Football Season Kicks off on Thursday

Harry · September 1, 2015

The long offseason wait is nearly over. It’s been more than eight months since we watched Conference USA Football, but that will change on Thursday night when three schools open their 2015 seasons. Opening weekend will feature nine nationally televised games as C-USA begins its 20th football season.

FIU will be the first team to take the field, as the Panthers make the short trip to Orlando to face UCF at 6 p.m. CDT. FIU showed tremendous improvement last year in head coach Ron Turner’s second season and 19 returning starters lend optimism that the progress will continue in 2015. The game can be seen on CBS Sports Network, with Dave Ryan and Corey Chavous calling the action and Courtney Fallon reporting from the sideline.

WKU will take the hour drive south to face SEC foe Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. CDT. This is the most anticipated season in Hilltoppers history and having record-setting QB Brandon Doughty, along with four of his six top targets returning is a big reason why. The SEC Network will air this contest, with Tom Hart and Corey Chavous on the call, with Lauren Gardner on the sideline.

UTSA will also be in action Thursday night, making the trip to the desert to face No. 22 Arizona. The Roadrunners, who will be ushering in many new faces with only six returning starters, have won all four of their previous season openers and will try for five on the Pac-12 Networks, beginning at 9 p.m. CDT. Roxy Bernstein, Glenn Parker and Jill Savage are set to announce the action.

One C-USA game is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4 and it will be the only college football game going that afternoon, as Charlotte makes its FBS debut at Georgia State. The 49ers have generated a high-scoring spread offense in their first two seasons and now they make the jump to the FBS level with a nationally-televised game (2:30 p.m. CDT on ESPN U). Jason Bennetti and Charles Arbuckle will call this game from the Georgia Dome.

Seven matchups are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, highlighted at the end of the day by Mississippi State’s visit to Southern Miss, as the Bulldogs become the first SEC team to play in Hattiesburg since 1989 (9 p.m. CDT on Fox Sports 1). The Golden Eagles return nearly all of their offensive firepower from last season (100% rushing yards, 76.4 passing yards, 83.6 receiving yards) and 18 total starters, in addition to several new faces that are expected to have an impact in head coach Todd Monken’s third season. Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman will be on the call from M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Three other C-USA teams open at home that day, including Rice (2:30 p.m. CDT vs. Wagner on ASN), Louisiana Tech (6 p.m. CDT vs. Southern on ASN) and Middle Tennessee (6 p.m. CDT vs. Jackson State).

Rice will be opening at home for the first time since 2012, the year it began its current streak of three straight winning seasons. Driphus Jackson is back under center for the Owls and he has a pair of productive running backs behind him in Jowan Davis (956 yards, 6 TDs) and Darik Dillard (652 yards, 11 TDs). Brett Dolan and Keith Moreland will describe the action.

Louisiana Tech opens a renovated Joe Aillet Stadium with the first-ever meeting with in-state foe Southern University. The Bulldogs are coming off a West Division Championship and a bowl victory last season and will look to win a C-USA Championship this fall led by highly-productive senior RB Kenneth Dixon (1,299 rushing yards, 28 total TDs). Mike Gleason will provide play-by-play, with Michael Young serving as the analyst.

Middle Tennessee will seek its third straight opening day victory when it meets Jackson State for the first time since 1990. The Blue Raiders offense will have a little different look with redshirt freshman Brent Stockstill, son of head coach Rick Stockstill, getting his first career start. Brent will become just the second head coach’s son in Conference USA history to start at QB (current WKU Offensive Coordinator Tyson Helton started at Houston in 1997-98 when his dad, Kim Helton, was the Cougars head man). This game will be available to watch on the C-USA Digital Network.

In road action Saturday afternoon, Old Dominion is visits Eastern Michigan (2 p.m. on ESPN3), Florida Atlantic plays at Tulsa (2:30 p.m. on CBSSN), and UTEP plays at No. 18 Arkansas (2:30 p.m. CDT on ESPN U).

Old Dominion’s defense held Eastern Michigan to its lowest point total ever in last year’s 17-3 victory and Ray Lawry, the reigning C-USA Freshman of the Year, is back to lead this year’s Monarch offense as ODU opens on the road for just the second time in its seven seasons. Dave Armstrong and Rich Baldinger are the announcing team in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Year two of the Charlie Partridge era at Florida Atlantic gets underway at Tulsa, where former Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery takes over a Golden Hurricane team that should have a different look from the one that the Owls defeated 50-21 in Boca Raton last September. Senior QB Jaquez Johnson threw for 318 yards and produced four touchdowns in last year’s win and he is back to continue his assault on the FAU record book in 2015. Sean Grande and Corey Chavous will be in the booth and Melanie Collins will be on the sideline in Tulsa.

UTEP opens the season with a ranked opponent for the first time since 2012 when the Miners hosted No. 24 Oklahoma, visiting No. 18 Arkansas. Both teams like to run the ball and UTEP will do that with junior RB Aaron Jones (1,321 rushing yards, 14 total TDs) leading the way, running behind an offensive line that returns four starters. Clay Matvick and John Congemi will call the action in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Weekend action concludes Sunday with Marshall hosting a Big Ten foe for the first time when Purdue comes to town (2 p.m. CDT on Fox Sports 1). The defending Conference USA Champion Thundering Herd will have a new face at quarterback for the first time since 2011 as Michael Birdsong takes over for the departed Rakeem Cato. It will also be the first time since 2005 that Marshall has had a fourth-year junior making his first start at quarterback for the Herd (Jimmy Skinner). Justin Kutcher will be doing play-by-play, with Steve Hutchinson and Petros Papadakis providing analysis.

Army of Dad · September 1, 2015

I'm thoroughly impressed at that Corey Chavous dude. Calling two games at once shows some real talent.

10Eagle10 · September 1, 2015

I'm thoroughly impressed at that Corey Chavous dude. Calling two games at once shows some real talent.

I'm thoroughly impressed that someone read that entire thing AND noticed the name Corey Chavous twice. It looks like he has two games on Thursday and another onSaturday, so it's possible that he's on the call for for two this weekend, but highly doubtful

Edited September 1, 2015 by 10Eagle10

Harry · September 1, 2015

I'm thoroughly impressed at that Corey Chavous dude. Calling two games at once shows some real talent.

are u a speed reader?

Army of Dad · September 1, 2015

are u a speed reader?

No, sometimes that stuff just jumps out at me.

Harry · September 1, 2015

#rainman #newGMGmoderator

untjim1995 · September 1, 2015

WeekOneGameCapsules
The long offseason wait is nearly over. It’s been more than eight months since we watched Conference USA Football, but that will change on Thursday night when three schools open their 2015 seasons. Opening weekend will feature nine nationally televised games as C-USA begins its 20th football season.
FIU will be the first team to take the field, as the Panthers make the short trip to Orlando to face UCF at 6 p.m. CDT. FIU showed tremendous improvement last year in head coach Ron Turner’s second season and 19 returning starters lend optimism that the progress will continue in 2015. The game can be seen on CBS Sports Network, with Dave Ryan and Corey Chavous calling the action and Courtney Fallon reporting from the sideline.
WKU will take the hour drive south to face SEC foe Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. CDT. This is the most anticipated season in Hilltoppers history and having record-setting QB Brandon Doughty, along with four of his six top targets returning is a big reason why. The SEC Network will air this contest, with Tom Hart and Corey Chavous on the call, with Lauren Gardner on the sideline.
UTSA will also be in action Thursday night, making the trip to the desert to face No. 22 Arizona. The Roadrunners, who will be ushering in many new faces with only six returning starters, have won all four of their previous season openers and will try for five on the Pac-12 Networks, beginning at 9 p.m. CDT. Roxy Bernstein, Glenn Parker and Jill Savage are set to announce the action.
One C-USA game is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4 and it will be the only college football game going that afternoon, as Charlotte makes its FBS debut at Georgia State. The 49ers have generated a high-scoring spread offense in their first two seasons and now they make the jump to the FBS level with a nationally-televised game (2:30 p.m. CDT on ESPN U). Jason Bennetti and Charles Arbuckle will call this game from the Georgia Dome.
Seven matchups are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, highlighted at the end of the day by Mississippi State’s visit to Southern Miss, as the Bulldogs become the first SEC team to play in Hattiesburg since 1989 (9 p.m. CDT on Fox Sports 1). The Golden Eagles return nearly all of their offensive firepower from last season (100% rushing yards, 76.4 passing yards, 83.6 receiving yards) and 18 total starters, in addition to several new faces that are expected to have an impact in head coach Todd Monken’s third season. Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman will be on the call from M.M. Roberts Stadium.
Three other C-USA teams open at home that day, including Rice (2:30 p.m. CDT vs. Wagner on ASN), Louisiana Tech (6 p.m. CDT vs. Southern on ASN) and Middle Tennessee (6 p.m. CDT vs. Jackson State).
Rice will be opening at home for the first time since 2012, the year it began its current streak of three straight winning seasons. Driphus Jackson is back under center for the Owls and he has a pair of productive running backs behind him in Jowan Davis (956 yards, 6 TDs) and Darik Dillard (652 yards, 11 TDs). Brett Dolan and Keith Moreland will describe the action.
Louisiana Tech opens a renovated Joe Aillet Stadium with the first-ever meeting with in-state foe Southern University. The Bulldogs are coming off a West Division Championship and a bowl victory last season and will look to win a C-USA Championship this fall led by highly-productive senior RB Kenneth Dixon (1,299 rushing yards, 28 total TDs). Mike Gleason will provide play-by-play, with Michael Young serving as the analyst.
Middle Tennessee will seek its third straight opening day victory when it meets Jackson State for the first time since 1990. The Blue Raiders offense will have a little different look with redshirt freshman Brent Stockstill, son of head coach Rick Stockstill, getting his first career start. Brent will become just the second head coach’s son in Conference USA history to start at QB (current WKU Offensive Coordinator Tyson Helton started at Houston in 1997-98 when his dad, Kim Helton, was the Cougars head man). This game will be available to watch on the C-USA Digital Network.
In road action Saturday afternoon, Old Dominion is visits Eastern Michigan (2 p.m. on ESPN3), Florida Atlantic plays at Tulsa (2:30 p.m. on CBSSN), and UTEP plays at No. 18 Arkansas (2:30 p.m. CDT on ESPN U).
Old Dominion’s defense held Eastern Michigan to its lowest point total ever in last year’s 17-3 victory and Ray Lawry, the reigning C-USA Freshman of the Year, is back to lead this year’s Monarch offense as ODU opens on the road for just the second time in its seven seasons. Dave Armstrong and Rich Baldinger are the announcing team in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Year two of the Charlie Partridge era at Florida Atlantic gets underway at Tulsa, where former Baylor offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery takes over a Golden Hurricane team that should have a different look from the one that the Owls defeated 50-21 in Boca Raton last September. Senior QB Jaquez Johnson threw for 318 yards and produced four touchdowns in last year’s win and he is back to continue his assault on the FAU record book in 2015. Sean Grande and Corey Chavous will be in the booth and Melanie Collins will be on the sideline in Tulsa.
UTEP opens the season with a ranked opponent for the first time since 2012 when the Miners hosted No. 24 Oklahoma, visiting No. 18 Arkansas. Both teams like to run the ball and UTEP will do that with junior RB Aaron Jones (1,321 rushing yards, 14 total TDs) leading the way, running behind an offensive line that returns four starters. Clay Matvick and John Congemi will call the action in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Weekend action concludes Sunday with Marshall hosting a Big Ten foe for the first time when Purdue comes to town (2 p.m. CDT on Fox Sports 1). The defending Conference USA Champion Thundering Herd will have a new face at quarterback for the first time since 2011 as Michael Birdsong takes over for the departed Rakeem Cato. It will also be the first time since 2005 that Marshall has had a fourth-year junior making his first start at quarterback for the Herd (Jimmy Skinner). Justin Kutcher will be doing play-by-play, with Steve Hutchinson and Petros Papadakis providing analysis.

My CUSA predictions this week:

UCF over FIU WKU over Vandy Arizona over UTSA Georgia State over Charlotte Mississippi State over USM Rice over Wagner

MUTS over Jackson State Eastern Michigan over Old Dominion Tulsa over FAU Arkansas over UTEP Marshall over Purdue La Tech over Southern

Aldo · September 1, 2015

My CUSA predictions this week:
UCF over FIU WKU over Vandy Arizona over UTSA Georgia State over Charlotte Mississippi State over USM Rice over Wagner
MUTS over Jackson State Eastern Michigan over Old Dominion Tulsa over FAU Arkansas over UTEP Marshall over Purdue La Tech over Southern

I'll take ODU over Easter Michigan and my wildcard pick will be FAU over Tulsa.

I almost want to say FIU over UCF, but I'm not confident.

Oh and thanks for the tl;dr