Football is back in full force this week, as week 0 has come and gone, meaning the AAC week 1 slate is finally upon us to kickoff the season officially.
During the season, we will be bringing you a weekly column previewing the best matchups featuring AAC teams, looking at the best games & performances from the week prior, and more. No teams from the conference played in week 0, which means this week we will get to see every team from the American on display for the first time this season.
Week 1 for the American brings an interesting slate, as there are some teams who open up at home, some with a tune-up opponent and others with a challenge, and then there are others who head on the road to take on P4 opponents, with an early season opportunity to pull off an upset and prove the American belongs as the G5 playoff representative.
Newest conference representatives Army and Navy didn’t crack the games to watch for this week, but they are the honorable mention for this week. Army opens up at home against Lehigh, while Navy also opens at home against Bucknell, in what should be opportunities for both programs to shine in their AAC debuts.
With that being said, the games to watch this week features 2 opportunities for American teams to upset a power program, a game for an American squad to establish early season culture and pull off a road upset, a chance for an AAC team to overcome injuries to nearly 50 percent of their roster and beat a solid opponent in front of their home crowd, and an In-State showdown where an AAC team can turn a corner with a week 1 win.
P4 Matchups–
Temple vs Oklahoma-
Temple heads into Norman as heavy Underdogs, as they get to be the opponent that kicks off the Jackson Arnold era in Oklahoma. Although pulling off the upset will be a tall task, Stan Drayton’s squad has improved, has a new signal Caller, and can use this game to show that the program is beginning to turn a corner.
Although the Owls had a fiercely contested QB battle with Evan Simon and Forrest Brock, Brock ultimately won the job with a strong camp performance and the former Juco transfer will lead Temple into this battle. Brock saw brief action in his first season with the Owls last year, struggling a bit, filling in during a 55- blowout loss to SMU, and completing 7 of 15 passes for 60 yards.
This is a chance for Brock to show what he can do in a big game situation with a clean slate but he will need a team effort to shine in this one. Brock has a big arm with the ability to command the whole field, he is not the most mobile quarterback, but posses an ability to move within the pocket and throw on the run, his offensive line and playmakers on the outside excelling will be huge in this one to help him succeed.
Dante Wright returns to the Owls after a solid debut season in 2023, and will be a trusty target that Brock looks to rely on in a variety of passing situations. Outside of him, Ian Stewart looks to be healthy and contributing on the outside, as the 6’3 Michigan State transfer showed flashes last season before dealing with injuries. After playing a majority special teams role last season, John Adams is also a possible contributor on the outside, as the 6’2 receiver has been a consistent special teams performer for years and has seen his role as a pass catcher increase over time.
It will be important for Temple to also establish the run game behind Brock, and Joquez Smith could see an increased role following a solid 2023 season.
Defensively, veteran leader DJ Woodbury returns at linebacker and is expected to be a major contributor over the middle in both the run and pass coverage game, while Andreas Keaton has been a huge addition from Western Carolina and will play a major role in his first game looking to slow down Jackson Arnold.
This will be an up-hill battle for Temple to compete in this game, however if Brock is able to push off any nerves and run the offense at his liking, and the defense is able to slow down Arnold slightly, its not out of the cards for Temple to keep this one close.
Florida Atlantic vs Michigan State-
The Owls open year 2 of the Tom Herman era heading back to a place he is very familiar with in Big 10 country, facing off against the Spartans on the Friday night of Labor Day, a home opening tradition for MSU over the recent years.
Last year was not how Herman planned for year 1 to go, as the Owls dealt with a variety of injuries and lack of cohesion that lead to a 4-8 finish. FAU replaced nearly half of their roster this offseason, and head into 2024 with an almost entirely overhauled offense, which features Marshall transfer Cam Fancher leading at QB.
Fancher brings a dual threat ability to this offense, and allows the scheme to be very diverse, featuring designed runs, RPOs and Options, while also a typical gun set to move the ball down the field with Fancher’s arm.
In this one it will be important to Fancher to find a command of the offense quickly, as Aidan Chiles will be looking to make a statement in his first career start opposite him for Michigan State, it will be important for Fancher and his counterparts to get in sync quickly and be able to match. Look for transfer WR’s EJ Horton and Caleb Coombs to be targets for Fancher early in this one as they previously played with him at Marshall, and the connection is there on the outside.
With that being said, passing the ball 50 times a game will not be in the cards for the Owls and it will be important for them to establish the run alongside the pass. FSU transfer CJ Campbell Jr and returnee Zuberi Mobley will lead the way in the backfield, with Campbell JR taking on a bit more of a lead role.
Defensively, FAU will be facing off against a dual threat in Aidan Chiles at QB for the Spartans and it will be a tough test in game 1 for the Owls, but the defense is the overwhelming strength of this team.
On the defensive line, the unit features LSU transfer Bryce Langston on the interior and Auburn transfer Wilky Denaud on the exterior, and alongside returners Jaden Wheeler, Jacob Merrifield, Chris Jones and Marlon Bradley. They will have to work to attack Chiles and make him uncomfortable, while also containing him.
The next key aspect to slowing Chiles down is containing his weapons, especially veteran WR Montorie Foster JR on the outside. FAU’s DB unit is arguably the biggest strength of this unit, and DaeDae hill and Buggs Brown JR. will combine to limit him, and a rotational group of pass catchers which features Antonio Gates Jr.
Being the season opening opponent in a raucous environment is never easy, but that is the task as FAU heads into East Lansing with and they will have to execute in a majority of areas consistently to compete and potentially pull off the upset. Offensively, Cam Fancher will need to show a strong ability to command the offense, utilizing the run game effectively alongside his pass game to keep the MSU defense on its toes. Defensively, FAU will need to contain Aidan Chiles the best they can, finding a way to confuse him via blitz and in coverage, while also not letting their playmakers establish themselves on the outside.
It is not out of the cards for FAU to pull off this upset, but it will require FAU to play a clean game on both sides of the ball, and not let the moment get to big for them, with a steady leader in Fancher at the Helm, it will be interesting to see how MSU goes after him. This is the higher probability upset over a p4 team for the AAC in week 1, but it will not be easy by any stretch.
Prove them wrong-
UNT vs South Alabama
North Texas heads to South Alabama as 5 point underdogs to kickoff year 2 of the Eric Morris era, and it is a chance for the Mean Green to get a technical upset and kick the season off on the right foot.
Chandler Morris takes the reins at starting QB for North Texas and the former TCU QB will get a chance to prove himself as an underdog in game 1. Morris has a huge arm and will be able to stretch the field for the Mean Green and he is aided on the outside by a variety of threats.
Damon Ward Jr. is back in his senior year, following a 2023 season in which he was one of the more productive receivers on the outside and found success against some of the better teams in the conference. DT Sheffield comes to Denton after a season at Wazzu, and 2 dominant years at JUCO Northwest Mississippi and he brings an explosive side to this offense.
One of the biggest threats for North Texas is over the middle in veteran TE Oscar Hammond, who has elite traits both, in the pass game and as a blocker which allows this offense to be very diverse. In year 1 and game 1, Hammond will be a sure target in the pass game for Chandler Morris and someone that will be a matchup issue over the middle against a weaker South Alabama linebacker corps.
Defensively, the unit took a big hit in fall camp with the loss of safety Ishem Young who transferred in this offseason from Ole-Miss and was set to be a major factor in the secondary for the Mean Green.
The secondary is still anchored with veterans, with Ridge Texada back at CB and Jayden Hill at S set to combine to be a ball-hawking duo back deep for the defense and will look to slow down down South Alabama’s offense which could lean pass heavy with Major Applewhite at the helm.
USA comes off a very positive season in which new starting QB Gio Lopez lead them to a bowl game victory, and the offense retains Javon Ivory to create a dynamic duo offensively, however Kane Wommack departed to be Alabama’s DC, and now Major Applewhite is tasked with keeping the momentum rolling with some new pieces. UNT will have their hands full with Ivory, but match him with Ridge Texada on the outside USA will need to establish the run in this one, something UNT was prone to allowing in 2023.
UNT would be favored if this was on their home turf, and if Chandler Morris is able to establish the deep passing game early in this one and the Mean Green get a solid performance from their front 7 defensively, an upset could be brewing on the road.
Defending the Home-Turf-
Rice vs Sam Houston:
Rice comes into this matchup off a solid 6-7 season in which they reached a bowl game and sent their star WR to the NFL in Luke Mccaffery. The Owls will be looking to start off their 2024 campaign with a bang against and in-state opponent in a matchup that could win bragging rights and more importantly, recruiting battles.
Ej Warner is set to take the reins at QB for Rice and will become the first QB to start for multiple AAC teams in their career. Son of Kurt Warner, EJ can command an offense with the best of them in the AAC, showing an ability to be accurate in multiple areas of the field with a solid zip on the ball.
In this one it will be key for Warner to be confident and attack a Sam Houston secondary which struggled at times in 2023 in what was an overall down year for the Bearkats.
Warner will be aided by veteran back Dean Connors, as the Hawaii native had 1189 all purpose yards last season and will be a huge asset to this offense in both the run and pass game. He will also possibly be a valuable dump-off target if Sam Houston is able to generate a significant pass rush against the Owls.
Defensively, Rice will need to slow down the passing attack of Jase Bauer and their top target in Ife Adeyi, who is primed for a big season and has a ton of speed on the outside for Sam Houston.
Sam Houston also brought in a serious threat in the run game in Jay Ducker, who has had 1769 yard rushing yards over the past 3 seasons and could be a big contributor in this Bearkat offense, especially if Bauer struggles to stretch the field.
Rice should be able to win this game, with an upgrade at the QB position in EJ Warner, a veteran in the backfield, and a guy on the outside in Landon Ransom-Goelz who is fresh off a big freshman year and could be primed for a breakout year, this offense has more firepower than Sam Houston and should be able to pull this one off. Defensively however, it will still be crucial to slow down Bauer and get some stops to allow the offense to control the game.
Charlotte vs James Madison
Year 2 of the Biff Poggi era begins with a tough matchup at home against James Madison but its a chance to have a statement win early in the year.
Things got more difficult in trying to accomplish that when Poggi announced in his weekly press conference that nearly half of his starting lineup was injured and most likely would be out for the matchup. He did not provide further clarification on who exactly would be out, but the 49ers will now be at a major disadvantage against a challenging opponent in JMU.
Max Brown comes over from Florida and brings a boatload of talent to the QB position and will provide a major upgrade to the passing game following a down year in 2023. Depending on which of his weapons are affected Brown should look to attack against a JMU defense which took some hits following the departure of Curt Cignetti.
Dontae Balfour leads an improved secondary for the 49ers which will look to slow down a JMU offense which features a pair of talented wide receivers in Cam Ross and Taji Hudson on the outside which bring a combination of height and speed which can be tough for opposing DBs.
If Charlotte is able to slow down the JMU offense, which has its own questions, this is a winnable matchup and one that can help right the ship in what has been a rocky start to the Poggi era. However, Poggi’s recent press conference comments about injuries have made for an interesting start to the year, where nobody knows who Charlotte will be sending out there.
Final Thoughts–
There are some interesting matchups in week one in the American, with FAU and Temple having tall tasks of taking down a giant, while Rice and Charlotte look to defend their home-turf against a pair of teams in Sam Houston and James Madison who have been fast risers over the last few years, and North Texas heads on the road against a team in South Alabama which will look to get the Major Applewhite era off to a fast start
For North Texas, I believe they have a solid chance at getting an upset on the road vs a South Alabama team which will need to establish a new culture and out of all 3 road games I believe they have the best chance at victory. FAU has my second best road odds, but it will still be a tall task and the culture shift Tom Herman has mentioned all offseason will need to be on full display. My final winner is Rice, who I have winning dominantly on their home-field as Ej Warner makes a statement in an in-state battle.
As for Temple and Charlotte, they will have the toughest matchups all weekend, as Temple faces one of the top offenses in the country and faces a lot of question marks of their own. Charlotte heading into this matchup a week ago had much higher odds, but after the recent Injury development I have serious questions about the culture that was induced this summer, but I will be interested to see if the 49ers are able to compete in this one despite the lack of depth.