State college football previews for Sept. 1
A look at Thursday and Friday games:
Presbyterian at Central Michigan
7 p.m., Thursday
Presbyterian: Last season, junior tailback Darrell Bridges rushed for 1,065 yards, the first PC player to eclipse the 1,000 yard mark in a season.
Central Michigan: Senior quarterback Cooper Rush broke the CMU single-season passing record last season with 3,848 yards, also throwing 25 TDs.
Outlook: It’s the third season in a row Presbyterian opens with a school from the MAC (Northern Illinois, Miami of Ohio). CMU is one of two teams Presbyterian will face that played in a bowl game last season; the other is Florida.
The Citadel at Mercer
7 p.m., Thursday
The Citadel: Senior quarterback Dominique Allen totaled 1,824 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.
Mercer: Senior quarterback John Russ threw for more than 2,100 yards and 18 TDs last season.
Outlook: The Citadel looks to improve on its nine-winseason that included an FCS playoff win.
Wofford at Tennessee Tech
7 p.m., Thursday
Wofford: Senior offensive lineman Anton Wahrby was named Preseason FCS second-team All-American after leading the team in knockdown blocks last season.
Tennessee Tech: Junior receiver Brock McCoin caught 61 passes for 747 yards last season.
Outlook: Wofford opens on the road for the eighth season in a row, and will do so without projected starting QB Evan Jacks.
North Greenville vs. West Alabama
7 p.m., Thursday
North Greenville: Junior tailback Ashton Heard returns after rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season.
West Alabama: Transfer quarterback Austin Grammer makes his first start since leaving Middle Tennessee State.
Outlook: It’s the first meeting between the teams as North Greenville begins its transition to the Gulf South Conference.
Furman at Michigan State
7 p.m., Friday
Furman: Senior safety Trey Robinson enters his final season with more than 160 tackles and five interceptions. Robinson was named second-team All-American by STATS.
Michigan State: Fifth-year senior quarterback Tyler O’Connor gets his chance to be the starter after throwing 54 passes over the past three seasons.
Outlook: Michigan State comes into the season ranked 12th after winning the Big Ten Conference and taking part in the College Football Playoff last season. Furman’s 6-26-1 against FBS opponents, but defeated Central Florida 16-15 last season.
Travis Boland