In The News

HOUSTON - As college football fans gear up for another action-packed weekend, let's review the stunning turn of events of week two and current rankings.

Without their primary quarterback, who left with a sprained collarbone late in the first quarter, the Longhorns could not come out on top against number one Alabama, succumbing 20-19.

Following their tight victory, the Crimson Tide slipped from the top in the AP Top 25, with Georgia capturing the position following a dominant performance against an FCS opponent Samford.

After losing to Appalachian State 17-14 on Saturday, things don't look good for Texas A&M.

The Aggies could not score four or less in six of their eight possessions. In terms of productivity, just one of these possessions resulted in a touchdown. The longest of these drives gained only 29 yards, and one ended up in the end zone.

Another top-10 team, No. 9 Baylor, loses in double overtime to No. 21 BYU 26-20 in a nail-biter.

During the second overtime drive, BYU held on to a goal-to-go scenario as quarterback Blake Shapin fired a fourth-down ball out of the back of the end zone to clinch the victory.

Texas Tech upset No. 25 Houston 33-30 in overtime in another Texas clash.

It was the last matchup between the longtime Southwest Conference rivals before the Cougars moved from the American Athletic to the Big 12 the following year.

As expected, this weekend is filled with exciting matches.

Baylor will face Texas State at 11:00 a.m., kicking off the day's games at McLane Stadium. The UH will then host Kansas at 3:00 p.m. Then, Texas Tech will travel to Carter-Finley Stadium at 6:00 p.m. to play NC State.

The Texas A&M matchup with Miami at Kyle Field is wrapping up the evening at 8:00 p.m.

 

College football rankings for Week 3 AP Poll

1 Georgia 2-0

2 Alabama 2-0

3 Ohio State 2-0

4 Michigan 2-0

5 Clemson 2-0

6 Oklahoma 2-0

7 USC 2-0

8 Oklahoma State 2-0

9 Kentucky 2-0

10 Arkansas 2-0

11 Michigan State 2-0

12 BYU 2-0

13 Miami 2-0

14 Utah 1-1

15 Tennessee 2-0

16 NC State 2-0

17 Baylor 1-1

18 Florida 1-1

19 Wake Forest 2-0

20 Ole Miss 2-0

21 Texas 1-1

22 Penn State 2-0

23 Pittsburgh 1-1

24 Texas A&M 1-1

25 Oregon 1-1

HOUSTON – This week marks the official start of college football, and football fans throughout the nation are ecstatic.

Fans in the Lone Star State are gearing up for two exciting matchups. Sam Houston will play Texas A&M on the road at Kyle Field on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. central on the SEC Network.in the first game. Then at 2:30 p.m., the University of Houston will take on the University of Texas at San Antonio in the Alamodome. 

All teams have fascinating storylines, such as returning quarterbacks attempting to reclaim their thrones, powerful offensive weapons, and high expectations for a successful season opener; thus, fans can anticipate a spectacular Saturday filled with college football.

No. 7 Texas A & M vs. SHSU

The Aggies and their 12th man will host the Bearkats, one of the most formidable FCS teams winning the FCS Championship during the 2020 season, on the first Saturday of college football action.

Sam Houston State finished the 2021 season with an 11-1 record; their only loss came in the quarterfinals of the playoffs against Montana State. The rising Bearkats, coached by Sam Houston State's longtime head coach K.C. Keeler, are aiming for a rise to FBS while joining Conference USA in 2023.

However, with the return of redshirt sophomore quarterback Haynes King, the Aggies' 2022 season is one of the most intriguing of the year. King hopes to retake his reign after suffering a devastating injury in the 2021 season opener against Kent State, where he threw for 292 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.

The Aggie's Wrecking Crew have their job cut out as they try to stop the explosive Yates, despite having one of the most profound and talented defensive line rotations in the nation, anchored by junior tackle McKinnley Jackson and sophomore EDGE Fadil Diggs.

Yates, the Bearkats' starting QB, is expected to make a splash on Saturday. Sports Reference reports that the Georgia Tech transfer completed 91 of 153 throws for 908 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions in seven games last season, making him a threat to rush and pick up yards at any moment like the Aggies' Haynes King.

Furthermore, the rising Bearkats have had a busy offseason. Adding nine FBS players via the transfer portal this season, including former 5-Star safety B.J. Foster and 2018 recruiting class wide receiver Al'vonte Woodard, both from the University of Texas.

To stop Bearkats’ QB Yates, Aggies’ head coach Jimbo Fisher and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin must apply relentless pressure, squeeze the pocket, and rotate as many players as possible from their deep 2022 recruiting class.

The Aggies hope to get off to a solid start for the season thanks to the return of the King and the play of their talented defensive line, led by Walter Nolan, Shemar Stewart, and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy.

An intriguing fact is that the Aggies have never lost to the Bearkats in their history, holding a perfect 12-0 record against them. The two teams last played in 2013, with the Aggies winning 65-28 behind an offensive explosion spearheaded by Johnny Manziel. 

No. 24 UH vs. UTSA

Houston’s head coach, Dana Holgorsen, hopes to repeat last year's tremendous success as the team prepares to join the Big 12 and enters this game with high expectations.

Last season, the Cougars won 12 games and came within one conference championship game. 

The Cougars' primary ambition this season is to win the conference crown, and their roster depth has sports commentators favoring them over the Roadrunners. 

In addition, the Roadrunners face one of the station's most explosive receivers and a potent passing game, which presents a formidable obstacle due to the disparity in their returning productivity.

Compared to their 13th-ranked returning offense, UTSA's 69th-ranked returning defense leaves a lot to be desired, and it's not apparent who will be defending against UH wide receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell and the other key matchups.

With 3,546 passing yards and 1,329 receiving yards between them in 2021, Houston senior QB Clayton Tune and junior WR Dell are one of two quarterback-wide receiver duos returning for the next season, hoping to build on the momentum of the previous season.

“Last year gave us a lot of confidence in what we can do and how we can play and win as a team, and I think that energy’s even higher this year,” Tune said. “We’re just scratching the surface.” 

He continued, “The one goal me and everybody on this team should have is to win a conference championship – get back there and win.” 

A recent recipient of the Herbie Award for Most Exciting Player, WR Dell accounted for about one-third of UH's catches while being a threat downfield with an average of 14.3 yards per reception and a target depth of 12 yards.

Despite this, No. 24 Houston is not entirely out of the woods.

In conjunction with the Cougars' struggle to produce on the road, the rising Roadrunners have lately performed well in the red zone.

In particular, they've scored 61% of the time in the red zone. Equally, UTSA's offensive front boasts four returning starters, and their defensive line should be active against the run, even if they cannot penetrate the backfield.

Last season, UTSA also finished 12-2 after a perfect 11-0 start, helping the team ascend to No. 22 in the rankings. However, after beating the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the Conference USA title game, the Roadrunners lost the Frisco Bowl and ultimately fell to No. 24 San Diego State.

The Roadrunners are led by record-setting quarterback Frank Harris, who established UTSA single-season records for passing yards (3,177), completions (398), touchdowns (27), attempts (263), completion percentage (.661), passing efficiency (152.5), total offense (3,741), and touchdowns responsible (33), as well as the team's leading tackler over the past two seasons, Rashad Wisdom. Both have been selected as their respective conferences' preseason offensive and defensive players.

Sports commentators and analysts are predicting that the final score will be higher than the point spread, making this one of the most exciting games of the weekend.

 

 

There is no “off” in college football. In today’s game, the off-season sounds more like myth than reality. The time between the last whistle in January to the first kick in late August provides as much drama as a mid-October upset. The myriad of culprits is ever evolving, but this year’s cast included recruiting, the transfer portal, NIL deals, contentious coaches, and conference realignment. Before talking season becomes a distant memory and bold projections become mocking tweets, here is a recap of a few of the biggest off-season storylines and some final predictions for how it all unfolds when the pads crash on the gridiron.

1.       The Saban-Fisher Feud

The Paul Finebaum Show had phones ringing off the hook in May, an unconventional time for the popular SEC Network talk show to garner as much attention as it did. One clip of Coach Nick Saban at a luncheon with business leaders in Birmingham sent football fans into mid-season form with opinions, criticism, and calling for heads to roll. Saban was presenting his concerns on how NIL, specifically collectives, may impact the recruiting landscape. To illustrate his point, Saban referenced the approach taken at Texas A&M, going so far as to allege “A&M bought every player on their team.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the sound bite went surfing the web, ultimately finding its way across the desk of Texas A&M Head Coach Jimbo Fisher. In an attempt to fight fire with fire, Fisher made it personal by attacking the Alabama coach’s character and insinuating skeletons in the closet saying, “We build him up to be the czar of football. Go dig into his past... What he does and how he does it, it’s despicable.”

The dispute came to a head amid claims that Texas A&M senior leadership called upon SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey to punish and suspend Saban. The Commissioner stepped in with a public reprimand to both coaches, and the emotions that boiled over simmered down by the time SEC Media Days rolled around. Despite public intrigue for more fireworks at the Conference’s most public summer function, both coaches walked back their initial words in an attempt to dissuade any sort of bulletin board material lingering into the season.

Alabama linebacker and consensus pre-season All-American Will Anderson noted that it will all be handled on the field. So how does that play out?

Don’t expect a repeat of last year’s Aggieland thriller where a walk-off field goal dethroned No. 1 Alabama and snapped a streak of one-hundred straight wins over unranked opponents. The Crimson Tide will use this game to make a statement on behalf of their coach and roll over the Aggies by a four-touchdown margin.

2.       Arch Goes to Austin

The age-old question: when will Texas finally be back? The return to glory may not be too far away as the No. 1 ranked QB in the class of 2023 committed to the Longhorns. Arch Manning had his pick of the litter with offers from every major college football program at his disposal. The legacy quarterback decided to forgo family ties to Ole Miss and Tennessee, along with ignoring home-state roots to LSU and blaze his own trail at soon-to-be-SEC Texas.

              By the time Arch steps foot on campus, expect Head Coach Steve Sarkisian to be facing one of the hottest seats in college football. The 2022 campaign for the Horns will follow the trend of years past with some exciting wins and inexplicable losses. It is not out of the realm of possibility that UT slips up to a non-conference opponent not named Alabama and starts 1-2, while later breaking the streak in the Red River Rivalry and capturing its first win against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl since 2018.

3.       Transfer of Power

Perhaps the off-season's biggest winner is the University of Southern California, where the football team finally reflects the same flashy lifestyle of the Hollywood Hills – at least on paper. Lincoln Riley, one of the hottest names in coaching, made the journey west to take the head coach role at USC, leaving behind the same position at Oklahoma. Reports circulated about his new destination buying him a 6 million dollar mansion, meanwhile on the message boards fans speculated about his fear of the SEC. One thing is for sure, the coach landed in a pasture loaded with green.

              Caleb Williams, the former No. 1 QB in the 2021 recruiting class and starting QB at Oklahoma following last season’s comeback win against Texas, followed Riley westward via the transfer portal. Joining Williams is Biletnikoff Award-winning WR Jordan Addison, who transferred from Pitt. Rounding out the transfer trio of offensive firepower is WR Mario Williams, also from Oklahoma. It is evident that Riley is intent on building the same juggernaut-style power that he managed at Oklahoma and will look to bring back relevance to West Coast football.

              The resounding boom atop the Trojans' fight for post-season relevance is the move to the Big 10.  The Big 10 Conference sent shockwaves across the college landscape when they poached UCLA and USC from the PAC-12 this summer for a 2024 start, which matches moves made by the SEC last year. Just as a semblance of order flirted with college sports, everyone was sent back into a spiral when news broke of the realignment. It is yet to be seen what pieces will continue to unfold, if, and when additional universities opt to bring their program to a new conference.

              Despite the looming changes in competition, USC opens the 2022 season at No. 14 in the AP Poll. They will have some ground to cover to catch up to No. 11 Oregon and No. 7 Utah but expect the Trojans to get hot late and find their way to Las Vegas for the PAC-12 Championship Game. A test against Notre Dame at the end of the regular season will likely make or break College Football Playoff hopes for both teams.

4.       Notable NIL

Aside from the millions of dollars tied up in collectives, it appears NIL is serving its purpose for Nebraska WR Decoldest Crawford. The former LSU commit from Shreveport, La., epitomizes brand integration through his partnership with Omaha-based SOS Heating & Cooling. In the commercial, Decoldest tells viewers who to call to keep their air conditioning cool. This local partnership is a welcome respite for fans agonizing over the future of NIL.  

Crawford and his fellow Cornhuskers have some work to do in helping cool down their head coach’s not-so-frosty seat. Scott Frost is entering his fifth season at the helm of the Huskers and has yet to post a winning record for the program. Once lauded as the next Tom Osborne, Lincoln has only been left with disappointment. Nebraska is hoping their luck will change as they open the season in Dublin, Ireland, during Week Zero action. A light first half of the season paves the way for bowl eligibility by the end of October and springs a program in need of positivity to their first Bowl Season since 2016.

 

Talking season is over. Voices will soon be lost as either faint whispers of pre-season expectations or cheers in stadiums by jubilant fans celebrating victory. Though it was never really “off,” football is finally here again.

 

 

HOUSTON – Lone Star Sports & Entertainment today announced that the 2022 Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B, featuring the Sam Houston Bearkats and Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, will kick off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 1, from NRG Stadium in Houston. For the second consecutive year, a live television broadcast of the game will be provided by Bally Sports Southwest across the network’s four-state footprint, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Randy McIlvoy and Taylor McHargue will provide the call, with Deepi Sidhu reporting from the sideline. A radio broadcast of the game will be available in the Houston market on SportsRadio 610 KILT-AM. Fans can purchase tickets and find game information at www.lsse.net/battle-of-the-piney-woods, by visiting the Sam Houston Athletics site at www.gobearkats.com or by visiting the SFA Athletics site at www.sfajacks.com.

 

“H-E-B is excited to build on the Battle of the Piney Woods partnership with Bally Sports Southwest. This year’s slot will continue to grow exposure for this historic matchup,” said H-E-B Houston Director of Marketing Joe Casiano.  “We can’t wait to welcome Bearkat and Lumberjack fans back to NRG Stadium on October 1.”

 

This year’s game marks the 96th meeting between Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin dating back to 1923, making the matchup the third oldest college football rivalry in the state of Texas. In 2021, the Sam Houston emerged with a 21-20 victory over the Stephen F. Austin, erasing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The Bearkats hold a 58-35-2 edge in the all-time series entering the 2022 matchup.

 

About Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to producing annual college football events such as the TaxAct Texas Bowl and the Battle of the Piney Woods rivalry between Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the Copa de Lone Star, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, the International Champions Cup, the 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019 and 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cups.

 

About H-E-B

H-E-B, with annual sales of more than $34 billion, operates more than 400 stores in Texas and Mexico. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs over 145,000 Partners in Texas and Mexico and serves millions of customers in more than 300 communities. For more information, visit heb.com.

 

Media Contact

Jackson Riebel – jackson.riebel@houstontexans.com

 

HOUSTON – English Premier League champions Manchester City and Liga BBVA MX powerhouse Club América have announced the following rosters that will travel to Houston ahead of the 2022 Copa de Lone Star:

 

MANCHESTER CITY (26 PLAYERS)*

GOALKEEPERS (3): Stefan Ortega, Ederson, Scott Carson

 

DEFENDERS (9): Kyle Walker, Rúben Dias, Nathan Aké, Oleksandr Zinchenko, João Cancelo, Luke Mbete, Rico Lewis, Finley Burns, Josh Wilson-Esbrand

 

MIDFIELDERS (9): Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish, Rodrigo, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Cole Palmer, James McAtee, Oscar Bobb, Ben Knight

 

FORWARDS (5): Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Riyad Mahrez, Liam Delap, Kayky

 

*Roster subject to change

 

CLUB AMÉRICA (24 PLAYERS)*

 

GOALKEEPERS (2): Guillermo Ochoa, Óscar Jiménez

 

DEFENDERS (8): Miguel Layún, Jorge Sánchez, Bruno Valdez, Emilio Lara, Néstor Araujo, Sebastián Cáceres, Luis Fuentes, Mauricio Reyes

 

MIDFIELDERS (9): Alejandro Zendejas, Jürgen Damm, Pedro Aquino, Jonathan Dos Santos, Álvaro Fidalgo, Richard Sánchez, Karel Campos, Íker Moreno, Sebastián Martínez

 

FORWARDS (5): Jonathan Rodríguez, Diego Valdés, Román Martínez, Federico Viñas, Henry Martín

 

*Roster subject to change

 

 

The 2022 Copa de Lone Star will kick off in primetime at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, July 20. Played at NRG Stadium in Houston, the game will be televised live within the United States on ESPN2 (English) and TUDN (Spanish). The fixtures will also be available globally for fans via Manchester City’s content subscription channel, City+ (excluding USA and Mexico). Fans can visit www.mancity.com and www.clubamerica.com.mx for more information on global broadcast outlets and find match and ticket information at www.lsse.net/copadelonestar.

 

About Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003 that is closely affiliated with the NFL’s Houston Texans. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to producing annual college football events such as the TaxAct Texas Bowl, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the Copa de Lone Star, Copa America Centenario, the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, the International Champions Cup, the 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2019 and 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cups.

 

About Manchester City Football Club

 

Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club initially founded in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton. It officially became Manchester City FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, eight League Championship titles, including six Premier League titles (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), and six FA Cups. Manchester City FC is one of 12 clubs comprising the City Football Group and counts New York City FC and Melbourne City FC among its sister clubs.

 

Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated managers in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA Champions League home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular 55,000 seat arena that City have called home since 2003. Today, the Stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art performance training and youth development facility located in the heart of East Manchester. Featuring a 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium, the City Football Academy is also where Manchester City Women’s Football Club and the Elite Development Squad train on a daily basis and play their competitive home games.

 

For more information, please visit www.mancity.com.

 

About Club América

 

Founded on October 12, 1916, Club América is the largest and winningest soccer team in both Mexico and North America. The Eagles have secured 13 Liga MX titles, six Copa MX titles and one Liga MX Femenil. At the international level, Club América has won two Inter-American Cups and a record seven Concacaf Champions Cup/Champions League tiles. Playing its home games at the historic Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Club América is also heavily involved in various social responsibility initiatives and activities.

 

For more information, please visit www.clubamerica.com.mx.