Conference USA Week Four Preview

Week four of the college football season gets underway tonight with Cincinnati and Memphis getting a seat on the big stage. Conference USA action kicks into gear with 11 games scheduled for Saturday.

• Southern Mississippi at Nebraska: The Golden Eagles were on fire offensively in week three, but face a much tougher defense from Nebraska. I would expect this game to stay close for an uncomfortable amount of time before the Cornhuskers finally pull away in the second half. As long as Southern Miss gets out this game healthy and having played well, then life is good.
• Florida International at Louisiana Tech: At this point in the season, I still cannot figure out the Panthers. Are they good, are they bad, are they in the middle? This game against Louisiana Tech should show us quite a bit about FIU. The Bulldogs need to take care of business in this game after losing their conference opener to WKU. They cannot afford to start 0-2 in conference play.
• Rice at Baylor: I would think Rice can keep this game closer than the experts predict, but it seems like the Owls cannot get out of their own way at times. Baylor will score lots and lots of points. The only question becomes, how many points can Rice put up? Not enough is the correct answer as Baylor wins by four touchdowns.
• North Texas at Iowa: Iowa is 3-0. Are they any good? Does it really matter in this game versus North Texas. The Mean Green only have one true game breaker in wide receiver Carlos Harris. Iowa does not think one player can beat them, so they won’t mind Harris getting his stats. The Mean Green need to step up on defense to have a shot at the upset. It will not happen.
• Appalachian State at Old Dominion: Marcus Cox versus Ray Lawry. Two of the best running backs in G5 football square off in this game. Expect both running backs to have monster games in this G5-G5 matchup, with Appalachian State having the advantage due to Taylor Lamb. The sophomore quarterback just finds ways to produce, whether with his arm or his legs. This game will go well into the second half before the Mountaineers find a way to pull past the Monarchs.
• Marshall at Kent State: The Thundering Herd are not quite as talented as least season, but do have one of the best running backs in the nation in Devon Johnson. The defense is playing well, but lost starting safety AJ Leggett for the season after the junior left the program. Kent State is an interesting team due to the fact that they are one of the best G5 defenses, but one of the worst G5 offenses. I honestly do not think they can score enough to be competitive versus Marshall, but they should give that Thundering Herd offense fits.
• Miami OH at Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers are angry after blowing a chance to beat a second P5 team versus Indiana. WKU is again one of the best offensive teams in the nation, but are among the worst on defense. Virtually the exact opposite of Kent State. Miami looked the best they have all season in a 37-33 loss to Cincinnati. Is Miami the team that nearly upset Cincinnati, or the team that struggled to put away Presbyterian?
• MTSU at Illinois: This game is being broadcast on the radio in CHINESE. Am I the only one excited about that? MTSU has the weapons to pull off this upset, but Illinois really wants to put forth a better effort than in the previous game versus North Carolina. I expect MTSU to give the Illini everything they can handle, but not quite have the final gear to get the upset win.
• Florida Atlantic at Charlotte: On paper, this should be an easy win for the Owls. Games are not played on paper. The key for FAU in this game is to not turn the ball over so much, and if they do, they cannot give up defensive touchdowns. They should have beaten Buffalo, but three defensive touchdowns by the Bulls changed the game completely. Charlotte got their welcome to FBS football moment in week three. MTSU put up 42 first quarter points in route to scoring 73. Will Charlotte roll over now that they have taken a beating, or will they dig deep and get a conference win?
• Colorado State at UTSA: The scariest words in week four of the season for UTSA are “A healthy Rashard Higgins.” Higgins has struggled through an ankle injury this season, but looks like he is finally healthy as evidenced by 125 yards receiving versus Colorado. If he was healthy from the beginning, the Rams are most likely 3-0, rather than 1-2. UTSA is coming off of the worst loss in school history and just need to stay in games longer. Right now, it is just baby steps for a very inexperienced team. UTSA should give the Rams a push, but Colorado State is just too good overall to lose this game.
• Incarnate Word at UTEP: UTEP will win this game. I cannot even find the energy to talk about this game.

Three things to look out for:

1. Louisiana Tech: The Bulldogs are the overwhelming favorites to win the West, but if they lose to FIU, they are 0-2 in conference play. They cannot afford be at 0-2 with all of the west division still on the schedule.
2. MTSU’s Upset Bid: The Blue Raiders have a chance to get a nice win over a P5 team this week. A trip to Illinois will not be easy, but it is possible. This is a game to watch this week.
3. Ray Lawry: The sophomore is in the top ten nationally running the football. He had a very tough game versus NC State last week, but should be able to get back in his groove versus App. State. Can he break the 200 yard barrier for the third time this season?

Bye Weeks:

• None