AAC Week 7 Recap: Tulane Forces Six Turnovers, Hellums Ties Army Record and Charlotte Finally Wins

10/18/2026 | Snap Count Press |
Wk 7 Recap

UTSA got the headline on Saturday night, but the rest of the American Conference put on a show of its own in Week 7. UAB won a Homecoming game in overtime without leading for a single second of regulation. Tulane, UTSA’s next opponent, forced six turnovers against Memphis. Cale Hellums tied an Army record with five rushing touchdowns, Charlotte snapped a 15-game losing streak, Tulsa scored 31 straight to win at Rice, and USF finished an unbeaten non-conference slate (American Conference postgame notebook).

When the dust settled, UTSA (3-0) and North Texas (2-0) were the only teams still unbeaten in league play. North Texas had the week off. Here’s how every other game went down, plus our Snap Count Power Rankings and the Week 8 slate. If you missed it, here’s our Week 6 recap.

First, the Roadrunners: UTSA 38, Navy 34

Owen McCown threw for 359 yards and three touchdowns, and his 41-yard strike to A’Marion Peterson with 2:24 left made UTSA 6-1, 3-0 and the first bowl-eligible team in the American. It was an emotional night at the Alamodome, too. We covered all of it here: UTSA edges Navy 38-34 and clinches bowl eligibility.

UAB 30, East Carolina 17 (OT): Blazers go 93 yards in 62 seconds, then finish it

Thursday night in Birmingham started with East Carolina in control. Emory Williams hit Ray Ray Joseph Jr. for a 3-yard touchdown on a 14-play opening drive, and Dawson Quarterman recovered a fumble in the end zone 47 seconds into the second quarter to make it 14-0 (AP). Jonah Delange kept UAB in it with field goals from 41, 26 and 50 yards. When Noah Perez hit a 43-yarder with 9:24 left, the Pirates led 17-9 (UAB Athletics).

Then Ryder Burton took over. Starting at his own 7 with 1:37 left, he led a 10-play, 93-yard drive in 1:02. He found Ty Mims for 20 yards, hit running back Bam McReynolds for a 17-yard touchdown with 35 seconds left and kept the two-point try himself to tie it 17-17. In overtime, Burton hit CJ Smith for 18 yards on third-and-10 and then Rod Robinson II for a 6-yard score. On East Carolina’s third play of its possession, Delvon Gulley picked off Williams at the UAB 20 and went 80 yards to end it. According to UAB’s postgame notes, the Blazers led for 0:00 of regulation, and it was their first overtime win since 2018 (UAB Athletics; UAB postgame notes).

  • Ryder Burton, QB, UAB: 19-of-37, 262 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, plus the tying two-point run
  • CJ Smith, WR, UAB: career-high 8 catches for 119 yards
  • Jo’Tavion Pierce, LB, UAB: career-high 16 tackles (10 solo), 1.5 TFL, forced fumble; Muaaz Byard added 15 tackles
  • East Carolina: TJ Engleman Jr. ran 26 times for 104 yards; Williams went 18-of-27 for 126 yards, 2 TD and the overtime pick-six

“Defense and special teams kept us in the game,” UAB head coach Alex Mortensen said, according to UAB Athletics. “Then the offense really delivered late. We started executing the way we’re capable of down the stretch.”

UAB is 4-3 and 2-1 and has a bye before visiting USF on Oct. 31. East Carolina fell to 3-3 and 1-1.

Tulane 31, Memphis 17: Six takeaways, and UTSA’s next opponent sends a message

San Antonio, pay attention to this one. Memphis outgained Tulane 488-325 and won the first-down battle 27-13, and it still lost by two touchdowns because the Green Wave defense took the ball away six times, recorded seven sacks and nine tackles for loss, and scored 14 points off turnovers (Tulane Athletics). According to the American, Tulane is the first FBS team with at least six takeaways and seven sacks in a game since Louisville did it against Wake Forest in October 2022. It’s also the program’s most forced turnovers since eight against Army in 2003 (American Conference).

Freshman Trace Johnson made his first career start and hit Destyn Hill for a 38-yard touchdown, his first career touchdown pass, to give Tulane a 13-10 lead it never gave back (AP; Tulane Athletics). Cooper Helmke made three field goals, including a 56-yarder. On the last play of the first half, TJ Smith returned an interception 76 yards for a touchdown to make it 23-10. After Memphis cut it to 23-17 with 3:34 left, Johnnie Daniels broke a 48-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 with 1:34 left to seal it.

  • Kevin Adams III, S, Tulane: 9 tackles (8 solo), 2 INT, fumble recovery
  • TJ Smith, DB, Tulane: 76-yard interception return TD
  • Jah’rie Garner, Tulane: 2 sacks; Ed Smith IV forced two fumbles
  • Trace Johnson, QB, Tulane: 11-of-21, 165 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT in his first career start
  • Stonka Burnside, WR, Memphis: 7 catches, 151 yards, a 76-yard TD; Marcus Stokes threw for 306 yards with 2 TD and 3 INT

“When they pressured (Memphis quarterback Marcus Stokes), it caused him to scramble,” Adams said, according to NOLA.com. “That’s when we got all our turnovers.”

The UTSA angle: UTSA didn’t turn the ball over in its Week 6 win over USF, and it will need that kind of ball security again in New Orleans against a defense that just took it away six times. The Green Wave are 3-0 at home, and they host UTSA on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. CT at Yulman Stadium (Tulane Athletics). Memphis ended a 35-game run of two or fewer turnovers and fell to 5-2, 2-1.

Army 56, Florida Atlantic 24: Hellums ties the record, and Army throws twice

Army needed 22 seconds. Elijah Walton picked off Caden Veltkamp on the first play from scrimmage after a Jack Bousum deflection, and Samari Howard ran 30 yards for a touchdown on the next snap. From there, the Black Knights scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions, led 35-14 at halftime and ran for 479 yards on 8.0 yards per carry with eight rushing touchdowns. They attempted two passes and completed one, for 2 yards (Army Athletics).

Cale Hellums ran 25 times for 195 yards and scored on runs of 58, 4, 2, 3 and 1 yards. His five rushing touchdowns tie Army’s single-game record, which he now shares with Bryson Daily (2024 vs. ECU), Kelvin Hopkins Jr. (2018 vs. Houston) and Carlton Jones (2004 vs. USF). Jake Rendina added a career-long 61-yard touchdown run, and backup quarterback Bryson Luter scored the first touchdown of his career on a 69-yard run (Army Athletics).

  • Cale Hellums, QB, Army: 25 carries, 195 yards, 5 TD
  • Victor Afolabi, Army: 2 sacks; the defense forced three turnovers
  • Caden Veltkamp, QB, FAU: 33-of-48, 318 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
  • Easton Messer, WR, FAU: 14 catches, 102 yards, 1 TD, one shy of the program record he already shares

“To be able to match that is pretty cool,” Hellums said of tying Daily’s record, according to the Times Herald-Record. “Definitely the competitor in me wanted to beat it, but I’ll send (Daily) a funny text.”

Army is 4-2 and 3-1 and plays at Tulsa on Friday. FAU fell to 4-2 and 1-1 and hosts Rice.

Charlotte 38, Temple 31: The 49ers finally break through

Charlotte’s 15-game losing streak is over. The 49ers scored on their opening drive for the first time since 2024, scored 31 of their 38 points after halftime and got the go-ahead touchdown from Conner Harrell on a 10-yard draw with 8:40 left. DJ Burgess then sacked Temple on fourth down, and first-time kicker Aiden Bui hit a 47-yarder with 1:48 left to make it a 10-point game. Charlotte’s hands team recovered Temple’s onside kick to close it out. It was Tim Albin’s first win over an FBS opponent and his first American Conference win as Charlotte’s head coach (Charlotte Athletics; Charlotte postgame notes; American Conference).

  • Conner Harrell, QB, Charlotte: 23-of-31, 281 yards, 2 TD passing, plus 2 rushing TD
  • Henry Rutledge, RB, Charlotte: career-high 123 yards on 17 carries, including a 48-yard run
  • Derrick Eley, WR, Charlotte: career-high 6 catches for 96 yards, 1 TD
  • Ajani Sheppard, QB, Temple: 15-of-23, 236 yards, 1 TD passing, plus 2 rushing TD, including a 44-yarder
  • Peter Clarke, TE, Temple: 5 catches, 127 yards; his 4-yard TD made him Temple’s all-time leader in TDs by a tight end with 11

“It’s a big win for our program, on the road. I couldn’t be more excited with the win,” Albin said, according to Charlotte Athletics. “Our team showed grit, that’s the word that comes to mind in so many areas.”

Charlotte (1-6, 1-2) has an off week before hosting Tulane on Friday, Oct. 30. Temple fell to 2-5 and 1-2.

Tulsa 38, Rice 17: Golden Hurricane erase a 17-7 deficit with 31 straight

Rice quarterback Jacurri Brown broke touchdown runs of 50 and 78 yards, and the Owls led 17-7 in the second quarter. Then Tulsa scored 31 straight. Baylor Hayes hit Javon Ross for an 11-yard touchdown, and after Devin Robinson’s strip-sack set Tulsa up at the 5, he found Oran Singleton Jr. from 8 yards out to make it 21-17 at the half. Owen Carey added a 35-yard field goal, Hayes threw a 6-yard touchdown to Sevion Morrison, and Trequan Jones closed it with a 45-yard touchdown run. Rice was shut out over the final 40:59. The win snapped Tulsa’s three-game losing streak and was its sixth straight win at Rice (Tulsa Athletics; AP).

  • Baylor Hayes, QB, Tulsa: 20-of-27, 249 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
  • Oran Singleton Jr., WR, Tulsa: 7 catches, 87 yards, 1 TD
  • Tyson Williams, CB, Tulsa: career-high 12 tackles; Kyran Duhon had 2 sacks
  • Jacurri Brown, QB, Rice: 11 carries, a career-high-tying 154 yards, 2 TD. According to the American, Rice had two runs of 75-plus yards in one game for the first time since 2004 (Brown’s 78 and an 88-yarder by Ben Grice)

Tulsa (4-3, 1-2) hosts Army on Friday. Rice (1-6, 0-3) visits FAU.

Non-conference: South Florida 29, Kent State 2

The Bulls’ offense didn’t score until the final 10 seconds of the first half, and it didn’t matter. Kent State got to the USF 1, Dru DeShields fumbled the snap, and C.J. Hicks scooped it and went 96 yards for a touchdown. That ties the longest fumble return in program history, and it came moments after the record’s co-holder, Kayvon Webster, was introduced to the Homecoming crowd. Kent State’s only points came on a safety, and USF held the Golden Flashes to 228 yards and 1.8 yards per carry. Nico Gramatica made field goals from 49 and 33 yards, Luke Kromenhoek scored on a 1-yard sneak, Michael Van Buren Jr. threw a 36-yard touchdown to Cam Seldon, and Jabari Smith added a safety (USF Athletics).

  • C.J. Hicks, DE, USF: 96-yard fumble return TD
  • Michael Van Buren Jr., QB, USF: 22 completions, 193 yards, 1 TD
  • Michael Williams II, USF: team-high 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 TFL
  • Cam Seldon, WR, USF: career-high 60 yards on 4 catches, including his first TD as a Bull

USF (5-2, 1-2) went 4-0 in non-conference play for the first time since 2018 and has a bye before hosting UAB on Halloween (USF Athletics).

Idle: North Texas

The Mean Green had their scheduled bye week. They’re 4-2 and 2-0, and they visit Navy on Saturday (UNT Athletics).

American Conference standings

Through Week 7, according to the American Conference:

TeamAmericanOverallStreak
UTSA3-06-1W4
North Texas2-04-2W3
Army3-14-2W2
Memphis2-15-2L1
UAB2-14-3W1
Florida Atlantic1-14-2L1
East Carolina1-13-3L1
Tulane1-13-3W1
South Florida1-25-2W1
Tulsa1-24-3W1
Temple1-22-5L2
Charlotte1-21-6W1
Navy1-32-4L1
Rice0-31-6L6

Snap Count Power Rankings: Week 7

WK 7 Power Ranking

Here’s how we see the American after seven weeks. Overall record first, league record in parentheses.

  1. UTSA 6-1 (3-0): First to bowl eligibility, with wins over USF and Navy and a road win at Texas State. The only loss came at Texas, a Power 4 opponent.
  2. Army 4-2 (3-1): Two losses by a combined six points, to USF and at Louisiana Tech, and back-to-back wins over Tulane and FAU. The non-conference slate has been one of the tougher ones in the league.
  3. North Texas 4-2 (2-0): Unbeaten in league play after a 45-44 overtime win at Tulsa and a 50-10 rout of Charlotte. One loss came at Indiana, a Power 4 team, and the other at Texas State.
  4. Memphis 5-2 (2-1): The 38-13 win over UAB still looks good, and losing at Boise State costs little. Six turnovers at Tulane is what knocked the Tigers down.
  5. USF 5-2 (1-2): Went 4-0 outside the league, and the 28-24 win at Army carries real weight. The 17-13 home loss to Temple is the blemish; the one-score loss at UTSA isn’t.
  6. Tulane 3-3 (1-1): The record undersells them. Two losses came at Power 4 teams Duke and Kansas State, the third was 20-17 at Army, and they just took the ball away six times from Memphis.
  7. Florida Atlantic 4-2 (1-1): The 38-30 win over Navy is a good result. The loss at Florida is easy to forgive, but the 32-point loss at Army costs them.
  8. UAB 4-3 (2-1): Beat Navy and East Carolina, both by grinding. The 38-13 loss at Memphis is the kind of lopsided league loss that holds them back.
  9. Tulsa 4-3 (1-2): Owns a 24-10 win over Oklahoma State, a Power 4 team, and lost to North Texas by one point in overtime. Losing at Navy keeps them at No. 9.
  10. East Carolina 3-3 (1-1): The loss at Alabama, a three-point loss to App State and Thursday’s overtime loss at UAB were all competitive or come with a discount. The wins have mostly come against softer opponents.

Others receiving consideration: Charlotte 1-6 (1-2), Navy 2-4 (1-3), Temple 2-5 (1-2), Rice 1-6 (0-3).

How We Rank

  • Strength of schedule: We look at opponents’ current winning percentage, both to date and for the full season, along with power ratings. Army and Navy have played tougher non-conference schedules than most of the league. Most American teams rank in the middle-to-soft range nationally.
  • Victory quality: Big wins and competitive results against better opponents count more. Close wins over bottom-tier teams count less.
  • Weighted losses: We look at both the margin and the opponent’s strength. A competitive loss to a Power 4 team or a solid peer gets more of a discount than a blowout loss to a mid-tier American team.

Season results in the rankings are from each team’s 2026 schedule on ESPN.com. Records are from the American Conference standings.

Week 8 schedule (all times CT)

  • Thursday, Oct. 22: East Carolina at Memphis, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
  • Friday, Oct. 23: Army at Tulsa, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
  • Saturday, Oct. 24: Rice at Florida Atlantic, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
  • Saturday, Oct. 24: North Texas at Navy, 2:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
  • Saturday, Oct. 24: UTSA at Tulane, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Off this week: UAB, USF and Charlotte. Times and networks are from the American Conference and were converted from Eastern.

It’s the biggest game of the week for San Antonio. The undefeated Roadrunners go to New Orleans to face a Tulane defense that just forced six turnovers. Ball security might decide it.

Box scores, recaps and highlights

Six-takeaway Tulane is next for the 6-1 Roadrunners. Want more American Conference coverage all week long? Follow @SASnapcount210 on X.