| The Rest |
| RANK |
TEAM (FINAL 2003 AP RANK) |
2003 RECORD |
RETURNING STARTERS |
| 76 |
HOUSTON |
7-6 |
17 |
| With 3,131 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions, QB Kevin Kolb was C-USA freshman of the year |
| 77 |
ARIZONA |
2-10 |
19 |
| Junior RB Mike Bell, Pac-10's top returning rusher (920 yards), is one of nine returning starters on offense |
| 78 |
NORTH TEXAS |
9-4 |
14 |
| Senior RB Patrick Cobbs led nation in rushing (152.7 yards per game) and contributed 19 TDs |
| 79 |
VANDERBILT |
2-10 |
21 |
| Commodores are most experienced team in SEC and have a defensive stopper in Junior DE Jovan Haye (8 1/2 sacks) |
| 80 |
AIR FORCE |
7-5 |
6 |
| Junior QB Andy Gray, fresh off two-year Mormon mission, succeeds Chance Harridge after Adam Fitch tore Achilles in spring |
| 81 |
ILLINOIS |
1-11 |
14 |
| Senior QB Jon Beutjer, awarded sixth year of eligibility, needs to improve on subpar performance (10 TDs, nine INTs) |
| 82 |
MISSISSIPPI STATE |
2-10 |
14 |
| First-year coach Sylvester Croom (Alabama, class of '75) faces Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 6 |
| 83 |
INDIANA |
2-10 |
19 |
| Ten starters return on offense, led by sophomore RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (203 rushing yards against Penn State) |
| 84 |
CINCINNATI |
5-7 |
16 |
| New coach Mark Dantonio, former Ohio State defensive coordinator, inherits school's alltime leading passer, senior Gino Guidugli |
| 85 |
UNLV |
6-6 |
13 |
| Senior WR Earvin Johnson (60 catches, 834 yards) needs QB Kurt Nantkes (12 TDs, 10 INTs) to be more consistent |
| 86 |
BYU |
4-8 |
10 |
| Cougars' strength is their defense led by senior safety Aaron Francisco, who had 116 tackles and three interceptions |
| 87 |
IOWA STATE |
2-10 |
13 |
| Cyclones turn to redshirt freshman QB Bret Meyer to boost 116th-ranked scoring offense (14.4 points per game) |
| 88 |
BAYLOR |
3-9 |
14 |
| Oct. 2 game at Texas will not be fun: Longhorns have outscored Bears 97-0 over past two years and 286-44 since 1998 |
| 89 |
TULANE |
5-7 |
16 |
| Green Wave has a stud in All-C-USA senior WR Roydell Williams, who had 66 receptions for 1,006 yards and nine TDs |
| 90 |
AKRON |
7-5 |
12 |
| First-year coach J.D. Brookhart has a building block in senior QB Charlie Frye (8,426 career passing yards and 46 TDs) |
| 91 |
DUKE |
4-8 |
13 |
| Senior Senterrio Landrum averaged 28.4 yards per kick return (25 for 709) and added 11 catches for 101 yards as a WR |
| 92 |
RICE |
5-7 |
14 |
| Owls had school-record 3,800 rushing yards, led by Thomas Lott (714), whose 7.3 yards per carry was second-best in nation |
| 93 |
WYOMING |
4-8 |
12 |
| Oh, brother: Junior Corey Bramlet (14 career attempts) takes over for Casey, who directed Mountain West's top passing attack |
| 94 |
WESTERN MICHIGAN |
5-7 |
11 |
| Transfer Ryan Cubit, who set Rutgers freshman passing marks in 2001, will battle junior Blayne Baggett for QB job |
| 95 |
CENTRAL FLORIDA |
3-9 |
15 |
| Unproven sophomore QB Steven Moffett and tough schedule make for a bumpy return to college coaching for George O'Leary |
| 96 |
TROY STATE |
6-6 |
17 |
| Senior FS Derrick Ansley led Trojans in tackles (94) and interceptions (9) and was second in pass breakups (10) |
| 97 |
LOUISIANA TECH |
5-7 |
16 |
| Bulldogs will ride junior RB Ryan Moats, who rushed for 1,300 yards and 10 TDs and had six straight 100-yard games |
| 98 |
EAST CAROLINA |
1-11 |
12 |
| New offensive coordinator Noah Brindise looks to improve nation's 104th-ranked offense (311.3 yards per game) |
| 99 |
NEW MEXICO STATE |
3-9 |
13 |
| Aggies will rely on senior Buck Pierce, who threw for 1,510 passing yards and seven TDs and completed 69.4% of his passes |
| 100 |
NEVADA |
6-6 |
11 |
| Chris Ault, the school's alltime winningest coach (163-63-1), is back on the sideline after serving as Wolfpack's athletic director |
| 101 |
UTEP |
2-11 |
17 |
| Mike Price (20-4 in final two seasons at Washington State) takes over program that won six times over last three years |
| 102 |
TEMPLE |
1-11 |
16 |
| Standout junior LB Rian Wallace (148 tackles) deserves better than a team that will struggle against even I-AA Florida A&M |
| 103 |
CENTRAL MICHIGAN |
3-9 |
17 |
| MAC freshman of year Jerry Seymour set conference mark for first-year RBs with 1,117 rushing yards in just nine games |
| 104 |
UTAH STATE |
3-9 |
10 |
| Senior QB Travis Cox, who passed for 2,791 yards and 18 touchdowns, led Sun Belt Conference in total offense |
| 105 |
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE |
4-8 |
10 |
| Sophomore QB Jerry Babb led Ragin' Cajuns to victories in four of their last five games, but he will miss departed WR Fred Stamps |
| 106 |
KENT STATE |
5-7 |
16 |
| Golden Flashes get senior QB Joshua Cribbs (2,424 passing yards, 14 TDs) back after one-game suspension for drug possession |
| 107 |
BALL STATE |
4-8 |
12 |
| David Letterman's alma mater has dominating WR in Dante Ridgeway (89 catches, 1,075 yards, 10 TDs) |
| 108 |
ARKANSAS STATE |
5-7 |
11 |
| Mismatch of year: Indians travel to LSU to face co-national champs, who have outscored them 112-20 in previous two meetings |
| 109 |
MIDDLE TENNESSEE |
4-8 |
12 |
| Senior WR Kerry Wright set a Sun Belt Conference record with 1,280 receiving yards and scored nine touchdowns |
| 110 |
SMU |
0-12 |
17 |
| Mustangs looking for a big year from junior Rolando Humphrey (49 tackles, seven pass breakups), their most talented corner |
| 111 |
SAN JOSE STATE |
3-8 |
7 |
| Mighty mite TB Lamar Ferguson (5'5") is back after missing 2003 with knee injury; he rushed for team-best 634 yards in '02 |
| 112 |
LOUISIANA-MONROE |
1-11 |
15 |
| Worst scoring defense (38.9 points a game) in Sun Belt has nine starters back, including senior LB John Winchester (91 tackles) |
| 113 |
OHIO |
2-10 |
17 |
| Senior inside LB Dennis Chukwuemeka (100 tackles in 10 games) is Bobcats' leader up front |
| 114 |
EASTERN MICHIGAN |
3-9 |
16 |
| Senior TB Anthony Sherrell had 1,531 rushing yards, including eight consecutive games with 100 or more |
| 115 |
ARMY |
0-13 |
18 |
| New boss Bobby Ross (94-76-2 as a college coach) tries to rebuild a team that has lost 24 of its last 25 games |
| 116 |
IDAHO |
3-9 |
20 |
| Vandals hope success runs in family: Junior QB Michael Harrington, brother of Detroit Lions' Joey, will be under center |
| 117 |
BUFFALO |
1-11 |
16 |
| Mr. Irrelevant Game: Bulls travel to Ohio U on Sept. 25; last year's 26-17 victory over Bobcats was Buffalo's only win |
| |
