College Football Week 3 – A.J. McCarron vs. Johnny Manziel
You go your way baby, I’ll go mine

All week, I had Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan and Carole King on my mind.

Well, actually, I had their songs on my mind.  More specifically, I had the lyrics of Holly’s “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” Dylan’s “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)” and King’s “You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine,” on my mind.

I couldn’t shake it.  I was singing pieces of the lyrics all week.  I couldn’t get the words out of my mind – “You go your way, I’ll go mine.”

It all began a several weeks ago.  Swamp Mama and I had plans to go to Florida Tech’s inaugural football game against Stetson on September 7.  All was fine until it dawned on me that the West Virginia-Oklahoma game and the Stetson-Florida Tech game were scheduled to start at the same time – 7 p.m.  And, the WVU-OU game was being televised.

“Swamp Mama, we have a problem.”

Swamp Mama was insistent that “we” go to the Florida Tech game.  I was insistent that “I” stay home and watch the WVU game.  Now, you have the picture, “I just can’t fight your willful mind.  You go your way, I’ll go mine.”

Then Swamp Mama decided to take things one step further.  If I wasn’t going to go to the Florida Tech game, she was going to go to the game with her boss.  Her boss is a man – a younger man.  “And who’s been left behind when you go your way and I go mine.” 

And I’m thinking, “Well, maybe I’ll just go watch the West Virginia game at Hooters.”  But of course, I wouldn’t.

To add insult to injury, her boss said he would pick her up.  They would have dinner before the game.  Dinner at Hardee’s (across the street from the stadium).  Swamp Mama was thrilled.  Now, if I told Swamp Mama I was taking her to dinner at Hardee’s, I would never hear the end of it.  She would be anything but thrilled.

A few years ago, I took Swamp Mama to dinner at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s on her birthday.  I’m still hearing about that today.  I mean, Rockledge Gator takes Bootsie to dinner at Long Doggers and she doesn’t complain.  Well, he doesn’t take her to Long Doggers on her birthday.

Early Saturday evening, Swamp Mama’s boss arrived at the house.  As the two of them left for the game….excuse me….for dinner at Hardee’s, I said to Alex, “You make sure you have her back before midnight.”        

“There you go baby, here I am
Well you left me here so I could sit and cry (over the Mountaineers)
Golly gee what have you done to me?
Well I guess it doesn’t matter anymore”

“Do you remember baby last September?
How you held me tight each and every night”

During the games, Swamp Mama and I texted the respective scores to each other.  Florida Tech was losing to Stetson, 13-6.  West Virginia was leading Oklahoma, 7-0.  Trailing 13-6, Florida Tech rallied to score two touchdowns in the final six and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to beat Stetson, 20-13.  WVU failed to score again, while Oklahoma put up 16 points to beat the Mountaineers, 16-7.  I’m such a masochist – a glutton for punishment.

Soon, Swamp Mama was home from the game.  Alex had her back before midnight.  As she came through the door, I said, “How was your Thickburger?”  I’m such a masochist – a glutton for punishment. 

Michigan, Miami (Florida) and Georgia weren’t gluttons for punishment on Saturday.  In the weekend’s three marquee games, the Wolverines, Hurricanes and Bulldogs all won.  Michigan rode the passing (294 yards) and rushing (82 yards) of Devin Gardner to down Notre Dame, 41-30, before the largest crowd in college football history – 115,109.

Miami took advantage of five Florida turnovers (three fumbles and two interceptions) to stymie the Gators, 21-16.  Well-balanced with the passing of Aaron Murray (309 yards and four touchdowns) and the running of Todd Gurley (134 yards) and Keith Marshall (58 yards), Georgia wore down South Carolina, 41-30.  The Dawgs outscored the Gamecocks, 17-6, in the second half.

Speaking of worn down and outscored, that must be how Lane Kiffin and Mack Brown feel.  Kiffin’s USC Trojans were stunned by Washington State, 10-7, while Brown’s Texas Longhorns were blitzed by BYU, 41-20.  Kiffin and Brown are definitely feeling the heat.  The Texas defense gave up 679 yards to BYU, while USC only managed 193 yards of offense against Wazzu.  Sunday, Brown fired his defensive coordinator Many Diaz.

Add Army coach Rich Ellerson to the heat list.  The Cadets lost to Ball State, 40-14. 

The weekend’s best basketball-football game took place in College Station.  Texas A&M subdued Sam Houston State, 65-28.  Johnny Manziel passed for 403 yards and three touchdowns.  Five other teams scored more than 60 points – Utah (70), Baylor (70), Troy (66) Boise State (63) and Texas Tech (61).  Baylor has scored 139 points in two games, averaging 69.5 points per game.  Oregon just missed the club this week, scoring 59 points.  The Ducks are averaging 62.5 points per game.

The two lowest scoring contests were Washington State’s 10-7 upset of USC and Oklahoma’s 16-7 win over West Virginia.  There was only one overtime game.  New Mexico beat UTEP, 42-35 (OT).  Perhaps the most exciting finish took place Dallas.  SMU, trailing Montana State, 30-19, midway through the third quarter, rallied to beat the Bobcats, 31-30.  The Mustangs final score came with 12 seconds left in the game – a four-yard pass from Garrett Gilbert to Darius Joseph.  

At the Bret Bielema factories, past and present, Wisconsin had three backs rush for more than 100 yards each again, while Arkansas had two runners accomplish the same task for the second week.  Corey Clement (149 yards), Melvin Gordon (140) and James White (109) exceeded the century mark for the Badgers, while Alex Collins (172 yards) and Jonathan Williams (126) surpassed 100 yards rushing for the Razorbacks.  Wisconsin beat Tennessee Tech, 48-0, and Arkansas beat Samford, 31-21.    

UCF and Bowling Green are off to good starts – both at 2-0.  But both have tough outings coming up this week.  UCF takes on Penn State in State College, and Bowling Green is on the road at Indiana. 

Colorado and Fresno State, both 2-0 out of the gate, face off against each other in Boulder on Saturday.  Illinois, 2-0, is a bit of a surprise early in the season.  The Banned Indians beat Cincinnati, 45-17.  Illinois quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase had another good game, passing for 312 yards and four touchdowns.     

Enema…..I mean…..Eminem made an appearance in the broadcast booth during the Notre Dame-Michigan game on ESPN with Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musberger.  While chatting with Kirk and Brent, Eminem looked like someone was giving him an enema. 

Back in Athens at the South Carolina-Georgia game, Clarabell the Clowney was a no-show again this week.  Maybe Jadeveon should consider trying out for the Howdy Doody Show.  He might find it more to his liking.  It was anything but the Howdy Doody Show on the South Carolina sidelines when two of Steve Spurrier’s defensive coaches got in a shoving and shouting match with each other.  The game went downhill for the Gamecocks after that.      

Getting sloppy with it:  In Western Kentucky’s 52-20 loss to Tennessee, the Hilltoppers had seven turnovers.  Five of the turnovers occurred in six plays.  Georgia State lost for the second consecutive week to an FCS team.  Saturday, the Panthers fell to Chattanooga, 42-14.      

Sunday, Swamp Mama asked me who the Gators are playing this week.

I said, “They’re off.”

She said, “They were off yesterday.”

“Now, you go your way baby and I’ll go mine.”

(Note:  Buddy Holly’s hit “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” was written by Paul Anka.)

Touchdown Tom
September 9, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Irish wake – Michigan 41, Notre Dame 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 24, Notre Dame 23) – The Irish lacked a running game and Tommy Rees threw two interceptions.  A crowd of 115,109 attended the game in Ann Arbor.

RUNNER UP:  Gators still searching for an offense – Miami (Florida) 21, Florida 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 23, Miami 16) – Florida dominated the stats – 22 first downs to Miami’s 10, and 413 yards of offense to Miami’s 212.  But the Gators also dominated the turnovers – five miscues to Miami’s one.  In his third year at Florida, Will Muschamp is still trying to establish an offense.  A crowd of 76,968 attended the game in Miami Gardens.

REST OF THE BEST:  Murray the A – Georgia 41, South Carolina 30 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 26, Georgia 22) – Actually it should be an A+.  That’s the kind of game Aaron Murray played – near perfect.  Or was it perfect?  Murray got the monkey off his back as the Dawgs beat the Gamecocks for the first time in four years.  A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.

Just Ducky – Oregon 59, Virginia 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 33, Virginia 19) – Marcus Mariota passed for 199 yards and rushed for another 122.  The Cavaliers never saw the end zone in the second half.  A crowd of 58,502 attended the game in Charlottesville.

Bevo, that’s what’s for dinner – BYU 41, Texas 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, BYU 18) – BYU had 679 yards of offense – 550 rushing.  The heat is on Mack Brown.  So much so that Brown fired Many Diaz his defensive coordinator the next day.  A crowd of 63,197 attended the game in Provo.

Budding Trees – Stanford 34, San Jose State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, San Jose State 17) – Stanford picked up where it left off last year.  The Cardinal defense held the Spartans to 35 yards rushing.  A crowd of 50,424 attended the game in Palo Alto.

OUch – Oklahoma 16, West Virginia 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 29, West Virginia 14) – Either it was an anomaly or West Virginia has a defense this year.  If you told me before the game that the Eers would hold OU to 16 points, I would have said you were lying.  But while the WVU defense appears to be better, the offense is a train wreck.  WVU scored halfway through the first quarter and never saw the end zone again for the rest of the game.  The Eers only have scored 31 points in two games.  Ultimately, Oklahoma’s running game made the difference for the Sooners.  A crowd of 84,692 attended the game in Norman.

Tuberville gets tumbled – Illinois 45, Cincinnati 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 39, Illinois 31) – What a turnaround?  Cincinnati kills Purdue the previous week, then gets killed by Illinois on Saturday.  The Banned Indians may be a better team this year than expected.  We’ll know this week when Illinois plays Washington.  But one thing is certain – Nathan Scheelhaase is the real thing.  A crowd of 43,031 attended the game in Champaign.

Malzahn’s Tigers already look better than Chizik’s Tigers – Auburn 38, Arkansas State 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 30, Arkansas State 20) – The running game made the difference for the Tigers.  Auburn rushed for 301 yards.  Gus Malzahn had no problems with his former team.  A crowd of 83,246 attended the game in Auburn.

Motorcycle wreck – Tennessee 52, Western Kentucky 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 30, Western Kentucky 19) – The Hilltoppers actually had more yards than Tennessee – 393 yards to 382.  But WKU couldn’t hold onto the ball – seven turnovers.  A crowd of 86,783 attended the game in Knoxville.

Eagles lower the Price – Boston College 24, Wake Forest 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 22, Wake Forest 20) – Wake had no running game.  BC held the Deacons to 55 yards rushing.  BC’s Andre Williams rushed for 204 yards.  With Chase Rettig and Williams, the Eagles are a feisty little team.  A crowd of 32,465 attended the game in Chestnut Hill.

The BGs are stayin’ alive – Bowling Green 41, Kent State 22 (Touchdown Tom said: Bowling Green 28, Kent State 23) – BG is off to a great start – 75 points in two games.  Matt Johnson passed for 357 yards and Travis Greene rushed for 145.  A crowd of 22,758 attended the game in Kent.

Blue on Blue – North Carolina 40, Middle Tennessee 20 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 29, Middle Tennessee 20) – The Blue Raiders outscored the Tar Heels 20-17 in the second half.  But it was too little too late.  UNC’s Bryn Renner passed for 339 yards.  A crowd of 48,000 attended the game in Chapel Hill.

“Fire Kiffin, Fire Kiffin” – Washington State 10, USC 7 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 33, Washington State 22) – That’s what USC fans were chanting during the game.  The Trojans only had 54 yards passing – unbelievable.  Wazzu only had seven yards rushing – unbelievable.  I never thought I would see a Mike Leach-coached team hold an opponent to seven points.  I have to believe Lane Kiffin won’t be coaching the Trojans next year.  A crowd of 77,823 attended the game in Los Angeles

Spartans slow out of the gates – Michigan State 21, South Florida 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 36, South Florida 15) – The Spartans held USF to 155 yards of offense – 66 passing, 89 rushing.  But the Spartans didn’t look that much better themselves – especially when you consider that McNeese State put 53 points on the board against the Bulls the previous week.  A crowd of 70,401 attended the game in East Lansing.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Aggies do the flying – Utah State 52, Air Force 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah State 30, Air Force 25) – The Aggies racked of 577 yards of offense.  Chuckie Keeton passed for 360 yards and rushed for another 77.  The Aggies are a threat in the MWC.  A crowd of 32,716 attended the game in Colorado Springs.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Herb’s breathing a little easier – Nebraska 56, Southern Miss 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 40, Southern Miss 10) – Hey, the Huskers have a defense after all.  Actually, Nebraska’s cheerleaders could have kept Southern Miss from scoring.  A balanced attack helped the Huskers.  Turnovers hampered the Eagles.  A crowd of 90,466 attended the game in Lincoln.

The Devils get some barbecue – Duke 28, Memphis 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Memphis 16) – The Dookies go on the road and come away with a win.  Tied 14-14 early in the fourth, the Dookies got tough in the final 10 minutes of the game, outscoring Memphis 14-0.  A crowd of 44,237 attended the game in Memphis.

Back on track – Purdue 20, Indiana State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 40, Indiana State 26) – This is the same Indiana State team that gave up 73 points the previous week.  I’m not sure what that says about Purdue.  The Sycamores had more total yards than the Boilers – 295 to 284.  But Purdue held Indiana State to 39 yards rushing.  A crowd of 50,165 attended the game in West Lafayette.

Week 2 Picks:    14 correct; 5 wrong (73.7 percent)
On the Season:   32 correct; 8 wrong (80.0 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

UCF clobbered Florida International, 38-0.  A crowd of 15,823 attended the game in Miami….  Florida Atlantic lost to East Carolina, 31-13.  A crowd of 37,533 attended the game in Greenville….  Florida A&M lost to Tennessee State, 27-7.  A crowd of 14,237 attended the game in Tallahassee.

Bethune-Cookman beat Virginia Union, 66-7.  A crowd of 6,478 attended the game in Daytona Beach….  Jacksonville U. lost to Jacksonville State, 48-13.  A crowd of 17,592 attended the game in Jacksonville, AL….  Florida Tech downed Stetson, 20-13.  A crowd of 5,000 attended the game in Melbourne.         


Superlatives

Weekend’s Best Passers:  California’s Jared Goff – 33-51-0-485; Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel – 28-41-1-403; Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater – 22-33-0-397; Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 31-43-1-372; Texas Tech’s Baker Mayfield – 21-30-0-367; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 41-42-1-363; Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton – 32-40-1-360, and Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson – 19-25-0-357.

Also, Colorado’s Connor Wood – 23-36-2-341; North Carolina’s Bryn Renner – 23-34-1-339; Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 13-16-0-338; Tulane’s Nick Montana – 29-47-1-327; Oklahoma State’s J.W. Walsh – 2427-0-326; Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 19-32-0-326; Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 23-32-0-325; SMU’s Garrett Gilbert – 35-48-0-317, and Notre Dame’s Tommy Rees – 29-51-2-314.

Also, Illinois’ Nathan Scheelhaase – 26-37-0-312; Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg – 23-33-1-311; Kentucky’s Maxwell Smith – 15-23-0-310; Georgia’s Aaron Murray – 17-23-0-309; UTSA’s Eric Soza – 24-41-2-308; Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 23-31-0-300; Wyoming’s Brett Smith – 22-38-1-295; Michigan’s Devin Gardner – 21-33-1-294; Florida’s Jeff Driskel – 22-33-2-291, and South Alabama’s Ross Metheny – 19-30-2-290.


Weekend’s Best Rushers:  New Mexico’s Kasey Carrier – 291 yards; BYU’s Taysom Hill – 259 yards; Boston College’s Andre Williams – 204 yards; BYU’s Jamaal Williams – 182 yards; Louisiana Tech’s Tevin King – 182 yards, and Iowa’s Mark Weisman – 180 yards.

Also, Arkansas’ Alex Collins – 172 yards; Arizona’s Ka’Deem Carey – 171 yards; Oklahoma’s Brennan Clay – 170 yards; Tulsa’s Trey Watts – 152 yards; Marshall’s Steward Butler – 151 yards; USC’s Tre Madden – 151 yards, and Baylor’s Lache Seastrunk – 150 yards.    


Quotes of the Week

“First off, I don’t know what vanilla – I’ve heard the word vanilla – I don’t know what vanilla is.  I’ve never made a game plan with vanilla,” Florida offensive coordinator Brent Pease, responding to critics who say his offensive game plans are too vanilla. 

“One of the things I love about him is that he’s very critical of himself, very tough on himself,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher, on his quarterback Jameis Winston.

“I wanted to grab his facemask and I wanted to grab him up,” former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, reacting to Johnny Manziel’s antics in the A&M-Rice game.

“Brian Bosworth was a bigger jerk than Johnny Manziel,” Former Oklahoma and NFL lineman Tony Casillas, on his ex-teammate.

“You’ve got to realize, it’s hard for Georgia to really get mad at South Carolina.   They’ve got so many teams their mad at or are mad at them,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier.

“I think he played the game of his life,” Georgia wide receiver Michael Bennett, on his teammate quarterback Aaron Murray.

“As far as USC fans are concerned, Lane Kiffin can keep on running right out of LA and never come back,” CBSSports.com columnist Gregg Doyel.


Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 15 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games.…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Alabama (1-0) at Texas A&M (2-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Tide will be looking for paybacks – big time.  The Aggies were the only blemish on Bama’s record in 2012.  Johnny Manziel won’t have time to sign any autographs.  The Tide defense won’t let him rest for a moment.    Revenge – Alabama 34, Texas A&M 29.

RUNNER UP:  2. UCLA (1-0) at Nebraska (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Talk about paybacks, that’s what the Huskers will be looking for too.  The Bruins put 36 on the board last year on their way to a 36-30 win over the Huskers.  And this is a better Bruin team than last season.  It’ll be a real test for the Husker defense.  Herbie wins by a thumb – Nebraska 38, UCLA 34.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Wisconsin (2-0) at Arizona State (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Wisconsin’s running game against ASU’s passing game – it should be interesting.  The defenses will make the difference.  These Badgers can run – Wisconsin 28, Arizona State 27.

4. Tennessee (2-0) at Oregon (2-0) – (SEC vs. Pac-12) (TV: ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Ducks are averaging 62.5 points a game.  But Tennessee will be the best defense Oregon has met so far.  Sadly, the Vols defense isn’t that good – Oregon 40, Tennessee 23.

5. Washington (1-0) vs. Illinois (2-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) – It’s a shame this game isn’t on national TV.  Both teams are off to a good start.  Both have exciting quarterbacks.  The Huskies running back Bishop Sankey makes the difference – Washington 30, Illinois 29.

6. UCF (2-0) at Penn State (2-0) – (AAC vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This is the first real test for UCF.  Are the Knights for real or not?  It may be the Lions first real test.  Not sure Syracuse is as good as UCF.  Regardless, the contest has the makings for a good one – maybe a barnburner, maybe a donnybrook.  The Cats purr – Penn State 22, UCF 20.

7. Fresno State (2-0) at Colorado (2-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) (TV: Pac-12 Network, 2 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Another battle of the unbeatens.  Fresno State has been tested; Colorado hasn’t.  It pays off for the Bulldogs.  Ralphie’s luck runs out – Fresno State 35, Colorado 32.

8. Georgia Tech (1-0) at Duke (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This is a big opportunity for the Dookies.  A win over Georgia Tech might make the students forget about basketball.  At least for a few days.  When does basketball season start? – Georgia Tech 27, Duke 21.

9. Boston College (2-0) at USC (1-1) – ACC vs. Pac-12) (TV: Pac-12 Network, 3 p.m. ET, Saturday) – If Washington State can beat USC in the Coliseum, there’s no reason why BC can’t.  Lane Kiffin will be toast if the Trojans lose to the Eagles.  Kiffin survives a scare – USC 24, Boston College 16.

10. Ole Miss (2-0) at Texas (1-1) – (SEC vs. Big 12) (TV: LHN, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Last year, Texas went into Oxford and blasted the Rebels, 66-31.  It was an awful sight.  So you have Ole Miss thinking paybacks and Texas thinking comeback.  The Horns were embarrassed by BYU last week.  Brown and out – Ole Miss 30, Texas 27.

11. TCU (1-1) at Texas Tech (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday) – Good early season battle in the Big 12.  Texas Tech may be a better team than expected.  TCU needs a good win after the loss to LSU.  Frogmen escape Lubbock – TCU 31, Texas Tech 29.

12. Ohio State (2-0) at California (1-1) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – It may get a little tougher for the Bucks this week.  Cal can score, but the Bears can’t stop the Bucks from scoring.  Bucks find gold in California – Ohio State 34, California 26.

13. Virginia Tech (1-1) at East Carolina (2-0) – (ACC vs. C-USA) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – East Carolina will be out to stun the Hokies.  The Pirates have done it before.  And they can be tough in Greenville.  Hokies have a battle on their hands, but they win the war – Virginia Tech 32, East Carolina 24.

14. Bowling Green (2-0) at Indiana (1-1) – (MAC vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, ESPNU) – Off to a good start, BG will be tested in Bloomington.  Indiana knows how to score, but the Hoosiers don’t have a defense.  MAC attack – Bowling Green 37, Indiana 36.

15. Stanford (1-0) at Army (1-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) (TV: CBSSN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Army is just the type of team that might give Stanford some problems for a while.  But Stanford is just the type of team that will give Army some problems all day.  The Cardinal parties on the Hudson – Stanford 28, Army 12.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

16. Vanderbilt (1-1) at South Carolina (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Gamecocks better get that Georgia loss out of their system.  Vandy will be out to give the Cocks a battle.  The Commodores lost a close one to Ole Miss.  They have something to prove.  The loser will be 0-2 in SEC play.  Who will be playing the role of Jadeveon Clowney this week?  And will the Gamecock coaches behave?  The drama builds.  Cocks rebound – South Carolina 32, Vanderbilt 20.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Georgia State (0-2) at West Virginia (1-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Big 12) (TV: Local, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – If WVU’s offense can’t get going against Georgia State, then Dana “Hal Mumme” Holgorsen really does have a problem on his hands.  The Panthers bite off more than they can chew – West Virginia 52, Georgia State 9.

Notre Dame (1-1) at Purdue (1-1) – (Ind. vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Boilers just plain don’t have much luck against the Irish.  It must be the brogue – Notre Dame 38, Purdue 13.

Florida (1-1) and Georgia (1-1) are off this week.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State (1-0) entertains Nevada (1-1) (TV: ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  South Florida (0-2) hosts Florida Atlantic (0-2) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Florida International (0-2) is home against Bethune-Cookman (2-0) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Florida A&M (1-1) entertains Samford (1-1) (TV: None, 2 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Jacksonville U. (0-2) hosts Morehead State (0-2) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Florida Tech (1-0) visits Newberry (1-0) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….  Miami (2-0) and Stetson (1-1) are off this week.
 

In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … Auburn and Louisville will open the 2015 season against each other in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome….  South Florida has signed two-game, home-and-home series agreements with Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Maryland.  All eight games will be played between 2014 and 2018. 


Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but in mid-September as the college football season was finally underway, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1943 was “In The Blue Of The Evening” by Tommy Dorsey

…65 years ago this week in 1948 was “Twelfth Street Rag” by Pee Wee Hunt

…60 years ago this week in 1953 was “Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)” by Les Paul and Mary Ford

…55 years ago this week in 1958 was “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare)” by Domenico Modugno

…50 years ago this week in 1963 was “My Boyfriend’s Back” by The Angels

…45 years ago this week in 1968 was “People Got To Be Free” by The Rascals

…40 years ago this week in 1973 was “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye

…35 years ago this week in 1978 was “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste Of Honey

…30 years ago this week in 1983 was “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by The Eurythmics

…25 years ago this week in 1988 was “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses

…20 years ago this week in 1993 was “Can’t Help Falling In Love” by UB40


Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there was one passing of note last week – William C. Campbell

William C. Campbell, a champion of golf’s amateur era who later led his sports two most prestigious governing organizations, died recently at his home in Lewisburg, West Virginia.  Campbell was president of the United States Golf Association in 1982-83.  In 1987, he was named captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland.  Campbell won scores of tournaments as an amateur, including the United States Amateur championship in 1964.  He competed as an amateur in 18 Masters and 15 United States Opens.  Campbell won the United States Senior amateur championship in 1979 and 1980.  William Cammack Campbell was born on May 5, 1923, in Huntington, West Virginia.  He served in the Army in World War II and graduated from Princeton in 1947.  Throughout his playing career, he ran an insurance business in Huntington, a few blocks from the house where he was born.