Saturday 9/10/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College football four-point stance: Week 2 pointspread picks and predictions
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

When you get down to it, the Las Vegas pointspread is nothing more than a simple number. On the surface, this probably sounds like a blasphemous statement given the sacred nature in which numbers like three and seven are held amongst the sports betting community, but the bottom line is that without proper context and complementary data, the spread is nothing more than a lonely digit.

For example, if I told you that the Dallas Cowboys were 1-point home favorites against the New York Giants, how would you react knowing that rookie signal-caller Dak Prescott would be lining up under center for Jason Garrett’s offense? Now imagine that instead of Prescott running the show, the Dallas offense would be operated by four-time Pro Bowler Tony Romo. Would your opinion on which side to bet differ based on this information?

On Saturday night in Southern California, the undefeated San Diego State Aztecs will play host to the California Golden Bears. At the current moment, San Diego State is priced as a 7-point favorite. Given the fact that Cal is coming off a bye week and led by quarterback Davis Webb, who threw for 441 yards and four scores against Hawaii two weeks ago, having that seven points in your pocket with the Bears appears awfully tempting, doesn’t it?

Before you go rushing to the window, let’s first discuss some of that complementary data we mentioned in the opening paragraph. For starters, San Diego State is in a revenge spot here having lost to Cal in Berkeley by a score of 35-7 last season. In addition, the Bears are just 1-4 ATS over their last five road games and 2-6 ATS over their last eight games overall. Now let’s turn our attention to the Aztecs, who are a highly profitable 8-1-2 ATS over their last 11 games overall and 7-1-1 ATS over their last nine games following a win.

San Diego State -7 is starting to look pretty good, isn’t it?

Just to seal the deal, we’ll remind you that California will kickoff in San Diego just seven days before hosting a marquee primetime night game against Charlie Strong’s Texas Longhorns, who no doubt caught Cal’s attention with their 50-47 overtime win over Notre Dame last Sunday night.

Look for the Aztecs to feature a heavy dose of the ground game in an effort to wear down an already shaky Bears defense while keeping the potent Cal offense on the sidelines for as long as possible.

Pick: San Diego State -7

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide

When: Saturday, September 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Spread: Alabama -28.5

This is a tricky spot for the top-ranked Crimson Tide, so pay close attention. Alabama is coming off a high profile 52-6 victory over USC and travels to Ole Miss next Saturday to face a Rebels team that has upset the Tide in each of the last two seasons. So it’s very possible that head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin implement a semi-vanilla playbook this week in order to keep Mississippi guessing during it’s Week 3 preparations.

Also of significance is the fact that Alabama is a shocking 0-8 ATS over its last eight non-conference matchups as a favorite of 24 or more points. As for the Hilltoppers, Western Kentucky is 16-5 ATS over its last 21 contests after allowing fewer than 20 points in its previous game.

Pick: Western Kentucky +28.5

Florida Atlantic Owls at No. 25 Miami Hurricanes

When: Saturday, September 10 at 6 p.m. ET
Spread: Miami -24

Former Georgia head coach and current Miami kingpin Mark Richt wasn’t screwing around in his Hurricane debut as “The U” trounced Florida A&M by a final score of 70-3 behind four touchdown passes from Heisman hopeful Brad Kaaya on just 18 attempts.

Miami returns nine starters on an offense that will look to work out the kinks before a sticky situation at Appalachian State on September 17, which leads into a bye week before the commencement of ACC play on October 1 (at Georgia Tech). Be advised that Florida Atlantic is just 3-7 ATS over its last ten games after rolling up more than 450 yards of offense in the previous outing.

Pick: Miami -24

Texas Tech Red Raiders at Arizona State Sun Devils

When: Saturday, September 10 at 10 p.m. ET
Spread: Arizona State -3

Arizona State surrendered a staggering 369 passing yards to tomato can Northern Arizona in last Saturday night’s 44-13 romp, which must have Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury foaming at the mouth in anticipation of unleashing junior quarterback Patrick Mahomes (483 passing yards, 4 TDs) all over the greater Phoenix area.

Texas Tech is 5-0-1 ATS over its last six games played in the month of September while Arizona State is just 1-6 ATS over its last seven games played in the first month of the season. Give the quarterback edge to Mahomes over inexperienced sophomore Manny Wilkins in this spot, which will ultimately prove to be the difference in a game that features a total of 79 points.

Pick: Texas Tech +3

Last week: 1-3 ATS
Season: 1-3 ATS

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College football action report: Sharp action is pouring in on Texas Tech
By PATRICK EVERSON

The college football matchups in Week 2 aren’t nearly as glamorous as in Week 1, but that hasn’t stopped bettors from moving the lines in several games. Heading into Saturday’s games, We talk about where the action is with Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading for William Hill US.

Texas Tech Red Raiders at Arizona State Sun Devils – Open: -3; Move: pick ‘em

Both these teams are coming off lopsided SU and ATS victories in their season openers, against far over-matched FCS opponents. The Red Raiders railroaded Stephen F. Austin 69-17 as 37.5-point home favorites, while the Sun Devils ripped visiting Northern Arizona 44-13 giving 27 points.

This line opened as high as ASU -5 at offshore spots, and William Hill’s Nevada sportsbooks started in at -3 Monday morning. The movement has continued to trend downward all week.

“We’re at a pick ‘em,” Bogdanovich said from his Las Vegas office on Friday afternoon. “It’s definitely sharp money, but I think the public likes Texas Tech, as well. Still, anytime you see a move like that before the weekend, it’s always the professionals.”

Connecticut Huskies at Navy Midshipmen – Open: -5; Move: -4

Navy steamrolled past FCS foe Fordham in Week 1, a 52-16 victory laying 17 points at home. UConn also went the FCS route but had a much harder time, fending off Maine 24-21 and falling miles short as 27-point home chalk.

However, Navy learned during the week that starting quarterback Tago Smith would be out for the year with a torn ACL, and the line tightened.

“That’s due probably a little bit to money and a little bit to information,” Bogdanovich said. “When the Navy quarterback got hurt, we weren’t sure about the extent of the injury. Now, we know he’s out.”

Nevada Wolf Pack at Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Open: -27; Move: -28.5

The Fighting Irish rallied from a 31-14 third-quarter deficit last week at Texas in perhaps the most entertaining game of the weekend. However, Notre Dame ultimately fell 50-47 in overtime as a 3.5-point road fave, so Brian Kelly’s troops will likely be doubly motivated for their home opener.

Nevada could be a very willing opponent. The Wolf Pack worked overtime last week, too, but against a much weaker squad in Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Nevada won 30-27 as a heavy 21.5-point favorite.

“There’s plenty of Notre Dame money,” Bogdanovich said. “That game is one where there’s more public money than sharp money. We’ve got a lot of books up in Northern Nevada, and Nevada looked terrible in Week 1. The money we took I think is definitely square money.”

Georgia State Panthers at Air Force Falcons – Open: -18; Move: -21

Air Force topped FCS opponent Abilene Christian 37-21 last week, but fell well short as massive 42.5-point home chalk in that contest. The Falcons aren’t taking much of a step up against Georgia State, which suffered a 31-21 upset loss laying 6 points to visiting Ball State in Week 1.

There was talk that Air Force quarterback Nate Romine was hurt last week, though no injury was disclosed by the Falcons.

“The Air Force quarterback was questionable, and now he’s starting,” Bogdanovich said. “A lot of that line movement was (due to) that information. We got a little bit of money on Air Force.”

North Carolina Tar Heels at Illinois Fighting Illini – Open: +9.5; Move: +7

North Carolina lost at home in its regular-season opener, 33-24 to Georgia catching 3.5 points, while Illinois battered Murray State of the FCS 52-3 laying 33 points. Those outcomes apparently made the home underdog attractive in this ACC-Big Ten contest.

“That’s definitely sharp money,” Bogdanovich said.

Other Saturday games seeing significant line movement:

* Wake Forest at Duke. The Blue Devils opened as 4.5-point favorites at William Hill and have since been bet up to 6.5.

* Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech. This game will be played on the infield of Bristol Motor Speedway. The Vols opened as 9-point chalk at some books and have since moved to 11 and even 11.5, though William Hill opened a little later at 10.5 and stands at 11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knights (1-0) at Wolverines (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Most of the summer, Michigan put a lot effort into keeping the identity of its starting quarterback quiet. There might be no holding back Wilton Speight Saturday when the No. 5 Wolverines host Central Florida.

Speight, a sophomore, is all but entrenched as Michigan's lead signal caller after performing well in the season-opening 63-3 thrashing of Hawaii. Now the Wolverines are a 37-point favorite against the Knights, who have never played at Michigan Stadium and went 0-12 last season.

Scott Frost, the former Nebraska quarterback who rose rapidly up coaching ranks and served as offensive coordinator at Oregon when Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy, led UCF to a win over South Carolina State in his coaching debut.

Frost is a familiar name for Wolverines' fans.

Nebraska and Michigan split the national championship after the 1997 season, well before the College Football Playoff was even a pipedream.

"There are probably some people that care," Frost said, a softened stance in contrast to his boast that Nebraska was far superior to Michigan in January 1998. "That was a long time ago. It's unfortunate that at that time the two best teams in the country couldn't play each other. We feel like we were the best team, they feel like they were the best team and we'll never know. It was a great year for me and has absolutely no bearing on this Saturday."

If Michigan has designs on returning to a national title game for the first time since the split with the Cornhuskers in 1997, the Wolverines are counting on their first-year starter under center to help guide the offense.

Speight completed 10 of 13 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns against Hawaii after outdueling junior John O'Korn in fall camp to win the position.

Speight knew he was going to start the opener but Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh refused to publicly spill the details.

"He had total command, and it speaks volumes and bodes really well for our team and really well for his career as a quarterback to have done that," Harbaugh said. "Now he knows he can do it, and we can expect him to do it."

Speight's outing against the Rainbow Warriors didn't start so well. He telegraphed his first pass and it was picked off by Hawaii safety Damien Packer.

Speight headed toward the sideline and there was Harbaugh. But he didn't encounter an angry version of the typically animated coach. He instead found him wearing a smile.

"It obviously wasn't the start I was imagining, and I was rolling to our sideline anyway, and my momentum carried me right into Coach," Speight said. "He just grabbed me and hugged me and was kind of laughing. He said, 'Don't worry. We'll get 'em next drive. Don't sweat about that.' And I was able to do that."

Speight rebounded and the Wolverines were off to a big victory with the 60-point winning margin representing its largest since a 69-0 rout of Northwestern in 1975.

The defense also excelled as it gave up just 232 total yards and forced five three-and-outs. Senior defensive backs Delano Hill and Channing Stribling each scored touchdown on interception returns.

Speight isn't alone.

Running back Chris Evans, who moved up the depth chart when senior Drake Johnson was unable to play and made the most of his playing time, is looking for more against UCF after the Knights allowed just 2.6 yards per carry last week.

"It's big for me," said Evans, "but I feel that with team success comes individual excellence. I knew I could do what I did, but I stay humble about it and want to see everyone on my team succeed. When I get my shot, I get my shot."

In addition to Johnson's possible return at running back, the Wolverines could see reinforcements arrive this week. Senior cornerback Jourdan Lewis was held out of the Hawaii game for precautionary reasons due to an unspecified injury but will play against Central Florida.

However, Michigan senior defensive end Taco Charlton (ankle) is expected to sit out after being injured in the opener against Hawaii. Sophomore linebacker Noah Furbush (knee) missed the Hawaii game and is unlikely to play versus Central Florida.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Chippewas (1-0) at Cowboys (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Oklahoma State won its 21st consecutive home opener last week against Southeastern Louisiana, but the level of competition shifts direction Saturday when Central Michigan visits Boone Pickens Stadium.

The Cowboys, ranked No. 21 in the first regular-season poll of 2016, will keep the focus similar to the opener - start fast, score early and get the early takeaway to feed momentum. That begins for the Cowboys with holding down Chippewas' quarterback Cooper Rush.

"We saw Cooper Rush last year and he's steady. He's a senior now. He's put up a lot of yardage. He's savvy to get free on rush and he's got a great touch. He can throw the deep-out cuts. Basically, besides the tight end, they've got the whole wide-fence back, and they pretty much move the ball on everybody they play," Cowboys defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer said of Rush, who has 68 career touchdown passes but was intercepted twice and sacked three times in the opener against FCS opponent Presbyterian.

The Cowboys handled Central Michigan last season, 24-13, but Rush held strong in the pocket and completed 28 of 41 passes for 225 yards, rushed for 51 and scored the Chippewas' touchdown. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy called Rush "a potential NFL player." NFLDraftScout.com ranks Rush as the No. 4 quarterback prospect in the 2017 draft.

"He made a lot of great throws against us (last year), right on the money," safety Tre Flowers said of Rush.

CMU coach John Bonamengo said Rush had only one bad throw in the opener, and praised the CMU running game for churning out 255 yards on the ground in the blowout. Devon Spalding had the big play last week, a 69-yard sprint down the sideline, but senior Jahray Hayes had three TD runs behind a big offensive line that Oklahoma State described as "huge."

"Each one of the offensive linemen played their butts off for us," said Spalding, who rushed for 135 yards in the opener.

If the Chippewas want to follow the footsteps of Western Michigan - a MAC neighbor which pulled the big upset at Northwestern last week - defensive improvement will be critical. Last week the improvement was there, but the Cowboys are capable of inflicting critical damage on almost every play.

Oklahoma State scored in just about every way possible last week, rolling up 60 points and handing the late part of the game to second- and third-teamers.

Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph didn't get much work, but looked quicker and leaner to Gundy. Rudolph completed 18 of 26 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, while playing about half the game.

"Mason played with a lot of intensity and a lot of focus. There were a couple of errors, but for the most part Mason came through for us. He secured the football," OSU offensive coordinator Mike Yurich said. "Obviously we have to work on the quarterback-center exchange. That was a big mishap, but Mason took care of the ball and made really good decisions. There were a couple of times he has to make better decisions, so it's a work in progress, but he did a fine job. He really did some good things extending plays, making plays on his feet and avoiding the rush. Obviously all of the work he's done during the offseason paid off because he was able to be more mobile than we've ever seen, so hats off to him."

The new wheels are meaningful for Rudolph in the pocket and on the move, and it's another element of the multi-faceted running game that will make the Cowboys a challenge to defend.

"We have the mindset we can beat anybody," Hayes said. "We think we're going to go down there and beat them."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Colonels (0-0) at Bulldogs (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Freshman quarterback Jacob Eason lived up to the hype in his Georgia debut, sparking a Bulldogs' comeback in a 33-24 opening victory over North Carolina.

But coach Kirby Smart isn't quite ready to hand him the starting job when the No. 9 Bulldogs host Nicholls State at noon Saturday in Sanford Stadium in Athens.

"The quarterback plan is very similar to last week right now," Smart said as the Bulldogs began preparations for the FCS foe that will be playing its season opener.

Eason, considered by many to be the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in this year's class, is a 6-5, 235-pounder with a strong arm. He took several deep shots down the field and hooked up with speedy receiver Isaiah McKenzie on a 17-yard touchdown and a 51-yard bomb against North Carolina. He finished 8 of 12 passing for 131 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions.

Senior Greyson Lambert started against the Tar Heels and didn't make any devastating mistakes, but didn't make any big plays, either. Lambert, who started 12 games last season and had a 10-2 record, finished 8 of 12 for 54 yards.

"We're going to continue to rep both of those guys, give those guys a lot of work, and make a decision as to what we're going to do, whether it's later in the week, or game time," Smart said. "Both those guys will continue to work, and that's the most important thing that they can continue to grow and get better and develop so that our offense can grow and develop and get better."

Nicholls State gives Smart the luxury of playing coy with his quarterback situation. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising to see third-stringer Brice Ramsey also get reps in the game.

The Colonels won only three of 11 outings last season and were shut out 47-0 by Louisiana-Monroe and 48-0 by Colorado in their only outings against FBS opponents.

Georgia paid the visiting underdog more than $500,000 to play in Athens.

"I've coached at this level, I've coached at the Division I level, it's what you do, you have to play some of the big boys, it's a necessary evil that I think all of the coaches in the conference will agree we have to do it," Nicholls State coach Tim Rebowe said. "We like to do it, it's great exposure for our program. And for some of our teammates to go out and see if they can compete at a higher level."

Two players in the program had exposure as part of the Netflix series "Last Chance U." Defensive linemen Marcel Andry and Ronald Ollie, one of the prominent players in the series, get to measure up against the Bulldogs this week after struggling to stop the run last season (5.3 yards per rush).

Nicholls State does return 18 starters from that team, including quarterback Tuskani Figaro and its entire starting defense. Figaro was 91 of 164 passing for 925 yards with six interceptions last year. He also rushed for 456 yards, making him the team's leading returning rusher.

The Bulldogs gave Smart a victory in his first game as a head coach and tailback Nick Chubb stamped himself a Heisman contender by rushing 32 times for 222 yards against North Carolina.

It was his first game back after sustaining a season-ending knee injury against Tennessee in the sixth game of the 2015 campaign. It was the third 200-yard-plus game of the junior's collegiate career.

"It felt great to finally have a chance to come out here and play as a team," Chubb said afterward. "For me, coming back out here for the first time felt amazing. I just took my mind off everything else and just played for my boys, the guys I've been with for the past couple of years.

"I felt good throughout the game. I had no idea where I was at any point in the game, as far as carries of yards. None of that matters to me. If the team calls on me, I know all of them are behind me."

The Bulldogs had 474 yards of total offense (289 on the ground) and held North Carolina to just 315, but Smart is looking for more from his team.

"It's time to get our team better, and there are a lot of areas of improvement that we need to improve on," he said. "I've heard the mantra that it's never as good as it seems and it's never as bad as it seems. There's nowhere more evident than that tape of that.

"You went to sleep thinking you played well, you watch the tape and you're sick to your stomach because there are so many things we did wrong that we need to improve on."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lamar (0-1) at Houston Cougars (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Houston climbed to No. 6 in the rankings and the Cougars are leaving tracks based on two of the most significant wins ever for the American Athletic Conference powerhouse.

The Cougars took down Florida State to end the 2015 season and kicked off 2016 in style, upsetting third-ranked Oklahoma at NRG Stadium with an echo that rattled the national rankings, propelling UH from No. 15 to sixth.

Of course, Houston coach Tom Herman was willing to celebrate only after identifying the many areas he wants the Cougars to improve entering Saturday's game (Noon ET) against Lamar.

"We had some coverage busts in the secondary," Herman said. "Then at the four-minute mark we were about to go up 40-17 on the No. 3 team in the country and we fumbled the ball going into the dang end zone and put our defense back out on the field. That's obviously very unacceptable."

Houston came out of the massive win over the Sooners a little worse for wear in the backfield. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. required an MRI exam on his sore shoulder but was expected to participate in practice after Herman said "there's nothing structural, just some soft tissue stuff." Ward lost the fumble Herman bemoaned but otherwise played with precision in orchestrated the upset.

Ward had 321 passing yards and two touchdowns in the opener.

"From last year to this year, it's like night and day," Herman said.

Though a short week awaits Houston with a Thursday night meeting against Cincinnati in the AAC opener next week, complacency is likely to be squashed by the energetic Cougars' staff this week. Expectations are sky high and only rising for Herman's club, which is 15-1 since he came to town from Ohio State.

"The culture that is ingrained in this program will not allow it," Herman said. "I think these guys know that if coach McKnight or any of our assistants for one minute think that there is complacency or the foot is being let off the gas, they're going to get smacked in the face with the proverbial shovel and reminded of what our culture demands of them."

Of course, Lamar is not Oklahoma. It will not bring a national television audience or months and weeks of massive hype. This is not a statement game on the surface, but Herman wants to ensure it is just that.

The Lamar football program returned in 2010 after a hiatus and had 31 wins in six seasons as a Southland Conference member.

That might not generate a buzz on Houston's campus this week but he's hopeful TEDCU Stadium will be a popular place Saturday and going forward.

"If we fashion ourselves to be a big time football program, like the big time programs in the country, it does not matter what the opponent is or what is on their jersey," Herman said. "Their fans, students and alumni come and support and watch their team play."

Along with Ward, running back Duke Catalon (ankle) is expected to be in the lineup against Lamar.

"He finished up the game, we expect him back," Herman said.

Lamar's offense is not without impact players.

Senior running back Kade Harrington was the runner up for the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Year award in 2015. He became the seventh player in Division I history to rush for 2,000-plus yards in 10 games and set all sorts of program marks. Harrington ended the 2015 regular season as the nation's leader in rushing yards (2,092), rush yards per game (190.2), all-purpose yards (213.4), rushing touchdowns (21) and was second nationally in scoring (12.5 per game) and third in yards per carry (7.86).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Prairie View A&M (1-0) at Texas A&M Aggies (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Play 60 will be repeated hundreds of times this week in College Station, but the Aggies can hang their hat on a few positives after another signature win to start the season.

Texas A&M won its season-opener against 16th-ranked UCLA and coach Kevin Sumlin labeled the victory worthy of celebration.

No. 20 Texas A&M has now defeated a ranked foe to start a campaign for the third straight year. The problems for Texas A&M of late have come after early October.

Even so, there are plenty of things to give the Aggies hope heading into Saturday's matchup with Prairie View A&M.

Texas A&M ran the ball and defended the run against UCLA. The Aggies built a 24-9 lead in the third quarter. And they kept their composure when the Bruins made a comeback to force overtime.

With a notch in the win column, UCLA's fourth-quarter surge simply serves as ammunition for Sumlin this week.

"We're not sugar coating that with our guys," Sumlin said Tuesday. "We've got to be able to close out games, finish games. It also says that, yeah, we rotated guys in the front, but we've got to get more out of our back-up guys."

Following the season-opening test and preceding the Aggies SEC opener at Auburn on September 17 will be another date at Ryan Field this week.

The Panthers (1-0) hail from just 46 miles down the road from College Station in Prairie View, Texas. But this will be the first meeting in football between the two schools.

Texas A&M coaches will be demanding close attention to detail and maintaining intensity after the fourth-quarter fall off against UCLA.

"It starts with us in games like this, things that we've got to get better," Sumlin said. "One of those things, for whatever reason, is the focus."

Quarterback Trevor Knight scored the 1-yard touchdown on fourth down to give the Aggies a win in the opener. But he did not put up impressive passing numbers in his first start for the Aggies. He completed 22 of 42 passes for 239 yards, a TD and a pick. Knight said he needs to be "sharper in every area" and step forward in execution.

Coaches typically won't allow that a loss is a good thing, but perhaps a narrow win over a ranked opponent can be just that.

Film review underscored the positive play of the offensive line, which did not allow a sack against UCLA and looked more than ready to replace Mike Matthews and Germain Ifedi. Redshirt freshman Eric McCoy, who started the game at center for the Aggies, was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.

"Last year we redshirted him but he traveled to every game," Sumlin said. "He was Mike Matthews' backup. He was told, and he knew, that if Mike Matthews went down, he was the next-best guy who can give us the best chance to win."

The strong line play is good news in combination with the emergence of depth at running back.

Trayveon Williams wasted no time in making an impact on the Aggies' running game. The true freshman carried 15 times for 94 yards with a long run of 42 yards against UCLA. He had the most carries of any Texas A&M back, a trend that is likely to continue.

One trend the Aggies don't want to continue is the fourth-quarter wobble that nearly set up UCLA for a comeback that would have changed the tune for Sumlin's bunch this week.

"We played well for three quarters, and I think that's obvious," Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis said. "We didn't play the kind of football that we needed to play in the fourth quarter ... got to get that fixed. I think we showed a lot of people that we are capable of playing well, but we've got to be able to do it for 60 minutes."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Troy Trojans (1-0) at Clemson Tigers (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

Clemson fans are not quite ready to talk about Troy.

Clemson's 19-13 victory over Auburn marked the first time that the Tigers' offense failed to produce at least 20 points in a game over a span of 14 outings dating back to the 2014 season.

The second-ranked Tigers also failed to gain at least 500 yards in total offense for the first time in 11 outings.

That had some Clemson faithful carping about the closeness of the contest.

But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney wasn't accommodating to any critics carping about the closeness of the game, which had Auburn throwing into the end zone for a possible victory as time ran out.

"I'm sorry we disappointed them, that's all I can tell them," Swinney said. "We went to win the game, and that's what we did. We did drop three touchdown passes that we normally catch. And we did have a fumble in scoring position.

"We weren't quite as clean."

A couple of other miscues cost potential scores as well.

"So we just miscued on a few things," he said. "We'll be just fine offensively."

Then he had a second thought about the criticism.

"I think that's great, to be honest with you," he said. "I think that's great. I think that means we've become a relevant program when there's a group of people that aren't even happy when you win. I feel sorry for those folks. We're just happy to win. We're always going to get better.

"I can remember a time not very long ago when nobody would have expected us to go to Auburn at 8 o'clock on national TV in prime time and win. Now we're expected to win, which is awesome. It's where we want to be.

"We're supposed to win by a certain amount and all that, but that's not my objective. My job is to win football games, not to make other people happy by how we win."

No doubt many of those same critics are expecting a much more comfortable margin when the Tigers host Troy Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Clemson.

The Trojans, a Sun Belt team that is looking to rebound from a string of tough seasons, come into the game off a 57-17 rout of Austin Peay, an FCS competitor. Swinney called them a "dangerous team."

"A lot of you guys will sit there and say, 'Oh, that's coach speak,' but I'm telling you now that if they had 'Auburn' across their chest, this bunch here can play," he said. "I'm very impressed with how well coached they are."

Neal Brown is in his second season as coach of the Trojans, who won four Sun Belt Conference titles from 2006-09 after making the transition from the FCS level. He was only 4-8 in his first season, but his defense under former Clemson coordinator Vic Koenning held opponents to just 391 yards a game in total offense, the first time since 2008 an opponent had not averaged at least 400 yards a game against Troy.

"I'm telling you, this team right here is going to be a handful," Swinney said. "I remember very very, very vividly in 2011 jogging off the field at halftime down 16-13. And everybody in the stadium is booing, including my wife. And my mom. And my mother-in-law.

"It was not a pretty sight."

The game in Memorial Stadium will be the first at home for the Tigers in a long stretch. They have been away from home for their last five games, a span that began with the 2015 regular-season finale against South Carolina and continued with games against North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game, Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl in a College Football Playoff semifinal, and the national championship game against Alabama before concluding with the trip to Auburn to open the 2016 season -- a lot of games to be played without a home game, he noted.

The Tigers went 4-1 in that stretch, losing only to Alabama.

"It's great to be home," Swinney said. "That's the biggest thing about this week."

"I told the staff this morning I'm so excited to be back in Death Valley," he said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Charleston Southern (1-1) at Florida State Seminoles (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 12:30 PM EDT

Jimbo Fisher just might be a habitual winner at this quarterback development deal.

Florida State started redshirt freshman Deondre Francois is the season-opening, primetime Labor Day win over Ole Miss, and the Seminoles did far more than live to tell about it even after falling behind 28-6.

This week the third-ranked Seminoles are planning to roll up their sleeves to start the game against Charleston Southern at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee (12:30 p.m. ET), and that includes Fisher and Francois, who rolled up 500 yards total offense in the shocking rally over highly touted Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly.

Francois drew Fisher's ire - television cameras captured a blatant eye roll and a few, as Fisher called it, "bleepity bleeps" - on the sideline but wore a smile after the game.

"In the first quarter, I just had to get hit a couple times," Francois said of settling in Monday night. "After the first couple of drives, things weren't going right, but I just tried to stay calm and just keep chopping. That's our motto this year: 'Just keep chopping.' "

Francois, who rushed for 85 yards, had the direct counsel of one of Fisher's prized pupils, former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston, while guiding Florida State's eight straight scoring drives. In the game, Francois was 32 of 52 for 419 yards.

"He got a little shook. But he bounced back and managed the game and made plays. That's what a game manager does; they're playmakers," Fisher said. "And when the opportunity came to make plays, that's what he did."

Florida State is turning the page to Charleston Southern, which won last week but could be down its top two quarterbacks Saturday. The Buccaneers are 0-16 all-time against FBS opponents, most recently a 56-6 loss to Alabama in 2015.

Fourth-year coach Jamey Chadwell nearly led an upset of Vanderbilt in 2014 and won at Appalachian State.

The Buccaneers have 29 wins since Chadwell was hired, a span of three seasons and two games into 20116, after winning 26 games the six years before his arrival.

After an overtime loss to North Dakota State, five-time defending FCS champion, in their opener the Buccaneers pounded Kentucky State, 57-7, last week.

In the win, the Buccaneers had almost as many critical injuries as touchdowns.

Starting quarterback Kyle Copeland suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter, preseason Big South Conference offensive player of the year Darius Hammond left hurt and backup quarterback Shane Bucenell left with a sprained ankle.

CSU will be further shorthanded after announcing on Friday that 14 players have been suspended for violating NCAA rules involving financial aid.

Senior running back Ben Robinson wrote on Facebook that more than 30 players were disciplined in the probe and given the choice of sitting out the Florida State contest or a game against Monmouth on Sept. 24.

Robinson wrote that the suspensions are for buying things like "pencils, binders and electronics" at the campus bookstore using money allotted for books.

The school confirmed that 32 players will serve one-game suspensions -- 16 have already served their penalties and two others will sit out at a later date.

"Florida State is Florida State," Bucs safety Corbin Jackson said. "We're going to go down there and play our game. We can't be worried about who it is we're playing."

While CSU scrambles to fill out the two-deep, Florida State is banking on its newest blood to continue making a difference.

Senior defensive end DeMarcus Walker had 4.5 sacks and forced a fumble on Monday, but many of the key contributions for the Seminoles came from their youngsters.

Freshman kicker Ricky Aguayo, the younger brother of former Seminoles kicker Roberto Aguayo, a three-time all-American, came to the aid of a stalling offense to boot six field goals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Zips (1-0) at Badgers (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Wisconsin's victory lap from Lambeau Field to Madison was memorable if not for the miles traveled the distance covered between national expectations and those from inside the Badgers' program.

Saturday (3:30 ET) against Mid-American foe Akron, the 10th-ranked Badgers don't want to misplay the respect card.

Wisconsin entered the season with questions regarding its quarterback, the ability to handle such a rugged schedule and concerns of a potential drop-off for the program after years of sustained success.

The Badgers only had eight seniors on their two-deep roster for the opener against LSU.

All those concerns, at least for a few weeks, were put aside following a shocking 16-14 win over No. 5 LSU in the season opener in Green Bay.

"I feel like we were out to gain respect, and I think we did it at the end of the day," Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt said.

Akron beat VMI, 47-24, in its opener, with six touchdown passes from quarterback Tommy Woodson and 576 yards total offense. But a Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall will be a new challenge altogether, even if Akron coach Terry Bowden is 1-0 head-to-head against Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst (Akron beat Pitt in 2014). Wisconsin is 2-0 all-time against Akron and won 38-17 in 2008 with 404 rushing yards.

Bowden is 20-30 as Akron head coach, and he's not shy about the way the Zips want to win. They're throw, throw early, often and go deep when they do. In the first quarter Saturday, Akron had many miscues, but the Zips also had five pass plays of 20-plus yards.

"It's going to stress us out differently (than LSU)," Chryst said. "They're going to spread us out and we've got to play good assignment football."

The MAC has a 10-year streak of scoring at least one upset over the Big Ten, and Western Michigan wiped out Northwestern last week. The history lesson is not lost on the Badgers.

"Some people might have a harder time, staying in the past and celebrating that victory a little too much, but I think we're a real focused group," Watt said. "We've already started watching film, breaking down Akron, so it's just on to the next one."

The Badgers (1-0) defied the odds by defeating an SEC powerhouse that returned 17 starters and many experts viewed as a potential playoff contender. Wisconsin's defense forced three turnovers, running back Corey Clement had a big game and kicker Rafael Gaglianone made three field goals, including the winner with just under four minutes left. Clement rushed for 86 yards on a career-high 21 carries.

"I'm excited about what the future holds for this defense and this Wisconsin badgers football team," senior linebacker Vince Biegel said.

Akron had 13 penalties last week, including a defensive personal foul on a goal-to-go situation, missed two extra points and led 26-24 entering the fourth quarter. Bowden knows Saturday could be a reality check if the Zips don't pack discipline, and defense.

"Defensively ... you can see we're still a work in progress," Bowden said.

The immediate future for Wisconsin includes a drop-off in strength of opponents. After hosting Akron on Saturday and Georgia State the following week, the Badgers begin a stretch of games against ranked conference opponents -- at Michigan State and Michigan, home against Ohio State and at Iowa.

"These next two weeks are very important," Clement said. "I'm not saying these aren't big games, but you talk about Michigan and Michigan State and all these other great opponents that are in the Big Ten, you want to go into those games with as much momentum as possible."

Wisconsin inside linebacker Chris Orr is out for the season because of a season-ending knee injury suffered against LSU. The Badgers did not disclose the status of linebacker T.J. Edwards, who didn't play at LSU because of a fractured foot.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Golden Hurricane (1-0) at Buckeyes (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After Ohio State cruised to a 77-10 victory over Bowling Green in the season opener last Saturday, it stands to reason that coach Urban Meyer would be pretty pleased with the performance.

Meyer was happy but not overly impressed with the blowout against the school that gave him his head coaching start.

"I thought our guys played pretty good. I think it was good, not great," Meyer said.

It would be difficult to convince most Buckeyes fans that Ohio State was "not great" in the Ohio Stadium opener. The point total was the highest in Meyer's 15 years as a head coach, and the offense set a school record with 776 total yards.

And then there was quarterback J.T. Barrett being named the Big Ten offensive player of the week after passing for 349 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for one score against the Falcons. Those are video-game numbers.

But Meyer and the No. 4 Buckeyes are quickly putting that game in the rear-view mirror and turning their attention to Tulsa, the second nonconference opponent on the schedule. The two teams meet for the first time Saturday (3:30 p.m., ABC) at Ohio Stadium.

The Golden Hurricane (1-0) are the first of two straight opponents from Oklahoma that the Buckeyes face. The following Saturday, Ohio State goes on the road to take on No. 14 Oklahoma.

Tulsa, which plays in the American Athletic Conference, opened its season last week with a 45-10 victory at San Jose State.

Meyer is expecting a tougher test from Tulsa than Bowling Green. The Golden Hurricane are coached by former Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery, which means Ohio State is preparing to face a wide-open spread attack that mixes passing with a decent running game.

"I think when you hear spread, it's about numbers," Meyer said. "So I think that part is similar (to Ohio State's offense). ... But the identity is we're going to line up and hammer the football and run the ball. And we expect to lead the conference or be close to the lead in rushing offense.

"I can't speak to what Baylor does. But when you look at Baylor and then Tulsa, they're very balanced, more balanced than people think. And so I think it's somewhat similar. But there are different fundamental differences to (Ohio State's offense)."

Tulsa rushed for 305 yards and totaled 512 yards of offense in its opener. The Golden Hurricane scored 38 straight points in the blowout on the road and their defense limited San Jose State to 287 total yards and forced three turnovers.

That means Ohio State's offense and defense are preparing for anything and everything this week from a team hungry to upset a national power.

"We've got a tough one coming up this week, a team that beat San Jose soundly from the get-go," Meyer said. "And very talented receivers, two NFL prospects at wide receiver, a returning veteran at quarterback (Dane Evans) and a D coordinator (Bill Young) who used to coach here at Ohio State. They're very sound on defense and do a nice job."

Young was Ohio State's defensive coordinator from 1988 to 1995 under coach John Cooper, who came to Columbus after serving as Tulsa's coach. Young's defense played well in the opener against San Jose State, but the Golden Hurricane know the Buckeyes are a different animal this week.

"It's going to be a great challenge for us, especially going up to their place," said Montgomery, who recruited Barrett when he was offensive coordinator at Baylor and the Ohio State quarterback was a standout high school player in Texas. "We're looking forward to it. We're going up with the mindset that we're going to win the football game."

Montgomery promises the Golden Hurricane won't be intimidated by the 105,000-plus fans in Ohio Stadium. Tulsa played at Oklahoma last year and hung with the Sooners before losing 52-38.

"They're the next team on our schedule," Montgomery said. "For us, it's not about the helmet, not about the shirt, it's what you do between the lines."

Ohio State goes into the game as a four-touchdown favorite, but will be without defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle, who underwent surgery Sunday for a torn patellar tendon in a knee. Linebacker Dante Booker is questionable after suffering an MCL sprain in the first quarter against Bowling Green.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wolf Pack (1-0) at Fighting Irish (0-1)

Date: September 10, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly wasn't revealing much about his quarterback situation after playing two at Texas.

"We still have two very good quarterbacks," he said Tuesday.

It appeared that DeShone Kizer had mostly settled the issue in a 50-47 double-overtime loss at Texas on Sunday night. He completed 15 of 24 passes for 215 yards and five touchdowns, also running for 77 yards and a score.

Malik Zaire, the former starter who missed most of last season because of an ankle injury, completed 2 of 5 passes for 23 yards.

The competition was one of the country's most intriguing in fall camp, and Kelly apparently will keep some mystery to it, not saying as of Tuesday whether he'll continue to use both quarterbacks when the No. 18 Irish play host to Nevada (1-0) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

The game will mark the 250th consecutive sellout at Notre Dame Stadium, a streak that began after the 1973 season.

Kelly said Kizer missed a couple "cupcake throws" against Texas and misread a couple of protections that led to sacks.

"For some reason, he missed," Kelly said. "He checked out of a pass play into a run play late in the game where we had a pass on, and just tried to do a little too much.

"So a lot of it is probably late in the game trying to do a little bit too much. Just let the offense run itself. You being the player that you are, you're going to make something good happen instead of trying to manufacture something."

Kelly also talked about keeping the No. 2 quarterback "engaged" in the process.

"You can't let your teammates down and you can't let yourself down," Kelly said.

"That's really 99 percent attitude and accepting the role that you have. If you can't accept the role, then you need to move out of the way and let somebody go into that role that can accept it and prepare themselves accordingly, so when they are called upon they're ready to play."

Nevada won its opener, 30-27 in overtime against visiting Cal Poly of the Football Championship Subdivision. Junior running back James Butler scored the winning points on a 5-yard run. He has 2,100 career rushing yards.

The Pack is a run-first offense out of the Pistol formation. Returning starting quarterback Tyler Stewart completed 17 of 23 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns last week.

Notre Dame's reconstructed and relatively inexperienced defensive line gave up 237 rushing yards to Texas, including 131 to D'Onta Foreman and 53 -- including three rushing TDs -- to quarterback Tyrone Swoopes. Two of Swoopes' scores came in overtime after Notre Dame had rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit.

Linebacker Nyles Morgan had a career-high 13 tackles. Freshman safety Devin Studstill had four tackles in his debut and could start this week with safety Avery Sebastian being evaluated for a concussion. So, too, was wide receiver Torii Hunter Jr. Both likely will be evaluated close to game time.

A couple of bright spots on offense were sophomore receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (five catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns in his first start) and running back Tarean Folston, who missed most of last season because of a torn ACL. He had a 54-yard run on the game's opening drive and closed with 88 yards on 18 carries.

Folston and running back Josh Adams will be a formidable challenge for Nevada's defense, which gave up 191.4 rushing yards per game last season. Fourth-year Wolf Pack coach Brian Polian called them both "big dudes."

Polian is returning to Notre Dame after serving as an assistant from 2005 to 2009 under head coach Charlie Weis. He is embracing the opportunity, saying, "Who wouldn't want to play in front of Touchdown Jesus?"

He added: "We're excited to go play at a really cool place."

This is Nevada's second all-time trip to South Bend. Notre Dame won 35-0 on Sept. 5, 2009, marking only the third time coach Chris Ault's team was shut out in his 25 years as the Wolf Pack coach.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hilltoppers (1-0) at Crimson Tide (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Neither of Alabama's two young quarterbacks did enough to separate themselves from the group in the Crimson Tide's 52-6 win over Southern Cal.

For the second straight week, coach Nick Saban will play both true freshman Jalen Hurts and redshirt freshman Blake Barnett when the top-ranked Crimson Tide hosts Western Kentucky at 3:30 ET Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

"I thought that both guys were a little shaky in the beginning in terms of how they played, and I think that the longer they played in the game, the better they played," Saban said. "That goes for both guys.

"I still think that we need to play two quarterbacks to try to gain the experience and knowledge and consistency that we need to see. We may do it a little different way than we did last week. But I think we'll probably still play two guys in the game."

Barnett earned the start and completed 5-of-6 passes for 100 yards, a touchdown and no turnovers.

Hurts entered the game after the second series and accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing). But he also turned the ball over twice.

"Jalen did a nice job in some of the things he did, turned the ball over a couple of times," Saban said. "When Blake went back in the game, he actually played with a lot more confidence and a lot more poise.

"I think we need to continue to develop both of those players. It was encouraging that both players played better as they played in the game, which should be expected of freshmen.

"Hopefully, we'll see big improvement in this game."

Alabama isn't playing a top-20 team like USC, but Western Kentucky is no slouch, despite being outscored in two previous meetings with Alabama by a combined score of 76-7. The Hilltoppers were ranked in the top 25 last season. They lost their starting quarterback from last year, but the Hilltoppers return a ton of starters from last year's group.

"They've got one of the most prolific passing attacks that we're going to see and some very good players to implement," Saban said. "They play really tough, physical defensive football. This is a good team."

The Hilltoppers opened their season with a 46-14 rout of Rice. Taking over for Brandon Doughty at quarterback, junior Mike White set an efficiency record when he passed for 517 yards in completing 25 of his 31 attempts in his WKU debut. He came to the Hilltoppers after two years at South Florida, where he had 15 starts.

Wide receiver Taywan Taylor had four receptions covering at least 25 yards among his five receptions, and wide receiver Nicholas Norris had an 87-yard touchdown reception among his team-high seven receptions.

"We had two teams in our league that actually lost to teams that were nowhere near this good," Saban said, referring to Southern Mississippi's win at Kentucky and South Alabama's win at Mississippi State. "Nowhere near what they accomplished a year ago.

"Nowhere near the number of players coming back. These are not things that we can take at all for granted. We need to get ready to play this game as if we're playing a really good football team, because we are."

As for Hilltoppers coach Jeff Brohm, he has the requisite respect for the Tide.

"We're not blind," he said. "We see what everyone else sees. This is the very best team in the country. They've got tremendous talent, great size, great speed at every position. There are no weaknesses.

"They're coached by the best coach in the country. He's been there, he's done that, he's proven it. But our guys will be excited for this opportunity to go down there and play a caliber team like Alabama -- an SEC opponent, national champions, at their place, their first home game.

"I think our guys will be ready. They'll look forward to this challenge. We're looking forward to seeing how we measure up. It will be a tough game, a tough matchup. We understand how tough this game will be."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mustangs (1-0) at Bears (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Not too long ago, the toughest questions Baylor football coaches faced were those that brought up the 23rd-ranked Bears' weak nonconference schedule.

Interim Baylor coach Jim Grobe has had to field many questions about the program's culture.

Perhaps the upside of that is no one has asked him about the continuing lack of interesting or challenging September games for the Bears.

No. 23 Baylor hosts unranked SMU at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at McLane Stadium in Waco, which some in Texas regard as a rise in competition. The Bears opened their season with a 55-7 rout of Northwestern State. It was the most points a team coached by Grobe has ever scored.

"I think the thing is we've all had games when you scored more points than you counted on," Grobe said. "The biggest problem we've got is managing the game."

While this week's opponent is a step up from an FCS foe, however, it's uncertain how big a step.

The Mustangs went 2-10 under first-year head coach Chad Morris last season and began this season last week by pulling away from a rebuilding North Texas team in the third quarter for an unimpressive 34-21 win that included 572 yards total offense.

How stern the test is Saturday might hinge on the health of SMU's quarterback.

Matt Davis is a game-time decision, Morris said, because of a knee injury. He rushed for 91 yards and had 155 passing yards with two scores last week.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton and defensive end Justin Lawler were named to the AAC weekly honor roll for their contributions.

Sutton, a sophomore, had four receptions for 162 yards and three touchdowns, one a career-long 88-yard catch, the fifth-longest play in SMU history.

Lawler, a junior, recorded 3.5 sacks, just an assist off the school single-game record, among his team-high eight tackles.

The Mustangs rushed for 272 yards and passed for 300, but they also gave up 311 yards to the Mean Green's passing game -- not a good sign.

Grobe is familiar with Morris' style from their days in the ACC. Grobe, of course, was the head coach at Wake Forest. Morris was the offensive coordinator at Clemson.

"I think offensively Chad is doing the same things he did at Clemson, and when I was at Wake Forest I had to go against that stuff, so I know how hard it is for Phil Bennett and the defensive guys to get ready," Grobe said, referring to Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett. "One of the things that Phil Bennett was concerned about last year is that we missed too many tackles.

"If you look at SMU against North Texas, they broke a lot of tackles and made them miss a lot. That's a real challenge going into this one for us."

Grobe expects the Ponies to spread the field to break off big plays.

"That's the thing that Chad will do to you," Grobe said. "He's going to spread you out and force you to make one-on-one tackles.

"The thing that he did a great job of at Clemson that impressed me is that you feel like you have to go back and play coverage, but the thing is that he loves to run the football. You can't hunker down on one thing."

One big item of interest will be Baylor running back Shock Linwood's quest to become the school's career rushing leader. Linwood rushed for 97 yards on nine carries against Northwestern State and needs 107 more to pass former Bear and Pittsburgh Steeler Walter Abercrombie.

Abercrombie finished his Baylor career with 3,665 yards from 1978-81.

Barring injury, Linwood is going to pass Abercrombie and keep going, perhaps adding another 1,000 yards to the Baylor career mark.

After watching Linwood in a game for the first time as the Bears coach, Grobe was impressed.

"What I really liked about Shock was his energy," Grobe said. "When he got on the field you could just tell he was ready to roll. The extra yardage he got the other night was fun to see."

The biggest health question for Baylor was safety Travon Blanchard, honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2015, but Grobe said he is not expected to play against SMU after also missing the opener recovering from meniscus surgery.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wofford Terriers (1-0) at Ole Miss Rebels (0-1)

Date: September 10, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

After becoming the victim of Florida State's furious second-half comeback, Ole Miss begins to put the pieces together by hosting Wofford at 4 p.m. Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.

And the Rebels will have more to deal with than the hangover from the 45-34 loss to the Seminoles.

They learned this week that cornerback Ken Webster and running back Eric Swinney likely are lost for the season because of knee injuries sustained in the opener.

A junior, Webster was carted off the field in the first quarter after he landed awkwardly while breaking a pass. He started every game for Ole Miss last year and was eighth in the SEC in passes defended with 12, which included one interception. He also had one start as a freshman in 2014.

Swinney left in the second quarter. He is a redshirt freshman who was expected to be in the rotation at running back for the Rebels this season. He had one carry for a six-yard gain against the Seminoles.

The game against Wofford should give the Rebels the opportunity to rebuild some confidence after the third-quarter debacle in Orlando, Florida.

After building a 28-6 lead and going to the locker room up 28-13 at halftime, the Rebels were ripped for 30 consecutive points in the loss to the Seminoles, 23 of them coming in the third quarter.

In addition to not being able to handle Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois, the offense went flat and the Rebels were held to minus-seven yards in the period.

They managed to get back on the scoreboard and within one score of the 'Noles when quarterback Chad Kelly's 20-yard pass to wide receiver Van Jefferson early in the fourth quarter closed the gap to 39-34, but the 'Noles sealed the deal with two fourth-quarter field goals.

Except for the third quarter, Kelly was very effective.

He completed 21 of 39 attempts for 313 yards and four touchdowns. But he also had three interceptions, all in the second half, and lost a fumble while being sacked that led to an FSU touchdown in the third quarter.

Senior tight end Evan Engram also had a big night with a career-high nine receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. It was the fourth 100-yard receiving game of his career.

On defense, sophomore free safety Zedrick Woods led the team with 11 tackles and seniors Terry Caldwell, a starter at linebacker, and Carlos Davis, a starter at cornerback, had career highs of 10 and 8, respectively.

As disappointing as the loss was, Ole Miss coach Huge Freeze reminded his players afterward that it was only one game. The Rebels also have little time to console themselves.

After the visit from Wofford the Rebels are host to Alabama and Georgia the next two weeks in key SEC matchups.

Wofford comes to Oxford off a 27-7 victory at Tennessee Tech.

The Terriers rushed for 346 yards in the win, which continued the trend they exhibited last year when they averaged 300 rushing yards a game. That ranked fourth nationally among FCS teams.

They also have injury problems of their own, however. Evan Jacks, the projected starter at quarterback for the season, is out with a knee injury. Junior Brad Butler started the opener and rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries.

He attempted only five passes, hitting on four for just 30 yards. Backup Brandon Goodson completed one of three attempts for 12 yards.

The big weapons in Wofford's ground-oriented attack were running backs Will Gay and Lorenzo Long. Gay had 116 yards on just nine carries, Long 92 on 19.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Idaho Vandals (1-0) at Washington Huskies (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

Washington's relatively easy schedule to start the season is allowing coach Chris Petersen to tinker with his lineups and fine-tune both sides of the ball before beginning Pac-12 play.

The Huskies rolled in their debut on Saturday, routing Rutgers 48-13 and improving from No. 14 to No. No. 8 in the AP poll. This is the highest Washington has been ranked since the first full week of November 2001.

The team's second game this season shouldn't be much different than the first. Washington is favored by about five touchdowns in advance of Saturday's matchup against Idaho at Husky Stadium in Seattle at 5 p.m. ET.

Idaho opened with a 20-17 home victory over Montana State of the Football Championship Subdivision. The Vandals will move down to the FCS level, starting in 2018.

Overall, Washington used 71 players against Rutgers, including 16 making their college debuts. The Huskies were happy to see the return of wide receiver John Ross, who missed last season because of an ACL injury.

The junior speedster caught five passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns, also returning a kickoff 92 yards for a score. Ross has 10 career touchdowns of 50 yards or longer. He adds "quite a bit" to the attack, said offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith.

"If we find him isolated at any time, you feel like you've got a winner there," Smith said. "That adds a big dimension."

Washington had the best defense in the Pac-12 last season (allowing 18.8 points per game) while the offense found its footing behind a pair of true freshmen -- quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin.

The Huskies have averaged 47.25 points in their last four games -- Oregon State, Washington State, Southern Miss and Rutgers. But Washington ran for just 91 yards against the Scarlet Knights, averaging 3.0 per carry. Gaskins finished with 57 yards on 15 carries.

"We've got some work to do there," Petersen said.

"That's the style of our offense. If people are going to load up and bring those safeties downhill and try to stop the run, then hopefully we can throw the ball a little bit over their heads. It's a cat-and-mouse game. But I think we can run the ball better. I would hope so."

Browning completed 18 of 27 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. He connected with Ross on scoring throws of 38 and 50 yards in the first quarter as Washington took a 24-0 lead. Being more productive on deep passes was an offseason emphasis.

"Jake made some good throws on deep passes early, so we were pleased with that," Smith said.

By the end of the third quarter, the Huskies were using mostly second- and third-stringers, giving them valuable experience for later in the season. Sophomore K.J. Carta-Samuels relieved Browning late in the third quarter, throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass on his first play.

Junior receiver Dante Pettis, the son of former major-leaguer Gary Pettis, scored on a punt return against Rutgers. That was his fourth punt return score of his career.

Idaho rushed for 225 yards in its opener, led by junior running back Aaron Duckworth, who 108 yards on 14 carries, scoring twice. Quarterback Matt Linehan ran for 41 yards, but he completed just 8 of 22 passes for 128 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. He'll go against a secondary that features a pair of returning All-Pac-12 players -- safety Budda Baker and cornerback Sidney Jones.

The Vandals held Montana State to 110 yards on the ground.

"That's the best defense we've played since I've been here," coach Paul Petrino said after the victory. "Our defense really stepped up. Offensively, we rushed for 225 yards. We found two ways to win. That's the most important thing."

Washington has won 18 consecutive games against Idaho, dating to a tie in 1938.

Washington wraps up its nonconference schedule against Portland State, an FCS program, on Sept. 17 -- another game that likely means more playing time for the reserves. The Huskies begin Pac-12 play at Arizona on Sept. 24.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Florida A&M Owls (1-0) at Hurricanes (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

It is difficult -- if not impossible -- to get an accurate measure of where Miami is from its 70-3 rout of Florida A&M in its season opener.

The visiting Rattlers are an FCS team that managed only one win in 2015 and were completely overwhelmed on their visit.

But at least the dominance defensively can be taken as a good sign for the newly ranked No. 25 Hurricanes, who host Florida Atlantic in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

After all, this is a unit that has been hit hard by the dismissals of last year's leading tackler, linebacker Jermaine Grace, and last year's sack leader, defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, right before camp opened, and linebacker Juwon Young earlier in the summer.

The Hurricanes started three freshmen at linebacker -- Zach McCloud, Shaq Quarterman, and Michael Pinckney -- and it could have been excusable if there had been slip-ups along the way.

But to give up only a field goal was a big accomplishment even against an overmatched opponent.

"I thought it was important that we start the game and set the tempo early on, and to have a senior like Corn Elder make an interception on the first drive is what you want your older guys, your experienced guys, to do," Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz said. "And I think the other guys fed on that.

"I was very impressed with the way we played up front and I think what we wanted to be as a defense in terms of the way we're getting our feet across the line of scrimmage, being disruptive making plays in the backfield.

"It looked for most of the game they had a hard time getting the ball back to the line of scrimmage against our rush defense."

Things will be a little more serious this week against Florida Atlantic.

The Owls aren't exactly a powerhouse but managed to win their opener 38-30 over another FCS opponent, Southern Illinois.

"Offensively, they go about as fast as a team can go," Miami coach Mark Richt said. "They do a really good job of getting a lot of plays. We're going to have to communicate very quickly to our defense, get lined up quickly and be ready to play ball."

Owls quarterback Jason Driskel completed 23 of 31 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Owls from a 24-21 deficit in the second half against the Salukis.

He also has experience against Miami. He was 17-of-30 passing off the bench as a redshirt freshman in last year's meeting and had the game in a 20-20 tie until the Owls faded in the second half of their 44-20 loss.

Special teams could present an interesting matchup.

"Their punter, Dalton Schomp, had 22 kicks over 60 yards last year," Richt said. "I think he led the nation in yards, average per punt -- I think it was around 48 per punt. That's amazing. He really can boom it, so it will be interesting to see how that goes."

Miami punter Justin Vogel is no slouch in that department. He averaged 42.5 yards per punt last year after a 42.8 average as a sophomore in 2014.

The Hurricanes received some bad news the day after the win over Florida A&M when it was determined linebacker Jamie Gordinier, a promising redshirt freshman, will require knee surgery and is lost for the season.

"Gordinier getting hurt early in the game, it was sad," Richt said. "Any time a guy gets hurt and can't play the rest of the season ... they work so hard. There's so much work between January and now.

"You get to that moment of truth early in the game, you get hurt and you're out of the season, it's heartbreaking for those guys. That also puts pressure on the rest of the team."

After hosting Florida A&M, the Hurricanes go on the road for the first time Sept. 17 when they travel to Appalachian State.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Razorbacks (1-0) at Horned Frogs (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Seeing 59 points on the scoreboard in the opener continued a recent TCU trend of racking up the touchdowns.

But the 41 points allowed were still bothering Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson this week.

No. 15 TCU hosts Arkansas at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday night, and the residue of the shaky defensive showing in which the Horned Frogs allowed 461 yards to South Dakota State in their opener has Patterson deeply concerned.

"When you do that, you're not going to give your kids a very good chance of being successful," Patterson said. "Hopefully, we'll do a lot better job as a coaching staff of getting them put in position against Arkansas.

"If not, they'll have 1,000 yards and 1,000 points. We've got to do a lot better job this week."

The Razorbacks rallied for a 21-20 victory over Louisiana Tech in their opener with quarterback Austin Allen engineering a 77-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to overcome a 20-14 deficit. He capped the march with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jeremy Sprinkle.

"We found a way to win," Hogs coach Bret Bielema said. "That builds a lot of confidence."

Allen was 20 of 29 passing for 191 yards with two touchdown passes, but he also was intercepted twice and was sacked four times. Wide receiver Keon Hatcher had six catches for 86 yards and wide receiver Drew Morgan five for 47 to account for more than half the production. Sprinkle's touchdown reception was his third and final catch of the day.

Running back Rawleigh Williams III led the Razorbacks' rushing attack with 96 yards on 24 carries. The Hogs had a net team total of 106 rushing yards with the sacks accounting for 26 yards in lost yardage.

"We felt really good about certain guys," Bielema said. "Our MVPs offensively, two guys really jumped out -- Rawleigh Williams and Keon Hatcher. Keon supplied some juice, especially in that second half. Some of those plays with extra effort continue to be impressive.

"Rawleigh was really impressive the whole game. I probably could have called on him a little bit more."

Keeping Williams in check has to be a concern what with the Horned Frogs experiencing an abundance of poor tackling in their first game. Patterson took the blame for the woes on defense.

"We didn't tackle very well. As we get a lot of times, we got a different game plan than what we worked on," Patterson said. "To be honest with you, I did a poor job of getting them ready to play. We didn't tackle very well, and schematically we didn't do a very good job of lining up."

TCU senior defensive tackle Aaron Curry cited communication issues as a big problem in the first half against South Dakota State so there are plenty of things to shore up.

"It was the first game so everyone was probably too hyped up and worrying about the wrong things, but as the game kept going everyone calmed down," Curry said.

One area where there was no problem was at quarterback, where Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill made his TCU debut. He passed for 439 yards, seventh-most in TCU history, while accounting for five touchdowns.

"I thought for a first ballgame, he managed it," Patterson said. "We understand Arkansas is a lot more talented as a defense, a lot more athletic, a lot more physical one than the one we just played. We know we have to get a lot better at what we're doing to be able to play like we need to."

Hill threw two interceptions, but quickly moved on from his miscues.

"It's a year-and-a-half worth of hard work and just prayers that are all coming to fruition now," Hill said. "So it's a big deal for me."

Patterson agrees that the work looks to pay off for the junior.

"No. 1, he's really studied," Hill said. "He's been a professional about it ever since he's been here, he's been a great student, he's done everything right. Every week, he keeps becoming a better and better leader.

"Our kids just rally around him. That's what you're looking for with a quarterback."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: UL - Monroe Warhawks (1-0) at Oklahoma Sooners (0-1)

Date: September 10, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

If there are questions about just how good Oklahoma can be this season, the 14th-ranked Sooners hope to find some answers Saturday when they host Louisiana-Monroe while unveiling the renovated and expanded Gaylord Family-Memorial Stadium in Norman.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops spent Labor Day at his weekly news conference discussing the Sooners' 33-23 loss to Houston on Saturday.

The Sooners had their way early with Houston (which moved up to No. 5 in the AP poll), but the game turned in the third quarter when an attempted field goal was returned from the backline of the end zone 100 yards for a Cougars' touchdown.

Then Oklahoma turned the ball over on consecutive possessions and failed to stop Houston's hurry-up attack. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Sooners trailed by 16 points and had to all but abandon their vaunted running game.

Stoops said his team was disappointed at how it played.

"They were disappointed and they are still angry and know they've got to be better," Stoops said. "I do believe they'll respond. But we're not looking down the road. We've got to get better today and tomorrow and be a better football team Saturday, and that's all we're trying to do is make that improvement."

The Sooners' dual-headed rushing attack of Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine combined for 71 yards on 12 carries, with 32 coming by Mixon on one second quarter tote. The pair totaled two yards on four carries after halftime.

"All the sudden you're in a hole and you lose your patience," Stoops said. "I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but it gets you out of your rhythm."

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield registered his seventh 300-yard passing game as a Sooner (323 yards, two touchdowns).

The Sooners are 74-15-4 in home openers (16-1 under Stoops) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium since it opened in 1923. Oklahoma has won 10 straight home openers, with the last loss in 2005 to TCU. The Sooners are 2-0 under Stoops in games following a season-opening loss.

ULM, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, heads to Norman on the heels of a 38-21 home victory over Southern on Saturday.

Quarterback Garrett Smith passed for 208 passing yards and two touchcdowns, and ran for 150 rushing yards and another score while running back Ben Luckett added 110 rushing yards and a TD.

The Warhawks, who won only two games in 2015, registered a 533-376 total yardage advantage and handed new coach Matt Viator a victory in his first game at the ULM helm.

"Offensively, we made some mistakes, and defensively, once we settled in and tackled, we played better as the game went on," Viator said. "It's a good first game and a good start. I think this team is only going to get better. We just have to keep working at it and clean up some things. All in all, really pleased with the effort of our players. I was glad to get the win."

Six ULM players carried the ball and seven caught passes against Southern. The Warhawks completed 11 of their 17 pass attempts on third down as well as their only attempt on fourth down.

ULM scored on four of the five times it was in the red zone, with the only miscue coming in the opening second half possession when Smith was intercepted at the goal line.

The Warhawks will have to play a lot better -- and Oklahoma would really have to stumble -- for ULM to even throw a scare into the Sooners. Oklahoma is 4-0 all-time against Sun Belt teams, including a 34-0 season-opening win over ULM in 2013.

The Sooners are 96-8 (.923) at home under Stoops with all those games sellouts. It is the best home winning percentage among Power Five schools during the time period (Ohio State is next at .876). OU has outscored its opponents by an average of 42-16 in those games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: UTEP Miners (1-0) at Longhorns (1-0)

Date: September 10, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Texas' thrilling double-overtime victory over 10th-ranked Notre Dame last Sunday turned enough heads to push the Longhorns into the AP rankings, at No. 11, for the first time since December 2013.

Now that the Longhorns have earned the respect and the notion from the college football world that Texas is pertinent again, they'll have to work not to throw away all they've gained. That quest continues Saturday when the Longhorns host Texas-El Paso at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

"It was a great team win for us," Texas coach Charlie Strong said of the Notre Dame game. "It was a fun night -- I'm so happy and so proud. Probably last year we couldn't have won this game. Now we have to continue to build on how we got here because one game does not make a season."

Texas (1-0) won because the two quarterback system adopted by the Longhorns at the 11th hour worked almost flawlessly against Notre Dame.

Freshman Shane Buechele (16 of 26, 280 yards, two touchdowns) did just about everything right, save for a third quarter interception that almost cost Texas the game. Senior Tyrone Swoopes, a player who would rather not be in the spotlight but who's had little choice, exceled in the power running package, rushing for three touchdowns including the game winner.

Texas running back D'Onta Foreman had 131 rushing yards and wide receiver John Burt caught six passes for 111 yards, 72 of which came on a touchdown pass from Buechele on the second play of the third quarter.

The Longhorns have already matched the number of 100-yard receiving games they had during the 2015 season.

"Hey, we're 1-0," Strong said. "We wanted make a statement and we did. There are so many things we can clean up and get better at. You have to grow from game to game, and you have to get better from game to game. You've got to take this game, correct the mistakes, move on to the next one, and we can't have the same ones."

UTEP is coming off a 38-22 victory over Interstate-10 rival New Mexico State in its season opener last weekend. The Miners' 38 points were the most to open a season against an FBS program since 1965.

"This is very exciting for our players, an opportunity to play a Big 12 team in front of 100,000 fans," UTEP coach Sean Kugler said at his Monday press conference. "These guys have probably dreamed of playing for Texas growing up. We have a lot of competitive kids on our team; they need to play with a chip on their shoulder. Our kids are going to go up ready to fight."

UTEP heads into the game with the nation's leading rusher in Aaron Jones, back from an ankle injury he sustained in a Week 2 game at Texas Tech last year. Jones racked up 249 yards on a career-high 31 carries with a pair of scores against New Mexico State. His rushing total was the third-most in Miners' history.

The Miners amassed 518 yards of total offense against NM State, the third-most during the Kugler era in El Paso.

Defensively, UTEP surrendered only 5-of-15 third down conversions against New Mexico State. Last season, the Miners ranked no. 1 in Conference USA and were tied for fifth nationally in third-down conversion percentage allowed (.357).

Texas, which is a 28-point favorite, leads the series 4-0.

UTEP and Texas met twice previously in the 1930s in Austin, with the Longhorns victorious 28-0 in 1930 and 22-6 in 1933. The series was renewed in 2008 as Texas won the inaugural matchup in El Paso 42-13. A year later, the No. 2 Longhorns topped the Miners in Austin 64-7.