Epic battles await: College football’s week three headliners

All Betting Odds Are From DraftKings

Last Matchup: Arizona won 31-0(1978) All-Time Series: Arizona leads 5-1-1 Location: Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas

Week three starts with a great top-25 matchup as No. 20 Arizona travels to Manhattan to take on new Big 12 rival Kansas State. Last week, the visiting Wildcats struggled mightily against tiny Northern Arizona. It got to a point where the Lumberjacks led 10-6 at halftime. Arizona needed a second-half shutout from the defense to get the 22-10 win.

The problem with Arizona was their offense. They did accumulate 361 yards of total offense. However, the unit went 0-for-10 on third-down efficiency. Noah Fifita threw an interception and got sacked three times.

Along with the great defensive performance, Arizona also got help from their special teams unit. Punter Jordan Forbes pinned three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line. Kicker Tyler Loop hit two of three field goals.

Meanwhile, the hosting K-State Wildcats picked up a key road win against the sneaky good Tulane Green Wave. The now 14th-ranked Wildcats won 34-27. The win was sealed with a 60-yard fumble return by Jack Fabris in the fourth quarter. Even though the Kansas State defense gave up nearly 500 yards to Tulane, they did get a pick to go along with the fumble and sacked Darian Mensah five times.

Offensively, Kansas State was able to do some damage of their own. They cranked up nearly 400 yards of their own and the ground game racked up 215 of those yards. Quarterback Avery Johnson threw for 181 yards and two touchdowns, completing 15 of 23 passes.

It was running back D.J. Giddens who led the team in receptions with four. He had 63 receiving yards and a touchdown, to go along with his 114 yards on 19 carries.

Keys To The Game

Can the passing game do a little bit more? While superstar wideout Tetairoa McMillan had a monster season-opening performance against New Mexico two weeks ago, he was nowhere to be found against Northern Arizona. He only caught two balls for 11 yards last week. No other receiver has 100 yards yet. The only other receiver who has recorded a touchdown so far is Jeremiah Patterson, who caught it last week.

Quarterback Noah Fifita hasn't been superb to start the 2024 season. Yes, he had that pitch-and-catch session with McMillan two weeks ago. However, the promising sophomore has thrown a pick against defenses that appeared overmatched on paper. It's no secret Arizona needs to get more production through the air. The defense can win games themselves. Just throw the ball more competently.

Can the offense convert on third-down situations? K-State has some offensive issues of its own, particularly in this area. Despite their 2-0 start, this has been a major issue that has raised concern. Last week, KSU went 2-of-10 on third-down efficiency against Tulane. That's not doing it for you? How about the week before against the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks of the FCS? In their season-opening game, Kansas State went 4-of-10 on third-down efficiency.

So, in two games, the Kansas State offense has converted on just 30% of their third-down situations. Was that enough to beat UT-Martin and Tulane? It was for sure. Is it going to be enough against their first power conference opponent of the year? It won't be. So, this needs to get sharpened up for this game and they will surely be facing these situations against that great Arizona defense. Also, the penalties need to be cleaned up.

Last Matchup: Miami-Ohio won 31-24 All-Time Series: Series Tied 60-60-7 Location: Fred C. Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio

To start the Saturday slate, we have a renewal of one of the oldest rivalries in college football as Cincinnati takes a short trip to Oxford in a match with Miami-Ohio. For the first time since 2006, Miami is entering this rivalry game with the Victory Bell in their possession. The RedHawks will be vying for consecutive wins since the school won three straight from 2001 to 2003.

Last week, Cincinnati suffered a devasting collapse. Up 27-6 against Pitt, the Bearcats gave up 22 unanswered points and lost 28-27. Offensively, they dominated time of possession. They racked up 446 yards of total offense. They were decently efficient on third downs. Cincy passer Brendan Sorsby threw for nearly 300 yards and tossed three scores. The team didn't turn the ball over.

Defensively, Cincinnati wasn't up to par. The secondary got burned in the second half, as they allowed Pitt passer Eli Holstein three touchdown tosses and 302 yards through the air. They also couldn't stop dynamic runner Desmond Reid, as he averaged 7.8 yards per touch in 19 carries.

He also was the recipient of a Holstein TD pass as he nabbed 106 receiving yards. They did get a sack Dontay Corleone and an interception but the unit couldn't get it done in the final 30 minutes.

On the other hand, for Miami, they are coming off a bye week. They lost the season opener to Northwestern in a 13-6 defensive slugfest. As the score suggests, the RedHawks couldn't get anything going offensively. Brett Gabbert threw two interceptions. The ground game was nonexistent as five different ball carriers combined for only 40 rushing yards.

Again, as the score suggests, this also means the defense did their job well against Northwestern. Even though their purple opponents have a dicey situation at quarterback, the Miami defense only allowed a single Mike Wright touchdown run in that game.

They recovered two fumbles and although they gave up 328 yards of total offense, the unit didn't break. Miami's defense held Northwestern's top tailback, Cam Porter, to just 63 rushing yards on 13 carries.

Keys To The Game

Brett Gabbert needs to take advantage of a weak Cincinnati secondary. Like said earlier, he wasn't able to get going against Northwestern. However, Northwestern has one of the top defenses in the country. Cincinnati does not.

This is the perfect chance for him to go off. In their first two games, the Bearcats secondary has seen massive struggles. It's well-documented that the secondary was one of the main reasons for Cincinnati's collapse.

But how about their first game the week before against the Towson Tigers? Well, that performance wasn't great either. They did win by 18 points but that doesn't tell the story. At one point in the third quarter, they only led by eight. Carlos Davis threw two scores, one of them being a 76-yard pass.

If that unit struggled against an FCS team, one of the MAC's best signal-callers can put up numbers against them. The front five needs to give him time to work. If that happens, please be sure to watch out.

Knowing that the secondary has struggled so far, it's important to play the ball-control game if you're Cincinnati. Their offense can put up points when needed and has the weapons to do so. However, the most important players for the Bearcats in this matchup are running backs Corey Kiner and Evan Pryor. Both can protect the ball well in their arms and can churn for extra yards.

If the Bearcats can run the ball at a consistent level, they will put themselves in the best position to win. They must keep Miami's offense on the sideline as much as possible. Kiner will most likely get the heavy workload as he's already carried the ball 27 times for 200 yards. Both average well over five yards a carry. It's no secret they are the key to a win. Establishing the run is imperative.

Last Matchup: LSU won 52-24(2020) All-Time Series: LSU leads 19-2-1 Location: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina

Another noon game on Saturday is an early SEC matchup as the No. 16 LSU Tigers travel to Columbia to face a 2-0 South Carolina Gamecocks squad. This is a potential upset here, as South Carolina looks to defeat LSU for the first time since 1994. The Gamecocks are also looking for their first 3-0 start since 2012.

For LSU, they come into this game having won their home opener against Nicholls State. It was a good rebound for the team after they dropped the Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic to USC. The Tigers won 44-21, however, the score doesn't tell the full story as LSU only led by two early in the third quarter.

However, a great, six-touchdown passing effort from Garrett Nussmeier, led his team to the win.

Meanwhile, for the hosting Gamecocks, they throttled Kentucky in the SEC opener last week. South Carolina sits atop the conference standings after their defense shut down the Kentucky offense. Despite South Carolina being up by only four points at halftime, they never gave Kentucky a chance to sustain any offense.

They only allowed 44 passing yards, forced two turnovers, and garnered five sacks. LaNorris Sellers completed 11 of 15 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.

Keys To The Game

LSU had been able to move the ball down the field in their first two games of the year. However, much of that depended on the explosive passing game led by the aforementioned Garrett Nussmeier. Through the first two contests, he's thrown for 606 yards and eight scores. He's the Tigers answer at QB. However, where's the running game?

So far, LSU has only rushed for 181 yards on 47 combined carries. Last week, the Tigers were only able to run for 64 yards. There's no doubt they have to emphasize the importance of getting more production from the backs, considering who they're playing against.

South Carolina has one of the best pass-rushing units in the country early this year. In their two previous games, the Gamecocks defense has racked up 10 combined sacks. Last week, South Carolina sacked Kentucky starter Brock Vandagriff four times and Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsatt once. They've been on a tear.

However, this LSU offense will be their toughest test. Garrett Nussmeier has not been sacked once at all. Regardless of how well the Tigers can run the ball, they're going to want to throw at a high rate. All teams coached by Brian Kelly do. So, if South Carolina wants to pull the upset, they need to get to Nussmeier often.

Last Matchup: West Virginia won 17-6(2023) All-Time Series: Pitt leads 62-41-3 Location: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The 3:30 PM ET slate has a few more intriguing rivalry games. One of them is the Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh. In last year's meeting, West Virginia escaped with a home victory in a defensive slugfest. 2024's meeting will take place in Pittsburgh.

For the visiting Mountaineers, they are coming off a bounce-back performance. After getting blown out by Penn State in week one, West Virginia blew out Albany from the FCS, 49-14. In the win, The Mountaineers raced out to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. Albany closed the gap to a possession before WVU pulled away. They gained 553 yards of total offense and Garrett Greene threw for three scores.

For the hosting Panthers, they are entering this contest at 2-0. Pitt pulled off an amazing second-half comeback against Cincinnati. The Bearcats held a 27-6 lead with under five minutes left in the third quarter.

A few minutes later, Pitt would start a run in which they scored 22 unanswered points to steal a 28-27 victory. Quarterback Eli Holstein threw three touchdowns in the win and tailback Desmon Reid racked up 254 all-purpose yards.

Keys To The Game

For West Virginia, for them to get the win, they need to cut down on the turnovers. In their first two games, the Mountaineers have committed six turnovers combined. Five of those six turnovers came in last week's win over Albany. Other than a glaring issue about the defense, which we'll touch on later, this is one of the team's biggest concerns in the early going.

There is no way they'll be able to win this game if they don't take care of the ball. Pitt has a great offense and they will do some damage if they have the ball for an extended period. Keep them off the field.

Remember that glaring issue about WVU's defense I mentioned earlier? Well, here it is. The secondary for the Mountaineers has been dreadful to start the 2024 season. It might be one of the worst secondary units in the country as of now. West Virginia currently ranks 115th in the nation in pass defense, allowing 270.5 passing yards per game.

The Mountaineers gave up 306 pass yards to Albany last week. Even though their quarterback only completed 46%, a significant amount of the damage was done before West Virginia pulled away. So they're prone to getting beat deep. If you're Pitt, you have to take deep shots.

Last Matchup: Florida won 41-24(2022) All-Time Series: Series Tied 3-3 Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida

Another SEC matchup is on the schedule as Texas A&M visits Gainesville to face the Florida Gators in "The Swamp". Both teams sit at 1-1, looking for their first major victory of the season. Each team's only victory so far has come against FCS teams. For the visiting Aggies, they defeated McNeese State, 52-10. Meanwhile, the hosting Gators, took down Samford 45-7.

In their win over McNeese State, it was Texas A&M's ground game that led the way. Despite Connor Weigman completing 11 of 14 passes for 125 yards and two scores, TAMU's rushing game accumulated 333 total yards.

Le'Veon Moss and Amari Daniels combined for 22 carries, 159 yards, and four scores. The defense only allowed 99 total passing yards and picked off McNeese quarterback Kamden Sixkiller.

For Florida, the Gator faithful got their first full glimpse at prized prospect DJ Lagway. The man who is perceived to be the future of Florida football impressed in his first collegiate start. The freshman tossed for 456 yards and three scores.

Despite playing weaker competition, Florida's defense looked great and was a breath of fresh air, compared to the Miami game. They only allowed 205 total yards and held Samford to 6-of-15 on third downs. They also forced a turnover.

Keys To The Game

The Aggies' defense will surely rise under Mike Elko. However, as of now, they haven't shown that. They've had their moments and they haven't had terrible lapses in defending the pass. However, the run defense has been a problem.

Last week, raised the concern even more. McNeese State was able to gain 180 yards on the ground. Cowboys running back Bryce Strong ran for 64 yards and averaged almost 11 per carry. He only carried the ball six times. They also gave up 198 yards on the ground to Notre Dame the week before. They need to sharpen this up fast.

For Florida, their biggest key to this matchup will be protecting DJ Lagway. In his limited action against Miami and last week against Samford, Lagway hasn't gotten brought down once. Now, according to several reports, Billy Napier will use both Lagway and Graham Mertz this week. Both have taken reps with the first team in practice.

However, when Lagway is out there, that front five needs to protect him. Give him time to throw and don't let his confidence get rocked early. This is the biggest test of his young career. Give him a chance to succeed.

Last Matchup: Washington won 24-21(2023); All-Time Series: Washington leads 76-33-6; Location: Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington

This is an early rivalry week. We've already gone through a few of them. Now, here's another one. A non-conference Apple Cup in September? That's the world we live in now. However, the underrated matchup between the Huskies and Cougars lives on, regardless.

Last year, UW won on a last-second field goal to save their College Football Playoff chances. Now, both teams look massively different compared to last year. This edition of the rivalry will be played on the Seattle Seahawks turf.

For Washington State, the Cougars are coming off a great blowout win over Texas Tech. They took down the first of two power conference teams on the schedule. Wazzu's running game led the way offensively as the Cougars racked up 301 yards on the ground.

The defense made great contributions as well. Yes, they gave up nearly 500 yards but the unit notched four turnovers in the 37-16 triumph.

On the other hand, Washington had a dominating victory of their own. They beat Eastern Michigan 30-9. Will Rodgers threw four touchdown passes, two of those going to Denzel Boston. Jonah Coleman also ran for 104 yards on 11 carries. They held EMU to only 204 total yards and limited the Eagles to convert three third-downs on 14 attempts. Washington also forced a turnover of their own.

Keys To The Game

Washington State's chances will ride on their new starting quarterback. John Mateer has done an admirable job so far in replacing Cam Ward. He has similar athleticism. He can run. Mateer's abilities open up Jake Dickert's offense to all possibilities. But, the youngster needs to play smarter and not throw ill-advised passes.

He threw the ball only 19 times and completed nine of those throws. He only passed for 115 yards. Mateer looked a little shaky against Portland State as well. His first pass attempt against Texas Tech was an interception. He needs to throw more accurately. If he can do that this week, the Cougs will put up some points.

Despite John Mateer struggling at times as a passer, when he completes throws, Washington State has the switch turned on. The Cougars have the best downfield passing attack in all of major college football. Wazzu averages 20 yards per pass completion.

The receiving core has tons of speed, especially Kyle Williams and Kris Hutson, the team's top two targets. UW needs to find a way to cover the Cougar receivers. If they do, the rest will take care of itself as the team's pass rush is insane. They have eight sacks so far. They'll get to Mateer if th

First Meeting; Location: Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi

This game is off the radar for most people. However, it's crucial to highlight it. The MAC shined last week when Northern Illinois took down then-fifth-ranked Notre Dame. Can the conference pull off another shocking upset again? Toledo has a great chance to do so against the SEC's Mississippi State Bulldogs.

The Rockets are one of the top contenders in the MAC. They are primed to win their second conference title in three years. Despite several new pieces taking over, Toledo hasn't skipped a beat. new quarterback Tucker Gleason is one of the best signal-callers in the G5 ranks.

He and wideout Junior Vandeross make up one of the best connections in college ball. Last week, the two combined efforts thrice in a 38-23 win over UMass.

The hosting Bulldogs are coming off a tough week two loss to high-flying Arizona State. Despite losing by a single possession, Mississippi State was dreadful offensively. They went 3 for 11 on third-down efficiency. While they garnered nearly 300 yards of total offense, MSU's running game was silenced.

The Bulldogs only averaged 0.9 yards per carry. Their run defense got torched by Arizona State, as they gave up 346 yards on the ground in the 30-23 defeat.

Keys To The Game

Toledo's bread and butter for their offense is their passing attack. Gleason did complete just eight of 23 passes last week but he threw for three scores. Now, it'll be a great time to see if they can muster any resemblance of a ground game against Mississippi State's brutal run defense.

Other than their egregious performance against Arizona State, the Bulldogs also allowed Eastern Kentucky to rush for 126 yards. So it's clear there are obvious issues with that aspect. Toledo has a good rotation of backs. Willie Shaw III, Jacquez Stuart, and Connor Walendzak have averaged over four yards per carry.

Shaw and Stuart have the speed and shiftiness to get by anybody. If Toledo's front five can make room for the backs, they'll be able to run. Also, Gleason is a mobile QB too.

Blake Shapen is a good quarterback. Most people have not recognized it yet but this guy is a great thrower of the football. Let him sling the ball all over the yard. He'll surely have great opportunities to launch some bombs this weekend as Toledo is only 80th in pass defense.

He cooked last week, throwing for nearly 300 yards and two scores. He should be able to spread the ball around to Kevin Coleman Jr and Jordan Mosley. Let Shapen handle the work and the rest will follow.

First Meeting; Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas

Another Saturday match sees two new conference rivals make history. This will be the first time the UCF plays TCU. It should be an entertaining battle, as both teams look for a 3-0 start. This also marks the first TCU has played a Florida school since 1992. Last week, the hosting Horned Frogs enjoyed their first shutout since 2017, as they defeated Long Island from the FCS, 45-0.

In the win, TCU only gave up 149 yards of total offense and forced a turnover. TCU racked up 426 yards of total offense. Quarterback Josh Hoover guides one of the nation's most explosive passing games, as he averaged 10 yards per completion last week.

He gets everybody involved when TCU calls pass plays. Meanwhile, UCF takes a completely different approach. While their opponent loves to sling the ball all over the yard, the Knights play a ground-and-pound game.

Their identity is playing smashmouth football. They have one of the nation's best running games, led by superstar R.J. Harvey. As of now, Harvey is eighth in the nation in rushing yards. Last week, UCF blew out Sam Houston, 45-14.

Harvey rushed for 126 yards and four touchdowns on 19 attempts. Transfer quarterback, K.J. Jefferson passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns. The defense also forced two turnovers.

Keys To The Game

As mentioned earlier, UCF leans on their ground game. R.J. Harvey is the man. To go along with being top 10 in rushing, he's also second in the nation in rushing touchdowns. He's scored six of them already. While the sensational hometown senior leads the way, UCF also has plenty of depth that can share the load with Harvey.

They also have Myles Montgomery, Johnny Richardson, and Peny Boone. He was the MAC's offensive player of the year last season for Toledo. K.J. Jefferson also adds to the running game as well. There's so much speed and physicality here for UCF. Just run the ball, play tough defense, don't take stupid penalties, and they'll be fine.

Again, the running game of UCF is dynamic. For the Horned Frogs to protect their home field, they'll have to limit the ground game. They might not be able to fully stop it. However, all they have to do is limit it.

Fortunately, they have hope to do so, as TCU has only allowed 90 rushing yards per game. That's good enough to be ranked 37th in run defense. Slow this aspect of UCF's game down and they will be fine. TCU also ranks 15th in pass defense. So they have a chance to shut down the Knights' entire offense.

Last Matchup: Colorado won 43-35 All-Time Series: Colorado leads 68-22-2 Location: Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado

The longtime Rocky Mountain Showdown gets another renewal this year as Colorado travels to Fort Collins to play Colorado State. This 2024 edition of the rivalry will be the first held on Colorado State's campus since 1996. Last year, it was the Buffaloes that prevailed in a high-octane 43-35 shootout that ended in double overtime.

Both teams are coming off both sides of the football spectrum. For the visiting Buffaloes, they will attempt to bounce back after a hideous showing against Nebraska last week. Their offense was inept as they converted on third downs just four times on 14 attempts.

Their ground game was not to be found as their offensive line struggled once again in creating holes. They committed two turnovers including a terrible interception by Shedeur Sanders in his endzone. Their defense once again struggled, giving up 334 yards in the 28-10 loss.

Colorado State was on the other side of the spectrum as they are coming off a 38-17 win over Northern Colorado from the FCS. Under head coach Jay Norvell, the Rams have one of the country's most potent offenses.

They also have one of the nation's more underappreciated signal-callers in Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi. Last week, the offense totaled 426 total yards. The defense forced a turnover but had some lapses in the win, giving up almost 300 yards and getting beat through the air twice.

Keys To The Game

The reasons for Colorado's struggles have been the same issues since Deion Sanders first arrived in Boulder. The offensive line is horrendous and despite some good pieces on the defense, the Buffaloes can't cover anybody. It's like they don't know how to play pass defense at this point. As of right now, the Buffaloes have the 96th-ranked pass defense in the country.

Last week, they got torched by Dylan Raiola for nearly 200 yards through the air. They will face a pass-oriented attack this week and last year saw CSU give the Buffaloes fits through the air. Is this the game where the Buffs can show they're capable of stopping the pass? If they can't, they'll be in for a long day.

Pretty much the same key but for CSU's offense. This is where the game will be won. If Fowler-Nicolosi can hit bombs, Colorado State will pull off the home upset and it's very possible too. It doesn't matter who the Buffaloes play, they always get burned at least once in every game. So this is something that the Rams have to take advantage of and they should. If they go to a clinic, it's over.

First Meeting; Location: Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California

I think most college football enthusiasts will agree that this whole super conference thing is ridiculous and it is. However, there is one cool aspect of it. We'll see some interesting matchups that have never been seen before.

This is one of them. Who would've thought that Indiana would be playing UCLA in football at all, let alone in football? This is the first meeting between the Hoosiers and Bruins. This is Indiana's first visit to Pasadena since they played in the 1968 Rose Bowl.

For the visiting Hoosiers, they have begun the Curt Cignetti era with a 2-0 start. Last week against Western Illinois, Indiana made some history. Their 77-point outing is the highest-scoring performance in school history. The Hoosiers racked up 701 yards of offense and averaged 10.5 yards per play. They held Western Illinois to 121 yards of offense, forced 3 turnovers, and notched six sacks.

UCLA didn't play last week but did defeat Hawaii in week one. The Bruins won 16-13, which might've shocked lots of people. However, Hawaii is an improved team under Timmy Chang. UCLA's defense allowed 274 yards which isn't too bad considering Hawaii loves to throw the ball. They forced three turnovers. Ethan Garbers threw 227 yards and a score in the slugfest.

Keys To The Game

Has Indiana's competition been amazing so far? No way, as they've played FIU and Western Illinois to open the season. However, isn't that the point of scheduling non-conference tune-up games? To get up to speed on what the coaching staff implements? Absolutely, and the Hoosiers have looked great at everything.

Penalties haven't been that big of a problem but 13 of them in two games calls for a fixing there. However, they haven't turned the ball over once and there haven't been many mistakes. Everything looks to be in sync as the offense looks sharp. Keep doing this if you're Indiana.

Meanwhile, UCLA is the very opposite. In their one game, signal-caller Ethan Garbers threw two interceptions. The offense couldn't get anything going. The Bruins also went four of 13 on third-down efficiency. UCLA also took six penalties for 60 total yards. That can't happen against Indiana. Again, the Hoosiers have played weaker teams.

However, they still looked great, especially against the run. They've only allowed 10 points. If this was normal Indiana, the games against FIU and WIU would've most likely been one-score games. But this is a new Indiana team, that wants to prove they're competitive. Don't give them a chance with self-inflicted wounds.

Honorable Mentions:

• UNLV (2-0) @ Kansas (1-1)
• Memphis (2-0) @ Florida State (0-2)
• No. 4 Alabama (2-0) @ Wisconsin (2-0)
• No. 24 Boston College (2-0) @ No. 6 Missouri Tigers (2-0)
• Tulane (1-1) @ No.15 Oklahoma (2-0)
• No. 9 Oregon (2-0) @ Oregon State (2-0)
• No.18 Notre Dame (1-1) @ Purdue (1-0)
• Appalachian State (1-1) @ East Carolina (2-0)
• Maryland (1-1) @ Virginia (2-0)

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