Washington State (0-1) at Kansas State (1-0)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 9:00 a.m. PT
Network: TNT
Spread: Kansas State -17.5, O/U 48.5
Preview: Washington State is looking to bounce back from a 24-10 Apple Cup defeat, travelling to Manhattan for its first-ever meeting against Kansas State.
Quarterback Caden Pinnick showed his dual-threat ability in his first start for the Cougars, completing 16-of-25 passes for 142 yards, while also leading the team in rushing yards with 61 yards and a rushing touchdown. However, Pinnick also threw two
picks and the offense only finished with 242 total yards.
Washington State’s defense gave the Cougars a fighting chance against Washington, holding the Huskies to just 10 points through the first three quarters, while also forcing two fourth-down stops and a goal-line stand.
The defense faces a difficult test against a Kansas State offense that scored 71 points and had 559 yards in its season opener against Nicolls. Quarterback Avery Johnson threw three touchdowns to become Kansas State’s leader with 51, while Oklahoma State transfer Rodney Fields Jr. rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown in his debut.
The defense was able to keep the Cougars within striking distance for most of the Apple Cup. If the Cougars want a chance at pulling off the upset, Pinnick needs to limit the turnovers to get the offense playing at the same level as the defense did.
Prediction: Kansas State 34, Washington State 17
UTSA (1-0) at Texas State (0-1)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 12:30 p.m. PT
Network: CW
Spread: Texas State -2.5, O/U 66.5
Preview: Texas State has a much easier opponent this week compared to last, as the Bobcats return home for the Battle for I-35 against UTSA.
Texas State’s offense couldn’t get things going last week in its 59-7 loss against Texas. The Bobcats had 348 total yards, but quarterback Brad Jackson has held to 150 passing yards after leading one of the most productive offenses last season.
UTSA’s offense didn’t struggle in its opener against UTRGV. Quarterback Owen McCown completed 22-of-27 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, leading the offense to a total of 527 yards in a 45-16 win. Running backs Will Henderson III and A’Marion Peterson combined for 195 rushing yards on just 17 carries, giving Texas State a little bit to worry about defensively.
Safety Ryan Nolan will be important in slowing down the Roadrunners. He picked off Texas quarterback Arch Manning last week, and added six tackles to his performance. He also led the Bobcats with 11 tackles in last year’s win over UTSA.
This matchup will be a much better litmus test for what to expect out of the Bobcats this season. If the offense can get things rolling like they’re supposed to, the Bobcats should look really good.
Prediction: Texas State 38, UTSA 35
Utah State (0-1) at No. 19 Washington (1-0)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 12:30 p.m. PT
Network: BTN
Spread: Washington -26.5, O/U 55.5
Preview: Utah State couldn’t have had a worse start to its season. The Aggies lost 29-17 to FCS opponent Idaho State and now have to travel to Seattle to face No. 19 Washington.
Quarterback McCae Hillstead struggled mightily in his return to Utah State. Hillstead threw three interceptions before Grady Brosterhous replaced him later in the game. Hillstead appeared to be dealing with an issue in his throwing arm, with head coach Bronco Mendenhall describing it after the game as a “forearm” or “gripping” issue. Whether the performance was caused by the injury or not, the Aggies need much better quarterback play against Washington.
There were some positives offensively, running back Javen Jacobs rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries and finished with 140 all-purpose yards, while wide receiver Eli Wood caught six passes for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Washington is going to be a hard opponent to take down. Despite struggling for most of the game against Washington State, the Huskies were able to take them down 24-10. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. threw for 268 yards, adding 58 yards on the ground. Washington’s defense also held the Cougars to 10 points.
Utah State is 0-3 against Washington and after losing to Idaho State at home, a miracle is going to be needed for the Aggies to pull off the upset.
Prediction: Washington 38, Utah State 14
Memphis (2-0) at Boise State (0-1)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 3:00 p.m. PT
Network: USA Network
Spread: Boise State -8.5, O/U 54.5
Preview: It might only be the second week of the season, but this matchup on the Blue Turf could end up who represents the Group of Six in the College Football Playoff.
The Broncos are coming off a 34-27 loss to Oregon, but Boise State was competitive in the game. They were tied with the Ducks midway through the fourth quarter despite finishing with less than 275 yards of offense. Quarterback Maddux Madsen threw three touchdowns and now gets to return to Albertsons Stadium.
Boise State’s defense will have to find a way to slow down an explosive rushing attack that ran for 335 yards last week against Arkansas State in a 42-24 win. Running back Jaylin Carter led the way with 183 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while running back Manny Covey added 103 rushing yards of his own.
Memphis has been really good defensively too. The Tigers sacked UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold six times in their opener before forcing four interceptions against Arkansas State last week. That makes protecting Madsen in this matchup extremely important.
Head Coach Spencer Danielson is 14-1 at home, but Memphis has shown that it can win a big road game. For two teams with playoff hopes, this one could have consequences that last until the end of the season.
Prediction: Boise State 31, Memphis 27
Southern Utah (1-1) at Colorado State (1-0)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 4:00 p.m. PT
Network: CBSSN
Spread: Colorado State -20.5, O/U 57.5
Preview: The Jim Mora era had a fantastic start as the Rams reclaimed the Bronze Boot in a 35-13 victory in front of a program-record 40,548 fans and will now look to carry that momentum into a matchup against Southern Utah.
Quarterback Hauss Henjy and wide receiver RJ Vick found a connection in their debuts for Colorado State. Vick caught six passes for 75 yards and had three touchdown receptions, becoming the first Ram to do so since Tory Horton in 2023. Henjy finished his day with five passing touchdowns. Linebacker Oumar Diomande led the defense with 11 tackles and an interception as the Rams forced four turnovers.
Southern Utah can give good teams problems. The Thunderbirds nearly upset No. 2 Montana, led by dual-threat quarterback Will Burns. Burns has accounted for 664 yards of total offense and six touchdowns in two games, including 267 yards on the ground.
Containing Burns is going to be a big key for the Rams defense coming off a great start to the season. If the Rams can keep him from creating explosive plays with his legs and force mistakes like they did against Wyoming, Colorado State will win.
Prediction: Colorado State 41, Southern Utah 14
San Diego State (1-0) at UCLA (1-0)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 4:15 p.m. PT
Network: Big Ten Network
Spread: UCLA -12.5, O/U 55.5
Preview: The Aztecs return to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 2019, when they defeated UCLA 23-14 for their first win over the Bruins. This time, San Diego State enters after scoring 53 points in its season opener against Portland State.
Running back Lucky Sutton led the way with three rushing touchdowns last week, but the Aztecs are facing a UCLA team that had even more success on the ground. The Bruins rushed for 277 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-24 over Cal, averaging 9.2 yards per carry as a team.
The loaded Bruin backfield of Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods will be a challenge for the Aztecs to stop. Knight scored three touchdowns on eight carries, while Woods scored two on eight carries.
The Aztecs will need their offense to keep up. Special teams were pivotal for SDSU against Portland State, coming up with two blocked punts and returning a kickoff for a touchdown. The Aztecs will need to create more of these game-changing plays for its best chance against UCLA.
San Diego State has shown it can score a lot of points. The 53 points set a Snapdragon Stadium record. It was also the Aztecs’ highest-scoring game since 2016.
San Diego State has won at the Rose Bowl before, but this UCLA offense looks revamped under head coach Bob Chesney.
Prediction: UCLA 34, San Diego State 21
No. 13 Texas Tech (1-0) at Oregon State (0-1)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 4:30 p.m. PT
Network: CBS
Spread: Texas Tech -26.5, O/U 53.5
Preview: Oregon State’s tough schedule to start the season continues when No. 13 Texas Tech comes to Corvallis, giving the Beavers another game against a ranked opponent.
Despite losing 33-20 to Houston, quarterback Braden Atkinson played great in his Beaver debut. Atkinson threw for 376 yards and a touchdown, the most passing yards by an Oregon State quarterback in a season opener since Sean Mannion in 2013.
The problem for Oregon State was everything outside the passing game. The Beavers rushed for only 26 yards, while the defense allowed Houston to have 533 yards of total offense.
That could be a big problem against Texas Tech. Quarterback Will Hammond threw for 298 yards in last week’s 33-10 win over Abilene Christian. The Red Raiders also added 173 yards on the ground. The defense was even more impressive, allowing just 194 total yards and 75 rushing yards.
Playing at home gives Oregon State some reason for optimism. The last four wins over ranked opponents for the Beavers have all been at home.
Atkinson showed a lot of promise in the air, but unless the Beavers can figure out the run game and clean things up on defense, Texas Tech has too many ways to take full control of the game.
Prediction: Texas Tech 42, Oregon State 17
Sacramento State (1-1) at Fresno State (0-1)
Date & Time: Saturday, September 12, 7:30 p.m. PT
Network: CBSSN
Spread: Fresno State -17.5, O/U 44.5
Preview: Fresno State returns home after a rough outing as they look forward to hosting new FBS member Sacramento State.
The Bulldogs were shutout against USC, losing 39-0. Fresno State was held to just 116 yards of total offense. The good news, Fresno State has won five straight home openers, which includes a 46-30 victory against Sacramento State in 2024.
There were some bright spots for the Bulldogs last week, despite the final score. Fresno State forced two turnovers, to extend its streak to four straight games with multiple takeaways. Linebacker K’Vion Thunderbird also recorded career highs with nine tackles and two tackles for loss.
Sacramento State will be an intriguing opponent, due to the fact that the Hornets have spent much of the past few years pushing to join the rebuilt Pac-12 before joining the MAC. Now, they get their chance to take on a new member of the conference.
The Hornets have had two quarterbacks so far this season, including a familiar face in former Fresno State quarterback Carson Conklin. He missed last week with an injury to his throwing arm and is doubtful to play in his return to Fresno. Quarterback Jackson Sharman threw for 247 yards and four touchdowns in the Hornets 52-0 win over Mississippi Valley State.
After being dominated by USC, this should give a better idea of what to expect from Fresno State for the rest of the season.
Prediction: Fresno State 31, Sacramento State 13
