ECU and Central Florida can join Tulsa and become the league’s second and third bowl-eligible teams with victories Saturday.
Neither is a sure thing.
ECU faces a 4-3 Navy team that, surprise, surprise, ranks in the top 15 nationally in rushing. Quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who kept the job after replacing injured starter Trey Miller, leads Navy’s triple option attack. Nine players have at least one rush for 20 or more yards this season.
Navy ran for 257 yards in a 31-30 victory over Indiana last week.
UCF plays at Marshall, which is better than its 3-4 record suggests. Marshall scored 34 points in an opening loss at West Virginia, pushed a now-ranked Ohio team, scored 41 against the Big Ten’s Purdue and lost a shootout against West division leader Tulsa. The combined record of those four opponents is 22-6.
Marshall needs a victory to improve its bowl odds.
Houston and SMU, tied for second in the West with identical 3-4, 2-1 records, can take another step in that direction against UTEP (2-6, 1-3) and Memphis (1-6, 1-2), respectively.
