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O’Hara, Sonnett, Sullivan Called Up to USWNT for September Matches

NWSL Editor
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O’Hara, Sonnett, Sullivan Called Up to USWNT for September Matches

Leesburg, VA – U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Vlatko Andonovski has named Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan and defenders Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett to the roster for two September friendlies. The roster is made up of the team from the Tokyo Olympics and due to injuries, Sullivan was added.

 

The USWNT will take on Paraguay on Thursday, Sept. 16 in Cleveland, Ohio (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2) and then again on Tuesday, Sept. 21 in Cincinnati, OH (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 & TUDN).

 

O’Hara is coming off a successful Olympics where she featured in five of the six matches en route to her second Olympic medal. For the Spirit in 2021, O’Hara has featured in eight games, starting six of those and totaling 562 minutes.

 

In her first Olympics, Sonnett featured in two matches at the Tokyo Olympics including in the bronze medal match. Since joining the Spirit in the off-season, Sonnett has played in nine games, starting eight of those for 723 total minutes.

 

Sullivan is in the midst of one of the best years of her young career. She was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for July and came in second in Player of the Month voting behind teammate Ashley Hatch. Sullivan has played in 15 matches for the Spirit this season and racked up 1,310 minutes and two assists during that time. This is her first call up to the national team since the Summer Series in late May.

CFB Conference Notes: SEC

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Conference Notes: SEC

WEEK TWO BRINGS FIRST LEAGUE GAME OF SEASON

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Alabama State (1-0) at Auburn (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: AU leads, 1-0
11 a.m. CT • SEC Network
Auburn, Ala. • Jordan-Hare Stadium (87,451) Sirius: 81 • XM: 81

South Carolina (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at East Carolina (0-1) Series: SC leads, 14-5
Noon ET • ESPN2
Greenville, N.C. • Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (51,000) Sirius: 134 • XM: 190

Pittsburgh (1-0) at Tennessee (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: Pitt leads, 2-0
Noon ET • ESPN
Knoxville, Tenn. • Neyland Stadium (102,455) Sirius: 135 • XM: 191

Florida (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at South Florida (0-1) Series: UF leads, 1-0
1 p.m. ET • ABC
Tampa, Fla. • Raymond James Stadium (65,890) Sirius: 211 • XM: 211

UAB (1-0) at Georgia (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: UG leads, 2-0
3:30 p.m. ET • ESPN2
Sanford Stadium (92,746) Sirius: 134 • XM: 190

Texas A&M (1-0, 0-0 SEC) vs. Colorado (1-0) Series: UC leads, 6-3
2:30 p.m. CT • Fox Sports
Denver, Colo. • Empower Field at Mile High Stadium (76,125) Sirius: 135 • XM: 191

Mercer (1-0) at Alabama (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: UA leads, 3-0
3 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Tuscaloosa Ala. • Bryant-Denny Stadium (101,821) Sirius: 81 • XM: 81

Texas (1-0) at Arkansas (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: UT leads, 56-22
6 p.m. CT • ESPN
Fayetteville, Ark. • Reynolds Razorback Stadium (72,000) Sirius: 135 • XM: 191

North Carolina State (1-0) at Mississippi State (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: Tied, 3-3
6 p.m. CT • ESPN2
Starkville, Miss. • Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (61,337) Sirius: 134 • XM: 190

McNeese State (0-1) at LSU (0-1, 0-0 SEC) Series: LSU leads, 1-0
6:30 p.m. CT • SECN+/ ESPN+
Baton Rouge, La. • Tiger Stadium (102,321) Sirius: 119 • XM: 203

Austin Peay (1-0) at Ole Miss (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: First Meeting
6:30 p.m. CT • SECN+/ ESPN+
Oxford, Miss. • Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (64,038) Sirius: 204 • XM: 192

Missouri (1-0, 0-0 SEC) at Kentucky (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Series: UK leads, 7-4
7:30 p.m. ET • SEC Network Last: MIZ, 20-10 (2020 at Columbia)
Lexington, Ky. • Kroger Field (61,000) Sirius: 81 • XM: 391/81

Vanderbilt (0-1, 0-0 SEC) at Colorado State (1-0) Series: First meeting
9 p.m. CT • CBS Sports Network
Fort Collins, Colo. • Canvas Stadium (41,000) Sirius: 135 • XM: 191

THIS IS SEC FOOTBALL

• Fourteen times in the last 15 seasons, a team from the SEC has advanced to the national championship game. The SEC has won 11 of those contests, with two of the losses coming in the game’s final seconds. The winner of the SEC Championship Game has advanced to the National Championship Game all but once since 2006.

• The SEC finished 7-2 in the postseason in 2020 to lead the nation in bowl wins, with all seven wins coming against Top-25 competition – the most in history for the conference. In the four bowl games where an unranked SEC team played a Top-25 opponent, the SEC went 3-1.

• Since Florida in January 2009, five different teams from the SEC have played for the national championship. Four of those five have multiple appearances and at least one victory since 2007.

• Not counting games versus each other, the SEC is 10-3 all-time in College Football Playoff games, playing in six of the seven CFP Championship Games (winning four of those six). Since 2006, the SEC has posted a 27-14 (.659) record in BCS/CFP games, more wins, appearances and winning percentage than any other A5 conference.

• More than 350 players from Southeastern Conference schools were listed on the initial 53-man NFL rosters to begin the 2020 season. Seven SEC schools were represented by at least 25 former players on active rosters, including Alabama with a league-high 57. In addition to the 53-man active rosters, more than 100 former SEC players are listed on reserve lists or practice squads for NFL teams. A total of 25 former SEC players were on active rosters of the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Bucs.

• The SEC is 97-55 (.638) in bowl games since 2006, the only FBS league with a .600 or better winning percentage and 30 wins more than the next closest conference.

• The SEC has now won 47 games in the last seven postseasons and has sent no less than eight teams to post-season bowls in each of the last 14 seasons.

• In the seven seasons of the College Football Playoff era, only six programs nationally have been ranked No. 1 in the weekly CFP Top-25 Poll (which begins in late October each year) – four of those six programs (Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State) are from the SEC.

• Nine different SEC teams, including all seven from the SEC Western Division, have made BCS/New Year’s Six bowl game appearances since 2006: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Since the formation of the College Football Playoff in 2014, six of the seven schools in the Western Division have advanced to a New Year’s Six bowl.

• With Georgia and Alabama both earning victories in the CFP Semifinals in 2017, the national championship game featured two SEC teams for the second time in the last nine seasons.

CFB Week 2 Football Preview: PAC-12

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Week 2 Football Preview: PAC-12

#12 OREGON (1-0) at #3 OHIO STATE (1-0)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 12:00 pm ET • FOX
OREGON: First true road game at a Big Ten school since 2016 at Nebraska. 7 of their last 8 road games at Big Ten schools have been decided by 7 points or less. Have won their last 2 games vs AP Top 10 opponents with last coming over #5 Utah in the 2019 Pac-12 Championship Game. Won their season opener on Saturday over Fresno State 31-24, with QB Anthony Brown rushing for the game-winning 30-yard TD with 2:57 left in the 4th quarter. Oregon had 129 of their 187 rushing yards in the 2nd half with 87 of them in the 4th quarter. LB Justin Flowe had 14 tackles, the most by an Oregon freshman since Troy Dye in 2016.

OHIO STATE: 9-0 all-time vs Oregon with the last meeting coming in the 2015 National Championship Game. Beat conference rival Minnesota 45-31 in their season opener. QB C.J. Stroud had 236 of his 294 pass yards and all 4 pass TD in the 2nd half of his first career start. Stroud was high school teammates with Oregon’s Jaylen Redd and Sean Dollars along with former Duck Thomas Graham.

#5 TEXAS A&M (1-0) at COLORADO (1-0)
in Denver, CO
Sat., Sept. 11 • 1:30 pm MT • FOX
COLORADO: First meeting against Texas A&M since 2009 when both schools were in the Big 12. Looking for their first win over a Top 10 team since 2007, when they beat #3 Oklahoma 27-24 by outscoring the Sooners 17-0 in the 4th quarter. Beat Northern Colorado 35-7 in their season opener last Friday in Boulder. Had 281 rushing yards in the season opener, the 3rd time in 7 games under Karl Dorrell they have run for over 250 yards in a game.

TEXAS A&M: Lost their last meeting with a Pac-12 school, 45-44 at UCLA in 2017. Won their season opener over Kent State 41-10, scoring 31 points in the 2nd half. First time since 2013 where they won a game while turning the ball over at least 5 times. The Aggies rushed for 303 yards with both Devon Achane (124 yards) and Isaiah Spiller (113 yards) both going over 100 yards.

CALIFORNIA (0-1) at TCU (1-0)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 2:30 pm CT • ESPNU

CALIFORNIA: 3-0 in non-conference true road games under Justin Wilcox with wins at North Carolina (2017), BYU (2018) and Ole Miss (2019). First true road game at a Big 12 school since 2015 when they won at Texas, 45-44. 2-0 at Amon G. Carter Stadium with both wins coming in the Armed Forces Bowl. Held Nevada to 61 rushing yards on 2.3 yards per carry in the season opener.

TCU: Beat Duquesne 45-3 in season opener, holding the Dukes to 137 total yards. Beat Cal 10-7 in 2018 Cheez-it Bowl in only previous meeting. Have won their last 7 games against Pac-12 schools, the last 4 all in bowl games. Last Pac12 school to beat TCU was Arizona in 1999.

PORTLAND STATE (0-0) vs WASHINGTON STATE (0-1)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 3:00 pm PT • P12N
WASHINGTON STATE: 18-4 at home since the start of the 2017 season. RB Max Borghi had a 64-yard TD run in season opener, the longest run by a Pac-12 player so far this season. Borghi is 5th in school history with 21 career rush TD, needing 1 to tie Shaumbe Wright-Fair for 4th and 2 to tie Rueben Mayes for 3rd. LB Jahad Woods had 13 tackles in Week 1 and now has 332 for his career, the 8th most in school history.

PORTLAND STATE: 4th meeting all-time with Washington State, all of them in Pullman. WSU won the first 2 meetings but Portland State won the last matchup, 24-17 to open the 2015 season. Lost their season opener, 49-35 at Hawai’i. Allowed 573 toal yards (268 rush, 305 pass) but had 400 passing yards on offense.

WASHINGTON (0-1) at MICHIGAN (1-0)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 8:00 pm ET • ABC
WASHINGTON: Playing their first true road game in 658 days, the longest streak in FBS since at least 1980. Washington’s last road game was Nov 23, 2019 at Colorado. First road game at a Big Ten school since winning at Rutgers in 2017. Last won at Michigan in 1984, with current Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh throwing 3 interceptions for the Wolverines. Held Montana to just 232 total yards (127 rush, 105 pass) in season opener. Allowed 16.3 yards per drive in the opener, fewest in the Pac-12.

MICHIGAN: Won their season opener 47-14 over Western Michigan with 551 yards of total offense, their 5th most under Jim Harbaugh and most since 2016. 15-2 in regular season non-conference games under Harbaugh. Won their last 2 games vs Pac-12 opponents but lost to Utah in 2015, in Harbaugh’s first game.

SAN DIEGO STATE (0-0) at ARIZONA (0-0)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 7:00 pm PT • P12N
ARIZONA: 1st home game as head coach for Jedd Fisch. 23-2 in non-conference home games since the start of the 2008 season with their last loss coming in 2018. QB Gunner Cruz had 336 pass yards in the season opener, 1st QB to throw for 300+ yards in their Arizona debut since Anu Solomon in 2014. WR Stanley Berryhill had a career-high 12 receptions for 102 yards after having 23 catches for 227 yards in 5 games all of last season.

SAN DIEGO STATE: 1st meeting with Arizona since 2001 and Arizona leads the all-time series 10-5. SDSU has lost the last 4 meetings with their last win coming in 1979 and hasn’t won in Tucson since 1977. Won their season opener 28-10 over New Mexico State. Allowed 326 pass yards but had 3 interceptions and 5 sacks.

#21 UTAH (1-0) at BYU (0-0)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 8:15 pm MT • ESPN
UTAH: Beat Weber State 40-17 in season opener in front of the largest crowd in Utah history (51,511). QB Charlie Brewer had 233 pass yards and 2 pass TD in his first game with Utes. Brewer needs just 67 pass yards to reach 10,000 for his career. RB Tavion Thomas had 107 rushing yards in the opener for the 3rd 100-yard game of his career and first with the Utes. Have won their last 7 regular season non-conference road games, with the last loss coming to Utah State in 2012.

BYU: Have lost 9 straight meetings with Utah and 3-11 all-time vs Kyle Whittingham teams. Los the last 4 meetings in Provo with their last home win over Utah coming in 2009. This is their 2nd of 5 Pac-12 opponents this season after beating Arizona 24-16 in the season opener. Lost 7 of their last 8 meetings against ranked Pac-12 opponents. Have won 10 straight home games with their last home loss coming to Washington in September 2019.

STANFORD (0-1) at #14 USC (1-0)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 7:30 pm PT • FOX
STANFORD: First true road game of the season after playing Kansas State on a neutral field in the season opener. Finished the 2020 season by winning their last 4 games, all on the road. QB Tanner McKee was named the starter for this week after coming off the bench in Week 1, going 15-18 for 118 passing yards and a TD. Looking for their first win at USC since 2015 when they beat the Trojans that September at the Coliseum and then again, later that season, in Santa Clara in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Under David Shaw, Stanford is 31-8 against programs from California including 25-7 against Pac-12 schools from California.

USC: 100th all-time meeting with Cardinal. Last season was the first time since 1945 that the Trojans and Cardinal did not play. Have won 3 of the last 4 meetings with Stanford and has not lost to an unranked Stanford team since September 2015. Won their season opener against defending Mountain West champion San Jose State 30-7, the first time the Trojans have held their opponent to 7 points or less since 2016 vs Utah State. WR Drake London had a career-high 12 catches for 137 yards in the season opener, the most receptions by a Trojan since Michael Pittman Jr. had 13 vs UCLA in 2019.

UNLV (0-1) at #23 ARIZONA STATE (1-0)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 7:30 pm PT • ESPN2
ARIZONA STATE: Beat Southern Utah 41-14 in the season opener, holding the Thunderbirds to 224 total yards and forcing 4 turnovers. Had 6 rush TD vs Southern Utah and 19 in their last 3 games, tied for the 2nd most by an FBS team in a 3-game span since 1996 (Nebraska had 22 in a 3-game span in 1997). LB Darien Butler had 2 INT in the opener, the first Sun Devil with 2 INT in a game since 2019.

UNLV: Lost season opener to Eastern Washington 35-33 in double overtime, their first loss to an FCS school since 2017 vs Howard. Head coach Marcus Arroyo, the former Oregon offensive coordinator, is looking for his first win at UNLV (0-7). 8 straight losses to Pac-12 opponents.

HAWAI’I (1-1) at OREGON STATE (0-1)
Sat., Sept. 11 • 8:00 pm PT • FS1
OREGON STATE: 2-0 all-time at home vs Hawai’i with the last meeting coming in 2013 when Sean Mannion threw for 372 yards and 4 TD. 11-4 in non-conference home games since the start of the 2012 season. QB Chance Nolan came off the bench in the 2nd half of the season opener, going 10-16 for157 yards. Defense held Purdue to 88 rushing yards and 2.7 yards per carry.

HAWAI’I: Have split their first 2 games this season with a loss at UCLA and a home win over Portland State. Have lost 10 straight road games at Pac-12 schools with their last win coming in 1994 at California.

CFB Conference Notes: Mountain West

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Conference Notes: Mountain West

NEXT UP

Friday, September 10 TV/Digital Time
North Dakota at Utah State CBS Sports Network 7 p.m. MT
UTEP at Boise State FS1 7:30 p.m. MT

Saturday, September 11 TV/Digital Time
Wyoming at Northern Illinois ESPN+ 12:30 p.m. CT
Air Force at Navy CBS 3:30 p.m. ET
New Mexico State at New Mexico Stadium 5 p.m. MT
San Diego State at Arizona Pac-12 Network 7 p.m. MT
UNLV at #25/23 Arizona State ESPN2 7:30 p.m. MT
Cal Poly at Fresno State MWN/CW59 7 p.m. PT
Vanderbilt at Colorado State CBS Sports Network 8 p.m. MT
Idaho State at Nevada Stadium 7:30 p.m. PT
Hawai‘i at Oregon State FS1 8 p.m. PT

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WEST
• The Mountain West finished last weekend with a pair of victories over autonomous-5 opponents, more than the ACC, Big 12, MAC, Pac-12 (1) and AAC (0).

• Air Force will honor the B-52 Stratofortress with the 2021 edition of the Air Power Legacy Series uniform, which will debut this Saturday at Navy, the 20-year anniversary of 9/11.

• Fresno State RB Ronnie Rivers is the nation’s active leader with 45 career touchdowns, setting the program career record on Saturday, Aug. 28. Rivers is seven touchdowns shy of tying for fifth-most in Mountain West history, a spot currently held by San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny (2014-17).

• Nevada is coming off a victory at Cal (Sept. 4) and has now won three out of its last five games against autonomous-5 opponents. The Wolf Pack can improve that win figure on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Kansas State.

• Last Saturday, Utah State, which recorded a 12-point fourth-quarter comeback at Washington State, registered its first victory over an autonomous-5 team since 2014 (Wake Forest). The Aggies are looking to open the season 2-0 for the first time since 2012.

• A win on Saturday against in-state rival New Mexico State will give New Mexico four-consecutive victories, dating back to the end of the 2020 season. The Lobos are seeking its first four-game win streak since 2016 (5).

• San José State, the defending Mountain West champions, will enter the 2021 Conference season riding an eight-game win streak, which is the fourth-longest active league win streak nationally. In 2020, the Spartans were 7-0 in MW play and haven’t lost a league contest Nov. 23, 2019.

• Colorado State punter Ryan Stonehouse, who returns for a fifth season, is the NCAA’s career punting average record holder (47.1).

• Against all autonomous 5 competition, the Mountain West has won 13 of its last 27 games, including 11 against the Pac-12.

• In the past 17 years, the Mountain West has been the top non-autonomous 5 conference nine times and second five times.

• The Mountain West has been nationally-ranked in 21 of the last 28 College Football Playoff Rankings.

• The Mountain West produced the first non-automatic-qualifying FBS team into a BCS bowl game (Utah – 2005 Fiesta Bowl) and into the College Football Playoff (Boise State – 2014 Fiesta Bowl).

CFB Week 2 Football Preview: Mid-American Conference

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Week 2 Football Preview: Mid-American Conference

WEEK 2 PREVIEW

Saturday, September 11
VMI (1-0) at Kent State (1-0) | 11:30 am (ESPN3)
The Golden Flashes welcome in the Keydets from the Virignia Military Institute. Kick-off is set for 11:30 a.m. from Dix Stadium. Kent State forced six turnovers for the first time in nine years in a 41-10 setback against the sixth-ranked Texas A and M Aggies at Kyle Field on Saturday night. The Flashes recorded four interceptions and added a muffed punt fumble and a turnover on downs on Saturday night. You’d have to go back to October 2015 against Western Michigan to find the last time the Flashes had four picks. Elvis Hines had two of the picks and was his first game with multiple interceptions.

Miami (0-1) at Minnesota (0-1) | Noon (ESPNU)
After squaring off with No. 8 Cincinnati to open the season, the RedHawks travel to face Minnesota on Saturday, Sept. 11. The contest is scheduled to begin at noon. The RedHawks dropped a 49-14 decision to the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday afternoon inside Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Freshman running back Keyon Mozee led the RedHawks with 80 yards rushing on 15 carries last week at Cincinnati. Kenny Tracy, who saw limited action in 2020, had 37 yards on the ground and Miami’s lone offensive touchdown. Reid Holskey and Sam Vaughan also both made their first career starts at both offensive tackle positions.

Wyoming (1-0) at Northern Illinois (1-0) | 1:30 pm (ESPN+)
After a thrilling, last-minute win over Georgia Tech to claim a #FlyTheFlag victory, NIU welcomes the Wyoming Cowboys to Huskie Stadium to open its 57th season in the facility. Tyrice Richie made a diving catch of Rocky Lombardi’s two-point conversion pass in the back of the end zone with 38 seconds to play, giving the Huskies a 22-21 win in the season opener. Richie’s catch came after Lombardi hit Clint Ratkovich with a three-yard touchdown pass after engineering a near-perfect two-minute drive. Huskies Harrison Waylee (144 yards on 27 carries), Lance Deveaux Jr. (13 tackles) and Matt Ference (41.0 avg. on 7 punts) collected MAC West Division Player of the Week honors Monday as NIU swept the weekly awards.

Duquesne (0-1) at Ohio (0-1) | 2:00 pm (ESPN3)
The Ohio football team returns to Athens on Saturday (Sept. 11) as it entertains Duquesne inside Peden Stadium. The Bobcats lost to the Syracuse in Week 1, 29-9. Jerome Buckner led the offensive effort for the Bobcats en route to setting a career high in both receptions (7) and receiving yards (102) while on the defensive side of the ball, Ohio was led by safeties Alvin Floyd and Jarren Hampton who each recorded 10 total and four solo tackles… Redshirt fifth year wide receiver Cameron Odom is 14 yards away from reaching 1,000 career receiving yards. Odom has played in 43 games at Ohio, collecting 73 receptions for 986 yards and five touchdowns…Redshirt junior running back O’Shaan Allison has gained 993 rushing yards in 167games at Ohio, putting him seven away from 1,000 for his career.

Toledo (1-0) at No. 8 Notre Dame (1-0) | 2:30 pm (Peacock)
Toledo travels to South Bend, Ind. on Saturday, Sept. 11 to take on the No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Rockets are coming off a convincing 49-10 victory over Norfolk State in the Glass Bowl on Sept. 4. Toledo used all three phases of the game to win its season opener. The Rockets’ special teams set the tone with two touchdowns off blocked punts, while the defense held the Spartans in check all night. Norfolk State managed just 272 yards of total offense and was held to 5-of-15 on third down plays. Toledo’s offense was balanced and efficient, racking up 205 rushing yards and 236 passing yards. Sophomore quarterback Carter Bradley was 8-of-11 for 184 yards and one TD. Freshman Maxen Hook made a big impact on special teams, scooping up a blocked punt for a 25-yard score and then blocking a punt that was returned for a TD by Jacquez Stuart.

Robert Morris (0-0) at Central Michigan (0-1) | 3:00 pm (ESPN3)
Central Michigan opens play at Kelly/Shorts Stadium against Robert Morris on Saturday, Sept. 4. This will be CMU’s latest regular-scheduled home opener since a game against Alcorn State on Sept. 19, 2009. CMU stood toe-to-toe with the Tigers, getting a strong performance from quarterback Jacob Sirmon in his first collegiate start. But in the end, Missouri managed to stay a step ahead in handing CMU a 34-24 loss. Sirmon, a transfer from Washington in his first game as a Chippewa, completed 23 of his 45 pass attempts for 295 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions. CMU finished with 475 yards including 174 on the ground. Lew Nichols carried 19 times for 135 yards and a touchdown.

Ball State (1-0) at No. 11 Penn State (1-0) | 3:30 pm (FS1)
The Cardinals will invade Happy Valley to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions in a 3:30 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Sept. 11. The game will be televised live nationally on FS1. Strong defensive play and a second-half offensive surge helped the Ball State football team open the 2021 season with a 31-21 victory over Western Illinois Thursday night under the lights at Scheumann Stadium. In picking up its eighth straight victory, the Cardinals (1-0) rebounded from a slow start to score 24 second-half points. WR Justin Hall, who has caught a pass in every game of his career, extended his FBS-leading receptions streak to 44 straight games and finished the night with 137 yards on 11 receptions. Even more impressive, his 79 total yards after the catch.

Temple (0-1) at Akron (0-1) | 3:30 pm (ESPN+)
Akron is coming off a 60-10 setback to Southeastern Conference powerhouse Auburn. Redshirt sophomore QB DJ Irons sparked Akron to a pair of second-half scoring drives going a perfect 13- for-13 for 129 yards, including a four-yard touchdown to freshman RB Jonzell Norrils in the fourth quarter. Senior QB Kato Nelson, who earned the start for the Zips, concluded the contest hitting on 9-of-14 attempts. Redshirt junior LB Bubba Arslanian and redshirt sophomore LB Jeslord Boateng anchored the Zips defense collecting 15 of tackles.

Buffalo (1-0) at Nebraska (1-1) | 3:30 pm (BTN)
This will not only be Buffalo’s first game vs. Nebraska, but it will be the first time the Bulls will play a game in the state of Nebraska. It was an impressive debut for head coach Maurice Linguist last Thursday night as the Bulls easily disposed of Wagner, 69-7. UB scored on each of its first 11 possessions of the game. The Bulls were in victory formation on their 12th possession. It was the third most points ever scored by a UB team and the most ever in a season opener. The Bulls rolled up 569 yards of offense – 320 yards rushing and 257 yards passing. It was first time since 2014 against Akron that the Bulls rushed for 300 yards and passed for 200 yards in the same game. Defensively, UB only allowed 97 yards of total offense, its fewest allowed since giving up only 84 yards against Hofstra on Oct. 24, 1992.

South Alabama (1-0) at Bowling Green (0-1) | 4:00 pm (ESPN+)
Bowling Green State University welcomes the South Alabama Jaguars in the Falcons’ 2021 home opener on Saturday. Kick is set for 4 p.m… WR Austin Osborne made eight catches in his Bowling Green debut at Tennessee. Osborne, a transfer from Washington, entered the 2021 season with one career reception. He was high school teammates with Bowling Green quarterback Matt McDonald at Mission Viejo High School in Southern California…LB Darren Anders was the only player in the nation the first week of the season to notch at least 10+ tackles (14), force a fumble (1), recover a fumble (1) and record at least one sack (1) when he did so at Tennessee. He is No. 1 in the MAC and No. 4 in the nation with 14 tackles. He was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

Illinois State (1-0) at Western Michigan (0-1) | 5:00 pm (ESPN3)
Western Michigan dropped its season-opener at the University of Michigan, 47-14, in front of 109,295 fans at Michigan Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kaleb Eleby finished with 191 yards through the air on 20-fo-37 passing and one touchdown. Sophomore Sean Tyler led the Broncos (0-1) with 55 yards on the ground on 10 carries. La’Darius Jefferson rushed for 38 yards on 10 carries for one touchdown. Senior transfer Bryce Nunnelly had a game-high seven catches for 52 yards. Sophomore Corey Crooms led the Broncos with 58 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Senior safety A.J. Thomas had a team-best 10 tackles, while linebacker Ryan Selig finished with a career-high eight.

Eastern Michigan (1-0) at No. 18 Wisconsin (0-1) | 7:00 pm (FS1)
The Eastern Michigan University football team will look to take down yet another college football “Blue Blood” when it travels to Madison, Wis. for a game with the No. 12/15 University of Wisconsin Badgers Saturday, Sept. 11. The Eagles began its 130th season of play with an impressive, 35-15 win over Saint Francis (Pa.). The Eastern Michigan offense was able to produce 27 first downs in its week one game vs. the Red Flash. That number is the most in a single game by EMU since it put up the same against Pittsburgh in the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl, Dec. 26. The Green and White was 5-for-5 when reaching the opposition’s 20-yard line, all of which were touchdowns. Eastern’s current 33-for-33 scoring mark in the red zone, which dates back to 2020, is the longest active streak on any team in the nation.

CFB Conference Notes: Mid-American Conference

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Conference Notes: Mid-American Conference

WEEK 2 SCHEDULE

Saturday, September 11
VMI at Kent State 11:30 am (ESPN3)
Miami at Minnesota Noon (ESPNU)
Wyoming at Northern Illinois 1:30 pm (ESPN+)
Duquesne at Ohio 2:00 pm (ESPN3)
Toledo at Notre Dame 2:30 pm (Peacock)
Robert Morris at Central Michigan 3:00 pm (ESPN3)
Ball State at Penn State 3:30 pm (FS1)
Temple at Akron 3:30 pm (ESPN+)
Buffalo at Nebraska 3:30 pm (BTN)
South Alabama at Bowling Green 4:00 pm (ESPN+)
Illinois State at Western Michigan 5:00 pm (ESPN3)
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin 7:00 pm (FS1)

All times listed ET

MAC NOTES

FLY THE FLAG!
• Northern Illinois is “Flying the Flag” after a thrilling, last-minute \22-21 win over Georgia Tech. With the win, the Huskies improved to 3-8 all-time versus teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The win also marks the 15th-straight year that a team from the MAC has collected a road win over an autonomous five opponent.

• Ohio University Head Football Coach Frank Solich announced that he is stepping down from his position to focus on his health, after an unprecedented successful sixteen seasons leading the Bobcats, which included eleven bowl appearances, four Mid-American Conference East titles and a Top 25 ranking. Following Solich’s announcement, Director of Athletics Julie Cromer announced that Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Tim Albin has agreed to become the new head football coach, agreeing to a four-year contract. Albin joined the Ohio Football coaching staff as offensive coordinator in 2005, reuniting with Frank Solich after four seasons together at Nebraska. The 2021 season will mark Albin’s 17th year in Athens. Since his arrival in Athens, Albin has produced offensive units that have consistently ranked among the top of the Mid-American Conference.

• Maurice Linguist was named the University at Buffalo’s 26th head coach on May 8, 2021. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Linguist who was the Bulls’ defensive backs coach in 2012 and 2013. Linguist is regarded as one of the nation’s top recruiters and has excelled in coaching at both the Power Five level and the NFL. He comes to UB from Michigan where he served a brief stint as defensive backs coach/co-defensive coordinator since January. He joined the U-M coaching staff after spending the 2020 season as cornerbacks coach with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

• Western Michigan graduate student Mike Caliendo, Ball State senior Bryce Cosby and Eastern Michigan senior Mike Van Hoeven were named to the 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-America Division I Football Team. Caliendo was the only first team selection from the MAC, while Cosby and Van Hoeven were named to the second team.

FOUR MAC STUDENT-ATHLETES SELECTED IN 2021 NFL DRAFT
• The MAC had four draft selections in the 2021 NFL Draft. Western Michigan WR/KR/PR D’Wayne Eskridge was selected by Seattle in the second round (56th overall), while Buffalo DE Malcolm Koonce was selected 79th overall in the third round by the Las Vegas Raiders. Western Michigan offensive lineman Jaylon Moore became the second Bronco taken in the 2021 NFL Draft, while Tommy Doyle became the first Miami offensive lineman drafted since Brandon Brooks was taken in the third round of the 2012 Draft by the Houston Texans. Moore was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (155th overall), while Doyle was taken by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round with the 161st pick.

In recent years the MAC has had student-athletes selected among the top five overall in the NFL Draft. In the last seven years (2013-19), the MAC has had three players selected in the top five in the NFL Drafts. In the 2017 NFL Draft, Western Michigan wide receiver Corey Davis was selected as the fifth overall selection in the first round by the Tennessee Titans. Davis’ selection was the highest ever for Western Michigan and tied the second-highest in MAC history. In 2014, Buffalo Bulls linebacker Khalil Mack was the fifth overall selection by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL Draft. Mack’s selection was the highest ever for the Buffalo program and the second-highest ever selection for a MAC student-athlete. In 2013, Central Michigan offensive tackle Eric Fisher became the first MAC football player to be selected as the overall No. 1 selection in the NFL Draft. The Kansas City Chiefs selected Fisher as No.1 choice in the 2013 NFL Draft. The previous highest player drafted from the MAC was Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich, who was selected No. 7 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, in the 2003 NFL Draft.

DOUBLE THE MACTION
• For the first time since 2003, the MAC had two teams ranked in the final Associated Press Top 25 Football Poll. Ball State was ranked No. 23, while Buffalo comes in at No. 25. It marks the firsttime in program history for both schools to have a team finish the season ranked within the Top 25. In 2003, Miami (No. 10) and
Bowling Green (No. 23) finished the season in the AP Top 25.

• Ball State finished the season with back-to-back wins over ranked opponents, defeating the Bulls when they were No. 23 and then knocking off No. 19 San Jose State in the Offerpad Arizona Bowl on New Year’s Eve. SJSU is No. 24 in the final poll. Coach Mike Neu’s Cardinals finished 7-1 overall, winning their first-ever bowl game, their first MAC championship since 1996 and their first MAC West Division title since 2008. BSU’s seven-game winning streak at season’s end is tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS.

• Buffalo went 6-1 on the season, won the MAC East Division and won a bowl game for the second straight season. The Bulls defeated Marshall, 17-10, in the 2020 Camellia Bowl. The Bulls were ranked as high as 23 by the AP this year. Buffalo finished the 2020 season ranked fifth in the nation in scoring offense (43.4) and second in the nation in rushing offense (287.4).

MAC 2020 BOWL RESULTS
• Ball State 34, San Jose State 13 — Offerpad Arizona Bowl
• Buffalo 17, Marshall 17 — Camellia Bowl

MAC PROGRAMS IN BOWL GAMES
In the last nine bowl seasons, every MAC football program has received a bowl invitation. Leading is Ohio with bowl invitations in eight of the last nine bowl seasons.

CFB Conference Notes: C-USA

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Conference Notes: C-USA

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES CT)

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
UTEP at Boise State (FS1) 8:30 pm

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
WKU at Army (CBSSN) 10:30 am
Middle Tennessee at Virginia Tech (ACC Net Extra)1 pm
Ga. Southern at Florida Atlantic (Stadium) 2:30 pm
UAB at Georgia (ESPN2) 2:30 pm
Gardner-Webb at Charlotte (ESPN3) 5 pm
Lamar at UTSA (ESPN3) 5 pm
N.C. Central at Marshall (ESPN+) 5:30 pm
Houston at Rice (CBSSN) 5:30 pm
Texas State at FIU (ESPN+) 6 pm
SE Louisiana at LA Tech (ESPN3) 6 pm
North Texas at SMU (ESPN+) 6 pm
Hampton at Old Dominion (ESPN3) 6 pm
Grambling State at Southern Miss (ESPN3) 6 pm

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK (WEEK 1)
OFFENSE
QB CHRIS REYNOLDS, CHARLOTTE
Redshirt Senior, Mocksville, North Carolina Reynolds led the 49ers’ dramatic first-ever win over a power conference opponent, 31-28, vs. Duke. The two-time team captain threw for 324 yards and three TDs and ran for a fourth in the victory. Reynolds opened the scoring with a 56-yard touchdown pass on the 49ers’ initial drive. On Charlotte’s final two drives of the seesaw battle, Reynolds was 9-of-10 for 161 yards and threw for two TDs in the final three minutes to secure the historic win. The game-winner came on an 11-yard TD pass to Shadrick Byrd with 33 seconds remaining. Reynolds notched his school-record fourth career 300-yard passing game (324 yards) and figured in all four of the 49ers TDs by passing for three and running for a fourth. He also moved to within 39 yards of the 49ers all-time record with 5,366 career passing yards.

DEFENSE
LB ELI NEAL, MARSHALL
Sophomore, Memphis, Tennessee
Neal recorded 11 tackles and a game-high three sacks in the Thundering Herd’s 49-7 romp at Navy on Saturday. He also had a hand in a big special teams play as he scooped up T.J. Johnson’s blocked field goal and got three more yards on the return. The Memphis native entered Saturday with just 1.5 sacks in his first 23 games. Neal’s effort led a Thundering Herd defense that finished with nine sacks, the second most in a single game in program history (Record: 12, vs. Ohio, 1986).

SPECIAL TEAMS
K HUNTER DUPLESSIS, UTSA
Senior, San Antonio, Texas
Duplessis opened the 2021 season by making all three of his field goal attempts and going 4-for-4 on extra points in UTSA’s 37-30 road win over Illinois on Saturday night. The senior all-conference performer drilled a pair of field goals in the second quarter to help hand the Roadrunners a 20-14 halftime advantage, and his third make of the night late in the third stanza gave the visitors a 23-17 lead. Duplessis, a 2020 Lou Groza Award semifinalist who is on the watch list this year, has now made 29 of 34 field goals (85%) for his career.

QUICK HITTERS

A LOOK AT WEEK TWO
As they were in Week One, all 14 Conference USA teams are in action heading into Week Two. C-USA teams went 9-5 in Week 1, including a pair of wins over Power-5 opponents (Charlotte over Duke and UTSA over Illinois on the road).

UTEP (2-0) heads out on the road to take on Boise State (0-1), who dropped a tough non-conference game at UCF last week. The Miners are seeking their first 3-0 start since 2005 when they take on the Broncos on FS1 at 8:30 p.m. CT.

WKU (1-0) is also on the road, taking on Army (1-0) at 10:30 a.m. CT on CBS Sports Network, looking to build off a 59-21 season-opening win over UT Martin.

Middle Tennessee (1-0) travels to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech (1-0) at 1 p.m. CT on ACC Network Extra following the Blue Raiders’ 50-15 win at home over Monmouth.

Virginia Tech upset No. 10 North Carolina at home in Week 1.

UAB (1-0) travels to Georgia (1-0) to take on a Bulldogs team who opened the season with a 10-3 win over No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte. The Blazers shut out Jacksonville State in Week 1, and face a much stiffer test in Athens at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Florida Atlantic (0-1) looks to get its first win of 2021 when the Owls host Georgia Southern (1-0) in Boca Raton at 2:30 p.m. CT live on Stadium. The Owls fell 35-14 on the road at No. 13 Florida, while Georgia Southern opened the year by edging Gardner-Webb 30-25.

Charlotte (1-0) looks to build on its first-ever win over a Power-5 opponent in program history when it hosts FCS foe Gardner-Webb (1-0) at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN3.

UTSA (1-0), like Charlotte, opened the 2021 season with a statement win. The Roadrunners host their home opener on Saturday afternoon as they welcome an in-state FCS opponent in Lamar (1-0), on ESPN3 at 5 p.m. CT.

Marshall (1-0) is set for its home opener at 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+ against N.C. Central (1-0), The Herd opened the 2021 season with a 49-7 drubbing of Navy on the road in Annapolis.

Rice (0-1) equated itself well in Fayetteville against Arkansas last week, holding a 10-point lead in the second half before ultimately falling to the Razorbacks 38-17. The Owls host city rival Houston (0-1) on Saturday evening on CBS Sports Network at 5:30 p.m. CT.

FIU (1-0) defeated Long Island 48-10 in its opener last week and welcome Sun Belt foe Texas State (0-1), who fell 29-20 to Baylor last week, to Miami at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

Louisiana Tech (0-1) looks to bounce back from a gut-wrenching defeat at Mississippi State, falling 35-34 after leading 34-14 in the fourth quarter in Starkville. The Bulldogs host in-state foe Southeast Louisiana (1-0) on ESPN3 at 6 p.m. CT.

North Texas (1-0) began its 2021 season with a comfortable 44-14 win over Northwestern State and travels to Dallas to take on rival SMU (1-0) on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. CT.

Old Dominion (0-1) played its first game in two years last week, falling 42-10 at Wake Forest. The Monarchs open the home slate at 6 p.m. CT by hosting Hampton (1-0) on ESPN3.

Southern Miss (0-1) fell in head coach Will Hall’s debut on the road at South Alabama and look to bounce back this week when the Golden Eagles host Grambling State (1-0) at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN3.

CHARLOTTE PICKS UP FIRST P5 WIN
The Charlotte 49ers earned their first-ever win over a Power 5 opponent, by defeating Duke 31-28 in a thrilling come-from-behind victory in front of their home crowd Friday night. QB Chris Reynolds led the 49ers on a 75-yard game-winning touchdown drive in the final two minutes. Reynolds completed 19-30 passes for 324 yards and had four total touchdowns with no interceptions. WR Victor Tucker caught eight passes for 133 yards, while WR Grant DuBose hauled in four for 118 yards and a pair of scores.

ZAPPE’S LUCKY NO. 7, WKU’S 8
WKU QB Bailey Zappe had quite the debut for the Hilltoppers in their 59-point barrage in last week’s win over UT Martin. Zappe, a transfer from Houston Baptist, completed 28-35 passes for 424 yards with seven passing touchdowns and one interception. His seven scoring tosses tie for third-most in conference history in a single game.

9 Case Keenum, Houston vs. Rice (10-27-11)
8 Brandon Doughty, WKU at Marshall (11-28-14)
7 Bailey Zappe, WKU vs. UT Martin (9-2-21)
7 Mason Fine, North Texas vs. UTEP (11-2-19)
7 Rakeem Cato, Marshall vs. WKU (11-29-14)

Backup QB Carson Baker relieved Zappe in the fourth quarter and threw a 52-yard touchdown pass, on his first attempt as a Hilltopper. Quinn joined the program after beginning his collegiate career at San Diego State. The eighth touchdown pass of the night was one shy of the Conference USA record for most touchdown passes thrown by a team in a single game.

9 Houston vs. Rice (10-27-11)
8 WKU vs. UT Martin (9-2-21)
8 WKU at Marshall (11-28-14)

(D’VONTE) PRICE IS RIGHT
FIU RB D’Vonte Price had a monster night in his 2021 debut for the Panthers, as FIU rolled in its opener 48- 10 over Long Island. Price carried five times for 165
yards and three touchdowns, averaging 33.0 yards per carry. His night was over pretty early as FIU raced to a 28-0 lead in the first half, but there was no denying his impact, scoring from 8, 68 and 28 yards, respectively.

TOUCHDOWN TORREY LEADS UNT
North Texas RB DeAndre Torrey had a huge night in his 2021 debut for the Mean Green, as UNT was victorious in its opener 44-14 over Northwestern State Saturday night. Torrey carried 25 times for 244 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 9.8 yards per carry. His big game propelled a ground attack that totaled 345 yards on the night.

ZAKHARI SHOWS OUT
UTSA WR Zakhari Franklin had a big game on a big stage, helping lead the Roadrunners to a 37-30 win on the road over Big Ten foe Illinois last week. Franklin caught 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown in UTSA’s second win over a Power-5 opponent in program history.

HARRIS, MCCORMICK, BRADY SHINE
UTSA QB Frank Harris completed 20-32 passes for 280 yards with a touchdown pass, and also ran for 32 yards and another score in UTSA’s win at Illinois last week. RB Sincere McCormick ran for 117 yards, while fellow RB Brenden Brady carried 11 times for 67 yards and two scores, the last of which was a 33-yard scoring scamper with 4:57 to go in the fourth quarter.

DO IT FOUR TIMES, ALI
Marshall RB Rasheen Ali made his presence felt in the Herd’s 49-7 demolishing of AAC foe Navy on the road in Annapolis last week. Ali found the end zone on four occasions, carrying 14 times for 59 yards in the season-opening victory for Marshall.

BLAZERS SMOTHER JSU
The UAB Blazers opened the 2021 season by completely shutting down (and shutting out) Jacksonville State, 31-0 in front of a national audience on ESPN. It marked UAB’s first shutout since a 19-0 win at UTEP on 10-27-18.

ALL THE YARDS
WKU QB Bailey Zappe and UAB QB Tyler Johnston III had big statistical nights, throwing for 424 and 319 yards, respectively in their season debuts this past week.

ALL THE (RECEIVING) YARDS
There were eight C-USA receivers who surpassed the 100-yard mark in Week 1.
Zakhari Franklin, UTSA 10 rec., 155 yds, 1 TD
Bryce Singleton, FIU 6 rec., 149 yds, 1 TD
Victor Tucker, Charlotte 8 rec., 133 yds
Trea Shropshire, UAB 5 rec., 128 yds, 1 TD
Grant DuBose, Charlotte 4 rec., 118 yds, 2 TDs
Roderic Burns, North Texas 6 rec., 114 yds, 1 TD
Jerreth Sterns, WKU 7 rec., 107 yds, 2 TDs
Talik Keaton, Marshall 5 rec., 100 yds

This comes after a huge performance by Week Zero Offensive Player of the Week, WR Jacob Cowing of UTEP, who hauled in five catches for 158 yards and a score.

ALL THE (RUSHING) YARDS
There were five C-USA running backs who surpassed the 100-yard mark in Week 1, all of which came in wins and two of which came from UTEP in their win over Bethune-Cookman.
DeAndre Torrey, North Texas 25 att., 244 yds, 3 TDs
D’Vonte Price, FIU 5 att., 165 yds, 3 TDs
Ronald Awatt, UTEP 19 att., 126 yds, 1 TD
Willie Eldridge, UTEP 14 att., 118 yds
Sincere McCormick, UTSA 31 att., 117 yds

CFB Conference Notes: Big12

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Conference Notes: Big12

This Week in the Big 12

Friday, September 10
Kansas at No. 17/19 Coastal Carolina (ESPN2) 6:30 p.m.
Series: CCU 2-0
Last Meeting: CCU 38-23 in Lawrence on Sept. 12, 2020.

Saturday, September 11
Tulsa at RV/No. 23 Oklahoma State (FS1) 11:00 a.m.
Series: OSU 43-28-5
Last Meeting: OSU 16-7 in Stillwater on Sept. 19, 2020.

California at TCU (ESPNU) 2:30 p.m.
Series: TCU 1-0
Last Meeting: TCU 10-7 in the Cheez-it Bowl on Dec. 26, 2018.

No. 10/12 Iowa at No. 9/10 Iowa State (ABC)[ESPN College GameDay] 3:30 p.m.
Series: IU 45-22
Last Meeting: IU 18-17 in Ames on Sept. 14, 2019.

Long Island at West Virginia (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 4:00 p.m.
Series: First Meeting

Texas Southern at Baylor (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 6:00 p.m.
Series: First Meeting
Southern Illinois at Kansas State (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 6:00 p.m.
Series: First Meeting

Western Carolina at No. 4/4 Oklahoma (PPV) 6:00 p.m.
Series: First Meeting

No. 15/15 Texas at Arkansas (ESPN) 6:00 p.m.
Series: UT 56-22
Last Meeting: UA 31-7 in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 29, 2014.

Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech (Big 12 Now on ESPN+) 6:00 p.m.
Series: TTU 3-0
Last Meeting: TTU 69-17 in Lubbock on Sept. 3, 2016.

All Times are listed as Central. Rankings are listed as AP/USA Today Coaches

Conference News & Notes

The Big 12 opened the season with a 9-1 non-conference record, including a top 25 win. The Big 12’s .900 win percentage tops the FBS leagues. This week’s slate features a top 10 matchup as No. 10/12 Iowa travels to No. 9/10 Iowa State.

In addition to ISU, the Big 12 has No. 4/4 Oklahoma and No. 15/15 Texas rated in both the AP and coaches polls. Oklahoma State is ranked No. 23 in the coaches ledger and received votes in the AP. K-State, TCU and Texas Tech also accumulated points.

ESPN’s College GameDay returns to Ames for the second time in three seasons when it appears Saturday at the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series showdown. ISU is one of five on-campus sites that have hosted the program twice since 2019.

Four Big 12 players recorded the nation’s top single game performances last week. Winston Wright Jr. (West Virginia) racked up a program record 217 kickoff return yards at Maryland while Erik Ezukanma (Texas Tech) compiled 179 receiving yards against Houston. Malcolm Rodriguez (Oklahoma State) made 17 total tackles vs. Missouri State. Gabe Brkic (Oklahoma) tied an FBS record by converting three field goals of over 50 yards in a game, including a nation’s long of 56 yards.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation selected Texas running back Bijan Robinson as the season’s first National Offensive Player of the Week. He rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown and added 73 receiving yards and another touchdown as No. 21 UT beat No. 23 Louisiana, 38-18. Robinson is the 11th UT player to earn Walter Camp National Player of the Week honors since 2004.

Big 12 Players of the Week were awarded to Texas’ Bijan Robinson (offense), Texas Tech’s Riko Jeffers (defense), Oklahoma’s Gabe Brkic (special teams) and TTU’s Reggie Pearson Jr. (newcomer).

Baylor’s Trestan Ebner (120) and Abram Smith (118) each rushed for 100-plus yards at Texas State, marking the first time BU had multiple 100-yard rushers since the 2018 season opener vs. Abilene Christian (John Lovett & Jamycal Hasty).

Iowa State’s Breece Hall has a rushing touchdown in 13-straight games, a school-record and the second-best streak in Big 12 history. Redshirt junior quarterback Jason Bean rushed for 163 yards during his first career game as a Jayhawk in KU’s win over South Dakota. The seven points scored by Stanford is the fewest allowed by K-State in an autonomy league non-conference contest since a 2001 game against USC.

Oklahoma registered three fumble recoveries against Tulane, all in the first half. That’s the same number of recoveries the Sooners had all of last season and one fewer than they had in 2019.

Oklahoma State has won 74 consecutive games when holding its opponent to fewer than 20 points, dating back to Sept. 13, 2003. It’s the longest active stretch of time in the FBS, and the longest since at least 1980.

Playing just the first half, Max Duggan’s 207 passing yards vs. Duquesne put him over the 4,000-yard career mark. He’s now at 4,079 which ranks ninth in TCU history.

Texas held Louisiana to 76 rushing yards, the 20th time the Longhorns have held an opponent under 100 yards rushing since the start of the 2017 season.

Texas Tech’s four-interception game vs. Houston is its most in a single game since racking up five versus SMU in 2008. The Red Raiders recorded five INTs total in 2020.

Winston Wright Jr.’s 98-yard kickoff return in the first quarter is longest non-scoring kickoff return in West Virginia history and is tied for the 11th-longest return in program history.

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: Big Ten

NCAAFB Editor
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CFB Conference Notes: Big Ten

2021 BIG TEN FOOTBALL

BIG TEN. BIG NEWS.
• All 14 Big Ten schools will be in action this Saturday, highlighted by four teams hosting nonconference opponents in their home openers: Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State. The complete Week 2 schedule appears to the right.

• Four Big Ten teams appear in the AP Poll this week. Ohio State leads the conference at No. 3, followed by No. 10 Iowa, No. 11 Penn State and No. 18 Wisconsin. Michigan and Northwestern are both receiving votes.

• No. 3 Ohio State welcomes No. 12 Oregon to Columbus for a top-15 matchup on Saturday at noon ET on FOX. This marks the first meeting between these teams since the Buckeyes claimed the inaugural CFP National Championship with a 42-20 victory on Jan. 12, 2015, and the 10th meeting overall. Ohio State has won 23 straight home games, which is the longest streak by a Big Ten team since the Buckeyes’ school-record 25-game streak from 1972-76.

• Iowa and Iowa State are meeting as AP ranked opponents for the first time in program history. Iowa has faced a ranked Iowa State team just one time, a 31-0 loss at home in 1978. The Hawkeyes are also playing their second straight AP Top 25 team. It marks the fourth time in program history Iowa has opened a season against consecutive opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 (1960, 1973, 1974). The Hawkeyes started 2-0 in 1960, 1-1 in 1974 and 0-2 in 1973.

• In his first career start, quarterback C.J. Stroud finished 13-of-+22 passing for 294 yards and four touchdowns, leading Ohio State to a 45-31 season-opening win over Minnesota on the road last Thursday. His scoring tosses went for 38, 56, 70 and 61 yards. One of Stroud’s favorite targets on Thursday was senior wide receiver Chris Olave, who caught four passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns. It was the seventh multi-TD game of Olave’s career and moved him into a tie for fifth place in school history in career touchdown receptions with Brian Robiskie (24).

• Iowa’s Riley Moss became just the third player in school history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a single game in the Hawkeyes’ 34-6 win over Indiana on Saturday. He had a 30-yard interception return to give Iowa a 14-0 advantage in the opening minutes of the game. Moss collected his second touchdown in the final minutes of the second quarter, returning the pick 55 yards for the score. Moss currently leads the country with two interceptions returned for touchdowns.

• Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for a career-high 264 yards – the seventh-highest total in school history – and scored a career-high four touchdowns to lead the Spartans past Northwestern, 38-21, on Sept. 3 at Ryan Field. It marked the most rushing yards by a Spartan in a debut wearing the Green and White. Walker is also the first Big Ten running back with 250-plus rushing yards and four rushing TDs in a single game since Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) in 2014. The junior currently leads the nation in rushing and is tied for first in rushing touchdowns.

• 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 did not win a title in the first five years, while 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.

• Ohio State was crowned 2020 Big Ten Champion after its 22-10 win against Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship Game presented by Discover on Dec. 19 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was the Buckeyes’ 39th Big Ten title and fourth in as many years.

• Northwestern and Ohio State will look to repeat as division champions this season, as the Buckeyes finished 5-0 to win the East Division and the Wildcats finished atop the West Division standings at 6-1 in conference play.

THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, SEPT. 11

ILLINOIS at Virginia 11 a.m. ACC Network

Youngstown State at MICHIGAN STATE Noon Big Ten Network

Miami (OH) at MINNESOTA Noon ESPNU

Indiana State at NORTHWESTERN Noon Big Ten Network

Oregon at OHIO STATE Noon FOX

RUTGERS at Syracuse 2 p.m. ACC Network

PURDUE at UConn 3 p.m. CBS Sports Network

Buffalo at NEBRASKA 3:30 p.m. Big Ten Network

Ball State at PENN STATE 3:30 p.m. FS1

IOWA at Iowa State 4:30 p.m. ABC

Eastern Michigan at WISCONSIN 7 p.m. FS1

Idaho at INDIANA 7:30 p.m. Big Ten Network

Howard at MARYLAND 7:30 p.m. Big Ten Network

Washington at MICHIGAN 8 p.m. ABC

Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Editor
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Dallas Cowboys vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

THURSDAY, SEPT. 9, 2021 // 8:20 PM ET // RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM // REFEREE: SHAWN HOCHULI

ON THE AIRWAVES
TV: NBC (8:20 PM ET): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya (field reporter)
NATIONAL RADIO: Westwood One: Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner
SIRIUS: 81 (Dal.), 211 (TB) | XM: 226 (Dal.), 225 (TB) | SXM App: 808 (Dal.), 829 (TB)

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER: Cowboys lead all-time series, 13-4
STREAKS: Cowboys have won past 2
LAST GAME: 12/23/18: Buccaneers 20 at Cowboys 27
LAST GAME AT SITE: 11/15/15: Buccaneers 10, Cowboys 6

DALLAS COWBOYS LEADERS (2020 STATS) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Mike McCarthy: 3-2 COACH VS. OPP. Bruce Arians: 1-1
24.7/29.6 PTS. FOR/AGAINST 30.8/22.2
371.8 OFFENSE 384.1
Dak Prescott: 151-222-1856-9-4-99.6 PASSING Tom Brady: 401-610-4633-40-12-102.2
Ezekiel Elliott: 244-979-4.0-6 RUSHING Ronald Jones: 192-978-5.1-7
Amari Cooper: 92-1114-12.1-5 RECEIVING Mike Evans: 70-1006-14.4-13
386.4 DEFENSE 327.1
DeMarcus Lawrence: 6.5 SACKS Jason Pierre-Paul: 9.5
Trevon Diggs: 3 INTs Carlton Davis: 4
-3 (23/26) TAKE/GIVE +8 (25/17)
Bryan Anger (Hou.): 46.4 (41.8) PUNTING (NET) Bradley Pinion: 45.2 (40.2)
Greg Zuerlein: 135 (33/36/ PAT; 34/41 FG) KICKING Ryan Succop: 136 (52/57 PAT; 28/31 FG)

COWBOYS NOTES
• QB DAK PRESCOTT had 1,856 pass yards & 12 TDs (9 pass, 3 rush) for 99.6 rating in 5 games in 2020. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. TB with rush TD. Has 5 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 98.4 rating in 4 career games on TNF. Aims for his 3rd in row on TNF with 300+ pass yards.

• RB EZEKIEL ELLIOTT had 1,317 scrimmage yards (979 rush, 338 rec.) & 8 TDs (6 rush, 2 rec.) in 2020 & became 3rd player with 1,250+ scrimmage yards & 8+ TDs in each of his 1st 5 seasons in NFL history. Has 297 scrimmage yards (148.5 per game) & rush TD in 2 career games vs. TB. Has 333 scrimmage yards (111 per game) & 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.) in 3 career games on TNF.

• WR AMARI COOPER led team with career-high 92 catches & had 1,114 rec. yards in 2020. Had 12 catches for 173 yards & rec. TD in only career game at TB (10/30/16 w/ Oak.). Has 3 rec. TDs in his past 3 on TNF. WR CEEDEE LAMB set rookie franchise records in catches (74) & rec. yards (935) last season. WR MICHAEL GALLUP had 59 catches for 843 yards & 5 TDs in 2020. Had rec. TD in last meeting. TE DALTON SCHULTZ set career highs in catches (63), rec. yards (615) & rec. TDs (4) last season.

• LB JAYLON SMITH had career-high 154 tackles in 2020. Had 10 tackles & 69-yard FR-TD in last meeting. LB KEANU NEAL makes Dal. debut. Had 98 tackles & 9 TFL in 2020 with Atl. LB MICAH PARSONS was selected in 1st round (12th overall) in 2021 NFL Draft. DE DEMARCUS LAWRENCE had sack in last meeting. CB TREVON DIGGS tied for lead among rookies with 3 INTs in 2020.

BUCCANEERS NOTES

• QB TOM BRADY tied-2nd in NFL with 40 TD passes & ranked 3rd in pass yards (4,633) last season. Became 1st player in NFL history with 7 SB titles & 5 SB MVPs. Is NFL all-time leader in TD passes (581) & ranks 2nd in pass yards (79,204). Needs 300+ pass yards to join DREW BREES (123) as only players with 100+ 300-yard games in NFL history.

• RB RONALD JONES set career highs in scrimmage yards (1,143) & scrimmage TDs (8) in 2020. RB LEONARD FOURNETTE had 448 scrimmage yards (112 per game) & 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.) in 2020 postseason.

• WR MIKE EVANS had 1,006 rec. yards in 2020 & became 1st player with 1,000+ rec. yards in each of his 1st 7 seasons. Had rec. TD in last meeting. WR CHRIS GODWIN had 65 catches for 840 yards & 7 TDs in 2020. WR ANTONIO BROWN had 45 receptions for 483 yards & 4 TDs in 8 games last season. Has 9 rec. TDs in 10 career games on TNF. TE ROB GRONKOWSKI ranks 3rd all-time among TEs with 86 rec. TDs.

• LB LAVONTE DAVID had 8th-career season with 100+ tackles (117) in 2020. Has 31 tackles (7.8 per game) in 4 career games vs. Dal. LB DEVIN WHITE had career-high 140 tackles & 9 sacks last season. Had 2 INTs & 2 FRs in 3 postseason games in 2020. LB JASON PIERRE-PAUL had 5th-consecutive season with 7+ sacks (team-high 9.5) last season. LB SHAQUIL BARRETT had 8 sacks in 2020 reg. season & 4 sacks in postseason. CB CARLTON DAVIS led team with 4 INTs & 18 PD in 2020.

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