Week 3 did not exactly flatter the American Conference. Across nine non-conference games against FBS opponents, the league went 2-7, and both wins came by a single score.
Florida Atlantic survived FIU in the Shula Bowl, 16-10, thanks to a defense that kept showing up when it mattered. East Carolina also found a way, getting its first win of the season on the road at Old Dominion.
But there was plenty of frustration elsewhere: North Texas couldn’t build on its Week 2 momentum in a shootout loss at Texas State, Temple let a 14-point lead slip away in the final 70 seconds, and Charlotte fought back late after a weather delay at Appalachian State but still came up short.
For East Carolina, the breakthrough was about more than just avoiding an 0-3 start. The Pirates entered 2026 with serious expectations after Blake Harrell went 14-5 in his first 19 games, and the roster turnover was massive after losing all but three primary starters from the 2025 team that went 9-4.
ECU tried to patch the holes with transfer help and a revamped staff built around experienced American Conference coordinators. That makeover looked shaky immediately.
The Pirates were blown out 48-10 at Alabama, where they struggled to contain the quarterback and had trouble tackling behind the line of scrimmage. Offensively, they managed only 162 yards and five first downs.
A return home against Appalachian State didn’t solve anything, either, as ECU converted just 2-of-13 third downs in a 27-24 loss.
Saturday at Old Dominion looked like it might bring more of the same. In Norfolk, the Monarchs ripped off 17 unanswered points in a 5:04 stretch of the second quarter and built a 10-point lead.
This time, though, ECU answered. The Pirates tied it in the third quarter on a 67-yard Ayden Duncanson pick-six, then grabbed the lead for good with a fourth-quarter field goal.
It still wasn’t clean football - ECU went 11-of-21 passing for 103 yards, converted just 3-of-15 on third and fourth down, and was outgained on the ground - but after everything that had gone wrong, the Pirates finally saw the ball bounce their way.
UTSA, meanwhile, may have left Austin without a win, but the defense gave the Roadrunners something to build on. This was the first time in program history they tested themselves against the No. 1 team in the country, and the setting only added to the challenge: a trip down I-35 to face Texas after the Longhorns’ emotional comeback over Ohio State.
The offense never found much of a rhythm, finishing with 142 total yards and averaging 3.0 per pass and 3.0 per rush. UTSA also never produced a play longer than 13 yards.
But the defense made Texas work for everything in a 30-6 loss. The Longhorns punted three times, turned it over on downs twice, and settled for three field goal attempts.
Arch Manning finished 17-of-33, and UTSA’s secondary, with Asaad Chapman among the standouts, held up well in coverage. Inside linebacker Brandon Tucker was everywhere, posting 11 stops and 1.5 tackles for loss.
The Roadrunners also showed the same kind of defensive fight a week earlier when they held Texas State to 26 points. UTSA has had enough offense for years; this time, the early evidence points to a defense that might finally change the team’s ceiling.
Tulane’s Week 3 loss at Kansas State was a different kind of warning sign. The Green Wave built their recent American Conference run on being the tougher team in the trenches, and that formula carried them to four straight American Championship Game appearances.
Even in last year’s title game, when North Texas had the edge at the skill positions, Tulane’s physicality up front decided the day in a 34-21 win that sent the Green Wave to the College Football Playoff. But this offseason stripped away a huge chunk of that foundation.
Tulane lost four of five starting offensive linemen, including Shadre Hurst and Derrick Graham, and every defensive line starter, including Santana Hopper and Tre’von McAlpine.
Against Kansas State, those losses showed. The Wildcats recorded six sacks and 12 tackles for loss, while Tulane failed to register a sack on defense.
Kansas State also controlled the line on the ground, with quarterback Avery Johnson running for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Tulane still has time before its Oct. 10 conference opener, but the path back to another American Championship Game runs through both lines of scrimmage.
Right now, those areas are the biggest question marks on the roster.
In Other News...
Alabama Just Got A Troubling Roster Update Fans Didnt Expect
Alabamas roster has taken a quieter turn than fans were expecting, with head coach Kalen DeBoer confirming that offensive lineman Chris Booker is no longer with the Crimson Tide. DeBoer did not offer a specific reason for Bookers departure, leaving one more unanswered question for a team that has been managing its depth as the season moves along.
There was at least some better news on the injury front. Linebacker Cayden Jones is out for the season with an undisclosed injury, but running back AK Dear and wide receiver Noah Rogers are expected to be available after working back from injuries. For Alabama, the bigger picture now is how quickly the lineup can settle again after another unexpected shift. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Just Got A Clearer SEC Warning Before Week 4
Week 3 across the SEC offered another reminder that the leagues hierarchy is still taking shape, and Alabama is heading into Week 4 with the standings conversation getting sharper by the day. Ole Miss and LSU delivered one of the weekends most watched conference matchups, while teams around the league kept shuffling the picture through a mix of league and nonconference results.
The updated power rankings reflect that kind of volatility, with wins and losses already forcing a fresh look at Arkansas, South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Florida and Texas A&M. For Alabama, the takeaway is less about where everyone sits today than how quickly the margin for error can change once the next round of SEC games arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Enters SEC Play With A Problem DeBoer Must Fix Fast
Alabama is 3-0 and fresh off a 50-36 win over Florida State, but the unbeaten start did not erase the issues that have shown up early in games. As SEC play begins, Kalen DeBoer, Ryan Grubb and Kane Wommack spent part of their press conference talking through the slow starts, the need for continued player development and the areas that still need tightening up, with the defense drawing particular attention.
South Carolina is next, and the tone around Tuscaloosa was less about celebrating the record than about making sure Alabama plays cleaner when the games get harder. DeBoer and his coordinators also fielded questions about the status of key players, a reminder that September momentum only matters if the Tide can carry it into the conference schedule with the sort of urgency this team has not always shown early. [Read more 🡒]