2013 Conference USA football season

August 2023 2013 Conference USA football season #193980 #FFFFFF NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Football Conference USA logo (2013-2023).svg 250px August 29, 2013through January 1, 2014 14 Fox Sports, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, CSS, CST 2014 NFL Draft 2014 NFL Draft DT Khyri Thornton, USM Green Bay Packers, 85th overall Regular Season Champions QB Shane Carden, ECU East Marshall West Rice Championship Game 2013 Conference USA Football Championship Game Rice Marshall RB Luke Turner, Rice Football 2012 2014 The 2013 Conference USA football season is an NCAA football season that was played from August 2013 through January 2014. The 2013 football season marked the 19th season of the conference's existence and 18th of football competition; although C-USA was established in 1995, it did not begin football competition until 1996. 2013 season Conference USA added several new members this season after losing four.https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7890665/conference-usa-adds-charlotte-fiu-la-tech-north-texas-ut-san-antonio Conference USA adds 5 schools Associated Press ESPN May 4, 2012 April 24, 2013 In preseason polls, Tulsa was projected to be top of the 2013 season followed by East Carolina.http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/22808402/tulsa-ecu-picked-atop-the-conference-usa-preseason-coaches-poll Tulsa, ECU picked atop the Conference USA preseason poll Chip Patterson CBSSPORTS July 18, 2013 December 7, 2013 East Division Projected as the winner of the East Division, East Carolina lost its first conference game of the season to Tulane in triple overtime, 36-33. Marshall then topped the standings until they lost 51-49 to new member Middle Tennessee, which returned East Carolina to the top spot. Until the East Carolina–Marshall game at the end of the season, East Carolina was number one followed by Marshall. Whoever ended up winning the game would then be crowned winners of the East Division. Marshall defeated East Carolina 59–28 to earn the division title. West Division As Tulsa was projected to be number one in conference, the team lost their first conference play against Rice in overtime bringing Tulane on top of the western division standings. Tulane became up-top with a conference record of 4–0 after close wins against North Texas, East Carolina, and Tulsa. Tulane then lost their first conference game of the season to Florida Atlantic in early November bringing new member North Texas to the top of the division after North Texas defeated Rice. Projected in being last in the division, UTSA defeated Tulane and North Texas in November, which brought UTSA second in the standings after Rice being brought up to first. At the end of the season, Rice had to defeat Tulane in order to be crown the winners of the west division or Tulane or UTSA would have then been crowned winners of the division. Rice defeated Tulane 17–13 and crowned winners of the West Division for the first time and their first appearance in the championship game as well. Championship Game After the 2013 season, the ninth C-USA championship game was played in Houston, Texas, for the third time since 2011, when former member Houston Cougars hosted the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Robertson Stadium. It was the first time that Rice Stadium would host the Championship game series after Rice won the West Division.http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120113aac.html Rice to Host Marshall in 2013 Football Championship Game Conference USA December 1, 2013 December 2, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131203062242/http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/120113aac.html December 3, 2013 dead Both Rice and Marshall enter the game with 7-1 conference records. Rice was crowned Conference USA Champion for the first time ever after defeating Marshall by 17–points. Rice represented the conference in the 2013 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, a 44-7 loss for Rice. Bowl season Eight teams earned bowl eligibility during the season, but UTSA is still transiting into the FBS level and will not be eligible for bowl games until after the 2014 season. (C-USA teams in italic and winning teams in bold) Bowl GameDateStadiumCityTelevisionTime (EST)Away teamHome teamScoreAttendanceNew Orleans BowlDecember 21, 2013Mercedes-Benz SuperdomeNew Orleans, LAESPN9:00 p.m.TulaneLouisiana–Lafayette 21–24 54,728Beef 'O' Brady's BowlDecember 23, 2013Tropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, FLESPN2:00 p.m.OhioEast Carolina 20–37 20,053Military BowlDecember 27, 2013Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MDESPN2:30 p.m.MarshallMaryland 31–20 30,163Armed Forces BowlDecember 30, 2013Amon G. Carter StadiumFort Worth, TXESPN11:45 a.m.Middle TennesseeNavy 6–24 39,246Liberty BowlDecember 31, 2013Liberty BowlMemphis, TNESPN4:00 p.m.RiceMississippi State 7–44 57,846Heart of Dallas BowlJanuary 1, 2014Cotton BowlDallas, TXESPNU12:00 p.m.UNLVNorth Texas 14–36 38,380 Other bowl eligible teams Florida Atlantic (6-6) became bowl eligible on November 29 after defeating FIU but did not get a bid to a bowl game.http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-12-08/sports/fl-fau-bowl-1209-20131208_1_bowl-game-armed-forces-bowl-pat-chun https://web.archive.org/web/20131213043004/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-12-08/sports/fl-fau-bowl-1209-20131208_1_bowl-game-armed-forces-bowl-pat-chun dead December 13, 2013 FAU not invited to bowl game Dieter Kurtenbach Sun Sentinel December 8, 2013 December 9, 2013 Membership 2010–13 Conference USA realignment Houston, Memphis, SMU and UCF left Conference USA, and joined the American Athletic Conference, the football-sponsoring offshoot of the original Big East, on July 1, 2013.https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9130997/former-big-east-named-american-athletic-conference Old Big East now American Athletic Brett McMurphy ESPN April 4, 2013 April 24, 2013 Louisiana Tech and UTSA joined C-USA from the WAC. Florida Atlantic, FIU, Middle Tennessee, and North Texas joined C-USA from the Sun Belt.http://www.fbschedules.com/2013/01/fau-mtsu-leaving-sun-belt-early-join-c-usa-2013/ FAU, MTSU leaving Sun Belt early to join C-USA in 2013 April 24, 2013 Old Dominion, which had moved five of its sports from its former home of the Colonial Athletic Association to C-USA for the 2012–13 school year, moved the rest of its athletic program to C-USA. ODU had an established FCS program that played as an FCS independent in 2013, joined C-USA football as a provisional FBS member in 2014, and became fully bowl-eligible in 2015. Charlotte, which was starting a football team this season, was initially an FCS independent before becoming a provisional FBS member in 2014 and a C-USA football member in 2015. The 49ers joined from the Atlantic 10 Conference. East Division West Division East Carolina Louisiana Tech Florida Atlantic North Texas Florida International Rice Marshall Tulane Middle Tennessee Tulsa Southern Miss UTEP UAB UTSA After the 2013 football season East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa moved to The American on July 1, 2014, at the start of the 2014 football season. On the same day, Western Kentucky joined C-USA from the Sun Belt. Rankings 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings + Legend     Improvement in ranking   Drop in ranking   Not ranked previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll + Ranking Movement  Pre Wk1 Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 FinalEast CarolinaPirates AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR RV C RV RV RV NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR RV RV HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR RV RV BCS Not released Florida AtlanticOwls AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released FIUPanthers AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released Louisiana TechBulldogs AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released MarshallThundering HerdAP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released Middle Tennessee Blue RaidersAP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released North TexasMean Green AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released RiceOwls AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released Southern MissGolden Eagles AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released TulaneGreen Wave AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released TulsaGolden Hurricane AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C RV NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released UABBlazers AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released UTSARoadrunners AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released UTEPMiners AP NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR C NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR HAR Not released NR NR NR NR NR NR NR BCS Not released All-Conference players Coaches All-Conference Selectionshttps://conferenceusa.com/news/2013/12/10/Thornton_Highlights_Football_All_Conference_Selections.aspx? Thornton Highlights Football All-Conference Selections - Conference USA Official Athletic Site 2024-12-01 Position Player Class Team First Team Offense (Coaches) QB Shane Carden JR East Carolina RB Charles Ross SR Rice RB Trey Watts SR Tulsa OL Stetson Burnett SR Tulsa OL Chris Jasperse JR Marshall OL Cyril Lemon JR North Texas OL Nate Richards SR Rice OL Will Simmons SR East Carolina TE Gator Hoskins SR Marshall WR Justin Hardy JR East Carolina WR Ryan Grant SR Tulane WR Tommy Shuler JR Marshall First Team Defense (Coaches) DL Christian Covington SO Rice DL Cory Henry SR Florida Atlantic DL IK Enemkpali SR Louisiana Tech DL James Rouse SR Marshall LB T. T. Barber SO Middle Tennessee LB Shawn Jackson SR Tulsa LB Zach Orr SR North Texas DB Lorenzo Doss SO Tulane DB Phillip Gaines SR Rice DB D'Joun Smith JR Florida Atlantic DB Marcus Trice SR North Texas First Team Special Teams (Coaches) K Cairo Santos SR Tulane P Hunter Mullins JR UAB KR Brelan Chancellor SR North Texas PR Brelan Chancellor SR North Texas LS Trevor Gillette SR Rice Position Player Class Team Second Team Offense (Coaches) QBRakeem Cato JR Marshall RB Vintavious Cooper JR East Carolina RB Kenneth Dixon SO Louisiana Tech OL Jordan Davis SR East Carolina OL Garrett Scott SR Marshall OL Clint Van Horn SO Marshall OL Josh Walker SR Middle Tennessee OL Mason Y'Barbo JR North Texas OL Scott Inskeep JR UTSA TE Turner Peterson SR Rice WR Brelan Chancellor SR North Texas WR J. J. Nelson JR UAB WR Jordan Taylor JR Rice Second Team Defense (Coaches) DL Aaron Bellazin SR North Texas DL Greg Hickman SR FIU DL Lee Pegues SR East Carolina DL Khyri Thornton SR Southern Miss LB Jermaine Holmes JR Marshall LB Derrell Johnson SR East Carolina LB Andrae Kirk JR Florida Atlantic LB Michael Kutzler SR Rice DB Bryce Callahan JR Rice DB Damon Magazu SR East Carolina DB Michal Mudoh SO Tulsa DB Triston Wade JR UTSA Second Team Special Teams (Coaches) K Chris Boswell SR Rice P Sean Kelly SO Florida Atlantic KR Autrey Golden SO UTEP PR Devon Smith SR Marshall LS Josh Cuthbert SR Louisiana Tech References