Conference play is in full swing as week nine of the 2021 college football season saw 10 Conference USA programs match up with in-house foes. WKU demolished Charlotte 45-13 on homecoming, but how did everyone else fare?

Marshall Thundering Herd vs Florida International Panthers

Sun Belt-bound Marshall (5-3, 3-1 C-USA) shut out the hapless Panthers (1-7, 0-4 C-USA) 38-0 on Saturday. The Herd accomplished the victory without the need of a passing touchdown, punching in five scores via the ground.

Marshall quarterback Grant Wells went 20-for-25 for 184 yards and ran in for a score on his own and running back Rasheen Ali put up a pair of touchdowns and 133 yards of offense on 26 carries. The Herd did not turn the ball over once.

Marshall finds itself in a three-way tie atop the east division with WKU and FAU due to its 3-1 conference record. FIU is the bottom dweller in the east, still searching for its first C-USA win of the year.

The Herd will face FAU on the road on Nov. 6 to settle the score in the division. FIU will try to get something going at home against the Old Dominion Monarchs on Saturday as well.

North Texas Mean Green vs Rice Owls

Rice (3-5, 2-2 C-USA) quarterback Jake Constantine threw a pair of touchdowns but it was not enough to stop North Texas (2-6, 1-3 C-USA) from stealing a 30-24 win in overtime.

Mean Green running back Ayo Adeyi punched in a pair of short scores, including the winning touchdown to seal the win. The triumph snapped North Texas’ six-game losing streak. 

Rice had a chance to ice the game with a field goal on its first possession of OT but the kick was no good. The Mean Green capitalized on the error with Adeyi’s one-yard touchdown right after.

North Texas will look to create a win streak against Southern Mississippi on Saturday. Rice will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face the 49ers on Nov. 6 as well.

Old Dominion Monarchs vs Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 

ODU (2-6, 1-3 C-USA) won its first C-USA game of 2021 in a 23-20 barnburner against La Tech (2-6, 1-3 C-USA). 

The Bulldogs gave the Monarchs a short field to work with after a fourth-down conversion with 28 seconds left on the clock, leading to a 46-yard game-winning field goal from senior Nick Rice. 

Rice made all three of his field goal attempts while ODU redshirt sophomore Blake Watson rushed for 108 yards for 4.3 yards per carry. La Tech graduate quarterback Austin Kendall threw for 253 yards for one touchdown, but his efforts were not enough to secure the win.

Old Dominion will fly to Florida to face FIU on Saturday and the Bulldogs will head to Birmingham, Alabama for a weekend bout with UAB.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders vs Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 

MTSU (4-4, 2-2 C-USA) dominated Southern Miss (1-7, 0-4 C-USA) 35-10 Saturday afternoon. The defense led the way, forcing five turnovers and seven sacks on the day while also blocking a punt and returning it for a touchdown. 

Blue Raider redshirt sophomore halfback Mike DiLiello rushed 77 yards on 11 carries and two scores. Golden Eagle freshman running back Frank Gore Jr. totaled 83 yards on the ground for 4.2 yards per carry. 

MTSU is staring down another installment of its 100 Miles of Hate rivalry with WKU at Houchens-Smith Stadium on Saturday. Southern Miss will welcome North Texas to town on Nov. 6 in hopes of bouncing back.

Florida Atlantic Owls vs Texas El Paso Miners 

FAU (5-3, 3-1 C-USA) handed UTEP (6-2, 3-1 C-USA) its first C-USA loss of the year in a 28-25 nail-biter Saturday night. 

FAU extended its lead to 28-10 at the start of the fourth quarter. UTEP rallied for 15 consecutive points, but the Owls held on to win after the Miners went four-and-out on their last drive of the game. 

FAU redshirt sophomore halfback Johnny Ford rushed for 93 yards for an absurd 7.2 yards per carry and a score. UTEP redshirt sophomore quarterback Gavin Hardison completed 50% of his passes for 327 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. 

The Owls will host the red-hot Marshall Herd in week 10 and the Miners will host the No. 16 UTSA Roadrunners for a prime time matchup at the Sun Bowl on Nov. 6.

Football reporter Wyatt Sparkman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @wyattsparkman3. Sports Editor Jake Moore contributed to this article.