Week one of the college football season is always a glorious occasion. We catch our first whiffs of the fall as the 130 FBS teams across the nation begin their pursuit of a National Championship. While the excitement levels are at an all time high, the matchups find themselves to be quite underwhelming. The country’s top programs often ease their way into the season by playing a group of five or FCS school. This article will help you find those opening day matchups that satisfy your gridiron addiction. From competitive matchups to games that include players or teams of intrigue, week one brings it all to the table, if you find the right games.
Utah at BYU: 8/29, 10:15 EST, ESPN
The recent struggles from the Brigham Young Cougars have taken the Holy War out of the national spotlight, but make no mistake; the programs from the Beehive State still have a strong rivalry. The Cougars took a step in the right direction last season by returning to a bowl game. They defeated Western Michigan 49-18 in everyone’s favorite: the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. BYU returns almost every starter from last season’s offense. The spotlight is on Sophomore gunslinger Zach Wilson, who replaced longtime starter Tanner Mangum last season. A defense that finished last season ranked 33rd in the S&P+ ratings should complement that offense well. The Cougars finish to 2018 laid the groundwork for their return to relevance.
Kalani Sitake’s team will be facing a Utah team that could win their first ever Pac-12 Championship. Dynamic QB Tyler Huntley returns from a collarbone injury. The majority of the receiving core and 1,000 rusher Zack Moss will be back to support him. This Utah team looks even better than the one that emerged as victors of the Pac-12 South last year. The Cougs are at their best in years and have the home crowd at LaVell Edwards Stadium behind them. The underdogs from Provo should give us a compelling game of football before we hit the weekend slate.
Wisconsin at South Florida: 8/30, 7:00 EST, ESPN
The Badgers and Bulls are coming off seasons that were so hopeful, but fell apart as the schedule toughened up. Now they get a chance to hit the restart button in an exciting week one matchup. The Badgers struggled to show up in big matchups last season, getting beat handily by Michigan and Penn State. However, the 35-3 Pinstripe Bowl trouncing of Miami put them in good spirits heading into the offseason.
Quarterback Jack Coan experienced growing pains throughout his time as starter last year. A full offseason preparing as QB1 should do wonders for his confidence. It also helps that All-American running back Jonathan Taylor is back for a junior season that could see him at the Heisman Trophy ceremony. These factors coming together all mean that the Badgers should perform more like how they did in 2017, when they were a game away from cracking the playoff for the first time.
Meanwhile, Charlie Strong had Tampa Bay rocking early in the season as the Bulls jumped out to a perfect 7-0 start while playing less than stellar competition. As the AAC schedule grew tougher, the Bulls collapsed. They lost their last six games culminating in an embarrassing 38-20 bowl loss to the Thundering Herd of Marshall. The fall from grace had people calling for Charlie Strong’s job, but the former Texas head man lives to see another year.
Former Alabama Quarterback Blake Barnett returns to try to solidify himself as the best QB the school has seen since Quenton Flowers, (Remember those random weeknight games where Flowers absolutely dominated? He was so cool). Offensive Coordinator Kerwin Bell has also raved about tight end Mitchell Wilcox, telling reporters that he had to tweak the offense to make sure to use Wilcox effectively. Hearing such praise from a veteran coach such as Bell means that fans of South Florida should have high expectations this coming season.
Wisconsin and South Florida are two schools that play wildly different styles. The Badgers still play old school Big Ten football, relying on a strong rushing game and a stout defense. The Bulls have embraced the run and gun style that lights up the scoreboard, while also putting defense on the back-burner. This contrast of techniques should lead to an interesting 60 minutes of action. Surely this will tide you over before the Saturday afternoon games.
James Madison at West Virginia: 8/31, 2:00 EST, ESPN3
West Virginia may be one of many power conference teams that opens with an FCS opponent, but the Dukes of James Madison are no slouch. Despite a relatively underwhelming 9-4 season in 2018, JMU has cemented itself in recent years as one of the premier programs in Division I’s lower level. They peaked in 2016 when they upset North Dakota State to win the FCS National Championship. Starting Quarterback Bryan Schor left after he graduated. But Ben Denucci, Cole Johnson and Gage Maloney have been locked in an intense three way battle for the starting job throughout the spring and summer. Whoever emerges as QB1 should be battle tested and ready to rock and roll against the Mountaineers.
Another important note for the Dukes is their potential on the defensive side of the ball. Returning starters hold every position except one. The sole newcomer is defensive back Rashad Robinson, who received NFL buzz before an injury ended his 2018 campaign prematurely. James Madison may be entering the season with a new coach and a new quarterback, but many of the pieces are still there for this to be a championship caliber team.
JMU isn’t the only team that has a new face running the program. This offseason saw the departure of longtime West Virginia coach Dana Holgerson, who took a lucrative deal at Houston. Replacing Dana is Neal Brown, formerly the head coach of the Troy Trojans. While he isn’t a flashy selection, Brown’s Troy teams often finished in the upper half of the Sun Belt, and even pulled off a stunning upset of LSU in 2017.
Brown’s tenure in Morgantown will begin with a facelift. Gone is Will Grier, the star quarterback that led the program for the past two seasons, along with his star receiver David Sills IV (the kid who committed to Lane Kiffin’s USC program at just 13 years old). In to replace Grier is Oklahoma transfer Austin Kendall. Kendall left Norman after losing the starting job to future heisman winner Kyler Murray. Kendall is highly regarded as a prospect, but entering an offense with few returning starters will prove difficult. On the defensive side of the ball, the majority of the defense returns. Unfortuanately in a Big 12 conference that is full of potent offensive threats, that doesn’t do much good. It is essential for the Mountaineers to start strong if they want to go bowling.
West Virginia and James Madison are two teams that have something to prove. The Dukes want to break through by finally beating a Power five opponent, while Neal Brown wants the Mountaineers to buy into his coaching style. This will be much easier to do when they’re not losing to FCS teams. This should be a good one in Morgantown. Once the Alabama-Duke game becomes a blowout (which won’t take very long) be sure to boot this game up and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Louisiana Tech at Texas: 8/31,8:00 EST, Longhorn Network
For years we’ve been hearing the now infamous phrase “Texas is back!”. It has grown from a social media meme to a scary thought for the rest of college football. The Longhorns are in a strong position to run the table and crash the college football playoff party. Outspoken head coach Tom Herman has built a strong, well rounded roster entering his 3rd year in Austin. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger returns for his junior season as the unquestioned starter, coming off an MVP performance in a Sugar Bowl beatdown of Georgia. Ehlinger’s strong arm and constant threat to run will keep opposing defenses on their feet. If he elevates his game to the next level, he could generate some heisman buzz.
The area that should concern Longhorn fans is the defense, which has to replace eight starters from the 2018 team. The newcomers may struggle to slow down a Louisiana Tech offense that returns starting quarterback J’mar Smith. Smith threw for over 3,000 yards in his first full campaign and is tied with Terry Bradshaw for the most 300 yard games in school history. The offensive line also returns six players who saw meaningful action last season and they could give the Texas front seven fits for all 60 minutes. Skip Holtz’ Bulldogs teams are often a consistent 8-9 win team, but with the talent that’s returning they are hoping to get to the next level in Ruston.
Louisiana Tech is known for performing well in big games against power five opponents. Last season, they trailed LSU by only three points in the third quarter. The year before they lost to South Carolina by only one. The Bulldogs are trying to break through this season and beating a top-10 Texas team would be an ideal way to kick that off. Tom Herman has the best roster he has ever assembled, but the Longhorns better be prepared for a Tech team that will be gunning for their head.
Fresno State at USC: 8/31,10:30 EST, ESPN
Ahhh the long awaited return of the Pac 12 after dark. Just when you think your day of drinking and watching football is over, you remember god’s greatest gift to football fans: time zones. USC kicks off the late night slate with a home opener against the Bulldogs of Fresno State. This is sure to bring back memories of Reggie Bush’s famous breakout game back in 2004. There may be no seat hotter than the one that Clay Helton is sitting on. The embattled coach of the Trojans is coming off a brutal 5-7 season. The Trojans thought they had the hire of the year when they brought Kliff Kingsbury in to run the offense. but things changed when he decided to bolt for the Cardinals head coaching position.
They made a nice recovery hire though, adding in Mike Leach disciple Graham Harrell. The air raid offense that Harrell brings should be exciting to see in action with second year Sophomore J.T. Daniels under center. He’ll be throwing to one of the most electric receivers in the nation, high school teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown. The fast paced offense should also do well for a team that struggled on the offensive line last year. They shouldn’t allow the 27 sacks that they did in 2018. Daniels should get the ball out quicker to a plethora of good receiving options.
Winning game one won’t be easy for the Trojans. Jeff Tedford is building a group of five powerhouse in the Mountain West. The Bulldogs are coming off a 12-2 season in which they toppled Boise State for the Mountain West throne. Jorge Reyna is ready to take the control under center after a full year of practicing with the team and learning the playbook. Tight end Jared Rice can help shoulder the load now that the top two receiving options are gone. They also return running backs Ronnie Rivers and Jordan Mims, who are versatile on the ground and through the air.
The defense was integral to the team’s success in 2018. They return veteran starters both on the defensive line and in the secondary. Jasad Haynes and Kevin Atkins should be one of the more intimidating tackle tandems in the nation. This will cause fits for suspect offensive lines such as USC. The defensive backs likely can’t replicate the 19 interceptions they snagged last year, but the talent should allow them to stay successful. To put it simply, Jeff Tedford is building Fresno State similarly to how he constructed his rosters at Cal. This should be a scary thought for the rest of the college football world.
Fresno State is one of the few group of five teams that can consistently contend with power five schools. Clay Helton’s seat is burning and the Saturday night showdown at the Coliseum is a must win if he wants to keep his job. While on the surface this may not seem like a marquee matchup, the implications for the football program at Southern California are enormous. This makes for one of the most important matchups to watch before week one closes the curtains.
Special Shoutout: Villanova at Colgate: 8/24, 12:00 EST
Did you know that my Villanova Wildcats play the first college football game in the country? It’s true! The mighty Wildcats are well known for their basketball prowess, however, the boys from Philly have a rock solid FCS football team as well. After a 5-6 season that was marred by injuries left and right, Mark Ferrante’s team returns twenty starters! They are sure to give the team a great veteran presence on both sides of the ball. The quarterback position has been a heated battle in camp between sophomore Q’adir Ismael and Campbell transfer Daniel Smith. The winner of that battle is sure to be improved after a summer of strong competition.
Their opening matchup is against a Colgate team that is coming off a historic 10-2 season highlighted by a victory over perennial powerhouse James Madison. Despite this, the Raiders lose 25 seniors, which includes 10 players who made the All-Patriot league team. Look out Raiders! The boys in blue are looking to start their 2020 FCS championship run in style!
