Prior to donning the Silver and Black each Sunday, many of the Raiders players were wearing different colors on Saturdays, playing for their college teams and representing their respective universities.
This time of the year in particular college rivalries run deep, so we're here to highlight some of the matchups between current Raiders teammates, but former college football foes.
The Matchup:
A battle between two American Athletic Conference foes as DJ Hayden's Houston Cougars travel east to take on Latavius Murray's University of Central Florida Knights at Bright House Networks Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Background:
The Knights enter Saturday's matchup with Houston sitting winless with a 0-7 record.
Of their seven losses, two have been by just a single point, but their most recent folly came last Saturday when they fell 30-16 to the undefeated Temple Owls.
Conversely, the Houston Cougars march into Orlando ranked No. 21 in the country and undefeated with a 6-0 record.
In all honestly, the Cougars haven't really been tested, outside of a three-point win over Louisville early in the season.
Houston is piloted by dual-threat quarterback Greg Ward Jr., who has thrown for 1,524 yards and 9 touchdowns as well as rushed for 631 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.
A Walk Down Memory Lane:
Murray:After attending Onondaga Central High School in Nedrow, N.Y., Murray flew south to Central Florida where he played for four years, appearing in 45 career games for the Knights.
When all was said and done, Murray finished his career ranked second in school history in overall touchdown (44), eighth in rushing attempts (453), sixth in rushing yards (2,424) and third in rushing touchdowns (37).
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Hayden: **The Houston-native played two years at Navarro Junior College before transferring to his hometown university prior to his junior campaign.
Hayden made 21 starts during his career as a Cougar, recording 127 tackles (90 solo), 6 interceptions, 1 sack, 11 tackles for loss, 6 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 19 passes defensed.
Predictions:
Although the Knights have yet to watch their first win of the 2015 campaign, Murray remains confident in his alma mater and believes UCF will come out on top Saturday.
"Definitely confident in them," said Murray. "It's our homecoming and we play for big games, so I definitely think this would be a good one to get."
