TODAY'S GAMES.

CS NORTHRIDGE AT AIR FORCE

Kickoff: 10 a.m., at Falcon Stadium (capacity 52,480)

Records: Season opener for both teams

TV/Radio: No TV or radio. KCSN will not broadcast football games this season

Series history: This is the first meeting between the teams

Injury update: For CSUN, offensive linemen Mike Allen (ankle), Andy Zaldivar (ankle) and Javier Ortiz (ankle) won't travel. Punter Ethan Beck has a compound dislocation of his left pinkie but will play. Running back Alan Taylor is out indefinitely with a fractured fibula. . . . For Air Force, halfback Tom Heier (knee) is out. Travis Logsdon is probable.

Keep an eye on: Quarterback Marcus Brady, who has been dominating at the Division I-AA level. He threw for more than 3,000 yards last year. . . . Freshman Ben Lorier, a Westlake High product, who's making his first start at weakside linebacker. . . . The defense, which is supposed to be improved but will have a tough task trying to stop Air Force's option. . . . Running back Matt Hicks, who has only practiced three times but is expected to play. . . . Receiver Jason Stone and backup quarterback Mitch Ryerson are serving one-game suspensions for breaking university policy.

Air Force update:off! Mike Thiessen made sure there was no quarterback controversy in Colorado Springs but the running game is Air Force's bread and butter. . . . Halfback Qualario Brown, who was injured most of last season, has looked solid in the spring. . . . Air Force is 26-16-2 in season openers.

- Jill Painter

ALABAMA AT UCLA 

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m., Rose Bowl

TV/Radio: Channel 7; 1150-AM

Records (1999): Alabama 10-3, UCLA 4-7

Series: Alabama 1-0. The Crimson Tide won the 1976 Liberty Bowl 36-6 against Terry Donahue's first UCLA team.

Injuries: UCLA - DT Ken Kocher (ankle) questionable, LB Ryan Nece (shoulder) probable; Alabama - G Dennis Alexander (knee sprain) and kicker Neal Thomas (knee sprain) questionable. TB Santonio Beard (separated shoulder), WR Triandos Luke (broken hand), LB Marvin Constant (sore knee) out and DE Kindal Moorehead (ruptured Achilles' tendon) out.

Keep an eye on: Alabama's Freddie Milons and UCLA's Jason Zdenek. Milons will return punts, kicks and lineup anywhere from receiver to running back to quarterback. He's 5-foot-7 but the most elusive player on the field. He caught a school-record 65 passes last season and had a touchdown receiving, passing, rushing and returning punts last year. Meanwhile, free safety Zdenek, a fifth-year senior who has one career tackle, is making his first career start. He'll be the Bruins' last line of defense, which means he might be the one trying to keep Milons out of the end zone.

Alabama update: Andrew Zow will start for Alabama at quarterback, but Tyler Watts will also play. The Tide is balanced and solid on offense, but its defense is what will carry it. Alabama returned nine starters from last season, though it lost one of the best - defensive end Kindal Moorehead - to a season-ending Achilles' tendon injury. Alabama allowed 297.3 yards per game last season, ninth best in the nation.

-Billy Witz

AT A GLANCE

STANFORD AT WASHINGTON STATE

Kickoff/TV: 7:15 p.m., Fox Sports Net

Matchup: The first head-to-head conference matchup of the season puts the defending Pacific-10 champs on the road with new senior starting quarterback Randy Fasani, who takes over since Todd Husak graduated and projected starter Joe Borchard (Camarillo High) left to play baseball. ``The thing that we will try to emphasize with Randy is just do what you can do,'' Cardinal coach Tyrone Willingham said. ``We know you have excellent abilities and if you play within the framework of what you can do, we'll have a fine day.'' Washington State coach Mike Price understands Fasani is ``going to be nervous and we intend to make him a lot more nervous before the game is over.'' The Cougars, coming off two disastrous seasons in which they won exactly one conference game, have their own unproven quarterback in sophomore Jason Gesser, who won his only start at Hawaii last year. Gesser has never lost as a starter, covering 28 games in high school and last year's victory over Hawaii. The defensive player the Cougars may be most concerned about is linebacker Riall Johnson, who tied for the Pac-10 lead in sacks with 13 last year. He had his biggest game against the Cougars, recording five sacks, seven tackles and a safety. Stanford crushed the Cougars 54-17 last season in a game filled with WSU turnovers and other mistakes. The series is typically high scoring.

NEVADA AT OREGON

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.

Matchup: Oregon should try out a new promotion: The first 10,000 people through the turnstiles at Autzen Stadium get to play a down against Nevada in the season opener. Ducks coach Mike Bellotti plans to use as many players as possible, to work out the kinks in the offense and to conserve manpower for next week's game at No. 4 Wisconsin. Nevada, under first-year coach Chris Tormey, should struggle to be as good as last year's 3-8 team. And that's with quarterback David Neill (Hart High) returning. The offensive line has one returning starter, and Neill is one of only seven seniors on the team. In last year's 72-10 loss at Oregon, Neill was knocked out with a concussion in the second quarter. ``I really believe in my heart we can win at Oregon,'' Neill said. ``I'm not even thinking about getting knocked out. I'm thinking about the 72 points. They had third-string guys in there still scoring on us.''

EASTERN WASHINGTON AT OREGON STATE

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.

Matchup: Since the Beavers' first big test isn't likely to come until Sept. 30 at home against USC, Eastern Washington will provide them with no real gauge on what kind of team they can be this season. However, don't forget that in 1984, the Beavers went to Moscow, Idaho, to play the I-AA Vandals and were humiliated 41-22. The EWU coach back then: Dennis Erickson, who starts his second season leading Oregon State.

ARIZONA AT UTAH 

Kickoff: 6 p.m., ESPN 2

Matchup: The Wildcats lost a chunk of talent from last season - running back Trung Canidate, wide receiver Dennis Northcutt, quarterback Keith Smith and several strong defensive players. But Ortege Jenkins can make a lot happen as the full-time quarterback, and the Wildcats have their entire defensive front returning.

IDAHO AT No. 14 WASHINGTON

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.

Matchup: The Huskies have the league's most dynamic quarterback in Marques Tuiasosopo and the bulk of their team returning from a 6-2 conference season. This is a warm-up before next week's home game against No. 5 Miami.