What We Are Watching In College Football: September 19, 2020 Weekend

Each week we will provide a preview of the upcoming college football weekend. This weekend the season continues it’s slow and steady takeoff. There are a few story lines to keep an eye on so without further ado here is what we are focused on this weekend.

The Games We Will Focus On

Tulsa at Oklahoma State (Sat 12:00 PM, ESPN)

The truth is the noon slate does not have a lot of games to choose from and we haven’t gotten to see Oklahoma State take the field yet this year. The Cowboys have a strong group of players returning and have added some talent in the transfer market. Oklahoma State won by 19 at Tulsa last season and we expect them to win comfortably on Saturday, but this was a strange off season and anything can happen.

The Cowboys comes into the season with sky high expectations. They return the #1 RB in the country in Chuba Hubbard and their top three receivers from a year ago, including Tylan Wallace (#5 WR). QB Spencer Sanders was an exciting playmaker as a freshman throwing for over 2,000 yards and running for over 600 yards but was also turnover prone (11 interceptions and 5 fumbles lost in 2019). If Sanders can take better care of the football he has a lot of talented weapons at his disposal. In addition to the returning skill players, Oklahoma State added a star transfer on the offensive line in guard Josh Sills from West Virginia. The offensive line has three players starting who have 10 combined starts in their career, but Sills and left tackle Teven Jackson will provide leadership with 52 career starts between the two of them.

The off-season had some turnover including the loss of offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson, but when has Mike Gundy not had a good offense in Stillwater? Could there be some early season hiccups? Sure, but there is too much skill on this offense to not be explosive. On the other side of the ball, Oklahoma State has a good amount of talent returning as well. Kolby Harvell-Peel and Tre Sterling are two of the best safeties in the country, Amen Ogbongbemiga is the #12 LB in our rankings, and defensive end Trace Ford, who we picked to be Oklahoma State’s second year player to breakthrough. Overall, the defense returns 12 of the top 13 tacklers from a year ago. There is talent and experience on the defensive side of the ball, so the defense should be a strength in 2020.

Tulsa brings back a good amount of talent on offense, returning their top quarterback, running back and receiver but the offensive line does not have as much experience returning as you would like to see. Still, there is experience and production in the offensive huddle. The defense is another story, Tulsa lost a lot of talent on that side of the ball and will struggle to contain the high powered Oklahoma State attack. If Tulsa is going to stay close in this game they will need to have a good game offensively and put a big number on the board.

The Cowboys are looking to contend for a Big 12 title, if the offensive line is ready to step up and Sanders can cut down on the turnovers, we think they could be a top contender. Tulsa isn’t the biggest in state game on Oklahoma State’s schedule, but it is the first one and we are excited to see what kind of first impression the Cowboys will make on Saturday.

South Florida at Notre Dame (Sat 2:30 PM, USA)

Neither team was all that impressive in their opening win, but they both won and will square off as unbeaten teams this weekend. Notre Dame will look to continue to build on the win over Duke as they aim to win their first conference championship in 2020. South Florida struggled on offense but the defense was strong against The Citadel, of course that could have been more about The Citadel offense than the South Florida defense.

The Fighting Irish are led by senior quarterback Ian Book (#12 QB). Book was solid but unspectacular in the season opener, averaging a respectable 8.5 yards per attempt with one touchdown and one interception. Running back Kyren Williams was the star in the opener with over 200 yards from scrimmage and big plays in the running game and the passing game. Williams and Book both benefit from a strong offensive line, Notre Dame is the only team with every offensive line starter currently ranked in our Top 25 for OT and OG/C. The group was solid in the opener against Duke but could and should play better as the season progresses. The Irish really need a WR to step up and become a go-to option, in the opener no one other than Williams had over 40 yards receiving for the game, the offense will need more consistency from the receivers going forward.

The defense was strong for Notre Dame in the opener and limited Duke to 334 yards and 13 points. The defense is led by super linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who we ranked the fifth best linebacker in college football this offseason, and sophomore Kyle Hamilton, who we ranked the sixth best safety in college football. Both players were fantastic in the opener; Owusu-Koramoah had 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble forced, while Hamilton had 7 tackles and a pass breakup. Unfortunately, Hamilton left the game with a leg injury and will be in a walking boot until at least Wednesday, if he cannot play this will be a big blow to the Notre Dame defense.

South Florida won against The Citadel and the pass defense was spectacular but there was a lot for the Bulls to work on. The good: the pass defense was excellent, allowing only 84 yards on 18 pass attempts. In fact The Citadel was only able to complete 4 passes in the game. The run defense was not as good and allowed 200 rushing yards for the game, that’s not terrible overall but considering the opponent it’s a cause for concern going into this week’s game. Offensively, South Florida was able to run the ball but struggled in the passing game and scored only three touchdowns for the game. Again, considering the opponent, this does not bode well going forward.

Notre Dame should win this game, but the Irish have high ambitions this year. If they want to challenge Clemson for the ACC championship they need to continue to build on their performance in the opener and get better each week. Notre Dame needs more playmakers to emerge on both side of the ball, and we will be watching to see who can step up for the Irish going forward.

UCF at Georgia Tech (Sat 3:30 PM, ABC)

Georgia Tech is coming off a big win over Florida State in their season opener and will look to continue the positive momentum against another Florida school this weekend. Unlike Florida State, UCF is not a rebuilding team and is in fact one of the best teams in the country year in and year out. The Yellow Jackets would love to get another big win, while UCF has championship aspirations of their own and want to start on the right foot.

Georgia Tech started true freshman quarterback Jeff Sims last week, and though he threw two interceptions, he showed poise and toughness in the win. He averaged 7.9 yards per pass attempt while passing for 277 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 64 yards on 13 carries, leading the team in rushing yards. Sims development will be critical to the progress Georgia Tech makes this season. Sims completed passes to 10 different receivers and kept the offense moving throughout the game. The running backs will need to get back on track, and we would love to see true freshman Jahmyr Gibbs take the field this week after being held out of the season opener.

The Georgia Tech defense performed at a high level in the opener and we sang their praises in our weekly recap. Sophomore DE Curtis Ryans was excellent on the defensive line and senior linebacker David Curry led a linebacker group that made several big plays in the game. The secondary was stout in slowing down the Florida State passing game, breaking up seven passes for the game. While, Mike Norvell is still installing his offensive system at Florida State this will be a much bigger test against an established and explosive offense from UCF.

Dillon Gabriel led the UCF offense in 2019 and should continue as the starting quarterback in 2020. He led a big play offense, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt while throwing 29 touchdowns against only 7 interceptions last season. The Golden Knights have plenty of firepower back on offense and have the talent at the skill positions to test the Georgia Tech defense. One of the key points of emphasis in this game will be whether star offensive lineman Parker Boudreaux and the UCF offensive line can keep Gabriel’s jersey clean throughout the game. UCF had the fifth ranked scoring offense in the country last season and will look to start 2020 with another big offensive performance.

On defense, UCF returns a lot of the unit that ranked 41st in scoring defense and 32nd in total defense a year ago. That number is a bit skewed because of the tempo UCF plays with. The Golden Knights defense actually ranked fifth in the country in yards per play allowed. That’s quite an improvement from the 32nd in yards per game. The secondary will feature a productive group of seniors that will lead the defense. Georgia Tech gained yardage against Florida State but made too many mistakes, they will test the UCF defense with their balanced attack in this game.

Georgia Tech and Geoff Collins showed the program is trending in the right direction and may have found the quarterback to lead them forward, but UCF will be a new challenge. The Golden Knights have been one of the best teams in college football recently and will be a measuring stick game for Georgia Tech. Season openers have been tricky this year, as the off-season was one of the strangest ever, UCF will have to show they are ready to play against the improving Yellow Jackets.

Miami at Louisville (Sat 7:30 PM ABC)

This game has the potential to be the most exciting of the day. Two dynamic quarterbacks will square off in a prime time matchup of ACC foes. These teams played each other in Miami last year and it was a 52 – 27 blowout victory for the Hurricanes. That was the most points Miami scored against an FBS school last year and a game Louisville will definitely be looking to avenge Saturday night.

The Hurricanes got their season started Thursday night, and though things were bumpy at times, D’Eriq King made explosive plays and the Miami running game dominated against UAB. The passing game needs to find a rhythm and there were too many times King had to improvise to escape the pass rush, but a dominant running game and a playmaking quarterback is a recipe for success. Miami had 337 rushing yards on the game and King was only responsible for 83 of those. Last year, Miami ran for 197 yards against Louisville which was their high water mark against FBS opponents. Louisville needs to slow the Miami running game down, or it will be a long night for the Cardinals.

Unfortunately the Miami game was not an anomaly for the Louisville defense in 2019. The Cardinals gave up 35 points or more in 7 of their 13 games last season, allowing 205.8 rushing yards per game and 5.4 yards per carry on the season. The defense was a sore spot before the 2019 season and Scott Satterfield and his staff were trying to manage a lot of change and correct a lot of the mistakes of the previous coaching staff. This year there will be continuity, 8 of 11 starters return for Louisville. This will be the second season under defensive coordinator Bryan Brown, and believe it or not the 2019 defense improved in his first year by over 10 points per game from 2018. Cardinals fans are hoping that trend continues with the returning experience and the familiarity with the scheme. They did hold Western Kentucky to 21 points last week, but this will be the first true test of 2020.

The Louisville offense on the other hand is expected to be the strength of the team. They scored 35 points in their opener against Western Kentucky, which is just 2 points better than their 2019 average. The Cardinals attack is led by junior quarterback Micale Cunningham (#20 QB) who averaged 10.1 yards per pass attempt in the season opener and threw three touchdowns against only one interception. He also added 24 yards rushing and is a dual threat quarterback who can run for yardage and buy time for his receivers to get open. He is joined in the backfield by running back Javian Hawkins (#7 RB) who is a big play threat at any time. Hawkins was held to 71 yards on 19 carries last weekend, but that just means he’s due for a big game. Cunningham has a good group or receivers led by big play machine Tutu Atwell (#10 WR) but also features Dez Fitzpatrick and Braden Smith who both had over 100 yards in the opener. The offensive line is the biggest question mark for the offense, and Miami’s aggressive defense will test that group on Saturday night.

Head coach Manny Diaz emphasizes getting penetration in the backfield, and that’s what Miami’s defense has been doing since he got there. The Hurricanes picked up eight tackles for loss in the season opener against UAB, which is just PAR for the course for the Hurricanes who averaged 8.3 tackles for loss per game in 2019. Miami likes to get the offense off schedule and force them into difficult third down situations. The plan worked last weekend as Miami held UAB to 3 of 15 third down conversions. Louisville will attempt to get the ball to their playmakers in space behind the Miami penetration and force defenders to tackle one on one at the second level. The chess match Saturday night will be a fun one to watch.

Manny Diaz needs a big year after a disappointing 6 – 7 season in 2019, yet Scott Satterfield is riding the momentum of Louisville’s 8 – 5 finish last year. Both teams had similar records a year ago, but it’s never where you are that matters, it’s where you are going. Miami hopes they are bouncing back up towards the ACC title game appearance they had in 2017, while Louisville looks to continue to climb the ranks under Satterfield’s guidance.

In-Game Match-ups To Watch

QB Grant Wells #8 (Marshall) vs CB Shaun Jolly and the Appalachian State secondary

Marshall QB Grant Wells had an impressive debut this season and was one of our stars of the opening weekend. He had a big game and made some beautiful throws but we said then the competition would get tougher for the redshirt freshman and that will certainly happen this weekend. Appalachian State’s secondary is led by one of the best cornerbacks in the country, Shaun Jolly. The entire secondary was fantastic in the opener for the Mountaineers and had a best in the nation, nine passes defended, including two interceptions, against Charlotte. Wells only had seven incomplete passes in his first start and threw four touchdowns. It’s early in Wells’ career and if he struggles that doesn’t mean he won’t be a good quarterback, but if he is successful against a good pass defense, the hype train will be ready to get on the tracks.

Micale Cunningham #3 (Louisville) vs DE Quincy Roche #2 and DE Jaelen Phillips #15 (Miami)

Cunningham orchestrates the Louisville offense and is a threat to beat a team with his arm and his legs. It’s important to get pressure on him, but also to contain him in the pocket and not let him get loose as a runner. As we mentioned above, Miami likes to get in the backfield and disrupt the offense, but they will have to be sure to get Cunningham down or keep him contained. Quincy Roche (#4 DE) and Jaelan Phillips will be responsible for pressuring Cunningham and keeping him contained in the pocket. If Roche and Phillips are able to be disruptive in the backfield while not allowing Cunningham to get loose as a runner the rest of the Miami defense will have an easier time covering the Louisville skill players. If Cunningham is able to make plays and buy time with his legs, the Miami secondary could be in for a long night.

DE Chris Rumph #96 (Duke) vs OT Tyler Vrabel #78 (Boston College)

Tyler Vrabel is an up and coming tackle (#24 OT) for Boston College and the sophomore will start on the right side. He had a good season as a redshirt freshman last year and is expected to become a star on the offensive line for the Eagles. Chris Rumph (#16 DE) opened the season against a quality Notre Dame offensive line and was largely held in check. He did make five tackles for the game, but only had one QB hurry, and did not make any tackles for loss or sacks. Rumph will be looking to bounce back with a strong performance against Boston College. When Rumph and Vrabel are lined up across from one another it will be fun to watch who wins those battles in the trenches. The best time to evaluate players is when they go against other high level players, both these players should be tested Saturday.

Final Thoughts

The weekend lost some luster as some big games were postponed. BYU and Army were scheduled to play this weekend in a matchup of unbeaten teams who have been impressive thus far. Houston and Memphis were supposed to provide some Friday night fireworks and Virginia and Virginia Tech would have been a fun rivalry game to watch. 2020 is just that kind of year, and we are all adjusting on the fly. Hopefully things settle down and the postponements are minimal going forward. We will be back after the games have ended to recap the weekend that was.

For a full list of the games on TV this weekend click here.

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