Week Six of the American is here, and we’ve once again got a diverse set of storylines filling the slate. The league gets another Thursday night showcase, and later, a much-anticipated grudge match will capture the attention of the league’s fans. Perhaps more importantly, the conference race will continue to take shape, with many teams having realistic prospects. Week Five was thrilling, but Week Six could bring even more drama. Without further ado, let’s go #AroundTheAmerican.
UTSA and USF Kick off The Fun In Crucial Clash
The American takes center stage this Thursday for the second straight week. Once again, ESPN’s Thursday night game showcase has substantial implications for the conference championship. This week, USF travels to UTSA in a potential American Conference Championship Game preview.
USF is arguably UTSA’s toughest test for the rest of the season. The Roadrunners avoid both Memphis and Temple. But UTSA’s inconsistent offense will have to get past the American’s best defense. The Bulls enter the game allowing 15 points per game, including just 23 total over the past two weeks.
While it’s still early October, this game is likely a must-win for USF. The Bulls lost to Temple last week and must avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in the conference. Since the first American Conference Championship Game in 2015, only one team has made it with more than one conference loss. That came in 2018 when Memphis made it out of the Western Division with a 5-3 conference record. History is not on USF’s side if they cannot win this week, and neither is their schedule. The Bulls will still face Memphis and FAU before season’s end.
USF QB Michael Van Buren needs to return to his early season form. He followed up his 52-yard, six-sack performance against Bowling Green with a pedestrian 205-yard showing against Temple. With the win, the Owls may have revealed the formula for neutralizing USF. Shut down the Bulls’ running game and force Van Buren to beat you through the air.
But Van Buren has a high ceiling, and if he can fulfill his potential, it’ll make the USF offense dangerous. Meanwhile, the UTSA defense showed cause for concern against Colorado State a couple of weeks ago. The Roadrunners allowed 500 yards and 45 points to a Colorado State offense with a second-string quarterback at the helm.
Both these teams have flaws, but at least in the early-going, they’ve both looked at times like the best team in the conference. We’ll see how that shakes out Thursday night.
Off to a 4-1 start, the Roadrunners are back in the Alamodome to host South Florida in an American Conference matchup on Thursday night. Kickoff for the Lights Out game presented by @cowboysac is set for 6:30 p.m. on ESPN. 📰 https://t.co/UVoYk65Z2Y #210TriangleOfToughness | #BirdsUp 🤙
— UTSA Football 🏈 (@UTSAFTBL) October 7, 2026
Navy and Tulsa Look to End Losing Streaks
Navy and Tulsa both found themselves at crossroads before their matchup this Saturday. Two weeks ago, Tulsa was the talk of the Group of Six and a potential College Football Playoff frontrunner. This week, the Golden Hurricane hope to stay on track to make their first bowl since 2021. Meanwhile, Navy has lost three games in a row for the first time since 2021. The Mids hope to save their season with a win this week. Both teams need this game in the worst way.
The Midshipmen could finally get their offense running smoothly against a Tulsa defense that struggled against the run last week. The Golden Hurricane allowed 219 rushing yards to North Texas RB Jaheim White. But Navy ran for just 110 yards against Air Force.
Tulsa QB Baylor Hayes looked solid in his first game since week two. Hayes threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns last week. After knocking off the rust, he looks like he might be capable of replicating FAU QB Caden Veltkamp’s outing against this Navy defense.
This is a golden (pun intended) opportunity for Tulsa to gain some ground in this series. Navy leads 9-2, including wins in seven of the eight meetings since they joined the American back in 2015. But if Tulsa can regain their early season form, they’ll be tough to beat.
Cross-country trip on deck! #ReignCane https://t.co/pW1U2224FG
— Tulsa Football (@TulsaFootball) October 5, 2026
Memphis Seeks Revenge Against UAB in Battle for the Bones
The most anticipated revenge game of this week’s American Conference slate is finally here. Last year, UAB shocked the country by upsetting #22 Memphis on the road, 31-24, and derailing the Tigers’ College Football Playoff hopes. This year, Memphis has similar expectations, a 4-1 record, and a reasonably strong case for the College Football Playoff. However, a better UAB team than last year awaits them as well.
UAB enters with a 3-2 record, marking its best start since 2022. They’re on the precipice of their first three-game winning streak since 2020. The Blazers have a powerful running game. Georgia transfer RB Rod Robinson II (338 yards) and Louisiana-Monroe transfer RB Bam McReynolds lead an attack averaging 180 yards per game. They could actually up that average against a Memphis run defense that’s allowed 176 yards per game so far this season. Boise State ran for 357 yards in Memphis’s lone loss this season.
The Blazers will need to control the ball to keep a sensational Tigers offense off the field. Memphis QB Marcus Stokes already has 1371 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns in just five games, while RB Jaylin Carter has 513 yards and six touchdowns over that same time span.
Another loss to UAB would likely kill Memphis’s College Football Playoff prospects, even if Boise State fails to win the PAC-12. North Dakota State, New Mexico, and James Madison are all likely to end the season with one loss or fewer and would have better resumes than Memphis. On the other side, a UAB win would take the Blazers from being merely a feel-good story to legitimate conference contenders. They would far exceed expectations this year.
Deja Vu 🎟️: https://t.co/lTWUeeTxUg #GoTigersGo | #CloseTheGap https://t.co/w9KCrYvJnm
— Memphis Football (@MemphisFB) October 7, 2026
Other Notes From Around the American
East Carolina hopes to take advantage of a quarterback change and a bye week to prepare for its game against Rice. Miami transfer QB Emory Williams threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns in his first start of the season against North Carolina Central on September 26th. The offense showed signs of life in the 42-3 win after averaging just 18 points per game through its first three games.
The Pirates’ defense has picked up the slack for a struggling offense. They enter Saturday’s game allowing just 25 points per game, fewer than four yards per carry, and already have 11 sacks on the year. Rice’s option offense will test this defense. The Owls are averaging 213 rushing yards per game. Nonetheless, they struggled against UTSA last week, rushing for just 144 yards total.
UConn travels to Temple in a game that could have significant ramifications for the Lambert Trophy, Eastern college football’s crowning achievement. 2024’s heartbreaking loss on the final play remains fresh on many Temple fans’ minds.
The Owls tried to win the game on a quarterback sneak on the final play last year but fumbled leading to a shocking UConn touchdown. This year, Eastern football has a decided power vacuum. A Temple win over UConn could go a long way toward winning the Owls their first Lambert Trophy in the 90-year history of the award.
After attempting just 34 passes over the last two weeks, expect Temple QB Ajani Sheppard to take to the skies more this week. UConn is allowing 290 passing yards per game, including 657 passing yards over the past two weeks. The Huskies are tough against the run though, allowing just 121 rushing yards per game.
Excited to see you all on Saturday 🤩 #TempleTUFF https://t.co/tt2MBdqgi1
— Temple Football (@Temple_FB) October 6, 2026
North Texas looks to outdo its 45-point output against Charlotte. The Mean Green tallied 559 yards in a 45-44 win over Tulsa. Charlotte allowed 674 yards last week in their embarrassing 59-8 loss to Memphis.
49er RB Henry Rutledge could keep Charlotte in the game, but he’ll have to have a big day. Rutledge was the lone bright spot against Memphis last week, rushing for 111 yards on just six carries. Although the Mean Green run defense improved against Tulsa, they still allowed 337 yards against Texas State a few weeks ago.
We’ve got a terrific slate of games this week. What are you watching?
