Underdog Dynasty
An unofficial The American, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent football blog
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Case Keenum still has it, 15 years after dominating at Houston
Case Keenum hadn’t taken an NFL snap since Christmas Eve 2023. Three birthdays have passed since, and the 38-year-old Keenum stuck around in the NFL. The 15th-year veteran was more of a player-coach than a player, serving as a mentor to Chicago Bears’ quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent. But when Williams suffered a hamstring […]
Middle Tennessee head coach Derek Mason criticizes officiating; reprimanded by CUSA
Middle Tennessee head coach Derek Mason wasn’t shy about his feeling toward the Conference USA officiating crew after his Blue Raiders’ 23-13 loss at Jacksonville State in Week 4. Mason opened his Monday press conference criticizing the officials, stating they missed 17 holding calls on Jax State. “I just got off the phone with (Conference […]
Undefeated South Florida escapes winless Bowling Green, 14-6, behind 4th quarter rally
Only one Week 4 matchup pitted a 3-0 team against an 0-3 opponent. Both records held, but it was a four-quarter defensive struggle between the teams headed in opposite directions. South Florida (4-0, 1-0 American) escaped Bowling Green (0-4, 0-0 MAC) with a 14-6 victory, remaining last undefeated team in the American Conference. Meanwhile, Bowling […]
SMU and Missouri State played the exact same game two years in a row
Casey Woods was an integral part of SMU’s rise into a perennial conference championship contender. Woods spent four seasons as offensive coordinator at SMU, directing three top-12 scoring offenses and leading the Mustangs to an American championship, two conference title game appearances, a College Football Playoff berth, and a bowl win. On Saturday, Woods was […]
Four takeaways from Cincinnati’s statement 31-26 win over Kansas State
A Saturday night statement was made. The Cincinnati Bearcats are 4-0 for the first time since 2021, when they qualified for the College Football Playoff. Cincinnati entered Saturday night at Nippert Stadium as touchdown underdogs to a Kansas State team which was hardly challenged during a 3-0 start, outscoring its first three opponents 136-30. While […]
Tulane clutches up; Will Hall gets revenge on Southern Miss, 24-21
Tulane and Southern Miss was already an established rivalry. The Battle for the Bell dates back to 1979, and the Green Wave and Golden Eagles settled things on an annual basis from 1979 through 2006. Even though conference realignment drew the rivals apart, the teams regularly schedule each other in the non-conference slate and Saturday […]
FCS Week 4 Recap: The Mighty Fall
The final weekend of September action is in the books for college football teams everywhere. The FCS sent the ninth month out with a bang. Several Top 25 teams went down on Saturday, many to unranked foes. It was a collection of results that shook up the landscape and changed the perception of a handful […]
Fritz leads Houston to 42-28 offensive surge in homecoming at Georgia Southern
Statesboro, GA was where it all began for Willie Fritz. After decades of rising in the coaching ranks from JUCO to Division II to FCS, Fritz finally received his first FBS coaching opportunity in 2014, tasked with facilitating Georgia Southern’s transition from the FCS to the FBS. Fritz flourished in Statesboro, producing a 17-7 record […]
UTSA outduels Colorado State in 59-45 shootout; highest-scoring regulation game since 2024
It started with the opening kickoff and never slowed down. UTSA and Colorado State put on a scoring marathon Saturday afternoon at the Alamodome to a level the sport hadn’t seen in years. The Roadrunners’ 59-45 victory was the highest-scoring regulation FBS game since Texas Tech and Oklahoma State also combined for 104 points on […]
Chris Marshall, Arkansas end Tulsa’s perfect record, 34-6
September 2026 was a month to remember for Tulsa. Tre Lamb led the Golden Hurricane to a statement 24-10 upset over Oklahoma State in opener, providing the spark the program needed for its first 3-0 start since 2008. However, Tulsa’s quest at non-conference perfection was abruptly stonewalled in SEC country. Arkansas, coming off consecutive losses […]
Army bounces back with 21-17 Friday afternoon win at Temple
Army and Temple both entered a rare Friday 4 p.m. ET matchup knowing they left the last on one the table. The Black Knights squandered a 10-point lead with under four minutes reamining to South Florida in their previous outing. Meanwhile, the Owls watched a 14-point advantage erase in the final 70 seconds of regulation […]
For the Record: CUSA has a versatile basketball player, return to Coastal, and the last home opener
Conference USA’s game notes this week delivered a basketball-to-football plot twist, a coach returning to the place that made him a star and one team that has yet to see its own home field. Shout out to the SIDs and communications staffs whose tireless work makes this column possible. This one’s for you. 1. Missouri […]
For the Record: Pac-12 has a Rodeo Champion, orange 14-yard lines, and a $100-per-catch pledge
The new Pac-12 has eight football teams, and its game notes already have more range than a Saturday viewing schedule. This week’s reading takes us from a rodeo arena to a stadium tribute to a tight end whose catches carry a little extra weight. Shout out to the SIDs and communications staffs whose tireless work […]
Week 4 in Big 12: Massive one in Morgantown, undefeated ‘Cats clash
We’ve reached Week 4, and so far, we’ve only had two conference matchups in the Big 12. Both delivered. The Arizona-BYU and Houston-Texas Tech matchups were both a tale of two halves, where the road underdog entered the break with a lead before the home favorite turned on the burners to finish. Now, we have […]
McMurphy report: James Madison, Miami (OH), UConn attempt to join American
The American Conference has several suitors for expansion, if the league chooses to go down that road. James Madison, Miami (OH), and UConn each contacted the American about potential membership, per On3 Sports’ Brett McMurphy. However, the league is not interested in expanding at this time, per McMurphy. McMurphy reported James Madison, which has been […]
Happy hour football? Previewing the American’s Friday double-header
Welcome to one of the most interesting Fridays of the college football season. May I interest you in happy hour college football? The five-game Friday slate starts with an American Conference double-header on ESPN, featuring both service academies in conference matchups. At 4 p.m. ET — yes, 4 p.m. ET — Army travels to Philadelphia […]
Liberty rolls Coastal Carolina in second half of Chadwell’s return
A standalone Thursday night college football game was a homecoming for Jamey Chadwell. The fourth-year Liberty coach spent six seasons at Coastal Carolina, including four as the head coach, turning the Chanticleers from a program acclimating to the FBS ranks into a Sun Belt power. He returned to the teal turf of Brooks Stadium for […]
2026 Week 4 Preview: Colorado State Rams @ UTSA Roadrunners
Game notes Setting the scene Last season’s matchup in Fort Collins was a wild one. It was mundane, offensive struggle of game that featured 14 punts… until the final seven minutes of action. Colorado State knotted the score at 10-10 on its first touchdown with 6:19 remaining. UTSA immediate answered with a 74-yard touchdown, and […]
2026 Week 4 Preview: Sam Houston Bearkats @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Game notes Setting the scene It wasn’t the start to the season Texas Tech envisioned, but when it was time to make a statement, the Red Raiders delivered. Joey McGuire’s team rose to No. 11 in the AP Poll after staving off current No. 25 Houston in a Friday night thriller. Equipped with a 1-0 […]
FCS Week 4 Game of the Week: Montana Grizzlies @ UC Davis Aggies: How to Watch, Preview, Predictions
Date: Saturday, September 26 Time: 10:00 PM (ET) TV: ESPN+ The Quick Hits The Big Sky takes center stage in the FCS this week as #10 UC Davis (3-1) hosts #5 Montana (3-1). It’s a game that, albeit early, will in all likelihood knock someone out of the chase for a conference title already. Both […]
2026 Week 4 Preview: Rice Owls @ Fresno State Bulldogs
Game notes Setting the scene Do you remember where you were on Christmas Eve in 2014? Perhaps the Hawaii Bowl was on a nearby screen, where the Rice Owls handled the Fresno State Bulldogs in 30-6 fashion. That Christmas Eve marked the Rice’s most recent bowl victory and most recent winning season. The Owls are […]
2026 Week 4 Preview: Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ Arkansas Razorbacks
Game notes Setting the scene There are two remaining unbeatens in the American Conference. One is the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, which produced their first 3-0 start since 2008. Tulsa reveled in the national limelight in Week 1, upstaging an Oklahoma State team that took down No. 6 Oregon seven days later. Now the Golden Hurricane […]
For the Record: The American has an octopus, a 58-yard debut, and 3-year quest for one tackle
College football game notes are part scouting report, part record book, and occasionally a portal into a story too good to leave buried on page 36. I went through this week’s available packets from the American Conference, and the best discoveries range from an actual football octopus to a kicker whose first college field goal […]
2026 Week 4 Preview: South Florida Bulls @ Bowling Green Falcons
Game notes Setting the scene Eddie George and Brian Hartline both rose to football fame in the state of Ohio. During illustrious Ohio State careers, George won the Heisman Trophy in 1995, while Hartline won a national championship in 2007. After productive NFL careers, both former Buckeyes traded in the cleats for headsets. Hartline finally […]
2026 Week 4 Preview: Houston Cougars @ Georgia Southern Eagles
Game notes Setting the scene Just because Houston and Georgia Southern have never met before doesn’t mean there is a lack of connections between the programs. Saturday is homecoming for Houston head coach Willie Fritz. After decades of excelling at the JUCO, Division II, and FCS levels, Georgia Southern provided Fritz his first FBS head […]
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