GAMES OF WEEK
No. 9 Miami at
No. 14 Florida State, Monday
Haven’t read much about this one, have you? It’s not because this will be their fourth game in less than two years, or because Miami has a six-
game winning streak in the series. It’s that Florida State really doesn’t matter that much anymore. The Seminoles haven’t finished in the top 10 since 2000 and will start a redshirt freshman, Drew Weatherford, at quarterback.
No. 17 Texas A&M at Clemson, Saturday
The Aggies drubbed a highly regarded Clemson team 27-6 last year in College Station, Texas. A solid, if not spectacular Tigers team gets a shot at redemption, but it won’t be easy against a talented A&M team led by dual-threat quarterback Reggie McNeal.
UNLV at
New Mexico, Monday
New Mexico is flying blind, not knowing what UNLV will look like on defense or how returning offensive personnel will adjust to the system under new coach Mike Sanford. Problem for UNLV is, the Rebels might not have a clue, either.
COLORADO CONNECTIONS
LenDale White, TB, Jr., Southern Cal
The Trojans say this doesn’t mean anything, but Reggie Bush will start ahead of White (Chatfield High School) on Saturday at Hawaii. Although Bush was a Heisman finalist last year, White started and alternated with Bush. White has been troubled by back pain, but he is healthy.
Zach Latimer, LB,
Jr., Oklahoma
Latimer (Gateway) gets his first career start Saturday against TCU. He held off a major push in camp from true freshman Curtis Lofton.
ROUTS OF THE WEEK
Sacramento State at
No. 19 Cal, Saturday
Now this is how QB guru Jeff Tedford breaks in a new quarterback: against a bad I-AA team. Likely starter Nate Longshore, a freshman, debuts against a team coming off a 3-8 season.
La.-Lafayette at Texas, Saturday
Let’s just call this what it is: a warm-up for the Longhorns’ Sept. 10 matchup against Ohio State.
Wyoming at
Florida, Saturday
When Joe Glenn talks of bringing IVs to the sideline in The Swamp, that’s akin to visitors talking about oxygen tanks in Laramie. Utah beat the Cowboys 45-28 last year, and Urban Meyer has more talent at Florida.
QUOTABLE
A side of baloney
“His wife, Donna, used to pack his lunch, and I remember he had a sandwich that was just one slice of cheese. So when I saw him after he got that big contract at Cal, I asked him, ‘Are you going to get a slice of baloney with that now?’ ”
Steve Mooshagian, Sacramento State coach, talking about Jeff Tedford after he signed a deal worth
$1.5 million overall with Cal, which hosts Sacramento State on Saturday.
