Colorado at California
(12:30 p.m. Saturday on FSN)
Kevin Riley and the Golden Bears made quick work of UC Davis last Saturday, opening the season with a resounding 52-3 victory.
Riley made his job look easy, passing for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns while avoiding costly interceptions.
Running back Shane Vereen, following in the rather imposing footsteps of former star Jahvid Best, wasted no time establishing himself. The junior rushed for two of his own touchdowns and added a third on a 23-yard reception.
In all, the Golden Bears totaled 517 yards on offense, while the defense held UC Davis to a mere 81 total yards.
With the week one victory, head coach Jeff Tedford earned the title of winningest coach in California’s modern era.
The Buffaloes, meanwhile, edged in-state rival Colorado State by a score of 24-3.
Junior quarterback Tyler Hansen tossed two touchdowns, and the defense limited Colorado State to just 49 yards on the ground.
Key Stat: Vereen has now caught at least one pass in 27 straight games.
 
Syracuse at Washington
(4 p.m. Saturday on FSN)
When quarterback Jake Locker decided to forgo the NFL Draft and return to the Huskies, many expected big things in the second year of Steve Sarkisian’s reign as head coach.
As such, Washington’s week one loss to BYU was all the more disappointing.
The Huskies led throughout the first half, though BYU cut the lead to 17-16 with 6:59 left in the third quarter.
Washington failed to score for the rest of the game, and the Cougars took the lead for good when quarterback Jake Heaps tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass to JJ Di Luigi.
Locker was steady but unspectacular with 266 passing yards and one touchdown, while wide receiver Jermaine Kearse hauled in five passes for 108 yards.
Syracuse had better luck against an admittedly weaker opponent in the University of Akron, coming away with a 29-3 victory.
Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Delone Carter balanced the offensive attack with 91 yards rushing.
Key Stat: When he last faced the Syracuse Orange in 2007, Locker threw for 142 yards and ran for 83 more in a 42-12 victory.
 
Montana State at Washington State
(4 p.m. Saturday)
After a miserable 2009 season, the Cougars showed few signs of improvement in a 65-17 opening weekend loss at the hands of Oklahoma State.
Though the offense was efficient, the defense had no answer for Cowboy running back Kendall Hunter. The senior racked up an astonishing 257 yards on the ground to go along with four touchdowns, dooming any chance the Cougars had in the process.
In all, Washington State allowed the Cowboys to gather 544 total yards of offense.
Montana State, on the other hand, had an impressive debut against Fort Lewis.
In a 59-10 victory, the Bobcats totaled 532 total yards of offense while also avoiding any turnovers.
Key Stat: A loss on Saturday would mark the 11th straight for Washington State. The Cougars have not recorded a win since Sept. 19, 2009.
 
Northern Arizona at Arizona State
(7 p.m. Saturday)
The Sun Devils had little trouble with Portland State last week, coming away with a 54-9 victory.
Sophomore running back Cameron Marshall was prolific, totaling 104 yards and three touchdowns on a mere four carries.
Junior quarterback Steven Threet, a Michigan transfer making his debut as the Sun Devils starter, also came away with 239 yards and two touchdowns.
Arizona State turned the ball over just once via a Threet interception, the only blemish on an otherwise encouraging opening week.
Northern Arizona, meanwhile, earned a shutout against Western New Mexico with a 48-0 shellacking.
Freshman running back Zach Bauman made quite a first impression, rushing for 167 yards and 4 touchdowns, while quarterback Michael Herrick threw for two more.
Key Stat: Arizona State has won its last seven games against Northern Arizona, the last by a score of 30-13 in 2008.
 
The Citadel at Arizona
(7 p.m. Saturday)
Looking to finally eliminate the bitter taste in its mouth after last year’s Holiday Bowl, Arizona ran over Toledo by a score of 41-2 last Saturday.
Junior quarterback Nick Foles proved last year was no fluke, throwing for 360 yards and two touchdowns while also running for one more.
Running back Nic Grigsby accounted for two additional scores, and the defense flexed its muscles, allowing just 183 total yards and forcing two turnovers.
The Citadel also enjoyed a dominant season debut, defeating Chowan 56-14.
Freshman quarterback Matthew Thompson threw for three touchdowns on only six attempts, and the rushing attack took care of the rest with 247 yards.
Key Stat: Foles’ 86.5 percent completion percentage was good for third in the nation in week one, while also standing as the second-highest single-game mark in school history.
 
No. 25 Stanford at UCLA
(7:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN)
After a 52-17 victory against Sacramento State in week one, the Cardinal finds itself right back in the top 25.
Junior quarterback Andrew Luck lived up to the Heisman hype against the Hornets, tossing for 316 yards and four touchdowns.
One of the scores came via an 81-yard bomb to senior wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who finished with 111 yards and two touchdowns.
With former star running back Toby Gerhart now playing in the NFL, Luck proved he is more than capable of carrying the Stanford offense.
The Bruins were not so lucky against Kansas State, falling by a score of 31-22.
Sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince was erratic, completing just 9 of 26 passes and throwing two interceptions.
A lacking run defense sealed UCLA’s fate as the team gave up 313 yards on the ground.
Key Stat: Stanford has lost its last six matchups with UCLA in Pasadena.
 
Virginia at No. 16 USC
(7:30 p.m. Saturday)
Lane Kiffin’s offense made a strong statement in week one against Hawaii.
The defense? Not so much. Hawaii gathered 588 total yards as the Trojans narrowly edged out a 49-36 victory in Honolulu.
Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley was the catalyst of the offense, throwing for 257 yards and an astonishing five touchdowns.
Three of those touchdowns were caught by senior wide receiver Ronald Johnson, while junior running back Marc Tyler ran for 154 yards.
Virginia had an easier time against Richmond, earning a 34-13 victory. Senior running back Keith Payne totaled 114 yards and four touchdowns, while fellow senior Marc Verica threw for 283 more.
Key Stat: USC and Virginia have met only once, in 2008, when the Trojans came away with a 52-7 victory.