Football Week Six – Brantley out with high-ankle sprain
Gators, Huskers get their clocks cleanedLast week, I wrote that Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma may be in a league of their own. I still believe that. But I have added a team to their league – Wisconsin.
There were two big games Saturday night – one in Gainesville, Florida, and the other in Madison, Wisconsin. Well, I should say they were supposed to be big games. Neither was very exciting – not exciting at all in the second half.
In Gainesville, Alabama set lose Trent Richardson in The Swamp. Richardson proceeded to run up and down the marsh at will. The Gator defense couldn’t stop him. Richardson rushed for 181 yards – a career best. Alabama was an effective 7-for-13 on third down attempts.
The Crimson Tide defense was every bit as good as its offense. They held Florida to 15 yards rushing and a measly 4-for-14 on third down attempts. The Bama defense not only made sure it wasn’t a Rainey night in The Swamp, but also they threw the Demps-ter into the dumpster.
Coming into the contest, Florida’s offense was averaging 40 points-a-game. And the Gator defense was holding its opponents to nine points-a-game. Alabama beat Florida, 38-10.
In Madison, the Badgers were just as impressive as Alabama in their domination of Nebraska. First Wisconsin toyed with the Huskers. Then the Badgers chewed up the corn up and spit it out. Wisconsin out-passed Nebraska 255 yards to 176. The Badgers out-rushed the Huskers 231 yards to 159. Wisconsin was an effective 8-for-12 on third down attempts. The Badgers Montee Ball rushed for 151 yards.
Wisconsin also was just as tenacious on defense as it was on offense. Nebraska was a poor 5-for-12 on third down attempts. Coming into the contest, the Huskers were averaging 43 points-a-game. Wisconsin beat Nebraska, 48-17.
Playing weaker opponents, my other two “league-of-their-own” teams – LSU and Oklahoma – won as well. LSU beat Kentucky, 35-7, holding the Wildcats to 155 yards of offense. Oklahoma smashed Ball State, 62-6, with Landry Jones passing for 425 yards.
This week, Alabama hosts Vanderbilt, LSU entertains Florida, Oklahoma plays Texas in Dallas and Wisconsin is off.
In addition to Alabama-Florida and Nebraska-Wisconsin, there were three other games Saturday matching undefeated teams. Only one of the games was exciting. Kansas State beat Baylor, 36-35. The Wildcats trailed the Bears 35-26 early in the fourth quarter. In the other two games, Clemson beat Virginia Tech, 23-3, and Texas downed Iowa State, 37-14.
Two other teams lost for the first time this season. Thursday night, South Florida fell to Pitt, 44-17. Saturday, South Carolina, a team that had been living on the edge, lost to Auburn, 16-13. The Tigers bounced back from their loss the previous week to Clemson.
Seven other teams remained undefeated. Illinois rallied and scored late to beat Northwestern, 38-35. Friday night, Boise State continued its march towards a BCS bowl. The Broncos downed Nevada, 30-10. Saturday, Georgia Tech outscored N.C. State, 45-35.
Michigan massacred Minnesota, 58-0. Andrew Luck and Stanford pummeled UCLA, 45-19. Texas Tech remained unblemished. The Red Raiders beat Kansas, 45-34. And Houston got a scare, but held on to beat UTEP, 49-42. Unbeaten Oklahoma State had the week off.
In all, seven teams lost for the first time, while 15 teams remain spotless. At least one of those 15 teams will lose this week when Texas and Oklahoma meet.
There were a handful of other interesting games Saturday. Arkansas rallied to beat Texas A&M, 42-38. Michigan State held Ohio State to 35 yards rushing and 178 yards total, beating the Buckeyes, 10-7. Washington downed Utah, 31-14.
In two overtime games, SMU upset TCU, 40-33, and Air Force beat Navy, 35-34. Georgia improved to 3-2, beating Mississippi State, 24-10. North Carolina took advantage of four turnovers by East Carolina, beating the Pirates, 35-20. Toledo got over last week’s blown extra point call, downing Temple, 36-13.
Western Michigan, behind the arm of Alex Carder, surprised Connecticut, 38-31. West Virginia bounced back from its loss to LSU. The Mountaineers beat Bowling Green, 55-10, behind the rushing of Dustin Garrison – 291 yards.
The losses by Florida and South Carolina put Georgia right back into the race for the SEC East title. Each of the three has one loss in conference play.
Best sign of the day Saturday at ESPN GameDay: “Wisconsin fans always wear red.” The sign was mocking Nebraska fans who chose to wear black at the Nebraska-Wisconsin game to distinguish themselves from the Badger fans.
Grossest thought Saturday: Nancy Grace and Brady Hoke dancing with each other on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Several “hot seat” coaches helped their causes Saturday, but at least eight turned up the heat on their seats: UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel, Memphis’ Larry Porter, UAB’s Neil Callaway, Arizona’s Mike Stoops, Kansas’ Turner Gill, Boston College’s Frank Spaziani, Oregon State’s Mike Riley and Ohio State’s Luke Fickell. Three who helped their situations were Georgia’s Mark Richt, Ole Miss’ Houston Nutt and Washington State’s Paul Wulff.
And Steve Spurrier says that changes are in store for South Carolina’s offense, following the team’s poor performance against Auburn. Stay tuned.
My favorite quarterbacks this week were Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson, Western Michigan’s Alex Carder, USC’s Matt Barkley and Oklahoma’s Landry Jones.
My favorite running backs were West Virginia’s Dustin Garrison, Pitt’s Ray Graham, Notre Dame’s Cierre Wood, Washington’s Chris Polk and Alabama’s Trent Richardson.
I have to tell you I’m worried. I haven’t heard from my friend Rockledge Gator since Florida’s devastating loss to Alabama Saturday night. He has a tendency to get very upset when the Gators lose a big game like that. There are rumors that Bootsie put him in a straight jacket near the end of the game. Stay tuned!
Touchdown Tom
October 3, 2011GAME OF THE WEEK: Badgers jump around Huskers – Wisconsin 48, Nebraska 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 26, Nebraska 22). Actually, they jumped all over the Huskers. Nebraska needed a steady Tyler Martinez to win the game. Unfortunately for the Huskers, Martinez threw three interceptions. A crowd of 81,384 attended the game in Madison.
RUNNER UP: Trent carves out a trench in The Swamp – Alabama 38, Florida 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Florida 20). Well, the first few minutes looked good for the Gators. But if you blinked, you missed it. After that, it was all Tide – Crimson Tide. Trent Richardson must have a little reptile in him as he ruled The Swamp, rushing for 181 yards. The Gators couldn’t rush for anything, mustering only 15 yards on the ground. A crowd of 90,888 attended the game in Gainesville.
REST OF THE BEST: No gobbles – Clemson 23, Virginia Tech 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 27, Clemson 24). So, we’ve been wondering if the Hokies had an offense. Now we know. Clemson has a good thing going – a very good thing. A crowd of 66,233 attended the game in Blacksburg.
Where did that defense come from? – Auburn 16, South Carolina 13 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Auburn 24). Well, maybe it was more of a case of South Carolina’s bad offense. Stephen Garcia is a plague on the Gamecocks. And Saturday, Marcus Lattimore wasn’t much better – in fact he was downright bad. South Carolina’s poor offensive performances have to be driving Steve Spurrier crazy. A crowd of 81,767 attended the game in Columbia.
Welcome to the SEC – Arkansas 42, Texas A&M 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 29, Arkansas 28). It’s becoming common now for Texas A&M to blow big halftime leads. The Aggies led the Hogs 35-17 at the intermission. The two teams combined for 1,209 yards, with the Hogs’ Tyler Wilson passed for 510 of those yards. A crowd of 69,838 attended the game in Arlington.
Manhattan project – Kansas State 36, Baylor 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Baylor 24, Kansas State 23). With RG3, Baylor definitely has an offense. The problem for the Bears: they don’t have a defense. Meanwhile, would you believe Kansas State is 4-0? Well, believe it. The Wildcats are unbeaten. A crowd of 49,399 attended the game in Manhattan.
Prepping for the Sooners – Texas 37, Iowa State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Iowa State 26). The Longhorns led 34-0 at the end of the third quarter and went into cruise control. A crowd of 56,390 attended the game in Ames.
Fickell’s in a pickle – Michigan State 10, Ohio State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 24, Ohio State 22). It’s looking more and more like Luke Fickell will not be Ohio State’s fulltime coach next season. The Spartans held the Buckeyes to 178 yards – only 35 yards rushing. A crowd of 105,306 attended the game in Columbus.
Polk salad Husky – Washington 31, Utah 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, Washington 26). Utah’s initiation into the Pac-12 wasn’t a pleasant one for the Utes. Washington’s Chris Polk rushed for 189 yards. A crowd of 45,412 attended the game in Salt Lake City.
Wildcats ran into a Steel house…..I mean….a Scheelhaase – Illinois 38, Northwestern 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Illinois 25, Northwestern 22). The Banned Indians Nathan Scheelhaase passed for 391 yards, rallying Illinois from a 28-10 deficit in the third quarter. A crowd of 53,243 attended the game in Champaign.
Frogs can’t saddle the Mustangs – SMU 40, TCU 33 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 33, SMU 28). SMU always seems to give the Frogs problems. But this definitely isn’t the TCU that beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl last season. What a difference a year makes. A crowd of 35,632 attended the game in Fort Worth.
Grahamy award – Pitt 44, South Florida 17 (Touchdown Tom said: South Florida 24, Pitt 19). Pitt’s Robert Graham rushed for 226 yards in a game totally dominated by the Panthers. Skip Holtz could have used some serious help from Dr. Lou. A crowd of 40,025 attended the game in Pittsburgh.
Flyboys jettison the Sailors – Air Force 35, Navy 34 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Navy 25, Air Force 24). Navy rallied from a big deficit to tie the score, but couldn’t handle their emotions in overtime. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost Navy an extra point. The Falcons beat the Middies for the second-straight year. A crowd of 37,506 attended the game in Annapolis.
Revenge – Boise State 30, Nevada 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 39, Nevada 22). Last year, Nevada kept the Broncos out of a BCS bowl. Not this year. Boise State’s headed for a 12-0 season. A crowd of 34,098 attended the game in Boise.
Swarming in Raleigh – Georgia Tech 45, N.C. State 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 31, N.C. State 20). Do you wonder if Tom O’Brien is kicking himself? Thinking he should have kept Russell Wilson for one more year. Actually, State’s biggest problem is defense. There is none. A crowd of 55,811 attended the game in Raleigh.
How do you like my Dawgs now? – Georgia 24, Mississippi State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 25, Mississippi State 19). The Dan Mullen honeymoon is over at Mississippi State. Georgia is on a 3-game winning streak and could finish 10-2 after an 0-2 start. A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.
Spiked – North Carolina 35, East Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 34, East Carolina 23). Four turnovers plagued the Pirates. A crowd of 50,610 attended the game in Greenville.
Stooping over – USC 48, Arizona 41 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, Arizona 14). Mike Stoops is fighting for his survival at Arizona. The fight may be over. Matt Barkley had a heck of a game for the Trojans, passing for 468 yards. A crowd of 63,707 attended the game in Los Angeles.Rockets do the Hooting – Toledo 36, Temple 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Temple 28, Toledo 21). Toledo took its Syracuse-game frustrations out on the Owls. A crowd of 21,705 attended the game in Philadelphia.
No mercy – Michigan 58, Minnesota 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 36, Minnesota 17). The Wolverines are good, but Minnesota is a talentless football team. A crowd of 111,106 attended the game in Ann Arbor.
Alex cards the Huskies – Western Michigan 38, Connecticut 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Connecticut 25, Western Michigan 22). I said to keep an eye on Alex Carder. He passed for 479 yards, as the Broncos surprised UConn. And it was all passing that won the game for WMU. The Broncos only had 11 yards rushing. A crowd of 36,648 attended the game in East Hartford.
Garrison goes bowling – West Virginia 55, Bowling Green 10 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Bowling Green 16). The Mountaineers found a running game. He’s a Garrison out of Texas. No, not Walt – Dustin. Dustin Garrison, of Pearland, Texas, rushed for 291 yards. And for icing on the cake, Geno Smith passed for 238 yards. A crowd of 46,603 attended the game in Morgantown.
It’s not nice to schedule the Dookies for homecoming – Duke 31, Florida International 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida International 29, Duke 25). There was a reason FIU scheduled Duke for its homecoming game. But the Dookies spoiled FIU’s reasoning. A crowd of 22,682 attended the game in Miami.
Mean and green – Notre Dame 38, Purdue 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Purdue 17). The Irish are improving each week. They could finish 10-2, after an 0-2 start. A crowd of 61,555 attended the game in West Lafayette.
What a nightmare for me. I was 13-11 on my picks. That brings my season total to 93-29 (76.2 percent).
Miami downed Bethune-Cookman, 45-14. A crowd of 40,387 attended the game in Miami Gardens…. Florida Atlantic lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, 37-34. A crowd of 26,339 attended the game in Lafayette…. Jacksonville U. beat Marist, 21-9. A crowd of 3,212 attended the game in Poughkeepsie…. Florida A&M dumped Delaware State, 34-7. A crowd of 1,408 attended the game in Tallahassee.
Impressive Passers: Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson – 30-51-0 for 510 yards; Western Michigan’s Alex Carder – 37-51-0-479; Houston’s Case Keenum – 30-46-0-471; USC’s Matt Barkley – 32-39-1-468; Oklahoma’s Landry Jones – 23-33-1-425; Arizona’s Nick Foles – 41-53-2-425; East Carolina’s Dominique Davis – 41-58-2-417; Hawaii’s Bryant Moniz – 34-55-0-410; Arkansas State’s Ryan Alpin – 37-49-0-396, and Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase – 21-31-1-391.
Also, Central Michigan’s Ryan Radcliff – 17-28-0 for 387 yards; Colorado State’s Pete Thomas – 28-43-2-387; Washington State’s Marshall Lobbestael – 32-49-1-376; Northern Illinois’ Chandler Harnish – 27-50-2-370; Texas Tech’s Seth Doege – 29-46-1-366; SMU’s J.J. McDermott – 23-45-1-349; Troy’s Corey Robinson – 30-49-1-349; Florida International’s Wes Carroll – 25-39-0-348; Baylor’s Robert Griffin – 23-31-1-346, and Tennessee’s Tyler Bray – 21-30-0-342.
Also, Duke’s Sean Renfree – 28-43-0 for 335 yards; Louisiana-Lafayette’s Blaine Gautier – 26-33-0-329; Tulsa’s G.J. Kinne – 20-31-0-314; San Jose State’s Matt Faulkner – 25-38-1-313; Louisiana Tech’s Nick Isham – 29-51-2-305; TCU’s Casey Pachall – 30-42-0-304; Connecticut’s Johnny McEntee – 22-39-0-300; New Mexico State’s Matt Christian – 16-27-0-296; Southern Mississippi’s Austin Davis – 21-33-2-284; Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 25-37-1-281; Middle Tennessee’s Logan Kilgore – 27-41-1-277, and Ohio’s Tyler Tettleton – 28-42-0-276.
Also, Southern Mississippi’s Kendrick Hardy – 172 yards; Eastern Michigan’s Dominique White – 164 yards; Wisconsin’s Montee Ball – 151 yards; Navy’s Alexander Teich – 148 yards; North Carolina’s Giovani Bernard – 146 yards; Auburn’s Michael Dyer – 141 yards, and Army’s Raymond Maples – 141 yards.
“Well, if they’re joining us, you’d think there would be at least another one joining somewhere along the way,” Georgia coach Mark Richt, on Texas A&M joining the SEC.
“South Carolina is living on borrowed time,” CBS Sports commentator Tony Barnhart, on the Gamecocks’ inconsistent offense prior to the Auburn game.
“We got a real problem,” Oklahoma State booster T. Boone Pickens, on the status of the Big 12 if Missouri leaves for the SEC.
“John Brantley must beat the Crimson Tide to win over the Gator nation,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi, prior to the Alabama-Florida game.
“Will Muschamp will win a lot of games at Florida, but not this one,” Birmingham News columnist Kevin Scarbinsky, prior to the Alabama-Florida game.
“I could care less about Maryland. I’ve burned my diploma. I’m flying a Georgia Tech flag right now,” Maryland grad and former Terrapin football coach Ralph Friedgen.
“It has been a difficult week, and I’m not just talking about the Braves’ exit or the fact that Nancy Graceless had some sort of wardrobe malfunction on Dancing with the Mutants, which brought the world to a standstill, wiped out half the planet’s vegetation and destroyed the good and the innocence that exists inside all of us,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.
“You can’t tell me that Pitt and Syracuse are making ACC football significantly better. In the last few years, they have laid off more football coaches than Bank of America did with its employees last week,” Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.
“Many are aware of anonymous, malicious and public attacks on athletic director Pete Boone. The Ole Miss family may not be aware, however, that as a part of this orchestrated campaign, I have received threats, promising that if I do not remove Pete Boone, ‘It is going to get real ugly,’ and promising to expand the attacks to other athletic employees,” Ole Miss chancellor Dan Jones.
“Can you believe Michael Vick is whining that NFL officials don’t protect him like they protect other NFL quarterbacks? And somewhere, Vick’s former dogs are saying, ‘Yeah, dude, and you didn’t protect us like other pet owners protect their dogs!’,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.
“I apologize to the fans of Nebraska,” Husker coach Bo Pelini, after the loss to Wisconsin.
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Oklahoma (4-0) vs. Texas (4-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – The last time I looked, these two schools were still in the Big 12. But things seem to change quickly in that part of the country. Actually, OU coach Bob Stoops said recently that if this rivalry were to end it wouldn’t bother him. But then, Stoops is from Ohio and went to Iowa – a Big Ten school. So, what does he know? Texas is just another game to him. Like I really believe that. He knows that if he were to lose to Texas too often then he would be run out of Norman faster than Sooner. The Longhorns are on the rebound. They are off to a good start. But some folks don’t think the Horns have really been tested yet. If the Sooners aren’t a good test for the Horns, I don’t know what is. Bevo fails the test – Oklahoma 28, Texas 19.
RUNNER UP: 2. Auburn (4-1) at Arkansas (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Just when we thought these two might be down, both bounced back. Auburn beat South Carolina and Arkansas beat Texas A&M. But only one can win this week. I think we’ll know the truth about the Auburn defense after the Arkansas game. I’m not convinced South Carolina has an offense. But the Razorbacks do – Arkansas 28, Auburn 24.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Florida (4-1) at LSU (5-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Without John Brantley, who knows what kind of offense Charlie Weis will devise for the Tigers. The best hope probably lies with the Gator defense – figuring that LSU’s offense isn’t as strong as Alabama’s. Regardless, barring a miracle, it doesn’t look good for the Gators. If Florida couldn’t move the ball against Alabama, the Gators, sure as shootin’, can’t move it against LSU – with or without Brantley. Pray for a miracle – LSU 29, Florida 13.
4. Ohio State (3-2) at Nebraska (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – If Terrelle Pryor and his merry band of tattoo collectors were still playing for the Buckeyes, then Nebraska could be facing an 0-2 start in Big Ten play. But TP and gang are gone. Ohio State isn’t your grandma’s Buckeyes. Miami and Michigan State convinced us of that. Heck, Toledo almost convinced us too. So this week, Husker fans shouldn’t have to worry about the quarterback who can’t shoot straight. Taylor Martinez can throw all the incompletions he wants, as long as he doesn’t throw too many INT’s. And besides, Bo wants to make a good impression on his buddies back in Ohio. And a message to Nebraska fans: Wear red, not black. Corn rebounds on the commodities market – Nebraska 26, Ohio State 15.
5. Iowa State (3-1) at Baylor (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – Both of these teams had their luck run out last week. Only one will bounce back this week. RG3 should have a field day with the Cyclone defense. Looking grizzly in Waco – Baylor 34, Iowa State 23.
6. Georgia (3-2) at Tennessee (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – The Dawgs are on a roll – 3-0 since starting 0-2. But Tennessee is a step up from the competition of the past three weeks. And the game is in Knoxville. That’s a big step up. Uga can’t step very high – Tennessee 27, Georgia 22.
7. Missouri (2-2) at Kansas State (4-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – K-State is one of my surprise teams of the young 2011 season. But I think the Wildcats are in for a surprise this week. Mo makes amends for a rough start – Missouri 32, Kansas State 29.
8. California (3-1) at Oregon (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – I saw someone’s hot seat list and it had Cal’s Jeff Tedford on it. Surely Cal fans don’t expect the Bears to win against Oregon – and in Eugene at that. It could be a long day for Cal. Tedford may need to sign up for Aflac after this one – Oregon 33, California 19.
9. Texas A&M (2-2) at Texas Tech (4-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – The Aggies continue their farewell tour through the Big 12. Next stop – Lubbock. They don’t like Aggies in Lubbock. And I’m sure Texas Tech wants to send A&M off to the SEC with a whooping the Aggies won’t forget. The Aggies better hope they don’t have a big lead over the Red Raiders at halftime. The Big 12 puts a second notch in its gun – Texas Tech 35, Texas A&M 34.
10. Vanderbilt (3-1) at Alabama (5-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – Well, Vanderbilt is playing much better this year. That only means Alabama won’t beat the Commodores as bad as they usually do. Then again, maybe not. The Tide is playing much better this year too. Bama Nicks the Commodores – Alabama 28, Vanderbilt 12.
11. Michigan (5-0) at Northwestern (2-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – With Denard Robinson running the show on the field, Brady Hoke has the Wolverines on the rise. The Wildcats won’t stop the rise. Wolverines a-maize the Wildcats – Michigan 32, Northwestern 17.
12. Miami (Florida) (2-2) at Virginia Tech (4-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – The Hokies stubbed their toe last week. The offense never got out of the starting blocks. There may not have been anything to get out in the first place. Miami is no Clemson, but the Canes are competitive. Defense, defense, defense – Virginia Tech 25, Miami 18.
13. Boise State (4-0) at Fresno State (2-3) – (MWC vs. WAC) – This week, Fresno State has its chance to knock off the Broncos. No one has taken advantage of this chance so far. It doesn’t look like the Bulldogs will either. Visions of 12-0 are dancing in the Broncos’ heads – Boise State 29, Fresno State 19.
14. Arizona State (4-1) at Utah (2-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – Dennis Erickson is fighting for his life at ASU. The more the Sun Devils win, the longer Erickson extends his time in Tempe. Things are looking good for Erickson this week. Devils find Sun in Utah – Arizona State 27, Utah 18.
15. TCU (3-2) at San Diego State (3-1) – (MWC vs. MWC) – Something tells me this is a rebuilding year at TCU. The Frogs have taken a couple of tumbles and the season is still young. Aztecs do some giggin’ – San Diego State 28, TCU 27.
16. Air Force (3-1) at Notre Dame (3-2) – (MWC vs. Ind.) – The Irish are catching the Falcons at a good time. Air Force is sky high after its win over Navy. They may forget to come down for Notre Dame. Irish shoot the Falcons out of the sky – Notre Dame 30, Air Force 19.
17. Maryland (2-2) at Georgia Tech (5-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – Last week, we learned that Maryland grad and former Terrapin coach Ralph Friedgen burned his Maryland diploma and is flying a Georgia Tech flag at his house. Guess you know who Friedgen will be cheering for in this game. It won’t be the Maryland uniforms. Tech has a secret agent behind enemy lines – Georgia Tech 35, Maryland 16.
18. Connecticut (2-3) at West Virginia (4-1) – (Big East vs. Big East) – Mounties and the Huskies begin their Big East play this week. UConn comes in off a loss to a MAC team, while WVU enters the game after beating a MAC team. UConn’s only hope in the game may be returning kickoffs. And if the Mounties score as much as they should, the Huskies should have lots of opportunities to return kickoffs. Eers Pass the Baloney – West Virginia 38, Connecticut 15.
19. Southern Miss (4-1) at Navy (2-2) – (C-USA vs. Ind.) – Navy’s offense may give the Eagles fits. Then again, the Eagles’ offense may give the Middies fits. The Middies outfit the Eagles – Navy 29, Southern Miss 26.
20. Florida State (2-2) at Wake Forest (3-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – Wake has a couple of good wins under its belt. FSU is still looking for its first good win. The Noles get one under their belt – Florida State 29, Wake Forest 23.
21. Troy (2-2) at Louisiana-Lafayette (4-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – ULL, picked by many to finish last in the Sun Belt, is off to a good start, including a good win over FIU on the road. Troy won a cliffhanger against Middle Tennessee last week. The Trojans could be in store for another cliffhanger. The Trojans hang well – Troy 37, Louisiana-Lafayette 35.
Minnesota (1-4) at Purdue (2-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – Now if Purdue can’t beat Minnesota, Danny Hope should be fired on the spot. There’s hope for Hope – Purdue 27, Minnesota 23.
Duke (3-2) has the week off.
UCF (2-2) entertains Marshall (2-3)…. Florida International (3-2) visits Akron (1-4)…. Florida Atlantic (0-4) travels to North Texas (1-4)…. Florida A&M (3-2) hosts Howard (2-3)…. Bethune-Cookman (2-2) is at North Carolina A&T (2-2)…. Jacksonville U. (3-2) is hosting Dayton (3-2)…. South Florida (4-1) has the week off.
Western Kentucky at Middle Tennessee – 7:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
California at Oregon – 9 p.m. ET – ESPNBoise State at Fresno State – 9 p.m. ET – ESPN
Oklahoma vs. Texas – 12 noon ET – ABC
Louisville at North Carolina – 12 noon ET – ESPN2Minnesota at Purdue – 12 noon ET – ESPN
Maryland at Georgia Tech – 12 noon ET – ESPNU
Kentucky at South Carolina – 12:20 p.m. ET – SEC Game of the Week
Florida State at Wake Forest – 12:30 p.m. ET – ACC Game of the Week
Air Force at Notre Dame – 3:30 p.m. ET – NBC
Florida at LSU – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS
Iowa at Penn State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN
Miami (Florida) at Virginia Tech – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC/ESPN
Missouri at Kansas State – 3:30 p.m. ET – ABC
Southern Miss at Navy – 3:30 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Pitt at Rutgers – 3:30 p.m. ET – ESPNU
Auburn at Arkansas – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN
Georgia at Tennessee – 7 p.m. ET – ESPN2
Vanderbilt at Alabama – 7 p.m. ET – ESPNU
East Carolina at Houston – 7 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Texas A&M at Texas Tech – 7 p.m. ET – FX
Colorado at Stanford – 7:30 p.m. ET – Versus
Ohio State at Nebraska – 8 p.m. ET – ABC
San Jose State at BYU – 10:15 p.m. ET – ESPNU
TCU at San Diego State – 10:30 p.m. ET – CBS College Sports Network
Elsewhere around college football . . . Michigan has added Massachusetts to its 2012 schedule. The game will be played in An Arbor…. Oregon State has added Weber State to its 2015 schedule. The game will be played in Corvallis…. East Carolina and north Carolina have extended their home-and-home series through the 2013 season…. Nevada has added Oregon State and Washington State to its future schedules. The Wolf Pack will play a home-and-home series with the Beavers in 2017 and 2018, and a home-and-home series with the Cougars in 2014 and 2017.
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 – Johnnie Wright, Claude Kirk, Dave Hill, and Mike Heimerdinger.
Johnnie Wright, a singer and bandleader who was among the first country musicians to use Latin rhythms and who managed the singing career of his wife Kitty Wells, died last week at his home in Madison, Tennessee. He was 97. Wright and Jack Anglin, performing as Johnnie and Jack, had 15 Top 20 hits on the country music charts from 1951 to 1962. Later as a solo artist, Wright topped the country charts in 1965 with “Hello Vietnam,” a patriotic lament written by Tom T. Hall. Johnnie Robert Wright was born on May 14, 1914, in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.
Claude R. Kirk Jr., who as a brash political neophyte became, in 1966, Florida’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction, then basked in publicity and courted confrontation in an eventful four years, died last week at his home in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 85. He was an early and strong proponent of environmental conservation in Florida, in one instance stopping the construction of an airport in the Everglades. He also signed off on a deal, known then as the Florida Project, with Roy Disney to build a theme park on vast tracts of land in sleepy central Florida. He lost his bid for re-election in 1970 to Reubin Askew, a Democrat who won with 57 percent of the vote. Claude Roy Kirk Jr. was born in San Bernardino, California, on January 27, 1926. He grew up in Illinois and Alabama. As a lieutenant in the Marine Corps, Kirk served on a battleship during the Korean War.
Dave Hill, a 13-time winner on the PGA Tour whose outspoken ways sometimes overshadowed his play, died last week in Jackson, Michigan. He was 74. The cause was emphysema. Hill emerged as one of the leading pros in 1969 when he won three tournaments and played in his first of three Ryder Cups. Born in 1937, he grew up in Jackson, Michigan, and turned pro in 1958. Hill had his first tour victory at Tucson in 1961.
Mike Heimerdinger, who coached offensive units for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans, and helped mold players like Steve McNair, Vince Young and Jay Cutler, died last week in Mexico where he was receiving experimental cancer treatments. He was 58. Before moving to the NFL, Heimerdinger was an assistant coach in college football at Florida, Air Force, North Texas, Fullerton State, Rice and Duke. Michael Heimerdinger was born October 13, 1952, in DeKalb, Illinois. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Eastern Illinois and a master’s degree in business administration from Northern Illinois. He played wide receiver at Eastern Illinois, where his roommate, teammate and friend was Mike Shanahan.
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