THURSDAY, AUG. 28 • 5:30 P.M. • ESPN
BOISE STATE at SOUTH FLORIDA
Raymond James Stadium (65,000/Natural Grass)
Tampa, Florida
Television: ESPN
Matt Barrie, Tom Luginbill and Harry Lyles Jr.
Radio
WHPT-FM 102.5 (South Florida flagship)
SiriusXM 139 or 201
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the first meeting between Boise State and South Florida … The Bulls have gone 4-1 against current members of the Mountain West Conference, including a 41-39 victory against San Jose State in the 2024 Hawaii Bowl to close last season … Boise State is 11-6 against current members of the American.
25/25 BOISE STATE
0-0, 0-0 Mountain West
Head Coach Spencer Danielson (Asuza Pacific ’12) – 15-3, second full season
Notes
Boise State is coming off a 12-2 campaign in 2024, which ended with the Broncos’ first appearance in the College Football Playoff … The Broncos’ only losses last year were to Oregon and Penn State … Boise State is 17-3 at home in the last three seasons, but is 12-8 on the road in the same stretch … The Broncos are ranked No. 25 in both national preseason polls … The most significant loss is Heisman Trophy runner-up Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2024 … QB Maddux Madsen passed for 3,018 yards and 23 touchdowns last season … The top returning receiver is TE Matt Laute, who had 619 yards and seven touchdown catches … Head coach Spencer Danielson went 3-1 as the Broncos’ interim coach in 2023 and was 12-2 last year after assuming the permanent role.
SOUTH FLORIDA
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Alex Golesh (Ohio State ’06) – 14-12, third season
Notes
South Florida plays the first of three straight games against preseason top-25 teams to open the season with Thursday’s matchup against Boise State … The Bulls follow with road dates against No. 15/17 Florida and No. 10/10 Miami … South Florida is the only team in the nation to open with three straight games against ranked teams … The Bulls went 7-6 for the second consecutive season under head coach Alex Golesh, the first coach in program history with two bowl wins in his first two years … Golesh’s 14 wins come after the Bulls won a combined four games in the three previous seasons … The Bulls are bolstered by the return of QB Byrum Brown, who suffered a season-ending leg injury after five games last year … Brown passed for a school-record 3,292 yards and 26 touchdowns and rushed for 809 yards and 11 TDs in 2023.
THURSDAY, AUG. 28 • 7 P.M. • ACC NETWORK
EAST CAROLINA at NC STATE
Carter-Finley Stadium (56,919/Natural Grass)
Raleigh, North Carolina
Television: ACC Network
Wes Durham, Steve Addazio and Dana Boyle
Radio
WNCT-FM 107.9 (East Carolina flagship)
SiriusXM 85
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the 34th meeting between East Carolina and NC State in a series that dates to 1970 … The Wolfpack holds a 19-14 series lead, though the Pirates claimed the most recent meeting with a 26-21 win in the Military Bowl to close last season … NC State has won the last two meetings in Raleigh.
EAST CAROLINA
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Blake Harrell (Western Carolina ’02) – 5-1, first full season
Notes
East Carolina started the 2024 season at 3-4, but the Pirates won five of their last six games after Blake Harrell was named the interim head coach … East Carolina’s 26-21 win against NC State in the Military Bowl gave the Pirates an 8-5 record last year, a six-win improvement from 2023 … East Carolina went 5-3 in the American, winning four of its last five conference games to finish fifth in the conference standings … The top returner on offense is QB Katin Houser, a transfer from Michigan State who threw for 2,006 yards and 18 touchdowns with ECU last year … WR Anthony Smith, a transfer from NC State, had 41 receptions for 799 yards and six touchdowns … The defense returns only one starter from 2024 — DE Ryheem Craig, a transfer from Louisville who had 53 tackles and 4.0 tackles for loss.
NC STATE
0-0, 0-0 ACC
Head Coach Dave Doeren (Drake ’93) – 87-65, 13th season at NC State 110-69, 14th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
NC State finished last season at 6-7, snapping a streak of four consecutive winning seasons … The Wolfpack went 3-5 in the ACC, finishing in a four-way tie for 10th in the conference standings … NC State has gone 27-7 at home in the last five years … The Wolfpack returns 13 starters from last year … QB C.J. Bailey passed for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns against 10 interceptions last year and added five rushing TDs … NC State also returns its leading rusher (RB Hollywood Smothers) and receiver (TE Justin Joly) from last season … LB Sean Brown started all 13 games last year and had a team-high 96 tackles … Former East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill is in his sixth season on Dave Doeren’s staff at NC State, serving as special assistant to the head coach.
THURSDAY, AUG. 28 • 8 P.M. • ESPN+
ALABAMA STATE at UAB
Protective Stadium (42,354/Shaw Sports Turf)
Birmingham, Alabama
Television: ESPN+
Doug Sherman, Dave Steckel and Maria Trivelpiece
Radio
WJOX-FM 94.5 (UAB flagship)
SiriusXM 385
THE GAME
Thursday’s game will be the fifth meeting between UAB and Alabama State and will break a 2-2 tie in the series record … The Hornets won the first two games in the series with victories in 1994 and 1995, but the Blazers have won the last two, including a 24-19 decision at Legion Field in 2019.
ALABAMA A&M
0-0, 0-0 SWAC
Head Coach Eddie Robinson Jr. (Alabama State ’94) 20-14, fourth season
Notes
Alabama State went 7-5 last season, giving head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. his third winning season in as many years at his alma mater … The Hornets won their last two games of the 2024 season, including a 34-6 win against Tuskegee in the Turkey Day Classic to close the year … Alabama State has won SWAC championships in 1991, 2004 and 2010 and was the HBCU national champion in 1991 … Alabama State went 5-3 in the SWAC last season, finishing second to Jackson State in the East Division … Alabama State’s defense did not allow a touchdown in the last nine quarters of the 2024 season … Top returning players for the Hornets include S Keane Lewis, secondteam All-SWAC performer last year, and OL Desmond Daniels, who made 11 starts and allowed only one sack among 466 snaps played.
UAB
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Trent Dilfer (Fresno State ’93) 7-17, third season
Notes
UAB looks for a turnaround in Trent Dilfer’s third season in Birmingham after the Blazers went 3-9 last season … Since the program was reinstated in 2017, the Blazers have gone 57-43 overall (.570), 36-9 in Birmingham and have won three bowl games … The Blazers return only three starters from last year … The top returner is QB Jalen Kitna, who started the last eight games of 2024 and threw for 2,209 yards and 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions … The lone returning starter on defense is S Sirad Bryant … K Jonah Delange was the 2024 American Special Teams Player of the Year after he connected on 21 of 24 field goal attempts and was perfect on kicks of 50 yards or longer … The Blazers’ 2025 roster includes 51 newcomers … UAB begins conference play in Week 2 when the Blazers visit Navy.
FRIDAY, AUG. 29 • 6 P.M. • CBS SPORTS NETWORK
TARLETON STATE at ARMY
Michie Stadium (30,000/FieldTurf)
West Point, New York
Television: CBS Sports Network
Dave Ryan, Adam Breneman and Tina Cervasio
Radio
WBNR-AM 1260 (Army flagship)
SiriusXM 161 or 201
THE GAME
Friday’s game will be the first meeting between Army and Tarleton State … Army has gone 16-0 against NCAA FCS opponents since the 2016 season … Tarleton State is 1-3 against FBS opponents since the Texas moved to Division I in 2020 … The Texans defeated New Mexico State 43-17 in 2020.
TARLETON STATE
1-0, 0-0 UAC
Head Coach Todd Whitten (Stephen F. Austin ’87) 115-57, 16th season at Tarleton State 140-85, 21st season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tarleton State began its sixth season as an Division I FCS program with an impressive 42-0 road win against Portland State in Week 0 … The Texans, ranked No. 10 in the Stats Perform FCS poll and No. 8 in the AFCA FCS poll, gained 453 total yards, forced four turnovers and included a pick-six touchdown among their scoring output … QB Victor Gabalis completed 14 of 24 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, while RB Tre Page III led a potent ground game with 170 yards and two TDs on 15 carries … Tarleton State rushed for 301 yards and three touchdowns against the Vikings … LB Ty Rawls led the defense with two interceptions … Tarleton State is the pavorite in the UAC preseason poll … The Texans went 10-4 last season and fell to South Dakota in the FCS playoff.
rv/rv ARMY
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Jeff Monken (Millikin ’89) 82-57, 12th season at Army 118-73, 16th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Army holds the unique distinction of having never lost a conference game in program history after the Black Knights went 12-2 overall and 8-0 in the American last season, claiming the conference title in their first year in the league … Army finished the 2024 season ranked No. 21 in the national polls, its highest finish in the rankings since 1958 … The Black Knights return two members of last year’s offensive line, which won the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top unit … OG Paolo Gennarelli was an AP third-team All-America selection, while C Brady Small was a first team all-conference selection … QB Dwayne Coleman will take over as the starter behind center following the graduation of record-setting signal-caller Bryson Daily, who rushed for 32 touchdowns last year.
FRIDAY, AUG. 29 • 7 P.M. • ESPNU
APPALACHIAN STATE vs. CHARLOTTE
Bank of America Stadium (74,867/FieldTurf Pro)
Charlotte, North Carolina
Television: ESPNU
Courtney Lyle and Rene Ingoglia
Radio
WZGV-AM 730 (Charlotte flagship)
THE GAME | THE DUKE’S MAYO CLASSIC
Charlotte is making its first appearance in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, while Appalachian State is making its second appearance in the event … Friday’s game will be the fourth meeting between Charlotte and App State … The Mountaineers have won the first three matchups, most recently a 35-20 decision in 2020.
APPALACHIAN STATE
0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach Dowell Loggains (Arkansas ’03) 0-0, first season
Notes
Dowell Loggains makes his head coaching debut Friday as App State looks to bounce back from an uncharacteristic 5-6 season in 2024 … It was just the fourth sub-.500 season for the Mountaineers since 1983 and the first losing season since 2013 … Loggains, a former offensive coordinator with four NFL clubs who was in a similar role at South Carolina last year, is the Mountaineers’ fourth head coach in seven seasons … App State has 55 newcomers on this year’s roster and returns only seven starters from last year … QB AJ Swann, who started 12 games for Vanderbilt in 2022 and 2023 before transferring to LSU last year, is expected to take over as the Mountaineers’ starter … RB Rashod Dubinion, who started seven games at Arkansas in the last three seasons, should be the primary option in the backfield.
CHARLOTTE
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Tim Albin (Northwestern Oklahoma State ’89) 0-0, first season at Charlotte 58-27, eighth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Charlotte won its last two games of the 2024 season to finish 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the American … Head coach Tim Albin begins his first season with the 49ers after spending the last four seasons in a similar role at Ohio, where he was the 2024 MAC Coach of the Year and led the Bobcats to the conference title … Albin finished his tenue at Ohio with three consecutive 10-win seasons … His coaching ledger also includes a 13-0 campaign and NAIA national championship at Northwestern Oklahoma State in 1999 … The 2025 roster features nearly 40 transfers … QB Conner Harrell, a transfer from North Carolina who passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns against the 49ers last year, is projected to be the Opening Day starter … Charlotte hosts North Carolina in Week 2.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • NOON • BIG TEN NETWORK
FLORIDA ATLANTIC at MARYLAND
SECU Stadium (51,802/FieldTurf)
College Park, Maryland
Television: Big Ten Network
Radio
WFTL-AM 640 (Florida Atlantic flagship)
SiriusXM 380
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Florida Atlantic and Maryland … The Owls have faced seven current members of the Big Ten and are a combined 1-12 in those games … The Terrapins are 24-19 all-time in games against current members of the American … Florida Atlantic has dropped 14 consecutive road openers.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Zach Kittley (Texas Tech ’14) 0-0, first season
Notes
Florida Atlantic will have a new look in more ways than one for the 2025 season after the Owls went 3-9 in 2024 … Head coach Zach Kittley, at 33 years old, is the youngest head coach in Division I, and he welcomes a team that includes 55 newscomers from either the transfer portal or the freshman class … The biggest name among the newcomers is QB Caden Valtkamp, who was the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year at Western Kentucky last year, where he passed for 3,108 yards and 25 touchdowns … The defense has S Wendel Philord as the squad’s only returning starter, but some talented newcomers should fill the void, including NG C.J. Doggette (via Ohio), LB Tyler Stolsky (from Minnesota) and CB Derrick Rogers (from Purdue) … P Logan Lupo is the lone returning regular on special teams.
MARYLAND
0-0, 0-0 Big Ten
Head Coach Michael Locksley (Towson ’92) 33-41 seventh full season at Maryland 35-67, 17th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Maryland went 4-8 last season, finishing in 17th place in the Big Ten standings … The Terrapins went 3-0 in nonconference games, however, extending their nonconference winning streak to 15 games, the longest active streak in FBS … Maryland’s last nonconference loss was a 20-17 setback at Temple Sept. 14, 2019 … The Terrapins are 17-1 in nonconference games under head coach Michael Locksley … Maryland has won its last 13 nonconference openers … Only three starters return on offense as the Terrapins look to replace their starting quarterback, leading rusher and top three receivers from last year … QB Malik Washington could be the Opening Day starter as a true freshman … Maryland ranked last in the Big Ten with 14 sacks in 2024 and must replace the entire front seven.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • NOON • CBS SPORTS NETWORK
VMI at NAVY
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000/FieldTurf)
Annapolis, Maryland
Television: CBS Sports Network
Chris Lewis, Randy Cross and Brandon Baylor
Radio
WBAL-FM 101.5 (Navy flagship)
SiriusXM 83
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 11th meeting between Navy and VMI in a series that traces its roots to 1898 … The Midshipmen have taken all 10 previous meetings, most recently a 51-14 win in Annapolis in 2014 … Save for a 1963 matchup in Norfolk, Virginia, and a 1973 meeting in Lexington, the remaining games have all been played at Navy.
VMI
0-0, 0-0 Southern
Head Coach Danny Rocco (Wake Forest ’84) 6-17, third season at VMI 127-82, 19th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
VMI looks to rebound from a 1-11 campaign in 2024 … The Keydets went 1-7 in the Southern Conference to finish ninth in the standings … VMI has 12 returning starters and 57 returning letterwinners from last year … Head coach Danny Rocco inherited a team that went 1-11 in 2022 and led the Keydets to a 5-6 showing the following year … Rocco has won seven conference titles in 19 seasons (four Big South, three CAA) and has made five NCAA FCS playoff appearances between Delaware, Richmond and Liberty … QB Collin Shannon returns to the VMI lineup after he was sidelined with an injury after two games in 2024 … QB Chandler Wilson made five starts and passed for 424 yards and three touchdowns … Shannon and Wilson were among four QBs who saw significant action in 2024.
rv/rv NAVY
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Brian Newberry (Baylor ’98) 15-10 , third season
Notes
Navy enjoyed an oustanding 2024 season that saw the Midshipmen close the year with a win against Army to clinch the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy and a 21-20 victory against Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl … Navy finished 10-3 overall and was 6-2 in the American … The Midshipmen return 17 starters and 47 letterwinners from that squad … QB Blake Horvath rushed for 1,246 yards and 17 touchdowns and passed for 1,353 yards and 13 TDs to lead the offense last year … RB/WR Eli Heidenreich was a dynamic playmaker with 39 catches for 671 yards and six touchdowns to go with 444 rushing yards and three TDs on the ground … FB Alex Tecza added eight rushing touchdowns … The top returners on defense are NG Landon Robinson (4.0 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss in 2024) and LB Luke Pirris (68 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss).
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • NOON • ESPNU
NORTHWESTERN at TULANE
Yulman Stadium (30,000/FieldTurf)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Television: ESPNU
Matt Schumacher and Dustin Fox
Radio
WRKN-FM 106.1 (Tulane flagship)
SiriusXM 381
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the fifth meeting between Tulane and Northwestern … The four previous matchups were all played between 1925 and 1956 … The Green Wave holds a 3-1 series lead … Northwestern’s only win in the series was a 14-0 decision Oct. 4, 1930 … Saturday’s game will be just the second to be played in New Orleans.
NORTHWESTERN
0-0, 0-0 Big Ten
Head Coach David Braun (Winona State ’08) 12-13, third season
Notes
Northwestern went 8-5 in David Braun’s first season in Evanston in 2023, but the Wildcats fell to 4-8 last season, facing a schedule that included three of the last four participants in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game … QB Preston Stone is no stranger to the American after playing in the league for three seasons at SMU … Stone started 12 games for the Mustangs in 2023, when SMU won the American title, though he did not play against Tulane in the conference championship game … Following the season-opener on the road, Northwestern plays its next four games at home … Northwestern is playing its home games at Martin Stadium for the second consecutive year while renovations to Ryan Stadium are in progress … The Wildcats will play back-to-back home games at Wrigley Field in November.
rv/rv TULANE
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Jon Sumrall (Kentucky ’05) 9-5, second season at Tulane 32-9, fourth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulane, which has played in the American Championship Game in each of the last three seasons, is looking for a fourth straight appearance after the Green Wave went 9-5 in Jon Sumrall’s first year in New Orleans … Three of the five losses came to nationally ranked opponents (Kansas State, Oklahoma, Army) … The Green Wave won 17 consecutive regular-season conference games between 2023-25, tying the American record … Tulane saw plenty of activity on both ends of the transfer portal and got a boost from the late addition of QB Jake Retzlaff … Retzlaff started every game for BYU last year and passed for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns … RB Maurice Turner (transfer from Louisville) and WR Shazz Preston (transfer from Alabama) also come in with high expectations.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • 3:30 P.M. • ESPN+
TEMPLE at MASSACHUSETTS
McGuirk Stadium (17,000/FieldTurf)
Amherst, Massachusetts
Television: ESPN+
Robert Lee and Patrick Murray
Radio
OwlSports.com
SiriusXM 385
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the fourth meeting between Temple and Massachusetts and first to be played on the UMass campus … Temple holds a 3-0 series lead with a 25-23 win at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in 2015, a 29-21 win in Philadelphia in 2017 and a 28-0 home victory in 2022.
TEMPLE
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach K.C. Keeler (Delaware ’80) 0-0, first season at Temple 271-112-1, 32nd season as collegiate head coach
Notes
After four consecutive 3-9 seasons, Temple has turned to vetern head coach K.C. Keeler to return the Owls’ fortunes to their championship-level form from a decade ago … Keeler, the only coach to have on NCAA FCS titles at two different institutions (Delaware, Sam Houston) has had 16 seasons with double-digit wins in 31 years as a head coach across three institutions … Temple has added 25 players from the transfer portal and brought in the Owls’ highest-rated incoming class in years … QB Evan Simon threw for 2,032 yards and 15 touchdowns last year and has battled with Oregon State transfer QB Gevani McCoy for the starting role … RB Jay Ducker played two years at Memphis before rushing for 745 yards at Sam Houston last season.
MASSACHUSETTS
0-0, 0-0 MAC
Head Coach Joe Harasymiak (Springfield ’08) 0-0, first season at Massachusetts 20-15, fourth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Massachusetts returns to the Mid-American Conference in 2025 after the Minutemen spent the last nine seasons as an FBS independent program, going a combined 18-82 in that stretch … Head coach Joe Harasymiak begins his first season in Amherst … Harasymiak was most recently the defensive coordinator at Rutgers (2022-24) and was the 2018 AFCA FCS Coach of the Year at Maine, when he led the Black Bears to a 10-4 record, a CAA championship and a trip to the NCAA FCS semifinals … QB Grant Jordan, a transfer from Yale, comes in after throwing for 1,938 yards and 22 touchdowns against three interceptions last year, while Utah transfer QB Brandon Rose is expected to see action as well … RB Rocko Griffin rushed for 483 yards and six touchdowns for UTSA in 2023.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • 4:30 P.M. • ESPN+
CHATTANOOGA at MEMPHIS
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium (30,000/AstroTurf)
Memphis, Tennessee
Television: ESPN+
Chris Carlin and Jay Sonnhalter
Radio
WXMX-FM 98.9 (Memphis flagship)
SiriusXM 381
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the 18th meeting between Memphis and Chattanooga in a series that dates to 1942 … Memphis holds a 12-5 series lead and has won the last nine meetings … The Mocs’ last win in the series was a 7-0 victory in Chattanooga Nov. 28, 1957 … The teams last met in 2006, when Memphis was a 33-14 winner.
CHATTANOOGA
0-0, 0-0 Southern
Head Coach Rusty Wright (Chattanooga ’96) 37-27, seventh season
Notes
Chattanooga went 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the Southern Conference last season, but has only five starters returning from that team … The Mocs dropped their first three games of the season, but won seven of their last nine … Head coach Rusty Wright has finished at .500 or better in each of his first six seasons at Chattanooga and is the only coach in program history to do so … The Mocs were picked second in the 2025 Southern Conference preseason poll, trailing only Mercer … OL BJ Ragland was named to the league’s preseason all-conference first team, while TE John McIntyre and DB Jeremiah Batiste were second-team selections … The Mocs have won seven Southern Conference titles, but will be looking for their first championship since 2015 … The Mocs last reached the NCAA FCS playoffs in 2023.
rv/rv MEMPHIS
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Ryan Silverfield (Hampden-Sydney ’03) 42-21, sixth season
Notes
Memphis has been one of the American’s most consistent teams under sixth-year head coach Ryan Silverfield, who has led the Tigers to five consecutive .500-or-better seasons, including back-to-back years with double-digit wins … Memphis went 11-2 last year, falling only to Navy and UTSA in conference play … The Tigers topped West Virginia 42-37 in the Frisco Bowl for their fourth consecutive bowl victory … The Tigers have been bowl-eligible in 11 consecutive seasons … Memphis enters the 2025 season having scored at least 20 points in 40 consecutive games, the longest active streak nationally … The Tigers have gone 43-6 at home since 2017 … The top candidate to replace record-setting signal caller Seth Henigan is QB Brendon Lewis, who passed for 2,290 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for a team-high 775 yards at Nevada last year.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • 7 P.M. • ESPN
UTSA at TEXAS A&M
Kyle Field (102,733/Natural Grass)
Bryan-College Station, Texas
Television: ESPN
Anish Shroff, Andre Ware and Paul Carcaterra
Radio
KTKR-AM 760 (UTSA flagship)
SiriusXM 81
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between UTSA and Texas A&M … It will be the third straight game to be played in College Station … The Aggies have taken the first two meetings with a 23-10 victory in 2016 and a 45-14 decision in 2019 … The last meeting saw Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller rush for 217 yards and three touchdowns.
UTSA
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Jeff Traylor (Stephen F. Austin ’90) 46-20, sixth season
Notes
UTSA secured a fifth consecutive winning season under head coach Jeff Traylor with a 44-15 win against Coastal Carolina in the Myrtle Beach Bowl last year to finish 2024 with a 7-6 record … The Roadrunners will feature a veteran offensive unit in 2025, thanks to the return of 10 starters, but UTSA will have to replace all 11 starters on defense, relying primarily on the transfer portal to fill the gaps … The offense will be led by QB Owen McCown, who had 3,424 passing yards and 25 touchdowns last season … RB Robert Henry finished with 706 rushing yards and seven TDs … A UTSA palyer has been named the American’s Defensive Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons (LB Trey Moore in 2023, LB Jimmori Robinson in 2024) … The Roadrunners are 29-3 in the Alamodome under Jeff Traylor, but went 0-6 in road games last year.
19/21 TEXAS A&M
0-0, 0-0 SEC
Head Coach ike Elko (Penn ’99) 8-5, second season at Texas A&M 24-14, fourth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Texas A&M went 8-5 overall and finished a solid 5-3 in the SEC last season, scoring top-10 wins against Missouri and LSU in the process … The Aggies fell to USC 35-31 in the Las Vegas Bowl to close the year … Texas A&M plays five of its first six games at home, with only a Sept. 13 game at Notre Dame as the exception … The Aggies return 41 letterwinners and 15 starters from last season … QB Marcel Reed passed for 1,864 yards and rushed for 543 yards last season … QB Jacob Zeno, who played in the American at UAB, is also on the depth chart … RB Le’Veon Moss rushed for 765 yards and earned All-SEC honors despite missing all or most of five games due to injury … The Aggies return seven of their eight regular offensive linemen … CB Will Lee III was an All-SEC pick on defense.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • 8 P.M. • ESPN+
LAMAR at NORTH TEXAS
DATCU Stadium (30,100/FieldTurf)
Denton, Texas
Television: ESPN+
Justin Kutcher, LaDarrin McLane and Maria Trivelpiece
Radio
KEGL-FM 97.1
SiriusXM 380
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the eighth meeting between North Texas and Lamar in a series that began in 1951 … The Mean Green holds a 5-2 series lead and has won the last three matchups, including a 59-14 win in Denton to start the 2017 season … Lamar’s last win in the series was a 10-6 decision in Beaumont in 1984.
LAMAR
0-0, 0-0 Southland
Head Coach Pete Rossomando (Boston University ’95) 13-10, third season at Lamar 79-59, 14th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Lamar enters its third season under head coach Pete Rossomando, who has improved the Cardinals’ win total in each of his first two years … The Cardinals went 7-5 overall and 4-3 in the Southland Conference last year, registering back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1966-67 … Lamar reached the FCS top-25 for the first time in program history last year, spending four weeks as a ranked team in 2024 … The Cardinals return
14 starters and 45 letterwinners from last year, including five of their eight all-conference picks … OL Kortez Winslo earned FCS Freshman All-America honors last season … QB Robert Coleman has passed for 3,703 yards and 31 touchdowns in 22 career starts … The defense will look to replace eight starters from last year.
NORTH TEXAS
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Eric Morris (Texas Tech ’08) 11-14, third season at North Texas 35-32, seventh season as collegiate head coach
Notes
North Texas returns only 32 letterwinners from last year’s team, which went 6-7 and fell to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl … But hopes are high in Denton thanks to the return of nine defensive starters and a veteran presence augmented by the transfer portal … North Texas has more than 40 transfers on this year’s incoming group, including six defensive players who from Sam Houston along with new defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity … Head coach Eric Morris has named QB Drew Mestemaker as the Opening Day starter … Mestemaker famously made his first start since ninth grade in the First Responder Bowl last season and responded by throwing for 393 yards and two touchdowns … The Mean Green is looking to register its first winning season since 2018.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • 8 P.M. • ESPN+
RICE at LOUISIANA
Cajun Field (25,000/Matrix Turf)
Lafayette, Louisiana
Television: ESPN+
TBD
Radio
Varsity Network
SiriusXM 383
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the seventh meeting between Rice and Louisiana in a series that began in 1921 … Saturday’s result will break a 3-3 tie in the series … Rice was a 33-21 winner in Houston Sept. 17, 2022, which was the most recent matchup … Louisiana took a 41-16 win in 1988 in the only previous meeting in Lafayette.
RICE
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Scott Abell (Longwood ’92) 0-0, first season at Rice 86-53, 13th season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Rice has turned to new head coach Scott Abell as the Owls look for their first winning season since 2014 … Abell is no stranger to turning programs around — he inherited a Davidson program that had registered 10 consecutive losing seasons and had seven winning seasons in as many years there … Abell has essentially rebuilt the Rice roster as the Owls return only seven starters and 36 letterwinners from a year ago … Abell has named QB Chase Jenkins as the Week 1 starter … Jenkins has seen limited action in his first two years at Rice, but was judged to be the best fit for Abell’s “gun choice” up-tempo, option-based offense … LB Ty Morris, who had a team-high 56 tackles with four sacks last year, leads the a defense that held opponents to just 174 passing yards in 2024.
LOUISIANA
0-0, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach Michael Desormeaux (Louisiana ’09) 23-18, fourth season
Notes
Louisiana enjoyed its fourth season with double-digit wins in the last six seasons — and its first under head coach Michael Desormeaux — last year as the Ragin’ Cajuns went 10-4 and played in the Sun Belt Championship Game … Louisiana fell to Marshall in the title game and dropped a 34-3 decision to TCU in the New Mexico Bowl as the Cajuns look to snap a two-game slide … Louisiana has only seven returning starters from last year’s team … The starting signal-caller will be QB Walker Howard Jr., who was previously at LSU and Ole Miss, playing behind Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart, before transferring to Louisiana … The defense will be led by DE Jordan Lawson, who had 5.5 sacks and was an All-Sun Belt second team choice last season … Louisiana last faced a team from the American last season, when Tulane was a 41-33 winner.
SATURDAY, AUG. 30 • 8 P.M. • ESPN+
ABILENE CHRISTIAN at TULSA
H.A. Chapman Stadium (30,000/FieldTurf)
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Television: ESPN+
James Westling and Leger Douzable
Radio
KXBL-FM 99.5 (Tulsa flagship)
SiriusXM 381
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the first meeting between Tulsa and Abilene Christian … Tulsa has won its last four games against NCAA FCS opponents, most recently a 62-28 victory against Northwestern State last season … Abilene Christian’s last game against an FBS opponent was a heartbreaking 52-51 overtime loss at Texas Tech last year.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN
0-0, 0-0 UAC
Head Coach Keith Patterson (East Central ’86) 21-15, fourth season
Notes
Abliene Christian enjoyed a history-making 9-5 season in 2024 … The Wildcats went 7-1 in the United Athletic Conference, winning their first Division I conference title in program history … They additionally reached the NCAA FCS playoffs for the first time and won their first-round game (defeating Northern Arizona 24-0) before falling to North Dakota State in the second round … Head coach Keith Patterson was named the UAC Coach of the Year
in 2024 … Abilene Christian enters the 2025 season ranked No. 16 in the FCS Stats Perform preseason poll, marking the Wildcats’ first preseason national ranking … The top player for ACU is LB Will Shaffer, a Stats Perform Preseason All-America first team pick who led the UAC and was eighth nationally with 123 tackles in 2024 … DL Kaghen Roach earned third-team, preseason honors.
TULSA
0-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach Tre Lamb (Tennessee Tech ’13) 0-0, first season at Tulsa 27-25, sixth season as collegiate head coach
Notes
Tulsa looks to end a run of three consecutive sub-.500 seasons as Tre Lamb takes over as the Golden Hurricane head coach … Lamb served as head coach at East Tennessee State in 2024 after spending four seasons in the same role at Gardner-Webb … The Golden Hurricane looks to end a four-game slide that carried over from last season … Lamb has 32 returning letterwinners and 10 returning starters from last year … QB Kirk Francis emerged from a crowded quarterback room to take over as the starter last year and returns after throwing for 1,585 yards and nine touchdowns against six interceptions … Special teams should be an area of strength for Tulsa, which returns K Seth Morgan (10-15 FG, 33-34 PAT) and P Angus Davies (43.6 ypp).
