Five conference games and three non-conference tilts are on the docket for Saturday.
 
West Division newcomers UTSA and North Texas meet in Denton.  The Mean Green are 5-1 in C-USA play and control their destiny to play in the C-USA Championship Game with wins over the Roadrunners and Tulsa.  UTSA has won three games in a row and find themselves just one game behind North Texas in the West standings with a 4-2 league ledger.
 
Middle Tennessee will look to make it four straight victories when it visits Southern Miss.  The Blue Raiders (6-4) are already bowl-eligible and are aiming for eight wins in the regular season for the second straight year. These teams have only met one other time, in the 2009 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
 
UTEP travels to Tulane, looking to make it two wins in a row.  The Green Wave, already bowl-eligible, will be playing its final regular season game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome after 38 seasons.
 
Marshall will look to move into a first place tie with East Carolina and set up a Black Friday showdown with the Pirates.  First, the Thundering Herd must get by FIU.  Marshall has 34 players on its roster from the Sunshine State and won last month at Florida Atlantic.
 
Louisiana Tech will seek to remain in contention for a bowl game when it hosts Tulsa. The Bulldogs need to win this game and next week at UTSA to get to the six-win mark.
 
East Carolina will step out of league action to play at  NC State.  The Pirates own a win at North Carolina earlier this year and will face their other in-state rivals with a quarterback in Shane Carden that has thrown five TD passes in each of the last two weeks.
 
Florida Atlantic remains in contention for bowl-eligibility following back-to-back victories.  The Owls will close their non-conference schedule by hosting New Mexico State.


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Rice 37  UAB 34 OT


SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

East Carolina 42 NC State 28

New Mexico State 10  Florida Atlantic 55

Middle Tenn. 42  Southern Miss 21

UTSA 21  North Texas 13

UTEP 3  Tulane 45

Marshall 48  FIU 10

Tulsa 24  Louisiana Tech 14

Rick one small correction FAU played Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl in 2009

Guest said

Rick one small correction FAU played Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl in 2009

Posted On: Nov 18th 2013, 5:04 PM #321834

We played Memphis in 2007, Central Michigan in 2008.

I'm not sure what the "correction" is anyway!

Rick said

I'm not sure what the "correction" is anyway!

Posted On: Nov 18th 2013, 7:05 PM #321836

I think because you said MTSU and USM played in the bowl in 2009 and he thought FAU played Memphis then that you were WRONG!

"Middle Tennessee will look to make it four straight victories when it visits Southern Miss.  The Blue Raiders (6-4) are already bowl-eligible and are aiming for eight wins in the regular season for the second straight year. These teams have only met one other time, in the 2009 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl."

Tim FAU98 said

Rick said

I'm not sure what the "correction" is anyway!

Posted On: Nov 18th 2013, 7:05 PM #321836

I think because you said MTSU and USM played in the bowl in 2009 and he thought FAU played Memphis then that you were WRONG!

"Middle Tennessee will look to make it four straight victories when it visits Southern Miss.  The Blue Raiders (6-4) are already bowl-eligible and are aiming for eight wins in the regular season for the second straight year. These teams have only met one other time, in the 2009 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl."

Posted On: Nov 18th 2013, 7:10 PM #321837

Aha!

Caught in the act!

FINAL:

Rice 37  UAB 34 OT

Close call for the other Owls, who narrowly escape Birmingham with a victory.

Down 10-0 early, UAB scratched and clawed their way to an eventual tie late in the 4th.

A forced fumble in Rice territory with just :37 second left made the tying FG possible for the Blazers.

UAB scored first with another FG in the extra period, but Rice answered with a 1 yard TD run to seal the win.

Jawon Davis rushed for a career high 130 yards on 19 carries with a score for Rice.

FINAL:

East Carolina 42 NC State 28


Another five TD showing for Pirate QB Shane Carden, who threw for three and ran for a pair.

Determined not to give up, three of the Wolf Pack's scores came in the final 5:30 of play.

With the win, East Carolina takes state bragging rights having also polished of North Carolina earlier in the season 55-31.

FINAL:

New Mexico State 10  Florida Atlantic 55

The Owls produce as expected, but equaling an all time high for points scored in regulation play was a nice bonus.

Additionally, the passing game ironically came out ahead 329-256 in total yardage for what was supposed to be a ground driven effort.

FINAL:

Middle Tenn. 42  Southern Miss 21

The Blue Raiders tally two defensive first half scores, setting the stage for a 28-7 lead at the break.

Golden Eagle QB Nick Mullens tossed his first 3TD effort in the loss.