ShareThisCapsule previews for this week's top college football games. All times Eastern and all rankings Associated Press.THURSDAY:No. 21 WEST VIRGINIA (1-1) at COLORADO (2-0), 8:30 p.m., ESPN.FAVORITE: West Virginia by 3.COACHES: Bill Stewart (2-1 in first full year at West Virginia) and Dan Hawkins (10-17 in third year at Colorado).LAST GAME: West Virginia lost at East Carolina, 24-3, on Sept. 6. Colorado beat Eastern Washington, 31-24, on Sept. 6.SERIES HISTORY: First meeting.STAT THAT MATTERS: In first two games, Mountaineers averaged 164 yards rushing, down 137 yards a game from last year.GAME FACTS: Coming off worst loss since 2003, Mountaineers may be at crossroads under rookie coach Stewart. Offense utterly floundered (only 12 first downs, 251 total yards, 3 fumbles, 3-of-12 on 3rd-down conversions) in debacle at East Carolina as QB Pat White (11-of-18, 72 yards passing, 97 yards rushing) hardly looked like preseason Heisman candidate. Defense (509 yards passing given up in two games) could use return of senior LB Mortty Ivy (offseason surgery on both shoulders). Buffaloes narrowly averted embarrassing loss to I-AA Eastern Wash. after trailing 21-7 at half and 24-17 in final quarter before CB Cha'Pelle Brown's 27-yard int. return for TD with 1:51 left provided winning margin. Dan's son, QB Cody Hawkins (28-of-38, 261 passing, 3 TDs, int.) played well but other mistakes included 10 penalties, 2 turnovers, sputtering ground game (90 yards on 33 carries). So far, WR-KR Josh Smith has been dangerous both ways (314 total yards on 10 returns, 93-yard TD on kickoff return, 2 fumbles). After Colorado State and Eastern Wash., defense (11th in nation vs. run, 54 ypg) faces huge step up in terms of talent faced.FRIDAY:BAYLOR (2-1) at CONNECTICUT (3-0), 8, ESPN2.FAVORITE: Connecticut by 14.COACHES: Art Briles (first year at Baylor) and Randy Edsall (49-48 in 10th year at UConn).LAST WEEK: Baylor beat Washington State, 45-17. UConn beat Virginia, 45-10..SERIES HISTORY: First meeting.STAT THAT MATTERS: Bears have lost 9 of last 11 on road and haven't beaten BCS school way from Waco since 1996 (0-6).GAME FACTS: After 41-10 blowout loss to Wake Forest in opener, Bears have rebounded nicely, including last week's romp, BU's largest win over non-conference BCS team since 1996. Freshman QB Robert Griffin ran for school-record 217 yards and also threw TD pass as Briles' fancy, no-huddle attack piled up 555 yards. Coupled with 51-6 rout of Northwestern State Sept. 6, it was first time Bears have scored 40 points in consecutive games since 1996. Unfortunately, they're running into a real defense in Huskies (only 1 TD given up, 9 sacks, 15th in nation in total defense, 223 ypg) led by DE Cody Brown (leads Big East with 3 sacks), LB Lawrence Wilson (2 ints.). Unit clamped down on Virginia last week yielding only 219 total yards (31 rushing). With QB Tyler Lorenzen (37-of-62, 394 passing, TD, 4 ints.) ordinary at best, basic offense boils down to lots of RB Donald Brown (second in nation with 588 rushing, second with 8 TDs). With program only in its 9th season at Division I-A, this is first time UConn has faced a Big 12 team.(E-mail John Lindsay at lindsayj(at)shns.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
Colorado, West Va. and Baylor, Connecticut capsules
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