Southern Methodist vs. Southern Mississippi
8pm EST Saturday Oct. 22
This is clearly the game of the week in Conference USA.
Southern Mississippi enters the game 5-1, coming off of a bye week. In the last game the Golden Eagles played, they defeated Navy 63-35 on the road. Clearly, they can put up points. Their offensive productivity is incredibly balanced, averaging above 200 yards on the ground and 260 yards through the air per game. Their only loss on the season came at the hands of Marshall on the road.
Senior Quarterback Austin Davis started the season slowly for Southern Miss, throwing four interceptions to only two touchdowns in the first two games. But since then he's righted the ship, throwing for 11 touchdowns to only two interceptions in the games since. His production, combined with a pair of backs who average almost six yards per carry each, makes this offense extremely dangerous.
On the Southern Methodist side of the ball things aren't much different.
After a blowout loss to Texas A&M to start the season, the 5-1 Mustangs have reeled off five straight. In that span they handed TCU and UCF losses. Southern Methodist, unlike Southern Miss is not coming off of a bye week, and thus has less time to prepare. Although their momentum should be a major boost.
Offensively, any system where June Jones is involved, is going to put up big numbers through the air. This Southern Methodist team does just that, averaging over 330 passing yards per game. Running the ball, they struggle, albeit they still average over 115 yards per game. With that in mind, it is startling to see that the backs are where the touchdowns go. Zach Line is the prime beneficiary for SMU, have punched in 13 touchdowns.
All in all, this is a game you must pay attention to.
Marshall at #19 Houston
4:3o EST Saturday Oct. 22
Marshall looks to improve to 3-1 in conference this week, and get back to .500 as well, as they currently sit at 3-4. They've got a weak offense, but a decent defense.
But if were honest, this game is worth watching because of one name: Case Keenum. On the verge of breaking nearly every major NCAA passing record, his rampant passing attack is bound to bring excitement on all fronts. He leads his 6-0 Cougars on the field in search of their first 7-0 start in 21 years. This offensive juggernaut is also in the top-25, and thus is the most prominent team in C-USA at the moment.
While it may not be that close, it will definitely have fireworks because of Case Keenum.
Memphis at Tulane
3:30 EST Sat. Oct. 22
Admittedly, this game doesn't look like a game worth watching on paper. But the story lines are plentiful.
This game marks the first game under the tenure of Head Coach Mark Hutson for the 2-5 Green Wave. It will be interesting to see what kind of effect the resignation and subsequent coaching change has on the team. Furthermore, this is a Tulane blog, so it's homecoming, and therefore if you're in the New Orleans area, this game is one worth coming out to.
The opponent is Memphis, arguably the worst team in conference USA. They're 1-5 and are ranked near the bottom of nearly every major statistical category for the FBS.
If ever there was a game for Tulane to win, and win handily, this is it.
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