Memphis Tigers (1-0) at Central Florida Knights (1-0)
Friday, September 8, 6:30 PM EDT, TV: ESPNU
Spectrum Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
With Hurricane Irma, now a Category 5 storm, coming up through the Caribbean islands and likely headed toward Florida, the decision was made to play the game about 24 hours earlier than originally scheduled.
The two teams decided to move this game up and not postpone as the two schools do not share a bye week later this season.
Both schools are coming off of non-conference wins and this clash begins the American Athletic Conference play for both schools.
Knight quarterback McKenzie Milton threw for career highs with 360 yards and four touchdowns in the 61-17 win against Florida International. UCF broke the 60-point barrier for the first time since a 62-17 win against UConn Oct. 26, 2013. UCF freshmen accounted for 183 yards of offense and two touchdowns against FIU.
Meanwhile, Memphis saw Memphis finished with 319 rushing yards and forced four turnovers in rainy conditions in its 37-29 win against Louisiana-Monroe. Running back Darrell Henderson had a career-high 169 rushing yards, while RB Patrick Taylor Jr. had a career-high 132 yards on the ground. Wide reciever Tony Pollard returned the opening kickoff of the second half 99 yards for a touchdown, registering his third career kickoff return for a score.
Saturday’s game will be the 11th meeting between Memphis and UCF. The Tigers won the first meeting in 1990, but the Knights have taken the last nine matchups. The 2013 matchup was likely the most historic in the brief series as it was a battle of future NFL quarterbacks as UCF’s Blake Bortles threw for 160 yards and Memphis’ Paxton Lynch threw for 279 in UCF’s 24-17 win.
Coaches Press Conferences
Memphis’ Mike Norvell
UCF’s Scott Frost
UCF Assistants Breakdown Memphis
Game Notes
For this game, the offenses as highlighted but somewhat contrasting styles. It will be the passing attack for the Knights and the running attack for the Tigers.
I like the Knights at home in this one to take this one but should be close.
UCF 27 Memphis 20
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In-state Rivalries
Two other games I am watching within the G5 ranks are in the states of Utah and New Mexico to see these rivalry games. In the Holy War, BYU plays Utah and the Rio Grande Rivalry with New Mexico and New Mexico State.
Utah at BYU—The Cougars have not looked great in its first two games. I don’t think they will look too great this week either in the Holy War. Utes 31 Cougars 17
New Mexico State at New Mexico—The Aggies won this game last year. I think the Lobos will get revenge this year at home but it will be close. Lobos 37 Aggies 28
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Hurricane Havoc Once Again
The Miami (FL) at Arkansas State game was canceled for this week and will not be made up.
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Just the Picks
I am running late this week so here are just the picks for this weekend’s games involving G5 teams. Winners in BOLD.
| Thursday, Sept. 7 | TIME (CT) | NAT TV | LOCATION | |
| Idaho State | Utah State | 7:00 PM | Romney Stadium, Logan, UT | |
| Friday, Sept. 8 | ||||
| #11Oklahoma State | South Alabama | 7:00 PM | ESPN2 | Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, AL |
| Ohio | Purdue | 7:00 PM | FS1 | Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, IN |
| Saturday, Sept. 9 | ||||
| TIME (CT) | NAT TV | LOCATION | ||
| Cincinnati | #8Michigan | 11:00 AM | ABC | Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI |
| Florida Atlantic | #9Wisconsin | 11:00 AM | BTN | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI |
| Charlotte | #19Kansas State | 11:00 AM | Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS | |
| #21South Florida | Connecticut | 11:00 AM | ESPNN | Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT |
| East Carolina | West Virginia | 11:00 AM | FS2 | Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV |
| Buffalo | Army | 11:00 AM | CBSSN | Michie Stadium, West Point, NY |
| Texas State | Colorado | 1:00 PM | PAC12 | Folsom Field, Boulder, CO |
| UAB | Ball State | 2:00 PM | ESPN3 | Scheumann Stadium, Muncie, IN |
| Fresno State | #1Alabama | 2:30 PM | ESPN2 | Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL |
| Tulane | Navy | 2:30 PM | CBSSN | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD |
| Austin Peay | Miami (OH) | 2:30 PM | ESPN3 | Yager Stadium, Oxford, OH |
| Eastern Illinois | Northern Illinois | 2:30 PM | ESPN3 | Huskie Stadium, DeKalb, IL |
| Howard | Kent State | 2:30 PM | ESPN3 | Dix Stadium, Kent, OH |
| Villanova | Temple | 2:30 PM | ESPN3 | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA |
| Savannah State | Appalachian State | 2:30 PM | ESPN3 | Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC |
| Middle Tennessee | Syracuse | 2:30 PM | ACCN | Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY |
| Old Dominion | UMass | 2:30 PM | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Amherst, MA | |
| Western Michigan | Michigan State | 2:30 PM | BTN | Spartan Stadium , East Lansing, MI |
| Eastern Michigan | Rutgers | 2:30 PM | BTN | High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, NJ |
| San José State | Texas | 2:30 PM | LHN | Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX |
| Abilene Christian | Colorado State | 2:30 PM | CSU Stadium, Fort Collins, CO | |
| Gardner-Webb | Wyoming | 3:00 PM | War Memorial Stadium , Laramie, WY | |
| Central Michigan | Kansas | 3:00 PM | Memorial Stadium , Lawrence, KS | |
| Louisiana | Tulsa | 3:00 PM | ESPN3 | Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, OK |
| Hawai’i | UCLA | 4:00 PM | PAC12 | Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA |
| Marshall | NC State | 5:00 PM | ACCN | Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC |
| New Hampshire | Georgia Southern | 5:00 PM | ESPN3 | Allen E. Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, GA |
| South Dakota | Bowling Green | 5:00 PM | ESPN3 | Doyt Perry Stadium, Bowling Green, OH |
| Alabama State | Troy | 5:00 PM | ESPN3 | Veterans Memorial Stadium , Troy, AL |
| Arkansas-Pine Bluff | Akron | 5:30 PM | ESPN3 | InfoCision Stadium, Akron, OH |
| Louisiana Monroe | #10Florida State | 6:00 PM | ACC | Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL |
| Toledo | Nevada | 6:00 PM | ESPN3 | Mackay Stadium, Reno, NV |
| UNLV | Idaho | 6:00 PM | ESPN3 | Kibbie Dome, Moscow, ID |
| North Texas | SMU | 6:00 PM | ESPN3 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas, TX |
| Southern | Southern Mississippi | 6:00 PM | M. M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS | |
| Northern Colorado | #22Florida | 6:30 PM | SECN | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL |
| Mississippi State | Louisiana Tech | 6:30 PM | CBSSN | Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, LA |
| Alcorn State | Florida Intl | 6:30 PM | FIU Stadium, Miami, FL | |
| Rice | UTEP | 7:00 PM | Sun Bowl, El Paso, TX | |
| UT San Antonio | Baylor | 7:00 PM | McLane Stadium, Waco, TX | |
| Western Kentucky | Illinois | 7:00 PM | BTN | Memorial Stadium , Champaign, IL |
| Boise State | #20Washington State | 9:30 PM | ESPN | Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA |
| Houston | Arizona | 9:30 PM | ESPNU | Arizona Stadium, Tucson, AZ |
| San Diego State | Arizona State | 10:00 PM | PAC12 | Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, AZ |
Originally from LaMoure, North Dakota, Kent is a 1996 graduate of North Dakota State University. His prior writing experience is over 15 years having previously worked with D2football.com, I-AA.org, and College Sporting News before coming to College Sports Journal in 2016. His main focus is college football is the Missouri Valley Football Conference within the Division I FCS. And in 2017, he began also to look at the FBS Group of Five conferences of the American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, and Sun Belt.
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