C-USA Football Game Previews - Week One - CONFERENCEUSA.COM - The Official Athletic site of The Conference USA

C-USA Football Game Previews - Week One
All 12 teams in action over four days on opening weekend

	Martin Ward

Aug. 30, 2010

Complete Game Previews

Six nationally-televised games highlight the opening weekend of the 2010 Conference USA Football season. All 12 teams will be in action spread over four days, with one league contest scheduled and two games against top five opponents on the docket.

Two teams open at home on Thursday night as Tulane welcomes local rival Southeastern Louisiana to the Superdome and UAB hosts Florida Atlantic at Legion Field (both at 7p CT). The Green Wave is led by sophomore QB Ryan Griffin, who produced one of the top seasons by a freshman in school history last year. UAB will look to David Isabelle at quarterback to replace 2009 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Joe Webb.

The Doc Holliday era at Marshall will get underway with a visit to No. 2 Ohio State on Thursday (7:30p ET). The Thundering Herd charge into the season paced by senior LB Mario Harvey, a member of multiple preseason award watch lists. The game will air nationally on the Big Ten Network, with Eric Collins and Chris Martin calling the action.

Southern Miss will be featured on ESPN's Thursday night nationally-televised game when it visits SEC foe South Carolina (7:30p ET). Rece Davis, Craig James and Jesse Palmer will be in the booth in Columbia. Junior QB Austin Davis is set to lead the Golden Eagles offense after missing the final eight games last season with a foot injury.

On Saturday, Rice hosts No. 4 Texas down the street from its campus at Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans (3:30p CT). The Owls welcome nine starters on offense and defense as it renews its long-standing rivalry with the Longhorns. Ron Franklin and Ed Cunningham will call the action on ESPN.

The Larry Porter era at Memphis begins down the road at Mississippi State on Saturday night (6p CT). The game will be shown nationally on ESPN U with Clay Matvick and Herman Edwards announcing the action.

Two-time defending Conference USA champion East Carolina will host the first league game of 2010 when Tulsa comes calling at newly-expanded Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Sunday (3p ET). ESPN 2 will televise the game with Mike Gleason and John Congemi calling the action. The game is the first for former Pirate DB Ruffin McNeill as ECU's head coach.

SMU will look to build on last year's success when it opens the 2010 campaign at Texas Tech on Sunday (3:30p CT). Mark Jones and Bob Davie will call the action on ESPN. Mustangs QB Kyle Padron closed a great freshman season with an MVP performance in the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl last Christmas and will seek the keep the momentum going in Lubbock to open his sophomore campaign.

Three other C-USA teams host season openers on Saturday. UCF welcomes South Dakota (6p ET), Houston hosts Texas State (7p CT) and UTEP faces off with Arkansas-Pine Bluff (7p MT).

Three C-USA schools received votes in the preseason polls. Houston, SMU and UCF each received votes in the Associated Press poll, while Houston and SMU garnered votes in the USA Today coaches poll.