Saturday's Peach State College Football Report, pregame
12 p.m.
Georgia Tech (1-0) at South Florida (1-0)
Raymond James Stadium
TV: ABC/ESPN2
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 3.
Central Georgians on South Florida’s roster: Marquies Price is a junior from Peach County in his first season of eligibility at USF after transferring from Duke, who is not on the two-deep for this game and did not play in the opener against Elon. There are four other Georgians on the roster.
To Read
Ready for the road trip
http://ramblinwreck.com/fb-usf-preview-18/
Tech visit a program gauge for USF
Quality test for the Jackets, too
12:30 p.m.
Georgia State (1-0) at NC State (1-0)
TV: RSN.
Web: www.georgiastatesports.com
Radio: www,georgiastatesports.com
Line: N.C. State by 24.5
Central Georgians on N.C. State roster: None. There are 10 Georgians on the roster.
To Read
Ten things to know
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article217798060.html
Three things to watch, Pack side
3:30 p.m.
Georgia (1-0) at South Carolina (1-0)
Williams-Brice Stadium
TV: CBS.
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 10.
Central Georgians on South Carolina’s roster: None. There are 24 Georgians on the roster.
Scouting Report: People forget this was a 14-point game last year, and South Carolina had chances.
The Gamecocks have a quality receiving group and a veteran quarterback, so, at home, this might end up as a shootout, or a game with a load of yards not converted into points.
To Read
Game preview, 1
https://www.redandblack.com/gameday/behind-enemy-bylines-previewing-no-georgia-vs-no-south-carolina/article_adea7412-b0b4-11e8-9000-673db8e72baf.html
Ridley helping Ridley
CB Campbell learning on the job
Will South Carolina screw up Georgia’s season?
About that prediction
6 p.m.
Jacksonville (1-0) at Mercer (0-1)
Five Star Stadium
Web: ESPN3; Mercerbears.com.
Radio: 100.9-FM.
Line: Mercer by 23 (Sagarin Ratings)
Central Georgians on the JU roster: Vasco Sanders is a sophomore LB from Tattnall. The Dolphins have 24 more players from Georgia on the roster.
Scouting Report: Jacksonville’s prime goal, after winning, is to not walk off the field wit the same whipped-pup feeling as a year ago after Mercer hammered the Dolphins 48-7, cruising to a 27-0 halftime lead.
Jacksonville beat Division II St. Augustine 63-15 to open the season, so they’ll come to Five Star Stadium with a little better momentum and some confidence.
QB Calvin Turner Jr. led JU to its second-bet rushing performance in program history with 441 yards last week, and the Dolphins are second nationally in completion percentage at 88.3 percent.
Mercer, of course, isn’t St. Aug. For one, they’re 22-9 at home.
Granted, the Bears didn’t quite expect the X pounded handed them by Memphis in the opener, but they got out of it basically OK health-wise.
The QB shuffle will likely continue with Kaelyn Riley and Robert Riddle.
"I thought [Riddle] handled himself well on the sidelines and Kaelan did a good job of telling him what to do,” Mercer head coach Bobby Lamb said at Monday’s weekly press conference. “They really worked well together. We just have to get both of those guys better and that comes with more reps."
He knows Jacksonville – whose triple option will add a level of curiosity to the game - has some resiliency.
"We beat Jacksonville last year at home in our season opener, and then after that, they went on to finish 7-4 overall and third in the [Pioneer Football League], which is the best they've finished in a while,” Lamb said Monday. “"We've got to gear down from a high-tempo, very efficient offense from Memphis to a very efficient triple-option offense in Jacksonville. It'll be a great challenge for our guys.”
To Read
Dolphins looking for consistency, efficiency
http://www.jacksonville.com/sports/20180907/dolphins-striving-for-more-efficiency-at-mercer
Savannah State (0-1) at Miami (0-1)
Hard Rock Stadium
TV: ACCNextra
Web: hurricanesports.com
Radio: None.
Line: Miami by 55.
Central Georgians on Miami’s roster: None. There are eight Georgians on the Miami roster.
Scouting Report: Miami remained in both Top 25s after losing 33-17 to LSU.
The Canes won the last meeting 77-7 in 2013, the most points scored in Miami program history. They have 14 starters back from that group.
The Tigers are off a 52-0 loss to UAB.
There will be loads of empty seats.
To Read
SSU knows the story
https://www.foxsports.com/college-football/story/savannah-state-knows-it-faces-long-odds-against-no-22-miami-090718
UM young QBs ready for action
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article217983110.html
UMass (1-1) at Georgia Southern (1-0)
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 2.5.
Central Georgians on the UMass roster: None. The Minutemen have two Georgians on the roster.
Scouting Report: The two programs so far apart and so different have some history, including in the playoffs.
UMass watched Boston College break a 7-7 tie with 41 straight points last week, so it’s ready to tussle with a non-power 5 team. It will come to Paulson ready and confident.
And playing at night evens things up a little bit heatwise, but a night game in the South adds some juice for the home team.
To Read
Revenge on the minds?
https://gseagles.com/news/2018/9/3/football-game-preview-eagles-look-for-revenge-against-umass.aspx
Minutemen off a rough loss
7 p.m.
Valdosta State (1-0) vs. Fort Valley State (0-1)
Memorial Stadium, Waycross
TV: None.
Web: ESPN3/Watch ESPN.
Radio: None.
Line: None.
Central Georgians on Valdosta State’s roster: Three. Pippin Davis is a sophomore long snapper from Lamar County. John Black is a junior offensive lineman from Peach County. Jeremy King is a senior offensive lineman from Westside.
Scouting Report: VSU rolled past Albany State 45-14.
FVSU wasn’t completely dominated in last week’s 41-7 loss to FCS Florida A&M, except up front on offense, where the Wildcats were held to -12 yards rushing. The Wildcats gave up 276 rushing yards and 131 passing yards, and did have 11 penalties, for 75 yards. They held the Rattlers to two second quarter field goals before the hosts starting getting some momentum.
Slade Jarman was 17 of 27 for 303 yards and a score for the Wildcats, and Jamari Clark managed 35 rushing yards.
To read
Blazers, Wildcats will try again
GMC (0-2) at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (1-0)
Red Robertson Field
TV: None.
Web: www.jockjive.com
Radio: N/A.
Line: None.
Central Georgians on NEO’s roster: None. The Golden Norsemen have four Georgians on the roster.
Scouting Report: GMC doesn’t go 0-3 very often, but this opponent has a decent shot to do that.
NEO is ranked fourth, ahead of Navarro and Arizona Western, the two teams that have beaten the Bulldogs, who have almost a more absurdly tough schedule than usual.
And this is one of those “are you serious?” long, long road trips.
GMC’s losses are by a total of five points, so the 0-2 is a hair misleading. This isn’t your normal “winless” team.
QB Trey Patterson has 342 yards passing in two games, but is completing only 42.4 percent and has four interceptions to two touchdowns. The Bulldogs have five players with at least five carries, and are getting only 112 yards a game rushing.
GMC is being outgained 413-287.5 so far, so the Bulldogs’ defense will need a far-above-average road performance.
To Read
http://www.unionrecorder.com/sports/bulldogs-heading-west-once-again/article_f081b830-b29e-11e8-b27a-4f834c088b8f.html