Adding to or expanding on those already mentioned:
(A) goldsheet.com
An example from this week . . .
Injuries already taking their toll
By Jeff Frank, Contributing Editor
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Week One of college football is complete, and a few teams are already behind the eight ball due to injuries. The biggest blow came Sunday night when Louisville lost Heisman Trophy candidate Michael Bush to a broken right leg. The Cardinals still pummeled Kentucky but might find the going a bit rougher vs. Miami-Florida in two weeks.
Wake Forest was primed for a much-improved season but must move forward without its starting quarterback. Ben Mauk is out indefinitely with a broken right arm, as well as a dislocated shoulder, after diving for a fumble in the third quarter of the Demon Deacons' victory over Syracuse.
Redshirt freshman Riley Skinner relieved Mauk but didn't even attempt a pass. Skinner will have a chance for a "W" with Duke coming to Winston Salem this week, but with games at Connecticut and Ole Miss to follow, don't look for the Deacons to be 3-1 after their first four games.
Staying in the ACC, Clemson danced through Florida Atlantic, 54-6, but lost its second starting linebacker in less than a month when MLB Anthony Waters tore his ACL. He led the team in tackles last year and turned down a chance at the NFL in order to help the Tigers improve on their 8-4 record from a year ago.
Clemson began the season without strong side linebacker Tramaine Billie, who broke an ankle during training camp. Tommy Bowden?s club must carry on without its top two defensive players with road games at Boston College and Florida State in the next two weeks.
San Diego State will be without quarterback Kevin O?Connell for an indefinite amount of time after he injured his thumb in last Thursday?s loss to Texas-El Paso. Darren Mougey replaced O?Connell in the third quarter and almost brought the Aztecs back from a 27-3 deficit. The sophomore ran for two scores and completed 12-of-16 passes for 178 yards in the 34-27 loss.
After one week, the Jeff Frank Top 10 looks like this:
1) USC, 102; 2) Auburn, 101.5; 3) Texas, 101; 4) Texas Tech, 100.5; 5) LSU, 99.5; 5) Louisville, 99.5; 7) Florida, 99; 7) Clemson, 99; 9) Michigan, 98.5; 9) Iowa, 98.5; 9) Ohio State, 98.5 and 9) Florida State, 98.5.
With that in mind, here are this week?s top plays:
TULSA AT BYU
Vegas has the wrong team favored. The Golden Hurricane bring back a devastating pass defense that intercepted 22 balls and allowed only nine TDs last season. Only Maryland, Georgia, Miami-FL and Auburn held teams to eight or less. BYU?s passing game will be a shell of its former self after this contest.
Tulsa handled Division 1-AA Stephen F. Austin with no problem, scoring on its first five possessions. Quarterback Paul Smith completed 16 of his 20 passes, and the defense held the Lumberjacks to 185 total yards. The Hurricane's ground attack will take center stage this Saturday, as the Cougars bring back only one starter from their front seven.
Brigham Young?s red zone offense was pathetic against Arizona. The Cougars managed only one touchdown, even though they reached the Wildcats 10-yard line five times. They also managed only five yards on seven carries in the first half.
Final score: Tulsa 27-16.
IOWA AT SYRACUSE
Syracuse couldn't take advantage of Wake Forest?s quarterback issues and fell to the Deacons, 20-10. All in all, a pathetic performance by the Orange, as the offense mustered only 126 total yards. Syracuse finished 115th in total offense and 114th in scoring last season, and if the club continues to play the way it did vs. Wake Forest, it can expect similar rankings this season.
The Orange come home to the Carrier Dome, but they won only one game there last year, against hapless Buffalo. Quarterback Perry Patterson completed less than 50% of his passes last season and finished only 6-19 for 50 yards against the Deacons. When Iowa builds its huge lead vs. a ?Cuse defense that could even be worse than Montana?s, don't expect Patterson to launch his team back in the game.
The Hawkeyes dominated the Grizzlies and quarterback Josh Swogger. The former signal caller at Washington State was sacked three times, even though Iowa was without its top sack leader in Kenny Iwebema, who was out serving a one-game suspension. Montana scored only seven points, its lowest output against a Division 1-A opponent since 1982.
Final score: Iowa 45-7
UTAH STATE AT ARKANSAS
Arkansas couldn't hang with USC in the second half after trailing 16-7 at intermission. Five turnovers didn't help, as the Trojans only had to drive an average of 23 yards for 31 of their 50 points.
Still, the Hogs rushed for 133 yards on 27 carries, averaging almost five yards per pop. Running back Darren McFadden didn't start and only ran nine times coming off his toe injury, but the sophomore is expected to start against Utah State. So is QB Mitch Mustain. The highly-touted freshman replaced Robert Johnson in the fourth quarter and hit 4-6 for 47 yards and a touchdown.
The Aggies fell to Wyoming, 38-7, in their season opener, scoring their only touchdown on an interception return. They gained 129 total yards against a Cowboys club that gave up an average of 489 yards in its final four games in ?05.
Final score: Arkansas 48-10.
OHIO AT NORTHERN ILLINOIS
The Huskies got a taste of the big time in a 35-12 loss to Ohio State. It could have been worse for Northern Illinois, as the Buckeyes lost two fumbles inside the Huskies' 10-yard line. Still, all was not lost for NI, as RB Garrett Wolfe rushed for 172 yards against an Ohio State defense that returned two of its four defensive linemen.
Life gets much easier inside the MAC with Ohio coming to Dekalb. The Bobcats prevailed 29-3 over Tenn-Martin but only had 144 yards of total offense against the Division 1-AA Skyhawks. Imagine what will happen against the Huskies, a team that led the MAC in scoring defense last year.
Ohio had tons of quarterback problems in ?05, and they cropped up again last week. Austen Everson and Brad Bower combined to go 11-22 for only 82 yards and an interception.
Final score: Northern Illinois 30-7
OHIO STATE AT TEXAS
Last season, Texas went into Columbus and took care of business, 25-22. The Longhorns held the Buckeyes to 255 total yards and should control the line of scrimmage once again. Texas returns a boatload of defensive talent and started the season strong, holding North Texas to 54 yards of total offense.
Ohio State must play better than it did against Northern Illinois, as the young and inexperienced defense allowed 324 total yards, including 155 on the ground. Not an impressive statistic to open the season, as the Buckeyes gave up 120 rushing yards or more only ONE time last year. Look for Jamaal Charles and Selvin Young to have big games against Ohio State?s defense. The edge goes to Texas by at least a touchdown.
Final score: Texas 27-17
Other five-star plays include Buffalo, Maryland, California, South Carolina and the under, Texas A&M and Colorado State.
The top dogs this week are Cincinnati, Illinois, San Jose State, Idaho, Rice, Air Force and Nevada.
ROOKIE QUARTERBACKS
Last week, I mentioned that quarterbacks who have not had 100 collegiate passes did not do too poorly ATS in their first game of the season, covering 19 of the 43 games in the past two years. They were a combined 6-11-1 ATS in week one, not counting games in which two inexperienced quarterbacks squared off against each other.
The other trend I uncovered was that the QBs that covered (including those against another rookie QB) were a combined 6-13 ATS in their following contest. There are 12 games this week that fit the mold.
For those with extra income, check out Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas- El Paso, Boston College, Rice, Virginia, East Carolina, Oregon, Western Michigan, Michigan and Oklahoma State. All 12 of these teams match up against clubs that covered with a rookie QB in Week One. Pay attention to this trend, as there will be a few more next week.
GL
