Each Friday, I bust out a Rapid Fire Weekend Preview article.  The gist of the piece is to outline things to look for during the weekend action.  So it's only natural that we revisit those questions to see if we found any answers.  Let's dive in...


FRIDAY

Boise State at Toledo
What to Watch: Come on Doug Martin, be the stud running back you’re supposed to be.  Coming off a bye, Boise State should be well-prepared for a Toledo team reeling after a close loss to Ohio State.  If Martin doesn’t dominate in this one, it will raise an eyebrow for fantasy owners.

What we Learned: Doug Martin came through for fantasy owners, but it was in the form of the passing game.  He remains the clear No. 1 Boise RB, which is good news.  Let's hope he gets more carries in coming weeks as relying on him to rack up over 100 yards is a risky proposition.


Iowa State at Connecticut
What to Watch: The Lyle McCombs-D.J. Shoemate saga.  Shoemate was supposed to return last week but was held out.  Does he return?  If so, how do the carries get divvied up?

What we Learned: McCombs had 18 carries for 46 yards.  Shoemate chipped in with 8 carries. And a new name was added to the mix, Scott McCummings.  He's one of those dual threat QBs.  UConn seemingly brings McCummings in to run, and he toted the rock 10 times Friday night.  As we feared, this is shaping up to be a fantasy headache situation.


SATURDAY

West Virginia at Maryland
What to Watch:  Have the Mountaineers been holding back in their first two games?  Let’s hope so.  They struggled a bit on offense against Marshall in the opener, and were down 12-10 last week at the half to mighty Norfolk State.  It’s still undetermined who will be the go-to in the passing game.  Will Tavon Austin post back-to-back solid weeks?

What we Learned: The Mountaineers looked pretty good on offense.  They're definitely making strides.  Austin caught 11 balls for 122 yards.  Ivan McCartney and Stedman Bailey each caught 8 balls for over 100 yards.


Auburn at Clemson
What to Watch:  Tajh Boyd has performed well against the cupcakes.  Now, he gets to face a real live SEC defense.  Granted, Auburn’s defense is not up to LSU or Alabama’s standards, but they are far more athletic than what Boyd has faced thus far (Troy and freaking Wofford).

What we Learned: Well, it's safe to say Boyd passed this test with flying colors.  386 passing yards and 4 TDs!  The lesson learned here is to start every QB that faces Auburn.  They all perform well.


Wyoming at Bowling Green
What to Watch: One of the more interesting non-BCS games on the docket.  Will Bowling Green WR Eugene Cooper keep up his torrid pace?  Will we have a Kamar Jorden sighting?  How does Cowboy QB handle his first road trip?

What we Learned: Cooper leveled off a little, but still put up a respectable 8-79-0 statline.  Kamar Jorden did wake up with a solid 9-101-1 day.  But the big winner here is QB Matt Schilz, who passed the ball 55 times for 437 yards and 4 TDs.  Wyoming won the game, and Brett Smith was efficient but not fantasy worthy in this one as the Cowboys used a balanced attack on offense.


Penn State at Temple
What to Watch: Aside from Temple pulling off the upset, which is entirely possible given the sad state of the Penn State quarterback situation, we’ll have our eye on Bernard Pierce.  He played very well up in Happy Valley last fall before leaving the game with an injury.
 
What we Learned: Pierce started out well and seemed to be on his way to a 100-yard day.  Then the Nittany Lions defense buckled down.  Pierce wound up with 17 carries for 50 yards and a TD.


Pittsburgh at Iowa
What to Watch:  Ray Graham vs. Marcus Coker.  First one to 100 yards wins.

What we Learned: Coker got 23 carries for 86 yards before the Hawkeyes wound up in desperation come-from-behind mode and passed most of the second half.  Ray Graham had 28 total touches for 147 yards, but was held out of the endzone.


Central Michigan at Western Michigan
What to Watch:  Both offenses have been stuck in first gear so far on the season.  Cody Wilson, Jordan White and Alex Carder – it’s SHOWTIME.

What we Learned: Well, two out of three showed up (Carder and White).  Wilson was MIA once again, and is looking like a bust.  Those that were patient with Carder were rewarded with a huge performance.  Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come once the MAC schedule kicks into high gear.


Kansas at Georgia Tech
What to Watch: We still don’t know who to count on in the G-Tech running game.  B-back David Sims?  A-Back Orwin Smith? Even QB Tevin Washington Show has been spotty on the ground.  Somebody step it, would ya?

What we Learned: Tech dropped 66 points on the Jayhawks without any one single rusher carrying the rock more than 9 times.  Still, six backs scored touchdowns in this one.  Orwin Smith and David Sims seems to be the top fantasy options here, but we're still skeptical how this will shake out once the competition stiffens.


Colorado State at Colorado
What to Watch: CSU QB Pete Thomas is completing 74 percent of his passing.  Big whoop.  That doesn’t help us fantasy-wise.  Put up some numbers, son!

What we Learned: Thomas had an 18-for-28, 157 yard stinker performance.


Duke at Boston College
What to Watch:  Montel Harris remains out, which means Andre Williams will carry the load again.  He stunk at UCF last week.  Without his offensive coordinator, who took a mysteriously ill-timed “leave of absence”, can Williams run rough-shed over a bad Duke defense?

What we Learned: BC really struggled in the loss to Duke.  Williams did lead the team in rushing with a 13-53-1 statline, but it was far from an inspiring effort.


Coastal Carolina at Georgia
What to Watch:  You want “more dogs”, Coastal Carolina?  Here ya go.  After an 0-2 start, the Bulldawgs have to be rippin’ pissed.  This could be good news for Isaiah Crowell owners as their RB was officially named the team’s starter.

What we Learned: While Crowell rushed 16 times for 86 yards and a TD, we expected more.


Wisconsin at No. Illinois
What to Watch: What the heck happened to James White last week?  17 carries for 53 yards and NO scores?  That’s not going to cut it.

What we Learned: He only touched the ball 11 times, but White made the most of them totaling 126 yards and 1 TD.


Washington at Nebraska
What to Watch: Will Rex Burkhead become more involved in the running game, or will this be all T-Magic, all the time?  Burkhead is averaging a measly 13 carries per game.

What we Learned: Burkhead woke up in this one, toting the rock 22 times for 120 yards and 2 TDs.


Missouri State at Oregon
What to Watch:  The Black Mamba (De’Anthony Thomas) is quickly emerging as the most dangerous playmaker in America.  8.6 yards per attempt on the ground, and 17.5 yards per catch through the air.

What we Learned: The Mamba had a quiet outing, touching the ball 12 times for 80 yards and no scores.


Michigan State at Notre Dame
What to Watch:  Can the Irish triplets of Rees-Wood-Floyd continue to put up monster stats?  Sparty is by far the toughest defense they have seen yet.

What we Learned: Cierre Wood produced well in the first half, but was invisible in the second stanza.  Rees and Pink Floyd didn't show up in this one.


Tennessee at Florida
What to Watch: Can Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers get open against a stout Florida secondary?

What we Learned: Hunter was lost for the season with an ACL injury.  Rogers posted a 5-62-1 statline.


Texas at UCLA
What to Watch: Will Malcolm Brown get more goal line reps?  Burly fullback Cody Johnson has been vulturing all of Brown’s touchdowns inside the 5-yard line so far.

What we Learned: Brown erupted for 110 yards and a TD on 22 carries.


South Carolina State at Indiana
What to Watch: My “Super Sneaky Desperation Play of the Week” is Hoosier RB Matt Perez.

What we Learned: Perez carried the ball 16 times for 42 yards and a score, but it was freshman D'Angelo Rogers who stole the show with a 19-102-1 performance.


Virginia at North Carolina
What to Watch: With UVA RB Kevin Parks banged up, will Perry Jones take advantage?  Will Tar Heel WR Dwight Jones put up another good statline?

What we Learned: Parks was the man in this one with 15 touches for 113 yards.  Perry Jones had 12 touches for 48 yards.  Neither reached the endzone.  Each week, these two seem to alternate the production.


Tulane at UAB
What to Watch: Lots of questions in this one.  Will Pat Shed play?  Will Orleans Darkwa and Bryan Ellis finally have breakout performances?

What we Learned: Darkwa tallied 87 yards and 2 TDs.  Shed played, but was a non-factor.  And UAB QB Bryan Ellis was terrible completing only 10 passes for 145 yards, 0 TDs and 2 INTs.


Nevada at San Jose State
What to Watch: Mike Ball was clearly the top running back option for Nevada last week against Oregon (14-99-0).  If he gets the ball 20 times in this one, how much damage will he do?

What we Learned: Ball had 29 carries for 124 yards and 2 scores.  Not bad.  The RB2 on this day for Nevada was Stefphan Jefferson, who posted a 12-75-0 line.


UCF at FIU
What to Watch:  Is this the game where TY Hilton finally gets shut down?

What we Learned: Hilton was shut down, but it was due to injury.  Let's hope he can get back to 100 percent quickly.


Idaho at Texas A&M
What to Watch: Jeff Fuller’s health. Does he look 100 percent out there after two weeks of rest or is his hamstring still a problem?

What we Learned: Fuller posted an underwhelming 5-79-0 number on the day.  Fantasy owners are starting to get antsy.


Stephen F. Austin at Baylor
What to Watch: Alright, RG3, what do you have in store for us as an encore?

What we Learned: RG3 did not disappoint, putting up 33 fantasy points.


Arizona State at Illinois
What to Watch: This is one of the more intriguing games of the weekend.  Can Brock Osweiler go on the road and continue his hot streak?  Will Nathan Scheelhaase have the same success against the Sun Devils as Mizzou’s dual threat James Franklin a week ago?

What we Learned: Osweiler came back to earth a bit in this one, but he still put up 20 fantasy points.  His offensive line looked very shaky, which could be a concern once he faces some of the better Pac-12 defense.  Scheelhaase wasn't effective in the passing game, and was held out of the endzone on the ground.


Nicholls State at La-Lafayette
What to Watch:  Does tight end Ladarius Green suit up?  He was held out of last week’s game with a mysterious shoulder injury and information has been tight coming out of Ragin’ Cagins camp on his prognosis.

What we Learned: Green didn't register a catch in this one, and while we haven't seen anything official we can only guess he sat out.  Reading the tea leaves heading into the weekend, it seemed like this was going to be the case.


Houston at La Tech
What to Watch:  We know what Houston is going to do.  Score bucket loads of points.  But can La Tech keep up with the Cougs on the scoreboard?  WR Quinton Patton had a monster day last week.  Is he a flash in the pan or the real deal?

What we Learned: This game lived up to it's billing as Houston pulled out a thrilling 35-34 win.  Patton had another nice game.  La Tech RB Lennon Creer carried the ball 25 times for 99 yards and a TD.  Surprisingly, his fellow RB Ray Holley also saw a lot of time, rushing 22 times for 62 yards and 2 scores.


Troy at Arkansas
What to Watch: Two weeks in, and the most impressive fantasy component of the Razorbacks has been their defense.  Not what we had hoped for back in July.  With Greg Childs and Jarius Wright both likely to miss this one, will Tyler Wilson (who suffered a concussion last week) produce?

What we Learned: Wingo finally produced for fantasy owners, putting up a 129 total yard, 3 TD spot on Troy.  Wilson passed for 303 yards and 2 scores despite the absence of Wright and Childs.


Ohio State at Miami (FL)
What to Watch: Can Lamar Miller follow up his 19-118-1 statline with another strong performance?  Does Buckeye RB Jordan Hall make a fantasy impact?

What we Learned: Miller is the real deal, folks.  He pasted Ohio State for 186 rushing yards on 26 carries.  He was held out of the endzone, though.
 

Oklahoma at Florida State
What to Watch: Can the Seminoles slow down Landry Jones and Ryan Broyles?  Broyles caught 12 balls on the Noles in last year’s blowout win.  How about Sooners’ RB Dominique Whaley?  Does he continue to see a large share of the carries?

What we Learned: Broyles and Jones started out hot in this one, but were shut down for the most part in the second half.  Dom Whaley appears to be either the Sooners' RB1 or RB2, and he saw a lot of touches around the goal line (was held out of the endzone, though).  This is good news for those who picked him up off waivers after week 1.  Good weeks are ahead for him.


Syracuse at USC
What to Watch:  The running games.  Marc Tyler came back from suspension and looked sharp a week ago.  Can he keep it up or will we see the same inconsistency from the Trojan RBs that has plagued them for the past, oh, 5 years?

What we Learned: Bah!  The USC Trojans RB nightmare strikes again.  Tyler did lead the team in touches with 18, but he only totaled 87 yards (41 rushing, 46 receiving).


Northwestern State at SMU
What to Watch:  Who catches the ball for the Stangs?  With J.J. McDermott at the helm, are Darius Johnson and Cole Beasley still fantasy worthy or does their value take a huge hit?

What we Learned: Beasley (11-171-0) and Johnson (8-127-0) caught plenty of balls from McDermott and Padron (who also saw some time), but RB Zach Line was the guy vulturing all of the TDs.  Line scored five of 'em.


Oklahoma State at Tulsa
What to Watch: Will G.J. Kinne finally perform well against a big-time opponent?  He’s had his struggles against Top 20 BCS schools in the past.

What we Learned: Kinne injured his MCL and will miss 2-4 weeks. 


Hawaii at UNLV
What to Watch: With Miah Ostrowski banged up, it’s time for Darius “Big Puppy” Bright to become a bigger part of the passing game.  UNLV’s defense is horrid.

What we Learned: We're officially concerned about the Hawaii passing game.  "Big Puppy" was a big dud, catching only 3 balls for 28 yards.  Royce Pollard wasn't much better, catching 2 balls for 32 yards.  At least Billy Ray Stutzmann posted a respectable number, hauling in 9 passes for 136 yards.  Bryant Moniz was pedestrian (at best) passing for only 233 yards and 2 scores.  Those are awful numbers considering the opponent.


Stanford at Arizona
What to Watch: Does he play or doesn’t he?  That’s the question.  We’re referring to Juron Criner, of course, the star WR for the Wildcats.  Also worth a look is Stanford RB Stephan Taylor, who’s off to a disappointing start to the season.

What we Learned: Criner did play, which is great news for future weeks, but he wasn't terribly effective.  He snagged 6 passed for 48 yards and a TD.  Taylor had a big night on the ground with 153 rushing yards, but he was held scoreless.  When Stanford gets near the goal line, Andrew Luck is throwing it to one of his stellar tight end options, which is killing Taylor's fantasy value.

Follow Todd DeVries on Twitter: @CFFGeek


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