Tennessee-Martin @ Boise State
Both teams have an impressive rushing attack and it should make for an intense battle to win the trenches on both sides of the ball. Jay Ajayi, the Broncos featured running back, is a powerful, violent runner that flashes similarities to Jamal Lewis in his days with the Ravens. From Tennessee-Martin’s backfield, DJ McNeil and Trent Garland have the potential to shred the Broncos apart, assuming their offensive line can hold up. Although, neither team put up more than 175 passing yards in their week one performance.
Boise State’s defense is a more seasoned, talented group than that of Tennessee-Martin, but that is expected when facing an FCS team. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence is primed to give UT-Martin’s offensive tackles fits when he comes off the edge. Likewise, Tennessee-Martin’s DJ Roberts may have the same effect against the Broncos offensive line.
Utah State @ Air Force
In terms of “star players”, Utah State takes the cake with their quarterback Chuckie Keeton. He is a game changer that has the ability to beat you with his arm and his legs. Along with him, wide receiver Bruce Natson has the potential to bust an electric play at any time. On the other hand, Air Force is more run oriented. Their top two rushers from last week totaled 231 yards on only 29 carries (roughly eight yards per carry).
As they do on offense, Utah State has better playmakers on defense as well. Linebacker Zach Vigil is the leader of the Aggies defense and it shows through his aggression and ability to make tackles all over the field. Against Utah, Utah State was able to rack up a total of three sacks, yet Air Force could not even manage to get one against the mediocre competition of Chattanooga.
San Diego State @ (3) Ohio State
Quarterback phenom and Heisman hopeful Braxton Miller will likely have few struggles with the defense of San Diego State. He’s an explosive, uncontainable runner with a strong arm that can stretch the field. SDSU’s Adam Dingwell does not come relatively close to Braxton Miller in terms of talent and he has much less experience. If Dingwell threw four interceptions against Eastern Illinois, his performance against OSU could be catastrophic.
Defensively, all eyes will be on Ohio State. Cornerback Brad Roby is returning from suspension and will return to assist stud linebacker Ryan Shazier. Not only will they be disruptive, but the Buckeyes pairs of safeties and defensive ends will be problematic for SDSU. The Aztecs defensive talents fall short when compared to Ohio State’s.
Idaho @ Wyoming
Brett Smith, quarterback for Wyoming, does not get as much credit as he deserves. With little run support and an incompetent offensive line, Smith makes many plays on his own, whether it be buying more time to throw or taking off to run. Idaho may have a young, underappreciated quarterback of their own. Freshman Chad Chalich completed 70 percent of his passes and threw no interceptions in his first start.
Against Nebraska, Wyoming could not muster up a sack, but they were able to record a total of six tackles for loss, all by underclassmen. Along with the tackles behind the line of scrimmage, defensive back Marqueston Huff is currently tied for most total tackles in the nation. Despite it being against a lesser opponent, Idaho “one upped” Wyoming’s tackle for loss number as they recorded nine. Similar to Wyoming, none of those nine were sacks.
Colorado State @ Tulsa
Unfortunately for them, both teams have problems generating offense. Neither of them threw for more than 250 yards, but Colorado State was able to rack up roughly 40 more rushing yards and two touchdowns in week one. The most notably offensive player, from either team, is Joe Hansley, wide receiver for Colorado State. Not only is he their best receiver, but he also has return skills that should be defended with caution.
Parallel to their offenses, their defenses are abysmal. Tulsa’s main weakness is their front seven. Bowling Green accounted for more rushing yards (233 yards) against Tulsa than Tulsa did by passing (222 yards) against Bowling Green. Idaho has a polar opposite issue. Their defensive backs allow even the most mediocre quarterbacks to shine.
Hawaii @ Oregon State
In his outing versus USC, Hawaii quarterback Taylor Graham played what may be end up to be this season’s worst performance by a quarterback. If his lowly 39 percentage of completion wasn’t enough, USC defenders intercepted him four times. On the other side of the field, quarterback Sean Mannion, despite the loss, put up stellar numbers in week one and should not have many issues repeating that. Behind him, Storm Woods and Terron Ward make for one of the NCAA’s most lethal running back duo.
Hawaii’s Brendan Daley will need to prove his consistency as a disruptive force, but Oregon State already has a proven player who can wreak havoc. Scott Crichton is an intimidator with the brute strength to move around opposing lineman with ease and free up senior linebacker Michael Doctor to make plays.
New Mexico @ UTEP
While neither offense is particularly special, UTEP has a slight edge. If junior running back Nathan Jeffery improves from his impressive sophomore campaign, New Mexico will have a tough time containing him. Despite that, their passing attack is unimpressive, as is New Mexico’s. Offensively, both teams must dominate the trenches.
Defensively, this game is primed to be ugly. Last season, both ranked outside of the top 90 in total defense and show no signs of being able to improve. Although, both are returning a majority of their defensive lines.
UC Davis @ Nevada
Quarterback Cody Fajardo will not only beat you through the air, but he will also do so by running. The pistol/read-option system at Nevada plays to Fajardo’s strength’s and maximizes his ability. Unfortunately, the loss of tight end Zach Sudfeld (NFL Draft) may prove to be problematic. UC Davis, a non-FBS program, will have an immense challenge ahead of them on offense.
If UC Davis allowed 195 rushing yards to South Dakota, Fajardo and company are set to give the Aggies a rude awakening. 300+ rushing yards alone allowed by UC Davis is not far-fetched. Nevada’s young tandem of pass rushers, Lenny Jones and Brock Hekking, should make UC Davis’ quarterback’s job infinitely more difficult as he will be pressured extensively.
Cal Poly @ Fresno State
Derek Carr and Davante Adams, arguably the nation’s best quarterback/wide receiver duo, should pick apart Cal Poly with ease. Not only does Carr have Adams, but Isaiah Burse and Josh Harper proved that they can be solid contributors as well. Cal Poly, while lacking in the pass game, has a rushing attack that may surprise Fresno State.
Ball hawking safety Derron Smith only adds to the passing issues Cal Poly was already destined to have. Not only does he already have the Bulldog’s only interception, but he’s also tied for the team lead for tackles. With Cal Poly’s rather stout run defense, their defensive backs will need to step up if they want any chance at an upset.
Arizona @ UNLV
With the return of Ka’Deem Carey from suspension, the Arizona offense should be back to full force. New starting quarterback BJ Denker will have to prove that he can lead the team at a high level and fill the void left by Matt Scott. UNLV’s offense, especially quarterback Nick Sherry, must show improvement. Otherwise, they will not be able to keep up with Arizona.
Senior linebackers and Arizona’s top two tacklers from 2012 Jake Fischer and Marquis Flowers will command the middle against UNLV while safety Tra’Mayne Bondurant secures the skies. UNLV’s best defensive contributor is defensive lineman Sonny Sanitoa. Sanitoa has the potential to attack and take down opposing quarterbacks at any time.
San Jose State @ (5) Stanford
David Fales of San Jose State and Kevin Hogan of Stanford face off once again. Both quarterbacks are future NFL talents, possibly first round choices. Fales, despite being the better quarterback, has less support than Hogan does. While Fales has Noel Grigsby to throw to, Hogan has a superior offensive line and two young junior receivers in Kelsey Young and Ty Montgomery, both of which were behind two seniors on the depth chart last season.
Stanford has a top five, if not the best, defense in the nation. Pass rushing, run stuffing, and playing coverage, they can do it all. Safety Ed Reynolds is a top shelf coverage safety and could take advantage of Fales as he is being pressured by the nasty front seven of Stanford. For San Jose State, freshman Eugene Taylor is a ray of sunshine and may be able to repeat his week one performance of two sacks.