Football Week 6 – Five games into season, USC fires Kiffin
A couch potato in paradise

Saturday was the perfect day for watching college football on TV.  From 12 noon to the wee hours of Sunday morning there was never a dull minute.  As soon as one exciting game ended, there was another one starting.  If not starting, another one in progress to switch to.  What a fix!

The day’s action began at noon with two games to choose from – South Carolina at UCF or Oklahoma State at West Virginia.  Both provided enough thrills and excitement for ideal TV watching.  Both began with an upset in the making.  But only one ended in an upset.

With a touchdown in the first quarter and a field goal in the second quarter, UCF jumped out to a 10-0 halftime lead over South Carolina.  The Knights had the Gamecocks on the ropes.  UCF fans were giddy.

Then, all within an 18-minute span transcending the third and fourth quarters, the Knights’ fortunes changed.  South Carolina scored 28 unanswered points and led 28-10.  But there was still 10:31 left in the game – enough time for UCF to recover.  The Knights almost did, scoring 15 points.

In the end, South Carolina held on to win, 28-25.  Throughout the game, both teams provided their share of fireworks.  UCF’s Blake Bortles passed for 358 yards, while South Carolina’s Mike Davis rushed for 167 yards.  The teams combined for 917 yards of offense.

If you weren’t watching the South Carolina-UCF game, then you should have been watching (or switching back-and-forth to) the Oklahoma State-West Virginia game.  West Virginia, a 19 to 21 point underdog, jumped out to an early lead over the Cowboys.  The Mountaineers led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter and 24-14 at the half.

Oklahoma State scored early in the third quarter.  You could just see it all unraveling for the Mountaineers.  The Cowboys were going to get their act together, come back and win.  The WVU offense stalled in the third quarter.  The West Virginia lead was just three points – 24-21 – going into the fourth quarter. 

But the Mountaineer defense was at its best in the fourth quarter.  Oklahoma State’s offense was repelled time and time again.  Meanwhile, the WVU offense showed some signs of life.  In his first start for WVU, injured quarterback Clint Trickett rallied his troops.  The Mountaineers mustered two field goals, both kicked in the final four minutes of the game.  West Virginia hung on to upset the Cowboys, 30-21.

With apologies to Jimmy Buffett:

Heaven on earth with a cold beer on ice
Not too particular, not too precise
I’m just a couch potato in paradise

At 3:30, the game of the day got underway – LSU at Georgia.  It lived up to its billing – never disappointing, never lacking for excitement.  The lead changed hands four times.  The score was tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter.  Georgia led 24-17 at the half.  The Dawgs led 34-27 at the end of the third quarter.  With 4:14 to go in the game, LSU took a 41-37 lead.  Georgia won the game 44-41, scoring with 1:47 on the clock.

Both quarterbacks – Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray – were precisionists.  In the end, the teams combined for 943 yards of offense.

And if LSU-Georgia wasn’t enough to keep you glued to the screen, Florida State at Boston College and Oklahoma at Notre Dame were pretty good shows in their own right.  In the first quarter, Boston College jumped out to a 14-3 lead over Florida State.  The Eagles’ lead grew to 17-3 in the second quarter.

But the Noles scored three touchdowns to grab a 24-17 halftime lead.  Early in the third quarter, BC kicked a field goal to pull within four – 24-20.  Then, FSU began to dominate play, building on its lead.  The Eagles trailed by 14 points with 9:44 remaining in the game.  Neither team scored again.  Florida State won 48-34.  The Noles survived a scare.

In South Bend, Indiana, Oklahoma was out to revenge its 30-13 loss to Notre Dame last year.  The Sooners were inspired, jumping out to a 14-0 lead.  But the Irish closed the gap to 14-7.  Early in the third quarter, OU led 21-14, and early in the fourth, the Sooners led 27-21.  Two minutes later, OU added to its lead.  The Sooners led, 35-21.  Neither team scored in the final 12:24 of the game. 

At 7:00, it was Johnny Manziel time – Texas A&M at Arkansas.  The Aggies and the Razorbacks didn’t disappoint.  A&M led throughout, but the Hogs kept it close.  At the half, the Aggies led, 24-20.  As the final quarter began, A&M led, 38-33.  The fourth quarter was the quietist of all, with only one score.  Texas A&M added a touchdown with 10:08 to go.  The Aggies beat Arkansas, 45-33.  The teams combined for 1,006 yards of offense.

An hour into the Texas A&M-Arkansas contest, the biggest game of the night began – Wisconsin at Ohio State.  It lived up to its billing as well.  Although the Buckeyes led throughout, the Badgers kept it close.  Ohio State led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.  The score was 17-14 late in the second quarter.  Clinging to a three-point lead, the Bucks scored a touchdown with one second to go before the half. 

In the third quarter, Ohio State jumped out to a 17-point lead – 31-14.  But the Bucks never scored again.  The Badgers scored twice in the fourth quarter to pull within seven – 31-24.  The Buckeyes hung on to win.

At the same time, in Reno, Air Force and Nevada were putting on what may have been the most exciting game of the day.  Nevada scored first to take a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter.  But the Wolf Pack’s lead was short-lived.  Not only was it short-lived, but Nevada never led again until the final 1:45 of the game.

Air Force led 21-17 at halftime.  The Falcons increased their lead to 35-24 at the end of the third quarter.  With 7:44 left in the fourth quarter, Air Force led 42-30.  It was looking good for the Falcons.  Then Cody Fajardo, Colin Kaepernick’s heir, threw a nine-yard touchdown pass and scored on a two-yard touchdown run – all in the final six minutes.  Nevada beat Air Force, 45-42.  The teams combined for 1,052 yards of offense.

And if the Air Force-Nevada game didn’t wear you out, the best was yet to come.  In the final game of the day – the game that cost Lane Kiffin his job – USC and Arizona State combined for 1,154 yards of offense.

USC actually led 14-7 early in the second quarter.  Arizona State led 20-14 at the half.  Then the explosion began.  The Sun Devils outscored the Trojans 28-7 in the third quarter.  The Trojans rallied, but not enough, outscoring ASU 20-14 in the fourth quarter.  After only scoring a combined 34 points in the first half, the teams scored 69 points in the second half.  Arizona State won, 62-41.

2:15 a.m. – bed time.  Sleep at last.

For the first weekend this season, there were no overtime games.  And only two teams made the “60-plus” club – Arizona State and Boise State.  Boise State beat Southern Miss, 60-7.

News broke Sunday morning that USC fired Lane Kiffin, following the Trojans 62-41 loss to Arizona State.  Kiffin, in his fourth year with the Trojans, had a record of 28-15.  But USC lost seven of its last 11 games, and was 0-2 in Pac-12 play this season.  Kiffin coached Tennessee to a 7-6 record in 2009, but ran out on the Vols after only one season to take the job at USC.  

Candidates being mentioned as potential replacements for Kiffin are Boise State’s Chris Petersen, Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin, Vanderbilt’s James Franklin, Washington’s Steve Sarkisian, Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald and Fresno State’s Tim DeRuyter from the college ranks.  From the NFL ranks are St Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.  Stay tuned.  

College football lost a legend last week.  Former LSU, Army and South Carolina coach Paul Dietzel died.  Dietzel was famous for his “Chinese Bandits” defense.  You can read the full obituary in “Not Directly College Football Related” below.

Florida State fans have been so giddy over quarterback Jameis Winston that some think he is Jesus Christ.  Or is it Jameis Christ?  A group in Tallahassee has been selling t-shirts that depict Winston as Jesus.  The shirts call him “The Chosen One.” 

Fortunately, Florida State is distancing itself from the shirts.  FSU has banned the sale of the shirts on campus.   

Texas Tech was off this past weekend.  The Red Raiders didn’t play.  In further news, Swamp Mama was in a state of depression over the weekend. 

Back on top again:  Well, they fell from first to fourth in Princeton Review’s top party school list, released in August.  But they are back on top again.  West Virginia was the No. 1 party school in Playboy Magazine’s list just released last week.  Playboy’s Top 10 are:  (1) West Virginia; (2) Wisconsin; (3) Colorado; (4) USC; (5) Florida State; (6) Texas; (7) LSU; (8) Georgia; (9) Arizona State, and (10) Maryland.
  
Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I are off to Gainesville for three days this weekend.  We’ll be attending the Arkansas-Florida game Saturday evening.  No telling what we’ll be doing the rest of the time we’re there.  I’m sure the girls will come up with something.

Now, here’s a good one – I read last week where Kennesaw State, a college in Georgia (near Atlanta), is starting a football team next season.  Of interest, Kennesaw State, which has a student enrollment of 24,300, will be playing football in a stadium that seats 8,300.  Go figure.  Stay tuned!

Touchdown Tom
September 30, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Uga’s not ugly – Georgia 44, LSU 41 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Georgia 30).  Terrific game that lived up to its expectations.  Georgia won because LSU didn’t have two things – a defense and a running game.  A crowd of 92,746 attended the game in Athens.  

RUNNER UP:  Complacent, my foot – Alabama 25, Ole Miss 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 30, Ole Miss 21).  This was supposed to be a big game.  Some of the ESPN College GameDay crew picked Ole Miss in an upset.  Alabama was supposed to be complacent.  But it was Ole Miss who was complacent.  The Rebels were a no show.  Ole Miss only had 46 yards rushing.  A crowd of 101,821 attended the game in Tuscaloosa.  

REST OF THE BEST:  Brutus puts holes in the cheese – Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Wisconsin 22).  An evenly matched game in the stats – about as close as you can get.  But surprisingly, Wisconsin didn’t have much of a running game.  With Melvin Gordon and James White, who would have thought the Badgers wouldn’t have a running game?  A crowd of 105,826 attended the game in Columbus.  

Revenge – Oklahoma 35, Notre Dame 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 23, Oklahoma 21).  Irish quarterback Tommy Rees was downright terrible.  OU took advantage.  A crowd of 80,795 attended the game in South Bend.  

Cocky spoils the Knights celebration – South Carolina 28, UCF 25 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, UCF 26).  UCF had no ground game – only 69 yards rushing.  A crowd of 47,605 attended the game in Orlando.  

Wildcats melt in the rain – Washington 31, Arizona 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Arizona 24).  Rich Rod needs a quarterback.  Ka’Deem Carey and Bishop Sankey put on a rushing show for both teams.  I think Washington is for real.  A crowd of 65,815 attended the game in Seattle.  

Leachless – Stanford 55, Washington State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 34, Washington State 22).  The teams were even in the passing game.  Wazzu had no rushing – only 51 yards.  The Cardinal is looking good – very good.  A crowd of 40,095 attended the game in Seattle.  

The LT Express – Virginia Tech 17, Georgia Tech 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 23, Virginia Tech 20).  A tenacious defense by the Hokies and three turnovers by the Jackets were the keys to Virginia Tech’s win.  Georgia Tech suffered its first loss of the season.  Actually the Jackets played pretty good defense too, but not good enough.  The Hokies only had 55 yards rushing.  A crowd of 50,214 attended the game in Atlanta.  

Aggies squeeze the sausage – Texas A&M 45, Arkansas 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 26).  Johnny Manziel had 261 yards passing and 59 yards rushing.  A crowd of 72,613 attended the game in Fayetteville.  

Kiffin’s swan song – Arizona State 62, USC 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 27, USC 23).  Four turnovers didn’t help the Trojans.  A crowd of 64,987 attended the game in Tempe.

Hawkeyes get the Pig – Iowa 23, Minnesota 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 29, Minnesota 27).  Minnesota only had 165 yards of offense – only 30 rushing.  Iowa’s getting better and better.  A crowd of 51,383 attended the game in Minneapolis.

Cowboys can’t shoot straight – West Virginia 30, Oklahoma State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, West Virginia 23).  I think the Eers have found a new signal caller.  Clint Trickett is one gutsy quarterback.  A crowd of 57,280 attended the game in Morgantown.  

Ralphie didn’t wear his Duluth Trading Pants – Oregon State 44, Colorado 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 33, Colorado 26).  Beavers had 540 yards of offense.  A crowd of 44,279 attended the game in Corvallis.  

London bridge is falling down – Pitt 14, Virginia 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 21, Virginia 20).  I don’t think Pitt or Virginia wanted to win this game.  Neither team managed to muster 200 yards of offense.  Virginia only had 65 yards rushing and Pitt only had eight – yes eight.  A crowd of 48,425 attended the game in Pittsburgh.

Houston didn’t have a problem – Houston 59, UT-San Antonio 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 32, UTSA 26).  Teams combined for 984 yards of offense.  A crowd of 32,487 attended the game in Houston.


….AND ONE WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON: 

Flat heels – East Carolina 55, North Carolina 31 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 24, East Carolina 20).  ECU had 603 yards of offense.  UNC only had 67 yards rushing.  Tar Heels miss Giovani Bernard.  They also miss a defense.  A crowd of 60,000 attended the game in Chapel Hill.  


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

27 – Florida 24, Kentucky 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Kentucky 19).  Gators beat Kentucky for the 27th-straight time.  Florida held the Wildcats to 173 yards of offense – only 48 rushing.  A crowd of 62,076 attended the game in Lexington.

Sacked – Duke 38, Troy 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 35, Troy 27).  Teams combined for 1,026 yards of offense.  A crowd of 30,126 attended the game in Durham.

Lynched – Northern Illinois 55, Purdue 24(Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 27, Purdue 25).  Boilers turned over the ball five times.  A crowd of 54,258 attended the game in West Lafayette.    

Week 5 Picks:    14 Correct, 5 Wrong (73.7 percent)
On the Season:   75 Correct, 21 Wrong (78.1 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State defeated Boston College, 48-34.  A crowd of 40,129 attended the game in Chestnut Hill….  Miami dumped South Florida, 49-21.  A crowd of 47,562 attended the game in Tampa….  Florida Atlantic lost to Rice, 18-14.  A crowd of 14,380 attended the game in Houston.

Butler downed Jacksonville U, 45-7.  A crowd of 1,172 attended the game in Jacksonville….  San Diego blasted Stetson, 59-0.  A crowd of 5,874 attended the game in Deland….   Florida Tech fell to Delta State, 52-31.  A crowd of 8,012 attended the game in Cleveland.
  

Superlatives

Impressive Passers: Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 27-52-1 for 414 yards; Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 38-54-0-389; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 32-47-1-376; LSU’s Zach Mettenberger – 23-37-0-372; North Carolina’s Bryn Renner – 28-46-1-366; UTEP’s Jameill Showers – 26-43-0-365; UCF’s Blake Bortles – 25-36-2-358; Troy’s Corey Robinson – 35-45-1-354, and Arizona State’s Taylor Kelly – 23-34-1-351.

Also, Ball State’s Keith Wenning – 27-38-1 for 335 yards; Vanderbilt’s Austyn Carta-Samuels – 23-29-1-334; Florida State’s Jameis Winston – 17-27-1-330; Duke’s Brandon Connette – 20-28-1-324; Fresno State’s Derek Carr – 33-47-2-324; Hawaii’s Sean Schroeder – 17-27-1-321; Louisiana Tech’s Ryan Higgins – 20-36-1-320, and San Jose State’s David Fales – 25-48-2-314.

Also, Houston’s John O’Korn – 24-36-0 for 312 yards; Clemson’s Tajh Boyd – 17-24-0-311; Idaho’s Chad Chalich – 26-43-0-310; Arkansas State’s Adam Kennedy – 37-46-1-308; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 17-28-0-307; Georgia’s Aaron Murray – 20-34-1-298; Wisconsin’s Joel Stave – 20-34-1-295; USC’s Cody Kessler – 20-29-2-295; UNLV’s Caleb Herring – 24-34-0-293, and Wyoming’s Brett Smith – 25-48-1-292.     


Impressive Rushers: New Mexico’s Kasey Carrier – 192 yards; East Carolina’s Vintavious Cooper – 186 yards; Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews – 182 yards; UNLV’s Tim Cornett – 179 yards; Florida’s Matt Jones – 176 yards, and Tennessee’s Rajion Neal – 169 yards.

Also, South Carolina’s Mike Davis – 167 yards; San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 167 yards; BYU’s Taysom Hill – 165 yards; Washington’s Bishop Sankey – 161 yards; Air Force’s Karson Roberts – 161 yards, and Kent State’s Trayion Durham – 154 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I work in the business of getting it fixed.  I take it as a challenge right now to get this thing fixed.  We’ll find the right combination and we’ll find a way.  I’ve always been able to do that.  I feel confident we’re going to be able to do that.  I’ll get this fixed.  Trust me there,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, on his team’s defensive problems.

“I can’t tell you the NBA and NFL are going to start minor leagues.  I think they should.  I think it takes more pressure off us.  It lets us be who we are.  Why is it our job to be minor leagues for professional sports,” Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

“Maybe, just maybe, it would work better in football and basketball if more kids had the opportunity to go directly to the professional ranks.  Let the minor leagues flourish,” Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

“Would you rather be in the D-League in the Dakotas or would you rather play here?  I would say some kids would rather be in the D-League.  We’d be better off in a lot of cases if that were the case,” Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany.

“The Hokies tonight will unveil their new “stone” design helmet, which looks like a backsplash we were considering for our kitchen.  You know, this whole crazy college uniform thing passed stupid about seven blocks ago,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jeff Schultz.

“South Florida is a dirty team to say the least.  They’re dirty.  It’s what it is.  I wanted to score 70 points on them,” Miami (Florida) quarterback Stephen Morris, after the game against USF.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Ohio State (5-0) at Northwestern (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 8 pm ET, Saturday).  Northwestern has to be hoping that the Buckeyes have a letdown after the Wisconsin game.  Wonder if Pat Fitzgerald is thinking about the USC job?  College GameDay is in Evanston.  Buckeyes keep rolling through the Big Ten – Ohio State 30, Northwestern 22.

RUNNER UP:  2. Washington (4-0) at Stanford (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Now, the Cardinal gets the tougher team from Washington.  But at least this one is at home.  Washington upset Stanford last year.  Not this year – Stanford 30, Washington 26.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Maryland (4-0) at Florida State (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  Who would have thought the Terps would be 4-0.  Are they for real?  We’ll soon find out.  Noles better get out to a faster start this week.  They will – Florida State 33, Maryland 18.

4. Georgia (3-1) at Tennessee (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  After Clemson, South Carolina and LSU, the Vols have to be hoping that Uga has a big letdown.  It would need to be a big letdown.  Uga chases down Smokey – Georgia 28, Tennessee 20.

5. UCLA (3-0) at Utah (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 10 pm ET, Thursday).  After dominating the Mountain West Conference for years, Utah has had a rough time of it in the Pac-12 since joining in 2011.  But things are looking up for the Utes this season – at least so far.  They may start looking down after UCLA visits this weekend.  Things have been looking up for the Bruins too since Jim Mora became coach last year.  The Bruins find a salt lick – UCLA 34, Utah 28.  

6. TCU (2-2) at Oklahoma (4-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  OU is looking more and more like the team to beat in the Big 12.  TCU has been disappointing.  Frogs croak – Oklahoma 29, TCU 14.

7. LSU (4-1) at Mississippi State (2-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  Cats are in another dog fight this week, but this Bulldog isn’t as mean as last week’s.  Tigers get their stripes back – LSU 27, Miss State 19.

8. Notre Dame (3-2) vs. Arizona State (3-1) – (Ind. vs. Pac-12) (TV: NBC, 7:30 pm ET, Saturday).  The Irish are hurting.  They aren’t the team they were last year.  ASU is looking good, but has holes on defense.  Irish in a stew – Arizona State 33, Notre Dame 24.

9. Georgia Tech (3-1) at Miami (Florida) (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  The Bees finally ran into some real competition last week.  They are up against it again this week.  The Canes are for real.  Can the Canes defend Tech’s offense?  They do – Miami 30, Georgia Tech 27.

10. West Virginia (3-2) at Baylor (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox Sports 1, 8 pm ET, Saturday).  Baylor is the No. 1 passing team in the country and the No. 5 rushing team.  The Bears also are averaging 70 points a game.  Doesn’t sound good for the Eers.  Clint runs out of flint – Baylor 34, West Virginia 24.

11. Minnesota (4-1) at Michigan (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 pm ET, Saturday).  The Gophers were looking good until they ran into Iowa last week.  It could be worse this week.  The Wolverines will be chugging from the Little Brown Jug – Michigan 30, Minnesota 17.

 12. Arkansas (3-2) at Florida (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN2, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  Brett Bielema makes his first trip to the Swamp.  He won’t like it – Florida 27, Arkansas 18.

13. Ole Miss (3-1) at Auburn (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPNU, 7 pm ET, Saturday).  The Rebels were skunked last week.  But it’s Auburn who will be smelling like a skunk this week – Ole Miss 26, Auburn 20.

14. Illinois (3-1) at Nebraska (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  The Banned Indians definitely have an offense.  That could be a problem for the Huskers.  But to equalize things, the Banned Indians don’t have a defense.  This could be a shootout.  Herbie is the better shot – Nebraska 36, Illinois 29.

15. Missouri (4-0) at Vanderbilt (3-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: Local, 7:30 pm ET, Saturday).  Mizzou is out to a 4-0 start, but the competition has been weak.  Vandy won’t be so weak.  Tigers find the anchor – Missouri 30, Vanderbilt 29.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

16. Michigan State (3-1) at Iowa (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday).  After a week off, this could be a new Michigan State team.  The Spartans need something new.  Hawkeyes flying high – Iowa 17, Michigan State 16.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Texas (2-2) at Iowa State (1-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 pm ET, Thursday).  Now, here’s an easy one for ole Mack Brown.  And the win will put Texas above the 500 mark.  Maybe firing Manny Diaz was a good thing.  What can Brown do for you? – Texas 27, Iowa State 23.

Duke (3-2) and Purdue (1-4) are off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

UCF (3-1) travels to Memphis (1-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: None, 4:30 pm ET, Saturday). ….  South Florida (0-4) hosts Cincinnati (3-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: None, 7 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Florida Atlantic (1-4) is away at UAB (1-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: None, 3 pm ET, Saturday).

Florida International (0-4) is on the road at Southern Miss (0-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: Local, 4 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Florida A&M (1-3) visits Morgan State (0-5) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 1 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Bethune-Cookman (3-1) is at Delaware State (1-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 2 pm ET, Saturday).

Jacksonville U. (2-3) travels to Drake (1-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 2 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Stetson (1-3) plays at Butler (3-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 1 pm ET, Saturday). ….  Florida Tech (1-3) is away at Valdosta State (3-0) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (TV: None, 3 pm ET, Saturday).


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Rutgers and Temple have scheduled a four-game, home-and-home series beginning in 2020….  Northwestern has added Northern Illinois to its 2014 schedule.  The game will be played in Evanston….  North Carolina and Illinois have agreed to a two-game, home-and-home series to be played in 2015 and 2016. 

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there were five passings of note last week – Paul Dietzel, Christopher Koch, Jane Connell, Marta Heflin and Gates Brown.

Paul Dietzel, who coached LSU to its first national championship in 1958, using a platoon system famous for a scrappy defensive unit – the “Chinese Bandits,” – died last week at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  He was 89.  He coached LSU for seven years (1955-1961), Army for four years (1962-1965) and South Carolina for nine years (1966-1974).  The “Chinese Bandits” defensive unit became cult heroes to LSU fans.  A song was written about them and Sports Illustrated published a detailed article about them.  The 1958 team went 10-0 during the regular season and beat Clemson in the Sugar Bowl.  Dietzel was named coach of the year and Billy Cannon won the Heisman Trophy.  Paul Franklin Dietzel was born on September 5, 1924, in Fremont, Ohio.  After his sophomore football season at Duke, he joined the Army Air Corps and was a bomber pilot during World War II.  After the war, he continued his education at Miami (Ohio) where he played football and earned his degree.  He then was an assistant coach at Army, Cincinnati and Kentucky, before going to LSU.  After his coaching career ended, Dietzel was the Commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference (1975), athletic director at Indiana (1976-1978) and athletic director at LSU (1979 to 1982).  He came out of retirement in 1985 to establish an athletic department at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.  He retired again in 1987.

Christopher Koch, the Australian novelist best known for the book “The Year of Living Dangerously,” died last week in Hobart, Tasmania.  He was 81.  “The Year of Living Dangerously” was set in Indonesia during the breakdown of President Sukarno’s rule.  In 1982, it was made into a successful film, starring Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt.  Christopher Koch was born in 1932 in Hobart, Tasmania.  He was educated at the University of Tasmania.  As a young man, he lived for a time in England.  In the early 1960s, he was a member of Stanford University’s Writer’s Workshop in California.     

Jane Connell, a character actress best known for her portrayal of Agnes Gooch, the mousy secretary to the title character in the musical “Mame,” died last week in Englewood, New Jersey.  She was 87.  Connell played Gooch in both the Broadway (with Angela Lansbury) and movie (with Lucille Ball) versions of “Mame.”  She appeared in a dozen Broadway shows and on several television shows, including “All in the Family,” “M*A*S*H,” “Bewitched” and “Law & Order.”  Jane Sperry Bennett was born on October 27, 1925, in Oakland, California. 

Marta Heflin, an actress who appeared in several Broadway shows, including “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Hair” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the 1960s and 1970s, and later in several Robert Altman movies, died last week in New York City.  She was 68.  In addition to the Altman films, Heflin had supporting roles in “A Star is Born” (1976) and “King of Comedy” (1982) among others.  She also appeared on the NBC soap opera “The Doctors” and in several made-for-television movies.  Marta Michelle Heflin was born on March 29, 1945, in Washington, DC.  Her father was the brother of Van Heflin. 

Gates Brown, an outfielder who played his entire 13-year major league baseball career with the Detroit Tigers, died last week.  He was 74.  Brown played on the Tigers’ 1968 team that won the World Series.  His career with the Tigers began in 1963.  Brown was the Tigers’ hitting coach when the team won the 1984 World Series.  Gates Brown was born in Crestline, Ohio.