We’ve got a very full slate this week, so let’s go ahead and get into it!
USF Tries To Dethrone the Group of Five Kings
The American Conference’s season opener will also be a headliner. USF hosts #25 Boise State at 5:30 pm ET tonight in what could well be a conference statement game. After representing the Group of Five in the New Year’s Six from 2017-2022, the conference missed the New Year’s Six and College Football Playoff in both 2023 and 2024. More to the point, USF has now made two straight bowl appearances. They now hope to show the country they can be a national contender. Despite the well-known loss of Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty, the Broncos remain an experienced bunch, returning 14 starters including quarterback Maddux Madsen and NFL prospect at TE Matt Lauter, who had 47 receptions last year.
USF QB Byrum Brown looks to reintroduce himself to the nation after missing the last seven games of the 2024 season following a spectacular 2023. Brown joined Heisman Trophy winner and current Commanders’ superstar Jayden Daniels as the only players in the nation to put up more than 3,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards back in 2023. Unfortunately, he had some of his worst performances in the Bulls’ biggest games last year. Against Miami and Alabama, Brown completed just 52% of his passes, well below his career mark of 64%, and carried for less than four yards per carry. A win over Boise State could land USF in the AP Poll for the first time since 2018, potentially making them an early College Football Playoff candidate.
Rise and shine, Bulls Nation 👋#ComeToTheBay | #StayInTheBay pic.twitter.com/sGCbpPEQcn
— USF Football (@USFFootball) August 28, 2025
East Carolina Faces North Carolina State in Military Bowl Grudge Match
East Carolina and North Carolina State’s massive brawl at the end of the Military Bowl created one of the stranger moments of this past Bowl Season. Officials ejected eight players after the melee. It’s a shame that most remember the brawl because it ended an unexpected run for East Carolina. The Pirates’ 26-21 Military Bowl win was their first Power Four win since 2018; it capped a 5-1 end to the season after the school fired former head coach Mike Houston.
The effects of the brawl will linger on Thursday. NC State suspended two players from the first half of Thursday’s game because of it. Reserve OL Val Erickson and experienced NT Brandon Cleveland will miss the first half against the Pirates. Cleveland steadied the defensive line with 36 tackles and four tackles for loss last year.
Unlike last year, East Carolina has stability at quarterback entering 2025 behind established starting QB Katin Houser. Houser averaged 267 passing yards per game in 2024 after taking the starting job from Jake Garcia heading into the Army game last October.
Unfortunately, this Pirates defense has some questions. The Pirates return just two starters. Worse, they face an NC State offense returning its leading rusher and receiver along with 2024 freshman sensation CJ Bailey. So East Carolina may be in for a shootout. But a Pirates win puts them in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
The look for the season opener! 🏴☠️ #LetsRide pic.twitter.com/7VwqG3X9Bf
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) August 26, 2025
Nation Gets Look at Revamped Tulane Quarterback Room
QB Jake Retzlaff’s transfer from BYU to Tulane stole headlines late in the offseason cycle. But will he even start? As of this writing, Tulane has not released a depth chart. Either Retzlaff, who threw for over 2900 yards and ran for 400 in BYU’s 11-2 2024 campaign, or 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year Kadin Semonza will start for the Green Wave. Whoever starts should thrive against a Northwestern pass defense that allowed 232 yards per game and a 63% completion percentage.
On the other side, SMU transfer QB Preston Stone could make this a shootout. Stone threw for 3197 yards and 28 touchdowns while leading SMU to the American Conference Championship in 2023. He then got benched for QB Kevin Jennings last year. Luckily, Tulane fields a defense with plenty of FBS experience. Eight starters, including 2nd team All-AAC LB Sam Howard, return. This unit gave up just 21 points per game last year and should have no issue stopping a Northwestern offense that struggled to just 18 points per game in 2024.
It’s tough to say a week one game is a must-win, but a win over Northwestern boosts Tulane’s Playoff resume. The Green Wave have one of the most arduous non-conference schedules in the country. They’ll play Northwestern, Duke, and Ole Miss, and they lack an FCS game. Winning at least one of these Power Four games would aid the Green Wave’s reputation with AP Poll voters and the College Football Playoff committee.
It is FINALLY game week #HotBoyWednesday! 🔥#UptownFootball pic.twitter.com/0IFNI0f2ZH
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) August 27, 2025
Other Power Four Clashes
New FAU Head Coach Zach Kittley debuts his new Air Raid scheme with gunslinger Caden Veltkamp at the helm this week. Veltkamp threw for over 3000 yards for Western Kentucky last year; he now faces a Maryland defense that allowed 242 passing yards per game in 2024. The Owls nearly beat Michigan State last year in a 16-10 loss despite gaining only 248 yards on offense. If Florida Atlantic performs better they could land their first win over a Power Four/Power Five school since their 2007 win over Minnesota. This would be just their second such win ever. FAU faces a Maryland offense that lost 1,000-yard WR Tai Felton, their second and third-leading receivers, and their leading rusher.
Meanwhile, UTSA travels to Kyle Field to play #19 Texas A&M. The Roadrunners look poised to contend for the conference title this year with nine returning starters on offense, including most of their offensive production. However, an inexperienced defense could have trouble containing star Aggie RB Le’veon Moss. Moss was efficient before suffering a season-ending injury in the first week of October last year. He averaged six yards per carry and gained 765 yards in eight full games. The Roadrunners have lost both their previous contests against Texas A&M. A win over the Aggies would likely give UTSA arguably the strongest non-conference resume in the American, even if Navy defeats Notre Dame or Tulane wins one of its three Power Four games this year. Texas A&M is an SEC sleeper and were just a game from making the SEC Championship Game for the first time ever last year.
Taking a look back at the first conference championship for the Roadrunners, a pivotal moment in the 15-year history of @UTSAFTBL. #BirdsUp 🤙 #LetsGo210 pic.twitter.com/6XGkt7U6TD
— UTSA Athletics (@UTSAAthletics) August 27, 2025
The American Fights For Group of Five Bragging Rights
Charlotte plays in their hometown NFL stadium for the first time ever this week when they face Appalachian State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic on Friday. Head Coach Tim Albin’s revamped roster could benefit from an App State defense that returns just three starts and struggled mightily last year. The Mountaineers defense allowed 33 points per game in 2024. The 49ers also benefit from the departure of App State QB Joey Aguilar to Tennessee and then UCLA (this is a long story). Aguilar threw for over 3,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. His replacement, QB AJ Swann, is experienced but averaged less than 200 yards per game in 13 career starts at Vanderbilt. Experienced pieces from Ohio’s 2024 MAC title run such as the Bobcats’ leading tackler Reid Willford and 3rd Team All-MAC honoree Shay Taylor should keep the game within reach for Charlotte. The 49ers desperately must make this budding in-state rivalry competitive. Charlotte is 0-3 all-time versus App State, losing by an average of 22 points per game.
Rice’s new-look option offense also makes its debut this week against Louisiana. Chase Jenkins will lead the offense at quarterback. Jenkins does not have much experience, but he showed that he can be a capable runner in a limited sample size in 2023. Luckily, RB Quinton Jackson should lighten the load on Jenkins. Jackson put up more than six yards per carry last year, a season that included an impressive six-carry, 70-yard performance against Memphis. Although hardly anyone is expecting the Owls to win, they should be competitive against a Louisiana squad that returns just nine starters from last year’s Sun Belt runner-up squad. Moreover, we’ve seen option offenses facilitate crazier upsets than this.
Temple travels to UMass in a fight for Lambert Trophy positioning. New Temple Head Coach KC Keeler revamped the roster over the offseason, receiving 46 players from the transfer portal. Two of those transfers — LB Ty Davis, a 2024 2nd Team All-CAA performer at Delaware, and CB Jaylen Castleberry, who had 50 tackles for Illinois State — could anchor the defense. Both were listed as starters in this week’s two-deep. Temple’s defense should build some confidence against a UMass offense decimated by transfers. On offense, an experienced line should keep emerging star QB Evan Simon upright. Simon threw for 2003 yards in nine games despite playing behind an offensive line that allowed 37 sacks in 2024. When he has time to throw, Simon can be brilliant. He had six touchdown passes against Utah State last year. He faces a UMass defense that was also revamped after transfer portal losses.
FCS Game Notes
Memphis hosts Chattanooga for the first time since 2005 in a series that dates back to 1942. The Tigers lead the series 12-5. Although Memohis should handle the Mocs easily, Chattanooga did almost beat a Georgia State squad that beat Vanderbilt last year. Veteran QB Brendon Lewis gets his first game reps in Ryan Silverfield’s system this week.
North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker starts his second game since ninth grade against Lamar. The redshirt freshman made the most of his opportunity in the 2025 First Responder Bowl against Texas State, totaling 448 total yards. His Mean Green will face an upset-minded Lamar team that nearly beat Texas State last season. North Texas’ much-maligned defense could keep Lamar in the game. The Cardinals return 2nd team All-Southland receiver Kyndon Fuselier, who put up 107 receiving yards against Texas State last year. Lamar and North Texas were Southland rivals from 1983-1986. The Mean Green lead the overall series 5-2.
Navy begins one of its most-anticipated seasons in the last 60 years this weekend as well. They face Senior Military College foe VMI. The Midshipmen have dominated this series, winning all ten games since 1898. The Keydets scored more than 17 points just three times last year, but that was with starting QB Collin Shannon injured. The Midshipmen should roll, but they could potentially get caught looking ahead to conference play. Last year, the Mids allowed Bucknell to hang around in the first half before eventually pulling away.
UAB could also be looking ahead to conference play when they face Alabama State. A Blazer defense that struggled against the run last year will have its hands full against Alabama State QB Andrew Body. Body was the biggest “what-if” of the Black College Football year after suffering a season-ending injury in his team’s opener against North Carolina Central. Body has been electrifying on the ground, taking 15 carries for 134 yards. But his injury derailed a season in which media members predicted the Hornets would win the SWAC East. Alabama State could keep this one close if Body and company can consistently move the chains on the ground. The Blazers will want to make the game a track meet with QB Jalen Kitna leading a hopefully more consistent offense. Kitna had moments of brilliance last season, putting up 380+ yards twice through the air last season.
Tulsa hosts 2024 FCS Playoff participant Abilene Christian in their season opener. The Wildcats’ experienced defense featuring All-American LB Will Shaffer should test the Golden Hurricane offense. Although there are plenty of new faces at the skills position, QB Kirk Francis returns and should build some chemistry with his new teammates this week. The Golden Hurricane’s defense looked horrendous through most of last year, allowing a whopping 43 points per game. The unit should gain some confidence against an Abilene Christian offense replacing their top two rushers and receivers as well as their starting quarterback to start the season.
Standing together and wearing our hearts on our helmets. A green ribbon over the state of Texas in memory of the victims and all those impacted by this summer’s devastating floods.#TexasStrong | #GMG pic.twitter.com/5S8cURCmMB
— UNT Football (@MeanGreenFB) August 28, 2025
Final Thoughts
Enjoy the games, friends. We’ll talk about what all of this means next week after we see some results!
Go Army! Beat Tarleton State!!!
