Post by DiamondThief on Aug 29, 2016 18:54:42 GMT -8
Welcome to SCtoC's week 2 presentation of the 2016 college football season.
We have a two-night event which features a pair of matchups of interest to our readers.
First comes Friday night when the defending Pac-12 and Rose Bowl champion Stanford Cardinal host the Kansas St. Wildcats in Palo Alto. Our second match up features the regional rivalry between the Eastern Washington Eagles and the Washington St. Huskies in Pullman.
We will feature brief previews and invite our members and readers to join the conversation as we follow each game.
KANSAS ST. WILDCATS at STANFORD CARDINAL
Date: September 2, 2016
Time: 6:00 p.m. (PT)
Place: Stanford Stadium; Palo Alto, California.
Media: FoxSports1.
Kansas St.: Finished last season at 6-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big-12 Conference. The Wildcats lost to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl, 45-23. Key Returners: Jesse Ertz (QB), was injured on the first play of last season, but is healthy and expected to take the helm of the Wildcats' offense once again; Glenn Gronkowski (FB) was named first team all-conference. Byron Pringle (WR); LB Elijah Lee, Jr. (LB); Jordan Willis (DE); Dante Barnett (S). Bill snyder, who has coached two stints at Kansas St., is in his 25th year as head coach and has accumulated a 193-101-1 record. Call this an extended home-and-home meeting with Stanford. The Cardinal will play at Kansas St. in 2021. Official Roster.
Stanford: Finished last season at 12-2 overall and 8-1 in the Pac-12 Conference. They were the conference's Northern Division champion, and defeated USC in the Pac-12 championship game, 41-22. The Cardinal defeated Iowa in the Rose Bowl, 45-16. They ended the season as the consensus number 3 team in the FBS. Key Returners: Christian McCaffrey (RB) set the single-season division I all-purpose yards record, was the runner up for the Heisman Trophy and was named AP Player of the Year (he was also first-team all-Pac-12 as a RB and return specialist; Michael Rector (WR) is a speedster who can make a difference in the passing game. Redshirt junior Ryan Burns (QB) has been named the starter for the opener. Official Roster.
Notes: Stanford's David Shaw is the second-longest tenured coach in the Pac-12 with five years under his belt. The former Cardinal wide receiver is 42-12 overall and 28-8 in conference play.
Head Coaches: Kansas St. - Bill Snyder. Stanford - David Shaw.
EASTERN WASHINGTON EAGLES at WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS
Date: September 3, 2016
Time: 5:00 p.m. (PT)
Place: Martin Stadium; Pullman, Washington.
Media: Pac-12 Networks.
Eastern Washington: Finished last season at 6-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Sky Conference. They were 3-3 on the road. All six of their wins came during a six-game stretch between Sept. 19 and Oct. 31. The Eagles averaged 34.6 points per game while tallying 478.5 yards per game last season. They also gave up 476.4 yards and 39.6 points per game last season. They were nearly even in the turnover ratio. Official Roster.
Washington St.: Finished last season at 9-4 and 6-3 in the Pac-12 Conference. Defeated Miami (FL), 20-14, in the Sun Bowl. Luke Falk returns at QB from a team which was the surprise of the Pac-12, if not the FBS. He will have a familiar group of receivers to which to throw, including Gabe Marks, River Cracraft and Tavares Martin, Jr. Kyrin Priester is a transfer from Clemson who can also make a difference. The Cougars are a pass-first offense and figure to build on their success from 2015. Official Roster.
Notes: The last time the Cougars faced a Big Sky Conference team was in the 2015 season opener at home where they lost to Portland St., 24-17. Eastern Washington lost to Portland St. in their season finale, 34-31. Several of our Spokane Empire friends, including SCtoC's David and Empire general manager Ryan Eucker, attended Eastern Washington.
Head Coaches: Eastern Washington - Beau Baldwin. Washington St. - Mike Leach.
OTHER SCtoC GAMES THIS WEEK
Thr., Sept. 2 - Oregon St. Beavers at Minnesota Golden Gophers, 6 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
Sat., Sept. 3 - Boise St. Broncos at Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns, 11 a.m. (ESPN3 - stream)
Sat., Sept. 3 - UC Davis Aggies at Oregon Ducks, 2 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks)
Sat., Sept. 3 - Central Washington Wildcats at Portland State Vikings, 5:30 p.m.
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Graphic courtesy of David.
