CFW Week 8 Results - NC State, Baylor fire their head coaches

 CFW Week 8 Results – NC State, Baylor fire their head coaches

It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad season

 

UCF 39, BYU 31 (2OT); Appalachian State 31, James Madison 24 (OT);

Cincinnati 37, Texas Tech 24 and South Carolina 27, Tennessee 24

 

Three of those losing teams – BYU, Texas Tech, James Madison – lost for the first time this season. Three of those losing teams – BYU, Texas Tech, Tennessee – were ranked teams losing to unranked teams. Two of those losing teams were coming off big wins the previous week – BYU over Notre Dame and Tennessee over Alabama. Two of those teams – BYU and James Madison lost in overtime. One of those teams – Tennessee – lost on a field goal as time expired. And all four of those losses were upsets.

 

Speaking of upsets, Oregon, who was ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll, lost for the third time this season. The Ducks were knocked off by Illinois, 21-10.

 

Tennessee wasn’t the only team to lose on a walk-off field goal. Tulsa and Iowa lost the same way. Army kicked a field goal as time expired to beat Tulsa, 38-35. Minnesota kicked a field goal as time expired to beat Iowa, 13-10. Michigan kicked a field goal as time expired to put its game with Indiana into overtime – 6-6. The Wolverines lost to the Hoosiers 13-6 in overtime.

 

Two games had more than 1,000 total yards. Florida Atlantic and Rice combined for 1,069 total yards. FAU beat Rice, 51-49. North Texas and Navy combined for 1,114 total yards. North Texas beat Navy, 49-39.

 

Two games had 99 or more points scored. Delaware beat Missouri State, 61-38, and Colorado State downed San Diego State, 56-49.

 

Miami receiver Malachi Toney went wild on Saturday. Toney had 16 receptions for 194 yards and three touchdowns, in Miami’s 52-23 win over Pitt. That should be a boost to his Heisman candidacy.

 

And if that wasn’t enough, two coaches were fired over the weekend – NC State’s Dave Doeren and Baylor’s Dave Aranda.

 

Aside from that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

 

College football Week 8 began on Tuesday in Miami, Florida. In the first of three games, Middle Tennessee edged FIU, 26-23. MTSU running back Terrance Brown rushed for 158 yards and one touchdown, as the Blue Raiders racked up 448 yards.

 

Delaware stomped Missouri State, 61-38. Delaware quarterback Nick Minicucci passed for 225 yards and 5 touchdowns, as the Blue Hens racked up 482 total yards. Missouri State receiver Isaiah Meyers had 11 receptions for 242 yards and two touchdowns. In the final game, Marshall downed South Alabama, 20-13. Marshall quarterback Zion Turner passed for 181 yards.

 

In the sole game on Wednesday night, New Mexico State beat Sam Houston, 30-24. New Mexico State running back James Jones rushed for 178 yards and one touchdown.

 

Two of the three games on Thursday night ended in overtime. Appalachian State upset James Madison, 34-31 (OT). App State quarterback Malachi Singleton passed for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns. Memphis got by East Carolina, 41-34 (OT). Memphis quarterback Marcus Stokes passed for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns.

 

In the only game Thursday night that didn’t end in overtime, Liberty topped Kennesaw State, 34-6. Liberty tallied 402 total yards and held Kennesaw State to 62 yards rushing.

 

Friday night lights was a busy night with five games. Duke scored a late touchdown to beat Virginia 19-16. Duke quarterback Walker Eget passed for 211 yards. UConn routed UMass, 35-16. UConn led 28-3 at the end of the third quarter. UConn running back Cyncir Bowers rushed for 131 yards.

 

Army edged Tulsa, 38-35. Army kicked a 27-yards field goal as time expired to win the game. Army running back Godspower Nwawuihe rushed for 135 yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Cale Hellums rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns.

 

In a MWC game, Wyoming downed Air Force, 28-14. Wyoming running back Tyler Hughes rushed for 146 yards and one touchdown. Further West in the nightcap, Stanford slipped by NC State, 31-28. Stanford quarterback Davis Warren passed for 303 yards and 4 touchdowns. Stanford running back Micah Ford rushed for 150 yards. The teams combined for 858 total yards.

 

In other action Saturday, two of the four Cinderella’s continued to win. UCLA (7-0) beat Michigan State, 28-10, and Northwestern (6-1) downed Rutgers, 42-14. The other two Cinderella’s – Wake Forest (6-1)  and Kentucky (7-1) – were off.

 

Two of the MAC’s best teams – Toledo and Western Michigan – had quite a tussle. With the game tied at 38-38, Toledo scored a touchdown with 4:23 remaining in the game to beat Western Michigan 45-38.

 

In a big game in the ACC, Virginia Tech rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Clemson, 20-16. At the end of the third quarter, the Hokies trialed the Tigers 16-10.

 

In the SEC, Oklahoma downed Mississippi State, 23-15. OU quarterback John Mateer passed for 283 yards and two touchdowns. In the Big 12, Arizona beat Iowa State, 39-3. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita passed for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

 

While you were asleep Saturday night, New Mexico beat North Dakota State, 21-16, and Utah downed Houston, 21-13.

 

Only three teams remain undefeated. All three are 7-0 – Miami, Utah and UCLA.

 

Swamp Mama and I flew back to Florida from Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday. We had a great time in New Mexico, and I had a great time with my Navy buddies. The tour of the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History was particularly fascinating, as was our tour of the Acoma Pueblo Mesa (Sky City) community about 65-70 miles west of Albuquerque. Also enjoyed my ride to the top of the Sandia Mountains on the Sandia Tramway.

 

On our flight from Albuquerque to Atlanta, I watched the Texas A&M-Alabama football game from 35,000 feet in the sky. That was a first.

  

The Top 12 teams in this week’s AP Top 25 poll are 1. Miami (7-0), 2. Ohio State (6-1), 3. Georgia (6-1), 4. Indiana (7-1), 5. Notre Dame (6-1), 6. Utah (7-0), 7. UCLA (7-0), 8. BYU (6-1), 9. Kentucky (7-1), 10. Alabama (6-2), 11. Texas (5-2) and 12. Ole Miss (5-2). At No. 20, Boise State (6-1) is the highest-ranked Group of Six team.

 

NC State fired head coach Dave Doeren. The move came after NC State lost to Stanford, 31-28, on Friday night. Doeren was in his 14^th season with the Wolfpack. He posted a 93-74 record. Doeren will receive a $10.3 million buyout. Running backs coach Todd Goebbel will serve as the Wolfpack’s interim head coach for the rest of the season.

 

On Sunday, Baylor announced the firing of head coach Dave Aranda. The move came a day after Baylor lost to Kansas, 25-24. In his seventh season with the Bears, Aranda posted a 40-40 record. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman will be Baylor’s interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

 

Oregon coach Dan Lanning fired his offensive coordinator, Drew Mehringer.

 

Actor and director Tom Skerritt died on October 21. Skerritt appeared in more than 170 television and film productions. He is best known for the leading role of Sheriff Jimmy Brock on the television show “Picket Fences” (1992-1966) and for the role of the father in the movie “A River Runs Through It” (1992). His other movies included “M*A*s*H” (1970), “Harold and Maude” (1971), “The Turning Point” (1977), “Ice Castles” (1978), “Top Gun” (1986), “Steel Magnolias” (1989), among many others. “A River Runs Through It” is one of my all-time favorite films. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Thomas Roy Skerritt was 93.

 

Former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown died on October 23. Brown was the head coach of LSU for 25 years – 1972-1997. His overall record was 448-301. Brown’s teams earned two Final Four appearances in 1981 and 1986. A native of Minot, North Dakota, Dale Duward Brown was 90.

 

“Listen, anything you got to say about your mother-in-law, you don’t have to explain to me. You know what I mean. Like if she were the star of a real crummy horror movie, I’d believe it,” Jonathan Winters, as Lennie Pike, in the movie “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”

 

Touchdown Tom

October 26, 2026

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Utes rally – Utah 21, Houston 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 30, Houston 27). Entering the fourth quarter, Utah trailed Houston, 13-7. The Utes rallied in the final quarter, scoring 14 points. Houston quarterback Conner Weighman passed for 282 yards and no touchdowns. Houston receiver Amare Thomas had 5 catches for 133 yards. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier passed for 204 yards and no touchdowns. Dampier threw two interceptions. He rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Utah held Houston to 86 yards rushing.  Attendance in Salt Lake City: 51,864

 

RUNNER-UP: Bevo was hot, cold, hot – Texas 34, Ole Miss 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Ole Miss 24). Texas led Ole Miss 24-3 at halftime. In the second half, Ole Miss proceeded to score 21 unanswered points. Early in the fourth quarter the score was tied at 24-24. Texas rallied with a touchdown and two field goals in the final eight minutes of the game. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 250 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Chambliss can forget the Heisman Trophy. Texas quarterback Arch Manning passed for 212 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Manning can forget the Heisman Trophy too. Texas running back Raleek Brown rushed for 157 yards. Texas receiver Ryan Wingo had 7 catches for 111 yards and one touchdown. Ole Miss was the better passing team. Texas was the better running team. Both teams had 3 turnovers. Attendance in Austin: 104,306

 

REST OF THE BEST: Toney’s day – Miami 52, Pitt 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 34, Pitt 20). Pitt was never in the game. Miami led 31-7 at halftime. The Canes built their lead to 52-14 midway through the fourth quarter. Pitt quarterback Holden Geriner passed for 268 yards and one touchdown. Pitt receiver Cataurus Hicks had 5 catches for 149 yards and one touchdown. Miami quarterback Darian Mensah passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns. Mensah connected with receiver Malachi Toney on 16 occasions for 194 yards and three touchdowns. Miami racked up 506 total yards. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 65,991

 

Dull – Indiana 13, Michigan 6 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 24, Michigan 16). There were no touchdowns scored during regulation. Indiana kicked 2 field goals. Michigan kicked 2 field goals. Indiana got the game’s only touchdown in the overtime. Indiana got both of its field goals in the first half. Michigan got its two field goals in the second half. The second of the two coming as time expired. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover had a terrible game. He only completed 44% of his passes. Hoover threw one interception. Michigan quarterback Tommy Carr passed for 167 yards and one interception. The teams combined for only 436 total yards. Indiana only had 81 yards passing. Michigan was held to 57 yards rushing. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 111,276

 

Bearcats ruin Tech’s perfect record – Cincinnati 37, Texas Tech 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 31, Cincinnati 18). Cincinnati jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead. Then the Bearcats fought off Tech’s second half rally. Tech quarterback Will Hammond passed for 227 yards and one interception. Cincinnati quarterback J.C. French passed for 172 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Cincy running back Cole Tabb had 173 yards rushing and one touchdown. The two teams were fairly even in the stats. Tech was the better passing team. Cincinnati was the better running team. Tech suffered its first loss. Attendance in Cincinnati: 38,088

 

There was no War in the Eagle – LSU 38, Auburn 17 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Auburn 23). Last week, Auburn upset Georgia. This week, the Tigers were still hungover. LSU took command early and built up a 31-10 halftime lead. Early in the fourth quarter LSU led 38-10. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt passed for 387 yards and 3 touchdowns. LSU receiver Jackson Harris had 9 catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown had a bad game – passing and running. LSU racked up 552 total yards. The LSU defense held auburn to 67 yards rushing. Attendance in Auburn: 88,043

 

Rebound – Alabama 31, Teas A&M 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 30, Texas A&M 15). This was a tight game in the first half. Alabama led 10-7 in the first quarter. A&M led 14-10 early in the second quarter. The score was 17-17 at halftime. At the end if the third quarter, the Aggies led 20-17. It was still a close game early in the fourth quarter. Alabama led 24-20. Alabama scored two unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed threw two interceptions. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell passed for 311 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Alabama receiver Rico Scott had 6 receptions for 156 yards. Alabama only had 68 yards rushing. A&M had three turnovers. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 100,077

 

The Gophers were golden – Minnesota 13, Iowa 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 17, Minnesota 13). This was a three field goal and two touchdown game. The score was 3-3 at halftime. Trailing Minnesota, 10-3, Iowa scored a touchdown with 3:45 remaining in the game to tie the score at 10-10. Minnesota won on a walk-off 46-yard field goal. Iowa quarterback Hank Brown threw 2 interceptions. Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey wasn’t much better, throwing one interception. Combined, the teams only had 497 total yards. Both teams had less than 100 yards rushing. Iowa was killed by four turnovers. Attendance in Minneapolis: 53,004

 

On – Wisconsin 24, USC 7 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 27, Wisconsin 22). USC’s only lead in the game was 7-3 through most of the first half. Wisconsin led at halftime 10-7. The Badgers scored two more touchdowns in the second half. USC was scoreless. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava threw two interceptions. Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph only passed for 58 yards. The teams only combined for 441 total yards. USC had -17 yards rushing. The Trojans had 2 turnovers. I would say that USC coach Lincoln Riley is in trouble – serious trouble. Wisconsin had none. Attendance in Madison: 71,750

 

The Apps downloaded on the Dukes – Appalachian State 34, James Madison 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: James Madison 31, Appalachian State 24). Trailing Appalachian State 31-24, James Madison scored a touchdown with 0:03 left on the clock to even the score at 31-31 and put the game into overtime. In the OT, App State kicked a 40-yard field goal and JMU failed to score. App State quarterback Malachi Singleton was 26-40-0, passing for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns. Neither team had a running game. Both teams passed well, as 616 of their combined passing yards made up for their combined 789 total yards. JMU suffered its first loss. Attendance in Boone: 33,322

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Where did that defense come from? – West Virginia 24, TCU 20 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, West Virginia 24). Surprise in Fort Worth. WVU actually played defense. The game was close throughout. There were five lead changes. Trailing TCU 20-17, WVU scored its winning touchdown at the 11:28 mark in the fourth quarter. Mounties quarterback Michael Hawkins passed for one touchdown and rushed 87 yards for two touchdowns. WVU running back Cam Cook added 90 yards rushing. TCU quarterback Jordan Craig passed for 372 yards, one touchdown and one interception. TCU receiver Karl Ashley had 6 receptions for 118 yards. TCU had three turnovers. WVU had one turnover. TCU was the better passing team. WVU was the better running team. Attendance in Fort Worth: 36,216

 

Back in the saddle again – Duke 19, Virginia 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Virginia 27). Except for two ties, Virginia led throughout most of the game. Duke had a 7-0 lead for 7 minutes in the first quarter. The game was tied 7-7 in the first quarter and 13-13 in the fourth quarter. With 3:00 left in the game, Virginia kicked a 30-yard field goal to take a 16-13 lead. The Dookies came back and scored a touchdown with 1:14 on the clock to take a 19-16 lead. Duke held on to win. Duke scored its winning touchdown on a trick play, as running back Nate Sheppard threw the 28-yard touchdown pass. Neither quarterback had a good game. Duke was the better passing team. Virginia was the better running team. Virginia’s defense limited Duke to 71 yards rushing. Duke ended a two-game losing streak. Attendance in Charlottesville: 45,138

 

Week 8 Results:  7 winners, 5 fumbles (58.3 percent)

For the Season:   78 winners, 38 fumbles (61.9 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

Middle Tennessee State 26, FIU 23 – Attendance in Miami: 8,230

Florida Atlantic 51, Rice 49 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 14,212

 

Bethune-Cookman 24, Jackson State 21 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 4,732

Morehead State 38, Stetson 31 – Attendance in Morehead: 7,317

Eastern Kentucky 16, West Floria 13 – Attendance in Richmond: 6,281

 

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 31, Florida A&M 28 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 20,549

UCF 39, BYU 31 (2OT) – Attendance in Orlando: 45,112

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

Toledo’s John Alan Richter – 29-41-1 for 391 yards (3TDs); Miami’s Darian Mensah – 33-47-0-387 (4TDs); LSU’s Sam Leavitt – 32-45-0-387 (3TDs); Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker – 21-36-0-386 (4TDs); Florida Atlantic’s – Caden Veltkamp – 29-37-1-339 (3TDs); Colorado State’s Hauss Hejny – 24-31-1-333 (3TDs); Hawaii’s Micah Alejado – 22-32-1-323 (3TDs); Memphis’ Marcus Stokes – 29-43-0-320 (3TDs), and Alabama’s Keelon Russell – 19-30-1-311 (3TDs).

 

Also,  Arkansas State’s Trey Owens – 21-32-0 for 309 yards (2TDs); Arizona’s Noah Fifita – 27-34-0-308 (2TDs); North Texas’ Tayven Jackson – 17-23-1-305 (3TDs); Stanford’s Davis Warren – 22-37-0-303 (4TDs); Louisiana Tech’s Blake Baker – 28-34-0-303 (1TD); Kent State’s Dru DeShields – 18-33-0-294 (4TDs); UCFs Keyone Jenkins – 25-41-0-293 (3 TDs); Oklahoma’s John Mateer – 22-29-0-283 (2TDs), and Appalachian State’s Malachi Singleton – 26-40-0-271 (2TDs).

 

Also, North Carolina’s Billy Edwards – 27-44-0 for 271 yards (2TDs); Ohio’s Nick Poulos – 19-29-0-266 (1TD); California’s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele – 27-37-0-265 (1TD); Syracuse’s Steve Angelli – 20-34-0-256 (2TDs); Delaware’s Nick Minicucci – 20-29-1-225 (5TDs); SMU’s Kevin Jennings – 16-23-0-223 (3TDs); Northwestern’s Aidan Chiles – 19-25-1-219 (3TDs); Kentucky’s Kenny Machiney – 19-26-0-203 (1TD); UCLA’s Ty Dieffenbach – 18-31-0-198 (1TD); Nevada’s Luke Duncan – 18-29-0-178 (2TDs), and UConn’s Kalieb Osborne – 14-19-0-173 (2TDs).

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Rice’s Gael Ochoa – 259 yards (4TDs); Buffalo’s Messiah Burch – 184 yards (3TDs); Toledo’s C.J. Miller – 183 yards (1TD); New Mexico State’s James Jones – 178 yards (1TD); North Texas’ Jahiem White – 174 yards (2TDs); Cincinnati’s Cole Tabb – 173 yards (1TD); Boston College’s Mason McKenzie – 170 yards (2TDs); Akron’s Jordan Gant – 162 yards (2TDs), and Arizona State’s Cardae Mack – 159 yards (4TDs).

 

Also, Middle Tennessee’s Terrance Brown – 158 yards (1TD); Texas’ Raleek Brown – 157 yards; Kansas’ Dylan Edwards – 156 yards; Southern Miss’s – Jamarice Wilder – 154 yards (1TD); Stanford’s Micah Ford – 150 yards; Northwestern’s Caleb Komolafe – 150 yards (1TD); Utah’s Devon Dampier – 150 yards (2TDs); Rutgers’ Antwan Raymond – 150 yards (1TD), and Wyoming’s – Tyler Hughes – 146 yards (1TD);

 

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“Oregon is college football’s biggest fraud,” USA Today sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting cooler, the leaves were falling, the frost was on the pumpkins and Halloween was just around the corner, the number one song in the country…

 

…85 years ago, this week in 1941, was “Piano Concerto In b Flat” by Freddy Martin and His Orchestra

 

…80 years ago, this week in 1946, was “Rumors Are Flying” by Frankie Carle and His Orchestra

 

…75 years ago, this week in 1951, was “Because Of You” by Tony Bennett

 

…70 years ago, this week in 1956, was “Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley

 

…65 years ago, this week in 1961, was “Runaround Sue” by Dion

 

…60 years ago, this week in 1966, was “96 Tears” by ? and The Mysterians

 

…55 years ago, this week in 1971, was “Maggie May/Reason To Believe” by Rod Stewart

 

…50 years ago, this week in 1976, was “If You Leave Me Now” by Chicago

 

…45 years ago, this week in 1981, was “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross

 

…40 years ago, this week in 1986, was “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper

 

…35 years ago, this week in 1991, was “Emotions” by Mariah Carey and Romantic” by Karyn White

 

CFW Week 8 Forecast - Maryland fires head coach Mike Locksley

 CFW Week 8 Forecast – Maryland fires head coach Mike Locksley

Will this week be anything like last week?

 

Ole Miss at Texas, Indiana at Michigan and LSU at Auburn, Houston at Utah

 

Greetings from Albuquerque, New Mexico, college football fans. Swamp Mama and I are here for the annual gathering of a group of former Navy guys who served and worked together at the Naval Security Group Activity in Edzell, Scotland, in the early 1970s. We have a group of 24 (husband and wives) this year.

 

Yesterday morning, our luxury passenger coach picked us up at the hotel for an hour ride up to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Once in Santa Fe, we covered a lot of territory, including the New Mexico State Capitol building, the Loretto Chapel and the La Fond Art tour. We had free time and time for lunch.

 

Back in Albuquerque, we had a group dinner last night at Papa Felipe’s.

 

This morning, our luxury passenger coach will pick us up again and transport us to Boca Negra Canyon,  the Sky City Cultural Center and the Acoma Pueblo Mesa. Later in the day today, we’ll be taken to the base of the Sandia Mountains for the Tramway ride to the top.

 

Friday, we will visit the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. In the evening, we’ll have a group dinner at Trombino’s Bistro.

 

It’s hard to believe that it is Week 8 already. We are on the downside of the season. The first half of the season had plenty of surprises. One can only imagine what the second half has in store.

 

We could be facing another wild weekend. Of the Top 10 games this week, three are SEC contests and three are Big Ten games. But it is the Big 12 that has the Game of the Week – Houston at Utah. And it’s one of those late Saturday night starts too. The matchup pits a one-loss Houston team against an undefeated Utah team. Houston is for real. No doubt about that. Coach Willie Fritz has done a superb job coaching the Cougars.

 

One other Big 12 game makes the Top 10 – Texas Tech at Cincinnati. Texas Tech is in a race with BYU and Utah for Big 12 supremacy. Cincinnati would like to play the role of the spoiler.

 

The Runner-Up game this week is the best of the three SEC contests – Ole Miss at Texas. This one should be a dandy. Will the Eyes of Texas be shedding tears of happiness or tears of sadness?

 

Another big SEC game will be LSU at Auburn. The pressure is on LSU. Auburn has nothing to lose. The War Eagle Tigers already have their prize catch this season – knocking off No. 1 Georgia. The third big SEC game is Texas A&M at Alabama. Can the Tide bounce back from the loss to Tennessee?

 

The Big Ten has three top games and the best of the bunch is Indiana at Michigan. The Hoosiers will be out to redeem themselves from the loss to Ohio State. Michigan at Ann Arbor won’t be easy for Indiana.

 

Next up for the Big Ten is Iowa at Minnesota. This will be another one of those slobber-knocker games – a lot of slobbering with a lot of knocking. The third best Big Ten contest gives us USC at Wisconsin. Both of these coaches – Lincoln Riley and Luke Fickell – are fighting to hold onto their jobs. The loser here could be in trouble.

 

The ACC has an interesting game – Pitt at Miami. The Canes didn’t look good last week in their two overtime win over Florida State. Pitt didn’t look good either in its loss to North Carolina – the second-straight loss for the Panthers. Both teams will be looking to break out of their slump. Don’t look for the Panthers to do any breaking. But you never know.

 

The last of the Top 10 games is what should be a good affair in the Sun Belt Conference – undefeated James Madison at Appalachian State. Former Florida coach Billy Napier has JMU in position to become the top Group of Six team. But some think App State could knock off the Dukes.

 

That’s your batch of Top 10 games for the week. How many upsets are waiting to occur?

 

There are six other games you should keep a close eye on this week. All have various implications. They are Virginia Tech (5-2) at Clemson (4-2), Western Michigan (5-2) at Toledo (5-2), North Dakota State (6-1) at #31 New Mexico (5-1), #11 Tennessee (6-1) at South Carolina (3-3), Oklahoma (3-3) at #30 Mississippi State (4-3) and Iowa State (3-3) at #25 Arizona (5-1).

 

Maryland fired head coach Mike Locksley yesterday. In his eighth-year with the Terrapins, Locksley had a 39-54 record. He will receive a buyout of $9.75 million. Locksley is the first head coach to be fired this season. Maryland named assistant coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim as the interim head coach.

 

The Top 12 teams in this week’s Top 25 FCS Coaches Poll are 1. Tarleton State (7-0), 2. Stephen F. Austin (7-0), 3. Montana State (6-1), 4. Youngstown State (6-2), 5. South Dakota State (5-2), 6. South Dakota (6-2), 7. Northern Arizona (6-2), 8. North Dakota (6-2), 9. Austin Peay (6-2), 10. Illinois State (5-2), 11. Tennessee Tech (6-1), and 12. Lehigh (6-1).

This week's Saturday morning pregame shows: ESPN's College GameDay is in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Houston-Utah game. FOX's Big Noon Kickoff is in Ann Arbor, Michigan for the Indiana-Michigan game. SECN's SEC Nation is in Auburn, Alabama for the LSU-Auburn game.

 

Swamp Mama and I will be flying back to Florida on Saturday. So my viewing of games will be limited. I should have stayed an extra night in Albuquerque to catch the North Dakota State-New Mexico game. Oh well. Enjoy your weekend.

 

Touchdown Tom

October 22, 2026

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

Week Eight’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games….and then some

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. #14 Houston (6-1) at #10 Utah (6-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Houston’s one loss was by two points to undefeated Texas Tech. The Cougars failed on a two-point conversion attempt in the final 0:49 of the game. Houston lost 28-26. The Cougars were on the road in that game. They will be on the road this week against another undefeated team – Utah. The Utes are tough at home. Both teams have the offense to score. The outcome is likely to come down to which team plays the better defense. That’s likely to be the Utes – Utah 30, Houston 27.

 

RUNNER-UP: 2. #7 Ole Miss (5-1) at #19 Texas (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Texas has had it rough in its last two games. The Longhorns will either continue their skid or bounce back this week. If the skid continues, the season is all but over for Texas. The pressure is on Arch Manning. He is in dire need of a good game – one without any turnovers. The pressure is on Texas coach Steve Sarkisian too. He is in dire need of a victory. Ole Miss is certainly capable of beating Texas. The Magnolias are strong on offense. If Ole Miss has a weakness, and they do, it’s on defense. That’s where Texas can take advantage of them. The Magnolias wilt – Texas 27, Ole Miss 24.

 

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Pitt (5-2) at #1 Miami (6-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Miami almost blew it last week. The Canes looked terrible against Florida State, especially the Miami defense. As a result, the Canes could easily pour it on Pitt. It may not be pretty. Pitt has not played well since losing its starting quarterback Mason Heintschel. The Pitt offense has suffered. The Panthers defense has been up-and-down. They’ll be down this week – Miami 34, Pitt 20.

 

4. #6 Indiana (6-1) at Michigan (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – A foot that was inches out-of-bounds likely cost Indiana the game last week. The Hoosiers suffered their first loss to Ohio State. Indiana’s defense should be able to contain Michigan. It’s the Indiana offense that needs to step up. The Wolverines are still trying to find themselves – Indiana 24, Michigan 16.

 

5. #8 Texas Tech (6-0) at Cincinnati (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Texas Tech should remain undefeated, but you never know. Strange things have been happening this year. Tech can be overwhelming on offense and defense. Cincinnati is underwhelming on defense. Tech needs to stay focused. As the season comes down to the final games, the Red Raiders have the upper hand. They don’t play BYU or Utah. But they can’t let Cincinnati ruin things for them. Bearcats are looking bare – Texas Tech 31, Cincinnati 18.

 

6. #18 LSU (5-2) at #28 Auburn (4-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC –  After some of those games last week in the SEC, I’m thinking anything could happen this week. But I’m thinking Auburn will be hungover from its win over Georgia. How could the Tigers not be? Alex Golesh is how. The Auburn coach has the mindset to keep his Tigers focused. If he does and Auburn is focused, it could spell trouble for LSU. But even if Auburn is focused and fired up, LSU is a pretty big obstacle. LSU knows it can’t afford a loss. War Eagle gets its wings clipped – LSU 27, Auburn 23.

 

7. Texas A&M (4-3) at #13 Alabama (5-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Like Texas and LSU, Alabama can’t afford another loss. Kellen DeBoer can’t afford another loss either. Fortunately, for Bama and DeBoer, they are facing Texas A&M. The Aggies are in a slump – big time. A&M appears to be lost. The slump continues – Alabama 30, Texas A&M 15.

 

8. #15 Iowa (5-1) at Minnesota (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Don’t look for a lot of scoring in this game. It should be a defensive battle. The game could be won or lost on mistakes. The Hawkeyes make fewer mistakes – Iowa 17, Minnesota 13.

 

9. #16 USC (6-1) at Wisconsin (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Wisconsin is a dangerous team. Even more so at home. The Badgers are also an erratic team – on offense and defense. But if the Badgers are on, it could spell trouble for Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. USC struggles at times to keep its head above the water. The Trojans struggle, but win – USC 27, Wisconsin 22.

 

10. #29 James Madison (7-0) at Appalachian State (4-2) – (Sun Belt at Sun Belt) – 7 pm ET, Thursday ESPNU – It’s rare for a Sun Belt game to make the Top 10, but this one has the makings for a Top-10 game. If James Madison remains undefeated, it’s possible the Dukes could make the CFP for the second-straight year. Appalachian State will be tough on its home turf. But not tuff enough to beat the Dukes – James Madison 31, Appalachian State 24.

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

West Virginia (4-3) at TCU (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – West Virginia’s offense has moved at will throughout the season. However, TCU will be the toughest defense the Mounties have played to date. So, this is a challenge for WVU. TCU doesn’t have the strongest offense. That is a good thing for the Mountaineers. Maybe WVU can keep the game close. But the Horned Frogs keep it out of reach – TCU 27, West Virginia 24

 

Duke (4-2) at Virginia (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Duke was rolling along until its last two games. The Dookies lost those last two games by a combined 7 points – 4 points to North Carolina and 3 points to Georgia Tech. And they lost both of those games in the closing minutes. The Dookies couldn’t hold onto the lead. They could end up in a similar situation this week. But the Dookies right the ship – Duke 31, Virginia 27.

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

Middle Tennessee (3-3) at FIU (3-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Tuesday, CBSSN….

Rice (1-6) at Florida Atlantic (4-2) – (AC vs. AC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU….

 

#22 (FCS) Jackson State (6-1) at Bethune-Cookman (4-3) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….

Stetson (1-6) at Morehead State (1-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 2 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

#23 (FCS) West Florida (4-2) at Eastern Kentucky (2-5) – (UAC vs. UAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

 

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-3) at Florida A&M (2-5) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….

#2 BYU (6-0) at UCF (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX….

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“What we’re trying to do is give Julian and his family the space and privacy to go through this process. Based on the nature of the injury, we are putting together a plan for him not being available for the rest of the season and also him not being available for the postseason,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day, on his injured quarterback Julian Sayin. Sayin suffered an injury to his right shoulder and throwing arm in last week’s win over Indiana.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

CFW Week 7 Results - CFP expanding to 24 teams

 CFW Week 7 Results – CFP expanding to 24 teams

Florida 27, Texas 24; Tennessee 26, Alabama 10; Auburn 27, Georgia 24

 

Throw in BYU 28, Notre Dame 24. Saturday had some kind of strange going on, some kind of weird going on. There had to be something in the air. After all, Florida State took Miami to two overtimes – Miami 43, Florida State 35 (2OT). How weird was that?

 

When Saturday was over, five of the Top 7 teams had lost and a sixth (Miami) was taken to two overtimes. In all, eight Top 20 teams lost. The madness began at 11 a.m. in Austin, Texas, and by midnight, it had spread around the country.

 

Last year, when Texas came to Gainesville to play Florida, the Gators had lost three-straight games to South Florida, LSU and Miami. Florida was 1-3 and Texas was 3-1. Florida shocked Texas 29-21. Saturday, when Florida went to Austin to play Texas, the Gators were coming off two-straight losses – 45-17 to Missouri and 38-19 to South Carolina. Seventh-ranked Texas was a 14-point favorite to beat unranked Florida. Florida shocked Texas, 27-24.

 

Later Saturday, 14^th-ranked Tennessee hosted 6^th-ranked Alabama. Alabama was an eight-point favorite. The previous week, Alabama lost to Georgia, 20-17. Tennessee struggled to beat Arkansas, 24-17. The Vols scored their winning touchdown with 1:57 left in the game. Saturday, in Knoxville, Tennessee shocked Alabama, 26-10.

 

While Tennessee was beating Alabama, another upset was in the works in Athens, Georgia. A 3-2 and unranked Auburn was taking on undefeated and No. 1-ranked Georgia. The Dawgs were 20-point favorites to beat the Tigers. Georgia had won nine-straight games over Auburn and 18 of the last 21 meetings. Saturday, Auburn shocked Georgia, 27-24.

 

Even later Saturday, 2^nd-ranked Notre Dame visited 8^th-ranked BYU in Provo, Utah. The Irish were 11-point favorites to beat the Cougars. Both teams were undefeated. Notre Dame is no longer undefeated. Saturday, BYU shocked Notre Dame, 28-24.

 

The same evening, No. 3 Miami hosted unranked Florida State. Miami was undefeated, while Florida State was 3-3. The Seminoles were coming off a 44-20 loss to Louisville. Miami was a 21-point favorite to beat FSU. In the first half, Miami couldn’t shake the Noles. The Hurricanes had two leads at 7-0 and 14-7. Each time Miami took a lead, FSU came back to tie the Canes at 7-7 and 14-14.

 

Early in the third quarter, FSU took its first lead at 21-14. Then Miami scored back-to-back touchdowns to take a 28-21 lead with 2:49 remaining in the game. Ten seconds later, the Noles scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass. The game was tied 28-28 and that’s how it ended in regulation.

 

In the first overtime, both teams scored. The game was tied at 35-35. In the second overtime, Miami scored and was successful on its two-point conversion. FSU got the ball but failed to score. Miami escaped Florida State, 43-35. Miami came that close to being the sixth of the Top-7 teams to lose.

 

Saturday wasn’t a good day for most of the top-ranked teams. There wasn’t a full moon. The stars weren’t in any kind of unusual alignment. Halloween is two weeks away. But there was definitely something in the air. There was something going on.

 

The other Top 7 team to lose was 5^th-ranked Indiana, who lost to 4^th-ranked Ohio State, 19-15. But even that game went down to the wire. Indiana almost pulled it out near the end. The other three ranked teams to lose were Missouri, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State. No. 13 Missouri lost to 9^th-ranked Ole Miss, 31-3. No. 16 Mississippi State lost to 22^nd-ranked LSU, 31-0, and No. 18 Oklahoma State lost to 18^th-ranked Houston, 35-32.

 

Week 7 provided another early start for college football with two games on Tuesday evening. In the first affair, Middle Tennessee downed Delaware, 33-30. MTSU quarterback Roman Gagliano passed for 291 yards and three touchdowns. In the second game, Jacksonville State beat FIU, 27-24. FIU quarterback J.J. Kohl passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns. FIU receiver Maguire Anderson had 8 receptions for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jax State quarterback Caden Creel passed for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Creel rushed for 95 yards.

 

Wednesday night had two more C-USA games. Missouri State beat Kennesaw State, 24-21. Missouri State quarterback Henry Belin passed for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mo State receiver Isaiah Meyers had 7 catches for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kennesaw State receiver Dylan Gary had 10 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown. In the second game, Western Kentucky downed Sam Houston, 16-3. This game was hard to watch. It was the epitome of boring football. Both offenses were totally flat. Together, the teams combined for only 453 total yards.

 

Three games were on the docket Thursday night. The first of the three games ended in a rare overtime situation. UAB beat East Carolina, 30-17 (OT). The overtime itself wasn’t rare. But winning an overtime by two touchdowns was. UAB scored first in the overtime and went up 24-17. Then, on East Carolina’s attempt to score, UAB intercepted an errant pass and returned it for a touchdown.

 

In the second contest, Georgia Southern downed Old Dominion, 23-15. Georgia Southern had 405 total yards and held Old Dominion to 65 yards rushing. The finale Thursday night saw Texas State clobber Colorado State, 66-27. Texas State quarterback Brad Jackson passed for 213 yards and one touchdown. Jackson also 181 yards and three more touchdowns. Texas State running back Torrance Burgess ran for 224 yards and four touch downs. Texas State racked up 716 total yards – 503 of those yards were from rushing. The teams combined for 1,153 total yards.

 

College football’s version of Friday night lights had three games. Tulane stunned Memphis, 31-7. There were eight turnovers in the game. Memphis had six of them. In Conway, South Carolina, Appalachian State beat Coastal Carolina, 35-32. Trailing Coastal 24-14 midway through the third quarter, App State scored 21 unanswered points. The teams combined for 953 total yards. App State had 516 of those yards.

 

Lastly Friday night, Washington topped Purdue, 38-26. There were seven turnovers in the game – five by Washington. Washington had 488 total yards and limited Purdue to 98 yards rushing.

 

The four Cinderellas – the “Darlings” of their respective conferences, all won Saturday. In the ACC, Wake Forest, 6-1 (4-1 in ACC play), beat California, 41-7. In the SEC, Kentucky, 6-1 (4-1 in SEC play), beat Oklahoma, 21-13. In the Big Ten, UCLA, 6-0 (4-0 in Big Ten play), beat Wisconsin, 17-7, and Northwestern, 5-1 (2-1 in Big Ten play), downed Michigan State, 24-21. There was some irony in the Northwestern-Michigan State game. In beating the Spartans, the Wildcats beat their former coach Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, in his first-year at Michigan State, was fired by Northwestern just prior to the 2023 season.

 

Two of the three service academies won. Army downed Florida Atlantic, 56-24. Cadet quarterback Cale Hellums rushed for 195 yards and five touchdowns. Air Force beat UNLV, 41-31. Air Force  quarterback Evan Medders rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Navy lost to UTSA, 38-34. UTSA quarterback Owen McCown passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

 

While you were asleep Saturday night, Utah beat Colorado 27-24 and Oregon edged Nebraska, 17-14. In the stats, Utah and Colorado fought on even terms. Both teams even had two turnovers and all four of the turnovers were interceptions. In Eugene, former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola threw a 4-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left to give Oregon the win.

 

I hope you survived the weekend.

 

There will be no more SEC championship game or Big Ten championship game after this season. The College Football Playoff is expanding to 24 teams next season. In order to fit the increased number of playoff games into the calendar, the conference championship games will be eliminated. Under the new playoff scheme, teams ranked 1 through 8 in the final CFP rankings will receive a first-round bye. Teams ranked 9 through 16 will host the first-round games. First and second-round games will be played on the home field of the higher-ranked team. The New Year’s Six bowls (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange, Peach, Rose and Sugar) will continue to host the quarterfinal and semifinal games. ESPN will carry all the playoff games.

 

Personally, I’m against the 24-team playoff. I was okay with it expanding to 16 teams. But not 24 teams. I think the 24-team playoff will destroy college football. People aren’t going to be interested in teams ranked 17^th through 24^th playing in a playoff. Too many boring games. The 24-team playoff also detracts from the importance of games during the season. If you lose, it doesn’t matter. You are still going to make the playoff. Of course it is all being driven by ESPN and being done for the money.

 

Maryland coach Mike Locksley fired his defensive coordinator Ted Monachino on Sunday. Saturday, Maryland (2-5) lost to Rutgers, 37-30.

 

The Top 12 teams in this week’s Top 25 AP Poll are 1. Miami (6-0), 2. BYU (6-0), 3. Ohio State (6-1), 4. Notre Dame (6-1), 5. Georgia (6-1), 6. Indiana (6-1), 7. Ole Miss (5-1), 8. Texas Tech (6-0), 9. UCLA (6-0), 10. Utah (6-0), 11. Tennessee (6-1), and 12. Kentucky (6-1).

 

We’re halfway through the 2026 college football season – seven weeks down and six weeks to go. After Week One, I went out on a limb and made some predictions. First, I said that LSU would play Miami in the CFP National Championship game. After seven weeks, I figure Miami is still a good choice. LSU, with two losses, is a bit iffy. But, for the time being, I will stick with them. Second, I said that both Miami quarterback Darian Mensah and Miami receiver Malachi Toney would both be finalists at the Heisman Trophy presentation in New York City. Mensah is still looking good to be a Heisman finalist. Like LSU, Toney is a bit iffy. He needs to step up and put together some good games.

 

Former NBA player Cliff Hagan died on October 15. A small forward, Hagan excelled with the hook shot. Nicknamed “Li’l Abner,” Hagan played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks (1956-1966). He was also a player-coach for the Dallas Chaparrals in the first two years of the ABA (1967-1969). In college, Hagan won the NCAA basketball championship in 1951 as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats and an NBA championship with the Hawks in 1958. He played for Kentucky from 1950 to 1954. After college and before he started his NBA career, Hagan served in the U.S. Air Force for two years. A native of Owensboro, Kentucky, Clifford Oldham Hagan was 94.

 

Swamp Mama and I fly out to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Tuesday. It’s that time of the year when I get together with some of my U.S. Navy buddies from our days in Edzell, Scotland. We’ll be there for the rest of the week, taking in some of the sights, sounds and food of Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

 

Touchdown Tom

October 19, 2026

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Oh so close – Ohio State 19, Indiana 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 28, Indiana 24). This game could have gone either way. Indiana receiver Nick Marsh caught what probably would have been the game winning pass in the endzone with 1:02 to go, but his left foot came down just out of bounds. Indiana’s only lead in the game was at 7-3 in the second quarter. Ohio State retook the lead 10-7 just before halftime. The Buckeyes extended their lead to 19-7 early in the fourth quarter. Two minutes later, Indiana closed the gap to 19-15 at the 10:30 mark in the fourth quarter. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin left the game early in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. He will be sidelined for several weeks. Sayin passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover passed for 296 yards and one touchdown. Indiana receiver Charlie Becker had 9 catches for 165 yards. Neither team had a ground game. Ohio State rushed for 78 yards and Indiana rushed for 73 yards. Both teams had two turnovers. Indiana’s 22-game win streak came to an end. It was also Indiana’s first loss at home since Curt Cignetti has been at Indiana. Attendance in Bloomington: 54,532

 

RUNNER-UP: Wild one in Provo – BYU 28, Notre Dame 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, BYU 28). Trailing Notre Dame 24-21 in the fourth quarter, BYU scored a touchdown on a Bear Bachmeier pass with 1:47 remaining on the clock. Notre Dame took over and moved down the field on C.J. Carr’s precise passing. The Irish got inside BYU’s 10-yard line, but time expired on one final pass attempt into the end zone. The game ended. However, the officials later learned there was actually one second left on the clock. Notre Dame could and should have had one more attempt to score. The lead in the game changed four times. BYU led in the first quarter at 7-0 and 7-3. Notre Dame took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. BYU took at 14-10 lead and extended it to 21-10 just before the second quarter ended. In the third quarter, the Irish cut the Cougars lead to 21-16. Then at the 9:41 mark in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame went up 24-21. C.J. Carr passed for 261 yards. Bear Bachmeier passed for 224 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception. Irish receiver Jaden Greathouse had 8 receptions for 125 yards. The teams were very closely matched in the stats. Attendance in Provo: 65,179

 

REST OF THE BEST: It got rocky for the Tide – Tennessee 26, Alabama 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Tennessee 23). Tennessee took a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game. Alabama kept it close in the first half, trailing 9-7 in the second quarter and 12-10 at halftime. Tennessee extended its lead in the second half to 19-10 in the third quarter. Late in the fourth quarter, the Vols made it 26-10. Tennessee’s defense all but shut down Alabama. Tide quarterback Keelon Russell passed for 147 yards and threw two interceptions. Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop rushed for 159 yards  and two touchdowns. The Vols defense held Alabama to 54 yards rushing and 201 total yards. The Tide had four turnovers. Attendance in Knoxville: 101,915

 

The Tigers were clawless – Ole Miss 31, Missouri 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 30, Missouri 27). Missouri hasn’t looked this bad all season. Ole Miss hasn’t looked this good. The Magnolias led 21-3 at halftime and added another 10 points in the second half. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Kewan Lacy rushed for 122 yards. Along the way Ole Miss racked up 498 total yards – well balanced between passing and rushing. The Ole Miss defense held Mizzou to 39 yards rushing. Attendance in Oxford: 67,510

 

The Cougars get it done – Houston 35, Oklahoma State 32 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 33, Oklahoma State 31). Near the end of the first quarter, Houston went up 7-3 and never trailed for the remainder of the game. But Oklahoma State kept things close. The Cowboys trailed by just 4 points (14-10) early in the third quarter and late in the third quarter (21-17). Early in the fourth quarter, Okie State just trailed by 3 points (28-25). Okie State quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns. He threw one interception. Okie State running back Caleb Hawkins had 7 catches for 125 yards. And one touchdown. Houston quarterback Conner Weighman passed for 343 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also threw an  interception. Houston receiver Amare Thomas had 7 receptions for 126 yards. Just as the score was close, the teams were close in the stats. They combined for 1,004 total yards. Attendance in Houston: 42,544

 

The Bruins keep winning – UCLA 17, Wisconsin 7 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 24, Wisconsin 20). UCLA scored early and late. Midway through the second quarter, the Bruins led 10-0. Then they did not score again until the fourth quarter. Wisconsin contributed its 7 points in the third quarter. UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach passed for 264 yards. He tossed one interception. The Bruins held Wisconsin to 66 yards passing. The score  may have been worse had UCLA not had two turnovers. Attendance in Pasadena: 36,045

 

Without Kamario Taylor, the Bulldogs don’t score – LSU 31, Mississippi State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Mississippi State 21). LSU got back in its groove this week. The Tigers scored all 31 of their points in the first three quarters. They went into cruise control in the fourth quarter. LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt passed for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Tigers just had 90 yards rushing. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,321

 

Déjà vu – Florida 27, Texas 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Florida 17). This game looked like it was going to get away from Florida. Early in the second quarter, Texas led 17-3. But the Longhorns wouldn’t score again until the 4:21 mark in the fourth quarter. From midway through the second quarter to midway through the fourth quarter, Florida scored 24 unanswered points. Last week against Oklahoma, Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw an interception which set up OU’s winning field goal. This week against the Gators, Manning fumbled which iced the game for Florida. With Aaron Philo injured, Florida was quarterbacked by Tramell Jones. Jones passed for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns. Gators running back Jadan Baugh rushed for 91 yards and one touchdown. Manning passed for 187 yards and one touchdown. Florida held Texas to 99 rushing yards. I never understood Texas hiring Steve Sarkisian in the first place. He was a good coach at Washington, but far from a great coach. He was a good coach at USC, but far from a great coach. He’ll be facing the heat this week. Attendance in Austin: 103,989

 

And the wildcats win again – Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 21, Kentucky 20). Will Stein and Kentucky are amazing. Kentucky scored first. The Oklahoma went up 10-7 in the second quarter. OU extended its lead to 13-7 in the third quarter. Kentucky rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring back-to-back touchdowns. Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey passed for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns. OU quarterback John Mateer is back to being worthless again. He threw three interceptions. Neither team could run the ball. Kentucky had 72 yards rushing and OU had 76. The Sooners had four turnovers. Attendance in Norman: 83,218

 

Raiola rallies the Ducks in the fourth – Oregon 17, Nebraska 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Nebraska 24). Nebraska never trailed in the game until Oregon scored its winning touchdown with 0:28 left in the fourth quarter. That put the Ducks up 17-14. Former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola entered the game in the fourth quarter to rally the Ducks. The first half was a defensive battle with the Huskers leading 7-0 at the break. Oregon added a couple of field goals in the third quarter. Before the third quarter ended, Nebraska added a touchdown and led 14-6. Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea passed for 164 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception. Colandrea rushed for 38 yards and another touchdown. Both teams had 242 total yards. Nebraska only had 78 yards rushing. Attendance in Eugene: 58,391

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Washington 38, Purdue 26 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Washington 30). Purdue was lucky that Washington had five turnovers. Otherwise, the score would have been worse. Purdue’s defense couldn’t stop Washington. The Huskies scored at will, except when they had the five turnovers – 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles. Washington never trailed in the game, although the score was tied 10-10 and 17-17 in the second quarter. Washington quarterback Elijah Brown was 21-27-3, passing for 302 yards and 3 touchdowns. Huskies receiver Chris Lawson had 6 receptions for 103 yards. Purdue receiver Asaad Waseem had 9 catches for 116 yards. Washington ended a three-game losing skid. Attendance in West Lafayette: 50,941

 

If you love offense – West Virginia 45, Cincinnati 42 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Cincinnati 31). Would you believe these two teams combined for 1,220 total yards? Believe it. It was one of those all offense no defense games. The game was tied six times from 7-7 to 42-42. Cincinnati scored then West Virginia scored and so it went. Finally, near the end WVU’s defense actually held the Bearcats. That enabled the Mountaineers to kick a 35-yard field goal as time expired. Cincy quarterback J.C. French passed for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns. Bearcats running back Cole Tabb rushed for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns. WVU quarterback Michael Hawkins passed for 464 yards and 3 touchdowns. Hawkins also rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns. WVU receiver D.J. Epps had 8 catches for 163 yards. The teams combined for 55 first downs. With all the offense, there were no turnovers in the game. Attendance in Morgantown: 48,106

 

Uga was shocked – Auburn 27, Georgia 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 35, Auburn 24). Of all the upsets on Saturday, this had to be the most surprising. Georgis led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. Auburn led 17-14 at the half. Auburn increased its lead to 24-14 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Georgia scored 10 unanswered points to tie things up, 24-24. Auburn kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired to pull off the upset. Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown passed for 150 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 115 yards and another touchdown. Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton passed for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. Georgia had 3 turnovers. Georgia was the better passing team. Auburn was the better running team. After the game, Auburn coach Alex Golesh was so happy and emotional, he could hardly hold back the tears when he was being interviewed by the ESPN reporter. Attendance in Athens:  93,033

 

Dookies collapse again – North Carolina 24, Duke 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 21, North Carolina 20). Like recent Duke teams, the Dookies start the season off great and then seem to fall apart. After a 4-0 start, Duke lost its second-straight game. North Carolina began strong and led 17-0 early in the second quarter. Duke then scored 20 unanswered points and led 20-17 early in the fourth quarter. But like the Georgia Tech game last week, Duke couldn’t hold onto its lead near the end of the game. North Carolina scored a touchdown with 1:53 remaining and held on to win. Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards assed for 191 yards and one touchdown. Duke quarterback Walker Eget passed for 249 yards and one touchdown. Eget also threw an interception. The teams were pretty evenly matched in the stats. Attendance in Durham: 35,018

 

Week 7 Results:   7 winners, 7 fumbles (50 percent)

For the Season:   71 winners, 33 fumbles (68.3 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUBND FLORIDA:

 

Jacksonville State 27, FIU 24 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 17,224

Army 56, Florida Atlantic 24 – Attendance in West Point: 28,537

 

Presbyterian 47, Stetson 43 – Attendance in Deland: 2,253

Bethune-Cookman 34, Mississippi Valley State 14 – Attendance in Itta Bena: 5,732

 

Jackson State 27, Florida A&M 17 – Attendance in Jackson: 44,173

West Florida 37, West Alabama 3 – Attendance in Pensacola: 3,554

 

Miami 43, Florida State 35 (OT) – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 66,790

South Florida 29, Kent State 2 – Attendance in Tampa: 31,384

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins – 25-33-0 for 464 yards (3TDs); Cincinnati’s J.C. French – 22-30-0-389 (3TDs); Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker – 22-34-1-365 (3TDs); UTSA’s Owen McCown – 28-38-0-359 (3TDs); Houston’s Conner Weighman – 24-33-1-343 (5TDs); Florida Atlantic’s Caden Veltkamp – 33-48-1-318 (3TDs); Missouri State’s Henry Belin – 28-39-1-300 (2TDs), and Florida State’s Ashton Daniels – 15-28-1-298 (4TDs).

 

Also, Rutgers Dylan Lonergan – 23-35-1 for 291 yards (3TDs); Middle Tennessee’s Roman Gagliano – 22-32-1-291 (3TDs); LSIU’s Sam Leavitt – 31-38-0-289 (4TDs); Colorado State’s K’sam Farrar – 26-41-0-289 (2TDs); Toledo’s John Alan Richter – 24-30-0-288 yards (1TD); Charlotte’s Conner Harrell – 23-31-0-281 (2TDs); Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez – 16-23-0-267 (4TDs); Arizona State’s Mikey Keene – 25-34-0-256 (2TDs), and Virginia Tech’s Ethan Grunkemeyer – 15-22-0-250 (3TDs).

 

Also, Tulsa’s Baylor Hayes – 20-27-0 for 249 yards (3TDs); Oregon State’s Braden Atkinson – 23-38-0-247 (3TDs); SMU’s Kevin Jennings – 23-36-0-246 (2TDs); Texas Tech’s Will Hammond – 18-26-0-232 (1); FIU’s J.J. Kohl – 24-38-0-218 (2TDs); Texas State’s Brad Jackson – 14-19-0-213 (1TD); James Madison’s Camden Coleman – 13-19-0-185 (2TDs); Louisiana Tech’s Blake Baker – 15-21-0-178 (2TDs), and Ohio’s Nick Poulos – 11-14-0-165 (1TD);

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Texas State’s Torrance Burgess – 224 yards (4TDs); Army’s Cale Hellums – 195 yards (5TDs); Wyoming’s Tyler Hughes – 183 yards (4TDs); Texas State’s Brad Jackson – 181 yards (3TDs); Stanford’s Micah Ford – 179 yards (4TDs); Buffalo’s Messiah Burch – 172 yards, and Texas Tech’s J’Koby Williams – 165 yards (2TDs).

 

Also, Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop – 159 yards (2TDs); San Jose State’s Viliami Teu – 156 yards (2TDs); Rice’s Jacurri Brown – 154 yards (2TDs); Kent State’s Joe Jackson – 154 yards (1TD); Air Force’s Evan Medders – 152 yards (3TDs), and Western Michigan’s Jalen Buckley – 150 yards (2TDs).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

We’re not playing to lose, so we put our balls on the chopping block and we’re going to be aggressive,” BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, after the win over Notre Dame.

 

“Out of high school, Notre Dame disrespected me and my family pretty badly. There’s no way I was going to lose to those guys,” BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier, after the win over Notre Dame.

 

“Only in Auburn does everybody know where you live. I guess it beats a for-sale sign, right?” Auburn coach Alex Golesh, after the win over Georgia.

 

“Forget Texas and Alabama. Think UCLA and Kentucky in the CFP,” USA Today sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

The next CFW – Week 8 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, October 22.