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Tag: Mississippi State Bulldogs football

  • Overhauled Washington begins new era under Jedd Fisch and in Big Ten hosting Weber State

    Overhauled Washington begins new era under Jedd Fisch and in Big Ten hosting Weber State

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    Weber State at Washington, Saturday, 11 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Washington by 27 1/2.

    Series record: First meeting.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    Less than eight months after playing for the national championship, Washington makes its debut under new coach Jedd Fisch with a completely remodeled program. Most of the stars from last year’s team have moved on either to the NFL or new schools. Fisch took control after Kalen DeBoer moved to Alabama and will unveil his overhauled roster against Weber State, highlighted by new quarterback Will Rogers and running back Jonah Coleman, and a defense under the command of Steve Belichick. Weber State returns nine starters from last year’s team that went 6-5 and the Wildcats begin the season ranked No. 22 in the FCS.

    KEY MATCHUP

    Washington returns only one full-time starter from last season’s team so the opener against the Wildcats will be a test of how well the remade roster can come together. Fisch said effort and fundamentals are the two of the things he’s most interested in seeing. There are also the concerns of complacency and making sure Washington isn’t looking past Weber State. It was only three years ago that Washington opened its season by losing to Montana at home.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Weber State: DE Brayden Wilson has been the most honored player in the preseason for the Wildcats. Wilson was named a preseason all-Big Sky and preseason All-American by some outlets. He led the Big Sky last season with 16 1/2 tackles for loss, including 7 1/2 sacks. He could be a test for Washington’s new offensive line.

    Washington: Rogers and fellow QB Demond Williams Jr. Fisch made it clear that Rogers’ experience playing at Mississippi State in the SEC was a factor in naming him the starting QB. But Williams is a promising freshman who pushed Rogers in training camp and seems likely to get some amount of playing time this season.

    FACTS & FIGURES

    Washington’s first game as a member of the Big Ten. Weber State’s first game against a team from the Big Ten. … The Wildcats were picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky preseason poll. … The Huskies won’t leave Seattle for their first four games. After this week, Washington hosts Eastern Michigan, plays Washington State at Lumen Field and opens conference play at home against Northwestern. … CB Elijah Jackson is the only full-time starter to return from last season for Washington – and he might not even start the opener.

    ___

    Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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  • What To Watch: No. 9 faces No. 10 Oregon in Kelly’s return

    What To Watch: No. 9 faces No. 10 Oregon in Kelly’s return

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    UCLA coach Chip Kelly is facing his former school this weekend.

    Never have the stakes been this high.

    No. 9 UCLA plays at No. 10 Oregon this Saturday in a game that will likely narrow the Pac-12’s College Football Playoff chances to two teams.

    Kelly lost the first two games against Oregon, the team he led to the 2011 BCS national championship game, but takes a much better team with him to Autzen Stadium this year.

    “It’s always special going back there, it’s a special place in my life and there’s a lot of great people there that had a profound impact on my life,” said Kelly, Oregon’s coach from 2009-12. “But I’m not playing the game. We’re totally focused.”

    The Pac-12′s first top-10 matchup since 2018 will keep one Pac-12 team alive in the CFP push and likely eliminate the other.

    UCLA (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12) is the conference’s lone undefeated team and is coming off a bye after beating No. 15 Utah. Keep their roll going and the Bruins could work their way up to a top-four spot in the CFP.

    The Ducks (5-1, 3-0) were crushed 49-3 by top-ranked Georgia in their opener, but have scored at least 40 points in five straight games since. Oregon would have to win out and hope a one-loss Pac-12 team will be good enough to get into the CFP.

    No. 12 Southern California also would have to win out to hopefully get a playoff look.

    The What to Watch rundown for this week of college football, presented by Regions Bank:

    BEST GAME

    No. 8 TCU at No. 7 Kansas State. The Big 12’s best defense faces its best offense with first place on the line.

    The Frogs (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) have the offense, averaging 526.7 yards and 45.8 points per game. The Wildcats (5-1, 3-0) have the defense, holding opponents to 16.7 points per game.

    TCU, picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll, is the conference’s lone undefeated team remaining after rallying to beat No. 11 Oklahoma State 43-40 in double overtime last week.

    Kansas State, picked fifth in the preseason poll, is the only other Big 12 team still undefeated in conference play after grinding out a 10-9 win over Iowa State.

    HEISMAN WATCH

    Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA. USC’s Caleb Williams is getting the most Heisman hype out West, but DTR has been putting up big numbers for the only Pac-12 team that hasn’t lost.

    Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 1,510 yards and 15 touchdowns with two interceptions, adding 231 yards and four more scores rushing. If the Bruins make it to the CFP, he will likely be in the Heisman conversation.

    NUMBERS TO KNOW

    1 — Sack allowed by Oregon, fewest in the FBS.

    16 — Receptions by Utah’s Dalton Kincaid against USC last week, most by a tight end since Northwestern’s Jon Harvey had 17 against Michigan in 1982.

    24 — Years since No. 25 Tulane was ranked before cracking the AP Top 25 this week.

    40 — Consecutive top-5 appearances in the AP Top 25 by Alabama before dropping to No. 6 this week.

    551 — Total yards per game by Tennessee, tops in the FBS.

    UNDER THE RADAR

    No. 6 Alabama at No. 24 Mississippi State. The poor Bulldogs seem to have a knack for playing Alabama right after a Crimson Tide loss. It hasn’t gone well.

    Alabama has played Mississippi State coming off a loss three times since 2019, winning those games by a combined 71 points.

    The Bulldogs also will be playing with heavy hearts following the death of freshman offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland earlier this week.

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    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP—Top25

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