Saturday Oct. 21 12:30AM/ET FSN
BOSTON COLLEGE (3-4) @ VIRGINIA (5-1) by 6
Not a world beater of a game, but Virginia is having a resurgent season and BC is coming off a big win over Louisville. UVA QB KURT BENKERT #6 is a legit pro prospect, and the Eagles feature perhaps the best edge-rusher in college football in #7 HAROLD LANDRY, who led the nation with 16.5 sacks in 2016. He’s off to a fast start again this year and is knocking on the door of being a First Round draftee in the 2018 NFL Draft. BC as been putting a few more points on the board than usual this season due in great part to the play of multi-dimensional QB ANTHONY BROWN #13. The Redshirt Frosh is a run/pass threat. He should be challenged by UVA defensive stars QUIN BLANDING/S #3 and MICAH KISER/IB #53. Take the Cavaliers on their home turf.
Boston College prospects: #77 JON BAKER/OG; MARCELL LAZARD/OT; #7 HAROLD LANDRY/ER/DE; #13 CONNOR STRACHAN/IB; #5 KAMRIN MOORE/CB.
Virginia prospects: #6 KURT BENKERT/QB; #19 ANDRE LEVRONE/WR; #67 JACK ENGLISH/OT; #90 JACK POWERS/DT; #53 MICAH KISER/IB; #3 QUIN BLANDING/S.
SATURDAY OCT. 21 3:30PM/ET FS1
ARIZONA STATE (3-3). @ UTAH (4-2) by 7
Both teams have been highly competitive in the first half of the season. Last weekend the Utes outplayed the Trojans in L.A. only to lose a heart breaker at the end of the game. Utah QB/TROY WILLIAMS #3 is a very versatile RPO style QB and I think he has some NFL potential, or CFL talent at the least. The Utes D is headed by two potential Top 100 prospects in S/CHASE HANSEN/JR and LOWELL LOTULELEI/DT, the younger brother of NFL starter STAR. ASU is a fairly young squad with RB/KEVIN BALLAGE and LB/CHRISTIAN SAM being their top pro prospects. BALLAGE has shown talent as both a runner and a receiver. Former Alabama QB/BLAKE BARNETT #8 is in the QB mix for the Sun Devils. I like the Utes because it is their home field and I believe that their D will prove quite challenging to the Sun Devils.
Arizona State prospects: #7 KEVIN BALLAGE/RB; #31 MARCUS BALL/S; #2 CHRISTIAN SAM/LB.
Utah prospects: #3 TROY WILLIAMS/QB; #88 HARRISON HANDLEY/TE; #74 SALSEI UHATAFE/OG; #93 LOWELL LOTULELEI/DT; #11 KYLE FITTS/DE; #5 KAVIKA LUAFATASAGA/LB; #22 CHASE HANSEN/SS JR.
SATURDAY OCT. 21 4PM/ET SEC NETOWRK
KENTUCKY (5-1) by 4 @ MISSISSIPPI STATE (4-2)
A mid-season showdown between two also-rans in the SEC tournament, who both aspire to play well enough to qualify for a major Bowl appearance. Both teams are led by top notch RPO QB in STEPHEN JOHNSON #15 OF KY AND NICK FITZGERALD #7 OF MS ST, only a junior. Both of these guys can put points on the board for their teams. So what it may come down to here is which Defense can step up and slow down the other team’s Offense. By the way Kentucky may have the biggest DL in captivity in #69 MATT ELAM/DT who stands 6’7 and weighs about 360 lbs. I think the fighting Wildcats of MARK STOOPS actually have the broader talent base and will use that to win a close game at Cowbell U in Starkville.
Kentucky prospects: #15 STEPHEN JOHNSON/QB; #68 NICK HAYNES/OG; #77 MAQUEZ PRINGLE/DT; #69 MATT ELAM/DT; #51 COURTNEY LOVE/IB; #7 MIKE EDWARDS/SS.
Mississippi State prospects: #7 NICK FITZGERALD/QB JR; #6 DONALD GRAY/WR; #55 MARTINAS RANKIN/OT; #7 TOLANDO CLEVELAND/CB.
SATURDAY OCT. 21 3:30PM/ET ESPN
SYRACUSE (4-3) @ MIAMI (5-0) by 7
Two big questions follow the Orangemen into south Florida: How do they avoid the hangover of their huge upset of Clemson last week, and how healthy is their fine young QB/ERIC DUNGEY, who took a licking from that ferocious Clemson D? HC DINO BABERS will handle item one and the trainers have been working all week on DUNGEY’s body. The big question for the Hurricanes is what happens now that they have lost their star RB WALTON to injury for the remainder of the season. I suspect that they cannot help but miss him some, but I also think that Mark Richt’s RB cupboard is not bare. Look for QB/MALIK ROSIER #12 to step up and assume an even bigger role in running the Miami Offense. Methinks the Hurricanes will lean on their talented D to keep THE ‘CUSE offense in check and win the contest by a touchdown.
Syracuse prospects: #3 ERVIN PHILLIPS/WR; #8 STEVE ISHMAEL/WR; #65 JAMAR McGLOSTER/OT; #30 PARIS BENNETT/OB; #4 ZAIRE FRANKLIN/IB; #48 COLE MURPHY/K.
Miami prospects: #23 CHRIS HERNDON/TE; #52 KC McDERMOTT/OT; #73 TREVOR DARLING/OT; #15 MICHAEL BADGLEY/K; #9 CHAD THOMAS/DE; #90 R.J. McINTOSH/DT; #21 DEE DELANEY/CB; #22 SHELDRICK REDWINE/FS JR.
The college regular season is headed into it’s second half this weekend. Enjoy the action and the scouting before you blink and the season is gone. In only 3 months we’ll all be in St. Pete watching Shrine Game action.
Pigskin
