Football Week 6 – Look for an even wilder weekend in the SEC
The calm before the storm

This past weekend was another wild one in college football, but it was particularly wild in the SEC – Georgia 35, Tennessee 32; Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 28 (OT) and Missouri 21, South Carolina 20.

But as wild as it was, it won’t hold a candle to the weekend we have ahead of us in the SEC and elsewhere in college football. Last weekend was the calm before storm. This weekend is the perfect storm – Texas A&M at Mississippi State, Florida at Tennessee, Alabama at Ole Miss, LSU and Auburn and South Carolina at Kentucky. Fasten your seat belts college football fans. The turbulence could be severe.

On their own, each of those five games has the potential to be heavy-duty barnburners – real donnybrooks. Each has the potential to have fans sitting on the edge of their seats, screaming on every play; not to mention the potential to have fans cursing officials, cursing coaches, cursing players and throwing objects at the TV screen. (Something I hear Rockledge Gator does every week.)

The impact of the results of those five games will be significant. Two of the games – Texas A&M-Miss State and Alabama-Ole Miss – involve four undefeated teams. One of the games – LSU-Auburn – contains an undefeated team – Auburn. Those three games alone involve six teams ranked in the Top 15 – each one a potential playoff contender. Not necessarily if they lose.

The outcome of one of the games – Florida-Tennessee – could determine the employment status of the Florida coach – Will Muschamp. Tennessee is an improving team and the game is in Knoxville. South Carolina, meanwhile, is playing a vastly improved Kentucky team and that game is in Lexington. Should the Gamecocks lose, it would be a devastating third conference loss for South Carolina. The Gamecocks could kiss all SEC East title hopes goodbye.

Outside the SEC, eight other games this weekend will feed the storm. Each will add to the thrills and excitement of a college football weekend. That is if you consider turbulence to be thrilling and exciting. Two of the games – Arizona at Oregon and Oklahoma at TCU – involve four undefeated teams. But two of the teams won’t be undefeated after the weekend. Arizona knocked off the Ducks last year, and Oklahoma just edged TCU by three points last season.

In the Big Ten, undefeated Nebraska plays at 10th-ranked Michigan State. The Spartans won last year in Lincoln. Then Ohio State tangles with Big Ten newcomer Maryland in College Park. Both teams have one loss. Maryland has been a surprise so far.

In the Pac-12, one-loss Utah plays at undefeated UCLA, and 16th-ranked USC entertains 24th-ranked Arizona State. There’s never a dull moment in the Pac-12. And speaking of the Pac-12, 13th-ranked Stanford steps out of the conference to play 8th-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame. The game is in South Bend. And finally, for some excitement in the ACC, the featured thriller takes place in Atlanta, where undefeated Georgia Tech hosts always dangerous Miami (Florida).

Those eight games – Arizona-Oregon, Oklahoma-TCU, Nebraska-Michigan State, Ohio State-Maryland, Utah-UCLA, Arizona State-USC, Stanford-Notre Dame, Miami (Florida)-Georgia Tech – coupled with the five SEC games – Texas A&M-Miss State, Florida-Tennessee, Alabama-Ole Miss, LSU-Auburn, South Carolina-Kentucky – make for a thrill-packed upcoming weekend in college football. Stay tuned!

Last weekend may have been the calm before the big storm, but it had its share of exciting and interesting outcomes. Tennessee was a surprise, giving Georgia all it could handle before falling to the Dawgs, 35-32. I’m convinced if Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley had played the entire game, the Vols probably would have won. Worley sat out three possessions in the third quarter with an injured elbow.

Arkansas gave Texas A&M all the Aggies could handle, before the Hogs lost to A&M in overtime, 35-28. Arkansas is definitely an improving ballclub. But against the Aggies, the Hogs just seemed to run out of steam in the fourth quarter.

South Carolina was having its way with Missouri until the final six or seven minutes of the fourth quarter. That’s when the Gamecocks defense went home. The Tigers rallied for two touchdowns in the closing minutes to beat South Carolina, 21-20. The “Head Ball Coach” can’t be a happy camper.

The weekend had its share of stunners and surprises. Akron, who lost 48-17 to Marshall the previous week, shocked Pitt, 21-10. Wow! Two undefeated teams suffered their first losses over the weekend. In State College, Northwestern upset Penn State, 29-6. In Salt Lake City, Washington State rallied in the fourth quarter to upset previously unbeaten Utah, 28-27.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke became “a dead man walking” when Minnesota blasted the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, 30-14. In Colorado Springs, Air Force surprised favored Boise State. The Falcons beat the Broncos, 28-14. In a thriller in the Pac-12, California beat Colorado 59-56 in two overtimes. The game was played in Berkeley. In the third overtime game of the weekend, Texas State outlasted Tulsa in three overtimes, 37-34.

Poor SMU suffered its fourth embarrassing loss of the season. The Mustangs lost to TCU, 56-0. Previously this season, SMU lost to Baylor 45-0, to North Texas 43-6 and to Texas A&M 58-6. SMU coach June Jones resigned, under pressure, following the North Texas loss.

And speaking of gone, Kansas fired Charlie Weis yesterday, the day after the Jayhawks 23-0 loss to Texas. Defensive coordinator Clint Bowen was named the Jayhawks interim head coach. Just five weeks into the season and already two coaches are out.

Rumors have former Ole Miss coach and USC interim coach Ed Orgeron as the possible replacement for Weis at Kansas. Stay tuned!

College football’s two top running backs this season – Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah and Georgia’s Todd Gurley – each rushed for 208 yards Saturday. Nebraska beat Illinois, 45-14 and Georgia downed Tennessee.

Florida coach Will Muschamp continues to add to his many nicknames. Already known as Will Mustake, Rockledge Gator now calls him Dawgchump and Swamp Mama’s friend Patti Maggiore calls Muschamp – Baby Fat.

Then we learned last week that during home football weekends in Tallahassee this season, Florida State is serving crab legs to the visiting high school recruits. They’ve always had a strange sense of humor in Tallahassee.

And speaking of food, not necessarily crab legs, don’t forget to stock up before this weekend’s big storm. It’s going to be a doozy!

Touchdown Tom
September 29, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Pour it on – UCLA 62, Arizona State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Arizona State 33). UCLA must have found itself. Up to now, the Bruins have just been barely getting by, eking out victories by the slimmest of margins. Actually, four turnovers by ASU (to none for UCLA) was a big difference in the game. The Sun Devils lost by 35 points, but they outgained the Bruins 626 yards to 580. ASU had 38 first downs to UCLA’s 19. Attendance in Tempe: 60,876

RUNNER UP: It’s not over until the Tiger growls – Missouri 21, South Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, Missouri 22). Mizzou scored 14 of its 21 points in the final 6:49 of the game. Trailing 20-7, the Tigers scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes to hand the Gamecocks their second SEC loss of the season. South Carolina scored a touchdown with 7:25 remaining in the fourth quarter to take a 13 point lead. Then the Gamecock defense quit – never to be seen again. Mizzou quarterback Maty Mauk looked awful until the Tigers final two drives of the game. Attendance in Columbia, SC: 83,493

REST OF THE BEST: FSU’s alarm clock didn’t go off until the second quarter – Florida State 56, NC State 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, NC State 16). Trailing 24-7 at the end of the first quarter, FSU outscored the Wolf Pack 49-17 in the remaining three quarters. The Seminoles never led in the game until they took a 42-38 lead with 3:24 on the clock in the third quarter. But once they grabbed the lead, the Noles never looked back. The teams were evenly matched in rushing, passing and first downs. But the Noles had four turnovers to the Pack’s two. Attendance in Raleigh: 57,583

Aggies had a spare rib – Texas A&M 35, Arkansas 28 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 28, Arkansas 24). Trailing 28-14 at the end of the third quarter, the Aggies rallied with two touchdowns in the fourth to tie the score and then went on to beat the Hogs in overtime. Arkansas is getting better each week, but the Hogs definitely ran out of steam after three quarters. As expected, A&M had the passing game and the Hogs had the running game. Attendance in Arlington, TX: 68,113

Tree fort – Stanford 20, Washington 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 19, Stanford 18). Stanford’s defense totally dominated the game, holding the Huskies to 98 yards passing and 81 yards rushing. The score would have been worse had it not been for three turnovers by the Cardinal. Attendance in Seattle: 66,512

Ohio State is a man; Cincinnati is a kid – Ohio State 50, Cincinnati 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 32, Cincinnati 18). Not a bad game for three and a half quarters. Halfway through the third, the Buckeyes led, but only by five points – 33-28. But then it was all Bucks, as Ohio State scored 17 unanswered points to finish the game. The Buckeyes dominated the game, racking up 710 total yards and 45 first downs to only 15 for the Bearcats. Ohio State’s defense held Cincy to 70 yards rushing. The Bearcats Gunner Kiel passed for 352 yards; while the Bucks Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 182 yards. Attendance in Columbus: 108,362

Trojans hang the pelts on their belts – USC 35, Oregon State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 34, Oregon State 27). This was a good game until USC scored on a Hail-Mary pass as time expired to end the first half. That put the Trojans up 21-10 at the break. Stunned by that play, the Beavers never scored for the rest of the game. The Trojans defense held the Beavers to 181 total yards – just 58 rushing. Attendance in Los Angeles: 74,521

Juiced – Notre Dame 31, Syracuse 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Syracuse 13). After a tight first quarter, the Irish took a 7-0 lead with 10:56 to go in the second quarter and never looked back. The score probably would have been worse had it not been for five turnovers by the Irish. ND’s Everett Golson passed for 362 yards, completing 82 percent of his passes. Attendance in East Rutherford, NJ: 76,802

Rubbed – Ole Miss 24, Memphis 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 34, Memphis 21). A defensive battle for three quarters, Ole Miss only led 7-3 until early in the fourth. The Rebel Bears scored 17 points in the final period. The Ole Miss defense held Memphis to 104 total yards – 81 passing and 23 rushing. Attendance in Oxford: 61,291

Uga gets a scare – Georgia 35, Tennessee 32 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 28, Tennessee 19). If Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley didn’t have to sit out part of the game, due to an elbow injury, the outcome might have been different. The Vols were definitely a different team when Worley was in the game. The teams were evenly matched in the stats, with Tennessee better at passing and Georgia better at running. The Dawgs Todd Gurley rushed for 208 yards. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

Todd Gurley has nothing on me – Nebraska 45, Illinois 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 36, Illinois 15). Not to be outdone by Todd Gurley, Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah also rushed for 208 yards. The Huskers dominated the game, outdistancing the Banned Indians 624 total yards to 339, and 35 first downs to 16. The Banned Indians were held to 78 yards rushing. Attendance in Lincoln: 91,255

Red Raiders looking blue – Oklahoma State 45, Texas Tech 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, Texas Tech 25). This could be a long season for second-year Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury. The Red Raiders have some offense, but nothing on defense. On the other end of the spectrum, this could be a charming season for the Cowboys. Attendance in Stillwater: 55,958

The Canes turned the Devils into eggs (or was it cake?) – Miami (Florida) 22, Duke 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Miami 30). Primarily a defensive battle, Miami led 9-7 at the half. Duke only managed three points in the second half. The Canes Duke Johnson rushed for 155 yards. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 44,559

Ram tough in Beantown – Colorado State 24, Boston College 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 32, Colorado State 22). Boston College goes from beating USC one week to losing to Colorado State the next. BC jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Rams outscored the Eagles 17-7 in the second half – 10-0 in the final quarter. The teams were evenly matched in the stats, with Colorado State the better passing team and BC the better team on the ground. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 33,632

Tigers rebound – Clemson 50, North Carolina 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, North Carolina 19). Clemson built up a 22-7 first half lead and then the teams played even-steven in the second half, scoring 28 points each. It was a passing game for both teams – 830 yards through the air combined. Neither team could run the ball – 176 yards on the ground combined. Attendance in Clemson: 79,155


….AND ONE WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON:

What a debut! – Maryland 37, Indiana 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Maryland 32, Indiana 28). This was a good game until halfway through the second quarter. Then the Terps outscored the Hoosiers 24-3 and led 34-9 early in the fourth quarter. It was Maryland’s debut Big Ten game. Attendance in Bloomington: 44,313


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Ho-hum – Texas 23, Kansas 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Kansas 9). Believe it or not, the teams were evenly matched – 329 total yards for Texas to 313 for Kansas and each team had 19 first downs. But the Jayhawks had four turnovers. Attendance in Lawrence: 36,904

Boiler breakdown – Iowa 24, Purdue 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Purdue 17). The Boilers began their Big Ten play this year the way they ended it last year – losing. Purdue only had nine first downs and just 156 total yards – 72 passing and 84 rushing. Attendance in West Lafayette: 36,603


Week 5 Pick Results: 14 correct, 4 wrong (77.8 percent)
On the Season: 73 correct, 23 wrong (76 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Wisconsin 27, South Florida 10 – Attendance in Madison: 78,111 …. Florida Atlantic 41, UTSA 37 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 13,928 …. Florida International 34, UAB 20 – Attendance in Birmingham: 16,133.

Tennessee State 27, Florida A&M 7 – Attendance in Nashville: 29,225 …. Bethune-Cookman 34, Florida Tech 33 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 8,431 …. Jacksonville 35, Butler 7 – Attendance in Indianapolis: 3,188


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Massachusetts’ Blake Frohnapfel – 36-61-1 for 589 yards; Arizona State’s Mike Bercovici – 42-68-2-488; Colorado’s Sefo Liufau – 46-67-1-461; California’s Jared Goff – 23-41-1-446; Clemson’s Deshaun Watson – 27-36-1-435; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 39-60-2-417; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 38-54-1-390, and Texas A&M’s Kenny Hill – 20-40-1-382.

Also, Texas Tech’s Davis Webb – 35-54-2 for 374 yards; Oklahoma State’s Daxx Garman – 17-31-2-370; Florida State’s Jameis Winston – 26-39-2-365; Notre Dame’s Everett Golson – 32-39-2-362; UCLA’s Brett Hundley – 18-23-0-355; NC State’s Jacoby Brissett – 32-48-0-355; Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel – 21-32-0-352; UNLV’s Blake Decker – 18-31-2-346, and North Carolina’s Marquise Williams – 24-38-1-345.

Also, Toledo’s Logan Woodside – 23-34-1 for 339 yards; Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 30-44-1-336; Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett – 26-36-0-330; Louisiana-Monroe’s Pete Thomas – 28-43-1-328; Fresno State’s Brian Burrell – 27-39-1-318; Florida Atlantic’s Jaquez Johnson – 24-34-0-295; Syracuse’s Terrel Hunt – 22-38-1-294; Rutgers’ Gary Nova – 14-21-1-291, and Central Michigan’s Cooper Rush – 24-31-1-291.


Impressive Rushers:

Buffalo’s Anthone Taylor – 222 yards; Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah – 208 yards; Georgia’s Todd Gurley – 208 yards; Minnesota’s David Cobb – 183 yards; Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott – 182 yards; Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon – 181 yards, and Utah’s Devontae Booker – 178 yards.

Also, San Diego State’s Donnel Pumphrey – 167 yards; New Mexico’s Crusoe Gongbay – 163 yards; Middle Tennessee’s Jordan Parker – 158 yards; Miami of Florida’s Duke Johnson – 155 yards; Georgia Southern’s Kevin Ellison – 151 yards, and Akron’s Connor Hundley – 148 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“The joke’s on FSU. Jameis Winston and embarrassment for Florida State go hand in hand now, but the school’s refusal to reel in the Heisman winner has reached a new low,” CBSSports.com national columnist Gregg Doyel.

“The school is a joke. Jameis runs that school, not the other way around. He’ll play Saturday against North Carolina State because Jameis is in charge,” CBSSports.com national columnist Gregg Doyel, on Florida State and Jameis Winston.

“There’s a lot of different reasons why I took this job, but I wasn’t walking into a perennial SEC power. I understand that. But I took the job with the expectation to get there. That’s never been brighter than it is today,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema.

“Michigan football is not going in the right direction. The leadership is bad. There are many more issues on and off the field than I care to talk about. It’s just sad. I’m not here to say whether Hoke is going to be fired. I don’t make that call. All I do know is that Dave Brandon should not be allowed to make another decision at Michigan. Period,” former Michigan quarterback Michael Taylor, on the Wolverines athletic director.

“He’s a man without a clue,” Florida Gator fan on Will Muschamp, calling into the Paul Finebaum Show.

“If you look at all the potential hires out there, Lane Kiffin could be the best hire at the end of the season,” ESPN’s Mark May, on head coach hires at the end of the season.

“You never judge or evaluate a program based on one game or one season. That’s just not how we do things here. We’re going to evaluate where we’re headed, where the players are, how is recruiting going, what type of staff we have and are we a better program? That’s going to be plain for all of us to see, but it’s also going to be played out over the course of 11 games and we’ll see where we are when we get to the end of the season,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, on the status of Will Muschamp.

“I normally do not favor changing coaches at mid-season. But I believe we have talented coaches and players in this program, and I think this decision gives our players the best chance to begin making progress right away, Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger, on the firing of football coach Charlie Weis.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Alabama (4-0) at Ole Miss (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Alabama has dominated this series and has won the last 10 games. Ole Miss last beat the Tide in 2003. That game was in Oxford. So many times, the Rebel Bears have come into this game with high hopes only to end up disappointed. The Tide certainly has some vulnerable spots. But can Ole Miss find them? And if they find them, can Ole Miss penetrate them? Ole Miss is undefeated and the Rebel Bears appear to have a good defense. But has their defense been tested. We’ll find out. Another disappointment for the Rebel Bears – Alabama 28, Ole Miss 20.

RUNNER UP: 2. Texas A&M (5-0) at Mississippi State (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Miss State shocked the SEC when the Bulldogs beat LSU in Baton Rouge two weeks ago. They’ll do some more shocking if they beat the Aggies in Starkville. I say the Bulldogs are for real. Prepare to be shocked – Mississippi State 26, Texas A&M 25.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Arizona (4-0) at Oregon (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET, Thursday) – The Wildcats handed the Ducks a big surprise last year to the tune of 42-16. But that was in Tucson. This one is in Eugene. The Wildcats are undefeated but three of their wins were oh-so-close against mediocre teams. Oregon is no mediocre team. Marcus Mariota has his sights on the Heisman – Oregon 33, Arizona 24.

4. Oklahoma (4-0) at TCU (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This was a close one last year. The Sooners won by three points in Norman. The Frogs already have a good win this season – 30-7 over Minnesota. This one won’t be a good win for the Frogs. OU has its sights on the playoff – Oklahoma 31, TCU 23.

5. LSU (4-1) at Auburn (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This game was Auburn’s only loss during the regular season last year. Auburn didn’t lose again until the national championship game. I would think Auburn will be out for revenge – big time. LSU is tough but not that tough – Auburn 30, LSU 27.

6. Nebraska (5-0) at Michigan State (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Nebraska led this series 7-0 until the Spartans won last year for the first time. State won that game in Lincoln. It should be a little easier winning in East Lansing. But the Spartans must stop Ameer Abdullah. That’s easier said than done. Spartans beat Nebraska for only the second time – Michigan State 26, Nebraska 22.

7. Stanford (3-1) at Notre Dame (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) (TV: NBC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – These two have had some good games. Stanford won last year 27-20. The Cardinal offense is still shaky, but their defense is second to none. The Cardinal had a test against USC and lost. I’m not sure the Irish have been tested yet. The Cardinal wins this test – Stanford 18, Notre Dame 17.

8. Utah (3-1) at UCLA (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac 12) (TV: ESPN, 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Utes were undefeated until they got knocked off by Washington State last week. Surely they must have been looking ahead to this game. The Utes are still looking in the wrong place – UCLA 34, Utah 26.

9. Ohio State (3-1) at Maryland (4-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Maryland can score. The Terps have proven that. It’s the defense that is questionable. But Ohio State still has a lot of questions. The Bucks make their second trip to Maryland this season. In the other trip, they beat Navy in the season opener. They weren’t that impressive in that game. They may not be in this one, but impressive enough to win – Ohio State 31, Maryland 24.

10. Miami (Florida) (3-2) at Georgia Tech (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Both coaches entered the season with their seats a little warm – nothing real serious, but some warmth. Tech’s Paul Johnson is in the clear as of now, but there are still a lot of games to be played. The Jackets have a good win over Virginia Tech. Miami’s Al Golden is in a little more precarious position. He didn’t have a good win until the Canes beat Duke. Both teams are still finding themselves. Miami has had quarterback issues, but Brad Kaaya seems to be settling in. Buzz stings Sebastian – Georgia Tech 21, Miami 20.

11. Marshall (4-0) at Old Dominion (3-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: FSN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Marshall is off to a great start and no one may stop them. Old Dominion showed potential until the Monarchs took it on the chin from Middle Tennessee. That one hurt. But that might be enough to fire up the Monarchs. Great quarterback battle in this one – MU’s Rakeem Cato and OD’s Tyler Heinicke. Cato wins the battle – Marshall 34, Old Dominion 25.

12. Arizona State (3-1) at USC (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – ASU had some kind of hurtin’ put on them by UCLA. Of course they were without their starting quarterback. You gotta figure the Sun Devils won’t be that bad two weeks in a row. But they are bad enough – USC 33, Arizona State 24.

13. Baylor (4-0) at Texas (2-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Charlie Strong may not have enough players left by the time the season is over. They keep falling by the wayside. Gotta wonder what Mack Brown was recruiting. Baylor is good but untested. The Horns aren’t that strong of a test – Baylor 24, Texas 17.

14. South Carolina (3-2) at Kentucky (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Gamecocks bounced back from the loss to Texas A&M to win three in a row. They need to bounce back from the loss to Missouri. This Kentucky team isn’t your grandmother’s Kentucky. It’s not your mother’s Kentucky either. Mark Stoops has made the Wildcats competitive. Close but no banana for the Wildcats – South Carolina 22, Kentucky 19.

15. NC State (4-1) at Clemson (2-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – With two losses this early, Clemson is on a crusade. The Tigers can score, but their defense is porous. This could be a high-scoring affair. But the Wolf Pack won’t score high enough – Clemson 34, NC State 22.


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Texas Tech (2-2) at Kansas State (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Something tells me Kliff Kingsbury is not on the bandwagon he was on when the season began last year. It has been a rough start for the young Texas Tech coach. It’s going to get a lot rougher – Kansas State 33, Texas Tech 23.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Kansas (2-2) at West Virginia (2-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: FSN, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Well, one thing is for sure. Charlie Weis won’t be around when the Jayhawks come to Morgantown. Good time Charlie will have to watch the game on television. The Mountaineers give him a good show – West Virginia 34, Kansas 17.

Florida (2-1) at Tennessee (2-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – A loss to Tennessee and that’s it for Will Mustake…..I mean…..Dawgchump…..I mean…..Baby Fat. No, he won’t be fired right away. But the decision will be made to dump him at or near the end of the season. A win over the Vols and there is still some hope for…..the Mustake. The Vols may start believing in themselves after the close loss to Georgia. The Gators have won nine-straight against Tennessee. The Vols last won in 2004. Make it 10-straight – Florida 28, Tennessee 27.

Vanderbilt (1-4) at Georgia (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Vandy was competitive for a couple or so years under James Franklin. But the Dores are back to being the jokes of the SEC. Uga likes jokes – Georgia 30, Vanderbilt 16.

Purdue (2-3) at Illinois (3-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – The Banned Indians aren’t much better than the Boilers. But they’re just better enough to beat the Boilers – Illinois 25, Purdue 23.

Duke (4-1) is off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Wake Forest (2-3) at Florida State (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. UCF (1-2) at Houston (2-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Thursday) …. Florida Atlantic (2-3) at Florida International (2-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: FSN, 7 p.m. ET, Thursday).

Morgan State (2-3) at Florida A&M (0-4) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 5 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Delaware State (1-4) at Bethune-Cookman (3-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Drake (2-2) at Jacksonville U. (3-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Butler (2-2) at Stetson (2-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Delta State (3-0) at Florida Tech (3-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Thursday).

South Florida (2-3) is off.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Texas A&M and Notre Dame have agreed to a home-and-home series to be played in 2024 and 2025…. Tennessee Tech’s Watson Brown became the first coach in NCAA football history to lose 200 games. Northern Iowa defeated Tennessee Tech 50-7 on Saturday, dropping Brown’s career coaching record to 128-200-1. Brown is the older brother of former Texas coach Mack Brown. He has coached at UAB, Vanderbilt, Rice, Cincinnati and Austin-Peay. Brown, 64, played quarterback for Vanderbilt from 1969-1972.

Touchdown Tom
(www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com)


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but sadly there was one passing of note last week – Don Keefer,

Don Keefer, a well-known character actor, passed away last week in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 98. Keefer played many distinctive roles in a long acting career, including Willy Loman’s neighbor in the original Broadway cast of “Death of a Salesman.” But he may best be remembered for his role in a classic 1959 episode of “The Twilight Zone.” The episode was “It’s a Good Life.” Keefer is transformed into a jack-in-the-box by a mean little boy with strange powers. Donald Hood Keefer was born on August 18, 1916, in Highspire, Pennsylvania. Some of his movie credits include “Hellcats of the Navy” (1957), with Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis, “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” (1966) and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969). He also appeared in numerous television shows, including “Gunsmoke,” “The Munsters,” “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Mission Impossible,” “Barnaby Jones” and “The Waltons.”

College Football Week 5 – UCLA at ASU; Mizzou visits Spurrier
Those Friday night lights

“Let’s walk faster, dad.”

“Let’s walk a little faster, mother.”

That’s what I would say after we walked around the corner onto Huntington Avenue. That’s when the excitement hit me. Once we got onto Huntington Avenue, I could see the stadium. I could see the lights – those Friday night lights.

We moved into the house on Neel Street in the spring of 1951. I was four and my brother was eight. The house was located about three and a half blocks west-southwest of Fairfield Stadium. Fairfield was the stadium where the two big high schools in town played football. It’s also where Marshall University (Marshall College back then) played football.

I don’t know if it was my parents’ love of football, the close location to the stadium or a combination of the two. But in the fall of 1951, we started a family ritual that lasted for many autumns.

Every Friday night in the fall from 1951 through 1955 my parents, brother and I would walk to Fairfield Stadium for a high school football game. Friday evening dinner was always soup and a sandwich. Then off to the stadium. If Huntington High was playing, we walked into the west side of the stadium. If Huntington East was playing we walked around the stadium and entered the east side. We never missed a game.

When the two schools played each other, we alternated sides from year-to-year. Back in the early-to-mid-1950s, they often played each other on a Saturday afternoon. My father went to Huntington High and my brother and I would eventually go there. Our mother taught at Huntington East. She always cheered for East, except for the two years my brother played center for Huntington High. And even then, we questioned her.

On Saturdays during those years, we never missed a Marshall game. Some weekends, we walked to the stadium on Friday nights and turned around and walked back to the stadium on Saturday afternoons. It was the routine.

By 1956, my brother was in the ninth grade at Cammack Junior High. That was the first year he no longer went to the games with us. He would go with his friends to the Huntington High games. He no longer went to Huntington East’s games. Once you were in the ninth grade at Cammack, it was a sin, a downright sacrilege, to go to East’s games.

In 1958 and 1959, my brother was the starting center on Huntington High’s football team. We didn’t go to many of Huntington East’s games those two years. Instead, we would get in the car and drive to Huntington High’s away games.

By 1960, I no longer went to the Friday night high school games with my parents. I was now in the ninth grade at Cammack. I went to the Huntington High games with my friends. And, of course, I no longer attended Huntington East’s games.

In high school, I played on the football team – well, I attempted to play. I was on the 10th-grade team my sophomore year. My junior year I was on the varsity, but I only dressed for the home games. I wasn’t on the traveling squad for the away games. My brother was the athlete in our family.

I got into two games my junior year. In both games, it was mid-to-late in the fourth quarter when the coach sent me in. We were already winning big.

My senior year, I experienced one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. It was August and preseason practice had begun. It was one of those blistering, hot August days about two or three weeks before the start of school and the first game.

Midway during practice, we were going through a drill. At some point, one of the guys on the team made a funny statement – loud enough for us to hear him but not the coach. We all started laughing. The coach stopped what he was doing and stared at us – his eyes slowly moving from player to player.

When his eyes got to mine, he stopped. He said, “Carnohan, get out of here. You’re off the team.”

I was stupefied. I was frozen in my stance.

He said, “You heard me. Go on, get out of here now. Go back to the locker room, turn in your equipment and go home.”

As I walked off Prindle Field back towards the stadium – the stadium whose lights got my adrenaline flowing on Friday nights when I was much younger – I was so hurt. I was so embarrassed. It was all I could do to hold up my head as I walked off the practice field with my back to the players.

That night, one of my friends on the team called me and said that he told the coach after practice that it wasn’t me who uttered the funny statement. The coach said, “I know that. But somebody had to take the blame.”

Three or four weeks later, I was directing the card section. Fairfield Stadium was high enough with enough rows to support a card section. I don’t remember if our class revived the card section or if we continued it from the previous year.

But there I was, sitting at a desk, plotting out the card formations on graph paper and recording the instructions on the cheat sheets. We’d sometimes hold practice sessions in the school auditorium.

Before the home games, we’d place the cards (red on one side, blue on the other) and corresponding instruction sheets on the seats in the student section. Then I prayed that no one would sabotage the arrangement by moving the instruction sheets.

During the home games, I was still on the field. Only instead of sitting on the bench, I was standing in front of the student section, hollering the commands for the card section stunts through a battery-powered megaphone.

My parents continued to go to the Huntington High and Huntington East games while I was in high school. But after I went off to college, they all but stopped going to the games. For a few years, they still went to one high school game a season – when Huntington High played Huntington East. I never asked them whose side of the field they sat on. And for a few years they went to one Marshall game a season.

Fairfield Stadium was torn down in 2004. A Marshall medical school complex stands on the grounds now. The two high schools – Huntington High and Huntington East were consolidated into one school in the 1990s.

As you walk east on Huntington Avenue today there are no Friday night lights to be seen. They are located elsewhere now. But I’ll always have a picture of them in my mind. And the excitement will get the adrenaline flowing in my body.

“Let’s walk a little faster, dad. Let’s walk faster, mother. I don’t want to be late for the game.”

I was back in Huntington over the weekend for my 50th high school class reunion. Swamp Mama was with me – her first time meeting my classmates. It was a grand and glorious occasion. We forgot the bad times and remembered the good times.

Several years ago when I read Dostoyevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov,” a passage from the book made an impact on me. It has remained etched on my memory ever since. Thursday night I shared and dedicated it with my classmates on our class Facebook page.

“And even if we are all occupied with more important things,
Even if we attain honor or fall into misfortune,
Still, let us remember how good it was once here,
When we were all together, united by a good and kind feeling
That made us better, perhaps, than we were.”

Still, let us remember those Friday night lights and how good it was once here.

It was a damn good card section.

Touchdown Tom
September 22, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Signal stealers? – Auburn 20, Kansas State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 30, Kansas State 27). Three turnovers and only 40 yards rushing killed the Wildcats. Auburn’s defense came to play. What a difference between last year’s Auburn defense and this year’s. Otherwise, the teams were pretty evenly matched. K-State coach Bill Snyder accused Auburn of stealing their signals. Attendance: 53,046

RUNNER UP: What a Mustake – Alabama 42, Florida 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 28, Florida 17). Only 93 yards passing, only 107 yards rushing, 2-for-13 on third-down efficiency, 9-for-28 passing (32 percent), only 11 first downs and a defense that gives up 42 points. The only reason the Gator offense scored 21 points was because of Bama turnovers. Tell me Will is not a Mustake. Attendance: 101,821

REST OF THE BEST: Fournette who? – Mississippi State 34, LSU 29 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Mississippi State 26). Miss State held a 34-10 lead over the Tigers with less than 13 minutes left in the game. LSU rallied, but not enough this time. State’s Dak Prescott passed for 268 yards and rushed for 105. The Bulldogs’ Josh Robinson rushed for 197 yards, as State racked up 570 total yards on LSU. The Tigers Leonard Fournette was another no-show again – 38 yards rushing. Attendance: 102,321

What a finish – Arizona 49, California 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 33, California 24). With less than four minutes to go in the game and trailing 45-30, Arizona scored three touchdowns to beat Cal. The Wildcats final TD came as time expired. The teams combined for 1,200 total yards – 520 of those yards on the passing of Arizona’s Anu Solomon. Attendance: 45,595

Not a second-half team – Oklahoma 45, West Virginia 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 29, West Virginia 23). West Virginia had the passing game – 376 yards. Oklahoma had the running game – 301 yards. But for the third time this year (against Alabama, Maryland and Oklahoma) WVU played poorly in the second half. Tied at halftime, OU outscored WVU 21-9 in the second half. The Sooners Samaje Perine rushed for 242 yards. Attendance: 61,902

Brewer brews a catastrophe – Georgia Tech 27, Virginia Tech 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 27, Georgia Tech 21). The Hokies Michael Brewer threw three interceptions, as Virginia Tech suffered its second-straight loss at home. The Jackets Justin Thomas rushed for 165 yards. Attendance: 62,318

The Corn was poppin’ – Nebraska 41, Miami (Florida) 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 34, Miami 24). Miami had the passing game (359 yards); Nebraska had the running game (343 yards). The running game won. Ameer Abdullah accounted for 229 of the Huskers rushing yards. Attendance: 91,585

Panthers no longer undefeated – Iowa 24, Pitt 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 19, Iowa 17). Pitt led throughout most of the game. The Hawkeyes took the lead (24-20) for the first time with 6:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Pitt’s James Connor rushed for 155 yards. Attendance: 48,895

Cougars remain undefeated – BYU 41, Virginia 33 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 28, Virginia 25). The Cavs out-rushed (192 yards to 145) and out-passed (327 yards to 187). But the Cavs had two turnovers to none for BYU. The Cougars trailed until 9:02 remaining in the third quarter. Attendance: 59,023

Hog day afternoon – Arkansas 52, Northern Illinois 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Arkansas 32, Northern Illinois 25). Surprise, surprise – Arkansas actually had more yards passing than rushing (215 to 212). The Huskies were never in the game. Attendance: 67,204

The Hoosiers showed ’em – Indiana 31, Missouri 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 36, Indiana 22). With 2:20 left on the clock, Mizzou kicked a 40-yard field goal to go up 27-24. But the Hoosiers weren’t finished. Indiana scored on a 3-yard run with 0:22 remaining. Attendance: 66,455

East Carolina 70, North Carolina 41 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 24, East Carolina 23). ECU racked up 789 total yards, as the Pirates dominated the Heels for the second-straight year. Last year, ECU beat UNC, 55-31. North Carolina actually led 20-14 early in the second quarter. Then the Pirates scored 28 unanswered points and never looked back. ECU’s Shane Carden passed for 438 yards. The Pirates Breon Allen rushed for 211 yards. Attendance: 51,082

Hoke has visions of pink – Utah 26, Michigan 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Utah 22). Four turnovers killed the Wolverines. It may have killed Brady Hoke too. Attendance: 103,890

A bizarre night – Florida State 23, Clemson 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida State 33, Clemson 20). FSU only had 13 yards rushing, but the Noles still managed to beat Clemson. Not good for Dabo Swinney. Meanwhile, the lunatic is running the asylum in Tallahassee. Attendance: 82,316

Orange suffering from a citrus canker – Maryland 34, Syracuse 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Syracuse 27, Maryland 24). The Cuse outgained the Terps by 220 yards and still lost the game by a sizable margin. Early in the second quarter, Maryland only led the Orange by one point – 14-13. Then the Terps scored 20 unanswered points to take a 34-13 lead with 4:13 left in the game. Attendance: 40,511


.…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Aztecs get pelted – Oregon State 28, San Diego State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 33, San Diego State 28). In a switch for the Beavers, Oregon State scored all four of its touchdowns on the ground – this when Oregon State only had 97 yards rushing to 275 yards passing. The Aztecs only score came in the first four minutes of the game. Attendance: 41,339


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

These Devils are angels – Duke 47, Tulane 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 39, Tulane 19). The Dookies improve to 4-0 on the season. Tulane suffered five turnovers. Attendance: 20,197

A peachy day for the Dawgs – Georgia 66, Troy 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 36, Troy 14). Poor Troy. The Dawgs were angry after their loss to South Carolina last week and they took anger out on the Trojans. Sony Michel led the Dawgs in rushing with 155 yards. Attendance: 92,746

Boilers sizzle – Purdue 35, Southern Illinois 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Southern Illinois 19). Maybe the Boilers should join the Missouri Valley Conference. Attendance: 31,434


Week 4 Pick Results: 12 correct, 7 wrong (63.2 percent)
On the Season: 59 correct, 19 wrong (75.6 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

UCF 41, Bethune-Cookman 7 – Attendance: 44,510 …. South Florida 17, Connecticut 14 – Attendance: 28,723 …. Wyoming 20, Florida Atlantic 19 – Attendance: 21,226 …. Louisville 34, Florida International 3 – Attendance: 10,826

oastal Carolina 48, Florida A&M 3 …. Jacksonville U. 34, Penn 31 – Attendance: 2,268 ….Stetson 37, Birmingham Southern 19 – Attendance: 1,235 ….Florida Tech 37, Tarleton State 31


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Arizona’s Anu Solomon – 47-73-2 for 520 yards; Alabama’s Blake Sims – 23-33-1-445; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 30-48-1-438; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 43-63-0-436; Old Dominion’s Taylor Heinicke – 27-43-0-430; California’s Jared Goff – 18-30-1-380, and West Virginia’s Clint Trickett – 25-41-2-376.

Also, Miami of Florida’s Brad Kaaya – 28-42-2 for 359 yards; Texas State’s Tyler Jones – 29-43-1-336; New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers – 32-47-2-333; Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – 21-25-0-329; Missouri’s Maty Mauk – 28-47-1-326; Florida state’s Sean Maguire – 21-39-2-305, and Louisville’s Will Gardner – 16-28-0-295.


Impressive Rushers:

Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon – 253 yards; Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine – 242 yards; Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah – 229 yards; East Carolina’s Breon Allen – 211 yards; Mississippi State’s Josh Robinson – 197 yards; Illinois’ Josh Ferguson – 190 yards, and Georgia Southern’s Matt Breida – 187 yards.

Also, Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 168 yards; Georgia Tech’s Justin Thomas – 165 yards; Wisconsin’s Tanner McEvoy – 158 yards; Syracuse’s Terrel Hunt – 156 yards; Georgia’s Sony Michel – 155 yards; Pitt’s James Connor – 155 yards; Boise State’s Jay Ajayi – 150 yards, and Rice’s Jowan Davis – 150 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“Punishment proves FSU doesn’t get it. Suspending him for a half is a classic cop-out,” USA Today columnist Dan Wolken, on Jameis Winston.

“Reputation-wise, there is no coming back from this. His resume of missteps, large and small, cannot be washed away by the phony humility and contrived smile that have gotten him through all of the other predicaments in which he has found himself. Winston is what he is,” USA Today columnist Dan Wolken.

“I take little comfort in a suspension of 30 minutes from a game for shouting obscenities when this university and local law enforcement purposefully failed to investigate serious allegations of rape against this same star athlete,” Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, on Florida State, the Tallahassee Police Department and Jameis Winston.

“You’re playing Miami. That should get your attention, should get your juices flowing,” Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, to his team.

“He should have went to the NFL last year and got out of our league. I don’t want to play the guy! I think he’s a phenomenal athlete, a great leader, and has been one of the best players in college football every year. Not just this year but every year,” Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, on Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. UCLA (3-0) at Arizona State (3-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: FS1, 10 p.m. ET, Thursday) – Second week in a row that the “Game of the Week” is on Thursday night. Both teams have top-notch quarterbacks – one won’t play and the other may not. ASU’s Taylor Kelly is definitely out with a right-foot injury he suffered in the Colorado game. UCLA’s Brett Hundley may not play due to an elbow injury he suffered in the Texas game. Still, it should be a good game. Both teams have capable backup quarterbacks. ASU has senior Mike Bercovici and the Bruins will go with Jerry Neuheisel if Hundley can’t play. Bruins take the Sun out of the Devils – UCLA 34, Arizona State 33.

RUNNER UP: 2. Missouri (3-1) at South Carolina (3-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – South Carolina still has a problem on defense. Can Missouri take advantage of this? The Tigers will be hurtin’ after the surprise loss to Indiana last week. Defense or no defense, Spurrier is on a roll – South Carolina 30, Missouri 22.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Florida State (3-0) at NC State (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – A battle of the undefeated, but NC State is an untested undefeated. But the Wolf Pack are in for a test this week. NC State often has a way of giving FSU problems when the two teams hook up. No problems for the Noles this year – Florida State 33, NC State 16.

4. Arkansas (3-1) vs. Texas A&M (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas) – Arkansas is improving since their opening loss to Auburn, no doubt about that. But have the Hogs improved enough to hang with the Aggies. A&M’s defense must stop the Arkansas running game. Aggies make the Hogs look like Pigly Wigglies – Texas A&M 28, Arkansas 24,

5. Stanford (2-1) at Washington (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Cardinal already have one loss in Pac-12 play. Another one this early in the season will be costly. But the Huskies will be tough in Seattle. The Trees shed – Washington 19, Stanford 18.

6. Cincinnati (2-0) at Ohio State (2-1) – (AAC vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Bearcats are undefeated, but the competition hasn’t been that tough. Still Cincy would love nothing better than to beat the Buckeyes, especially in Columbus. It won’t happen – Ohio State 32, Cincinnati 18.

7. Oregon State (3-0) at USC (2-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: ESPN 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Beavers are off to a good start, but things are about to change. The Trojans will be angry after the upset loss to Boston College. They will take that anger out on the Beavers – USC 34, Oregon State 27.

8. Notre Dame (3-0) vs. Syracuse (2-1) – (Ind. vs. ACC) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey) – Syracuse was looking pretty good until Maryland came along last week. The Irish come along this week. They will be tougher than Maryland – Notre Dame 30, Syracuse 13.

9. Memphis (2-1) at Ole Miss (3-0) – (AAC vs. SEC) (TV: FSN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Memphis is a much improved team this year. The Tigers gave UCLA a scare. But they won’t give the Rebel Bears a scare – Ole Miss 34, Memphis 21.

10. Tennessee (2-1) at Georgia (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – The Vols are tougher, but they still have a way to go. The Dawgs sure don’t want a second loss in SEC play. It could be interesting for a quarter or two. Then Uga gets his drool going – Georgia 28, Tennessee 19.

11. Illinois (3-1) at Nebraska (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 9 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Illinois doesn’t have the manpower to hang in with the Huskers in Lincoln. It may not be pretty for the Banned Indians. Huskers get off to a good start in Big Ten play – Nebraska 36, Illinois 15.

12. Texas Tech (2-1) at Oklahoma State (2-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday) – Another big Thursday night game. It’s the first conference matchup for both teams. Okie State’s lone loss was a close, respectable loss to Florida State. Tech was blown away by Arkansas in its lone loss. And Tech was not impressive in its two wins. Kliff Kingsbury definitely has a problem on defense. His defensive coordinator, Matt Wallerstedt, resigned last week. Then again, maybe Kingsbury no longer has a problem on defense. Kliff gets lassoed – Oklahoma State 31, Texas Tech 25.

13. Duke (4-0) at Miami (Florida) (2-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Dookies are 4-0, but this is their first big test. Miami definitely has some problems, but the Canes can be dangerous. Not dangerous enough though – Duke 31, Miami 30.

14. Colorado State (2-1) at Boston College (3-1) – (MWC vs. ACC) (TV: FSN, 12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Both teams are off to a pretty good start. The home field will be a big advantage for the Eagles. BC comes out on top – Boston College 32, Colorado State 22.

15. North Carolina (2-1) at Clemson (1-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Clemson will be looking to bounce back after the frustrating loss to Florida State. North Carolina will be looking for some respect after the shellacking from East Carolina. The Tigers don’t give the Tar Heels any respect – Clemson 33, North Carolina 19.


.…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Maryland (3-1) at Indiana (2-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 1:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Hoosiers were a real surprise last week, beating Missouri. Maryland looked good too, knocking off Syracuse. The Terps continue to look good – Maryland 32, Indiana 28.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Texas (1-2) at Kansas (2-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: FS1, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Charlie Strong definitely has some issues with the Horns, but the other Charlie – Weis – definitely has some problems with the Jayhawks. Weis’ problems are bigger – Texas 27, Kansas 9.

Iowa (3-1) at Purdue (2-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – The Boilers are catching Iowa at the wrong time. The Hawkeyes are mad. Boilers losing steam – Iowa 27, Purdue 17.

West Virginia (2-2) and Florida (2-1) are off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

South Florida (2-2) at Wisconsin (2-1) – (AAC vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, Saturday) …. UTSA (1-2) at Florida Atlantic (1-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: None, 5 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Florida International (1-3) at UAB (2-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) (TV: None, 3:30 p.m. ET).

Florida A&M (0-3) at Tennessee State (3-1) – (MEAC vs. Ohio Valley) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Florida Tech (3-0) at Bethune-Cookman (2-1) – (Gulf South vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Jacksonville U. (2-1) at Butler (2-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) ….

UCF (1-2) and Stetson (2-2) are off.

In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Michigan and Texas have agreed to a home-and-home series to be played in 2024 and 2027…. Texas quarterback David Ash announced he is giving up football. Ash, who missed much of last season with a concussion, suffered another concussion in the Longhorns opener this season against North Texas.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but near the end of September as the college football season was about to move into its second month, the number one song in the country…

…70 years ago this week in 1944 was “Swinging on a Star” by Bing Crosby

…65 years ago this week in 1949 was “You’re Breaking My Heart” by Vic Damone

…60 years ago this week in 1954 was “Sh-Boom” by The Crew-Cuts

…55 years ago this week in 1959 was “Sleep Walk” by Santo & Johnny

…50 years ago this week in 1964 was “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals

…45 years ago this week in 1969 was “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies

…40 years ago this week in 1974 was “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” by Barry White

…35 years ago this week in 1979 was “My Sharona” by The Knack

…30 years ago this week in 1984 was “Missing You” by John Waite

…25 years ago this week in 1989 was “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” by Milli Vanilli

…20 years ago this week in 1994 was “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men


Not directly college football related, but sadly there were two passings of note last week – George Hamilton IV and Polly Bergen.

George Hamilton IV, a clean-cut country singer whose string of wholesome hits in the 1960s, including “Abilene” and “Before This Day Ends,” helped him become an enduring star, died last week in Nashville. He was 77. In 1956, Hamilton was a teenager in a rock ‘n’ roll band in North Carolina when he had his first hit, “A Rose and a Baby Ruth,” written by John D. Loudermilk. It reached No. 6 on Billboard’s pop chart. Hamilton had several more hits, but none as big as his first. That’s when he decided to become a country singer. He went to Nashville in 1959 and by the next year he was a member of the Opry, where he appeared dozens of times over the next 50 years. He was also popular in Canada, Europe and around the world. “Abilene” was his biggest hit, reaching No. 1 on the Country charts and No. 20 on the Pop charts in 1963. “Steel Rail Rain” and “Early Morning Rain” were two other of his country hits. His last big hit was in 1970 – “She’s a Little Bit Country” – went to No. 3 on the Country charts. Hamilton was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 19, 1937. He was a freshman at the University of North Carolina when he recorded “A Rose and a Baby Ruth.”

Polly Bergen, an actress, singer and businesswoman who won an Emmy in 1958 and was nominated for another 50 years later, died Saturday in Southbury, Connecticut. She was 84. Bergen was in the 1962 film “Cape Fear” and she was a panelist for five years on the CBS game show “To Tell The Truth.” She was also nominated for a Tony in 2001 for her performance in “Follies.” Bergen began her career singing hillbilly songs on the radio and quickly made the move to movies. She made a number of popular recordings, beginning with “Little Girl Blue” in 1955. Nellie Paulina Burgin was born on July 14, 1930, in Knoxville, Tennessee.

College Football Week 4 – Okies go to Morgantown; Tigers to Tallahassee
Someone saved my job tonight

When I think of those stadium lights, muggy nights…..

I’m sure Will Muschamp was thinking about a lot of things Saturday night. He might have been thinking about whose coaching staff he was going to be on next year. For three overtimes, he had the look of a desperate man.

You almost had your hooks in me, didn’t you Stoops
You nearly had me roped and tied
Pink-slip bound, hypnotized

During preseason, I wrote about the two coaches entering the season on the hottest seat – Florida’s Will Muschamp and West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen.

Will my problems work out right or wrong?

Fortunately, for Muschamp, his problems worked out right on Saturday night. Earlier that day, Holgorsen’s worked out right too. Someone saved their jobs, all right.

Florida entered the Kentucky game having beaten the Wildcats 27-straight years and 33 of the last 35 years. It was 1986 when Florida last lost to Kentucky and 1979 when the Gators last lost to the Wildcats in The Swamp. Saturday’s game was in The Swamp.

At the end of regulation, the game was tied 20-20. The heavily favored Gators were struggling and Kentucky seemed to have the momentum. Muschamp didn’t want to be the first Florida coach since Charley Pell to lose to Kentucky in The Swamp. Galen Hall, Steve Spurrier, Ron Zook and Urban Meyer never lost to Kentucky in The Swamp. In fact, Spurrier, Zook and Meyer never lost to Kentucky at all – anywhere.

In the first overtime, it looked grim for Muschamp. Kentucky scored first and led 27-20. Florida was down to a fourth-and-six. The play clock appeared to have expired before the Gators got off the snap. No call. Maybe the refs saved Muschamp’s job. On the play, Jeff Driskel connected with Demarcus Robinson for a touchdown.

In the second overtime, the Gators got the ball first and settled for a field goal. Florida was up 30-27. Just when Florida appeared to have Kentucky stopped, needing a long field goal attempt to tie the score, a face mask penalty was called on Florida. That moved the ball to the Florida 15 and gave the Wildcats a first down.

Muschamp was sweating bullets. A loss to Kentucky and Florida fans would have no mercy. But the Gators defense held the Wildcats and Kentucky was forced to kick a field goal – score tied 30-30.

In the third overtime, Kentucky seemed to have run out of momentum. The Wildcats missed a 41-yard field goal attempt. Then Matt Jones took over for the Gators. Jones carried the ball four-straight times, scoring a touchdown on the final run to give Florida a 36-30 (3OT) win. Maybe Jones saved Muschamp’s job.

Earlier Saturday, West Virginia jumped out to early leads over Maryland – 14-0 in the first quarter and 28-6 in the second quarter. But several turnovers and miscues by the Mountaineers gradually let Maryland back into the game.

One could imagine what the WVU fans were saying about Dana Holgorsen. One could imagine the frustration Holgorsen must have been feeling. Holgorsen needs a winning season this year to survive. And Maryland is one of those teams West Virginia needs to beat.

Late in the game, the score was tied 37-37. Following a Maryland punt, West Virginia got the ball, first-and-10 on the WVU five, with 2:38 left in the game. A pass here and a run there, the Mountaineers drove 65 yards in 13 plays to the Maryland 30. A timeout was called with 0:03 on the clock.

Enter field goal kicker Josh Lambert. Holgorsen must have been sweating bullets. But Lambert was cool as a cucumber. He connected on the 47-yard field goal as time expired to give West Virginia a 40-37 win. Lambert saved Holgorsen’s job.

But Muschamp and Holgorsen are jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. This week, Florida plays Alabama and West Virginia plays Oklahoma. Granted, the pressure to win those games won’t be as strong. But the pressure to keep the score respectable will be. Stay tuned.

Kentucky-Florida was one of two overtime games Saturday. The other contest that went beyond regulation involved a Kentucky team too. And this Kentucky team didn’t win either. Middle Tennessee downed Western Kentucky 50-47 in three overtimes. WKU forced the overtime when the Hilltoppers Garrett Schwettman kicked a 24-yard field goal with 0:20 left in the game. Schwettman’s field goal tied the score 34-34 at the end of regulation.

Saturday was full of exciting finishes. Nine other teams – Bowling Green, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Indiana State, Iowa State, Penn State, Vanderbilt, Virginia and UCLA – scored in the final minutes or seconds to win their games.

In one of those MAC vs. Big Ten games, Bowling Green scored on a 2-yard touchdown pass with only 0:09 on the clock to beat Indiana, 45-42. In Blacksburg, Virginia, East Carolina scored a touchdown with 0:16 left in regulation to beat Virginia Tech, 28-21. The Pirates blew 21-0 first quarter lead on the Hokies.

In Atlanta, with 0:23 remaining in the game, Georgia Tech scored on a 13-yard touchdown pass to overtake Georgia Southern, 42-38. This after the Yellow Jackets blew a 35-10 second-quarter lead on the Eagles. FCS Indiana State scored a touchdown with 3:50 on the clock to upset Ball State, 27-20. This the same Ball State team that lost by only four points in the final 60 seconds to Iowa last week.

Speaking of Iowa, the Hawkeyes were in another barnburner this week. Only the outcome was different this time. Intrastate rival Iowa State kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired to down Iowa, 20-17. In Piscataway, New Jersey, Penn State, trailing Rutgers 10-0 late in the third quarter, rallied to beat the Scarlet Knights, 13-10. The Nittany Lions scored their winning touchdown with 1:13 left in the game.

In Nashville, Vanderbilt, trailing Massachusetts 31-20 in the fourth quarter, scored two touchdowns in the final nine minutes to beat UMass, 34-31. The Commodores scored their final touchdown with 1:08 on the clock. And finally, in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, UCLA connected on a 33-yard touchdown pass with 3:00 remaining to beat Texas, 20-17.

Talk about turnarounds, last week USC beat Stanford, 13-10, while Boston College lost to Pitt, 30-20. Saturday, Boston College stunned USC, 37-31. In the game, USC led 17-6 early in the second quarter. BC then scored 24 unanswered points to take a 30-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Last week Virginia Tech beat Ohio State, 35-21, while East Carolina lost to South Carolina, 33-23. Saturday, East Carolina stunned Virginia Tech 28-21.

By the way, the longest annual-series losing streak in FBS is now 28 games – Kentucky losing to Florida. The longest opponent-vs.-opponent losing streak in FBS is 30 games – Temple losing to Penn State. The Owls and the Nittany Lions don’t play on an annual basis like Kentucky and Florida. Temple last beat Penn State in 1941.

I enjoyed exchanging messages with my ol’ Husker friend Don Haddix early Saturday afternoon. Don and his wife Justine live in California. Don was watching the West Virginia-Maryland game on the Big Ten Network. The previous night, Don and Justine celebrated the wedding of their son Alex – one of their three sons.

We had so much fun during the Virginia Tech-Ohio State game last week, Betty “The Duchess of Indialantic” Pappas, Russ and Sandy Grunewald and Swamp Mama and I got together again Saturday night to watch the Kentucky-Florida game. Much fun again over munchies and beverages.

A few seconds after Josh Lambert kicked the game-ending, 47-yard field goal to give West Virginia the win over Maryland, I got a text message.

“Whew!”

It was from Rockledge Gator.

I responded, “Whew is right!”

That night, a few seconds after Florida beat Kentucky in the third overtime, I sent Rockledge Gator a text message.

“Whew!”

He responded, “Whew is right!”

Then at some point, during the wee hours of the morning, I was exchanging messages with Kris Hansen. After Saturday’s games, especially the Kentucky-Florida ending, I couldn’t sleep. Kris said he needed a Xanax. We all needed something. It’s amazing who’s up late on a college football Saturday night.

Hey, I’m off to my 50th high school class reunion next weekend. It should be fun.

When I think of those stadium lights, muggy nights…..

Touchdown Tom
September 15, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

(My apologies to Elton John)


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Not ready for prime time – Oklahoma 34, Tennessee 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 29, Tennessee 19). No, Tennessee is not ready for prime time yet. Butch Jones is making progress in Knoxville, but he still has a way to go yet. But the Sooners are ready for prime time. Trevor Knight had his best passing game of the season – 308 yards. The Sooners defense is relentless. The game was marred by five turnovers – three by Tennessee and two by Oklahoma. Attendance: 85,622

RUNNER UP: Never underestimate the ‘Head Ball Coach’ – South Carolina 38, Georgia 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 32, South Carolina 26). Georgia’s only lead in the game came at 7:25 left in the first quarter when the Dawgs went up 10-7. Five minutes later, the Gamecocks retook the lead and never relinquished it for the rest of the game. South Carolina found a new runner in Brandon Wilds – 93 yards (6.6 per carry). Attendance: 84,232

REST OF THE BEST: A Frog day afternoon – TCU 30, Minnesota 7(Touchdown Tom said: TCU 33, Minnesota 23). The Frogs defense and the Gophers turnovers kept Minnesota from accomplishing anything. The Gophers had five turnovers – two fumbles and three interceptions. TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin passed for 258 yards and rushed for another 93. Attendance: 43,958

The Lions got their ‘picks’ in – Penn State 13, Rutgers 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 26, Rutgers 22). Rutgers jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter and held the 10 point-lead until 3:45 to go in the third quarter when the Lions kicked a field goal. Penn State kicked another field goal early in the fourth quarter and then won the game with a touchdown scored in the final 73 seconds. Five turnovers – all interceptions – killed the Scarlet Knights’ chances. The Lions’ Christian Hackenberg passed for 309 yards. Neither team had much of a running game. Attendance: 53,774

Muschamp was sweatin’ it – Florida 36, Kentucky 30 (3OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 30, Kentucky 15). Kentucky had no runnin game – only 81 yards – and the Wildcats were picked off three times. Still, they managed to take the Gators to three overtimes before Florida could finally subdue them. It was a strange night for the Gators who moved the ball through the air and on the ground, but only had 20 points at the end of regulation. Jeff Driskel passed for 295 yards and Matt Jones rushed for 156. Attendance: 88,334

Who let the refs out? – Washington 44, Illinois 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 36, Illinois 25). After struggling to win in their first two games, the Huskies finally busted out in their third game. Washington’s defense shutdown Illinois on the ground, limiting the Banned Indians to 72 yards rushing. The game was marred by penalties. There were 19 flags thrown – 11 against Illinois for 110 yards. Attendance: 62,325

Mounties feast on the crab cakes – West Virginia 40, Maryland 37 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Maryland 18). The Mounties led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and 28-6 halfway through the second quarter. Then the mistakes set in for the Eers – four turnovers let Maryland back in to the game. WVU’s Clint Trickett passed for 511 yards. WVU racked up 694 total yards. The Eers Kevin White had 13 receptions for 216 yards, while Mario Alford had 11 receptions for 131yards. Terp quarterback C.J. Brown rushed for 161 of Maryland’s 163 rushing yards. Attendance: 48,154

Another barnburner – Arizona 35, Nevada 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 24, Nevada 22). For the second-straight week, Arizona escaped with a narrow win. Nevada’s Cody Fajardo passed for 321 yards, while the Wildcats Nick Wilson rushed for 171 yards. Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon completed 85% of his passes, throwing for 278 yards. He also added 60 yards on the ground. Attendance: 45,504

The Hokies were still stuffed on Buckeyes – East Carolina 28, Virginia Tech 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 29, East Carolina 23). The Pirates had a hot first quarter – up 21-0 – but were basically shutdown for the remainder of the game. All except for a final TD with 16 seconds on the clock. Neither team could muster much of a running game. Although most of the yards for both teams were through the air, neither quarterback played that well. Attendance: 63,267

The horses turned into mice – Missouri 38, UCF 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 30, UCF 22). The clock has struck midnight for last year’s Cinderella team. Four turnovers and the lack of a running game did the Knights in. It was a good game in the first half. Mizzou only led 14-10 at the break. Then it was all Tigers and no Knights in the second half. One of the SEC Network commentators said that Mizzou’s Maty Mauk may be the best quarterback in the country that nobody knows about. Attendance: 60,348

Surprise! Surprise! – Virginia 23, Louisville 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 27, Virginia 19). It was just a matter of time before the Cavs popped somebody. Virginia played UCLA tough before losing that encounter. The Cavs hung in there with the Cardinals. The game was primarily a defensive battle. Neither team had much of an offense, running or passing. The game was also marred by seven turnovers – four for Louisville and three for Virginia. The Cavs took the lead for the first time with 0:46 left in the first half. They held onto the lead until 7 minutes to go in the game when Louisville went up 21-20. A field goal with 3:42 remaining put Virginia back in the lead for good. Attendance: 34,816

Shaun the Devil – Duke 41, Kansas 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 35, Kansas 23). Another nail in Charlie Weis’ coffin. Duke’s Shaun Wilson – rushing for 245 yards – almost single handedly put down the Jayhawks. The Dookies held Kansas to only 95 yards passing. Attendance: 25,203

Neuheisel to the rescue – UCLA 20, Texas 17 (Touchdown Tom said: UCLA 34, Texas 17). UCLA out passed and out ran Texas, but the Bruins couldn’t put the Horns away until the end. It was nip-and-tuck throughout. The lead changed hands four times. UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley left the game in the first quarter with an injured arm. Backup quarterback Jerry Neuheisel – son of Rick Neuheisel – filled in admirably. Attendance: 60,479

All is not well in Lubbock – Arkansas 49, Texas Tech 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 33, Arkansas 24). Arkansas only had 61 yards passing and Texas Tech only had 101 yards rushing, but it was Arkansas’ 468 yards rushing that won the game for the Hogs. The Tech defense was no match for the running of Alex Collins (212 yards) and Jonathan Williams (145 yards). The game was close through three quarters. Arkansas led 35-28 at the start of the fourth. But it was all Razorbacks in the final period. Attendance: 60,277

Cowboys took the beep out of the Roadrunners – Oklahoma State 43, UTSA 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, UTSA 19). UTSA played well in its first two games, but the Roadrunners’ luck finally ran out in their third game. Okie State had 477 total yards to UTSA’s 206. The Pokes Daxx Garman passed for 315 yards. Attendance: 54,577


….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Huskies get muzzled – Boise State 38, Connecticut 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 35, Connecticut 16). A close game through three quarters, the Broncos only led 24-21 at the start of the fourth. Then Boise State poured it on in the final period. Neither team could run the ball – 52 yards for Boise State, 48 yards for UConn. Attendance: 30,098


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Huskers silo the Bulldogs – Nebraska 55, Fresno State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 33, Fresno State 17). You can’t get any more balanced than the Huskers were – 282 yards passing, 280 yards rushing. The Bulldogs were never in the game. Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong passed for 260 yards and rushed for another 65 yards. Attendance: 41,031

Give that Golson a Molson – Notre Dame 30, Purdue 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 38, Purdue 17). A decent game at the half, Notre Dame led, 17-14. But it was all Irish in the second half. ND quarterback Everett Golson passed for 259 yards and ran for another 56 yards. Three turnovers hurt the Boilers. Attendance: 56,832

Week 3 Pick Results: 14 correct, 4 wrong (77.8 percent)
On the Season: 47 correct, 12 wrong (79.7 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Miami 41, Arkansas State 20 – Attendance: 41,519 …. NC State 49, South Florida 17 – Attendance: 27,269 …. Florida Atlantic 50, Tulsa 21 – Attendance: 14,112 …. Pitt 42, Florida International 25 – Attendance: 10,147

Bethune-Cookman 36, Grambling State 23 – Attendance: 9,423 …. Jacksonville U. 35, San Diego 18 – Attendance: 1,950 …. Mercer 49, Stetson 0 – Attendance: 3,660 …. Florida Tech 42, Ave Maria 6 – Attendance: 4,050


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Western Michigan’s Brandon Doughty – 43-66-1 for 593 yards; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 41-62-2-544; West Virginia’s Clint Trickett – 37-49-1-511; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 17-29-1-425; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 22-31-0-425; Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel – 25-37-0-418; Baylor’s Bryce Petty – 23-34-0-416, and Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 26-42-1-414.

UNLV’s Blake Decker – 24-42-1 for 397 yards; Bowling Green’s James Knapke – 46-73-1-395; Idaho’s Matt Linehan – 27-41-1-362; Indiana’s Nate Sudfeld – 31-41-0-347; Miami of Florida’s Brad Kaaya – 16-24-1-342; New Mexico State’s Tyler Rogers – 22-40-2-324; Toledo’s Logan Woodside – 27-40-0-322; Nevada’s Cody Fajardo – 29-39-0-321, and Florida Atlantic’s Jaquez Johnson – 15-20-0-318.

USC’s Cody Kessler – 31-41-0 for 317 yards; Ole Miss’ Bo Wallace – 23-28-1-316; Oklahoma State’s Daxx Garman – 16-30-0-315; Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett – 23-30-1-312; Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg – 25-44-1-309; Oklahoma’s Trevor Knight – 20-33-1-308; Houston’s John O’Korn – 30-52-2-307 yards, and Texas A&M’s Kenny Hill – 20-31-0-300.


Impressive Rushers:

Duke’s Shaun Wilson – 245 yards; Arkansas’ Alex Collins – 212 yards; Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin – 210 yards; Boston College’s Tyler Murphy – 191 yards, and Indiana’s Tevin Coleman – 190 yards.

Pitt’s James Connor – 177 yards; Arizona’s Nick Wilson – 171 yards; UTEP’s Aaron Jones – 168 yards; Maryland’s C.J. Brown – 161 yards; BYU’s Taysom Hill – 160 yards; Florida’s Matt Jones – 156 yards; Arizona State’s D.J. Foster – 147 yards, and Arkansas’ Jonathan Williams – 145 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“I talked to four former players yesterday, and we all said if they don’t want to do anything, just kill the program. It’s so frustrating for us to watch SMU become nothing but a laughingstock or almost nonexistent. It’s almost like it doesn’t exist. Either fix it or get rid of it,” former SMU running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson, on the Mustangs program.

“If you ever hit a girl, you’re not going to play on our team. You’re finished. I don’t understand why every coach doesn’t have that rule and why every company doesn’t have that rule for their employees,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, reflecting on the Ray Rice situation.

“It’s going to be fun walking out with a victory and rubbing it in their faces,” Kentucky tailback Jojo Kemp, before the Florida game.

“Pray for Jojo,” Paul Finebaum.

“I think an on-campus stadium is like a front door to any university. And not just football, but it does a lot. The atmosphere you have on game days is just different on campus. Any college town you go around, it’s different. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s just different,” South Florida coach Willie Taggart, on the Bulls need for an on-campus stadium.

“South Carolina ain’t worth a poopy-flavored lollipop,” Georgia fan, calling into the Paul Finebaum Show.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Auburn (2-0) at Kansas State (2-0) – (SEC vs. Big 12) (TV: ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday) – We didn’t have a good Thursday night game last week, but this one should make up for it. The Tigers and the Wildcats have the makings for a good cat fight – Gus Malzahn’s carefree approach vs. Bill Snyder’s methodical approach. Nick at night – Auburn 30, Kansas State 27.

RUNNER UP: 2. Florida (2-0) at Alabama (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – I know, Will Muschamp was really holding back against Kentucky to fool Alabama. There may be some truth to that, but if there is, he almost fooled himself. We know Muschamp can coach defense. He says this is the best offense he’s had since he’s been at Florida. Time to show it. Bama gives the Gators early Yule-Tide greetings – Alabama 28, Florida 17.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Mississippi State (3-0) at LSU (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPN, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – If Miss State has anything this year, it’s time to show it. It’s been a while since the Bulldogs have made a statement in the SEC West. And it’s going to be a while before they do – LSU 33, Mississippi State 26.

4. California (2-0) at Arizona (3-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) (TV: PAC12N, 10 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Cal is definitely better this year, but how much better. The Wildcats have had a couple of close encounters the past two weeks. ’Bout time for them to break one loose. This could be a close game or a blowout. Cal will have to grin and Bear it – Arizona 33, California 24.

5. Oklahoma (3-0) at West Virginia (2-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Two years ago, this game was a barnburner in Morgantown. It may be a burner this year, but it won’t be a couch burner – Oklahoma 29, West Virginia 23.

6. Georgia Tech (3-0) at Virginia Tech (2-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – So wonder which Virginia Tech team will show up this week. The one that beat Ohio State or the one that lost to East Carolina. No honey for the Bumble Bees in Blacksburg – Virginia Tech 27, Georgia Tech 21.

7. Miami (Florida) (2-1) at Nebraska (3-0) – (ACC vs. Big Ten) (TV: ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Have the Canes found themselves since the opening loss to Louisville? The competition the past two weeks hasn’t been tough. Did the Huskers find themselves at Fresno State? You gotta figure that Miami will be the Huskers toughest opponent to date. But the Canes aren’t tough enough – Nebraska 34, Miami 24.

8. Iowa (2-1) at Pitt (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – This is an interesting matchup. After the loss to Iowa State, the Hawkeyes will come to town mad. The Panthers rely on the running of James Connor. No one has stopped him yet. But Iowa has the best defense the Panthers have faced. Panthers add to their feather collection – Pitt 19, Iowa 17.

9. Virginia (2-1) at BYU (3-0) – (ACC vs. Ind.) (TV: ESPN, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Virginia is getting better. But how much better? BYU is better than we thought. But how much better? Cougars get the best of the Cavs – BYU 28, Virginia 25.

10. Northern Illinois (3-0) at Arkansas (2-1) – (MAC vs. SEC) (TV: ESPNU, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Hogs looked tough against Texas Tech, especially the running attack. No way can the Huskies stop Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams. But the Huskies won’t just fall over either. Should be interesting for a while. Time to call the Hogs – Arkansas 32, Northern Illinois 25.

11. Indiana (1-1) at Missouri (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Mizzou is good again this year. No doubt about it. Indiana’s offense scores points about as fast as its defense gives up points. The Hoosiers get taken on Maty’s wild ride – Missouri 36, Indiana 22.

12. North Carolina (2-0) at East Carolina (2-1) – (ACC vs. AAC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – It doesn’t get any easier for the Pirates. Are they up for the test? The Tar Heels can’t be any tougher than the Hokies. But the Heels are tough enough – North Carolina 24, East Carolina 23.

13. Utah (2-0) at Michigan (2-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – No one is sure about the Wolverines yet. But the Utes are somewhat of an unknown too. Utah is definitely untested. Not anymore – Michigan 26, Utah 22.

14. Clemson (1-1) at Florida State (2-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – After Georgia demolished Clemson so badly, it’s hard to believe that the Tigers will show up for this game. This could be a bigger blowout than last year. But the Tigers may have a trick or two up their sleeve. The Noles have a lot of tricks – Florida State 33, Clemson 20.

15. Maryland (2-1) at Syracuse (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. ACC) (TV: ACCN, 12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Syracuse is undefeated but untested. Maryland has been tested. The Orange survive this test – Syracuse 27, Maryland 24.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. San Diego State (1-1) at Oregon State (2-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) (TV: FS1, 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – San Diego State is not a bad team. The Aztecs could give the Beavers some problems. Both teams are still finding their way. The Aztecs get an eye opener – Oregon State 33, San Diego State 28.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Tulane (1-2) at Duke (3-0) – (AAC vs. ACC) (TV: FSN, 12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The Dookies are looking good. Just as good as last year. They are on a roll and ain’t no way Tulane is going to stop them. The Dookies pull the plug on the Wave’s drain – Duke 39, Tulane 19.

Troy (0-3) at Georgia (1-1) – (Sun Belt vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Uga can lick his wounds this week. Troy is candy. Cotton candy – Georgia 36, Troy 14.

Southern Illinois (3-0) at Purdue (1-2) – (Missouri Valley vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – I don’t know if Purdue can win this game or not. But I’ll pick them for my friends Kim and Steve. Surely the Boilers won’t lose this one. Boilers chase the Salukis – Purdue 27, Southern Illinois 19.

Texas (1-2) is off.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Bethune-Cookman (2-0) at UCF (0-2) – (MEAC vs. AAC) (TV: ) …. Connecticut (1-2) at South Florida (1-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) (TV: ) …. Florida Atlantic (1-2) at Wyoming (2-1) – (C-USA vs. MWC) (TV: Local, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Louisville (2-1) at Florida International (1-2) – (ACC vs. C-USA) (TV: FS1, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Coastal Carolina (3-0) at Florida A&M (0-2) – (Big South vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 5 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Penn (0-0) at Jacksonville U. (1-1) – (Ivy League vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Stetson (1-2) at Birmingham Southern (0-2) – (Pioneer vs. SAA) (TV: None, 2 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Florida Tech (2-0) vs. Tarleton State (1-0) – (Gulf South vs. Lone Star) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas).


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … SMU coach June Jones resigned last week. Jones, the former Hawaii coach, was 36-43 in six years and two games with the Mustangs. SMU was off to an 0-2 start this season…. USC athletic director Pat Haden was fined $25,000 by the Pac-12 Conference for his sideline antics during the USC-Stanford game last week.

The NCAA lifted Penn State’s bowl ban and scholarship limitation sanctions that were handed down from the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Effective immediately, the Nittany Lions are no longer banned from bowl games and they can offer the full allotment of scholarships allowed by the NCAA.

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.
Not directly college football related, but sadly there were five passings of note last week – Jack Cristil, Marvin Barnes, Goose Gonsoulin, Bob Suter, and Bob Crewe.

Jack Cristil, the voice of the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 1953 to 2011, died last week. He was 88. Cristil’s final football broadcast was Mississippi State’s 52-14 win over Michigan in the 2011 Gator Bowl. He won the Mississippi Sportscaster of the Year Award 21 times. Cristil was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1925. He studied broadcast journalism at the University of Minnesota for two years in 1947-48. Prior to coming to Mississippi State, Cristil was a minor league baseball broadcaster in Jackson, Tennessee, Anniston, Alabama and Memphis.

Marvin Barnes, one of basketball’s most talented players, whose career dissolved in a haze of drugs and alcohol, died last week in Providence, Rhode Island. He was 62. A first-team All-American, Barnes led Providence College to Final Four of the NCAA tournament in 1973. Barnes went on to play two seasons in the ABA and four in the NBA. Marvin Jerome Barnes was born in North Kingston, Rhode Island, on July 27, 1952, and grew up in Providence.

Goose Gonsoulin, an original member of the Denver Broncos whose 11 interceptions in his rookie season set a team record that still stands today, died last week in Beaumont, Texas. He was 76. Gonsoulin played college ball at Baylor. He played seven seasons with the Broncos (1960-66) and finished his career with the San Francisco 49ers. Austin William Gonsoulin was born on June 7, 1938, in Port Arthur, Texas.

Bob Suter, a defenseman who helped the “Miracle on Ice” United States hockey team win the Olympic gold medal in 1980, died last week in Madison, Wisconsin. He was 57. Robert Allen Suter was born in Madison on May 16, 1957. He helped the University of Wisconsin win the national hockey title in 1977. Suter was the first member of the 1980 Olympic hockey team to die.

Bob Crewe, the songwriter and producer behind dozens of hits, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” which boosted Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons into pop posterity, died last week in Scarborough, Maine. He was 83. Crewe, a four-decade resident of Los Angeles, moved to Maine in 2011. He also wrote songs for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Bobby Darin, Lesley Gore and Oliver, among others. Most of his songwriting hits were in the 1960s. In the 1970s he and Kenny Nolan co-wrote “Lady Marmalade” for the group LaBelle. Crewe was born on November 12, 1930, in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in nearby Belleview.

College Football Week 3 – Vols-Sooners; Dawgs-Cocks
And it’s all over now, Big Ten

After Saturday’s action, I’m convinced that no team from the Big Ten Conference deserves to be selected for the Four-Team Playoff at the end of the season.

Oregon 46, Michigan State 27…..Notre Dame 31, Michigan 0…..Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21…..(last week) LSU 28, Wisconsin 24.

And, Purdue loses to Central Michigan, 38-17…..Northwestern loses to Northern Illinois, 23-15.

“The vagabond who’s rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore”

Plus, Nebraska struggles to beat McNeese State, 31-24…..Iowa struggles to beat Ball State, 17-13.

Additionally, Illinois, Rutgers, Minnesota and Maryland were everything but impressive in their sloppy wins over weak competition.

“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” was written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on Dylan’s album “Bringing It All Back Home, released in March 1965.
Following the losses by Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State on Saturday, I couldn’t get, “And it’s all over now, Big Ten,” out of my head.

The Big Ten is one of the Power Five conferences, but based on the Big Ten’s performance this season, no Big Ten team should be considered for the Four-Team Playoff. In Michigan State’s 46-27 loss to Oregon, the Spartans were outscored 28-3 by the Ducks in the second half of the game.

Michigan failed to score a point in the Wolverines’ loss to Notre Dame. And Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett threw three interceptions and only completed 31 percent of his passes in the Buckeyes 35-21 loss to Virginia Tech. In the three games, the Big Ten teams – Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State – averaged losing by 21.3 points.

The previous weekend, Wisconsin blew a 17-point third quarter lead in the Badgers 28-24 loss to LSU. In that game, Wisconsin quarterback Tanner McEvoy passed for only 50 yards, completing only 33 percent of his passes.

To add insult to injury Saturday, Purdue lost to Central Michigan 38-17 and Northwestern fell to Northern Illinois, 23-15. Iowa and Nebraska each had to score in the final 60 seconds of their games to beat Ball State (17-13) and McNeese State (31-24) respectively.

In the AP and Coaches Polls released yesterday, no Big Ten team was in the Top Ten.

Strike another match, start again
And it’s all over now, Big Ten

Speaking of the Four-Team Playoff, USC athletic director Pat Haden, a member of the playoff selection committee got a little testy on Saturday during USC’s game with Stanford. When an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called against USC coach Steve Sarkisian, and a USC linebacker was ejected for targeting the head of a Stanford player, Haden left his seat in the press box and went down to the sideline where he got into an animated argument with the officials.

Haden’s action was unprecedented. It doesn’t bode well for a big-time college athletic director, much less a member of the playoff selection committee, to make a scene on the sideline, questioning officials. Some in the media are calling for Haden to resign his position from the selection committee.

And speaking of getting testy, Florida coach Will Muschamp got testy with the media last week when they questioned his decision to reinstate three suspended players – Demarcus Robinson, Darious Cummings and Jaynard Bostwick – for the Eastern Michigan game.

As punishment, Muschamp had suspended the three players from Florida’s first game. Florida’s first game – Idaho – was never played. It was called due to inclement weather. So the Eastern Michigan game Saturday was Florida’s first game. But Muschamp reinstated the players for the Eastern Michigan game, thus reneging on his first-game suspension punishment.

Hey, with Kentucky, then Alabama, on the horizon following the Eastern Michigan game and your job is on the line this season, what’s a coach to do?

Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden got a little testy too. Well, not quite testy. Bobby was a cry baby last week. At a book signing, Bobby was crying about the 12 wins that the NCAA took away from him several years ago for academic scandals at Florida State. For crying out loud, Bobby, get over it. Get a life. Get on with it. There are more important things.

Some reflections on the weekend: I can see a pattern developing at Washington State. Against Rutgers, on opening weekend, the Cougars only rushed for 6 yards. Against Nevada Friday night, the Cougars only had 38 yards rushing. Of course they had more than 500 miles passing in both games. At 0-2 this season and 9-18 overall, Mike Leech isn’t going to cut the mustard in Pullman.

Speaking of patterns, Pitt running back James Connor is the real thing. Opening weekend, Connor rushed for 153 yards against Delaware. Friday night, the Panther running back rushed for 213 yards against Boston College. Pitt is off to a 2-0 start.

Conversely, SMU is off to an 0-2 start. The Mustangs have lost to Baylor, 45-0 and North Texas 43-6. I can’t help but feel that SMU coach June Jones is just collecting a welfare check from the school. In his seventh season, Jones is 36-43 at SMU and the program has not improved.

Would you believe there wasn’t one overtime game over the weekend? It’s not often that happens. Army opened its season Saturday with a 47-39 win over Buffalo. It’s good to see the Cadets off to a winning start. After an opening loss to Ohio State, Navy bounced back with a 31-24 win over Temple.

Déjà vu: BYU 41, Texas 7. Last year it was – BYU 40, Texas 21.

What’s the story with UCLA? Opening week, the Bruins barely beat Virginia, 28-20. Saturday, UCLA struggled at home with Memphis, 42-35. If you watched the USC-Stanford game, did you notice the Stanford “Tree” mascot was a Palm Tree? Usually, the Stanford mascot is a Fir Tree. No wonder Stanford lost to USC.

By the way, if you are in the mood for an Italian dinner, it is not too late to purchase pasta from the Space Coast U14 Boys Soccer team. The pasta, with your favorite college logo on the bag, can be ordered through the following Website:

www.funpastafundraising.com/shop/space-coast-u14-boys-travel


Saturday night, Swamp Mama and I were next door watching the Virginia Tech-Ohio State game with Betty “The Duchess of Indialantic” Pappas and Russ and Sandy Grunewald. Swamp Mama and I have never cheered so hard for Virginia Tech in our lives. It was a fun evening over a various assortment of beverages.

It’s good to have Bootsie and Rockledge Gator back in Florida where they belong during football season. All this time in Alabama and Georgia has been a bad influence on them. Rockledge Gator did send me a picture last week of a tombstone in Georgia. The engraving on the stone read: “Clemson….Died August 30, 2014….Last Words Were….Who Let The Dawgs Out.”

“The vagabond who’s rapping at your door
Is standing in the clothes that you once wore”

And it’s all over now, Big Ten

Touchdown Tom
September 8, 2014
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: Spartans get Quacked – Oregon 46, Michigan State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Michigan State 24). Michigan State played a good first half, especially in the second quarter when the Spartans outscored the Ducks, 24-10. State led at the break, 24-18. The Spartans even added a field goal early in the third quarter. State led Oregon 27-18 late in the third. But that was it for the Spartans. It was all Webfeet after that. Oregon outscored State, 28-3 in the final 19 minutes of the game. The Ducks played a near perfect game – no turnovers. Marcus Mariota threw for 318 yards. The Spartans Connor Cook threw for 343 yards, but he also threw two picks. Running back Jeremy Langford was a no show. Attendance: 59,456

RUNNER UP: The Trees were all bark and no bud – USC 13, Stanford 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Stanford 28, USC 27). When you think of a Pac-12 game, you don’t often think of defense. But that’s what this contest was – a defensive battle. In four quarters, each team only scored one touchdown. And both of those were in the first half. There were no TDs in the second half. The Trojans managed two field goals in the second half. Stanford’s offense managed nothing in the second half. USC’s Javorius Allen rushed for 154 yards. Attendance: 50,814

REST OF THE BEST: Urban needed some bourbon – Virginia Tech 35, Ohio State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 29, Virginia Tech 22). The game was closer than the score indicates. The Hokies final touchdown was a 63-yard interception return with 0:46 left. From a statistical point of view, the game was about as evenly matched as you can get. The Hokies had three more total yards than the Bucks. Both teams had three turnovers. Still, watching the game, you had the feeling that Va Tech was generally in control on the field. Attendance: 107,517

Another nail in Hoke’s coffin – Notre Dame 31, Michigan 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 26, Michigan 24). The Irish had no running game – only 54 yards rushing. But Michigan had four turnovers. And ND’s Everett Golson knew how to throw the ball, while the Wolverines’ Devin Gardner didn’t. Attendance: 80,795

Ouch! – BYU 41, Texas 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, BYU 19). This was worse than last year when BYU beat the Horns, 40-21. And this one was in front of the home crowd in Austin. Mack Brown fired Manny Diaz after last year’s game. Is Charlie Strong going to fire Vance Bedford? The Horns’ first and only score didn’t even come until the waning seconds of the third quarter. BYU was up 34-0. Texas only managed 82 yards rushing. Attendance: 93,463

Heels get high in the fourth quarter – North Carolina 31, San Diego State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 30, San Diego State 23). The Aztecs clearly outplayed the Heels – running and passing – 509 total yards to 394. But Quinn Kaehler also threw three interceptions, including a crucial one in the closing seconds of the game with the Aztecs on the Heels goal line. The Heels outscored the Aztecs 17-6 in the fourth quarter. Attendance: 58,000

You can go home again – Missouri 49, Toledo 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 30, Toledo 25). Gary Pinkel’s trip back to Toledo was not as problematic as expected. After exchanging touchdowns in the first quarter, it was all Mizzou after that. The Tigers Maty Mauk passed for 325 yards. Once Attendance: 24,196

Hawks win the battle of the Birds – Iowa 17, Ball State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Ball State 26). Ball State never trailed in the game until the final minute. The Cardinals were leading Iowa 13-3 with less than three minutes on the clock. The Hawkeyes scored two touchdowns in the final 2:52 of the game. Iowa’s Jake Rudock passed for 322 yards. Attendance: 64,210

James gang – Pitt 30, Boston College 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Pitt 30, Boston College 22). In its first ACC game, the Panthers put it to their ol’ Big East rivals. Former Florida quarterback Tyler Murphy was terrible passing (10-28-2) but decent running (92 yards) for the Eagles. Pitt’s James Conner rushed for 213 yards. The game wasn’t as close as the score indicates. BC scored its final touchdown with 0:43 left in the game. Attendance: 30,083

Don’t blink, you’ll miss a touchdown – Washington 59, Eastern Washington 52 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 32, Eastern Washington 30). There were 15 touchdowns scored in the game. The teams combined for 1,109 total yards of offense – all passing for Eastern Washington; all running for Washington. The Huskies jumped out to a 21-0 lead. The Eagles cut the Huskies’ lead to 3 points early in the second quarter. Late in the third quarter, EWU actually led 45-44. The first half was wild with the two teams combining for 38 points in the first quarter and another 30 points in the second. Attendance: 62,861

Road had no runners – Arizona 26, UTSA 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona 33, UTSA 20). The Wildcats were lucky to get out of San Antonio alive. Four minutes into the game, Arizona led 10-0. It looked like the rout was on. But the Roadrunners wouldn’t let the Wildcats get away from them. Before the first quarter was over, UTSA closed the gap to 10-7 and kept it close until the final buzzer. The difference was Nick Wilson’s rushing (174 yards) for Arizona. Attendance: 33,472

The South is better than the East – South Carolina 33, East Carolina 23 (Touchdown Tom said: South Carolina 30, East Carolina 23). East Carolina took the early lead. Then the Gamecocks went ahead for the first time with 4:49 remaining in the second quarter and never looked back. The Pirates Shane Carden passed for 321 yards. South Carolina’s defense is still suspect. Attendance: 80,899

The Commodores’ boat is scrap metal – Ole Miss 41, Vanderbilt 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 34, Vanderbilt 17). Ole Miss had 34 first downs to Vandy’s 9. Ole Miss had 547 total yards to Vandy’s 167. Ole Miss had 367 yards passing to Vandy’s 60. It’s going to be a long year for the Dores. The Rebel Bears Bo Wallace passed for 320 yards. Attendance: 43,260

It ain’t over ’til Mark Mangino hollers, “Uncle” – Kansas State 32, Iowa State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 37, Iowa State 18). K-State jumped out to an early 13-0 lead. Then it was all I-State until 1:30 left in the game. That’s when the Wildcats retook the lead, scoring the winning touchdown. The Cyclones led 28-13 late in the second quarter. K-State quarterback Jake Waters passed for 239 yards and rushed for 138. Attendance: 54,800

These cats have no claws – Northern Illinois 23, Northwestern 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Northern Illinois 29, Northwestern 28). Scoreless at halftime, NIU built up a 23-7 lead in the second half. Northwestern had 322 yards passing, but only 72 rushing. It’s going to be a long season for the Wildcats. Attendance: 41,139


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Looking more like the Broncos – Boise State 37, Colorado State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Colorado State 26, Boise State 25). Compared to their opening games last week, these two teams looked like the exact opposite of each other. Colorado State went from 266 yards rushing to 28. The Rams’ Dee Hart went from 139 yards rushing to 16. Meanwhile, Boise State went from five turnovers to only one. The teams combined for 1,138 total yards. Attendance: 34,910


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

How sweet it is – West Virginia 54, Towson 0 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 49, Towson 9). I know it’s only Towson, but the Mounties needed a win like this. The WVU defense held the Tigers to 80 yards passing and 42 yards rushing. Meanwhile the Eers racked up 606 total yards with Clint Trickett passing for 348 of those yards. WVU had 34 first downs to 7 for Towson. Attendance: 56,414

Finally – Florida 65, Eastern Michigan 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 48, Eastern Michigan 13). Idaho doesn’t know how lucky it was, getting out of Gainesville without a game. The Gators had 655 total yards to EMU’s 125. The Florida defense held the Eagles to 45 yards passing and 80 yards rushing. EMU suffered from five turnovers. Attendance: 81,049

Too close for comfort – Nebraska 31, McNeese State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 48, McNeese State 10). The game was tied 24-24 in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter. Then with only 0:20 remaining, Ameer Abdullah scored on a 58-yard pass from Tommy Armstrong Jr. Attendance: 91,082

The Dookies don’t need a wooden horse – Duke 34, Troy 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 40, Troy 15). Troy scored early in the first quarter and early in the second quarter and led 14-3. Then it was all Dookies after that. In the final 41 minutes of the game, the Devils outscored Troy, 31-3. The Devils’ Anthony Boone passed for 268 yards. Attendance: 21,331

Not looking good for Darrell Hazell – Central Michigan 38, Purdue 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 37, Central Michigan 22). Fortunately for the Boilers, they still have Southern Illinois on their schedule. I hope it’s their homecoming game. The Chippewas Thomas Rawls rushed for 155 yards. Attendance: 36,410

Week 2 Pick Results: 16 correct, 5 wrong (76.2 percent)
On the Season: 33 correct, 8 wrong (80.5 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida State 37, Citadel 12 – Attendance: 81,294 …. Miami 41, Florida A&M 7 – Attendance: 48,254 …. Maryland 24, South Florida 17 – Attendance: 28,915

Alabama 41, Florida Atlantic 0 – Attendance: 100,306 …. Florida International 34, Wagner 3 – Attendance: 9,981 …. Florida Tech 54, Stetson 12 – Attendance: 4,042


Superlatives

Weekend’s Best Passers:

Illinois’ Wes Lunt – 35-50-1 for 456 yards; Baylor’s Seth Russell – 16-25-0-438; Colorado State’s Garrett Grayson – 31-58-2-434; UCLA’s Brett Hundley – 33-44-1-396; Washington State’s Connor Halliday – 38-57-2-389; Louisiana-Monroe’s Pete Thomas – 24-44-1-384, and Boise State’s Grant Hedrick – 22-33-1-352.

Also, West Virginia’s Clint Trickett – 35-40-0 for 348 yards; Michigan State’s Connor Cook – 29-47-2-343; Clemson’s Cole Stoudt – 23-31-0-338; Missouri’s Maty Mauk – 21-32-2-325; Idaho’s Matt Linehan – 26-47-2-324; Iowa’s Jake Rudock – 33-52-0-322; East Carolina’s Shane Carden – 32-46-2-321; Ole Miss’ Bo Wallace – 23-30-0-320, and Penn State’s Christian Hackenberg – 22-36-2-319.

Also, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota – 17-28-0 for 318 yards; Colorado’s Sefo Liufau – 26-42-1-318; Memphis’ Paxton Lynch – 27-41-0-303; Oregon State’s Sean Mannion – 26-37-1-300; Oklahoma’s Trevor Knight – 21-34-0-299; Western Kentucky’s Brandon Doughty – 28-48-1-297; Louisiana Tech’s Cody Sokol – 22-33-0-295, and Georgia State’s Nick Arbuckle – 21-37-2-294.


Weekend’s Best Rushers:

Minnesota’s David Cobb – 220 yards; Boise State’s Jay Ajayi – 219 yards; Arizona State’s D.J. Foster – 216 yards; Pitt’s James Conner – 213 yards; Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Dixon – 184 yards; Army’s Larry Dixon – 177 yards; Arizona’s Nick Wilson – 174 yards, and Navy’s Keenan Reynolds – 173 yards.

Also, Central Michigan’s Thomas Rawls – 155 yards; USC’s Javorius Allen – 154 yards; Toledo’s Kareem Hunt – 148 yards; UTEP’s Aaron Jones – 147 yards; Kansas State’s Jake Waters – 143 yards; Arkansas’ Jonathan Williams – 143 yards; Marshall’s Rakeem Cato – 143 yards, and Marshall’s Devon Johnson – 137 yards.


Quotes of the Week

“That’s the biggest, lamest thing, I’ve heard ever,” Denver Post columnist Woody Paige, on Will Muschamp reinstating three players for the Eastern Michigan game, who had been suspended for the opening game, even though the Idaho game was never played.

“I think our discipline speaks for itself and how we’ve handled our football team. OKAY?,” Florida coach Will Muschamp, responding to the fans and media who criticized his decision to reinstate the three players who were supposed to sit out the first game.

“UTSA sounds like an insurance company,” Swamp Mama

“I hate it they took 12 games away from me, on something academic that I had nothing to do with! Now look….Notre Dame, aren’t they going through the same thing now with four or five players? I want to see what the NCAA does there. I bet they won’t do nothing,” former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden on his vacated wins.

“Florida State is just now – nearly two years after the fact – conducting an internal investigation into the allegations of sexual assault against Jameis Winston. Good grief, the way FSU administrators procrastinated on this you’d think they were cleaning out their garage instead of conducting a rape investigation,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Had to laugh when I saw this headline – ‘Bucs will be the best NFL team in Florida.’ Isn’t being the best NFL team in Florida sort of like seeing the best surfer in Kansas?,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.


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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Tennessee (2-0) at Oklahoma (2-0) – (SEC vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – We think we know Oklahoma is for real. We are not sure about Tennessee yet. (Kind of like the Virginia Tech-Ohio State game last week.) So, in addition to these two being undefeated, there is a certain amount of intrigue to the game. Oklahoma may blow out Tennessee. It may be a tight game, or, who knows, Tennessee may win. Regardless, it should be a fun game. The Boomers are for real – Oklahoma 29, Tennessee 19.

RUNNER UP: 2. Georgia (1-0) at South Carolina (1-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: CBS, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Rankings wise, this is the “Game-of-the-Week,” but Georgia has only played one game and South Carolina was clobbered in its loss. Still, it’s a crucial game in the SEC East. The Gamecocks can’t afford another conference loss – not this early in the season. Georgia is loaded in the backfield. This has the makings of a good one. Dawgs leave Columbia, wagging their tails – Georgia 32, South Carolina 26.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Minnesota (2-0) at TCU (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big 12) (TV: FS1, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Here’s another game that will let us know what these two teams have – or have not. Minnesota has two wins, but the opposition hasn’t been of the highest caliber. Likewise for TCU. Home field is an important factor in this contest. The Frogs aren’t very kind hosts – TCU 33, Minnesota 23.

4. Penn State (2-0) at Rutgers (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday) – The first Big Ten Conference game for the Scarlet Knights. It should be a big night in Piscataway. And the Knights would love nothing more than to beat their old nemesis – the Nittany Lions. They will be up for this one. The Lions will be up too – Penn State 26, Rutgers 22.

5. Kentucky (2-0) at Florida (1-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Florida last lost to Kentucky in 1986. The Gators have won 27-straight against the Wildcats. Current Gator players weren’t even born when Kentucky last beat Florida. In the last 35 meetings, the Gators are 33-2 against the Wildcats. But these are Mark Stoops’ Wildcats. Stoops has promised to turn around the program in Lexington. Of course, other coaches promised that too. But Stoops has been recruiting well. Better than other recent Kentucky coaches. Will Muschamp has been recruiting well too. And Muschamp doesn’t want to lose his job. The Gators make it 28-straight – Florida 30, Kentucky 15.

6. Illinois (2-0) at Washington (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. Pac-12) (TV: Fox, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Both are undefeated, but both have struggled somewhat in their wins. Something tells me Chris Petersen is tired of struggling. Something tells me the Banned Indians’ luck is about to run out. A treat for the Huskies – Washington 36, Illinois 25.

7. West Virginia (1-1) at Maryland (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big Ten) (TV: BTN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – After dominating Maryland for so many years, the Mounties got a surprise from the Terps last year. WVU was skunked – bad. Maryland looked sloppy in its win over South Florida. But the Terps may have been looking ahead to the Eers. WVU definitely has some momentum going – both from the near loss to Alabama and the big win over Towson. The Mountaineers are on a roll – West Virginia 27, Maryland 18.

8. Nevada (2-0) at Arizona (2-0) – (MWC vs. Pac-12) (TV: P-12N, 11 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Both teams survived tests last week to stay undefeated. Arizona on the road against upstart UTSA and Nevada at home against Washington State. The Wolf Pack doesn’t survive this test – Arizona 24, Nevada 22.

9. East Carolina (1-1) at Virginia Tech (2-0) – (AAC vs. ACC) (TV: ESPN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – Now you gotta figure that East Carolina is hoping to catch the Hokies in a haze after their win over Ohio State. The Pirates almost caught South Carolina and the Gamecocks weren’t on a high. But alas, the Pirates fail to make a catch again – Virginia Tech 29, East Carolina 23.

10. UCF (0-1) at Missouri (2-0) – (AAC vs. SEC) (TV: SECN, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – UCF entered the season with high expectations. But those expectations took a hit in Dublin. The Knights have had a week to lick their wounds from that skirmish. Meanwhile, Mizzou and quarterback Maty Mauk have been on a roll, piling up the points. The Tigers continue piling – Missouri 30, UCF 22.

11. Louisville (2-0) at Virginia (1-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) (TV: ACCN, 12:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – This could be a tricky game for the Cardinals. Louisville has been impressive so far. But Virginia is still an enigma. The Cavs almost beat UCLA. (But then again, Memphis almost beat UCLA too.) Still, the Cavs put up a good fight against the Bruins. The Cardinals take the fight out of the Cavs – Louisville 27, Virginia 19.

12. Kansas (1-0) at Duke (2-0) – (Big 12 vs. ACC) (TV: FSN, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – After Elon and Troy, the Dookies step it up a notch this week – if you can consider Kansas a notch above the others. Charlie Weis is fighting for his job so he will throw everything at the Dookies he can. The Dookies might get a scare. But these Devils don’t scare easy – Duke 35, Kansas 23.

13. UCLA (2-0) vs. Texas (1-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Big 12) (TV: Fox, 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas) – We thought this had the potential to be a big game until BYU blew the Longhorns off the field last week. But you never know, because the Bruins haven’t been very impressive in their two wins – not impressive at all. But it doesn’t take much to impress Texas – UCLA 34, Texas 17.

14. Arkansas (1-1) at Texas Tech (2-0) – (SEC vs. Big 12) (TV: ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Swamp Mama is concerned. Her boy Kliff has been living on the edge. The Red Raiders are 2-0, but both wins have been by seven points or less. And not against very strong competition – I might add. As strange as it may sound, the Razorbacks appear to be Tech’s strongest competition so far. But not strong enough to make Swamp Mama cry – Texas Tech 33, Arkansas 24.

15. UTSA (1-1) at Oklahoma State (1-1) – (C-USA vs. Big 12) (TV: FSN, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday) – UTSA upset Houston and came close to knocking off Arizona. The Roadrunners are looking for another upset. But Okie State is a bit of a stretch for UTSA. In fact the Pokes stretch their wins to two – Oklahoma State 31, UTSA 19.


…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

16. Boise State (1-1) at Connecticut (1-1) – (MWC vs. AAC) (TV: ABC/ESPN2, 12 noon ET, Saturday) – After the loss to Ole Miss, the Broncos turned it around against Colorado State. The Huskies turned it around too after their opening loss. But UConn wasn’t very impressive turning it around. It’s going to be a long season for the Huskies – Boise State 35, Connecticut 16.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Nebraska (2-0) at Fresno State (0-2) – (Big Ten vs. MWC) (TV: CBSSN, 10:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – After breezing by Florida Atlantic, the Huskers almost blew it against McNeese State. And Fresno State gave Nebraska fits in Lincoln a few years ago. But this ain’t that Fresno State team. The Bulldogs have suffered two bad losses. They’re about to suffer another bad loss – Nebraska 33, Fresno State 17.

Purdue (1-1) at Notre Dame (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. Ind.) (TV: NBC, 7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) – Purdue’s only hope is that it can catch the Irish on a Michigan high. But even if the Irish are still celebrating the Michigan win, it would be almost impossible for the Boilers to catch the Irish – much less even come close to them. The Boilers just don’t appear to be a healthy team. The Irish give the Boilers an exam – Notre Dame 38, Purdue 17.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Arkansas State (1-1) at Miami (1-1) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) (TV: ESPNU, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. NC State (2-0) at South Florida (1-1) – (ACC vs. AAC) (TV: CBSSN, 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Tulsa (1-1) at Florida Atlantic (0-2) – (AAC vs. C-USA) (TV: None, 7 p.m. ET, Saturday).

Pitt (2-0) at Florida International (1-1) – (ACC vs. C-USA) (TV: FS1, 12 noon ET, Saturday) …. Grambling State (0-2) at Bethune-Cookman (1-0) – (SWAC vs. MEAC) (TV: None, 4 p.m. ET, Saturday)

San Diego (1-0) at Jacksonville U. (0-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Mercer (1-1) at Stetson (1-1) (Southern vs. Pioneer) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday) …. Ave Maria (0-1) at Florida Tech (1-0) – (Ind. vs. Gulf South) (TV: None, 6 p.m. ET, Saturday)

Florida State (2-0) and Florida A&M (0-2) are off.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football … Ohio State and Notre Dame have agreed to a home-and-home series – 2022 in Columbus, 2023 in South Bend…. Stanford and UCF have agreed to a home-and-home series – 2015 in Palo Alto and 2019 in Orlando.

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 1944 was “Swinging on a Star” by Bing Crosby

…65 years ago this week in 1949 was “You’re Breaking My Heart” by Vic Damone

…60 years ago this week in 1954 was “Sh-Boom” by The Crew-Cuts

…55 years ago this week in 1959 was “The Three Bells” by The Browns

…50 years ago this week in 1964 was “The House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals

…45 years ago this week in 1969 was “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones

…40 years ago this week in 1974 was “I Shot the Sheriff” by Eric Clapton

…35 years ago this week in 1979 was “My Sharona” by The Knack

…30 years ago this week in 1984 was “What’s Love Got to Do with It” by Tina Turner

…25 years ago this week in 1989 was “Hangin’ Tough” by New Kids On The Block

…20 years ago this week in 1994 was “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men


Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there was one passing of note last week – Joan Rivers, Stan Goldberg, Bruce Morton,

Joan Rivers, the raspy loud mouth who pounced on America’s obsessions with blemishes of neurotic life, including her own, in five decades of caustic comedy that propelled her from nightclubs to television to international stardom, died last week. She was 81. Joan Alexandra Molinsky was born in New York City on June 8, 1933. A Phi Beta Kappa, Rivers graduated from Barnard College in 1954 with a degree in English.

Stan Goldberg, who drew Archie comics for more than 40 years, died last week in New York City. He was 82. Goldberg was a freelancer for Marvel Comics during the 1960s. He migrated to drawing the Archie comics in the late 1960s. Goldberg was born in New York City on May 5, 1932.

Bruce Morton, an award winning reporter for CBS News from the 1960s through the 1980s, died last week at his home in Washington, DC. Morton, who later worked at CNN, won six Emmy Awards for his work at CBS News. He also won a Peabody Award in 1976 and a Polk Award in 1989. Morton was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, on October 28, 1930, and grew up in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and served in the Army. He joined CBS in 1964 and remained until 1993 when he joined CNN where he was a national correspondent until 2006.