South Carolina State at
Air Force
2:00 pm Why to Watch: It’s a new
era for Air Force football as
Troy Calhoun takes over for
Fisher DeBerry to pump some life
into the program. While the
attack will still incorporate
some of the option, the former
Houston Texan offensive
coordinator will mix things up a
bit, and it’ll need time to
figure out what it’s doing. It
needs to get going now before
dealing with a road trip to Utah
next week. South Carolina State
should be more than just a
pushover with a good run defense
that could stuff the Falcons for
stretches. Why South Carolina Might
Win: SCSU RB DeShawn Baker
is a 100-yard runner waiting to
happen with the motor to take
advantage of the mediocre Falcon
defensive front. The Bulldog
defense can tackle and is more
than physical enough to hold up
all game long if the Air Force
offensive line is ready to roll.
Basically, Calhoun has to teach
everyone some new tricks. Why Air Force Might Win:
Though there is a promise of
more passing with Tom Horton’s
addition to Air Force, it’s
clear that the offense will
still run the ball, and that’s a
good thing. The Bulldogs can
hit, but they won’t be able to
handle the precision of the Air
Force attack when it plays
around with the option. SCSU
can play well with teams that
like to gut a defense up the
middle, but Air Force likes to
sprint wide and their secondary
doesn’t have the necessary
ability to keep up and tackle.
Although Air Force’s defense is
slower than last year’s, it
should be able to keep both
Baker and QB Cleveland McCoy
from pushing the ball deep. Stop
the run, and you’ll stop the
Bulldogs. Who to Watch: Baker is
the key to the game. He cranked
out 1,289 yards and nine
touchdowns with a nice blend of
skills, highlighted by a run of
six 100 yards games in the final
seven, and he’ll be the
workhorse the Falcons have to
key on. If he’s cranking out
five yards a carry, Air Force
will be in trouble. For the
Falcons, QB Shaun Carney has to
bridge the gap between coaching
staffs and styles. He’s a
reliable veteran who can throw
well, but it’ll be his running
that’ll bail out the offense
time and again. However, if he’s
the offense, and no one is
helping him out, it’s uh-oh
time. The Falcons needs to
unearth a few weapons before
diving into Mountain West play.
What Will Happen:
If you’re looking for the one
possible upset between the
college football classes, this
might be it. The Air Force
offense isn’t exactly going to
be pretty, but it’ll be
effective enough to get by in a
hard-fought battle.
CFN Prediction:
Air Force 31 ... South Carolina
State 17
... Line: No Line 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
Virginia at Wyoming
2:00 PM
Why to Watch:
Rarely do ACC teams, or any
other eastern bound teams for
that matter, travel west for a
non-conference game, but the
Wahoos get on the plane for
Laramie for a rare appearance at
a MWC stadium. This is a
critical season for both
programs and a win in the opener
could lead to a much needed bowl
berth. Simply put, Virginia
can’t lose this game if it has
any reasonable hopes for a
winning season. Wyoming has been
sensational, at times, at home
under Joe Glenn and will treat
this like a BCS game.
Why Virginia Might Win:
A multi-dimensional
quarterback. Virginia struggled
to find a replacement for former
quarterback Marques Hagans, but
once Jameel Sewell took over,
the Wahoos improved
offensively. Sewell’s ability
to get out of the pocket and out
on the perimeter will put the
Cowboys’ defense in major
trouble. The Cavalier defensive
line should be able to dominate
the mediocre UW offensive front.
The more pressure on Karsten
Sween, the better. He’ll make
mistakes trying to make things
happen. Why Wyoming Might Win:
Playing at home, in the high
altitude, gives the Cowboys a
distinct advantage, especially
against a team unfamiliar with
playing in the thin air. The
Cowboys have deep ball threats,
Hoot Marsh and Michael Ford,
that can stretch the field and
put pressure on a good, but
retooling, Virginia secondary.
The Cavaliers won’t throw much,
so the good UW linebacking corps
should be able to tee off
against the run. Who to Watch: Virginia’s
star defensive end Chris Long is
flat out fun to watch, and he
needs to be in Sween’s face all
game long. Relentless,
passionate and disruptive, he’s
being hailed as a potential top
ten draft pick and could set the
tone for a huge season, and
generate a national buzz, if he
plays like he’s supposed to.
What Will Happen:
Sewell might get hot early,
maintaining ball control with
short and intermediate passing,
but Wyoming will play at another
level. After a tight first half,
the Cowboys will clamp down on
the Cavalier passing game and
come up with two key turnovers
to pull off the home upset. CFN Prediction: Wyoming
23 … Virginia 20 Line:
Virginia -3 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:
Baylor at TCU 6:00
PM
Why to watch:
If TCU is to remain the trendy
pick to be this year’s Boise
State, it has to neatly dispose
of Baylor and start getting
ready for next week’s monumental
trip down I-35 to face Texas.
Ranked No. 22 in both major
pre-season polls, the Horned
Frogs will be playing with a
target on their backs throughout
the season. To be sure, there
are holes to fill on offense,
but RB Aaron Brown has a high
ceiling, and the all-to-the-ball
defense has the parts to be
downright impervious for a
second straight year. Just how
special the 2007 season becomes
will depend heavily on the
development of QB Andy Dalton, a
rangy redshirt freshman who’ll
be replacing the ultra-steady
Jeff Ballard. For what feels
like the 20th year
in-a-row, Baylor is rebuilding,
and looking up at a very deep
Big 12 South. The situation at
quarterback is a mess, a real
problem in the spread attack,
and the running game will try to
pick up the pieces after
finishing last in the country in
2006. Sophomore LB Joe Pawelek
is a bright spot, but Baylor
would need ten more players like
him to get into the bowl
discussion. Why Baylor might win: The
Bears get a break by facing a
young quarterback that has
unproven receivers and will be
playing in his first game at
this level. With Pawelek and
Nick Moore at linebacker, and
Dwain Crawford and Jeremy
Williams at safety, Baylor can
pay less attention to the pass
while focusing on stopping
Brown. Despite being a heavy
favorite, TCU doesn’t have the
offensive experience to run away
and hide in this game. Why TCU might win: The
Frog D is every bit as good as
advertised. Nine starters are
back, including the sensational
pass-rush tandem of Tommy Blake
and Chase Ortiz, from a unit
that was No. 2 in total defense
last year. Expect the Bear
passing game to sputter and
cough under the intense pressure
from the outside. With so much
uncertainty at quarterback in
Waco, and a non-existent running
game, no one should be surprised
if TCU hurls a shutout Saturday
evening. Who to watch: At least
for the time being, Brown will
be the most important—and
exhausted—member of the TCU
offense. No longer a part of a
committee, he’s got the talent
as a runner and receiver to
explode this fall, and even be a
deep, deep Heisman sleeper if
the Frogs keep winning. Even
with the focus on the running
game, all eyes will be on
Dalton. His early development
will be one of the keys to the
Mountain West race. Everything
is in place for TCU to be
special, but it’ll all fall
apart if Dalton isn’t decent. What will happen: One Big
12 team down, and one to go.
With the defense predictably
leading the way and creating
turnovers, TCU will never be
threatened.
CFN Prediction:
TCU 30 …
Baylor 13
... Line: TCU -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
New Mexico at UTEP 10:00
PM
Why to Watch:
New Mexico has a lot of respect
to regain. A victory against
UTEP won’t exactly do it, but
it’ll be a lot better than the
start of last season when the
Lobos lost to Portland State,
and finished up with a loss San
Jose State in the New Mexico
Bowl, they need to come out
with a big win in the border
battle before dealing with
in-state rival New Mexico State
next week. UTEP also knows a
little bit about disappointment,
becoming a perennial dud under
Mike Price despite lofty
expectations. This year’s Miner
team is flying under the radar,
and that’s a good thing. A win
would do wonders before facing
road games at Texas Tech and New
Mexico State over the following
two weeks. Why New Mexico Might Win: The
Lobos should be able to pound
the ball with a big line and a
good stable of backs, led by
Rodney Ferguson. UTEP’s biggest
weakness, at least to start the
season, will be the defensive
line that’ll welcome in a slew
of new starters to blend in with
a still-developing linebacking
corps. UTEP will eventually be
solid on both sides of the ball,
but the team needs seasoning. A
lot of seasoning. The Lobos
should be able to pound their
way to the win. Why UTEP Might Win: Will
New Mexico play up to its
potential? There are loads of
athletes on the defensive side
of the ball, and the offense has
the players in place to
eventually pound the ball at
will with the running game and
be efficient through the air,
but it never really came
together last season, and it’s
unlikely everything will be
jelled in the season opener. If
the Lobos get up early, UTEP
still isn’t out of it thanks to
a big passing game. But if New
Mexico gets behind, even with a
great receiving corps, it might
not have the polished air attack
to mount a comeback. Who to Watch: After a
long off-season of trying to
find the replacement for Jordan
Palmer, UTEP’s quarterback will
be … by committee. Lorne Sam,
the former Florida State
Seminole, is a big, athletic
talent who’ll see time at
receiver here and there when
he’s not under center. He’ll
split time with redshirt
freshman Trevor Vittatoe, who
has all the tools and could be
the electrifying playmaker the
program can build around for the
next four years. What Will Happen: UTEP
will eventually be excellent,
but it’s going to take half the
season before the team starts to
shine. New Mexico will pound its
way to the win, while getting a
few big plays from the passing
game along the way. CFN Prediction:
New Mexico
24… UTEP 20
... Line: New Mexico -3 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
