(CBS Local Sports)– Week 5 of the assemblage shot play is here, and CBS Sports Network has a slate of immoderate of the champion games crossed the federation this weekend. The enactment begins connected Friday, October 1 erstwhile #13 BYU and backmost Jaren Hall question to force territory to instrumentality connected Utah State. The Cougars haven’t mislaid a crippled yet and person scored astatine slightest 20 points successful each azygous crippled this season.
CBS Local’s DJ Sixsmith spoke with CBS Sports assemblage shot big Brent Stover to get his thoughts connected the large clip matchup and a full big of games connected Saturday, October 2, which includes an intriguing matchup betwixt 2 3-1 teams successful Liberty and UAB. Stover explains wherefore helium likes BYU connected Friday, what Liberty volition request to bash to triumph connected the roadworthy and the expectations for Fresno State successful Hawai’i.
#13 BYU vs. Utah State: Friday, October 1, 9pm EST/PST CBS Sports Network
“It’s astir apt 1 of the champion matchups we’ve had connected CBS Sports Network this year,” said Stover. “I similar BYU and past twelvemonth was not a mirage and I deliberation they’ve proven that done the archetypal 3rd of the season. I deliberation the backmost concern is the large question. It sounds similar Jaren Hall was each but acceptable to spell past week. I expect him to start, but Baylor Romney was awesome. He threw for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns. I deliberation BYU is going to beryllium a small spot excessively overmuch for Utah State, but the Aggies are disconnected to a large commencement arsenic well. I deliberation it is going to beryllium a fantastic game, and with location field, it astir apt evens it retired a bit. I would prime BYU successful this game.”
Western Michigan vs. Buffalo: Saturday, October 2, 12pm EST/PST CBS Sports Network
“It’s absorbing due to the fact that Western Michigan is disconnected to a bully start, and it’s bully to get league play going successful the MAC,” said Stover. “You tin benignant of hitch the slate cleanable a small spot for Buffalo, due to the fact that they’ve been a small spot up and down. They looked unspeakable against Nebraska and bounced backmost since then. This is simply a pugnacious matchup for maine to prime arsenic well, but with Buffalo you person to look astatine that moving game. They’re scoring 33 points per game, and that’s 2nd successful the MAC. Kevin Marks is backmost this twelvemonth with Dylan McDuffie. I deliberation Buffalo has an accidental possibly to triumph the MAC, but this is simply a large accidental against Western Michigan to get things going.”
UCF vs. Navy: Saturday, October 2, 3:30pm EST/PST CBS Sports Network
“Navy is conscionable not there. Go backmost implicit the past fractional of past play and the archetypal 3 games of this season, and it’s hard to pinpoint what mightiness beryllium going on,” said Stover. “Ken Niumatalolo has built specified a phenomenal civilization there, and each helium has done is won games, but thing is conscionable not close for them. UCF got that large triumph to unfastened the twelvemonth against Boise State, and they person an other week to hole coming disconnected that nonaccomplishment to Louisville, and I don’t deliberation Louisville is immoderate slouch. I similar Dillon Gabriel. He is 1 of my favourite quarterbacks successful the country. If you look implicit his career, helium wins games, and helium is not 1 who plays down to his competition. He’s thrown 42 touchdowns successful 16 league games with lone 8 interceptions. He doesn’t marque mistakes, and he’s bully for the large play and heavy ball. I deliberation UCF has a large vantage successful this game, adjacent though it is connected the road.
Liberty vs. UAB: Saturday, October 2, 7pm EST/PST CBS Sports Network
“My feline Kevin Carter, who I enactment with connected Fridays and Saturdays, thought Malik Willis should’ve been successful the apical 5 for the Heisman past year, and I can’t disagree,” said Stover. “He’s an Auburn transfer, and helium played determination successful 2017 and 2018, and helium was phenomenal past year. The quality of Willis is helium is 1 of these emblematic dual-threat guys that a batch of radical possibly haven’t paid capable attraction to due to the fact that helium is astatine a schoolhouse similar Liberty. He’s lone tally for 274 yards and 4 touchdowns this year, and he’s already thrown for implicit 800 yards and 10 touchdowns and nary interceptions. The feline doesn’t marque mistakes. They came up conscionable abbreviated past clip out, and they’re 3-1. With UAB, we cognize what Bill Clark has done there, and this is simply a marque caller stadium. These folks person been waiting for a agelong time, and this programme was dead. Not lone is it backmost and not lone are they contending for league titles, but they’ve got an unthinkable downtown stadium successful Birmingham. I deliberation it is going to spell down to the wire. This 1 is pugnacious to prime for me, but it’s going to beryllium exciting. And I deliberation determination are going to beryllium a batch of points and a batch of yards. These are 2 truly breathtaking teams to watch.”
#18 Fresno State vs. Hawai’i: Saturday, October 2, 10:30pm EST/PST CBS Sports Network
“What fascinates maine is that erstwhile you spell to Hawai’i, it’s not a foregone decision conscionable due to the fact that of the trip,” said Stover. “That’s conscionable the mode that it is. One vantage that the Warriors person is they’ve already played 5 games. They could beryllium tired, but playing astatine location and having 5 games nether your loop gives you the vantage there. Jake Haener is 1 of the champion quarterbacks successful the country. Not lone did helium bushed UCLA with a game-winning drive, but helium showed toughness connected the tract with a wounded near broadside the full time. Last week they were a small spot sluggish successful the archetypal half, but past successful the 2nd fractional we saw what they tin do. I’m not arsenic acrophobic with the UNLV crippled arsenic a batch of radical mightiness be. It’s quality quality to person a letdown, and Fresno State had that letdown. But the bottommost enactment is they won the game. They’re 4-1, and their lone nonaccomplishment is to a apical 3 squad successful Oregon. This Fresno State squad for my wealth — and I deliberation Nevada and Boise State mightiness person thing to accidental astir that — Fresno State is the champion squad successful the Mountain West. Right present extracurricular of Cincinnati, I would prime them to beryllium the champion Group of Five team.”