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UAB (0-2) at Tennessee (0-1),
12:30 EST, ESPN Gameplan
Why to watch: Tennessee
has had two long weeks to dwell
on its gut-wrenching opening day
loss to UCLA. It couldn’t have
been easy for the players,
coaches, or fans. Still, the
Volunteers know that there’s
plenty to play for, such as an
SEC title, even if a perfect
season is off the table. They
remember that last year’s squad
also opened with a demoralizing
loss in California, yet went on
to win the East Division and
nearly knocked off LSU in
Atlanta. UAB has battled in both
of its games, a trademark under
Neil Callaway, but has fallen
short in bids to beat Tulsa and
Florida Atlantic. The Blazers
are making progress on offense,
but until they can make more
stops and develop some depth,
moral victories will be a common
occurrence.
Why UAB might win: All of
a sudden, the Blazer offense has
become potent, amassing more
than 400 yards in each of the
first two games. Dual-threat QB
Joe Webb has forced opposing
defenses to respect his legs as
well as his arm. He leads the
team in rushing and has done an
effective job as a passer,
especially when he’s locked in
on rangy WR Frantrell Forrest.
When Tennessee needed to make
stops in the opener, it allowed
a vanilla UCLA offense with a
journeyman quarterback to score
two critical fourth quarter
touchdowns.
Why Tennessee might win:
The Blazers have allowed 94
points in two games and are
ranked 117th
nationally in total defense,
numbers that won’t improve in
Knoxville this weekend. With the
talented Volunteer offensive
line paving the way, UT will
move the ball at will on the
overmatched UAB defense,
especially on the ground. With
enough touches, this is one of
those games that both Arian
Foster and Montario Hardesty are
capable of going over 100 yards
on the ground.
Who to watch: If
Tennessee is going to regroup
and get back in the SEC title
hunt, it’s incumbent upon QB
Jonathan Crompton to play much
better than he did in the
opener. He played like a rookie,
completing less than 50% of his
passes and too often sailing the
ball above the receiver’s head.
Like the rest of the team, he
needs to use this week’s visit
from UAB to get right before
back-to-back killer games with
Florida and Auburn.
What will happen: Forget
about any chance of Tennessee
getting caught napping in a
sandwich game between UCLA and
Florida. The Vols will be
focused on putting UAB away as
quickly as possible, dominating
along both lines and getting
multiple turnovers from the
defense
CFN Prediction: Tennessee
48 … UAB 13 ... Line: Tennessee
-30
Must See Rating: (5
Hole in the Wall - 1
First Blood) … 1.5
-
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Consultants FREE selections
Air Force (2-0) at Houston (1-1),
In Dallas, 3:30 EST, CSTV
Why to watch: This
weekend’s meeting at Robertson
Stadium will be the first
between Air Force and Houston.
The Cougars have split their
first two games, getting by
Oklahoma State, 56-37, in
Stillwater last Saturday. While
Kevin Sumlin’s new spread
offense has been surging with
Case Keenum at the controls,
Houston’s upside will be limited
if the defense can’t slow down
decent offenses. The Falcons
have opened with wins over
Southern Utah and Wyoming, which
is doubly impressive considering
how many starters from last
season are being replaced. The
antithesis of this week’s
opponent, Air Force has been
leaning on an underrated defense
until the offense gets on track.
A 3-0 start would set the
Academy up nicely for a run at a
second straight bowl berth.
Why Air Force might win:
Although the Cougars will
present unique challenges, the
Falcon D appears up to the
challenge. Air Force has yielded
just 10 points in two games,
including a complete effort last
week in Laramie. It’s a
physical, well-coached group
that’s getting outstanding
all-around play from S Chris
Thomas and DE Jake Paulson.
Houston will continue to attack
on offense, but it’s going to
earn every yard it gets on
Saturday.
Why Houston might win: The
Cougars would like to turn this
game into a track meet. If
they’re successful, Air Force is
not where it needs to be to keep
up. The Houston offense is
cooking behind Keenum, leading
the country in passing after two
games, while going 10-for-10 in
red zone opportunities. As good
as the Falcons have been on
defense, slowing down an attack
with this much speed and
complexity is an entirely
different challenge.
Who to watch: Entering
the season, Mark Hafner was a
good tight end for the Cougars.
In this offense, however, he’s
blossomed into a terrific wide
receiver, manning the inside Y
slot. He already has 15 catches
for 182 yards and three
touchdowns, and will be a
handful for the Falcon
linebackers.
What will happen: In a
study of complete opposites, Air
Force will try to control the
clock with a disciplined ground
game, while Houston wants to get
up and down the field as quickly
as possible. Both will have
their moments, but the Cougars
will eke out the win with a long
drive for the go-ahead score
late in the game.
CFN Prediction: Houston
34 … Air Force 27 ... Line:
Houston -4.5
Must See Rating: (5
Hole in the Wall - 1
First Blood) … 3
-
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Consultants FREE selections
Rice (2-0) at Vanderbilt (2-0),
7:00 ET
Why to watch: An
off-the-radar game for most
college fans, Rice-Vanderbilt
has the ingredients to be one of
the sneaky good match ups of
Week 3. Known better for their
academic prowess than their
athletic achievements, this is
the first time since 1956 that
both institutions have started
2-0 in the same year. Whichever
program gets to 3-0 will be
labeled one of the feel-good
stories of the first quarter of
the season. In front of a
national TV audience, Vandy
stunned South Carolina for a
second straight year, rallying
in the second half for its first
home win over a ranked opponent
in 16 years. Rice was even more
dramatic in its second victory,
using a Chris Jammer 69-yard
interception with 11 seconds
left to topple Memphis, 42-35.
Why Rice might win: Even
a step up in class isn’t going
to slow down an Owl offense
that’s scored 96 points in the
first two games and boasts one
of the most prolific
pitch-and-catch combos in NCAA
history. Chase Clement to Jarett
Dillard has been virtually
unstoppable the last two years,
but it’s not the only arrow in
Rice’s quiver. When Dillard
isn’t open, Clement can also
turn to the versatile James
Casey, who’s second in
Conference USA in receptions and
will be used in a multitude of
different ways.
Why Vanderbilt might win:
Rice can’t stop anyone. The
defense is horrible and subject
to getting shoved around by a
green, yet physical, Commodore
offensive line. Vanderbilt does
not have one of the most
prolific offenses in the SEC,
but it could look that way
Saturday night. QB Chris Nickson
is a veteran with good
improvisational skills and RB
Jared Hawkins is a 205-pound
battering ram the size of most
of the Rice linebackers.
Who to watch: Vandy CB
D.J. Moore is one of the best
players in the country that few
outside the SEC have seen play.
He’s a dynamite special teams
performer with next level cover
skills, making the match up with
Dillard worthy of a spotlight
every time the two go
head-to-head.
What will happen: The
finesse of Rice works well
against Conference USA
opponents, but not a physical
SEC team that’s playing better
than expected on defense. The
Owls will deliver a big play or
two in the passing game before
wearing out in the second half
to the Vandy power running game
and pass rush.
CFN Prediction:
Vanderbilt 35 … Rice 23 ...
Line: Vanderbilt -7
Must See Rating: (5
Hole in the Wall - 1
First Blood) … 2.5
-
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Consultants FREE selections
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Conference USA Week
Three Fearless
Predictions, Part 2
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