College Football Picks: Week 5 Predictions for Every Game
Thanks to the willingness of power-conference teams to play each other, the first month of the 2015 college football season provided us with plenty of great games.
But now comes the nitty gritty: conference play, which—after making a few cameo appearances—takes center stage this weekend. Of the 60 games on the Week 5 schedule, 45 of them pit teams from the same league as they begin their quests for conference or division titles.
We've made predictions for every game, delving into the storied histories of series among Mid-American teams as well as breaking down how the wide-open races in the Big Ten West and ACC Coastal divisions will turn out.
Check out our selections for all 60 games, then weigh in with your picks in the comments section.
All rankings refer to the Associated Press Top 25.
Week 4 record: 41-18 (.695)
Season: 231-58 (.799)
No. 22 Michigan at Maryland
1 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: C.J. Brown and Wes Brown scored fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns to give Maryland a 23-16 win at Michigan last November.
What to watch for
Michigan (3-1) has allowed 14 points in its past three games, coming off a shutout win over BYU in which it held the Cougars to 105 yards. At 203.8 yards allowed per game, the Wolverines rank second nationally in total defense.
That's just slightly below their 202.3 rushing yards gained each week, a formula that's turned the Wolverines into one of the more fundamentally sound and disciplined teams in the country. Jim Harbaugh doesn't have a quarterback he can do much with in Jake Rudock, but outside of the opening loss at Utah, that hasn't been an issue.
Maryland (2-2) lost 45-6 at West Virginia last week. The Terrapins are giving up 32.8 points per game and have allowed more than 600 yards in each loss.
Their best weapon is return specialist William Likely, whose 489 all-purpose yards includes two punt-return TDs in the first two games, but now that teams won't kick to him, he's been removed from the equation.
Michigan has built itself up at home but should be able to carry that over to a road game against a vulnerable opponent. It will also be dealing with some inclement weather, as Hurricane Joaquin has prompted officials to move up this game's start from its previous 8 p.m. ET kickoff.
Prediction: Michigan 30, Maryland 17
FINAL: Michigan 28, Maryland 0
Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech
2 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: James Conner ran for two touchdowns in Pittsburgh's 21-16 home win over Virginia Tech last October.
What to watch for
Pittsburgh (2-1) had last week off to bounce back from its first loss of the season, a last-second defeat at Iowa on a long field goal. The Panthers are still trying to figure themselves out under new coach Pat Narduzzi, and changes on offense have lengthened this breaking-in period.
Conner led the ACC in rushing and set a school record for TDs last year but was hurt in the season opener, handing the reins to freshman Qadree Ollison. Ollison had 207 yards in his first game and 98 over the next two, while Tennessee transfer Nate Peterman has supplanted Chad Voytik at quarterback but threw two interceptions at Iowa.
Virginia Tech (2-2) had one of its trademark down efforts last week in losing at East Carolina, wiping away any momentum that came from a blowout road win over Purdue. Brenden Motley has improved at quarterback each game, but the Hokies are averaging only 3.69 yards per carry against FBS opponents.
As wide-open as the ACC's Coastal Division is, even more so now that defending champion Georgia Tech has started 0-1, this game will take on even greater importance.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 27, Pittsburgh 21
FINAL: Pittsburgh 17, Virginia Tech 13
South Carolina at Missouri
3 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Russell Hansbrough scored three rushing touchdowns to give Missouri a 21-20 win at South Carolina in September 2014.
What to watch for
South Carolina (2-2, 0-2 SEC) hasn't started league play with three losses since 2005, but that's the reality it faces in what's looking like the Gamecocks' worst season under Steve Spurrier. Last week's 31-14 home win over winless UCF wasn't very impressive, though quarterback Lorenzo Nunez did give their offense a spark that's been missing.
Nunez had 307 yards of total offense including 123 on the ground last week, and the freshman has a team-high 239 rushing yards. If he can remain consistent and get the ball to versatile athlete Pharoh Cooper, the Gamecocks could get back on track.
Missouri (3-1, 0-1) isn't the team to try to make offensive strides against, as it has the top defense in the SEC at 255 allowed yards per game. If the Tigers weren't as solid stopping the ball they might be winless, since their own offense has been lethargic so far this season.
Quarterback Maty Mauk has yet to throw for 200 yards in a game, and with Hansbrough hobbled by injury, there's been no run game to fall back on. Mauk has seemed in jeopardy of losing his job on a weekly basis, and with Tuesday's announcement, via Brett McMurphy of ESPN, that he's been suspended for this game, it could mark the start of the Drew Lock era in Columbia.
Mizzou has managed to win two straight East Division titles despite poor quarterback play, but even with a change at the position, this is where the run will officially end.
Prediction: South Carolina 21, Missouri 14
FINAL: Missouri 24, South Carolina 10
Purdue at No. 2 Michigan State
4 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Connor Cook threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan State's 45-31 win at Purdue last October.
What to watch for
Purdue (1-3) heads into Big Ten play having lost two in a row at home and is winless against FBS opponents. The last outing saw the Boilermakers give up 402 passing yards in a 35-28 loss to Bowling Green, and for the year, they're allowing 440.3 yards and 35.3 points per game.
A switch at quarterback, from Austin Appleby to freshman David Blough, produced 340 yards and two passing TDs along with a 74.4 percent completion rate, something for Purdue to build on going forward.
Michigan State (4-0) has been outgained by its last two opponents, Air Force and Central Michigan, but it won those games by 14 and 20 points, respectively. The Spartans have been on cruise control since their big win over Oregon, not trying to blow anyone away while taking care of the ball, with just two turnovers and none in the past 10 quarters.
The Spartans play three of four on the road after this one, so expect them to try to put this game away quicker than normal so as to rest starters for the tougher upcoming stretch.
Prediction: Michigan State 45, Purdue 17
FINAL: Michigan State 24, Purdue 21
Minnesota at No. 16 Northwestern
5 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Jalen Myrick's 100-yard kickoff return touchdown midway through the fourth quarter gave Minnesota a 24-17 home win over Northwestern last October.
What to watch for
Minnesota (3-1) can at least lay claim to having plenty of experience in close games, having won its past three by three points apiece. The Golden Gophers won at Colorado State in overtime, survived an ugly 10-7 game against Kent State and then downed previously unbeaten Ohio on a TD run with 30 seconds left.
Along with the season-opening 23-17 loss to TCU, Minnesota has rarely had a moment to relax during the first month of the season.
Northwestern (4-0) has allowed 35 points thus far, 19 of those coming last week in a five-point victory over Ball State in which it overcame three turnovers thanks to quarterback Clayton Thorson's first strong passing effort. Thorson had one TD pass in the first three games and then threw three against the Cardinals, with 256 passing yards after going for 327 before that game.
Neither of these teams has many weapons on offense, so it will likely come down to a big play on defense. Northwestern is the only team that's managed to slow down Stanford this year, holding it to six points in Week 1, while Minnesota tempered TCU's explosive attack.
Prediction: Northwestern 20, Minnesota 13
FINAL: Northwestern 27, Minnesota 0
Iowa at No. 19 Wisconsin
6 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Melvin Gordon ran for 200 yards and two touchdowns in Wisconsin's 26-24 win at Iowa last November.
What to watch for
Iowa (4-0) enters Big Ten play off to its best start since opening 9-0 in 2009, and it's doing so with an offensive balance it hasn't had in several years. The Hawkeyes put up 62 points against North Texas, their most since 2002, and their 439.3 yards per game (which rank 48th in FBS) would rank fourth-best in school history.
C.J. Beathard is completing 68.2 percent of his passes and has added three rushing scores, while Jordan Canzeri has rushed for eight TDs in four games. The Hawkeyes had 22 rushing TDs last season in 13 games, and 12 so far in 2015.
Wisconsin (3-1) has posted shutouts in two of its past three games, giving up a field goal in the other, though the lineup of Miami (Ohio), Troy and Hawaii didn't offer much resistance. The Badgers gave up 502 yards to Alabama and since then have allowed 667 yards, hanging their hat on defense while the offense has settled into a more balanced approach than in previous years.
Taiwan Deal and Dare Ogunbowale have combined for 571 yards and seven TDs, while Joel Stave looks nothing like the quarterback who had the yips early in 2014 and couldn't complete a pass.
The Big Ten West could be a five- or six-team field this year, and this game will provide an early leader.
Prediction: Iowa 27, Wisconsin 23
FINAL: Wisconsin 10, Iowa 6
Army at Penn State
7 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Penn State scored a 24-3 win over Army in October 1979.
What to watch for
Army (1-3) picked up its first win last week at Eastern Michigan in dominant fashion, its 58 points the most the Black Knights have scored in nine years. After watching their run game struggle the first three weeks, with 622 yards and a 4.82 yard-per-carry average, they ran for 556 yards and seven touchdowns.
There hasn't been much success in stopping opponents, though, so if Army isn't moving the ball, it doesn't have much of a shot to win.
Penn State (3-1) has seen its offense come around the past two weeks, first with the run (thanks to Saquon Bradley) against Rutgers and then last week with Christian Hackenberg discovering his ability to be a downfield passer in a 37-21 win over San Diego State. The junior averaged 8.5 yards per attempt, his best since the second week of the 2014 season.
The Nittany Lions can be dangerous with just a little bit of offense thanks to a defensive front that's paced the nation's No. 15 overall unit and a run-stopping approach that gives up 2.55 yards per carry.
This is the fourth of five straight home games for Penn State before visiting Ohio State, and the gradual improvement should continue this week.
Prediction: Penn State 33, Army 14
FINAL: Penn State 20, Army 14
Kansas at Iowa State
8 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Michael Cummings had 278 passing yards with two total touchdowns in Kansas' 34-14 home win over Iowa State last November.
What to watch for
The two worst teams in the Big 12 open conference play against each other, thus deciding early which will likely go winless in the league this season.
Kansas (0-3) has lost six in a row since knocking off the Cyclones last fall, and this year the Jayhawks are the only power-conference team yet to claim victory. A thin roster because of injuries, dismissals and suspensions has been evident, resulting in 25 points per game (less each week) and very little resistance on defense. Last week they lost at Rutgers, gaining only 64 rushing yards in the process.
"If the Jayhawks lose, I really don't see anything between them and a winless season," CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli wrote.
Iowa State (1-2) has late losses to rival Iowa and in double overtime at Toledo, but the Cyclones have looked much better than in 2014, when they were 0-9 in Big 12 play. They're allowing 362 yards and 22.7 points per game, much improved from the 528.9 yards and 38.8 points given up last year.
While first-year Kansas coach David Beaty is probably resigned to this being a lost season, Iowa State's Paul Rhoads still has hope (as well as the desire to hang on to his job). Expect that to be noticeable in the Cyclones' effort.
Prediction: Iowa State 40, Kansas 20
FINAL: Iowa State 38, Kansas 13
No. 23 West Virginia at No. 15 Oklahoma
9 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Samaje Perine ran for 242 yards and four touchdowns in Oklahoma's 45-33 win at West Virginia in September 2014.
What to watch for
West Virginia (3-0) leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing 7.7 points per game with a shutout to its credit. This was expected to be a strength for the Mountaineers, but the results—against semi-decent competition—have been even better than hoped, which has allowed their young offense to be freewheeling and take chances without concern for blowback.
The result has been strong offensive production, with quarterback Skyler Howard throwing nine TD passes and completing 69 percent of his throws, while Wendell Smallwood is netting 6.9 yards per carry.
Oklahoma (3-0) will be a far bigger test for that West Virginia defense, assuming the bye week didn't slow down the roll Baker Mayfield was on beforehand. The Texas Tech transfer has accounted for 10 TDs in the last five quarters plus two overtimes, helping the Sooners rally to win at Tennessee and then put up 52 points against Tulsa.
Mayfield had 572 yards of total offense last time out, and so far he's made the Sooners' switch to the Air Raid offense worth the effort.
Last week's Big 12 games, particularly the one between TCU and Texas Tech, gave us an idea of how offense-heavy the league will be this season. West Virginia's defense will make some plays but won't be able to contain everything Oklahoma throws out there.
Prediction: Oklahoma 34, West Virginia 23
FINAL: Oklahoma 44, West Virginia 24
Texas at No. 4 TCU
10 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: TCU used two defensive touchdowns to key a 48-10 win at Texas last November.
What to watch for
Texas (1-3, 0-1 Big 12) lost its past two games directly because of a missed extra point and a botched punt, respectively, but that's glossing over the larger issues the Longhorns have had in those games. Though the Longhorns played well enough to beat California and Oklahoma State, they lack the ability to avoid costly mistakes.
Charlie Strong's defense has a lot of work to do after allowing 483 yards and 35.3 points per game. He's got a good one in quarterback Jerrod Heard, who had 527 yards of total offense against Cal, but then a week later the freshman averaged 4.6 yards per play.
TCU (4-0, 1-0) escaped Lubbock with a 55-52 win over Texas Tech, getting a tipped pass for a TD in the final minute to take that defense-optional game. The Horned Frogs aren't going to win by 30-plus points most weeks, as they often did during their breakout 2014 season, thanks to the many injuries on defense, but as long as Trevone Boykin remains upright, that won't be a problem.
Boykin began the season as one of the Heisman favorites and remains as such thanks to week-over-week improvement capped by 527 yards of total offense last week. He's second in FBS at 415 yards per game, accounting for 16 TDs.
Prediction: TCU 46, Texas 23
FINAL: TCU 50, Texas 7
UCF at Tulane
11 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: UCF scored a 20-13 home win over Tulane last October, despite gaining only 233 yards, in an American Athletic Conference game.
What to watch for
UCF (0-4) is off to its worst start since going winless in 2004, and the way this year is going, another zero in the win column is very possible. The Knights showed a little bit of life last week at South Carolina, leading 14-8 at halftime, but they were shut out the rest of the way and lost by 17.
The Knights average 243.8 yards per game, worst in FBS, and they're also last in scoring at 12.5 points per game.
Tulane (1-2) isn't much better on the offensive end, at 18.3 points and 338.7 yards per game. The Green Wave scored 38 last time out against FCS Maine, but in their last five games against FBS competition they've tallied just 33 points with a high of 10.
An Orlando bar is promising free beer during all UCF games until it wins, and as much as we're fans of free stuff, this promotion is only going to last one week.
Prediction: UCF 21, Tulane 16
FINAL: Tulane 45, UCF 31
Houston at Tulsa
12 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; noon ET
Last meeting: Kenneth Farrow scored four rushing touchdowns in Houston's 38-28 home win over Tulsa last November in American Athletic Conference play.
What to watch for
While the UCF-Tulane game previewed on the last slide has a chance to be the lowest-scoring game of the weekend, Houston-Tulsa could break scoreboards. Tulsa is fourth in total offense at 607 yards per game, while Houston (590.7) ranks seventh. Each scores more than 40 per game.
Houston (3-0) had 689 yards in a 59-14 home win over Texas State last week, and Texas State's defensive coordinator resigned soon after. The Cougars average 286 rushing yards per game, with quarterback Greg Ward ninth in FBS in total offense.
Tulsa (2-1) has the fifth-best player in the country in terms of total offense in quarterback Dane Evans, and last time out he threw for 427 yards and four TDs in a loss at Oklahoma. The Golden Hurricane have already matched last year's win total.
First-year coaches Tom Herman (Houston) and Philip Montgomery (Tulsa) have made big strides already, but Herman has an edge thanks to a slightly more capable defense.
Prediction: Houston 40, Tulsa 31
FINAL: Houston 38, Tulsa 24
Louisville at North Carolina State
13 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 12:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Michael Dyer ran for 173 yards and a touchdown in Louisville's 30-18 home win over North Carolina State last October.
What to watch for
Louisville (1-3, 0-1 ACC) picked up its first win with a blowout of FCS Samford last week, an outcome in which the numbers don't matter as much as the confidence gained does. That's very much the case with freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson, who had 396 yards of total offense (including 184 rushing yards).
Jackson is the key to what the Cardinals want to do on offense, but before that game he'd been too mistake-prone to trust.
North Carolina State (4-0) is possibly the most unheralded unbeaten team in the country, since its wins have come against very weak competition. The Wolfpack have played their last two games on the road, but those were at Old Dominion and South Alabama, and in no game this season have they been seriously challenged.
Jacoby Brissett leads the nation in passing accuracy at 77.9 percent, and NC State's defense is third-best in FBS.
This will be NC State's first real test, but still not one where it will have much trouble, unless Jackson has completely put his youthful mistakes behind him.
Prediction: North Carolina State 29, Louisville 16
FINAL: Louisville 20, North Carolina State 13
Ohio at Akron
14 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 2 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Josiah Yazdani kicked a 22-yard field goal with 1:55 left to give Ohio a 23-20 win over Akron last October in Mid-American play.
What to watch for
Ohio (3-1) lost 27-24 at Minnesota, giving up a touchdown with 30 seconds left to fall short of its first win over a Big Ten team since upsetting Penn State in 2012. The Bobcats have found their quarterback in senior Derrius Vick, and they have two running backs (A.J. Ouellette and Daz'mond Patterson) who have topped 200 rushing yards.
Akron (2-2) has won two in a row after a shocking 35-14 victory at Louisiana-Lafayette. The Zips scored 10 total points in losses at Oklahoma and Pittsburgh but put up 87 in the next two games, with quarterback Thomas Woodson going for 601 yards of total offense and five TDs in that stretch.
Ohio has won the last seven games in this series, but coming off their big win last week, the Zips will keep rolling.
Prediction: Akron 27, Ohio 23
FINAL: Ohio 14, Akron 12
Toledo at Ball State
15 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Toledo scored 20 first-quarter points to pace a 34-23 home win over Ball State in September 2014 in Mid-American play.
What to watch for
Toledo (3-0) has won six straight games, two of those against an Arkansas State team it beat in January's GoDaddy Bowl and then last week at home. The Rockets' other two wins this season were against power-conference programs, upsetting Arkansas and knocking off Iowa State.
The Rockets have only had running back Kareem Hunt available once this season, as he has been plagued by a hamstring injury that kept him out last week. They instead threw 52 times against Arkansas State, with Phillip Ely collecting 308 yards.
Ball State (2-2, 1-0 Mid-American) is bad against the pass, giving up 282.3 yards per game with 10 touchdowns, yet last week it hung tough with unbeaten Northwestern in a 24-19 road loss. The Cardinals have a very young offense with freshman quarterback Riley Neal, but he's had 532 yards of total offense with four total TDs the past two weeks.
If Hunt can play, Toledo will win easily, but even without him the Rockets will remain unbeaten.
Prediction: Toledo 35, Ball State 28
FINAL: Toledo 24, Ball State 10
Florida International at Massachusetts
16 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3 p.m. ET
Last meeting: None
What to watch for
Florida International (2-2) plays its fourth road game in five weeks to start 2015, and though it's lost two of those games, the Golden Panthers are still looking a lot better than last year, when they were 4-8 with a home-heavy schedule. Quarterback Alex McGough has nine touchdown passes in four games after throwing only 14 last year, but the Panthers need a consistent run game to be able to win.
Massachusetts (0-3) trailed Notre Dame 21-20 in the second quarter but ended up getting blown out by 35, its fifth straight loss. The Minutemen are getting destroyed on the ground, allowing 304.7 yards per game—including 457 to Notre Dame—while they've only netted 340 rushing yards for the season.
The quarterback/receiver combo of Blake Frohnapfel and Tajae Sharpe has the potential to be a great one, and Sharpe already has 30 receptions, but the two have yet to connect for a TD. That will change this week, as UMass will get on the board with its first nonconference victory in four seasons of FBS play.
Prediction: Massachusetts 40, Florida International 24
FINAL: Massachusetts 24, Florida International 14
Northern Illinois at Central Michigan
17 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Thomas Rawls ran for 270 yards and two touchdowns in Central Michigan's 34-17 win at Northern Illinois last October in Mid-American play.
What to watch for
A pair of MAC teams that have played well (but come up short) against a quintet of power-conference opponents now try to see how those experiences will help in their own league.
Northern Illinois (2-2) has lost at Ohio State and Boston College the past two weeks by a combined 10 points, but it only scored 27 points in those setbacks. The Huskies had 190 yards at Ohio State and 153 at Boston College, yet because of their defense they hung around both weeks.
Central Michigan (1-3) has losses to Oklahoma State, Syracuse (in overtime) and Michigan State, and in each game they showed some flashes of strong play. Quarterback Cooper Rush is averaging 317 passing yards and completing 69.5 percent of his throws, but CMU ranks second-worst in the nation in rushing at 76.75 yards per game.
The Chippewas' win at Northern Illinois last year ended the Huskies' 24-game regular-season win streak against MAC opponents. Their last two regular-season MAC defeats have been to CMU, and it's soon to be three.
Prediction: Central Michigan 27, Northern Illinois 21
FINAL: Central Michigan 29, Northern Illinois 19
Wyoming at Appalachian State
18 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: In their only previous meeting, Wyoming beat Appalachian State, then an FCS program, 53-7 in Laramie in 2004.
What to watch for
The matchup between these high-elevation schools should have some sort of snappy name, but with it likely to be a total blowout, there's no need to waste time on such a moniker.
Wyoming (0-4) is off to its worst start since 2002, but that year the Cowboys faced Boise State, Tennessee and Washington in the first month. The competition this season hasn't been nearly as daunting, which makes losing at home to Eastern Michigan, New Mexico and FCS North Dakota all the more embarrassing.
The inability to make a red-zone stop is among the many deficiencies for the Cowboys, who have yielded nine touchdowns and two field goals in 12 opponent trips inside the 20.
Appalachian State (2-1) posted a 49-0 win at Old Dominion last week, its second shutout victory of the season, along with a blowout loss at Clemson. The Mountaineers should be players in the Sun Belt in their second year of FBS play, with a rushing attack that gains more than 298 yards per game and a defense that ranks sixth nationally against the run.
Prediction: Appalachian State 37, Wyoming 19
FINAL: Appalachian State 31, Wyoming 13
Liberty at Georgia State
19 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: None
What to watch for
Liberty (2-2) lost 34-13 at Southern Illinois last week. The Flames are 2-0 at home and winless on the road, their other loss coming 41-17 at West Virginia, 41-17. They are 3-19 all-time against FBS competition.
Georgia State (1-2) hasn't played since losing 61-28 at Oregon on Sept. 19, which came a week after the Panthers won at New Mexico State in a Sun Belt game that marked their first victory over an FBS opponent since moving up to this level in 2013, as well as their first road win.
Quarterback Nick Arbuckle is averaging 329.7 passing yards per game with seven touchdowns this season, including 318 yards and three TDs against Oregon.
Liberty is hoping to move up from FCS sometime in the future, and winning a game like this will help its profile for such a jump.
Prediction: Liberty 38, Georgia State 34
FINAL: Liberty 41, Georgia State 33
Air Force at Navy
20 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Kale Pearson threw three touchdown passes in Air Force's 30-21 home win over Navy last October.
What to watch for
Air Force (2-1) ranks second in the country in rushing at 367 yards per game, with five different players topping 100 yards so far. But that includes production from Nate Romine, the quarterback to start the season who is now done for the year with a knee injury.
Senior Karson Roberts took over the job last time out at Michigan State and threw for more yards (149) in one game than Romine had in the first two.
Navy (3-0) is third in rushing offense at 363 yards per game, though it's more a two-man attack between quarterback Keenan Reynolds and Chris Swain—at least until the Midshipmen near the goal line, where Reynolds has nine touchdowns to Swain's two.
Reynolds now has 73 rushing scores for his career, tied for third-best in FBS history and four short of Montee Ball's all-time mark. He has five TDs against the Falcons, including three the last time they played in Annapolis.
Prediction: Navy 28, Air Force 24
FINAL: Navy 33, Air Force 11
Bowling Green at Buffalo
21 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Fred Coppet's four-yard touchdown run with 2:19 left gave Bowling Green a 36-35 home win over Buffalo last October in Mid-American play.
What to watch for
Bowling Green (2-2) has played a very strong schedule ahead of MAC competition, with wins at Maryland and last week at Purdue. Quarterback Matt Johnson leads the nation with 440 passing yards per game, topping 400 in every contest.
Buffalo (2-2) lost 24-21 at home last week to Nevada, turning it over three times and squandering a strong game from quarterback Joe Licata. Licata has 66 career TD passes, but last season he had only 134 yards against the Falcons.
Bowling Green has looked too good against its tough foes to slip in this game.
Prediction: Bowling Green 41, Buffalo 24
FINAL: Bowling Green 28, Buffalo 22
Miami (Ohio) at Kent State
22 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Andrew Hendrix ran for 104 yards and a touchdown in Miami's 10-3 home win over Kent State last October in Mid-American play.
What to watch for
Miami (1-3) has lost three straight, falling 56-14 at Western Kentucky last week. The RedHawks have been outscored 151-47 in that span and have lost six in a row against FBS opponents.
Kent State (1-3) has lost its past two games by a total of 10 points, falling by three at Minnesota and then dropping a 36-29 decision to Marshall last week in double overtime. The Golden Flashes complete only 46.9 percent of their passes for 5.1 yards per throw.
Neither team looks to be in contention to make a bowl this season, but if such a push is possible, it will start with this game.
Prediction: Kent State 23, Miami 17
FINAL: Kent State 20, Miami 14
Boston College at Duke
23 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Sean Renfree's one-yard touchdown run gave Duke a 20-19 win at Boston College in September 2011.
What to watch for
Boston College (3-1, 0-1 ACC) scored a 17-14 win over Northern Illinois last week, doing so with defense and rushing. The Eagles allowed 153 yards and lead the nation in total defense at 118 yards per game, but in two games against FBS teams they've only managed 17 points themselves.
Troy Flutie, the nephew of BC great Doug Flutie, is now the quarterback after Darius Wade was lost for the year because of injury. Flutie threw for 92 yards with a TD and an interception last week, deferring mostly to a run game that had 234 yards, including 119 from Jon Hilliman.
Duke (3-1, 1-0 ACC) knocked off defending Coastal Division champion Georgia Tech at home last week despite a season-low 279 yards on offense. The Blue Devils parlayed turnovers and great defense into the positive result, holding Tech's potent run game to 2.9 yards per carry.
The Devils are 10th in the country in total defense, which makes this game likely to be one where points will be at a premium. Duke has played a tougher schedule to this point and will use that to score the win.
Prediction: Duke 19, Boston College 14
FINAL: Duke 9, Boston College 7
No. 11 Florida State at Wake Forest
24 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Roberto Aguayo kicked five field goals and Florida State held Wake Forest to 126 yards in a 43-3 home win last October.
What to watch for
Florida State (3-0, 1-0 ACC) was off last week, during which it likely spent a lot of time trying to get its sluggish offense to click better. The Seminoles won their last game 14-0 at Boston College, doing so with only 217 yards, the fewest for the team since November 2011.
Dalvin Cook has been the only consistent weapon, but after he'd run 30 times in FSU's second game he had just 15 carries against BC. FSU needs Everett Golson to click better with his young receivers or should allow him to start keeping the ball in order to have a more well-rounded offense and prevent teams from stacking up on Cook.
FSU's defense has made it so the offense can take its time getting settled, as it ranks eighth in yards allowed.
Wake Forest (2-2, 0-1 ACC) has had to turn to freshman Kendall Hinton at quarterback since John Wolford hurt his ankle two weeks ago, and he's provided a different element thanks to his mobility. Hinton has 404 passing yards and 158 rushing yards (with four TDs) in the past two games.
The Demon Deacons have held opponents under 300 yards per game but gave up more than 200 rushing and passing yards to Indiana last week in a home loss.
Prediction: Florida State 28, Wake Forest 13
FINAL: Florida State 24, Wake Forest 16
North Carolina at Georgia Tech
25 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Marquise Williams had 463 yards of total offense and accounted for five touchdowns in North Carolina's 48-43 home win over Georgia Tech last October.
What to watch for
North Carolina (3-1) enters conference play on a three-game win streak, all at home, but two of those wins came against FCS opponents. Last week against Delaware, the Tar Heels turned to backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who responded with 312 yards and four TDs on 17-of-20 passing.
UNC coach Larry Fedora said Williams remains his starter, though he's unwilling to get into why he made the switch.
"He knows why I did what I did on Saturday," Fedora said, via Andrew Carter of the News & Observer. "And that's where we're at."
Georgia Tech (2-2, 0-1 ACC) has dropped two in a row, including last week's league opener at Duke, and its option run game has fizzled out. The Yellow Jackets averaged 457.5 yards per game and 8.47 yards per carry in the first two games, but since then that's dipped to 194.5 and 3.64, with the 2.88 rate against Duke their lowest since 2011.
This has caused quarterback Justin Thomas to become more of a passer, and Tech doesn't do well when it's made to throw more than 20 times. They've lost eight of the last nine times that's happened, including in the past two weeks.
Tech tends to have these stretches of poor play, losing to Duke and UNC in consecutive weeks last year and posting three-game skids in both 2012 and 2013. If it wants to be an elite program, it will reverse the trend here.
Prediction: Georgia Tech 30, North Carolina 20
FINAL: North Carolina 38, Georgia Tech 31
No. 13 Alabama at No. 8 Georgia
26 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: AJ McCarron connected with Amari Cooper on a 45-yard touchdown pass with 3:15 left to give Alabama a 32-28 win over Georgia in the 2012 SEC title game.
What to watch for
Alabama (3-1, 0-1 SEC) shut out Louisiana-Monroe last week to move past its home loss to Ole Miss the week before. The Crimson Tide now play their first true road game, still facing questions about whether their long run of SEC superiority is over, something that seems to come up whenever Nick Saban's team loses for the first time each season.
Most of the focus has been on Alabama's offense, thanks to the lingering uncertainty at quarterback, but what plagued it against Ole Miss were defensive breakdowns and costly turnovers that included two fumbles on kickoffs. It was the fourth time in the Tide's last nine games that they'd given up at least 400 yards, something you wouldn't expect from a defense with such overwhelming talent.
Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) has been one of the most impressive teams in the country to this point in 2015, winning by an average of 32 points and (so far) showing no signs of the team that would trip up when you least expected it. Nick Chubb has been as consistent as ever running the ball, while Virginia transfer Greyson Lambert set an FBS record for passing accuracy two weeks ago and has thrown two incomplete passes in the past two games.
Yet the Bulldogs are the team facing most of the pressure in this clash, as we'll get to see if they can actually come through in a big game or again fall short of expectations. This has been a scenario for years, even back in 2008, when Georgia had its infamous "blackout" loss to Alabama in Athens.
"If you flunked a math test and you go to the end of the next test and you keep thinking about what you did wrong on the old one, that's just not good," Georgia coach Mark Richt said in reference to dwelling on the last Alabama-Georgia regular-season meeting, via Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports.
And since timing is everything, now comes news that return specialist Isaiah McKenzie is named in a police report alleging "terroristic threats or acts," with four other Georgia players listed as witnesses, according to Taylor Denman of the Red and Black.
It's very rare that Alabama goes into a game as the underdog, and Saban is the kind of coach to use this as major motivation. But this is looking like a special season for Georgia, and if it can't win against a vulnerable Tide team at home, it never will.
Prediction: Georgia 30, Alabama 28
FINAL: Georgia 38, Alabama 10
Texas Tech at No. 5 Baylor
27 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Shock Linwood ran for 158 yards and two touchdowns in Baylor's 48-46 win over Texas Tech last November at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
What to watch for
Texas Tech (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) lost 55-52 at home to TCU last week, giving up a tipped TD pass in the final minute. The Red Raiders hung with the Horned Frogs all game, leading often, but didn't have the ability to make that one stop on defense down the stretch.
Strong defense hasn't been something the Raiders have ever really had, and that weakness combined with turnovers on offense last year produced a disastrous season. This year, though, they've been mostly mistake-free, and the play of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and underrated running back DeAndre Washington has led to 53.8 points and 594.5 yards per game.
Mahomes had his coming-out party last year against Baylor with 598 passing yards and six TDs, and this year he's averaging 396.5 yards of total offense and has 16 total TDs.
Baylor (3-0) has tallied the nation's top-rated scoring (64 points per game), rushing (379.7 yards per game) and total offense (767.0) against the unimpressive trio of SMU, Lamar and Rice. Competition aside, the Bears have looked so effortless that they figure to be able to put up 40 points and 500 yards in their sleep.
Seth Russell has made Bryce Petty look like an afterthought at quarterback, Linwood is on pace for the best rushing season in school history and Corey Coleman could challenge some FBS receiving records.
Baylor's defense has looked shaky in the first half of each game and then settled down, but that will never be its strength. And in a game like this, any big plays on defense might only happen by accident.
Prediction: Baylor 57, Texas Tech 44
FINAL: Baylor 63, Texas Tech 35
No. 1 Ohio State at Indiana
28 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: J.T. Barrett had 380 yards of total offense and four passing touchdowns in Ohio State's 42-27 home win over Indiana last November.
What to watch for
Ohio State (4-0) has won 17 straight games, but because the defending national champion hasn't posted overwhelmingly dominant results this season it's being treated like Florida State was throughout much of its perfect regular season in 2014. We expect so much from the Buckeyes because of how strong they looked to finish last year and because of all the weapons they have, and anything short of utter domination leads to criticism.
Mostly unimpressive wins over Hawaii, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan saw inconsistent play on offense but lockdown defense, which will be the more important side heading into the Big Ten opener against a much-improved opponent.
Indiana (4-0) is off to its best start since 1990, and ironically its fifth game that year was against OSU (and ended in a 27-27 tie). The Hoosiers haven't beaten the Buckeyes since 1988, but even a close loss would do a lot for embattled coach Kevin Wilson's future.
The Hoosiers are averaging 38.3 points and 522.3 yards per game, and UAB transfer Jordan Howard (675 yards, four TDs) has been a great replacement for 2,000-yard rusher Tevin Coleman. But they also give up 499 yards per game, and their pass defense is second-worst in FBS.
Prediction: Ohio State 45, Indiana 21
FINAL: Ohio State 34, Indiana 27
Old Dominion at Marshall
29 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Devon Johnson ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns in Marshall's 56-14 win at Old Dominion last October in Conference USA play.
What to watch for
Old Dominion (2-2) has been outscored 87-14 the past two weeks in home losses to North Carolina State and Appalachian State, the latter a 49-0 defeat that marked the Monarchs' first time being shut out since moving to FBS in 2013. After rushing for 567 yards in their first two games, they've had 39 in the past two.
Marshall (3-1) rallied for a 36-29 double-overtime win at Kent State last week, but the Thundering Herd had only 277 yards. That's the second time under 300 yards this year after averaging 559.2 yards per game a year ago, going 13-1.
This isn't nearly as potent an offense for Marshall as a season ago, but it has more than enough to win this conference opener.
Prediction: Marshall 45, Old Dominion 21
FINAL: Marshall 33, Old Dominion 7
Western Kentucky at Rice
30 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 3:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: None
What to watch for
Western Kentucky (3-1, 1-0 Conference USA) blew out Miami (Ohio) at home last week, with Brandon Doughty throwing for 457 yards and six touchdowns. Doughty is second in FBS in passing at 397.8 yards per game, with 11 TDs and a 74.2 percent completion rate.
Rice (2-2, 1-0) lost 70-17 last week at Baylor, its third straight road game in a trip that began with a 42-28 loss at Texas but included a win over North Texas to get an early jump on fighting for the C-USA West Division crown. The Owls have won five straight home games by an average of 20.4 points, including a 56-16 win over Wagner to start this season.
Western Kentucky has already taken down West Division favorite Louisiana Tech and has won at Vanderbilt. The trip to Houston will be tough, but the Hilltoppers look like the best of the bunch in C-USA.
Prediction: Western Kentucky 37, Rice 31
FINAL: Western Kentucky 49, Rice 10
Nebraska at Illinois
31 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 4 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Ameer Abdullah ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns in Nebraska's 45-14 home win over Illinois in September 2014.
What to watch for
Nebraska (2-2) enters Big Ten play with the worst passing defense in the country, allowing 379.5 yards per game. Every opponent has topped the 300-yard mark, with Southern Mississippi putting up 447 passing yards and nearly coming back last week in Lincoln.
But the Cornhuskers have also topped 300 passing yards each game, with Tommy Armstrong Jr. fitting in well as a pass-first quarterback in Mike Riley's offense after being more of a dual-threat player when Bo Pelini coached the team. Armstrong has 1,266 yards with 11 TDs and five interceptions, though he's looked much better in the wins than the losses.
Illinois (3-1) held off pesky Middle Tennessee at home last week to rebound from a blowout loss at North Carolina. The Fighting Illini enter league play with the same mark for the third year in a row but have looked more solid on a week-to-week basis than in previous seasons.
Nebraska has been the more volatile of these teams through the first month but has also had more explosiveness.
Prediction: Nebraska 37, Illinois 33
FINAL: Illinois 14, Nebraska 33
Kansas State at No. 20 Oklahoma State
32 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 4 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Jake Waters threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in Kansas State's 48-14 home win over Oklahoma State last November.
What to watch for
Kansas State (3-0) was off last week after needing three overtimes to beat Louisiana Tech at home. It was a weird game that saw the Wildcats get into the red zone seven times but manage only three TDs, which has been a season-long trend, as they have eight TDs and eight field goals in 18 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Quarterback Joe Hubener is completing only 53.7 percent of his passes with four TDs so far, and K-State gains just a shade over four yards per carry on the ground.
Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) pulled out a 30-27 win at Texas last week thanks to two late field goals from Ben Grogan, the last after Texas botched a punt to give the Cowboys great field position. It was their worst performance of the season, offensively and defensively, with Mason Rudolph throwing two interceptions and the run game averaging 2.24 yards per carry.
Being able to win without its best stuff is a good sign for OK State, which figures to be a major player in who wins the Big 12 by hosting TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma in November.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 31, Kansas State 17
FINAL: Oklahoma State 36, Kansas State 34
San Jose State at Auburn
33 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 4 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Cameron Artis-Payne scored three rushing touchdowns in Auburn's 59-13 home win over San Jose State last September.
What to watch for
San Jose State (2-2) won by 26 over rival Fresno State last week thanks to a school-record 300 rushing yards from senior Tyler Ervin. Ervin ranks third in FBS at 160.25 yards per game with nine TDs, and his strong play has kept the Spartans from having to worry too much about their uncertain quarterback situation.
Auburn (2-2) has dropped two in a row in SEC play and could be on a three-game skid if FCS Jacksonville State had not gift-wrapped the end of their matchup. The Tigers have been one of the biggest disappointments in the country this season, with horribly inefficient offense and a defense that's looked improved at times and just as bad as in 2014 at others.
Scheduling San Jose State at this point was meant to serve as a breather in the middle of a tough stretch of league games, but Ervin presents a challenge that could result in another effort like the one of two weeks ago in which LSU's Leonard Fournette ran all over Auburn.
If Auburn loses this game, expect those trees on Toomer's Corner that are usually rolled to be burned instead.
Prediction: Auburn 38, San Jose State 18
FINAL: Auburn 35, San Jose State 21
East Carolina at SMU
34 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 4 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Shane Carden threw for 410 yards and four touchdowns in East Carolina's 45-24 home win over SMU last October.
What to watch for
East Carolina (2-2, 0-1 American) scored yet another win over an ACC team last week, knocking off Virginia Tech 35-28 at home. The Pirates turned to James Summers at quarterback midway through, and he responded with 169 rushing yards and two TDs along with 110 passing yards and a score.
SMU (1-3) has come back to reality after an impressive first three games, when it crushed North Texas and hung for Baylor and TCU for a while. The Mustangs lost 48-45 at home to FCS James Madison and allowed 565 yards of total offense (including five TDs) to former Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee.
The Mustangs are last in FBS in total defense, giving up 603 yards per game, but they also gain 453.8 yards per game and have their own dual-threat passer in Matt Davis.
The last team to score will win.
Prediction: SMU 43, East Carolina 39
FINAL: East Carolina 49, SMU 23
Washington State at No. 24 California
35 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 4 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday threw for an FBS-record 734 yards, but the Cougars allowed two kickoff return touchdowns and missed a short field goal in the final minutes to lose 60-59 at home to California in October 2014.
What to watch for
Washington State (2-1) sat out Pac-12 play last week and watched as the road team won every game in the conference. The Cougars are 1-0 on the road this year, pulling out a wild one at Rutgers a few weeks back despite allowing two fourth-quarter special teams TDs, an area that has been a lingering problem since 2013.
Quarterback Luke Falk is completing 73 percent of his passes with eight TDs and one interception, the latter coming last time out in a win over Wyoming. WSU remains one of the most unbalanced offensive teams in the country, with only 22 run plays per game (including sacks) to 52 pass attempts.
California (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) is off to its best start since 2007, winning the last two on the road. The Golden Bears beat Washington last week behind another big performance from quarterback Jared Goff, who averages 310 passing yards per game with 11 TDs and 69.2 percent accuracy.
Improved defense has been Cal's biggest boost, despite allowing 44 points and 650 yards at Texas two weeks ago. A year after ranking dead last against the pass, yielding 42 TDs, so far it's given up two scoring passes and intercepted nine balls.
Goff had only 527 yards and five TDs last year in Pullman, lost amid Halliday's record-setting night. He might be outgained again, but he'll also get the victory.
Prediction: California 51, Washington State 31
FINAL: California 34, Washington State 28
Idaho at Arkansas State
36 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Michael Gordon had five rushing touchdowns in Arkansas State's 44-28 win at Idaho last November.
What to watch for
Idaho (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt) lost 44-20 at home to Georgia Southern last week, giving up 441 rushing yards and five TDs. The Vandals give up 314 rushing yards per game, second-worst in FBS, and have allowed at least 38 points every game this season.
Arkansas State (1-3) has lost to USC, Missouri and Toledo and has been without quarterback Fredi Knighten the past two games because of injury. In his place, James Tabary has done well throwing the ball, but without Knighten's mobility the Red Wolves offense has been too one-dimensional.
Gordon hasn't gotten on track yet for Arkansas State, but in this one any rusher will dominate Idaho's weak run defense.
Prediction: Arkansas State 50, Idaho 21
FINAL: Arkansas State 49, Idaho 35
Georgia Southern at Louisiana-Monroe
37 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Georgia Southern ran for 333 yards in a 22-16 home win over Louisiana-Monroe last November.
What to watch for
Georgia Southern (3-1, 1-0 Sun Belt) has averaged 45 points per game since being shut out at West Virginia to start the season. The Eagles run game has resumed its dominance, going for 441 yards and five touchdowns last week, and for the year they average 358 yards with 16 TDs on the ground.
Matt Breida, with 589 yards and eight TDs, averages 10.9 yards per carry.
Louisiana-Monroe (1-2) was shut out at Alabama last week, gaining 92 yards in the process. The Warhawks also lost at Georgia to start the season, their only win a shutout against FCS Nicholls State.
Georgia Southern is 9-0 against Sun Belt teams since moving up to FBS last season, and that streak doesn't look like it will end here.
Prediction: Georgia Southern 34, Louisiana-Monroe 17
FINAL: Georgia Southern 51, Louisiana-Monroe 31
Colorado State at Utah State
38 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Jared Roberts kicked two field goals in the final 1:50, the second a 46-yarder as time expired, to give Colorado State a 16-13 home win over Utah State last October in Mountain West play.
What to watch for
Colorado State (2-2) won 33-31 at UTSA last week, its third straight game decided by three or fewer points. The Rams lost the other two in overtime to Minnesota and Colorado, but in San Antonio they got a big boost on offense from Jasen Oden's 143 rushing yards.
Utah State (1-2) was off last week, during which it was revealed that oft-injured quarterback Chuckie Keeton would miss four to six weeks with a knee sprain. Keeton has played in only 12 games since 2013 and now will watch one of his replacements from last year, Kent Myers, guide the Aggies into Mountain West action.
Myers played in the last seven games last year, and Utah State was 6-1 with him on the field.
Prediction: Utah State 24, Colorado State 20
FINAL: Utah State 33, Colorado State 18
UNLV at Nevada
39 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Nevada ran for 408 yards in a 49-27 win at UNLV last November in Mountain West play.
What to watch for
UNLV (1-3) gave new coach Tony Sanchez his first collegiate win in impressive fashion last week, taking out the frustration of losses to Northern Illinois, UCLA and Michigan by a combined 63 points, dropping an 80-spot on FCS foe Idaho State. The Runnin' Rebels gained 517 yards on the ground, 45 more than they'd had in terms of total offense in the previous two games combined.
Nevada (2-2) scored a 24-21 win at Buffalo last week, its first win east of the Mississippi River since 1994 (per CFB Data Warehouse) at Northern Illinois. The Wolf Pack have two running backs, sophomore James Butler and senior Don Jackson, who have combined for 763 yards.
Nevada and UNLV play for the Fremont Cannon, the heaviest rivalry trophy in the country. The Wolf Pack can just keep it in the trophy case for another year.
Prediction: Nevada 33, UNLV 20
FINAL: UNLV 23, Nevada 17
South Alabama at Troy
40 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Kendall Houston and Xavier Johnson combined for 285 rushing yards and two touchdowns in South Alabama's 27-13 home win over Troy last October in Sun Belt play.
What to watch for
We love rivalry games and the odd trophies that are on the line in them. Burgeoning in-state rivals South Alabama and Troy have created a new one, with the winner of the Battle for the Belt getting a pro wrestling-style belt to hold on to for a season.
South Alabama (2-2) lost 63-13 at home to North Carolina State last week, getting outgained 586-258. The Jaguars had won at San Diego State the week before, but in their other three games they've turned it over three times apiece.
Troy (1-2) last played on Sept. 19, when it fell 28-3 at Wisconsin. The Trojans' lone win came against FCS Charleston Southern, and before that they also dropped a game to North Carolina State.
The Trojans are going with a blackout for this game, and with the belt on the line they'll keep it from going back to Mobile.
Prediction: Troy 29, South Alabama 25
FINAL: South Alabama 24, Troy 18
No. 3 Ole Miss at No. 25 Florida
41 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Ole Miss shocked eventual national champion Florida on the road in September 2008, 31-30, thanks to a blocked extra point with 3:28 left.
What to watch for
Ole Miss (4-0, 2-0 SEC) sort of sleepwalked through last week's 27-16 home win over Vanderbilt, still hung over from the huge victory at Alabama the week before. There won't be the opportunity to be sluggish again, though, since the Rebels should expect to get everyone's best shot for the rest of the season.
Even with the uninspired performance last time out, Ole Miss has still been incredibly efficient on offense, with quarterback Chad Kelly handling the job very well. Kelly has 1,219 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions through four games, compared to the six picks Bo Wallace had at this point in 2014.
Ole Miss' defense gave up more than 500 yards at Alabama but otherwise has been ironclad, forcing 10 turnovers and scoring three defensive TDs on interceptions.
Florida (4-0, 2-0 SEC) has won its last three games by a combined 13 points, rallying to win 28-27 at home against Tennessee last week with two late TD passes from Will Grier. Grier has shown great poise for a freshman quarterback and has been the best thing about an offense that's still figuring out what to do.
This is the first 4-0 start for Florida since 2012, and despite having its least talent in years, the Gators are playing with fire and focus. They are a big win away from going from underrated to a real team to worry about, but that's not going to happen here.
Prediction: Ole Miss 30, Florida 21
FINAL: Florida 38, Ole Miss 10
Arkansas at Tennessee
42 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Tyler Wilson threw three touchdown passes in Arkansas' 49-7 home win over Tennessee in November 2011.
What to watch for
Arkansas and Tennessee both went 7-6 last season, but strong late-season play buoyed by blowout wins in bowl games led to each ranking high on the list of potential breakout teams in 2015. Instead they've both fallen far short of their lofty expectations and need a win in this one to keep the wheels from coming off.
"Arkansas-Tennessee...is a game where you should get a free hug for attending," Bleacher Report's Adam Kramer tweeted last weekend.
Arkansas (1-3, 0-1 SEC) has lost three in a row, the last in overtime to Texas A&M, to drop to 2-15 in conference play under Bret Bielema. The loss of half the Razorbacks' two-man rushing attack has had a very big impact, but not having Jonathan Williams next to Alex Collins can't explain away all the problems, since one player isn't responsible for eight TDs in 18 red-zone possessions.
Tennessee (2-2, 0-1 SEC) has accounted for two of the three losses this season (against 188 wins) by teams that have led by at least 13 points in the fourth quarter, according to Dari Nowkhah of ESPN. Those were at home to Oklahoma and then last week at Florida, a game where the Volunteers seemed destined to end a 10-game losing streak to the Gators but fell apart at the end.
Coach Butch Jones' reputation is taking a major hit because of these collapses, and while the SEC East is still very winnable for the Vols, that won't be the case if they can't win close games.
Prediction: Tennessee 29, Arkansas 24
FINAL: Arkansas 24, Tennessee 20
Eastern Michigan at No. 9 LSU
43 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: None
What to watch for
Eastern Michigan (1-3 has lost all three of its home games and in between somehow earned its first nonconference road win against an FBS team since the 1980s. The Eagles defense has been nonexistent, giving up more than 500 yards per game, including FBS highs in rushing yards per game (373.25) and touchdowns (18).
That sound you're hearing is LSU's Leonard Fournette licking his lips.
Fournette leads the nation with 210.3 rushing yards per game, scoring eight TDs on 73 attempts, after going for a career-high 244 yards last week at Syracuse. The sophomore is the overwhelming early favorite to win the Heisman, according to Odds Shark, and his production has taken all the pressure off quarterback Brandon Harris to be more than a game manager.
Fournette could be done running by halftime in this one, but Harris should still be the focal point for the LSU (3-0) offense looking ahead.
Prediction: LSU 55, Eastern Michigan 10
FINAL: LSU 44, Eastern Michigan 22
Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee
44 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Middle Tennessee scored a 17-15 win over Vanderbilt in October 2005.
What to watch for
Vanderbilt (1-3) is averaging 14 points per game against FBS competition, but those games have come against Top 10 SEC foes (Georgia, Ole Miss) and a Western Kentucky team it held to 14 points in a loss. Defense is all the Commodores have going for them now, and it's a pretty decent one, giving up 321 yards per game and holding Ole Miss to only 27 points.
Middle Tennessee (2-2) has lost on the road to Alabama and Illinois but has put up 70 or more points in its two home games. The Blue Raiders have a star in the making in freshman quarterback Brent Stockstill, son of coach Rick Stockstill. He's averaging 305.3 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and a 69.5 percent completion rate.
The Raiders are 0-22 against SEC teams not named Vanderbilt since moving up to FBS in the mid-1990s, but they've won all three meetings with the Commodores. Their last win over a power-conference opponent was in 2012 at Georgia Tech, and the chance to knock one off in Murfreesboro will be too much to pass up.
Prediction: Middle Tennessee 27, Vanderbilt 21
FINAL: Vanderbilt 17, Middle Tennessee 13
North Texas at Southern Mississippi
45 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Nick Mullens threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns in Southern Mississippi's 30-20 win at North Texas last October.
What to watch for
North Texas (0-3, 0-1 Conference USA) has been outscored 131-53 this season, losing 62-16 at Iowa last week. The Mean Green have turned it over 10 times in three games, giving it away at least three times each week.
Southern Mississippi (2-2) lost 36-28 last week at Nebraska, but not before Mullens threw for 447 yards and two TDs. He's averaging 341.5 passing yards per game and is on pace to surpass Brett Favre for second in school history by the end of the season.
The Golden Eagles will match their win total from a year ago.
Prediction: Southern Mississippi 43, North Texas 17
FINAL: Southern Mississippi 49, North Texas 14
Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana Tech
46 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Kenneth Dixon ran for 184 yards and two touchdowns in Louisiana Tech's 48-20 win at Louisiana-Lafayette in September 2014.
What to watch for
Louisiana-Lafayette (1-2) has had two certainties under coach Mark Hudspeth: It will win the New Orleans Bowl at the end of the year and along the way will have at least one inexplicable loss during the regular season. That came last week, when the Ragin' Cajuns lost 35-14 at home to Akron, a result Hudspeth blames on the team having moved into a new training facility just days earlier.
"This was too much of a distraction, too much to do in the middle of the season, bad timing on everybody’s part with moving in or planning to move in during the season," Hudspeth said, per Luke Johnson of the Advocate.
Lafayette has been one of the more consistent mid-major programs since 2011 and has managed to hold onto Hudspeth despite his success, but results like this are holding the team back.
Louisiana Tech (2-2) had one of those really bad losses last year, too, losing at home to FCS Northwestern State, but the Bulldogs rebounded to win Conference USA's West Division. They're favorites to do so again this season, with Florida quarterback transfer Jeff Driskel and running back Dixon combining for a potent offensive duo.
Driskel has 1,171 passing yards and eight TDs, while Dixon has rushed for 524 with five TDs and added another two receiving scores to give him 68 for his career. That's tied for seventh-best in FBS history, and after Saturday he'll be as high as fifth.
Prediction: Louisiana Tech 44, Louisiana-Lafayette 26
FINAL: Louisiana Tech 43, Louisiana-Lafayette 14
Arizona State at No. 7 UCLA
47 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Ishmael Adams had a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown and also scored on a 100-yard kickoff return in UCLA's 62-27 win at Arizona State in September 2014.
What to watch for
Arizona State (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) lost 42-14 at home to USC last week, trailing 35-0 at halftime. The Sun Devils had played against option-run teams the previous two weeks and seemed unable to figure out how to defend away from the line of scrimmage, as the Trojans got the ball to their receivers in space and let them run wild.
One of the most aggressive defenses in the country in terms of blitzing, ASU has nine sacks and five quarterback hurries, but USC and Texas A&M have averaged 9.1 yards per pass attempt.
UCLA (4-0, 1-0) scored on six of seven first-half possessions and rolled to a 56-30 win at Arizona last week, beating the Wildcats for the fourth straight time. Freshman quarterback Josh Rosen returned to the form we saw in his collegiate debut, while Paul Perkins paced a run game that scored six TDs.
The Bruins defense weathered the loss of star linebacker Myles Jack to a season-ending knee injury, though they allowed 353 rushing yards, and they rank 99th on the year against the run.
Arizona State hasn't come close to living up to the hype it garnered during the offseason, while UCLA looks like it's getting better each week.
Prediction: UCLA 41, Arizona State 24
FINAL: Arizona State 38, UCLA 23
No. 21 Mississippi State at No. 14 Texas A&M
48 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Dak Prescott had 345 yards of total offense, an 11-yard reception and accounted for five touchdowns in Mississippi State's 48-31 home win over Texas A&M last October.
What to watch for
Mississippi State (3-1, 1-1 SEC) is giving up 14.8 points per game, holding Auburn to three field goals on the road in last week's win. The Bulldogs replaced much of their defense from last season's 10-win team, but that area has been a strength so far.
Pairing that with another season of Prescott carrying the offense isn't likely to allow MSU to contend for the SEC West title, but it will make for a tough out in most games. The key, though, is being able to have a run game beyond Prescott, which hasn't happened yet.
Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0) is doing the same thing it did a season ago, with a fast start out of the gate that included an overtime win against Arkansas to wrap up the first month. Now we see if the Aggies will be able to avoid the midseason swoon of 2014, which began in Starkville and continued for three weeks to turn them from playoff contenders to pretenders.
The big difference between 2014 and now is the impact of A&M's defense. A monster defensive line has helped the Aggies register 17 sacks and 38 tackles for loss, both among the tops in the country. This pairs great with another potent offense, one that's even better than a year ago thanks to the electric play of freshman receiver Christian Kirk.
MSU's defense hasn't had to face an attack like this, and Prescott won't be able to run wild on A&M's defense like he did last October.
Prediction: Texas A&M 37, Mississippi State 19
FINAL: Texas A&M 30, Mississippi State 17
Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky
49 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 7:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Morgan Newton threw two touchdown passes in Kentucky's 37-12 home win over Eastern Kentucky in November 2009.
What to watch for
Eastern Kentucky (2-1) is coming off a 51-13 win over Austin Peay to open Ohio Valley Conference play, but the Colonels will be playing with heavy hearts this week after defensive lineman Joey Kraemer died in a car accident Sunday. Kentucky plans to honor Kraemer during the singing of "My Old Kentucky Home" prior to kickoff, according to Mark Story of Kentucky.com.
Eastern Kentucky's loss this season was 35-0 at North Carolina State, making it 7-24 all time against FBS opponents. That includes a 17-10 win at Miami (Ohio) in September 2014.
Kentucky (3-1) has played three straight SEC opponents, beating two-time East Division champ Missouri last week after falling to Florida the week before. The Wildcats are set to start Jojo Kemp ahead of leading rusher Stanley "Boom" Williams at running back this week after Kemp had a team-high 66 rushing yards against Mizzou.
After this game, Kentucky will have 12 days off before hosting Auburn on a Thursday night game.
Prediction: Kentucky 36, Eastern Kentucky 21
FINAL: Kentucky 34, Eastern Kentucky 27 (OT)
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 12 Clemson
50 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 8 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Clemson posted a 16-10 win over Notre Dame in November 1979.
What to watch for
Notre Dame (4-0) is coming off its highest-scoring performance since 1996, winning 62-27 over Massachusetts, but the results that have a greater bearing on this weekend's matchup came before that. The Fighting Irish rallied to win at Virginia in the final minute and then shut down Georgia Tech's option run game, in both cases making all the key plays.
Despite a growing list of injuries which has taken away their starting quarterback and running back and several defensive starters, the Irish haven't missed a beat. Redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer is handling the QB spot well, C.J. Prosise is becoming a Heisman contender in the backfield and the defense still has plenty of playmakers who will need to have their best effort of the season to contain Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Clemson (3-0) is well-rested for this showdown, having last played Sept. 17, when it won at Louisville. That was Watson's worst game as a passer, with two interceptions, but running back Wayne Gallman emerged as a dependable runner to offset Watson's miscues.
The Tigers defense was supposed to be a weakness early, having to replace numerous standouts, but it's been a major strength and ranks ninth in FBS.
Clemson's best avenue to get into the College Football Playoff is by winning the ACC, but that alone might not be enough, and thus a high-profile win such as this would provide a great resume boost. The same goes for Notre Dame, which faces a playoff-caliber schedule but won't play another title contender on the road until Stanford in November.
Prediction: Clemson 28, Notre Dame 24
FINAL: Clemson 24, Notre Dame 22
UTSA at UTEP
51 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 8 p.m. ET
Last meeting: UTEP held UTSA to 70 yards of total offense in a 34-0 road win last October in Conference USA play.
What to watch for
UTSA (0-4) will be glad to get into league competition after opening with losses to Arizona, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Colorado State. The Roadrunners are giving up 43.5 points per game, which ranks 121st in the country.
UTEP (2-2) has won two in a row, including last week against FCS school Incarnate Word in its home opener. The Miners' 45.3 points-per-game allowance is fourth-worst in FBS, as the team gave up 48 points at Arkansas and 69 at Texas Tech.
The Miners have far more weapons and will claim a third consecutive victory.
Prediction: UTEP 40, UTSA 26
FINAL: UTSA 25, UTEP 6
New Mexico State at New Mexico
52 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 8 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Lamar Jordan threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Reece White with 27 seconds left in New Mexico's 38-35 win at New Mexico State in September 2014.
What to watch for
The Rio Grande Rivalry has been played since 1894, with the first handful of meetings between New Mexico's two FBS programs held before it was an actual state. Neither team has had a winning record in the past seven seasons, making a victory in this game among the few highlights for either each year.
New Mexico State (0-3) is on a 13-game losing streak since starting last season with two straight wins, and the last two setbacks were at home to UTEP and Georgia State by a combined five points. The Aggies allow 576.7 yards per game, third-worst in the country.
New Mexico (2-2) won 38-28 at Wyoming last week to open Mountain West play and head into October with a non-losing record for the first time since 2007, which was also the Lobos' last year with a winning mark. The 382.8 yards allowed per game are far better than the 519 per contest they gave up in 2014.
The Lobos have won three straight in this series, and the last game in Albuquerque was a romp. This one will be a little closer, but still another New Mexico triumph.
Prediction: New Mexico 44, New Mexico State 27
FINAL: New Mexico 38, New Mexico State 29
Oregon at Colorado
53 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 10 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Marcus Mariota had 396 yards of total offense and accounted for four touchdowns in Oregon's 44-10 home win over Colorado last November.
What to watch for
Oregon (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) suffered its worst home loss since the late 1970s, falling 62-20 to Utah to open conference play. Combined with the Ducks' loss at Michigan State in Week 2, they're likely out of the running for the playoffs, barring nationwide craziness, after appearing in last year's title game.
Vernon Adams' broken finger proved to be a problem again, but backup Jeff Lockie fared no better and was unable to stop a run that saw the Ducks give up 42 straight points. Breakdowns were found all over, with 273 rushing yards allowed and horrible play on special teams.
Oregon hasn't started 0-2 in the league since 1996.
Colorado (3-1) blanked FCS Nicholls State last week and thus was the only Pac-12 team to win at home, posting its first shutout since 2009. The Buffaloes have discovered their run game this season, topping 350 yards twice and scoring 12 times on the ground compared to four passing TDs.
Last year, Colorado had 29 passing scores and 13 rushing scores.
Oregon hasn't been good in any area of defense, but it's much worse defending the pass. Colorado will look to exploit this and capitalize on a wounded Ducks team, but the visitors will right the ship.
Prediction: Oregon 38, Colorado 30
FINAL: Oregon 41, Colorado 24
Hawaii at Boise State
54 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 10:15 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Joe Southwick threw three touchdown passes in Boise State's 49-14 win at Hawaii in November 2012.
What to watch for
Hawaii (2-2) has yet to score outside of Aloha Stadium this season, getting shut out at Ohio State and Wisconsin in two of the past three weeks. The Rainbow Warriors hadn't been blanked twice in a year since 1998.
USC transfer Max Wittek is completing only 49.2 percent of his passes, and the Warriors average 3.29 yards per carry.
Boise State (3-1) blew out Virginia on the road last Friday, scoring 56 points behind freshman Brett Rypien's 321 passing yards and three TDs and two more scores from Jeremy McNichols, who has 10 TDs this season.
The Broncos are giving up 282.8 yards per game and have intercepted eight passes.
Prediction: Boise State 51, Hawaii 12
FINAL: Boise State 55, Hawaii 0
Arizona at No. 18 Stanford
55 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 10:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Josh Nunes had 393 yards of total offense with two passing touchdowns and three rushing scores in Stanford's 54-48 overtime win over visiting Arizona in October 2012.
What to watch for
Arizona (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) didn't just badly lose its conference opener at home last week, falling 56-30 to UCLA; it also potentially lost its two best players for a while. Linebacker Scooby Wright will certainly be out several weeks after spraining his foot, after he'd missed the previous two games following knee surgery, and quarterback Anu Solomon suffered a concussion, making his status for this weekend uncertain.
Without Solomon, the Wildcats turned to run-first Jerrard Randall, who averages 15.3 yards per carry this season thanks to four long TD runs but who was just 4-of-16 throwing the ball. Either he or redshirt freshman Brandon Dawkins will play if Solomon is held out.
Stanford (3-1, 2-0) has had one of the most significant in-season rebounds of any team this year, going from one that couldn't score (two field goals in the first 85-plus minutes) to one that has been unstoppable offensively since.
Since losing to Northwestern to open the season, Stanford is one of only 11 FBS teams to register at least 31 points in each of its past three games.
Prediction: Stanford 44, Arizona 24
FINAL: Stanford 55, Arizona 17
Fresno State at San Diego State
56 of 60
When: Saturday, Oct. 3; 10:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Fresno State held visiting San Diego State to 270 yards in a 24-13 win last October.
What to watch for
Fresno State (1-3, 0-1 Mountain West) has lost three in a row and given up 55.7 points per game in that stretch, including last week's 49-23 defeat at rival San Jose State. The Bulldogs won the West Division last season but have dropped five straight against FBS teams and continue to be plagued with quarterback problems.
Ford Childress, the West Virginia transfer who was FSU's third different starter after getting the nod last week, is out for the year after needing spleen surgery.
San Diego State (1-3) has also lost three in a row, falling 37-21 at Penn State last week. The Aztecs are off to their worst start since 2009, when they finished 4-8, but the conference slate provides a restart to the season.
Donnel Pumphrey, who had 1,867 rushing yards and 20 TDs last season, is gaining only 3.5 yards per carry. Look for him to get back on track against a Fresno defense that gave up 300 rushing yards to San Jose State's Tyler Ervin last week.
Prediction: San Diego State 31, Fresno State 20
FINAL: San Diego State 21, Fresno State 7
Miami (Florida) at Cincinnati
57 of 60
When: Thursday, Oct. 1; 7:30 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Brad Kaaya threw three touchdown passes, two to Phillip Dorsett, in Miami's 55-34 home win over Cincinnati last October.
What to watch for
Miami (3-0) blew a 23-point fourth-quarter lead in its last game but still managed to win in overtime against Nebraska. With a bye week since then, the Hurricanes have hopefully retooled their approach to play-calling when ahead late. Offensive production has been great this season, with an average of 6.74 yards per play, but the 'Canes have had issues stopping both the run and the pass at times.
Kaaya hasn't shown any signs of a sophomore slump, with 839 passing yards and five TDs in three games, while Mark Walton and Joseph Yearby are proving to be a solid rushing tandem to replace Duke Johnson.
Cincinnati (2-2) has had to call on backup quarterback Hayden Moore two weeks in a row after starter Gunner Kiel suffered head and neck injuries. Against Memphis, Moore set a school record with 557 yards and threw four touchdowns, but his ill-advised wild heave in the final minute resulted in an interception in the 53-46 loss.
Moore will get his first start in this game, a second straight Thursday for the Bearcats, who have had a very tough early schedule and as a result are already 0-2 in the American Athletic Conference. Miami's pass defense isn't nearly as porous as Memphis', but Moore has some good receivers to work with and will get Cincy a key win while wiping out any momentum Miami established during the first month.
Prediction: Cincinnati 35, Miami 28
FINAL: Cincinnati 34, Miami 23
Memphis at South Florida
58 of 60
When: Friday, Oct. 2; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Paxton Lynch threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more in Memphis' 31-20 home win over South Florida last November.
What to watch for
Memphis (4-0, 1-0 American) is riding an 11-game win streak, the last coming in a wild 53-46 home victory over Cincinnati to open league play last Thursday. The Tigers won despite allowing 752 yards, getting an interception return for a TD in the first quarter and a game-saving pick to end the night.
Paxton Lynch paces an offense that averages 53.8 points and 570.3 yards per game but has been torched for 1,335 passing yards.
South Florida (1-2) was off last week, losing at Florida State and Maryland in its previous games. The Bulls averaged 287 yards in those two games and are scoring 12.1 points per game over their last seven against FBS opponents.
Memphis' second straight weeknight game shouldn't be nearly as stressful.
Prediction: Memphis 43, South Florida 21
FINAL: Memphis 24, South Florida 17
Temple at Charlotte
59 of 60
When: Friday, Oct. 2; 7 p.m. ET
Last meeting: None
What to watch for
Temple (3-0) was off last week but is in the midst of a three-game road trip that's featured wins at Cincinnati to open American Athletic Conference play and a wild finish at Massachusetts. The Owls haven't started 4-0 since 1974 but also haven't had the combination of offensive production and defensive standouts like this team has.
Jahad Thomas has been an all-purpose workhorse for Temple, with 80 carries, seven receptions and six kickoff returns while scoring five touchdowns (four on the ground and one on kickoff). Senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich, with 29 tackles this season and 384 for his career, is a player most schools would love to have in the middle.
Charlotte (2-2) is having a rough go of it in its first season of FBS play, particularly when it comes to taking care of the ball. The 49ers have 20 giveaways in four games, by far the most in the country, and are on pace to finish one short of the FBS single-season record of 61.
Twelve interceptions and eight lost fumbles have eliminated any offensive rhythm, and Charlotte has scored 21 points in its past two games while averaging 212.5 yards.
Temple has a plus-three turnover margin and should capitalize on Charlotte's sloppiness to remain unbeaten.
Prediction: Temple 34, Charlotte 16
FINAL: Temple 37, Charlotte 3
Connecticut at BYU
60 of 60
When: Friday, Oct. 2; 10:15 p.m. ET
Last meeting: Taysom Hill had 405 yards of total offense and accounted for five touchdowns in BYU's 35-10 win at Connecticut in August 2014.
What to watch for
Connecticut (2-2) has lost two in a row and managed just 24 points in that stretch, and for the season the Huskies sit 121st in total offense with 320 yards per game. Their season highlight was a near-win at Missouri, a 9-6 defeat where they opted to fake a field goal in the final minute rather than force a tie and play for overtime.
The Huskies defense has been mostly solid all season, defending the pass very well by allowing just 124.8 yards per game with three TDs.
BYU (2-2) is also on a two-game skid, running out of gas at the end of a treacherous opening month that was full of tough competition and through which early adrenaline couldn't sustain the Cougars offense. Freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum has backslid immensely from his first two appearances, and last week at Michigan he threw for only 55 yards.
Three of BYU's first four games were on the road against power-conference competition, but now it gets to hang out in Provo for a while and try to benefit from home-field advantage and altitude. In its only home game, a late win over Boise State, the Cougars had a season-high 35 points.
Prediction: BYU 34, Connecticut 20
FINAL: BYU 30, Connecticut 13
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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