Opening Weekend Brings Bevy of Intriguing Games
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

When the NFL decided a few years ago to push its season openers to the week following Labor Day, the long holiday weekend quickly became a five-day showcase for college football, with games stretching from Thursday to Monday night.
Unfortunately, for a second straight year, the games have been affected by the Atlantic hurricane season. Last year, it was Hurricanes Francis, Ivan, and Jeanne that disrupted early-season games, mostly in Florida.
The situation this year is far more serious, of course, as Hurricane Katrina has devastated the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama coasts, and forced postponements of several games. The situation is so bad in Louisiana that the LSU campus in relatively-unaffected Baton Rouge is being used to stage recovery and aid efforts, forcing the school to put off its scheduled home opener against North Texas and putting the September 10 home date against Arizona State in jeopardy.
But elsewhere, the games will go on as scheduled this weekend. No. 20 Arizona State was the only ranked team in action last night, where it hosted perennial doormat Temple. And at South Carolina, Steve Spurrier made return to the college game a triumphant one, with a 24-15 win over Central Florida.
Tonight’s schedule includes an interesting non-conference matchup as Utah hosts Arizona (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). Utah has just nine starters back from last year’s undefeated Fiesta Bowl champs, and is breaking in a new coach, Kyle Whittingham, and a new quarterback, Brian Johnson. Arizona was just 3-8 last year in Mike Stoops’s first year at the helm, but with 10 offensive starters returning and a more firmly ingrained defensive scheme, the Wildcats should prove a worthy opponent for the Utes.
Saturday brings an intriguing slate of games, highlighted by the day’s one matchup between ranked teams, no. 18 Boise State at no. 13 Georgia (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). Boise State’s distinctive blue home field has been like Kryptonite for opponents, but a road win against Georgia would give the program more credibility than any home conference win possibly could. Boise quarterback Jared Zabransky, who was considered an outside contender for the Heisman Trophy last season, is a pass/run threat who should be able to keep the Broncos in the game long enough to make it interesting. Georgia, with senior quarterback D.J. Shockley making his debut as the full-time starter, is likely to rely on the rushing tandem of Thomas Brown and Danny Ware to wear down the smaller Boise defense.
None of Saturday’s games will garner more attention than Notre Dame at Pittsburgh (8 p.m. ET, ABC regional coverage). The Irish typically start every season with grand expectations, but optimism is running especially high in South Bend with former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis taking over the program. Weis will see a familiar face across the sidelines in his first game: former Miami Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt, who, like Weis, has returned to his alma mater after coaching in the NFL. The Pittsburgh game is the beginning of a brutal opening stretch for Weis’s team that will either dampen the enthusiasm on campus or send it into the stratosphere. If the Irish survive four road games in five weeks – including trips to Michigan and Purdue – home dates against no. 1 USC and no. 3 Tennessee loom.
Thanks mostly to Notre Dame’s monster schedule and the presence of quarterback Tyler Palko on the Pitt roster, Wannstedt’s short-term prospects are brighter. Still, it would not be a surprise to see Notre Dame pull the upset; Coaches in South Bend have a history of making splashy debuts.
Another noteworthy coaching debut occurs at no. 10 Florida, where former Utah head man Urban Meyer will unleash his spread-option attack against Wyoming. Quarterback Chris Leak should be able to put up huge numbers in the system, even against a decent Wyoming team.
Elsewhere, no. 17 Texas A &M and dark-horse Heisman candidate quarterback Reggie McNeal face a dangerous road opener at Clemson’s Death Valley (8 p.m. ET, ABC regional). Barry Alvarez’s final season as Wisconsin coach could get off to a rocky start as the Badgers host Bowling Green (12 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Wisconsin will be breaking in new starters on the defensive line, a unit that will need to pressure standout quarterback Omar Jacobs, or risk getting carved up. No. 22 Boston College also faces a tough road test at BYU (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC regional) and no. 16 Auburn, which still has high hopes despite losing a lot of offensive firepower off last year’s 13-0 team, could conceivably drop its first game since 2003 to visiting Georgia Tech (8:45 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The best game of four scheduled for Sunday sees no. 8 Virginia Tech and quarterback Marcus Vick (younger brother of the Falcons’ Michael) visiting North Carolina State (7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2), where coach Chuck Amato’s defense was among the nation’s best last season. Earlier in the day, no. 12 Louisville, with national championship aspirations in its first year of Big East play, visits Kentucky (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The basketball version of this in-state rivalry is far more compelling, but keep an eye on Louisville sophomore signal caller Brian Brohm, who has the talent to earn an invite to New York for the Heisman ceremony – especially if Louisville can go undefeated after last year’s 10-1 campaign.
In many observers’ eyes (certainly in those of the television schedule makers), all the weekend’s games are just a warmup for Monday night’s no. 9 Miami vs. no. 14 Florida State game in Tallahassee (8 p.m. ET, ABC). Anytime the ‘Canes and ‘Noles hook up, the intensity runs high, particularly now that they are conference rivals in the reconfigured ACC. But there are indications that this rivalry is not what it once was. Miami has won six straight in the series (although five have been by eight or fewer points), and its program appears to be on more solid footing than Florida State’s.
The Seminoles have already been hit hard by injuries and suspensions this summer and will throw red shirt freshman quarterback Drew Weatherford to the wolves against a Miami defense that returns 10 starters. Florida State will need to rely heavily on its outstanding running back tandem of Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker to keep things close and hope that Miami quarterback Kyle Wright struggles in his first big start.
Mr. Levine writes for the Web site FootballOutsiders.com.