Underdog Dynasty
An unofficial The American, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent football blog
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FCS Week 5 Recap: Changing Tides
The top of the FCS will see a lot of shuffling this week after another wild weekend of action. Between top-ranked Montana State going down in a stunner and a handful of other surprising outcomes around the country, the polls will surely look different when they come out on Monday. What all happened to make […]
Cincinnati’s perfect season comes to screeching halt in Arizona, 34-7
Last time the Cincinnati Bearcats started 4-0, they won a conference championship and qualified for the College Football Playoff. Cincinnati escaped the month of September unscathed, but the team hadn’t yet ventured beyond the confines of its city. The Bearcats’ first road game wasn’t just any road game — it was over 1,500 miles and […]
Houston turns turbulent launch into successful mission in 27-17 comeback over UCF
Houston and UCF is not officially a rivalry, but the two programs have engaged in a full-fledged Space Race. UCF has gone by the moniker “Space U” for a decade, hosting an annual Space Game in Orlando, where the galactic theme is beyond prevalent. Last November, Houston became the first team to defeat UCF in […]
Idaho Upsets #1 Montana State in Final Second in Friday Night Stunner
On Friday night #1 Montana State was on the cusp of extending its FCS-best winning streak to 20 games. In fact, it appeared the Bobcats had done just that as Idaho quarterback Joshua Wood completed a deep ball to Noah West-Baranco with under ten seconds left. The clock ticked down to just one second… not […]
Liberty dominates Delaware, 30-14, for fourth-straight win
Two hopeful contenders collided in Newark, DE for a Friday night Weekday CUSA spectacle. It marked the conference opener for Liberty and Delaware, but the Fightin’ Blue Hens’ homefield advantage was greatly neutralized prior to the opening kickoff. After suffering a lower-body injury last week against Virginia, Delaware star quarterback Nick Minicucci was ruled out […]
Houston unveils “Gridiron Galaxy” helmets, with 10 different variations, for UCF game
The Space Race is on. While Houston and UCF is not an official rivalry, it’s certainly heading in that direction. UCF has branded itself as “Space U” since 2017, famously hosting an annual Space Game in Orlando. Last November, Houston became the first team to spoil UCF’s perfect Space Game record, escaping Orlando with a […]
Harvard hosts Colgate in Key Non-Conference Game
A month ago few would have guessed that when Harvard welcomed in Colgate for its first October game of the season that it would be as meaningful as it is. The #20 Crimson are 2-0 and perhaps that isn’t all that surprising for a team that nearly won the Ivy League and went to the […]
2026 Week 5 Preview: Boston College Eagles @ SMU Mustangs
Game notes Setting the scene In SMU’s final game before moving conferences, the Mustangs got the ultimate “welcome to the ACC” reality check. Fresh off its first conference title since 1984, American champion SMU played Boston College in the 2023 Fenway Bowl, entering as considerable favorites. But that afternoon, which marked Kevin Jennings’ second collegiate […]
FIU’s unveils new “Vice U” look; first-ever pink uniforms in FBS
FIU debuted a new tradition in 2023 that fans in the 305 look forward to every year — “Vice Night.” Once every season, the FIU Panthers exchange their normal navy blue and gold for black, pink, and teal — a palette inspired by the 1980s television series Miami Vice. On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the school […]
For the Record: The Sun Belt has a 600-game streak, a special teams passport, and a missing ‘g’
The Sun Belt’s best streak this week belongs to somebody who doesn’t take a snap. Arkansas State’s Ron Carroll just worked his 600th consecutive game on the sideline, a run that began in 1976. Elsewhere in the packets, Coastal Carolina’s special teams room could use a passport organizer, Louisiana’s nickname comes with an editing history […]
Breakfast ball: Three things to watch in Memphis vs. Charlotte
Throw your bagel in the toaster, get the pancake batter prepared, or scramble the eggs a bit earlier than usual this Saturday. For the first time since the 2025 Myrtle Beach Bowl, and for the first time in the regular season since Wake Forest and Vanderbilt meet Sept. 9, a college football game kicks off […]
2026 Week 5 Preview: UTSA Roadrunners @ Rice Owls
Game notes Setting the scene UTSA is coming off a 59-45 victory over Colorado State. That game marked the second-most points scored in Roadrunner history. The most? That was last October at the Alamodome, when UTSA pulverized Rice, 61-13. Now the series between the Lone Star State conference opponents shifts to Houston. UTSA has won […]
North Texas overcomes Tulsa rally, replay controversy in 45-44 OT thriller
The clock struck after midnight during overtime at H.A. Chapman Stadium in Tulsa, turning a Thursday night thriller into Friday morning madness. And after the final snap, both teams simultaneously put their hands up in celebration, each believing it had won the game. But who did, Tulsa or North Texas? North Texas struck first in […]
New Mexico State rolls WKU in CUSA opener, 34-13
Weekday CUSA made a triumphant return Thursday night in Las Cruces, NM. New Mexico State qualified for the Conference USA Championship Game in its first year in the league, but the Aggies have yet to finish better than 4-8 in the two years following. Thursday night presented a glimpse of hope. New Mexico State (2-3, […]
For the Record: The American has a 34-year rematch, a touchdown collector, and a 28-year-old punter
College football has a funny definition of a neighbor. Apparently, you can share a city, sit 3.2 miles apart, and still go 34 years without playing each other. Elsewhere in this week’s American Conference game notes, there’s a receiver collecting touchdowns in every available form, a punter born in 1998 and a quarterback family Jeff […]
For the Record: CUSA has pregame Skittles, a tight end with a camera, and a spooky Halloween connection
October is here, and Conference USA apparently got the candy out early. Middle Tennessee’s game notes include an actual pregame snack scouting report, while WKU’s packet takes a detour into the origins of Michael Myers. Somewhere between the sugar and the slasher movies, there’s a Delaware tight end helping tell his teammates’ stories and a […]
Rice Stadium becomes First Community Stadium in 20-year naming rights deal
Constructed in 1950, Rice Stadium was one of the older stadiums in college football, and it’s one with rich history. President John F. Kennedy delivered his “We choose to go to the Moon” speech there in 1962. Eleven years later, the venue played host to Super Bowl VIII, where Larry Csonka and the Miami Dolphins […]
FCS Week 5 Game of the Week: South Dakota State Jackrabbits @ Illinois State Redbirds: How to Watch, Preview, Predictions
Date: Saturday, October 3 Time: 7:00 PM (ET) TV: ESPN+ The Quick Hits Every week in the Missouri Valley from here on out will feature at least one pivotal game that will shape the eventual playoff picture. This week’s signature matchup will be between #2 South Dakota State (4-1, 1-0 MVFC) and #10 Illinois State […]
2026 Week 5 Preview: North Texas Mean Green @ Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Game notes Setting the scene North Texas and Tulsa weren’t exactly popular preseason contenders in the American Conference, but these two teams arguably hold the league’s most impressive non-conference results. Tulsa opened the season with a stunning 24-10 upset of Oklahoma State, while North Texas decimated UNLV 44-6 in Week 2. Both teams have played […]
Weekday CUSA Previews: 2026 Week 5
Welcome to the fourth season of Weekday CUSA. Originating in 2023, Weekday CUSA has become the official name of the conference’s series of nationally televised showcases throughout the month of October. The first Weekday CUSA slate typically features Thursday and Friday night contests, before the conference fully shifts its games to Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Week […]
2026 Week 5 Preview: UCF Knights @ Houston Cougars
Game notes Setting the scene From Conference USA to the American Conference to the Big 12, the Houston Cougars and UCF Knights have been attached at the hip for decades, frequently making conference moves in tandem. While it isn’t officially a rivalry, there is some budding tension between the programs — and it mainly has […]
2026 Week 5 Preview: Cincinnati Bearcats @ Arizona Wildcats
Game notes Setting the scene The Bearcats and Wildcats have met just once before. That was last November when Cincinnati controlled its own destiny for a Big 12 Championship appearance. Arizona spoiled those plans in a cross-country trip to Nippert Stadium, overcoming a halftime deficit for a 30-24 victory. The series shifts to Tucson this […]
Four thoughts from Week 4 in the American Conference
Four weeks of American Conference play are in the books, and most teams are wrapping up non-conference play. South Florida remains the conference’s lone undefeated team at 4-0, while Tulsa suffered its first setback on the road at Arkansas. UAB picked up a signature Friday night conference victory over Navy, while the other service academy, […]
UCF unveils Mission X Space Game uniforms
It’s become increasingly difficult to establish a new longstanding tradition in college football. Many of the sport’s newer traditions cease to exist the instant a coaching staff changes. But the UCF Knights created one of the greatest 21st century traditions college football has to offer — the annual Space Game, which started during the Knights’ […]
Where Does Eli Gillman Belong Among Big Sky, FCS Greats?
Transcendent talents, by their very nature, are difficult to come by. Not very often do us spectators get the knowledge in the midst of it that we are watching something that will stand the test of time. For Montana Grizzlies followers and those FCS fans in the know, however, they’ve been acutely aware of exactly […]
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