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Ole Miss
at Memphis
3:30 PM
Why to Watch: While
you wouldn't ever think of Ole
Miss vs. Memphis as being a
scintillating showdown, these
two have arguably come up with
the most competitive series of
early games in college football
over the last few years. Ole
Miss has won the last two by a
total of seven points, while
Memphis came up with good wins
in the previous two games. With
Missouri, at Vanderbilt, Florida
and at Georgia to follow, the
Rebels can't afford to slip,
while Memphis, coming off an
awful 2-10 season, can get off
to a huge start with a
relatively easy next seven
games.
Why Ole Miss Might Win: The
Rebel defensive line could
dominate. While the production
wasn't there last year, the
talent has slowly gotten into
place with several very good
recruiting classes bringing size
on the inside and talent on the
outside. The Memphis offensive
line should be an issue for the
first few games, so if the
Rebels have a strong defensive
gameplan, this could be a low
scoring game like it'll need it
to be.
Why Memphis Might Win: Will the
Rebels have a passing game? The
Tigers' biggest weakness in last
year's disaster was the porous
pass defense, but the nation's
116th rated pass efficiency
defense likely won't be tested
by an Ole Miss air attack that
doesn't have any real weapons
and is still trying to establish
the starting quarterback. The
defensive front seven should be
able to load up everyone and
their sister against the run to
stop BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
Who to Watch: And the starting
Ole Miss quarterback will be ...
? Brent Schaeffer, Seth Adams
and Michael Herrick are all in
the hunt to get the nod, with
Adams likely to be the number
one. Herrick, a redshirt
freshman, was in the race for
the number two job until a late
summer practice, when the
coaching staff made him the
number three. Schaeffer, the
starter throughout last year,
has had major problems with his
accuracy, but he improved this
off-season, especially late, and
is back in the running.
What Will Happen: Don't expect
much in the way of offensive
fireworks. Like it's been for
the last few years, it'll be a
close game with the team that
comes up with the big break
getting the victory. The Rebel
lines will end up being the
difference, but Memphis will
have its chances to pull off the
win.
CFN Prediction:
Ole Miss
19 ... Memphis 14
... Line: Ole Miss -2.5
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:
UCF at North Carolina State
6:00
PM
Why to Watch:
These two teams are quickly
looking to bounce back after
subpar 2006 seasons. Every team
is looking to make a statement
in week one, but this game might
speak more to how the respective
seasons will go considering how
close each program appears to be
to coming up with a big year.
The Wolfpack leaves the Chuck
Amato era behind as taskmaster
Tom O’Brien takes over a program
in bad need of discipline,
organization and consistent
wins. A loss to a Conference USA
team would potentially be
devastating with the road trip
to Boston College coming up next
week. UCF’s George O’Leary has
plenty of talent at his doorstep
to make the Wolfpack nervous,
and a win here could jump-start
the program. It might sound
cliché, but the confidence from
a great performance really could
show the Golden Knights could be
a player in the C-USA race.
Why UCF Might Win:
State will face its share of big
time running backs this year,
but it gets a huge test in the
opener against Kevin Smith. The
Knights will be physical at the
point of attack and give the
Wolfpack defensive front, minus
former star DeMarcus “Tank”
Tyler, a headache. If UCF
dominates the ball for 35
minutes, and gets consistent
play on third downs from the
passing game, State could be in
serious trouble. The offense
isn’t explosive enough to take
away the momentum if it’s lost,
but …
Why North Carolina State
Might Win: … State’s
running game may be the best
unit that UCF faces this year
and should control the game.
Toney Baker and Andre Brown form
a punishing 1-2 combination and
will pound out drives against
the mediocre UCF defensive front
seven. As long as they don’t
turn the ball over, State should
pile up 200+ yards rushing and
keep Smith out of the game.
Who to Watch: UCF
receiver Rocky Ross returns
after a solid sophomore season
and is quarterback Kyle Israel’s
go-to guy. If Smith picks up
chunks of yards in the running
game, then Ross is going to get
single coverage downfield.
Advantage Ross. More than
anything else, he has to make
plays on third downs. UCF has to
control the clock from the
start, and there will be plenty
of third and fives.
What Will Happen:
The State defense will keep
eight in the box to halt Smith
and hope that Ross doesn’t do
any damage deep downfield. If
the Wolfpack defense keeps the
UCF passing game in check, Baker
and Brown will run for 275+ and
give O’Brien a win in his first
game. At BC, O’Brien would never
lose a game like this.
CFN Prediction: NC State
24 …
UCF 16 Line:
NC
State -10
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:
Tennessee-Martin at Southern
Miss
7:00 PM
Why to watch:
This season’s class of
Conference USA begins the new
year with a
tougher-than-expected tune-up
against Tennessee-Martin, the
reigning Ohio Valley champs and
a pre-season Top 25 squad out of
the FCS. Southern Miss bring
its most complete team in years,
bolstered by a deep backfield
headed by returning Freshman
All-American Damion Fletcher,
and a speedy defense that’s
nasty in the front seven. If
the Golden Eagles are going to
be the first pre-season favorite
in three years to win the
league, they’ve got to get more
consistent output from QB Jeremy
Young. Still basking in the
glow of last year’s improbable
nine-win season,
Tennessee-Martin has its sights
set on even bigger things in
2007. While the retooled
defense gels, the Skyhawks will
be led by the offense, namely
All-America candidate Don
Chapman. One of the nation’s
top backs, the 5-11, 220-pounder
has three straight 1,000-yard
seasons and aspirations of
playing beyond college.
Why Tennessee-Martin might
win: If Southern Miss can’t
adequately replace standout
offensive linemen George
Batiste, Travis Cooley, and
Robby D’Angelo, its offense is
going to be eminently average
regardless of the opposition.
The Eagles need to get a push up
front for the running game to
percolate, but the line could
take weeks to mesh. In the
meantime, the Skyhawks have
enough offensive firepower to
compete in a low-scoring game.
Why Southern Miss might win:
LB Gerald McRath, DT Martavius
Prince, and the rest of the
Southern Miss defense are
capable of shutting out Chapman,
and turning the Skyhawks into a
one-dimensional offense. With
the game in the hands of an
inexperienced and untested
quarterback, the Golden Eagles
can pin their ears back, and
wreak havoc in the UT-Martin
backfield. If the Skyhawks, on
the other hand, can’t get
penetration on defense, Southern
Miss might run for more than 300
yards.
Who to watch: Now that
his nagging toe injury has
subsided, it’s time for Young to
start playing like the physical
and emotional leader of the
Southern Miss offense. At 6-3
and 218 pounds, he has the
wheels and arm strength to be a
genuine playmaker, while making
the Eagles exponentially harder
to defense.
What will happen: Power
running and stingy defense,
Southern Miss’ blueprint for
success of late, will carry the
team to a comfortable win over
an inferior opponent. A
sturdier Fletcher will go for
100 yards. A frustrated
Chapman, however, won’t come
close to the century mark.
CFN Prediction: Southern
Miss 37 ... UT Martin 9 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)
... 1
Final Score:
Nicholls State at
Rice 8:00
PM
Why to watch:
Rice has heard all of the
off-season chatter about the
program being a one-hit wonder
that’ll come back to Earth now
that Todd Graham is coaching
Tulsa. For as long as the Owls
can milk it in 2007, they’ll use
the doubters as a rallying cry
and bulletin board material.
The defense will still be awful
and RB Quinton Smith is going to
be sorely missed, but as long as
the Chase Clement-to-Jarett
Dillard hook-up is functional,
Rice will be dangerous. When
healthy, Clement played out of
his mind for a seven-game
stretch last year, accounting
for 23 touchdowns to just four
picks. A Biletnikoff finalist
in 2006, Dillard begins the
season with a streak of 15
consecutive games with a
touchdown catch, just three shy
of Larry Fitzgerald’s NCAA
record. Nicholls State is a
second-tier FCS program out of
the Southland Conference that
went 4-7 a year ago.
Ironically, the Colonels run the
same smash-mouth, triple-option
offense that had become
synonymous with Rice football
for decades before Graham
scrapped it in 2006.
Why Nicholls State might win:
The way to beat the Rice defense
is to run right at it, which the
Colonels will do at least 50
times if time permits. Last
year’s nationally-ranked running
game returns its top six rushers
and a more seasoned trio of
quarterbacks, which will test
the soft Owl defense and keep
the high-powered Owl offense on
the sidelines for extended
periods of time.
Why Rice might win: With
Clement back in the fold, the
Owl passing will be in
mid-season form Saturday night.
There’s not a player on the
Nicholls State roster that can
stay with Dillard, and double
teams will only highlight
sophomore Toren Dixon and Rice’s
new-found depth at wide
receiver. Although it’s still
raw, the Robby Heos-led
offensive line returns four
starters, and for a change, will
face an opponent it can move off
the ball.
Who to watch: The skill
position players get all the
pub, but Rice does have a couple
of quality defenders,
particularly LB Brian Raines.
The junior plays much bigger
than his modest size, and will
be good for at least a dozen
tackles and a forced fumble
against an offense content to
keep the ball on the ground.
What will happen:
Nicholls State is going to get
its yards on the ground, but
when Rice needs to score, it
will without much resistance.
Dillard will pick up where he
left off last December, posting
gaudy numbers and inching one
step closer to Fitzgerald’s
mark.
CFN Prediction: Rice 34 ...
Nicholls 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)
... 1
Final Score:
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 |
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Texas Tech at SMU
4:00 PM ESPN
Why to watch:
The game of the week in
Conference USA has the potential
to be an old-fashioned shootout
with major ramifications for the
Mustangs. Long-suffering SMU
has been building to this point,
where a post-season game is a
realistic goal for the first
time in almost a quarter
century, and beating a team like
Texas Tech is more than just a
hopeful possibility. The
Mustangs finally have a
franchise quarterback to rally
around in sophomore Justin
Willis and 16 returning starters
that are itching to make
history. An upset of Texas Tech
would be a post-death penalty
milestone, while providing a
springboard for the rest of the
season. The sky isn’t falling
in Lubbock, but for the first
time in the Mike Leach era, the
Red Raiders will be doing some
rebuilding. Oh, Tech will be
Tech in the passing game,
especially with QB Graham
Harrell back, but with so many
holes to plug on both sides of
the ball, a winning season is
not the lock it’s been the last
few years.
Why Texas Tech might win:
This is Texas Tech, so prolific
passing numbers are the norm
regardless of the personnel.
The Red Raiders are going to be
especially prolific through the
air against a Mustang defense
that has three gaping holes on
the defensive line and loads of
youth in the secondary. Without
any pressure, Harrell will pick
apart the SMU D for 400 yards,
turning receivers Danny Amendola
and Michael Crabtree into two of
the opening weekend’s
statistical stars.
Why SMU might win:
Heading into the season, the
biggest concern for Texas Tech
is a front seven that was gutted
by graduations and is
dangerously short on depth and
experience. Led by Ben Poynter
and Caleb Peveto, SMU has a
veteran line that’ll give Willis
time to do damage on underneath
routes and open holes for
bruising RB DeMyron Martin. The
Red Raiders are going to score,
but the Mustangs know they can
keep pace on offense as long as
all the parts are working.
Defensively, they have to hope
Harrell has one of his
bounce-pass games, like he had
at times last year when the
offense simply didn’t work.
With a slew of new receivers,
it’s possible.
Who to watch: Willis was
outstanding as a freshman
despite getting no help from the
running game. If Martin can
revert back to his 2005 form
when he rushed for 854 yards,
the Mustang offense will be
downright lethal. At 6-2 and
230 pounds, he’s healthy,
focused, and determined to
punish that suspect interior of
the Red Raider defense. For
Tech, top back Shannon Woods
finally appears to be out of the
doghouse having worked his way
back into the good graces of the
coaching staff. While he’s not
back as the full-time starter
quite yet, he’s no longer fourth
string like he was coming out of
spring ball. Sophomore Kobey
Lewis will get plenty of work.
What will happen: If
you’re SMU, now is the time to
catch a Texas Tech program
that’s clearly in transition
with new starters everywhere.
In November, the outcome would
be different, but in the opener,
the Mustangs will get some
late-game heroics from Willis
and a defining upset win to
start the 2007 season.
CFN Prediction:
SMU
37 … Texas Tech 35
... Line: Texas Tech -9.5
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
Final Score:
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