Head-to-Head College Football Matchups to Watch for in Week 4
Make no mistake. College football is a team game. It’s 11-on-11, my guys against your guys, and the best team wins.
One player can’t beat an opponent all by himself. Victories typically go to the most talented teams that make the fewest mistakes.
That said, games can be swung by the most important one-on-one matchups. One false move, one bad coverage, and it can mean six points the other way or a big-yardage play.
Mano-a-mano showdowns are crucial, and Week 4 of the college football season is full of them.
From coast to coast, talented, high-profile players will square off in important matchups that will play major roles in game outcomes.
Here’s a look at the most important among them.
Nebraska TB Ameer Abdullah vs. Miami LB Denzel Perryman
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Miami (Fla.) and Nebraska are meeting for the first time since 2001, and the two programs have slipped significantly since the Hurricanes’ rout of the Cornhuskers in the 2001 BCS National Championship. Miami hasn’t won a national title since, and hasn’t even made an ACC title game since joining the league in 2004.
Nebraska hasn’t won a league title since 1999. The No. 24 Cornhuskers are 3-0, while Miami is 2-1 and hopes to use this road trip as momentum for an ACC Coastal Division title run. Neither side is as talented as it was 13 years ago, but both sides still have standout players worth watching.
One of the most interesting matchups will be Nebraska tailback Ameer Abdullah vs. Miami middle linebacker Denzel Perryman.
Abdullah is one of college football’s best tailbacks. He has 396 rushing yards and three rushing scores this season, and his 58-yard catch-and-run score saved Nebraska against FCS foe McNeese State.
Meanwhile, Perryman is Miami’s defensive leader. He moved from outside to middle linebacker this season but is still a dominant player and percussive hitter. His 108 tackles ranked fifth in the ACC last season.
Abdullah and Perryman will meet multiple times in a gap or in space Saturday, and the results of their meetings could make all the difference.
Alabama WR Amari Cooper vs. Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III
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Florida is 2-0 following a 36-30 triple-overtime victory over Kentucky, but the Gators haven’t been tested like they’ll be tested Saturday afternoon when they visit No. 3 Alabama.
The Crimson Tide are incredibly tough to beat in the confines of Bryant-Denny Stadium, where 101,821 crimson-clad loyalists show up every fall home Saturday.
Alabama has gone through a period of offensive adjustment following the departure of quarterback AJ McCarron, but it hasn’t affected junior receiver Amari Cooper. Cooper has been one of the best wideouts in college football. He has been targeted early and often by quarterback Blake Sims. Cooper’s 33 receptions lead the FBS, and his 454 receiving yards are third.
He’ll face off with Florida sophomore Vernon Hargreaves III, one of the best cornerbacks in college football.
Hargreaves is tied for first in the SEC with five pass breakups, and he is tied for first in the nation with 2.5 passes defended per game.
He’ll be covering Cooper, and it becomes a matter of who is better: Cooper or Hargreaves.
"Coop, he's a great player," Hargreaves told The Associated Press (via Fox News). "We talked a little bit. We both knew this was coming. He's excited, I'm excited. We both know the magnitude of the game, and it's going to be a great matchup."
Florida State WR Rashad Greene vs. Clemson CB Mackensie Alexander
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When No. 22 Clemson visits No. 1 Florida State on Saturday night, much of the focus will be focused—at least for the first half—on the Seminoles sideline. That’s where FSU sophomore quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston will spend the first half on suspension after making inappropriate comments on FSU’s campus. Yahoo! Sports columnist Pat Forde says Winston's latest mistake shows he still needs to grow up.
That’s unfortunate, because it will take focus away from the Seminoles offense, which will be piloted, at least for the first 30 minutes, by sophomore quarterback Sean Maguire.
Maguire’s biggest target will be senior receiver Rashad Greene, who is attempting to lead FSU in receiving yards for the fourth consecutive season. This season, Greene has 15 receptions for 283 yards with one touchdown.
Clemson defensive backs have likely seen plenty of Greene in their film study this week. A year ago, Greene torched the Tigers secondary for eight receptions, 146 yards and two touchdowns in FSU’s 51-14 rout at Clemson. He’ll likely see plenty of Clemson redshirt freshman cornerback Mackensie Alexander on Saturday night.
Alexander came to Clemson as one of the top cornerback prospects in the class of 2013, but he redshirted last fall after suffering a groin injury in preseason practice. He quickly claimed a starting role this fall and has been a solid member of the Tigers’ back line.
Saturday in Tallahassee, he’ll receive a major test from Greene. Clemson needs to hold the Seminoles’ potent offense down as much as possible to escape with a victory, and if Greene runs wild on the secondary, the chances of that happening will decrease dramatically.
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Washington State WR Isiah Myers vs. Oregon CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
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Washington State likes to throw the ball. Under coach Mike Leach, one of the nation’s leading proponents of the Air Raid offense, that’s no surprise. The Cougars, behind senior quarterback Connor Halliday, have thrown for an FBS-leading 1,551 yards as a team. Halliday has 1,465 passing yards with 12 touchdowns against five interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes.
Last week, Washington State threw for a Pac 12-record 630 yards through the air.
Halliday’s top target has been senior receiver Isiah Myers, who has 26 receptions for 423 yards and five touchdowns.
They’ll need to hook up plenty Saturday for the Cougars (1-2) to have any shot at upsetting No. 2 Oregon. Oregon has allowed 627 yards passing over the past two weeks, including seven plays of 30-plus yards.
The Ducks’ secondary is led by senior cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, one of the nation’s top cover corners. His athletic interception against Michigan State was one of the top defensive plays of the first three weeks.
Washington State will throw, and throw, and throw. A year ago, Halliday completed 58 of 89 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns. But the Ducks also picked him off four times in a 62-38 win.
Halliday and Myers will go at Ekpre-Olomu, but they’ll have to be more efficient this time around.
Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott vs. LSU CB Tre'Davious White
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Mississippi State hopes this is the season it breaks through in the SEC West, and Saturday will be a huge litmus test. The Bulldogs are 3-0 heading into their SEC opener at West rival LSU, also 3-0 and ranked eighth nationally.
Senior quarterback Dak Prescott has been impressive, completing 59.7 percent of his passes for nine touchdowns against two interceptions. The dual-threat also has 273 yards rushing and two touchdowns on the ground. LSU coach Les Miles is impressed, per NOLA.com’s Jim Kleinpeter.
"He's a quality competitor. He's obviously embodied the things Mississippi State and that offense needs for him to do. He manages the game well, makes quality decisions, throws it very well, does what they need done. It's obvious he's a very quality athlete and a very quality quarterback.
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Prescott can move the ball in a number of ways, but he’ll have his stiffest test yet against an LSU defense that is allowing seven points per game and has shut out its last two opponents, Sam Houston State and Louisiana-Monroe, by a combined score of 87-0.
The Tigers’ secondary is improved this season, led by sophomore cornerback Tre’Davious White.
White has excellent speed and coverage skills, with nine tackles and two passes defended through three games. Prescott must make some big plays in the air for Mississippi State to have any hopes of its first win over LSU since 1991. But with White patrolling the secondary, that’s easier said than done.
Florida WR Demarcus Robinson vs. Alabama CB Tony Brown
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Last week, Florida barely survived Kentucky. A big reason why? Sophomore receiver Demarcus Robinson. Robinson caught 15 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-tying score on 4th-and-9 that sent the game to a second overtime.
His 15 catches tied a Florida program record, and he became the first UF receiver since 2002 to top 200 yards receiving. He has 21 receptions for 339 yards and three scores this season, and will surely be a huge focus for Alabama’s secondary Saturday.
That could be a problem. The Crimson Tide’s cornerbacks are beat up, with talented sophomore cornerback Eddie Jackson recovering from knee surgery and working his way through a bruised quadriceps suffered against Southern Miss.
That could open the door for 5-star cornerback Tony Brown, a true freshman who has mostly worked in a reserve role. He’ll likely be a starter this week, per Andrew Gribble of AL.com. He said Alabama coach Nick Saban said as much this week.
"Tony's definitely improving, definitely getting better," Saban said. "I think the opportunities that he's had to play in the last two games have been good for his development and his confidence. He will play a lot in this game."
Expect Florida to match up Robinson with the green but talented freshman. Florida must have an effective passing game to pull the upset in Tuscaloosa, and much of that burden will fall on Robinson’s back. Can he get open and gain big yards against the Tide’s secondary and Brown? We’ll see.
West Virginia WR Kevin White vs. Oklahoma CB Zack Sanchez
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West Virginia has been a pleasant surprise thus far. The Mountaineers pushed No. 3 Alabama hard in the season opener before falling 33-23 and are 2-1 with No. 4 Oklahoma (3-0) coming to town Saturday.
A big reason why? The passing game. Senior quarterback Clint Trickett has thrown for 1,224 yards (third in FBS) with seven touchdowns against one interception, and senior receiver Kevin White has been his best target.
White has 32 receptions for 460 yards and two touchdowns, including a 13-catch, 216-yard day in last week’s 40-37 win over West Virginia. By comparison, White had 35 receptions for 507 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games a year ago.
He’ll face off with one of the nation’s most prolific cover corners in Zack Sanchez.
The sophomore has interceptions in five of his last six games, dating back to last season. And his three interceptions in three games this year ties him for the national lead. He told The Associated Press that he’s getting smarter as a cornerback. (h/t Fox News)
""Maturing in the defense, maturing as a player on the field," Sanchez said. "Kind of diving into film more than I did last year and understanding route concepts and offenses a little more and how they'll attack me this year. That's the biggest thing, just growing and getting older with experience."
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White will provide him with a cover challenge, and Trickett will have to go at Sanchez, most likely, for the Mountaineers to have any shot at the upset.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
