Halloween weekend had plenty of tricks and treats in the American Conference. From high-scoring shootouts to top-five upset bids, there was plenty of excitement across the league. The conference’s bowl picture continues to clear, and a sharp three-team race for the league crown has officially emerged.
Without further ado, let’s go #AroundTheAmerican.
North Texas Outguns FAU in Thursday Night Shootout
The American Conference week again began with offensive fireworks. FAU and North Texas combined for 1,167 total yards and 60 first downs in the Mean Green’s 48-41 win over FAU.
Tayven Jackson threw for 404 yards and four touchdowns, while Jaheim White ran for 193 yards and two touchdowns for the Mean Green. FAU’s Caden Veltkamp outperformed Jackson on paper, throwing for 452 yards and five touchdowns, while Easton Messer had a staggering 16 receptions for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Dominique Henry also had over 100 receiving yards for the Owls.
Both teams traded scores all game until North Texas took advantage of a Veltkamp fumble at the FAU 32-yard line to take a 34-24 lead halfway through the third quarter. The Mean Green would not relinquish the lead and later intercepted Veltkamp in the red zone in the fourth quarter.
North Texas is inching closer to a high-stakes matchup against UTSA on November 14. The two Texas schools are the only American teams currently unbeaten in conference play, making that game a potential preview of the American Conference Championship Game. For now, the Mean Green face a textbook trap game against Rice’s shotgun option offense.
FAU is likely out of the conference race with two losses. While the Owls sit at 5-3, they have four challenging games left, with UTSA, Tulsa, USF, and East Carolina remaining on the schedule.
Happy HalloWIN! 🎃 #GMG🦅 https://t.co/8WJW3xCUQB
— UNT Football (@MeanGreenFB) October 30, 2026
Tulane Rallies to Survive Charlotte
Charlotte nearly extended its winning streak to two games against Tulane on Friday night. The 49ers led by 10 points with less than 11 minutes left in regulation before the Green Wave stormed back.
Freshman quarterback Trace Johnson drove Tulane 61 yards in 1:42 to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. The Green Wave then scored another touchdown in overtime before stopping Charlotte on their final possession to survive with a 38-31 win.
Charlotte exposed Tulane’s struggling run defense. Henry Rutledge ran for 121 of Charlotte’s 216 rushing yards and caught four passes for 79 yards. Conner Harrell continued his outstanding play with 239 passing yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers offense looks completely different with Harrell at the helm.
On the other hand, Trace Johnson established himself as Tulane’s next great quarterback. Johnson reached season highs in passing yards (284) and completion percentage (77.8%).
The quarterback position was a revolving door at Tulane over the last two seasons, with Darian Mensah and Jake Retzlaff splitting starts. Johnson may be the Green Wave’s first real heir apparent to Michael Pratt.
A loss to Charlotte would have been catastrophic for Tulane’s bowl chances with upcoming games against North Texas and USF. Now sitting at 4-4, the Green Wave have a far more realistic path to bowl eligibility, with winnable games against Tulsa and Rice over the next two weeks.
Although Charlotte lost, there is hope for the 49ers. The team’s impressive showing against Temple and Tulane may have bought Head Coach Tim Albin another season. However, the 49ers will lose both Conner Harrell and Henry Rutledge next year. Nonetheless, Charlotte could easily play spoiler in November.
1st Career TD 🟰Game Tying TD Cam Roberts has your call of the game ⬇️ #UptownFootball https://t.co/d6SwxHBLRq
— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) November 2, 2026
Navy Hangs Around With Notre Dame
The Navy-Notre Dame game may have been the most shocking development of Saturday’s noon slate. The Midshipmen effectively played keep-away and scored on their first three first-half drives to take a 13-7 lead against the #5-ranked team in the country with under two minutes to go in the second quarter. Navy held the ball for 23:33 during the first half, thanks mostly to Jackson Gutierrez’s tough inside running.
Unfortunately, the Irish woke up and killed any hopes of an upset. Nolan James Jr. ran for a 52-yard touchdown with 55 seconds left in the first half to give the Irish a 14-13 lead. Notre Dame scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to cruise to a 35-13 victory. Jackson Gutierrez ran for 110 yards and caught an eight-yard pass in the losing effort for Navy.
Navy represented the American Conference’s last chance at a second win over a Power Four opponent. The conference finishes 2026 with a 1-12 record against Power Four competition, leaving Tulsa’s win over Oklahoma State as the lone victory.
The loss to Notre Dame also knocked Navy out of bowl contention. The Midshipmen needed to win six games before the Army-Navy Game to become bowl-eligible, but currently sit at 2-6.
Other Notes From Around the American
USF 30, UAB 10
USF sacked UAB QB Ryder Burton six times and ran for 191 yards in a 30-10 win. In total, the Bulls allowed just 177 yards of offense and held UAB’s steady run game to 65 non-sack rushing yards on 27 carries. USF reached bowl eligibility with the win. However, two conference losses keep them in the middle of the pack in the AAC race. UAB fell to 4-4 but gets Charlotte and Temple next as the Blazers seek their first bowl appearance since 2022.
East Carolina 17, Temple 6
East Carolina intercepted Ajani Sheppard three times in a 17-6 victory over Temple. T.J. Engleman Jr. ran for over 100 yards for the fourth time this year as the Pirates moved to 4-4. Engleman Jr. is a bona fide all-conference candidate with 689 yards through eight games. The Pirates face a difficult road to a third consecutive bowl with upcoming games against USF, Army, and FAU. Temple falls to 2-6 and is in danger of missing a bowl for the seventh straight year.
Friday night football in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium 🏴☠️ https://t.co/nXADORfuzg
— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) November 1, 2026
We’ve got another high-stakes slate coming up in Week 10. What games are on your radar, friends?
Go Army! Beat Air Force!!!
