Cincinnati - Tulsa - UCF - Houston - Memphis - Tulane
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MIAMI (OHIO) at CINCINNATI
Saturday, Sept. 24 • 3:30 • ESPNews
Nippert Stadium (40,000/UBU Speed Series 55-M)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Television
ESPNews -
WATCH LIVE -
LIVE STATS
Mike Corey and Rene Ingoglia
Cincinnati Radio
WLW-AM 700 (flagship)
THE GAME • THE VICTORY BELL
Saturday’s game will be the 121st meeting between Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio) in a series that dates to 1888 … It is the second-oldest rivalry in FBS football, behind only Michigan-Notre Dame (1887) … The RedHawks lead the series, 59-54-7, but Cincinnati has won the last 10 meetings.
MIAMI (OHIO)
0-3, 0-0 MAC
Head Coach
Chuck Martin (Millikin ’90)
5-21, third season at Miami
79-27, ninth season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Miami looks for its first win of the season after the RedHawks fell 31-24 to Western Kentucky last Saturday … Miami opened with a 45-21 setback at Iowa and dropped a 21-17 decision in Week 2 … Miami is the Mid-American Conference leader in wins (673) and conference championships (15) … Miami has finished with more yards than its opponent in all three games this season … The RedHawks are led by QB Billy Bahl, who has thrown for 855 yards and six touchdowns against one interception … WR James Gardner has four touchdown receptions and leads the team with 12 catches for 245 yards … RB Alonzo Smith has rushed for 186 yards and a touchdown on 50 carries … LB Brad Koenig has a team-high 21 tackles with 4.0 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery.
CINCINNATI
2-1, 0-1 American
Head Coach
Tommy Tuberville (Southern Arkansas ’76)
27-15, fifth season at Cincinnati
158-92, 21st season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Cincinnati is 2-1 on the heels of a 40-16 loss to No. 6 Houston last Thursday … The Bearcats held a 16-12 lead in the fourth quarter before the Cougars exploded for 28 unanswered points to close the game … Cincinnati opened with a 28-7 win against UT Martin and scored a 38-20 win at Purdue in Week 2 … The Bearcats, who ranked 124th nationally in turnover margin last year, rank eighth nationally this season (1.67) … Cincinnati leads the nation with 11 takeaways and nine interceptions … Three players have multiple picks this season, including S Mike Tyson, who has three … QB Hayden Moore has thrown for 785 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions … WR Nate Cole has four touchdown catches and 21 total receptions for 205 yards.
TULSA at FRESNO STATE
Saturday, Sept. 24 • 4:30 p.m. • MW Network
Bulldog Stadium (41,031/FieldTurf)
Fresno, Calif.
Television
Mountain West Network -
LIVE STATS
Ari Wolfe and Darius Walker
Tulsa Radio
KXBL-FM 99.5 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the seventh meeting between Tulsa and Fresno State since 1999 … The Bulldogs took the first four meetings, but the Golden Hurricane claimed the last two, including a 27-26 decision in 2012 … The schools met in the 2005 Liberty Bowl, when Tulsa was a 31-24 winner.
TULSA
2-1, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Philip Montgomery (Tarleton State ’95)
8-8, second season
NOTES
Tulsa had its best all-around performance of the season in the Golden Hurricane’s 58-21 win against North Carolina A&T Saturday … Tulsa scored six offensive touchdowns, had a defensive TD, kicked three field goals and blocked two punts against the Aggies … Tulsa opened the season with a 45-10 win against San Jose State and fell 48-3 to Ohio State in Week 2 … QB Dane Evans, who led The American in passing last season, has thrown for 607 yards and four touchdowns with five interceptions in 2016 … WR Keevan Lucas has 16 receptions for 284 yards and three touchdowns … RB D’Angelo Brewer has rushed for 282 yards and three touchdowns and is second in The American at 94.0 rushing yards per game … LB Trent Martin has a team-high 23 tackles … The Golden Hurricane has averaged 2.3 sacks per game.
FRESNO STATE
1-2, 0-0 Mountain West
Head Coach
Tim DeRuyter (Air Force ’85)
30-25, fifth season
NOTES
Fresno State fell to 1-2 after a 52-17 setback at Toledo … The Bulldogs opened the season with a 43-10 loss at Nebraska and beat Sacramento State 31-3 in Week 2 … The game against Tulsa was originally scheduled for 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, but was moved to a Pacifc-time matinee to accommodate a concert by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood on the Fresno State campus … QB Chason Virgil has completed 51 of 97 passes for 597 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions in three games … RB Dontel James has rushed for a team-high 181 yards and a touchdown on 52 carries … WR Jamire Jordan has 13 catches for 237 yards and a TD, while WR Aaron Peck has a 15 receptions for 200 yards and one TD … The defense has registered three sacks and two interceptions … DB Stratton Brown has a team-high 18 tackles.
UCF at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
Saturday, Sept. 24 • 7 p.m. • beIN Sports
FIU Stadium (20,000/FieldTurf)
Miami, Fla.
Television
beIN Sports -
LIVE STATS
Matt Martucci, Brett Romberg and Jordan Daigle
UCF Radio
WYGM-FM 96.9 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the fifth meeting between UCF and Florida International … The series is tied at 2-2 after the Golden Panthers stunned the Knights with a 15-14 win in Orlando last season after UCF held a 14-3 second-half lead … UCF was a 38-0 winner in 2013, the last time the teams met in Miami.
UCF
1-2, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Scott Frost (Nebraska ’97)
1-2, first season
NOTES
UCF fell for the second straight week as the Knights dropped a 30-24 heartbreaker to Maryland in double-overtime last week … UCF had snapped a 13-game losing streak with a solid 38-0 win against South Carolina State in the 2016 season-opener before falling to Michigan and Maryland … QB McKenzie Milton, a true freshman, made his first career start against Maryland and is expected to get the nod against Florida International … Milton completed 21 of 36 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns with one interception against the Terrapins … UCF has three players between 147 and 157 rushing yards, while WR Dontravious Wilson has a team-high two rushing touchdowns … WR Tre’Quan Smith has 12 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns … DE Tony Guerad leads the defense with 2.0 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
0-3, 0-0 Conference USA
Head Coach
Ron Turner (Pacific ’77)
10-29, third season at Florida International
52-90, 13th season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Florida International looks for its first win of the 2016 season as the Golden Panthers dropped a 21-13 decision to Massachusetts last Saturday … FIU opened with a 34-13 loss to Indiana and fell 41-14 to Maryland … The game against UCF will be the Golden Panthers’ third home date in four games to start the year … FIU has lost five straight games, dating to the end of last season … QB Alex McGough has started all three games and has completed 48 of 90 passes for 480 yards with four interceptions … RB Alex Gardner has rushed for 262 yards and three touchdowns on 49 carries and has 11 catches for 105 yards … Gardner has scored all three of FIU’s offensive touchdowns this season … LB Anthony Wint leads the defense with 32 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
HOUSTON at TEXAS STATE
Saturday, Sept. 24 • 7 p.m. • ESPNU
Bobcat Stadium (30,000/FieldTurf)
San Marcos, Texas
Television
ESPNU -
WATCH LIVE
Anish Shroff, Ahmad Brooks and Alex Corddry
Houston Radio
KPRC-AM 950 (flagship)
THE GAME
Houston and Texas State have split their two previous meetings as the schools face each other for the third time Saturday … The Cougars took a 59-14 decision last year at TDECU Stadium, while the Bobcats were 30-13 winners in 2012 … Last year’s game saw the Cougars build a 42-7 halftime as QB Greg Ward Jr. accounted for six TDs.
6/7 HOUSTON
3-0, 1-0 American
Head Coach
Tom Herman (Cal Lutheran ’97)
16-1, second season
NOTES
Houston is off to a 3-0 start to the season after the Cougars rallied for a 40-16 win against Cincinnati in their American Athletic Conference opener… The Cougars opened with a 33-23 win against Oklahoma and did not allow Lamar to cross the 50-yard line in a 42-0 win in Week 2 … QB Greg Ward Jr. returned to the lineup against Cincinnati after missing the game against Lamar with a shoulder injury … Ward has thrown for 647 yards and three touchdowns and has two rushing TDs, is 21-2 as Houston’s starting quarterback … RB Duke Catalon has a team-high 155 rushing yards in two games … WR Linell Bonner leads the team with 15 catches for 228 yards … LB Steven Taylor has been the key man on defense with 21 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception in three games.
TEXAS STATE
1-1, 0-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach
Everett Withers (Appalachian State ’85)
1-1, first season at Texas State
26-14, fourth season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Texas State will play its home opener Saturday as the Bobcats opened the season with a 58-54 triple-overtime win at Ohio and dropped a 42-3 decision at Arkansas last Saturday … Houston coach Tom Herman served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas State from 2005-06 … Herman and Texas State coach Everett Withers previously worked on the same staffs at Texas and Ohio State … QB Tyler Jones has thrown for 501 yards and four touchdowns with three interceptions in two games … The leading rusher is RB Stedman Mayberry, who has 113 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries … WR Elijah King has eight catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns … LB Bryan London has a team-leading 22 tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss.
BOWLING GREEN at MEMPHIS
Saturday, Sept. 24 • 8 p.m. • ESPNews
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (58,862/FieldTurf)
Memphis, Tenn.
Television
ESPNews -
WATCH LIVE -
LIVE STATS
Dave Lamont and Ray Bentley
Memphis Radio
WREC-AM 600 (flagship)
THE GAME
Saturday’s game will be the third meeting between Memphis and Bowling Green … The Tigers took a 44-41 win in Ohio last season after overcoming a 27-17 halftime deficit to even the series at 1-1 … Memphis QB Paxton Lynch threw for 386 yards and three touchdowns, while Bowling Green QB Matt Johnson had 443 yards and four TDs.
BOWLING GREEN
1-2, 0-0 MAC
Head Coach
Mike Jinks (Angelo State ’95)
1-2, first season
NOTES
Bowling Green fell to 1-2 on the year after the Falcons fell 41-21 to Middle Tennessee last week in Bowling Green, Ohio … The Falcons opened with a 77-10 loss to Ohio State and beat North Dakota 27-26 in Week 2 … Bowling Green has played in the Mid-American Conference Championship in each of the last three seasons and won the conference title last season … The win against North Dakota was the first victory for first-year coach Mike Jinks … Jinks had been the associated head coach at Texas Tech before taking over the Falcons … Bowling Green has won five straight games following a loss … The Falcons have not lost back-to-back games since a three-game slide in November of 2014 … QB James Knapke has thrown for 554 yards and three TDs … RB Josh Cleveland has 228 rushing yards and one touchdown.
-/rv MEMPHIS
2-0, 0-0 American
Head Coach
Mike Norvell (Central Arkansas ’05)
2-0, first season
NOTES
Memphis remains unbeaten under first-year coach Mike Norvell as the Tigers improved to 2-0 with a 43-7 win against Kansas last Saturday … The Tigers had a bye in Week 2 and opened the season with a 35-17 victory against Southeast Missouri … Memphis has outscored its first two opponents by a 35-0 margin in the first quarter … The Tigers have been led by QB Riley Ferguson, who has completed 41 of 64 passes for 484 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions in two games … RB Patrick Taylor leads the team in rushing with 174 yards on 20 carries … WR Anthony Miller has a team-high 14 receptions for 196 yards and a touchdown and has added 56 rushing yards … S Jonathan Cook has 16 tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery … All--America K Jake Elliott has made 5-of-6 field goal attempts.
LOUISIANA at TULANE
Saturday, Sept. 24 • 8 p.m. • ESPN3
Yulman Stadium (30,000/UBU Speed Series 5M)
New Orleans, La.
Television
ESPN3 -
WATCH LIVE
Joel Meyers and Chad Brown
Tulane Radio
WMTI-FM 106.1 (flagship)
THE GAME
Tulane and Louisiana meet for the first time since 2013 as the Green Wave looks to build on its 21-6 series lead … The 2013 game was a 24-21 Louisiana win in the New Orleans Bowl in front of 54,728 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome … The series dates to the 1911 season … Tulane’s last win in the series was in 2000.
LOUISIANA
2-1, 1-0 Sun Belt
Head Coach
Mark Hudspeth (Delta State ’92)
20-25, sixth season at Louisiana
86-46, 13th season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Louisiana is 2-1 following a 28-23 win against South Alabama last Saturday … The Ragin’ Cajuns beat McNeese State 30-22 in Week 2 and opened the season with a 45-10 setback to Boise State … The game at Tulane is the fifth straight in the state of Louisiana for the Ragin’ Cajuns … Louisiana is led by RB Elijah McGuire, who has rushed for 408 yards and a touchdown on 56 carries and has averaged 136.0 yards per game … McGuire needs 212 all-purpose yards to pass Tyrell Fenroy as the school’s all-time leader (5,231) … QB Anthony Jennings has thrown for 612 yards and five touchdowns and two interceptions … WR Al Riles has 12 catches for 194 yards and a touchdown … S Travis Crawford leads the defense with 28 tackles, while LB Otha Peters has 3.5 tackles for loss.
TULANE
1-2, 0-1 American
Head Coach
Willie Fritz (Pittsburg State ’83)
1-2, first season at Tulane
156-70, 20th season as collegiate head coach
NOTES
Tulane fell to 1-2 with a 21-14 setback to Navy in the Green Wave’s American Athletic Conference opener … Tulane picked up its first win under head coach Willie Fritz with an eye-popping 66-21 decision against Southern in Week 2, in stark contrast to a 7-3 season-opening battle against Wake Forest that was won by the Demon Deacons … Tulane has outscored its opponents by a 31-7 margin in the first quarter and a 59-21 margin in the first half … QB Jonathan Brantley made his first career start in the game against Navy … Brantley has rushed for 148 yards on 21 carries, second only to RB Dontrell Hilliard, who has 236 yards and four touchdowns this season … The defense is led by LB Nico Marley, who has 23 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3.0 tackles for loss and an interception.