College Football Week 4 – ESPN College GameDay in Morgantown!
When the Going Gets ToughThe Tough Gets Going
After two weeks of so many “patsy” games, the action was about to get interesting – real interesting. College football was ready to start separating the men from the boys. It was the first big test of the season for several teams.
Among the tests, there were no less than 12 games, pitting undefeated teams facing off against each another. Something had to give. The biggest of those contests took place in Tallahassee, Florida, where visiting and No. 1 ranked Oklahoma survived Florida State, 23-13. Elsewhere in Florida, there were two more games matching undefeated teams. Florida beat Tennessee for the seventh-consecutive time, 33-23. Then, down in Miami, upstart Florida International, who knocked off Louisville last week, surprised UCF, 17-10. My, oh my!
West Virginia, which hasn’t lost to Maryland since 2003, traveled to College Park to take on the undefeated Terrapins. After building up a 34-10 lead, the Mountaineers held on to beat Maryland, 37-31. Auburn, who won its first two games by the skin of its teeth, finally ran out of luck, falling to Clemson, 38-24. North Carolina remained undefeated, beating Virginia, 28-17.
South Carolina, off to a good start, got a big scare from undefeated Navy. But with a little help from a guy named Marcus Lattimore, the Gamecocks held on to beat the Midshipmen, 24-21. Arizona State traveled to the Midwest only to lose to Illinois, 17-14. Likewise, Washington traveled to the Midwest and fell to Nebraska, 51-38.
Georgia Tech racked up 768 yards and revenged last year’s upset, grounding Kansas, 66-24. USC remained undefeated, beating Syracuse, 38-17. And finally, San Diego State, with the running of Ronnie Hillman, dumped Washington State, 42-24. But USC and San Diego State will have their hands full this week. The Trojans travel to Arizona State, while the Aztecs visit Michigan.
Then there were 12 games where ranked and/or undefeated teams were all on the road facing big challenges to their perfect records. Thursday night, LSU met its challenge, beating Mississippi State, 19-6. The next night, Boise State and Iowa State remained undefeated. The Broncos beat a dangerous Toledo, 40-15, and the Cyclones edged Connecticut, 24-20.
Saturday, Ohio State traveled to the Sunshine State to take on Miami in what was being billed as the Scandal Bowl and the Suspension Bowl. The Hurricanes upended the Buckeyes, 24-6. Michigan State had a date in South Bend against a wounded animal. Notre Dame was 0-2, but a dangerous 0-2. The Irish crushed the Spartans, 31-13. Wisconsin made a trip down to Chicago to take on Northern Illinois in Soldier Field – a neutral site. NIU wasn’t much of a challenge. The Badgers won, 49-7.
Stanford was looking at its first test of the season. The Cardinal hit Tucson for an encounter with Arizona. Stanford won, 37-10. Texas took a California vacation and beat UCLA, 49-20. Northwestern, off to a good start, was facing a tricky and potential trap game in West Point. Army snared the Wildcats, 21-14.
Pitt ventured out to Iowa and built up a 24-3 third-quarter lead on the Hawkeyes. But Iowa bounced back, knocking off the Panthers, 31-27. After a three-hour weather delay, Oklahoma State showered host Tulsa, 59-33. And finally, Houston got a major scare in Ruston, Louisiana, but the Cougars rallied to beat Louisiana Tech, 35-34.
In a few other interesting games, Vanderbilt, yes Vanderbilt, remained undefeated, beating Ole Miss, 30-7, and Arkansas, also of the SEC, held off a late charge from Troy, beating the Trojans, 38-28. Louisville handed Kentucky its first loss. The Cardinals beat the Wildcats, 24-17.
Undefeated Temple came oh-so close to beating Penn State. But in the end, the Owls fell to the Nittany Lions, 14-10. South Florida annihilated Florida A&M, 70-17. Utah decimated BYU, 54-10. And finally, Georgia is no longer winless. The Dawgs demolished Coastal Carolina, 59-0.
The Ivy League schools played their first games of the season over the weekend – each playing non-conference games. Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth and Yale all won, while Columbia, Harvard, Penn and Princeton each lost.
And finally, FCS Charleston Southern ended its three week Florida vacation on Saturday. Some vacation – the Buccaneers lost in week one to UCF, 62-0; in week two to Florida State, 62-10, and Saturday to Jacksonville U., 37-30. If it is any consolation, each game got closer for Charleston Southern.
Conference alignment and expansion remained in the headlines all week last week, mainly dealing with the solvency of the Big 12. But Friday night a real stunner hit the Internet. The New York Times reported that Pitt and Syracuse had applied for membership in the ACC. And the Times report said that the two schools would be admitted to the ACC.
Sure enough, at 9:30 Sunday morning, ACC commissioner John Swofford announced that Pitt and Syracuse had been accepted into the conference. Shortly afterward, USA Today reported that Connecticut and Rutgers most likely were going to be the 15th and 16th members of the ACC.
That’s four teams from the Big East. Early Sunday afternoon, West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck issued the following statement:
“There is no question that the landscape of college athletics is once again changing. West Virginia University has great tradition as the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, and we will continue working to do what’s best for our University and its athletic teams. No matter how the college athletic landscape changes, there is no doubt WVU is and will remain a national player.”
Meanwhile, the status of the Big 12 Conference was back-and-forth all week. First it appeared the Big 12 was doomed. Then it appeared the conference would hang together and find a replacement for Texas A&M. But by Friday, it looked like the Big 12 was doomed again. Whatever, statements issued from Oklahoma and Texas indicate we will know the status of the Big 12 sometime between Monday and Friday of this week.
There appears to be three scenarios:
1. Texas A&M doesn’t pull out for the SEC and the Big 12 remains together as is.
2. Texas A&M leaves for the SEC, but the Big 12 remains together, finding a replacement for Texas A&M3. The Big 12 dissolves, with members scattering to multiple conferences, SEC, Pac-12, etc. etc.
Oklahoma’s Board of Regents meets today to decide the Sooners’ fate in the conference. Speculation has Oklahoma, along with Oklahoma State, leaving the Big 12 for the Pac-12. Texas’ Board of Regents has a similar meeting scheduled. Stay tuned.
My favorite quarterbacks this week were Boise State’s Kellen Moore, Texas Tech’s Seth Doege, Iowa’s James Vandenberg, West Virginia’s Geno Smith, Clemson’s Tajh Boyd, Western Michigan’s Alex Carder and Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson.
My favorite running backs were South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore, San Diego State’s Ronnie Hillman, Miami of Florida’s Lamar Miller and Vanderbilt’s Zac Stacy.
Prior to Saturday, my Crossville, Tennessee, friend Greg Walker was so confident about the play of the Vols that he bet me a dinner on the Gator game. Tennessee wins – I buy dinner. Florida wins – Greg buys dinner. I hope you have lots of money, Greg.
And the anxiety of the college football season has my friend Rockledge Gator experiencing all kinds of wild dreams. Unfortunately, I can’t repeat those dreams in this blog. Let me just say that I hope none of them come true.
Touchdown Tom
September 19, 2011 GAME OF THE WEEK: At least it wasn’t as bad as last year – Oklahoma 23, Florida State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 28, Florida State 27). Oklahoma won that one 47-17. The Noles are making an improvement. We know that, because the Sooners are just as good if not better than they were last year. A crowd of 84,392 attended the game in Tallahassee.
RUNNER UP: Ware’d down – LSU 19, Mississippi State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Mississippi State 26). LSU running back Spencer Ware rushed for 107 yards, as the Tiger defense smothered the Bulldogs. Dan Mullen is now 0-3 against LSU and the Bulldogs are 1-19 against the Tigers during the past 20 years. A crowd of 56,924 attended the game in Starkville.
REST OF THE BEST: Trees grow in the desert – Stanford 37, Arizona 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, Arizona 17). Stanford is Andrew Luck, but it is more than Andrew Luck. Stanford is balanced – well balanced. A crowd of 49,636 attended the game in Tucson.
The Gators had a secret weapon – Florida 33, Tennessee 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Tennessee 23). It was Mike Pouncey. He was the center for Tennessee. And thank goodness for Chris Rainey. That dinner on Greg is going to taste mighty good. A crowd of 90,744 attended the game in Gainesville.
The luck ran out – Clemson 38, Auburn 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Auburn 27). No nail biters for Auburn this week. Clemson made sure of that. Auburn’s defense has given up 110 points and 1,603 yards in three games. I’d say Auburn has a problem on defense. A crowd of 82,000 attended the game in Clemson.
One half is better than none – West Virginia 37, Maryland 31 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Maryland 24). One of these days, I hope, WVU is going to put together two good halves. Otherwise, Dana Holgorsen may not have any hair left on his head at the end of the season. A crowd of 53,627 attended the game in College Park.
Alive and well and kicking in Champaign – Illinois 17, Arizona State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 33, Illinois 31). Just when you think Ron Zook is down and out, he rises again. Illinois is 3-0. Watch out for the Banned Indians this year. Dennis Erickson may be the one who is down and out. A crowd of 50,669 attended the game in Champaign.
Another power in Miami – Florida International 17, UCF 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida International 21, UCF 20). FIU is for real. UCF found that out – the hard way. The Panthers move to 3-0. A crowd of 20,205 attended the game in Miami.
Who needs Butch Davis – North Carolina 28, Virginia 17 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 30, Virginia 20). The Tar Heels are out to a 3-0 start. But Virginia’s quarterback Michael Rocco looked pretty good. A crowd of 55,000 attended the game in Chapel Hill.
Sweet blindness – Nebraska 51, Washington 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 36, Washington 26). But no kindness. Nebraska has given up 60 points in its last two games. Should anyone be concerned? A crowd of 85,110 attended the game in Lincoln.
Cocky almost got Shanghaied – South Carolina 24, Navy 21 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, Navy 21). The Gamecocks will just let Marcus Lattimore take care of things at hand, until they can find a consistent passing game. A crowd of 78,807 attended the game in Columbia.
Chicago, Chicago, that wonderful town – Wisconsin 49, Northern Illinois 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 38, Northern Illinois 19). And NIU was supposed to give the Badgers a battle? Could have fooled me. But nobody fools the Wisconsin offense. It’s balanced and it’s potent. The defense ain’t bad either. A crowd of 41,068 attended the game in Chicago.
The Irish woke up – Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 24, Notre Dame 20). Notre Dame held the Spartans to 29 yards rushing. So much for Michigan State’s expectations. A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.
Broncos had a Blast – Boise State 40, Toledo 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 29, Toledo 21). Ohio State should be glad it doesn’t play Boise State. Kellen Moore passed for 455 yards. A crowd of 28,905 attended the game in Toledo.
Where were the Little Sisters of the Poor? – Miami (Florida) 24, Ohio State 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 25, Miami 23). The Buckeyes found out that the Canes are a little different than Akron and Toledo. Ohio State’s defense couldn’t stop the running of Lamar Miller. Miller had 184 yards rushing. So, did Miami get a trophy for winning the Scandal Bowl? A crowd of 66,279 attended the game in Miami Gardens.
Joseph Smith must be rolling in his grave – Utah 54, BYU 10 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 18, Utah 16). BYU had seven turnovers. Nuff said. A crowd of 63,742 attended the game in Provo.
The Hawkeyes only need one quarter….the fourth – Iowa 31, Pitt 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Pitt 20). Pitt led 24-3 late in the third quarter. Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg passed for 399 yards. A crowd of 70,585 attended the game in Iowa City.
California dreamin’ – Texas 49, UCLA 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, UCLA 24). I’m not sure Rick Neuheisel will make it to the end of the season. And I’m still not sure that Texas is the real McCoy. But maybe. A crowd of 54,583 attended the game in Pasadena.
No, this wasn’t the Razorbacks – Virginia Tech 26, Arkansas State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 30, Arkansas State 16). Doesn’t look like the Hokies are going to have any issues with non-conference games this season. Three down and one to go. Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas had a good game. A crowd of 66,233 attended the game in Blacksburg.
Alabama on our mind – Arkansas 38, Troy 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 40, Troy 27). Arkansas built up a 31-7 lead and then started thinking about Alabama. Never underestimate Troy and its quarterback Corey Robinson. A crowd of 69,861 attended the game in Fayetteville.
Ground troops – Army 21, Northwestern 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 32, Army 22). Northwestern’s first loss; Army’s first win. And Army only had six yards passing, but 381 rushing. The Wildcats always drop a non-conference game they shouldn’t lose. A crowd of 35,784 attended the game in West Point.
The Dookies found a team they can beat – Duke 20, Boston College 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 26, Duke 21). And Boston College is still looking for a team it can beat. Duke quarterback Sean Renfree finally had a good game. A crowd of 35,812 attended the game in Chestnut Hill.
Dawgs coast – Georgia 59, Coastal Carolina 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 38, Coastal Carolina 20). Do you think Uga was a little frustrated? What will Coastal Carolina coach Dave Bennett do for YouTube this week….squeak like a mouse? A crowd of 91,946 attended the game in Athens.
The Boilers found the right corner of the right state – Purdue 59, Southeast Missouri State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 29, Southeast Missouri State 16). Next year, Purdue should schedule Southwest Missouri, Northwest Missouri and Northeast Missouri. Central Missouri too. A crowd of 46,116 attended the game in West Lafayette.
Comment: Will anyone beat Oklahoma?
I was 18-6 on the week’s picks, which brings my season total to 60-15 (80 percent).
South Florida humiliated Florida A&M, 70-17. A crowd of 50,128 attended the game in Tampa…. Jacksonville U. edged Charleston Southern, 37-30. A crowd of 4,185 attended the game in Jacksonville.
Impressive Passers: Boise State’s Kellen Moore – 32-42-1 for 455 yards; Bowling Green’s Matt Schliz – 34-55-2-437; Texas Tech’s Seth Doege – 40-44-0-401; Iowa’s James Vandenberg – 31-48-1-399; West Virginia’s Geno Smith – 36-49-1-388; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 30-42-0-386; South Florida’s B.J. Daniels – 20-28-0-380; Troy’s Corey Robinson – 36-63-1-373; Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden – 29-39-2-369; Duke’s Sean Renfree – 40-52-1-359, and Western Michigan’s Alex Carder – 28-37-1-355.
Also, Houston’s Case Keenum – 25-40-2 for 351 yards; Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson – 23-32-1-347; Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill – 27-40-1-340; Memphis’ Taylor Reed – 20-30-0-332; Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins – 34-53-1-329; Stanford’s Andrew Luck – 20-31-0-325; Miami of Ohio’s Zac Dysert – 27-47-1-325; USC’s Matt Barkley – 26-39-0-324; BYU’s Jake Heaps – 27-50-1-305; Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson – 23-36-1-303; Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas – 21-33-2-292, and Tennessee’s Tyler Bray – 26-48-2-288.
Also, Virginia’s Michael Rocco – 22-37-2 for 287 yards; Ohio’s Tyler Tettleton – 20-29-0-285; Tulane’s Ryan Griffin – 22-26-0-281; Wake Forest’s Tanner Price – 21-32-2-281; SMU’s J.J. McDermott – 19-35-1-278; N.C. State’s Mike Glennon – 17-20-0-274; Washington’s Keith Price – 21-37-2-274; San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley – 21-37-1-273, and Indiana’s Edward Wright-Baker – 21-27-0-273.
Also, Tulsa’s JaTerian Douglas – 173 yards; Minnesota’s MarQueis Gray – 171 yards; Vanderbilt’s Zac Stacy – 169 yards; Alabama’s Trent Richardson – 167 yards; Tulsa’s Trey Watts – 159 yards; Georgia Tech’s Orwin Smith – 157 yards; Southern Mississippi’s Kendrick Hardy – 155 yards; Stanford’s Stepfan Taylor – 153 yards, and Auburn’s Michael Dyer – 151 yards.
“Maybe he just hasn’t gone outside,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz, on Mark Richt saying he doesn’t have a cloud hanging over his head.
“Coastal Carolina at Georgia: If you can’t beat the school in Columbia, I guess Myrtle Beach is the logical next stop,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.
“Boise State will never be an elite team. Not when you beat one good team a year,” ESPN’s Lee Corso.
“Now that my brother Mark coaches there, I can’t hate Florida State like I used to when I was at Florida,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, after the game against Florida State.
“End of the day, we all wanted a win. I don’t care what the score is,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, after the Washington game.
“They know what they’re doing,” Arizona coach Mike Stoops, on Stanford.
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. LSU (3-0) at West Virginia (3-0) – (SEC vs. Big East) – What a party it will be in Morgantown. ESPN College GameDay in town. Big game with LSU. It doesn’t get much better. The challenge for WVU is LSU’s defense. There’s none much better. Tigers have a better time at the party – LSU 23, West Virginia 17.
RUNNER UP: 2. Arkansas (3-0) at Alabama (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Last year, we were in Gainesville and watched this game on TV while we were tailgating before the Kentucky-UF game. It was exciting. It could be exciting again this year. But the Hogs definitely have a challenge. Crimson and clover, over and over – Alabama 28, Arkansas 26.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Oklahoma State (3-0) at Texas A&M (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – This was a barn burner last year. Okie State won, 38-35. It has the makings for a barn burner this year. And it could be the last game these two play in a while – maybe a long while. T. Boone Pickens won’t be happy – Texas A&M 31, Oklahoma State 29.
4. Florida State (2-1) at Clemson (3-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – The Noles could be hurting from the loss to Oklahoma. That was a hard game. Then again, the Tigers could have their heads in a cloud after the win over Auburn. FSU has the better defense. Clemson may have the better offense. It may come down to quarterback play. Tigers don’t fear the spear – Clemson 26, Florida State 23.
5. Missouri (2-1) at Oklahoma (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – This was a wild game last year. Missouri won. Mizzou won’t win this year. The Tigers are worse and the Sooners are better. These wagons have wheels – Oklahoma 29, Missouri 16.
6. USC (3-0) at Arizona State (2-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – The Trojans are 3-0, but they haven’t really been tested. The Sun Devils got tested by Illinois last week. They didn’t like the taste of that test. It helps to have a 6-foot-8 quarterback – Arizona State 33, USC 30.
7. Vanderbilt (3-0) at South Carolina (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Something tells me that after the scare from Navy, the Gamecocks will be prepared this week. They better be. Commodores suffer their first loss – South Carolina 26, Vanderbilt 15.
8. North Carolina (3-0) at Georgia Tech (3-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – Tech is a lot better than everyone thought they would be. Tar Heels have to stop the run. Heels burn in Atlanta – Georgia Tech 27, North Carolina 24.
9. Tulsa (1-2) at Boise State (3-0) – (C-USA vs. MWC) – Tulsa has had some toughies on its schedule – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and now Boise State. The Golden Hurricane can score but they have no defense. And the Broncos have an offense – a big offense. Tulsa gets turned around – Boise State 42, Tulsa 17.
10. Oregon (2-1) at Arizona (1-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Mike Stoops and his Wildcats are hurting. They didn’t look good against Oklahoma State or Stanford. They may look worse against Oregon. Ducks find moisture in the desert – Oregon 30, Arizona 19.
11. Florida (3-0) at Kentucky (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Gators can’t afford to have a letdown after the Tennessee win. The Wildcats have a tendency to cause problems for the Gators in Lexington. But this isn’t a very good Kentucky team. Wildcats can’t handle Rainey – Florida 30, Kentucky 15.
12. San Diego State (3-0) at Michigan (3-0) – (MWC vs. Big Ten) – If Ryan Lindley and Ronnie Hillman are at their peak, they will cause problems for the Wolverines. Michigan’s weakness is defense. But Lindley and Hillman aren’t Big enough for the House – Michigan 30, San Diego State 23.
13. California (3-0) at Washington (2-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Both teams have good offense. Neither has a strong defense. Home field advantage gives the Huskies the edge – Washington 30, California 26.
14. Virginia Tech (3-0) at Marshall (1-2) – (ACC vs. C-USA) – Marshall should be up for this game. But the Herd has been a strange team. The play of quarterback Rakeem Cato will determine how well Marshall does. Hokies finish their non-conference slate at 4-0 – Virginia Tech 29, Marshall 14.
15. UCF (2-1) at BYU (1-2) – (C-USA vs. Ind.) – UCF got its first taste of defeat last week. The Knights will get their second taste this week. Cougars take out their Utah frustrations on the Knights – BYU 26, UCF 22.
16. Georgia (1-2) at Ole Miss (1-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Lose this game and Mark Richt can definitely call it quits. Ole Miss has to be the worst team in the SEC. Actually, both coaches are on the hot seat. A Dawg day afternoon in Oxford – Georgia 28, Ole Miss 14.
17. Notre Dame (1-2) at Pitt (2-1) – (Ind. vs. Big East) – Looks like the Irish found their grove against Michigan State. I can’t see Pitt knocking them out of their groove. Kelly’s heroes – Notre Dame 27, Pitt 19.
18. N.C. State (2-1) at Cincinnati (2-1) – (ACC vs. Big East) – These two teams are hard to read, which makes this game hard to call. Home field gives the nod to Cincy. Bearcats pack the Pack – Cincinnati 22, N.C. State 20.
19. Toledo (1-2) at Syracuse (2-1) – (MAC vs. Big East) – Rockets looked good against Ohio State and bad against Boise State. That should put them on schedule to look good again. Rockets make the Orange look Blue – Toledo 21, Syracuse 20.
20. Southern Miss (2-1) at Virginia (2-1) – (C-USA vs. ACC) – Eagles are overrated. Cavs are underrated. Rocco rocks – Virginia 30, Southern Miss 19.
21. Nevada (1-1) at Texas Tech (3-0) – (WAC vs. Big 12) – The Wolf Pack were good last year – only team to beat Boise State. They were supposed to remain competitive this year. The Pack bombed against Oregon. Let’s see if they can put up a good fight against Texas Tech. Red Raiders have a topnotch quarterback in Sean Doege. Little Red Raider Hood gets the Big Bad Wolf – Texas Tech 35, Nevada 20.
Nebraska (3-0) at Wyoming (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. MWC) – Big game for Wyoming. It’s not often that a team like Nebraska comes to Laramie. Herbie must have cabin fever. Huskers give the Cowboys a husking – Nebraska 33, Wyoming 20.
Tulane (2-1) at Duke (1-2) – (C-USA vs. ACC) – This could be one of those all offense, no defense high-scoring games. Whoever has the ball last wins. How about another one-point win for the Dookies – Duke 25, Tulane 24.
Texas (3-0) and Purdue (2-1) have the week off.
Comment: Looking at a big non-conference showdown between two undefeated teams – LSU-West Virginia. Then a huge game in each the SEC (Arkansas-Alabama) and the Big 12 (Oklahoma State-Texas A&M). Toss in two huge games in ACC (Florida State-Clemson and North Carolina-Georgia Tech). It all makes for another huge weekend.
Miami (1-1) entertains Kansas State (2-0)…. South Florida (3-0) hosts UTEP (2-1)…. Florida Atlantic (0-2) visits Auburn (2-1)…. Florida International (3-0) is home against Louisiana-Monroe (1-2)…. Bethune-Cookman (1-1) is hosting Hampton (2-1)…. Florida A&M (1-2) entertains Southern (1-2)…. Jacksonville U. (1-2) travels to Campbell (1-1).
Hampton at Bethune-Cookman – 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
N.C. State at Cincinnati – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN UCF at BYU – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
Central Michigan at Michigan State – 12 noon ET – ESPNU
Eastern Michigan at Penn State – 12 noon ET – ESPN2North Carolina at Georgia Tech – 12 noon ET – ESPN
Cornell at Yale – 12 noon ET – Versus
Notre Dame at Pitt – 12 noon ET – ABC
SMU at Memphis – 12 noon ET – Fox Sports Network
Georgia at Ole Miss – 12:20 p.m. ET – SEC Game of the Week
Temple at Maryland – 12:30 p.m. ET – ACC Game of the Week
Arkansas at Alabama – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS
Florida State at Clemson – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPN
California at Washington – 3:30 p.m. ET – Fox Sports Network
Colorado at Ohio State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Oklahoma State at Texas A&M – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN2
Kansas State at Miami (Florida) – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Florida A&M vs. Southern – 3:30 p.m. ET – Versus
Virginia Tech at Marshall – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Florida at Kentucky – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN
Vanderbilt at South Carolina – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Louisiana Tech at Mississippi State – 7 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Nebraska at Wyoming – 7:30 p.m. ET – Versus
LSU at West Virginia – 8 p.m. ET – ABC
Missouri at Oklahoma – 8 p.m. ET – FX
Tulsa at Boise State – 8 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Oregon at Arizona – 10:15 p.m. ET – ESPN2
USC at Arizoa State – 10:15 p.m. ET – ESPN
Elsewhere around college football … Vanderbilt and Massachusetts have signed a four-game home-and-home series that will begin in 2012…. Tennessee has added Georgia State to its 2012 schedule. The game will be played in Knoxville…. Auburn has added Alabama A&M to its 2012 schedule.
On the Internet – College Football Week now has a Website and can be found at www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.
Touchdown Tom
Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there were four passings of note last week – Mary Fickett, Sam DeLuca, Dave Gavitt and Charles H. Percy.
Mary Fickett, who acted in theater, film and television before becoming a legend on the soap opera “All My Children” as Ruth Martin, a nurse unafraid to speak her mind, died last week at her home in Callao, Virginia. She was 83. The cause was complications of Alzheimer’s disease. On Broadway, she replaced Deborah Kerr in “Tea and Sympathy” and played Eleanor Roosevelt in “Sunrise at Campobello” opposite Ralph Bellamy. On TV, she appeared in “The Untouchables,” “Have Gun Will Travel” and “Naked City,” among other shows. From 1961 to 1963, Fickett co-hosted “Calendar,” a CBS-TV morning news and entertainment show, with Harry Reasoner. Her movie work included “Man on Fire” (1957), with Bing Crosby. She was in the first episode of “All My Children” on January 5, 1970, and continued with the series until 1996 when she left the show. Mary Fickett was born in Buffalo, New York, on May 23, 1928. She grew up in Bronxville, New York.
Sam DeLuca, a scrappy guard for the New York Jets in the 1960s who became a broadcaster after a career-ending injury, died last week at his home in Pelham, New York. He was 75. The cause was pancreatic cancer. Originally drafted by the New York Giants in 1957, DeLuca was sent to the Canadian Football League. In 1960, he joined the Los Angeles Chargers of the American Football League. DeLuca joined the Jets prior to the 1964 season. At the beginning of his fourth season with the Jets in 1967, he sustained a knee injury in the final preseason game. The injury ended his career. He became the color commentator for the Jets radio broadcasts on WABC. Then in 1972, he became a sportscaster on NBC TV, where he worked until his retirement in 1988. Severio DeLuca was born in New York City (Brooklyn) on May 2, 1936. He attended high school with future Los Angeles Dodgers pitching star Sandy Koufax. DeLuca played college football for the University of South Carolina.
Dave Gavitt, an influential leader in basketball who created the Big East Conference, died last week. He was 73. The cause was congestive heart failure. In 1979, Gavitt, who played college basketball and baseball at Dartmouth, established the Big East. Gavitt is a former basketball coach at Dartmouth and Providence. He took the Friars to the NCAA tournament five teams and made it to the Final Four in 1973.
Charles H. Percy, a former United State Senator from Illinois and a moderate Republican, died Saturday. He was 91. A three-term (18 years) senator, Percy went to Washington in 1967. Charles Haring Percy was born in Pensacola, Florida, on September 27, 1919. He grew up in Chicago. He was the captain of the water polo team at the University of Chicago. Prior to running for the Senate, he was president of Bell & Howell.
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