Under The Microscope: Who To Watch in Week 1 |
Andre Anderson’s health is a bit of a mystery.
Well folks, college football is underway. The opening weekend is always a crazy affair where you can expect the unexpected as teams unveil their new offensive schemes for the fall.
Some of us will hit on our sleeper draft picks, while others will curse our first rounders.
Here’s a look at what to watch for in Week One.
We heard the horror stories this spring about the sieve-like line. The locals said “don’t believe what you read, they’ll be fine”. The game on the Blue Turf will prove to be interesting.
The Result: Well, they were not “fine” last night against Boise State. They were awful.
Will Jeremy Avery and D.J. Harper be a 1-2 punch or will one guy emerge as the feature back?
The Result: Looks like a 1-2 punch. Avery had 27 carries, Harper 19. However, both were productive. Continue to keep an eye on who gets the goal line carries. Harper scored from short range last night.
Is Andre2000 recovered from the flu-like symptoms that caused him to miss time last week? The news regarding Tulane’s star RB has been mysteriously hard to find. Will he explode? Will he look sluggish? Will he even SUIT UP? We certainly hope so. It’s been reported this August, both by coaches and the players themselves, that Anderson is at full health. We will be watching.
There’s a lot to watch on Friday night. How will G.J. Kinne perform? Will Jacob Bower see time at tight end, per the rumors? Will Shavodrick Beaver play any role in the offense? How about the T.U. running game - will Charles Clay live up to the hype or will Jamad Williams steal a bunch of carries?
There are many questions surrounding the Hawaii receivers. Who will emerge from Greg Salas, Javonte Taylor, Kealoha Pilares, and Rodney Bradley?
Is the promising Minnesota RB truly back in top form after blowing out his knee in 2008? We’ll get a glipse of how far along his recovery has come when he faces a weak Syracuse defense.
True freshmen Edwin Baker and Larry Caper both arrived on campus this summer with much fanfare as they look to replace Javon Ringer. We get our first chance to see them against Montana State.
The new Mizzou QB has some big shoes to fill with Chase Daniel graduating. His first game should be a true test as the Illini are loaded on offense and figure to put up some points. Can Gabbert & company keep up?
With Darren Evans on the shelf, we want to see how the carries shake out between “starter” Ryan Williams, David Wilson, and Josh Oglesby. Will anyone shine against a stout Alabama defense?
When star James Starks went down with a shoulder injury, backup Thermilus became the first hot waiver wire name of the young 2009 season. Against a bad UTEP defense, we want to see if this guy can produce on a Starks-like level or if he just looks like a regular backup RB.
Yeah, LSU is a bad matchup for Montlake Jake, but we’re intrigued. If he can hold his own against a stout LSU defense, it could bode well for the rest of the year against lesser opponents.
Has Zach Brown really won the starting job over John Clay? Will he get “starter” carries or will it be more of a 1-2 punch.
We have a good feeling about freshman phenom Christine Michael. Watch him closely against New Mexico as there is the potential for an explosion.
Is Daniel Thomas worthy of his preseason buzz? The guy certainly passes the eyeball test, and he was named the starter over Keithen Valentine. Bill Snyder was known for orchestrating great running games back in his Hey Day. If he can rekindle this magic, Thomas could become a hot name in fantasy circles
We don’t expect much success against a tough Clemson team, but we’re curious to see what formations they use. Do Dwight Dasher and Phillip Tanner look like players? Might be hard to tell in this one, but we’ll be watching.
Freshman Dion Lewis and Ray Graham fight for carries in a mismatch against Youngstown State. Early enrollee Lewis was the star of spring, but Graham has turned heads ever since arriving on campus this summer.
Is Jordan Todman a solid No. 1? Or will he split too many carries with Andre Dixon?
Tate Forcier gets the start, and we’re looking forward to watching him run RichRod’s offense. But Denard Robinson is the guy getting the buzz. Consider this to be early fantasy scouting for 2010.
Because we’re always watching this unit, no matter the year. Will the from-out-of-nowhere Alexander Torres excel in Crabtree’s old position?
We’re hearing he’ll get some snaps on Saturday. We want to see if he looks to be close to 100% after sustaining an elbow injury in practice a few weeks ago.
We want to watch Joe Webb operate. We want to see who Rice leans on as they look to replace stars Chase Clement, James Casey and Jarret Dillard.
Can he make the step up in Year Two? Or will he continue to be inconsistent with his decision-making?
Sails has a great match up here against Southern. Does he look like a capable replacement to Tyrell Fenroy? If so, he’s worth stashing away on your roster. If not, it might be cut-and-run time because he faces Kansas State, LSU, Nebraska and a bye week over the next four weeks.
Is John Mosure The Man or are we looking at RBBC?
Does “Jersey Joe” have enough game to take over as the Rutgers feature back? Or will it be RBBC once again with Kordell Young and Jourdan Brooks.
