ShareThisCapsule previews of Thursday and Friday's season-opening college football games. All times Eastern and all rankings Associated Press.
SOUTHERN MISS (0-0) at SOUTH CAROLINA (0-0), 7:30, ESPN.
Favorite: South Carolina by 14 .
Coaches: Larry Fedora (14-12 in third year at Southern Miss) and Steve Spurrier (35-28 in sixth year at South Carolina).
Last Year: Both schools went 7-6.
Series History: First meeting.
Stat That Matters: Gamecocks have won 10 straight season-openers while Spurrier also has a 24-1 career mark as a head coach in opening games.
Game Facts: With no wins over ranked teams and only one bowl win the last four years, Golden Eagles could really use upset to spring Fedora regime toward bigger things. It's possible considering emerging star junior QB Austin Davis (10 TD passes, 2 TD runs, 2 ints. in 156 passes before breaking foot in October) can look for NFL-bound junior WR DeAndre Brown (47 catches, 9 TDs) down field. Defense that faltered down stretch last year (171 points given up in 2-3 finish) does return 8 starters. As is typical of Spurrier era in Columbia, 'Cocks again crumbled after 5-1 start culminated by ugly 20-7 loss to Connecticut in Papajohns.com Bowl, where junior QB Stephen Garcia pretty much floundered (16-of-38, 129 yards passing, int.). So Spurrier, who will return to calling plays this season and says he has faith in Garcia, will give freshman Connor Shaw some snaps in the first half. Better protection (last in SEC, 105th in nation with 37 sacks allowed) is needed for either one. Hyped freshman RB Marcus Lattimore could give running game a boost. Senior TE Weslye Saunders, part of an NCAA inquiry into who paid for his spring trip to a party in Miami, has now been suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to team.
No. 15 PITT (0-0) at UTAH (0-0), 7:30, Versus.
Favorite: Utah by 3.
Coaches: Dave Wannstedt (35-26 in 6th year at Pitt) and Kyle Whittingham (47-17 in 6th year at Utah).
Last year: Both schools went 10-3.
Series History: Utah leads, 1-0.
Last Meeting: Utah won, 35-7, in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl.
Stat That Matters: Utes' 23 wins over last two seasons is tied for fifth most in nation behind Florida, Alabama and Boise State (26) and Texas (25).
Game Facts: Panthers would love to get back into national picture, soothe anger over bitter losses to West Va., Cincinnati to close last season that cost Pitt its first Big East title. At 5-8, 195 lbs., sophomore Dion Lewis (led Big East, third in nation with 1,799 yards rushing, 17 TD runs) is the best little RB in nation. But with defenses geared to stopping Lewis, untested sophomore QB Tino Sunseri (10-of-17, 114 passing, 2 TDs last year) must hit some throws. Defense (led nation with 47 sacks last year) will try to turn up heat on talented Utes sophomore QB Jordan Wynn (1,329 passing, 8 TDs, 4 ints.) who sparked offense down stretch last season and sparkled (26-of-36, 338 passing, 3 TDs, int.) in 37-27 Poinsettia Bowl win over Cal. RB Eddie Wide (1,101 rushing, 12 TDs) set school-record with six straight 100-yard games. With only CB Brandon Burton returning among back seven, defense is really a question mark. Utes are only 3-2 in openers under Whittingham but that includes win at Michigan as well as 1-2 mark vs. Arizona, Oregon State and UCLA, Utah's future Pac-10 mates starting next year.
No. 14 USC (0-0) at HAWAII (0-0), 11, ESPN.
Favorite: USC by 19.
Coaches: Lane Kiffin (first year at USC) and Greg McMackin (13-14 in third year at Hawaii).
Last Year: USC was 9-4. Hawaii was 6-7.
Series History: USC leads, 6-0.
Last Meeting: USC won, 63-17, in 2005.
Stat That Matters: In six wins over Warriors, Trojans have outscored UH by combined 297-67.
Game Facts: On two years NCAA probation for violations under former coach Pete Carroll, Trojans start over again under Kiffin, who irritated plenty of folks in going 7-6 at Tennessee last year, then jilting Vols for return to USC, where he was offensive coordinator under Carroll. He inherits only 11 starters from team that collapsed late last year en route to worst record since Trojans went 6-6 in 2001. How good is sophomore QB Matt Barkley (8 TD passes, 9 ints., 9 sacks in USC's 3-3 finish), who must be much more of a leader? Defense had real problems stopping the run (gave up 185 ypg over last six games). That shouldn't matter vs. Warriors, who chuck it from the opening whistle (third in nation in passing, 337 ypg, 109th in rushing, 100,5 ypg). Promise of UH's 2-0 start last year faded as three QBs got hurt throwing behind porous line (35 sacks allowed, 102nd in nation). Junior QB Bryant Moniz has strong arm and excellent target in senior WR Greg Salas (6th in nation with 106 catches, fourth with 1,485 yards receiving). Defense (93rd in nation in total defense, 404.5 ypg) gives up way too many big plays while offense too often coughs up the ball (33 turnovers, second most in nation last year).
FRIDAY:
ARIZONA (0-0) at TOLEDO (0-0), 8, ESPN.
Favorite: Arizona by 14.
Coaches: Mike Stoops (33-39 in 7th year at Arizona) and Tim Beckman (5-7 in second year at Toledo).
Last year: Arizona went 8-5. Toledo went 5-7.
Series History: Arizona leads, 2-0.
Last Meeting: Arizona won, 41-16, in 2008.
Stat That Matters: Wildcats are unbeaten (5-0) vs. MAC teams.
Game Facts: After rousing road wins over Arizona State, USC to end last year (first time UA had beaten both in season since 1993), Wildcats laid egg in awful 33-0 Holiday Bowl drubbing vs. Nebraska finishing with just 6 first downs, 109 total yards. QB Nick Foles (2,486 passing, 19 TDs, 9 ints. in'09) and offense are usually better than that. WR Juron Carter had 9 TDs among 45 catches last year. DE Ricky Elmore's 10-1/2 sacks were second in Pac-10 while CB Trevin Wade (5 ints.) is lock-down cover guy. With wins over Kansas, Iowa State and Colorado, Rockets have beaten a BCS team at Glass Bowl in three of last four seasons and are 5-1 at home vs. BCS schools since 2001. 13 starters return from team that fell from MAC title contention with 1-4 finish last year. Sophomore QB Austin Dantin (79-of-119, 962 passing, 4 TDs, 4 ints. in limited action) hopes to capitalize on valuable experience gained last year. Sophomore WR Eric Page set school freshman-record with 82 catches, 1,159 yards (most by freshman in nation). Rockets must cut down on last year's 31 turnovers (most in MAC).
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
