Who: Samford at Furman
When: Saturday, Noon
Where: Paladin Stadium, Greenville, South Carolina
What to look for: Furman’s running game shredded the Bulldogs last year in a 41-34 Paladin victory. Furman’s Dominic Roberto, a 5-foot-11, 231-pound bruiser is the team’s leading rusher this season. He had 216 yards rushing against Samford last season.
Why to watch: What will happen when Furman gets in the red zone? The Paladins have scored touchdowns in just 7 of 14 red zone trips. Samford allowed just seven touchdowns in 19 red zone trips for the opponents.
Who: Huntingdon at Maryville
When: Saturday, Noon
Where: Lloyd Thornton Stadium, Maryville, Tennessee
What to look for: Will Maryville have some momentum after winning last week? It was Maryville’s first victory, after three losses to begin the year.
Why to watch: Huntingdon quarterback Landon Cotney threw for 362 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-33 win over Maryville last season. Maryville is giving up 244 yards through the air thus far this season but has been stingy on the ground, allowing 105 yards per game.
Who: Faulkner at Campbellsville
When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Finley Stadium, Campbellsville, Kentucky
What to look for: Campbellsville is looking to snap a two-game losing streak after beginning the season with a pair of wins.
Why to watch: Faulkner quarterback Ben Anderson has thrown for five touchdowns this season.
Who: Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium, Jacksonville
What to look for: They go about it in different ways, but both teams love to run the football. Jacksonville State is fourth in the country with 266 rushing yards per game.
Why to watch: Jacksonville State begins its quest for an ASUN Conference title. Right? Depends on who you ask. ASUN officials say that the Gamecocks, who will move into the FBS and Conference USA next season, are not eligible. Jacksonville State officials say they will hang banners and order rings if they finish on top of the standings. Stay tuned.
Who: Miles College at Albany State
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Albany Municipal Coliseum, Albany, Georgia
What to look for: Miles College could have trouble moving the ball against one of the top defenses in the SIAC.
Why to watch: Can Miles College gain a measure of revenge after two losses to Albany State last season? The first loss came in the regular season. The second loss came in the SIAC championship game.
Who: Bethune-Cookman at Alabama A&M
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Lewis Crews Stadium
What to look for: Will this be a fourth-quarter game? If so, the Wildcats outscored Grambling, 16-0, in the fourth quarter last week to get their first win of the season.
Why to watch: Watch for yellow flags. Only two of the 123 FCS teams in the country are averaging more penalty yards per game than Bethune-Cookman (98 yards per game). Alabama A&M is 101st in that category with 75 penalty yards per game.
Who: Shorter at West Alabama
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Tiger Stadium, Livingston, Alabama
What to look for: The Tigers need to do better in the turnover ratio. West Alabama has turned the ball over 10 times and caused five turnovers in four games.
Why to watch: Shorter is averaging 472 yards and 32 points per game. West Alabama allows 271 yards and 13 points per game.
Who: Alabama at Arkansas
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas
What to look for: Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson makes opposing defenses miserable with the run and pass. Doing that against the Alabama defense is much more difficult.
Why to watch: For the most part, Alabama has been far from dominant in true road games over the past two seasons. This is a tough road test.
Who: Tuskegee at Clark Atlanta
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: CAU Panther Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
What to look for: Tuskegee needs to find a way to generate a better pass rush. Through four games, Tuskegee has just three sacks.
Why to watch: Tuskegee is on a roll. The Golden Tigers won one game with strong defense and the next with a good effort by the offense.
Who: South Alabama at Louisiana
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Cajun Field, Lafayette, Louisiana
What to look for: Louisiana scored just 38 points combined in back-to-back losses to Rice and Louisiana-Monroe.
Why to watch: This is potentially a statement game for Kane Wommack and the Jaguars. At the same time, the Ragin’ Cajuns are teetering on falling back into being an average program.
Who: LSU at Auburn
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn
What to look for: Both teams are 3-1 on the season. But it’s a big rivalry for the fan base, depending on what color of Tiger you represent. LSU has shown signs of improvement since losing to Florida State in the opener. Auburn is seemingly trying to find a way to put Bryan Harsin on the next bus out of town.
Why to watch: Can Auburn find a way to get the offense moving? Will the Auburn offensive staff try the approach that involves keeping the football in the hands of Tank Bigsby?
Who: Alabama State at Texas Southern
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: PNC Stadium, Houston, Texas
What to look for: Alabama State linebacker Colton Adams is leading the Hornets with 36 tackles. He’s had a pair of double-digit tackle games, including last week when he had 13 tackles in a loss to Prairie View A&M.
Why to watch: Texas Southern is playing its first home game after four games on the road.
Who: Troy at Western Kentucky
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: L.T. Houchens-Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, Kentucky
What to look for: How will Troy’s pass defense hold up against Western Kentucky’s quick-strike passing attack? The Hilltoppers have thrown 154 passes in four games and have only been sacked three times.
Why to watch: Troy quarterback Gunnar Watson has a chance to show he’s a pretty good quarterback himself.
Who: Berry College at Birmingham-Southern
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: General Krulak Stadium, Birmingham
What to look for: Berry’s offense did very little against Birmingham-Southern last year in a 21-3 Panther victory.
Why to watch: Birmingham-Southern running back Jon Lewis averages 131 rushing yards per game and scored five touchdowns in three games.
Who: UAB at Rice
When: Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Rice Stadium, Houston, Texas
What to look for: Can the UAB secondary, which is very good, find a way to neutralize wide receiver Luke McCaffrey? McCaffrey, a former quarterback, has 26 catches with three touchdowns.
Why to watch: Will UAB return to being the bully in this series? Or will Rice coach Mike Bloomgren keep talking?
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email steve.irvine@1819news.com.
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