First Friday of the 2015 College Football Season

Friday, September 4th

Two Big Ten programs have opened the 2015 College Football season. Tonight, two more will open up, the new season ...

Senior QB 18 Connor Cook leads Spartans to first ever trip @
Western Michigan to open the 2015 season for #6 Michigan State.

• #6 Michigan State at Western Michigan 6:00 pm on ESPNU

• Coach Mark Dantonio is 7-1 in season-opening games with MSU

• Michigan State leads the all-time series 11-2, including an 8-0 mark in games played in Spartan Stadium

• Michigan State return seven starters each on offense and defense for 2015 season

• Third year coach P.J. Fleck (8-5 in '14) returns nine starters on offense and seven starters on defense for the 2015 season. Last game was opener in 2013, where Spartans won 26-13 in East Lansing

Illinois senior RB 6 Josh Ferguson provides offense as a runner and
receiver. 

• Kent State at Illinois 8:00 pm on BTN as the Bill Cubit era begins in short order for the Fighting Illini in 2015 ...

• Kicking Off: The Fighting Illini open their 126th year with Kent State coming to Memorial Stadium

• The Fighting Illini had one week to regroup, under new head coach Bill Cubit, after University administration pulls the blug on Tim Beckman

• Eight offensive starters and 7 defensive starters back for the Fighting Illini

• First meeting between teams, as MAC Kent State is coming off 2-9 season under coach Paul Haynes

• Charlotte at Georgia State 2:30 pm on ESPNU - only 3rd season for Charlotte, as they face full FBS schedule for first time in 2015; Georgia State was 1-11 in '14 lead by senior QB ...
• #4 Baylor at SMU 6:00 pm on ESPN - this isn't the Southwest Conference anymore; the Bears have won 11 straight in this series, since '86
• Fordham at Army 6:00 pm on CBSSN - the Black Knights were only 4-8 in '14, but hold a 4-0 record in this FBS vs. FCS match up
• Weber State at Oregon State 7:00 pm on PAC-12 Network - Gary Anderson left Wisconsin to return back to Pacific Northwest to coach the Beavers; first meeting in this FBS vs. FCS game
•  Washington at #18 Boise State 9:15 pm ESPN - Washington coach Chris Peterson returns to his former program, as the Huskies kick off his second season, against coach Bryan Harsin and the Broncos ...
• Rhode Island at Syracuse 6:00 pm on espn3 - The Orange open the third season under Scott Shafer, coming off a 3-9 season; The Rams are 0-2 against the Orange, losing 21-14 in '11 ...

The University of Iowa named Bruce Harreld the
21st president ahead of the 2015 football season.