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AAC Notebook: Division races heating up

The Sports Xchange

November 15, 2015 at 10:10 pm.

Nov 14, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Kyle Postma (3) prepares to throw the ball during the third quarter against the Memphis Tigers at TDECU Stadium. The Cougars won 35-34. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Nov 14, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Kyle Postma (3) prepares to throw the ball during the third quarter against the Memphis Tigers at TDECU Stadium. The Cougars won 35-34. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The race for a spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game got a lot more interesting last weekend, as the West Division favorites separated themselves from the pack while the East Division leader failed in its own opportunity to do so.

Houston and Navy are on pace for a winner-take-all meeting at the end of the AAC season. The Cougars came back to knock off Memphis 35-34, while Navy blasted Southern Methodist 55-14.

Houston trailed Memphis 34-14 early in the fourth quarter, then scored the game’s final 21 points behind backup quarterback Kyle Postma. At 6-0 in the AAC, only a game next week against Connecticut stands between the Cougars and an 11-0 record heading into the team’s final week of the regular season.

“We’ll celebrate tonight, but it’s a workday tomorrow,” coach Tom Herman said. “We’ve got a UConn team that’s fresh and that’s coming off a bye week, and we have to make sure we’re prepared to go 1-0 next week.”

Navy had an easier time at home against SMU, and like the Cougars is 6-0 in the AAC. The Midshipmen also have the NCAA’s all-time rushing touchdown leader in Keenan Reynolds, who eclipsed Montee Ball with the first of his four rushing scores against the Mustangs.

The Midshipmen close the season away from home, travelling to Tulsa first. But regardless of how well Navy or Houston do this week, their meeting on Nov. 27 will decide the West Division champion, since the winner would at worst have the edge in the tiebreaker.

Meanwhile, Temple had the chance to end the suspense in the East long before the finale. The Owls entered the weekend with a two-game lead on second-place South Florida, and would have clinched the division had it knocked off the Bulls in the head-to-head matchup. Instead, USF used a 24-point second quarter to surge to a 31-10 halftime lead, and manhandled the Owls in a 44-23 victory.

“At the end of the day, they physically beat us up,” Temple coach Matt Rhule said. “I thought they just played a great, great game and we couldn’t match it.”

The Owls still have a one-game lead, but close the season against Memphis and Connecticut. If it loses one of those games, and USF wins out against Cincinnati and South Florida, the Bulls would take the tiebreaker and advance to the title game instead.

“We aren’t watching anybody. We only worry about the Bulls,” South Florida coach Willie Taggart said. “We have to take care of us. We will take care of us and none of that other stuff matters. We aren’t watching anybody but Cincinnati now.”

CENTRAL FLORIDA (0-10, 0-6)

Game: Bye.

Next: vs. East Carolina, Nov. 19

CINCINNATI (6-4, 4-2)

Game: Cincinnati 49, Tulsa 38. The Bearcats scored 21 consecutive points in the second half to overcome a 24-21 deficit and secure bowl eligibility. Gunner Kiel threw for 386 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Takeaway: The victory means that Cincinnati will go to a bowl game for the fifth year in a row. That’s the longest such streak in school history — the longest such streak entering this season was four.

Next: at South Florida, Nov. 20.

CONNECTICUT (5-5, 3-3)

Game: Bye

Next: vs. Houston, Nov. 21.

EAST CAROLINA (4-6, 2-4)

Game: Bye

Next: at Central Florida, Nov. 19.

HOUSTON (10-0, 6-0)

Game: Houston 35, Memphis 34. Playing without injured quarterback Greg Ward Jr. in the second half, the Cougars still came back from a 34-14 deficit with three fourth-quarter touchdowns to stun Memphis. Backup quarterback Kyle Postma ran seven yards for the go-ahead score with 1:27 to play.

Takeaway: Ward isn’t expected to have suffered a serious injury, but Postma inspired confidence that the season won’t be lost if he has to sit a week. He completed 21 of his 33 pass attempts for 236 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception.

Next: at Connecticut, Nov. 21.

MEMPHIS (9-1, 4-2)

Game: Houston 35, Memphis 34. Memphis dominated most of the game, but surrendered the game’s final three touchdowns in a stunning defeat at Houston. Two fourth-quarter turnovers helped doom the Tigers, who were eliminated from AAC championship contention with the loss.

Takeaway: Memphis has moved the ball well all season, but the offense sputtered late. Its last four drives ended in a fumble, an interception, a three-and-out and a short drive that ended with a missed 48-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds.

Next: at Temple, Nov. 21.

NAVY (9-1, 6-0)

Game: Navy 55, Southern Methodist 14. Keenan Reynolds ran into the record books, setting the NCAA record for career rushing touchdowns in blowing out SMU. Reynolds entered the week tied with Montee Ball at 77 rushing scores, but picked up four in a dominating performance against the Mustangs.

Takeaway: Navy finished 403 yards on the ground, again running an opponent ragged with the triple option. He also threw for a touchdown on a 79-yard pass to keep his team in contention for an AAC championship.

Next: at Tulsa, Nov. 21.

SOUTHERN METHODIST (1-9, 0-6)

Game: Navy 55, Southern Methodist 14. The Mustangs had no answers for the Navy triple option in getting blasted by the Midshipmen on the road. SMU allowed 403 rushing yards, and Navy went 4-for-4 on fourth down conversion attempts.

Takeaway: SMU needed a quick start to build momentum and keep Navy’s offense off the field. Instead, it began the game with three consecutive three-and-outs, and the contest was over early. SMU trailed 28-0 midway through the second quarter.

Next: vs. Tulane, Nov. 21.

SOUTH FLORIDA (6-4, 4-2)

Game: South Florida 44, Temple 23. Marlon Mack ran for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21 carries as the Bulls manhandled No. 21 Temple. South Florida led 31-10 by halftime, and the Owls never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

Takeaway: The Bulls became bowl-eligible with the victory. If it gets selected, it would mark the first time since 2010 that USF reaches the postseason. South Florida can also win a berth in the AAC title game if it wins out and Temple drops one of its next two games.

Next: vs. Cincinnati, Nov. 20.

TEMPLE (8-2, 5-1)

Game: South Florida 44, Temple 23. The Owls missed out on a chance to lock up a spot in the AAC championship game with another disappointing defensive effort against the Bulls. Temple gave up 556 yards of total offense to USF.

Takeaway: Temple had averaged allowing just 15.8 points per game entering last week’s matchup with SMU, but now has given up 84 over the past two weeks. The Owls trailed 31-10 at halftime and allowed Marlon Mack to rush for 230 yards.

Next: vs. Memphis, Nov. 21.

TULANE (3-7, 1-5)

Game: Tulane 34, Army 31. Anthony DiRocco kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired to allow the Green Wave to escape with a three-point victory at home. Army had just tied the game with two minutes remaining.

Takeaway: Curtis Johnson’s team had a hard time dealing with success in this one. Tulane led 28-7 in the second quarter, but gave up two quick touchdowns before the half to let the Cadets off the hook. It did so again when it allowed Army to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but Tanner Lee led the team on a 59-yard drive that led DiRocco’s winning kick.

Next: at Southern Methodist, Nov. 21.

TULSA (5-5, 2-4)

Game: Cincinnati 49, Tulsa 38. The Golden Hurricane came through on the offensive end, but had no answers for the Bearcats on the other side of the ball and fell in a shootout on the road. Dane Evans threw for 375 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Takeaway: Tulsa led 24-21 in the third quarter, but Cincinnati scored three touchdowns in a row to secure the victory. Dave Evans continues to put up numbers, however, throwing for more than 3,000 yards for the second time in a Tulsa uniform.

Next: vs. Navy, Nov. 21.

NOTES, QUOTES

–Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter on Saturday, and didn’t return to the field. While he was undergoing X-rays to assess the damage, the immediate reaction from coach Tom Herman was that the injury didn’t appear to be serious and thathe could have returned to the game if needed.

But in the meantime, Ward’s absence allowed backup Kyle Postma a chance to be the hero, and to write another chapter in his unique journey to reach this position.

Postma began his Houston career as a walk-on in 2013. He left for Trinity Valley Community College in 2014 for an opportunity to play quarterback, then returned to the school at the start of the 2015 campaign. He started off as the third string quarterback, moved to wide receiver, and then returned to being a full-time quarterback when Adam Schulz was lost for the season with a knee injury.

“Making the transition to [junior college], I did that because I felt like I wanted to be able to play wherever I was. My first year here I didn’t feel like I was going to have the opportunity to play, so I just went the juco route,” Postma said. “That’s obviously not a very fun way. There’s not much to do there but play football, which is good.”

He’s spent the past month waiting his turn behind Ward. When Ward went down on Saturday, Postma took full advantage, leading his team on a 21-point fourth quarter and a victory over Memphis.

“He’s a pretty unflappable kid,” coach Tom Herman said. “We talk about unit pride and competitive focus, meaning when your number is called, you’re ready, and you re focused at all times, and you prepare when your number is called. You won’t let your brothers down. He had a great week of preparation. He’s had a great season of preparation. I don’t think anyone batted an eye when we put him in the game.

–South Florida has played the past month and a half with almost no margin for error. With three losses in its first four games, including a 24-17 loss to Memphis in conference play, the Bulls were uncomfortably close to facing another year as an afterthought in the AAC.

But the Bulls have been a different team over the past six games, with the only loss in that period being a 29-17 loss at a Navy team that’s undefeated in league play. It blew out Syracuse, knocked off East Carolina on the road, and on Saturday kept itself in the race for the AAC crown with 44-23 victory over Temple.

Had USF lost to the Owls, it would have been eliminated from the title race. But by knocking off the Owls, South Florida is one game in back of Temple with two to play, and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

That success doesn’t surprise coach Willie Taggart.

“Winning, going bowling, and all those things — that was something we wanted from the beginning,” Taggart said. “When I came here, my goal was to win multiple championships and win in a first class manner. We’re not there yet, but we are climbing.”

At the very least, South Florida is all but assured of a bowl bid, which would mark the team’s first postseason appearance since the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl.

“Every week, I’ve been telling the seniors, some guys that have been here longer than me, they’ve never had a bowl game,” quarterback Quinton Flowers said. “That’s something I stress to them, and I kind of promised them. That’s why I go out there and fight every week, and keep fighting, even if we’re down, even if I know we’re about to lose, I keep fighting. That’s what I told those guys, ‘let’s get you a bowl ring,’ because I know if I was a senior, I would want it.”

–Navy’s Keenan Reynolds finally made it official. He’s the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns in the NCAA FBS subdivision.

With Montee Ball’s record of 77 career scores long in sight, the entire season has been a countdown. One by one, score by score, Reynolds has closed in on the mark.

More importantly, while he’s done so, Navy has been closing in on a conference title in its first season as anything but a football independent. The Midshipmen are 9-1, 6-0 in AAC play, and control their own destiny. If Navy earns a win against Houston in two weeks, it will play in the conference championship game.

The personal goal was reached on Saturday. Reynolds’ first touchdown was his 78th, giving him sole possession of the record. He scored three more against the Mustangs, giving him 81 as a collegiate.

Of course, both player and team still have milestones ahead. Reynolds is still three rushing scores away from the overall NCAA record, held by former Georgia Southern tailback Adrian Peterson with 84. And the Midshipmen have the AAC race and the annual meeting with Army to look forward to. So just because Reynolds and Navy have already exceeded expectations doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot more ahead from the program this season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “If I’ve said it once, I ve said it a thousand times, I don t understand the college football rankings and why they have them so early, because there’s so much football left to be played. If you get caught up in that, then you’re probably doing yourself a disservice as a team. We don’t care. We don’t talk about them. They don’t matter to us, because we know that if we win our conference championship, then we’re going to play in a New Year’s Day bowl game.” — Houston coach Tom Herman.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 10 IN THE AAC:

1. Greg Ward Jr. left Houston’s game with an injury to his left ankle. While the coaching staff said it didn’t appear to be serious, he was getting it X-rayed, and his status for this weekend will be based on his health and his ability to practice.

2. Temple may be reeling after back-to-back losses, but the Owls still control their own destiny. With wins against Memphis and Connecticut, Temple wins the East Division and a berth in the AAC championship game. But with 953 yards allowed over the past two weeks, the Owls have some work to do in order to make that happen.

3. By contrast, Cincinnati still has a mathematical chance at winning the East Division — but the preseason pick needs quite a lot of help. Most scenarios involve the Bearcats winning a three-way or four-way tiebreaker based on a having a better record in the AAC East Division.

4. South Florida’s seniors will get to play in the first bowl game in their college careers, because they did something else no team in the past four years have done at USF — beat a ranked team. The Bulls victory over Temple was the first for the Bulls over a ranked team since it knocked off Notre Dame to open the 2011 season.

5. Garrett Krstich got the start at quarterback against Navy for Southern Methodist, and it wasn’t because the coaching staff was unhappy with starter Matt Davis. Krstich, a fifth-year senior who arrived on campus as a walk-on, came back for his final year specifically to play in this game. His father played at Navy, and father and son went to a Navy game just before his father died of a heart attack in 2007. Coach Chad Morris not only let him start, but appointed him as one of the team captains.

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CINCINNATI
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INSIDE SLANT
AAC division races heating up

The race for a spot in the American Athletic Conference championship game got a lot more interesting last weekend, as the West Division favorites separated themselves from the pack while the East Division leader failed in its own opportunity to do so.

Houston and Navy are on pace for a winner-take-all meeting at the end of the AAC season. The Cougars came back to knock off Memphis 35-34, while Navy blasted Southern Methodist 55-14.

Houston trailed Memphis 34-14 early in the fourth quarter, then scored the game’s final 21 points behind backup quarterback Kyle Postma. At 6-0 in the AAC, only a game next week against Connecticut stands between the Cougars and an 11-0 record heading into the team’s final week of the regular season.

“We’ll celebrate tonight, but it’s a workday tomorrow,” coach Tom Herman said. “We’ve got a UConn team that’s fresh and that’s coming off a bye week, and we have to make sure we’re prepared to go 1-0 next week.”

Navy had an easier time at home against SMU, and like the Cougars is 6-0 in the AAC. The Midshipmen also have the NCAA’s all-time rushing touchdown leader in Keenan Reynolds, who eclipsed Montee Ball with the first of his four rushing scores against the Mustangs.

The Midshipmen close the season away from home, travelling to Tulsa first. But regardless of how well Navy or Houston do this week, their meeting on Nov. 27 will decide the West Division champion, since the winner would at worst have the edge in the tiebreaker.

Meanwhile, Temple had the chance to end the suspense in the East long before the finale. The Owls entered the weekend with a two-game lead on second-place South Florida, and would have clinched the division had it knocked off the Bulls in the head-to-head matchup. Instead, USF used a 24-point second quarter to surge to a 31-10 halftime lead, and manhandled the Owls in a 44-23 victory.

“At the end of the day, they physically beat us up,” Temple coach Matt Rhule said. “I thought they just played a great, great game and we couldn’t match it.”

The Owls still have a one-game lead, but close the season against Memphis and Connecticut. If it loses one of those games, and USF wins out against Cincinnati and South Florida, the Bulls would take the tiebreaker and advance to the title game instead.

“We aren’t watching anybody. We only worry about the Bulls,” South Florida coach Willie Taggart said. “We have to take care of us. We will take care of us and none of that other stuff matters. We aren’t watching anybody but Cincinnati now.”

CENTRAL FLORIDA (0-10, 0-6)

Game: Bye.

Next: vs. East Carolina, Nov. 19

CINCINNATI (6-4, 4-2)

Game: Cincinnati 49, Tulsa 38. The Bearcats scored 21 consecutive points in the second half to overcome a 24-21 deficit and secure bowl eligibility. Gunner Kiel threw for 386 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Takeaway: The victory means that Cincinnati will go to a bowl game for the fifth year in a row. That’s the longest such streak in school history — the longest such streak entering this season was four.

Next: at South Florida, Nov. 20.

CONNECTICUT (5-5, 3-3)

Game: Bye

Next: vs. Houston, Nov. 21.

EAST CAROLINA (4-6, 2-4)

Game: Bye

Next: at Central Florida, Nov. 19.

HOUSTON (10-0, 6-0)

Game: Houston 35, Memphis 34. Playing without injured quarterback Greg Ward Jr. in the second half, the Cougars still came back from a 34-14 deficit with three fourth-quarter touchdowns to stun Memphis. Backup quarterback Kyle Postma ran seven yards for the go-ahead score with 1:27 to play.

Takeaway: Ward isn’t expected to have suffered a serious injury, but Postma inspired confidence that the season won’t be lost if he has to sit a week. He completed 21 of his 33 pass attempts for 236 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception.

Next: at Connecticut, Nov. 21.

MEMPHIS (9-1, 4-2)

Game: Houston 35, Memphis 34. Memphis dominated most of the game, but surrendered the game’s final three touchdowns in a stunning defeat at Houston. Two fourth-quarter turnovers helped doom the Tigers, who were eliminated from AAC championship contention with the loss.

Takeaway: Memphis has moved the ball well all season, but the offense sputtered late. Its last four drives ended in a fumble, an interception, a three-and-out and a short drive that ended with a missed 48-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds.

Next: at Temple, Nov. 21.

NAVY (9-1, 6-0)

Game: Navy 55, Southern Methodist 14. Keenan Reynolds ran into the record books, setting the NCAA record for career rushing touchdowns in blowing out SMU. Reynolds entered the week tied with Montee Ball at 77 rushing scores, but picked up four in a dominating performance against the Mustangs.

Takeaway: Navy finished 403 yards on the ground, again running an opponent ragged with the triple option. He also threw for a touchdown on a 79-yard pass to keep his team in contention for an AAC championship.

Next: at Tulsa, Nov. 21.

SOUTHERN METHODIST (1-9, 0-6)

Game: Navy 55, Southern Methodist 14. The Mustangs had no answers for the Navy triple option in getting blasted by the Midshipmen on the road. SMU allowed 403 rushing yards, and Navy went 4-for-4 on fourth down conversion attempts.

Takeaway: SMU needed a quick start to build momentum and keep Navy’s offense off the field. Instead, it began the game with three consecutive three-and-outs, and the contest was over early. SMU trailed 28-0 midway through the second quarter.

Next: vs. Tulane, Nov. 21.

SOUTH FLORIDA (6-4, 4-2)

Game: South Florida 44, Temple 23. Marlon Mack ran for 230 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 21 carries as the Bulls manhandled No. 21 Temple. South Florida led 31-10 by halftime, and the Owls never got closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

Takeaway: The Bulls became bowl-eligible with the victory. If it gets selected, it would mark the first time since 2010 that USF reaches the postseason. South Florida can also win a berth in the AAC title game if it wins out and Temple drops one of its next two games.

Next: vs. Cincinnati, Nov. 20.

TEMPLE (8-2, 5-1)

Game: South Florida 44, Temple 23. The Owls missed out on a chance to lock up a spot in the AAC championship game with another disappointing defensive effort against the Bulls. Temple gave up 556 yards of total offense to USF.

Takeaway: Temple had averaged allowing just 15.8 points per game entering last week’s matchup with SMU, but now has given up 84 over the past two weeks. The Owls trailed 31-10 at halftime and allowed Marlon Mack to rush for 230 yards.

Next: vs. Memphis, Nov. 21.

TULANE (3-7, 1-5)

Game: Tulane 34, Army 31. Anthony DiRocco kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired to allow the Green Wave to escape with a three-point victory at home. Army had just tied the game with two minutes remaining.

Takeaway: Curtis Johnson’s team had a hard time dealing with success in this one. Tulane led 28-7 in the second quarter, but gave up two quick touchdowns before the half to let the Cadets off the hook. It did so again when it allowed Army to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but Tanner Lee led the team on a 59-yard drive that led DiRocco’s winning kick.

Next: at Southern Methodist, Nov. 21.

TULSA (5-5, 2-4)

Game: Cincinnati 49, Tulsa 38. The Golden Hurricane came through on the offensive end, but had no answers for the Bearcats on the other side of the ball and fell in a shootout on the road. Dane Evans threw for 375 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Takeaway: Tulsa led 24-21 in the third quarter, but Cincinnati scored three touchdowns in a row to secure the victory. Dave Evans continues to put up numbers, however, throwing for more than 3,000 yards for the second time in a Tulsa uniform.

Next: vs. Navy, Nov. 21.

NOTES, QUOTES

–Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter on Saturday, and didn’t return to the field. While he was undergoing X-rays to assess the damage, the immediate reaction from coach Tom Herman was that the injury didn’t appear to be serious and thathe could have returned to the game if needed.

But in the meantime, Ward’s absence allowed backup Kyle Postma a chance to be the hero, and to write another chapter in his unique journey to reach this position.

Postma began his Houston career as a walk-on in 2013. He left for Trinity Valley Community College in 2014 for an opportunity to play quarterback, then returned to the school at the start of the 2015 campaign. He started off as the third string quarterback, moved to wide receiver, and then returned to being a full-time quarterback when Adam Schulz was lost for the season with a knee injury.

“Making the transition to [junior college], I did that because I felt like I wanted to be able to play wherever I was. My first year here I didn’t feel like I was going to have the opportunity to play, so I just went the juco route,” Postma said. “That’s obviously not a very fun way. There’s not much to do there but play football, which is good.”

He’s spent the past month waiting his turn behind Ward. When Ward went down on Saturday, Postma took full advantage, leading his team on a 21-point fourth quarter and a victory over Memphis.

“He’s a pretty unflappable kid,” coach Tom Herman said. “We talk about unit pride and competitive focus, meaning when your number is called, you’re ready, and you re focused at all times, and you prepare when your number is called. You won’t let your brothers down. He had a great week of preparation. He’s had a great season of preparation. I don’t think anyone batted an eye when we put him in the game.

–South Florida has played the past month and a half with almost no margin for error. With three losses in its first four games, including a 24-17 loss to Memphis in conference play, the Bulls were uncomfortably close to facing another year as an afterthought in the AAC.

But the Bulls have been a different team over the past six games, with the only loss in that period being a 29-17 loss at a Navy team that’s undefeated in league play. It blew out Syracuse, knocked off East Carolina on the road, and on Saturday kept itself in the race for the AAC crown with 44-23 victory over Temple.

Had USF lost to the Owls, it would have been eliminated from the title race. But by knocking off the Owls, South Florida is one game in back of Temple with two to play, and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

That success doesn’t surprise coach Willie Taggart.

“Winning, going bowling, and all those things — that was something we wanted from the beginning,” Taggart said. “When I came here, my goal was to win multiple championships and win in a first class manner. We’re not there yet, but we are climbing.”

At the very least, South Florida is all but assured of a bowl bid, which would mark the team’s first postseason appearance since the 2010 Meineke Car Care Bowl.

“Every week, I’ve been telling the seniors, some guys that have been here longer than me, they’ve never had a bowl game,” quarterback Quinton Flowers said. “That’s something I stress to them, and I kind of promised them. That’s why I go out there and fight every week, and keep fighting, even if we’re down, even if I know we’re about to lose, I keep fighting. That’s what I told those guys, ‘let’s get you a bowl ring,’ because I know if I was a senior, I would want it.”

–Navy’s Keenan Reynolds finally made it official. He’s the all-time leader in rushing touchdowns in the NCAA FBS subdivision.

With Montee Ball’s record of 77 career scores long in sight, the entire season has been a countdown. One by one, score by score, Reynolds has closed in on the mark.

More importantly, while he’s done so, Navy has been closing in on a conference title in its first season as anything but a football independent. The Midshipmen are 9-1, 6-0 in AAC play, and control their own destiny. If Navy earns a win against Houston in two weeks, it will play in the conference championship game.

The personal goal was reached on Saturday. Reynolds’ first touchdown was his 78th, giving him sole possession of the record. He scored three more against the Mustangs, giving him 81 as a collegiate.

Of course, both player and team still have milestones ahead. Reynolds is still three rushing scores away from the overall NCAA record, held by former Georgia Southern tailback Adrian Peterson with 84. And the Midshipmen have the AAC race and the annual meeting with Army to look forward to. So just because Reynolds and Navy have already exceeded expectations doesn’t mean that there isn’t a lot more ahead from the program this season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “If I’ve said it once, I ve said it a thousand times, I don t understand the college football rankings and why they have them so early, because there’s so much football left to be played. If you get caught up in that, then you’re probably doing yourself a disservice as a team. We don’t care. We don’t talk about them. They don’t matter to us, because we know that if we win our conference championship, then we’re going to play in a New Year’s Day bowl game.” — Houston coach Tom Herman.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

FIVE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS FROM WEEK 10 IN THE AAC:

1. Greg Ward Jr. left Houston’s game with an injury to his left ankle. While the coaching staff said it didn’t appear to be serious, he was getting it X-rayed, and his status for this weekend will be based on his health and his ability to practice.

2. Temple may be reeling after back-to-back losses, but the Owls still control their own destiny. With wins against Memphis and Connecticut, Temple wins the East Division and a berth in the AAC championship game. But with 953 yards allowed over the past two weeks, the Owls have some work to do in order to make that happen.

3. By contrast, Cincinnati still has a mathematical chance at winning the East Division — but the preseason pick needs quite a lot of help. Most scenarios involve the Bearcats winning a three-way or four-way tiebreaker based on a having a better record in the AAC East Division.

4. South Florida’s seniors will get to play in the first bowl game in their college careers, because they did something else no team in the past four years have done at USF — beat a ranked team. The Bulls victory over Temple was the first for the Bulls over a ranked team since it knocked off Notre Dame to open the 2011 season.

5. Garrett Krstich got the start at quarterback against Navy for Southern Methodist, and it wasn’t because the coaching staff was unhappy with starter Matt Davis. Krstich, a fifth-year senior who arrived on campus as a walk-on, came back for his final year specifically to play in this game. His father played at Navy, and father and son went to a Navy game just before his father died of a heart attack in 2007. Coach Chad Morris not only let him start, but appointed him as one of the team captains.

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