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Houston (0-1) at
Tulane (0-1)
7:00 PM
Why to watch:
After resting last weekend,
Houston returns to action
anxious for a win and a little
wiser about its personnel
following an opening day loss at
Oregon. While quicksilver
RB Anthony Alridge is the
undisputed star of the Cougar
offense, who’ll be handing him
the ball Saturday night remains
a mystery. Sophomore Blake
Joseph got the start in Eugene,
but redshirt freshman Case
Keenum wound up getting more
reps, so a second straight
game-time decision from head
coach Art Briles is likely.
Tulane kicked off the Bob Toledo
era by getting kicked around for
four quarters by Mississippi
State in a 38-17 loss.
Consistent with Toledo’s
ideology, the Green Wave showed
signs of life in the passing
game, but starting QB Scott
Elliott could be hobbled by a
sprained foot this week.
Why Houston might win:
The same Tulane defense that
made Mississippi State look
downright prolific a week ago
will have no answers for the
speed and complexity of the
Houston offense. The Green
Wave tackled poorly and gave up
489 yards and 27 first downs to
an offense that entered the game
with a ton of question marks.
Alridge had 155 yards rushing on
five carries in this game last
year and 325 total yards two
weeks ago against Oregon.
On turf and against a sub par
defense, he’ll steal the show
once again.
Why Tulane might win: The
Houston defense didn’t exactly
look stellar in Eugene, getting
gutted for 473 yards, most of
which came on the ground.
Elliott was sharp in the first
half last week, hooking up often
with Jeremy Williams, and as
good as is Alridge is as a
dual-threat, Tulane RB Matt
Forte isn’t far behind.
When Forte is healthy, which he
is at this time, he can pound
away between the tackles and do
damage on screens and swing
passes.
Who to watch: Alridge
deservedly gets all of the pub
on offense, but Houston also
boasts a pair of terrific
receivers in Jeron Harvey and
Donnie Avery that are going to
be a handful for a very
vulnerable Tulane secondary.
It’s going to be up to the two
seniors to help elevate the play
of Joseph and Keenum during the
first half of the season.
What will happen: On at
least two occasions in Saturday
night’s game, Alridge is going
to find a crease and sprint his
way right on to You Tube.
He’ll get lots of help from the
passing attack, as Houston makes
a quantum leap on offense from
the Week 1 loss at Oregon.
CFN Prediction:
Houston
37 … Tulane 20...
Line: Houston -14.5
Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 2
New Hampshire
(0-1) at Marshall (0-2)
4:30 PM
Why to watch: After
opening with Miami and West
Virginia, a home date with I-AA
New Hampshire is an ideal remedy
for Marshall’s 0-2 start.
The Herd lost to the
Mountaineers 48-23 on Saturday,
but played far better than the
score indicated and flirted with
the upset for three quarters.
If Marshall can use the close
call as a springboard for the
rest of the season, Mark Snyder
has recruited well enough in
recent years for this program to
compete for a Conference USA
crown. Highly-ranked and
fueled by record-setting QB
Ricky Santos, New Hampshire
began the year with a 41-24
upset loss at the hands of James
Madison. Winners over
Northwestern last year, the
Wildcats will be looking for a
victory over a I-A opponent for
a second straight year.
Why New Hampshire might win:
While the Marshall offense has
been known to sputter, New
Hampshire can flat out light up
a scoreboard. Behind
Santos, the reigning Walter
Payton Award winner, the
Wildcats feature a potent
passing attack that can score
points in bunches. Like
Appalachian State, New Hampshire
has played in plenty of playoff
games the last few seasons, and
will not be flustered by playing
at a larger venue.
Why Marshall might win:
New Hampshire can score, but
will it stop anyone this fall?
The early indications are not
encouraging. The Wildcats
allowed 526 yards and 23 first
downs to the Dukes last weekend,
a warning sign as they head
south to Huntington. If
his turf toe doesn’t shelve him,
Marshall QB Bernard Morris has
the athletic ability to hurt
that New Hampshire defense in a
multitude of ways. When he
drops back to pass, he’ll have
no trouble locating WR Darius
Passmore and TE Cody Slate for
long gainers.
Who to watch: Although
Chubb Small has been listed as
Marshall’s starting back, the
future at the position belongs
to true freshman Darius
Marshall. Against West
Virginia, the electrifying
rookie made his pitch for more
playing time, leading the Herd
with 80 yards on 11 carries, and
opening the game with a 77-yard
kickoff return.
What will happen: New Hampshire
will score its points on
Saturday, but not nearly enough
as Marshall seizes the
opportunity to pick up its first
win of 2007.
CFN Prediction: Marshall
47 … New Hampshire 23
... Line: No Line
Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 1.5
Jacksonville State (1-1) at
Memphis (0-1)
8:00 PM
Why to watch: Memphis
doesn’t get many opportunities
these days to play the favorite
role, so a visit from I-AA
Jacksonville State is a welcome
site. The Tigers showed
some heart in a two-point loss
to Ole Miss, and were rained out
last weekend in a game with
Arkansas State that’ll be made
up Sept. 27. Since RB
Joseph Doss will be on the shelf
with a knee injury, Tommy West
plans to use this game to, among
other things, get a real good
look at his backups, T.J. Pitts
and Miguel Barnes. With
three games in the next 12 days,
Memphis can ill-afford a rash of
injuries that strains its depth.
Not your garden variety I-AA
team, Jacksonville State is a
quality program that cannot be
taken lightly this week by
Memphis. The Gamecocks
have won two Ohio Valley
Conference championships since
2003, and are one of the
favorites to win another crown
in 2007.
Why Jacksonville State might
win: Through two weeks, the
Gamecocks lead the nation in
turnover margin, a bright red
flag for a Memphis team that’s
been awful at protecting the
ball ever since Martin Hankins
became the starting quarterback
last season. Hankins has
thrown 17 interceptions,
including four versus Ole Miss,
over the last 13 games, while
Jacksonville State already has
five picks and nine takeaways in
two games. Uh-oh.
Why Memphis might win:
Although Hankins will put the
ball in the defender’s chest at
least once or twice, he’ll also
click downfield with a
underrated receiving corps far
more times than that. Duke
Calhoun, Earnest Williams and
Steven Black give the Tigers a
tall, athletic group of
pass-catchers that’ll be a
mismatch for the Jacksonville
State secondary. It’s also
worth watching the development
of West’s defense, which finally
looks ready to begin turning the
corner after limiting a solid
Rebel running game to just 74
yards in Week 1.
Who to watch: Some of the
cause for optimism surrounding
the Memphis defense can be
traced to redshirt freshman
Winston Bowens, who looks
capable of filling the Tigers’
gaping void at middle
linebacker. A surprise
starter in the Ole Miss game, he
was constantly in on the action,
delivering a game-high nine
tackles and a forced fumble.
What will happen: Memphis has
been pining for a victory ever
since falling short two weeks
ago to Ole Miss. The
Tigers will get it behind 300
yards from Hankins and another
step in the right direction from
the defense.
CFN Prediction: Memphis
38 … Jacksonville State 16...
Line: No Line
Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 1
Texas Tech
(2-0)
at Rice
(0-2)
3:00 pm
Why to watch:
Despite having to break in a
slew of new receivers this year,
Mike Leach has the high-powered
Red Raider passing attack
clicking as if it’s already
mid-season. QB Graham
Harrell is second nationally to
only Hawaii’s Colt Brennan in
total offense, and those
receivers, particularly freshman
Michael Crabtree, are catching
on just fine. After a slow
start versus UTEP last week, it
was that aerial assault that
fueled a furious second-half
comeback and a second win to
start the season. With a
win over Rice this week, the
Raiders will clinch the
Conference USA West. For
the Owls, last year’s magical
season that ended with bowl game
must feel like a lifetime ago.
With a new coach and the same
toothless defense, Rice has
begun 2007 with losses to
Nicholls State and Baylor.
The program was 0-4 out of the
gate last year, so some
inspiration can be found in the
2006 squad.
Why Texas Tech might win:
Running basically the same
offense that’s installed in
Lubbock, unheralded Baylor QB
Blake Szymanski torched the Owls
last Saturday for 412 yards and
six touchdown passes without
throwing a pick. Against
this Rice secondary, David
Klingler’s single-game passing
marks might be in jeopardy if
Harrell & Co. stick around for
more than three quarters.
Making matters worse in Houston,
the Owl offense that bailed the
team out so often in 2006 has
been a no-show through two
games.
Why Rice might win: The
Red Raiders have new starters
everywhere on defense, and it
showed last week against UTEP.
Tech allowed 431 balanced yards
and had just one sack,
indications that the young unit
will take time to mesh this
fall. The key for the Owls
will be the play of QB Chase
Clement, who’s been a shell of
himself this month. If he
can tap into last year’s form
and hook up regularly with WR
Jarett Dillard, the Texas Tech
defense can be scored upon.
Who to watch: If opposing
defenses start committing too
many resources to Crabtree,
Danny Amendola will seamlessly
pick up the slack. While
not nearly as explosive, he’s a
polished pass-catcher from the
slot with 22 receptions and two
touchdowns already. If
Rice doubles up on Crabtree,
Amendola will have at least ten
grabs for a third game-in-a-row.
What will happen:
Well-rested after playing two
games in the first days of the
season, Texas Tech will score at
will on the Rice defense.
Harrell’s capable of going for
500 yards for the second time in
his career if Leach keeps him in
long enough.
CFN Prediction:
Texas
Tech 52 … Rice 17
... Line: Texas Tech
-28.5
Must See Rating: (5
Britney at the VMAs - 1 Big
Shots) ... 1.5
Conference USA Fearless
Predictions, Week Two, Part 2
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