2016 American Athletic Conference football season

Sports season

2016 American Athletic Conference
football season

League| NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision)
Sport| Football
Duration| September 1, 2016
through January 2017
Number of teams| 12
TV partner(s)| ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and CBS Sports Network
2017 NFL Draft
Top draft pick| Haason Reddick (Temple)
Picked by| Arizona Cardinals, 13th overall
Regular season
Top scorer| Will Worth (150 points)
East champions| Temple
East runners-up| South Florida
West champions| Navy
West runners-up| Tulsa
The American Championship
Champions| Temple
Runners-up| Navy
Football seasons

← 2015

2017 →

2016 American Athletic Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |   | W |   | L |   |  |  |   | W |   | L |
East Division
Temple xy$  |   | 7  | – | 1  |   |  |  |   | 10  | – | 4  |
No. 19 South Florida x  |   | 7  | – | 1  |   |  |  |   | 11  | – | 2  |
UCF |   | 4  | – | 4  |   |  |  |   | 6  | – | 7  |
Cincinnati |   | 1  | – | 7  |   |  |  |   | 4  | – | 8  |
UConn |   | 1  | – | 7  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 9  |
East Carolina |   | 1  | – | 7  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 9  |
West Division
Navy xy  |   | 7  | – | 1  |   |  |  |   | 9  | – | 5  |
Tulsa |   | 6  | – | 2  |   |  |  |   | 10  | – | 3  |
Memphis |   | 5  | – | 3  |   |  |  |   | 8  | – | 5  |
Houston |   | 5  | – | 3  |   |  |  |   | 9  | – | 4  |
SMU |   | 3  | – | 5  |   |  |  |   | 5  | – | 7  |
Tulane |   | 1  | – | 7  |   |  |  |   | 4  | – | 8  |
Championship: Temple 34, Navy 10

* $ – Conference champion
* x – Division champion/co-champions
* y – Championship game participant

Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 American Athletic Conference football season was the 25th NCAA Division I FBS football season of the American Athletic Conference (The American). The season was the third since the breakup of the former Big East Conference, and the third season with the College Football Playoff in place. The American was considered a member of the "Group of Five" (G5) with Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference, and the Sun Belt Conference. Whereas under the previous system the champion of the conference was guaranteed an automatic berth to a BCS bowl game, the highest-ranked champion member of the G5 received a bid to one of the six major bowls.[1]

The American consisted of 12 members: Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UCF, UConn, Navy. In June 2015, the Collegiate Commissioner's Association announced that it would postpone final rankings until after the annual Army–Navy Game if Navy or Army are in contention for a spot in the semifinals or a New Years Six bowl. If Navy was the highest-ranked Group of 5 champion and loses to Army, it would be replaced by next highest-ranked Group of 5 champion in the New Years Six Bowl.[2]

In the 2016 season, the American had four new coaches. Willie Fritz, formerly the head coach at Georgia Southern, was hired by Tulane to replace Curtis Johnson. After beginning the 2013 season, Johnson lost 22 of his final 27 games against FBS opponents. He finished at Tulane with a 15–4 record through four full seasons. He compiled a 7–9 conference record in the C-USA (2012–2013), and a 3–13 conference record in the American Athletic Conference (2014–2015). On December 1, 2015, UCF hired Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost.[3] Frost replaced longtime UCF head coach George O'Leary and interim head coach Danny Barrett, who took over the Knights when O'Leary resigned following an 0–8 start. On December 3, 2015, Memphis hired Arizona State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Norvell, replacing Justin Fuente who took the job at Virginia Tech.[4] On December 13, 2015, East Carolina hired Duke (OC/QB) Scottie Montgomery.[5] replacing Ruffin McNeill who was relieved of his duties as ECU head coach after finishing the season with a record of 5–7.[6]

## American Athletic Conference Media Day

[edit]

The American Athletic Conference Media Day took place August 12 in Newport, Rhode Island.[7]

### Preseason poll

[edit]

East Division

* 1\. USF (15), 164 pts
* 2\. Temple (9), 144 pts
* 3\. Cincinnati (6), 130 pts
* 4\. UConn, 89 pts
* 5\. East Carolina, 55 pts
* 6\. UCF, 48 pts

West Division

* 1\. Houston (30), 180 pts
* 2\. Navy, 128 pts
* 3\. Memphis, 124 pts
* 4\. Tulsa, 92 pts
* 5\. SMU, 65 pts
* 6\. Tulane, 41 pts

|

* Predicted American Championship Game Winner: Houston (27) was picked to win the American Championship. Others receiving votes were USF (2), Temple (1)

## Head coaches

[edit]

East

* Tommy Tuberville, Cincinnati – 4th year
* Bob Diaco, Connecticut – 3rd year
* Scottie Montgomery, East Carolina – 1st year
* Willie Taggart, South Florida – 4th year
* Matt Rhule, Temple – 4th year
* Scott Frost, UCF – 1st year

West

* Tom Herman, Houston – 2nd year
* Mike Norvell, Memphis – 1st year
* Ken Niumatalolo, Navy – 9th year
* Chad Morris, SMU – 2nd year
* Willie Fritz, Tulane – 1st year
* Philip Montgomery, Tulsa – 2nd year

|

## Recruiting classes

[edit]

Rankings  Team  | ESPN[8] | Rivals[9] | Scout[10] | 24/7[11] | Signees

|
|
|
|
|

Cincinnati | 75  | 75  | 73  | 76  | 21
Connecticut | –  | –  | 101  | 98  | 16
East Carolina | –  | 81  | 88  | 77  | 22
Houston | 30  | 44  | 51  | 40  | 19
Memphis | 72  | 72  | 69  | 63  | 22
Navy | –  | –  | 98  | 83  | 36
SMU | 67  | 74  | 61  | 72  | 22
South Florida | 63  | 70  | 77  | 61  | 16
Temple | 59  | 59  | 76  | 57  | 26
Tulane | –  | 86  | 100  | 89  | 24
Tulsa | –  | 87  | 85  | 92  | 20
UCF | 66  | 58  | 74  | 66  | 20

## Rankings

[edit]

Main article: 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Legend   |   | Improvement in ranking

|
|

| Drop in ranking
| Not ranked previous week
| No change in ranking from previous week
RV  | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
| Pre | Wk
2 | Wk
3 | Wk
4 | Wk
5 | Wk
6 | Wk
7 | Wk
8 | Wk
9 | Wk
10 | Wk
11 | Wk
12 | Wk
13 | Wk
14 | Wk
15 | Final

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Cincinnati | AP  |  |  | RV  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Connecticut | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
East Carolina | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Houston | AP  | 15  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 6  | 13  | 11  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 18  | RV  | RV
C  | 13  | 7  | 7  | 7  | 7  | 5  | 12  | 11  | 24  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 21  | RV  | RV
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  | 20  | 24  |  |
Memphis | AP  |  |  |  |  | RV  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  | RV  |  |  | RV  | RV  |  | RV  | RV  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Navy | AP  | RV  | RV  |  |  |  |  | 25  | 24  | 22  |  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 20  | RV
C  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  |  | RV  | 25  | 22  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 20  | RV
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  | 25  | 19  | 25  |
SMU | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
South Florida | AP  | RV  |  |  | RV  |  | RV  | RV  | RV  |  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 24  | 25
C  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 23  | 22
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Temple | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  | RV  | 23
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  | 24
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  | 24  |
Tulane | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tulsa | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  | RV  |  |  | RV  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  |  | RV  | RV  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
UCF | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Schedule

[edit]

All Times and Dates are Tentative,[12] The 2016 conference football schedule was released February 9[13]

Index to colors and formatting

American member won
American member loss
American teams in bold

### Week 1

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 1 | 7:00 p.m.  | UT Martin | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH | ESPN3 | W 28–7   | 28,520 |
September 1 | 7:00 p.m.  | Maine | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT | ASN | W 24–21   | 29,377 |
September 1 | 7:00 p.m.  | Tulane | Wake Forest | BB&T Field • Winston-Salem, NC | ESPN3  | L 3–7   | 24,398 |
September 2  | 7:00 p.m.  | Army | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA | CBSSN | L 13–28   | 34,005 |
September 3  | Noon  | No. 3 Oklahoma | No. 15 Houston | NRG Stadium • Houston, TX (Texas Kickoff)  | ABC | W 33–23   | 71,016 |
September 3  | Noon  | Fordham | Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD | CBSSN  | W 52–16   | 28,238 |
September 3  | 6:00 p.m.  | Western Carolina | East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC | ESPN3  | W 52–7   | 44,161 |
September 3  | 7:00 p.m.  | South Carolina State | UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL | ESPN3  | W 38–0   | 36,260 |
September 3  | 7:00 p.m.  | No. 24 (FCS) Towson | South Florida | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL | ASN  | W 56–20   | 35,976 |
September 3  | 7:00 p.m.  | Southeast Missouri State | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN | ESPN3  | W 35–17   | 42,876 |
September 3  | 7:00 p.m.  | SMU | North Texas | Apogee Stadium • Denton, TX | ASN  | W 34–21   | 24,718 |
September 3  | 7:00 p.m.  | San Jose State | Tulsa | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK | CBSSN  | W 45–10   | 18,748 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 2

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 10  | Noon  | UCF | No. 5 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, MI | ABC  | L 14–51   | 109,295 |
September 10  | Noon  | Cincinnati | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 38–20   | 33,068 |
September 10  | Noon  | NC State | East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC  | ESPNU | W 33–30   | 50,719 |
September 10  | Noon  | Lamar | No. 6 Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX | ASN  | W 42–0   | 39,402 |
September 10  | 1:00 p.m.  | Stony Brook | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA  | ESPN3  | W 38–0   | 22,296 |
September 10  | 3:30 p.m.  | Connecticut | Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD  | CBSSN  |  NAVY 28–24   | 31,501 |
September 10  | 3:30 p.m.  | SMU | No. 23 Baylor | McLane Stadium • Waco, TX | FS1 | L 13–40   | 45,499 |
September 10  | 3:30 p.m.  | Tulsa | No. 4 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | ABC  | L 3–48   | 104,410 |
September 10  | 7:00 p.m.  | Northern Illinois | South Florida | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL  | CBSSN  | W 48–17   | 36,557 |
September 10  | 8:00 p.m.  | Southern | Tulane | Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA | ESPN3  | W 66–21   | 27,179 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
Date | Bye Week

|

September 10 | Memphis

### Week 3

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 15 | 7:30 p.m.  | No. 6 Houston | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH  | ESPN  |  HOU 40–16   | 40,015 |
September 17  | Noon  | Temple | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | BTN  | L 27–34   | 100,420 |
September 17  | Noon  | Kansas | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN  | ESPNU  | W 43–7   | 34,448 |
September 17  | 1:30 p.m.  | Virginia | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT  | SNY | W 13–10   | 31,036 |
September 17  | 2:00 p.m.  | North Carolina A&T | Tulsa | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK  | ESPN3  | W 58–21   | 16,111 |
September 17  | 3:30 p.m.  | South Florida | Syracuse | Carrier Dome • Syracuse, NY | ESPN3  | W 45–20   | 32,288 |
September 17  | 4:00 p.m.  | East Carolina | South Carolina | Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC | SEC Network | L 15–20   | 80,384 |
September 17  | 7:00 p.m.  | Maryland | UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL  | CBSSN  | L 24–30 2OT  | 43,197 |
September 17  | 7:00 p.m.  | Navy | Tulane | Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA  | ASN  |  NAVY 21–14   | 21,503 |
September 17  | 7:00 p.m.  | Liberty | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX | ESPN3  | W 29–14   | 22,127 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 4

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 23 | 8:00 p.m.  | TCU | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX (Battle for the Iron Skillet)  | ESPN | L 3–33   | 30,987 |
September 24  | Noon  | No. 13 Florida State | South Florida | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL  | ABC | L 35–55   | 61,665 |
September 24  | Noon  | Charlotte | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA  | ASN  | W 48–20   | 27,786 |
September 24  | 12:30 p.m.  | East Carolina | Virginia Tech | Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA | ACCN | L 17–54   | 63,712 |
September 24  | 1:00 p.m.  | Syracuse  | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT  | CBSSN  | L 24–31   | 31,899 |
September 24  | 3:30 p.m.  | Miami (OH) | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH (121st Battle for the Victory Bell)  | ESPNews | W 27–20   | 38,112 |
September 24  | 4:30 p.m.  | Tulsa | Fresno State | Bulldog Stadium • Fresno, CA | MWTV | W 48–41 2OT  | 23,273 |
September 24  | 7:00 p.m.  | UCF | FIU | FIU Stadium • Miami, FL | BeIN Sports | W 53–14   | 18,524 |
September 24  | 7:00 p.m.  | No. 6 Houston | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | ESPNU | W 64–3   | 33,133 |
September 24  | 8:00 p.m.  | Bowling Green | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN  | ESPNews  | W 77–3   | 38,713 |
September 24  | 8:00 p.m.  | Louisiana–Lafayette | Tulane | Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA  | ESPN3  | W 41–39 4OT  | 24,253 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
Date | Bye Week

|

September 24 | Navy

### Week 5

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

September 29 | 8:00 p.m.  | Connecticut | No. 6 Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX  | ESPN  |  HOU 42–14   | 40,873 |
October 1  | Noon  | UCF | East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC (rivalry)  | CBSSN  |  UCF 47–29   | 46,042 |
October 1  | Noon  | SMU | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA  | ESPNews  |  TEM 45–20   | 22,401 |
October 1  | 3:30 p.m.  | Navy | Air Force | Falcon Stadium • Colorado Springs, CO (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy)  | CBSSN  | L 14–28   | 43,063 |
October 1  | 3:30 p.m.  | Tulane | UMass | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MA | ASN  | W 31–24   | 14,892 |
October 1  | 7:00 p.m.  | South Florida | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH  | ESPNU  |  USF 45–20   | 35,108 |
October 1  | 7:00 p.m.  | Memphis | No. 16 Ole Miss | Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS | ESPN2  | L 28–48   | 65,889 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
Date | Bye Week

|

October 1 | Tulsa

### Week 6

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

October 6 | 8:00 p.m.  | Temple | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN  | ESPN  |  MEM 34–27   | 34,743 |
October 7 | 8:00 p.m.  | Tulane | UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL  | ESPNU  |  Postponed[a]   |   |
October 7 | 8:00 p.m.  | SMU | Tulsa | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK  | ESPN2  |  TLSA 43–40 OT  | 20,089 |
October 8  | 11:30 a.m.  | Cincinnati | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT  | CBSSN  |  CONN 20–9   | 24,169 |
October 8  | Noon  | East Carolina | South Florida | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL  | ESPNews  |  USF 38–22   | 30,397 |
October 8  | 3:00 p.m.  | No. 6 Houston | Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD  | CBSSN  |  NAVY 46–40   | 34,531 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

^[a] The October 7th game in Orlando between Tulane and UCF was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew and rescheduled for November 5, a date which both teams had open.[14]

### Week 7

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

October 13 | 7:30 p.m.  | No. 25 Navy | East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC  | ESPN  |  Postponed[b]   |   |
October 14 | 8:00 p.m.  | Memphis | Tulane | Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA  | ESPNU  |  MEM 24–14   | 21,098 |
October 15  | 7:00 p.m.  | Connecticut | South Florida | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL  | CBSSN  |  USF 42–27   | 30,297 |
October 15  | 7:00 p.m.  | Tulsa | No. 13 Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX  | ESPN2  |  HOU 38–31   | 38,221 |
October 15  | 7:30 p.m.  | Temple | UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL  | ESPNU  |  TEM 26–25   | 38,299 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
Date | Bye Week

|

October 15 | Cincinnati | SMU

^[b] The October 13th game in Greenville, NC between Navy and East Carolina was postponed due because of flooding associated with Hurricane Matthew, the game will be rescheduled for November 19, a date which both teams had open.[15]

### Week 8

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

October 21 | 7:00 p.m.  | South Florida | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA  | ESPN  |  TEM 46–30   | 25,950 |
October 22  | Noon  | UCF | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT (Civil Conflict)  | ESPNews  |  UCF 24–16   | 28,008 |
October 22  | 3:30 p.m.  | Memphis | No. 24 Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD  | CBSSN  |  NAVY 42–28   | 35,943 |
October 22  | 3:45 p.m.  | Tulane | Tulsa | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK  | ESPNU  |  TLSA 50–27   | 22,349 |
October 22  | 7:00 p.m.  | East Carolina | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH  | CBSSN  |  CIN 31–19   | 32,022 |
October 22  | 7:00 p.m.  | No. 11 Houston | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX (rivalry)  | ESPN2  |  SMU 38–16   | 25,079 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 9

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

October 28 | 7:00 p.m.  | No. 22 Navy | South Florida | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL  | ESPN2  |  USF 52–45   | 31,824 |
October 29  | Noon  | UCF | Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX  | ESPNU  |  HOU 31–24   | 35,846 |
October 29  | Noon  | Connecticut | East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC  | ESPNews  |  ECU 41–3   | 41,370 |
October 29  | 3:30 p.m.  | Cincinnati | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA  | CBSSN  |  TEM 34–13   | 29,763 |
October 29  | 4:00 p.m.  | SMU | Tulane | Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA  | ESPNews  |  SMU 35–31   | 25,780 |
October 29  | 8:00 p.m.  | Tulsa | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN  | ESPNews  |  TLSA 59–30   | 36,894 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 10

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

November 4 | 7:00 p.m.  | Temple | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT  | ESPN2  |  TEM 21–0   | 22,316 |
November 5  | 11:30 a.m.  | Notre Dame | Navy | EverBank Field • Jacksonville, FL (Rip Miller Trophy)  | CBS | W 28–27   | 50,867 |
November 5  | 3:30 p.m.  | BYU | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH  | CBSSN  | L 3–20   | 37,522 |
November 5  | 4:00 p.m.  | Memphis | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX  | ESPNews  |  MEM 51–7   | 24,379 |
November 5  | 5:00 p.m.  | Tulane | UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL  | ESPN3  |  UCF 31–6   | 31,571 |
November 5  | 8:00 p.m.  | East Carolina | Tulsa | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK  | ESPNews  |  TLSA 45–24   | 17,557 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
Date | Bye Week

|

November 5 | South Florida | Houston

### Week 11

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

November 12  | Noon  | Tulsa | Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD  | CBSSN  |  NAVY 42–40   | 36,397 |
November 12  | Noon  | Cincinnati | UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL  | ESPNU  |  UCF 24–3   | 30,346 |
November 12  | Noon  | SMU | East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC  | ESPNews  |  SMU 55–31   | 42,908 |
November 12  | 3:30 p.m.  | Tulane | Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX  | CBSSN  |  HOU 30–18   | 36,552 |
November 12  | 7:00 p.m.  | South Florida | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN  | ESPNU  |  USF 49–42   | 37,218 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.
Date | Bye Week

|

November 12 | Connecticut | Temple

### Week 12

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

November 17 | 8:00 p.m.  | No. 3 Louisville | Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX  | ESPN  | W 36–10   | 42,822 |
November 18 | 8:00 p.m.  | Memphis | Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium • Cincinnati, OH  | CBSSN  |  MEM 34–7   | 25,796 |
November 19  | 1:00 p.m.  | Connecticut | Boston College | Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA | ACCN Extra | L 0–30   | 36,220 |
November 19  | 3:30 p.m.  | Temple | Tulane | Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA  | ASN  |  TEM 31–0   | 16,497 |
November 19  | 4:00 p.m.  | Navy | East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC  | ESPNews  |  NAVY 66–31   | 39,480 |
November 19  | 7:00 p.m.  | South Florida | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX  | CBSSN  |  USF 35–27   | 18,417 |
November 19  | 8:00 p.m.  | Tulsa | UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium • Orlando, FL  | ESPNews  |  TLSA 35–20   | 35,141 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 13

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

November 25 | Noon  | No. 18 Houston | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN  | ABC  |  MEM 48–44   | 36,527 |
November 25 | 8:30 p.m.  | Cincinnati | Tulsa | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • Tulsa, OK  | ESPNU  |  TLSA 40–37   | 18,550 |
November 26  | Noon  | UCF | South Florida | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, FL (War on I-4)  | CBSSN  |  USF 48–31   | 36,056 |
November 26  | 3:30 p.m.  | Navy | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX (Gansz Trophy)  | ESPNU  |  NAVY 75–31   | 21,283 |
November 26  | 4:00 p.m.  | Tulane | Connecticut | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT  | ESPNews  |  TULN 38–13   | 20,764 |
November 26  | 7:30 p.m.  | East Carolina | Temple | Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA  | ESPNews  |  TEM 37–10   | 28,373 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### American Athletic Conference Championship Game

[edit]

Main article: 2016 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

December 3  | Noon  | Temple | No. 20 Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD  | ABC  |  TEM 34–10   | 22,815 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 15

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

December 10  | 3:00 p.m.  | Army  | Navy | M&T Bank Stadium • Baltimore, MD (117th Army–Navy Game/Commander-in-Chief's Trophy)  | CBS  | L 17–21   | 71,600 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

## Bowl games

[edit]

American Athletic Conference bowl games[16] for the 2016 season are:

See also: 2016–17 NCAA football bowl games

Bowl game  | Date  | Site  | Television  | Time (EST)  | AAC team  | Opponent  | Score  | Attendance

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Las Vegas Bowl | December 17  | Sam Boyd Stadium • Whitney, NV | ABC  | 3:30 p.m.  | Houston | San Diego State | 10–34  | 29,286
AutoNation Cure Bowl | December 17  | Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL | CBSSN  | 5:30 p.m.  | UCF | Arkansas State | 13–31  | 27,213
Miami Beach Bowl | December 19  | Marlins Park • Miami, FL | ESPN  | 2:30 p.m.  | Tulsa | Central Michigan | 55–10  | 15,262
Marmot Boca Raton Bowl | December 20  | FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL | ESPN  | 7:00 p.m.  | Memphis | WKU | 31–51  | 24,726
Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | December 23  | Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX | ESPN  | 4:30 p.m.  | #25 Navy | Louisiana Tech | 45–48  | 40,542
Military Bowl | December 27  | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, MD  | ESPN  | 3:30 p.m.  | #24 Temple | Wake Forest | 26–34  | 26,656
Birmingham Bowl | December 29  | Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama | ESPN  | 2:00 p.m.  | South Florida | South Carolina | 46–39 OT | 31,229

Rankings are from CFP Poll. All times Eastern Time Zone.

### Selection of teams

[edit]

* Bowl eligible: Houston, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, Temple, Tulsa, UCF
* Bowl-ineligible: Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Tulane, SMU

## Records against FBS conferences

[edit]

2016 records against FBS conferences

Through Dec 29, 2016

Conference  | Record

|

ACC | 4–6
Big Ten | 1–4
Big 12 | 2–2
C-USA | 3–2
Independents | 2–3
MAC | 4–0
Mountain West | 2–2
SEC | 1–2
Sun Belt | 2–1
Total  | 21–22

### The American vs. Power Conferences

[edit]

Index to colors and formatting

American member won
American member loss
Date | Visitor | Home | Winning Team | Opponent
Conference

|
|
|
|

September 1 | Tulane | Wake Forest | Wake Forest | ACC
September 3‡ | #3 Oklahoma | #15 Houston | Houston | Big 12
September 10 | Cincinnati | Purdue | Cincinnati | Big Ten
September 10 | UCF | #5 Michigan | Michigan | Big Ten
September 10 | NC State | East Carolina | East Carolina | ACC
September 10 | SMU | #23 Baylor | Baylor | Big 12
September 10 | Tulsa | #4 Ohio State | Ohio State | Big Ten
September 17 | Maryland | UCF | Maryland | Big Ten
September 17 | Virginia | Connecticut | Connecticut | ACC
September 17 | East Carolina | South Carolina | South Carolina | SEC
September 17 | Kansas | Memphis | Memphis | Big 12
September 17 | South Florida | Syracuse | South Florida | ACC
September 17 | Temple | Penn State | Penn State | Big Ten
September 24 | Syracuse | Connecticut | Syracuse | ACC
September 24 | East Carolina | Virginia Tech | Virginia Tech | ACC
September 24 | TCU | SMU | TCU | Big 12
September 24 | #13 Florida State | South Florida | Florida State | ACC
October 1 | Memphis | #16 Ole Miss | Ole Miss | SEC
November 5‡ | Notre Dame | Navy | Navy | IND
November 17 | #3 Louisville | Houston | Houston | ACC
November 19 | Connecticut | Boston College | Boston College | ACC
December 27‡ | Wake Forest | #23 Temple | Wake Forest | ACC
December 29‡ | South Carolina | #25 South Florida | South Florida | SEC

‡This game was played at a neutral site

## Players of the Week

[edit]

Week  | Offensive  | Defensive  | Special Teams

|
|
|

Player  | Position  | Team  | Player  | Position  | Team  | Player  | Position  | Team
Week 1  | Greg Ward Jr. | QB  | Houston  | Trent Martin  | LB  | Tulsa  | Brandon Wilson | CB  | Houston
Week 2  | Quinton Flowers | QB  | USF  | Alohi Gilman | LB/DB  | Navy  | Sherman Badie  | RB  | Tulane
Week 3  | Greg Ward Jr.  | QB  | Houston  | Steven Taylor  | LB  | Houston  | Bobby Puyol  | K  | UConn
Week 4  | Riley Ferguson | QB  | Memphis  | Jeremy Brady  | S  | Tulsa  | Andrew DiRocco  | K  | Tulane
Week 5  | Greg Ward Jr.  | QB  | Houston  | Haason Reddick | DE  | Temple  | Adrian Killins | RB  | UCF
Week 6  | Will Worth | QB  | Navy  | Josiah Powell  | LB  | Navy  | Bennett Moehring  | K  | Navy
Week 7  | Will Worth  | QB  | Navy  | Jarvis Pruitt  | DE  | SMU  | Aaron Boumerhi  | K  | Temple
Week 8  | James Flanders  | RB  | Tulsa  | Shaquem Griffin | LB  | UCF  | Jake Elliott | K  | Memphis
Week 9  | Riley Ferguson  | QB  | Memphis  | Drico Johnson  | DB  | UCF  | Aaron Boumerhi  | K  | Temple
Week 10  | Quinton Flowers  | QB  | USF  | Horace Richardson  | CB  | SMU  | Dane Roy  | P  | Houston
Week 11  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Week 12  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Awards and honors

[edit]

### Conference awards

[edit]

The following individuals received postseason honors as voted by the American Athletic Conference football coaches at the end of the season

2016 American Athletic Conference Individual Awards

Award  | Recipient(s)
Offensive Player of the Year | Quinton Flowers
Defensive Player of the Year | Shaquem Griffin
Special Teams Player of the Year | Tony Pollard
Rookie of the Year | Ed Oliver
Coach of the Year | Ken Niumatalolo
2016 All-American Athletic Conference Football Teams

First Team | Second Team
Offense  | Defense  | Offense  | Defense

WR – Zay Jones, East Carolina
WR – Courtland Sutton, SMU
WR – Keevan Lucas, Tulsa
OT – Kofi Amichia, South Florida
OT – Dion Dawkins, Temple
OG – Adam West, Navy
OG – Black Belcher, Tulsa
C – Chandler Miller, Tulsa
TE – Daniel Montiel, Memphis
QB – Quinton Flowers, South Florida
RB – Marlon Mack, South Florida
K – Jake Elliott, Memphis
RS – Tony Pollard, Memphis

DL – Haason Reddick, Temple*
DL – Ed Oliver, Houston*
DL – Tanzel Smart, Tulane
DL Justin Lawler, SMU
LB – Shaquem Griffin, UCF
LB – Eric Wilson, Cincinnati
LB – Steven Taylor, Houston
LB – Genard Avery, Memphis
LB – Nico Marley, Tulane
CB Horace Richardson, SMU
CB – Howard Wilson, Houston
S – Darrion Millines, SMU
S – Obi Melifonwu, UConn
P – Spencer Smith, Memphis

WR – Noel Thomas, UConn
WR – Anthony Miller, Memphis
WR – Rodney Adams, South Florida
OT – Blake Copeland, Navy
OT – Evan Plagg, Tulsa
OG – Dominique Threatt, South Florida
OG – Tyler Bowling, Tulsa
C – Maurice Morris, Navy
TE – Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida
QB – Greg Ward Jr., Houston
RB – Jahad Thomas, Temple
RB – D'Angelo Brewer, Tulsa
K – Aaron Boumerhi, Temple
RS – D'Ernest Johnson, South Florida

DL – Jamiyus Pittman, UCF
DL – Cortez Broughton, Cincinnati
DL – Deadrin Senat, South Florida
DL – Praise Martin-Oguike, Temple
LB – Tyus Bowser, Houston
LB – Micah Thomas, Navy
LB – Auggie Sanchez, South Florida
LB – Avery Williams, Temple
CB – Shaquill Griffin, UCF
CB – Brandon Wilson, Houston
CB – Deatrick Nichols, South Florida
CB – Parry Nickerson, Tulane
S – Garrett Davis, Houston
S – Sean Chandler, Temple
P – Worth Gregory, ECU

^ \- denotes unanimous selection  Additional players added to the all-conference teams due to ties in the voting.[17]

## NFL Draft

[edit]

The American had a conference-record 15 players selected in the 2017 NFL draft, which placed it as the fifth most prolific conference in the draft. The American made headlines by having more selections than the Big 12 Conference, a Power 5 Conference.[18]

The following list includes all AAC players who were drafted in the 2017 NFL draft.

Player  | Position  | School  | Draft
Round  | Round
Pick  | Overall
Pick  | Team

|
|
|
|
|
|

Haason Reddick | LB | Temple | 1  | 13  | 13  | Arizona Cardinals
Zay Jones | WR | East Carolina | 2  | 5  | 37  | Buffalo Bills
Tyus Bowser | OLB | Houston | 2  | 15  | 47  | Baltimore Ravens
Obi Melifonwu | S | UConn | 2  | 24  | 56  | Oakland Raiders
Dion Dawkins | G | Temple | 2  | 31  | 63  | Buffalo Bills
Shaquill Griffin | CB | Central Florida | 3  | 26  | 90  | Seattle Seahawks
Howard Wilson | CB | Houston | 4  | 19  | 126  | Cleveland Browns
Marlon Mack | RB | South Florida | 4  | 36  | 143  | Indianapolis Colts
Jake Elliott | K | Memphis | 5  | 9  | 153  | Cincinnati Bengals
Nate Hairston | CB | Temple | 5  | 14  | 158  | Indianapolis Colts
Rodney Adams | WR | South Florida | 5  | 26  | 170  | Minnesota Vikings
Michael Tyson | S | Cincinnati | 6  | 3  | 187  | Seattle Seahawks
Tanzel Smart | DT | Tulane | 6  | 5  | 189  | Los Angeles Rams
Brandon Wilson | CB | Houston | 6  | 23  | 207  | Cincinnati Bengals
Kofi Amichia | OT | South Florida | 6  | 28  | 212  | Green Bay Packers

## Attendance

[edit]

Team  | Stadium  | Capacity  | Game 1  | Game 2  | Game 3  | Game 4  | Game 5  | Game 6  | Game 7  | Total  | Average  | % of Capacity

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Cincinnati | Nippert Stadium | 40,000  | 28,520  | 40,015†  | 38,112  | 35,108  | 32,022  | 37,522  | 25,796  | 237,095  | 33,870  | 84.68%
Connecticut | Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field | 40,642  | 29,377  | 31,036  | 31,899†  | 24,169  | 28,008  | 22,316  | 20,764  | 187,569  | 26,795  | 65.93%
East Carolina | Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium | 50,000  | 44,161  | 50,719†  | 46,042  | 41,370  | 42,908  | 39,480  | — | 264,680  | 44,113  | 88.23%
Houston | TDECU Stadium | 40,000  | 39,402  | 40,873  | 38,221  | 35,846  | 36,552  | 42,822†  | — | 233,716  | 38,953  | 97.38%
Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium | 59,308  | 42,876†  | 34,448  | 38,713  | 34,743  | 36,894  | 37,218  | 36,527  | 261,419  | 37,345  | 62.97%
Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium | 34,000  | 28,238  | 31,501  | 34,531  | 35,943  | 36,397†  | — | — | 166,610  | 33,322  | 98.01%
SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium | 32,000  | 22,127  | 30,987†  | 25,079  | 24,379  | 18,417  | 21,283  | — | 142,272  | 23,712  | 74.10%
South Florida | Raymond James Stadium | 65,890  | 35,976  | 36,557  | 61,665†  | 30,397  | 30,297  | 31,824  | 36,056  | 262,772  | 37,538  | 56.97%
Temple | Lincoln Financial Field | 69,176  | 34,005†  | 22,296  | 27,786  | 22,401  | 25,950  | 29,763  | 28,373  | 190,574  | 27,225  | 39.36%
Tulane | Yulman Stadium | 30,000  | 27,179†  | 21,503  | 24,253  | 21,098  | 25,780  | 16,497  | — | 136,310  | 22,718  | 75.73%
Tulsa | Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium | 30,000  | 18,748  | 16,111  | 20,089  | 22,349†  | 17,557  | 18,550  | — | 113,404  | 18,900  | 63.00%
UCF | Bright House Networks Stadium | 44,206  | 36,260  | 43,197  | 38,299†  | 31,571  | 30,346  | 35,141  | — | 214,814  | 35,802  | 80.99%

* Games highlighted in green were sell-outs
* †Season High

### Attendance for neutral site games

[edit]

* September 3 – Houston vs. Oklahoma, NRG Stadium: 71,016
* November 5 – Navy vs. Notre Dame, EverBank Field: 50,867
* December 10 – Navy vs. Army, M&T Bank Stadium: 71,600

[19]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ About the College Football Playoff. ESPN.
2. ^ "Playoff committee will wait for Army-Navy game if necessary". FOXSports.com. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
3. ^ "Frost a Knight - UCF Knights - Official Athletics Site". www.ucfknights.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015.
4. ^ Calkins, Geoff (December 3, 2015). "ASU's Mike Norvell tapped to coach U of M football". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
5. ^ Keeley, Laura (December 13, 2015). "Duke offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery named ECU head coach". The News & Observer. Retrieved December 13, 2015.
6. ^ ESPN.com news services (December 4, 2015). "East Carolina fires Ruffin McNeill". ESPN. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
7. ^ 2016 Football Media Day
8. ^ "RecruitingNation Class Rankings top75-ESPN". ESPN. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
9. ^ "2016 Rivals Team Rankings". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
10. ^ "2016 Scout.com College Football Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
11. ^ "2016 Football Recruiting Composite Team Rankings". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
12. ^ "AAC Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
13. ^ "American Athletic Conference Athletic Directors Conclude Winter Meetings". American Athletic Conference. SideArm Sports. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
14. ^ "Hurricane Matthew forces Knights to move football, volleyball contests". UCFKnights.com. Sidearm Sports. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
15. ^ "Navy-East Carolina Football Game Rescheduled For Nov. 19". ECUPirates.com. SideArm Sports. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
16. ^ "American Bowl Lineup 2014–2019". American Athletic Conference. SideArm Sports.
17. ^ "American Athletic Conference Announces 2016 Football Honors".
18. ^ "Record Haul from the American in the 2017 NFL Draft".
19. ^ "NCAA Football Attendance Report". NCAA. NCAA.

* v
* t
* e

American Athletic Conference football

Current teams|

* Army Black Knights
* Charlotte 49ers
* East Carolina Pirates
* Florida Atlantic Owls
* Memphis Tigers
* Navy Midshipmen
* North Texas Mean Green
* Rice Owls
* South Florida Bulls
* Temple Owls
* Tulane Green Wave
* Tulsa Golden Hurricane
* UAB Blazers
* UTSA Roadrunners

Championships & awards|

* 1991-2012 standings
* 1991-2012 awards
* Conference champions 2013-
* 2013- standings
* 2015-Championship Game
* 2013-Awards

Seasons (1991-2012)|

* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012

Seasons (post-breakup)|

* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

* v
* t
* e

2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season

Conference seasons|

* The American
* ACC
* Big 12
* Big Ten
* Conference USA
* MAC
* Mountain West
* Pac-12
* SEC
* Sun Belt

Inter-conference|

* Bowl games
* Rankings

All-Americans|

2016 College Football All-America Team
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[No.]: Number
*[OC]: Offensive coordinator
*[QB]: Quarterbacks coach
*[Ref.]: Reference(s)