ESPN College Football

UCLA (6-6) may slip into a bowl game but its situation is precarious.

This is the best primer I've seen on where things stand with potential at-large berths in bowl games. Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Middle-Tennessee each have to be selected before the Bruins because they own winning records, and there appear to be only five open spots.

Because Stanford beat Notre Dame, the Gator Bowl will be a Big East game. That means all six bowl-eligible Big East teams will play in contracted bowls, so that's one less at-large team ahead of UCLA.

Ah, but that also puts the Fighting Irish (6-6) in the middle of this. Even with the likely firing of Charlie Weis, Notre Dame's national standing is appealing. The Irish likely would be picked ahead of the Bruins, but it's also possible Notre Dame would take a pass on a middling bowl game. This projection has UCLA going to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Ala, for that very reason.

A bowl can only select a 6-6 team for an at-large berth after all winning teams have been accounted for.

That means UCLA fans wanting a bowl berth should root for Wisconsin over Hawaii on Saturday.

And then cross your fingers.

As for our projections, there are no changes from last week. I'm sticking with UCLA in the Humanitarian Bowl because it seems like the most humane choice for the bowl, but know that it appears I am alone projecting this. So, I'm probably wrong.

Here's a handy bowl schedule. And other bowl projections.

• Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi: Oregon vs. Big Ten
• Pacific Life Holiday: USC vs. Big 12
• Brut Sun: California vs. Big 12/Big East/Notre Dame
• Emerald: Stanford vs. ACC
• MAACO Las Vegas: Oregon State vs. Mountain West
• San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Arizona vs. Mountain West
• Roady's Humanitarian: UCLA vs. WAC

Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

Case Keenum, QB, Houston: Keenum completed 38 of 58 passes for 453 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 26 yards and the game-winning score with 46 seconds remaining in a 29-28 win over Texas Tech.

Jeremy Williams, WR, Tulane: Caught every pass quarterback Joe Kemp completed in a 42-32 win over McNeese State. Williams had 10 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns.

Darius Marshall, WR, Marshall: Rushed for a career-high 203 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-16 win at Memphis. It was Marshall’s first career 200-yard rushing performance and the 13th single-game 200-yard rushing effort in school history.

Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan: LeFevour completed 23 of 31 passes for 197 yards and four touchdowns and ran 19 times for 140 yards and two scores in a 48-21 win over Akron. LeFevour also became just the seventh quarterback in Mid-American Conference history to reach 10,000 career passing yards.

Reggie Rembert, CB, Air Force: Had two interceptions, a forced fumble, a team-high seven tackles and fumble he returned 47 yards for a touchdown to help defeat San Diego State, 26-14.

Honorable mention

Boise State offense: The Broncos needed four plays or less on its first six scoring drives during a 49-14 rout of Bowling Green. Running back Doug Martin, who was moved back to the position this week, led all rushers with 111 yards.

TCU defense: It held Clemson to 117 yards in the second half and stopped the Tigers twice on fourth-quarter drives inside the TCU 20-yard line to preserve a 14-10 win over Clemson.

DeMaundray Woolridge, RB, Idaho: Had 19 carries for 143 yards and a touchdown in a 34-31 win over Northern Illinois. It was Woolridge’s first 100-yard game.

Andre Anderson, RB, Tulane: Had 28 carries for 199 yards and four touchdowns, including a 69-yard TD run in the third quarter.

Dwayne Harris, WR, East Carolina: Harris had 10 catches for 121 yards, including what was ultimately the game-winning score in the fourth quarter.

Ricky Dobbs, QB, Navy: Completed 4 of 5 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 143 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-22 win over Western Kentucky.

Temple defense: Temple forced four interceptions, including one returned 95 yards for a touchdown, and a fumble to help the Owls to a 37-13 win over Buffalo, the first victory over Buffalo since 1970.

Harvey Unga, RB, BYU: Unga had 22 carries for 113 yards and three touchdowns to help BYU to a 42-23 win over Colorado State. It was his first 100-yard game of the season.

Dwight Dasher, QB, Middle Tennessee: Dasher completed 20 of 41 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-21 win over North Texas.

Lamon Muldrow, RB, San Jose State: Had 20 rushes for 184 yards and a touchdown in a 19-9 win over Cal Poly. His previous high in rushing was 35 yards. San Jose State came into the game last in rushing with 18.33 yards per game.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

Northern Illinois posted the first upset over an automatic-qualifying team in Week 3, and Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss quickly followed suit.

Middle Tennessee defeated Maryland 32-31 and Southern Miss defeated Virginia 37-34. Both non-AQ teams had to come from behind for their wins.

MTSU kicker Alan Gendreau hit a 19-yard field goal as time expired to give the Blue Raiders the one-point win. It was the second consecutive week a Sun Belt kicker hit a field goal as time expired to give his team a win over an automatic-qualifying team.

This is the second consecutive season Middle Tennessee has defeated Maryland. Last year, the Blue Raiders won 24-14.

Southern Miss backup running back Tory Harrison had a 57-yard touchdown run with 8 minutes remaining to cap a comeback from a 34-17 deficit.

Southern Miss is 3-0 for the first time since 2004.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Welcome to another round of links from around the schools of the Independents and Others. There's a lot of stuff going on this week as several spring practices begin to wrap. A lot of teams are looking for players to fill holes and assert themselves as starters and maybe even find an identity as a team.

• The Annapolis Capital writes that freshman Alexander Teich has pretty much secured the top fullback spot for the Naval Academy.

• UAB has been known for its ability to score, but defense was a point of contention heading into this spring and a lot of questions remain unanswered.

• New head coach Gary Andersen is beginning the process of turning Utah State into a contender in the WAC.

• Coaches from Boise State are taking time to get new ideas from other college coaches and coaches in the NFL that could help the Broncos this year.

• Notre Dame redshirt freshman John Goodman might be taking snaps at quarterback as the Irish finish up their spring football, he just doesn't know when.

• New Mexico State defensive lineman Justen Alford has been catching the eye of his new coaching staff and hopes that will translate into more playing time.

• Don't be surprised to see running back Phillip Tanner catch more passes than he takes handoffs in Middle Tennessee's new offensive scheme.

• ECU running back Dominique Lindsay, who was injured prior to the 2008 season, is back for his senior year hoping to be the player he was in 2007.

• Wyoming is looking to restore the tough-guy image for which it used to be known.

• It's never too early to prepare for the opening game of the season and that's what Hawaii is doing as it devotes time to the option, an offense the Warriors will see from several early opponents.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

As the season winds down, it looks like the non-BCS will have the 7-5 (or better) teams that will get the first nod for the at-large bids and several of the 6-6 teams.

There is still a lot up for grabs this week. Several teams are fighting for bowl eligibility and several don't play each other. I would say the most bowl eligibility would come out of C-USA and the WAC. I think the WAC will have two more 7-5 teams when the weekend is over and C-USA will have three more 6-6 teams. The Sun Belt is in a bad position where several of the 5-6 teams play each other this week, so two teams will be knocked out.

Nevada coach Chris Ault said earlier this week that Nevada would not go to a bowl if it finished 6-6 (we'll see), and Notre Dame could be in the same boat depending on which bowl it's talking about.

Here's a quick breakdown of the bowls that could have open slots and the teams that could fill them.

GUARANTEED OPEN AT-LARGE SPOTS
• One in the Texas Bowl
• One in the Hawaii Bowl
• One in the Poinsettia Bowl
• One in the Papajohns.com Bowl

POSSIBLE OPEN AT-LARGE SPOTS
• One in Independence assuming Auburn loses to Alabama this weekend and possibly two if Colorado loses to Nebraska on Friday
• One in the Motor City Bowl if Ohio State moves into the BCS
• One in the Emerald Bowl depending on whether USC moves up into the BCS and Oregon State wins the Pac-10
• One in the EagleBank Bowl if NC State, Clemson and Virginia all lose

POSSIBLE AT-LARGE TEAMS HEADING INTO THIS WEEKEND (guaranteed bowls)

Remember that teams with a 7-5 record or better will be picked first by at-large bowls. Right now, Western Michigan is the only team that falls into that category, though Nevada, Hawaii, Notre Dame and Arkansas State also could finish with seven wins.

MWC (4)
None

WAC (3)
San Jose State (6-6)
Nevada (6-6) at Louisiana Tech
Hawaii (6-5) vs. Washington State

C-USA (6)
Memphis (5-6) vs. Tulane
Southern Miss (5-6) vs. SMU
UTEP (5-6) at East Carolina

SUN BELT (1)
Middle Tennessee (5-6) at Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Lafayette (5-6) vs. Middle Tennessee
Arkansas State (5-5) at North Texas
Florida Atlantic (5-6) vs. FIU
Florida International (4-6) at FAU

INDEPENDENTS (2 with provisions)
Notre Dame (6-5) at USC

MAC (3)
Northern Illinois (6-6)
Western Michigan (9-3)
Akron (5-6) at Temple
Bowling Green (5-6) at Toledo

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

There were a surprising number of byes this week, so the picks are fewer than usual. I've been hot of late with two nine-win weeks in the past three. I'm going for perfection this week.

Here are my updated stats. I appear to be a second-half player.

WEEK 1: 14-2
WEEK 2: 14-4
WEEK 3: 10-8
WEEK 4: 8-4
WEEK 5: 4-8
WEEK 6: 9-3
WEEK 7: 7-4
WEEK 8: 9-2

Northern Illinois 32, Bowling Green 20: The Huskies have looked impressive in their last two wins and should be able to handle a Bowling Green team that hasn't been real consistent this season. Chandler Harnish should be in even better game shape this week to keep the Huskies undefeated in MAC play.

Central Michigan 30, Toledo 10: CMU quarterback Dan LeFevour will be back for this game, but his mobility will be in question after coming off an ankle sprain. I think the Chipps will have a hangover from last week's big win over Western Michigan, which will make the game close early, but CMU pulls away in the second half.

Tulsa 56, UCF 24: Yes, UCF owned the Golden Hurricane last season, but neither of these teams are the same as they were a year ago. Tulsa has polished its offense and is out to avenge last year's C-USA title game. The Golden Hurricane will run away in the second half as they've done most of the season and this won't even be a challenge.

Southern Miss 28, Memphis 7: This is a good chance for Southern Miss to grab a much-needed conference win against an ailing Memphis team. The Tigers will play two quarterbacks that earned their first game experience last weekend. The win will get the Golden Eagles out of the C-USA cellar.

Notre Dame 49, Washington 24: This isn't the rivalry game that it was in 2005, but there's probably still a little bit of emphasis on beating former Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham just to prove a point. The Irish are the better team here and if the offense is clicking the way it has the last few weeks, this could get ugly.

BYU 35, UNLV 17: BYU not only needs a win here, it needs a win with an exclamation point. The Cougars were counted out and cast aside after their shocking loss to TCU last week, but there still are several weeks remaining in the season, and while a BCS bowl might be gone, the Mountain West title is far from locked up.

TCU 45, Wyoming 10: I'd say this would be a good time for a letdown if Wyoming hadn't dominated TCU for three quarters last year and handed them a demoralizing loss. It's the perfect game to get over BYU and start a path toward the Mountain West championship. Lose this game, and the BYU win means very little.

Middle Tennessee 24, Mississippi State 22: Since this is the only Sun Belt game I'm picking this week, I thought I'd call this upset. This is the same Middle Tennessee team that beat Maryland, so it's possible. And it's not like Mississippi State is some juggernaut. Blue Raiders win on a late field goal.

Boise State 17, San Jose State 14: Two years ago, the game in San Jose was closer than expected, and I think we see the same result here. San Jose State's offense is not quite good enough to play with Boise State. The SJSU defense will give the Broncos fits, but I'm not sure it will be enough.

Nevada 49, Hawaii 20: After a week off, I would hope Nevada would come back to WAC play as the team everyone expects it to be. The Wolf Pack is still in the hunt to challenge for the WAC and is definitely poised to make a bowl. But another conference loss and this starts to become a disappointing season for the Wolf Pack.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

I'm going to pick fewer games from now on to match up with the number of games picked in the other conferences. Basically, I'm randomly grabbing two games from each of the conference I cover and the Independents. I'm trying to pick games with some sort of competitive value.

Ball State 31, Indiana 24: This will be the biggest test for both teams so far this season, but I think Ball State has had a better schedule to prepare for it. The Cardinals have never beaten the Hoosiers, but in the words of Rick Neuheisel, the monopoly is over.

Purdue 34, Central Michigan 21: The third time is not the charm for Central Michigan, who will fall to beat Purdue for the third time in just over a season. Initially, I thought the Chippewas had a chance in this game, but after seeing both teams play last weekend, I'm not so sure. Central Michigan just doesn't look like the team it was a year ago.

Southern Miss 30, Marshall 17: Both of these teams are 2-1, but only Southern Miss has shown dominance -- at times -- against quality opponents. I called the Golden Eagles sleepers at the start of the season and I hold firm to that. If they don't have another defensive meltdown, they should handle the Thundering Herd with ease.

UCF 24, Boston College 17: I went back and forth on this game, but decided that Central Florida is the better team here. I don't buy into home-field advantage here because BC lost at home last weekend. And I think UCF showed that it has the capability to beat some of the big boys. With the USF loss out of their system, I think the Knights go back to work in Boston.

Navy 31, Rutgers 28: I haven't been impressed with either of these teams, but someone has to win. Rutgers hasn't exactly been a defensive juggernaut and if Navy can get it's triple option running again, I think this game will go back and forth. I'm giving Navy the edge with a few Mike Teel interceptions.

Michigan State 35, Notre Dame 24: I'm sorry guys, I'm still not a believer. Jimmy Clausen has been too inconsistent for me to think he'll have success against a Michigan State team -- at home -- that has played pretty well this season. This is a better Notre Dame team than before, but not beating-an-upper-echelon-Big-Ten-team-on-the-road better.

Utah 35, Air Force 21: It's time for one of the Mountain West's undefeateds to fall and it's going to be Air Force. I take nothing away from the Falcons, but Utah has a strong front seven that can control the running game. And without the threat of the pass (AFA had no passing yards last week) it's going to be tough to get past a Utah team that's looking for revenge from last year.

UNLV 21, Iowa State 17: This was a tough call because you can never really predict emotion and momentum and UNLV definitely has both. Also, Iowa State hasn't won a road game under head coach Gene Chizik. A week ago I wouldn't have called this game in the Rebels favor or even this close, so call this a knee-jerk pick.

Arkansas State 27, Middle Tennessee 18: This game will probably be closer than I'm calling it, but I'm giving Arkansas State the advantage because of the home field. Arkansas State also has the No. 6 rushing offense in the country and Middle Tennessee has been susceptible to the run.

Florida Atlantic 32, Minnesota 25: Is it possible that Florida Atlantic could beat the Gophers two years in a row? Absolutely. Florida Atlantic has not had luck with BCS teams this season, but this is a foe with which they can play. Northern Illinois was four points from victory over the Gophers and the Owls are a much better team.

Oregon 34, Boise State 28: I know, I know. I'm always down on the Broncos, but come on, there are way too many variables in this game to like the Broncos' chances. First, the Broncos are young and they're going into a hostile environment. Second, they're going against two quarterbacks who have played sparingly and bring two different styles to the table. Third, the Broncos have never won a true road game against a BCS team. I think they play with Oregon, but I think the variables are too much to overcome.

Fresno State 28, Toledo 20: I thought about putting the Bulldogs on upset alert after last week's loss to Wisconsin knocked them out of the BCS, but I think the core of that team has been around long enough to keep the season in perspective. The Glass Bowl is not an easy place to play, but Toledo isn't what it used to be. This is the Bulldogs' rebound game.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

... better than you think.

If you're not watching the Sun Belt, you're missing some pretty good football. Teams such as Arkansas State, Troy and Middle Tennessee have competed with fervor and are giving the Sun Belt far more credibility than the league has had before this early in the season. Throw in reigning conference champion Florida Atlantic and the Sun Belt is starting to creep up to the level of some of its non-BCS brethren.

Best case scenario: Arkansas State wins the conference title. It's time to get some new blood at the top of the Sun Belt food chain. FAU made a name for itself and now Arkansas State has a chance to make waves and show the conference has more than a couple good teams.

Worst case scenario: No team in the Sun Belt finishes with more than six wins. That would show that all this work during the nonconference was a fluke. At least two Sun Belt teams need to come out of this season with at least eight wins.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

New Mexico State: The Aggies aren't happy about the cancellation of Thursday's game with Nicholls State and don't know if the game will be made up this season.

"We're working on scheduling a game, I don't know if it'll necessarily be with Nicholls," Aggies coach Hal Mumme said.

The Aggies have an open date on Oct. 4.

Making up this game is key for a New Mexico State team that was hoping to make its first bowl game since 1960. Instead of a warmup game against an FCS school, the Aggies open against Nebraska on Sept. 13.

Middle Tennessee State: Joe Craddock will start at quarterback for the Blue Raiders, but the biggest story to emerge out of their first game was true freshman Sancho McDonald. McDonald was recruited as a quarterback, but didn't figure into the mix and switched to receiver two weeks ago. He's promptly become the Blue Raiders No. 1 receiver with six receptions for 65 yards.

Quarterback switch: Both Hawaii and San Jose State have abandoned their original offensive game plans and will go with plan three, as in the third string quarterbacks. Hawaii will start junior Inoke Funaki and the Spartans will go with junior transfer Kyle Reed. Both players split time in their season openers, but are the starters for this weekend.

Northern Illinois: Although coach Jerry Kill and quarterback Chandler Harnish are staying quiet, it looks more and more like Harnish has secured the Huskies' starting quarterback spot. Harnish, who was named MAC Offensive Player of the Week, nearly orchestrated an upset over Minnesota in the team's first weekend.

Akron: Former All-MAC third team running back Bryan Williams debuted at defensive back on Saturday and grabbed an interception that he ran back for 62 yards. He also broke up a pass in the end zone and was fifth on the team with five solo tackles against Wisconsin.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Through an informal survey, I have tabbed the non-BCS' top 5 in-conference rivalries. The top choice is predictable, but there might be a few others that surprise you.

1. BYU vs. Utah (The Holy War) -- There is no other in-state/in-conference rivalry that supplies the passion of the game on the field with the passion of religion off it. These teams despise each other so much that BYU fans refuse to own anything red and Utah fans have the same feeling about navy blue. This rivalry will be especially heated this year as the two could be battling for the Mountain West title.

2. Fresno State vs. Boise State (Battle for the Milk Can) -- Fresno State is disliked by many around the WAC, but there are few teams Fresno State dislikes more than Boise State. Perhaps it's because Fresno State is a little envious of Boise State's consistent success. Or it could be the fact that the Bulldogs are 1-6 against the Broncos this decade. To Fresno State's credit, that one win cost Boise State the outright WAC title in 2005 (shared with Nevada).

3.  Army vs. Navy -- This game is not just about braggin' rights on the field, it's about national pride. This game, the most tradition-rich rivalry in the country, usually decides the winner of the Commander-In-Chief Trophy, which is given to the best service academy. It started in 1890 when some midshipmen challenged a few cadets to play. An order went out to all cadets weighing more than 180 pounds to join practices to try to learn how to play. Two months later, Navy won, 24-0.

4. Bowling Green vs. Toledo (Battle of I-75) -- Despite Toledo having a couple down seasons, the bout for the Peace Pipe is one that still rages strong in Ohio. The rivalry started in 1919. In 1935, a riot broke out after a 63-0 rout by Toledo. The Rockets removed BGSU from its schedule until 1947. That year, a peace pipe was constructed to restore order, but the pipe was stolen from Toledo in 1980 and a replica pipe was made. Bowling Green leads the series 37-31-4, and nine times the game has helped decide a MAC divisional champion.

5. Middle Tennessee State vs. Troy (Battle for the Palladium) -- I'll be honest, I picked this rivalry because of the story behind the battle's name. According to that mythology, the Palladium is a wooden statue that fell from heaven and was kept at the Temple of Athena in the city of Troy. The Palladium was stolen by a Raider during the Trojan War, which led to the fall of Troy. This is young rivalry -- only seven games -- but a closely contested one. Troy leads 4-3, but this decade the series is split 3-3, which has sometimes cost both teams the Sun Belt title.  

Other notable rivalries: Idaho vs. Boise State (Battle of Idaho), Houston vs. Rice (the Bayou Bucket), Memphis vs. Southern Miss (Black and Blue Bowl), and Akron vs. Kent State (Wagon Wheel).

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Fresno State defensive coordinator Dan Brown underwent surgery Monday in San Francisco to remove the last of a brain tumor which was discovered last year.

Last summer, Brown was diagnosed with a malignant, Grade 4 tumor, which is lethal in most cases. He went through an experimental treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiation.

Five days after his surgery, Brown took in a Fresno State scrimmage from the press box. He was back for the season opener against Sacramento State on Sept. 1, sitting in the coaches box, calling plays. In all, Brown missed just one game before coaching the rest of the season.

Fresno State coach Pat Hill told the Fresno Bee that the surgery was less intense than last year's procedure in which doctors removed 80-to-90 percent of the tumor.

Hill said Brown would continue to coach as he did last season.

"It's going to be a lot like last year, but this surgery wasn't nearly as intrusive as the last one," Hill said. "He'll coach again this year. So Dan will be back.

"The doctors said it all went really well. He's already up and talking."

In other news...

• Darrell Mack is finally alone at the top of Utah's depth chart. The senior, and last season's returning rusher, fought off a furious attack by junior Matt Asiata during the last two weeks, but an injured ankle proved costly to Asiata as he missed the team's scrimmage this weekend and subsequently found himself in the backup role.
• Southern Miss' defensive line, which many figured would be a weak spot for the team with four starters lost, played well in Monday's scrimmage and could be a strength when the Golden Eagles open play against Louisiana-Lafayette on Aug. 30.
• Troy receiver Josh Jarboe is not eligible to play this season after Oklahoma officials told Troy that they didn't refuse Jarboe admission for the fall. So, Jarboe is considered a transfer student and must sit out the season. Troy is appealing to the NCAA. Personally, I think if a kid gets kicked off a team, he's in good academic standing, and another team wants to pick him up, that team should be able to do so without penalty.
• Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill said the Blue Raiders decision on a starting quarterback would be a game-time decision. Joe Craddock and Dwight Dasher have been battling throughout camp and neither has established himself as the clear favorite.
• Air Force quarterback Shea Smith might be listed as the starter on the depth chart, but coach Troy Calhoun has not ruled out the possibility of also playing junior Eric Herbort.
• And in a stunning twist... SMU coach June Jones announced Monday that true freshmen Bo Levi Mitchell and Braden Smith are at the top of the depth chart as the Mustangs prepare for their season opener at Rice on Aug. 29.
• Fresno State linebacker Ryan Machado will undergo knee surgery for the third time this year, ending his career with the Bulldogs. Machado tore his ACL five games into last season and then again in February.
• Tulsa coaches are wearing shirts that say, "Own the Ball" as they attempt to instill ball security in their player's minds.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

FSU freshman looking to make history

If Fresno State is to live up to expectations, coach Pat Hill knew he was going to have to find a new kicker to replace Clint Stister, who finished his career ranked No. 5 in most points scored by a kicker for the Bulldogs.

Enter freshman kicker Kevin Goessling.

During Sunday's scrimmage, Goessling converted all five of his field goal attempts -- 43, 45, 53, 33 and 36 yards -- and made his only PAT attempt of the day.

No freshman kicker has ever started under Hill, but four of the top seven kickers (based on scoring) in Fresno State history have played for Hill.

MTSU two-deep offense has no turnovers

The offense impressed during Middle Tennessee State's second scrimmage on Tuesday as the offense did not have a single turnover in 91 offensive possessions.

Quarterbacks Joe Craddock and Dwight Dasher combined to complete 24-of-39 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

"Offensively we were more productive and consistent (than on Saturday)," Blue Raider head coach Rick Stockstill said. "We did a good job taking care of the ball and we didn't have as many bad plays, negative plays, and we were able to complete more passes. We had a couple big plays that we didn't get (in Saturday's scrimmage)."

Lafayette O-lineman injured

Louisiana-Lafayette offensive lineman Nasser Jamal is out indefinitely after suffering a serious knee injury during the first half of Saturday's scrimmage. He will be re-evaluated in a month.

ULM's game against Auburn televised

Louisiana-Monroe's game against Auburn on Aug. 3 will be broadcast on pay-per-view in Alabama and Louisiana.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

Yeah, that's right, Middle Tennessee, a team that has won more than five games just once in the last six seasons. This choice has little to do with dominance on the field and more to do with the fact that several teams in the Sun Belt think of Middle Tennessee as its rival.

Troy and North Texas despise Middle Tennessee, and now that Western Kentucky, another hated rival, is joining the Sun Belt in football, Middle Tennessee faces its own Unholy Trinity.

It's almost unfair to hate a team that has beaten itself up. The Blue Raiders struggle each year because of a brutal nonconference schedule and scholarship limitations.

Middle Tennessee will play with 74 scholarship players (85 is normal) because of its failure to meet the NCAA's 925 APR minimum. It will face Maryland, Kentucky, Louisville and Mississippi State in its nonconference slate, which is a cakewalk compared to facing Oklahoma and LSU like it has in the past two seasons.

Then it gets to face a conference that frankly doesn't like it. There's something so wrong with that.

Other candidates for most hated are Troy for its ESPN heroics over Missouri in 2004 that made it an overnight sensation and left the rest of the Sun Belt out in the cold. I was covering Mizzou at the time and called the upset. DeMarcus Ware was a man among boys. The Trojans have been the most consistent Sun Belt team ever since.

And Florida Atlantic for making waves as one of the conference's youngest members. No one likes to be upstaged by a newbie.