Here are our takeaways from Saturday's action in the American Athletic Conference:
1. So-so day for top Heisman contender
Louisville's schedule is such that a 12-0 record is not going to be overly impressive, and that hurts quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's Heisman "campaign."
The Cardinals played their toughest non-conference road game Saturday and came away with a 27-13 victory over Kentucky. Neither Bridgewater nor Louisville was overly impressive in the win over the SEC's worst team.
Bridgewater threw for 250 yards and a touchdown, but completed only 57 percent of his passes -- a far cry from the 76.7 percent rate he had coming in. Afterward, Bridgewater admitted to reporters, "I just wasn't as accurate as always." Louisville finished with 492 total yards, but scored eight fewer points than Western Kentucky did when it beat the Wildcats in the season opener.
Bridgewater faced a better-than-expected pass rush and looked flustered at times. At other times, though, he showed off his arm strength and also his improvisational skills, one time basically throwing a sidearm pass that was completed.
"Overall, I'm very pleased," coach Charlie Strong said in a post-game news conference. "We could have played better, but you get a victory like this, you're on the road, you're very happy."
For Bridgewater and Louisville, though, this season is as much about style points as wins.
2. One-man show for Rutgers
Walk-on RB Paul James basically was Rutgers' entire offense in a 28-10 win over overmatched Eastern Michigan. James ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns; Rutgers finished with just 274 yards of offense. It was James' third consecutive 100-yard game.
Star WR Brandon Coleman -- one of the best in the nation at his position -- had only one reception for 15 yards as Rutgers attempted just 13 passes.
3. Brutal beginning
USF dropped to 0-3 under new coach Willie Taggart, falling 28-10 to visiting Florida Atlantic, and the Bulls appear to be in real danger of going 0-12. USF has scored only 37 points in its three games. The Bulls were supposed to have a good defense, but that unit has struggled at times because of the offensive ineptitude. FAU managed just 228 total yards Saturday, and one of its TDs came on a fumble return. Big things were expected from USF sophomore DE Aaron Lynch (6-6, 244), a transfer from Notre Dame who outplayed Stephon Tuitt when both were freshmen in 2011. But Lynch has been quiet all season; he had two tackles against FAU, which gives him seven tackles on the season. Lynch is considered a good pass rusher, but he has just one quarterback hurry this season, and that came last week against Michigan State. The Bulls did get a sack from senior DE Ryne Giddins on Saturday, which gives them two this season. And this from a defense that Lynch had nicknamed "The Green Plague."
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
