COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS & NOTES TIPSHEET

Thursday, September 3, 2026

UMass at Rutgers — 6:00 PM ET

Rutgers officially turns the offense over to Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan. Greg Schiano named Lonergan the starter August 24 after a competition with AJ Surace. Lonergan threw for 2,025 yards and 12 touchdowns at Boston College last season. More importantly, he is not being asked to carry an inexperienced offense. Running back Antwan Raymond has 1,698 career rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, while receiver KJ Duff enters with 1,509 career receiving yards and led the nation with 22 contested catches last season. (Rutgers University Athletics)

The larger Rutgers question is defense. Travis Johansen takes over as coordinator after Rutgers struggled badly on that side last season. Johansen has coordinated six top-10 defenses during his career, so this is a genuine schematic reset rather than simply another year with the same unit. (Rutgers University Athletics)

UMass arrives after an 0-12 season and a 24-game losing streak against FBS opponents. Its two primary offensive producers from last season are gone: quarterback AJ Hairston transferred to Merrimack and leading rusher Brandon Hood also departed. Brandon Rose returns after throwing for only 424 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in two starts, while Virginia Tech transfer Pop Watson III provides another quarterback option. Former Rutgers defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak is now running UMass, giving him intimate familiarity with Schiano’s program and personnel philosophy.

Weather presently does not appear to create a significant wind issue. The longer-range Piscataway forecast has been calling for relatively light wind around Thursday, although the forecast should be refreshed on game day because early September thunderstorm timing remains volatile. (The Weather Channel)

UAlbany at Buffalo — 7:00 PM ET

UAlbany already has meaningful game film. The Great Danes opened the Tom Perkovich era with a 28-14 victory over New Hampshire and ran for an extraordinary 374 yards after averaging just 89.3 rushing yards per game last season. Joey Koch, returning from a major knee injury, rushed for 144 yards; quarterback Kai Colón added 90; and UAlbany held New Hampshire to only 62 yards rushing. (Times Union)

Rahshan La Mons is another back to watch. The former Division III All-American rushed for 2,518 yards and 30 touchdowns in two seasons at Susquehanna before following Perkovich to Albany. He also has a previous knee injury in his background but entered this season healthy enough to win a starting role. (Times Union)

Buffalo is undergoing substantial roster and staff turnover, making UAlbany’s game experience more relevant than it normally would be in an FBS-FCS matchup. One correction to earlier preseason information is important: Buffalo’s current official material lists Ta’Quan Roberson as its returning statistical quarterback leader rather than Elijah Holmes, so Holmes should not presently be treated as a confirmed Buffalo starter. (University at Buffalo)

There is also a historical motivational nugget: UAlbany stunned Buffalo 22-16 in the programs’ 2016 meeting after Buffalo had beaten the Great Danes 51-14 the previous year. (University at Buffalo)

Bethune-Cookman at UCF — 7:00 PM ET

James Madison transfer Alonza Barnett III takes over at quarterback as Scott Frost begins the second season of his return to UCF. Barnett is the most significant offensive personnel change for a Knights team that finished 5-7 last season and went winless away from home. UCF also had enough offensive-line movement during camp that the front bears watching against Bethune-Cookman before substantially tougher Big 12 competition begins. (Yahoo Sports)

The historical situation strongly favors UCF from a motivation/expectation standpoint: the Knights have never lost to an FCS opponent since moving to the FBS level in 1996 and enter with an 11-game Thursday-night winning streak. The more relevant second-half question is how aggressively Frost uses his starters if UCF establishes a large lead.

Specific Bethune-Cookman injury and depth-chart reporting remains considerably thinner than it is for FBS programs. There is not enough reliable current information to manufacture a personnel angle.

Akron at Wake Forest — 7:00 PM ET

Akron’s quarterback situation remains one of the most important items to monitor before Thursday. Reese Poffenbarger sought a sixth season of eligibility through a medical waiver after previous stops at Old Dominion, Albany, Miami and North Texas. Until the eligibility issue is definitively resolved, Wake Forest’s defensive preparation has an unusual uncertainty at quarterback.

Wake Forest has named Gio Lopez its quarterback. The Demon Deacons’ first depth chart also shows considerable offensive-line turnover: Tolu Olajide is listed at left tackle, redshirt freshman Aidan Martin earned the right-tackle job over a more experienced option, and center was still unsettled between Will Way and John Ohnegian. That is potentially significant because offensive-line communication is often the last element to stabilize in an opener. (Blogger So Dear)

Lopez does have an established running back behind him. Demond Claiborne rushed for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and enters with 2,599 career rushing yards. Carlos Hernandez is also established at receiver. (Wake Forest University Athletics)

Defensively, Wake’s Week 1 chart includes transfer corners Deuce Blades II and Ashaad Williams as starters. Georgia State transfer Bernard Causey III and highly regarded freshman AJ Mark were conspicuously absent from the initial two-deep. (Blogger So Dear)

Akron has not defeated an FBS opponent in a season opener since 2007. Wake Forest has won 10 of its last 11 openers.

Current Winston-Salem forecasting does not indicate a significant wind game; projected winds have generally been in the single digits. (The Weather Channel)

West Georgia at Kennesaw State — 7:00 PM ET

West Georgia has already supplied useful evidence. The Wolves lost 24-10 to Chattanooga on August 27 and were out-rushed 149-38. Quarterback Battle Alberson completed 9 of 17 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, but an offense producing only 38 rushing yards is a concern against an FBS defensive front.

Kennesaw State is making its season debut after winning Conference USA last season. LSU/Syracuse transfer Rickie Collins takes over at quarterback after throwing for 1,042 yards with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions at Syracuse. The turnover number is the most obvious individual statistic to track in his Kennesaw debut.

There is also an unusual personnel connection: Kennesaw running back Latrelle Murrell transferred directly from West Georgia and immediately faces his former team. That gives Kennesaw at least one player with first-hand knowledge of West Georgia’s defensive personnel and terminology.

This is the first meeting between the programs, and Kennesaw is opening Year 2 under Jerry Mack at home after its conference championship season. (Kennesaw State Owls)

Merrimack at Delaware — 7:00 PM ET

This is a difficult scheduling spot for Merrimack. The Warriors lost 34-7 to Rhode Island on August 28 and now have fewer than seven days to prepare for an FBS opponent. Merrimack converted just 5 of 17 combined third- and fourth-down attempts against Rhode Island and committed three turnovers.

New quarterback AJ Hairston transferred from UMass after Ayden Pereira departed for Georgia State. Hairston therefore enters Delaware with little continuity in his new offense. Merrimack does retain running backs DeMarcus McElroy and Galamama Mulbah and receivers Austin Palmer, Kenyon Massey and Stephon Patrick. (Picks and Parlays)

Delaware has the opposite quarterback situation. Senior Nick Minicucci returns after throwing for 3,683 yards and 23 touchdowns last season while also rushing for 10 scores. Delaware averaged 441.6 yards per game, the best offensive figure in Conference USA. Linebacker Gavin Moul returns after 111 tackles, while safety KT Seay recorded 91 tackles and three interceptions.

The primary Delaware defensive weakness from last season was run defense: the Blue Hens allowed 4.6 yards per carry and surrendered at least 200 rushing yards four times. That is one personnel matchup worth monitoring if Merrimack tries to protect Hairston by leaning heavily on its backs. (Picks and Parlays)

Delaware has a major step up at Vanderbilt next week, giving this opener at least a modest lookahead component. (University of Delaware Athletics)

Colorado at Georgia Tech — 8:00 PM ET

This is Thursday’s most personnel-intensive matchup.

Georgia Tech has moved on from Haynes King and is expected to start Indiana transfer Alberto Mendoza. Mendoza has never started a college game. Brent Key said during the spring that Mendoza would be the starter if Georgia Tech were playing then, and nothing in camp has meaningfully displaced him. (AJC GDPR Support)

The supporting backfield should help. Justice Haynes is attempting to rebound after a foot injury shortened his 2025 season, while Malachi Hosley averaged better than seven yards per carry last year. The issue is nevertheless obvious: Georgia Tech is asking an inexperienced quarterback to replace an ACC Player of the Year.

Colorado is changing even more. Deion Sanders’ roster again underwent massive turnover, while Brennan Marion installs the Go-Go offense. Julian Lewis has been considered the leading quarterback candidate, with Utah transfer Isaac Wilson another option.

The biggest Colorado health issue is receiver Danny Scudero. The San Jose State transfer led the FBS with 1,297 receiving yards last season but was photographed on crutches and later in a walking boot during camp because of a foot problem. Sanders subsequently offered an optimistic update, but Scudero’s actual workload should be checked again immediately before kickoff rather than assuming a full snap count simply because he dresses. (SI)

Offensive lineman Taj White is another player to watch. The Rutgers transfer has extensive experience—34 career games and 20 starts, including 11 starts at right tackle last season—but his preseason injury created uncertainty around Colorado’s projected offensive-line configuration. (University of Colorado Athletics)

There is also immediate revenge motivation: Georgia Tech won 27-20 in Boulder last season. Colorado now gets the rematch in Atlanta, although both teams are substantially different at quarterback and across the roster.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Missouri — 8:00 PM ET

Missouri has the clearest confirmed major absence on Thursday’s slate.

Consensus All-American running back Ahmad Hardy is OUT. Hardy rushed for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns last season and finished second nationally in rushing. He has not completed the two-week full-speed practice ramp-up Missouri requires after recovering from the gunshot wound to his upper leg suffered in May. Eli Drinkwitz has explicitly declined to commit to either a mid-September or mid-October return. (Reuters)

The drop-off is much smaller than the headline might imply because Jamal Roberts is an accomplished replacement. Roberts carried 124 times for 753 yards—6.1 yards per carry—and six touchdowns last season while adding 18 receptions for 141 yards and another touchdown. He generated 480 yards after contact, produced 21 runs of at least 10 yards and forced 30 missed tackles. (Mizzou Athletics)

Missouri’s injury board contains additional names. Guard Cayden Green is listed out with an undisclosed injury, while receiver Joshua Brady and tight end Gavin Hoffman have been listed questionable. Those absences matter more from a continuity standpoint than Hardy’s absence against this particular opponent because Missouri is also integrating a new quarterback. (Covers.com)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff already has a game behind it, beating Division II Morehouse 35-15. Missouri, however, has won 24 consecutive games against FCS opposition, while UAPB has never beaten an FBS opponent in 13 tries.

The motivational complication is next week: Missouri hosts rival Kansas. If the score becomes one-sided, protecting starters and shifting attention toward Kansas could become more important than extending the margin.

Columbia’s present forecast is warm with generally modest wind, approximately 10-15 mph rather than a clear 15-plus sustained-wind situation. (The Weather Channel)

Eastern Illinois at Minnesota — 8:00 PM ET

Minnesota has substantially more quarterback continuity than most teams on Thursday’s slate. Drake Lindsey started all 13 games last season, completed 63.2% of his passes and threw for 2,382 yards with 18 touchdowns against only six interceptions. His 3-to-1 TD/interception ratio tied for third-best in Minnesota single-season history, and he set the school record for victories by a freshman quarterback. (University of Minnesota Athletics)

One unsettled personnel area is special teams. Minnesota’s place-kicking competition became complicated by an NCAA eligibility court ruling during camp, so the kicker situation warrants attention if this becomes a field-goal or extra-point evaluation game rather than merely a blowout. (ABC News)

Eastern Illinois has already played and defeated Murray State 28-14 after finishing only 3-9 last season. Minnesota therefore faces an FCS opponent with the advantage of having already gone through an actual game week.

The scheduling dynamic is straightforward: Minnesota plays Mississippi State next week. This is the Gophers’ tune-up before a significant jump in competition. Minnesota’s last two games against FCS teams ended by a combined 114-0.

UAB at Illinois — 9:00 PM ET

Illinois has significant change at several of the most important positions.

Fifth-year senior Katin Houser takes over at quarterback after previous stops at Michigan State and East Carolina. He will operate behind an offensive line replacing three starters. That combination makes protection and communication more important than Houser’s raw passing numbers in his Illinois debut. (The Champaign Room)

The receiving corps is also short-handed. FAU transfer Jayshon Platt, who had 720 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season, has been expected to miss the opener because of injury. Alex Perry was already unavailable, leaving increased responsibility for Collin Dixon, Hudson Clement and younger/newer receivers such as Brayden Trimble. (The Champaign Room)

Illinois is simultaneously installing Bobby Hauck’s 3-3-5 defense. Hauck arrives after nearly two decades as Montana’s head coach, replacing Aaron Henry as coordinator. The scheme change increases the possibility of early communication issues even if the overall defensive talent is strong. Defensive back Daniel Brown also dealt with an injury during preseason preparations. (The Champaign Room)

UAB is undergoing its own reset. Alex Mortensen makes his debut as head coach, while Ryder Burton returns at quarterback after throwing for 708 yards and seven touchdowns in nine appearances last season. Burton already has one notable result on his résumé: he defeated No. 22 Memphis in his first career start.

This game therefore features two teams installing meaningful schematic or coaching changes rather than a settled veteran favorite facing an unchanged underdog.

Idaho at Utah — 9:00 PM ET

This is the beginning of the post-Kyle Whittingham era at Utah. Morgan Scalley coaches his first game after more than two decades of Whittingham running the program. That makes the opener more motivationally significant than an ordinary FBS-FCS tune-up.

Utah does have offensive continuity. Quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker return and have been named captains. Utah’s official game material lists Dampier after a 2,490-yard passing season and Parker after 981 rushing yards. (University of Utah Athletics)

Idaho’s Joshua Wood is not an ordinary overmatched FCS quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior was Idaho’s starter last season after transferring from Fresno State and gives the Vandals a legitimate dual-threat presence. His Fresno State background included extensive situational rushing usage before he became Idaho’s full-time starter. (University of Idaho Athletics)

Utah emerged from camp with comparatively few major injury concerns, making this one of the cleaner health situations on the Thursday board.

Historically, Idaho actually won the programs’ most recent meeting, 28-17 in Salt Lake City on October 2, 1993. This is Idaho’s first trip back since then. (University of Utah Athletics)

The Salt Lake City forecast bears monitoring because thunderstorms are possible around the Thursday period, although current wind projections are generally below the 15-mph threshold. (The Weather Channel)

MOST IMPORTANT PERSONNEL ITEMS TO RECHECK

1. Akron QB Reese Poffenbarger: eligibility/medical-waiver status remains potentially game-changing because it determines Wake Forest’s opposing quarterback.
2. Colorado WR Danny Scudero: expected availability is encouraging, but a receiver coming off crutches/walking boot with a foot injury could be active without being ready for a normal workload.
3. Colorado OL Taj White: his availability materially affects an offensive line protecting an inexperienced quarterback.
4. Missouri RB Ahmad Hardy: confirmed OUT. Jamal Roberts becomes RB1 and is considerably more proven than a typical backup.
5. Missouri OL Cayden Green: listed OUT. Brady and Hoffman also warrant another check.
6. Illinois WR Jayshon Platt: expected absence removes a receiver coming off a 720-yard season and increases the burden on Illinois’ remaining pass catchers.
7. Wake Forest offensive line: multiple new starters plus an unsettled center position create one of the more consequential chemistry questions among Thursday favorites.
8. Buffalo quarterback: do not assume Elijah Holmes is the starter. Buffalo’s current official material does not substantiate that designation.

WEATHER WATCH

No game currently has a clearly verified forecast calling for sustained winds of 15 mph or more, which is the threshold where wind becomes an especially meaningful football handicapping variable. Missouri is among the closer situations with roughly 10-15 mph presently projected. Thunderstorm timing deserves more attention than wind at several locations, particularly the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast and Salt Lake City. Forecasts three days out can move substantially, so the weather portion should be refreshed Wednesday night and again Thursday afternoon.

Because nearly all FBS teams on this slate are playing their opener, meaningful 2026 ATS margin-of-cover and total +/- rankings do not yet exist. Those become substantially more useful after three games rather than forcing tiny-sample ATS/OU narratives into Week 1.

The two highest-priority late-week updates are Akron’s quarterback ruling and Colorado’s Scudero/White health, with Illinois’ receiving corps next. Those are the items most capable of materially changing this sheet before Thursday.