We Speak College Football
Army’s Nation-Best Ground Game Meets Memphis’ 509-Yard Offense in an American Title Eliminator
They have not played since 2002, and they have never played as conference foes. That changes Saturday night, when Army visits Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU — a Homecoming and Hero Day meeting between the American Conference’s two most opposite offenses, with the loser falling two games back in the title race.
Army (5-2, 4-1 American) owns the most extreme identity in college football. The Black Knights lead the nation in rushing at 345.7 yards per game and rank third in time of possession, and they have won three straight — two of them on walk-off field goals. Last week’s 38-35 escape at Tulsa was the blueprint: quarterback Cale Hellums ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns, the defense forced a late three-and-out, and Dawson Jones drilled a 50-yarder as time expired. It was Jones’ second walk-off winner this season, after his kick at the horn beat Tulane on Oct. 10. Hellums is the story of the offense — 840 rushing yards and an FBS-leading 16 rushing touchdowns, plus 2,000 career rushing yards — and running back Godspower Nwawuihe added a season-high 135 yards against Tulsa.
Memphis (6-2, 3-1) wins the other way. The Tigers average 509.0 yards per game, seventh in the nation, behind quarterback Marcus Stokes, who has thrown for 2,161 yards and 21 touchdowns against six interceptions and accounted for five scores in last week’s 41-34 overtime win over East Carolina. Running back Jaylin Carter has 833 yards and eight touchdowns, and Hunter Tipton leads the receivers with 409 yards and five scores. Memphis is 4-0 at home this season.
Everything about this game flows through one matchup: Army’s triple-option against a Memphis run defense ranked 103rd in the country, allowing 171.4 yards per game. If the Tigers cannot get Army off the field, Stokes will spend Halloween watching from the sideline while the clock bleeds away. If Memphis forces the Black Knights to chase points, its offense has the firepower to make Army pay. Memphis leads the all-time series 4-1 — but these programs have never met with stakes like this.
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We Speak College Football
Halloween Under the Lights in Ames: No. 24 Oklahoma State’s Air Show Meets a Desperate Iowa State
Iowa State gets its first night game of the season at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, and the opponent is the Big 12’s most entertaining surprise. No. 24 Oklahoma State (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) visits the Cyclones (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) at 7:00 p.m. ET on FS1, with Halloween in Ames as the backdrop.
Almost nobody saw Oklahoma State coming. The Cowboys lost their opener to Tulsa, and first-year head coach Eric Morris — who brought quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins with him from North Texas — has gone 5-1 since, the only other loss a three-point game at Houston. Mestemaker has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country: 65.7 percent completions, 2,326 passing yards (second-most in the FBS), 20 touchdowns against six interceptions. Oklahoma State averages 40.0 points and 529.1 yards per game, and just hung 598 yards on Colorado in a 57-24 win that put the Cowboys back in the AP Top 25 after a one-week absence.
Iowa State’s week has been about a decision. After playing two quarterbacks in a 39-3 loss to Arizona, head coach Jimmy Rogers announced Tuesday that Jaylen Raynor will start. Raynor has started every game this season, going 93-of-158 for 1,107 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions, with 145 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. The Cyclones need three more wins to reach bowl eligibility, and their path runs through home: their only loss in Ames came against Utah, and their last home game was a 45-42 shootout win over West Virginia.
History gives Iowa State a real argument. The Cyclones won the last two meetings, 20-13 in Stillwater last season and 34-27 in Ames in 2023, though Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 34-22-3. The deciding matchup is Mestemaker against an Iowa State defense allowing 24.1 points per game: if the Cyclones can slow the Cowboys’ tempo and make this a fourth-quarter game, the crowd and the moment give them a shot. If Oklahoma State gets to 40 again, the ranking survives and the Big 12 race keeps its wildest story.
Kickoff: Saturday, October 31, 7:00 p.m. ET. TV: FS1. Venue: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa.
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