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Central Arkansas (4-0) at Tulsa
(3-0),
7:00 EST
Why to watch: Is it time
to start including Tulsa in the
BCS buster discussion alongside
Boise State and the trio of
unbeatens from the Mountain
West? Not Quite. You see, the
Hurricane has faced generic
opponents and won’t get many
bonus points for playing an
average Arkansas team the first
weekend of November. Instead,
it’ll try taking the Hawaii
route to a major bowl game,
lighting up scoreboards and
torpedoing all comers. Central
Arkansas is like the Tulsa of
the FCS. Behind a dynamite
passing game, the Bears have
ripped through a soft schedule
by averaging close to 40 points
a game. They’ve actually got the
edge at quarterback, where
Nathan Brown is a Walter Payton
Award candidate and a possible
draft choice next April.
Why Central Arkansas might
win: The Bears offense is
for real and is going to present
problems for a Tulsa defense
that’s allowing close to 400
yards a game and is still
adjusting to a bunch of
first-year starters. Brown is
not your typical FCS quarterback
that’ll get exposed once he
faces better competition. NFL
scouts are raving about his
size, arm strength, and pocket
presence. He’s been nearly
flawless through four games,
connecting repeatedly with
receivers Willie Landers and
Eric Ware, and premier TE
Marquez Branson.
Why Tulsa might win:
Central Arkansas will score.
Tulsa will score more. If it’s
possible, the Hurricane looks
even better than it did a year
ago in Gus Malzahn’s pass-happy
system. David Johnson has been
scary good in his first year as
a starter, throwing six
touchdown passes in consecutive
games and getting his endless
wave of playmakers involved in
the offense. After playing the
likes of Quincy and Henderson
State, the Bears have no idea
what they’re about to face
Saturday night.
Who to watch: Justin
Morsey, Rodrick Thomas, and the
rest of the Tulsa offensive line
have been the unsung heroes of
the team’s 52-point scoring
average. Despite having to pass
protect more than 100 times,
they’ve yielded just three
sacks. Their focus this week
will be on Central Arkansas DE
Larry Hart, a disruptive junior
college transfer, who has
already racked up 10.5 tackles
for loss and six sacks.
What will happen: Johnson
vs. Brown is one of the sneaky
good quarterback duels of the
weekend, especially if you’re a
pro scout. Both will pile up the
numbers, but the Bears simply
won’t be able to keep with the
juggernaut that is the Hurricane
offense. Tulsa will score at
will, amassing 600 yards of
offense and getting plenty of
work for the second and
third-stringers
CFN Prediction: Tulsa 54 …
Central Arkansas 10... Line: No
Line
Must See Rating: (5
Debate No. 1 - 1 The 2008
Primetime Emmys) … 1
-
Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
UAB (1-3) at South Carolina
(2-2),
7:00 EST
Why to watch: Where would
South Carolina be without the
play of Ellis Johnson’s defense?
It would not be a pretty sight.
The Gamecocks barely got by
Wofford a week ago, needing a
late touchdown to finally put
the game out of reach. As bad as
the quarterbacks have been
playing in Columbia, it might be
time to hand the ball to Stephen
Garcia, the impish redshirt
freshman who’s been hailed as
the savior ever since signing a
letter-of-intent. UAB got a
well-deserved break from a
rugged early-season schedule,
pounding Alabama State for its
first win of the season. Unlike
this week’s host, the Blazers
have a quarterback to build
around for the next two seasons.
Junior Joe Webb leads the team
with 401 yards rushing and has
thrown two touchdown passes in
three of the first four games.
Why UAB might win: South
Carolina showed last week that
regardless of the opponent, it’s
vulnerable when it can’t punch in
touchdowns. The offense moved
the chains, but struggled to
score. Wofford had no
business being in that game in
the fourth quarter, but it was,
which gives hope to the Blazers.
UAB comes in battle-tested,
having played Tulsa, Florida
Atlantic, and Tennessee, and
confident after winning for the
first time. Led by S Will Dunbar
and LB Joe Henderson, the
defense has a chance against a
Gamecock offense that lacks
playmakers and has reached the
end zone just four times in the
last three games.
Why South Carolina might win:
In Columbia, it’s all about the
defense these days. The
Gamecocks have the nation’s
top-rated pass defense, allowing
just 96 yards a game and a
single touchdown pass in four
games. UAB has a one-dimensional
offense, which South Carolina
will have no problems
containing. The way CB Captain
Munnerlyn, LB Jasper Brinkley,
and the rest of the defense are
performing, Webb alone won’t be
enough to put a dent in this
group. In fact, label it a minor
upset if the Blazer offense
produces more than 10 points
Saturday night.
Who to watch: Whether
he’s in the huddle or on the
sidelines, all eyes in
Williams-Brice Stadium will be
on Garcia. While it’s not
exactly fair or rationale, many
Gamecock fans believe he’ll
solve most of the offense’s
woes. Whether it’s Garcia or
Chris Smelley at the controls,
he’ll benefit from improved play
out of receivers Moe Brown and
Dion Lecorn. Neither has really
lit it up since Kenny McKinley
went down with a hamstring
injury.
What will happen:
Although UAB plays with a
no-quit demeanor, its inability
to move the ball on the South
Carolina D will foil any
possibility for a signature
upset. Garcia will play, as
expected, but will fail to walk
on water, as some Gamecock fans
had hoped. Even so, it'll be a
relatively easy win.
CFN Prediction: South
Carolina 24 … UAB 9 ... Line:
South Carolina -24.5
Must See Rating: (5
Debate No. 1 - 1 The 2008
Primetime Emmys) … 2
-
Click here to receive ATS
Consultants FREE selections
UCF (1-2) at UTEP (0-3),
8:00 EST, CSTV
Why to watch: Now that
UCF’s two shots at upsetting
larger programs, South Florida
and Boston College, fell short,
it can turn its attention to
defending the Conference USA
title. It all starts with a long
trip to El Paso to kick off the
league portion of the schedule.
The big news in Saturday’s loss
to the Eagles was the debut of
true freshman QB Rob Calabrese,
the future at the position in
Orlando. Both he and starter
Michael Greco will play this
Saturday, although head coach
George O’Leary is insisting
there’s no quarterback
controversy. The situation at
UTEP has cascaded from bad to
worse. Not only are the Miners
0-3 after losing a heartbreaker
to New Mexico State, but QB
Trevor Vittatoe, the team’s best
player, is sidelined with an
ankle injury.
Why UCF might win: The
Knight offense should have its
long-awaited breakout game at
the expense of one of the
nation’s weakest defenses. UTEP
has not held an opponent under
34 points this season, and its
pass defense has already allowed
13 touchdown passes in just
three games. Whether it’s Greco
or Calabrese dropping back to
throw, he’ll have few problems
locating Rocky Ross and Brian
Watters breaking free from
coverage.
Why UTEP might win: If,
as expected, Vittatoe is a
scratch, there might be a silver
lining for the Miners. With
James Thomas behind center, UTEP
will shift to more of a
ground-oriented, option offense
that gets the most out of his
athleticism and quickness. While
UCF has a veteran, opportunistic
defensive backfield, the run
defense has some holes. By
keeping it on the ground with
Thomas and Terrell Jackson,
who’s returning from injury,
UTEP will be steering clear of
the Knights’ strength on defense
Who to watch: Assuming
Thomas is taking snaps for the
Miners, it’ll be a busy night
for the talented Knight
linebackers assigned to keep him
contained. Lawrence Young,
Chance Henderson, and Cory Hogue
are all playing well so far this
season, possessing the speed,
range, and instincts to make
plays all over the field.
What will happen: While
UCF is not without its problems,
UTEP is a program in disarray,
searching for something positive
to cling to before the mid-point
of this season. It won’t find it
this week. At least for a week,
the Knights will recapture some
of last year’s form, getting a
workmanlike 80 yards on the
ground from Ronnie Weaver and
multiple turnovers from the
defense.
CFN Prediction: UCF 28 …
UTEP 20 ... Line: UCF -5
Must See Rating: (5
Debate No. 1 - 1 The 2008
Primetime Emmys) … 2
-
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Consultants FREE selections
-
Conference USA Week
Five Fearless
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