MGN does not intend to blast your inbox with notifications, but it was a big day.
Mens’ and women’s basketball began on Monday night, and we sent Alex Salazar to write about it.
UNT established control early, taking a 43-20 lead into halftime behind a strong first-half performance from sophomore guard Cherie Spencer, who led the team with 15 points before the break.
The Mean Green found another gear coming out of the locker room, exploding for 33 points in the third quarter while holding Newman to 14. Spencer finished with a team-high 22 points, while sophomore guard Kamyra Barber added 19 and junior guard Kalysta Martin contributed 15.
Now that it is basketball season, I want to remind you of the Basket Under Review partnership. If you subscribe to BUR with this link, you get a little discount:
MGN was asked to join Offseason After Dark for a chat about the American and North Texas. A good time was had.
National Notes
American Conference Notes
Superlatives
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Marcus Stokes • Jr. • QB • Memphis
Marcus Stokes was fantastic in Memphis’ 49-22 win over Army Saturday, accounting for a total of five touchdowns. Stokes completed 29 of 35 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing seven times for 30 yards and adding another score on the ground.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
CJ Hicks • Gr. • DE • South Florida
CJ Hicks tied a school record and became the first American Conference player since 2024 to register at least four sacks in a single game in South Florida’s 30-10 win over UAB. Hicks had five total tackles, 4.0 sacks and a pass deflection in the win over UAB.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TJ Smith • Sr. • KR • Tulane
TJ Smith returned a pair of kickoffs for an average of 63 yards including a 95-yard return for a touchdown to help lead Tulane to a comeback 38-31 overtime win over Charlotte. It was the longest kickoff return by a Tulane player since 2024.
HONORABLE MENTION
Dickson Agu, Jr., LB, Tulane
Agu tallied 14 tackles including seven solo stops and 0.5 TFL in Tulane’s 38-31 overtime win over Charlotte.TJ Engleman, Jr., RB, East Carolina
Engleman Jr. rushed 16 times for 107 yards and a touchdown in East Carolina’s 19-7 win over Temple.Tayven Jackson, 5th, QB, UNT
Jackson finished 33 of 46 for 404 yards and four touchdowns while rushing five times for 41 yards in the 48-41 win over Florida Atlantic.
Easton Messer, 5th, WR, Florida Atlantic
Messer caught 16 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns against North Texas.
Henry Rutledge, 5th, RB, Charlotte
Rutledge rushed 22 times for 121 yards and also had four catches for 79 yards to tally 200 yards of total offense in the loss against Tulane.
North Texas will play UTSA at 8pm on ESPNU November 14
Thursday, 11/12
Memphis at South Florida, 8:00pm ET on ESPN
Saturday, 11/14
East Carolina at Charlotte, 1pm ET on ESPN+
UAB at Temple, 1pm ET/12pm CT on ESPN+
Tulane at Rice, 2pm ET/1pm CT on ESPN+
Florida Atlantic at Tulsa, 3:30pm ET/2:30pm CT on ESPN+
North Texas at UTSA, 9pm ET/8pm CT on ESPNU
Notables from the League
UNT earned bowl eligibility for the ninth time since 2013 with the win over FAU. The Mean Green are now 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2004 when they were members of the Sun Belt Conference.
QB Tayven Jackson completed 33 of 46 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing five times for 41 yards in the win over the Owls.
The Mean Green had three players, Justin Stevenson, Max Reese and Kyle Koch, with 7+ receptions led by Stevenson who finished with nine catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
UNT RB Jaheim White became the first player in the American to top 1,000 rushing yards with 26 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
Florida Atlantic QB Caden Veltkamp finished 37-of-56 for 452 yards and five touchdowns through the air in the road loss at UNT.
Reigning American Offensive Player of the Week WR Easton Messer continued his impressive play with 16 catches for 189 yards and three touchdowns in the receiving game.
Tulane rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to force overtime and ultimately take down Charlotte on the road 38-31.
The Green Wave spread the wealth offensively with 11 different players having at least one catch, the second-most in any American Conference game this season.
Tulane QB Trace Johnson completed 28 of 36 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown in the win over Charlotte.
Tulane WR TJ Smith returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to put the Green Wave ahead 14-10 in the second quarter.
Charlotte RB Henry Rutledge rushed 22 yards for 121 yards and led the 49ers in receiving with four catches for 79 yards to top 200 all-purpose yards in the overtime loss against Tulane.
Navy held a 13-7 lead late in the second quarter before ultimately falling 35-13 against No. 5 Notre Dame at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Navy QB Jackson Gutierrez rushed 28 times for 110 yards and a touchdown while completing 4-of-7 passes for 25 yards in the loss vs. Notre Dame.
After allowing the first 10 points of the game, South Florida scored 30 straight points over the final three quarters of play to take down UAB 30-10 in Tampa.
USF QB Luke Kromenhoek rushed 15 times for 92 yards and was 7-of-10 in the passing game for 39 yards in the win over UAB.
USF DE C.J. Hicks tied a school record and became the first American Conference player since 2024 to register at least four sacks in a single game. Hicks had five total tackles, 4.0 sacks and a pass deflection in the win over UAB.
UAB defenders Jeremiah Jordan and Jo’Tavion Pierce both had 11 tackles and combined for 10 solo stops in the road loss at USF.
East Carolina picked off three passes and held Temple to less than 250 yards of total offense in the 17-9 victory.
ECU RB T.J. Engleman Jr. Rushed 16 times for 107 yards and a touchdown in the win over Temple.
Temple LB Curly Ordonez was all over the field in the road loss at East Carolina with 14 tackles including six total stops.
Memphis racked up 554 yards of total offense and scored 14 points in three of four quarters in a 49-22 win over Army.
The Tigers (4-1 American) now join UNT and UTSA (both 4-0) as one of just three teams with one-loss or better in the league.
Memphis QB Marcus Stokes completed 29-of-35 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing seven times for 30 yards and another score in the win over Army.
Tigers RB Jaylin Carter and WR Jermane Hayes each accounted for two touchdowns against Army.
Army RB Godspower Nwawuihe tallied 100 rushing yards on 19 carries in Army’s loss at Memphis.
Notables:
Tayven Jackson, QB, UNT
Finished 33 of 46 for 404 yards and four touchdowns while rushing five times for 41 yards in the 48-41 win over FAU.Jahiem White, RB UNT
Rushed 26 times for 193 yards and two TDs while catching two passes for 27 yards to go over 200 all-purpose yards in the win over FAU.Justin Stevenson, WR, UNT
Caught nine passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in the 48-41 win over FAU.Caden Veltkamp, QB, Florida Atlantic
Completed 37-of-56 passes for 452 yards and five touchdowns through the air in the road loss at UNT.Easton Messer, WR, Florida Atlantic
Caught 16 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns against North Texas.Trace Johnson, QB, Tulane
Completed 28 of 36 passes for 284 yards and a touchdown and rushed seven times for 31 yards in the OT win over Charlotte.
Johnnie Daniels, RB, Tulane
Rushed 13 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.6 yards per carry against Charlotte.Dickson Agu, LB, Tulane
Tallied 14 tackles including seven solo stops and 0.5 TFL in the win over Charlotte.Henry Rutledge, RB, Charlotte
Rushed 22 times for 121 yards and also had four catches for 79 yards to tally 200 yards of total offense in the loss against Tulane.Gavin Willis, LB, Charlotte
Finished with 12 tackles, seven of which were solo tackles, in the OT loss vs. Tulane.Jackson Gutierrez, QB, Navy
Rushed 28 times for 110 yards and a touchdown while completing 4-of-7 passes for 25 yards in the loss vs. Notre Dame.D.J. Hicks, DE, South Florida
Tied a school record and became the first American Conference player since 2024 to register at least four sacks in a single game. Hicks had five total tackles, 4.0 sacks and a pass deflection in the win over UAB.T.J. Engleman Jr., RB, East Carolina
Rushed 16 times for 107 yards and a touchdown in the win over Temple.
Curly Ordonez, LB, Temple
Ordonez was all over the field in the road loss at East Carolina with 14 tackles including six total stops.
Marcus Stokes, QB, Memphis
Stokes completed 29-of-35 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing seven times for 30 yards and another score in the win over Army.
Jermane Hayes, RB, Memphis
Stokes completed 29-of-35 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing seven times for 30 yards and another score in the win over Army.
Godspower Nwawuihe, RB, Army
Tallied 100 rushing yards on 19 carries in Army’s loss at Memphis.