American Notebook: Tulane title bound, Alamodome magic fades, ECU and USF dominate

The American Conference has been at the forefront of the college football news cycle all week but not necessarily for on-the-field matters. The league saw four of its premier head coaches accept jobs at other institutions, creating a slew of vacancies at the top of the standings.

However, there were still games played Saturday. The American showcased all 14 of its teams in conference matchups to conclude the regular season. Six teams officially concluded their 2025 campaigns, failing to meet the 6-win threshold for bowl eligibility. The other eight have at least one game remaining, with Tulane and North Texas representing the conference in Friday’s upcoming championship game.

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Here was the Week 14 American scoreboard:

We previously reflected on the Thursday and Friday results. Now, let’s review what transpired Saturday in the American:

Tulane clinches 4th-straight title game

The Tulane Green Wave are the standard of the American Conference. The program was never in the same area code as the American contenders from 2014-21, but now the Green Wave are the juggernaut other programs aspire to be. Tulane secured its fourth-straight American Championship Game appearance on Saturday, shutting out Charlotte in 27-0 fashion.

Tulane is the first team to ever qualify for four-straight American title games, breaking the previous record of three set by 2017-19 Memphis and 2019-21 Cincinnati. The Green Wave have done it under two different head coaches too, with Willie Fritz earning the bids in 2022 and 2023 and Jon Sumrall following up with appearances in 2024 and 2025. Tulane will face its fourth different title game opponent, taking on former American programs UCF and SMU in 2022 and 2023 and current conference foes Army and North Texas in 2024 and 2025. For the third time in four years, Tulane secured hosting duties and will welcome North Texas to New Orleans on Friday, Dec. 5.

Army overcomes Alamodome magic for bowl

The building addressed at 100 Montana Street, San Antonio, TX is a mysterious place. Constructed in 1993 to lure an NFL team to the city, the Alamodome eventually became home to the UTSA Roadrunners football program in the early 2010s. In the 2020s, it turned into a sanctuary which head coach Jeff Traylor previously likened to the Tree of Life from the Avatar movies.

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UTSA simply doesn’t lose in the Alamodome. Heading into Week 14, the Roadrunners were 25-0 against conference opponents in the building under Traylor, claiming the 2021 and 2022 CUSA Championships in the venue, as well as notable 2025 upsets over Tulane and East Carolina. But on Saturday, Army finally provided the first blemish on that record. The Black Knights, which won a September 2023 non-conference game at the Alamodome (now UTSA’s third-most recent home loss) triumphed in the building once again. San Antonio is known as the Military City, and Army thrived in its home away from home.

UTSA stormed back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Cale Hellums rallied his troops and threw a go-ahead touchdown with 2:49 remaining to hand the Black Knights a 27-24 lead. Army then sealed the game with a fourth down stop before midfield, clinching its sixth win of the season — extending its streak to six-straight 6+ win campaigns. The Black Knights will go bowling, but first, they’ll await their annual rivalry game vs. Navy on Dec. 13.

East Carolina wins a game in 30 minutes

What if I told you that East Carolina and Florida Atlantic combined for zero points in the second half…? And East Carolina still won by 39 points.

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That’s how dominant the Pirates were in Boca Raton on Saturday afternoon. ECU generated touchdowns on six of its seven first half possessions in order to put the game away before the FAU marching band performed its halftime routine. ECU quarterback Katin Houser fired for 258 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for a season-high 67 yards, while longtime Pirate running back Marlon Gunn Jr. shattered his career-best with 130 rushing yards. The Zion Wilson-led ECU defense also proved incredibly overwhelming to Florida Atlantic, and the Pirates forced five turnovers in the lopsided victory — three interceptions and a fumble.

FAU nearly punched in its lone touchdown in the third quarter on an 11-play drive that consumed 13:47 of clock, but a mishandled read option caused a fumble, and ECU free safety Ja’Marley Riddle scooped it up. The Pirates spoiled the Owls’ senior day, holding a fourth different opponent to six points or fewer this season. At 6-2 in conference play in Blake Harrell’s first year as the full-time head coach, ECU reset its single season record for conference wins during its 12-year stint in the American.

South Florida dominates to end Golesh era

South Florida won nine games this season, signifying its winningest campaign since 2017. Of the Bulls nine wins, eight were by at least 27 points, and none were more dominant than the senior day finale vs. Rice. USF completely throttled the Owls 52-3 to deny them of bowl eligibility and conclude the regular season on a high note.

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South Florida attained 48+ points for the seventh time this season, utilizing its high-flying offense to drop 553 yards on the Rice defense. Byrum Brown exuded his dual-threat capabilities with 275 passing yards, 104 rushing yards, and five total touchdowns, while wide receiver Keshaun Singleton contributed 125 yards and two touchdown catches in the dominant victory — the most lopsided American Conference matchup of 2025. Less than 24 hours after the result solidified on the Raymond James Stadium scoreboard, the game turned out to be Alex Golesh’s last at South Florida, effectively concluding a three-year tenure at 23-15. Defensive line coach Kevin Patrick will serve as the interim as USF strives for a 10th win in Bowl Season.

UAB concludes difficult season on high note

The 2025 UAB Blazers’ season featured plenty of low points. Most notably, one UAB offensive lineman allegedly stabbed two teammates hours prior to the team’s senior day matchup vs. South Florida. Additionally, third-year head coach Trent Dilfer was the lone American head coach fired midseason, causing Alex Mortensen to rally the troops as an interim head coach.

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Heading into the season finale at Tulsa, UAB lost seven of its last eight, with a stunning upset over a then-ranked Memphis team serving as its sole victory over that stretch. But the Blazers set aside their hardships and overcame Tulsa to finish 2025 in positive fashion. Fittingly, it was a group of seniors leading the way in their final collegiate game. Quarterback Jon Kitna registered an efficient 166 yards and two touchdowns on a 14-of-17 showing, while Jevon Jackson provided 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead the offense to 31 points. Defensively, cornerback T’sai McDonald stalled a third quarter Tulsa drive with a 50-yard interception return for another spectacular senior sendoff.

UAB won the game on a Jackson rushing touchdown with 3:40 remaining, while its defense broke up Tulsa’s end zone attempt with under a minute left. The Blazers and Golden Hurricane concluded 2025 with identical 4-8 records, marking the third year in a row they’ve boasted matching records (both 4-8 in 2023 and 3-9 in 2024).