A trophy may not be on the line, but UCF and Houston have played some memorable games as conference rivals.
UCF leads the all-time series 5-2, which began in 2005 when the Knights joined Conference USA and has continued as both teams moved into the American in 2013. Each of those five wins holds some sort of special significance if you're a UCF fan.
In 2005, UCF clinched bowl eligibility in a thrilling 31-29 victory at the Citrus Bowl. As the Cougars were driving in what would be their final possession, UH quarterback Kevin Kolb was sacked by UCF defensive end Paul Carrington on fourth down near midfield, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Afterward, Kolb said the stadium was as loud of an atmosphere as he ever played in.
Four years later in 2009, Houston returned to Orlando and this time as a nationally ranked team. The No. 12 Cougars and their high-powered offense led by quarterback Case Keenum looked to be well on their way after racing out to an early 17-3 lead. But UCF slowly chipped away and stifled their offense after that, ultimately flipping the script and taking a 37-20 lead before Keenum threw two late touchdown passes (followed by two onside kicks) in an attempt for comeback. UCF held on for a 37-32 win, which was the Knights' first against a ranked opponent. Afterward, UCF players showered defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable with Powerade.
While the 2009 game was UCF's first win against a ranked opponent, it was the 2010 victory at Houston that propelled the Knights into the top 25 for the first time. Playing in front of a national Friday night TV audience, true freshman quarterback Jeff Godfrey had a huge game, completing 15-of-19 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 105 additional yards and another score. Bruce Miller also had an interception return for touchdown in the 40-33 victory. UCF was rewarded for their efforts with a No. 23 (coaches) and No. 25 (AP) ranking the following Sunday.
Big-time defensive plays told the story in UCF's wins against Houston in 2013 and 2014.
Despite some sloppy offensive play and three turnovers, the Knights held on for a 19-14 win in 2013 which kept them on the path for the conference championship and BCS bowl berth. Houston drove all the way to the 10-yard line in the final minute, but a pair of John O'Korn passes were off the mark.
Then in a similarly low-scoring game in 2014, UCF safety Brandon Alexander stripped the ball away from Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. as he was diving for what would have been the go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the game, preserving a 17-12 victory.
Houston got a little payback with a 59-10 victory during UCF's winless campaign last season, but if previous history is any indication Saturday should be a whale of a game.
Here's a look at every game involving the American. Picks made are head-to-head and not factoring in the spread.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
No. 22 Navy (5-1, 4-0 AAC) at USF (6-2, 3-1 AAC)
7 p.m., ESPN2
The Buzz: Key game for USF if they hope to remain alive for the East Division. Navy is on the other side, but the Bulls likely can't afford a second loss considering Temple would hold a tiebreaker. The two teams met last year in Annapolis with Navy winning 29-17. This year's Navy team has surpassed all expectations in the post-Keenan Reynolds era, ranked No. 22 in both polls with a 5-1 overall record and 4-1 mark in the American. They've already defeated Houston and Memphis, the two teams expected to be at the top of the West Division. The Midshipmen option attack is averaging 293.2 rushing yards per game, fourth in the nation. USF had won eight consecutive AAC games, dating back to last year, before last week's 46-30 loss at Temple. The Bulls have some of the nation's best offensive numbers, ranked 11th in scoring offense (42.4 ppg) and 12th in rushing (255.5 ypg).
The Line: USF by 6.5
The Pick: Navy
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29
UCF (4-3, 2-1 AAC) at Houston (6-2, 3-2 AAC)
12 noon, ESPNU
The Buzz: Houston, not too long ago a national media darling with talk of running the table and breaking into the College Football Playoff, has lost two of their last three games. The Cougars were stunned in a 38-16 loss at SMU last week after nearly losing a week earlier against Tulsa. If the losses weren't bad enough, the outside noise continues to build as a media report earlier this week linked UH coach Tom Herman to the not-yet-vacant Texas job. Slump or not, Houston still features some outstanding players in QB Greg Ward Jr., RB Duke Catalon and DT Ed Oliver.
UCF meanwhile won a big swing game at UConn last week, gutting out a 24-16 victory in cold and rainy Hartford. It was a nice bounce back from the previous week when UCF saw Temple take the lead and the game on a pass play with one second left on the clock. Those Owls now have control of the East Division after following that up with a win against USF, but UCF can keep in range as long as they keep winning. QB McKenzie Milton played his best game at UConn, passing for a season-high 300-plus yards.
The Line: Houston by 9.5
The Pick: UCF
UConn (3-5, 1-4 AAC) at East Carolina (2-5, 0-3 AAC)
12 noon, ESPNews
The Buzz: This amounts to a must-win game for both teams if they want to keep bowl hopes alive as neither can afford a sixth loss, which of course means the loser would have to win out. The third all-time meeting, each team has won previous games on their home field. Fun Fact, courtesy of AAC Media Relations: UConn is 3-0 when they hold an opponent to 21 points or fewer and 0-5 when their opponent scores 22 or more. UCF won last week's game, 24-16, which sent UConn coach Bob Diaco into a frenzy after the Knights snubbed his ConFLiCT Trophy. WR Noel Thomas is fourth nationally in receptions per game (9.5) but he dropped a pass late that could have set the Huskies up for a potential tie.
ECU began the season 2-0 which included a win against NC State, but has since dropped five straight to South Carolina, Virginia Tech, UCF, USF and Cincinnati. The Pirates lean on the passing game and the numbers reflect it, ranked fifth nationally in passing yards per game (364.4 ypg) and are ninth in total offense (513.7 ypg). WR Zay Jones leads the nation with 13.6 catches per game and already has accumulated 95 receptions for 909 yards and three touchdowns.
The Line: ECU by 7
The Pick: UConn
Cincinnati (4-3, 1-3 AAC) at Temple (5-3, 3-1 AAC)
3:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network
The Buzz: Cincinnati snapped a three-game AAC slide with a 31-19 win against ECU last week. Longtime Bearcats QB Gunner Kiel has reclaimed his starting position, passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns last week. UC's defense leads the nation with 14 interceptions.
A physical, ball-control team with a stingy defense, Temple is in the East Division driver's seat after their 46-30 win against USF as they now hold important tiebreakers against the other two one-loss teams in the division, UCF and the Bulls. Owls DE Hassan Reddick is a beast with a team-high 37 tackles, 6.5 sacks and 15.5 TFL.
The Line: Temple by 7
The Pick: Cincinnati
SMU (3-4, 1-2 AAC) at Tulane (3-4, 0-3 AAC)
4 p.m., ESPNews
The Buzz: SMU knocked Houston out of the AP Top 25 with a 38-16 home victory last week and Pony fans hope it's a corner-turning moment for second-year coach Chad Morris, as another win this week could put them into realistic contention to reach their first bowl game since 2012. SMU's defense was all over Houston QB Greg Ward Jr. last week, sacking him seven times.
Tulane has dropped two in a row to Memphis and Tulsa. Defense is their strength, even though the Green Wave gave up 50 points last week to the Golden Hurricane. They rank third in the AAC in total defense (358.6 ypg) and are fourth nationally in turnover margin (1.29 takeaways per game).
The Line: Tulane by 3
The Pick: SMU
Tulsa (5-2, 2-1 AAC) at Memphis (5-2, 2-1 AAC)
8 p.m., ESPNews
The Buzz: First it was Houston and now it's Navy grabbing all the attention in the West, but don't forget about Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane, who nearly beat the Cougars a couple weeks ago, are still very much in the race as long as they keep winning with a matchup looming with Navy in a couple more weeks. They've won four of their last five games, which includes overtime wins against Fresno State (2 OT) and SMU. RB D'Angelo Brewer leads the AAC in rushing with 114.7 ypg.
Like Houston, Memphis came into contact with the buzzsaw that is Navy last week, losing a 42-28 game in Annapolis. The Tigers have done just fine in the post-Paxton Lynch era as Riley Ferguson has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards already. Memphis is dealing with some off-the-field turmoil this week. Two players are suspended following an "altercation" with one of them apparently firing bullets into the other's car later in the evening. The fallout has been quick as three of their commits in the 2017 class promptly decommitted on Thursday.
The Line: Memphis by 6.5
The Pick: Tulsa
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