CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- With nearly all its weapons returning on its "grass basketball" offense, Tulsa is widely favored to repeat its West Division title in Conference USA, and is even bandied about as a "BCS buster."

Alabama-Birmingham, plugging along with a shortfall of scholarship players, is aiming to escape the East Division cellar.

Saturday afternoon at Legion Field, those teams will get a few early answers to a number of questions as they square off in one of two league games this weekend.

Tulsa will see if senior Dave Johnson can fill the shoes of the departed Paul Smith at quarterback. Jacob Bower, a 23-year-old sophomore who played a year of junior college ball in California, will play in certain situations.

"Offensively, we felt like we're better in all 10 [other] positions," said coach Todd Graham. "We just have to make sure Dave just needs to be Dave Johnson, not try to be Paul Smith. We want him to manage the offense and distribute the ball to the athletes that we have over there. If he does that, we're going to score points. We just can't put the ball in jeopardy."

The nation's top offense last year, the Golden Hurricane's stable of skill players has gotten even more crowded. Tennessee transfer Slick Shelley gives Johnson a big receiver over the middle, and true freshman Damaris Johnson will make an immediate impact, both in the passing and return games.

At UAB, coach Neil Callaway likes his skill players, including quarterback Joe Webb and receivers Frantrell Forrest, Mario Wright and Mike Jones. They could score in abundance against a Tulsa defense that is starting three true freshmen.

But can the Blazers stay within shouting distance?

"Defensively, I'm still concerned about our front seven," said Callaway. "I do think we are better, but we have some issues we need to get ironed out. Our secondary I feel good about."

Marshall plays at UAB on Oct. 18, following an open week. Tulsa visits Huntington to finish the regular season Nov. 29.

The other league game takes place tonight on ESPN, as Southern Methodist visits Rice. That adds a little spice to a contest between two of the league's lightest-drawing teams in recent years.

So does the Mustangs debut of coach June Jones. Athletic director Steve Orsini, the man who brought George O'Leary to Central Florida, lured Jones after he took Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl.

It also will be the debut of quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. He and fellow true freshman Braden Smith buried Justin Willis, the once-promising but troublesome junior who had a big game against Marshall in 2006, on the depth chart.

"He's doing pretty well," Jones said of Mitchell, a Houston-area product whom he was recruiting while at Hawaii. "If I had his arm, I might still be playing in the National Football League. He's just got to learn the offense and where to go with the ball, and every day he gets better."

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- With nearly all its weapons returning on its "grass basketball" offense, Tulsa is widely favored to repeat its West Division title in Conference USA, and is even bandied about as a "BCS buster."

Alabama-Birmingham, plugging along with a shortfall of scholarship players, is aiming to escape the East Division cellar.

Saturday afternoon at Legion Field, those teams will get a few early answers to a number of questions as they square off in one of two league games this weekend.

Tulsa will see if senior Dave Johnson can fill the shoes of the departed Paul Smith at quarterback. Jacob Bower, a 23-year-old sophomore who played a year of junior college ball in California, will play in certain situations.

"Offensively, we felt like we're better in all 10 [other] positions," said coach Todd Graham. "We just have to make sure Dave just needs to be Dave Johnson, not try to be Paul Smith. We want him to manage the offense and distribute the ball to the athletes that we have over there. If he does that, we're going to score points. We just can't put the ball in jeopardy."

The nation's top offense last year, the Golden Hurricane's stable of skill players has gotten even more crowded. Tennessee transfer Slick Shelley gives Johnson a big receiver over the middle, and true freshman Damaris Johnson will make an immediate impact, both in the passing and return games.

At UAB, coach Neil Callaway likes his skill players, including quarterback Joe Webb and receivers Frantrell Forrest, Mario Wright and Mike Jones. They could score in abundance against a Tulsa defense that is starting three true freshmen.

But can the Blazers stay within shouting distance?

"Defensively, I'm still concerned about our front seven," said Callaway. "I do think we are better, but we have some issues we need to get ironed out. Our secondary I feel good about."

Marshall plays at UAB on Oct. 18, following an open week. Tulsa visits Huntington to finish the regular season Nov. 29.

The other league game takes place tonight on ESPN, as Southern Methodist visits Rice. That adds a little spice to a contest between two of the league's lightest-drawing teams in recent years.

So does the Mustangs debut of coach June Jones. Athletic director Steve Orsini, the man who brought George O'Leary to Central Florida, lured Jones after he took Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl.

It also will be the debut of quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. He and fellow true freshman Braden Smith buried Justin Willis, the once-promising but troublesome junior who had a big game against Marshall in 2006, on the depth chart.

"He's doing pretty well," Jones said of Mitchell, a Houston-area product whom he was recruiting while at Hawaii. "If I had his arm, I might still be playing in the National Football League. He's just got to learn the offense and where to go with the ball, and every day he gets better."

Rice, which plays host to Marshall on Nov. 22, doesn't have to break much of anybody into its high-powered offense. And the second-year coach, David Bailiff, has learned his lesson about dealing with the Chase Clement-to-Jarrett Dillard combination, and the rest of the offense.

"A year ago, I brought in some traditional thinking that I had for the last 25 years as a player and coach," Bailiff said. "Well, I'm talking about just playing Baylor, for instance, when we ran two tight ends and two backs and that's not who we are and what we do well. I know not to do that this year."

East Carolina kicks off its season at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium against 15th-ranked Virginia Tech. Fewer than 200 tickets remain for the game, which was placed in the season-ticket package of both teams.

The Pirates suffered two setbacks this month, losing running back Dominique Lindsay and big defensive lineman Brandon Setzer to season-ending injuries. Lindsay, who was injured in a "freak accident" at practice, was expected to fill in for departed star Chris Johnson.

While the Pirates have an ambitious nonconference schedule - their other foes are West Virginia, North Carolina State and Virginia - there are signs the Conference USA schools are easing up a little.

C-USA teams have 11 games scheduled against Top 25 opponents, none ranked higher than No. 6 Louisiana State. Memphis, Houston and Tulsa play no ranked teams at this time.

Around the league

Daly received a bachelor's degree at Miami, and took advantage of an NCAA rule that allows a player to transfer immediately if they want to take graduate courses not offered at their original school. That is different from a since-rescinded rule that allowed graduates to transfer and play immediately, no matter what.

"There will be situations, some third-down opportunities and fourth-down opportunities where we might put Will into the game," said coach Tommy West. "I want to see Arkelon do well [but] I will pull Arkelon if he is struggling and I can see that it is getting to him."

Reach Doug Smock at 348-5130 or dougsm...@wvgazette.com.