Capsule previews of Sunday's and Monday's season-opening college football games. All times EDT and all rankings Associated Press.
SUNDAY:
FAVORITE: West Virginia by 23.
COACHES: Doc Holliday (5-7 in second year at Marshall) and Dana Holgersen (first year at West Virginia).
LAST YEAR: Marshall went 5-7. West Virginia went 9-4.
SERIES HISTORY: WVU leads, 10-0.
LAST MEETING: WVU won, 24-21, in overtime, last year.
STAT THAT MATTERS: Mountaineers have won five straight season-openers at home by average score of 43-15.
GAME FACTS: In one of bitterest losses in school history last year in Huntington, Thundering Herd squandered 21-6 lead with seven minutes left, allowing Mountaineers to tie game on two-point conversion with 12 seconds left. Int. on first play of OT set up WVU's game-winning FG. RB Martin Ward had 102 yards in that game while WR Antavious Wilson had pair of TD catches. Both are back after helping MU close season on 4-1 push. Offensive coordinator at high-scoring Oklahoma State, Holgersen takes over after very messy offseason in Morgantown that saw coach Bill Stewart pushed out after he allegedly tried to get a reporter to dig up dirt on Holgersen's drinking around town. He inherits team that looked great in winning final four regular-season games before laying egg in 23-7 Champs Sports Bowl loss to N.C. State. QB Geno Smith's 2,763 yards passing last year was second-best total in school history. Freshman RB Andrew Buie must pick up for departed RB Noel Devine (all-time Mountaineers' leader with 5,761 career all-purpose yards). Defense has only two starters back on front seven, though CB Keith Tandy's 6 ints. led Big East (10th in nation).
FAVORITE: Texas A&M by 16.
COACHES: June Jones (16-23 in fourth year at SMU) and Mike Sherman (19-19 in fourth year at Texas A&M).
LAST YEAR: SMU went 7-7. Texas A&M went 9-4.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas A&M leads, 41-29-7.
STATS THAT MATTER: Since 1988, Aggies are 23-2 in home openers and 66-10 overall vs. nonconference foes at home since 1980.
GAME FACTS: Mustangs petered out with 2-3 finish last year including puzzling 16-14 Armed Forced Bowl loss to Army on their home field. QB Kyle Padron (31 TD passes, 14 ints.) set school record with 4,072 yards total offense and has plenty of targets including WRs Cole Beasley, Darius Johnson (combined 165 catches, 12 TDs). Turnovers (111th in nation in turnover ratios, 27 given up, 15 forced) were huge problem. Coming off rousing season that saw Aggies become first Big 12 team to beat Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska in same season, expectations are overshadowed by A&M's desire to ditch Big 12, preferably for the SEC. Junior Ryan Tannehill was amazing story last year, switching from WR to QB and becoming only player in college football history to have 400-yard passing game and 200-yard receiving game in same season. Defense returns eight starters including CB Coryell Judie (4 ints.), LB Garrick Wilson (112 tackles) but must tighten up secondary (89th in nation vs. pass, 234.1 ypg) vs. Ponies' pass-happy attack.
MONDAY:
MIAMI (0-0) at MARYLAND (0-0), 8 p.m., ESPN.
FAVORITE: Miami by 1.
COACHES: Al Golden (first year at Miami) and Randy Edsall (first year at Maryland).
LAST YEAR: Miami went 6-7. Maryland went 9-4.
SERIES HISTORY: Miami leads, 9-7.
LAST MEETING: Miami won, 26-20, last year.
STAT THAT MATTERS: In last year's win in Miami, Hurricanes outgained the Terps, 504 total yards to 254.
GAME FACTS: With the Navin Shapiro scandal still brewing, 'Canes come in minus eight players in Golden's debut. Suspended include QB Jacory Harris, WR Travis Benjamin, LB Sean Spence, S Ray-Ray Armstrong -- all starters with Spence and Armstrong second-team All-ACC. Sophomore Steven Morris replaces Harris as Morris threw game-winning TD pass in final minute of UM's win last year, finishing 18-of-30 for 286 yards, 2 TDs. Terps made curious coaching change, pushing out Ralph Friedgen in favor of Edsall, who led UConn to surprising Big East title, Fiesta Bowl last year. Sophomore QB Danny O'Brien (22 TD passes as freshman, second-most single season in school history) is one of ACC's best. Senior RB Devin Meggett (720 rushing, 4 TDs) is son of former NFL player Dave. RB D.J. Adams (second in ACC with 11 rushing TDs last year) is also suspended. LB Kenny Tate (100 tackles, 3-1/2 sacks, 3 ints.) is playmaker for defense that returns seven starters.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
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