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C-USA Sports Fans
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Conference USA Week #3 Football Preview
East Carolina's season hasn't been too hard to decipher after two games. Against an FCS opponent (Appalachian State), the Pirates played poorly but were still able to win. Against FBS opponent West Virginia--a credentialed program with considerable chops--Skip Holtz's crew played spotty and inconsistent ball, and walked away with a loss. Now, ECU travels to Chapel Hill for a second major non-conference showdown against Butch Davis's Tar Heels. Simply stated, quarterback Patrick Pinkney and the rest of the ECU offense need to be on top of their game if the defending C-USA champs are to claim their first big scalp of the year.
Tulsa @ Oklahoma - Saturday, 3:30 ET, Fox Sports Net
Before the season, this game figured to be a Sam Bradford-based rout. Now, with Oklahoma's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback on the bench with his right shoulder injury, Tulsa just might be able to make things interesting at Owen Field. Golden Hurricane signal caller G.J. Kinne transferred from Texas, so it's clear that this young man has long dreamed of taking down Boomer Sooner. If Kinne receives protection from his offensive front, Coach Todd Graham's group could make things very interesting in Bob Stoops' home stadium.
Virginia @ Southern Miss - Saturday, 3:30 ET, no TV
Virginia accumulated fewer than 80 yards in the first 27 minutes of the Cavs' previous game against Texas Christian, so it's clear that Southern Miss and head coach Larry Fedora are taking on a decidedly impotent opponent this Saturday in Hattiesburg. When playing an offense as anemic as the one fielded by UVA coach Al Groh, the first, second, and third priority is to avoid turnovers and huge kicking-game gaffes. As long as USM doesn't cough up the pill or encounter special teams nightmares, the Golden Eagles should push their season record to 3-0.
UAB @ Troy - Saturday, 3:30 ET, no TV
Both of these teams enter week 3 in dire need of a spark. Troy just left the Swamp in Gainesville--nobody on Coach Larry Blakeney's roster expected to foil Florida--but the problem for the Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference is that they couldn't bounce Bowling Green in their season opener. Troy, the standard-bearer in the Sun Belt this decade, is 0-2 heading into this week's game with UAB, and the Trojans need a non-conference boost before returning to conference action. The outlook is similar for UAB and Coach Neil Callaway, who suffered a stunning 35-33 loss to lowly SMU last weekend. With their bowl hopes already in serious jeopardy due to that unexpected setback, the Blazers need to lift their game against an in-state opponent. Passion and pride are non-negotiable requirements for UAB at this point; more losses will only make it harder for Calloway to succeed in his first turn as an FBS head coach.
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Southern Methodist @ Washington State - Saturday, 5 ET, no TV
My, how fabulous this September has been for SMU and head coach June Jones. The Mustangs were mediocre in week one, but they managed to slide past Stephen F. Austin of the FCS. In week two, the Ponies lifted their level of play, and--thanks to a missed extra point--beat conference rival UAB when a last-ditch two-point try by the Blazers was stopped in the final minute. Now, in week three, SMU faces another winnable game against woebegone Washington State, a team that has lost 12 of its last 14 games and has been outscored 77-33 in its first two games of 2009. SMU simply needs to guard against a letdown, and play with the same hunger shown in week two in Birmingham. With another high-powered performance, Jones's ballclub could make it through the first quarter of the season without a single blemish on its record.
Rice @ Oklahoma State - Saturday, 7 ET, no TV
Rice continues its tour of the Big 12 South on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla., as the Owls--fresh off a 45-point loss to Texas Tech--will play a Cowboy crew still smarting from an upset loss to Houston. Oklahoma State running back Kendall Hunter won't be at 100 percent for coach Mike Gundy's group, but that shouldn't prevent quarterback Zac Robinson and Co. from lighting up the scoreboard. For Rice, the object of this contest is to hang in the ring, absorb punches, and hopefully convert the opportunities that come in its direction. More importantly, the Owls and coach David Bailiff need to use this game as a launching pad toward a successful C-USA campaign. As long as the Big 12 South teaches Rice some lessons, the prospect of a loss will lose its sting.
Bowling Green @ Marshall - Saturday, 7 ET, no TV
Like Rice against the Big 12 South, fellow C-USA school Marshall hopes that a paycheck game--against Virginia Tech last Saturday--will propel the Thundering Herd to better things against the Falcons of the Mid-American Conference. Bowling Green isn't a team to sleep on; the kids from Ohio thumped Troy, 31-14, in week one, a nice conquest for a MAC school. In week two, BGSU did even better, jumping to a 20-13 lead after three quarters against Missouri, only to fall to the nationally-ranked Tigers, 27-20. Marshall faces a stiff test against one of the MAC's overachieving teams; without increased efficiency--hopefully delivered as a result of the previous week's learning experience against Virginia Tech--the Thundering Herd might get struck by a bolt of Bowling Green lightning in week three.
Buffalo @ UCF - Saturday, 7:30 ET, no TV
UCF and head coach George O'Leary had to be heartened by a bold and vigorous effort in a seven-point loss at Southern Miss. Now, the Golden Knights will try to parlay that close-shave defeat into a win over Buffalo, the defending MAC champions, but a team that's reeling from a thumping suffered at the hands of Pittsburgh the week before. UCF can't cough up turnovers that translate into defensive touchdowns for opponents, as seen last week against the Golden Eagles. The Bulls, under coach Turner Gill, will make UCF pay for any big missteps.
UTEP @ New Mexico State - Saturday, 8 ET, ESPN360.com, GamePlan
The Miners, at 0-2, are up against a wall. Dropping each of their first two marquee home games, Mike Price's pupils are looking at another bowl-free season unless they can change course in a hurry. Moreover, the Miners have failed to ambush the Aggies of New Mexico State in recent seasons, which is ultimately the reason why Price has already termed this game as a "must-win" for the boys from El Paso. UTEP quarterback Trevor Vittatoe, no longer facing the physical and smothering defense posed by Kansas the week before, must display his full toolbox of skills; if not, a must-win will turn into a disaster for a team that has to answer the bell in Las Cruces, N.M.
Tennessee-Martin @ Memphis - Saturday, 8 ET, no TV
Hopefully, an FCS opponent will give the Tigers some relief. Memphis played hard against highly-touted Ole Miss, but in week two against Middle Tennessee State, Tommy West's roster seemed to experience a nasty hangover that frequently afflicts college kids playing a high-stakes sport. The agonizing defeat against an SEC power from Mississippi took the starch out of the Tigers. Now at 0-2, they need to right the ship, execute crisply, and exhibit the talent that got them to the St. Petersburg Bowl last season.
Article by Matt Zemek
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