Saturday's Peach State college football guide; Georgia Tech, UGA, FVSU, Georgia Southern, Mercer, and GMC
12:30 p.m.
Alcorn State at Georgia Tech
TV: FSSO
Web: www.ramblingwreck.com.
Radio: Macon, WQMJ-FM 100.1; Dublin, WDBG 103.1-FM; Milledgeville, WMGG-AM 1450; Tennille, WJFL-FM 101.9; Thomaston, WTGA-AM 1590.
Line: Georgia Tech by 40.
Central Georgians on Alcorn State’s roster: Derrian Meminger is a senior defensive end from Hancock Central who originally signed with Indiana. There are two other Georgians on the roster.
Scouting Report: The line is almost 40, so there’s not much of one. Georgia Tech does need to take care of business and at least be pulling away early in the third quarter.
To Read
Offensive experience will be huge
3:30 p.m.
Austin Peay at Georgia
Sanford Stadium
TV: ESPN.
Web: www.georgiadogs.com
Radio: Macon, WQBZ-FM, 106.3; Dublin, WEDB-FM, 98.1; Milledgeville, WKSR-FM 1-2.3; Sandersville, WSNT-FM, 99.9.
Line: Georgia by 45.
Central Georgians on Austin Peay’s roster: None. Austin Peay has 12 Georgians on the roster.
Scouting Report: Expectations are that a national championship contender will steamroll, and eventually, the Bulldogs should.
But Austin Peay, like all money-game opponents, has dreams of the world-shocker, and the Governors competed last year with Cincinnati, and were 21 down at halftime against national, er, UCF.
Georgia is better at handling upstarts, certainly since that Nicholls State debacle a few years ago, and is pretty healthy, so plenty of Bulldogs will get their uniforms dirty.
To Read
Column: Schedule won’t get in the way
5 p.m.
Fort Valley State at Florida A&M
TV: None.
Web: None.
Radio: None.
Line: None.
Central Georgians on FAMU roster: Not available. The Rattlers’ online roster lists only 18 players, and there are no game notes.
Scouting Report: The Wildcats are a favorite in the Division II SIAC, and the Rattlers
FAMU, breaking in some new turf today, was 3-8 last year and coughed up 28.1 points a game. Nobody is a preseason all-conference pick under new head coach Willie Simmons.
The Wildcats have about 30 juniors, seniors, and grad students, and eight preseason all-conference selections, so there’ll be some confidence from the defending conference champs that they can pull off the upset.
6:05 p.m.
South Carolina State at Georgia Southern
Paulson Stadium
TV: None.
Web: https://gseagles.com; ESPN+.
Radio: Macon, WXKO, 99.5-FM/1150-AM; Dublin, WDBG-FM 102.1; FM.
Line: Georgia Southern by 28.
Central Georgia on the S.C. State roster: None. The Bulldogs have eight Georgians on the early preseason roster.
Scouting Report: It’s the second “beginning of the Chad Lunsford era” at GSU, Lunsford taking over last season. This is his first season opener as the Eagles’ head coach.
The Eagles have won 20 straight home against non-conference opponents, and 10 of their last home openers. They return some experience and momentum.
To Read
Time is now for Lunsford and Co.
7 p.m.
Mercer at Memphis
Liberty Bowl
Web: ESPN3; Mercerbears.com.
Radio: 100.9-FM.
Line: Memphis by 27.
Central Georgians on the Memphis roster: None. The Tigers have seven players from Georgia on the roster.
Scouting Report: Mercer is picked to finish fourth or sixth in the Southern Conference, while Memphis is tabbed to win the American Athletic Conference’s West Division again.
Memphis has five returning all-conference selections in offensive lineman Trevon Tate, tight end Joey Magnifico, running back Darrell Henderson and defensive back TJ Carter, plus special teams whiz Tony Pollard.
The Tigers likely have been warned that the Bears won’t much be dazzled by the visit – maybe moreso if they visited the parade of ducks at the Peabody. Mercer has played at Auburn and Alabama last year.
Mercer has experience in general, not to mention at big venues, and can expect to make Memphis sweat more than the hosts expect.
To Read
7 p.m.
Arizona Western at GMC
Davenport Field
TV: None.
Web: www.jockjive.com.
Radio: N/A.
Line: None.
Central Georgians on Arizona Western’s roster: One. Former Veterans QB Logan Byrd transferred to Arizona Western and is listed as a redshirt sophomore. The Matadors have one other Georgian on the roster.
Scouting Report: Both teams are off losses, 31-29 to Navarro for GMC and 32-30 to New Mexico Military Institute for Arizona Western.
Both teams were ranked in the preseason, GMC No. 15 and Arizona Western No. 3, with the first poll coming out next week.
Safe to say whichever defense shows up and plays the most consistently gets the win.
To Read