Houston at Oregon
3:30 PM
Why to watch:
Okay, Oregon, which one is it?
Are you the program that started
last season 4-0 or the one that
careened to an embarrassing 0-4
finish? Losers of at least five
games in four of the last five
seasons, the Ducks are no longer
the darlings of the Pac-10.
They’ve got plenty to prove in
2007, and enough playmakers on
offense to answer their growing
numbers of critics. The key
this fall will be the
development of QB Dennis Dixon,
who regressed badly in 2006, but
has the athletic ability to be
the point man in a potent
offense. Expect more touches
for Jonathan Stewart, a beast of
a back with All-America
potential that was underutilized
last season. If you think
Houston will be rebuilding
because Kevin Kolb has
graduated, think again. While
the road to a Conference USA
title will be much harder
without the franchise
quarterback, the Cougars return
15 starters from a team that won
ten games last year, including a
dizzying array of skill position
talent. Beating Oregon on the
road will send a clear signal
that Houston’s ready for the
next chapter in its evolution
under Art Briles. Why Houston might win:
Led by senior linemen Jeff
Akeroyd and Dustin Dickinson,
the Cougars will create running
lanes for burners Anthony
Alridge and Randall Antoine
against a Duck defense that’s
noticeably soft up front.
Alridge, in particular, has the
4.2 jets to quiet the crowd at
Autzen Stadium in a flash. If
Oregon can’t do a better job of
protecting the ball in 2007,
it’ll be ripe for the picking,
especially against an
opportunistic and experienced
program, such as Houston. This
Cougar team has the overall
speed to run with the Ducks. Why Oregon might win: In
the first start of his college
career, it’s asking way too much
of either redshirt freshman Case
Keenum or sophomore Blake Joseph
to go on the road and engineer
an upset at Oregon. The starter
will have great weapons in Jeron
Harvey and Donnie Avery, but
both receivers will have trouble
finding space against a tough
Duck secondary that features
rising corners Jairus Byrd and
Walter Thurmond, and
hard-hitting rover Patrick
Chung. The Cougar defense is
good by Conference USA
standards, but doesn’t have the
size or the speed to shut down
Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson on
the ground, or 6-5, 240-pound
pass-catchers Jaison Williams
and Ed Dickson. Who to watch: All eyes
will be on the play of Dixon,
whose radical inconsistency was
a microcosm of the Oregon
program last season. A fast
start in the opener will silence
his critics for the time being,
while doing wonders for his
self-confidence. The opposite
could set the tone for a really
rough season. What will happen: Count
on lots of offense and plenty of
big plays from the special
teams. With Kolb still on
campus, this would be a huge
landmine for the Ducks. Without
him around, Oregon will survive
behind a monster game from
Stewart and in a departure from
last year, a victory in the
turnover battle.
CFN Prediction:
Oregon 35 …
Houston
23
... Line: Oregon -14.5 Must See Rating: (5 Hef
wants you to take his place on
The Girls Next Door, but
you can’t because you have to
watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 3
Conference USA Friday, August 30
Tulsa at UL
Monroe
7:00 PM Why to watch:
Although no one outside these
two regions will pay much
attention to this game, it
figures to be a surprisingly
good showcase of offensive
talent. Tulsa gets back
quarterback Paul Smith,
Conference USA’s most
accomplished quarterback, to run
coordinator Gus Malzahn’s fancy
hurry-up, no-huddle attack. Can
the system work at this level?
We never found out in Malzahn’s
one turbulent season at
Arkansas, but he’ll be rolling
it out without limitations
beginning Thursday night. The
Hurricane also has a quality
back in Tarrion Adams, but the
offense must rebuild and
re-educate the offensive line
and receiving corps in a hurry.
Louisiana-Monroe has momentum
from a very strong November, and
11 starters back from the Sun
Belt’s most potent offense.
Calvin Dawson is a 1,200-yard
rusher, and Zeek Zacharie and
LaGregory Sapp are quality
targets, meaning the Warhawks
will be downright dynamic if
versatile QB Kinsmon Lancaster
builds on a shaky sophomore
season. Why Tulsa might win: The
Hurricane has a mature and
talented front seven that can
slow down Dawson, forcing
Lancaster to have to do too
much. Terrel Nemons is a
345-pound beast at the nose,
while Nelson Coleman is one of
the most underrated middle
linebackers in the nation. When
Tulsa has the ball, it’ll get
little resistance from a Warhawk
defense that’s especially weak
in the front seven. The balance
of Smith’s passes and Adams’
versatility will be a very tall
order for a unit that’s
painfully short on quality
stoppers. Why UL Monroe might win:
In a game that could become a
track meet, ULM has the
offensive artillery to keep pace
with Tulsa. Even if Dawson is
held in check, Lancaster will
get enough protection to make
plays with his legs and put a
dent in a Tulsa secondary that’s
thin at corner after Roy
Roberts. The Warhawks played
Kansas and Kentucky to two-point
losses in 2006, and know they
can go stride-for-stride with
this Tulsa team. Who to watch: For the new
passer-friendly offense to work
in Tulsa, developing more
receivers is a must, especially
after last year’s top three
pass-catchers graduated. Since
spring, junior college transfer
Dion Toliver has played as if
he’ll fill one of the voids,
grabbing everything within reach
and picking up plenty of yards
after the catch. What will happen: Tulsa
had better bring its “A” game to
Monroe because the Warhawks are
primed for an upset and a
catapult victory for Charlie
Weatherbie. In a rerun of 2006,
ULM will lose a close game,
failing to stop the late-game
precision passes of Smith. CFN Prediction:
Tulsa
34 ... UL Monroe 27
... Line: Tulsa -5 Must See Rating: (5 Hef wants you
to take his place on The Girls Next
Door, but you can’t because you have
to watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 2 Final Score:
Conference USA Saturday, September 1
East Carolina at Virginia Tech
12:00 PM ESPN
Why to Watch:
The Virginia Tech tragedy that
engulfed the nation last April
won’t dissipate in the memories
of those who were in Blacksburg,
or anywhere for that matter, and
this will certainly be more than
just a regular football game.
With everything surrounding the
importance of the event for the
community, there’s still an
actual game to be played, and
it’s a big for a Tech team that
needs to tune up before the
showdown with LSU. East
Carolina was a bowl team last
year and isn’t just going to
show up and let the Hokies have
a special day. There’s good
athleticism on both sides of the
ball, and a nice defensive front
that could make things
interesting for longer than Tech
fans might like.
Why East Carolina Might Win:
A team with skill players might
be fun to watch, but a team with
strength on both lines can
usually hang around against
anyone. The Pirates have
experience on both sides of the
ball, in particular, on the
defensive side of the ball, led
by defensive end Marcus Hands,
and should get ample pressure on
Hokie quarterback Sean Glennon.
While Glennon appears to be
better than last year, he still
has to prove he can make better
decisions than last year when he
struggled in the face of good
pass rushers. But even though
ECU should have its big moments
from the front … Why Virginia Tech Might Win:
… the Hokie offense is primed to
be one of the program’s most
explosive units in recent
memory. Running back Branden
Ore ultimately drives this
offense, but the key against the
Pirates is the ability of the
receiving corps to stretch ECU’s
secondary deep downfield.
Glennon has had a tremendous
fall camp and should be able to
strike deep against the Pirate
secondary as long as he gets
time. Who to Watch: The
linebackers. Both offenses will
look to establish the ground
game early, so the linebackers
will get plenty of attention.
Virginia Tech’s Vince Hall and
Xavier Adibi are among the best
duos in the nation, while East
Carolina’s Quentin Cotton is a
tackling machine. He’s missed
some time during fall camp, but
is expected to be back and ready
to potentially be the most
effective defender on the
field. What Will Happen:
Although the emotion of the
opener should have the Hokies on
fire from the start, if the
Pirates don’t run and hide in
the first quarter, they’ll stay
competitive. However, 20 to 25
carries by Ore and a couple of
big deep balls from Glennon will
have Hokie nation taking a huge
sigh of relief after halftime,
when everything will start to
click. The Tech defense will
come out roaring. CFN Prediction:
Virginia
Tech 38 … East Carolina
10
Line:
Virginia Tech -24.5 Must See Rating: (5 Hef
wants you to take his place on
The Girls Next Door, but
you can’t because you have to
watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 2.5 Final Score: UAB
at
Michigan
State
12 pm EST ESPN2
Why to Watch: It's
the debut for two new coaching staffs
with Mark Dantonio looking to provide
some more toughness and stability to a
Michigan State team that's been dying
for some semblance of consistency, while
Neil Callaway takes over a struggling
UAB program that's all but starting from
scratch. After closing out last year
losing eight of the final nine games,
and needing an all-timer of a comeback
against Northwestern for the one win,
MSU could use a big opening day
performance just to build up a little
confidence. UAB has to do everything
possible to hold up and avoid getting
run over before facing Florida State.
Why UAB Might Win: It's not
like the Michigan State defense is going
to throw a lot of bells and whistles at
the UAB offense, which is a good thing
considering the Blazers will need time
to figure out what it's doing. In the
opener, look for the Spartans to try to
win with a pounding running game and
solid defense, which in the end should
work, but could also be a recipe to keep
UAB in the game longer than Spartan fans
might like. On the flip side ... Why Michigan State Might Win:
... the Spartans shouldn't need to get
too fancy to pull this out. UAB is
starting from scratch on offense,
scrapping last year's offense for a
pro-style attack despite not quite
having the pieces in place. If the
Spartan defensive line was ever going to
have a big game, this would be it
against a Blazer offensive line that
might be the worst in Conference USA. Who to Watch: UAB's question mark
all season long surrounded the starting
quarterback situation. Would it be the
big, promising sophomore Joseph Webb, or
the big, athletic senior Sam Hunt? After
a summer to try to figure it out, the
answer appears to be both. Each passer
will get time under center, but Webb
will be more in the mix, staying on the
field as a wide receiver when Hunt is
in. This game could go a long way to
finally deciding on a main man. For MSU,
Brian Hoyer is the unquestioned number
one, and while he doesn't have to carry
the offense, with a loaded backfield and
running game to to work with, he needs
to inspire confidence right away with a
solid performance. He might not be as
talented as Drew Stanton, but the
Spartans would take more consistency
over NFL potential. What Will Happen: It'll be a
stunner if the Spartans don't dominate
the time of possession, or at least the
tempo of the game, with a strong ground
attack that wears down the Blazer
defensive front. Javon Ringer and Jenuu
Caulcrick should have few problems
cranking out big yards. CFN Prediction:
Michigan State
42 ... UAB 17
... Line: Michigan State -19.5 Must See Rating: (5 Hef wants you
to take his place on The Girls Next
Door, but you can’t because you have
to watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 2.5 Final Score:
Marshall at Miami
12:00 PM ESPNU
Why to Watch:
The much anticipated head
coaching debut of Randy Shannon
has Coral Gables buzzing about
the possibility of returning to
old school Miami, and nothing
less than domination right off
the bat might do after the lousy
end to the Larry Coker era. Will
the Miami offense start to play
like the Miami offense? Can
Shannon keep the defense at a
championship caliber level and
will all the great athletes play
up to their talent? With the
trip to Oklahoma coming up next
week, the Canes need to tune up
against Marshall, and not just
try to get by. The Herd could
quickly reverse the recent
struggles of its own with a
shocking performance over a
big-name team. Head coach Mark
Snyder is still trying to give
his program an identity, and
this is a huge chance to make
one.
Why Marshall Might Win:
Although Herd quarterback Bernie
Morris hasn’t set the world on
fire the past two years, he has
starting experience and won’t
simply buckle under the pressure
of playing against a defense
like Miami’s. It’ll help that
he’ll have relatively good
protection from center Doug
Legursky and a stout offensive
line that should be able to hold
its own for extended stretches.
On the other side of the ball,
Miami’s offense has to show that
things have changed, and that
might take a game or three to
happen. You don’t go from
stagnant to explosive overnight.
Why Miami Might Win:
Shannon won’t let this team
lose. Not in the opener. Not
an alum of the U. He just won’t
let it happen and it won’t
happen, mainly due to the
running of Javarris James and
hotshot freshman Graig Cooper.
That combination should combine
for 35 to 40 carries in the
opener and should establish the
Canes as a physical team that
wins by running the ball and
playing tough defense. It’s not
like Chad Pennington and Randy
Moss are out there for the Herd;
this won’t be an explosive
attack. A few early Cane scores
should end it. Who to Watch: Kirby
Freeman. Kyle Wright was
supposed to be the next great
Miami quarterback, but he hasn't
progressed and has allowed
Freeman to be in the hunt for
the starting job. While Wright
is still in the starting mix,
Freeman will get the call
despite not being accurate or
effective during his previous
playing time. Basically, the job
is still open. On the other side
of the ball, at 6’8” and
282 pounds and with decent
quickness off the ball, Miami’s
Calais Campbell already has the
eyes of the NFL types, and now
he could use a big first game to
generate the type of buzz that
makes freakish players like him
number one draft picks. His
explosion off the edge is not
that of a 245 pound type, but
his size and length make it
extremely difficult to block him
effectively on a consistent
basis. How Morris handles
himself under the pressure, and
how he’s able to limit mistakes,
will likely be the key to the
game.
What Will Happen:
The Hurricanes won’t be pretty
early on, especially with a new
offensive coordinator (Patrick
Nix) and a former defensive
coordinator as head coach. So,
don’t be surprised when James
and Cooper combine for over 200
yards and keep the ball away
from Morris and his offense
throughout the day. CFN Prediction: Miami 34
… Marshall 10
Line:
Miami -21 Must See Rating: (5 Hef
wants you to take his place on
The Girls Next Door, but
you can’t because you have to
watch this game - 1 Cavemen)
... 2 Final Score:
