O’Brien candidates go head-to-head in this week’s games

FORT WORTH, Texas (September 2, 2009) – The 2009 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award^® (The O’Brien) Marquee Match-up for week one features two O’Brien Watch List candidates in their season opener. Throughout the season, The O’Brien will highlight weekly match-ups which spotlight O’Brien candidates as they vie for the prestigious award honoring the nation’s best quarterback in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

Marquee Match-up: BYU vs. Oklahoma at Cowboys Stadium
Saturday, September 5 at 6 p.m. (CST) on ESPN
The 2008 O’Brien Quarterback Award Winner, Sam Bradford and the Sooners go head- to-head against Max Hall, 2008 O’Brien Semifinalist, and the BYU Cougars in their season opener and the first college football game held at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Both teams enter the season ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 and both quarterbacks will begin their campaign for the coveted O’Brien Quarterback Award during primetime on ESPN.

Head-to-Head O’Brien Match-ups (based on start times)
These O’Brien Watch List quarterbacks will battle it out in week one:

• Oregon (Jeremiah Masoli) at Boise State (Kellen Moore)
  Thursday, September 3 at 9:15 p.m. (CST) on ESPN
  
• Baylor (Robert Griffin) at Wake Forest (Riley Skinner)
  Saturday, September 5 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on ABC (Regional Telecast)
  
• Nevada (Colin Kaepernick) at Notre Dame (Jimmy Clausen)
  Saturday, September 5 at 2:30 p.m. (CST) on NBC
  
• LSU (Jordan Jefferson) at Washington (Jake Locker)
  Saturday, September 5 at 9:30 p.m. (CST) on ESPN

The Fan Vote is now open at www.VoteOBrien.org where fans can register and vote for their favorite college quarterback. Fans will be able to choose from any of the 120 FBS quarterbacks beginning on Tuesday, September 8, leaving room for the possibility of a quarterback who is not on the Watch List to win the award. The Fan Vote will count as 5% in each round of voting. The 2009 Winner will be announced during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing December 10 on ESPN.  The recipient will be honored February 15, 2010, at the 33^rd Annual Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner held at The Fort Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

 About The Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award^®
The O’Brien honors the nation’s best college quarterback of the year and inspires student-athletes to triumph both on and off the field. By recognizing and honoring athletes who excel in both sports and academics while exhibiting strong character and leadership, The O’Brien aims to help instill a lifelong moral fiber in each candidate. The O’Brien is overseen by the Davey O’Brien Foundation, which was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The Foundation has given away more than $770,000 in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life. For more information, visit www.DaveyOBrien.org.

American Airlines is the official travel partner of The O’Brien.

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