Big 12 & ACC Preview – Week Four
Throughout the college football season, members of the Florida Citrus Sports Team Selection Committee are out on the road to meet with fans of our partner schools to spread the word about the Russell Athletic Bowl and newly renovated Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium.
Here are some of the games where we will be in attendance this weekend:
#3 TCU (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) at Texas Tech (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) – 4:45 p.m. on FOX
The Big 12 opener for both teams should be exciting, as they combine for nearly 1,200 yards/game in total offense and 104 points/game. Since TCU joined the Big 12, the Red Raiders have won two of their three meetings. Overall, the Horned Frogs haven’t won in Lubbock since 1991.
#20 Georgia Tech (2-1, 0-0 ACC) at Duke (2-1, 0-0 ACC) – 12:00 p.m. on ESPN2
It’s the 83rd meeting between the last two ACC Coastal Division title winners. The Yellow Jackets have won five of their last six ACC conference openers on the road, while the Blue Devils limited Northwestern to just 70 passing yards last week.
#8 LSU (2-0, 2-0 SEC) at Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 ACC) – 12:00 p.m. on ESPN
The Orange are off to their first 3-0 start since 2001, while the Tigers have defeated two nationally-ranked opponents so far this season. The matchup is the first for LSU in the state of New York since 1941 against Fordham, and it’s the first non-Bowl matchup between the teams that faced each other in the 1965 Sugar Bowl (Tigers won 13-10) and the 1989 Hall of Fame Bowl (Orange won 23-10).
#24 Oklahoma State (3-0, 0-0 Big 12) at Texas (1-2, 0-0 Big 12) – 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
The Cowboys are averaging 508 yards/game total offense behind QB Mason Rudolph, who averages 316 yards passing and has five touchdowns in the first three games. The Longhorns look to rebound after their one-point loss to California, a game that featured QB Jerrod Heard breaking the school record with 527 yards of total offense (364 yards passing, 163 yards rushing).
Kansas (0-2, 0-0 Big 12) at Rutgers (1-2, 0-1 Big 10) – 12:00 p.m. on BTN
This week, the Jayhawks and Scarlet Knights square off for the first time ever on the gridiron. Rutgers is averaging 33.3 points per contest so far in 2015, while Kansas looks to snap a 33-game road winless streak.
Maryland (2-1, 0-0 Big 10) at West Virginia (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) – 3:00 p.m. on FOX Sports 1
The Terrapins are averaging 37.3 points/game and 410.3 total yards/game so far this season. Mountaineers QB Skyler Howard leads the nation in pass efficiency, and has thrown multiple touchdown passes in six straight games.
Here are the rest of the ACC and Big 12 games:
Rice (2-1, 1-0 CUSA) at #5 Baylor (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) – 3:00 p.m. on FSN
The Owls have lost 24 straight games to ranked teams and haven’t won on the road against a ranked team since 1991, which was against the Bears. Baylor is coming off of their first off-week of 2015 having won their last 17 home games, best in the FBS.
Boise State (2-1, 0-0 MWC) at Virginia (1-2, 0-0 ACC) – 8:00 p.m. Friday on ESPN
The Broncos head 2,000 miles east for their first-ever meeting with the Cavaliers. Boise State used four QBs in their victory over Idaho State last week and is averaging 432 yards total offense so far this season. Virginia is looking for their first win against a preseason ranked team, having lost to UCLA and Notre Dame before defeating commonwealth neighbor William & Mary last week.
Delaware (1-2, 0-1 CAA) at North Carolina (2-1, 0-0 ACC) – 12:30 p.m. on ESPN 3
Another first-ever meeting, the Tar Heels have outscored their opponents 101-28 so far in 2015. The Blue Hens haven’t defeated an upper-division foe since 2007, when Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco led Delaware to a 59-52 win at Navy.
Indiana (3-0, 0-0 Big 10) at Wake Forest (2-1, 0-1 ACC) – 12:30 p.m. on ESPN 3
The Demon Deacons host the Hoosiers in their first-ever meeting ranked ninth in the nation in total defense and seventh in passing defense. On offense, Wake Forest is one of 22 teams nationally to have not lost a fumble in 2015, and QB John Wofford enters the game with a 69 percent completion rate so far this season.
Northern Illinois (2-1, 0-0 MAC) at Boston College (2-1, 0-1 ACC) – 1:00 p.m. on ESPN 3
The Huskies took Ohio State to the verge of a historic upset last week, holding the Buckeyes to less than 300 yards of total offense in the seven-point loss. The Eagles begin life without QB Darius Wade who suffered a season-ending ankle injury in last week’s loss to Florida State.
Virginia Tech (2-1, 0-0 ACC) at East Carolina (1-2, 0-0 AAC) – 3:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN2
The Pirates upset the Hokies last year 28-21 in Blacksburg, but face a Virginia Tech team that is averaging 46 points and 527 yards of total offense in two games since their opening loss to Ohio State.
Samford (2-1, 0-1 Southern) at Louisville (0-3, 0-1 ACC) – 6:00 p.m. on ESPN 3
The Cardinals look to snap a four-game losing streak, having dropped their first three games of the season by a combined 13 points. The Bulldogs have a 3-15 record against teams currently in the ACC but are averaging 533 yards of total offense so far in 2015.
North Carolina State (3-0, 0-0 ACC) at South Alabama (2-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) – 8:00 p.m. on ESPNEWS
Last week the Jaguars defeated San Diego State for arguably their biggest win in school history. The Wolfpack looks to extend their six-game winning streak and ranks second in the nation allowing only 188 yards total offense/game.
All times listed are Eastern Time Zone (ET), and all games are on Saturday unless otherwise listed.