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CFB Conference Notes: C-USA Conference

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES CT)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
SMU at LA Tech (CBSSN) 2:30 pm
Fordham at Florida Atlantic (ESPN3) 5 pm
East Carolina at Marshall (CBSSN/Facebook) 5 pm
Middle Tennessee at UTSA (ESPN+) 5 pm
Old Dominion at Liberty (ESPN3) 5 pm
Charlotte at Georgia State (ESPN+) 6 pm
FIU at Texas Tech (ESPN+) 6 pm
Troy at Southern Miss (ESPN+) 6 pm
UAB at North Texas (Stadium) 6:30 pm
Rice at Texas (LHN) 7 pm

QUICK HITTERS

A LOOK AT WEEK THREE
Twelve of the 14 Conference USA teams are in action in Week 3, as UTEP and WKU are on bye weeks. Week 3 also marks the first pair of C-USA matchups, as UAB travels to Denton to take on North Texas and Middle Tennessee takes a trip to San Antonio to battle UTSA. The other eight teams set to play will do so in non-conference contests.

Louisiana Tech (1-1) hosts SMU (2-0) in Ruston on
Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports
Network. The Bulldogs held off Southeastern Louisiana last week, 45-42 in their home opener. SMU pulled away late at home last week in a win over North Texas, 35-12.

Florida Atlantic (1-1) earned its first win of the season, dominating Sun Belt foe Georgia Southern 38-6 last week. The Owls host Fordham at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN3.

Marshall (2-0) is one of three unbeaten teams in CUSA, and the Thundering Herd host American Athletic Conference foe East Carolina (0-2) at 5 p.m. CT CBS Sports Network/Facebook. Marshall won its home opener 44-10 over NC Central last week. East Carolina was beaten on a field goal as time expired against South Carolina, 20-17.

Middle Tennessee (1-1) hits the road to open its conference slate in the Alamodome against UTSA (2-0) Saturday. The Roadrunners shut out Lamar 54-0 last week, while the Blue Raiders fell 35-14 at No. 19 Virginia Tech. The C-USA opener will be broadcast on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. CT.

Old Dominion (1-1) picked up its first win since August 31, 2019 (Norfolk State), when it knocked off Hampton 47-7 last week. The win was also head coach Ricky Rahne’s first with the Monarchs. ODU hosts Liberty (2-0) on ESPN3 at 5 p.m. CT.

Charlotte (2-0) hits the road for the first time in 2021 after winning last week at home 38-10 over Gardner-Webb. The 49ers take on Georgia State (0-2), who fell 59-17 at No. 24 North Carolina last week. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

FIU (1-1), who fell in overtime last week against Texas State (23-17), will be in Lubbock in Week 3, taking on Texas Tech (2-0). The Panthers and Red Raiders kick off their non-conference matchup at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. Tech survived a scare against FCS foe Abilene Christian last week, 28-22.

Southern Miss (1-1) earned the first win of the Will Hall era last week, when the Golden Eagles blanked Grambling State, 37-0. Southern Miss hosts Troy (2-0) this week in Hattiesburg at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+. UAB (1-1), who lost 56-7 at No. 2 Georgia last week, travel to take on North Texas (1-1) Saturday night in each teams’ C-USA lid-lifter. UNT fell 35-12 in Dallas at SMU last week. The game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CT in Denton from Apogee Stadium live on Stadium.

Rice (0-2) lost at home to Houston 44-7 last week, and make the trip to Austin Saturday night to battle Texas (1-1), who is coming off a disappointing loss of its own, falling 40-21 at Arkansas. The game kicks off from DKR Texas Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. CT on Longhorn Network.

MARSHALL 2-0 UNDER HUFF
Marshall rolled up 700 yards of total offense in a dominant win over North Carolina Central, as the Thundering Herd improved to 2-0 under head coach Charles Huff. QB Grant Wells completed 34-47 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns, while WR Talik Keaton caught three passes for 73 yards and two scores.

ROADRUNNERS OFF TO FAST START
UTSA improved to 2-0 on the young season with a 54-0 win over Lamar in the Roadrunners’ home opener. UTSA held the Cardinals to 122 yards — the fewest yards allowed in program history — in racing out to their second straight 2-0 start to a season. UTSA’s 54-point margin of victory bettered the previous standard of 53 set in the 56-3 triumph over Northwestern Oklahoma State in 2012.

PERRY’S BIG DAY
Florida Atlantic QB N’Kosi Perry had a very big performance in the Owls’ 38-6 win in their home opener over Sun Belt foe Georgia Southern. Perry completed 19-27 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. The FAU win keeps head coach Willie Taggart undefeated in home games (5-0) during his time in Boca Raton.

ZAPPE, STERNS GOING OFF
WKU fell 38-35 at Army Saturday afternoon, as the Hilltoppers’ furious fourth quarter comeback fell just short, but QB Bailey Zappe and WR Jerreth Sterns continued to light up the stat sheet. Zappe finished 28-40 for 435 yards with four total touchdowns (three through the air) and Sterns caught nine passes for 171 yards and two scores. Zappe has thrown for 859 yards and 10 TDs to just two INTs (on 56-75 attempts) through the first two games, while Sterns has 16 receptions for 278 yards and four TDs.

RAHNE, HALL EARN FIRST WINS
Old Dominion head coach Ricky Rahne and Southern Miss head coach Will Hall each earned their first career wins as head coaches last week, respectively. ODU beat Hampton 47-7 , which was the Monarchs’ first win since a season-opening win over Norfolk State in 2019. Old Dominion did not play during the 2020 season, which delayed Rahne’s debut to this year.

Southern Miss bounced back from a frustrating Week 1 loss by shutting out Grambling State 37-0 in Hall’s first game at The Rock.

PICK-6 U
Louisiana Tech did it again last week. The national leader in pick-sixes over the course of the past four seasons (15), recorded its second pick-six of the season in as many games. This time it was DB BeeJay Williamson, who opened the scoring for Louisiana Tech in the Bulldogs’ 45-42 win over Southeastern Louisiana, by intercepting a wayward pass and taking it back 45-yards for the score in the first quarter. Week 2 DB BeeJay Williamson, 45 yards Week 1 LB Trey Baldwin, 35 yards

AIR IT OUT
Five different Conference USA quarterbacks threw for 300-plus yards in Week 2, including WKU QB Bailey Zappe, who surpassed 400 yards for the second time in as many games with the Hilltoppers (435). Bailey Zappe, WKU 435 at Army Jace Ruder, North Texas 366 at SMU Grant Wells, Marshall 347 vs. NC Central N’Kosi Perry, Florida Atlantic 332 vs. Ga. Southern Gavin Hardison, UTEP 307 at Boise State

BURN(S) NOTICE
North Texas WR Roderic Burns has burst onto the scene for the Mean Green offensively, filling the gaping hole left by now Tampa Bay Buccaneer Jaelon Darden. Burns leads C-USA with 18 catches through the first two games, and has 255 yards and a touchdown. Burns is one of three C-USA receivers with two 100-plus yard receiving games through Week 2. Burns hauled in a game-high 12 passes for 141 yards last week for the Mean Green in their game against SMU.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Southern Miss RB Frank Gore, Jr., had a big-time performance last week for the Golden Eagles in their first win of 2021, 37-0 over Grambling State. Gore carried 21 times for 162 yards with a touchdown in the victory. Gore, Jr., the son of 16-year NFL veteran Frank Gore, Sr., is one of a talented group of running backs spread across Conference USA.

CFB Conference Notes: Big Ten Conference

WEEK 3 SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, SEPT. 17
MARYLAND at ILLINOIS
9 p.m. | FS1

SATURDAY, SEPT. 18
Cincinnati at INDIANA
Noon | ESPN

Northern Illinois at MICHIGAN
Noon | Big Ten Network

MICHIGAN STATE at Miami (FL)
Noon | ABC

NEBRASKA at Oklahoma
Noon | FOX

MINNESOTA at Colorado
1 p.m. | Pac-12 Network

PURDUE at Notre Dame
2:30 p.m. | NBC

Kent State at IOWA
3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Tulsa at OHIO STATE
3:30 p.m. | FS1

Delaware at RUTGERS
3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

NORTHWESTERN at Duke
4 p.m. | ACC Network

Auburn at PENN STATE
7:30 p.m. | ABC

All times Eastern

BIG TEN. BIG NEWS.

• Eleven Big Ten schools will continue their non-conference schedules this weekend, while Illinois welcomes Maryland for a cross-divisional conference matchup on Friday at 9 p.m. ET on FS1. Wisconsin will enjoy a bye week. The complete Week 3 schedule appears to the right.

• Five Big Ten teams appear in the AP Poll this week. Iowa leads the conference at No. 5, followed by No. 9 Ohio State, No. 10 Penn State, No. 18 Wisconsin, and No. 25 Michigan. Michigan State, Indiana and Maryland each received votes.

• The Big Ten currently features four programs that rank among the top 25 nationally in rushing offense: Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The Wolverines rank fourth in the nation, averaging 339.0 yards per game, while the Spartans rank sixth (299.0), the Huskers sit at No. 13 (266.0) and the Badgers round out the list at No. 20 (240.0).

• Iowa posted a 27-17 victory over No. 9 Iowa State on Saturday, giving the Hawkeyes their sixth-straight victory over their in-state rivals and their longest streak since winning 15 in a row from 1983-97. The Hawkeyes have won their last eight games, outscoring their opponents, 275-106, averaging 34.3 points per game offensively and allowing 13.3 PPG during the winning streak. Iowa has scored at least 25 points in each win. The Hawkeyes have also played 24 straight games without surrendering 25 points, the longest streak in the nation among A5 teams.

• The Hawkeyes have won five straight games against ranked opponents dating back to 2019. The last time Iowa won five straight against ranked opponents was a six-game stretch in 1960. Saturday’s victory marked Iowa’s highest-ranked road win since defeating No. 5 Penn State, 21-10, in 2009. The only FBS team with a longer active win streak against ranked teams is Alabama.

• Michigan outscored Washington, 21-10, in the second half to secure the program’s first win over the Huskies since 2002. The Wolverines improved to 15-0 in non-conference games under Jim Harbaugh, with 14 of those wins coming by at least 16 points.

• Michigan running back Blake Corum achieved the 100-yard rushing mark in the first half on Saturday, with 107 yards on 11 carries, and finished with 171 yards on 21 carries for the game. Corum set career highs in rushing attempts (21), rushing yards (171), and rushing touchdowns (3). He also ran for a career-long 67-yard rushing touchdown in the first half, surpassing his previous best rush of 30 yards, and becoming the first Wolverine to score three touchdowns in a game since Nico Collins at Indiana on Nov. 23, 2019.

• Treyson Potts rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start to help Minnesota fend off Miami (OH) 31-26 on Saturday. The Gophers have won 20 straight non-conference games, which is the longest active streak nationally and the longest streak by a Big Ten team since Penn State won 20 straight from 1993-97. Minnesota hasn’t lost a non-conference game since its season opener on Sept. 3, 2015, against then No. 2 TCU.

• Quarterback Payton Thorne completed 15-of-21 passes for 280 yards and a career-high four touchdowns as Michigan State defeated Youngstown State in the home opener at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans collected 595 yards of total offense (323 passing, 272 rushing), marking the first time Michigan State has compiled 500 yards of total offense in back-to-back games since 2014 (Oct. 11, 532 vs. Purdue, Oct. 18, 662 vs. Indiana) and the most total yards of offense in a single game for the Spartans since Oct. 18, 2014, at Indiana (662).

• Seven Big Ten teams remain undefeated on the season, as Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers are all 2-0.

• All six of the New Year’s Six bowl games have had a chance to host a semifinal game twice with the Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl doing so three times. This year, the Cotton and Orange Bowls will serve as semifinal games. Last year, Alabama became the second-straight No. 1 seed to win the playoff. The No. 1 seed didn’t win a title in the first five years. The No. 2 seed has won it three times and the No. 4 seed has won it twice. The No. 3 seed has won just three playoff games in seven years with Ohio State winning one of those last season.

• The 2021 campaign features 120 All-Big Ten honorees (first-, second-, third-team or honorable mention) selected by either the coaches or the media last season. Iowa and Ohio State lead the West and East Divisions, respectively, each welcoming back 14 All-Big Ten honorees this season. The talent is split evenly as 60 of the returning all-conference players hail from both the East and West Divisions. Each team returns at least three All-Big Ten performers.

CFB Conference Notes: Big 12 Conference

This Week in the Big 12

Saturday, September 18
Nebraska at No. 3/3 Oklahoma (FOX) 11:00 a.m.
Series: OU 45-38-3
Last Meeting: OU 23-20 at the Big 12 Championship on 12/4/10.

No. 15/15 Virginia Tech at West Virginia (FS1) 11:00 a.m.
Series: WVU 28-23-1
Last Meeting: VT 31-24 in Landover, Maryland on 9/3/17.

Nevada at Kansas State (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 1:05 p.m.
Series: First Meeting

Baylor at Kansas (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 2:30 p.m.
Series: BU 16-4
Last Meeting: BU 47-14 in Waco on 9/26/20.

Florida International at Texas Tech (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 6:00 p.m.
Series: TTU 1-0
Last Meeting: TTU 56-3 in Lubbock on 9/10/05.

Rice at Texas (LHN) 7:00 p.m.
Series: UT 73-21-1
Last Meeting: UT 48-13 in Houston on 9/14/19.

RV/No. 22 Oklahoma State at Boise State (FS1) 8:00 p.m.
Series: OSU 1-0
Last Meeting: OSU 44-21 in Stillwater on 9/15/18.

No. 14/14 Iowa State at UNLV (CBSSN) 9:30 p.m.
Series: ISU 4-1
Last Meeting: UNLV 34-31 (OT) in Las Vegas on 9/20/08.
All Times are listed as Central. Rankings are listed as AP/USA Today Coaches.

Conferences News & Notes

The first conference matchup of the season is scheduled this week with Baylor traveling to Kansas. Additionally, two non-conference storied rivalries are on tap with Nebraska traveling to No. 3/3 Oklahoma while West Virginia hosts No. 15/15 Virginia Tech.

Through two weeks of play, the Big 12 is 16-4 (.800) in nonconference games with three of the losses to other autonomy leagues and two to ranked opponents.

No. 3/3 Oklahoma and No. 14/14 Iowa State are ranked in both national polls. Oklahoma State is at No. 22 in the coaches ledger. TCU, Kansas State, Texas and Texas Tech received votes.

Sixty percent of Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 42 nationally for total defense, allowing less than 300 yards a game – 8. Iowa State (224.0), 15. K-State (254.5), 16. Baylor (258.0), 34. Oklahoma (287.0), 37. TCU (289.5) and 42. West Virginia (295.5).

The Big 12 is second among FBS conferences in scoring with an average of 34.2 points per game and is also second in fewest yards allowed to opponents with an average of 303.9.

The Big 12 has the toughest strength of schedule in the FBS based on the combined win percentage of its FBS opponents (.762). Big 12 players of the week were awarded to Zach Evans, TCU (offense), JT Woods, Baylor (co-defense), Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State (co-defense), LD Brown, Oklahoma State (special teams) and Felix Anudike-Uzomah, K-State (newcomer).

JT Woods set a school record with a 97-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of Baylor’s home opener, marking the first time since 2013 that the Bears scored a defensive touchdown in consecutive games.

Iowa State running back Breece Hall rushed for a touchdown for the 14th-straight game which is a school record, the best active streak in the nation and one shy of the Big 12 record (Corby Jones, Missouri, 1997-98).

Jason Bean became the first Kansas signal caller in 19 years to rush for more than 100 yards in a game (Bill Whittemore vs. Colorado, 2002). Bean rushed for 102 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns against Coastal Carolina.

K-State converted on 5-of-6 of its red zone attempts against Southern Illinois. The Wildcats are 89-of-93 on red zone attempts under head coach Chris Klieman, and are the only team to rank in the top five in red zone efficiency in the previous two seasons (2019-20).

Oklahoma kicker Gabe Brkic made a 56-yard field goal (tied careerlong) for the second straight game. It was his school-record ninth career field goal of 50 or more yards (next most is four) and nation-leading eighth since the start of the 2020 season. It also marked his school record-setting 15th career field goal of 40 or more yards (broke a tie with R.D. Lashar).

Oklahoma State limited Tulsa to 4-of-13 on third down and has now held its opponent to less than 50 percent on third-down conversion rate in 13 straight games.

At 357 straight games, TCU has the second-longest current scoring streak and fourth all-time in NCAA history.

This Saturday against Rice will mark the first time Texas has played consecutive former SWC foes (Arkansas last week) in nonconference games since 2008. Texas Tech extended its non-conference home winning streak to 13 games and 38 out of 39 dating back to 2002. The Red Raiders have won 22 consecutive home openers.

West Virginia’s 66-0 win was its largest margin of victory since Nov. 3, 2001, and the most points scored in a game since Sept. 29, 2012. It was the first shutout for the Mountaineers since Nov. 21, 2015.

The 2021 Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship is scheduled for Saturday, December 4 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Over the summer, the Big 12 and Dallas Cowboys announced a two-year extension that will keep the Championship game at AT&T Stadium through the 2023 season. Tickets to this year’s contest are on sale through SeatGeek.com

CFB Conference Notes: Atlantic Coast Conference

2021 SCHEDULE (SEPT. 17-18)

Friday, Sept. 17 Time, TV Sirius XM App/Web
UCF (2-0) at Louisville (1-1) 7:30 p.m., ESPN 81 81 81
Series: Tied, 1-1; Last meeting: UCF, 38-35 (2013)
ESPN: Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Andre Ware (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (sideline)

Saturday, Sept. 18 Time, TV Sirius XM App/Web
Boston College (2-0) at Temple (1-1) Noon, ESPNU 99 203 966
Series: Boston College leads series, 29-7-2; Last meeting: Boston College,45-35 (2018)
ESPNU: Brian Custer (play-by-play), Kelly Stouffer (analyst), Lauren Sisler (sideline)

Michigan State (2-0) at No. 24 Miami (1-1) Noon, ABC 85 85 85
Series: Miami leads, 4-0; Last Meeting: Miami, 26-20 (1989)
ABC: Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst), Katie George (sideline)

Western Michigan (1-1) at Pitt (2-0) Noon, RSN 111 193 955
Series: First meeting
RSN: Tom Werme (play-by-play), James Bates (analyst), Lyndsay Rowley (reporter)

Albany (0-2) at Syracuse (1-1) Noon, ACCN 132 194 956
Series: First meeting
ACCN: Chris Cotter (play-by-play), Mark Herzlich (analyst), Jalyn Johnson (sideline)

No. 15 Virginia Tech (2-0) at West Virginia (1-1) Noon, FS1 94 210 968
Series: West Virginia leads series, 28-23-1; Last meeting: Virginia Tech, 31-24 (2017)
FS1: Cory Provus (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst).

Georgia Tech (1-1) at No. 6 Clemson (1-1) 3:30 p.m., ABC 85 85 85
Series: Georgia Tech leads, 50-33-2; Last meeting: Clemson, 73-7 (2020)
ABC: Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), Kris Budden (sideline)

Florida State (0-2) at Wake Forest (2-0) 3:30 p.m., ESPN 111 193 955
Series: Florida State leads series, 30-7-1; Last meeting: Wake Forest, 22-20 (2019)
ESPN: Mark Jones (play-by-play), Robert Griffin III (analyst), Quint Kessenich (sideline)

Northwestern (1-1) at Duke (1-1) 4 p.m., ACCN 132 194 956
Series: Tied, 10-10; Last meeting: Duke, 21-7 (2017)
ACCN: Wes Durham (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), Lericia Harris (sideline)

Virginia (2-0) at No. 21 North Carolina (1-1) 7:30 p.m., ACCN 85 85 85
Series: North Carolina leads series, 63-58-4; Last meeting: Virginia, 44-41 (2020)
ACCN: Dave O’Brien (play-by-play), Tim Hasselbeck (analyst), Kelsey Riggs (sideline)

Furman (2-0) at NC State (1-1) 7:30 p.m., RSN 111 193 955
Series: Furman leads series, 8-5-4; Last meeting: NC State, 49-16 (2017)
RSN: Evan Lepler (play-by-play), Charles Arbuckle (analyst), Ashley ShahAhmadi (sideline)

ACC FOOTBALL QUICK HITS

• Week three of the ACC football schedule is highlighted by three league matchups and three non-conference games against Power 5 competition. The conference slate includes two 3:30 p.m. games – Georgia Tech at Clemson on ABC and Florida State at Wake Forest on ESPN. The ACC Network primetime game at 7:30 p.m. features Virginia at North Carolina in “The South’s Oldest Rivalry.”

• A pair of games match the ACC against the Big Ten – a member of the three-conference Alliance along with the Pac-12. Miami welcomes Michigan State to Hard Rock Stadium for a noon kickoff on ABC, while Duke plays host to Northwestern at 4 p.m. on ACCN. Last week, the ACC and Big Ten split a pair of games with Virginia knocking off Illinois, 42-14, and Rutgers downing Syracuse, 17-7.

• The ACC was 11-3 last week against non-conference competition. The 11 wins equal the league-record set twice previously in 2014 (week two) and 2019 (week two). The ACC’s 18 non-conference wins this seasons ranks second among Power 5 conferences. ACC teams play eight total non-conference games in week three, including six against FBS schools and two against FCS competition.

IN THE RANKINGS
• No. 6 Clemson, No. 15 Virginia Tech, No. 21 North Carolina and No. 24 Miami are ranked in the AP Top 25 poll (Sept. 12). Boston College and Pitt are receiving
votes. The Tigers have been ranked in 105 consecutive AP polls, the second-longest active streak in the country. This is the sixth straight season the Hokies have been ranked for at least one week.

• In the USA Today AFCA coaches top 25 poll, Clemson is No. 6, Virginia Tech is No. 15 and North Carolina is No. 19. Miami, Pitt, Boston College and Virginia are receiving votes.

THE CONFERENCE OF QUARTERBACKS
• Saturday’s game between Virginia (2-0) and North Carolina (1-1) matches two of the top quarterbacks in the league. UVA’s Brennan Armstrong ranks third in the
country with 372.0 passing yards per game, while Howell is 18th at 280.0.

• Three ACC Quarterbacks were named to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Great 8 weekly list for their performances in week two – Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong, North Carolina’s Sam Howell and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. Armstrong, who was the ACC QB of the Week, was also named a Manning Award Star of the Week after throwing for 405 yards and five touchdowns in a win over Illinois.

• Eight different quarterbacks from ACC schools started in the NFL in week one – most of any conference. Those players come from seven different schools, including BC’s Matt Ryan (Falcons), Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Duke’s Daniel Jones (Giants), Florida State’s Jameis Winston (Saints), Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater
(Broncos) and Lamar Jackson (Ravens), NC State’s Russell Wilson (Seahawks) and Virginia Tech’s Tyrod Taylor (Texans).

AROUND THE ACC
• Boston College: BC has scored 96 points through two games this year, the best two-game point total in 123 seasons of Boston College football. The previous two-game high to start a year was 88 points scored in the first two games of the 2009 season.

• Clemson: Clemson’s defense has not surrendered a touchdown through the first two games of the season for the first time since holding Kent State and Auburn out of the end zone to open 2017.

• Duke: The Blue Devils’ six rushing touchdowns against NC A&T matched the most in a single game over the past 25 years. The other two occasions were against Charlotte and Virginia in 2020 and 2010, respectively.

• Florida State: FSU’s defense held Notre Dame to 65 total rushing yards, the fifth lowest in head coach Mike Norvell’s career and a 288-yard improvement from last season’s game in South Bend when the Irish rushed for 353 yards.

• Georgia Tech: QB Jordan Yates made his first career start against Kennesaw State and completed 17- of-23 passes for 254 yards and four touchdowns, all career highs. Yates became the first player in Georgia Tech history to throw for four touchdowns in his first career start.

• Louisville: WR Ahmari Huggins-Bruce caught four passes for 150 yards in the win over EKU. He became the first freshman to tally 100 receiving yards since Tutu Atwell had 132 against Wake Forest on Oct. 27, 2018.

• Miami: Freshman Andy Borregales was named a Groza Award Star of the Week after booting a career-long 43-yard field goal with two minutes remaining to give Miami a 25-23 win over Appalachian State.

• North Carolina: Sam Howell has thrown a touchdown pass in all 27 of his games as a Tar Heel, the longest active streak in the country. He extended that streak with a 57-yard strike to Antoine Green at the 7:55 mark in the first quarter and went on to throw a total of three.

• NC State: In the 45-0 win over USF, the Pack had a pair of 100 yard rushers for the first time since 2015. Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person accounted for 352 total yards.

• Pitt: The Panthers have scored 92 points in two games this year. It is Pitt’s highest point total after two games since 2014, when the Panthers also had 92 points over their initial two contests.

• Syracuse: RB Sean Tucker ran for 181-yards against Ohio, the second-most by a player under sixth-year head coach Dino Babers and the fourth-most by a Syracuse player in the last 15 years. As a team, the Orange ran for 283 yards, the most since the 2019 season (286 in a win at Duke).

• Virginia: Brennan Armstrong became the third Cavalier quarterback to throw for 400 yards in a game in the win over Illinois. His 405 yards passing are the fourth most in a single game in program history. Armstrong also threw a career-high five touchdown passes.

• Virginia Tech: VT has scored in 335 consecutive games, the third-longest active streak in the nation among FBS schools. It’s also the sixth-longest streak in FBS history.

• Wake Forest: With the victory over Norfolk State, head coach Dave Clawson remains undefeated against programs from the Commonwealth of Virginia inside Truist Field (6-0).

SGJ Week 3 CFB Selections

Thursday 09-16-2021:

Ohio/La-Lafayette OVER 56.5

 

Saturday 09-18-2021:

Cincinnati – 4

Colorado – 3

Old  Dom/Liberty OVER 53

Texas Tech – 20.5

Fresno St/UCLA OVER 62.5

 

Good Luck

Ohio Bobcats @ Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns

Ohio Bobcats

THE OPENING KICK
The Ohio football team (0-2) opens a three-game road trip this week when they head to Lafayette, La. to take on Louisiana (1-1) in a short week. Kickoff is set for Thursday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. where Matt Barrie, Roddy Jones and Harry Lyles Jr. will have the call from Cajun Stadium.

The Bobcats’ matchup with the Orange can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 14th season as the “Voice of the Bobcats” and will be joined by Ohio alum Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades.

MILESTONES HIT
Redshirt fifth year wide receiver Cameron Odom surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards on Sept. 11 against Duquesne, catching a 60-yard pass in the first quarter to secure the milestone. Odom has played in 44 games at Ohio, collecting 76 receptions for 1,060 yards and five touchdowns. Redshirt junior running back O’Shaan Allison also surpassed 1,000 career rushing yards on Sept. 11 against Duquesne.

SERIES HISTORY VS. LOUISIANA
Ohio is 2-1 all-time against Louisiana
in a series that started in 2013. The
Bobcats and Ragin’ Cajuns last met
in 2019.

LAST MATCHUP VS. LOUISIANA
Ohio and Louisiana last met on Sept. 21, 2019 with the Bobcats falling, 45-25 in Athens. At the time, the loss halted a school-record home winning streak at 10 games. The Ragin’ Cajuns outgained Ohio, 489-380. The Bobcats could not overcome five turnovers. Ohio trailed by just six with under eight minutes to play, but the Bobcats turned the ball over three times and the Ragin’ Cajuns scored two touchdowns over the final four-plus minutes. Nathan Rourke finished 18-of-38 passing for 277 yards and a touchdown and three interceptions. He also led Ohio in rushing with 37 yards on nine attempts and lost a fumble. Running back Ja’Vahri Portis Portis
gained a career-high 35 yards and scored two touchdowns on nine attempts.

Louisiana finished with 285 yards on the ground thanks in large part to Mitchell and Ragas. Mitchell piled up a game-high 143 rushing yards on 17 attempts and scored three touchdowns while Ragas picked up 129 on 15 attempts and found the end zone once. Lewis completed 19 of his 29 pass attempts for 188 yards and two scores. Bradley led all receivers with five receptions, gained a team-high 75 receiving yards and caught a touchdown.

SCOUTING LOUISIANA
Louisiana enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 1-1 record after falling to Texas to open the season, before taking down Nicholls, 27-24 on Saturday. In the game on Saturday, Louisiana totaled 417 yards of total offense, complimenting the passing yardage with 113 yards on the ground. Defensively, the Ragin’ Cajuns recorded 69 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and three sacks. Safety Percy Butler paced Louisiana with 10 tackles, including two tackles in the backfield. Quarterback Levi Lewis is 47-of-73 over two games, passing for 586 yards, three touchdowns and has not thrown an interception. On the ground, Chris Smith leads with 22 attempts for 103 yards and one touchdown.

LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio Bobcats (0-2) logged their second loss of the 2021 season Saturday afternoon (Sept. 11), falling to Duquesne (1-1) 28-26. The Bobcats were lead by De’Montre Tuggle on offense, as the redshirt fifth-year scored two total touchdowns and logged 175 all-purpose yards. On the defensive side of the ball, Ohio’s Jett Elad lead the team in tackles with 11.

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio is 0-2 to start the season for the first time since 2008, in a year in which they started the season 0-4. Overall, the Bobcats are averaging 17.5 points per game to go along with 326.0 total yards per game. O’Shaan Allison leads on the ground with 119 yards, while DeMontre Tuggle adds 109 yards and one touchdown.
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is 35-of-50 with 310 yards, one touchdown and one interceptions. While, Jerome Buckner leads the receivers with seven catches for 102 yards.

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns

LOUISIANA TAKES ON OHIO IN PRIME TIME
Following a thrilling 27-24 victory in its season-opener against Nicholls, Louisiana prepares for a quick turnaround when it welcomes in the Ohio Bobcats for a prime time showdown on Thursday, Sept. 16. The two teams have faced off before during the Billy Napier era, a game that the Ragin’ Cajuns won by a final score of 45-25 in Athens, Ohio, on Sept. 21, 2019.

A LOOK AT THE RAGIN’ CAJUNS
• Louisiana is 8-4 in non-conference games under Billy Napier, including a 5-0 mark at Cajun Field.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns are 29-5 under Coach Napier when scoring more than 20 points.
• Louisiana has eight “super seniors” on the roster this year in quarterback Levi Lewis, linebacker Ferrod Gardner, offensive lineman Ken Marks, wide receiver Jalen Williams, linebacker Chauncey Manac, nose tackle Tayland Humphrey, safety Cameron Solomon and kicker Nate Snyder. Of the eight, Ken Marks and Ferrod Gardner are in their seventh season of eligibility.
• Levi Lewis needs eight passing touchdowns to set the program record for career passing scores. The current record of 64 is held by Ragin’ Cajun legend Jake Delhomme.
• In the win against Nicholls, Lewis threw for 304 yards, marking the third time in his career he has eclipsed the 300-yard mark. The yardage total was also the 37th 300-yard passing performance in program history.
• Lewis leads the Sun Belt Conference and ranks 19th nationally in total passing yards (586), while leading the league and checking in at 16th in the nation with his 293.0 passing yards per game.
• Four of Louisiana’s offensive linemen have started in at least 26 games over the last two years. Ken Marks leads the way with 29 starts, while Shane Vallot has started in 27 games and Max Mitchell and O’Cyrus Torrence have each started in 26.
• Kenneth Almendares has been consistent for Louisiana so far in 2021, going a perfect 4-for-4 on his fieldgoal attempts. He has made two field goals in each of the team’s first two games, matching a career.

TEAM NOTES
• In Billy Napier’s first three seasons, the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns have won three Sun Belt Conference West Division titles, were the 2020 Sun Belt Co-Champions and have won two bowl games(LendingTree Bowl (2020) and SERVPRO First Responder Bowl (2021)).
• The Ragin’ Cajuns are 8-4 overall and 5-0 at home in non-conference games under Coach Napier.
• The team is 4-0 in home openers at Cajun Field under Coach Napier and is 28-22 in home openers in program history.
• Louisiana is 29-5 when scoring 20 or more points in the Napier era.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns’ passing game has been electric to start the season, averaging 293.0 yards through the air. That mark is good for 29th nationally.
• Louisiana has done a good job limiting penalties so far this season, ranking 14th in the nation and third in the Sun Belt with only eight flags thrown against.
• Louisiana has eight “super seniors” on the roster this year in quarterback Levi Lewis, linebacker Ferrod Gardner, offensive lineman Ken Marks, wide receiver Jalen Williams, linebacker Chauncey Manac, nose tackle Tayland Humphrey, safety Cameron Solomon and kicker Nate Snyder. Of the eight, Ken Marks and Ferrod Gardner are entering their seventh season of eligibility.
• The Ragin’ Cajuns boasted a 6-1 record in one-score games last season.
• Per ESPN’s Bill Connelly, Louisiana returns 96 percent of its production entering the 2021 season. The team has 93 percent of its offense returning and 98 percent of the defense coming back.
• Louisiana placed nine on the Sun Belt’s All-Conference teams after having 14 All-Conference selections at the end of the 2020 campaign.
• Former Ragin’ Cajun running back Elijah Mitchell was drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft back in April after he was selected with the 194th pick in the Sixth Round by the San Francisco 49ers.
• Mitchell was the fourth player drafted during the Napier era.
• Louisiana’s play-by-play announcer Jay Walker is entering his 30th year covering the Ragin’ Cajuns.

QUARTERBACK NOTES

QB Levi Lewis
• Levi Lewis is 23-7 as the starting quarterback of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.
• The senior currently leads the Sun Belt and ranks 19th nationally in total passing yards (586), while leading the league and checking in at 16th in the nation with his 293.0 passing yards per game. Additionally, he ranks 17th nationally and leads the league in completions per game (23.5).
• Lewis had a strong showing against Nicholls (Sept. 11), going 19-for-33 for 304 yards and throwing two touchdown passes.
• Lewis’ 304 passing yards were the third-most of his career and marked the third time he eclipsed the 300-yard passing threshold. It was also the 37th 300-yard passing performance in program history.
• The quarterback has now thrown a touchdown pass in 20-straight games.
• Louisiana is now 17-1 when Lewis throws two or more touchdowns in a game.
• Lewis went 28-for-40 for 282 yards and a touchdown in the team’s Week 1 loss at No. 21/19 Texas.
• His 282 passing yards were the fifth most in his career and the most in a season opener by a Ragin’ Cajun since Chris Masson threw for 283 yards against Southern on Sept. 5, 2009.
• The yardage total also marked the most by a Ragin’ Cajun against a Power 5 opponent since Blaine Gautier threw 236 yards against Oklahoma State on Sept. 15, 2012.
• Lewis is second in program history for career passing touchdown and third in career passing yards.
• Lewis and Jake Delhomme are the only quarterbacks in program history to throw for more than 6,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in their careers.
• Was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, Davey O’Brien Award Watch List, AFCA Good Works Team Watch List, Wuerffel Trophy Preseason Watch List, CFPA National Watch List, Manning Award Watch List, Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Preseason Watch List.

QB Chandler Fields
• Took one snap in the season opener against No. 21/19 Texas.
• Made two appearances during the 2020 season, attempting six passes in those contests.
• Enters the season having appeared in five career games, going 3-for-9 for 16 yards through the air.

QB Ben Wooldridge
• Transferred to Louisiana from Fresno State.
• Appeared in five games for Fresno State, going 8-for-16 for 117 yards as a sophomore in 2020.
• Played in three games in 2019 for the Bulldogs, going 4-for-6 and throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass.

QB Lance LeGendre
• A four-star recruit who transferred in from Maryland, LeGendre enters his first season with the Ragin’ Cajuns program.
• Appeared in six games for Maryland over the last two seasons, earning one start.
• In 2020, he completed 11 of his 14 pass attempts for 91 yards.
• Saw action in three games as a true freshman in 2019, went 1-for-3 for seven yards through the air while rushing for 104 yards on 13 carries.
• Appeared on Season 3 of the Netflix show, “QB1: Beyond the Lights”.

QB Hunter Herring
• Tabbed as the No. 50 overall player in the state and the No. 47 dual quarterback in the country by 247Sports.com.
• Threw for 2,769 yards with 34 touchdowns during his career at Ouachita Christian High School.
• Also ran for 2,181 yards and 48 scores, highlighted by back-to-back 20+ rushing touchdown seasons to end high school career.

RUNNING BACK NOTES

RB Chris Smith
• Leads all Louisiana running backs with 22 carries for 100 yards through two games.
• Carried the ball 11 times for 46 yards against Nicholls (Sept. 11).
• Ranks ninth in the Sun Belt with 50.0 rushing yards per game.
• Totaled 100 all-purpose yards through the first two weeks, ranking seventh in the conference.
• Opened his 2021 campaign with 54 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown at Texas (Sept. 4).
• The 54 yards were the fourth-most in his career, while the 11 carries mark a new career-high.
• One of only two running backs on the current squad who scored a rushing touchdown last season.
• Joins Baylor’s Tristan Ebner as the only two running backs in the country who produced two kickoff return touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown last season.
• Took first-team reps during Training Camp for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

RB Emani Bailey
• Notched five carries for 27 yards against Nicholls (Sept. 11).
• Toted the ball six times for 14 yards at Texas (Sept. 4).
• Appeared in five games as a true freshman, carrying the ball 10 times for 60 yards in 2020.
• Took the majority of the No. 2 reps at running back.
• Was rated as the 61st-best running back in the country out of high school by 247Sports.com.

RB Montrell Johnson
• Recorded a career-high nine rushing attempts for 19 yards against Nicholls (Sept. 11)
• Saw his first career action at Texas (Sept. 4), carrying the ball six times for 27 yards.
• A highly-regarded recruit out of high school, Johnson will compete for playing time in 2021.
• Rated as the 48th-best running back in the country according to 247Sports.com.

RB TJ Wisham
• Played in four of the first five games of the 2020 season before missing the remainder of the year due to injury.
• A key special teams player, picking up a tackle against Georgia Southern.

RB Michael Orphey Jr.
• Appeared in four games in 2020 for the Ragin’ Cajuns, carrying the ball four times for 61 yards and a \touchdown.
• The only other running back to return a touchdown from a season ago, joining Chris Smith.

Former RBs Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas
• Louisiana lost two of the program’s all-time great backs in Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas following the 2020 season. The pair combined for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2020.
• Mitchell was drafted with the 194th overall pick in the Sixth Round by the San Francisco 49ers, while Ragas signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
• Ragas finished his career with 3,572 rushing yards, the third-most in program history, and 38 rushing touchdowns, the sixth most in program history, while Mitchell ranked fifth in career rushing touchdowns (41) and sixth in career rushing yards (3,267).

CFB Conference Notes: Sun Belt Conference

WEEK 3 SCHEDULE

Thursday, Sept. 16
Ohio at Louisiana 7:00 p.m. ESPN

Saturday, Sept. 18
No. 16/18 Coastal Carolina at Buffalo 11:00 a.m. ESPN2
Elon at App State 2:30 p.m. ESPN+
Georgia Southern at No. 20/24 Arkansas 3:00 p.m. SEC Network
Arkansas State at Washington 3:15 p.m. Pac-12 Network
Charlotte at Georgia State 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
Incarnate Word at Texas State 6:00 p.m. ESPN3
Troy at Southern Miss 6:00 p.m. ESPN+
Jackson State at ULM 7:00 p.m. ESPN3
Alcorn State at South Alabama 7:00 p.m. ESPN3

All Times CT

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

PRIMETIME MATCHUP
Following a 27-24 victory over Nicholls in its home opener on Sept. 11, Louisiana will host Ohio at 7 p.m. \Thursday on ESPN. The Ragin’ Cajuns defeated the Bobcats in their most recent meeting, a 45-25 rout in Athens, Ohio, that halted a program-record 10-game home winning streak for Ohio. A victory would move Louisiana to 5-0 in non-conference home games under head coach Billy Napier.

SHUFFLE OFF TO BUFFALO
No. 16/18 Coastal Carolina will face its first road test of the 2021 season when it visits Buffalo at 11 a.m. \Saturday on ESPN2. The first-ever matchup between the two programs will pit two Chanticleer streaks against one another. Coastal Carolina owns a five-game winning streak in true road contests, but is 0-6 all-time against teams from the state of New York and 0-2 in games played in The Empire State. Ironically, the Chanticleers are coming off a 49-22 victory over former Bulls head coach Lance Leipold, who is now the head coach at Kansas. Leipold left Buffalo to take over the Kansas program in April 2021 after six years at the helm for the Bulls, including a 24-10 mark and three bowl appearances in his final three seasons.

THE NATURAL STATE
Georgia Southern will look for its first-ever victory in the state of Arkansas when it visits No. 20/24 Arkansas at 3 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network. The Razorbacks are coming off a 40-21 win over No. 15/15 Texas, while the Eagles will attempt to rebound from a 38-6 loss to Florida Atlantic. Georgia Southern is 0-2 all-time in The Natural State, with both losses coming to conference foe Arkansas State (2016, 2019). Despite their infamous 26-20 victory over Florida on Nov. 23, 2013, the Eagles are still looking for their first victory over an SEC opponent since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014.

PACK NOT PAC
Arkansas State will visit Washington at 3:15 p.m. Saturday on Pac-12 Network. The first-ever meeting between the two programs will be the Red Wolves third all-time matchup against a member of the Pac12. The Red Wolves are 0-2 in those prior matchups, which have each come on the road against a Top 10-ranked team—a 57-34 loss at No. 5 Oregon in 2012 and a 55-6 loss at No. 8 USC in 2015. A victory would mark the second-straight season that the Red Wolves have defeated a Power Five opponent, following a 35-31 win at Kansas State in 2020.

IRON MAN
Super senior left guard Shamarious Gilmore will establish a new program record when he plays in and starts his 50th game in a Georgia State uniform Saturday, when the Panthers host Charlotte at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Gilmore is the first four-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection in Georgia State history— Honorable Mention (2017, 2018), Third Team (2019) and First Team (2020)—and was a Preseason All-Sun \Belt Conference First Team pick in 2021.

New York Giants @ Washington Football Team

0

THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 2021 // 8:20 PM ET // FEDEXFIELD // REFEREE: SCOTT NOVAK

 

ON THE AIRWAVES
TV: NFLN (8:20 PM ET): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Kristina Pink (field reporters)
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One: Ian Eagle, Tony Boselli
SIRIUS: 81 (NYG), 83 (Was.) | XM: 226 (NYG), 225 (Was.) | SXM App: 823 (NYG), 831 (Was.)

 

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER: Giants lead all-time series, 104-68-4
STREAKS: Giants have won past 5
LAST GAME: 11/8/20: Giants 23 at Washington 20
LAST GAME AT SITE: 11/8/20

 

NEW YORK GIANTS LEADERS WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

L 27-13 vs. Denver LAST WEEK L 20-16 vs. L.A. Chargers
Joe Judge: 2-0 COACH VS. OPP. Ron Rivera: 3-3
13.0/27.0 PTS. FOR/AGAINST 16.0/20.0
314.0 OFFENSE 259.0
Daniel Jones: 22-37-267-1-0-90.7 PASSING Taylor Heinicke: 11-15-122-1-0-119.3
Daniel Jones (QB): 6-27-4.5-1 RUSHING Antonio Gibson: 20-90-4.5-0
Sterling Shepard: 7-113-16.1-1 RECEIVING Terry McLaurin: 4-62-15.5-0
420.0 DEFENSE 424.0
Austin Johnson, Azeez Ojulari (R): 1 SACKS Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat: 1
– INTs William Jackson: 1
0 (1/1) TAKE/GIVE +1 (2/1)
Riley Dixon: 54.0 (39.3) PUNTING (NET) Tress Way: 46.0 (45.0)
Graham Gano: 1 (1/1 PAT; 0/0 FG) KICKING Dustin Hopkins: 10 (1/1 PAT; 3/4 FG)

 

GIANTS NOTES

• QB DANIEL JONES passed for 267 yards & had 2 TDs (1 pass, 1 \rush) in Week 1. Has 8 TDs vs. 3 INTs for 100 rating in 4 career starts vs. Was. Aims for his 3rd in row at Was. with TD pass vs. 0 INTs & 90+ rating.
• RB SAQUON BARKLEY had career-high 279 scrimmage yards (carer-high 189 rush, 90 rec.) & 2 TDs (1 rush, 1 rec.) in his last game vs. Was. (12/22/19). Has 587 scrimmage yards (195.7 per game) in 3 career games vs. Was. & aims for his 3rd in row at Was. with 195+ scrimmage yards & TD. Had 229 scrimmage yards (130 rush, 99 rec.) & rush TD in only career game on TNF (10/11/18 vs. Phi.).
• WR STERLING SHEPARD led team with 7 receptions for 113 yards & TD catch last week, his 10th-career 100-yard game. Has rec. TD in 2 of his past 3 at Was. Has rec. TD in 2 of his 3 career games on TNF. WR KENNY GOLLADAY had 64 rec. yards in Week 1. Aims for his 3rd in row on Thursday with 90+ rec. yards. TE EVAN ENRGAM had TD catch in last meeting.
• DB LOGAN RYAN led team with 10 tackles, his 5th-career 10+ tackle game, & had FF & FR in Week 1. Has 5 PD, 2 INTs, FF & sack in 3 career games vs. Was. Aims for his 3rd in row on TNF with PD. LB BLAKE MARTINEZ had 9 tackles last week. Had 10 tackles & INT in last meeting. Aims for his 5th in row vs. Was. with 9+ tackles. CB JAMES BRADBERRY had PD in Week 1. DL LEONARD WILLIAMS aims for his 3rd in row vs. Was. with sack. Rookie LB AZEEZ OJULARI had 1st-career sack in Week 1.

 

WASHINGTON NOTES

• QB TAYLOR HEINICKE completed 11 of 15 attempts (73.3 pct.) for 122 yards & TD vs. 0 INTs for 119.3 rating in Week 1. Incl. postseason, aims for his 3rd game in row with TD pass.
• RB ANTONIO GIBSON totaled 108 scrimmage yards (90 rush, 18 rec.) in Week 1. Had rush TD in last meeting. Had 115 rush yards & 3 rush TDs in only career game on Thursday (11/26/20 at Dal.). RB J.D. MCKISSIC aims for his 3rd in row vs. NYG with 5+ catches & 80+ scrimmage yards.
• WR TERRY MCLAURIN had team-high 62 rec. yards last week. Had 7 catches for 115 yards & TD in last meeting. Aims for his 4th in row vs. NYG with 7+ catches & 70+ rec. yards. TE LOGAN THOMAS had rec. TD in Week 1. Has 6 rec. TDs in his past 7 vs. NFC East.
• DE CHASE YOUNG had sack in last meeting. Had sack in only career game on Thursday (11/26/20 at Dal.). Has 4.5 sacks & 5 TFL in 6 career games vs. NFC East & aims for his 4th in row vs. division with sack. DE MONTEZ SWEAT had sack & FF last week. Has 3 sacks & FF in his past 3 at home vs. NFC East. Aims for his 3rd in row at home with sack. DT JONATHAN ALLEN had sack in Week 1. Has sack in 2 of his 3 career games on Thursday. LB COLE HOLCOMB led team with 11 tackles last week, his 5thcareer game with 10+ tackles. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. NYG with TFL. CB WILLIAM JACKSON had 2 PD & his 4th-career INT in Week 1. CB BOBBY MCCAIN had career-high 10 tackles last week.

CFB Conference Notes: American Athletic Conference

THIS WEEK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
UCF at Louisville
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Series: Tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: Oct. 18, 2013 (UCF, 38-35)

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Cincinnati at Indiana
Time: Noon
Series: Indiana leads, 9-3-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 23, 2000 (Indiana, 42-6)

Boston College at Temple
Time: Noon
Series: Boston College leads, 29-7-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 29, 2018 (Boston College, 45-35)

SMU at Louisiana Tech
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: Louisiana Tech leads, 4-1
Last Meeting: Dec. 20, 2017 (Louisiana Tech, 51-10)

Tulsa at Ohio State
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Series: Ohio State leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 10, 2016 (Ohio State, 48-3)

Mississippi State at Memphis
Time: 4 p.m.
Series: Mississippi State leads, 33-11
Last Meeting: Sept. 1, 2011 (Mississippi State, 59-14)

East Carolina at Marshall
Time: 6 p.m.
Series: East Carolina leads, 10-5
Last Meeting: Nov. 29, 2013 (Marshall, 59-28)

Grambling State at Houston
Time: 7 p.m.
Series: Houston leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 6, 2014 (Houston, 47-0)

Florida A&M at South Florida
Time: 7 p.m.
Series: South Florida leads, 3-0
Last Meeting: Sept. 5, 2015 (South Florida, 51-3)

Tulane at Ole Miss
Time: 8 p.m.
Series: Ole Miss leads, 41-28
Last Meeting: Sept. 22, 2012 (Ole Miss, 39-0)

Open Week
Navy
Next Game: Sept. 25 at Houston

All times Eastern

Rank And File
Cincinnati finished the 2020 season ranked No. 8 nationally, marking the fourth time in the American Athletic Conference’s eight seasons that the league finished with a top-10 team.

Top-10 Finishes by American Athletic Conference Teams
2013 UCF (No. 10 AP)
2015 Houston (No. 8 AP, No. 8 USA Today)
2017 UCF (No. 6 AP, No. 7 USA Today)
2020 Cincinnati (No. 8 AP, No. 8 USA Today)

Bowling Lane
Cincinnati’s appearance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl marked the fifth time in seven seasons of the current College Football Playoff format that the American Athletic Conference was represented in the New Year’s Six.

Big Time
American Athletic Conference teams have gone 3-3 in New Year’s Six/BCS bowls since the formation of the conference in 2013.
2013 UCF 52, Baylor 42 (Fiesta Bowl)
2015 Houston 38, Florida State 24 (Peach Bowl)
2017 UCF 34, Auburn 27 (Peach Bowl)
2018 LSU 40, UCF 32 (Fiesta Bowl)
2019 Penn State 53, Memphis 39 (Cotton Bowl)
2020 Georgia 24, Cincinnati 21 (Peach Bowl)

Defend This House
Cincinnati extended its homefield winning streak to 22 games with its Week 2 victory against Murray State. Memphis has a 16-game winning streak at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.

Active Home Winning Streaks
29 Clemson
25 Notre Dame
22 Cincinnati
16 Memphis

On A Roll
Cincinnati is 33-6 since the start of the 2018 season.
UCF is 43-8 since the beginning of the 2017 season.
Memphis is 22-5 and SMU is 19-6 since the start of the
2019 campaign.

Bullies
Cincinnati has won 29 consecutive games against unranked teams.

Consistency
Cincinnati has been ranked in 29 consecutive national polls, dating to the rankings of Oct. 6, 2019. The Bearcats would have to be ranked in the next four polls of the 2021 season to tie UCF’s American Athletic Conference record of 33 straight national rankings.

Variety Show
Nine of the 11 American Athletic Conference schools have been ranked in the top 25 since the start of the 2018 season.

Welcome Aboard
The American’s top two rushing leaders in 2020 were freshmen. SMU UB Ulysses Bentley led the league with 91.3 rushing yards per game, while East Carolina RB Rahji
Harris was second at 78.0 ypg.

Veterans Day
Tulsa lost only eight letter-winners from last year’s team. The Golden Hurricane has 14 ‘super seniors’ who elected to return for 2021 with an extra year of eligibility.

Trailblazer
SMU QB Tanner Mordecai tied an American Athletic Conference record with seven touchdown passes against Abilene Christian in Week 1 and had four TD passes against North Texas last Saturday. The 11 touchdown pass are the most by an SMU player through two games in program history.

Believe The Hype
The following American Athletic Conference players have been named to preseason All-America teams by college football’s leading presenters.

Athlon Sports
Ahmad Gardner, DB, Cincinnati – First Team
Marcus Jones, PR, Houston – First Team
Myjai Sanders, DL, Houston – Second Team

Sporting News
Ahmad Gardner, DB, Cincinnati – First Team
Walter Camp Football Foundation
Ahmad Gardner, DB, Cincinnati – First Team
Marcus Jones, KR, Houston – First Team
Myjai Sanders, DL, Houston – Second Team

247 Sports
Ahmad Gardner, DB, Cincinnati – First Team
Marcus Jones, PR, Houston – First Team
Myjai Sanders, DL, Houston – Second Team

Phil Steele
Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati – First Team
Marcus Jones, PR, Houston – First Team
Myjai Sanders, DL, Houston – Third Team
Diego Fagot, LB, Navy – Third Team
Calvin Austin III, WR, Memphis – Fourth Team
Tyler Snead, AP, East Carolina – Fourth Team
Adam Higuera, LS, Tulsa – Fourth Team
College Football News
Dillon Gabriel, QB, UCF – Honorable Mention
Matthew Lee, C, UCF – Honorable Mention
Cole Schneider, OG, UCF – Honorable Mention
Coby Bryant, CB, Cincinnati – Honorable Mention
Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati – Honorable Mention
Myjai Sanders, Edge, Cincinnati – Honorable Mention
Ulysses Bentley IV, RB, SMU – Honorable Mention

Top Of The Charts
Memphis RB Brandon Thomas leads the NCAA in rushing through two games (169.0 ypg).

Leaderboard
SMU QB Tanner Mordecai’s 11 touchdown passes are the most of any FBS player in 2021.

Top This
Memphis WR Calvin Austin III had 239 receiving yards against Arkansas State last Saturday, the most by an NCAA FBS player in a game this season.

Active Claims
UCF QB Dillon Gabriel is the NCAA active career leader in passing yards per game. Gabriel has averaged 314.1 yards per game.

Familiar Faces
The American Athletic Conference returns 10 of its 11 head coaches from last season. The only new head coach in The American in 2021 will be UCF’s Gus Malzahn.

Great Eight
Cincinnati is the first American Athletic Conference team with a preseason top-10 ranking since Louisville was ranked No. 9 to start the 2013 season. The Bearcats’ No. 8 preseason rank is the highest for an American Athletic Conference team in the league’s history.

Draft Class
The American Athletic Conference saw 19 players selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, the most in conference history. Former Tulsa LB Zaven Collins (16th to Arizona) and
former Houston DE Payton Turner (28th to New Orleans) were both first-round selections.

TALKING POINTS

UCF
2-0, 0-0 American
@UCF_Football
Last: Beat Bethune-Cookman, 63-14
Next: Sept. 17 at Louisville (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 622.0 …………………. 2nd
Total Defense………………………….292.5 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ……………………….49.5 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Defense ……………………….22.5 …………………..3rd
• RB Isaiah Bowser rushed for four touchdowns and 59 yards on 12 carries in the win against Bethune-Cookman.
• QB Dillon Gabriel threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns and added a 44-yard rushing TD against the Wildcats.
• UCF has scored a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown in 51 consecutive games, the longest streak in the nation.
• The Knights are 43-8 in their last 51 games.
• WR Ryan O’Keefe had eight receptions for 110 yards against the Wildcats, turning in his second career 100-yard game.
• The Knights gained 671 yards of offense against Bethune-Cookman and have totaled 1,244 yards through their first two games.

CINCINNATI
2-0, 0-0 American
@BearcatsFB
Last: Beat Murray State, 42-7
Next: Sept. 18 at Indiana (ESPN)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….466.5 …………………..5th
Total Defense…………………………260.0 …………………. 2nd
Scoring Offense ………………………. 45.5 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ……………………….10.5 ……………………1st
• RB Jerome Ford rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns as the Bearcats pulled away from a 7-7 halftime tie to beat Murray State.
• Cincinnati is 33-5 since the start of the 2018 season. The Bearcats are 15-1 all-time as a top-10 team.
• Cincinnati extended its homefield winning streak to 22 games with the victory against Murray State.
• QB Desmond Ridder was 14-of-22 for 243 yards and two touchdowns against the Racers.
• Cincinnati forced five turnovers against Murray State (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries).
• The Bearcats’ next two games are on the road, beginning with Saturday’s contest at Indiana.

EAST CAROLINA
0-2, 0-0 American
@ECUPiratesFB
Last: Lost to South Carolina, 20-17
Next: Sept. 18 at Marshall (CBSSN on Facebook)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 322.0 …………………..8th
Total Defense…………………………405.0 …………………..8th
Scoring Offense ………………………..18.0 …………………..9th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 26.5 …………………..6th
• East Carolina did not trail against South Carolina until the final gun as the Gamecocks got the game-winning field goal as time expired.
• The Pirates scored a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, but only found the end zone once the rest of the way.
• WR Jsi Hatfield had a team-high 90 receiving yards on only two receptions against the Gamecocks. Hatfield scored on a 75-yard touchdown catch on the first play of the game.
• QB Holton Ahlers was 11-of-24 for 77 yards, was intercepted twice and was sacked five times against South Carolina. Ahlers did have a rushing touchdown, the 14th of his career.
• The Pirates have forced at least one turnover in 10 consecutive games. East Carolina has six defensive interceptions in its last three contests.

HOUSTON
1-1, 0-0 American
@UHCougarFB
Last: Won at Rice, 44-7
Next: Sept. 18 vs. Grambling State (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 326.5 …………………..8th
Total Defense…………………………294.0 …………………..3rd
Scoring Offense ………………………. 32.5 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ……………………….22.5 …………………..3rd
• The Cougars scored the first 17 points of the game against Rice a week after they scored the first 14 points against Texas Tech.
• QB Clayton Tune passed for 236 yards and two touchdows and was the Cougars’ leading rusher against Rice with 49 yards on nine carries.
• K Dalton Witherspoon has not missed a PAT in his collegeiate career (140-of-140). Witherspoon ranks third on The American’s career chart for consecutive made PATs and needs 14 to tie former UCF kicker Matthew Wright for second place.
• RB Alton McCaskill scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) against Rice, becoming the first Houston true freshman with three TDs in a game since Bryce Beall in the 2008 season.

MEMPHIS
2-0, 0-0 American
@TigersAthletics
Last: Won at Arkansas State, 55-50
Next: Sept. 18 vs. Mississippi State (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….633.5 ……………………1st
Total Defense…………………………489.5 …………………10th
Scoring Offense ……………………….48.5 …………………..3rd
Scoring Defense ………………………33.5 …………………..8th
• QB Seth Henigan was 22-of-33 for 417 yards and five touchdowns in his second career start to lead Memphis past Arkansas State.
• The teams combined for 105 points and 1,361 yards of offense.
• WR Calvin Austin II had six catches for careerhighs of 239 yards and three touchdowns against Arkansas State.
• Memphis scored six touchdowns of at least 40 yards in the win against Arkansas State.
• RB Brandon Thomas rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries against the Red Wolves.
• Memphis is off to a 2-0 start for the fifth time in seven years.

NAVY
0-2, 0-0 American
@NavyAthletics
Last: Lost to Air Force, 23-3
Next: Sept. 25 at Houston (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………. 233.0 ………………….11th
Total Defense………………………… 344.5 …………………..5th
Scoring Offense ………………………….5.0 ………………….11th
Scoring Defense ………………………36.0 …………………..9th
• Navy was limited to 36 rushing yards and 68 total yards in the loss to Air Force in the first game of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy series.
• The Midshipmen gained only six first downs against Air Force and had moved the chains only once through the first three quarters.
• Navy’s defense limited Air Force to 225 yards.
• The loss to the Falcons ended an eight-game winning streak by the home team in the series between Navy and Air Force.
• LB Diego Fagot had 13 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss against the Falcons.
• The Midshipmen are idle in Week 3 and begin conference play Sept. 25 at Houston.

SOUTH FLORIDA
0-2, 0-0 American
@USFFootball
Last: Lost to Florida, 42-20
Next: Sept. 18 vs. Florida A&M (ESPN+)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….284.0 …………………..9th
Total Defense………………………… 595.5 ………………….11th
Scoring Offense ………………………..10.0 …………………10th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 43.5 ………………….11th
• South Florida outscored No. 9 Florida 17-7 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Gators’ 35-point first half.
• RB Jaren Mangham scored two rushing touchdowns against the Gators.
• WR Xavier Weaver had two receptions for 68 yards, finishing as the Bulls’ leader in receiving yards for the second consecutive week.
• QB Cade Fortin was 12-of-18 for 91 yards and an interceptions against the Gators in his second start with South Florida.
• The Bulls look to snap a 10-game slide with Saturday’s home date against Florida A&M

SMU
2-0, 0-0 American
@SMU_Football
Last: Beat North Texas, 35-12
Next: Sept. 18 at Louisiana Tech (CBSSN)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..497.5 …………………..3rd
Total Defense………………………… 420.5 …………………..9th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 45.5 …………………..4th
Scoring Defense ……………………….10.5 ……………………1st
• QB Tanner Mordecai threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns as the Mustangs pulled away from North Texas.
• Mordecai has 11 touchdown passes, the most by an SMU player in consecutive games in program history.
• RB Ulysses Bentley IV rushed for 141 yards and a TD on 10 carries against the Mean Green.
• The Mustangs are 11-1 in their last 12 games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
• SMU had 537 yards of offense against North Texas, giving the Mustangs at least 500 yards in 18 of their last 24 games.

TEMPLE
1-1, 0-0 American
@Temple_FB
Last: Won at Akron, 45-24
Next: Sept. 18 vs. Boston College (ESPNU)
American Ranks
Total Offense…………………………..341.5 ………………….. 7th
Total Defense………………………… 363.5 ………………….. 7th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 29.5 …………………..6th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 42.5 …………………10th
• Temple erased an early 14-0 deficit to roll past Akron as QB Justin Lynch and WR Randle Jones connected on a pair of touchdown passes.
• Lynch, making his first career start, completed 19 of 23 passes for 245 yards and added a rushing touchdown two his two passing TDs.
• Jones had seven receptions for 170 yards and the two touchdowns.
• The Owls scored two defensive touchdowns against Akron. DE William Kwenkeu found the end zone on a 38-yard fumble return, and S Amir Tyler scored on a 3-yard interception return.
• Temple snapped a six-game losing streak with the win against Akron.

TULANE
1-1, 0-0 American
@GreenWaveFB
Last: Beat Morgan State, 69-20
Next: Sept. 18 at Ole Miss (ESPN2)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….490.0 …………………..4th
Total Defense………………………… 339.5 …………………..4th
Scoring Offense ………………………. 52.0 ……………………1st
Scoring Defense ………………………30.0 ………………….. 7th
• The Green Wave raced to a 45-0 halftime lead on its way to the easy win against Morgan State.
• Tulane scored 35 points in the second quarter against Morgan State, becoming only the second American Athletic Conference team in league history to register a 35-point quarter (Memphis vs. Bowling Green, 9/24/16).
• QB Michael Pratt threw for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while QB Justin Ibieta threw for 166 yards and two TDs against the Bears.
• Nine Tulane players scored touchdowns against Morgan State. No player had more than one TD.
• Tulane has scored at least 60 points four times under Willie Fritz, who has been head coach since 2016. The Green Wave had not broken 60 points since 1998 before Fritz arrived.

TULSA
0-2, 0-0 American
@TulsaFootball
Last: Lost at Oklahoma State, 28-23
Next: Sept. 18 at Ohio State (FS1)
American Ranks
Total Offense………………………….403.0 …………………..6th
Total Defense…………………………354.0 …………………..6th
Scoring Offense ……………………….20.0 …………………..8th
Scoring Defense ……………………… 23.5 …………………..5th
• Tulsa held a 17-14 fourth-quarter lead, but saw Oklahoma State scored two backbreaking touchdowns in the Bank of Oklahoma Turnpike Classic.
• QB Davis Brin was 19-of 27 for 224 yards and was the Golden Hurricane’s leading rusher with 37 yards on eight carries.
• LB Justin Wright scored on a 55-yard interception return against Oklahoma State.
• Tulsa limited Oklahoma State to seven points through the first three quarters, but allowed 21 points in the fourth period.
• Tulsa finished with a 347-272 advantage in total offense against Oklahoma State.

This Week in the CFL – Week 7

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Calgary at Hamilton will be on TSN, RDS, ESPN+, BT Sport 3 and Yare.
Toronto at Saskatchewan will be on TSN, ESPNEWS, BT Sport 3 and Yare.
BC at Montreal will be on TSN, RDS, ESPN+, BT Sport 3 and Yare.
Winnipeg at Edmonton will be on TSN, ESPN+, BT Sport 3 and Yare.

TRENDS

  • In Week 6, Winnipeg scored a touchdown against Saskatchewan after allowing a sack – the first team to do so this year. After the sack, Winnipeg converted on a 2nd and 15 en route to a 10-play, 87-yard drive capped by one of Sean McGuire’s three touchdowns in the game. McGuire now leads the league with five touchdowns.
  • B.C. scored their season-high of 45 points against Ottawa on Saturday night. Remarkably, the Lions matched Saskatchewan’s feat of scoring on its first three possessions of the game.
  • All four teams last week led by as many as 12 points during the game.
  • Only one team has overcome a double-digit deficit to win this season: Calgary trailed by 11 points on Aug. 20, before winning 28-22 against Montreal.
  • Over the last two weeks, the average margin of victory has been 17 points.
  • In the last three weeks, the 11 winning teams made 41 big plays (long gainers); losing teams only made 16.

WINNIPEG SURGING

  • This week, the Bombers head to Edmonton looking to improve to 6-1 on the season – a feat they have not achieved since 2011 when they started the season 7-1 and reached the Grey Cup. Prior to that, they reached the mark in 1984 when they won the Grey Cup.
  • This season, Winnipeg has scored the most points (136) and allowed the fewest points (76) for a +60-point differential.
  • Winnipeg leads the league in several key categories so far this season:
    • Points allowed (12.7 per game)
    • Touchdowns scored (16)
    • Touchdowns allowed (6)
    • Turnover ratio (+12)
    • 2-and-outs forced (32)
    • Turnovers forced (17)
    • 30+ yard completions (12)
    • Lowest passing efficiently (73.7)
  • 12.7 points allowed per game is the fewest since 1966 (Ottawa with 12.6). Winnipeg’s team record was set in 1958 (11.4) during a season in which they finished 13-3.
  • In the fourth quarter this year, the Bombers have allowed a total of three points.
  • Bombers receiver Kenny Lawler leads the league with 15-second down-conversion receptions, accounting for 47 per cent of his catches.
  • Zach Collaros is tied for the league-lead with nine touchdown passes.
  • Mike Miller has had multiple special teams tackles in each game this year and stands at a total of 15 to lead the league.
  • Jackson Jeffcoat is tied for the league lead with five sacks and leads the league with four forced fumbles.

FEELIN’ LUCKY

  • B.C. Lions receiver and returner Lucky Whitehead has had a great start on his new team. He is currently third in receiving yards with 421 yards on 24 receptions and leads the league in average yards per catch (17.5) and yards after catch (178). His yards after catch amounts to 42 per cent of his receiving yards.
  • Whitehead’s 119-yard missed-field goal return for a touchdown against Ottawa was the longest major of its kind since Toronto’s Martese Jackson’s 125-yard return in 2017.
  • Through five games this year, Whitehead is 101-yards shy of his rookie total, which he accumulated in 15 games with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
  • Whitehead is on pace for 67 receptions and 1,179 receiving yards for the 14-game season.

QUICK SLANTS

  • In the last two games, Kamar Jorden has recorded 21 receptions for 282 yards and a touchdown. His 159 yards last week established a new season-high and his 12 receptions were a career-high. He now has seven career 100+ yard games.
  • Jorden has been targeted 11 times downfield (20+ yards) and has made nine catches.
  • Montreal is coming off a Week 6 bye. They are currently 1-0 off a bye with a win in Week 2. In the past two seasons, they were 1-5 following a bye week. Teams off a bye this year are 3-2.
  • Saskatchewan’s Cody Fajardo has the highest rushing average amongst quarterbacks with 6.8 yards per rush.
  • This week, Edmonton and Montreal will be looking for their first home victories on the season.
  • Hamilton and Montreal own the highest red zone touchdown percentage this season (66.7 per cent).
  • Calgary’s Darnell Sankey leads the league with 41 defensive plays. Rounding out the Top-3 are Adam Bighill (40) and Jordan Williams (38).
  • Saskatchewan has been the most penalized team so far this season with 68 penalties accounting for 600 yards.
  • Each of Calgary’s games this year has been decided in the final three minutes. Each of Toronto’s victories has been decided in the final three minutes.
  • The league average on kicking converts is 92.4 per cent (73 of 79).
  • In 13 career games against Montreal, Michael Reilly has 10 victories.
  • Reilly threw four touchdown passes last week against Ottawa, matching a career-high. He has passed for 300+ yards in three of his last four games.
  • Bo Levi Mitchell made his 100th career start last week in Calgary’s win over Edmonton. His record stands at 78-20-2 (.790).
  • If the Ticats give David Watford the nod this week, it will be his first career start in the CFL. He has appeared in 32 games and has 50 career passing attempts.
  • Brandon Dozier and Mike Miller are the only players in the CFL with at least one special teams tackle in each game this year.