Five weeks in and Army still sits at the top of the American Athletic Conference standings at 3-0 in league play and 4-0 overall.
The Black Knights, who defeated Temple, 42-14 last Thursday night, are joined by Navy, also 3-0 in league play and 4-0 overall, in first place in the “American.”
The service-academy rivals are both 4-0 for the first time since 1945.
The league office chose Chandler Morris, the junior quarterback at North Texas as its offensive player of the week. Morris completed 22 of 34 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns to lead a North Texas to 52-20 victory over Tulsa. Army senior quarterback Bryson Daily was selected as a honorable mention offensive player of the week.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Gerrod Henderson, a sophomore defensive end for Tulane, was named the defensive player of the week. Henderson led a Tulane defense that limited South Florida to 10 points and 201 total yards as the Green Wave forced three turnovers in a 45-10 victory, the Green Wave’s 11th consecutive AAC victory. Henderson had four tackles to go with two sacks and a forced fumble which led to a touchdown.
The special teams player of the week went to Noah Perez, a junior placekicker who hit three field goals of 21, 42 and 24 yards and three extra points in the Pirates’ 30-20 win over UTSA.
Here’s a look at how Army’s 2024 American Athletic Conference opponents fared in week five:
Florida Atlantic (2-3) – The Owls broke a three-game losing streak with a 41-10 victory over FCS-level Wagner. CJ Campbell led the way for FAU with 145 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Quarterback Cam Fancher threw for 150 yards. The Owls scored 24 unanswered points in the second half to blow open a 17-10 halftime lead. Up next – Bye Week.
Rice (1-4) – A late touchdown, with under one minute left in the game, lifted Charlotte to a 21-20 victory over the Owls. Rice accumulated 463 offensive yards, 254 in the air and 209 on the ground, but still managed to lose the game. Dean Connors has 121 yards rushing on 14 carries. Up next – Bye Week.
Tulsa (2-3) – The Golden Hurricanes were the victims of North Texas quarterback Chandler Morris’s five touchdown passes, each to a different receiver. Bill Jackson had 77 yards rushing for Tulsa and quarterback Kirk Francis passed for 101 yards and threw two interceptions. Up Next – Army.
UAB (1-3) – The Blazers were no match for Navy and Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath on Saturday even though UAB gained almost 60 more offensive yards than the Middies in the game. Horvath threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 84 yards and another score for Navy. Eli Heidenreich had three catches for 108 yards and one score for the Middies. Jacob Zeno passed for 202 yards and one touchdown for UAB, but he also threw two interceptions. Up Next – Tulane.
East Carolina (3-2) – The Pirates managed to hold off UTSA, 30-20, thanks to the impressive passing of quarterback Jake Garcia, who threw for a 294 yards and one touchdown. Kicker Noah Perez, accounted for 15 points for East Carolina with three field goals and three extra points. Up Next – At Charlotte.
North Texas (4-1) – The Mean Green’s offense produced 52 points and 618 yards in a 52-20 win against Tulsa. Chandler Morris’ 439 yards and five touchdown passes are the most by an American Athletic Conference player in a game this season, while the yardage total is fifth among all FBS players. Morris ranks second nationally with 16 touchdown passes in 2024. Up Next – Bye Week
UTSA (2-3) – The Roadrunners led by three at halftime against East Caroline, but only managed one touchdown in the second half to fall, 30-20 to the Pirates. Owen McGowan passed for 251 yards and a touchdown for UTSA, but he also threw two interceptions. Up Next – Bye Week.
Navy (4-0) – Besides Horvath and Heidenreich, the Middies were led by Nathan Kent, who raced for a 77-yard touchdown pass to put Navy up 21-7 at halftime. Daba Fofana ran for a 16-yard touchdown for Navy. Up Next – At Air Force.
