ShareThisCapsule previews for Thursday and Friday's top college games. All times Eastern and all rankings Associated Press.
THURSDAY:
No. 3 LSU (2-0) at MISSISSIPPI STATE (1-1), 8, ESPN.
Favorite: LSU by 3-1/2.
Coaches: Les Miles (64-17 in 7th year at LSU) and Dan Mullen (15-12 in third year at Miss. State).
Last Week: LSU beat Northwestern State, 49-3. Mississippi State lost at Auburn, 42-35.
Series History: LSU leads, 68-33-3.
Last Meeting: LSU won, 29-7, last year.
Stat That Matters: Tigers have beaten Bulldogs 11 straight years by average score of 39-13.
Game Facts: After senior backup QB Jarrett Lee stepped up for suspended starter Jordan Jefferson in big season-opening win over Oregon, Miles stayed with Lee (9-of-10, 133 yards passing, TD pass last week) last using third-stringer Zach Mettenberger (8-of-11, 92 yards, TD pass) in second half of blowout. Lee's streak of 105 passes without int. is refreshing change from erratic Jefferson. RBs Michael Ford, Spencer Ware have combined for 287 yards, 7 TD runs. Defense (leads SEC vs. run, only 91 yards given up) remains formidable. And now if Bulldogs want to end frustrating LSU streak, they may have to do it without two starting senior linemen in C Quentin Salusberry (sprained knee), T James Carmon (leg). That's as heartbreaking as Auburn loss that saw MSU pile up 531 total yards, 31 first downs but fall when QB Chris Relf was stopped inches short of goal line on game's final play. Senior RB Vick Ballard is off to excellent start leading SEC in rushing with 301 yards (third in nation), 4 TD runs. He didn't find much room last year in Baton Rouge finishing with just 28 yards on 11 carries while Relf was woeful 5-of-8 for 35 yards with 2 ints. Junior CB Jonathan Banks returned his first career int. 27 yards for TD last week.
FRIDAY:
No. 4 BOISE STATE (1-0) at TOLEDO (1-1), 8, ESPN.
Favorite: Boise State by 20.
Coaches: Chris Petersen (63-5 in sixth year at Boise State) and Tim Beckman (14-13 in third year at Toledo).
Last Week: Boise State was off. Toledo lost at Ohio State, 27-22.
Series History: Boise State leads, 1-0.
Last Meeting: Boise State won, 57-14, last year.
Stat That Matters: Since 2008, Broncos are 20-2 in games away from Boise including 12 wins by 17 points or more.
Game Facts: Broncos romped on their beloved blue turf last year, out-gaining Rockets 500 yards to 287. In his last 28 games, QB Kellen Moore has 77 TD passes vs. 8 ints. including super-efficient 16-of-22, 267-yard, 3-TD performance vs. Toledo last year. Senior Heisman-candidate had similar numbers (28-of-34, 261 passing, 3 TDs, int.) in 35-21 season-opening win over Georgia Sept. 3. DE Shea McClellin had two of BSU's six sacks that night. Behind junior WR Eric Page wondrous 12-catch, 145-yard, 2-TD effort, Rockets threw quite a scare into Ohio State. In the end, 14 penalties, awful special teams (2 missed FGs, allowed punt return for TD) were too much to overcome. Five turnovers doomed Rockets last year in Boise while QB Austin Dantin (14-of-26, 155 passing, TD last week) suffered concussion and was sacked four times. S Cedric Febis, WR Geraldo Boldewijn have been held out of first two games by NCAA and their status is unclear. Rockets haven't beaten ranked team since 2003 (0-4) while Broncos have won 32 straight over non-ranked foes since 41-38 loss to East Carolina in 2007 Hawaii Bowl.
IOWA STATE (2-0) at CONNECTICUT (1-1), 8, ESPN2.
Favorite: UConn by 5.
Coaches: Paul Rhoads (14-13 in third year at Iowa State) and Paul Pasqualoni (first year at UConn).
Last Week: Iowa State beat Iowa, 44-41, in triple overtime. UConn lost at Vanderbilt, 24-21.
Series History: UConn leads, 1-0.
Last Meeting: UConn won, 37-20, in 2002.
Stat That Matters: Since November, 2009, Huskies have won nine straight home games while holding opponents to 18.2 points per game.
Game Facts: Tough emotional turnaround for Cyclones after rousing win last week on RB James White's 4-yard TD run in third OT. Of course, after squeaking past Northern Iowa, 20-19, on TD in final minute and last week, questions surround ISU's first 2-0 start since 2008. QB Steele Jantz was superb vs. Iowa (25-of-37, 279 passing, 4 TDs, 42 yards rushing) but has never started game on road. Despite LB Jake Knott's 22 tackles (leads Big 12), defense has given up 362 yards rushing in first two games (89th in nation vs. run). Huskies sputtered through agonizing offensive performance last week finishing with just 193 total yards, 14 first downs. Pretty much nobody did anything other than RB Lyle McCombs' 118 yards on 27 carries. TDs came on blocked punt, LB Yawin Smallwood's 64-yard fumble return. A respectable 73-42-1 at Syracuse from 1991-2004, Pasqualoni spent last six years as NFL assistant but did inherit 18 starters from last year's Fiesta Bowl team that Randy Edsall ditched to go to Maryland.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
