Appalachian State will look to rebound after their trip into the Bayou, evacuating in time to avoid Hurricane Gustav, but not soon enough against defending BCS national champion LSU. The Mountaineers couldn't repeat their magic from Michigan in 2007, falling behind 31-0 in the first half before losing a 41-13 decision to the Tigers.

Appalachians normally potent spread offense was limited to a mere 58 yards rushing on 28 carries and a total of 237 yards, while LSU rolled up 266 yards on the ground en route to 459 yards of total offense.

Walter Payton Award candidate Armanti Edwards was held to his second-lowest rushing total of his career as a starter. Connecting on just 13-of-31 passes, Edwards was victimized by constant duress by a ranked vaunted LSU pass-rush and plenty of dropped passes by his receiving corps.

The only impressive aspect of the Appalachian defense in the opener against LSU was the play of its linebacking unit of Pierre Banks, Jacque Roman and D.J. Smith. Roman paced the Mountaineers' defense with 12 tackles and an interception, while talented sophomore linebacker D.J. Smith added 11 stops.

The Jacksonville Dolphins, who play as members of the Pioneer Football League, are coming off a season-opening 20-7 win over Savannah State, an opponent that had won just three times in its past 31 outings.

The Dolphins were just 3-8 last season under new coach Kerwin Bell and the season-opening win over Savannah State provides a confidence-boost heading into this weekends contest against three-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State.

The Dolphins two top offensive weapons entering the 2008 campaign are wide receiver Geavon Tribble and running back Rudell Small. Tribble caught 41 passes for 701 yards and five touchdowns last fall, while Small rushed for 490 yards and nine TDs last fall.

Against Savannah State last Saturday, Small led the Jacksonville offensive charge, rushing for 109 yards on 25 attempts, while Tribble caught five passes for 81 yards. The Dolphins employed two signal-callers in Erik Stapleton (9- of-15, 93 yards, two interceptions) and Josh McGregor (9-of-15, 159 yards) and will likely utilize that same duo against the Mountaineers.

Defensively, the Dolphins are led by defensive back Robson Noel, who posted a team-high 80 tackles last season, to go with five tackles-for-loss and five pass break-ups last fall.

The encounter with Jacksonville will mark Appalachian's first game against a team from the Pioneer Football League since the 2003 season, when it opened its home slate against Morehead State and barely survived for a 24-21 win. But look for ASU to have an easier time against this PFL opponent.

If there were many questions about how well new quarterback Nick Mertens would perform, those were answered fairly quickly in North Dakota State's 41-6 victory over Austin Peay. Mertens was a brilliant 16-of-18 for 304 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception in his debut.

Kole Heckendorf took another step to establishing himself as one of the elite receivers in FCS with eight catches for 179 yards and touchdowns of five, 43 and 69 yards.

Tyler Roehl, the top returning Payton Award vote-getter, only received 15 carries for 74 yards, but will be needed a lot more as the season progresses. Other weapons include returnman Shamen Washington and tight end Jeremiah Wurzbacher.

The Bison piled up 453 yards of offense in their opening-game win and were just as impressive on the defensive side, limiting Austin Peay to 91 yards. Cyrus Lemon had a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown and NDSU also received strong play from linebackers Ramon Humber and Mike Maresh, defensive end Joe Lardinois and safety Nick Schommer.

Central Connecticut State will have an interesting challenge in trying to run its Georgia Southern-styled option against one of the top rushing defenses in FCS. The Blue Devils rang up 270 yards on the ground in week one, but that was against a Bryant team that was playing its first FCS game.

James Mallory ran 29 times for 256 yards and two touchdowns and Aubrey Norris hit 6-of-13 passes for 113 yards and a TD, but they likely to find the going tougher against North Dakota State.

CCSU's defense was somewhat porous against Bryant, allowing 216 yards through the air and 134 yards on the ground.

These two teams enter this intrastate rivalry at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Spiders posted an impressive 28-10 win on the road at No. 15 Elon, while Virginia was crushed by USC, 52-7.

There was some concern for Richmond about losing the school's all-time leading rusher Tim Hightower, but Josh Vaughn led the offensive attack with 119 yards rushing, including 72 of those yards on one TD romp.

Richmond quarterback Eric Ward also looked calm and composed to begin his senior campaign leading the Spiders' offense, completing 17-of-22 passes for a career-best 236 yards, including tossing an 80-yard scoring pass to 2007 CAA rookie of the year Kevin Grayson. Ward was named co-national offensive player of the week by The Sportsbook Betting Lines.

Grayson's seven receptions for 121 yards came within one yard of his career- high, set 122 in last season's 55-35 FCS semifinal playoff loss at Appalachian State.

Virginia lost plenty of talent from a team that won the ACC championship last fall, including NFL first round selection Chris Long and starting signal- caller Jameel Sewell to academic troubles.

New Richmond coach Mike London served as defensive coordinator for Virginia coach Al Groh from for four seasons (2003-2006). Virginia lured former Marshall head coach Bob Pruett out of retirement to take over its defense.

Richmond draws Virginia at a great time and could shock Virginia football fans with a big win.

After opening the season with a somewhat unimpressive 28-16 win over Albany, UMass heads to take on the Holy Cross Crusaders in an intriguing non- conference game.

Holy Cross enters the 2008 campaign as one of the favorites to claim the Patriot League title and has one of FCS' most-prolific quarterbacks in FCS with Payton Award candidate Dominic Randolph. Randolph is one of eight starters returning to a high-powered Crusader offense.

Randolph connected for 3,604 yards, with 30 touchdowns and just eight interceptions last season. He was also the team's third-leading rusher, completing the season with 137 yards and four rushing scores.

Holy Cross lost its top two receivers, Ryan Maher (75 receptions, 907 yards, 10 TDs) and Thomas Harrison (56 receptions, 795 yards, six TDs), but Brian McDermott and Jon Brock return as targets for Randolph this fall. McDermott hauled in 56 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns in 2007, while Brock caught 45 passes for 537 yards and two touchdowns last fall for the Crusaders.

Terrance Gass and Mike Kielt will tag-team to power the rushing attack for Holy Cross yet again this season. The tandem combined to rush for 930 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

Defensively, the Crusaders welcome back six starters from a unit led the league in turnover margin (1.00) and also return their top two tacklers from a year ago, in linebackers Marcus Rodriguez (69 tackles in 2007) and Ryan Stewart (65 tackles, five tackles-for-loss in 2007).

Holy Cross opened the 2007 season on the road with a narrow 40-30 setback to the Minutemen at McGuirk Stadium, raising some eyebrows around the FCS landscape against the 2006 national finalist.

UMass can't afford another lackluster performance like the one against Albany last Saturday. The Minutemen have games on the horizon at James Madison and Texas Tech, before returning home to face Delaware.

These next three weeks are crucial for Don Brown's Minutemen, and this particular stretch could determine the season for UMass, starting with today's contest at Holy Cross. After an unimpressive opener in front of the home crowd, expect the Minutemen to play with more intensity this afternoon and escape with another close call against the Crusaders.

Two years ago, Colorado opened the season and the Dan Hawkins era with a loss to a Big Sky opponent, falling 19-6 to Montana State.A more talented Colorado club welcomes a more talented Big Sky club to Folsom Field in Eastern Washington,

The Eagles certainly aren't dodging anyone with their schedule, having opened the season at No. 13 FBS and fellow Big 12 member Texas Tech and will follow that opener against FBS Big 12 foe Colorado this Saturday.

In EWUs season-opening 49-24 loss to the Red Raiders, All-American quarterback and Payton Award candidate signal-caller Matt Nichols completed 36-of-61 passes for 363 yards and a touchdown, but tossed an uncharacteristic three interceptions in the contest. Nichols threw one-third of his total of nine interceptions in 2007 in the 2008 season-opener against Texas Tech.

Tony Rice had a solid night catching the football for the Eagles, hauling in 13 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, while All-American wide receiver Aaron Boyce caught just three passes for 12 yards.

Out-gained 536-341 in the contest, the Eagles were held to just 23 yards rushing on the night, with 2007 leading ground gainer Dale Morris leading the effort, with a mere 17 yards. The Eagles managed to slow QB Graham Harrell and the Red Raiders for a while, but couldn't overcome a 21-0 first-quarter deficit.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Matt Johnson led the Eagles defensive effort, posting 10 tackles and an interceptions that he returned 37 yards to set up the Eastern Washington offense in excellent field position.

Colorado beat arch-rival Colorado State 38-17 on Sunday, so the Buffaloes could be coming off of an emotional letdown. Cody Hawkins passed for 214 yards and one TD as the CU offense put up 367 yards, while the defense allowed 258.

After opening the season with a disappointing 31-7 setback at ACC cellar- dweller Duke, its hard to gauge whether the Duke Blue Devils are that much of an improved team under first-year head coach David Cutcliffe, or if James Madison was a bit overrated entering the 2008 season.

Coming off that loss, James Madison takes on a North Carolina Central club in just the second year of its transition to FCS. The Eagles are an FCS independent, coming off a 6-4 record in 2007. NCC returns nine starters off that team that posted a winning season in its first season as an FCS member.

In its season opener against Fayetteville State on Sunday afternoon, the Eagles dropped a 33-22 decision to Fayetteville State in front of a home crowd of 8,853 at Riddick Stadium. It was the second year in a row that the Eagles had dropped their opener to a Division II school.

Fayetteville State scored almost all of its touchdowns off NCCU miscues, two fumbles, a blocked punt, and a botched snap accounting for 28 of FSUs 33 points on the day. In all, the Eagles turned the ball over five times in the loss, with four fumbles.

NCCU posted a solid 339 yards of total offense, but the Eagles rushing attack was anemic, churning out just 55 yards. Quarterback Stadford Brown, who passed for 1,711 yards, with 14 TDs and 13 interceptions last fall, completed 19- of-43 passes for 284 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the season- opening loss. Despite posting four sacks and nine tackles-for-loss as a defense, the Eagles struggle on offense were too much to overcome.

In its season-opening loss to Duke, James Madison also struggled offensively. JMU couldn't run or throw the ball effectively against the Blue Devils. The JMU offense was held to a total of just 239 yards of total offense (188 rushing, 55 passing) on the evening, and got out-gained by the Blue Devils 364-239.

Senior signal-caller Rodney Landers accounted for James Madisons lone points of the evening, with a 47-yard scoring run late in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7. However, from there the Blue Devils defense put the clamps on Landers and the JMU offense, shutting out the Dukes 24-0 the rest of the way.

You can bet JMU coach Mickey Matthews, a hard-nosed competitor, will have his team ready to play in the home opener and will likely show no mercy to the visiting Eagles.

After opening the season with a 41-17 against Brigham Young in Provo, UT., Northern Iowa is eager to get back home to the friendly confines of the UNI Dome.

It was a tough opener for the Panthers, who were out-rushed 149-77. UNI tailback All-American Corey Lewis, who for 1,513 yards last season was held to just 37 yards rushing on 17 attempts against BYU.

New quarterback Pat Grace, who assumed the starting role at the quarterback from Payton runner-up Eric Sanders, struggled in his first start, completing 11-of-18 passes for 112 yards. Grace managed to lead the Panthers rushing efforts in the season-opening setback to the Cougars, gaining 72 yards on 11 rush attempts for UNI.

In all, BYU out-gained UNI 563-362, including passing for 486 yards. Darrell Lloyd led the Panthers in tackles last week with 11 stops and a fumble recovery.

In its first game as a FCS team, South Dakota won its opener in emphatic fashion, defeating Division III St. Ambrose 52-0. In front of a crowd of 7,825 fans at the Dakota Dome, the Coyotes scored early and often, displaying a high- powered attack that could give foes in the Great West headaches this fall.

Led by talented senior quarterback Noah Shepard (2,547 passing yards, 21 TDs, nine interceptions in 2007), the Coyotes feature a high-powered offense that averaged 496.0 yards of total offense and 31.4 points per game in its final season as a Division II member last fall.

Six of the Coyotes nine returnees for the 2008 campaign are on the defensive side of the football, and were able to score a shutout in their opener. Last season, the South Dakota defense yielded 385.0 yards of total offense per game and surrendered 27.5 points per outing.

Leading tackler Blake Hojer (80 tackles in 2007) is one of the six returning starters on the defensive side of the ball for the Coyotes, contributing a solid effort in the season opener with a team-high nine tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in the 52-0 route.

This will mark the 40th meeting between the two schools, with the Panthers holding a narrow 21-17-1 all-time edge. But it will be the first meeting in 26 years.

Delta State is one of the better Division II programs around, but the Statesmen probably could have picked a better time to travel to McNeese State. The Cowboys are coming off a 35-27 loss to North Carolina - a game that McNeese State could have easily won.

The Cowboys led until late in the third quarter and probably would have kept their advantage without some special teams breakdowns. McNeese State piled up 391 yards, compared to 384 for UNC, but the Cowboys were drilled for 142 return yards.

Derrick Fourroux showed his experience at quarterback with 224 yards of total offense and Todd Pendland contributed 85 yards to the rushing attack and 60 more on six catches.

Look for receiver and returnman Steven Whitehead to have a bigger role this week. In his first game back from last year's season-ending knee injury, the dangerous Whitehead had five receptions for 67 yards. Quinten Lawrence is another dangerous weapon for the Cowboys. He had grabbed four passes for 73 yards and also had a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown.

McNeese State should continue be tough defensively with the likes of defensive tackles Vaalyn Jackson and Kenneth Lundy, linebacker Allen Nelson and safety Jamelle Juneau leading the unit.

Delta State finished with a 10-2 record last year, with both losses coming to North Alabama - one in the Division II playoffs. The Statesmen also scored an impressive 27-15 opening-game win over eventual SWAC champion Jackson State.

In a memorable non-conference game from the 2007 season, Southern Illinois went on the road and held off a big challenge from Hampton for a 45-27 win. This year, Hampton makes a return trip to SIU.

The Pirates opened the season on Sunday in Orlando, FL. with a 17-13 victory over Jackson State in the MEAC-SWAC Challenge. It was a sloppy game and Hampton got off to a slow start, but the Pirates held on.

Receiver Jeremy Gilchrist set up one touchdown with a circus catch at the one and scored on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Herbert Bynes (14-of-23, 151 yards). That helped make up for the fact that the normally strong Pirate rushing attack was limited to 76 yards.

Hampton's defense struggled against the pass, giving up 248 yards, but came up with some huge plays with Jackson State driving at the end of the game.

But the Pirates figure to be challenged more on the ground by Southern Illinois, which will be opening its season with new coach Dale Lennon. One of the Salukis' biggest strengths should be a veteran offensive line led by guard Aaron Lockwood. Joe Allaria takes over at quarterback for graduated star Nick Hill and Richard White looks to become the latest in a line of great Southern Illinois tailbacks.

But while the Salukis should be strong again on offense, defense will be what fuels their hopes of another league title, or advancing further that last year's semifinal playoff run. Defensive end James Cloud and linebackers Chauncey Mixon and Bradin Jordan should lead a unit that been gradually getting more athletic in the past few years.

With the potential of a tropical storm or hurricane hitting the Carolina coast this weekend, officials from the two schools decided on Wednesday to move this game from North Charleston, S.C. to Spartanburg, S.C.

For the second week in a row, Wofford will take on a Big South opponent at home.The Terriers got off to a slow start in their opener against Presbyterian, falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter before rallying for a win.

Wofford used about every element it could find to pull this one out, scoring with its option, unleashing its refined passing attack and even putting points on the board with its defense. Ben Widmyer was 8-of-12 for 138 yards and a 40- yard touchdown throwing the ball and led the Terriers in rushing with 14 carries for 107 yards. Dane Romero added 100 yards on 15 attempts on a night where Wofford rushed for 367 yards. .

The Terriers were toasted for 351 yards passing by Presbyterian's Tim Webb, but Jason Leventis made one big defensive play and turned an interception into an 80-yard touchdown return. Wofford is young on the defensive side of the ball, but can rely on Seth Goldwire, one of the top linebackers in the Southern Conference.

Charleston Southern suffered through a tough opener, losing 52-7 to Miami. New quarterback Tribble Reese, a transfer from Clemson, had a rough outing, completing just 10-of-21 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. The Buccaneers are not known for their running game and they managed only 49 yards on 30 carries against the Hurricanes.

Like Wofford, the Bucs are young on defense and it showed when they gave up 416 yards against Miami, including 190 yards via the air from Hurricane QB Jacary Harris. CSU will also be concerned with the Terrier running attack after allowing 224 rushing yards to Miami.

Two teams that dropped games to FBS schools will be looking to even their ledgers in a game that opens Missouri Valley Football Conference play.

Youngstown State wasn't competitive in a 43-0 loss to No. 3 Ohio State. The Penguins fell behind 26-0 at halftime and never could get untracked on offense. If there was a positive, it was the fact that YSU's defense held the Buckeyes to four first-half field goals.

But the Penguins were picked apart by Ohio State quarterback Todd Boeckman (14- of-19 for 187 yards and two TDs) and had minus-11 yards rushing and 74 yards of total offense. New quarterback YSU Todd Rowan was limited to 8-of-13 passing for 46 yards in his first start replacing four-year veteran Tom Zetts.

YSU will hope to get its multi-purpose offensive star Ferlando Williams Jr. unleashed as it opens MVFC play.

The Penguins should have an easier time against South Dakota State, in its first year as a MVFC member. The Jackrabbits struggled in their game against Iowa State. Quarterback Ryan Berry went 23-of-37 for 170 yards, but was intercepted five times and SDSU finished with six turnovers overall in the 44-17 loss. One of those interceptions was returned for a touchdown.

Receiver JaRon Harris is the biggest weapon for the Jackrabbits. He finished off a trick play with a 76-yard touchdown and caught seven passes for 64 yards. Kyle Minett looked like a good replacement to Cory Koenig in the backfield with 22 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown.

SDSU's defense allowed 388 yards, but special teams was a bigger problem, with the Jackrabbits getting torched for 237 return yards. South Dakota State is a tough road venue, but the Jackrabbits will have some adjustments to make as they get used to a new conference. And opening against one of the league's powers isn't an easy way to get started.

New Hampshire has been FBS killers with three wins over those bigger schools in the past four years and going against an Army squad that is breaking in a new option offense, the Wildcats are poised to win another one.

The Wildcats will play without record-breaking quarterback Ricky Santos after four years, but are well-armed with R.J. Toman ready to take over. Toman has plenty of offensive weapons around like receivers Mike Boyle and J.T. Wright, tight end Scott Sicko and running backs Chad Kackert and Bobby Simpson.

New Hampshire should be able to score points, but defense is again a question mark after the loss of safety Jeff Pammer. Cornerback John Clements and linebacker Matt Parent will be among those looking to improve this unit.

Army struggled with consistency on offense and made several key special teams mistakes in a 35-7 loss last Friday at home against Temple. The Black Knights gained 210 yards rushing and beat Temple in total offense 284-250, but still lost.

Army had a fumble returned for a touchdown, gave up a 98-yard kickoff return and fumbled away a punt return. Those kind of mistakes could prove lethal against a New Hampshire offense that will be much more talented.

Austin Peay couldn't have found many more difficult road venues to play at in the first two weeks of the season than at North Dakota State's Fargo Dome and Georgia Southern's Paulson Stadium, but that is exactly what the Governors are doing.

APSU, coming off a surprising 7-4 season last year after rejoining the Ohio Valley Conference, didn't fare very well in round one of that assignment, losing 41-6 to No. 2 North Dakota State. Going up against NDSU quarterback Nick Mertens, who was starting his first game, the Governors gave up 304 yards passing and were burned by several long aerial plays.

Bison receiver Kole Heckendorf ripped the APSU secondary for eight receptions, 179 yards and three touchdowns, on the way to national co-offensive player of the week honors from The Sportsbook Betting Lines.

On offense, Austin Peay showed how much it missed running back Chris Fletcher when it managed only 56 yards on the ground and 91 yards of total offense against one the top defenses in FCS.

Things should be just about as tough against an athletic Georgia Southern team that is coming off a 45-21 loss to Georgia, the preseason No. 1 ranked squad in FBS. Despite using 28 new players and working behind a rebuilt offensive line, the Eagles performed surprising well between the hedges in Athens, GA.

Antonio Henton, GSU's transfer quarterback from Ohio State, hit 10-of-18 passes off the bench for 102 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Lee Chapple started at QB and went 9-of-18 for 86 yards.

Defense is likely to be a strength for Georgia Southern, even though it allowed 535 yards against the powerful Georgia offense.

It will be a former Big South Conference team traveling to meet a new Big South team when the Elon Phoenix faces the Stony Brook Seawolves.

Elon suffered through a disappointing opener, losing 28-10 at home to then-No. 4 Richmond. The Phoenix played well at times, but made just enough mistakes against a tough opponent to get beat.

A pair of critical turnovers by sophomore quarterback Scott Riddle (23-of-39 for 243 yards and one touchdown) were particularly costly. Payton Award candidate Terrell Hudgins grabbed 10 passes for 78 yards, but juggled what would have been a TD reception in the end zone.

The Elon defense struggled at times against an athletic Richmond offense, giving up 124 yards rushing to Josh Vaughan, including a TD burst of 72 yards. The Phoenix allowed 216 rushing yards and gave up 236 yards and two TDs to Spider quarterback Eric Ward.

On the positive side of the ledger, Elon looked improved on the ground, with A.J. Harris gaining 48 yards on 13 carries to compliment the potent passing attack.

Stony Brook got off to a strong start with an impressive 42-26 victory over Colgate. The Seawolves jumped out to a 28-6 halftime lead and expanded their advantage to 42-12 in the third quarter before clearing the bench.

The Seawolves knew they had a solid rushing attack heading into the season, but they were even better than expected against Colgate with Edwin Gowins rushing for 147 yards and two TDs and Conte Cuttino adding 104 and a score.

A team with plenty of offensive weapons, Stony Brook was pleased with Dayne Hoffman's first start at quarterback. Hoffman was 8-of-16 for 174 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. Lyndell Suggs grabbed three passes for 70 yards, including a 49-yard scoring strike from Hoffman.

The Seawolves gave up 363 yards to a Colgate squad that was missing Payton Award candidate Jordan Scott in the backfield, so the defense will need to show improvement against a high-powered Elon offense.

This game has the chance to be a barn-burner on offense and will likely be decided by which team can make the most big plays. Look for Elon to do that to pull out a tough road win.

Western Illinois is coming off a heartbreaking loss at Arkansas. The Leathernecks were a play away from one of the most significant FCS over FBS upsets of the past few years when Arkansas pulled out a 28-24 victory.

The Leathernecks led 24-14 with 10:34 remaining before the Razorbacks rallied for two late touchdowns, scoring the second one with just 1:49 remaining on a fourth-down pass play.

WIU did almost everything right in its opener. Payton Award candidate Herb Donaldson ran 35 times for 157 yards and a touchdown as the Leathernecks controlled the clock and Buchanan Award candidate Jason Williams earned national defensive player of the week honors from The Sportsbook Betting Lines by forcing two fumbles and recording seven tackles and two sacks to lead the defense.

About the only negatives were that WIU gave up 318 yards through the air to Arkansas' Casey Dick and Leatherneck quarterback Matt Barr struggled to a 10- of-25 passing day with just 105 yards.

This should be a rough day for a Quincy team that will be opening its season. The Division II Hawks have five starters back on offense and nine on defense from a team that was 6-5 last season and finished 3-3 in the Mid-States Football Association.

The Hawks are coached by a former Quincy player, Bill Tersliner and are 2-9 lifetime against the Leathernecks.

For the second week in a row, Eastern Illinois challenges itself against an FBS opponent. The Panthers dropped a 31-12 decision to Central Michigan last Thursday, but face an even bigger obstacle against a team that played in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

EIU unveiled an improved passing attack, with Bodie Reeder completing 19-of-28 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown. But the Panthers struggled with only 83 yards on the ground.

The Panthers trailed only 17-3 at the break, but a pair of long drives by Central Michigan in the second half closed out the win. EIU allowed 389 yards, 217 through the air.

Illinois has some of the best speed of any team in the midwest, due in a large part to coach Ron Zook's Florida recruiting connections, so it will be difficult for Eastern Illinois to keep up with the most athletic team it is likely to see in 2008.

The Illini played one of the most exciting games of the first weekend, losing to Missouri 52-42 in St. Louis, despite piling up 532 yards of offense. A large part of the problem was the Illinois defense allowed 549 yards.

Quarterback Isiah "Juice' Williams is the catalyst for the Illinois attack. He threw for 451 and five TDs against Missouri, hitting seven different receivers during the game.

This is likely to be a blowout, particularly with the Panthers catching the Illini after a loss.

For the first time in seven seasons, The Citadel Bulldogs and the Clemson Tigers will renew their intrastate rivalry. Clemson claimed a 38-0 win over the Bulldogs to commence the 2000 season.

With Clemson getting dominated in emphatic fashion (34-10 loss to Alabama) in its season-opener, there's a feel around Charleston that the Bulldogs have a solid chance of knocking off their first FBS foe since the 1992 season, when the Bulldogs pulled off a 10-3 victory over a Jack Crowe-led Arkansas team.

The Citadel was the SoCon's top defensive unit last fall and returns eight starters from that unit. Despite graduating its top two tacklers, Andrew Rowell and Josh Lawson, the Bulldogs have the potential to be even better on that side of the ball this fall.

In its 54-7 season-opening win over Webber International, the Bulldogs held the Warriors to just 198 yards of total offense, including a mere 78 yards on the ground. The Bulldogs have veterans Kevin McCaskill and Terrence Reese along the defensive line, Jonathan Vest at linebacker and Mel Capers and Dwight House in the Bulldogs' secondary.

Clemson's offense was stymied by an Alabama defense that held the Tigers to 188 yards of total offense and zero yards rushing. Quarterback Cullen Harper was sacked three times and took numerous hard hits.

Clemson has also had its share of troubles in recent memory against SoCon teams, particularly in contests against Appalachian State (23-12 in 1997), and Furman (24-13 in 2003, 19-3 in 1996). Even its 38-10 win over Furman last year was much closer than the score.

Bulldog Quarterback Bart Blanchard, now the full-time starter for the Bulldogs, after the departure of the school's all-time leading passer Duran Lawson, had another strong showing in his fourth-straight start for the Bulldogs after taking over for Lawson after his career-ending injury last season. Blanchard completed 12- of-14 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, without an interception in just over one half.

Wide receiver Andre Roberts caught three passes for 91 yards, including a career-long 78-yard scoring reception.He also returned his first-career punt for a 64 yard score to display his blazing speed in another he will be used as a weapon this fall for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs rolled up 385 yards of total offense and recorded 54 first downs in the week one win over the Warriors.The running game, despite the enormous loss of Tory Cooper who has graduated, appears to be in solid shape with the Asheton Jordan turning in an impressive collegiate debut, rushing for 70 yards and two scores.

UC Davis came within a play of holding off San Jose State, losing 13-10 on a touchdown pass with eight seconds left. The Aggies got off to a quick 10-0 start behind the play of quarterback Daniel Alfaro (21-of-34 for 193 yards) and receiver Bakari Grant (eight catches, 108 yards), who hooked up for the team's only touchdown.

The UCD defense allowed just 42 yards on the ground to San Jose State and forced three turnovers. But the Aggies did give up 231 yards through the air. The Aggies are strong up front, with Buchanan candidate John Faletoese leading the way at defensive tackle.

Central Arkansas wasn't challenged in its opener against Division II Henderson State. The Bears relied on the passing of Payton Award candidate Nathan Brown (24-of-34 for 367 yards and three TDs) to build a 28-7 halftime lead. Brent Grimes balanced the attack with 15 carries for 86 yards.

UCA's defense was solid against the run (84 yards allowed), but still are a work in progress against the pass. The Bears gave up 249 yards through the air.

Both teams are looking to establish their credentials and this should be an entertaining game. But the presence of Brown in the pocket and the fact the game is at UCA should lift the Bears to a close win.

Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky renew the Battle of the Bluegrass, a game that was one of the top FCS rivalries before WKU bolted for the FBS ranks last year. This is also one of the rare games where an FCS team gets to host an FBS opponent.

EKU was overwhelmed by Cincinnati in its opener, going down 40-0 in the third quarter. The Colonels allowed 557 yards of total offense, including 348 through the air. Allan Holland completed 12-of-17 passes for 141 yards to lead the Eastern Kentucky attack, but the Colonels struggled with their ground game, picking up just 48 yards. But this should be a more competitive game for EKU.

Western Kentucky went 7-5 in its first FBS campaign, but struggled in its opening-game 31-13 loss at Indiana. The Hilltoppers were out-rushed 297-63 and fell behind 17-0 in the first half. Indiana's Kellen Lewis scorched WKU for 185 yards and two TDs on the ground in just nine carries.

K.J. Black was a bright light for WKU, hitting 19-of-31 passes for 219 yards and one touchdowns.

This game has typically gone down to wire and with it being played at Eastern Kentucky, expect the Colonels to pull one out late.

Florida A&M started the Joe Taylor coaching era with a 30-20 win over SWAC opponent Alabama State, but now the longtime Hampton coach must dive into MEAC play against the defending league champion.

The Rattlers managed to earn a win despite a 378-201 deficit in total yardage by taking advantage of three Alabama State turnovers and returning a kickoff back for a touchdown. FAMU's rebuilding team must have similar success to beat a tough experienced opponent.

Florida A&M had a particularly tough time on the ground. Star running back Phillip Sylvester managed just 29 yards on nine carries, but did score a touchdown. Eddie Battle was an efficient 9-of-15 for 124 yards as the new Rattler quarterback. And LeRoy Vann went 99 yards with a kickoff return for a touchdown that gave the Rattlers the lead for good in the second quarter.

But FAMU showed some weaknesses against the pass, allowing 253 yards through the air.

Delaware State will look to take advantage with veteran quarterback Vashon Winton, who passed for 1,818 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. Winton must find a new clutch receiver after losing athletic Shaheer McBride to graduation. Hard-nosed running back Kareem Jones (700 yards rushing) fits in well with coach Al Lavan's grind-it out approach on offense.

The Hornets lost five starters from last year's defense, including linebacker Russell Reaves, but should still be gritty with linebacker John Pope leading a group that has been fortified by some quality transfers.

Florida A&M might makes some waves later in the season in the MEAC, but playing the defending champion on the road is probably too tall a challenge in this one.

The Montana Grizzlies open their 2008 season on the road against an upstart Cal Poly club that is fresh off an impressive 29-27 win over WAC member San Diego State last Saturday at Aztecs Stadium.

The Grizzlies are coming off a 12-1 campaign, that ended with a 23-22 loss to SoCon co-champion Wofford at home in the playoffs. But Montana returns just 10 starters. Senior quarterback Cole Bergquist, who passed for 2,623 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2007, leads the offense. Guard Colin Dow, tackle Brent Russum and center J.D. Quinn will provide protection for Bergquist up front.

Montana returns talent at wide receiver in Mike Ferriter, who was Montanas leading pass-catcher last fall with 49 catches for 733 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensively, the Grizzlies return only three starters including current Buchanan candidate safety Colt Anderson.

Cal Poly, faces another daunting schedule, but passed its first test with a 29-27 victory at San Diego State. Andrew Gardner drilled a 21-yard field goal as time expired to deliver a breathtaking win for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs picked up exactly where they left off last season, flexing their offensive muscles, out-gaining the Aztecs 483-379 with weapons such as quarterback Jonathan Dally, running backs James Noble, Ryan Mole and Jon Hall and Payton Award candidate Ramses Barden on wide receiver.

The Grizzlies and the Mustangs have quite a history facing each other, especially in recent history. Although the Grizzlies have dominated the overall series, holding an 11-1 lead in 12 previous meetings, the Mustangs nearly knocked off the Grizzlies two years ago, dropping a 10-9 decision in Missoula two seasons ago.

Cal Polys only win over the Grizzlies came back in the FCS quarterfinals in the 2005 postseason, as the Mustangs claimed a 31-17 victory over the Grizzlies in Washington-Grizzly Stadium during the 2005 season.

This one has the makings of another classic, with Cal Poly's home field advantage being the probable difference.

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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?

The 2007 college football rules changes that were implemented to shorten games are now history. The NCAA rules committee did what they set out to do; games were cut by an average of 14 minutes per game last season. There were also, on average, 14 fewer plays per game. We’ll get into how that did (or didn’t) affect games in regards to the pointspread a bit later.

While the NCAA rules committee may have had the betterment of the game in mind, they'll now “turn back the clock” for next season. Two key rules have now been overturned by the NCAA committee for the 2007 season, something definitely for the better.

For those of you who may not remember what those rules actually were, let us refresh your memory.

1) The first one was actually starting the clock on a kickoff as soon as the kicker touched the ball rather than waiting until the returner touched it. The problem here was near the end of the half (or game), if the team leading was kicking off, they could milk the clock by intentionally running offsides and then re-kicking. They could run 10-15 seconds off the clock each play while taking just five-yard penalties each time. They could run the clock down and simply cause the half (or game) to end on a kickoff, keeping the opposing offense off the field. In 2007, the clock will now start when the returner touches the ball as it had before last season.

2) The second rule dealt with starting the clock after a change of possession rather than waiting until the ball was snapped. This took a lot of time off the clock throughout the game as teams changed possession, however it caused the most problems late in games (or halves). Rather than huddling up and calling a play, the offensive team would have to rush onto the field as the clock started. This was a definite disadvantage to a team that was trying to come from behind late in the game. This year the clock will start on a change of possession, after the ball is snapped.

How did those rules affect the college game last year and will it make a difference this year when it comes to the pointspread? We commonly heard two theories when it came to these changes. First, it would affect scoring negatively. Second, it would hurt favorites as they would have less time and fewer plays to cover the number.

Did the rules hurt scoring? Yes. It seemed obvious that shortening the game by what amounted to 14 plays would push scoring downward. That was the case last year. Of the 119 Division 1A teams, 69 squads scored fewer points in 2007 than they did in 2005. Just 48 teams had a higher PPG scoring average and two stayed the same. Almost 59 percent of the teams in college football last year had a lower PPG average than they did in 2005. Expect more scoring in 2007 as we revert back to the old rules.

Did the rules hinder favorites from covering the number in 2007? Not really. Last year the favorites posted an overall spread record of 336-350-16 (48.9 percent). The year before, favorites were 316-326-13 (49.2 percent). In 2004, the favorites were 316-339-2 (48.2 percent). In fact, college football favorites have been above 50 percent for the season just once in the last seven years (in 2003). Last year’s numbers fell right in line with where they have been historically.

How about big favorites? The rules must have hurt them? Maybe a little bit. Double-digit favorites last year came in at a 47.8 percent clip compare with an average of just over 50 percent over the last seven years. Since 1980, favorites of -10 or more have covered at exactly a 50 percent clip (measured over 6,716 games).

Even bigger favorites must have struggled? Not really. In fact, it was just the opposite. Favorites of three TD’s or more were 59-54-2 last year (52.2 percent). Since 2000, those same favorites (-21 or higher) hit at 51.3 percent and since 1990 came in a clip of 50.3 percent. Stepping it up a notch to four TD favorites or higher, we actually see they've covered at a much better rate last season than before. Last year, favorites of -28 or more were 31-21-1, or almost 60 percent. Historically, four-TD-or-higher favorites have come in at a 50.7 percent spot since 2000 and only 48.9 percent since 1990. The “perceived” problem with the favorites covering at a reduced rate really never came to fruition.

Bottom line is, there might be some more scoring in 2007, but no real revelations when it comes to finding any pointspread golden nuggets.

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How did changes to college football betting rules affect bettors?