Week 2 of the college football season wrapped up on Saturday night with some unbelievable upsets! Jacksonville State took down Florida State while BYU outlasted #21 Utah. Here are three of the best Week 3 matchups to keep an eye on once this Saturday rolls around (ESPN).
#1 Alabama @ #11 Florida: 3:30 PM Eastern Time
Alabama head coach Nick Saban was in a salty mood after the Crimson Tide’s 48-14 win over Mercer last week. Even though Bama won handily, Saban was concerned about his team’s lack of focus and costly penalties. Sophomore sensation Bryce Young comes into this game against Florida with 571 passing yards and seven touchdowns so far this season.
The Florida Gators come into this game with a 2-0 record after taking down South Florida 42-20 last weekend. There may be a bit of a QB battle brewing down in Gainesville as junior Emory Jones has already thrown four interceptions on the young season. All World freshman QB Anthony Richardson has shown some serious explosiveness and actually leads the team in rushing yards with 275. It’ll be interesting to see how coach Dan Mullen utilizes both quarterbacks against Alabama.
#22 Auburn @ #10 Penn State: 7:30 PM Eastern Time
Here’s an interesting Week 3 matchup that is an SEC vs. Big 10 battle. Auburn has played two cupcake opponents so far this year but they’ve put up 122 points, which is impressive. Junior QB Bo Nix looks much more relaxed in the pocket and he’s thrown for 383 yards and five touchdowns so far this year. Freshman running back Jarquez Hunter leads the Tigers in rushing with 257 yards and two scores.Â
Penn State lost a heartbreaker in Week 1 at Wisconsin, a game they probably should have won. However, the Nittany Lions rebounded nicely by blowing out Ball State by 31 points last week. Sean Clifford has gotten off to a nice start by throwing for 477 yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson is Penn State’s best playmaker as he’s caught 10 passes for 167 yards and two scores.
#19 Arizona State @ #23 BYU: 10:15 PM Eastern Time
Here’s a nice late-night matchup to wrap up Week 3 in grand fashion. Oddsmakers are expecting a tight game as the Sun Devils are currently listed as three and a half point favorites.Â
Arizona State QB Jayden Daniels has gotten off to a bit of a sluggish start to the season as he’s only thrown for 307 yards and two scores. The 6-3 185 pound junior has looked great carrying the football though, as he’s ran for 165 yards on just 19 carries. The strength of Herm Edwards’ squad appears to be the offense, which has averaged 39 points per game so far this season.
BYU is coming off a fantastic rivalry win over Utah in the Holy War! Sophomore QB Jaren Hall has surprised a lot of folks by throwing five touchdowns and no picks so far. The Cougars’ defense looks to be stout this year, especially after allowing only 17 points to the Utes last week!
