(Editor's reminder: There is a 25 percent penalty of earned Fantasy points for FBS teams that play FCS schools.)
ACC
Notes: Fantasy owners shouldn't worry about Clemson
running back C.J. Spiller's minor foot
injury. He suffered the injury in the first half against Middle
Tennessee State and was rested in the second half as a precaution for
Georgia Tech this week. Spiller will be in the lineup against the Yellow
Jackets ... Virginia Tech running back Ryan Williams did an admirable job last week against Alabama in his
first start for the injured Darren Evans
(knee). He rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries against
a stingy Alabama run defense ... North Carolina wide receiver Dwight Jones is still out a few more weeks following knee surgery
leading up to Week 1 ... Miami (Fla.) received standout performances
against Florida State from quarterback Jacory Harris and wide receiver Travis Benjamin.
Harris, who fought off a shoulder injury in the second half, passed for
386 yards and totaled three touchdowns (one rushing) in a 38-34 upset
win. Benjamin was his favorite target, hauling in four receptions for
128 yards and one touchdown.
Byes: Miami (Fla.)
Teams
playing FCS schools: North Carolina State (vs. Murray State);
Florida State (vs. Jacksonville State); Maryland (vs. James Madison)
Favorable
matchup: Virginia Tech vs. Marshall. The Hokies are going to be
hungry coming off a Week 1 loss to Alabama. The Thundering Herd allowed
28 points and 311 yards of offense to a FCS school (Southern Illinois)
last week, so Virginia Tech should have a nice game to help them forget
their Week 1 defeat.
Unfavorable matchup: Virginia vs. TCU.
The Cavs are going to want to make a statement coming off an
embarrassing loss to William & Mary (a FCS school), but they still don't
have any rhythm in their new spread offense and face the top ranked
defense from 2008 -- TCU, who is well rested coming off a bye.
Big East
Notes: Cincinnati began its conference title defense
Monday with a 47-15 drubbing of Rutgers. While all eyes were on the
defense, which was returning just one starter, quarterback Tony Pike stole the show passing for 362 yards and three touchdowns.
It should be another good year for Pike and the Bearcats offense ...
Continue to keep tabs on the Rutgers quarterback situation. Starter Domenic Natale was awful, throwing three picks against Cincinnati
before being replaced by standout freshman Tom Savage, who looked calm and composed. Head coach Greg Schiano
might be forced to go with the young gunslinger before it's too late ... Greg Paulus can play some football. The former Duke point guard
almost led Syracuse to an upset win against Minnesota. He showed plenty
of pocket presence and even displayed a great touch on the football. He
passed for just 167 yards, but the former High School All-American could
surprise some people this season ... Pittsburgh true freshman running
back Dion Lewis was outstanding in his
college debut. He rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns against
Youngstown State, giving Pitt a viable replacement for LeSean McCoy ...
Speaking of capable successors, UConn seems to have found its
replacement for Donald Brown in sophomore Jordan Todman. He rushed for 157 yards and one touchdown against Ohio.
Although, Todman did receive some stiff competition from Andre Dixon, who also broke 100 yards.
Byes: Louisville
Teams
playing FCS schools: Rutgers (vs. Howard); Cincinnati (vs. Southeast
Missouri State)
Favorable matchup: South Florida at Western
Kentucky. The Bulls have to be licking their lips after watching
Tennessee destroy Western Kentucky, 63-7. The Vols racked up 657 yards
of offense against the Hilltoppers.
Unfavorable matchup:
Syracuse at Penn State. Paulus is going to get a tough first road test
as he takes the Orange into Happy Valley to face the Nittany Lions. Penn
State allowed just 186 yards and seven points to Akron at home. They
also destroyed Syracuse at the Carrier Dome in 2008, 55-13. The Orange
managed just 159 yards.
Big 12
Notes: The news heard around the world is that Oklahoma
quarterback Sam Bradford is sidelined
by a shoulder injury. The good news is that he won't need season-ending
surgery, but the bad news is that he is out an undetermined amount of
time. Redshirt freshman Landry Jones
will start in his absence ... Sticking with the Sooners, the news was
not as good for All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham. He had season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair torn
cartilage in his right knee. Fantasy owners just lost one of the best
options at a thin position ... Kansas wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe has served his one-game ban for his part in a spring
suspension and will be back in the lineup Saturday against UTEP ...
Texas wide receiver Brandon Collins
remains out indefinitely while the NCAA clears up an eligibility issue
... Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert
was a standout performer in his first career start against Illinois
Saturday. He threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for
another score in a 37-9 rout of the Illini. Danario Alexander (10 catches, 132 yards) and Jared Perry (four catches, 93 yards, one TD) also stepped up as
go-to-receivers ... Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson affirmed his coaches' decision to keep him under center
by passing for 349 yards and totaling three touchdowns (one rushing) in
Week 1 against New Mexico ... Kansas State chose to start Daniel Thomas at tailback in the opener against UMass, and he didn't
disappoint with 104 yards on 23 carries ... Running back Roy Helu looked strong as the Nebraska's feature back in Week 1
against FAU. He rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries.
Byes:
Baylor, Texas A&M
Teams playing FCS schools: Oklahoma
(vs. Idaho State)
Favorable matchup: Texas Tech vs. Rice. UAB
ran all over the Owls in Week 1, 44-24. The Blazers racked up 516 yards
of offense, including 221 through the air. Quarterback Taylor Potts, who threw for 405 yards in Week 1 against North Dakota,
should have no problems spreading the ball around against Rice.
Unfavorable
matchup: Missouri vs. Bowling Green. The Tigers are riding high
after their Week 1 slaughter of Illinois, but they are running into an
equally confident Bowling Green squad that upset a very talented Troy
team, 31-14, in Dave Clawson's coaching debut last week.
Big Ten
Notes: Illini running back Mikel LeShoure has been suspended for Saturday's game against
Illinois State due to violation of team rules ... Iowa running back Jeff Brinson (ankle) is still questionable for Saturday's game
against Iowa State, leaving Adam Robinson
atop the depth chart ... Michigan wide receiver Junior Hemingway, who had five catches for 103 yards and two
touchdowns in the opener against Western Michigan, says his ankle is
fine and will start against Notre Dame in Week 2. Running back Brandon Minor is also probable after missing last week with an ankle
issue ... Ankle injuries seem to be contagious in the Big Ten. Illinois
star wide receiver Arrelious Benn left
Saturday's game with an ankle issue of his own, but is expected to dress
in Week 2 ... Ohio State No. 1 receiver DeVier Posey also turned an ankle against Navy and his status for
Saturday's showdown with USC is unknown ... Michigan State wide receiver Mark Dell missed the opener against Montana State with a shoulder
injury, which meant good news for Blair White,
who had nine catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Dell is still
questionable for Week 2 ... In case you missed it, the NCAA's leading
rusher after Week 1 is Purdue's Ralph Bolden,
who rushed for 234 yards in an opening win against Toledo.
Byes:
None
Teams playing FCS schools: Illinois (vs. Illinois State)
Favorable
matchup: Northwestern vs. Eastern Michigan. Although Ron English is
trying to overhaul the defense at Eastern Michigan, he had a very rough
Week 1 against Army. The Black Knights topped Eastern Michigan, 27-14,
while rushing for 300 yards. Northwestern dropped 47 points on Towson,
so the offense is already clicking.
Unfavorable matchup: Ohio
State vs. Southern California. Although USC took some major losses on
defense, they still looked mighty sharp against San Jose State. They
held the Spartans to three points and 121 yards. It could definitely be
a defensive showdown in The Horseshoe Saturday.
Conference USA
Notes: Rice head coach David Bailiff has named Nick Fanuzzi the starter for Saturday's game against Texas Tech, but
there is a good chance John Thomas Shepherd
will also see some snaps ... Southern Miss star receiver DeAndre Brown is still questionable for Week 2 against UCF as he
recovers from a broken leg. However, there seems to be no issues with
running back Damion Fletcher, who
rushed for 126 yards in the opener after battling an ankle injury
heading into the game ... Tulsa quarterback G.J. Kinne solidified his role as the starter with 211 passing
yards, 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the opener against Tulane.
Equally impressive was wide receiver Damaris Johnson, who totaled 252 all-purpose yards ... Tulane wide
receiver Jeremy Williams looked fully
recovered last week from a pair of injuries that ended his 2008 season
prematurely. He hauled in five receptions for 139 yards against Tulsa
... UAB quarterback Joe Webb passed for
221 yards, rushed for 189 yards and totaled four touchdowns (two
passing) in a 44-24 win over Rice ... It's not like Houston needs
another offensive weapon, but they found one in the opener against
Northwestern State. Freshman Charles Sims
led the receivers with six catches for 128 yards and one touchdown ...
Wake Forest transfer Brett Hodges
replaced Rob Calabrese during the
opener against Samford and led the Knights to a 28-24 comeback win. UCF
head coach George O'Leary still says this is Calabrese's team, but it's
clear the quarterback situation is far from settled.
Byes: None
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Houston at
Oklahoma State. The Cougars are going to have a hard time trying to beat
the Cowboys, but that doesn't mean they aren't going to post a ton of
yards in the process. Houston lost 56-37 last season to Oklahoma State,
but managed 483 yards of offense.
Unfavorable matchup: Tulane
vs. BYU. Even though Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford missed the second half against BYU last week, the
Cougars still did a nice job keeping the Sooners' high-octane offense in
check when their general was in the game. They allowed just 13 points
and 265 yards to Oklahoma.
Independents
Notes: The Independents gave us one of the top
performers in Week 1 in the form of Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd. The sophomore had touchdown catches of 24, 70 and 88
yards while finishing with four catches for 189 yards ... Navy
quarterback Ricky Dobbs did a very good
job keeping Ohio State on their heels. The triple-option quarterback
rushed for 83 yards and two touchdowns, while surprisingly passing for
156 yards and two more scores ... Army coach Rich Ellerson is still
sorting out his depth chart in his first year, but Week 1 brought a
little clarity in the run game. The Black Knights rolled up 308 rushing
yards against Eastern Michigan. Patrick Mealy
rushed for a team-high 109 yards, while Kingsley Ehie posted 75 yards and two scores. Unfortunately, starting
fullback CeDarius Williams had a
disappointing 43 yards on 10 carries.
Byes: None
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Navy vs.
Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs had a disappointing Week 1 loss to Auburn.
They allowed the Tigers to roll up 37 points and 556 yards. Navy is
still probably riding on a high from a near upset of Ohio State.
Unfavorable
matchup: None. Army is playing a Duke team that lost to Richmond in
Week 1 while Notre Dame is expected to be in a shootout with Michigan.
MAC
Notes: Toledo running back Morgan Williams will serve the final game of his two-game suspension
in Week 2 against Colorado ... You might have been a little shocked to
see Theo Scott start at quarterback for
Ohio in Week 1 against Connecticut, but that was because Boo Jackson has a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. Still,
Jackson eventually replaced an ineffective Scott and likely has the
upper hand in the competition, as long as he is healthy ... New coach,
but still same ol' Stephen Williams. The
Toledo receiver had 15 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns in the
opener against Purdue in head coach Tim Beckman's debut. It seems
Beckman will continue to lean on Williams as the team's star receiver
... Bowling Green was very impressive in a 31-14 victory against Troy in
Week 1. Tyler Sheehan completed 32 of
44 passes for 339 yards as Dave Clawson made his Bowling Green coaching
debut. The Falcons are definitely a team to watch in Fantasy if they
continue to post solid offensive lines.
Byes: Temple
Teams
playing FCS schools: Akron (vs. Morgan State); Ball State (vs. New
Hampshire); Northern Illinois (vs. Western Illinois)
Favorable
matchup: Toledo vs. Colorado. You are probably thinking Toledo
doesn't have a shot in this game, but don't forget the Buffaloes allowed
23 points and 376 yards to Colorado State in Week 1. Toledo showed
against Purdue they can put up the points and yards, even if they don't
win. It also helps Toledo they don't have to travel to the thin air of
Colorado.
Unfavorable matchup: Miami (Ohio) at Boise State.
The Redhawks didn't record a point in coach Mike Haywood's debut against
Kentucky and now travel to Boise to face a team that held Oregon's
high-octane offense to one touchdown.
Mountain West
Notes: Wyoming first-year coach Dave Christensen
said he will continue to rotate Robert Benjamin
and Austyn Carta-Samuels at quarterback
... Colorado State might have found their replacement for the graduated
Gartrell Johnson at tailback. Junior college transfer Leonard Mason was the team's leading rusher in Week 1 against Colorado
with 23 carries for 107 yards ... UNLV also might have found their
answer at tailback for Frank Summers. Channing Trotter rushed 16 times for 102 yards and three touchdowns in
the opener against Sacramento State ... Air Force had a field day
rushing the ball in Week 1 against Nicholls State. The Falcons racked up
474 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in a 72-0 rout. Fullback Jared Tew led the way with three touchdowns ... Utah head coach Kyle
Whittingham chose to keep his starting quarterback quandary under wraps
until kickoff against Utah State. He then unveiled it would be junior
college transfer Terrance Cain. It
seemed to be a good choice as Cain passed for 286 yards and two
touchdowns in his FBS debut. Wide receiver David Reed can certainly get behind the decision after posting 10
catches for 172 yards and one touchdown against the Aggies ... San Diego
State wide receiver Vincent Brown has
remained the Aztecs' top receiver despite the coaching change. He had
five catches for 139 yards and one touchdown in the opener against UCLA
... We continue to await the word on BYU running back Harvey Unga, who missed the opener against Oklahoma with a hamstring
injury. He is questionable for Week 2, and if he is out again, Bryan Kariya will start against Tulane.
Byes: None
Teams
playing FCS schools: Colorado State (vs. Weber State); San Diego
State (vs. Southern Utah)
Favorable matchup: Utah at San Jose
State. How do you not like the matchup for the Utes? They are playing a
team that allowed 56 points and 620 yards of offense to USC in Week 1.
Utah might not be as good as USC, but Utah showed last season against
Alabama they can be as effective as any BCS school.
Unfavorable
matchup: Wyoming vs. Texas. Even though the Cowboys get the
Longhorns on their home turf that doesn't mean Texas is going to forget
how to play football. Texas should have too much speed for Wyoming.
Pac-10
Notes: The big news of the week is the season-long
suspension of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount for his post-game antics against Boise State. Oregon
head coach Chip Kelly said he is going to use LaMichael James, Andre Crenshaw and
Kenyon Barner in Week 2 against Purdue, but James probably has the
highest Fantasy ceiling the rest of the year ... Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski missed the opener against Central Michigan with a
back injury and it appears unlikely he will play in Week 2 against
Northern Arizona as he is already listed as doubtful ... Sticking with
Arizona, it seems head coach Mike Stoops is giving quarterback Matt Scott the first chance to replace Willie Tuitama. He beat out Nick Foles in a close competition ... Oregon State freshman Markus Wheaton was cleared to play by the NCAA days before the team's
opener against Portland State and will continue to work in the receiver
rotation with Darrell Catchings (hand)
sidelined ... Arizona State wide receiver Kerry Taylor served a team-imposed one-game suspension in the opener
against Idaho State and is expected to return in Week 2 against
La.-Monroe ... Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao (shoulder) remains questionable for Saturday against
UNLV, meaning Sean Canfield is likely to
start again ... UCLA running back Christian Ramirez is once again questionable with an ankle injury as the
Bruins prep for Tennessee in Week 2 ... Fantasy owners need to keep tabs
on Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu.
He scored twice in the opener against Washington State and is turning
into a deep threat for the Cardinal ... Washington freshman James Johnson is another receiver to watch. He has been the buzz of
Washington camp and debuted with six catches for 63 yards against LSU.
Byes:
Arizona State
Teams playing FCS schools: California (vs.
Eastern Washington); Arizona (vs. Northern Arizona)
Favorable
matchup: Oregon vs. Purdue. Oregon rolled up 503 yards of offense
last season against Purdue. They are hungry for a win after losing to
Boise State in the opener, and it's not like the Boilermakers were stout
defensively in a Week 1 win against Toledo. They allowed 31 points and
493 yards.
Unfavorable matchup: UCLA at Tennessee. The Bruins
might have beaten Tennessee, 27-24, last season, but it certainly wasn't
a pretty offensive effort. They managed just 29 rushing yards and turned
the ball over four times. Now, they have to contend with Monte Kiffin's
Cover-2 defense.
SEC
Notes: Alabama running back Mark Ingram, who bruised his knee in a Week 1 win against Virginia
Tech, is not being held out of practice this week and appears probable
for Saturday against Florida International ... Georgia running back Caleb King (hamstring) is expected to play Saturday against South
Carolina after missing the opener at Oklahoma State. However, he is
expected to back up Richard Samuel...
The Arkansas receiving corps took a major blow after London Crawford broke his collarbone in the opener against Missouri
State. He is sidelined 4-6 weeks ... Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon is being listed as questionable for Saturday's game
against Auburn because of disciplinary actions. He dressed for the
opener against Jackson State, but did not play. He is still trying to
work his way back into the good graces of coach Dan Mullen after an
off-the-field incident ... While Vanderbilt running back Jared Hawkins (foot) was out in Week 1 against Western Carolina,
freshmen backs Warren Norman and Zac Stacy stole the show. Norman and Stacy became the first
freshmen in Vanderbilt history to run for more than 100 yards in the
same game ... Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton solidified his starting role with five touchdown
passes in the opener against Western Kentucky ... Florida head coach
Urban Meyer praised wide receiver Riley Cooper
after posting five catches for 105 yards in the opener against
Charleston Southern. Meyer has been harping since the offseason that
Florida needed players to step up in the absence of Louis Murphy and
Percy Harvin, and Cooper has popped up on Meyer's radar as a potential
go-to-receiver.
Byes: Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss
Teams
playing FCS schools: None
Favorable matchup: Florida vs.
Troy. Bowling Green ran its spread offense with great success in Week 1
against Troy. They racked up 31 points and 389 yards. Can you imagine
what Tim Tebow and the boys might do
against Troy?.
Unfavorable matchup: South Carolina at Georgia.
This game has been a defensive battle the last few seasons and it might
live up to the hype again since the two teams combined for just 17
points in Week 1.
Sun Belt
Notes: There weren't many highlights from the Sun
Belt in Week 1 as North Texas, La.-Lafayette and Arkansas State were the
only victors. And two of those wins were against FCS teams ... Arkansas
State running back Reggie Arnold was
too much for Mississippi Valley State last week. He rushed for four
touchdowns and 126 yards on 12 carries ... Running back Undrea Sails is quickly making La.-Lafayette fans forget about
four-time 1,000-yard rusher Tyrell Fenroy. Sails rushed for 114 yards
and two touchdowns in the opener against Southern.
Byes: Florida
Atlantic
Teams playing FCS schools: La.-Monroe (vs. Texas
Southern)
Favorable matchup: North Texas vs. Ohio. The Mean
Green might have only had 20 points in Week 1 against Ball State, but
they put up 512 yards of offense, including 296 on the ground. Ohio was
shredded for 259 rushing yards by Connecticut last week.
Unfavorable
matchup: Troy at Florida. If all Troy could muster up was 14 points
against Bowling Green in Week 1, what do you think the Trojans' chances
are going up against the defending national champs on their home turf?
WAC
Notes: Robert Turbin did
a nice job keeping himself atop the Utah State running back depth chart
in Week 1 against Utah. He led the Aggies with 148 rushing yards, which
included a 96-yard touchdown scamper ... Hawaii wide receiver Greg Salas showed why he is the Warriors' best receiver against
Central Arkansas last week. He led the way with seven receptions for 180
yards and one touchdown ... Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews looks back to 100 percent after he was slowed by leg
problems in 2008. Mathews rushed for 106 yards in the opener against UC
Davis, which included a 60-yard touchdown run. Mathews averaged 9.6
yards per carry.
Byes: Nevada, Utah State
Teams playing
FCS schools: New Mexico State (vs. Prairie View A&M)
Favorable
matchup: Hawaii at Washington State. We have to keep picking on the
Cougars until they prove they can stop the opposition. Washington State
allowed 39 points and 481 yards of offense to Stanford in the opener and
Hawaii is definitely looking to throw the ball around.
Unfavorable
matchup: San Jose State vs. Utah. For the second straight week, the
Spartans play a top 25 team after getting bounced, 56-3, in the opener
against USC. Utah looked suspect at times against Utah State in Week 1,
but got stronger as the game went on and shut out the Aggies in the
second half.