analysis: top 25 cfb capsulesthe hoosiers will host no. 2 ohio state in a season opener against the...

COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME SCOUT

By The Sports Xchange

Analysis: Top 25 CFB capsules

The TSX Files: We don't aggregate, we originate

News on partnership with Pro Football Hall of Fame at NFLDraftScout.com

Thursday, August 31, 2017

OHIO STATE AT INDIANA .............................................................................................................2

TULSA AT OKLAHOMA STATE ....................................................................................................4

WASHINGTON AT RUTGERS .......................................................................................................6

UTAH STATE AT WISCONSIN ......................................................................................................8

ALABAMA VS. FLORIDA STATE ................................................................................................ 10

WESTERN MICHIGAN AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA............................................................... 12

KENT STATE AT CLEMSON ....................................................................................................... 14

AKRON AT PENN STATE ............................................................................................................ 16

TEXAS-EL PASO AT OKLAHOMA ............................................................................................. 17

MICHIGAN VS. FLORIDA ............................................................................................................. 19

GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT AUBURN .......................................................................................... 21

BRIGHAM YOUNG VS. LSU ........................................................................................................ 23

APPALACHIAN STATE AT GEORGIA........................................................................................ 25

LOUISVILLE AT PURDUE............................................................................................................ 27

BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT MIAMI (FL) ........................................................................................ 29

STONY BROOK AT SOUTH FLORIDA ....................................................................................... 31

CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT KANSAS STATE ............................................................................. 32

MARYLAND AT TEXAS ............................................................................................................... 33

MONTANA STATE AT WASHINGTON STATE .......................................................................... 35

WEST VIRGINIA VS. VIRGINIA TECH ........................................................................................ 37

TENNESSEE AT GEORGIA TECH .............................................................................................. 39

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--- Thursday, August 31 --- Vol. XXIII --- No. 1 ---

-- COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME SCOUT --

-- A PUBLICATION OF THE SPORTS XCHANGE --

**********************************************************************

OHIO STATE AT INDIANA

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Thursday, 8 p.m. ET

SITE: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

TV: ESPN

SERIES: Ohio State leads Indiana 73-12-5

RANKINGS: Ohio State No. 2

KEYS TO THE GAME

Indiana University coach Tom Allen knows the challenge his team faces Thursday night.

"Biggest home opener in the history of our program," Allen said. "I've know I've said that many times, but it is what it is, That's

exactly the situation we find ourselves in."

The Hoosiers will host No. 2 Ohio State in a season opener against the Big Ten powerhouse at 8 p.m. at Memorial Stadium. The

Buckeyes finished 11-2 last season, reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals before losing to Clemson 31-0 in the Fiesta

Bowl.

The ESPN College GameDay crew, which includes former IU coach Lee Corso, is making its first live visit to Bloomington for a

football game, where most of the spotlight is shining on the visitors.

The game will remark the return of former IU coach Kevin Wilson, who was forced to resign after philosophical differences with

athletic director Fred Glass after the regular season. There were concerns how injured players were handled under Wilson. Allen

was then promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach prior to the Foster Farms Bowl, which IU (6-7) lost to Utah 26-24.

Wilson was hired as the Buckeyes offensive coordinator in January.

Allen said he hasn't mentioned Wilson's return to the players

"Very genuinely, it's all Ohio State," Allen said. "Really haven't mentioned that once."

Allen said he expects the offensive scheme of the Buckeyes to be a combination of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and Wilson.

"As you go back and look at how they performed last year, they hung 62 on Maryland and beat Nebraska by 60-something," said

Allen, who was close as the Buckeyes beat Nebraska 62-3. "It wasn't like they were anemic, you know?"

Allen said he keeps telling players it will be a game of adjustments on both sides. The Buckeyes averaged 39.4 points per game

last season.

Meyer said quarterback J.T. Barrett has made the biggest strides in accuracy and his relationship and timing with the wideouts.

"To say that he mastered our offense, he's done that quite a while ago," Meyer said. "It's just the timing, the execution and the

trust."

Barrett threw for 2,555 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. Sophomore Mike Weber is back for the

Buckeyes at running back, rushing for 1,096 yards and nine TDs.

The Hoosiers' rushing attempts will likely be by committee. Allen said he expects four or five guys to gain meaningful time at

running back. The Hoosiers must replace Devine Redding, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards each of the previous two seasons.

Redding left early for the NFL.

"Mike Majette is kind of that solidifying, does everything really well kind of guy," Allen said. "(Freshman) Morgan Ellison has been

a surprise. I knew he was a good player, thought he might need time to develop, but he's right there in the mix. Devonte Williams

has been as quick and explosive as he's always been and Cole Gest, getting him back was good. He's got a great burst."

Gest played in three games last season before suffering a season-ending injury. Tyler Natee is the leading returning rusher with

237 yards.

Meyer said playing this season opener is a little easier than 2016 because 15 starters return compared to six returning starters in

2016.

"Last year was very alarming because our whole team was new," Meyer said. "This year is a little more comfort because guys

have been in the environment before. This is a whole different set of circumstances because it's on the road in a Big Ten game. But

we've practiced as such and like I said, Billy Prince is snapping a ball to J.T. every play, as long as they stay healthy and that's a

little more comforting."

The Hoosiers return Richard Lagow as starting quarterback. He threw for 3,363 yards, but had just two more TDs (19) than

interceptions (17).

The Buckeyes have won 21 consecutive games against the Hoosiers and lead the all-time series 72-12-5. IU's last win over the

Buckeyes came in 1988 in Bloomington. The Hoosiers did give visiting Ohio State a scare before falling 34-27 in the final seconds in

2015. Host Ohio State won 38-17 last year.

IU senior linebacker Tegray Scales said the Hoosiers have to take advantage of this opportunity against the Buckeyes.

"You don't get this opportunity often," Scales said. "It's one of the biggest openers in Indiana history. We embrace it and plan to

take it head on."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Buckeyes

--WR J.T. Barrett is the focal point of an offense that has designs on being more dynamic this year. Entering his final season, the

senior has started since he was a freshman with the exception of injuries and the Cardale Jones experiment two years ago. Barrett

enters the 2017 season with a chance to win the Heisman Trophy. With former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson taking over as Ohio

State's offensive coordinator and Ryan Day as quarterbacks coach, expectations are great that Barrett will have his best season yet.



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--DE Tyquan Lewis is a returning All-Big Ten player and one of nine Ohio State captains who will lead the country's deepest

defensive line. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound senior has accumulated eight sacks each of the last two seasons. As part of a four-man

rotation at defensive end, Lewis should be fresh and ready to wreak havoc against the Indiana offense.

--CB Denzel Ward could be Ohio State's next first-round draft pick at cornerback. The Buckeyes have produced four first-rounders

at the position in the past four years. The junior has playing experience and more speed than any player on the roster. Ward and the

Ohio State secondary will be tested in the opener by Indiana's pass offense led by quarterback Richard Lagow.

Hoosiers

--QB Richard Lagow needs to protect the ball better as his touchdown (19) to interception (17) ratio was an issue last season. For

IU to have a shot at competing against Ohio State, it can't afford turnovers. Allen said Lagow has made leadership strides and has

become a more confident player in the offseason. Lagow should benefit from a strong wide receiver unit.

--LB Tegray Scales was the Big Ten's leading tackler last season. Scales enters his senior season on six award watch lists,

including the Butkus Award, and was honored on nine preseason All-American teams, including first-team by Lindy's, ESPN and

Street & Smith.



4

TULSA AT OKLAHOMA STATE

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET

SITE: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma

TV: Fox Sports 1

SERIES: Oklahoma State leads Tulsa, 39-27-5.

RANKINGS: Oklahoma State No. 10

KEYS TO THE GAME

By most descriptions, Oklahoma State-Tulsa looks like a serious rivalry.

Two FBS schools, residing in the same state, separated by 69 miles of turnpike. The Cowboys and Golden Hurricane have

squared off 71 times, with Oklahoma State holding a 39-27-5 edge in what shapes up as a competitive series.

And yet, there's little current-day evidence to suggest much disdain between the schools. They haven't played since 2011. They're

in different conferences. For the most part, they don't recruit the same players.

"I know there's a lot of guys on the team from Tulsa, but they haven't really said anything about that," said Cowboys linebacker

Chad Whitener. "I think it's more the season opener, the buzz and excitement for the season to get rolling."

At least there's that. And the fact that both sides look at their Thursday meeting -- 7:30 p.m. ET at Boone Pickens Stadium -- as a

season-opening statement opportunity.

For No. 10-ranked Oklahoma State, 10-3 last season, it's an opportunity to confirm its status as a Big 12 and national contender.

For Tulsa of the American Athletic Conference, also 10-3 in 2016, it's an opportunity to seize some spotlight.

"I've talked a lot about trying to gain respect in our conference and trying to gain respect in our state, and this gives us an

opportunity," Golden Hurricane coach Philip Montgomery said.

Much buzz surrounds the Cowboys, who return the bulk of an offense that ranked ninth nationally in passing (323.9 yards per

game) and 17th in scoring (38.6). Quarterback Mason Rudolph and wide receiver James Washington are both prominent on the

preseason award watch lists. With Rudolph, Washington and running back Justice Hill, Oklahoma State boasts an attack that

returns a 4,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and a 1,000-yard rusher.

In addition, the Cowboys return their second-leading receiver from 2015 in Marcell Ateman, who missed all of last season with a

foot injury, and they add former five-star receiver prospect Tyron Johnson, who transferred from LSU. Four offensive line starters

return, with massive Cal graduate transfer Aaron Cochran stepping in to round out a veteran unit.

"They are a very, very talented team," Montgomery said.

Tulsa was a very talented team a year ago, behind an historically productive offense. The Golden Hurricane became the first FBS

school to produce a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and two 1,000-yard rushers.

Only one of those skill players returns, however. Beyond tailback D'Angelo Brewer, who ran for 1,435 yards and seven

touchdowns in 2016, there are no obvious replacements, particularly at quarterback, where Montgomery still hasn't named a starter

to replace Dane Evans, who left as the school's all-time passing leader.

Two inexperienced underclassmen -- sophomore Chad President and freshman Luke Skipper -- battled throughout preseason

camp for the starting role. Neither emerged and both could play, at least until one takes hold of the job.

Tulsa could lean on a veteran offensive line, anchored by returning all-conference center Chandler Miller, to run the ball with

Brewer and either of the mobile quarterbacks. But Montgomery's history, both in reloading on offense and developing quarterbacks,

has Oklahoma State's attention.

"I would caution everybody, as I've done with our defense, in that there haven't been many rollover years with (Montgomery),"

Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. "With his play-calling and running offenses at other schools where he was, there would be a

group of guys leave and people thought, 'OK, now they'll settle down.'

"But that wasn't the case. And they went out and got 5,000 yards with some new guys."

Since both defenses enter the season with question marks, the advantage would seem to swing to Oklahoma State, which still

claims guys who went out and produced more than 5,000 yards a year ago.

Rudolph, a Heisman Trophy candidate, is 22-6 as a starter and ranks in the top six among returning FBS quarterbacks in career

passing yards, career passing yards per game, career passing efficiency and career touchdown-to-interception ratio.

And this year, he believes he's got the best set of weapons he's had with the Cowboys.

"I'm ready to go," Rudolph said. "It's been a long offseason. It's been fun; we got a lot of good work in, a lot of good practice.

We've fine-tuned it and we're ready to go."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cowboys

--OT Larry Cochran moved into the starting lineup and will protect the blind side of QB Mason Rudolph after arriving at Oklahoma

State as a graduate transfer from Cal. Cochran started in 16 games for the Bears and was involved in protecting two productive

quarterbacks, Jared Goff and Davis Webb. He was part of a line that ranked in the top 25 nationally in fewest tackles for loss and

fewest sacks.

--WR Tyron Johnson transferred from LSU and sat out last season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. The initial question

could be how much rust Johnson must shake off, though he was impressive gaining yards after the catch during fall camp. The

former five-star prospect (Rivals) will provide an additional target who keeps opponents from keying heavily on standout WR James

Washington.

--RB Justice Hill proved that Oklahoma State can rush the football effectively, becoming the program's all-time leading freshman

rusher with 1,142 yards a year ago. The 5-10 Hill is stronger, adding 15 pounds since his arrival, and should help balance the OSU

attack. Last year he became the only freshman in Oklahoma State history to rush for 100 yards in six games. He averaged 5.8 yards

per carry.



5

Golden Hurricane

--RB D'Angelo Brewer is ninth on Tulsa's career rushing list with 2,400 yards on 465 carries, a 5.2-yard average. He rushed for

1,435 yards last season, when he missed more than two full games due to injuries. Included in his performance was a 252-yard

effort against Fresno State.



6

WASHINGTON AT RUTGERS

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Friday, 8 p.m. ET

SITE: High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.

TV: Fox Sports 1

SERIES: Washington leads 1-0, winning 48-13 last season in Seattle.

RANKINGS: Washington No. 8

KEYS TO THE GAME

Washington coach Chris Petersen is making repeated attempts to reduce the high expectations for his club.

That is a losing battle after the Huskies went 12-2 and reached the College Football Playoff last season.

The No. 8 Huskies begin their fourth season under Peterson on Friday when they visit Rutgers, and there is no getting away from

the hype, even when Petersen asserts the Huskies are a brand-new team.

Petersen insists the talented squad isn't reloading but is instead rebuilding.

"Because you start from scratch," Petersen said Monday. "This is not even kind of the same team it was last year. The program is

similar in the things we believe in. But this is a new team, so we rebuild the team every year. We rebuild a new team every week,

because you're different week-to-week.

"You win, it feels different. You lose, it feels different. And so there's a different mindset and psychology with that. So we don't

reload, we rebuild week-to-week. People can say whatever they want to say, but I know what our mindset is, and I know what I want

it to be."

The Huskies will be without one of their stars against the Scarlet Knights, who lost their final nine outings while finishing 2-10 last

season.

Washington senior All-Pac-12 linebacker Azeem Victor will miss the game against Rutgers due to a one-game suspension for a

violation of team rules.

"Guys make mistakes, nobody's perfect. It's a mistake," Petersen said. "The hard thing is, you're in the public eye, so it's tough.

Azeem's a good guy -- he is. But guys make mistakes, and we have team standards, and we live by them."

The player the Huskies count on the most is junior quarterback Jake Browning, who looks to build on a season in which he tied the

Pac-12 record of 43 touchdown passes and helped the Huskies roll up a school-record 585 points.

Browning underwent offseason surgery on his passing shoulder but has fully recovered.

But just as pleasing to Petersen is the growth Browning is displaying as a team leader.

"Jake is doing a great job (at) the most detailed, the most meticulous position," Petersen said. "He's done a great job -- he's able

to branch out from his own assignments and make sure he and the receivers are on the same page, and he's doing a great job

there."

Rutgers is breaking in a new quarterback in fifth-year senior Kyle Bolin, a graduate transfer from Louisville.

Bolin will be making his seventh career start. He has passed for 2,104 yards in 17 career games.

"We're excited to watch him go play and I'm really glad he's here," second-year coach Chris Ash told reporters. "He's created a

great competition at the quarterback position. I think he's elevated the play of others around him and just the leadership and the

ethic the kid has demonstrated and brought to our offense has been outstanding so far."

Seniors Robert Martin and Gus Edwards will share the ball-carrying duties. Martin has 1,822 career rushing yards and Edwards

(977) is a transfer from Miami.

Former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill is the Scarlet Knights' new offensive coordinator.

Perhaps even more exciting than Kill's presence will be the sight of receiver/return specialist Janarion Grant, who shares the

NCAA record of eight career return touchdowns (five kickoffs, three punts). He was granted a medical redshirt last season after

suffering a broken ankle early in the season.

Junior linebackers Trevor Morris (102 tackles) and Deonte Roberts (95) headline the Scarlet Knights' defense. Junior cornerback

Blessuan Austin (14 passes defended) leads the secondary, which allowed just 186.5 passing yards per game last season.

Rutgers couldn't stop Browning last season as he passed for 287 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-13 victory in the first

meeting between the schools. The Scarlet Knights aim to compete better this time.

"Washington (is) not going to determine the success or failures of our overall season," said Ash, "but to go out there in game one

and play them again and measure your football team, the improvement hopefully that you see, that's a motivating factor for

everybody."

Washington senior inside linebacker Kieshawn Bierria had a team-best 12 tackles in the trouncing of the Scarlet Knights, and he

will be the focal point of the defense with Victor home in Seattle.

Bierria led the nation with five fumble recoveries last season.

Junior defensive tackle Vita Vea is rising up the list of NFL talent evaluators and primed to build on his five-sack campaign of last

season.

Huskies sophomore free safety Taylor Rapp had a team-best four interceptions last season en route to being named Pac-12

Defensive Freshman of the Year and earning Freshman All-American honors.

Washington has its own standout returner in senior Dante Pettis, who has five career punt return touchdowns, one off the Pac-12

record held by California's DeSean Jackson.

In addition to Victor, Huskies sophomore cornerback Austin Joyner will also be missing after getting a two-game suspension for

violating team rules.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Huskies



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--QB Jake Browning, a junior, is healthy and ready to follow up a terrific campaign in which he passed for 3,430 yards and 43

touchdowns. He passed for 287 yards and three touchdowns in last season's romp over Rutgers. Coach Chris Petersen is seeing

further growth and a higher of level of maturity from Browning, who finished sixth in last season's Heisman Trophy balloting.

--WR Dante Pettis is now Washington's top target after standout John Ross departed early for the NFL. Pettis had 53 catches for

822 yards last season and his 15 receiving scores tied for third most in school history. The senior also is a gamebreaking punt

returner with five career touchdowns, one off the Pac-12 record held by California's DeSean Jackson.

--ILB Kieshawn Bierria, a senior, has a knack for creating havoc and making big plays. Bierria's five fumble recoveries in 2016

were the most in the nation and matched a school record. He and suspended Azeem Victor are considered one of the top linebacker

duos in the country and it will be Bierria's turn to grab the spotlight against Rutgers.

--DT Vita Vea, a junior, is one of the top defensive linemen in the country and was tabbed a second-team preseason All-American.

The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Vea clogs space in the line and emerged as a standout over the second half of last season. Vea recorded

five sacks and has deceptive athleticism for an interior lineman of his size.

Scarlet Knights

--QB Kyle Bolin didn't get a chance to play much at Louisville (17 games) and now begins a graduate year at Rutgers as a starter.

Winning a three-man competition for the starting spot, Bolin was also voted in as one of the Rutgers captains for his only season in

Piscataway. "Kyle is really a grown man. He's mature. He's intelligent," said coach Kyle Ash. "You can tell he's been around a high-

level game of football. He's been well-coached, understands offense and concepts. He's a competitor, and he's just a good

teammate, too."

--WR/RET Janarion Grant has already tied the FBS record for return touchdowns with eight and also helps the offense in all areas.

He went down with a leg injury in the fourth game last season and is back for another shot at his senior year. He is first in school

history with 2,606 return yards and fourth in all-purpose yardage with 4,251. He's healthy but is being brought along slowly -- the

coaches often having to slow him down. But asked what he expects out of Grant, receivers coach Jafar Williams said, "Everything, I

hope. We're planning on him being the guy he was -- and even better than when he got hurt. He's been looking good on the field.

He's knocking off a little bit of rust and we've had to monitor his reps throughout camp a little bit to make sure we can get him to

game day."

--DE Kemoko Turay had 7.5 sacks and three blocked kicks in 2014 but has had only four sacks the past two seasons, with injuries

getting in the way. If he gets back to form, he will be Rutgers' best defensive player. "The goal I (set) was 13 (sacks), hopefully I'll go

past that," he said. "I'm the new Kemoko. So I'm not worried about the old Kemoko." But the new Kemoko has been slowed by injury

in camp and was somewhat questionable for the opener.

--RB Gus Edwards, a transfer from Miami, should handle much of the workload, along with holdover Robert Martin. Edwards had

977 yards at Miami, while Martin has run for 1,388 yards and led the Knights in rushing each of the past two seasons.



8

UTAH STATE AT WISCONSIN

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Friday, 9 p.m. ET

SITE: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

TV: ESPN

SERIES: Tied at 1-1, with Wisconsin defeating Utah State 16-14 in 2012.

RANKINGS: Wisconsin No. 9

KEYS TO THE GAME

Wisconsin's resiliency has been tested before the opening kickoff, as the team deals with season-ending injuries at linebacker.

Despite that challenge, the No. 9 Badgers boast strength on offense and veteran leadership in key positions as they prepare for

their season opener Friday at 9 p.m. ET against Utah State at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.

Badgers coach Paul Chryst announced last week that junior outside linebacker Zack Baun is sidelined for the year with a left foot

injury. Baun, a reserve expected to log significant playing time, joins senior inside linebacker and co-captain Jack Cichy, who tore

his right ACL on August 8.

Chryst said sophomore linebacker Tyler Johnson and freshman linebacker Christian Bell will need to grow and be ready to

contribute when called upon.

"(Johnson) has been impressive in the ways he's grown," Chryst said. "You feel bad for Zack, but I think it'll be interesting to see

how they (Johnson and Bell) continue to progress, which we need them to do."

The game marks a return to Camp Randall for the Aggies, who posted a solid effort in a 16-14 setback at Wisconsin during the

2012 season under coach Gary Andersen, who departed the program to lead the Badgers for two seasons. In 2015, Chryst replaced

Andersen, who is now the head coach at Oregon State.

Two Aggies who are likely to pose challenges for the Badgers are Utah State senior safety Dallin Leavitt and senior quarterback

Kent Myers.

Leavitt, a transfer from BYU, posted team highs with 57 tackles (32 solo, 25 assists) and three interceptions in eight games last

season.

Myers is versatile. Last season he completed 211 of 361 passes for 2,389 yards, with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He

also had 116 rushes for 448 yards and six TDs.

Chryst said he expects a strong performance from Utah State.

"I think they play with tremendous effort; their schemes challenge you," he said.

"Anytime you're looking at first games, there (are) a lot of the axioms -- it's turnovers and it's being efficient. There are a lot of

challenges to every football game, and it doesn't matter who you're playing."

Matt Wells, in his fifth season as Aggies head coach, was Utah State's offensive coordinator when the team played at Wisconsin

in 2012.

"Camp Randall Stadium is a tremendous atmosphere, so it will be a major test for our guys and one that we're looking forward to,"

Wells said.

Utah State will attempt to rebound from miserable performances on offense last season, as the team posted a 1-7 record in the

Mountain West Conference and a 3-9 overall mark.

Wells said one of the Aggies' priorities will be taking advantage of Badgers' miscues.

"I can't predict the situation, but are we going to be able to capitalize on a mistake by them, if they make it early?" Wells said. "If

we do, that will be a good sign."

Meanwhile, Wisconsin sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook seems poised for a productive season after splitting time last year

with then-senior Bart Houston.

Hornibrook completed 108 of 181 passes for 1,262 yards, with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. A 6-foot-4, 215-pounder,

Hornibrook participated in George Whitfield's QB camp in San Diego in the offseason, and he has been the undisputed starter since

the beginning of spring camp.

Wisconsin's passing game will have tantalizing targets, most notably senior wide receiver Jazz Peavy (43 catches for 635 yards

and five TDs last season) and senior tight end Troy Fumagalli (47 catches for 580 yards and two TDs).

The running game should, as usual, be powerful. Sophomore Bradrick Shaw averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season. He was

listed as a co-starter with Pitt transfer Chris James and true freshman Jonathan Taylor, who was excellent in camp.

Junior running back Taiwan Deal hopes to remain healthy after playing in only six games last season. He was hampered by ankle

injuries and underwent surgery in January.

Senior left tackle Michael Deiter and junior right guard Beau Benzschawel will anchor the offensive line. They have a wealth of

experience, starting all 14 games last season.

Stopping Wisconsin's run game is usually the top priority for opponents.

"(The Badgers) are a very physical bunch on both the offensive and defensive lines," Wells said. "We're going to have to match

that and we're going to have to be very physical and play with relentless pursuit on defense and put hats to the ball."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Badgers

--TE Troy Fumagalli, rated as one, if not the best, tight ends in the country, caught 47 passes for 580 yards last season. He should

improve on those numbers with the Wisconsin offense lacking experienced playmakers. Fumagalli has good hands, is a quality

blocker and is battle-tested.

--RB Jonathan Taylor, a true freshman and former four-star recruit, is strong and has breakaway speed that helped him shoot up

the depth chart to co-starter. He is 5-11, 214. "Some of the stuff was just crazy that he was doing," QB Alex Hornibrook said of

Taylor in camp. "There was I think three different instances where we were scrimmaging offense against defense, and I had to ask



9

somebody if we were playing live or it was thud because he wasn't getting tackled and he wasn't going to the ground. Every time it

was live, he just wouldn't go to the ground."

--S D'Cota Dixon enters his second year as a starter after logging four interceptions last season. He has the potential to be a

game-changer in the secondary, which is going against veteran Utah State QB Kent Myers.

Aggies



10

ALABAMA VS. FLORIDA STATE

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET

SITE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: ABC

SERIES: Alabama leads Florida State 2-1-1. Florida State won the last meeting 21-14 in 2007.

RANKINGS: Alabama No. 1, Florida State No. 3

KEYS TO THE GAME

After finishing last season against No. 2 Clemson in the national championship game, No. 1 Alabama kicks off 2017 by facing the

nation's third-ranked team, Florida State, in the Chick-fil-A Classic Saturday in Atlanta. Kickoff in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium is

8 p.m.

If Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban is correct, ABC's national television audience will be in for a treat.

"I think both of these teams are going to be well-prepared to play this game," Saban said. "I know our guys have done a really

good job in preparing for this game. We're pleased with the progress we've been able to make with a lot of players."

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher feels the same.

"Nick does as good a job as anybody, and does a great job preparing his team, and we know they'll be ready," he said. "But we're

ready to play, too."

Saban has urged his players to move on and put last year's last-second loss to Clemson last year behind them as they prepare for

2017.

"This is a completely different team," Saban said.

"The identity of this team is going to be created by what this team does, not what happened last year, not what happened on the

last play of the game. None of that is going to matter to how this team develops their identity and their ability to conquer adversity.

"With a lot of new faces, especially on defense, it will be interesting to see who those players respond to their new roles."

The Tide had seven players drafted off last season's defense, and those players combined for 162 career starts and 161.5 career

tackles for loss, including 79 sacks.

There are holdover defensive stars, including safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and defensive tackle Da'Ron Payne, and plenty of other

NFL timber. But it all has to fit together immediately against a Florida State team that has a dynamic quarterback in Deondre

Francois and a super running back tandem (even with Dalvin Cook off to the NFL) in Jacques Patrick and freshman Cam Akers.

Francois was the only freshman quarterback in the country to throw for over 3,000 yards last year, finishing his first year with

3,350 yards and 20 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for five touchdowns, most by an FSU quarterback in 13 years.

On the Florida State defense, safety Derwin James returns from missing almost all of last season because of injury. If Bama's

Fitzpatrick isn't the best defensive back in the country, FSU's James is.

"We knew who we're going against," said Bama quarterback Jalen Hurts, who struggled at times with his down-the-field passing

game. "They're going to bring it, and we have to bring it as well."

As usual, mistakes -- or lack of them -- will be a key.

"This game is going to come down to who can play with the most discipline and execute for 60 minutes. That's how a lot of first

games are," Saban said. "Who is going to make the most mental errors? Who is going to take care of the ball the best? This is

always the challenge in an opening game."

In addition to the current rankings -- no preseason No. 1 team has ever opened a season against an opponent ranked higher than

No. 4 -- the game also brings together two of the most successful programs in recent years.

Over the last seven years, Alabama has won four national titles and Florida State one. They are the only two teams to finish

ranked in the Top 25 in each of the last seven seasons, and they are 1-2 in wins -- Alabama with 86, Florida State with 78 -- over

that span.

The two coaches also have interesting ties. Fisher worked for seven seasons under Saban at LSU and was serving as Bobby

Bowden's offensive coordinator at Florida State when the teams last met in 2007 (LSU won 21-14 in Saban's first season at Bama).

Both also are from small towns in West Virginia. Born in Fairmont, Saban grew up in Monongah, Fisher in Clarksburg.

"I knew of him," Fisher said. "We had to drive through the town to get to my grandfather's house."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Crimson Tide

--QB Jalen Hurts struggled late last season in the downfield passing game, and now he has to take on arguably the best defensive

back duo in the country -- safety Derwin James and cornerback Tarvarus McFadden. Hurts rushed for nearly 1,000 yards, finishing

with 954, but passed for just 185 a game as a freshman last year.

--WR Calvin Ridley is a big-play guy in Alabama's passing game. He had 72 receptions for 769 yards and seven touchdowns as a

sophomore last year.

--DT Da'Ron Payne is the new leader of the defensive line after some departures to the NFL. He's 300-plus pounds, which helps

make him a powerful run-plugger, which will be needed against Florida State. He made 36 tackles last season.

--LB Shaun Dion Hamilton is a bit of a wildcard as he comes back from a torn ACL in the SEC title game victory over Florida. He

looked fine in fall camp and should be a leader after posting 64 tackles, including nine for loss last season.

Seminoles

--QB Deondre Francois returns with loads of hype around his sophomore season. He's already on the Davey O'Brien and Manning

Award watch lists, and his name will be tossed around as an early Heisman frontrunner if he shines in a win against No. 1 Alabama.

--RB Jacques Patrick has only 50 carries for 269 yards under his belt in three seasons as he assumes a leadership role in 2017.

Patrick is the team's returning leading running back with 350 yards and four touchdowns a season ago.



11

--LB Matthew Thomas was the biggest question mark during fall camp after his on-again, off-again attendance at practice. Florida

State head coach Jimbo Fisher said Thomas was sick, then hinted there were "other issues" keeping Thomas off the field. He was

last year's leading tackler with 77 stops.



12

WESTERN MICHIGAN AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Saturday, 5:15 p.m. ET

SITE: Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

TV: Pac-12 Network

SERIES: First meeting

RANKINGS: USC No. 4

KEYS TO THE GAME

USC's season of big hype begins against a team that captured the college football world's imagination last season.

The No. 4 Trojans open Saturday at home against Western Michigan, which started 13-0 last season, winning the Mid-American

Conference title game and advancing to the Cotton Bowl as the highest-ranked team from the Group of 5 conferences. The Broncos

lost 24-16 to Wisconsin.

Gone from that team is coach P.J. Fleck -- now at Minnesota -- although Western Michigan remains one of the favorites in the

MAC under new coach Tim Lester.

"I have been very impressed with Western Michigan's personnel," USC coach Clay Helton said.

"One, watching them play from last year, the confidence that they bring to the table. It's hard to win (13) games in a row and to see

what they did and how they accomplished that, it takes good players."

Helton mentioned linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Darius Phillips, both seniors. Spillane made 111 tackles last season.

Phillips picked off four passes and returned a kick and a punt for touchdowns.

"He is kind of that team's Adoree' Jackson," Helton said, referring to the USC's departed do-it-all All-American cornerback from

last season. "He's a very special player."

But when it comes to special players this matchup is mostly all about USC. That starts, of course, with redshirt sophomore

quarterback Sam Darnold, the preseason Heisman favorite, college football cover boy and projected No. 1 pick in the draft.

That's a lot on Darnold's plate, although Helton often praises his quarterback for being humble.

"You've got to hone in on what you're doing, every single day, to get better," Darnold said of his focus amid the anticipation of a

huge season. "I just want to start playing."

USC won its final nine games last season with Darnold at the helm.

"He's the best college quarterback I've seen at anticipating since Andrew Luck," Stanford coach David Shaw said in ESPN The

Magazine. "When you evaluate quarterbacks who can play at the next level, you're looking for guys who can see a play before it

happens and get the ball out of their hands quick. He's the best I've seen in years."

Darnold has a mostly young receiving corps, after losing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Darreus Rogers, but junior Deontay Burnett is

back to lead the way.

"In terms of the young receivers getting to know the playbook a lot better, we've grown a lot in that area," Darnold said. "We are

going to continue to learn, continue to get better, continue to develop that chemistry with them and continue to roll into the season,

and we are going to be ready come week one."

This will be the first pairing of USC against a current member of the Mid-American Conference.

Western Michigan loses standout quarterback Zach Terrell and wide receiver Corey Davis, the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft,

from last season.

Western Michigan's ground attack should shoulder much of the offensive duty in the opener. The Broncos return three running

backs -- Jarvion Franklin, Jamauri Bogan and Davon Tucker -- who combined to rush for 2,486 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2016.

Helton also mentioned the return of Western Michigan running back LeVante Bellamy, limited to three games last season due to

injury, but responsible for almost 500 yards in 2015.

"Getting Bellamy back, too, who's one of the fastest players on their team, we know that it is a big-time run threat," Helton said.

"You know they're going to try to take pressure off (quarterback Jon Wassink) with a very talented offensive line and three talented

backs."

Helton said each Broncos' running back brings something unique to the offense, with 225-pound Franklin a prototypical every-

down ball-carrier and either Bogan or Bellamy providing "scatback" options.

Lester credited the depth and diversity of the backfield, as well as that experienced offensive line, for somewhat easing the

learning curve on first-time starter Wassink. Terrell was a four-year starter who graduated with 12,100 yards passing and 96

touchdowns.

Lester knows the challenge WMU faces trying to move the ball on a talented USC defense that ranked No. 38 nationally in points

allowed.

"Their defense, the team speed is special," Lester said. "They fly around to the ball, they play with their hair on fire. It's going to be

a heck of a challenge."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Trojans

--LB Cameron Smith is a great run-stuffing middle linebacker, and that will be important this week against Western Michigan's

ground game, led by Jarvion Franklin (1,353 yards last season). "They're really good at running back," USC coach Clay Helton said.

"We have to be prepared to stop a talented running game." Smith made 83 tackles last season, including seven for loss.

--RB Ronald Jones II is 18th in USC history with 2,069 rushing yards, averaging a gaudy 6.27 per carry. The junior should play a

bigger role this season after mostly being in a time-share last season and if he manages a very doable 1,300-yard season, he would

jump to sixth on the Trojans' career charts.



13

--CB Jack Jones takes over for Adoree' Jackson at cornerback and it will be interesting to see how much the sophomore

contributes in the return game as well. There aren't many cornerback combinations more athletic than Jones and junior Iman

Marshall, who will be trying to disrupt passes from new Western Michigan starting quarterback Jon Wassink.

Broncos

--LT Chukwuma Okorafor is rated as the No. 45 pro prospect by NFLDraftScout.com, certainly capable of playing his way into the

first round. He and the rest of the Western Michigan line will be a significant test for USC's defensive front, which has to replace

2016 anchor Stevie Tu'ikolovatu at nose guard.



14

KENT STATE AT CLEMSON

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Saturday, noon ET

SITE: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, South Carolina

TV: ESPN

SERIES: First meeting.

RANKINGS: Clemson No. 5

KEYS TO THE GAME

As if the challenge weren't enough for Kent State, which opens the 2017 campaign by facing the defending national champion for

a second consecutive season, the Flashes will go into the game at Clemson without their head coach.

As game week preparations began, it was announced that Paul Haynes is taking a medical leave of absence that is expected to

last for two or three weeks. Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Don Treadwell will be in charge when the Flashes take

on the No. 5 Tigers in Clemson's Memorial Stadium. Kickoff time Saturday is noon ET with ESPN telecasting the action.

Treadwell is somewhat familiar with the role. In 2010 he served as interim coach at Michigan State for Mark Dantonio.

"One of the great things about all of the tremendous coaches I've been connected with, and coach Haynes is right up there at the

top with the rest of them, is that they have an opportunity to lay the foundation for the program," Treadwell said during the Mid-

American Conference coaches conference call. "We already have a direction. We already have a focus for each game."

It's a monumental task for the Flashes, who are coming off a 3-9 season and have had only once winning record since 2001. The

Tigers are 28-2 over the last two seasons, having lost to Alabama for the 2015 national title before winning it last year.

The Flashes are familiar with Alabama. They lost 48-0 to the Crimson Tide last September.

"Once again, we find ourselves heading into the lair of a defending national champ," Treadwell said.

The Tigers will be missing some key figures from last year's team, starting with quarterback Deshaun Watson. Also gone are its

top two receivers from 2016, first-round NFL draft pick Mike Williams and free-agent signee Artavis Scott.

But replacements are waiting their opportunity.

"Across the board, they give you everything that you could imagine you would expect to see from a national champ," Treadwell

said. "I mean there's simply not a weakness, they just simply retool."

Tigers coach Dabo Swinney named junior Kelly Bryant for Watson's spot.

"I just want to see Kelly Bryant do what he's already done on the practice field," Swinney said. "He's just got to translate it to game

day.

"Hopefully he won't miss a beat. He's been put in every situation and he's responded. He won the transformation phase. Now he's

got to win in prime time."

The receiving corps looks all set.

Hunter Renfrow, the former walk-on turned National Championship Game hero, is back for his junior season along with speedy

Deon Cain, who had nine touchdown receptions a year ago as a backup to Williams.

Add junior breakaway threat Ray-Ray McCloud to the mix along with freshman phenoms Amari Rodgers and Tee Higgins, and

one can see why Swinney is high on his latest group -- one that he calls his deepest yet.

"I think all nine of the scholarship guys we have will have a chance one day to play at the next level," Swinney said. "I really do.

They all have that type of ceiling and potential."

Swinney is looking forward to how they perform against what he considers the strength of the Kent State defense.

"This is one of the better secondaries we'll play all year, to be quite honest with you," Swinney said. "A couple of them are

probably going to play on Sundays.

"They're really, really confident and they play to their strengths -- a lot of man coverage. I expect them to pressure us a ton

especially with a new quarterback."

Sophomore defensive back Jamal Parker made three interceptions in his final two games last season and, prior to an injury-

riddled 2016, cornerback Demetrius Monday finished 7th in the FBS in total interceptions (6) in 2015 and scored a pair of defensive

TDs.

Among another new face for Clemson will be at running back, where C.J. Fuller, who has backed up Wayne Gallman (now with

the New York Giants) the past two seasons, will start. He rushed for 211 yards on 47 carries last year.

Overall, the Tigers lost 78 percent of their offensive production from the national championship team, but the defense should be

formidable with seven returning starters and will be charged with holding serve until the offense catches up.

Seven starters return from a defense that ranked eighth nationally in total defense in 2016, including defensive tackles Christian

Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence, both of whom are All-America candidates.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tigers

--QB Kelly Bryant gets his first start, charged with the unenviable task of replacing Deshaun Watson. Bryant flashed his running

ability during his two seasons as Watson's backup, but remains a largely unproven commodity in the passing game.

--WR Deon Cain is charged with replacing first-round draft pick Mike Williams, and he has shown he has the ability to do just that.

Cain has 14 touchdowns on just 72 receptions over his first two seasons, which means he scores roughly every five receptions.

--DT Christian Wilkins was a first-team All-American and a finalist for the Nagurski Award in 2016. He finished with 56 tackles with

13 of them for losses and broke up a team-high 10 passes.

--DT Dexter Lawrence combines with Wilkins to give the Tigers the best defensive tackle combination in the nation. As a freshman

last year, he recorded 78 tackles with seven of them sacks.

Golden Flashes



15

--QB Nick Holley is a threat as a runner after leading the team in rushing with 920 yards and rushing touchdowns with 10. He

completed less than half (72) of his 146 pass attempts for just 868 yards and four touchdowns.

--LB Jim Jones has come up big in some of Kent State's biggest games. He had nine tackles against MAC champ Western

Michigan and a career-high 11 against Northern Illinois to finish off his sophomore season.

--DB Jamal Parker finished his freshman season in a big way with three interceptions in his final two games. He also blocked a

field goal in a win at Central Michigan.



16

AKRON AT PENN STATE

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pa.

TV: ABC

SERIES: Penn State leads Akron 5-0. The Nittany Lions haven't allowed more than 16 points in each of the last three meetings.

RANKINGS: Penn State No. 6

KEYS TO THE GAME

No. 6 Penn State will begin the season hoping to pick up where it left off on offense.

The Nittany Lions averaged 45.6 points in their final seven games as they surprisingly surged to the Big Ten title. They even

scored 49 in the Rose Bowl against Southern California, before losing on a last-second field goal.

The main authors of that attack -- junior quarterback Trace McSorley and junior running back Saquon Barkley -- are back as Penn

State opens the 2017 season against Akron on Saturday at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.

"If you had to choose between Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley, I think most people are going to say they are going to try to

eliminate Saquon Barkley as much as they can and make Trace beat you," said Penn State coach James Franklin.

Whether Akron can stop either is the question.

Barkley set the school's sophomore rushing record with 1,496 yards last season. McSorley set school single-season records for

passing yards (3,614), passing touchdowns (29) and total offense (3,979).

"You have to talk about them first because they have the ball in their hands," Akron coach Terry Bowden said on Philly.com.

"If the best player on Penn State's team is the offensive guard, he may kill our defensive lineman. But when your quarterback and

your tailback are Heisman candidates, and the ball is going to be in their hands a lot, they can beat you themselves because of their

ability to make big plays.

"I think those two, because they're going to touch the ball, because they had great years last year, are the ones that worry you the

most."

Even with receiver Chris Godwin in the NFL, McSorley has ample targets, including sophomore wideout Juwan Johnson, who

emerged in the offseason and through camp. At 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds, Johnson has the size and speed to create mismatches in

an offense that loves to take shots down the field.

Wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton is versatile and dependable, just 18 catches shy of breaking the school career record of 179,

held by Deon Butler. Wideout Saeed Blacknall and tight end Mike Gesicki both made big plays last season. Gesicki led all Big Ten

players at his position with 48 catches for 679 yards and five touchdowns.

McSorley's ability to extend plays with his feet make them all more dangerous.

The Zips allowed 466.0 yards per game last season in a 5-7 season in which they flopped against their one Big Ten foe, losing 54-

10 at Wisconsin. Akron was picked to finish fourth in the MAC East this season in a vote of league coaches.

Injuries played a part in the losing record last season, but quarterback Tommy Woodson is back after offseason shoulder surgery.

Akron, which returns 17 starters, is also eager to see more of running back Warren Ball, a 2016 Ohio State graduate transfer who

was injured in the second game of last season and received a medical redshirt.

The Zips are led defensively by junior linebacker Ulysees Gilbert, who made 122 tackles last season, including 11.5 for loss and

four sacks.

As Franklin embarks on his fourth season at Penn State, the Nittany Lions return nine starters on offense and six on defense. The

coach said he's been through training camps that felt like a grind, but that wasn't the vibe around the Nittany Lions in August.

"I think more than anything, we've got a group of guys that decided they wanted to practice at a really, really high level every

single day and made sure that happened," Franklin said. "There wasn't a day where the coaches left the field angry and frustrated

and the players feeling like they could've gave more looking back at it after the fact."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nittany Lions

--C Connor McGovern started nine games at guard as a true freshman last season and now switches to center where he'll anchor

a line that's teeming with experience. McGovern played well last season as his sparkling recruiting resume suggested he would.

Now the 6-foot-5, 307-pounder will be responsible for making the calls up front.

--DE Shareef Miller has shown flashes that he can develop into a bonafide pass rusher and now he has a lot more opportunity.

While defensive line coach Sean Spencer likes to rotate a bunch of players, he'll likely give the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Miller a good

chunk.

--DE Torrence Brown, like Miller, has made the most of the reps he's gotten thus far. With Evan Schwan and Garrett Sickels gone,

Brown has a chance to star opposite Miller. He's got a big wingspan and added 10 pounds in the offseason.

--WR Juwan Johnson, according to receivers coach Josh Gattis, was performing at a level he probably hadn't seen from a receiver

in practice midway through camp. He's got the size and speed to create mismatches and could be a focal point for coordinator Joe

Moorhead down the field.

Zips

--RB Warren Ball, sixth-year senior, was ranked 22nd on Sports Illustrated's "Freaks List" in college football. Ball (6-1, 225) has

been clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40 and only has 3 percent body fat.



17

TEXAS-EL PASO AT OKLAHOMA

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Gaylord Family -- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma

TV: FOX

SERIES: Oklahoma leads UTEP 3-0, winning the last meeting 24-7 in El Paso in the 2012 season opener.

RANKINGS: Oklahoma No. 7

KEYS TO THE GAME

Lincoln Riley doesn't have a script for No. 7 Oklahoma's first few offensive plays of Saturday's season opener against UTEP.

"We just wing it," Riley said. "I'm serious, we don't even know what the first play call is until we get the huddle."

Riley's career to this point hasn't followed any kind of script so it's not surprising his play-calling philosophy would be any different.

The 33-year-old will make his head coaching debut this week after taking over for Bob Stoops, who retired suddenly in June after

18 years at the helm in Norman.

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield grew up around Bob Stoops and the Sooners, often making the trip from Austin, Texas, to

attend games in Norman as a boy.

So it'll be strange for Mayfield to play for another head coach.

But at the same time, he has been closer to no one on the coaching staff than he has been to Riley.

Mayfield beat out Trevor Knight for the starting job in 2015, Riley's first season as the Sooners' offensive coordinator and

quarterbacks coach.

Riley is thrust not only into a new role as a head coach but doing it at a program with sky-high expectations with Mayfield and the

entire offensive line returning intact from last year's Big 12 championship team.

"He knows why he's here and he's worked very hard and he's paid attention to the people around him," Mayfield said. "It's not just

his own experiences, but he's learned from (Mike) Leach, from Ruffin (McNeill) at ECU and from Coach Stoops. He watched all

those guys and took notes and paid attention to all of them. He hasn't changed at all and that's the best thing about him.

"You know you can build a relationship with him and he'll be there throughout every phase of your life."

Both teams have questions at running back, with the Sooners replacing Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, and the Miners replacing

the school's all-time leading rusher in Aaron Jones.

All three of those running backs left for the NFL with eligibility remaining.

Riley faced no questions about UTEP at his weekly press conference Monday, his only mention of the Miners coming in his

opening statement, where he praised UTEP coach Sean Kugler.

Riley mostly addressed his head coaching debut and the many questions surrounding his team, especially when it comes to

offensive skill position players and the defense, with an eye looking toward next week's monumental game at Ohio State.

Kugler, however, talked plenty about the Sooners at his meeting with the media.

"I'm realistic when it comes to this game," Kugler said. "I'm not a fool. We're 45-point underdogs. But I'm also realistic with what

type of team we have and I know these kids are going to go out and compete their tails off."

Coming off a 4-8 season and searching this year for just UTEP's second winning season since 2005, Kugler wants to see

progress that the Miners can take into the rest of their schedule.

But he's also not writing off the game, even if he knows the odds are long.

"We can't drop balls," Kugler said. "We can't turn the ball over, and we're going to have to steal possessions from these guys,

whether it's us running the ball efficiently and dragging out series and try to gain two possessions with possession time or gaining

the ball on defense with one, two or three turnovers and gaining possessions that way.

"If you give Oklahoma extra possessions, they're going to make you pay because they have the talent to do that."

While the Sooners didn't turn the ball over much last season -- just 17 times -- they also didn't force many.

No defensive back had more than two interceptions despite the defense breaking up 55 passes.

"That's a high, high point of emphasis," Sooners defensive end/linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo said.

The Sooners moved to a four-man defensive front this offseason to try to make it harder for quarterbacks to find much time in the

pocket. While UTEP might not match up in many spots with Oklahoma, they will provide a test in that area at least.

The Miners' top player is left guard Will Hernandez, a preseason All-American.

"Even with all the good teams that we're going to play this year, I don't know that we'll play an offensive lineman individually any

better than this guy," Riley said. "He's fantastic. He's got a bright future and looks like a guy that has a chance to play on Sundays

for a long time."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sooners

--DE/LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo was the Sooners' best pass-rusher a year ago, with nine of OU's 25 total sacks. Okoronkwo will

line up primarily as a defensive end this season after playing linebacker a year ago. One of Oklahoma's objectives will be to get to

UTEP QB Ryan Metz often and Okoronkwo figures to play a huge role in that.

--OGs Ben Powers, Cody Ford and Dru Samia all started at times last season, with Powers stepping in for Ford at LG after Ford's

season-ending injury against Ohio State. It's likely that all three will see similar action in the season opener, with Powers able to play

either side.

--DT Matt Romar should see plenty of time matched up with UTEP OG Will Hernandez, a preseason All-American according to

many publications. Romar has said he thought the Sooners' move to a four-man defensive front would help free him up more as a

playmaker.



18

--WR CeeDee Lamb is among the large group of freshmen expected to play for the Sooners in Saturday's opener. Lamb is not

only likely to see time on offense but is expected to be OU's punt returner in the game. Another receiver, Jeff Badet, is expected to

return kicks.

Miners

--QB Ryan Metz started seven games last season, completing 64.7 percent of his passes and throwing for 14 touchdowns, with

only four interceptions. Metz can move a little, too. He posted a career-long 42-yard dash against North Texas last season.



19

MICHIGAN VS. FLORIDA

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

TV: ABC

SERIES: Michigan leads 3-0. The Wolverines won the last meeting 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1, 2016.

RANKINGS: Michigan No. 11, Florida No. 17

KEYS TO THE GAME

If the game on the field is as entertaining as the mind games the two coaches are playing, fans watching Florida and Michigan are

in for a treat.

The teams meet Saturday in the Advocare Classic in Arlington, Texas. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium with ABC doing

the broadcast honors.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh refused to release his team's roster until Wednesday, declined to formally announce his

quarterback, and then went overboard by insinuating No. 17 Gators coach Jim McElwain was the one playing games by not

revealing his team's signal caller.

Michigan's Mason Cole hears all the chatter and just shrugs.

"We don't think anything of it," the senior said at a press conference. "We just go out and play. We don't really worry about the

rosters."

All the secrets will be unearthed during Saturday's game, but this much is known: The Wolverines lost a lot of stars off last

season's 10-3 squad while 10 Florida players will be serving suspensions.

Michigan had a school-record 11 players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft, meaning there are new faces in new roles all over the

field.

The Gators, who went 9-4 last season, have won 27 consecutive season openers -- the best streak in the nation -- but have

questions of their own.

McElwain released a depth chart Tuesday but it didn't provide an answer when it comes to the starting quarterback.

Redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks, junior Luke Del Rio and Malik Zaire -- a graduate transfer from Notre Dame -- are all still

candidates to open the game.

"The quarterback situation, we have a plan that's in place," McElwain told reporters. "I'm not going to tell you what it is, so there's

no reason to ask, but we're excited about that. We'll leave that for them to guess, as well."

Meanwhile, junior Wilton Speight appears to once again be Michigan's quarterback after waging a tight battle with senior John

O'Korn in fall camp. But Harbaugh isn't interested in revealing anything related to personnel.

"I have not heard Florida announce who their starting quarterback is going to be," Harbaugh said. "We'd love to have that

information, and so, no, we're not announcing our starting quarterback."

The one undisputed fact about the matchup is that standout junior receiver Antonio Callaway (54 receptions for 721 yards last

season) and junior running back Jordan Scarlett (889 yards) are among the Gators who will be serving suspensions on Saturday.

The suspensions for Scarlett and redshirt freshman receiver Rick Wells were announced Wednesday.

Sophomore Lamical Perine, who rushed for 421 yards last season, will move into the featured running back role.

Florida figures to once again be stingy on defense. The Gators allowed an average of 16.8 points last season and junior Jared

Zuniga (team-best five sacks) is back to deliver more damage.

Michigan's defense was ravaged by departures, creating more opportunity for ballyhooed defensive end Rashan Gary to live up to

the hype. The sophomore is a second-team preseason All-American despite being a reserve last season, when he had 27 tackles,

including five for loss.

Senior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (4.5 sacks last season) goes from stellar backup to the leader of the line, while senior

weak-side linebacker Mike McCray looks to follow up a campaign in which he registered 12.5 tackles for losses.

There are lots of new starters on the offensive side as well -- sophomore Chris Evans (614 yards) figures to be the starting running

back -- but Harbaugh maintains he isn't concerned.

The coach, beginning his third season with the Wolverines, feels the transition has been smooth and he sees the chemistry

developing.

"I like the way our team has worked," Harbaugh said.

"I've liked the way they've competed without complaint. That's been especially good. I like the way the team's hung together. I like

the communication where we are with our football team on the field, communicating calls, and I like their understanding of what

we're doing schematically. I like the way they worked."

Florida dealt with some offensive struggles last season after Del Rio (1,358 yards, eight touchdowns, eight interceptions) suffered

a season-ending shoulder injury. Del Rio underwent surgeries on both shoulders in the offseason and missed spring drills.

Though the Gators aren't tipping their hand per their starter, there has been a level of optimism due to how well the three

candidates have practiced in August.

"Once we get rolling, I think our offense will be great. Once we get it rolling, I think nobody will be able to stop us," sophomore

wide receiver Josh Hammond told reporters. "If we get it going early against a great team, it'll definitely boost a lot of confidence for

us moving forward."

Callaway, Scarlett and Wells are among nine Florida players who are serving indefinite suspensions for misusing university funds.

The others are defensive linemen Keivonnis Davis (a junior), Richerd Desir-Jones (sophomore) and Jordan Smith (redshirt

freshman), freshman linebackers James Houston and Ventrell Miller and freshman offensive lineman Kadeem Telfort.

In addition, freshman receiver James Robinson was suspended after being cited with misdemeanor marijuana possession.

PLAYERS TO WATCH



20

Wolverines

--QB Wilton Speight, a junior, is in line to make his 13th career start after a fine 2016 season in which he was voted the team's

Most Improved Player. Speight passed for 2,538 yards and 18 touchdowns against seven interceptions last season but he will be

observed to see how he meshes with the new receiving targets

--RB Chris Evans, a sophomore, will get the first crack at developing into the lead ball carrier. He flashed big-time potential by

rushing for 614 yards last season, including outings of 153 and 112 yards. Evans averaged an impressive 7.0 yards per carry last

season.

--DE Rashan Gary, a sophomore, is expected to break out in a major way this fall. His potential helped him be named a second-

team preseason All-American and the opportunity to make a major impact is there after Michigan was heavily hit by departures on

the defensive line. Gary had 27 tackles as a freshman, including five for losses.

--LB Mike McCray, a senior, is one of the leaders of the defense and he is looking to follow up his strong junior campaign. McCray

recorded 76 tackles last season with 12.5 going for losses (including 4.5 sacks). Not only does he spend time in the opponents'

backfield, he can drop back and play the pass as he had two interceptions last season, returning one for a touchdown.

Gators

--WR Dre Massey is back to 100 percent after suffering a torn ACL in UF's season opener against UMass and missing the rest of

the 2016 season. With WR Antonio Callaway suspended for the Michigan game, the Gators will be counting on Massey and other

receivers to step up in his absence.

--LB Jeremiah Moon has had an excellent camp and could play an important factor defensively against Michigan. At 6-foot-6 and

230 pounds, the redshirt freshman has displayed freakish athletic ability that's drawn comparisons to former Gator and NFL

standout Jevon Kearse.



21

GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT AUBURN

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama

TV: SEC Network

SERIES: Auburn leads 1-0. The Tigers won the 1991 season opener 32-17.

RANKINGS: Auburn No. 12

KEYS TO THE GAME

New quarterback Jarrett Stidham and the 12th-ranked Auburn Tigers open a season with high expectations Saturday, when an

extremely young, but always tricky Georgia Southern squad visits Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

Coming off last year's 8-5 season, the Tigers are expected to contend with Alabama and LSU in the SEC West and are viewed by

many as a second-tier playoff contender.

A lot of that will depend on the development of Stidham, a heralded sophomore transfer from Baylor, who is coming back from an

ankle injury suffered in November that cut his freshman season short.

"He's still inexperienced," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "So we've got to keep that in mind, but we're very excited for him. I

know our team is 100 percent behind him and ready for him to lead us out."

Stidham will orchestrate the Tigers' attack under the direction of new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey. Auburn returns eight

starters on offense, including star junior running back Kamryn Pettway, backed by dangerous Kerryon Johnson. The offensive line is

bolstered by senior right guard Braden Smith, a preseason All-SEC first-team selection.

"Everybody is ready," Stidham said. "We've been going against each other all the way back to spring ball. We're excited to get out

there against another team and see what we can do."

The outlook for Georgia Southern is not as optimistic, but that doesn't deter second-year coach Tyson Summers. His Eagles are

one of the youngest teams in the country with only eight seniors, fewest of any of the 130 FBS teams. Sun Belt Conference coaches

picked the Eagles to finish seventh in the 12-team league.

"We've had an excellent four or five weeks of camp. Really excited for our football team and what they've been able to do and

prove at this time," Summers said. "Really excited about the opportunity that we've got this week, and that's what we view it as, an

opportunity to be able to go and do something great."

Redshirt freshman Shai Werts has earned the nod to start at quarterback for Georgia Southern and will debut against an Auburn

defense that surrendered only 17.1 points per game last season.

Werts will try to provide a spark to an offense that took a step back last season. The Eagles, long known for a potent option attack,

averaged just 224 yards on the ground last season, a seven-year low for the Eagles

"I think that Shai is going to approach this game like he would like any other one," Summers said. "It's his first game. I'm sure at

times he'll have some nerves about him.

"He's going to be real excited, I know that. I think he's done a great job of leading our football team for the last five and six weeks.

I'm really excited about his opportunity to be able to go and play against a really good defense to start with."

Junior running back Wesley Fields is the Eagles' leading returning rusher. Fields finished with 512 yards last year.

Auburn is heavily favored, but needs to avoid looking ahead to a Week 2 showdown at defending national champion Clemson.

Auburn opened last season with a 19-13 loss to Clemson.

The Tigers also stumbled against Texas A&M early last season before running off seven straight wins to earn a trip to the Sugar

Bowl, where they dropped a 35-19 decision to Oklahoma.

Pettway rushed for 1,240 yards last season, despite not seeing the field in four games. The Tigers lost three of the games that he

didn't play.

Stidham, in his freshman season at Baylor, completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 1,265 yards with 12 touchdowns and two

interceptions. He will be working with a young receiving corps in his first season with Auburn. Sophomore wide receiver Darius

Slayton is the Tigers' leading returning receiver with just 15 receptions.

"They've grown up a bunch," Stidham said of his young receivers.

"Chemistry wise, it's completely different, with spring ball then the summer, and obviously fall camp. Chemistry has been a big

deal to us and so we've gotten that settled down. I think they're ready to go. They work extremely hard every single day. They make

my job a lot easier. I'm excited to throw them the ball.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tigers

--RB Kamryn Pettway played in only 10 games but still rushed for 1,248 yards last year, a 124.8 average that was the best in the

SEC. He had seven 100-yard rushing games and was the first Auburn back since Bo Jackson in 1985 to post four consecutive 150-

yard rushing games. All that came after he spent the 2015 season rotating at fullback and went without a carry.

--WR Eli Stove has big-play capability and could be a big contributor with QB Jarrett Stidham gaining the starting role with the

Tigers. Stove had a 78-yard touchdown run on a sweep on the first play of Auburn's 56-3 rout of Arkansas last year. He finished the

season with 23 receptions for 224 yards, the sixth-most catches by an Auburn freshman.

--DE Marlon Davidson became the first true freshman to start for Auburn's defensive line in the last 30 years when he started the

2016 opener. He finished with 38 tackles, among them 2.5 sacks.

--FS Tray Matthews returns as Auburn's leading tackler in 2016. He had 76 stops with 43 of them solo stop. He was credited with

one tackle for loss and also had an interception. He has four interceptions in his career with one coming in his time at Georgia.

Eagles



22

--QB Shai Werts will become just the third freshman (redshirt or true) to start a season opener for Georgia Southern and the first

since 1991. Werts redshirted last season.

--RB Wesley Fields has rushed for 1,174 yards and 10 touchdown in two seasons, with another 282 yards and four scores on 15

catches. He rushed for 682 yards as a freshman in 2015 to earn a spot on the Sun Belt Newcomer team and was the offensive MVP

in the GoDaddy Bowl.

--LB Chis De La Rosa is back after missing the last five games of 2016 to an injury. He had 33 tackles in eight games with 3.5 for

losses.



23

BRIGHAM YOUNG VS. LSU

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, New Orleans, Louisiana

TV: ESPN

SERIES: First meeting.

RANKINGS: LSU No. 13

KEYS TO THE GAME

LSU was thrown a curveball less than a week before its season opener, but that's not unfamiliar to the Tigers.

Saturday's season opener against BYU, billed as the Advocare Texas Kickoff, was moved from Houston to the Mercedes-Benz

Superdome in New Orleans because of the historic rains and flooding in East Texas resulting from Hurricane Harvey. Kickoff time is

9:30 ET with ESPN doing the telecast honors.

The move means the game will be played a mere 80 miles from the LSU campus instead of 270 miles. It is the third consecutive

season that at least one Tigers game has been impacted by weather.

The game against Florida last season was moved from Gainesville to Baton Rouge because of Hurricane Matthew.

LSU's opener against McNeese State two years ago was canceled after two possessions because of persistent heavy rain and

lightning around Tiger Stadium. Later that season, the game against South Carolina was moved from Columbia to Baton Rouge

because of severe flooding in South Carolina resulting from Hurricane Joaquin.

Tigers coach Ed Orgeron -- who was an LSU assistant for the McNeese State and South Carolina games and was interim head

coach for the Florida change -- said the move won't affect his team.

"We're trained," he said. "Our focus is going to be on BYU. These guys are well prepared for this. It will not be a distraction, I

promise you."

Of more concern likely is the status of running back Derrius Guice, which was still somewhat up in the air heading into Game

Week practices. Guice has returned to practice after missing several days. Orgeron hasn't confirmed Guice's ailment, but social

media posts from teammates suggested he had wisdom teeth removed.

"We expect to ease him into practice and we're going to see how this week goes," Orgeron said. "Do I think Derrius is going to

play? Yes. Am I 100 percent sure right now? No. Have to see how he practices this week."

Guice and new coordinator Matt Canada's offense will be a focus this week. Guice was last year's leading rusher with 1,428 yards

and is taking over for Leonard Fournette, whose 2016 season was cut to seven games because of injury.

LSU averaged 21 points per game during a 2-2 start that led to the firing of head coach Les Miles last season. After Orgeron

replaced Miles, the Tigers averaged 32 points, despite being shut out by Alabama, as they went 6-2.

"Since we took over, I think we're very good on offense, except for the Alabama game," Orgeron said. "I think our guys are going

to improve throughout the year. So if we can get that points per game average up, from last year, I would say we'll be a lot better."

Senior quarterback Danny Etling held off a challenge from freshman Myles Brennan, but that doesn't guarantee anything from the

passing game. Etling was just adequate last season, although LSU hopes offseason back surgery will make a healthier Etling a

more proficient playmaker.

The Tigers look to have an advantage against BYU's running game. The Cougars' offensive line struggled in a 20-6 victory over

Portland State last week and it will have to perform much better this week. The Cougars rushed for 171 yards, and quarterback

Tanner Mangum completed 16 of 27 passes for only 194 yards and a touchdown.

"Watching the film, we saw a lot of what we expected, but also more positive things," BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. "I think we

thought 'doom and gloom' after the game, but we saw a lot of good things with just a few mistakes that could have changed the

whole game.

"Whether it was penalties, missed assignments or mental breakdowns, they can all be fixed. We had a good practice today and

good lift this morning, so we are going to focus on getting better and making sure those things don't show up this Saturday."

Sitake's attention is not just on the game, however.

"The main concern for our team is the people in Houston," he said. "All you have to do is see all things happening there, so our

concern is to hope that everyone is safe and that things can get taken care of down there.

"We are not really worried about the football game -- people come first. A lot of our players and myself have friends and family in

that area, so that is our main concern."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cougars

--QB Taylor Mangum is looking to bounce back after a so-so start in the win over Portland State. He is a better passer than what

he showed in the opener. The junior has 27 career touchdown passes and has thrown for 3,812 yards.

--WR Jonah Trinnaman hopes to step in the second game. He had 28 receptions for 321 yards and a touchdown last year but had

only one reception for just 12 yards in the opener.

--DE Sione Takitaki redshirted last year after playing in six games as a sophomore in 2015. He celebrated his return in a big way

with seven tackles overall, including a career-high three, in the opener.

--LB Fred Warner picked up where he left off in 2016 when he finished the year as BYU's leading tackler. He was credited with 10

tackles against Portland State.

Tigers

--WR DJ Chark is LSU's top returning receiver after finishing last season with 26 receptions for 466 yards. His five touchdowns

were third on the team and led all wide receivers.



24

--WR Russell Gage has earned his first career start and his ability to contribute will be a key in the passing game. The Cougars

likely will be focused on Chark, the Tigers' lone proven receiver, and Gage will have opportunities to make plays and eventually

divert some defensive attention away from Chark.

--NT Greg Gilmore will be matched against BYU C Tejan Koroma, whom Orgeron said is the Cougars' best offensive lineman. If

Gilmore can hold his own against Koroma, LSU will have a good chance of containing BYU's run game.



25

APPALACHIAN STATE AT GEORGIA

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia

TV: ESPN

SERIES: Georgia leads 1-0, with the Bulldogs winning 45-6 in 2013.

RANKINGS: Georgia No. 15

KEYS TO THE GAME

Georgia coach Kirby Smart remembers well when Appalachian State knocked off Michigan in Ann Arbor 10 years ago in a game

that changed the way opponents think of the Mountaineers, who will serve as the Bulldogs' opening opponent Saturday.

The two teams kick it off at Sanford Stadium in Athens at 6:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.

"I remember the game," Smart said. "I remember the blocked kick. No. 1, it helped them recruit probably a little bit more, I would

not say nationally, but even more than just regionally.

"They were able to go out and get players from Florida because of that game. It gave them great exposure. There were a lot of

great players in that game for App State, just like this team here has."

Smart says his 15th-ranked Bulldogs -- 8-5 in 2016 - could suffer the same fate as the Wolverines if they're not prepared for the

unranked Mountaineers, who now are FBS members playing in the Sun Belt Conference.

"Those guys -- this is the opportunity of a lifetime for them," Smart said. "You have to understand that their want and desire cannot

be more than your want and desire.

"That is really what this game comes down is -- who can get off the block and who can block, and they do those things well."

The Bulldogs and Mountaineers each enter the season with high hopes.

Georgia was picked by the media attending SEC Media Days to win the East Division, and Appalachian State was the choice of

the league coaches and select media to win the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers went 10-3 last season, capped by a 31-28 victory over

Toledo in the Camilla Bowl.

Running the table this season is not an unreasonable expectation -- except for this opener against the Bulldogs.

"That's going to be a tremendous challenge," Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield said. "You look at their defensive line.

Their shortest guy is 6-foot-4 and one of their outside linebackers (Lorenzo Carter) is 6-foot-6.

"I'm also very impressed with their two linebackers who are usually in the box. No. 3 (Roquan Smith) and No. 6 (Natrez Patrick),

those guys are awesome football players, they make a lot of tackles for them."

Georgia's offense also has Satterfield's attention.

Not only are running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel back for their senior years with 5,835 career rushing yards between

them, but former five-star quarterback Jacob Eason figures to be much improved in his sophomore year after starting 12 games last

season as a true freshman, when he completed just 55.1 percent of his passes.

"Having that kind of running games takes pressure off the quarterback, even though he's not a freshman anymore, he's a

sophomore," Satterfield said. "With the offensive line with another year under their belt and those backs ... they're going to be very

solid on defense so they can just run the football and control the game that way."

The Mountaineers have some weapons of their own.

Fourth-year starting quarterback Taylor Lamb is a Georgia native, whose father (Bobby Lamb) coaches FCS Mercer and

grandfather (Ray Lamb) was an ultra-successful high school coach who later served on the staff at Georgia as a high school liaison.

But it's what Taylor Lamb has done on the field for the Mountaineers that commands the most attention; he passed for 2,281

yards and 15 touchdowns last season and also rushed for 505 yards and nine scores.

The Bulldogs will also have to deal with junior running back Jalin Moore, who is back after rushing for 1,402 yards as a

sophomore, when he was named the Sun Belt Conference's offensive player of the year despite sharing the workload with then-

senior Marcus Cox, the school's career rushing leader.

Smart is hoping this season to see a more aggressive Georgia defense -- one with more "demeanor and attitude," he said -- likely

led by Smith and defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, members of the coaches' preseason All-SEC team.

But things might not come easy against Appalachian State, which took Tennessee into overtime last season before losing 20-13.

"We are executing everything we have done in the past to make sure we have every situation that could come up covered," Smart

said. "As you well know, sometimes the unexpected can happen, so the biggest thing for us is being prepared for that."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bulldogs

--QB Jacob Eason didn't have a gaudy completion percentage (55.1) but he did exhibit leadership qualities as a freshman. After

taking over as the starter in the second game of the season, he led the Bulldogs to a 7-5 record and led the Bulldogs to four

comeback wins for the season, including the bowl win over TCU.

--WR Mecole Hardman is coming over from defense, but there's a reason coach Kirby Smart decided to move him to offense. He

makes things happen with the ball in his hands. Hardman's speed gives Georgia a deep threat it lacked for most of last year.

--LB Roquan Smith led Georgia in tackles last year with 95 and is positioned to have another outstanding year. Not only is the

junior a classic run-stuffer, but he's got the speed to play the perimeter while chasing down backs like Appalachian State's Jalin

Moore (1,402 yards in 2016).

--S Dominick Sanders wasn't a big-time recruit when he signed out of Tucker High, but in three years he's accumulated 12

interceptions, which is just four shy of the Georgia record set by former Miami Dolphin and NFL Hall of Famer Jake Scott (16).

Mountaineers



26

--QB Taylor Lamb is a legitimate all-conference candidate in the Sun Belt and has started since his freshman year in 2014. He

completed just over 60 percent of his pass attempts last year.

--RB Jalin Moore had to share carries with Marcus Cox, the school's all-time leading rusher, and still managed to rush for 1,402

yards, a Sun Belt best, as Cox had injury issues his final year. He will serve as half a one-two punch with Terrence Upshaw, who is

back after clearing up academics last season.

--DT Tee Sims started six of his 13 appearances and was a force in making negative plays. He led the Mountaineers in tackles for

loss (12) and sacks (7). He also broke up a couple of passes.



27

LOUISVILLE AT PURDUE

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

TV: FOX

SERIES: Tied 0-0-1. The only meeting resulted in a 22-22 tie in 1987.

RANKINGS: Louisville No. 16

KEYS TO THE GAME

All Lamar Jackson did was win the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore last year.

So what is the Louisville quarterback looking to do for an encore after passing for 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns and running

wild in 2016?

"He is better at everything," Petrino said as the Cardinals put the final touches on preparations for Saturday's season opener

against Purdue in Indianapolis. Fox will carry the game from Lucas Oil Stadium starting at 7:30 ET.

"He trusts what he sees," Petrino said. "He really understands what we want to do. He has done a good job with his sets, his

transfers and his footwork. His feel for the game is better. He trusts his knowledge. He has had good scrimmages, and his decisions

are quicker and better."

Purdue coach Jeff Brohm, a Petrino protege, will have to try to find a way to contain Jackson, who also rushed for 1,527 yards and

21 touchdowns.

"Whether we can contain him at the line of scrimmage is really going to decide whether we have a chance to win or not," said

Brohm, who was a Louisville quarterback and then an assistant coach with the Cardinals from 2003-2008.

"Lamar is an unbelievable talent, a guy that can change the outcome of a game in one play. He has gotten better as a

quarterback, but where he really is a danger is with his feet."

Brohm, who took the Purdue job in December after compiling a 30-10 record in three seasons at Western Kentucky, may have to

wait until kickoff to determine if his quarterback, David Blough, can lead the Boilermaker offense.

Blough, the reigning Big Ten passing leader, suffered a strained right shoulder during an August 12 scrimmage. He returned to

practice Sunday. Brohm and his coaching staff will evaluate Blough's ability to pass without pain before making a decision.

If Blough is not ready, sophomore Elijah Sindelar, who completed 14 of 32 passes for 165 yards and three interceptions in limited

2016 action, will be the Purdue starter. Blough last season completed 295 of 517 passes for 3,352 yards, with 25 touchdowns and

21 interceptions.

"David was having a great camp," Brohm said. "Unfortunately, David missed two weeks after the injury, but he looked good

Sunday. In the meantime, Elijah has practiced well. We feel very good about both guys."

While Blough hated missing two weeks of fall camp, he understood the reasons to hold him out of practices.

"That's why you have to be cautious with it," Blough said. "It sucks. It's very unfortunate, especially at this time of year, but better

now than Week 3 or 4. ... We do have a little bit of time, and that's the encouraging thing.

"At first, we thought it was a serious thing and that it could threaten something. But I started rehabbing and getting back and trying

to get some range of motion back. You get a little bit more encouraged. You get good MRI results, and your spirits are lifted. It

changes the whole mindset of a potentially season-ending injury to just a couple of weeks."

Petrino said he is thrilled that Brohm landed a Power 5 conference coaching position and is confident his former assistant will turn

around a Purdue program that went 9-39 the past four seasons with only three victories in Big Ten conference play.

"I am excited for Jeff," Petrino said. "But he is the enemy now. When I went to Western Kentucky, Jeff and I talked and he said

that he was ready to be a head coach. I knew then he had the desire to work nights, recruit and do all the things it takes to win."

While Brohm's debut is an intriguing storyline, the real spotlight will be on Jackson.

"We need to give him different looks," Brohm said. "You have to make sure you don't rush past the quarterback in a passing

situation. ... Your eyes always have to be on him. And while you want to take away the dive some, you've got to make sure that that

quarterback cannot run wild."

This will be only the second meeting between Louisville and Purdue. The Cardinals and Boilermakers played to a 22-22 tie on

Sept. 19, 1987, in the Boilermakers' Ross-Ade Stadium.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Boilermakers

--QB Jared Sparks won't start -- that role will go to either David Blough or Elijah Sindelar. But Sparks will be the change-of-pace

option for the Boilermakers in 2017, and could see extended action in the opener as an effort to keep the Cardinals off balance.

--RB Markell Jones comes into his junior season with 17 career starts but faces stiff competition for playing time in 2017. He

rushed for 616 yards last year.

--DE Danny Ezechukwu is listed on the defensive line, but the position is effectively a DE/LB hybrid. It's an effort to make sure that

the most talented Boilermakers get on the field together while hiding some areas where the cupboard wasn't exactly loaded when

Brohm arrived. Ezechukwu is a dynamic and aggressive tackler.

--LB Ja'Whaun Bentley was named the first three-time captain in Purdue football history for a reason. He's the defensive leader on

the field and in the locker room, and will be counted on to keep the Boilermakers sticking to the game plan -- and to their lanes --

against an opponent excellent at disrupting both.

Cardinals

--WR Jaylen Smith, a junior, is expected to have a breakout season as the featured player in the passing game. He finished third

in the nation last season in yards per reception at 22.2 yards. He was tied for the team lead with nine receptions of at least 20 yards.



28

--QB Lamar Jackson will, of course, have all eyes on him. There also will be plenty of reason to watch the record books. He

stands fifth in school history with 7,914 yards of total offense after setting a school record with 5,114 yards last season. Here's a fun

stat: Jackson owns 13 plays of 30 more yards, most among QBs in the nation.

--CB Jaire Alexander is one of the best cover men in the country, and he's good with the ball in his hands on punt returns. He

averaged 10.5 yards a return last season and scored on a 69-yard effort in the win over Florida State.



29

BETHUNE-COOKMAN AT MIAMI FL.

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

TV: RSN

SERIES: Miami leads the series 3-0. The Hurricanes won the last meeting 45-0 in 2015.

RANKINGS: Miami No. 18

KEYS TO THE GAME

Miami, in coach Mark Richt's second season at the school, nearly had all the pieces through the offseason.

The one big hole has been at quarterback.

Brad Kaaya's early departure to the NFL created uncertainly for the Hurricanes, who still have enough everywhere else to be

ranked No. 18 heading into their season-opener at home against FCS foe Bethune-Cookman at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami

Gardens, Fla. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. ET with RSN telecasting the game regionally.

All eyes figure to be on the replacement for Kaaya, who led Miami to a 9-4 record last season. The new guy is junior Malik Rosier,

who emerged from a four-way race in camp to be selected last week as the starter.

Rosier competed against sophomore Evan Shirreffs, freshman Cade Weldon, who enrolled early in the spring, and freshman

N'Kosi Perry, who made it a four-way competition when fall camp opened.

"He did stand out above the rest," coach Mark Richt said of Rosier. "It wasn't an unbelievable amount, but it was apparent that he

was having the best camp. Evan did extremely well. I felt like there was enough of a difference to feel comfortable that Malik is the

guy."

Rosier is the only one of the quartet with college playing experience, which includes one start -- at Duke two seasons ago when

Kaaya was sidelined due to a concussion. Rosier completed 20 of 29 passes for 272 yards, with two touchdowns and one

interception, in that 30-27 victory. That's the game that will be long remembered for the eight-lateral, 75-yard kickoff return on the

final play.

Rosier appeared briefly in six games last season, attempting four passes.

Rosier's camp consistency was a factor in his earning the starting role going into the opener, but his initial reaction was a slight dip

in his performance the next couple of days after the announcement.

"He was still practicing good," Richt said. "But up to that time he had been practicing great. So he had a day or two that was so-so.

Then Sunday night he lit it up. He couldn't have thrown it any better and he couldn't have made any better decisions that he was

making."

Bethune-Cookman did finish well last season, winning four in a row before dropping its finale to South Carolina State to finish 4-6.

Coach Terry Sims has Larry Brihm at quarterback. The senior started six games last season while missing almost three due to

injury.

Coaches in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference voted Brihm to its third-team preseason all-conference team.

"Larry has been doing all of the necessary things in the classroom and doing what he needs to do meeting-wise, staying late at

practice, he's coming early," Sims said in the Orlando Sentinel. "He's doing everything that he can with the receivers, the running

backs and jelling with the O-line.

"He's doing everything you want a leader to do on your football team."

Wide receiver Frank Brown, defensive lineman Kevin Thompson and defensive back Diquan Richardson were preseason first-

team All-MEAC selections.

Miami, picked to win the ACC Coastal Division in a vote of league media, has standouts throughout the lineup. That includes

running back Mark Walton, receiver Ahmmon Richards, defensive linemen Kendrick Norton and Chad Thomas, linebacker Shaquille

Quarterman and kicker Michael Badgley.

Richards, however, has been slowed by a hamstring injury and might sit out the opener.

Miami has good depth at receiver, including sophomore Lawrence Cager, who sat out last season due to injury. Freshmen Mike

Harley and Jeff Thomas are also worth watching.

Miami has won all three previous meetings against Bethune-Cookman, including a 45-0 decision in 2015.

"Playing Miami is always big for our guys because we do have so many from South Florida," Sims said in the Miami Herald.

"We're going to attack this thing like any other game. Some will say, 'Yeah, right,' but we have to."

The Hurricanes play at Arkansas State in the second game of the season before traveling to Florida State for a big ACC

showdown on Sept. 16.

"This is going to be a great year for us; I am really excited for it," said junior offensive lineman Tyree St. Louis. "A lot of

expectations come from last year with a new coach and new training staff, but now that we have a year under our belts we will be a

lot better.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hurricanes

--RB Mark Walton was given the starting job last year over Joe Yearby and responded by rushing for 1,179 yards and catching 27

passes for another 240 yards. The rushing total was the seventh best in program history. League coaches and media picked him for

third-team all-ACC honors.

--WR Lawrence Cager may assume a bigger role in the passing game in the opener. Sophomore WR Ahmmon Richards is

dealing with a hamstring problem and may not play. Cager sat out last season with a knee injury after getting one start as a

freshman in 2015. He had eight receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown for that season.

--DT Kendrick Norton is a beast in the defensive front with nearly a third of his 39 tackles, 12 in all, accounting for lost yardage. He

had 21 solo stops and two sacks.



30

--LB Shaquille Quarterman was one of three true freshmen to start at linebacker for Miami last year. He garnered numerous

conference and national honors on his way to finishing second on the team in tackles with 84 (43 solo). He had 3.5 sacks and a

team-best eight quarterback hurries and even scored a defensive touchdown on the return of a fumble recovery.

Wildcats

--QB Larry Brihm Jr. passed for just over 171 yards a game in eight appearances last season. He completed 57.1 percent of his

attempts but threw only four interceptions against 11 touchdown passes.

--RB Jamaruz Thompkins rushed for only 371 yards last year but that was enough for him to lead the team.

--LB Trenton Bridges led the team in sacks with three. He was second overall in tackles with 55 and also had an interception.



31

STONY BROOK AT SOUTH FLORIDA

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET

SITE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: ESPN3

SERIES: South Florida leads 1-0, winning 59-14 in 2010.

RANKINGS: South Florida No. 19

KEYS TO THE GAME

After improving to 16-5 in season-openers with the 42-22 victory at San Jose State last week, South Florida will go for its 20th win

in 21 home openers when the No. 19 Bulls host Stony Brook on Saturday.

Kickoff at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is set for 4 p.m. ET.

Coach Charlie Strong is hoping for a good turnout for his Bulls, who look to run their winning streak to seven games dating to late

last season.

"The thing we need is just the support," he said. "We need everybody to come out because we're 1-0 right now. We're the 19th-

ranked team in the country, and it's a special feeling to be ranked. With the home crowd and it being at home, it's a different feeling

for them."

Senior wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who is from nearby St. Petersburg, echoed the sentiment.

"We are excited to be back in Ray-Jay," he said. "We want to see all the fans come out and support us. There's nothing like

playing at home. We've got the big Jumbotron, you can see yourself, and you've got all your friends and family out.

"There's nothing better than that. Especially me being at home, 30 minutes away, it's always big for me."

The Bulls will be hoping to pick up where they left off after last week's outing in which they compiled 42 points and 526 yards of

total offense over the last 45 minutes after being shut out and held to just 22 yards in the first quarter at San Jose.

"Once we were able to get it going, then you saw a team play a lot better," Strong said. "Even on defense, we were able to play

well, but we did have some breakdowns.

"But everything can be corrected is what's really good. You always look for a big improvement from game 1 to game 2, which we

should have."

Running backs D'Ernest Johnson and Darius Tice had nice starts to their final collegiate season. Johnson rushed for 99 yards and

two touchdowns, one on a 50-yard run, and Tice for 94 and one score.

Quarterback Quinton Flowers missed on his only two pass attempts in the first quarter, but he finished the game completing 11 of

22 passes for 212 yards and two scores. He also rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown before exiting early in the fourth quarter.

Valdez-Scantling had six catches for 91 yards, with 50 coming on one long reception to set up a touchdown.

The Bulls will be in pretty much the same situation they were a week ago when they were big favorites against the Spartans.

Stony Brook is an FCS program coming off a 5-6 season and is 1-7 in previous meetings with FBS teams. The Seawolves lost to

Temple 38-0 in their only game against an FBS foe in 2016. This will be the first time they have faced a ranked FBS opponent.

"From a program perspective, you want to be playing these games," coach Chuck Priore said. "It's important for recruiting, and

obviously, from a financial part of it that's good. But it gives you an idea of where we are in the program."

The Seawolves have a junior quarterback with starting experience in Joe Carbone to run their multiple offense, and he will have

the leading receiver from last year, senior Ray Bolden (37 catches, 536 yards), to throw to. Running back Stacy Bedell ran for 698

yards to lead the team in that category last year.

"Joe's done a nice job," Priore said. "He had a good year last year. He obviously knows he has to get better, and in the offseason

and through spring ball and the preseason he has.

"Tyquell Fields will be his backup, and Tyquell will probably play in games. He's a special athlete who's learning the position."

Fields is a redshirt freshman.

The game will be the first of three home games in September for the Bulls. They will be at Connecticut Sept. 9 but return home for

a Friday night affair against Illinois on Sept. 15 and then have a Thursday night home game against Temple on Sept 21. They finish

the month at East Carolina on Sept. 30.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Seawolves

--QB Joe Carbone returns as the starter after passing for an average of just over 101 yards a game in 2016. If he isn't doing the

job, redshirt freshman Tyquell Fields could step in.

--WR Ray Bolden was the No. 1 receiver in 2016. He had 37 receptions for 536 yards and one touchdown.

--LB/DB Tyrice Beverette handled the "rover" spot in Stony Brook's scheme and led the team in tackles. He had 98 stops that

included a team-high 4.5 sacks.

--LB Shayne Lawless, the "buck" in the lineup, matched Beverette in tackles for loss with 9.0 among his 78 tackles.

Bulls

--RB Darius Tice didn't start last week but he is a nice complement to starter D'Ernest Johnson in the backfield. Tice ended up

rushing for 94 yards (second to Johnson's 99) and scored from a yard out in the third quarter to give the Bulls a comfortable 35-16

lead.

--WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling saw the first pass thrown his way bounce off his face mask but he made up for the miscue later.

He caught six of QB Quinton Flowers' 11 completions for 91 yards. Though he didn't have a touchdown catch, his 50-yard reception

in the third quarter helped set up a Bulls' touchdown.

--DT Deadrin Senat will be looking to make up for lost time after being ejected for spearing in the first quarter of the opener. He is

eligible to start the game.



32

CENTRAL ARKANSAS AT KANSAS STATE

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, Kansas

TV: ESPN3

SERIES: First meeting

RANKINGS: Kansas State No. 20

KEYS TO THE GAME

After receiving treatment during the offseason for throat cancer, Bill Snyder declared himself ready for what appears to be a

promising season with No. 20 Kansas State.

"I'm doing fine," said Snyder, 77, adding that he has not been overly concerned with his energy level, which for years has kept him

working extended hours.

"I don't get invested in thinking about that," Snyder added. "The hours are the same and what I do is the same, so I guess it is the

same."

Snyder enters his 26th season at the helm, his ninth since coming out of retirement in 2009.

He says he's ready to go when his Wildcats host Central Arkansas at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The Bears are ranked 15th in

the FCS, coming off a season in which they advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs.

"Age is what it is," Snyder said during the Big 12 coaches conference call. "But I am doing quite well. Our approach to the season

doesn't seem to be any different than it has been. My focus is on the program, our players and coaches, and our preparation."

Central Arkansas coach Steve Campbell knows facing a team like Kansas State will be tough, but he's looking forward to the

opportunity.

"We're anxiously awaiting this first game," he said. "We're looking forward to playing an outstanding football team.

"Kansas State is a very well-coached football team, as all Bill Snyder-coached teams are. They are outstanding on defense with

great team speed. Their quarterback is back. He's a dual-threat quarterback who can run and throw the football. He's definitely a

weapon for them."

Snyder's squad is loaded, with 18 starters returning, including quarterback Jesse Ertz. Last season, Ertz started all 13 games, as

he was one of just four players in the FBS to throw for 1,500 yards and rush for 1,000.

Being a second-year starter has been big for quarterbacks under Snyder. The last six times he returned his leading passer from

the previous season, the Wildcats won at least nine games -- including 11 victories in 1998 with Michael Bishop, in 2000 with

Jonathan Beasley, in 2002 and 2003 with Ell Roberson, and in 2012 with Collin Klein. In 2014, the Wildcats won nine games with

Jake Waters.

"Our offense has a lot to it," Ertz said.

"We have the quarterback run game, run game, pistol, shotgun, option. There are just so many things to learn. To be good at all

those things and to operate quickly and efficiently, experience is huge. To come back and know what you are seeing and facing in

game situations, you can't put a value on that."

The Wildcats return 44 letter-winners from last year's squad that went 9-4. Eight of the returning starters picked up All-Big 12

accolades in 2016, including Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year (defensive back D.J. Reed) and Big 12 Defensive Freshman

of the Year (defensive end Reggie Walker).

The defense has six starters returning, which includes three on the line and three in the secondary. The Wildcats must break in a

new set of starting linebackers, but players with experience are back and vying for the top spots.

Five players who made at least five starts along the offensive line are back, including a pair of 13-game starters at tackle in tackles

Dalton Risner and Scott Frantz.

Central Arkansas returns 18 starters from a squad that went 10-3, including an 8-1 mark in Southland Conference play. The Bears

bring back their entire offensive line, a senior starting quarterback in Hayden Hildebrand and their top running back in Carlos

Blackman.

"We've got a quarterback back who has started over 20 games," Campbell said.

"Hayden is going into his third year as a starting quarterback. He threw for 3,000 yards last year. He's an athletic guy who can do

some things with his feet. Along with Hayden, we have four of our offensive linemen back, so that gives us a little bit of stability."

K-State has a 82-34-5 (.698) record all-time in season openers, including a 22-3 mark under Snyder.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wildcats

--OT Dalton Risner, a third-year starter, was an All-Big 12 selection a year ago after moving to the right side from center. As a co-

captain, Risner is one of the Wildcats' most vocal leaders and will be key this season following the loss of C Reid Najvar.

--CB Duke Shelley is a junior capable of making big plays, but also capable of getting burned in coverage. He has occasionally

fallen out of favor with coaches, but his growth will be important if opponents refrain from throwing on the Wildcats' other corner, D.J.

Reed, an All-Big 12 pick.

--PK Matthew McCrane is an underrated senior, largely because injuries have occasionally kept him off the field. When healthy, he

is incredibly accurate, connecting on 90 percent of his career attempts (36 of 40). McCrane has not attempted a field goal of 50-plus

yards since 2014, his freshman season.

Bears

--QB Hayden Hildebrand is eight on the school's career list for passing yards (4,896). His 3,051 passing yards last season were

the sixth-best total in school history. He was selected preseason second-team All-Southland Conference.



33

MARYLAND AT TEXAS

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Darrell K Royal -- Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas

TV: Fox Sports 1

SERIES: Texas leads 3-0. The teams last met in the 1978 Sun Bowl, a 42-0 Longhorns' victory.

RANKINGS: Texas No. 23

KEYS TO THE GAME

Don't think for a minute that No. 23 Texas can afford to take Maryland lightly when the teams square off Saturday to open their

seasons at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

After all, it was the Terrapins, and not the Longhorns, who played in a bowl game last season.

Texas opens the 2017 campaign trying the wash away the taste of three consecutive losing seasons that resulted a second

coaching change in just four years and the hiring of Tom Herman from Houston in November.

The Longhorns have plenty of returning starters -- seven on offense and 10 on defense -- but will have to learn how to win again

and be the top-tier program that was once the standard at Texas.

"Relief and excitement are probably the two emotions I'm feeling now that game week is finally here," Herman said. "It's been a

long nine months. We've had a lot of things happen to us over the span of those nine months.

"I'm actually relieved a little bit to be back in the offensive meeting room, to be back in the staff room, to be preparing for an

opponent, to doing a lot less media things, and to get back to coaching football and preparing to win a game."

Texas' depth chart shows a bent toward youth, with just three seniors and nine underclassmen (eight sophomores and a redshirt

freshman) listed as starters.

Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele, who started all 12 games for the Longhorns last year and set team freshman records,

has re-captured the position and will have fellow underclassmen at all of the skill positions on offense.

"If we continue our energy that we have out on the practice field that we've been having, I think it's going to be a lot of fun this

year," Buechele said. "It's our first game and everybody's going to have a lot of energy. We expect everybody to be there and have

our back and we have their back. It's going to be a lot of fun to play in front of the fans and go play in our season opener."

Maryland ended up 6-7 last season and enters year 2 under coach DJ Durkin. The biggest question of the preseason was

answered Monday when Durkin named 5-foot-11 sophomore Tyrell Pigrome as his starter at quarterback after a four-player battle at

the position.

Pigrome saw action in 11 games last season, starting only once, passing for 322 yards and two touchdowns while adding 254

yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

"Piggy" showed flashes of his explosiveness as a freshman thrown into the fire last season -- scoring the game-winning

touchdown in the overtime win at UCF on his first play, and scoring on his first play against Penn State.

The knock on him became that he was one-dimensional and couldn't make plays downfield in the passing game to back defenses

off and give the Terrapin ground game room to flex its muscle. But now offensive coordinator Walt Bell, who recruited Pigrome out

of Pinson, Ala., has had a summer to scheme around Piggy's particular skill-set and work with him.

"Absolutely," said Durkin when pushed on whether Pigrome would throw downfield and have the full playbook at his disposal.

"He's the quarterback. The playbook is open and he's going to do whatever we need to do to win the game."

It won't matter much who's behind center if the Terrapins' offensive line doesn't block better. Maryland allowed a Big Ten-high 49

sacks last season, but it did well opening holes for Ty Johnson, who averaged 9.1 yards per carry last season in a sophomore

campaign in which he gained 1,004 yards. Running back Lorenzo Harrison had runs of 40, 44 and 62 yards last fall as a freshman,

when he averaged 7.2 yards per rush.

Defensively, the Terps return seven starters, with 57 career starts coming back to the linebacker corps that should be the unit's

strength. Senior middle linebacker Jermaine Carter anchors the defense after leading the team with 110 tackles in 2016.

Playing in defensive coordinator Andy Buh's exotic packages, Maryland averaged 2.9 sacks per game, led by defensive end

Jesse Aniebonam and his nine sacks.

"Our players have a great understanding of the tradition, the level of talent on the roster at Texas, and so your focus tightens up a

little bit, you sharpen your focus," Durkin said.

"We're really focused on us getting better and improving every day and what we're doing. Playing Texas forces you to be a little bit

more on your game and know that you've got to be ready week one. There's no like easing into the season. It's ready to go."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

--Sophomore QB Shane Buechele started all 12 games a season ago, becoming the first true freshman QB in school history to do

so. He guided the Longhorns to five victories, tied with Bobby Layne (1944) for the most wins ever by a true freshman quarterback

at UT and became the first Texas quarterback (any class) to pass for 2,500 yards and 20 touchdowns since Colt McCoy did so in

2009.

--Junior RB Chris Warren III is eager to return to the field after suffering a season-ending injury last year against Oklahoma State.

Despite playing in just three-and-a-half games a season ago, Warren ran for 366 yards and three touchdowns on 62 total attempts.

As a freshman, Warren ran for 470 yards and four touchdowns, the bulk of his production coming in the season's final two games.

Against Texas Tech (2015), Warren rushed for a UT freshman-record 276 yards and four touchdowns. The following week he had

106 yards in a win at Baylor.

--Senior NT Poona Ford finished fourth among UT defenders with his 54 tackles a year ago despite playing on the interior

defensive line. He added 5.5 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two blocked extra

points. Ford is one of the Longhorns' strongest players and also one of its most athletic across the board, standing at 6-foot-0 and



34

305 pounds. He power-cleans 330 pounds, squats 600 pounds and bench presses 380 pounds, in addition to his 28-inch vertical

jump which is inside the top 20 pound-for-pound in the program.

--LB Malik Jefferson has come to work in 2017 after having what many would say was a disappointing season in 2016. Jefferson

is another Longhorn who had complete buy-in to the new coaching staff throughout the offseason, and has the numbers to back it

up in the weight room -- he power-cleans 330 pounds, squats 530 pounds and bench presses 430 pounds, all with a vertical jump of

36.5 inches.

Terrapins

--RB Ty Johnson put the big play in the offense last year. He had 10 plays of at least 40 yards, and he averaged a school record

9.1 yards per carry. The Terps need him or backup RB Lorenzo Harrison to have a big day to pull the upset.

--LT Damian Prince, and really the entire offensive line, have to establish the running game and have to protect sophomore QB

Tyrell Pigrome in hostile environs. Prince and fellow junior Derwin Gray are the tackles, junior Brendan Moore at center, and junior

Sean Christie at right guard, and blossoming sophomore Terrance Davis at left guard.



35

MONTANA STATE AT WASHINGTON STATE

GAME SNAPSHOT


SITE: Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington

TV: Fox Sports 1

SERIES: Washington State leads 8-0.

RANKINGS: Washington State No. 24

KEYS TO THE GAME

Mike Leach's 24th-ranked team has been in the same position entering the season the last two years -- an FCS team comes to

town that should be beaten but the Cougars wind up the victim.

Washington State rebounded from season-opening losses at home to Portland State in 2015 and Eastern Washington last year to

have memorable seasons under Leach. The Cougars went 9-4 in 2015 and 8-5 last year after going a combined 12-25 in Leach's

first three seasons.

On Saturday, another Big Sky team -- Montana State -- makes a visit to Pullman for the 2017 opener.

The good news for Washington State: Montana State is coming off a 4-7 season, so it is not on the same level as Eastern

Washington, a perennially ranked team in the FCS. The Cougars should not be caught off guard like they were especially two years

ago against Portland State.

Leach is still in search of his first season-opening victory at Washington State. He is 0-5 in those games.

"It's definitely a mental thing," fifth-year senior linebacker Peyton Pelluer said of the opening losses.

Leach, who is not known for hyperbole, has mentioned the Cougars do not have any glaring deficiencies entering this season.

That means his team is much more than All-American quarterback candidate Luke Falk, who returned for his senior season after

passing for 4,468 yards and 38 touchdowns last season.

"We have to be better everywhere, but I don't see one spot that we're terrible at," Leach said.

A victory over the Bobcats will get the Cougars back into the right frame of mind after losing three consecutive games to end last

season following an eight-game winning streak, including a 7-0 run in the Pac-12.

"We just didn't finish," said Falk, who finished second in the nation completing 70 percent of his passes last season.

"I think that we allowed things that are out of our control to affect us and I think we just started getting away from our game and not

really focusing on the thing that got us our eight-game win streak."

Falk's favorite receivers River Cracraft and Gabe Marks -- the only teammates in program history with at least 200 receptions --

have exhausted their eligibility but he still has plenty of receivers to target. The list includes All-Pac-12 candidate Tavares Martin Jr.,

Isaiah Johnson-Mack, Robert Lewis and Kyle Sweet.

This matchup doesn't appear to be overly dangerous for Washington State, as Montana State has 37 new players after 26

underclassmen left the program during the offseason. The school will collect a $400,000 paycheck to play the game at Martin

Stadium.

"It's nothing revolutionary. We've got to be calculated," Choate said Monday during his weekly news conference. "We're not going

to go light our hair on fire and run around Martin Stadium and beat Washington State. We're going to have to be very calculated in

our approach.

"This is a demanding, challenging opener, and we're going to be tested in a lot of ways. But the most important test that we have

to pass is our ability to continue to keep fighting and keep playing hard regardless of the circumstances."

Choate was part of Leach's initial staff at Washington State in 2012 as the linebackers coach. He left for UTEP the next season to

be the defensive coordinator but eventually wound up at Florida as the linebacker and special teams coach in 2013.

After two seasons as Washington's defensive line and special teams coach, Choate was hired as Montana State's head coach

before last season.

"(Choate) has been in high demand by the places he's gone," Leach said. "When I brought him here (from Boise State, where

Choate was an assistant for six years), it was because he was successful at a high level and brought in a lot of passion for

Washington State."

Choate indicated that Leach's program, which has 18 returning starters, does not resemble the team he helped coach five years

ago when the Cougars went 3-9.

"I think they have the best across-the-board talent in the six years Coach Leach has been there," Choate said. "I was there for his

first year. It's amazing to look back and see the progress of that program over that time.

"Top to bottom, you can see the development of these young men. Their offensive line is big and physical. It looks like a Pac-12

offensive line. I think there's a lot of really good talent on the offensive side of the ball. The numbers speak for themselves."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Cougars

--QB Luke Falk, a Heisman candidate entering his senior season, has started 28 games, including all 13 last year. He completed

443 of 633 passes last year for 4,468 yards, third-most in the country and third-most in Washington State single-season history. His

38 touchdown passes last year tied a school record and his 70 percent completion rate was the second-best in Washington State

history.

--LB Peyton Pelluer, a fifth-year senior, finished fourth in the Pac-12 last season with 93 tackles. He was third on team with 7.5

tackles for loss including one sack, and he recovered two fumbles and forced another. He has started his last 31 games going into

his freshman season.

--DE Hercules Mata'afa, a junior who was a second-team All-Pac-12 pick last season, finished fifth in the conference with 13.5

tackles for loss with a team-high five sacks. Washington State's defense is counting on him to ignite a better overall pass rush from

last season, when the Cougars tallied only 19 sacks.



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Bobcats

--QB Chris Murray beat out former Washington State quarterback Tyler Bruggman for the starting job midway through last season.

Murray emerged as the Big Sky Freshman of the Year with 1,638 total yards of offense. Bruggman transferred to Texas A&M,

leaving the job entirely to Murray, who will challenge Washington State with his athleticism. He had 12 rushing touchdowns last

season, but he passed for only six touchdowns with eight interceptions while competing 44.8 percent of his passes.



37

WEST VIRGINIA VS. VIRGINIA TECH

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Sunday, 7:30 p.m. ET

SITE: FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

TV: ABC

SERIES: West Virginia leads Virginia Tech 28-22-1, but the Hokies haves won nine of the last 12 meetings, including the most

recent, 34-17, in 2005.

RANKINGS: Virginia Tech No. 21, West Virginia No. 22

KEYS TO THE GAME

No. 21 Virginia Tech and No. 22 West Virginia both will be debuting new starters at quarterback in Sunday's season opener at

FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

Virginia Tech's Josh Jackson, a redshirt freshman, will make his collegiate debut on the big stage in an NFL stadium against one

of the Hokies' most hated rivals.

For West Virginia, quarterback Will Grier is ready to take the reins for the Mountaineers, his football past behind him and his new

team excited about the possibilities after his transfer from Florida.

Jackson earned the job outright early in camp and has spent the past few weeks playing exclusively with the first team.

"I'm very comfortable with the offense," he said. "I don't think we're going to dial anything back."

Grier is more than ready to make a name -- again -- following his transfer from Florida. He was 6-0 as a starter as a freshman

before testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, being suspended for a year, and then transferring.

"Will's as good as advertised," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. "I like the kid's demeanor. He's got complete control of

the huddle. He has a really good idea of what we want him to do offensively."

West Virginia went 10-3 last season, and its offensive backfield might be the strongest unit on the team. Senior Justin Crawford is

the starter at running back, with the sophomore tandem of Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway.

Crawford rushed for 1,203 yards last season. McKoy and Pettaway each posted a 100-yard game.

"We're going to run the football," Holgorsen said. "We've had a 1,000-yard rusher for the last five seasons, and we've got the Big

12's leading rusher returning. So we're going to run the ball, and Will understands that and understands the run game."

Virginia Tech will cycle through a stable of backs that includes junior Travon McMillian, who leads returning ACC running backs in

career yardage; sophomore Deshawn McClease, who is back after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury; junior Steven

Peoples and freshman Jalen Holston.

The Hokies, coming off a 10-4 season, are looking for young receivers to emerge around senior Cam Phillips. He has 165 career

catches for 2,063 yards, and is on pace to become the school career record-holder in receptions and receiving yards.

On defense, West Virginia has senior linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton (80 tackles last season), but is otherwise in rebuilding mode,

having to replace four of its top five tacklers.

Safety Dravon Askew-Henry is back from a 2016 ACL injury and should have a big impact on the secondary. Safety Kyzir White is

a hard-hitter for defensive coordinator Tony Gibson.

"We have more depth on the D-line than we've had since I've been here," Holgorsen said. "Those guys have continuously gotten

better. At corner, we're going to have options. We have four guys who we feel pretty good about. So we've got a lot of bodies, a lot

of competition. I think it's going to be fun to see those battles develop."

Virginia Tech has more identifiable stars on defensive coordinator Bud Foster's unit. Cornerback Brandon Facyson -- who is

expected to play despite being limited in the preseason as he recovers from wrist surgery -- and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds are

considered second-round prospects by NFLDraftScout.com.

The Hokies are expecting big things from Edmunds, who made 106 tackles last season, including 18.5 for loss. Linebacker

Andrew Motuapuaka, who had 114 tackles and three interceptions last season, is another standout.

Virginia Tech and West Virginia haven't met since 2005 and now play in different conferences, but this will feel like an old Big East

game in a rivalry renewed.

"Ultimately our approach to every game is the same in terms of it being about our preparation and our emotion and our

accountability to each other," said Hokies coach Justin Fuente. "But this is a little bit different in terms of I do think we need to take

an educational step just to kind of paint the picture of what it's like to play in a game like this that has been dormant for quite a

while."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hokies

--QB Josh Jackson, a redshirt freshman, earned the job outright early in camp and has spent the last few weeks getting

comfortable playing exclusively with the first-team offense.

--WR Cam Phillips is on pace to become the Hokies' career record-holder in receptions and receiving yards, and he will be an

asset, especially in the early going, for Jackson. Phillips provides experience to an otherwise callow group of receivers, so he should

see a heavy load of targets at the start of the season.

--LB Andrew Motuapuaka led the Hokies with 114 tackles last season, to go with three interceptions and two sacks. He is part of a

veteran linebacker unit that should help solidify a defense that also boasts a strong secondary but is looking to establish more depth

along the defensive front.

--CB Greg Stroman is one of the top cornerbacks in the ACC. He recorded a pass defense 42.4 percent of the time he was

targeted and led the conference by allowing only a 30.3 percent of the passes thrown his way to be completed.

Mountaineers



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--QB Will Grier has claimed the starting spot after transferring from Florida. He led the Gators to a 6-0 mark in 2015, throwing for

1,204 yards (65.8 completion percentage) and 10 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

--RB Justin Crawford was West Virginia's only player on the Big 12's preseason team and his production will be a huge part of the

Mountaineers' success this season. Crawford had an outstanding junior year, racking up 1,184 yards and four touchdowns while

averaging a sparkling 7.3 yards per carry. In 2016, he was the Big 12's Newcomer of the Year and was the league's Player of the

Week three times.

--LB Al-Rasheed Benton, a senior, is the top returning player (80 tackles) on a defense that lost four of its top five tacklers. Benton

always seems to be around the football and will make a ton of plays this season.



39

TENNESSEE AT GEORGIA TECH

GAME SNAPSHOT

KICKOFF: Monday, 8 p.m. ET

SITE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: ESPN

SERIES: Tennessee leads 24-17-2. Tennessee won the last meeting 29-15 in 1987.

RANKINGS: Tennessee No. 25

KEYS TO THE GAME

The stadium is brand new, but the rivalry between Georgia Tech and No. 25 Tennessee is decades old.

The two old Southeastern Conference members will meet on Labor Day in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, the second college

football game to be played in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.

Tennessee leads the all-time series 24-17-2 but the teams haven't played since 1987, when Tennessee won 29-15. The roots for

the series go way back. Former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Dodd -- after whom the Georgia Tech stadium is named -- played

quarterback for the Vols before joining the Yellow Jackets' staff.

"We're really excited to have the opportunity to display our program on a national level against a quality opponent," Georgia Tech

coach Paul Johnson said.

There are two main questions surrounding the Georgia Tech offense: Who will start at quarterback and how will the loss of leading

rusher Dedrick Mills affect the offense? The Yellow Jackets, 9-4 in 2016, will have a new player under center.

Three-year starter Justin Thomas graduated after leading the team to a pair of bowl victories. Thomas was the ideal man to run

the team's option attack and was adept and making the right call from the line of scrimmage. He was an effective passer and

durable player who missed only one game.

Johnson hasn't named a successor to Thomas and the mystery could last until kickoff.

There are four players in the mix, led by Matthew Jordan, a run-first quarterback who started one game last year when Thomas

was injured and led the team to a win at Virginia Tech.

Others in the picture include TaQuon Marshall, who took most of the snaps at No. 1 in the spring when Jordan missed time with a

foot injury that required surgery, as well as redshirt freshmen Lucas Johnson and Jay Jones.

"I feel real good about that position," Johnson said. "I think we've got four guys at that position that I could call a game for and

they're going to have the luxury of being surrounded by a bunch of guys that had experience and played a lot of football."

Johnson has also kept his cool in the wake of Mills, who led the team in rushing as a true freshman and was voted first-team

preseason All-ACC. Mills was dismissed from the team for violation athletic department regulations. He missed four games last

year, three of them for breaking team rules. He has since transferred to a junior college.

"You'd like to have the best player, but I'm not going to rush home and get in a closet and shoot myself," Johnson said. "We've got

guys that can play."

KirVonte Benson won the B-back job in camp and will make the start; he's smaller than Mills, but has game-breaking speed. True

freshman Jerry Howard, an early camp sensation, will likely be the No. 2 player there.

Tennessee has a decision to make at quarterback, too.

Someone must step in and replace Joshua Dobbs, who was a fourth-round draft choice by the Pittsburgh Steelers. His successor

will be Quinten Dormady, a traditional pocket quarterback, or Jarrett Guarantano, a redshirt freshman with great mobility and a

strong arm.

That means running back John Kelly and receiver Jauan Jennings are going to be the main building blocks for the offense. Kelly

ran for 630 yards and five touchdowns and Jennings caught 40 passes for 580 yards and seven touchdowns.

The defense will be led by safety Todd Kelly Jr., who led the team with 71 tackles and has eight career interceptions. The special

teams are in good hands with returner Evan Berry, who averaged 32.9 yards on kickoff returns, and punter Trevor Daniel, who

averaged 44.6 yards and is on the watch list for the Ray Guy Award.

Tennessee goes into the hoping to make up for a disappointing finish to last season. The Vols got out of the gate with a 5-0 start

last year, but they then endured a three-game losing streak and lost to Vanderbilt for the third time in five years. The 9-4 season

looked good on paper, but wasn't satisfying to fans or coach Butch Jones.

"We still have a lot of improving to do," Jones said. "We still have a lot of dreams and goals and aspirations that are out there as a

program."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Volunteers

--RB John Kelly filled in for Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara out of the Tennessee backfield in 2016 and wound up as the Volunteers'

leading tailback, tallying 630 yards and 5 touchdowns.

--WR Jauan Jennings has solidified his standing in Tennessee lore, courtesy of a 43-yard-catch as time expired to down rival

Georgia. Now, Jennings can add some miles to his NFL Draft acumen as the Vols' No. 1 receiver, after Josh Malone left school

early to test his mettle on the professional stage. Jennings hauled in seven touchdown receptions in 2016 to go along with 580

yards.

--DE Jonathan Kongbo will be asked to anchor the Volunteers' inexperienced defensive line. Kongbo demonstrated flashes of

dominance at times during his first year after transferring from Arizona Western College, earning his first career sack in the Music

City Bowl versus Nebraska. With only 13 games and two starts to his resume, Kongbo will have to mature quickly to lead the Vols

pass rush.

--S/KR Evan Berry, the son of former Vol James Berry and brother of Kansas City Chief defensive back Eric Berry, is making the

family name proud. Berry will see time at safety, but will most likely make his biggest impact in the return game, where he led

Tennessee in 2016 with 460 kick-return yards, including a touchdown against South Carolina.



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Yellow Jackets

--FB KirVonte Benson will be asked to replace leading rusher Dedrick Mills, who was dismissed from the team for violating athletic

department policy. Benson is smaller than Mills, but is a compact 215-pounder who is a better receiver and has more game-

breaking speed.

--RB Qua Searcy may be asked to play a heavier role if fellow RB Clinton Lynch is unable to go. Searcy is a threat as a runner

and receiver. He is best known for his game-winning touchdown against Georgia in the waning moments of last year's game.

--C Kenny Cooper will replace two-year starter Freddie Burden. Coach Paul Johnson said Cooper has the potential to be the best

center who has played the position since he became coach there. The 305-pound sophomore played five games last year as a true

freshman.

--DE KeShun Freeman is the most experienced player on the Georgia Tech defensive front. The senior has been a starter since

he was a freshman. Freeman will need to help the Yellow Jackets provide a more aggressive pass rush this season and could help

flummox a Tennessee quarterback who will be making his first start.

analysis: top 25 cfb capsulesthe hoosiers will host no. 2 ohio state in a season opener against the...

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