Double Cover 2017-09-01 by The Daily Texan

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VOLUME 12 ISSUE 01

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HERMAN TIME PAGE 10

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

HEISMAN WATCH By Keshav Prathivadi @kpthefirst

College football is upon us once again. This season features a plethora of talented players across all conferences who can make their teams contenders overnight.

BAKER MAYFIELD

NO. 7 OKLAHOMA QUARTERBACK

After finishing third in last year’s Heisman race, Mayfield is primed to make yet another compelling case for the trophy. After amassing 3,965 passing yards and 40 touchdowns last season, the redshirt senior puts the Sooners in prime position to claim the Big 12. It won’t be easy for Oklahoma, though. A date with No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus awaits the Sooners on Sept. 9, a game that will either make or break Mayfield’s Heisman resume.

SAM DARNOLD NO. 4 USC QUARTERBACK

Entering his sophomore season at USC, Darnold is expected to lead the Trojans to a Pac-12 title and potential College Football Playoff appearance. After throwing for 3,086 yards and tossing 31 touchdowns in his freshman season, the expectations are sky high in Los Angeles. Look for Darnold to have a strong start to the 2017 campaign in the Trojans’ season opener against Western Michigan on Sept. 2.

LAMAR JACKSON

NO. 16 LOUISVILLE QUARTERBACK

Jackson took the college football world by storm last year, tossing 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns en route to a successful Heisman campaign. With Louisville fielding a much different team this year, Jackson may not be able

EDITOR’S The wait is finally over. On Saturday, Tom Herman will take the field for his first game as the new Texas head coach — a moment Longhorn fans have been anticipating since he was hired last November. His debut brings hope to the 40 Acres, something that hasn’t been around for the past three losing seasons. Will the hope continue to grow with a win over Maryland, or will all of this anticipation go to waste? The answer lies in the hands of Herman and his Longhorns this weekend.

to showcase the individual talent on a level similar to last year. However, with big games against No. 3 Florida State and No. 5 Clemson this season, the junior has a chance to bolster his Heisman chances and become only the second player to win multiple Heisman trophies.

expect Barkley to have a successful year all-around and make a strong case for the Heisman as one of the nation’s premier running backs.

SAQUON BARKLEY

Coming off a breakout year in which he had 1,380 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns and 19.4 yards per catch, Washington is primed for yet another dominant season. The senior returns to a classic Big 12 air-raid offense commandeered by one of the nation’s premier passers: senior quarterback Mason Rudolph. This one-two punch looks to do a lot of damage in the Big 12 this year, and as long as Rudolph is at the helm, expect Washington to help the Cowboys to contend for the Big 12 alongside the seventh-ranked Sooners.

NO. 6 PENN STATE RUNNING BACK

The junior back is coming off a very successful 2016 campaign in which he had 1,496 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, helping Penn State to a Big 10 title. With a very balanced offense, Barkley can also show off his skills in the passing game, where he accounted for 402 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver last season. With the Nittany Lions returning many offensive starters,

JAMES WASHINGTON NO. 10 OKLAHOMA STATE WIDE RECEIVER

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DOUBLE COVERAGE VOLUME 12 ISSUE 01 | AUGUST 31, 2017

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

KEYS TO THE GAME

By Wills Layton @willsdebeast

Q A

R A Daulton Venglar | Daily Texan Staff

SHOW OFF THE IMPROVED DEFENSE

The last season opener Texas played against a Power Five team ended in a loss to NC State in 1999. And if recent history repeats itself, the Longhorn defense is in trouble. Texas has allowed a

combined 85 points in the previous two opening days. The Longhorns will look to begin the season on a high note, and they can start by making a strong defensive statement against Maryland on Sept. 2. With new coordinator Todd Orlando at the helm of the

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Longhorn defense, burnt orange fans can expect to see more consistent coverage in the secondary and a shutdown run defense.

GET INTO AN OFFENSIVE GROOVE EARLY

The best gift an offense can give a defense is a lead. Fortunately for the Longhorn defense, its offensive counterpart boasts a plethora of backfield talent including junior running back Chris Warren III and sophomore running back

Kyle Porter. With a solid offensive line headlined by junior All-American Connor Williams, sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele should feel at ease in the pocket. The Longhorns have scored at least 37 points in their last 4 of 5 season openers. In order to continue that trend, the offense must find its rhythm early against the Terrapins. Spreading the ball out to his offensive weapons will be a must for Buechele, who set Longhorn

passing records for yards and touchdowns as a freshman.

TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL

One of the biggest momentum killers in the game is the untimely turnover. Or worse, a blocked extra point returned for two points to tie the game. Does last year’s season opener against Notre Dame ring a bell? Last season, the Longhorns had a negative turnover ratio, with 20 turnovers forced compared to 23 giveaways. Texas has focused on

eliminating mistakes such as penalties and turnovers this preseason, following the demands of head coach Tom Herman. The Longhorns’ first opportunity to play a clean game will come against Maryland, a Big 10 school that scraped its way to a bowl game last season and ended the year with a 6–7 record. In a year filled with expectations, a low-penalty, zero turnover game would be an optimal start to the season forW A the Longhorns.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

KEY MATCHUPS By Dalton Phillips @Dalton_Tweets

QUARTERBACK ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

Shane Buechele is set to begin his sophomore campaign better-prepared and with more pieces around him. Considering the numbers he put up as a true freshman, Texas should expect to see great things from its young gun. Tyrrell Pigrome has all but secured the Maryland playmaking position. The dual-threat sophomore furthers the team’s already lethal running game, but started only one game last season for the Terrapins.

RUNNING BACK ADVANTAGE: MARYLAND

It’s unclear if Longhorn sophomore Kyle Porter will be ready for gameday coming off a lingering shoulder injury. If he sits, it’ll be junior Chris Warren III and sophomore Kirk Johnson with the bulk of the carries. Maryland is returning Ty Johnson, who recorded over 1,000 yards and averaged 9.1 yards per carry in 2016. The junior is expected to have another stellar season with offensive coordinator Walt Bell continuing to pressure defenses with an up-tempo style of play.

WIDE RECEIVER ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

With the exception of

Maryland’s run game, every other matchup favors Texas on paper. That should prove especially apparent with regards to the Longhorn wide receivers, who will likely run circles around an uncertain Terrapins secondary. Maryland has a slew of young talent in the receiver pool and not a lot of experience. Senior Taivon Jacobs — who missed his entire junior year with an injury — will likely be a regular target in Saturday’s matchup.

display against Johnson and Maryland. It starts with the frontline combination of senior Poona Ford, junior Chris Nelson and sophomore Malcolm Roach, and will ripple out from there. Maryland finished No. 77 defensively last season, allowing 427.1 yards per game and 50 offensive touchdowns. The defensive unit is returning seven starters, but Texas should find no trouble poking holes in the secondary.

OFFENSIVE LINE ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

LINEBACKER ADVANTAGE: TIE

An emphasis on conditioning in addition to a strong returning core means Buechele should feel right at home in the pocket. It remains to be seen how well the line will fare against a tougher defensive opponent. Maryland is plagued with issues across its young front. Texas should have no problem exploiting matchups up and down the line, particularly as depth becomes increasingly important down the stretch.

DEFENSIVE LINE ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

Texas struggled mightily against the run during the 2016 season — something head coach Tom Herman has repeatedly emphasized and will be on full

Longhorn junior Malik Jefferson solidified his position at outside linebacker, recently earning a spot on the Big 12’s preseason all-conference team. He’s a versatile playmaker that should flourish this season. Maryland senior Jermaine Carter has 25 starts under his belt and will prove to be a handful for any Texas player who tries to mark him.

DEFENSIVE BACK ADVANTAGE: TEXAS

If last season’s passing yards are any indication, the Terrapins struggle to defend against the pass when facing strong offensive opponents. With the deep receiving squad being arguably the

strongest part of the Longhorn team, you can expect deep shots downfield early and often. The Longhorns’ pass defense surrendered an average 258 yards per game last season. Texas has potential stars in sophomore Brandon Jones and junior P.J. Locke III, but the young team

could easily fall victim to last year’s inconsistency.

SPECIAL TEAMS ADVANTAGE: TIE

The Maryland team boasted a productive special teams squad during the 2016 season. With the entire group returning for the 2017 campaign,

the Terrapins should see success in that front. Special teams are always hard to read prior to an opener. Texas emphasized the role of special teams regularly during the offseason, which ought to translate to a better kicking game on Saturday for the Longhorns.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

TEXAS FEATURE

With year under his belt, Buechele takes charge By Alex Briseno @Alexxbriseno

One year ago, a true freshman ran out of the Buechele’s month-long quarterback battle tunnel and into a sold-out Darrell K Royal Me- with freshman Sam Ehlinger just allows him morial Stadium — he didn’t look phased. to display his transformation, and it doesn’t Not even as the majority of the 102,315 go unnoticed. fans erupted when he took the field as the “Shane, when he first got here, he was alLonghorns’ starting quarterback in their sea- ways a mature guy, but now he’s really in that son-opener with then-No. 10 Notre Dame. zone,” senior wide receiver Dorian Leonard It was primetime. The eyes of the entire said. “I’m just looking at him and you can country were on Texas as well as the man lead- just see it in his eyes that he’s just bought in as ing the offense: Shane Buechele — the first true much as he can and he really wants to go out freshman to start a season-opener at Texas there and play for us.” since 1944. Buechele’s buy-in appears to have paid off. “I tell everybody, All signs are pointthey always ask me, ing towards a sec‘How was that first ond consecutive game?’” Buechele season-opening said. “It was a weird start for Buechele, I’m really proud of feeling because I felt but things will be a so comfortable. I little different this what he’s put in to think it was just all the year. He won’t be prepare for this team… preparation that we that true freshman had and never being running out of the I think he’s gonna play able to play in front of tunnel anymore. that many people.” Now, thousands lights out. I really do. I Buechele put on of fans at Darrell think he’s gonna have a show. K Royal know his But the rest of Texas’ name. They know a great game.” season didn’t go nearhow he performed ly as well as the 50-47 in last year’s sea—Tim Beck, double-overtime vicson-opener and Offensive coordinator tory that night, and the they won’t expect true freshman’s uglier anything less. performances were Buechele said he soon to come. doesn’t think he That includes a three-interception game in has won Herman over yet, but quite frankly, he Texas’ season-defining loss to Kansas en route doesn’t seem to have a large chunk of the Longto another 5-7 season. horn faithful won over either. “Obviously that’s in the past,” Buechele said. However, if there is anybody who ap“We don’t want to look back at it, but you pears to be completely sold on Buechele, know it is in our brain. We don’t want to go it’s his offensive coordinator. back to that.” “He’s worked extremely hard, I mean exWhether head coach Tom Herman and his tremely hard,” offensive coordinator Tim Longhorns will “go back to that” is yet to be Beck said. “I’m really proud of what he’s put determined, but this staff has already healed in to prepare for this team… I think he’s one of the quarterback’s Achilles heels from last gonna play lights out. I really do. I think year: lack of vocal leadership. he’s gonna have a great game.” “Last year, it was difficult,” Buechele said. The Longhorn quarterback appears to have “Trying to be a vocal leader and getting guys be- the coaching staff and his team convinced that hind me, that’s hard being a young guy. But this he’s not the quiet, inexperienced freshman he year I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable being a was last year. Now, when Buechele runs out of vocal leader which I think is really important the tunnel this year, it’s up to him to prove it to for our offense and our team in general.” everybody else, and it starts Saturday.

Emmanuel Briseno | Daily Texan Staff

Sophomore quarterback Shane Buechele throws the football at Darrell K Royal stadium. Buechele is set to start the first game of the season against Maryland on Saturday.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

TEXAS WINS IF The Longhorns will be successful against Maryland if they can slow down the Terrapins’ high-octane ground game. All seven of the Longhorns’ starting defensive front from last year returns to build on an underwhelming year in which they gave up 189.8 rushing yards per game, fifth in the Big 12. In 2016, Maryland’s sophomore Lorenzo Harrison III and junior Ty Johnson ran for a combined 1,641 yards and 11 touchdowns. The pair could have gone for even more had the former not been suspended by the team in early November. With the suspension now over, Harrison and Johnson will once again fuel a potentially potent offense. Maryland also

By Drew King @drewking0222

boasts a deep offensive line, featuring six former four-star recruits, making matters more difficult for Texas. On the other hand, throwing the ball was an area of weakness last year for the Terrapins. Four different quarterbacks threw at least 33 passes as former starter Perry Hills battled injuries all season long. Hills and two of the Terrapins’ top-three leading receivers last year graduated, and the team’s current options under center have hardly gotten their feet wet. The one-two punch of the Terrapins’ backfield will be the first real test of the season for head coach Tom Herman’s defense. If Texas thwarts Maryland’s early attempts to establish the run and force them to air the ball out, the Terrapins should run out of gas. Emmanuel Briseno | Daily Texan Staff

TEXAS LOSES IF The Longhorns will come up short if their offense can’t fully adjust to the massive amount of turnover it has experienced since the end of last season. Key former playmakers such as D’Onta Foreman, Tyrone Swoopes and Jacorey Warrick are no longer around to help mentor the youth-filled unit, and neither is former head coach Charlie Strong. Add in a season-ending foot fracture to incumbent starting senior tight end Andrew Beck, and it’s clear the Longhorns will rely on a lot of new faces to make their way to the end zone. The Maryland defense was not menacing by any means last season, finishing in the bottom four in the Big 10 in both yards and points allowed per game. Still, the unit strung together enough solid performances to earn Maryland a 6-7 record and an

appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl. Texas isn’t starting from scratch. Sophomore gunslinger Shane Buechele appears to have the lead in the team’s competition for the starting quarterback spot (for now, at least). Junior running back Chris Warren III’s mold is similar to Foreman’s as a thumper who can pound his way through the trenches. Additionally, the receiving corps might be the deepest area on the team’s roster. However, learning a new system, perfecting your timing, building chemistry — all of that takes time. Thus far, the Longhorns have only had nine months with Herman. If Texas’ offense gets overwhelmed by all of the changes, falls out of rhythm or can’t stay in sync, Maryland’s defense is good enough to capitalize on the Longhorns’ mistakes. Gabriel Lopez | Daily Texan Staff

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

GAMES No. 11 Michigan vs. No. 17 Florida Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ABC

The Wolverines and Gators clash in Arlington to open 2017 as fringe contenders in their respective conferences. Michigan leads the all-time series 3–0 and pulverized Florida 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl during the 2015 postseason. Both teams suffered recent hardships but were quickly revived with the hirings of head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Jim McElwain. Both Jims are renowned for sporting impressive defenses — both are top 10 in points allowed and total yards allowed in 2016. Michigan, a fourth down stop away from the College Football Playoff last season, will earn another shot under senior quarterback Wilton Speight. Florida has shuffled through four different starting quarterbacks in the last two seasons but will try to upset the Wolverines with redshirt freshman Feleipe Franks under center.

Appalachian State at No. 15 Georgia Saturday, 5 p.m., ESPN

Appalachian State famously kicked off the 2007 college football season with an upset for the ages over No. 5 Michigan. A decade later, the Mountaineers have surged to the FBS level and fit the part as favorites for the 2017 Sun Belt title. The Georgia Bulldogs should learn from their rivals in Knoxville that the Mountaineers aren’t scared of challenging premier SEC opponents. Georgia earns an edge over Appalachian State by returning senior running back Nick Chubb, who opened the 2016 season with 222 rushing yards and two touchdowns against North Carolina. Appalachian State owns the 12th-highest win percentage in playoff era but the Mountaineers are still seeking their first Power Five win as members of the FBS.

No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama Saturday, 7 p.m., ABC

Two of college football’s greatest powers look to be promising contenders for the 2017 College Football Playoff, but one will be forced to start 0–1. Alabama and Florida State will kick off in the brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, likely fighting for the No. 1 spot in the polls. During the battle, 2 of 4 college football head coaches who have won a national title will be roaming the sidelines — Alabama’s Nick Saban and Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher. The Crimson Tide ended an otherwise perfect 2016 campaign with a last-second loss to Clemson in the title game but look to rebound with a relentless defense that features star junior free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Looking to tear up the Alabama secondary is Seminoles’ redshirt sophomore starting quarterback Deondre Francois, who passed for 3,350 yards in a standout freshman season.

TO WATCH By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

No. 22 West Virginia vs. No. 21 Virginia Tech Sunday, 6:30 p.m., ABC

Although the two colleges sit 250 miles apart, they will head east to battle for superiority in Landover, MD. Both programs fell just short in their impressive quests for conference titles in 2016 and still feature impressive rosters. West Virginia will start junior, and former Florida quarterback, Will Grier (6–0 in career) to face the Hokies. Virginia Tech, under head coach Justin Fuente’s first season, fared 10–4 with an impressive 24-point comeback to defeat Arkansas in the Belk Bowl. The Hokies new starter, redshirt freshman Josh Jackson, begins his college career against head coach Dana Holgorsen’s 3-3-5 defense. This game should be tightly contested and the former Big East rivals will compete for the Black Diamond Trophy which was last awarded in 2005.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

OPPONENTS TO WATCH By Steve Helwick @s_helwick

Jermaine Carter, Jr. Inside linebacker, #1

Ty Johnson

Runningback, #6

Brendan Moore

J.C. Jackson

Carter enters his senior season in College Park but has already built an impressive résumé during his tenure with the team. Carter led the Terrapins with a team-high 101 total tackles last season — the team’s primary run stopper. In 2015, Carter finished with 103 tackles and 14 tackles for loss, but he added much more versatility to his game last season. The senior recorded the first six sacks of his college career and intercepted his first pass, a pick-six in a win over FIU. He additionally defended four passes, forced two fumbles and recovered one himself. Carter is the versatile linebacker every team in college football seeks during recruiting, and he has one more season to lead Maryland to its first bowl victory since 2010.

Johnson enters 2017 with his first 1,000-yard season of his collegiate year behind him. The junior shined on several occasions last year, breaking the 140-yard rushing mark four times. He set a career-high 204 yards in a 50-7 domination over Purdue last October — on only seven attempts. Maryland should be excited about Johnson entering as the team’s feature back in 2017 because of how he performed on the tail-end of 2016. In his final two contests, Johnson accumulated 327 yards on 26 carries, complemented with two touchdowns. The 5-foot-10-inch junior has also demonstrated his abilities to be effective in the receiving department, earning 206 yards last season.

Out of all of the players on the Terrapins’ roster, none should be as familiar with Darrell K. Royal Stadium and the surrounding areas as Moore. The Austin native is a product of Westwood High School, where he earned two FirstTeam All-District nods. The junior selected Maryland over several Texas schools and has excelled anchoring the Terrapins’ offensive line. The dependable Moore started 13 games at center last season for Maryland, blocking for an offense that produced 199.5 rushing yards per game. His success over the past season earned him a nod on the Dave Rimington Trophy watch list, the Heisman Trophy equivalent for centers among the college football landscape.

This will be Jackson’s second season suiting up in red, white, black and yellow — the colors of the iconic Maryland flag. Jackson, a highly-touted four-star recruit and ESPN’s 79th top prospect in the class of 2014, transferred to Maryland after playing one game at Florida in 2014. The junior cornerback immediately became one of the Terrapins’ most effective contributors, notching 40 tackles, breaking up six passes and recovering two turnovers. Jackson reunited with head coach D.J. Durkin, a longtime assistant at Florida. With the graduation of star cornerback and return specialist William Likely, Jackson will assume a large leadership role on defense for Durkin’s program.

Center, #64

Cornerback, #7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

COLUMN

Herman’s debut brings hope to Texas fans By Michael Shapiro @mshap2

It’s fair for the burnt orange faithful to be skeptical heading into the 2017 season. They’ve been burned time and again over the past three years, with any glimmers of optimism quickly replaced by the realization that at its core, this was at best a mediocre program, incapable of stringing together sustained success. The Longhorns carried former head coach Charlie Strong off the field after Texas defeated Oklahoma in 2015, only to get shut out by Iowa State two weeks later. And after ESPN’s Joe Tessitore declared, “Texas is back, folks,” following the Longhorns’ opening-night win over Notre Dame in 2016, Texas dropped three of its next four, ending the season with a losing record for the third consecutive season. So as week one approaches and optimism reigns throughout the college football world, it’s hard to blame Longhorn fans for containing their excitement. As the old adage goes: fool me for one season, shame on you. Fool me for four seasons in a row, shame on me. Texas fans are right to be guarded. It’s what you do after a 16–21 record over a three-year period. But this season will be different. And there’s one big reason why. The changes in the program start at the top. After Strong was dismissed in December, Texas jumped at the chance to hire head coach Tom Herman, who

entered Austin following a 22–5 stint over two seasons at Houston. A former graduate assistant for the Longhorns in 1999, Herman instilled his exacting approach to program building from day one on the job. He preached engagement and alignment — a buzzword throughout the offseason — revamping Texas’ culture in the nine months between his hiring and Texas’ season opener on Saturday. “(The players) are definitely in line with what we want and what we need,” Herman said. “I have

We have that mental toughness now. We had to piece together the mental part with our physical toughness, and I think we’ve found it. It’s going to be a real good season for us. —Jerrod Heard, Wide receiver

talked about the difference between compliant and committed. I do believe these guys, there’s a lot of them now that are doing these things because they have conviction, that it’s the right way to do things rather than, ‘Hey, I don’t want to get in trouble so let’s do these things.’” And don’t just take Herman’s word that the program has been

revitalized. His sentiments have been echoed throughout the roster during preseason practice, with players noting Texas’ physical and mental transformation. In addition to shedding 500 pounds of body fat during the offseason — as Herman announced in late July — the Longhorns also lost the bad habits they accumulated over the past three seasons. “We have that mental toughness now,” junior wide receiver Jerrod Heard said. “We had to piece together the mental part with our physical toughness, and I think we’ve found it. It’s going to be a real good season for us.” There’s no guarantee Texas will see its record skyrocket to nine or ten wins this year, especially in a crowded Big 12. The Longhorns will face No. 4 USC, No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 10 Oklahoma State during a brutal five-game stretch early in the year, and still have to play TCU and West Virginia on the road. The easy wins on Texas’ schedule are few and far between. But even an incremental improvement in the Longhorns’ record will lay the groundwork for future success. Rebuilding a program doesn’t happen overnight, and year one of the Herman era will be judged by more than what’s seen in the wins column. Texas may not find itself chasing a Big 12 title in 2017, but the malaise that swept the program over the past three seasons has subsided. It’s now safe to let your guard down. This year will be different.

Joshua Guerra | Daily Texan Staff

Tom Herman addresses the media to discuss his first game as the new Texas head coach as the Longhorns take on Maryland at Darrell K Royal stadium this Saturday.

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COIN FLIP

No. 23 Texas vs. Maryland

Texas 35-21

Texas 35-17

Texas 31-27

Texas 41-21

Texas 34-21

Texas 41-27

Texas 24-10

Texas 38-17

Texas 34-20

Maryland

No. 1 Alabama vs. No 3. Florida State

Alabama

BYU vs. No. 13 LSU

LSU

No. 17 Florida vs. No. 11 Michigan

Michigan

Florida

Michigan

Florida

Texas A&M vs. UCLA

UCLA

Texas A&M

UCLA

Virginia Tech

West Virginia

Virginia Tech

West Virginia

No. 21 Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia No. 22 West Virginia

California vs. North Carolina

North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina

California

No. 25 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech

Tennessee

Georgia Tech

Tennessee

Georgia Tech

Temple vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Temple

Appalachian State vs. No. 15 Georgia

Georgia