After losing 49-7 to Cincinnati last week, UConn checks in last once again in the American Athletic Conference power rankings, as voted on by local beat writers.
UCF remains at the top of the poll, followed by USF and Houston. UConn's next opponent, Memphis, dropped from No. 5 to No. 9 following a loss to Tulane.
Trajectory: Surging. Quarterback McKenzie Milton combined for six total touchdowns for the second consecutive week as UCF extended the nation's longest winning streak to 17 games, both a school and conference record. Tailback Adrian Killins had three catches for a career-high 140 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown.
Did you know?: The Knights recorded a takeaway in their 23rd consecutive game going back to 2016.
Did you know?: The Bulls have won their last seven games in which they've had more than a week to prepare (including four under Charlie Strong).
Did you know?: This November is the 50-year anniversary of Houston's 100-6 win over Tulsa.
Trajectory: Surging. In its best performance of Willie Fritz's three-year tenure, Tulane rocked Memphis 40-24 and held the Tigers to their lowest yardage total (277) since the Birmingham Bowl in 2015. Translating that performance on the road against undefeated Cincinnati will be tricky, but the Green Wave enter the game with confidence.
Did you know?: The combined record of Tulane's first five opponents is 17-7 while Cincinnati's foes are 6-17.
Trajectory: Steady. Navy's first bye of the season came at an opportune time as numerous players were banged up while midshipmen at the academy were going through six-week exams. Starting quarterback Malcolm Perry suffered a slight concussion during the loss to SMU, but was cleared to resume practice last week. Wide receiver-quarterback Zach Abey remains questionable with a leg injury. Offensive tackle Jake Hawk, outside linebacker Nizaire Cromartie and safety Jake Springer were players who left the SMU game with minor injuries and benefited from the extra time to heal.
Did you know?: Navy's 31-30 loss to SMU marked the first time it went to overtime as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Midshipmen last went to extra session on Nov. 22, 2013, against San Jose State, a 58-52 victory in triple-overtime.
Did you know?: Temple has scored a non-offensive touchdown in each game this year.
Last week: defeated Houston Baptist, 63-27.
Trajectory: Surging. The surprising, first-place Mustangs face a third top-20 team this season in No. 12 UCF. SMU is hoping to get back three members of the secondary from injuries – safety Patrick Nelson and cornerbacks Cole Sterns and Eric Sutton – as it prepares for McKenzie Milton and the Knights' high-powered offense.
Did you know?: The 653 yards against Houston Baptist rank second in school history.
Trajectory: Skidding. Little went right for Memphis in its first loss to Tulane since 2000. The offense only managed 277 total yards, Darrell Henderson scored twice but was held to 51 rushing yards, and the defense allowed Tulane to run wild for 318 rushing yards and 496 total yards. A bright spot was linebacker Bryce Huff tying the AAC single-game record with five tackles for loss.
Did you know?: Memphis and UConn are meeting on Oct. 6 for the second consecutive year. The Tigers scored 70 in last year's meeting.
Last week: defeated Old Dominion, 37-35.
Did you know?: ECU had the AAC defensive (Nate Harvey) and special teams (Jake Verity) players of the week.
Trajectory: Steady. The Hurricane used its open date to re-examine its quarterback situation, opening the competition again following Luke Skipper's five-turnover outing at Temple. A front-runner this time around is Seth Boomer, a redshirt freshman who has not appeared in a game.
Did you know?: Tulsa's defense is allowing 233.5 fewer yards per game this season compared to 2017.
Trajectory: Skidding. Just when you think things can't get uglier for UConn, the Huskies lose by six touchdowns in a game that some observers thought could be close. UConn has now been outscored 218-52 by FBS opponents.