The college football season is in full swing, and week 2 of the AAC slate brought some battles, blowouts and overall great football.
Week 2 saw the beginning of conference play for FAU, Army, Temple and Navy, while Tulane, Charlotte and USF battled P4 opponents to the brink of defeat, but all fell short in the end.
It was an up-and-down week in terms of wins and losses for the Conference, as outside of the teams in AAC battles, the American went 4-6 in out of Conference games. But there was a lot of good on the gridiron as well, as Tulane and Charlotte saw freshman QBs shine, the service academies dominated and so much more.
Looking towards next week, Memphis can make a statement as to why they should be the G5 representative with a win over a wounded FSU, multiple rivalry matchups occur, with the Shula bowl between FAU and FIU, the Bayou Bucket between Rice and Houston, and the Gateway Turnpike Classic between Tulsa Vs Oklahoma State.
With all of that in mind, let’s get into this week’s edition of Inside the American, touching on what stood out in week 2 and what to watch for most in week 3.
What stood out in week 2:
Freshman QBs dazzle:
The Darian Mensah coming out party was dampened a bit when his week one performance came Vs FCS SE Louisiana, however he still dominated and that was reflected in his week 2 performance.
Mensah finished 19/29, throwing for 342 yards 2 TDs and 1 INT, that INT being the dagger as Tulane marched down inside the Redzone with under 20 seconds to go, but Mensah was intercepted in the endzone, but still overall what was an overall really solid performance Vs a P4 team.
What has been really impressive is that Mensah showed a connection with all top 3 of the Tulane WRs and through 2 games has been really accurate for a true freshman, completing 70.7% of his passes for an average of 13.3 yards per completion.
The loss of Michael Pratt for Tulane was expected to potentially set the Green Wave back, but so far through 2 games, Mensah has kept this offense at a high octane and the Green Wave are going to be right up there at the top of the G5 playoff spot discussions if Mensah keeps up his strong play.
It wasn’t just Mensah however, as Deshawn Purdue took over for Charlotte following an injury and sparked the 49ers offense to look as productive as it has been during the entire Biff Poggi era.
Purdie completed 9/19 passes for 134 yards and 2 TDs, and Poggi talked about his upside and ability to come in mid-game and make an impact and that is something that could give 49ers fans hope for a bright future in what has been a rough few years.
Although the offense still struggled to convert 3rd downs, and ultimately fell at the hands of the Tar Heels 38-20, Purdie gives this fanbase something to get excited about and could potentially be the future of the program.
Service Academies shine:
Both Army and Navy are now both football members of the American following Army’s transition this past offseason, and during the first week we got to see them both in AAC action they dominated their sets of Owl foes.
Army was able to dominate FAU 24-7 in their first AAC game ever, getting 405 yards rushing as a team and a career day for Noah Short who rushed for 160 yards and was a menace on outside runs all day long.
Their domination wasn’t only offensively, as they held FAU to only 7 points, 42 yards rushing, and 3/10 on 3rd down, locking up the Owls offense consistently all day long.
It was a sound performance on both sides of the ball, as Bryson Daly operated the offense with ease and the defense did everything they needed to all day long. With a veteran squad and coach, Army could be a sleeper squad for the AAC title game and potentially playoff bid.
Navy handled their set of Owls as well, as they faced a temple team who had struggled immensely to start the season and capitalized to the tune of a 38-11 victory. In similar fashion to Army, Navy rushed for 297 yards getting 122 yards and 3 TDs on the ground from QB Blake Horvath and pummeling Temple all throughout the game.
On the defensive side of the ball, their run-defense was stout and despite allowing Forrest Brock to find a little bit of consistency they only allowed 35 yards rushing and 1.8 yards per carry.
Navy and Army are both well-oiled machines filled with veteran players who know how to operate their system. Prepping for an option style offense is no easy task, and now with both Army and Navy teams will potentially have to do it twice a season, and so far through 2 games that has proved a bit difficult for AAC teams and should it keep up, we could potentially see a service academy competing for a playoff spot.
What to watch for in week 3:
Can the AAC take down a power team:
It has been a tough start for AAC teams Vs power Conference opponents as through 2 weeks the American is 0-5, however FAU and Tulane both lost their matchups by 1 TD or less.
Week 3 brings new opportunities for the Conference to change their winless start, as 7 AAC squads face off against power opponents this week and there are multiple solid opportunities for the Conference to come out with a victory.
Rice Vs Houston:
Starting with the Bayou bucket, Rice takes on Houston on the road, although it’s less than a 20 minute drive between the two schools.
Houston has had a rough start to the season, checking in at 0-2 and Willie Fritz’s debut campaign has started with a few bumps in the road. Rice looked to be off to a rough start in week 1, getting shellacked by Sam Houston State 34-14 at home, however in week 2 they bounced back in a big way, defeating FCS Texas Southern 69-7, and getting both their pass game with EJ Warner and run game with Dean Connors in-sync.
Rice won last season’s rendition of the rivalry 43-41 in overtime, and this season they are riding with momentum and facing off against a coach who left the AAC last season, this game is an opportunity for the Owls to get a statement win early in the season, and turn the rivalry into a one-sided affair.
If Warner and Connors are able to continue their solid performances for Rice, they have more than enough fire-power to outscore Houston, it will just be up to their defense to put up another good performance, but overall this is a really good opportunity for Rice and the AAC to get their first “power” win of 2024.
Memphis vs FSU:
Memphis has an opportunity to get a statement victory early in the 2024 campaign, as in week 3 the Tigers match up with an FSU squad looking to find their mojo and after 2 disappointing losses to start the season.
Memphis has looked the part through 2 games, handling FCS UNA in week 1 40-0 and Troy 38-17 in week 2.
Through 2 games, Seth Henigan has done everything asked of him and has been successful, throwing for 469 yards and 3 TDs with no turnovers while also completing 70% of his passes.
Henigan’s connection on the outside with Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee had progressed in 2024, with both having solid starts to their 2024 campaign and against an FSU defense which has struggled could be in for a big day.
On the ground, Mario Anderson has picked up where he left off following his transfer from South Carolina to Memphis this past offseason. Through the first 2 games, Anderson has rushed for 171 yards and 4 scores and has shown a mix of power and elusiveness in the backfield.
On the defensive side of the ball, Chandler Martin has once again dominated in the trenches, leading the Tigers in tackles with 15, while Tennessee transfer Elijah Herring is right behind him with 12 and 2 sacks.
AJ Watts has been a lockdown safety in coverage for the Tigers this season and the ULM transfer could be in for a big day against an FSU team looking to try to develop their pass game.
FSU is going to come out with all they got in this one, as they’ve had a rough start to their season and what looked like an unwinnable game for Memphis coming into the season is now almost even.
Memphis may have a clear advantage on both sides of the ball at least through 2 games, as the FSU offense has struggled to put much together and defensively they have had no answer for the rushing attacks of BC and GT.
If Memphis is able to debut a ground and pound game with Anderson in this one and in doing so open up their pass game, FSU may have trouble matching offensively which could potentially lead to another upset for the ‘Noles.
Tulane Vs Oklahoma-
Tulane has another tough test this week, as they face off against an Oklahoma team which has looked explosive in game 1 of the Jackson Arnold era but struggled against Houston in game 2.
Darian Mensah has looked explosive through 2 games in his own right for Tulane and the freshman gunslinger is going to be looking to put that late interception against Kansas State behind him and bounce back against an Oklahoma team which can occasionally have defensive pores.
Through 2 games, Mensash has been able to spread it around to his 3 main receivers effectively, with Mario Williams Dontae Fleming and Yulkeith Brown all having at least 4 catches and 13+ YPC, with Fleming and Williams averaging 20+YPC.
Mensah’s ability to stretch the field with a variety of targets is going to help this Tulane team be able to match an Oklahoma team, which at times can put up points in droves, however last week against a Houston struggled to put much together all game, sputtering to 16 total points.
Although they lost, Tulane’s defense was able to slow down Kansas State and Avery Johnson and it kept them in the game and gave them a chance to tie or win late.
In this one against Oklahoma, their defense is just going to need to continue to do what they did against KSU and find ways to pressure Arnold, but not let him escape the pocket and extend plays with his legs. If they can disrupt Oklahoma just a little bit, and give their offense extra possessions, this game has a chance to be a major P4 victory for the AAC this weekend.
North Texas Vs Texas Tech:
UNT and Chandler Morris have looked extremely dynamic through 2 games so far, as through 2 games the Mean Green have scored 87 points offensively and Morris has begun to get national recognition for what he’s been able to do leading the way.
Morris has thrown for 737 yards, completing 68% of his passes for 7TDs and 3INTs so far through 2 games and has UNT in a prime position to upset a Texas Tech team which has been able to score, however as usual their defense has left a lot to be desired, and against Wazzu their offense dissipated.
UNT has been able to get a solid run game alongside Morris, as Damashja Harris has rushed for 171 yards and a score, averaging 10.7 YPC on 16 carries.
At WR Damon Ward has looked like a borderline NFL talent, showing elite speed and contested catch ability and hauling in 246 yards and 2 TDs through 2 games, showing a consistent connection with Morris.
UNT could leave their defense at home in this one and I would still be comfortable with the offenses chances of finding a way to win the game, if UNT can provide a bit of resistance against Texas Tech, this is a game where UNT dominates, and proves to be a contender for the G5 playoff spot, not a pretender.
Honorable mention:
Rivalry Week:
FAU takes on FIU from Boca Raton for another rendition of the Shula Bowl, first since 2022 and in Greenville East Carolina takes on App State in the Battle for the Old Mountain Jug.
Both of these series are a bit one sided, as FAU leads the Shula Bowl 16-4 all time and App State has owned that Mountain Jug, leading 58-19 all time.
Both the Owls and ECU have struggled offensively, however ECU found a way to win against Old Dominion despite throwing 4 picks, and FAU sits at 0-2, having failed to score more than 1 touchdown in either of their first 2 games.
Jake Garcia will be looking to have a bounce back performance in this one on his home-field, in front of what is going to be a raucous home atmosphere, and on the ground Rahjai Harris will look to continue what has been a fast start for him.
FAU will be looking to get a clean offensive performance for the first time this season and look to avoid losing the Shula Bowl for the first time since 2016.
App State won the last rendition of the Mountain Jug battle in 2013 in a 48-27 dominating victory that has left ECU wanting revenge for more than a decade.
Both of these games are going to be tough for the AAC, as FAU has struggled and are facing off against an FIU team which is riding high with momentum, and ECU has also struggled and is facing an App State team who is trying to respond following a 66-20 drubbing by Clemson.
FAU has the better chance of defending their trophy in week 3, however don’t sleep on ECU, as if Garcia can find his mojo, this offense can become really dangerous if both Harris and Garcia are playing at a high level.