Record: 66-57, .537 W-L% (4th of 11) (Schedule and Results)
SRS: -4.07 (9th of 11) ▪ SOS: -4.45 (9th of 11)
Ranked in Preseason AP Poll: 1 (Notre Dame)
Ranked in Final AP Poll: 2 (Army and Notre Dame)
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 14, 1996 | Sat | Alabama-Birmingham | 42 | Arkansas State | 17 | ||
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 2 | Sep 21, 1996 | Sat | Northern Illinois | 31 | @ | Arkansas State | 30 | |
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 3 | Sep 28, 1996 | Sat | East Carolina | 28 | Central Florida | 7 | ||
| 4 | Sep 28, 1996 | Sat | Louisiana-Lafayette | 37 | @ | Louisiana Tech | 31 | |
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 5 | Oct 12, 1996 | Sat | Louisiana-Lafayette | 42 | Arkansas State | 31 | ||
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 6 | Oct 19, 1996 | Sat | Alabama-Birmingham | 39 | Louisiana-Lafayette | 29 | ||
| 7 | Oct 19, 1996 | Sat | Louisiana-Monroe | 39 | @ | Central Florida | 38 | |
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 8 | Oct 26, 1996 | Sat | Louisiana Tech | 35 | Alabama-Birmingham | 31 | ||
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 9 | Nov 2, 1996 | Sat | East Carolina | 34 | Arkansas State | 16 | ||
| 10 | Nov 2, 1996 | Sat | Louisiana Tech | 40 | @ | Northern Illinois | 14 | |
| 11 | Nov 2, 1996 | Sat | (19) Notre Dame | 54 | Navy | 27 | Dublin, Ireland | |
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 12 | Nov 9, 1996 | Sat | Arkansas State | 55 | Louisiana Tech | 38 | ||
| 13 | Nov 9, 1996 | Sat | Central Florida | 35 | @ | Alabama-Birmingham | 13 | |
| 14 | Nov 9, 1996 | Sat | Louisiana-Lafayette | 45 | Northern Illinois | 31 | ||
| Rk | Date | Day | Winner/Tie | Pts | Loser/Tie | Pts | Notes | |
| 15 | Dec 7, 1996 | Sat | (23) Army | 28 | Navy | 24 | Philadelphia, PA |