College football is back in full swing. There are always things to watch every week of the season. Here are 5 things to watch in college football week 3.
1. A Nonconference Game Between Big 12 Teams
One of the biggest games of the weekend is actually happening on Friday when Arizona takes on Kansas State in Manhattan. Arizona is 2-0 and has had impressive play from their offense. With stars in quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona can move the ball. The defense has had their ups and downs, allowing 24.5 points per game so far this season.
Kansas State is 2-0 as well, although they struggled on the road at Tulane. Avery Johnson is still getting used to being a starting quarterback after getting some experience last season. Their defense allows 16.5 points per game, which could make things tough on Arizona. The Wildcat team that wins will get an early step up in the Big 12 race. While these two teams are in the Big 12, this is a nonconference game.
2. Group of Five Teams vs. Power Five Teams
After some good group of five vs. power five games in week 2, there are a few more in week 3. On Thursday, Arizona State is traveling to Texas State to play the Bobcats. The Sun Devils are 2-0 after defeating Mississippi State in week 2. Texas State is a candidate to be the group of five representative in the CFP. They are also 2-0 and blew out UTSA in week 2. A good showing, even if they don’t get a win could be good for their stock at the end of the season.
The other intriguing group of five vs. power five game is UNLV at Kansas. UNLV is 2-0 and already has a win over a power five team in Houston. Their go-go offense can put up numbers and be hard to match. Kansas is vulnerable after losing to Illinois in week 2. If UNLV is able to win, those two power five wins could really help them in the rankings at the end of the season.
3. Alabama at Wisconsin
Two programs with a lot of history will meet in Madison this weekend. Alabama travels up there as the program with a lot more recent success. In week 2, they struggled with a solid USF team before pulling away. Kalen DeBoer has a bit of coaching to do to get the offense rolling on a consistent level. Jalen Milroe, while talented, also looks like he is getting used to the new system. The defense did solidly and that can give the offense time to gel.
Wisconsin hasn’t looked the most impressive in their first two weeks, with wins over Western Michigan and South Dakota. They will have the home-field advantage. Luke Fickell is in year two of a rebuild and this game could really help things along. Alabama is favored to win, but after not playing their best against USF, maybe Wisconsin can make things interesting.
4. Boston College at Missouri
An under-the-radar game this weekend is Boston College at Missouri. The Eagles defeated Florida State in week 1, which isn’t the greatest win with how Florida State has started the season. They also beat Duquesne. Bill O’Brien has the offense rolling with Thomas Castellanos at quarterback, who has good dual-threat abilities. WIth an ACC that is struggling, Boston College could really help the conference out with a win.
Missouri is 2-0, but haven’t really had a chance to prove themselves this season. Going up against Boston College will be a mini-test before conference play starts for them. Luther Burden is an amazing talent at wide receiver and the offense can put up points. They lost a lot from their defense last season, so that is a question mark that could be answered with the uptick in competition.
5. DJ Lagway’s First SEC Start
Graham Mertz was out with a concussion, so uber-talented freshman DJ Lagway started against Samford. Although it was FCS competition, Lagway impressed. He finished the game with 456 passing yards and three touchdowns. Lagway didn’t throw an interception and he also rushed for 16 yards.
In week 3, Florida will play Texas A&M. While Mertz hasn’t been ruled out for the game, it would be hard to pull Lagway from the lineup after how he played. While Texas A&M hasn’t had a great start to the season, they have talent on the defensive side of the ball. For that reason, it is worth watching if Lagway can do well in his first career SEC start.
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