FCS teams optimistic about early upsets

Prairie View, TSU see chance to prove ability

Jacksonville State inspired Football Championship Subdivision programs across the country when it stunned Mississippi in a 49-48 double-overtime victory last Saturday at Oxford, Miss. Later that evening, North Dakota State outlasted Kansas 6-3 in Lawrence, Kan., to gain another upset for the FCS.

Today, Texas Southern and Prairie View A&M will have their shot at shocking the Football Bowl Subdivision establishment. TSU will face Connecticut at 11 a.m. in East Hartford, Conn.; Prairie View will take on Southern Mississippi at 6 p.m. in Hattiesburg, Miss.

First USM home game today

The Southern Miss football team holds its home opener at 6 p.m. today against Prairie View A&M, trying to bury last week’s disappointing 41-13 loss at South Carolina. USM has never lost to an opponent from the SWAC, but the Panthers are the best team that the league offers after a 9-1 season in 2009 and a season-opening 16-14 win over Texas Southern.

Southern Miss players admit that Ole Miss’ loss to another FCS team, Jacksonville State, last week has been a refresher on what can happen when you don’t play your best against a lesser opponent. The Golden Eagles went 6-0 at home last season, and have an eight-game home winning streak going.

UCONN FOOTBALL: Huskies eager for home opener

STORRS, CT — Following up last weekend’s season-opener at Michigan to Saturday’s game with Texas Southern is a little like going from playing Carnegie Hall to the local fair in consecutive weeks for the UConn football team. Then again, beggars can’t be choosers. The Huskies are fairly lucky to have landed anyone at all for today’s home-opener at Rentschler Field (noon, SNY).

Northeastern, an old Yankee Conference rival from UConn’s Division I-AA football days, was the original opponent. But when it abruptly ended its football program last December it left UConn coach Randy Edsall scrambling to fill the open date.

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