NCAAFB Betting News and Trends For Saturday 9/1/18

Florida Atlantic Owls vs Oklahoma Sooners Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Kyler Murray isn't going to have much time to replicate the success of his predecessor at Oklahoma, but it appears coach Lincoln Riley has no plans to hold him back in his final year of college football. The former five-star recruit could have his work cut out for him Saturday, however, as the fifth-ranked Sooners kick off their season at home against Florida Atlantic.

Murray, who won a camp battle to fill the void left behind by the departure of Heisman Trophy winner and overall No, 1 NFL Draft pick Baker Mayfield, is expected to leave the program following the season after he was the ninth overall selection in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. "I don't coach with fear. This is football. ... (Injuries) are part of the game," Riley told reporters last week when asked if he had a "fear level" in trying to keep Murray healthy for his future employer. The Owls are coming off a Division I school-record 11-win season and enter 2018 after reeling off 10 straight victories to close out the school's first season under coach Lane Kiffin. FAU is the preseason favorite to repeat as Conference USA champions and figures to rely heavily on Devin Singletary again after the junior running back rushed for 32 touchdowns in 2017 - the third-highest total in FBS history.

TV: Noon ET, FOX. LINE: Oklahoma -21

ABOUT FLORIDA ATLANTIC (2017: 11-3): The Owls return 15 starters, including Singletary and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair - the preseason Conference USA offensive and defensive players of the year. Singletary led FBS with 63 runs of at least 10 yards in 2017 and rushed for a school-record 1,920 yards - 528 more than second-place Alfred Morris in 2009 - including 12 straight 100-yard efforts to end the season. The quarterback position is less settled, as former Oklahoma player Chris Robison, Last Chance U star DeAndre Johnson and Rafe Peavey are all battling to replace Jason Driskel (2,247 yards, 15 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2017).

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (2017: 12-2): Running back Rodney Anderson led all Power Five players with 1,333 yards from scrimmage from Oct. 21 on, including 201 rushing yards in the College Football Playoff loss to Georgia. Fellow preseason All-Big 12 selection Marquise Brown (1,095 receiving yards and seven TDs) set a school record with 265 receiving yards against Oklahoma State last year and will be asked to step up more often following the departure of tight end Mark Andrews to the NFL. Preseason All-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year selection Brendan Radley-Hiles - a highly touted five-star recruit - is expected to make an immediate impact at cornerback after Oklahoma lost three starters in its secondary.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oklahoma placed seven players on the preseason All-Big 12 first team, while Florida Atlantic saw six players land on the Conference USA first team.

2. Singletary already owns the school record in rushing touchdowns (44). He is also only 589 rushing yards shy of breaking Morris' school record of 3,529, set from 2008-11.

3. The Sooners (579.6 yards per game) and Owls (498.4) ranked first and ninth, respectively in FBS in total offense in 2017.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 45, Florida Atlantic 31
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Houston Cougars vs Rice Owls Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3 minutes

Houston junior defensive tackle Ed Oliver's big plans start on the road when the Cougars face intercity rival Rice on Saturday. "(I want to) leave the place better than I found it - and it was pretty damn good when I got here," the defensive tackle told ESPN The Magazine. "I don't care about personal accolades. Team trophies are what's important. They will be here long after I'm gone."

Oliver, who has already declared for the 2019 NFL Draft, has been named the nation's top player by several publications and is on five preseason watch lists for national awards. The reigning Outland Trophy winner has 39.5 career tackles for loss and led the Cougars with 73 stops last year. Houston's defensive rotations around Oliver will be strengthened by several transfers, including former TCU end Isaiah Chambers, a sophomore. The Owls rushed for 310 yards in a come-from-behind 31-28 victory against Prairie View A&M on Aug. 25, snapping a 10-game losing streak.

TV: Noon ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Houston -25

ABOUT HOUSTON (2017: 7-5): Junior D'Eriq King is the Cougars' leading returning passer (1,260 yards, seven touchdowns) and receiver, catching 29 passes for 264 yards and two scores before starting the final four games at quarterback. Senior transfers Terence Williams (1,859 rushing yards in three years at Baylor) and Raelon Singleton (531 receiving yards and four touchdowns at Utah last year) will try to boost a Houston offense that lost several starters. Graduate transfer Quinten Dormady, who began last year as Tennessee's starter before a shoulder injury, will back up King.

UT RICE (1-0): Junior Emmanuel Esukpa (261 yards, one touchdown last year) rushed for a career-high 173 yards and a score in the opener while senior Austin Walter added two rushing scores. Graduate transfer Shawn Stankavage, slowed by injuries at Vanderbilt, went 7-of-15 for 43 passing yards in his Rice debut. Rice had two strips sacks in the second half but allowed Prairie View A&M to average 15.3 yards per completion.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oliver's 1.56 tackles for loss leads all active players nationally.

2. Houston has won the last four meetings with Rice by an average of 25 points.

3. Notre Dame transfer Nick Watkins and Mississippi transfer Deontay Anderson will give Houston much-needed depth in the secondary.

PREDICTION: Houston 42, Rice 13

Oregon State Beavers vs Ohio State Buckeyes Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Ohio State has experienced a month of chaos in the program and the No. 3 Buckeyes will certainly be happy to step onto the football field when they host Oregon State on Saturday. Interim coach Ryan Day will run the squad in the opener after Urban Meyer was suspended for three games after a university investigation involving allegations of domestic abuse against former assistant Zach Smith.

Meyer was disciplined by the school after the investigation found he didn't respond properly to knowledge of Smith's behavior in 2015, and that leaves him on the sidelines and Day in charge of the program. "The plan to win has never changed," the 39-year-old Day told reporters on Monday in his first media session. "So that's the culture here and the plan to win is always going to be here at Ohio State." Oregon State lost its final 10 games last season, and former star quarterback Jonathan Smith (third with 9,680 passing yards from 1998-2001) is back as the school's head coach, although he doesn't want anybody feeling sorry that the powerful Buckeyes are first up on the slate. "I want them to enjoy this thing and enjoy the competition of it," Smith told reporters. "If they can do that, I think the experience will be positive."

TV: Noon ET, ABC. LINE: Ohio State -38.5

ABOUT OREGON STATE (2017: 1-11): Senior Jake Luton was named the starting quarterback on Monday, 11 1/2 months after suffering a fractured thoracic spine during a game against Washington State that almost ended his career. "I was pleased with how it played out," Smith said of the competition that included sophomores Conor Blount and Jack Colletto. "What really separated Jake was the last three or four practices. He began to separate, and really played well in the scrimmages. We're completely behind Jake." The defense was atrocious last season while allowing 43 points and 473.1 yards per game, and the Beavers suffered a blow when sophomore safety David Morris (75 tackles last season) was lost for at least one month with a foot injury.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (2017: 12-2): With the J.T. Barrett era over, sophomore Dwayne Haskins (57 career pass attempts) was named the starting quarterback on Monday over redshirt freshman Tate Martell, and Day said both-signal callers will see action against the Beavers. "Dwayne has a lot of talent, he's very talented throwing the football," Day told reporters. "He's worked on his athleticism, strength, power. ... Now being a starter, that's different. You have to prepare different, you have to be ready." Junior defensive end Nick Bosa (team-high 16 tackles for loss last season) leads a strong defense that also features junior safety Jordan Fuller (two interceptions last season) and junior defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones (23 career starts).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Ohio State won both previous meetings, the most recent being a 22-14 win in 1984.

2. Beavers junior TE Noah Togiai (knee), who led Oregon State with 34 receptions last season, will miss at least a month after being hurt in a recent scrimmage.

3. The Buckeyes have a strong running back group with sophomore J.K. Dobbins (1,403 yards last season) and junior Mike Weber (1,722 yards in two seasons) leading the way.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 52, Oregon State 10
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Appalachian State Mountaineers vs Penn State Nittany Lions Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 27th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

No. 9 Penn State said goodbye to perhaps the most dynamic player in college football but they have plenty in place to stay at or near the top of the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions begin another season with high expectations with a tricky opener when they play host to Appalachian State on Saturday.

Saquon Barkley, who electrified the Penn State program while scoring a school-record 51 touchdowns in three years, is now a rookie with the New York Giants, yielding the full glow of the limelight to senior quarterback Trace McSorley - the second-leading passer in program history. A late collapse and a one-point loss at Ohio State followed by a last-second defeat at Michigan State kept the Nittany Lions from a chance at a second straight Big Ten title last year, but they've won 14 straight at home. The Mountaineers are no pushover after picking up 30 wins - including a 3-0 bowl record - over the last three years and garnering six first-place votes in the Sun Belt Conference preseason coaches' poll. They pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history exactly 11 years to the day with a 34-32 triumph at a highly-ranked Michigan team.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Penn State -24

ABOUT APPALACHIAN STATE (2017: 9-4): Zac Thomas will take over under center and can lean heavily on senior running back Jalin Moore, who had 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground last year. Thomas Hennigan hauled in seven TD catches as a freshman in 2017 and will lead a talented receiving corps. The defensive side features a standout in the secondary in Clifton Duck, who led the Sun Belt with six interceptions as a sophomore last year after winning league Freshman of the Year honors the prior season.

ABOUT PENN STATE (2017: 11-2): McSorley lost three of his top four targets and Barkley yields to Miles Sanders, who averaged 6.2 yards per carry as his backup a year ago. "I can't wait," Sanders told reporters of his chance to start. "I don't like doing too much talking. That's never been me. I'm just ready to show what I can do, show the Big Ten, show everybody." Juwan Johnson (701 receiving yards) and DeAndre Thompkins (443) step into the spotlight in the passing game, while a committee of tight ends is expected to try to fill the void left behind by Mike Gesicki, the program's all-time leader in catches, yards and TDs at the position.

EXTRA POINTS

1. McSorley (7,369 career passing yards) needs 1,089 to pass Christian Hackenberg and become the school's all-time leader.

2. Moore has 3,170 rushing yards, 688 behind the school's all-time leader (Marcus Cox, 2014-16).

3. This will be the first meeting between the teams.

PREDICTION: Penn State 42, Appalachian State 16

Akron Zips vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
4 minutes

After watching Scott Frost turn Central Florida from a winless team into an undefeated one in two seasons, Nebraska would like nothing more than to watch its last national championship-winning quarterback spark a similar revival following their worst season since 1961. The Cornhuskers hope their native son can get them pointed back in the right direction starting Saturday when they host Akron.

Frost took over UCF in 2016 following a 0-12 campaign and guided the Knights to a six-win season before they became the darlings of FBS in '17 by going 13-0, including a 30-27 victory over Auburn in the Peach Bowl. The 43-year-old, who led Nebraska to the last of its five national titles in 1997, assumes control of a program that has suffered losing campaigns in two of the past three years - including a 4-8 mark in 2017 - after finishing 49 of the previous 53 seasons with at least nine wins. Frost wasted little time making his first notable decision last weekend, naming Adrian Martinez as the starting quarterback and making him the first true freshman signal-caller to open the season as the starter in school history. The Zips proved to be more than the sum of their parts in 2017, winning the East Division of the Mid-American Conference despite sporting the 121st-ranked offense and 103rd-ranked defense in FBS by leading the league in turnover margin and winning three of their games by a total of five points.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Nebraska -24.5

ABOUT AKRON (2017: 7-7): Sophomore quarterback Kato Nelson sparked the offense with four touchdown passes in a critical conference victory over Ohio last season and faces the daunting task of trying to improve after losing four of his top five pass-catchers from a season ago. The one returning receiver is senior Kwadarrius Smith, who averaged a MAC-best 21.4 yards per catch and led the team in receiving yards (726) and receiving scores (seven) despite finishing with only 34 receptions. First-team all-conference linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III tallied 140 tackles, five sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions as a junior; he is one of nine returning players back from a defense that led the MAC with 19 interceptions.

ABOUT NEBRASKA (2017: 4-8): Martinez should have no shortage of weapons at his disposal as senior Stanley Morgan Jr. (61 catches for 986 yards and 10 touchdowns) and sophomore JD Spielman (55, 830 and two) ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the Big Ten in receiving yards. Junior college transfer Greg Bell is expected to get the first shot at being the next in a long line of great running backs for the Cornhuskers after averaging over six yards per carry and rushing for at least 1,187 yards in each of his two seasons at Arizona Western. The Cornhuskers struggled mightily on defense in 2017, surrendering nearly twice as many rushing yards as the offense gained on the ground (2,577-1,290) and recording a Big-Ten low 14 sacks.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Nebraska gave up at least 54 points in each of its final three games last season.

2. Akron failed to rush for 180 yards against any FBS team and allowed a FBS-worst 328 first downs last season.

3. The Cornhuskers' only other matchup against the Zips came in the aforementioned 1997 national championship season. Ironically, Nebraska's second game that season was against UCF.

PREDICTION: Nebraska 38, Akron 20
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Massachusetts Minutemen vs Boston College Eagles Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 27th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Boston College has finished 7-6 in four of head coach Steve Addazio's five seasons, a run of relative mediocrity the program hopes to end in 2018. Much of the Eagles' success - or lack thereof - will depend upon the legs of bruising sophomore running back AJ Dillon, who leads his team into the season opener at home against in-state rival Massachusetts on Saturday.

Dillon ran for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2017 despite opening the year as a backup and is poised to dominate once again behind an offensive line that returns all five starters. "We've got a dynamic running back," offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler told reporters of Dillon. "We have a few dynamic running backs in my mind. Any time the defense has to account for the run game, it makes our throw game much better." The Minutemen were the first team in college football to pick up a win when they crushed FCS squad Duquesne 63-15 last Saturday. Andrew Ford passed for 186 yards and two touchdowns while his backup Ross Comis accounted for three scores for UMass, which has won five of their last seven dating to 2017.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, ACC Network Extra. LINE: Boston College -18

ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS (1-0): The Minutemen are averaging more than 40 points over their last eight games as the offense continues to take shape under head coach Mark Whipple, but he knows the talent level is about to greatly increase. "BC is a different beast next week, not to take anything away from Duquesne," Whipple told reporters. "They have bigger guys who are faster." Bilal Ally gained 109 yards and a TD on the ground while Andy Isabella hauled in five passes for 131 yards and two scores in the rout.

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (2017: 7-6): Anthony Brown showed flashes of potential as a freshman quarterback - including a breakthrough game at Virginia in which he threw for 275 yards and three TDs - before a knee injury in November ended his campaign, and the New Jersey native looks to be on target with his rehab. "I've said it a lot, I'm going to say it again: a lot has to do with that trigger man," Addazio told reporters. "Anthony looks great. Hopefully he'll continue on his course back and be ready in the appropriate amount of time." Defensive lineman Zach Allen emerged as a force in 2017 with a team-high six sacks for a unit that held its final five regular-season opponents to 20 points or fewer.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Boston College TE Tommy Sweeney returns after leading the team with 512 receiving yards and four TDs last year.

2. Ford has 11 TD passes and one interception over his last four games.

3. The Eagles won 26-7 in the most recent meeting in 2016.

PREDICTION: Boston College 42, Massachusetts 21

Kent State Golden Flashes vs Illinois Fighting Illini Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Two teams looking to bounce back from ugly two-win seasons face off when Illinois hosts Kent State on Saturday afternoon in a non-conference season opener for both squads. Coach Lovie Smith is in his third year at the helm of the Illini, and he'll look for his first winning season at the school with a team that has only eight seniors -- the least of any team in FBS.

One of those seniors will start under center as Smith named AJ Bush Jr. as his quarterback days before the opener. Another player in his final season at Illinois, wide receiver Mike Dudek, is hoping to recapture the form that he had as a freshman (76 catches, 1,038 yards) before injuries limited him to seven games over the last three seasons. Smith will need to find some defense to keep the Illini in games after they allowed 31.5 points last season, and Smith is looking at another senior, linebacker Del'Shawn Phillips (85 tackles), to lead the way. Sean Lewis, the youngest head coach in FBS at 32, brings the fast-paced offense he ran as offensive coordinator at Syracuse to his first year with the Flashes, promising a much more uptempo attack than years past.

TV: Noon ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Illinois -16.5

ABOUT KENT STATE (2017: 2-10): Lewis is trying to bring a new attitude to Kent State, looking to ignite the program with his offense that topped FBS in snaps per game with 87.8 at Syracuse a season ago. The Golden Flashes didn't know who their starting quarterback would be days before the opener -- sophomores Woody Barrett and Dustin Crum were the top candidates -- but whoever starts at each of the offensive positions on the field had better be ready to play, because Lewis doesn't like substitutions that slow down his offense. Kent State scored only 12.8 points per game a season ago -- second-fewest in FCS to UTEP (11.8), including five contests with three points or fewer, but Lewis is banking on that changing quite a bit in 2018.

ABOUT ILLINOIS (2017: 2-10): Though he's a senior, Bush Jr. doesn't have a lot of playing experience at the collegiate level, having played at three other schools before making his way as a graduate transfer to Champaign for his final campaign. Bush spent two years at Nebraska without seeing the field before spending a season at Iowa Western, which led to a season at Virginia Tech, where he played in five games and attempted 11 passes. Smith likes Bush's experience, though, saying that he trusts the dual-threat signal caller in his first collegiate start because he's learned how to handle himself throughout his time in college, even if he hasn't spent a lot of it on the field.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Illinois WR Ricky Smalling ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 16.5 yards per catch as a freshman, finishing with a team-high 510 receiving yards.

2. Kent State LB Jim Jones leads the team's defense, coming off a junior season in which he paced the Flashes with 98 tackles and six sacks.

3. Illinois has won 20 consecutive home openers, the fourth-longest active streak in the nation.

PREDICTION: Illinois 35, Kent State 21
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Texas State Bobcats vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 27th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Rutgers will attempt to move on from a rocky preseason when it takes on visiting Texas State on Saturday in the season opener for both teams. Less than two weeks before the start of the year, the Scarlet Knights saw eight players - all from the defensive side of the ball - charged for their alleged involvement in a credit-card fraud scheme.

"Any time you have members of your family make poor decisions and get into trouble, it's discouraging, it's frustrating and it hurts," third-year head coach Chris Ash recently told reporters. Several of the players were projected to be backups on the defensive side of the ball, while junior safety K.J. Gray - who was included in the charges but had already been dismissed from the team - was a likely starter for a team that ranked 13th in the Big Ten in total defense in conference play last year. Saturday's tilt is a warmup for a much more challenging affair for the Scarlet Knights, who next visit No. 3 Ohio State - a 56-0 winner at Rutgers in 2017. The Bobcats of the Sun Belt Conference are 7-29 over the past three seasons but were one of the nation's youngest teams in 2017 and have generated some notable recruiting classes under third-year head coach Everett Withers.

TV: Noon ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Rutgers -16.5

ABOUT TEXAS STATE (2017: 2-10): Withers inherited a stripped-down program that has been built back up and finally has the feel of a complete product, sporting 76 scholarship players two years after fielding just 62. "Anytime you have more depth at a position, it creates more competition so players are competing at a higher level," Withers recently told reporters. "It makes your football team better and if that happens at each of the positions, it gives you a chance to go compete against your opponents." Willie Jones III is the only quarterback on the roster with any experience and figures to get most of the snaps, while junior Anthony Taylor (team-high 436 rushing yards last year) is expected to lead the way on the ground.

ABOUT RUTGERS (2017: 4-8): True freshman Artur Sitkowski won the starting quarterback job over two others - including incumbent Gio Rescigno - and will be the first first-year player to start under center for the program since 2001. "We feel really good about what we're going to do at the quarterback position," Ash told the media. "We feel really confident about [Sitkowski]." The most notable recruit of the Ash era, the 6-6 Sitkowski hopes to elevate a passing offense that ranked 124th nationally with just 115.6 yards per game in 2017.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Sitkowski threw for 280 yards and three touchdowns in the annual spring game in April.

2. Scarlet Knights RB Raheem Blackshear averaged 6.1 yards per carry and 19 yards per reception as a freshman last season.

3. This marks the first meeting between the two programs.

PREDICTION: Rutgers 35, Texas State 18

Indiana Hoosiers vs Florida International Golden Panthers Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Indiana opens its 2018 campaign -- and quest to return to a bowl game after missing out last season -- when it travels to take on Florida International in a non-conference contest Saturday night. The Hoosiers are hoping to get more consistency at quarterback with redshirt sophomore Peyton Ramsey (1,252 yards, 10 touchdowns, five interceptions) earning the job after starting four games in 2017.

Coach Tom Allen likes the team's uptempo offense under offensive coordinator Mike DeBord, and Ramsey should be more comfortable running things in his second season playing in the system. Senior Luke Timian gives Ramsey an explosive target, having made 68 catches for 589 yards and two touchdowns in 2017, while the sophomore duo of Morgan Ellison (704 yards, six touchdowns) and Cole Gest (428, one) will power the Hoosiers' ground attack. The Indiana defense will be anchored by senior safety Jonathan Crawford, a playmaker who can also stop a ball carrier, ranking fourth on the team with 62 tackles in 2017. Golden Panthers coach Butch Davis isn't giving anything away about his quarterback for the opener, listing junior Christian Alexander or Bowling Green transfer James Morgan as the starter, saying he'll wait until the day of the game to make a decision, though both are expected to play.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Indiana -10.5

ABOUT INDIANA (2017: 5-7): For consistency sake, Allen is hoping Ramsey can stay healthier than last season, when he was sidelined after making four starts under center. But with the recent departure of expected backup Brandon Dawkins, a graduate transfer from Arizona in the offseason, that leaves Allen having to count on freshman MIchael Penix Jr. if Ramsey goes down. Ramsey is able to pick up yards on the ground, rushing 92 times for 226 yards and two scores as a freshman, but Allen may look to rein in his signal caller and have him stay in the pocket to avoid taking needless hits and avoid injury.

ABOUT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL (2017: 8-5): The Panthers had a very efficient offense last season behind quarterback Alex McGough, finishing first in the nation in red-zone efficiency, scoring on 40-of-41 trips inside the 20. Now Davis' squad has to almost start over, with Alexander only having played in four games over the last two seasons, while Morgan is new to the program. That means the team will likely try to rely on the ground attack to start so senior Napoleon Maxwell, who averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2017, will have to be ready for a solid workload against the Hoosiers.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Indiana ranked first nationally in forcing three-and-outs defensively, averaging 6.5 per contest.

2. The Hoosiers have won 11 of their last 12 non-conference games and were 3-0 in such contests in 2017.

3. Indiana has won both its meetings with Florida International -- 36-22 in 2015 and 34-13 in 2016 -- with last season's scheduled game canceled because of Hurricane Irma.

PREDICTION: Indiana 31, Florida International 14
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Northern Illinois Huskies vs Iowa Hawkeyes Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Kirk Ferentz may not see himself as belonging in the same class as Iowa coaching legend Hayden Fry, but he finds himself on the brink of passing his predecessor in the only category that usually matters to coaches. The dean of FBS football coaches attempts to pass Fry for the most wins in school history Saturday when his Hawkeyes host Northern Illinois.

The only active coach in FBS to take over his program before the turn of the century, Ferentz improved to 143-97 at Iowa following his team's 27-20 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl to cap off the program's 14th winning season in 19 years under his direction. "In a lot of ways, I see myself just like I did in 1981. I just hope I'm more aware now, because I had no clue what was going on back then," Ferentz told ESPN in a recent interview. The 63-year-old can move into sole possession of fifth place in conference history with his next win - trailing only Amos Alonzo Stagg, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler and Joe Paterno - but could have his hands full against the Huskies, who have been a thorn in the side of Big Ten opposition in recent years. Under sixth-year coach Rod Carey, Northern Illinois is 4-1 in such contests - including a 21-17 victory at Nebraska last season.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Iowa -10.5

ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS (2017: 8-5): Predicted to win the West Division of the Mid-American Conference, the Huskies return 17 starters overall, including all five starting offensive lineman and Marcus Childers, who finished with 21 total touchdowns (16 passing) while starting the final eight games of the season. The 2017 MAC Freshman of the Year will have his top two targets returning in Spencer Tears (44 catches) and D.J. Brown (42), but the team will have to replace tight end Shane Wimann's team-leading seven receiving scores. Junior defensive end Sutton Smith led the nation with 14 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in 2017, spearheading a Northern Illinois defense that posted league-best marks by allowing 22 points and 338.5 yards per game.

ABOUT IOWA (2017: 8-5): Sophomore Ivory Kelly-Martin is expected to get the first opportunity to replace last year's leading rusher Akrum Wadley and add some juice to a ground game that ranked 97th nationally with 139.2 yards per game in 2017. While the rushing attack will remain the focal point of the offense, Iowa returns junior quarterback Nate Stanley and preseason All-American Noah Fant, who set a Big Ten record for tight ends last season with 11 receiving scores. The Hawkeyes will be shorthanded in the opener, however, as two offensive linemen (Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs) and two defensive linemen (Cedrick Lattimore and Brady Reiff) will serve suspensions for violating team rules.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Iowa will open the season without a linebacker with a single career start for the first time under Ferentz.

2. Carey's first victory as a head coach came in a 30-27 upset at Iowa in 2013 - the Hawkeyes' only season-opening loss since 2001.

3. Stanley's 26 passing TDs last year were the second-most in a season in school history.

PREDICTION: Iowa 27, Northern Illinois 24

Texas Longhorns vs Maryland Terrapins Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Coach Tom Herman's message to his No. 21 Texas team has been simple as the Longhorns prepare for Saturday's opener against Maryland at FedExField. Herman reminded his team that the Terrapins, trying to overcome a summer full of scandal, beat the Longhorns 51-41 last year and are a good team.

Third-year coach DJ Durkin has been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 11 as Maryland investigates the June death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair after a workout and allegations of a toxic culture in the football program. Offensive coordinator and interim coach Matt Canada, who joined Maryland this offseason from LSU, did not announce a starting quarterback at his press conference Tuesday. Sophomore Sam Ehlinger was named the Longhorns' starter after leading the team in passing and rushing yards last season. Texas junior Malcolm Roach (37 tackles, two sacks) joins senior linebackers Gary Johnson (60 tackles, two sacks) and Anthony Wheeler (47 tackles, 2.5 sacks) in the middle of a defense that was strong against the run last year.

TV: Noon ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Texas -13.5

ABOUT TEXAS (2017: 7-6): Ehlinger (1,915 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, seven interceptions and 385 rushing yards and two scores) split time with junior Shane Buechele (1,405 yards and seven TDs) last year. Junior wideouts Collin Johnson (54 catches, 765 yards, two TDs) and Lil'Jordan Humphrey (37 catches, 431 yards, score) return after leading Texas last year. California graduate transfer Tre Watson brings plenty of experience (1,390 career rushing yards in 37 games) to a backfield that could also see sophomore Daniel Young (386 yards, three TDs) and freshman Keaontay Ingram share the load.

ABOUT MARYLAND (2017: 4-8): The starting job is between a pair of quarterbacks who had 2017 end early because of knee injuries - sophomore Tyrrell Pigrome (who was hurt in the Texas game last year) and redshirt freshman Kasim Hill (who threw for 230 yards and two TDs before getting hurt in the third game). The Terrapins return their entire offensive line to clear the way for top rushers Ty Johnson (a senior) and junior Lorenzo Harrison III, who have a combined 3,134 yards in the past two years. Defensive ends Jesse Aniebonam (a senior returning from an ankle injury) and Byron Cowart (a junior transfer from Auburn) should strengthen a defense that allowed 37.1 points per game last year.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Longhorns finished 2017 ranked eighth nationally in rushing defense (106.8 yards).

2. Maryland will honor the memory of McNair with a moment of silence Saturday, the creation of a scholarship in his name and by keeping his No. 79 jersey open until his graduation year.

3. Five of Texas' six losses last year were by 10 points or fewer, the most among Power Five conference schools.

PREDICTION: Texas 37, Maryland 23
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Boise State Broncos vs Troy Trojans Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Boise State is one of the preseason favorites to end up in a New Year's Six bowl game, and the No. 22 Broncos will strive to get off to a good start when they visit Troy on Saturday. The Broncos and Central Florida (No. 21) are the lone non-power conference schools to be part of the preseason national rankings.

Boise State has won 42 games in Bryan Harsin's four seasons, but the coach isn't all that thrilled about the prognosticators placing lofty expectations on his squad. "What we understand is whatever expectations are put on us from the outside, we can't control that, good or bad," Harsin told reporters. "People can say you're going to be great, people can say you're going to suck. Neither one's true in our minds, don't pay attention to that. At the end of the year, that's when you decide whether you had a good season or a bad season." Troy is 21-5 over the past two seasons -- including a memorable road win at LSU last season -- and has won its past seven contests. Coach Neal Brown announced Monday that junior Kaleb Barker will start at quarterback as the Trojans look to replace departed four-year starter Brandon Silvers.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPNews. LINE: Boise State -10.5

ABOUT BOISE STATE (2017: 11-3): Senior quarterback Brett Rypien (2,877 yards, 16 touchdown passes last season) looks to increase his productivity after topping 3,300 yards and throwing for at least 20 scores in each of his first two seasons. Rypien has a sturdy back to hand the ball off to in junior Alexander Mattison, who rushed for 1,086 yards and 12 touchdowns last season but needs to develop a new go-to wideout after the departure of Cedrick Wilson (school-record 1,511 receiving yards last season). The Broncos lost star linebacker Leighton Vander Esch - a first-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys - but are still loaded on the defensive side with standouts such as senior cornerback Tyler Horton (two interceptions last season), sophomore outside linebacker Curtis Weaver (team-best 11 sacks in 2017) and senior defensive tackle David Moa (11.5 career sacks).

ABOUT TROY (2017: 11-2): Barker, who has thrown 17 collegiate passes, was chosen over sophomore Sawyer Smith (25 passes) in a tight competition, but both signal-callers will see action against Boise State. "(Barker) won the job from a production standpoint, the ability to make plays with his feet and from an efficiency standpoint in the passing game," Brown said in a press conference. "I still have a lot of confidence in Sawyer and the team does too, so he will have a significant role in our offense on Saturday." Senior cornerback Blace Brown is a defensive playmaker with 11 career interceptions and he returned one for a touchdown in last season's meeting with Boise State.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Boise State notched a 24-13 home victory over the Trojans in last season's opener in the lone previous meeting.

2. Troy sophomore CB Marcus Jones returned three kickoffs for touchdowns last season while ranking seventh nationally with a 30.3 kick return average.

3. Rypien has 9,876 career passing yards and needs 2,815 to surpass San Diego State's Ryan Lindley (12,690 from 2008-11) as the Mountain West's all-time leader.

PREDICTION: Boise State 30, Troy 24

Southern Methodist Mustangs vs North Texas Mean Green Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3 minutes

Record-breaking quarterbacks will face off when SMU travels to North Texas on Saturday night to open the season. Mustangs junior Ben Hicks and Mean Green junior Mason Fine are both on the Manning Award watch list to start the year.

Hicks (3,569 passing yards) returns after setting SMU records for passing touchdowns in a single season (33) and career (52). He'll have plenty of help in the backfield with a stable of running backs that combined for 22 rushing scores last year. First-year coach Sonny Dykes does have to replace two receivers that were taken in the NFL Draft and several key pieces on defense. SMU has won three straight against its in-state rival by a combined 54 points.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Stadium. LINE: North Texas -4.5

ABOUT SMU (2017: 7-6): Junior James Proche (40 catches, 816 yards, six touchdowns) is the top returning receiver but West Virginia transfer Reggie Roberson Jr. (a sophomore) and Notre Dame graduate transfer CJ Sanders give the Mustangs some new targets. Junior Xavier Jones led the ground game with 1,075 yards and nine scores last year while senior Braeden West (568 yards, two scores) and junior Ke'Mon Freeman (543 yards, 11 scores) give the Mustangs plenty of options. The SMU secondary is packed with experience, including returning starter Jordan Wyatt (the senior cornerback had 49 tackles and four interceptions in 2017) and leading tackler Mikial Onu, a junior safety who had 105 stops.

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS (2017: 9-5): Fine set single-season program records in passing yards (4,052), passing touchdowns (31), completions (324) and attempts (511) last year. The Mean Green return their top three receivers, including junior Michael Lawrence (62 catches, 819 yards, four TDs). Sophomore Nic Smith (684 yards, six TDs) has been tabbed to start at running back after the graduation of Jeffery Wilson (1,215 yards, 16 TDs last year).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mustangs' juniors Delontae Scott (2.5 sacks) and Tyeson Neals (4.5 sacks) and California graduate transfer Noah Westerfield will try to replace the production of graduated DE Justin Lawler (9.5 sacks).

2. SMU was ranked eighth nationally last year with 88 plays of 20-plus yards.

3. Fine is also on the preseason lists for the Walter Camp, Davey O'Brien, Maxwell and Sammy Baugh awards.

PREDICTION: SMU 37, North Texas 24
______________________

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs Vanderbilt Commodores Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Vanderbilt opens its season at home Saturday against Middle Tennessee State looking to build off a five-win campaign last season, which ended with the Commodores missing a bowl game for the third time in the past four years. A promising 3-0 start quickly was swept away by losses in seven of their next eight games and improving the defense is a must for success this season after the Commodores finished 11th in the SEC in points allowed per game (31.3).

The Commodores hope new defensive coordinator Jason Tarver - hired from the San Francisco 49ers - can shore up a unit that only returns four starters. "Teams aren't made this time of year," Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason told reporters Tuesday. "Teams are made in the summer. I thought we had a good summer." Senior quarterback Kyle Shurmur returns after a tremendous 2017 season and has the school's career passing yardage record in sight, but the Commodores will have to navigate a rough schedule which includes trips to No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 4 Georgia, plus three consecutive SEC road games late in the season. The Blue Raiders overcame an injury-filled 2017 season - in which players missed a combined 125 games with injuries - to win a bowl game for the first time in five tries since 2009.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network Alternative. LINE: Vanderbilt -3

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE (2017: 7-6): Quarterback Brent Stockstill owns the school's all-time records for passing yards (8,951) and touchdowns (77), but has missed nine games the past two seasons with injuries. Wide receiver Ty Lee led Conference USA in receptions in 2017 with 79, and a trio of running backs - Tavares Thomas, Brad Anderson and Terelle West - combined for 1,306 yards rushing and 47 receptions a season ago. The Blue Raiders return nine starters on defense, highlighted by linebacker Khalil Brooks and his 17 tackles for loss last season (tops in C-USA), including 7.5 sacks.

ABOUT VANDERBILT (2017: 5-7): Shurmur (school-record 26 touchdown passes a season ago) enters the season 2,963 passing yards shy of breaking Jay Cutler's school record of 8,697, but he lost three seniors from an experienced receiving corps. All-time school rushing leader Ralph Webb graduated, leaving the running game to Illinois transfer Ke'Shawn Vaughn (2015 Big Ten Newcomer of the Year) and Khari Blasingame. Senior safety LaDarius Wiley and senior linebacker Charles Wright lead the defense with Wiley recording a team-high 88 tackles a season ago and Wright finished last season with nine sacks - most by a Vanderbilt player since 1993.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Vanderbilt forced only nine turnovers last season, tied for the second-lowest total in FBS behind Rice.

2. Middle Tennessee State faces three SEC teams (Vanderbilt, No. 4 Georgia, Kentucky).

3. The two teams have met six times since 2001 with each squad winning three times (Middle Tennessee State in 2001, 2002 and 2005; Vanderbilt each of the past three seasons).

PREDICTION: Vanderbilt 24, Middle Tennessee State 20

Brigham Young Cougars vs Arizona Wildcats Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Kevin Sumlin will make his debut as coach at Arizona when the Wildcats host BYU in the season opener Saturday night. Sumlin was hired in January after spending the past six seasons as coach at Texas A&M, where he posted a 51-26 record.

Sumlin inherits one of the most electrifying quarterbacks in college football as Khalil Tate has already put his name in the hat for Heisman Trophy consideration. Tate threw for 1,591 yards as a sophomore last season and ran for another 1,411 yards, including an FBS quarterback record 327 against Colorado after entering the game for the injured starter in the first quarter. Tate will have some inexperienced blockers in front of him, as the Wildcats lost three offensive linemen to graduation, left tackle Layth Friekh is suspended the first two games and center Nathan Eldridge is struggling with a recurring knee ailment. BYU kicked a 33-yard field goal with four seconds left to beat Arizona 18-16 in the season opener two years ago, and the Cougars return seven starters from a defense that held seven opponents to 21 points or fewer and limited the opposing run game to 3.7 yards per carry last season.

TV: 10:45 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Arizona -11.5

ABOUT BYU (2017: 4-9): Tanner Mangum won a tense competition against freshman Zach Wilson for the starting nod at quarterback in the season opener, and the senior hopes to replicate his 2015 season, when he passed for 3,377 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Cougars will mostly rely on their defense, and they've got some big players in the trenches, namely 6-foot-4, 340-pound defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, who is difficult to move, even with a double team. Anchoring the defensive end positions are brothers Corbin and Devin Kaufusi, who not only have the size to cause problems, but the length.

ABOUT ARIZONA (2017: 7-6): Tate was the leading rusher for the Wildcats last season, but they also return their top running back in sophomore J.J. Taylor, the co-offensive player of the year among Pac-12 freshmen last season. Taylor set out to improve his speed in the offseason and getting around the corners against BYU would help Arizona overcome its size disadvantage in the middle. The player who's expected to back up Taylor and get meaningful carries as well is sophomore Gary Brightwell, who played slot receiver last season but is shifting back to his natural running back role.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona PK Lucas Havrisik sent 63 of his 93 kickoffs into the end zone last season, fifth-best in the nation.

2. Sumlin has had only one losing season in 10 years as a head coach.

3. BYU is coming off its worst season record-wise since 1970.

PREDICTION: Arizona 35, BYU 24
_______________________

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners vs Arizona State Sun Devils Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Herm Edwards is set to make his debut as coach at Arizona State when the Sun Devils host Texas-San Antonio on Saturday night, his first time back on the sideline in 10 years. Edwards was the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006-08, then spent nine years as a studio analyst for ESPN before he was hired by the Sun Devils on Dec. 3.

Edwards inherited a team that returns 14 starters, including quarterback Manny Wilkins and his top two receivers N'Keal Harry and Kyle Williams. Wilkins overcame an injury-filled 2016 season -- and the arrival of a high-profile transfer from Alabama who seemed destined to steal his job -- to confidently pass for 3,270 yards and 20 touchdowns last season, while also running for another 282 yards and seven scores. Harry figures to benefit the most from Edwards' pro-style offense and the junior from nearby Chandler, Ariz., should improve on last season's totals of 82 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns. UTSA will be young and mostly inexperienced on offense, but the Roadrunners hired former Auburn offensive coordinator Al Borges to fill the same role and he should bring out the best in that group.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Arizona State -18.5

ABOUT TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO (2017: 6-5): The Roadrunners return four starters on offense and six on defense, led by senior defensive lineman Kevin Strong Jr. and junior linebacker Josiah Tauaefa, both preseason All-Conference USA selections. Strong had seven tackles for loss and three sacks for a UTSA defense that led Conference USA in seven categories. Tauaefa set a freshman school record with 115 tackles in 2016 and was named to the C-USA all-freshman team, but he was slowed by a knee injury that caused him to sit out three games last season.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (2017: 7-6): The Sun Devils will be short-handed on defense in their season opener, as senior linebacker Jay Jay Wilson has been suspended for an incident that occurred during a closed practice Aug. 15. Arizona State was already thin at linebacker because Koron Crump, a second-team all Pac-12 pick in 2016, is still not 100 percent after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in the third game last season. Merlin Robertson, who played at Serra High School just outside of Los Angeles last season, is set to become the first true freshman to start at linebacker for the Sun Devils since Vontaze Burfict in 2009.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona State has won its past 19 home openers, tied for the fourth-longest active win streak in the country.

2. Arizona State, North Carolina State and West Virginia are the only FBS teams that return two receivers with at least 60 receptions last year.

3. The warmest temperature the Roadrunners have experienced at kickoff was 92 degrees in the 2013 season opener at New Mexico. Temperatures are expected to be near 100 at kickoff Saturday.

PREDICTION: Arizona State 45, UTSA 17

UNLV Rebels vs Southern California Trojans Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
4 minutes

No. 15 USC will have a distinctive new look when it takes the field for its opener with UNLV on Saturday afternoon, and it won't just be the ongoing $300 million renovation of the historic Los Angeles Coliseum. The Trojans will also unveil their new starting quarterback who will try and fill the big shoes of No. 3 NFL Draft-pick Sam Darnold.

Head coach Clay Helton announced Sunday night that 18-year-old true freshman JT Daniels, who was Gatorade's National Player of the Year after leading Mater Dei High School of Santa Ana, Calif., to a 15-0 record and the mythical national championship, will be the man to take over for Darnold, who set a school single-season record with 4,143 passing yards last season. Daniels, who graduated a year early from Mater Dei so he could enroll at USC in the summer, beat out redshirt freshman Jack Sears, who succeeded Darnold at San Clemente High School, and redshirt sophomore Matt Fink, who saw action in three games in mop-up duty. "He's a very mature kid, both physically and mentally," Helton told the Los Angeles Times of Daniels. "Our goal with all freshmen is to come in and not (just) learn but compete when they come into camp. And obviously, he's doing a nice job competing." The game is a homecoming for UNLV quarterback Armani Rogers who helped lead Los Angeles Hamilton High School to an L.A. City title as a junior in the Coliseum.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network LINE: USC -25.5

ABOUT UNLV (5-7 in 2017): The Rebels have improved by one win each season under fourth-year head coach Tony Sanchez, which means it's bowl game or bust this year. Rogers, the reigning Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year, and explosive senior Lexington Thomas, a first team All-Mountain West pick who rushed for 1,336 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 2017, headline an offense that returns seven starters and ranked 18th nationally in rushing with an average of 240.2 yards per game. Sanchez brought in Florida linebackers coach Tim Skipper as defensive coordinator and try to upgrade a defense that allowed 458.7 yards and 31.8 points per game and gave up 43 points in a shocking home loss to Howard.

ABOUT USC (11-3 in 2017): Beside Darnold, the Trojans also must replace dependable Ronald Jones II who ran for 3,619 yards in three seasons. However, the cupboard is hardly bare with talented sophomore Stephen Carr, who had 119 yards in their Pac-12 opening win against Stanford last season, and senior Aca'Cedric Ware returning. Daniels' top target at Mater Dei, freshman Amon-Ra St. Brown, joins sophomore Tyler Vaughns and junior Michael Pittman Jr. to give the Trojans what should be one of the Pac-12's top wide receiving corps while the defense will be led by a trio of future high NFL Draft picks in middle linebacker Cameron Smith, outside linebacker Porter Gustin and cornerback Iman Marshall.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Matt Barkley, like Daniels and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinhart is a Mater Dei High School grad and is the only other USC true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback.

2. USC is 30-1-1 (.953) against current Mountain West teams (not including two wins vacated due to NCAA penalty) with the lone loss coming to Fresno State in 1992.

3. USC has won the only previous meeting between the two schools, 35-21 in 1997 in the Coliseum which also was the 100th collegiate coaching victory for future Rebels head coach John Robinson.

PREDICTION: USC 38, UNLV 20
_______________________

Cincinnati Bearcats vs UCLA Bruins Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Chip Kelly will make his debut as coach at UCLA when the Bruins host Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl. Kelly led Oregon to three Pac-12 titles from 2009-12, and then spent four seasons in the NFL (2013-16) as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

Kelly has yet to coach at game at UCLA and he's already dealing with serious internal distractions. UCLA announced Monday that running back Soso Jamabo, tight end Devin Asiasi, defensive back Mo Osling, center Boss Tagaloa, and defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa and Moses Robinson-Carr have been suspended for the season opener for violating unspecified athletic department policies. Jamabo was the team's second-leading rusher last season (446 yards, six touchdowns), Tagaloa was in the hunt for the starting center spot and Odighizuwa was expected to play a key role on the defensive front. Cincinnati is looking for a fast start coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1998-99, and the Bearcats have their leading passer, rusher and receiver back this season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: UCLA -15

ABOUT CINCINNATI (2017: 4-8): Hayden Moore has been the primary starter at quarterback the past two seasons, and he played eight games for the Bearcats as a freshman in 2015, giving him considerable experience at the position. He didn't improve at the rate many expected last season, however, and could face early challenges from the four other Cincinnati quarterbacks, most notably redshirt freshman Desmond Ridder. Gerrid Doaks missed the final three games with an ankle injury last season, but still led the Bearcats in rushing as a freshman with 513 yards on 87 carries, and look for the offense to lean on senior wide receiver Kahlil Lewis, who caught a team-high 61 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

ABOUT UCLA (2017: 6-7): The quarterback position was still murky at UCLA to start the week, and it may take Kelly right up until game day to make a decision on a starter. Wilton Speight started 11 games for Michigan in 2016 and the first four for the Wolverines last season before a fractured vertebrae ended his year. He has moved on to UCLA as a graduate transfer this season and is competing against freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson and redshirt sophomore Devon Modster for the starting nod.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Kelly's regular-season record as a college head coach is 44-5 and his NFL mark is 28-35.

2. UCLA junior tight end Caleb Wilson caught a school-record 15 passes for 208 yards in last year's season-opening win against Texas A&M.

3. Cincinnati is the only American Athletic Conference team to return its leading passer, rusher and receiver this season.

PREDICTION: UCLA 37, Cincinnati 21

Washington Huskies vs Auburn Tigers Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

An early-season showdown between two marquee teams is on tap when No. 6 Washington faces No. 9 Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday in Atlanta. The Huskies are a combined 22-5 over the past two seasons, while Auburn is looking to post a second straight 10-win campaign.

Washington was part of the College Football Playoff two seasons ago and the preseason belief is the Huskies must beat the Tigers to have a chance at making another visit. "I think our guys are always excited to play," Huskies coach Chris Petersen told reporters. "They know how good Auburn is. They're not dumb. They've seen tape." Tigers junior quarterback Jarrett Stidham sees the intersectional showdown as a terrific opportunity for both programs. "It's going to be a great situation for us, a great situation for Washington," Stidham told reporters. "Whoever comes away with the win will have a little bit of an edge throughout the rest of the season. The good thing about this game, it doesn't have any conference implications. You should go and play this game, leave it all on the line, whether you're Auburn or Washington in my opinion. It's going to be a lot of fun."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Auburn - 1.5

ABOUT WASHINGTON (2017: 10-3): Senior quarterback Jake Browning holds the school record of 78 touchdown passes, ranks second with 9,104 passing yards and has been intercepted just 24 times in 1,095 career attempts. Senior running back Myles Gaskin has topped 1,300 rushing yards in each of his three seasons and is just 52 yards away from surpassing the school career mark held by Napoleon Kaufman (4,106 from 1991-94). The Huskies have a strong secondary featuring sophomore cornerback Byron Murphy (three interceptions in 2017) and junior free safety Taylor Rupp (five career picks) and also have two productive senior linebackers in Tevis Bartlett (team-high 12 tackles for loss last season) and Ben Burr-Kirven (team-best 84 tackles).

ABOUT AUBURN (2017: 10-4): Stidham was just the second quarterback in school history to top 3,000 passing yards in a season as he finished with 3,158 and 18 touchdowns against six interceptions. Junior Kam Martin (453 rushing yards last season) will have the first shot to replace departed Kerryon Johnson (1,391) as the feature back while senior wideout Ryan Davis looks to build on a superb 2017 campaign in which he caught a school-record 84 passes for 815 yards and five scores. Junior defensive tackle Derrick Brown (nine tackles for loss last season), senior nose tackle Dontavius Russell (37 career starts) and senior inside linebacker Deshaun Davis (team-best 82 stops last season) are among the defensive stalwarts.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Washington and Auburn are meeting for the first time - the Huskies are 2-11 against teams currently in the SEC and the Tigers are 8-3 versus foes currently in the Pac-12.

2. The Tigers will be without junior WR Eli Stove (29 catches last season) and senior WR Will Hastings (26 receptions, 20.2 average) for the beginning of the campaign after both players tore ACLs in spring drills.

3. Gaskin needs 16 rushing touchdowns to surpass the Pac-12 career mark set by Oregon's Royce Freeman (60 from 2014-17).

PREDICTION: Washington 30, Auburn 27
______________________

Central Michigan Chippewas vs Kentucky Wildcats Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Terry Wilson will be the starting quarterback when Kentucky opens its season Saturday in a non-conference game against visiting Central Michigan, but the focus of the offense will once again be Benny Snell, Jr. The junior running back will look to get off to a strong start in his bid for a third straight 1,000-yard season for the Wildcats, who have won all six prior meetings with the Chippewas.

Snell is the top returning rusher in the SEC after logging 1,333 yards and a conference-best 19 touchdowns a season ago. The 5-11, 223-pound native of Westerville, Ohio, was the 19th player in SEC history to reach 2,000 career yards prior to his junior season and joined Georgia's Herschel Walker and Knowshon Moreno as the only players to have at least 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Already the program leader in rushing touchdowns with 32, Snell needs 1,412 yards to surpass Sonny Collins, who accrued 3,835 yards from 1972 to 1975, as the school's all-time leading rusher. Central Michigan will also have a new starting quarterback in sophomore Tony Poljan, who saw limited action under center and at wide receiver last season for fourth-year coach John Bonamego.

TV:

3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU.
LINE:

Kentucky -17

ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2017: 8-5): The Chippewas have a polished runner of their own in junior Jonathan Ward, who churned out 1,017 yards on the ground and caught 48 passes for 470 yards while amassing 13 total touchdowns last season. In his team's eight wins, Ward went for 836 yards on 121 carries (6.9 average) but was limited to 181 yards on 58 runs (3.1) in five losses. Poljan, the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year in 2015, can also run despite his 6-7, 235-pound frame as he had more than 3,000 yards and 58 touchdowns on the ground at Lansing Catholic.

ABOUT KENTUCKY (2017: 7-6):

Wilson spent a redshirt season at Oregon in 2016 before heading to Garden City Community College in Kansas and was the No. 5 rated junior college player by ESPN. The sophomore dual-threat quarterback, who chose the Wildcats over Florida and Nebraska, threw for 2,113 yards and 26 touchdowns and ran 518 yards and five scores for Garden City last season. Wilson beat out sophomore Gunnar Hoak, who redshirted in 2016 and practiced but did not see any action last season for Kentucky, which has won nine straight against teams from the Mid-American Conference and 19 of 22 overall.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Wildcats senior LB Josh Allen, who has racked up 20.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in three seasons, and senior S Mike Edwards, who became the fourth player in school history to lead the team in tackles and interceptions, join Snell on the preseason All-SEC first team.

2. Redshirt freshman Naasir Watkins or sophomore transfer E.J. Price will play left tackle for Kentucky after starter Landon Young was lost for the season with a right knee injury.

3. Snell will attempt to join Artose Pinner (2002), Moe Williams (1995) and Collins (1973) as the only Kentucky players to lead the SEC in rushing yards.

PREDICTION: Kentucky 27, Central Michigan 16

Mississippi Rebels vs Texas Tech Red Raiders Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3 minutes

A.J. Brown has the talent and production of a star wide receiver, not to mention the swagger. Ole Miss hopes Brown can begin his junior campaign in strong fashion Saturday when the Rebels face Texas Tech in Houston.

Brown was named a preseason All-American after racking up 75 catches for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He combined with now-senior DaMarkus Lodge (41 catches) and current sophomore D.K. Metcalf (39) for 155 grabs and 25 TDs a season ago. "You've got to have that swagger about it," Brown said earlier this summer. "I feel like we're the best receivers corps in the country." Brown and company certainly will pose an early test for the Red Raiders, who gave up over 32 points per game a season ago.

TV: Noon ET. LINE: Texas Tech -2.5

ABOUT OLE MISS (2017: 6-6): While Brown is expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL draft, one of his teammates has a chance to join him in that group. Offensive tackle Greg Little, who is anything but at 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, could be a high draft pick as the junior prepares to protect senior Jordan Ta'amu's blind side this season. Ta'amu played the second half of the season under center for the Rebels in 2017 and enjoyed terrific back-to-back performances against Kentucky and Louisiana, torching those defenses for a combined 800 passing yards and seven TDs.

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (2017: 6-7): The Red Raiders had a three-way quarterback competition this summer with junior McLane Carter, sophomore Jett Duffey and freshman Alan Bowman competing for snaps. Whoever starts at quarterback for Texas Tech will have the comfort of five returning starters along the offensive line with 83 total starts between the quintet. Texas Tech is certainly eager to take the field after losing last season's Birmingham Bowl on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left, sending the team to its sixth loss in eight games after a 4-1 start.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Ole Miss is 18-3 in its last 21 season openers.

2. Texas Tech has won 15 straight season openers, trailing only Ohio State (17) and Alabama (16) among current Division I streaks.

3. The Rebels also have an experienced offensive line with the five starters - four of which are returning - combining for 103 career starts.

PREDICTION: Ole Miss 39, Texas Tech 27
______________________

Marshall Thundering Herd vs Miami (Ohio) Redhawks Preview and Predictions
Field Level Media
4-5 minutes

The Miami-Ohio Redhawks may have been a little better than last year's record indicated, but they were sidetracked by injuries and tough luck. Their recent history has not been strong, but maybe they can start reversing that. And a good place to get some momentum going might be the season opener for this Mid-American Conference (MAC) entry.

The Marshall Thundering Herd, part of Conference USA has had to say goodbye to their quarterback, but they bring almost everyone else back from a team that went to a bowl game once again. And they have demonstrated some mastery over this opponent in the recent past, winning nine of the last ten meetings.

These squads get together on Saturday at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.

TV: N/A, 3:30 PM ET. LINE: Marshall -2. O/U: 51

ABOUT MARSHALL: They are coming off a season in which they were 8-5 straight-up and 9-4 against the spread, and this was topped off by a 31-28 win over Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl. QB Chase Litton has graduated and has been in NFL training camp, but these guys return 18 starters - nine on each side of the ball - and it should be mentioned that like Miami, they bring back all five of last year's offensive line starters, on a unit that allowed only eleven sacks. The incoming quarterback, Alex Thomson, welcomes this kind of protection; he's a graduate transfer from Wagner College. And the new offensive coordinator is Tim Cramsey, who was with Sam Houston State, an FCS semi-finalist, last season. Marshall may have the best set of linebackers in the Mid-American Conference, and they went from allowing five yards a carry in 2016 to just 3.4 in 2017. They were a top-20 scoring defense and could even be better. Head coach Doc Holliday, a former linebacker at West Virginia, also spent 23 years as an assistant coach there.

ABOUT MIAMI (OH): The Redhawks compiled a 5-7 straight-up record last season (4-8 ATS) but they lost five games by eight points or less, indicating that a fortunate bounce here or there could have put them into a bowl game. That was the case in 2016, as they went to the St. Petersburg Bowl. They return 16 starters, and that includes everybody on the offensive line. It also includes quarterback Gus Ragland, who has done a pretty good job of minimizing mistakes, having thrown only eight interceptions (against 39 TD's) in his Miami career. He has a big target to throw to in 6'4" James Gardner, who averaged almost 20 yards a catch last season. They'll take a "committee" approach in the backfield, with Kenny Young (781 yards last year) and Alonzo Smith (660). Defensively, they may have what it takes to give Marshall a hard time because they return three of the four members of a secondary that held the opposition to just 52.6% completions. They also bring eight of the top ten tacklers, so don't discount Chuck Martin's team being able to make some noise.

EXTRA POINTS

1. In last year's meeting, Miami-Ohio actually outgained Marshall but was victimized by two kickoff returns for touchdowns as well as a pick-six, which more than made all the difference in a 31-28 victory for the Herd.

2. Marshall has been a tough customer as a visitor, going 5-1 ATS overall on the road last year.

3. Miami coach Chuck Martin had a 74-7 record at the Division II level before going to the Redhawks, where he has gone 16-33. Miami has had one winning season in the last twelve years.

PREDICTION: Marshall 28, Miami of Ohio 21

Tennessee Volunteers vs West Virginia Mountaineers Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 29th August 2018 by Gracenote
4-5 minutes

Dana Holgorsen has changed his scheduling philosophy since taking over West Virginia eight years ago, trading in early-season contests against FCS foes for the likes of Virginia Tech, Penn State and Alabama in an attempt to build a national powerhouse. The 17th-ranked Mountaineers open this season against a Power 5 opponent for the fourth time in five years Saturday when they play a Tennessee program coming off a school-record eight losses in the Belk College Kickoff in Charlotte, N.C.

"Obviously we like it - and it's not going to end anytime soon," Holgorsen told reporters. "If you talk non-conference schedules in general, I think there needs to be more of a uniformed policy across the country for people doing this. ... I think the biggest thing is we've got 11 Power 5 games on our schedule and there are some other teams out there that have eight." Holgorsen has his best team since arriving in Morgantown in 2011 and it is led by Heisman hopeful Will Grier, who ranked second in the country with 34 touchdown passes and third with 3,490 yards passing last season before suffering a season-ending broken finger in November. New Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt, a former defensive coordinator at Alabama, takes over a defense that was besieged by injuries last season, allowing 29.1 points per game - its most since 2012 - and a gaudy 251 yards rushing per contest. The Volunteers also had problems on offense, ranking last in the SEC in scoring at 19.8 points - down from 36.4 the previous season - and total offense at 291 yards per game while going over a month without scoring an offensive touchdown.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: West Virginia -10.

ABOUT TENNESEE (2017: 4-8): Jarrett Guarantano, who went 4-2 as a starter last season and completed 62 percent of his 139 passes for 997 yards with four TDs and two interceptions, is expected to start at quarterback. Graduate transfer Keller Chryst, 11-2 as starter at Stanford the last two years (54.2 completion percentage, 962 yards, eight TDs, four Interceptions) is also expected to contribute. With John Kelly (778 yards, nine TDs) off to the Los Angeles Rams, sophomore Ty Chandler (305 yards, 4.3 yards per carry) will have a chance to take over as the feature back and take a crack at a West Virginia defense that yielded 204 yards per game in 2017.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (2017: 7-6): Grier (64.4 completion percentage, 12 interceptions) will have two big-time targets returning: senior wide receiver David Sills V (60 receptions, 960 yards), who tied for the national lead with 18 TD receptions last season, and Gary Jennings Jr. (Big-12 leading 97 receptions, 1,096 yards).The Mountaineers return four offensive line starters - three earning preseason Big 12 recognition - to open holes for running backs Kennedy McCoy (596 yards, 4.8 yards per carry, seven TDs), Martell Pettaway and freshman Alec Sinkfield. If West Virginia is going to contend for the Big 12 title, Holgorsen and defensive coordinator Tony Gibson need to improve a defense that surrendered 31.5 points and 446 yards per game - both most since 2013.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Both teams enter on three-game losing streaks; the Vols lost seven of their last eight and were 0-8 in conference play last season.

2. Tennessee OL Trey Smith, second-team All-SEC and freshman All-American last season, is expected to play either guard or tackle Saturday. He missed spring practice after suffering blood clots in his lungs.

3. Tennessee has won nine straight openers but is 6-34 against ranked teams over the last eight seasons.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 42, Tennessee 24
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North Carolina Tar Heels vs California Golden Bears Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

California opened the Justin Wilcox era last year on a high note by going to North Carolina and recording a surprising come-from-behind 35-30 victory. Cal's second-year coach looks for a similar result Saturday when the Bears host the depleted Tar Heels, who will be without 13 suspended players and standout defensive lineman Aaron Crawford (knee injury) in the season opener for both teams.

North Carolina is taking the longest trip in school history to face an improving Cal team that has made just one bowl game in the past six seasons and was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 North Division. The Bears are hoping to build on the promising signs from last season, when former walk-on Patrick Laird rushed for 1,127 yards - including an average of 145.4 yards over the final five games. Laird returns for his senior season and figures to receive a heavy workload against North Carolina, which finished 88th in the nation in points allowed in last year's injury-plagued season but hopes to bounce back behind a veteran defensive line. The Tar Heels will look to pressure Cal quarterback Ross Bowers, who completed 59 percent of his passes for 3,039 yards and 18 touchdowns against 12 interceptions last season.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: California -7

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (3-9 in 2017): Dual-threat quarterback Nathan Elliott started the final three games last season and will get the nod Saturday over Chazz Surratt, who is suspended for the first four contests. Coach Larry Fedora plans to rotate Jordon Brown, Antonio Williams and true freshman Javonte Williams at running back, while wide receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams looks to build on a strong sophomore campaign. The Tar Heels boast a formidable defensive line and two impressive linebackers in Cole Holcomb and Jonathan Smith, but the secondary could be vulnerable against Cal's aerial attack.

ABOUT CAL (5-7 in 2017): In search of their first bowl appearance since 2015, the Bears need continued growth from a defensive unit led by linebackers Cameron Goode and Jordan Kunaszyk, who had a team-high 74 tackles last season. Cal fell from third to 10th in the conference in scoring offense last year and needs a quick start from Bowers, who will be operating behind a veteran offensive line. There are question marks at the wide receiver position after three key wideouts left the program, but Kanawai Noa and Vic Wharton III return after combining for 123 catches last season.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Cal has won its last four consecutive season openers and is 12-4 in its first game since 2002.

2. Saturday's contest marks North Carolina's first trip to the West Coast since a 37-34 loss at Stanford in 1998.

3. Cal was 4-2 at home last season with its two losses coming by a combined 11 points to USC and Arizona.

PREDICTION: Cal 27, North Carolina 17

Washington State Cougars vs Wyoming Cowboys Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Washington State has been the third winningest program in Pac-12 play over the last three years, but the Cougars are entering a season of uncertainty. They'll begin to find some answers Saturday afternoon in the season opener at Wyoming.

Coach Mike Leach already faced a tall task in replacing three-year starting quarterback and Pac-12 all-time leading passer Luke Falk. But then the program was rocked by the news in January that backup Tyler Hilinski, who started for the injured Falk in the Holiday Bowl, had committed suicide. An offseason of healing has followed, and now the Cougars are beginning anew, likely with East Carolina-transfer Gardner Minshew II taking over the controls of Leach's Air Raid attack. Wyoming, meanwhile, got an early jump on the new season/post-Josh Allen era Saturday, using a punishing ground attack and a stout defense to dominate host New Mexico State 29-7.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Washington State -1.5

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (2017: 9-4): Leach hasn't officially named his new starting QB, but most signs point to Minshew, a senior who threw for 3,487 yards and 24 TDs in 17 games at East Carolina. There will be ample targets to throw to as three of the Cougars' top six pass catchers return in running back James Williams along with wideouts Kyle Sweet and Renard Bell. Defensively, Washington State has had to replace coordinator Alex Grinch and six starters, but brings back its top two tacklers in All-Pac 12 second-team safety Jalen Thompson and linebacker Jahad Woods.

ABOUT WYOMING (1-0): Freshman Tyler Vander Waal got the start in the opener replacing Allen, the seventh overall pick in last spring's NFL Draft, but it was a rushing attack that rolled up 312 yards on 57 carries that did most of the damage against the Aggies. Nico Evans led the way, rushing for 190 yards and two scores on 24 attempts. The Cowboys were stifling on defense, not allowing New Mexico State across midfield until the game's waning minutes and limiting the Aggies to seven first downs and 135 total yards - including minus-9 rushing yards on 16 attempts.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Washington State has lost of five of its six season openers under Leach with its only win coming last season in a 31-0 shutout of visiting Montana State of the FCS Big Sky Conference.

2. The Cougars have four of their six meetings with Wyoming, with the latest being a 31-14 home win in 2015.

3. Evans entered Saturday's opener with 108 career rushing yards on 36 attempts over his first three seasons but eclipsed that total by 82 yards against New Mexico State.

PREDICTION: Washington State 23, Wyoming 21
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Bowling Green Falcons vs Oregon Ducks Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

For a program entering the season with its third head coach in the last three years, Oregon boasts a surprising amount of stability. The Ducks begin the Mario Cristobal era on Saturday against visiting Bowling Green eager to show why many experts believe they could contend for the Pac-12 title.

Oregon was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 North but could surprise with an explosive offense led by quarterback Justin Herbert and running back Tony Brooks-James. "With coach Cristobal behind the wheel, it's full speed, right down your throat, take your blank-blank-blank," Brooks-James told reporters. "There ain't no, 'It's a first-year coach, we're just trying to fill things out.' We're going for everything." Oregon has averaged 41.2 points over Herbert's 15 career starts, and the 6-foot-6, 233-pound junior begins the season as a Heisman Trophy candidate after completing 67.5 percent of his passes last year. Oregon has won 13 straight home openers and are heavy favorites versus Bowling Green, which was picked to finish fifth in the East Division in the Mid-American Conference preseason media poll.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: Oregon -31.5

ABOUT BOWLING GREEN (2-10 in 2017): The Falcons have the firepower to keep pace early with Oregon but will need to take care of the football after committing 25 turnovers last season. Sophomore quarterback Jarret Doege returns after completing 63.8 percent of his passes for 12 touchdowns against three interceptions last season, while Andrew Clair will be the starting tailback after averaging 6.8 yards per carry as a freshman. The Falcons replaced their entire defensive coaching staff after allowing 506.6 yards per game last season and could easily be overwhelmed by Oregon's high-powered attack.

ABOUT OREGON (7-6 in 2017): The Ducks again have plenty of speed at the skill positions with Brooks-James expected to carry a heavy workload and wide receivers Dillon Mitchell and Tabari Hines primed to build on last season's strong finish, when they combined for 544 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over the final three games. The defense showed dramatic improvement last year under new coordinator Jim Leavitt and should continue to thrive with inside linebacker Troy Dye leading the way. The junior is Oregon's active leader in tackles (198) and tackles for loss (26.5), while ranking second in sacks (10.5).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Oregon has won 20 consecutive home non-conference games dating back to 2008.

2. Bowling Green is seeking its first season-opening victory since defeating Tulsa in 2013.

3. Oregon went 6-2 and averaged 49.1 points with Herbert in the starting lineup last season.

PREDICTION: Oregon 51, Bowling Green 17

Michigan Wolverines vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

No.11 Notre Dame will host 14th-ranked Michigan on Saturday as one of the most storied rivalries in college football is set to resume after a three-year hiatus. The Fighting Irish have won at least 10 games in two of the previous three seasons and hope their Citrus Bowl victory against LSU serves as a springboard to their second straight win against Michigan, after routing the Wolverines 31-0 in the last meeting in the series in South Bend in 2014.

"We're excited about it as this is something that Jim (Harbaugh) and I wanted to get back on the schedule," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told reporters. "We think it's great for college football and I know our kids and our coaches can't wait for Saturday night." Michigan looks to bounce back from a disappointing campaign, which saw the Wolverines drop rivalry games to Michigan State and Ohio State en route to an 8-5 record. There is plenty of optimism in Ann Arbor despite a three-game losing streak to end the season as Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson was granted a waiver for immediate eligibility. The former five-star recruit hopes to lead Michigan to its first road win against Notre Dame since 2010. "I understand the shoes that I have to fill with so many good quarterbacks who have come through here," Patterson told reporters. "I'm so excited especially with the group of guys we have here."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Notre Dame -1

ABOUT MICHIGAN (2017: 8-5): Patterson, who threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games before a knee injury ended his season prematurely, beat out Brandon Peters for the starting job, but was stripped of a major weapon as No. 1 wide receiver Tarik Black was ruled out indefinitely with a fractured right foot. Michigan's defense, which gave up 18.3 points per game in 2017, promises to be fearsome once again as nine starters return, including preseason All-Americans Rashan Gary, a defensive end who is a projected top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and linebacker Devin Bush. Karan Higdon flirted with the NFL after rushing for 994 yards and 11 touchdowns last season and will form a dynamic duo with Chris Evans, who accounted for 842 total yards and seven TDs.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (2017: 10-3): Brandon Wimbush passed for 1,870 yards and 16 touchdowns to go along with another 803 yards and 14 TDs on the ground last season, and was named the starter after beating out Ian Book, who relieved him during the win against LSU and could see some action if Wimbush struggles. Tony Jones Jr. is likely to replace last season's leading rusher Josh Adams, who bolted to the NFL after racking up 1,430 yards and nine touchdowns, while Dexter Williams' status is unclear following speculation of a university imposed four-game suspension. Offensive lineman Robert Hainsey is expected to play on Saturday after missing two weeks of practice with a calf strain.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Notre Dame has won 25 of its last 31 season openers.

2. Michigan has won nine straight regular-season games against non-conference opponents under Harbaugh.

3. The Fighting Irish have won five of the last six meetings with the Wolverines in South Bend.

PREDICTION: Michigan 23, Notre Dame 20
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Navy Midshipmen vs Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Preview and Predictions
NCAAF Previews 28th August 2018 by Gracenote
3-4 minutes

Navy opens its 2018 season at Hawaii on Saturday, but the groundwork for a campaign that has coach Ken Niumatalolo brimming with confidence already was being established after the Midshipmen's 14-13 loss to Army in December. Navy routed Virginia 49-7 in its next game - the 2017 Military Bowl - after tougher-than-usual preparation and hopes to carry the momentum into a season that will feature junior Malcolm Perry at quarterback.

"From what I saw in the bowl game, what I saw during spring ball and what I've seen in August camp, I couldn't be more pleased," Niumatalolo told the Capital Gazette. "I feel as good as I've ever felt in my 11 years of being the head coach." Perry took over from Zach Abey, who switched to wide receiver, and rushed for a combined 364 yards and three touchdowns versus Army and Virginia without throwing a pass. Navy, which was second nationally to Army in rushing yards per game last season (351.4), could have an easy time against a Rainbow Warriors' defense that permitted an average of 210.2 yards on the ground - 110th among the 129 FBS teams in 2017. Hawaii opened its season with a 43-34 victory at Colorado State on Aug. 25 as sophomore quarterback Cole McDonald threw for 418 yards and accounted for five touchdowns.

TV: 11 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network. LINE: Navy -11

ABOUT NAVY (2017: 7-6): Perry rushed for 1,182 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, including a 68-yard score versus Army, and averaged 8.6 yards per carry while attempting only two passes. He also was the Midshipmen's top kickoff returner at 24.5 yards per try but doesn't appear on the depth chart at that position with his role as the starting quarterback. Navy's defense took a hit with the graduation of linebacker Micah Thomas (team highs of 81 tackles and three interceptions last season), but senior defensive end Josh Webb returns with his team-best four sacks.

ABOUT HAWAII (1-0): McDonald also is a threat running the ball as his 96 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries versus Colorado State attest. Juniors Cedric Byrd and John Ursua appear to be McDonald's favorite targets after combining for 304 yards and three TDs on 18 receptions. Junior linebacker Solomon Matautia spearheaded the Rainbow Warriors' defense with a team-high 10 tackles, including six solo.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Rainbow Warriors coach Nick Rolovich (2000-01) and Niumatalolo (1986-87, 1989) are former Hawaii quarterbacks.

2. Navy was 6-0 when scoring more than 30 points in 2017 and 1-6 when totaling fewer than 30.

3. Navy was picked to finish third in the West Division in the American Athletic Conference preseason poll while Hawaii was tabbed to wind up fifth in the six-team West Division of the Mountain West Conference.

PREDICTION: Navy 35, Hawaii 31