2016 C-USA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK

Transcription

1 #ALLDAYCUSA EAST : Charlotte FIU Florida Atlantic Marshall Middle Tennessee Old Dominion WKU WEST: Louisiana Tech North Texas Rice Southern Miss UTEP UTSA CONTACT: Russell Anderson (rdanderson@c-usa.org) Tim McNamara (tmcnamara@c-usa.org) NOTEBOOK OCTOBER 24, N. O Connor Blvd., Suite 300 Irving, TX P: (214) E AST DIVISION S EASON STANDINGS W-L Pct. H A Div. Pts Opp W-L Pct. H A Pts Opp WKU FIU MIDDLE TENNESSEE D DOMINION CHARLOTTE MARSHALL FLORIDA ATLANTIC W EST DIVISION W-L Pct. H A Div. Pts Opp W-L Pct. H A Pts Opp LOUISIANA TECH NORTH TEXAS SOUTHERN MISS UTSA UTEP RICE C ONFERENCE STANDINGS RECENT RESULTS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22 Charlotte 27, at Marshall 24 Louisiana Tech 44, at FIU 24 at WKU 59, Old Dominion 24 UTEP 52, at UTSA 49 (5OT) Middle Tennessee 51, at Missouri 45 North Texas 35, at Army 18 at Rice 65, Prairie View A&M 44 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 WKU 44, at Middle Tennessee 43 (2OT) FIU 27, at Charlotte 26 at Marshall 27, Florida Atlantic 21 UTSA 14, at Rice 13 LA Tech 56, at UMass 28 at (25) LSU 45, Southern Miss 10 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9 Charlotte 28, at Florida Atlantic 23 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8 at UTSA 55, Southern Miss 32 at North Texas 38, Marshall 21 FIU 35, at UTEP 21 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7 at Old Dominion 36, Massachusetts 16 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 Louisiana Tech 55, WKU 52 UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 WKU at Florida Atlantic (ASN) 2:30 p.m. Middle Tennessee at FIU (ESPN3) 6 p.m. Rice at Louisiana Tech (Campus Ins.) 6 p.m. Marshall at Southern Miss (ASN) 6 p.m. North Texas at UTSA (CUSA TV) 6 p.m. Old Dominion at UTEP (CUSA TV) 7 p.m. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5 UTSA at Middle Tenn. (ESPN3) 1:30 p.m. Charlotte at Southern Miss (ASN) 2:30 p.m. Florida Atlantic at Rice (ESPN3) 2:30 p.m. FIU at WKU (bein) 4:30 p.m. LA Tech at North Texas (ESPN3) 4:30 p.m. Marshall at Old Dominion (ASN) 6 p.m. Houston Baptist at UTEP (CUSA TV) 7 p.m. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Rice at Charlotte (Campus Ins.) 1 p.m. UTSA at Louisiana Tech (KMYS) 2:30 p.m. North Texas at WKU (ESPN3) 2:30 p.m. Southern Miss at ODU (ASN) 2:30 p.m. UTEP at Florida Atlantic (CUSA TV) 5 p.m. Middle Tennessee at Marshall (ASN) 6 p.m. C-USA Games in Bold All Times Central PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSE I TAVIUS MATHERS, MIDDLE TENNESSEE Senior, RB, Murfreesboro, Tenn. Mathers continued his recent assault on opposing defenses with a career-best performance to help lead Middle Tennessee to a road win at Missouri. Mathers rushed for a career-high 215 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown run. It marked the fifth consecutive game of 100-plus yard rushing for Mathers. He compiled 263 allpurpose yards, helped by a career-high eight receptions for 48 yards and another TD. DEFENSE ERIC JENKINS, NORTH TEXAS Junior, CB, New Orleans, La. In a win at Army, Jenkins posted a pair of interceptions, one of which was brought back for a touchdown, broke up two more passes and also forced a fumble. The Mean Green recorded seven turnovers in the win, and Jenkins was part of three of them. Jenkins took advantage of an overthrow by Army s QB and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown, which marked his second pick six in his last two quarters after doing the same in the fourth quarter vs. Marshall on Oct. 8. He forced a fumble early in the fourth quarter that was recovered by North Texas and Jenkins then made a diving interception off of a tip in the end zone on the next Army possession. SPECIAL TEAMS CANON ROOKER, MIDDLE TENNESSEE Rooker came up big in Middle Tennessee s six-point win at Missouri. His 15 points kicking tied for second-most on the single-game list at MT. Rooker had three field goals, successfully converting kicks of 39-, 28-, and 21-yards. He was also 6-for-6 on extra point tries.

2 PLING PLACE Here s a look at the latest (Oct. 23) Associated Press and Amway Coaches Polls. Associated Press Amway Coaches 1 - Alabama (60) 1 - Alabama (63) 2 - Michigan (1) 2 - Michigan 3 - Clemson 3 - Clemson (1) 4 - Washington 4 - Washington 5 - Louisville 5 - Louisville 6 - Houston 6 - Nebraska 7 - Nebraska 6 - Baylor 8 - Baylor 8 - Ohio State 9 - Texas A&M 9 - West Virginia 10 - West Virginia 10 - Texas A&M 11 - Wisconsin 11 - Wisconsin 12 - Florida State 12 - Florida 13 - Boise State 13 - Boise State 14 - Florida 14 - Florida State 15 - Auburn 15 - Oklahoma 16 - Oklahoma 16 - Utah 17 - Utah 17 - Auburn 18 - Tennessee 18 - Tennessee 19 - LSU 19 - LSU 20 - Western Michigan 20 - North Carolina 21 - North Carolina 21 - Western Michigan 22 - Navy 22 - Navy 23 - Colorado 23 - Colorado 24 - Penn State 24 - Houston 25 - Virginia Tech 25 - Virginia Tech ARV: ARV: 34 - Middle Tennessee WEEK NINE IN C-USA For the first time this season, every game on the weekly schedule in Conference USA is a league game. The only afternoon contest features WKU at Florida Atlantic. The defending conference champion Hilltoppers find themselves back in first place in the East Division following last week s win over Old Dominion. The Owls won the last meeting the two teams played in Boca Raton, and FAU will look to shake a streak of four straight losses by less than a touchdown. Middle Tennessee has won three of the last four meetings with FIU as the Blue Raiders return to conference play with a trip to Miami. MT s high-powered offense scored 51 in a win at SEC member Missouri last Saturday and averages 40.3 points per game. Louisiana Tech has won four straight games and will look to finish October perfect when it hosts Rice in Ruston. The Bulldogs have won the last two seasons over the Owls, who are coming off a wild win last week in non-conference play. Marshall heads to Hattiesburg carrying a five-game winning streak over Southern Miss. The Thundering Herd will look to get back on track against a Golden Eagles team that has won five conference games in a row at M.M. Roberts Stadium. An important West Division matchup takes place in San Antonio where North Texas meets up with UTSA. The Mean Green have won their last two games Page 2 #AllDayCUSA CONFERENCE USA QUICK HITTERS and carry a 4-3 overall mark into this contest with a Roadrunners team that fell last week at home in five overtimes to UTEP. Old Dominion and UTEP have split their first two meetings as the Monarchs head to the Sun Bowl on Saturday night. The Miners are fresh off a win in the longest game in C-USA history, a triumph at UTSA, while the Monarchs seek win number five. LAST WEEK S TOP PERFORMERS Here s a look at the league s 300-yard passers, 100- yard rushers and 100-yard receivers from games of Oct. 22: 300-Yard Passing Performances 407 Tyler Stehling, Rice vs. Prairie View A&M 378 Mike White, WKU vs. Old Dominion 100-Yard Rushing Performances 215 I Tavious Mathers, Middle Tenn. at Missouri 160 Jeffrey Wilson, North Texas at Army 157 Anthony Wales, WKU vs. Old Dominion 123 Kalif Phillips, Charlotte at Marshall 116 Samuel Stewart, Rice vs. Prairie View A&M 113 Aaron Jones, UTEP at UTSA 104 Jarveon Williams, UTSA vs. UTEP 100-Yard Receiving Performances 156 Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech at FIU 143 Temi Alaka, Rice vs. Prairie View A&M 129 Richie James, Middle Tennessee at Missouri 123 Taywan Taylor, WKU vs. Old Dominion SEASON TOP PERFORMERS Here s a look at the 2016 league leaders in 300-yard passers, 100-yard rushers and 100-yard receivers: 300-Yard Passing Performances 5 Ryan Higgins, Louisiana Tech 4 Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee 4 Mike White, WKU 3 Chase Litton, Marshall 100-Yard Rushing Performances 5 I Tavious Mathers, Middle Tennessee 4 Alex Gardner, FIU 4 Ito Smith, Southern Miss 4 Greg Howell, Florida Atlantic 4 Aaron Jones, UTEP 100-Yard Receiving Performances 7 Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech 6 Taywan Taylor, WKU 4 Kalib Woods, Florida Atlantic 4 Richie James, Middle Tennessee 3 Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech 3 Nicholas Norris, WKU HIGH FIVE UTEP s win at UTSA will go down as the longest in Conference USA history and one of the longest in FBS annals. The five-overtime game was the longest in league history (previous long was three- OT s on several occassions) and is tied for the fifthlongest in FBS history. Oct. 24, 2016 WILSON SPARKS WINS North Texas junior RB Jeffrey Wilson continued his outstanding 2016 season with 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a win at Army. The Black Knights were ranked second in the FBS in rushing defense, allowing just 99 yards per game. In the team s four victories, he is averaging 147 yards per game while scoring 10 of his 12 touchdowns. SUPER SOPHS After they both earned Freshman All-American honors last season, Middle Tennessee QB Brent Stockstill and WR Richie James have shown no sophomore slump in Stockstill ranks fifth in the FBS in passing yards per game (338.7), is completing 63.7 percent of his passes and has thrown 22 TD passes with only five interceptions. James is seventh in the nation in catches (62) and ninth in receiving yards (909), while scoring six times. With 52 TD passes, Stockstill only needs two more to tie the school record. James is already second in career receptions (170) and fourth in receiving yards (2,251). STREAKING A sampling of impressive streaks in C-USA right now: *Southern Miss junior RB Ito Smith has scored at least one touchdown in 12 consecutive games. *WKU senior WR Taywan Taylor has caught at least one touchdown in four straight outings. *LA Tech junior WR Carlos Henderson has scored a TD in his last five games (10 receiving, 1 KO return). *Middle Tennessee senior RB I Tavius Mathers has posted five consecutive 100+-yard rushing games. *Old Dominion RB Jeremy Cox has scored at least one TD in all six games he has played in this year. *LA Tech junior K Jonathan Barnes and Southern Miss K Parker Shaunfield have each connected on 11 straight field goal attempts. BETTER TO RECEIVE Conference USA now has four of the top nine players in the FBS in receiving yards, with Louisiana Tech senior WR Trent Taylor first with 1,143, WKU senior WR Taywan Taylor third with 993, LA Tech sophomore Carlos Henderson fourth at 952 and Middle Tennessee sophomore WR Richie James ninth with 905. Henderson is tied for third nationally with 10 touchdown receptions, while Trent Taylor is second in total receptions with 86. BIG PLAY RECEIVERS C-USA has three of the top players in the FBS in producing pass plays of 50 yards or longer over the past two seasons: Number of 50+ Yard Receptions since 2015 Name, School Total Taywan Taylor, WKU Shelton Gibson, West Virginia Carlos Henderson, LA Tech Nicholas Norris, WKU Cody Thompson, Toledo James Washington, Okla. St Also, Taywan Taylor has an FBS-leading 19 receptions of 40 yards or longer in the last two seasons.

3 LA TECH S WOODS NAMED A THORPE AWARD SEMIFINALIST Louisiana Tech senior S Xavier Woods has been named one of 16 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame announced. The award is presented to the nation s best defensive back. Woods leads the Bulldog defense with four interceptions this season for 45 yards, while the senior has totaled 53 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. Woods fourth interception of the season this past weekend at FIU was the 13th of his career, which ranks fifth all-time in Louisiana Tech history. TOP PASSERS Twice this season, Louisiana Tech senior QB Ryan Higgins has had the top weekly passing performance in the FBS, throwing for 484 yards in the win at Massachusetts on Oct. 15. Higgins also had the top performance in week four at Middle Tennessee. WKU senior QB Mike White had the best passing performance in week one and Southern Miss senior QB Nick Mullens had it week five, giving C-USA the leading passer in the FBS in four of the first seven weeks of the 2016 season. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK C-USA names Players of the Week each Monday during the season. The awards are voted on by a media panel with one representative in each league city. OFFENSE S5 Mike White, QB, WKU S12 Trent Taylor, WR, Louisiana Tech S19 I Tavius Mathers, RB, Middle Tennessee S26 I Tavius Mathers, RB, Middle Tennessee O3 Allenzae Stiggers, WR, Southern Miss O10 Hasaan Klugh, QB, Charlotte Carlos Henderson, WR, Louisiana Tech O17 Carlos Henderson, WR, Louisiana Tech O24 I Tavius Mathers, RB, Middle Tennessee O31 N7 N14 N21 N28 DEFENSE S5 Xavier Woods, S, Louisiana Tech S12 Anthony Wilson, LB, Old Dominion S19 Shaquille Huff, DT, Middle Tennessee S26 Kishawn McClain, S, North Texas O3 Anthony Wint, LB, FIU O10 Josiah Tauaefa, LB, UTSA O17 Anthony Wint, LB, FIU O24 Eric Jenkins, CB, North Texas O31 N7 N14 N21 N28 SPECIAL TEAMS S5 Parker Shaunfield, K, Southern Miss S12 Allenzae Stiggers, KR, Southern Miss S19 Nacarius Fant, KR/PR, WKU S26 Tyler Wilson, KR, North Texas O3 Nacarius Fant, KR/PR, WKU O10 Jonathan Barnes, K, Louisiana Tech O17 Skyler Simcox, K, WKU O24 Canon Rooker, K, Middle Tennessee O31 Page 3 #AllDayCUSA Oct. 24, 2016 CONFERENCE USA QUICK HITTERS N7 N14 N21 N28 WORKING OVERTIME Here s a look at C-USA overtime games in 2016 and all-time: 2016 C-USA Overtimes Oct. 22 UTEP 52, UTSA 49 (5 ot) Oct. 15 WKU 44, Middle Tennessee 43 (2 ot) Sept. 24 Vanderbilt 31, WKU 30 Sept. 24 North Texas 42, Rice 35 Overtime Records Teams All Games C-USA Games Charlotte FIU Florida Atlantic Louisiana Tech Marshall Middle Tennessee North Texas Old Dominion Rice Southern Miss UTEP UTSA WKU EAST VS. WEST Here s a look at how the cross-division games have fared since C-USA went to two divisons in 2005: 2016: East 5, West : East 9, West : West 9, East : West 10, East : West 10, East : West 11, East East 10, West East 13, West West 10, East East 14, West West 13, East East 12, West 7 PRESEASON ALL-C-USA SELECTIONS (as selected by the league s head coaches) OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Nick Mullens, Sr., QB, Southern Miss DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR Trey Hendrickson, Sr., DE, Florida Atlantic SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR Dalton Schomp, Sr., P, Florida Atlantic Jonathan Barnes, Jr., K, Louisiana Tech FIRST TEAM OFFENSE QB Brent Stockstill, So., Middle Tennessee QB Nick Mullens, Sr., Southern Miss RB Kalif Phillips, Sr., Charlotte RB Ray Lawry, Jr., Old Dominion RB Ito Smith, Jr., Southern Miss RB Aaron Jones, Sr., UTEP RB Jarveon Williams, Sr., UTSA RB Anthony Wales, Sr., WKU TE TE WR WR WR WR Michael Montero, Sr., FIU Reggie Bain, Jr., Florida Atlantic Darrell Brown, Sr., Louisiana Tech David Mahaffey, Sr., Louisiana Tech Michael Selby, Sr., Marshall Clint Van Horn, Sr., Marshall Maurquice Shakir, Sr., Middle Tennessee Cameron Tom, Sr., Southern Miss Forrest Lamp, Sr., WKU Will Hernandez, Jr., UTEP Jonnu Smith, Sr., FIU Ryan Yurachek, Jr., Marshall Trent Taylor, Sr., Louisiana Tech Richie James, So., Middle Tennessee Zach Pascal, Sr., Old Dominion Taywan Taylor, Sr., WKU FIRST TEAM DEFENSE DL Larry Ogunjobi, Sr., Charlotte DL Trey Hendrickson, Sr., Florida Atlantic DL Jaylon Ferguson, So., Louisiana Tech DL Gary Thompson, Sr., Marshall DL Rashaad Coward, Sr., Old Dominion DL Dylan Bradley, Sr., Southern Miss DL Nick Usher, Sr., UTEP DL Marcus Davenport, Jr., UTSA LB Anthony Wint, Jr., FIU LB Azeez Al-Shaair, So., Florida Atlantic LB TJ Ricks, Sr., Old Dominion LB Alex Lyons, Sr., Rice LB D Nerius Antoine, Sr., Southern Miss LB Alvin Jones, Jr., UTEP DB Ocie Rose, So., Florida Atlantic DB Jalen Young, So., Florida Atlantic DB Xavier Woods, Sr., Louisiana Tech DB Jeremy Cutrer, Sr., Middle Tennessee DB Kishawn McClain, Jr., North Texas DB Justice Davila, Jr., Old Dominion DB Picasso Nelson Jr., Jr., Southern Miss DB Michael Egwuagu, Sr., UTSA FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS K Jonathan Barnes, Jr., Louisiana Tech P Dalton Schomp, Sr., Florida Atlantic KR Kylen Towner, Jr., WKU PR Warren Redix, So., UTEP LS Darrell Travis, Sr., Louisiana Tech PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH (as selected by the league s media) EAST DIVISION 1. Middle Tennessee 2. WKU 3. Marshall 4. Florida Atlantic 5. FIU 6. Old Dominion 7. Charlotte WEST DIVISION 1. Southern Miss 2. Louisiana Tech 3. Rice 4. UTEP 5. UTSA 6. North Texas

4 C-USA ON NATIONAL TV Conference USA has announced its preliminary television schedule for the 2016 football season. The current confirmed schedule features games to air nationally on all four of the league s primary television partners, with many additional games to be added prior to the beginning of the season, through additional league partnerships, along with selected games as part of other conference s television deals. National games will be televised this season on ESPN Networks, CBS Sports Network, American Sports Network and bein SPORTS. The majority of these exposures will take place on Saturday, with select Thursday and Friday night telecasts also being featured. The 2016 C-USA Championship game on Saturday, Dec. 3 is scheduled to air on either ESPN or ESPN 2. It marks the 12th-straight year that the C-USA Championship will air on the ESPN Networks. ESPN is also scheduled to carry all six of C-USA s bowl games in which it has a guaranteed selection. Additional Conference USA football television exposures will be released as soon as they are finalized. NATIONAL BROADCASTS AMERICAN SPORTS NETWORK (ASN) SCHEDULE Sat 9/3 SMU 34, North Texas 21 Sat 9/10 Appalachian State 31, Old Dominion 7 Sat 9/17 Army 66, UTEP 14 Sat 9/24 Temple 48, Charlotte 20 Sat 9/24 Middle Tennessee 38, LA Tech 14 Sat 10/1 Louisiana Tech 28, UTEP 7 Sat 10/8 UTSA 55, Southern Miss 32 Sat 10/8 North Texas 38, Marshall 21 Sat 10/15 LA Tech 56. Massachusetts 28 Sat 10/15 Marshall 27, Florida Atlantic 21 Sat 10/22 WKU 59, Old Dominion 24 Sat 10/29 FAU 2:30 p.m. Sat 10/29 Southern Miss 6 p.m. Sat 11/5 Southern Miss 2:30 p.m. Sat 11/5 Old Dominion 6 p.m. Sat 11/12 Southern ODU 2:30 p.m. Sat 11/12 Middle Marshall 6 p.m. Sat 11/19 FIU 6 p.m. bein SPORTS NETWORK SCHEDULE Sat 9/3 UTEP 38, New Mexico State 22 Sat 9/10 Marshall 62, Morgan State 0 Sat 9/17 Troy 37, Southern Miss 31 Sat 9/24 Central Florida 53, FIU 14 Sat 10/1 FIU 33, Florida Atlantic 31 Sat 10/15 UTSA 14, Rice 13 Sat 10/22 Charlotte 27, Marshall 24 Sat 11/5 WKU 4:30 p.m. Sat 11/19 Southern North Texas 4:30 p.m. Sat 11/26 Middle Tennessee 4:30 p.m. CAMPUS INSIDERS SCHEDULE Sat 9/10 Colorado State 23, UTSA 14 Sat 9/24 Southern Miss 34, UTEP 7 Sat 10/1 Middle Tennessee 30, North Texas 13 Sat 10/29 Louisiana Tech 6 p.m. Sat 10/29 Old UTEP 7 p.m. Sat 11/12 Charlotte 1 p.m. Sat 11/26 UTSA 6 p.m. Page 4 #AllDayCUSA CONFERENCE USA TELEVISION CBS SPORTS NETWORK NATIONAL SCHEDULE Thur 9/1 WKU 46, Rice 14 Fri 9/9 Maryland 41, FIU 14 Sat 9/10 Army 31, Rice 14 Sat 9/17 Akron 65, Marshall 38 Sat 9/24 Vanderbilt 31, WKU 30 (ot) Sat 9/24 Louisville 59, Marshall 28 Thur 10/6 Louisiana Tech 55, WKU 52 Sat 10/22 North Texas 35, Army 18 ESPN SCHEDULE Fri 9/16 Baylor 38, Rice 10 Sat 12/17 Gildan New Mexico Bowl 12 p.m. Sat. 12/17 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl 8 p.m. Tue. 12/20 Boca Raton Bowl 6 p.m. Fri. 12/23 Popeyes Bahamas Bowl 11 a.m. Sat. 12/24 Hawai i Bowl 7 p.m. Sat. 12/27 Heart of Dallas Bowl 11 a.m. ESPN 2 SCHEDULE Sat., 9/10 Alabama 38, WKU 10 Fri., 9/16 Arizona State 32, UTSA 28 ESPN or ESPN 2 SCHEDULE Sat., 9/5 C-USA Championship Game TBA ESPN U SCHEDULE Thu 9/1 Indiana 34, FIU 13 Sat 9/3 Southern Miss 44, Kentucky 35 Sat 9/17 Florida 32, North Texas 0 ESPN/ESPN 2/ESPN U SCHEDULE Fri. 11/25 Louisiana Southern Miss TBA Sat. 11/26 Marshall TBA ESPN 3 SCHEDULE Sat 9/10 Miami (Fla.) 38, Florida Atlantic 10 Sat 9/17 Middle Tennessee 41, Bowling Green 21 Sat 9/17 WKU 31, Miami (Ohio) 24 Sat 9/17 NC State 49, Old Dominion 22 Sat 10/15 WKU 44, Middle Tennessee 43 (2ot) Sat 10/22 Louisiana Tech 44, FIU 24 Sat 10/29 Middle FIU 6 p.m. Sat 11/5 Middle Tennessee 1:30 p.m. Sat 11/5 Florida Rice 2:30 p.m. Sat 11/5 LA North Texas 4:30 p.m. Sat 11/12 North WKU 2:30 p.m. Sat 11/19 Rice 11 a.m. Sat 11/19 Middle Charlotte 1 p.m. Sat 11/26 Old Dominion 2:30 p.m. FOX SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS SCHEDULE Sat 9/17 Kansas State 63, Florida Atlantic 7 Sat 9/17 Texas Tech 59, Louisiana Tech 45 ACC/RSN NETWORK SCHEDULE Thu 9/1 Louisville 70, Charlotte 14 Sat 10/1 Pittsburgh 43, Marshall 27 LONGHORN NETWORK SCHEDULE Sat 9/10 Texas 41, UTEP 7 SEC NETWORK SCHEDULE Sat 9/3 Arkansas 21, Louisiana Tech 20 Sat 9/10 Vanderbilt 47, Middle Tennessee 24 Sat 10/15 LSU 45, Southern Miss 10 Sat 10/22 Middle Tennessee 51, Missouri 45 KMYS SCHEDULE (San Antonio, Texas) Sat 9/3 UTSA 26, Alabama State 13 Sat 9/24 UTSA 33, Old Dominion 19 Sat 10/22 UTEP 52, UTSA 49 (5ot) Sat 10/29 North UTSA 6 p.m. Sat 11/12 Louisiana Tech 2:30 p.m. *All Game Times Central* Oct. 24, 2016 ABOUT ESPN ESPN, the world s leading sports entertainment company, features more than 50 assets eight U.S. television networks, ESPN International, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. and 20 percent by The Hearst Corporation. ABOUT CBS SPORTS NETWORK CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports, airs more than 400 live games annually, showcasing an array of college and professional sports, as well as in-depth studio shows, documentaries, original programs and programming around CBS Sports Championship events, including the Super Bowl, The Masters and PGA Championship. CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and telco providers including Verizon FiOS Channel 94 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 643 (1643 in HD) and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 221 and Dish Network Channel 158. For more information go to ABOUT AMERICAN SPORTS NETWORK (ASN) ASN is a division of Sinclair Networks Group, one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country with 173 stations it owns, operates and/or provides services to in 81 markets, broadcasting 483 channels, including pending transactions. In addition, ASN s content is also syndicated to other broadcasters and regional sports networks. ASN, which launched in August 2014, produced 250 college events in nine sports in its first year and aired nearly 400 events in ASN launched a 24/7 channel in nine markets in January and continues to increase that total. ABOUT bein SPORTS USA Launched in 2012, bein SPORTS is the fastest growing global sports network in the U.S. and is offered on nine of the largest 10 cable/satellite TV providers in the U.S., as well as other systems across the country. bein SPORTS offers viewers premium sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms including TV channels bein SPORTS and bein SPORTS en Español and live streaming on bein SPORTS CONNECT. A cornerstone of bein SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, as well as news and in-depth analysis of top leagues from around the world. With the recent addition of C-USA coverage, bein SPORTS will also broadcast College Football, Men s and Women s Basketball and Soccer, Baseball, Softball and Volleyball. Thru bein SPORTS CONNECT, subscribers can also enjoy all the exciting action from the two networks and stream live overflow matches offered in HD on your computer, tablet or smart phone. For more, please visit PORTS.com. Follow us on and like us on Facebook bein SPORTS USA. ABOUT CAMPUS INSIDERS Campus Insiders is the fastest growing, most engaged destination for college sports fans of any age. The all-digital platform brings fans the latest news, live coverage, and most innovative and unique stories from college conferences across the country, with high-quality content including live studio shows, video-on-demand and more than 3,000 live games and events. Campus Insiders video programming is available on CampusInsiders.com, Campus Insiders mobile and tablet apps, as well as various streaming applications and connected devices such as Amazon Fire, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox and go90. CUSA TV CUSA TV has launched, making all non-televised team sports available as part of a subscription package. The site will offer all events in one location so fans can watch home and away matchups of their favorite team or season long events from their favorite sport. The site will showcase weekly feature stories as well as postgame interviews, players of the week highlights and other exciting content.

5 CHARLOTTE 49ERS The 49ers picked up their second straight road win in C-USA play, taking a decision at Marshall. Senior RB Kalif Phillips recorded his fifth-straight contest with 100 yards or more from scrimmage and 14th of his career, finishing the night with 123 yards on the ground. He also became the second 49er rusher to have a multi-td game this year, scoring twice. Sophomore QB Hasaan Klugh recorded 203 yards passing, adding 41 rushing, with senior WR Austin Duke serving as his primary target, collecting a team-high 76 yards for seven catches. Junior LB Karrington King topped the defense with a season-high 13 total tackles, the sixth double-digit performance of the season by a Charlotte defender. FIU PANTHERS The Panthers had their three-game conference winning streak snapped by a loss to LA Tech. Junior QB Alex McGough became the school s all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 43. He finished the game 25-of-44 for 281 yards and three TDs. After throwing just two TD passes in the first five games, he has eight over the last three outings. Sophomore WR Thomas Owens narrowly missed the 100-yard mark in receiving, catching eight passes for 96 yards and two scores. Senior TE Jonnu Smith added five receptions for 81 yards and a TD, extending his streak with at least one reception to 40 consecutive games. FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS The Owls had their bye week this past Saturday. FAU seeks a return to the win column after dropping the past four games by a combined total of 17 points. In its last outing, freshman RB Devin Singletary (111) Gregory Howell, Jr. (109) became the first Owls duo with over 100 rushing yards each since Nov. 16, Howell has topped the century mark four times in Junior WR Kalib Woods has posted four 100-yard games this season, catching 41 passes for 596 yards and one TD. Senior DL Trey Hendrickson has added to his FAU career record for sacks with five this season, giving him 25 in his career (two shy of C-USA s all-time top 10). MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD The Thundering Herd fell to Charlotte on Saturday, Sophomore QB Chase Litton was 32-of-46 for 262 yards and two touchdowns. He has now moved up eighth on the school s all-time TD list with 39 and has at least one in each of his 17 career games. Sophomore RB Keion Davis ran 18 times for 90 yards and had his fifth rushing TD of the season. A pair of MU receivers set a career high for catches, as junior WR Deon-Tay McManus finished with seven receptions, topping the six he had last season at Charlotte, while senior WR Josh Knight had 10 grabs, which is one better than the nine he had last week against Florida Atlantic. MIDDLE TENNESSEE BLUE RAIDERS Middle Tennessee piled up 584 yards of total offense in posting a victory at Missouri, the program s fourth all-time win vs. an SEC school. Senior RB I Tavius Mathers ran for 215 yards on 28 carries, including a 71-yard touchdown. It marked the fifth straight 100-yard game for Mathers, who also had eight receptions for 48 yards and a score. Sophomore QB Brent Stockstill completed 23 passes for 280 yards with 4 TD passes. He also rushed for 70 yards on seven carries as the Blue Raiders churned out 300 yards rushing. Sophomore WR Richie James had a strong game with 129 yards on five catches. He had two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving. Stockstill moved into fourth place on the school s passing yardage list, while James is now third in receptions with 170. Defensively, junior S Alex Dale had a career-high 18 tackles (13 solo) and a forced fumble. D DOMINION MONARCHS Old Dominion lost at WKU on Saturday, Senior QB David Washington was 17-of-28 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his TD passes were 53 yards, one to sophomore WR Travis Fulgham and the other to senior WR Zach Pascal. In the second quarter, Pascal moved into second place on the ODU career receiving yards list (now 2,765 yards), passing Nick Mayers. Sophomore RB Jeremy Cox had an eight-yard TD run in the third quarter, keeping his streak of scoring at least once in all six games he has played in this season. He has 10 total rushing scores on the season. Sophomore DB Sean Carter registered a career-high 11 tackles. WKU HILLTOPPERS The Hilltoppers posted a win over Old Dominion. WKU scored 31 points in the 2nd quarter, the most by the Hilltoppers in any frame in the FBS era, and had 52 at halftime. Senior QB Mike White completed 28-of-32 passes for 378 yards with 4 TD passes. It was his third-straight game with 300+ yards. Junior RB Anthony Wales had 15 carries for 157 yards and 2 scores. It was his second consecutive game of 150+ yards, the first time for a Hilltoppers back since Antonio Andrews in He has one or more TDs in each of the last five games, with 87 rushes for 637 yards (7.3) and nine scores over that span. Senior WR Taywan Taylor had 10 receptions for 124 yards with three TDs, becoming the second player in WKU history (Porter Williams) with multiple games of 3+ TD catches in a career. WKU had eight receivers catch at least one pass for the second straight week. Page 5 #AllDayCUSA Oct. 24, 2016 C-USA EXTRA POINTS LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS The Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive game, posting a victory at FIU Saturday night. Louisiana Tech has now won 11 consecuitve C-USA games in the month of October. Senior QB Ryan Higgins turned in a 22-for-30 passing performance for 269 yards and three total touchdowns, including one rushing score. Senior WR Trent Taylor led the offensive attack with 11 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown, while becoming just the fourth player in LA Tech history to register 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. Junior WR Carlos Henderson added six catches for 68 yards, while adding his 176 return yards on the night, including a 92-yard kickoff return for a TD. Sophomore RB Jarred Craft rushed the ball 12 times for 60 yards and also caught two passes for 16 yards on the night. Four different Bulldogs recorded a sack and five players had a pass breakup, including senior S Xavier Woods, who had his league-leading fourth interception. NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN The Mean Green forced seven turnovers to help post a win at Army on Saturday, improving to 4-3 on the season. It marked the first non-conference win on the road for North Texas since 2009 and the Mean Green have won multiple road games for the first time since Junior DB Eric Jenkins returned a pick for a touchdown for the second game in a row and had an interception and a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter to stop Army s attempts at a rally. Junior RB Jeffrey Wilson ran 16 times for 160 yards (153 in the second half) and three touchdowns. He has scored at least one TD in six of seven games and has 12 total scores. Sophomore CB Nate Brooks recovered a fumble early in the third quarter to set up another Mean Green touchdown drive. RICE OWLS Rice rolled up 634 yards of total offense in posting a win over Prairie View A&M. The 65 points are the most the Owls have scored since Junior QB Tyler Stehling established all new career highs, completing 22-of-31 passes for 407 yards and five touchdowns. The five TDs are one shy of the school record and his yardage total was the fourth-highest in school history. Sophomore RB Samuel Stewart rushed 11 times for 116 yards and had one rushing TD and one receiving score. Senior RB Darik Dillard ran 12 times for 43 yards, passing two players and move into seventh-place on the school all-time rushing list with 2,058. Junior WR Temi Alaka tied his career-high with six receptions for a career-high 143 yards. It is also Alaka s first career 100-yard game. It is the most receiving yards since Dennis Parks had 163 at North Texas on Sept. 19, SOUTHERN MISS GDEN EAGLES The Golden Eagles had their bye week last Saturday and return to action opening a two-game homestand by hosting Marshall. Junior RB Ito Smith enters this week having scored at least one touchdown rushing or receiving in his last 12 games. Smith ranks among the C-USA leaders with 775 rushing yards, posting four 100- yard outings. He has also moved into 10th place on the Southern Miss career rushing with 2,440 yards, Senior QB Nick Mullens has 79 TD passes this season to give him 79 in his career, just four shy of the school record of 83, set by Austin Davis ( ). Sophomore K Parker Shaunfield has successfully connected on 11 straight field goal attempts to start the season. UTEP MINERS UTEP won at UTSA, 52-49, as sophomore QB Ryan Metz hooked up with sophomore WR Warren Redix on a six-yard touchdown pass in the fifth overtime. Metz tied his career high with a trio of touchdown passes, while throwing for 211 yards on 15-of-23 passing. Senior RB Aaron Jones rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown, notching his 14-career 100-yard plus game. Jones also hauled in a 27-yard and 25-yard TD catches in overtime. His three scores mark the 11th multi-touchdown game in his career. Jones finished the night with 169 all-purpose yards. Freshman WR Walter Dawn had a breakout game as he scored three total touchdowns (two rushing and one receieving), while posting 112 total yards. Senior TE Hayden Plinke tallied a season-high 84 yards on four receptions, while his 54-yard catch was also a season best and second longest in his career. Plinke also hauled in his first two-point conversion in the third overtime. UTSA ROADRUNNERS The Roadrunners fell to UTEP in five overtimes on Saturday, Junior QB Dalton Sturm finished with 214 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-34 passing and added 74 yards on the ground to help UTSA post 525 yards of total offense. Senior RB Jarveon Williams led the ground game with 104 yards, his sixth 100-yard game as a Roadrunner, while sophomore RB Jalen Rhodes added 84. Williams also threw a TD pass to junior TE Shaq Williams. Senior WR Kerry Thomas, Jr. hauled in five catches for 89 yards and a pair of scores en route to becoming the school s career TD receptions leader with 10. UTSA attempted its first-ever fake field goal, which was lined up from 50 yards out on 4th-and-10, and it resulted in a 30-yard gain, leading to the Roadrunners first touchdown of the night.

6 C-USA BOWL SYNOPSIS Conference USA has secured guaranteed commitments with six bowl partners for the 2016 season, as well as one secondary agreement: the Gildan New Mexico, Hawai i, Boca Raton, Popeyes Bahamas, R+L Carriers New Orleans and Zaxby s Heart of Dallas Bowls are primary agreements. The Camping World Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, is a secondary agreement, should the ACC or SEC not be able to provide a bowl-eligible team. There is no set selection order among C-USA s bowl partners. C-USA and the College Football Playoff As a member of the College Football Playoff, Conference USA will be a part of one of the College Football Playoff bowls if it has the highest rated champion from among the American, C-USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt Conferences. The Playoff During the season, college football entered a new era when postseason playoffs began. The format is simple: top four teams, two semifinals played in bowl games and a national championship game played in a different city each year. Each semifinal will be played during the New Year s holiday with the national championship game in prime time on a Monday night at least a week later. The Selection Committee A selection committee will choose the four teams for the playoff based on their performance during the regular season, including, strength of schedule, head-to-head results, championships won, and other factors. The teams will be seeded so that No. 1 will play No. 4 in one semifinal and No. 2 will meet No. 3 in the other, with the two winners advancing to the national championship game. The Rotation The semifinals will rotate among six different bowls, extending the experience to more fans. In the years when the bowls are not hosting semifinals, the bowls will feature eight other teams in four compelling matchups. For the season, the Peach Bowl (Dec. 31), Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 31), Rose Bowl presented by Northwestern Mutual (Jan. 1) and Allstate Sugar Bowl (Jan. 1) will host its regular bowl games, while the Capital One Orange (Dec. 31) and Goodyear Cotton Bowl (Dec. 31) will host semifinals. The College Football Championship will be held on Monday, Jan. 11 in Glendale, Arizona. Page 6 #AllDayCUSA C-USA BOWL PARTNERS GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL Conference USA will enter its third year as a primary partner with the Gildan New Mexico Bowl and is scheduled to send a team to Albuquerque each seasons between 2016 and C-USA will face a representative from the Mountain West Conference each season at University Stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico.C-USA has participated in the New Mexico Bowl twice before, as UTEP met its former conference rival BYU in 2010, and the Miners met Utah State in 2014 This year s game will mark the 11th in the bowl s history, which produced two of the highest scoring and most exciting comeback finishes among all bowl games in 2012 and 2013 This bowl will once again be played on the opening day of the bowl season, which it has nearly each time during its existence. GILDAN NEW MEXICO BOWL FACTS Albuquerque, New Mexico Date: December 17, 2016 Time: 12 p.m. MST Stadium: University Stadium (37,792) Network: ESPN Opponent: Mountain West Selection Phone: Executive Director: Jeff Siembieda Director of Operations: Cary Colbert Chairman of the Board: Rudy Davalos Media Relations Director: RaeAnn McKernan Website: Facebook: NewMexicoBowl BOCA RATON BOWL Conference USA will make a return appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday, December 20, the only bowl game being played on that day.c-usa Champion Marshall won the inaugural Boca Raton Bowl in 2014, defeating Mid- American Conference Champion Northern Illinois, The game is played at five-year old FAU Stadium, the home of C- USA member Florida Atlantic.C-USA will again face an opponent from the Mid-American Conference in the game. Oct. 24, 2016 BOCA RATON BOWL FACTS Boca Raton, Florida Date: December 20, 2016 Time: 7 p.m. EST Stadium: FAU Stadium (29,419) Network: ESPN Opponent: Mid-American Selection Phone: Executive Director: Doug Mosley Operations/Marketing: Jana LaMendola Media Relations Director: Rachel Rodriguez Website: Facebook: MarmotBocaBowl POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL The third annual Popeyes Bahamas Bowl will kick off Friday, Dec. 23, 2016 at Nassau s Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.Conference USA is once again scheduled to be a part of the game, facing an opponent from either the American Athletic Conference or the Mid-American Conference. Middle Tennessee represented Conference USA in last year s game, falling to Western Michigan, The inaugural 2014 game saw WKU QB Brandon Doughty throw for 486 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Hilltoppers to their first bowl win, over Central Michigan, in the wildest bowl game that season. The game is based in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas and the average high temperature in December is 79 degrees.the 2014 Bahamas Bowl marked the first postseason FBS bowl game outside of either the United States or Canada between two U.S. teams since the Jan. 1, 1937 Bacardi Bowl in Havana, Cuba The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl is part of an impressive stable of events in football and basketball for ESPN Events. POPEYES BAHAMAS BOWL FACTS Nassau, Bahamas Date: December 23, 2016 Time: 1 p.m. EST Stadium: Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium (15,000) Network: ESPN Opponent: Mid-American or American Selection Executive Director: Richard Gianinni Director of Communications: Chris Pika Phone: 678/ Website: Facebook: Popeyes Bahamas Bowl

7 R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL Conference USA is scheduled be a part of the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl for the 12th time in the bowl s 16 years, facing an opponent from the Sun Belt Conference.This year s game will mark the seventh straight year it has been played on a Saturday, with an 8 pm kickoff scheduled.current Conference USA members Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Rice and Southern Miss have each participated in previous New Orleans Bowls, with the Golden Eagles three victories ranking second among all schools to play in the game. North Texas and Southern Miss have tied for the most appearances with four apiece.the New Orleans Bowl is played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, site of seven Super Bowl games. R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL FACTS New Orleans, La. Date: December 17, 2016 Time: 8 p.m. CST Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (73,208) Network: ESPN Opponent: Sun Belt Conference Opponent President/CEO: Jay Cicero Executive Director: Billy Ferrante V.P., Communications: Sam Joffray Director of Events/Operations: Alison Comeaux Director of Sales/Tickets: Craig Forshag Event Operations and Media Coordinator: Paul Utterback Phone: 504/ Website: Facebook: neworleansbowl HAWAI I BOWL The Hawai i Bowl enters its 15th year and this will mark the 11th time that Conference USA will be a part of the Christmas Eve game.c-usa teams have won each of their last six appearances in the game and are 7-3 all-time.nine different schools have played in the game, with Rice being the most recent. The Owls posted a 30-6 win in 2014, the fewest points allowed in a Hawaii Bowl game.in its first 14 years, the Sheraton Hawai i Bowl has gained a reputation for offensive shootouts, with the winning team topping the 40-point mark in 10 games, while the losing team has scored 35 or more points five times. HAWAI I BOWL FACTS Honolulu, Hawai i Date: December 24, 2016 Time: 3 p.m. HST (8 p.m. EST) Stadium: Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium (50,000) Page 7 #AllDayCUSA Oct. 24, 2016 C-USA BOWL PARTNERS Hawaii Bowl (con t) Network: ESPN Opponent: Mountain West Conference Selection Executive Director: Daryl Garvin Director of Operations: Tamarah Tabor Event Manager: Gianni Minga Media Relations Director: Derek Inouchi Phone: Website: Facebook: SheratonHawaiiBowl ZAXBY S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL Conference USA is slated to play an opponent from the Big Ten Conference in the seventh annual Heart of Dallas Bowl on Dec. 26 The bowl is the only one that honors first responders and it also benefits organizations working to eradicate homelessness in Dallas Last year, Southern Miss became the first C-USA school to play a Pac-12 team in a bowl game, falling to Washington, The 2014 game saw C-USA West Division Champion Louisiana Tech defeat Illinois, 35-18, as Houston Bates recorded a bowl record 4.5 sacks for the Bulldogs In 2013, North Texas celebrated its return to postseason play with a win over UNLV in front of a partisan Mean Green crowd at Cotton Bowl Stadium Conference USA made its first appearance in the bowl on Jan. 1, 2012 when No. 17 Houston concluded a 13-1 season with a win over No. 22 Penn State in a matchup of nationally-ranked teams. It was one of just nine bowl games during the bowl season that matched two top 25 teams. ZAXBY S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL FACTS Dallas, Texas Date: Dec. 26, 2015 Time: 2:20 p.m. CST Stadium: Cotton Bowl (92,100) Network: ESPN Opponent: Big Ten Selection Phone: Executive Director: Brant Ringler Operations & Events: Scott Pomeroy Supervisor, Sales and Marketing: Bryan Delgado Assoc. Manager of Events: Monty Clegg Ticket Manager: Trisha Branch Media Operations Coordinator: Tim Simmons Phone: 303/ Website: Facebook: theheartofdallasbowl CAMPING WORLD INDEPENDENCE BOWL Conference USA maintains a secondary partnership with the Independence Bowl, played at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La. C-USA will provide a surplus team to the bowl in the event the Southeastern Conference or Atlantic Coast Conference are unable to provide a team.the game was established in 1976 and named the Independence Bowl because it was established during the nation s Bicentennial year. It is the nation s 11th-oldest game. Current C-USA members Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss and UTEP have previously played in the Independence Bowl. CAMPING WORLD INDEPENDENCE BOWL FACTS Shreveport, Louisiana Date: December 26, 2016 Time: 4 p.m. CST Stadium: Independence Stadium (49,565) Network: ESPN2 Opponent: ACC or SEC Selection Phone: Executive Director: Missy Setters Asst. Executive Director, Sales: Jeff Dittmer Director of Events and Operations: Jeff Butler Media Relations Director: Stefan Nolet Website: Facebook: independencebowl

8 UAB FOOTBALL BACK IN 2017 The UAB Football team returns to action September 2, 2017, when the Blazers host Alabama A&M at Legion Field. Under the direction of head coach Bill Clark, UAB will practice during the 2016 campaign in anticipation for its return to the field in Page 8 #AllDayCUSA C-USA CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION 2000 Louisville (6-1) 1999 Southern Miss (6-0) 1998 Tulane (6-0) 1997 Southern Miss (6-0) 1996 Houston (4-1) Southern Miss (4-1) Oct. 24, 2016 On June 17, 2016, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees approved the final stages of UAB s proposed Football Operations Center. The Blazers begin construction on a $22 million practice facility this August, which includes an open-air pavilion covering the turf practice field, making UAB a pioneer in this architectural design. Included in this was a $4.2 million sponsorship and naming agreement with Legacy Credit Union the largest of its kind in UAB Athletics history. The Blazers anticipate the Football Operations Center and Legacy Pavilion to be completed by the start of the 2017 season. Clark will lead the Blazers onto the field in 2017 just as he did in his first year as head coach of UAB in Clark inherited a team that was 2-10 the year before and turned them into a team that won six games and earned bowl eligibility for the first time in a decade. The Blazers also proved that they will be competitive from the moment they step onto the field as Clark signed the league s No. 2 recruiting class in UAB s 2017 non-conference schedule includes home games against Alabama A&M (Sept. 2) and Coastal Carolina (Sept. 16), and road contests at Ball State (Sept. 9) and at Florida (Nov. 18). C-USA HAS SEVEN CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS Recognizing the top scholar-athletes in college football, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) proudly announced the semifinalists for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments. C-USA is represented on this list by seven outstanding student-athletes. Five of the seven representatives were members of the 2015 Conference USA All-Academic team: Florida Atlantic senior Dillon DeBoer, Old Dominion senior Tyler Compton, Rice senior RB Darik Dillard, Southern Miss senior Cameron Tom and WKU senior DB Marcus Ward. Marshall senior TE Emanuel Byrd and North Texas senior LB Fred Scott were also named to the list of semifinalists. HENDERSON NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK Louisiana Tech junior WR Carlos Henderson was named National Player of the Week on Oct. 16 by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and CBS Sports following his performance in a win at Massachusetts. Henderson caught 12 passes for 326 yards and five TDs. The 326 yards are the second-most in both LA Tech and C-USA history, while the five TD catches tie the school and conference records C-USA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Conference USA will host its 12th football championship game in The event is slated for Saturday, December 3, and will be televised by ESPN or ESPN 2. The team with the highest league winning percentage will serve as host site for the game. The title game will feature champions from the East and West divisions of the league. Seven different schools have hosted the first 11 championship games. WKU won its first Conference USA Football Championship last season with a win over Southern Miss in Bowling Green, Ky., becoming the first league school to go undefeated in league play and then win the Championship Game Marshall took its first C- USA title in 2014 with a triumph over Louisiana Tech in Huntington, W. Va. In 2013, Rice won its first C- USA Football title with a victory over Marshall at Rice Stadium. Southern Miss won the 2011 C-USA Championship, when the nationally-ranked Golden Eagles defeated previously undefeated Houston on the Cougars home field. Former members East Carolina, Tulsa and UCF each won two championship games, while Houston claimed one crown. Year Champion (C-USA Record) 2015 WKU (8-0) 2014 Marshall (7-1) 2013 Rice (7-1) 2012 Tulsa (7-1) 2011 Southern Miss (7-1) 2010 UCF (7-1) 2009 East Carolina (6-2) 2008 East Carolina (6-2) 2007 UCF (7-1) 2006 Houston (7-1) 2005 Tulsa (6-2) 2004 Louisville (8-0) 2003 Southern Miss (8-0) 2002 TCU (6-2) Cincinnati (6-2) 2001 Louisville (6-1) EAST CHARLOTTE FIU FLORIDA ATLANTIC MARSHALL MIDDLE TENNESSEE D DOMINION WKU WEST LOUISIANA TECH NORTH TEXAS RICE SOUTHERN MISS UTEP UTSA C-USA TIEBREAKER Home field for the C-USA Championship Game will be awarded to the team that posts the highest regular season winning percentage against conference opposition. The first tiebreaker is the winner of a head-to-head match-up. If still tied, the most recent College Football Playoff Selection Committee poll will be used if one team or both teams are ranked. If they remain tied, highest average computer ranking will be used. MEDIA CREDENTIALS Members of the media that wish to cover the C-USA Championship game will be required to request credentials through the league s online credential application system available at conferenceusa.com/media Center. Details about the C-USA Championship Game will be available throughout the season on conferenceusa. com. For additional information, please contact C- USA Media Relations at 214/ C-USA STADIUMS Charlotte Richardson Stadium (15,000) FIU FIU Stadium (20,000) Florida Atlantic FAU Stadium (29,419) Louisiana Tech Joe Aillet Stadium (28,019) Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium (38,019) Middle Tennessee Johnny Red Floyd Stadium (30,788) North Texas Apogee Stadium (30,850) Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium (20,068) Rice Rice Stadium (47,000) Southern Miss M.M. Roberts Stadium (36,000) UTEP Sun Bowl (51,500) UTSA Alamodome (36,582) WKU Houchens Industries/L.T. Smith Stadium (22.113)