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| COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKEND PREVIEW | |
| November 1, 2005 | |
| Jonathan, SCS.com Editor | Contact Jonathan |
> Game of the Week
(5) Miami at (3) Virginia Tech
Saturday 6:45 PM CST ESPN
Miami travels to Virginia Tech Saturday evening in a battle between the ACC Coastal Division's top two teams. The Hurricanes, who are 3-1 in league play, could pull themselves into a tie with the currently unbeaten Hokies if Larry Coker's squad can prevail in Blacksburg.
No team has been able to do that to this point, however. QB Marcus Vick has returned after a 2004 suspension and is completing 69% of his passes. The junior has tossed 11 touchdown passes and run for three more scores. The younger brother of Atlanta Falcons' QB Michael Vick averages 230 yards of total offense each night out, 190 of that through the air and an additional 40 on the ground. RBs Mike Imoh and Cedric Humes split the majority of the carries, and the duo combines to average nearly 110 yards per game and has scored nine times in 2005. All-conference TE Jeff King leads the receivers in touchdowns, but Vick also spreads the ball among a number of other targets, including David Clowney, Josh Morgan, and Eddie Royal. Each of those Hokies has compiled at least 200 receiving yards and scored a TD already this season. As is always the case, VT's defense is among the best in the land. Frank Beamer's defensive unit allows just nine points and 231 yards per game and has returned four interceptions for scores already this season.
To have a chance of upsetting Virginia Tech, the Miami offense, currently ranked third in the ACC, will have to continue its recent success. The Hurricanes have averaged 40 points per game over their last three outings. QB Kyle Wright's TD/INT ratio (10 to 8) is not good, but he has done his job in leading the UM offensive unit. RB Tyrone Moss continues to get better each week out. The junior is averaging almost 100 yards per game on the ground and has scored a dozen times already this season. Through the air, Wright has picked out three targets - Sinorice Moss, Greg Olsen, and Ryan Moore - and each has hauled in a trio of TDs in 2005. The 'Cane defense has been stellar thus far, ranked second in the ACC and allowing just 11 points per contest.
This will undoubtedly be the Hokies' toughest test so far this season and a huge chance for VT to improve their status in the eyes of the BCS computers. A national, prime time TV audience will be on hand to watch Saturday evening, and neither team will disappoint. In a close game, the Hokies take a big lead in the Coastal standings and stay in the national title hunt with a ten point victory over Miami.
The Editor Says: Virginia Tech 24-14
> Next Five
Missouri at Colorado
Saturday 2:30 PM CST ABC/GamePlan
The Tigers suffered a huge defeat at Kansas last weekend but could pull back into a tie atop the Big XII North standings with a win this weekend. It's another chance for Brad Smith to make a name for himself in a big game, but thus far he hasn't been able to take advantage. Look for the Buffs to take control of the North.
The Editor Says: Colorado 31-24
(14) Wisconsin at (9) Penn State
Saturday 2:30 PM CST ABC/GamePlan
Three teams in the Big Ten have just one conference loss, and two of those get together in State College on Saturday. The winner of this one will be the only league team to go 6-1 so far. The Badgers have had luck on their side so far this season, but that won't be enough to get the job done on the road this weekend.
The Editor Says: Penn State 27-20
California at Oregon
Saturday 2:30 PM CST ABC/GamePlan
Just five teams in the PAC 10 are above the .500 mark in conference play, and two of them meet in Eugene this weekend. The Bears rebounded for a close win over Washington State two weeks ago after losing two straight and then took last weekend off. The Ducks, whose only loss was to USC, are clearly among the league's top three teams.
The Editor Says: Oregon 43-31
Colorado State at TCU
Saturday 6:00 PM CST
Easily the best two teams in the Mountain West meet on Saturday in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs have lost just once all season and are 6-0 in conference play. The Rams' lone league loss came at BYU several weeks back, but the team has rebounded for two straight victories since then. The CSU streak stops on Saturday.
The Editor Says: TCU 30-20
Tulsa at UTEP
Saturday 8:05 PM CST
The top two squads in the CUSA's Western Division butt heads in El Paso Saturday night. Both the Miners and the Hurricane are 4-1 in league play, and UTEP's lone loss all season came on the road at Memphis a few weeks ago. QB Jordan Palmer, one of CUSA's top signal-callers, continues to improve and will lead Mike Price's squad to victory.
The Editor Says: UTEP 37-28
> Predicting the Rest
Memphis over UAB
West Virginia over Connecticut
Louisville over Pittsburgh
Toledo over Ohio
Texas over Baylor
Georgia Tech over Wake Forest
Northwestern over Iowa
Minnesota over Indiana
Rutgers over South Florida
Michigan State over Purdue
Auburn over Kentucky
Nebraska over Kansas
Clemson over Duke
Central Michigan over Northern Illinois
Western Michigan over Eastern Michigan
Bowling Green over Kent State
Navy over Tulane
Texas Tech over Texas A&M
Iowa State over Kansas State
South Carolina over Arkansas
Miami (Ohio) over Buffalo
Notre Dame over Tennessee
Wyoming over Utah
BYU over UNLV
SMU over Rice
Louisiana Tech over Utah State
Boise State over New Mexico State
Alabama over Mississippi State
Florida State over NC State
Ohio State over Illinois
Virginia over Temple
Oregon State over Washington
Air Force over Army
Troy over Florida Atlantic
LA-Monroe over Florida International
Nevada over Hawaii
Arkansas State over Middle Tennessee
Washington State over Arizona State
UCLA over Arizona
Houston over UCF
North Texas over LA-Lafayette
Florida over Vanderbilt
LSU over Appalachian State
Fresno State over San Jose State
Southern Cal over Stanford
> The Editor's Records
Last Week: 32-14 (.696)
To Date: 364-119 (.754)
Game of the Week: 5-4 (.556)
