DALLAS - Twelve Conference USA teams are in action in Week Six, with league play in full swing with five conference games. Additionally, two C-USA teams are slated for non-conference tilts, as Middle Tennessee travels to Lynchburg, Virginia, to take on Liberty and North Texas makes the trip to Columbia, Missouri, to take on SEC foe Missouri. Charlotte travels to FIU in C-USA play on Friday night, while Florida Atlantic heads to Birmingham to take on UAB at Protective Stadium. WKU opens conference play by hosting 5-0 UTSA on Saturday night in Bowling Green. Louisiana Tech and Rice both have byes this week.
 
CHARLOTTE (3-2, 1-0 C-USA) at FIU (1-4, 0-1 C-USA)
Date: Friday, October 8
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Miami, Florida (FIU Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Chris Lewis (PxP), Donte Whitner (AN)
All-Time Series: Miami leads 5-0 (3-0 in Miami)

Charlotte (3-2, 1-0 C-USA), who fell 24-14 at Illinois last week, travels to Miami to take on FIU (1-4, 0-1 C-USA) on CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. CT on Friday night. The 49ers led 14-10 at halftime but were unable to hold on and pick up their second win over a Power 5 opponent this season. Charlotte is seeking its first-ever 2-0 start in C-USA play. FIU fell last week 58-21 at Florida Atlantic, after getting shut out in the second half against the Owls. QB Max Bortenschlager leads the nation in yards per completion (18.24), for a big-play Panthers offense. One of his primary targets, WR Tyrese Chambers also leads the FBS in yards per reception (27.71).
 
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Charlotte Football: https://charlotte49ers.com/sports/football
FIU Football: https://fiusports.com/sports/football
 
OLD DOMINION (1-4, 0-1 C-USA) at MARSHALL (2-3, 0-1 C-USA)
Date: Saturday, October 9
Time: 1 p.m. CT
Location: Huntington, West Virginia (Joan C. Edwards Stadium)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network/Facebook
Announcers: Chris Hassel (PxP), Ben Leber (AN), Justin Walters (SL)
All-Time Series: Marshall leads 5-1 (Marshall leads 3-0 in Huntington)
 
Old Dominion (1-4, 0-1 C-USA) comes into this week after a second consecutive loss, both of which were one score games. The Monarchs led UTEP in the fourth quarter 21-20, but ultimately fell 28-21 in El Paso. Both teams are in search of their first 2021 C-USA win, as Marshall dropped a one-score game on the road at Middle Tennessee last week, 34-28 Marshall has dropped three straight since starting 2-0, including a loss at Middle Tennessee last week, 34-28. The Herd turned the ball over six times en route to its third straight defeat and will have to address their turnovers issues (15 turnovers in five games) to get back on track. The league contest will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network/Facebook at 1 p.m. CT.
 
 
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Old Dominion Football: https://odusports.com/sports/football
Marshall Football: https://herdzone.com/sports/football
 
MIDDLE TENNESSEE (2-3) at LIBERTY (4-1)
Date: Saturday, October 9
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia (Williams Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN3
Announcers: Matt Warner (PxP), Joe Jauch (AN), Emily Austen (SL)
All-Time Series: Middle Tennessee leads 1-0
 
The Liberty Flames (4-1) play host to another C-USA foe in Middle Tennessee (2-3) on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN3. Middle Tennessee picked up a huge conference win over Marshall last week, forcing six turnovers, the most a Blue Raiders team has caused since 2018 (seven). S Reed Blankenship, who earned C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, recorded seven tackles, forced a fumble and recovered two more, one of which he brought back 100-yards for a touchdowns in the win over Marshall. Middle Tennessee will have its hands full with Liberty QB Malik Willis, who is thought of by some as the top signal-caller in the 2022 NFL Draft class. Liberty was a rude houseguest for UAB’s grand opening of Protective Stadium, beating the Blazers 36-12 in Birmingham. Willis threw for 287 yards and led the Flames in rushing with 144 yards and totaled three touchdowns in the win (two on the ground).
 
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Liberty Football: https://www.liberty.edu/flames/football/
Middle Tennessee Football: https://goblueraiders.com/sports/football
 
FLORIDA ATLANTIC (3-2, 1-0 C-USA) at UAB (3-2, 1-0 C-USA)
Date: Saturday, October 9
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Location: Birmingham (Protective Stadium)
Broadcast: Stadium
Announcers: Ari Wolfe (PxP), Danan Hughes (AN)
All-Time Series: Florida Atlantic leads 5-2 (Florida Atlantic leads 2-1 in Birmingham)
 
At 2:30 p.m. CT Florida Atlantic (3-2, 1-0 C-USA), makes the journey to Birmingham to take on UAB (3-2, 1-0 C-USA) on Stadium. FAU exploded for 58 points and 704 yards of total offense last week at home against rival FIU to open conference play with a bang. UAB opened its brand new 45,000 seat home, Protective Stadium, last week against Liberty, but were beaten 36-12 by the Flames. The Blazers look to bounce back, and build off their league-opening performance back on Sept. 18, when they beat North Texas 40-6 in Denton. Both teams enter the contest at 3-2 overall and 1-0 in C-USA play. This game features the two teams who have won the last four C-USA Championships, as FAU captured the league title in 2017 and 2019, while UAB won the league in 2018 and 2020. These two teams have led the way among C-USA programs, as UAB has won 37 games and FAU 35 since 2017.
 
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Florida Atlantic Football: https://fausports.com/sports/football
UAB Football: https://uabsports.com/sports/football
 
NORTH TEXAS (1-3) at MISSOURI (2-3)
Date: Saturday, October 9
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Columbia, Missouri (Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium)
Broadcast: SEC Network
Announcers: Roy Philpott (PxP), Deuce McAllister (AN), Andraya Carter (SL)
All-Time Series: Missouri leads 1-0 (Missouri leads 1-0 in Columbia)
 
North Texas (1-3), fresh off its bye week, travels to take on SEC foe Missouri (2-3) at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network. The Mean Green have dropped three straight since winning their season-opener back on Sept. 4. They fell 24-17 at Louisiana Tech their last time out and are looking to bounce back on a big stage. QB Austin Aune is listed as the Mean Green’s starter, as head coach Seth Littrell continues to search for a spark from his signal-callers. Mean Green RB DeAndre Torrey ranks third in the FBS in rushing yards per game (129.0) through four games. Missouri was blown out at home last week by Tennessee, 62-24. Missouri is one of just nine teams in the country that has scored in every trip to the red zone this season. The Tigers have 15 touchdowns and two field goals in their 17 trips to the red zone.
 
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North Texas Football: https://meangreensports.com/sports/football
Missouri Football: https://mutigers.com/sports/football
 
UTEP (4-1, C-USA 1-0) at SOUTHERN MISS (1-4, C-USA 0-1)
Date: Saturday, October 9
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Hattiesburg, Mississippi (M.M. Roberts Stadium)
Broadcast: ESPN3
Announcers:  (PxP), Corey Chavous (AN)
All-Time Series: First Meeting
 
UTEP (4-1, 1-0 C-USA) is off to its best start since 2010, and has the opportunity to pull within one game of bowl eligibility when the Miners travel to Hattiesburg Saturday night to take on Southern Miss (1-4, 0-1 C-USA) at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN3. UTEP came from behind to beat Old Dominion last week, 28-21, while Southern Miss’ valiant comeback effort fell just short at Rice (24-19). UTEP has seen a monster season from WR Jacob Cowing, who is among the nation’s leaders in receiving and kept his torrid pace up in last week’s C-USA win over Old Dominion. Cowing caught four passes for 118 yards to help lift the Miners to 4-1 on the season. The Maricopa, Arizona, native has 24 catches for 585 yards (24.4 yards per reception) with four touchdowns in five appearances. Southern Miss has had a rash of injuries to its quarterbacks and will be starting freshman Jake Lange, who came on for Ty Keyes early last week. The Jackson, Mississippi native completed 23-37 passes for 304 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions last week against Rice.
 
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UTEP Football: https://utepminers.com/sports/football
Southern Miss Football: https://southernmiss.com/sports/football
 
UTSA (5-0, 1-0 C-USA) at WKU (1-3, 0-0 C-USA)
Date: Saturday, October 9
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky (Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium)
Broadcast: Stadium
Announcers: Chris Vosters (PxP), Sed Bonner (AN)
All-Time Series: WKU leads 1-0 (WKU leads 1-0 in Bowling Green)
 
UTSA (5-0, 1-0 C-USA) is one of just 17 unbeaten teams in the FBS, and is receiving votes in both the Associated Press Top 25 (10 votes) and the USA Today Coaches Poll (13 votes) for the second straight week. The Roadrunners have a stiff test in the form of one of the most prolific offenses in the country on Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT, when they travel to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to battle WKU (1-3) on Stadium. UTSA held off UNLV at home last week 24-17, while WKU fell on the road at No. 17 Michigan State, 48-31. C-USA Offensive Player of the Week, QB Bailey Zappe, threw for 488 yards with three scores in East Lansing, while WR Jerreth Sterns caught 17 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown in a losing effort. Zappe was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, while Sterns was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List earlier this week.
 
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UTSA Football: https://goutsa.com/sports/football
WKU Football: https://wkusports.com/sports/football