A Look At The AAC

UH fought hard and came up short; seven AAC teams are bowl eligible now

UH fought hard and came up short; seven AAC teams are bowl eligible now
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We've come to the end of the road in the AAC regular season. It's been quite the ride. We've seen old powers return to form, and newcomers show promise, while some has fallen from grace. Here's my take on Week 14 in the AAC:

UH failed to stop Navy; future looks promising

The Coogs lost to the Midshipmen 56-41. This game reminded me of a boxing or MMA match in which one fighter was always a step ahead of the other. Just when the Coogs would land a nice combo, the Midshipmen would counter with something more fierce. Though they ended this season with a 4-8 record in Dana Holgorsen's first year bcack as head coach, you can see the promise this team has moving forward. There's some talent on this team that'll be returning, plus there's more talent coming in via transfer and new recruits. Either way, I see Holgorsen's vision for this program and love what's coming. When you remodel an existing home, there's a period of ugliness it goes through. You have to tear stuff out, rebuild, and redo before it can be beautiful again. Holgorsen is doing just that. This season wasn't a homecoming queen. It was more like the awkward freshman who is present at all events and functions, but chills on the perimeter. However, that same awkward kid blossoms into something so beautiful after some fine tuning and seasoning, nobody thought it was possible in that freshman year. Give it some time Coog fans. I think this is the start of something beautiful.

Other Key Results

#18 Memphis 34, #19 Cincinnati 24: These two teams will play next week in a rematch for the AAC title game and a shot at the top Group of Five school for a possible New Years Six bowl birth.

SMU 37, Tulane 20: The Mustangs continued to roll as the Green Wave continued to slide. Although Tulane is bowl eligible with a 6-6 record, I doubt they make a bowl game unless there's a shortage of teams eligible. Meanwhile, SMU has made its case for a decent bowl with their 10-2 record.

UCF 34, USF 7: This game is only a talking point because it led to the firing of USF coach Charlie Strong. The Golden Knights have been on a roll even after Scott Frost left and McKenzie Hilton suffered a career-threatening injury. Strong is best served as a defensive coordinator. Here's to hoping he gets another job because he's a good dude by all acounts.

Stars Of The Week

Damonte Croxie, WR, Memphis: With six catches for 145 yards and a touchdown, Croxie accounted for 40% of the receptions, 62% of the receiving yards, and half of the receiving touchdowns for the Tigers.

Clayton Tune, QB, UH: The presumed backup next season for D'Eriq King went 23/35 for 393 yards and four touchdowns against Navy in a loss. If King decides to leave for greener pastures (something I don't see happening), the program is in good hands with Tune.

Jamale Carothers, RB, Navy: With 188 yards on just 18 carries, Carothers had a helluva game. His five touchdowns were more of a wow factor than his 10+ yards per carry average.

Games To Watch This Week

#20 Cincinnati vs #17 Memphis: The AAC Championship game will determine if one of these schools will possibly get a New Years Six bowl game. I expwct another good game, but the same result as the game they just played this past week.

Army @ Navy: This is one of the best and most interesting rivalry games in college football. The pagentry and tradition that surrounds it are unmatched. It's the most Merica thing outside of wearing a bald eagle with stars and stripes shirt.

Players To Watch This Week

Malcolm Perry, Navy: I can see a big game coming from Perry since Carothers was the one to get the shine vs UH. Rivalry games seem to bring out the best in top players.

Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis: While he had a decent game against Cincy last week, it wasn't his best. You can bet he's chomping at the bit to show what he can do this week in their rematch.

Brady White, Memphis: If Gainwell and the run game don't get the Tigers going, look for White and the pass game to take over to propel the Tigers to an AAC title.

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The Jazz host the Rockets on Thursday night. Photo by David Berding/Getty Images.

The Houston Rockets, riding a three-game road winning streak, head to Salt Lake City on Thursday night to take on the Utah Jazz. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. EDT.

Team outlook

Houston (47-26) sits second in the Western Conference and has been dominant in recent weeks, winning nine of its last 10 games. The Rockets have thrived in blowout situations, going 21-9 in games decided by 10 or more points.

Utah (16-57) has endured a rough season, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. The Jazz have lost nine of their last 10 and are just 7-39 against conference opponents. Despite their struggles, they remain a strong team on the offensive glass, ranking sixth in the West with 11.9 offensive rebounds per game, led by Walker Kessler’s 4.6 per contest.

Key matchups

Kessler has been a bright spot for the Jazz, averaging 11.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. Collin Sexton has also stepped up recently, averaging 14.1 points over the last 10 games.

For Houston, Alperen Sengun continues to shine with averages of 19 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. Dillon Brooks has also been on a tear, hitting 3.1 three-pointers per game in his last 10 contests.

By the numbers

  • The Jazz average 113.6 points per game but give up 120.1, a troubling disparity.
  • Houston allows just 108.8 points per game in its last 10 contests, a major reason for its recent dominance.
  • Utah’s 13.9 made three-pointers per game could be a factor against a Rockets defense that allows 12.1 per contest.

Injury report

The Jazz will be without several key players, including Lauri Markkanen (illness), John Collins (ankle), Taylor Hendricks (fibula), and Jordan Clarkson (foot).

The Rockets list Amen Thompson as day-to-day (ankle), while Reed Sheppard is out with a thumb injury.

With momentum firmly on their side, the Rockets will look to keep rolling and take care of business against a short-handed Jazz squad.


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