ORLANDO, Fla. (OrlandoSportsFoundation.com) – Week four of the college football season starts on Thursday night with Tulsa traveling to Temple in American Athletic Conference play. There is also another match up in the American Athletic Conference and Sun Belt Conference between South Alabama and Memphis on Saturday.
[dt_highlight color=”” text_color=”” bg_color=””]The American vs. Sun Belt Matchup[/dt_highlight]
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SOUTH ALABAMA (1-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) at MEMPHIS (2-1, 0-1 The American)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 8 p.m. ET • ESPN3
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, Tennessee
- This will be the first meeting between Memphis and South Alabama.
- South Alabama went 4-8 with their new head coach Steve Campbell last season.
- Memphis is averaging 48.7 points and 603.0 yards this season.
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[dt_highlight color=”” text_color=”” bg_color=””]The American Matchups[/dt_highlight]
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TULSA (1-2) at TEMPLE (1-2)
Thursday, Sept. 20 • 7:30 p.m. ET • ESPN
Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- This will be the fifth meeting between Tulsa and Temple
- The series, starting in 1987, is tied with two wins for each team.
- The Panthers opened the season with a 24-20 win against Kennesaw State and followed with a 41-7 loss at North Carolina State in Week 2.
- Tulsa has outscored its opponents, 38-16, in the final 15 minutes so far this season.
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FLORIDA ATLANTIC (2-1) at UCF (2-0, 1-0 The American)
Friday, Sept. 21 • 7 p.m. ET • ESPN
Spectrum Stadium • Orlando, Florida
- This will be the second meeting between FAU and UCF.
- UCF won the first game of the series in 2003 with a 33-29 game.
- UCF holds the longest winning streak in the nation with 15 victories, including a 38-0 win over South Carolina State.
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OHIO (1-1) at CINCINNATI (3-0)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • Noon ET • ESPNU
Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, Ohio
- Cincinnati and Ohio have not played since their last game in 1981.
- Since 1896, the two in-state rivals have played 50 times, with Cincinnati taking a win in six of the last seven meetings.
- Cincinnati has the third best in the nation for total defense (228.7 ypg) and scoring defense (8.0 ppg).
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NAVY (2-1, 1-0) at SMU (0-3)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • Noon ET • ESPNEWS
Gerald J. Ford Stadium • Dallas, Texas
- This will be the 20th meeting between SMU and Navy.
- Navy has won the last eight matchups, leading the series 12-7.
- Navy is ranked number one in the American’s west division thanks to a 22-21 win over Memphis in Week 2.
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TULANE (1-2) at OHIO STATE (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 3:30 p.m. ET • BIG TEN NETWORK
Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio
- This will be the first meeting between Tulane and Ohio.
- Tulane is 4-6 in the only 10 games they have played against Big Ten teams.
- Ohio is 2-0 all-time against the American Athletic Conference.
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UCONN (1-2, 0-1 The American) at SYRACUSE (3-0, 1-0 ACC)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 4 p.m. ET • ESPNEWS
Carrier Dome • Syracuse, New York
- This is the 11th meeting between UConn and Syracuse.
- Both teams are former members of the Big East where they played each other once a year from 2004-12.
- UConn is 6-4 in the series, but Syracuse has won the last two meetings.
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TEXAS SOUTHERN (1-2, 0-1 SWAC) at HOUSTON (2-1)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 8 p.m. ET • ESPN3
TDECU Stadium • Houston, Texas
- This will be the second meeting of Texas Southern and Houston.
- Houston won 59-6 against Texas Southern in 2007.
- After winning the first two games of the season, Houston fought hard but fell to Texas Tech, 63-49.
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ECU (1-1) at USF (3-0)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 8 p.m. ET • ESPNEWS
Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Florida
- This will be the ninth meeting between ECU and USF.
- USF holds a 7-1 series lead with a win in the last 3 meetings.
- USF is 24-4 in the last three seasons.
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[dt_highlight color=”” text_color=”” bg_color=””]The Sun Belt Matchups[/dt_highlight]
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WESTERN MICHIGAN (1-2) at GEORGIA STATE (1-2)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 2 p.m. ET • ESPN
Georgia State Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia
- This is the first meeting between Georgia State and Western Michigan.
- Georgia State will visit in a return game at Western Michigan next year, Sept. 14, 2019.
- Georgia State is 1-1 against MAC teams with a win and a loss against Ball State in 2015 and 2016.
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GARDNER WEBB (1-2) at APPALACHIAN STATE (1-1)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 3:30 p.m. ET • ESPN
Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, North Carolina
- This is the eighth meeting between Gardner Webb and Appalachian State.
- Appalachian State is 7-0 in the series and 6-0 in Boone, N.C.
- The Mountaineers’ scheduled game against Southern Miss last weekend was cancelled due to the wake of Hurricane Florence.
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COASTAL CAROLINA (2-1) at LOUISIANA (1-1)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 7 p.m. ET • ESPN
Cajun Field • Lafayette, Louisiana
- This is the first meeting between Coastal Carolina and Louisiana.
- Coastal Carolina won 58-21 at Campbell University after having the game moved up and played away due to the wake of Hurricane Florence.
- Louisiana is looking to win their first Sun Belt conference opener since 2016.
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UNLV (2-1) at ARKANSAS STATE (2-1)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 7 p.m. ET • ESPN3
Sam Boyd Stadium • Jonesboro, Arkansas
- This is the second meeting between UNLV and Arkansas State.
- Arkansas State trails 1-0 with a loss in 1995 28-23.
- Head Coach, Blake Anderson, has the most wins over his first five seasons as head coach in App State history.
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TROY (2-1) at ULM (2-1)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 7 p.m. ET • ESPN
Malone Stadium • Monroe, Louisiana
- This will be the 17th meeting between ULM and Troy. Troy leads 9-7-1.
- Troy won its sixth straight road game, which is the fourth-longest steak in the country.
- ULM are 1-1 in Sun Belt openers under Head Coach Matt Viator.
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TEXAS STATE (1-2, 0-1) at UTSA (0-3)
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 7 p.m. ET • ESPN
Alamodome • San Antonio, Texas
- This is the third meeting between Texas State and UTSA. Texas State is looking to win its first game in the series.
- The Bobcats recovered three fumbles against South Alabama, the highest single game total in the Sun Belt Conference this season.
- Texas State enters this game 42nd in the nation and second in the Sun Belt in rushing defense.
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