Week 2 of the 2019 college football season is complete. Week 3 is now approaching. It will feature some non-conference games as well as some conference match-ups. Here are five games in week 3 that can potentially have big implications on the teams’ seasons:
#19 Iowa Hawkeyes (2-0) vs. Iowa State Cyclones (1-0)
When: Saturday, September 14 | 4:00 PM EST
Watch: FS1
ESPN’s College Gameday will be featuring this game, so why not put it on here? The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones 13-3 last season in a game where neither team reached 200 total passing yards. The game looks like it can heading in that direction again, even though Iowa is averaging 34 points after two games while the Cyclones opened the season with 29 points.
Iowa State did not look too impressive in their first game as they took FCS team Northern Iowa to three overtimes where the Cyclones won 29-26. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He will have to face a much tougher defense in the Hawkeyes this Saturday.
Iowa is coming off of a 30-0 win over Rutgers. The defense allowed just 41 passing yards and had two interceptions. Senior quarterback Nate Stanley also performed well with 236 passing yards along with three touchdowns. Along with the Cyclones, Stanley will be facing one of the better defenses in college football this week.
Stanford Cardinal (1-1) vs. #17 Central Florida Knights (2-0)
When: Saturday, September 14 | 3:30 PM EST
Watch: ESPN
Both of these teams have reason to see this college football game as important. Stanford is looking to get back on track after a 45-20 loss against USC last week. For the UCF Knights, they will want to win one of their two games against Power 5 schools in the regular season. A big factor in this game could be Stanford’s defense against the Knights’ offense.
Stanford will have quarterback K. J. Costello back in this one after he got injured against Northwestern. He went 16-for-20 passing with 152 yards through the air before leaving the game. His return to the lineup could be used as a spark for this Cardinal team.
The Knights are going for their 25 straight regular-season win this Saturday. They will have a tough test against a pro-style Stanford team. They have multiple options under center in Brandon Wimbush and Dillon Gabriel. UCF will come ready to play Saturday afternoon and try to continue their historic run.
#9 Florida Gators (2-0) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (2-0)
When: Saturday, September 14 | 7:00 PM EST
Watch: ESPN
Florida and Kentucky have both started their seasons 2-0. They will have their first conference game of the season this Saturday evening. Kentucky pulled off an upset last season, beating the Gators 27-16 on the road.
Florida had a bye after playing against Miami in week 0. Last week, they deafeated Tennessee-Martin 45-0 in easy fashion. This is a positive for the Gators as they may be more rested than Kentucky heading into this one. However, Florida will be on the road which can likely become a factor .
Kentucky beat Eastern Michigan 38-17 in week 2. With the positive news, quarterback Terry Wilson Jr. is out for the season with a torn patellar tendon, a bone in front of the knee joint. He will redshirt this season, which is a very smart move by Kentucky. They now have Sawyer Smith at quarterback, who threw for two touchdowns against Eastern Michigan.
Florida State Seminoles (1-1) vs. #25 Virginia Cavaliers (2-0)
When: Saturday, September 14 | 7:30 PM EST
Watch: ACC Network
Florida State and Virginia are off to different starts this season.
The Seminoles could be 0-2 after beating LA-Monroe 45-44 in overtime in week 2. LA-Monroe’s kicker missed an extra point that would have sent the game to double overtime. They’ll want to figure things out this week as a loss will hurt their bowl chances even more.
Virginia is 2-0 and ranked. They have to be happy with how they’ve started the season as the Cavaliers have outscored their opponents 82-31 through two games. A struggling Florida State team could be used to Virginia’s advantage at home this weekend. A win this week will be a great start for a Virginia team that expects a successful season.
Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-0) vs. Kansas State Wildcats (2-0)
When: Saturday, September 14 | 12:00 PM EST
Watch: ESPN
Neither of these teams are looked at as playoff contenders, but a 2-0 start has been a positive for these teams. On top of that, a 3-0 start including a non-conference Power five-win can possibly get one of these teams in the top 25 next week.
The Bulldogs have scored 38 points in both games so far. However, they are allowing 21 1/2 points per game through week 2. This is not a bad stat, but Mississippi State has shown better defensive performances in recent years. They will get a test this weekend against a Kansas State team that has scored over 100 combined points in their first two games.
Kansas State has been wanting to see a spark from their college football program for some time now. They missed a bowl game last season after finishing 5-7. The team can prove a lot to their fans this week with a win. A 3-0 start heading into a bye week can be a great sign for this program. It won’t be as easy as their first two weeks which involved wins over Nicholls State and Bowling Green at home. They’ll be on the road against Mississippi State this week.
Feature Image Courtesy of desmoinesregister.com
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