Weekend Preview: Red River Rivalry heats up in Dallas

05.10.2007 14:02 Sport and Travel - Source: USA Today

Big 12

The end of September wasn't kind to the league's preseason favorites. But the rash of upsets served to increase the stakes throughout the league in this week's already huge slate. The Red River showdown between No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 16 Texas in Dallas still carries plenty of intrigue, as the loser will be out of the national title hunt with a second defeat. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford looked like a freshman for the first time last week under a persistent pass rush. He'll need better protection to get WR Malcolm Kelly, without a catch at Colorado, back in the mix. Longhorns QB Colt McCoy also took a beating. He will play despite concussion symptoms last week, but his line must keep Oklahoma DE Austin English away from him. A big game from RB Jamaal Charles would also help, but Sooners RB Allen Patrick has been more productive in recent outings.

It is the Oklahoma State at Texas A&M winner that will emerge from October's first weekend with the Big 12 South lead. Both teams give up a lot of points, which could benefit Aggies QB Stephen McGee and Cowboys WR Adarius Bowman.

The equally anticipated meeting of No. 23 Nebraska at No. 17 Missouri is no less vital in the Big 12 title picture. The Cornhuskers haven't put all the pieces together in any of their four victories, but RB Marlon Lucky and LB Bo Ruud are constant threats to make something happen. The Tigers will spotlight QB Chase Daniel and his diverse spread attack that makes extensive use of TEs Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman. Mizzou DE Stryker Sulak will lead the rush against Nebraska QB Sam Keller.

Meanwhile, the North squads that shook up the order are also back in action, hoping to avoid the dreaded letdown. Texas killer Kansas State hosts Sunflower State rival Kansas in a contest now just as important to the North race as the game in Columbia, Mo. Wildcats WR/PR Jordy Nelson comes in with the hot hands and feet, but QB Josh Freeman needs other playmakers to emerge. Jayhawks QB Todd Reesing's most frequent targets are WRs Marcus Henry and Dexton Fields.

Colorado must also be wary of its trip to Baylor. The Bears have won the last two series encounters, but CU's power game with RB Hugh Charles could limit opportunities for Baylor QB Blake Szymanski to generate points.

Atlantic Coast

Two pivotal cross-division confrontations headline the schedule. Topping the marquee is No. 14 Virginia Tech's visit to No. 22 Clemson, which must avoid letting its loss at Georgia Tech snowball into an all-too-familiar midseason slump. Particularly puzzling for Clemson fans is the disappearance of RB C.J. Spiller, who needs to hit holes with authority to utilize his speed. Hokies LBs Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi don't leave holes open for long, so Tigers QB Cullen Harper must provide aerial cover. Virginia Tech freshman QB Tyrod Taylor continues to get on-the-job training. Tigers S Michael Hamlin will be ready to make him pay for errant throws. Clemson's problems on special teams could prove costly against the Hokies, seeking their first blocked kick of the season.

Georgia Tech got itself back on track against Clemson but must now travel to face a confident Maryland squad looking to build on its enormous victory at Rutgers. Terrapins QB Chris Turner will keep the keys to the offense. If RBs Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball continue to get big yards, Turner's job will be considerably easier. Yellow Jackets QB Taylor Bennett is completing only half of his passes but is getting enough help from RBs Tashard Choice and Jonathan Dwyer to keep things moving.

Big East

Speaking of Rutgers, the 21st-ranked Scarlet Knights have no time to dwell on their first loss with unbeaten Cincinnati coming to Piscataway, N.J. The No. 24 Bearcats seek the first 6-0 start since opening 8-0 in 1954. Cincinnati's offense doesn't bring the power that Maryland used to cause the Scarlet Knights' defense so much grief, but QB Ben Mauk is developing numerous passing options. Bearcats WRs Marcus Bennett and Marshwan Gilyard should keep Rutgers S Courtney Greene busy. The Scarlet Knights want to avoid falling behind to enable RB Ray Rice to stay involved in the offense. QB Mike Teel does have a solid deep threat in WR Tiquan Underwood, but he will be minded by Cincinnati CB Mike Mickens.

No. 12 West Virginia will try to avoid a South Florida hangover with a trip to Syracuse. The Orange followed their stunning win at Louisville with a disheartening outing at Miami (Ohio) but still head into the weekend with a share of the Big East lead. Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez won't determine the status of QB Pat White (bruised thigh) until game time. Whether White or Jarrett Brown starts, WVU's top priority will be getting RB Steve Slaton back on track. Syracuse QB Andrew Robinson will look to open up the air game again with WRs Taj Smith and Mike Williams.

Big Ten

No. 4 Ohio State is suddenly back on the first page of the national championship leaderboard. The Buckeyes visit No. 20 Purdue in what unexpectedly became the weekend's only matchup of unbeatens in the Bowl Subdivision. It pits Purdue QB Curtis Painter and the league's most productive attack against the Big Ten's stingiest defense paced by Buckeyes LB James Laurinaitis. Painter's top contributors are WR Dorien Bryant, TE Dustin Keller and RB Kory Sheets. Ohio State must get a big push from DE Vernon Gholston to keep Painter from using them. Buckeyes QB Todd Boeckman is getting more comfortable in his first season at the controls, thanks to RB Chris Wells and WR Brian Robiskie. The Boilermakers haven't been generating much pressure, but SS Justin Scott is a takeaway threat.

No. 5 Wisconsin, also in the BCS discussion, faces a tough test at resurgent Illinois. Both teams rely on steady production on the ground, with the Badgers' P.J. Hill and Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall gaining better than 120 yards a game. Wisconsin QB Tyler Donovan will try to use TE Travis Beckum to keep Fighting Illini LB J Leman occupied, while Illinois QB Juice Williams will depend on the versatility of WR Arrelious Benn to try to flummox Badgers LBs Elijah Hodge and Jonathan Casillas.

Conference USA

Key contests in each division are on tap. In the East, two of the three early frontrunners square off as Central Florida heads to East Carolina. Both squads are likely to use two quarterbacks. Patrick Pinkney will split time with Rob Kass for the Pirates, while UCF is working in flashy Michael Greco to spell Kyle Israel. Knights RB Kevin Smith, the nation's leading rusher, could be the difference-maker.

West contenders Tulsa and Texas-El Paso meet in El Paso with the West division lead on the line. UTEP rallied twice from double-digit deficits to beat Southern Methodist in overtime last week, thanks to a huge day from RB Marcus Thomas. The going on the ground might not be as smooth against Golden Hurricane LBs Nelson Coleman and Chris Chamberlain, but platooning Miners QBs Trevor Vittatoe and Lorne Sam might find passing lanes. Tulsa QB Paul Smith is C-USA's total offense leader. His most frequent outlet is FB Charles Clay, with WRs Trae Johnson and Brennan Marion providing deep targets. They'll try to steer clear of UTEP FS Quintin Demps.

Independents

Army looks to climb back to the .500 mark as Tulane comes calling to West Point. But the Green Wave will be a confident bunch after staying with LSU for more than a half. Tulane QB Anthony Scelfo and RB Matt Forte each committed a key turnover against the Tigers but should be able to produce against a Black Knights defense surrendering 367.8 yards a game. Army has a genuine big-play threat in WR/PR Jeremy Trimble, but QB Carson Williams must give Army some conventional scores as well.

Mid-American

The game of the day in the East features Miami (Ohio) at Kent State, with both seeking their second league victory. The RedHawks' backfield is depleted by injuries, but RB Cory Jones had a solid outing in last week's win against Syracuse to support QB Mike Kokal. The Golden Flashes, after a come-from-ahead loss to Akron, got a needed bounce-back victory against Ohio last week. They lead the MAC in rushing behind RB Eugene Jarvis and QB Julian Edelman.

In the West, Central Michigan goes to Ball State for what figures to be more of an aerial show. Cardinals QB Nate Davis has 14 TD passes to only two picks. His arsenal includes MAC receiving leader Dante Love along with TE Darius Hill. CMU QB Dan LeFevour has climbed to third in the conference in total offense after a slow start in a new system. WRs Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson lead his catching corps.

Mountain West

After a mostly successful pre-conference campaign, Wyoming hosts its MWC opener against TCU. The Cowboys hope to use the RB duo of Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon to neutralize the Horned Frogs' pass rush, led by LB David Hawthorne and DE Chase Ortiz. If TCU can mount pressure, Wyoming QB Karsten Sween might add to his alarming total of eight interceptions. The Horned Frogs are pleased to have RB Aaron Brown back in the lineup. He'll need to help QB Marcus Jackson, likely to start in place of Andy Daulton (thigh), avoid CB Julius Stinson, Wyoming's best hitter and takeaway threat.

Air Force hopes to end a two-game skid at home against unpredictable UNLV. Falcons QB Shaun Carney is throwing more this season, but he'll need his mobility to avoid Rebels LB Beau Bell. UNLV RB Frank Summers has moved up to fourth on the MWC rushing chart. Air Force LB Drew Fowler will be looking for him.

Pacific-10

No. 19 Arizona State is rapidly moving from early surprise to dark-horse challenger. Next for the Sun Devils is a visit to coach Dennis Erickson's old stomping grounds at Washington State, a team in need of a victory to keep its dwindling bowl hopes alive. While the Cougars have faced two top-five teams, their defensive generosity last week at Arizona is a major concern. ASU QB Rudy Carpenter hopes the trend continues. The RB tandem of Ryan Torain and Keegan Herring should also contribute for the Sun Devils. WSU QB Alex Brink gets very little ground support, but WRs Brandon Gibson and Michael Bumpus have breakaway potential. Sun Devils SS Troy Nolan and LB Robert James are dangerous pass thieves.

Arizona looks to build on its Washington State win at Oregon State, a game that will even one team's record and put an early damper on the other's postseason hopes. The Beavers must put their fourth-quarter meltdown against UCLA behind them quickly. They still have one of the league's top ground weapons in RB Yvenson Bernard, but he can be neutralized if QB Sean Canfield's turnover troubles continue. The loss of OSU WR Sammie Stroughter (bruised kidney) won't help matters. QB Willie Tuitama is coming off his most efficient performance of the season in the Wildcats' new spread attack. WRs Mike Thomas and Terrell Turner along with TE Rob Gronkowski are also reaping the benefits.

Southeastern

Conventional wisdom had it that the Saturday matchup of No. 7 Florida at No. 2 LSU would be the preview of the SEC title game. That might yet be the case, but a second Florida loss would make that scenario more unlikely. While QB Tim Tebow did everything in his power to save the Gators in the Auburn loss, he's going to need more support from RB Kestahn Moore to avoid frequent contact with hard-hitting LSU LB Ali Highsmith. Florida also hopes to have WR Andre Caldwell back from a knee injury. The Tigers are making a bad habit of starting slowly on offense before RB Jacob Hester takes over against worn-down defenses. QB Matt Flynn will try to fix that problem, but Gators DE Derrick Harvey will be coming after him. The absence of LSU WR Early Doucet (groin) hasn't helped, and he remains questionable.

No. 12 Georgia looks to continue its road success under coach Mark Richt at Tennessee, which is still in the SEC title hunt but needs a high-profile victory. Keeping running backs healthy has been a problem for the Bulldogs in recent years, but right now Thomas Brown and Knowshon Moreno are rolling. QB Erik Ainge can keep Tennessee in many games with help from WRs Lucas Taylor and Austin Rogers, but the Vols' defense must do a better job prevent long TDs.

Auburn's rollercoaster of a season resumes at home against Vanderbilt, which could use the win to improve its chances of ending its 25-year bowl drought. Commodores QB Chris Nickson and WR Earl Bennett don't get a lot of help from the ground game, but they might have chances to hook up with Tigers DE Quentin Groves (foot) sidelined. Auburn regains the services of RB Brad Lester, suspended for academic reasons, who could help Ben Tate and Mario Fannin stay fresh.

Sun Belt

Arkansas State makes its SBC debut after a promising September. The Indians visit winless Louisiana-Monroe, which could still figure in the conference hunt but can't afford a second league loss. Arkansas State QB Corey Leonard is a dual threat, coming off a career night in leading a second-half rally last Thursday from a 25-point deficit against Memphis. His main aerial weapon is WR Levi Dejohnette. Top RB Reggie Arnold (leg) left the Memphis game on the first series and is a question mark. ULM RB Calvin Dawson is the Sun Belt's leading rusher at 139 yards a game. QB Kinsmon Lancaster is also a running threat, but the Warhawks need more from the receiving corps.

No. 9 South Florida, enjoying the adulation that comes with its highest ranking in the program's brief history, must avoid a potential trap at Florida Atlantic, another young program with access to the Sunshine State's fertile recruiting grounds. The Owls are getting solid play from sophomore QB Rusty Smith, but Bulls DE George Selvie will make his job difficult. South Florida QB Matt Grothe must watch out for FAU CB Tavious Polo, who leads the nation with seven interceptions.

Western Athletic

With a WAC victory in hand, Fresno State will learn if it is ready to rejoin the league's upper division Saturday at Nevada. The Wolf Pack play their first conference contest coming off an encouraging win against state rival UNLV. Nevada presents a balanced attack with QB Nick Graziano able to count on a solid RB rotation led by Luke Lippincott. Bulldogs QB Tom Brandstater didn't have his best outing in the Louisiana Tech victory, but might get more help from RB Ryan Matthews this week against the leaky Nevada ground defense.

Boise State welcomes New Mexico State to the blue turf for the first Sunday tilt of the season. The Broncos will look to establish RB Ian Johnson quickly to counter the Aggies' pass rush, led by LB Dante Floyd. NMSU QB Chase Holbrook (ribs) is questionable.

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