2 weeks Ago By Staff, Wire Reports
Staff, Wire Reports TCU (2-1) at SMU (2-1) When: 4 p.m. Saturday.
TV: CW. Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas.
BetMGM College Football Odds: TCU by 2 1/2. Series record: TCU leads 53-42-7. WHAT’S AT STAKE? The 103rd meeting between the Dallas-Fort Worth rivals for the Iron Skillet will be the first since SMU joined the ACC to create a matchup of power conference teams.
Both are coming off losses. The Mustangs had an open date after being held without a touchdown two weeks ago in an 18-15 loss to BYU, which is in the Big 12 with TCU. The Horned Frogs blew a 21-point lead after halftime to lose their league opener when UCF scored in the final minute.
Sonny Dykes has been the winning coach the last four meetings, including both games since moving to TCU after leading SMU’s first consecutive wins in the series since 1992-93. KEY MATCHUP TCU quarterback Josh Hoover goes against an SMU defense with as many interceptions (four) as passing touchdowns allowed and allowing only 158.3 yards passing per game.
Hoover’s 119 pass attempts without an interception are the most in the country. Hoover threw for 402 yards and four TDs against UCF, his seventh time with at least 300 yards passing in his nine career starts. Only three FBS QBs since 2012 have more 300-yard games in their first nine starts.
Hoover’s 1,022 yards passing through three games is third-best in FBS. PLAYERS TO WATCH SMU: Collin Rogers is tied for the national lead with eight made field goals this season. He set the single-game school record with five against BYU, including two kicks over 50 yards.
TCU: WR Jack Bech is third in the Big 12 with 116.7 yards receiving per game. He had nine catches for 200 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown, last week against UCF.
All of those marks were personal highs in his 36 career games, including 25 in two seasons at LSU before joining the Horned Frogs last year. FACTS & FIGURES The Mustangs and TCU were in the Southwest Conference together from 1923 until that league dissolved after the 1995 football season. The Frogs have won 20 of the 26 meetings since then, with no more currently scheduled after next season.
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SMU had a nine-game home winning streak before the loss to BYU. ..
. Dykes is 20-10 at TCU. Rhett Lashlee has the same record at SMU since replacing Dykes there.
--- Houston (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) at Cincinnati (2-1, 0-0) When: 11 a.m. Saturday.
TV: FS1. Where: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio. BetMGM College Football Odds: Cincinnati by 3 1/2.
Series record: Houston leads 15-14. WHAT’S AT STAKE? The Cincinnati Bearcats and Houston Cougars meet Saturday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, in the Big 12 opener for both teams. Cincinnati is coming off a road win over Miami (Ohio) last Saturday, while Houston got its first win of the season, a 33-7 over Rice.
Cincinnati defeated Houston 24-14 last November, the Bearcats’ first Big 12 win in school history. KEY MATCHUP Cincinnati is going to look to run the ball, but Houston is going to be a tough team to establish a ground game against. While the Bearcats have rushed for 200-plus yards in two of their first three games, Houston has held each of its last two opponents to 75 rushing yards.
That includes holding No. 15 Oklahoma to 75 yards in Week 2. The last time Houston held back-to-back opponents to 75 or fewer rushing yards was in 2016.
Cincinnati is currently averaging 213.7 rushing yards per game. PLAYERS TO WATCH Houston: Quarterback Donovan Smith is one of 18 active Power Four quarterbacks with 6,000-plus passing yards and 40-plus passing touchdowns since 2021.
Smith has two touchdowns and three interceptions so far this season and has thrown for 537 yards, completing 64.6% of his passes. Cincinnati: Running back Corey Kiner has rushed for more than 100 yards in back-to-back games.
He has 273 rushing yards over Cincinnati’s last two games and 326 for the season. Kiner also has 20-plus carries in consecutive games. FACTS & FIGURES Houston and Cincinnati have competed together in four conferences; the Missouri Valley Conference (1957-59), Conference USA (1996-04), American Athletic Conference (2013-22) and now the Big 12 (2023-Present).
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This is the first Houston-Cincinnati matchup at Nippert Stadium since Dec. 4, 2021, when the Bearcats defeated Houston 35-20 in the AAC Championship. .
.. Only two players from the Cougars (OL Tank Jenkins, TE Matt Byrnes) and three players from the Bearcats (P Mason Fletcher, OT John Williams, DE Eric Phillips) remain with their respective programs from that game.
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The Bearcats have won four straight games against the Cougars going back to Oct. 12, 2019. .
.. Houston linebackers coach James Ross III was the outside linebackers coach at Cincinnati in 2022.
--- No. 12 Utah (3-0) at No. 14 Oklahoma State (3-0) When: 2 p.
m. Saturday. TV: FOX.
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, Oklahoma. BetMGM College Football Odds: Oklahoma State by 1 1/2. Series record: Utah leads 1-0.
WHAT’S AT STAKE? The winner will establish itself as an early favorite to reach the conference title game. Utah is playing in its first Big 12 game after leaving the Pac-12. Oklahoma State returned 21 of 22 starters from a team that has played in two of the last three conference championship games.
The Utes are expected to get star quarterback Cam Rising back from injury. Quarterback Alan Bowman and running back Ollie Gordon II, 2023 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award winner, lead an Oklahoma State offense that averages 42.7 points per game.
KEY MATCHUP Ollie Gordon II vs. Utah’s interior defense. Gordon, last season’s Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s best running back and a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, has rushed 34 times for just 90 yards, (2.
6 yards per carry) in the last two games. Utah isn’t fooled. “It’s going to have to be a concerted effort by the whole front seven to gang tackle and wrap up,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said.
“He’s got all our respect and all our attention.” PLAYERS TO WATCH Utah: QB Cam Rising. The 25-year-old is expected to play after injuring his right hand in a Week 2 win over Baylor and sitting out last week’s game vs.
Utah State. Rising missed all of last season with a knee injury but returned and threw five touchdown passes in the Utes’ season-opening win over Southern Utah. Oklahoma State: QB Alan Bowman.
The 24-year-old tied a career high with five touchdown passes in the Cowboys’ 45-10 win over Tulsa and was named the Walter Camp Player of the Week. He has taken advantage of defenses focused on stopping Gordon by throwing for 967 yards so far. He has a host of talented receivers, including junior De’Zhaun Stribling, who shattered his career high with 174 receiving yards against the Golden Hurricane.
FACTS & FIGURES Whittingham and Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy are coaching in their 20th seasons at their respective schools. Gundy is 169-79 and Whittingham is 165-79. .
.. Rising and Bowman are in their seventh year of eligibility.
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Former OSU quarterback Brandon Weeden will be inducted into the Cowboys Hall of Honor this weekend. He passed for 9,260 yards and 75 touchdowns in his career, finishing with a record of 23-3. --- Arizona State (3-0) at Texas Tech (2-1) When: 2:30 p.
m. Saturday. TV: FS1.
Radio: The Team 92.1-FM. Where: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock.
BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas Tech by 3. Series record: Series tied 2-2. WHAT’S AT STAKE? The Big 12 opener for both teams is a chance for Arizona State to have its first 4-0 record since 2016 and for Texas Tech to put to rest a rough start to the season.
The Sun Devils are playing their first conference game since joining the Big 12. Arizona State is trying to build a case for the first Top 25 ranking in coach Kenny Dillingham’s two seasons. The Red Raiders barely beat FCS member Abilene Christian in overtime in their opener at home, lost handily at Washington State and tied a school record with 52 first-half points in last week’s 66-21 victory over North Texas in Lubbock.
KEY MATCHUP Texas Tech QB Behren Morton vs. Arizona State pass defense. Morton had four touchdown passes in the victory over North Texas, and the Sun Devils surrendered four to Texas State’s Jordan McCloud in a 31-28 win over the Bobcats.
The same could be said on the other side, with ASU’s Sam Leavitt facing a pass defense ranked 119th out of 133 nationally. The Red Raiders gave up 506 yards passing to Abilene Christian. Their season average is now at 280.
PLAYERS TO WATCH Arizona State: WR Jordyn Tyson had six catches, a career high, for 120 yards and a touchdown against Texas State. Tyson had consecutive 100-yard games in his final two games with Colorado late in the 2022 season before transferring to Arizona State. Texas Tech: RB Tahj Brooks clearly makes a big difference for the offense.
He missed the 37-16 loss to Washington State with an injury, and the Red Raiders had four turnovers. Brooks set the tone with 74 yards rushing in the first quarter against North Texas, and Texas Tech didn’t have a turnover until well after the victory was in hand. Brooks has 3,314 career yards and needs 98 to move into fifth on the school’s rushing list.
FACTS & FIGURES The Sun Devils are playing in Texas for the second week in a row following the win at Texas State on Sept. 12 in a nationally televised Thursday night game. .
.. Third-year Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire is 1-1 in Big 12 openers, but has won both of his conference openers at home.
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One of Arizona State’s victories in the 4-0 start eight years ago was 68-55 over the Red Raiders, then coached by Kliff Kingsbury. A year later in 2017, Texas Tech won 52-45 in Lubbock. .
.. The Red Raiders are one win from 600 in program history.
--- Bowling Green (1-1) at No. 25 Texas A&M (2-1) When: 6:30 p.m.
Saturday. TV: ESPN+/SEC Network+. Radio: KTBB 600-AM.
Where: Kyle Field, College Station. BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas A&M by 22 1/2. Series record: First meeting.
WHAT’S AT STAKE? Texas A&M looks to build on its decisive win at Florida when the Aggies take a break from Southeastern Conference play to host Bowling Green. It is their last non-conference game before embarking on five straight conference contests, including a visit from No. 7 Missouri on Oct.
5. Bowling Green returns after an early bye week following a 34-27 loss at then-No. 8 Penn State Sept.
7. KEY MATCHUP Texas A&M’s passing game vs. Bowling Green’s pass defense.
Marcel Reed threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third in his first collegiate start last week filling in for injured starter Conner Weigman. Coach Mike Elko said Weigman is still dealing with the injury and wouldn’t say who would start Saturday. Whoever it is will face a pass defense that is ranked 77th in the country, allowing 211.
5 yards passing a game. PLAYERS TO WATCH Bowling Green: TE Harold Fannin Jr. ranks first in the nation among tight ends with 204 yards receiving, 131 yards after catch and 13 first down receptions.
He has one score this season and averages 12 yards a reception. Texas A&M: RB Le’Veon Moss had 18 carries for a career-high 110 yards against the Gators. He ranks seventh in the SEC by averaging 88 yards rushing a game and his three rushing TDs are tied for eighth in the conference.
FACTS & FIGURES Texas A&M coach Mike Elko served as Bowling Green’s defensive coordinator from 2009-13. ..
. The Falcons are 2-2 in games played in Texas and Saturday will be their first trip to the state since 1988, when they lost 49-12 at TCU. .
.. Bowling Green QB Connor Bazelak needs 273 yards passing to reach 10,000 for his career.
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WR Malcolm Johnson Jr., a transfer from Auburn, has 11 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown this season. .
.. Texas A&M ranks ninth in the nation by averaging 263 yards rushing a game.
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The Aggies had three interceptions against the Gators to give them five this season, which ranks first in the SEC. ..
. WR Cyrus Allen leads the Aggies with 181 yards receiving. .
.. RB Amari Daniels had 68 yards rushing against Florida to give him 1,014 in his career.
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DE Cashius Howell transferred to A&M after three seasons at Bowling Green where he led the MAC with 9 1⁄2 sacks last season. --- Louisiana-Monroe (2-0) at No. 1 Texas (3-0) When: 7 p.
m. Saturday. TV: ESPN+, SEC Network+.
Radio: KTBB 97.5-FM. Where: Campbell-Williams Field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin.
BetMGM College Football Odds: Texas by 44 1/2. Series record: Texas 2-0. WHAT’S AT STAKE Texas is No.
1 for the first time since 2008 as the Longhorns play their final tune-up before starting the program’s first SEC schedule. Freshman quarterback Arch Manning gets his his first career start with Quinn Ewers still sidelined with an abdominal strain. It seems like an easy week for Ewers to heal up.
A Louisiana-Monroe upset would be a stunner. KEY MATCHUP Manning vs. Warhawks defensive coordinator Earnest Hill.
Manning is talented but still inexperienced. Hill will likely draw up any number of ways to try to pressure him into mistakes. That also means the Texas offensive line must be solid in protection.
Texas can’t risk any hard hits on Manning. PLAYERS TO WATCH Louisiana-Monroe: QB General Booty has thrown only 30 passes in two games and will have to be sharp against the Longhorns, who already have five interceptions. Booty originally signed with Oklahoma out of Tyler Junior College, but played in only two games there before transferring in May to ULM.
Booty was All-America at TJC, leading the Apaches to a bowl victory. Texas: Freshman RB Jerrick Gibson has emerged from an injury-depleted backfield to lead the Longhorns in rushing with 178 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns. No other Texas back has more than 79 yards.
FACTS & FIGURES Texas’s last tour at No. 1 lasted three weeks in 2008. The quarterback of that team, Colt McCoy, will be inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor this week .
.. The Longhorns defense has allowed just two touchdowns and 19 total points this season.
The Warhawks have allowed just two in their first two games ...
Texas’ five interceptions leads the SEC. Defensive end Ethan Burke returned one 30 yards for a touchdown ..
.. This is ULM’s first matchup against a No.
1 opponent. --- Baylor (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) at Colorado (2-1, 0-0) When: 7 p.m.
Saturday. TV: FOX. Where: Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado.
BetMGM College Football Odds: Colorado by 1 1/2. Series record: Colorado leads 9-7. WHAT’S AT STAKE? It seems fitting that homecoming weekend in Boulder on Saturday coincides with the Buffaloes making their return to Big 12 play.
Colorado left the conference following the 2010 season to join the Pac-12 and came back this season. The last time Colorado faced Baylor on the football field was Oct. 16, 2010, when Robert Griffin III led the Bears to a 31-25 win in Boulder.
The Buffaloes are coming off a 28-9 win over Colorado State in which Shedeur Sanders threw four TD passes. The Bears beat Air Force 31-3 in a game where they went with quarterback Sawyer Robertson in relief of starter Dequan Finn. Colorado coach Deion Sanders made a big deal in his weekly news conference about rain in the forecast and whether his team will work on wet-ball drills.
At the time, there was around a 30% chance of rain and Sanders said: “We’re not going to take time out in practice to do a drill based on something that may not happen.” The weather report for Saturday night now includes a strong possibility of rain, maybe even heavy at times. KEY MATCHUP Shedeur Sanders vs.
Baylor’s stingy defense. Sanders has thrown for 999 yards and nine TDs this season, with his top target two-way standout Travis Hunter (30 catches, 342 yards, five touchdowns). Behind the defensive play calling of head coach Dave Aranda, the Bears have posted two games this season where they’ve allowed only a field goal.
They lead the nation in passing defense. PLAYERS TO WATCH Baylor: The QB depth chart for the Bears lists Robertson or Finn. That’s why the Buffaloes are preparing for both.
Finn has thrown for 2,000 or more yards and rushed for 500-plus yards in three straight seasons. He has 307 yards passing and 26 yards rushing this season. Colorado: Freshman running back Micah Welch gave the ground game a boost last weekend against the Rams with 65 yards, including a 25-yard scamper.
He has two of Colorado’s three rushes for 15 or more yards this season. The Buffaloes are averaging 61.3 yards a game on the ground.
FACTS & FIGURES The Bears have won three of the last four games in the series. ..
. Since Aranda took over, the Bears have been one of the least-penalized teams. Last season, Baylor led the Big 12 in fewest penalty yards per game.
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Of the 13 FBS QBs who threw four or more touchdown passes in the third week of the season four were from the Big 12, including Sanders. ..
. Sanders has 999 career completions. .
.. Hunter earned Big 12 defensive player of the week honors after finishing with five tackles, one pass breakup and an interception against Colorado State.
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The Buffaloes are 4-2-1 all-time playing on Sept. 21. .
..The last time Colorado beat Baylor was 2007.
--- No. 6 Tennessee (3-0) at No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0) When: 6:30 p.
m. Saturday. TV: ABC.
Where: Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Okla. BetMGM College Football Odds: Tennessee by 7 1/2. Series record: Oklahoma leads 3-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE? Oklahoma makes its SEC debut in a game that already had been scheduled. This will not only be Tennessee’s league opener, but coach Josh Heupel’s first time coaching the Vols against the program he led to the 2000 national championship as quarterback. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables was the co-defensive coordinator on that team, too.
The winner gets a nice strength-of-schedule win in the race for the SEC title game as well as a potential berth in the College Football Playoff. KEY MATCHUP Tennessee’s defense against Oklahoma’s offensive line. The Vols have not allowed an offensive touchdown in 16 straight quarters over four games, the third-longest streak in school history.
It’s their longest streak since going 18 consecutive quarters in 1965-66. Tennessee is second nationally holding opponents to 160.7 yards per game, which is about what Oklahoma has averaged with a middling 4.
34 yards per carry. PLAYERS TO WATCH Tennessee: QB Nico Iamaleava. The 6-foot-6 quarterback from Long Beach, California, will be making his fifth career start and third away from Neyland Stadium.
He is 4-0 as a starter with two victories over ranked opponents. This will be his first true road start and SEC debut. He has thrown for 698 yards with six TDs and two interceptions averaging 232.
7 yards per game with the Vols outscoring opponents 226-13 in his starts. Oklahoma: RB Taylor Tatum. The true freshman from Longview was one of the nation’s top recruits, and it’s clear why.
He scored two touchdowns last week against Tulane — one receiving and one rushing. He has 15 carries for 102 yards. His load likely will increase this week as Oklahoma tries to infuse energy into its inconsistent offense.
FACTS & FIGURES Tennessee has won five straight games dating to November. ..
. The Vols have outscored opponents 191-13 to start this season. The point differential is the largest in SEC history through three games and second-most by an FBS team in the AP Poll era, which dates back to 1936.
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The Vols have scored at least 50 points in each of their first three games for the second time in program history and first since 1913. ..
. The Vols are 24-2, including 18 straight wins, when rushing for at least 200 yards. They have run for at least 200 yards in four straight games.
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Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas had three sacks in the fourth quarter last week against Tulane. ..
. Oklahoma receiver Deion Burks ranks second in the SEC with 22 catches..
