Shane Whittier, from surprising North Texas, now 3-0 after an impressive victory over Washington State last weekend and traveling to Army on Saturday, was named the American Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week.
Whittier, a senior linebacker, led a North Texas defense that limited Washington State to 275 total yards and two scores in a 59-10 win. Whitter had a game-high eight tackles and had a hand in two key turnovers in the first half, helping North Texas build a 42-3 halftime lead. Whitter had a quarterback hurry that forced an interception in the first quarter and added a 43-yard interception return in the second quarter.
Tulane senior quarterback Jake Retzlaff was named the offensive player of the week. He registered 356 yards of total offense and had four rushing touchdowns as Tulane remained undefeated with a 34-27 win against Duke. Retzlaff rushed for a game-high 111 yards on 17 carries and completed 15 of 23 passes for 245 yards. His four rushing touchdowns tied Tulane’s program record for a quarterback.
UAB sophomore Solomon Beebe was the special teams player of the week. Beebe finished with 190 all-purpose yards, including 154 yards on kickoff returns, in the Dragon’s 31-28 win against Akron. Beebe opened the game with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, registering the Blazers’ first TD on a kickoff return since 2019. Beebe ranks second nationally with 303 yards on kickoff returns in 2025 and is 15th nationally with a 27.5-yard average.
Here is a look at how Army’s 2025 opponents fared last week:
Tarleton State (4-0) – Behind three touchdown passes from Victor Gabalis, the Texans, who are ranked third in the national FCS rankings, remained undefeated with an easy 56-10 victory over Central Arkansas. Tre Page III rushed for 81 yards on 18 carries. Up Next: At Chattanooga.
Kansas State (1-3) – The Wildcats remained a hard-luck team, losing at Arizona, 23-17. Kansas State has lost three games by a total of 12 points. Wildcat quarterback Avery Johnson had just 13 completions and 88 yards. Up Next: Bye.
North Texas (3-0) – Red-shirt freshman Drew Mestemaker completed 24 of 29 passes for 211 yards for the Mean Green in their victory over Washington State. He threw four touchdown passes. North Texas, which was ranked 118th nationally in scoring defense last year, has given up just 40 points this season. Up Next: At Army.
East Carolina (2-1) – The Pirates beat Coastal Carolina, 38-0, their first road shutout since a 38-0 win over Duke in 2000. Sophomore defensive lineman Kieran Davis had a sack, two tackles for losses and a forced fumble for East Carolina. Up Next: BYU.
UAB (2-1) – Besides Beebe’s impressive performance, the Dragons’ quarterback Jalen Kitna completed 30 of 45 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-28 victory over Akron. He threw one interception. Up Next: At Tennessee.
Charlotte (1-2) – The 49ers won their first game of the season, a 42-35 win over visiting Monmouth. E. Jai Mason caught 10 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns for Charlotte. Quarterback Conner Harrell set completed nearly 87 percent of the 30 passes he threw, a Charlotte record. He finished with 382 yards on 26 receptions and three touchdowns. He also rushed for two touchdowns. Up Next: Rice (Thursday).
Tulane (3-0) – Retzlaff, a BYU transfer, continued to impress for the Green Wave. Tulane outrushed Duke 156 to 139 to remain undefeated. Up Next: At Mississippi.
Air Force (1-1) – The Falcons could not keep up with Utah State, losing 49-30. Aggies quarterback Bryson Barnes was 17-for-22 passing for 287 yards and two touchdowns and ran for three more. Liam Szarka ran for 40 yards and three touchdowns for Air Force. Next: Boise State.
Temple (2-1) – After scoring 97 points in their first two games, the Owls were held to just a field goal in a 42-3 loss to visiting Oklahoma. Evan Simon completed 13 passes for just 75 yards for Temple. Up Next: At Georgia Tech.
Tulsa (1-2, 0-1 in the American) – Helped by three early Navy turnovers, the Golden Hurricane took a 14-0 lead over host Navy. But the Midshipmen recovered and scored 42 of the next 45 points to beat Tulsa, 42-23. Linebacker Ray Coney had 14 tackles for Tulsa. Up Next: At Oklahoma State (Friday).
UTSA (1-2) – The Roadrunners knocked off Incarnate Word, 48-20, for their first win of the season. Quarterback Owen McCown was 29-for-35 for 238 yards and four touchdown passes. Running back Robert Henry ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns for UTSA. Up Next: At Colorado State.
Navy (3-0, 2-0 in the American) – Navy quarterback Blake Horvath threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball in the early part of the Midshipmen’s game with visiting Tulsa. But the senior went five for seven for 84 yards and a touchdown after that to help the Middies to a 42-23 win over the Golden Hurricanes Alex Tecza and Eli Heidenreich each rush for 72 yards for Navy. Up Next: Bye.
