15 points in 88 straight home games, the second-longest active streak in the FBS. They’ve also turned the ball over two or fewer times in 35 straight games, the longest active streak in the conference (American Conference).
Army 20, Tulane 17: Jones wins it as time expires
Cale Hellums ran 38 times for a career-high 223 yards, and Army needed every one of them. Per The American, his 38 carries tie for the fifth-most in school history and match his total at Tulane last season. Tulane led 10-7 after three quarters. Hellums tied the game at 17 with a career-long 58-yard touchdown run, coming right after Kadin Semonza’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Jaylin Lucas. The Army defense then stopped the Green Wave on fourth-and-8 at the Army 33 with 3:55 left. The Black Knights ran most of the remaining time off the clock, and Dawson Jones kicked a 25-yard field goal on the final play (Army Athletics; box score).
Army ran for 329 yards and threw for only 19. The league notes that it is Army’s second straight one-score win in conference play. The Black Knights are 3-2 and 2-1, while Tulane is 2-3 and 0-1 after its league opener. Linebacker Dickson Agu led Tulane with 12 tackles (American Conference; box score).
North Texas 50, Charlotte 10: Jackson throws five touchdowns
Tayven Jackson completed his first 14 passes. He finished 24 of 31 for 349 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, and he sat out the fourth quarter. Per The American, his five touchdown passes tie for the third-most in a game in UNT history. Justin Stevenson caught nine passes for 122 yards and two scores. Jahiem White added a 61-yard touchdown run, and UNT led 40-10 at halftime (UNT Athletics; official box score). According to the league, the 40-point margin is UNT’s largest ever as a member of the American (American Conference).
The Mean Green (4-2, 2-0) held Charlotte to 274 yards, including just 56 rushing yards, and kept the 49ers out of the red zone all game. Charlotte’s only touchdown came on Conner Harrell’s 75-yard pass to Derrick Eley. Harrell was making his first start since a season-ending injury last year. Jaden Barnes caught nine passes for 94 yards. On the UNT defense, Davion Rhodes had two sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss. The 49ers are 0-6 and 0-2 (Charlotte Athletics; box score).
Navy 34, Tulsa 26: Gutierrez runs for 232 and the Mids come back
Tulsa led 20-7 late in the second quarter and 26-14 in the third. Then Navy took over. Jackson Gutierrez carried 41 times for a career-high 232 yards and three touchdowns and threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Truman Brasfield. His 4-yard run put Navy ahead 27-26 with 8:30 left, and his 3-yard run with 1:10 left capped a 13-play, 82-yard drive. Navy ran for 386 yards and won even though it turned the ball over four times. Tulsa had no turnovers (Navy Athletics; box score).
It was Navy’s first league win of the season. The Mids are 2-3 and 1-2, and Navy Athletics says they’ve won eight straight home games. Navy outscored Tulsa 14-0 in the fourth quarter. Tulsa (3-3, 0-2) has lost three in a row. Baylor Hayes completed 20 of 35 passes for 268 yards, and four Golden Hurricane defenders reached double-digit tackles: Dax Collins (13), Ashton Williams (11), Rylan Leathers (10) and Arias Nash (10) (American Conference; box score).
East Carolina 28, Rice 12: Pirates score 21 straight to win their opener
Rice led 9-7 early in the third quarter after Tyvonn Byars’ 23-yard touchdown run. East Carolina then scored 21 straight points in less than eight minutes of game time. Emory Williams threw his second touchdown pass to Ray Ray Joseph Jr. to finish a 17-play, 75-yard drive. Early in the fourth quarter, TJ Engleman Jr. scored on a 43-yard run on the first play of a drive. A Julien Davis interception then set up Williams’ 12-yard touchdown run (ECU Athletics; official game book).
Engleman ran 14 times for 136 yards. Per The American, that’s his second straight 100-yard game and his fourth touchdown in two games. He has 354 yards on 30 carries over the last three games, after gaining 24 yards on five carries in the first two. Joseph caught six passes for 68 yards and both of his touchdowns, the first touchdown catches of his college career. ECU is 3-2 and 1-0 and has won three straight. Linebacker Crews Law led ECU with 10 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Byars ran for 111 yards for Rice (1-5, 0-2), which has lost five in a row, and safety Koa Akui made nine tackles, including four for loss, and broke up two passes (AP recap; American Conference).
Nonconference: UConn 34, Temple 20
Temple was the only American team to play a nonconference game this week, and it was homecoming at Lincoln Financial Field. Ajani Sheppard hit JoJo Bermudez for a 79-yard touchdown on Temple’s first offensive snap, and wide receiver Colin Chase threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Peter Clarke on a trick play. Temple led 17-14 in the second quarter. Then UConn took the lead for good on Trey Cornist’s 1-yard run, and two Temple fumbles helped the Huskies pull away. Sheppard finished 19 of 25 for 260 yards and added 27 rushing yards on 12 carries. Cornist ran for 114 yards on seven carries, and UConn finished with 505 total yards. Temple is 2-4 and 1-1 (Temple Athletics; official box score).
Idle: Florida Atlantic (4-1, 1-0).
Week 6 scoreboard
- Thu., Oct. 8: UTSA 31, South Florida 24 (box)
- Sat., Oct. 10: Army 20, Tulane 17 (box)
- Sat., Oct. 10: East Carolina 28, Rice 12 (box)
- Sat., Oct. 10: North Texas 50, Charlotte 10 (box)
- Sat., Oct. 10: Navy 34, Tulsa 26 (box)
- Sat., Oct. 10: UConn 34, Temple 20, nonconference (box)
- Sat., Oct. 10: Memphis 38, UAB 13, Battle for the Bones (box)
American Conference standings after Week 6
League record first, then overall record (American Conference; ESPN standings):
| Team | American | Overall | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTSA | 2-0 | 5-1 | W3 |
| Memphis | 2-0 | 5-1 | W3 |
| North Texas | 2-0 | 4-2 | W3 |
| Florida Atlantic | 1-0 | 4-1 | W4 |
| East Carolina | 1-0 | 3-2 | W3 |
| Army | 2-1 | 3-2 | W1 |
| UAB | 1-1 | 3-3 | L1 |
| Temple | 1-1 | 2-4 | L1 |
| South Florida | 1-2 | 4-2 | L2 |
| Navy | 1-2 | 2-3 | W1 |
| Tulane | 0-1 | 2-3 | L1 |
| Tulsa | 0-2 | 3-3 | L3 |
| Rice | 0-2 | 1-5 | L5 |
| Charlotte | 0-2 | 0-6 | L6 |
Up next: Week 7 at a glance
There are two weeknight games in Week 7, including Memphis’ trip to New Orleans on Friday night. All times are Central (American Conference; Memphis Athletics; UTSA Athletics):
- Thu., Oct. 15: East Carolina at UAB, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
- Fri., Oct. 16: Memphis at Tulane, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
- Sat., Oct. 17: Florida Atlantic at Army, 11 a.m., CBSSN
- Sat., Oct. 17: Charlotte at Temple, noon, ESPN+
- Sat., Oct. 17: Tulsa at Rice, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
- Sat., Oct. 17: Kent State at South Florida, 6 p.m., ESPN+ (nonconference)
- Sat., Oct. 17: Navy at UTSA, 7 p.m., ESPNU (Alamodome)
In San Antonio, UTSA (5-1, 2-0) hosts Navy (2-3, 1-2) next Saturday night, and the Roadrunners’ defense gets a Navy option offense that just ran for 386 yards against Tulsa. Navy Athletics points out that UTSA is 12-1 at home against conference opponents since joining the American in 2023 (Navy Athletics). FAU’s trip to Army, Memphis’ Friday night game at Tulane and ECU’s game at UAB will also go a long way toward deciding who’s still unbeaten in league play by next Sunday.
Sources
- UTSA Athletics: Late touchdown lifts Roadrunners to 31-24 win over South Florida · Official box score (USF Athletics) · ESPN box score · ESPN highlights · CBS Sports highlights
- Memphis Athletics: Tigers score 28 second-half points in Battle for the Bones win over UAB · UAB Athletics recap · Official box score (UAB Athletics) · AP recap · Carter TD video
- Army Athletics: Jones’ game-winning kick sends Army past Tulane, 20-17 · AP recap · ESPN box score
- UNT Athletics: Jackson throws 5 touchdowns in rout of Charlotte · Official box score (UNT Athletics) · Charlotte Athletics recap · AP recap
- Navy Athletics: Gutierrez rushes for 232 yards, leads Navy to 34-26 comeback win over Tulsa · AP recap · Gutierrez 56-yard TD video
- ECU Athletics: ECU wins American Conference opener over Rice, 28-12 · Official game book (PDF) · AP recap
- Temple Athletics: Temple falls to UConn at home · Official box score (Temple Athletics) · AP recap · Sheppard 79-yard TD video
- The American: Week Six Football Postgame Notebook (records, streaks and standings) · ESPN American Conference standings
- SA Snap Count: AAC Week 6 preview
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