WESTERN MICHIGAN AT TOLEDO
GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT BALL STATE
EASTERN MICHIGAN AT JACKSONVILLE STATE
CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT SOUTH ALABAMA
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 - 12 P.M. ET
HUSKIE STADIUM - DeKALB, IL
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Both Tulsa and NIU have dropped two straight after Week One victories. In the case of Tulsa, the Hurricanes have fell to a pair of ranked teams: No. 8 Washington (43-10) and No. 19 Oklahoma (66-17).
TULSA
- The Sooners jumped out to a 28-0 first quarter lead and were up 38-14 by intermission. Tulsa was held to one field goal over the final two quarters.
- Oklahoma outgained Tulsa 595-292 overall and forced five turnovers -- all interceptions.
- Tulsa quarterbacks Cardell Williams and Roman Fuller combined to go 17-0f-27 for a total of 217 yards and two TDs with five picks. The Hurricanes had 75 yards rushing, with Bill Jackson leading the way (10 carries, 40 yards).
NORTHERN ILLINOIS
- NIU is coming off a 35-11 loss at Nebraska. The tough Husker defense held NIU to 149 yards of offense. Northern Illinois is currently ranked 10th among MAC teams in total offense. The Huskie defense is faring better, allowing 304.3 ypc. That leaves NIU third in total defense.
Uncharacteristically, the Huskies are 11th in rushing offense (85.0 ypg) and sixth in passing offense (197.3 ypg).
- Northern Illinois is tied for 110th in NCAA turnover margin stats (-2, 1.00 per game).
- QB Rocky Lombardi is completing 50 percent of his passes, good for 535 yards with one TD and four interceptions. He has been sacked eight times.
WESTERN MICHIGAN AT TOLEDO
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 - 1:30 P.M. ET
GLASS BOWL - TOLEDO, OH
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Preseason MAC favorite Toledo takes a two-game winning streak into its first MAC encounter, while Western Michigan has lost two straight.
Toledo leads, 45-32. The Broncos defeated the Rockets, 20-14, in the regular-season finale in Kalamazoo last year. Toledo has won nine of the
last 13 meetings in the series. WMU won last year's meeting, 20-14, in Kalamazoo.
TOLEDO.
- After nearly knocking off Big Ten opponent Illinois in the season opener, the Rockets crushed Texas Southern 71-3 and rallied to defeat San Jose State 21-17 last week in the Glass Bowl.
-- The Spartans opened up a 10-point lead before DeQuan Finn hit Jerjuan Newton on a 15-yard TD pass just before intermission. San Diego State managed one more TD at 9:58 of the third period. However, Finn scored on an 18-yard run at 6:14 and Chris McDonald moved UT in front for good with a 25-yard interception return at 1:01 of the third stanza. Neither team scored in the fourth period.
-- Peny Boone’s 123 rushing yards vs. San Jose State was his career high. He was named MAC West Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
-- Finn is third the MAC in passing yards (186.7), second in passing efficiency (147.16) and third in total offense (234.7).
- Toledo leads the MAC in scoring offense (40.0), total offense (428.7) and rushing offense (195.7), and is second in scoring defense (16.7) and total defense (293.3).
-- Toledo is No. 5 in the country in third-down conversions (23-40/57.5%).
-- Toledo is a perfect 16-of-16 in the red zone this season with 14-of-16 going for touchdowns.
WESTERN MICHIGAN
-- The Broncos led No. 25 Iowa 10-7 late in the second quarter last week. However, Iowa scored one TD before intermission and added 27 more points in the second half.
-- Freshman Treyson Bourguet completed 5 of 16 for 124 yards and 1 TD against Iowa. He also led the Broncos in rushing (8 carries, 32 yards. WMU totaled 117 yards on the ground.
-- Keni-H Lovely and Anthony Enechukwu both picked off Iowa aerials.
-- The Broncos rank eighth among MAC teams in scoring offense (17.3 ppg) and 10th in scoring defense (35.3 ppg). They are second in total offense (355.3 ypg) and seventh in total defense (338 ypg).
-- WMU's 184.3 rushing yards per game is second among MAC teams.
-- The Broncos are eighth in passing (MAC) (253.3 ypg.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 - 2 P.M. ET
SCHEUMANN STADIUM - MUNCIE, IN
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After scoring 45 points last week against Indiana State, the Ball State Cardinals may need another good offensive day Saturday when they face Georgia Southern. Although the Eagles tallied just 14 points last week at Wisconsin, they combined for 83 points in victories over The Citadel (49-35) and Alabama-Birmingham 35-14).
The Cardinals and Eagles are concluding a two-year, home-and-road series that began with a 34-23 Georgia Southern win last September.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN
-GSU stayed right with Wisconsin through two quarters lst week and took a brief lead with an Eagles touchdown early in the third period.
However, the Badgers ran for three third quarter TDs and added one more in the final period for the 35-14 win.
-- Georgia Southern outgained the badgers 455-451 and had one more first down. However, the Eagles committed six turnovers - five were interceptions. Wisconsin went turnover-free.
-- GSU passed 58 times and senior QB Davis Brin completed 33, good for 383 yards with one TD and five picks.
-- Brinn was sacked six times at Wisconsin, reducing the GSU run total to 72 yards. Sophomore OJ Arnold (5-10, 185) contributed 66 on 10 carries.
-- Brin is in his last year of eligibility after having played ve years at Tulsa, throwing for 5,675yards and 37 touchdowns
- Derwin Burgess Jr. (8 catches, 124 yards) and Khaleb Hood (7 catches, 61 yards) led Eagle receivers. Burgess' carrer-long 68-yard reception set up Georgia Southern's first touchdown.
-- The Eagle offense has gone with the same starting 11 for each of the first three games. Ten of the eleven on defense have started every game so far.
-- Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) own six FCS titles and 11 conference titles. It has also produced two Walter Payton Award winners.
BALL STATE
-- Ball State regained possession of its Victory Bell rivalry trophy in last week’s 45-7 win over Indiana State.
-- For the first time in his young career, true freshman quarterback Kadin Semonza started both halves and played in all four quarters. The youngster finished with 137 yards on 17-of22 passing, including touchdown throws to Tanner Koziol and Rico Barfield.
-- Against the Sycamores, Ball State had room to run for the first time this season, after playing its opening weeks at defensive juggernauts Kentucky and Georgia. Led by Marquez Cooper’s 177 rushing yards, the Cardinals collected 288 yards on the ground overall to mark their best rushing effort since a 304-yard home opener vs. Eastern Michigan in 2020.
-- Three Ball State running backs scored touchdowns on the ground against the Sycamores. Only Carson Steele (now at UCLA) scored a rushing touchdown for the Cardinals last season -- 14 of them.
-- Against ISU, Ball State recorded four sacks among eight tackles for loss; a strip sack that produced a 66-yard fumble return for touchdown; a fumble recovery on a punt and an interception for the third straight game.
-- Despite facing SEC foes in its first two games, Ball State has led in time of possession in all three games.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 - 5 P.M. ET
BURGESS-SNOW FIELD - JACKSONVILLE, AL
ESPN+
After nipping UMass last week, Eastern Michigan will try to pick up a third non-conference victory Saturday when it visit Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks, now in their first season at the FBS level, are 2-1 after opening the campaign with wins against UTEP (17-14) and East Tennessee State (49-3). This is the first meeting between EMU and Jax State, which will return the game with a matchup in Ypsilanti next year.
JACKSONVILLE STATE
-- This week is homecoming on campus. The Gamecocks are 61-14-2 all-time in homecoming tilts. Jax State has averaged 19,626 through its first two home games this year.
-- The Gamecocks were off last weekend. Their last outing was a 30-16 loss at Coastal Carolina.
-- JSU led 9-7 after three straight Alen Karajic first half field goals. However, CCU scored the next 23 points before a Logan Sanders 19-yard run with 10:00 remaining.
-- Coastal Carolina had just six more total yards and two less first downs.
-- Quarterbacks Zion Webb and Logan Smothers combined to complete 16 of 28 passes for 207 yards. Eight players caught at least one pass and none more than four . Perry Carter had two catchs totaling 77 yards.
-- JSU is a Conference USA member and through three games, has a league-best one turnover. Conversely, the Gamecocks rank second in takeaways with seven.
-- The Gamecocks have run for at least 100 yards in 20 consecutive outings, including all 14 games in the head coach Rich Rodriguez era.
-- Jax State ranks first among C-USA teams in run defense (124.7 ypg).
-- Kolbi Fuqua registered 18 tackles against Coastal Carolina.
EASTERN MICHIGAN
-- UMass outgained the Eagles 464-371 and had a 23-14 first down edge last week, but EMU forced four turnovers on the way to a 19-17 victory. The Minutemen pulled in front for the first time at 2:42 of the final period on an eight-yard run, but Austin Smith's 50-yard bomb to Hamze El-Zayat with 1:20 remaining gave EMU its first win of 2023.
-- Smith completed 13 of 26 pass atempts totaling 157 yards with the winning score.
-- Most of EMU's offense came on the ground (214 yards), with Samson Evans (8 carries, 89 yards) and Jaylon Jackson (12 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD) providing most of the progress.
-- Bennett Walker picked off two UMass passes, while Quentavius Scandrett had one interception.
-- Walker was named MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week while Mitchell Tomasek earned the Special Teams Player of the Week honor. Tomasek averaged 45.9 yards per punt on seven boots, dropping three inside the 20.
-- With his next trip to the end zone, Samson Evans will tie former Huron great Gary Patton (1984-87) for the most career touchdowns scored in EMU history.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 - 5 P.M. ET
HANCOCK WHITNEY STADIUM - MOBILE, AL
ESPN+
The Chippewas aim to even their non-conference record at 2-2 if they can defeat hosting South Alabama (2-1) Saturday.
After falling to No. 24 Tulane to open 2023, the Jaguars posted sins over Southeast Louisiana (35-17) and Oklahoma State 33-7.
This is Central Michigan’s second meeting against South Alabama. Last year, after defeating Central Michigan 38-24 in the second weekend, South Alabama went on to win five consecutive games, finished in second place in the Sun Belt Conference West Division, completed their year with a 10-3 overall record, and advanced to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
SOUTH ALABAMA
-- The Jaguars are outscoring opponents 28.33 to 20.33 and outrushing opponents 636-359 in total yardage. Running back La’Damien Webb leads the squad with 272 yards rushing and four touchdowns (8.0 yards per carry), while Kentrel Bullock has rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown on 44 carries (4.3 yards per carry).
-- South Alabama's defense held Oklahoma State to a total of 208 yards last week and also forced two turnovers. The Jaguars offense, meanwhile, totaled 395 yards.
-- Most of USA's offense came on the ground. La'Damian Webb led the way with 18 carries for 151 (8.4 ypc) of the Jaguar's 243 rushing yards. He also contributed both rushing TDs.
-- Senior QB Carter Bradley completed 10 of 16 passes totaling 152 yards with two TDs. Caulin Lacy led receivers with five catches for 104 yards and both aerial scores.
-- South Alabama’s defense has now forced seven turnovers on the season, which ranks 11th in the nation.
-- The Jags have forced multiple turnovers in each game this season. USA took the ball away from Tulane three times in the season opener, and then twice each in wins over Southeastern Louisiana and Oklahoma State.
– USA’s five fumble recoveries are the most in all of college football.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
-- A Chippewas touchdown with 17 seconds remaining in the half left CMU within one score (21-14) at intermission last week at Notre Dame. However, ND outscored CMU 20-3 over the final two quarters.
-- Notre Dame outgained CMU 578-268.
-- Quarterback Bert Emanuel, Jr. was ill and did not make the trip to South Bend. Sophomore Jase Bauer completed 10 of 20 pass attempts totaling 137 yards.
-- Jesse Prewitt III led Chippewas receivers with two catches totaling 59 yards. Tyson Davis grabbed two for a total of 40 yards.
-- Myles Bailey (12 carries, 59 yards, 1 TD) and Marion Lukes (9 carries, 56 yards) led Central Michigan rushing (131 yards, 2 TDs).
-- Jake Walrath punted seven times, averaging 50.1 yards per boot with a long of 63.