College Football Week 9 – Will No. 2 lose again this week?

It’s Not Safe To Be No. 2

Not lately. That’s for sure.

Just look at what’s happened. Last week, undefeated Georgia was sitting comfortably in the No. 2 spot. That is until the Dawgs ran into LSU. The Tigers not only beat Georgia, but they blew the Dawgs off the field, 36-16.

When the rankings came out after Georgia’s loss, Ohio State was the new No. 2 team. The undefeated Buckeyes were sitting comfortably in the No. 2 spot.

Well, that is until undefeated Ohio State ran into Purdue Saturday night. Just like LSU blew Georgia off the field, Purdue literally tossed Ohio State from one side of the field to the other, beating the Buckeyes, 49-20.  

Purdue’s defense bottled up Ohio State’s running game – 76 yards rushing. Buckeyes running backs Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins were never heard from all night. Between the 20s, Ohio State moved the ball almost at will. But only through the air. However, once Ohio State hit the red zone, Purdue’s defense stepped up again. The Buckeyes were denied the end zone. Ohio State could only manage two field goals on five trips to the red zone.

Meanwhile, Purdue’s offense, with a healthy mix of running and passing, kept Ohio State’s defense guessing all night. The Buckeyes defense often appeared to be confused, not knowing what the Boilers would throw or run at them next.

At the end of three quarters, Purdue led Ohio State 21-6. The Boilers went on to outscore the Buckeyes 28-14 in the fourth quarter to cap their 49-20 win. The game was reminiscent of Ohio State’s 55-24 loss at Iowa last ear.

Ohio State was one of three unbeaten teams to lose Saturday. In a battle of unbeatens, Clemson handed NC State its first loss of the season. And it really wasn’t a battle. The Tigers had their way with the Wolfpack, beating NC State, 41-7.

In Philadelphia, unbeaten Cincinnati lost for the first time. The Bearcats fell to Temple, 24-17 (OT). Neither team acted like it wanted to win the game, as both suffered from three turnovers.

So, going into Week 9, we are down to five unbeaten teams – Alabama (8-0), Clemson (7-0), Notre Dame (7-0), UCF (7-0) and South Florida (7-0). UCF, playing without starting quarterback McKenzie Milton, downed East Carolina, 37-10, Saturday night.

Meanwhile, South Florida continued to live on the edge. The Bulls, leading Connecticut by only one point, 31-30, with less than five minutes to go in the game, scored late to hang on for a 38-30 win over UConn. Notre Dame had the week off.

Alabama and UCF are off this week. They will still be undefeated come this time next week. Notre Dame plays Navy (2-5) in San Diego. That should be a safe win for the Irish. However, South Florida definitely has a tough game and No. 2 Clemson has what could be a tricky game. South Florida plays Houston (6-1) in Houston. There’s a good chance the Bulls won’t be unbeaten after this Saturday. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, Clemson plays Florida State (4-3) in Tallahassee. The Noles have been improving and Clemson could have a let down after the Tigers big win over NC State. Just saying. Then again, Clemson could blow FSU off the field.

But if the trend continues, Clemson could be the third-straight  No. 2 team to lose. Can FSU beat Clemson? Only time will tell. Stay tuned!

With its win over East Carolina, UCF extended its winning streak to 20 games – the nation’s longest. Alabama is second with a 10-game winning streak, while South Florida is in third place with 8-straight wins.

Conversely, UTEP (0-7) is right up there with UCF, only losing instead of winning. The Miners extended their losing streak – the nation’s longest – to 18 games. UTEP is followed by San Jose State (0-7). The Spartans are riding a 7-game losing streak.

But in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Huskers ended their 10-game losing streak. Nebraska and first-year coach Scott Frost got their first win of the season Saturday, beating Minnesota, 53-28. The Huskers got off to a good start and you just knew they were going to get the monkey off their back. Late in the second quarter, Nebraska led Minnesota, 28-0.

But then the Gophers scored three-straight touchdowns. Midway through the third quarter, the Huskers lead was cut to six, as Nebraska led Minnesota, 28-22. The first win appeared to be slipping away from the Huskers. However, Nebraska went on to outscore the Gophers 25-8 to safely secure its first victory.

The weekend’s games began Thursday night. Stanford took advantage of three Arizona State turnovers, as the Trees beat the Sun Devils, 20-13. ASU quarterback Manny Wilkins passed for 353 yards. Herm Edwards is now 3-4. 

I have to tell you, I really enjoyed Saturday. No, not just because Nebraska got its first win and Ohio State and Urban Meyer got beat. Saturday was different. I was relaxed. I was cool as a cucumber.

You see, West Virginia and Florida had the day off. On the Saturdays when the Mountaineers and the Gators play, I’m on edge. Even after they win or lose, I stay on edge, especially if they lose.

Saturday, I was so relaxed. WVU and Florida weren’t playing. I sat back and used the remote to follow several games. For the 12 noon starts, I switched between Auburn-Ole Miss, Oklahoma-TCU, Michigan-Michigan State and Maryland-Iowa. Occasionally, I checked in on Cincinnati-Temple.

When the Michigan-Michigan State game went into a weather delay, that game dropped off my cycle. 

Surprisingly, Auburn dominated Ole Miss. The game was never really close. Auburn went on to beat Ole Miss, 31-16. The OU-TCU game looked like a rout for the Sooners. Oklahoma had a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Then the Frogs started hopping. TCU rallied and trailed OU at the half, 28-24. But the second half was all Oklahoma. The Sooners outscored TCU, 24-3, and beat the Frogs, 52-27.

Iowa dominated Maryland, especially Iowa’s defense. The Hawkeyes beat the Terps, 23-0. And as mentioned earlier, Cincinnati lost to Temple, 24-17 (OT).

For the 3:30 p.m. starts, I switched around between  Alabama-Tennessee, NC State-Clemson and Colorado-Washington. And as the Michigan-Michigan State game resumed from its weather delay, I added that game to the 3:30 cycle. Alabama simply tore apart Tennessee. It was pathetic. The Tide beat the Vols, 58-21. And as mentioned earlier, Clemson totally dominated NC State, 41-7.

Now the Colorado-Washington game was an interesting one. In the first half, Colorado had two leads – 7-0 and 10-7. Washington led at the break, 14-13, and, 17-13, at the end of three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Colorado fell apart. The Huskies outscored the Buffs, 10-0, and Washington went on to beat Colorado, 27-13.

The Michigan-Michigan State game was tight. The score was 7-7 late in the third quarter. However, the Spartans only got a touchdown because the Wolverines fumbled on their own goal line. Michigan went on to score two more touchdowns and beat Michigan State, 21-7.

For the evening games, and what turned out to be the best games, I switched around between Mississippi State-LSU, Vanderbilt-Kentucky, Oregon-Washington State and Ohio State-Purdue.

Actually, the Miss State-LSU game wasn’t that exciting. Although it wasn’t a blowout, LSU dominated Miss State. The Bulldogs had no offense. LSU won the game, 19-3. Vanderbilt-Kentucky was a close game and a defensive battle. Halfway through the second quarter, the score was 7-7. And it remained that way until 8:04 on the clock in the fourth quarter when Kentucky went up 14-7. Vandy had its chances, but the Wildcats hung on to win – 14-7.

I think the Oregon-Washington State game was my favorite. Mike Leach is always fun to watch. The first half belonged to the Cougars. And did it ever. Washington State led Oregon, 27-0 at halftime. The rout appeared to be on. But the Cougars went silent in the second half, as Oregon came back and pulled within seven – 27-20, with 6:38 to go in the game. Washington State got a security touchdown with 3:40 on the clock and won, 34-20.

And what more can I say about Ohio State-Purdue. I think you could hear all the country cheering every time Purdue scored. Outside of the State of Ohio, the Buckeyes are one of the most, if not the most, hated teams in the country. And, outside of the State of Ohio, Urban Meyer is the most hated coach in the country.

Yeah, I was cool as a cucumber Saturday – totally relaxed. My remote got its workout.

For the second week in a row, no team made the “70s Club.” Missouri came the closest. The Tigers beat Memphis, 65-33.

There were four overtime games Saturday. In addition to Temple-Cincinnati, Syracuse beat North Carolina, 40-37 (2OT), Army outlasted Miami (Ohio), 31-30, and Akron edged Kent State, 24-23 (OT). Poor Kent State muffed the snap on the extra point kick in overtime.

In the late show, UCLA beat Arizona 31-30. After losing his first five games, Chip Kelly has won two in a row. Meanwhile, Kevin Sumlin is 3-5.

Well, it wasn’t a “kick-6” like the Auburn-Alabama game in 2013, but I guess you could call it a “kick-3.” As time expired in the Old Dominion-Western Kentucky game, and the score tied 34-34, WKU missed a field goal attempt. An Old Dominion player caught the kicked ball in the end zone and ran it back to near the WKU goal line where he was driven out of bounds.

Time had expired, but there was a face-mask penalty on Western Kentucky during the run back. You can’t end the game on a penalty. So Old Dominion lined up and kicked a 26-yard field goal to win the game, 37-34. I must say, when Old Dominion (2-6) wins, the Monarchs do it in style. First they knocked off Virginia Tech and then they win on a “kick-3”.

Freshman Rhett Rodriguez played quarterback for Arizona Saturday against UCLA. Starting quarterback Khalil Tate was out with an ankle injury. Rodriguez is the son of former Arizona, Michigan and West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. It was Rhett’s first career start. But last week, coming in for the injured Tate, Rodriguez completed 20-of-38 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown in the Wildcats 42-10 loss to Utah. Saturday, Rhett passed for 231 yards in the Wildcats 31-30 loss to UCLA.

Rob Robertson, who was in his 52^nd season on the Washington State football radio broadcast, announced his immediate retirement last week. Robertson began calling Cougars football games as the play-by-play announcer in 1964. He remained in that role until sliding over to the analyst chair in 2011. Robertson also called Washington State basketball games for 23 years. To conclude every broadcast, Robertson would say, “Always be a good sport, be a good sport all ways.”

Touchdown Tom

October 22, 2018

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Tough Tigers – Clemson 41, NC State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, NC State 22). Clemson took total control of this game. The Tigers led the Wolfpack, 31-0, before NC State scored. Surprisingly, NC State shutdown Clemson’s running game (91 yards), but the Tigers had 380 yards passing. Meanwhile, NC State quarterback Ryan Finley only passed for 156 yards and threw two interceptions. Attendance in Clemson: 81.295

RUNNER UP:  Cougs like Duck – Washington State 34, Oregon 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 32, Oregon 30). Neither team could run – 65 yards for Oregon and 77 yards for Washington State. Washington State won in spite of suffering two turnovers to none for Oregon. Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew passed for 323 yards. It was the Cougars fourth-straight year beating the Ducks.  Attendance in Pullman: 33,152

REST OF THE BEST:  Huskies bite – Washington 27, Colorado 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Colorado 20). Washington pretty much dominated the stats. The Huskies held Colorado to 263 total yards. Attendance in Seattle: 68,798

Stubborn – LSU 19, Mississippi State 3 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Mississippi State 19). LSU won the game with only 239 total yards. The Tigers held the Bulldogs to just 59 yards passing. State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was a measly 8-for-24 passing and four interceptions. But Fitzgerald did run for 131 yards. LSU was not impressive on offense, but the Tigers looked good on defense. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 101.340

Gritty – Michigan 21, Michigan State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Michigan State 24). Michigan State only had 94 total yards – 15 rushing and 79 passing. Michigan on the other had had 394 total yards. Michigan running back Karan Higdon rushed for 144 yards. Michigan maintained time of possession for more than 41 minutes. Attendance in East Lansing: 76,131

Great Horns – Temple 24, Cincinnati 17 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 26, Temple 25). Both teams were flat on offense. Temple only had 80 yards rushing. Cincinnati running back Michael Warren rushed for 132 yards. Each team held a lead in the game and the score was tied twice. Attendance in Philadelphia: 33,026

Captain Kirk -- Iowa 23, Maryland 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 33, Maryland 18). Iowa’s defense held Maryland to 115 total yards – 68 rushing and 47 passing. Iowa only had 84 yards passing, but 224 rushing. The Hawkeyes controlled the clock for more than 40 minutes. Attendance in Iowa City: 69,250

The Devils were cakes – Virginia 28, Duke 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia 22, Duke 21). Virginia held the Dookies to only 58 yards rushing. The Wahoos also dominated time of possession for more than 36 minutes. The Dookies suffered two turnovers, while Virginia had none. The Cavaliers improve to 5-2. Attendance in Durham: 20,277

Wings – Buffalo 31, Toledo 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Buffalo 29, Toledo 25). Buffalo never led in the game until the fourth quarter. But once the Bulls got the lead, they never relinquished it. Buffalo had 32 first downs to only 8 for Toledo. There were 8 turnovers in the game – four by each team. Buffalo maintained time of possession for more than 39 minutes. Attendance in Toledo: 18,114

Dull Horns – Oklahoma 52, TCU 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, TCU 17). Oklahoma dominated the stats and the game. The Sooners had 536 total yards to 275 for TCU and 26 first downs to 12 for the Frogs. OU controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes. Oklahoma running backs Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon rushed for 168 and 110 yards respectively. Attendance in Fort Worth: 45,055

….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Blazing Blazers – UAB 29, North Texas 21 (Touchdown Tom said: UAB 30, North Texas 27). UAB never led in the game until the fourth quarter. But once the Blazers got the lead, they never gave it up. North Texas only had 64 yards rushing, but North Texas quarterback Mason Fine passed for 336 yards. Attendance in Birmingham: 28,014

Hurtin’ Herm – Stanford 20, Arizona State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 33, Stanford 28). A close game in the first half, Stanford took control in the third quarter, jumping out to a 20-6 lead. Still, Arizona State cut the gap to 7 halfway through the fourth quarter. The Sun Devils only had 84 yards rushing, but 353 passing. ASU also was plagued with three turnovers. Stanford maintained time of possession for more than 38 minutes. Attendance in Tempe: 42,946

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

At last – Nebraska 53, Minnesota 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Minnesota 27). Nebraska’s offense was fired up – amassing 659 total yards. Huskers quarterback Adrian Martinez was 25-329-0 passing for 276 yards and three touchdowns. Martinez also ran for 125 yards. Nebraska running backs Devine Ozigbo and Maurice Washington rushed for 152 and 109 yards respectively. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,272

Miracle – Purdue 49, Ohio State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 29, Purdue 17). The two teams combined for 1,085 total yards – 546 for Ohio State and 539 for Purdue. But the Buckeyes only had 76 yards rushing. Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins passed for 470 yards. Purdue quarterback David Blough passed for 378 yards. Boilers running back D.J. Knox rushed for 128 yards. Attendance in West Lafayette: 60,716

Week 8 Results:  11 correct picks, 3 fumbles (78.6 percent)

For the Season:  83 correct picks, 37 fumbles (69.2 percent)

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State 38, Wake Forest 17 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 67,274

UCF 37, East Carolina 10 – Attendance in Greenville: 31,159

South Florida 38, Connecticut 30 – Attendance in Tampa: 42,127

Marshall 31, Florida Atlantic 7 – Attendance in Huntington: 23,825

FIU 36, Rice 17 – Attendance in Miami: 13,741

North Carolina A&T 35, Bethune-Cookman 10 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 6,225

Florida Tech 30, West Florida 28 – Attendance in Pensacola: 5,191

Stetson 38, Jacksonville U. 35 – Attendance in Deland: 2,427

Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  

Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins – 49-73-1 for 470 yards (2TDs); Houston’s D’Eriq King – 25-38-0-413 (3TDs); Texas Tech’s Alan Bowman – 36-46-1-408 (3TDs); East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 29-52-1-406 (1TD); Purdue’s David Blough – 25-43-0-378 (3TDs), and Liberty’s Stephen Calvert – 32-48-2-362 (2TDs).

Also, Florida State’s Deondre Francois – 29-40-0-353 (2TDs); Arizona State’s Manny Wilkins 26-43-1-353; Missouri’s Drew Lock – 23-29-0-350 (4TDs); Utah’s Tyler Huntley – 22-29-0-341 (4TDs), and North Texas’ Mason Fine – 29-40-0-336 (3TDs).

Impressive Rushers:  

Connecticut’s David Pindell – 197 yards (2TDs); California’s Patrick Laird – 193 yards (2TDs); Air Force’s Isaiah Sanders – 173 yards (3TDs); Auburn’s JaTarvious Whitlow – 170 yards, and Kentucky’s Benny Snell – 169 yards (1TD).

Also, Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks – 168 yards (1TD); South Florida’s Johnny Ford – 164 yards (3TDs); Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 159 yards; Arizona’s J.J. Taylor – 154 yards (1TD), and Nebraska’s Devine Ozigbo – 152 yards (2TDs).

Quotes of the Week

“His problem is self-evident. The fans don’t like him. They have no faith in him. They’re not eager to support him, and I really don’t know where this program goes now. Gus Malzahn doesn’t have a plan going forward. If a coach has no support from the fan base, and there’s no enthusiasm and there’s no where to go, it starts to effect other things like recruiting,” ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum, on Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.

“Alabama is taking the fun out of college football,” ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum.

“It’s long overdue,” first-year Nebraska coach Scott Frost, after the Huskers won their first game of the season.

Signs of the Day

We Skipped Our Kid’s Wedding For GameDay

It Looks Like Woodstock, Except Corso Has His Clothes On

Touchdown Tom’s predictions for

This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Florida (6-1) vs. Georgia (6-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – It’s always fun when these two teams hook up. Well, fun for the winner. Florida has had the most fun during the past 25 or so years. The world’s largest annual outdoor cocktail party comes together again on the banks of the St. Johns in Jacksonville. Well, I guess the Oktoberfest could challenge that claim, but they don’t serve cocktails at the Oktoberfest. Both teams have had the week off to prepare. Uga hopes to win its second in a row, but Albert spoils that – Florida 24, Georgia 20.

RUNNER UP:  2. South Florida (7-0) at Houston (6-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN – South Florida is undefeated but has been living on the edge all season. The Bulls might fall off the edge this weekend. Houston is a formidable opponent. The Cougars are the only respectable team in the AAC West Division. A good battle looms between the two quarterbacks – South Florida’s Blake Barnett and Houston’s D’Eriq King. The Cougars hit the Bullseye – Houston 33, South Florida 27.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Washington State (6-1) at Stanford (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, PAC-12N – The Cougars looked good in their win against Oregon last week – very good. Again, Stanford took advantage of the other team’s miscues. The Cougars won’t make any miscues – Washington State 26, Stanford 24.

4. Iowa (6-1) at Penn State (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Hawkeyes have been looking good, except for their loss to Wisconsin. Iowa has been playing good defense. The Nitts have been disappointing. The Lions continue to disappoint – Iowa 24, Penn State 22.

5. Clemson (7-0) at Florida State (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Clemson is in the precarious seat – No. 2. The Tigers are on the road this week and a letdown is possible. After all, the Noles don’t look like a strong opponent this season. But the Noles are getting. Just not better enough for the Tigers – Clemson 33, Florida State 23.

6. Miami (Florida) (5-2) at Boston College (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – The Canes are playing a little worse than people thought. The Eagles are playing a litter better than people thought. BC has a close loss to NC State and a bad loss to Purdue. Both teams just have one loss in ACC play. Make it two losses for BC – Miami 30, Boston College 26.

7. NC State (5-1) at Syracuse (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Trap game for NC State. The Wolfpack suffered a bad loss to Clemson. They need to recover fast. Syracuse is no pushover, especially not in the Dome. This one could be a donnybrook. Orange covers Red – Syracuse 30, NC State 28.

8. Texas (6-1) at Oklahoma State (4-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Okie State has been playing some pretty bad football lately. At preseason, a few thought the Cowpokes could win the Big 12. Obviously, they were wrong. Now Mike Gundy has to figure out what’s wrong with his team. And Texas isn’t exactly the team to figure that out against. The Longhorns appear to be going nowhere but up. They’re riding a six-game winning streak. Make it seven – Texas 37, Oklahoma State 21.

9. Appalachian State (5-1) at Georgia Southern (6-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPNU – A big game in the Sun Belt Conference. And in the East Division of the conference. All the good teams are in the Sun Belt East. App State is favored, but that will inspire the Eagles even more. A sad night in Georgia for the Little Mountaineers – Georgia Southern 30, Appalachian State 29.

10. Kentucky (6-1) at Missouri (4-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – The Wildcats barely got by Vanderbilt. Mizzou in Columbia won’t be an easy task. The Tigers need a quality win in SEC play. They get it – Missouri 22, Kentucky 21.

….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

11. Baylor (4-3) at West Virginia (5-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Thursday, FS1 – Both teams are coming off a loss. Baylor’s was expected. WVU’s wasn’t. Playing at home and at night, the Eers should have the better chance of bouncing back. The Mounties get their act together – West Virginia 30, Baylor 17.

12. Hawaii (6-3) at Fresno State (6-1) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – An interesting game in the MWC. Both teams have been playing well this season. The Bulldogs have the home field advantage. They play better in this one – Fresno State 34, Hawaii 27.

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Bethune-Cookman (4-4) at Nebraska (1-6) – (MEAC vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – The Huskers got their first win under Scott Frost last week. This will be their second win. Bethune-Cookman was added to the schedule after the season opening game against Akron was called off due to weather. Herbie weathers Beth – Nebraska 56, Bethune-Cookman 12.

Duke (5-2) at Pitt (3-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – You never know which Duke team will show up. But then you can say that about Pitt too. The Dookies show up this week – Duke 25, Pitt 21.

Purdue (4-3) at Michigan State (4-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Something tells me Purdue is going to have a big-time letdown. But after beating Ohio State last week. The Boilers deserve a letdown. Something tells me the Spartans are pissed after that loss to Michigan. They take out their frustrations on the Boilers – Michigan State 26, Purdue 23.

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

FIU (5-2) at Western Kentucky (1-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday….

Morgan State (2-5) at Florida A&M (5-2) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Stetson (5-1) at Davidson (5-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….

Jacksonville U. (1-5) at San Diego (5-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….

West Florida (5-3) at North Greenville (4-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 1 pm ET, Saturday…..

Florida Tech (6-2) at West Alabama (5-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 5 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

UCF (7-0) is off this week.

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting colder, the leaves were falling, the frost was on the pumpkins, and Halloween was just around the corner, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1943 was “Pistol Packin’ Mama” by Al Dexter and His Troopers

…70 years ago this week in 1948 was “Twelfth Street Rag” by Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra

…65 years ago this week in 1953 was “St. George And The Dragonet” by Stan Freberg

…60 years ago this week in 1958 was “It’s All In The Game” by Tommy Edwards

…55 years ago this week in 1963 was “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs

…50 years ago this week in 1968 was “Hey Jude” by The Beatles

…45 years ago this week in 1973 was “Angie” by The Rolling Stones

…40 years ago this week in 1978 was “Kiss You All Over” by Exile, and “Hot Child In The City” by Nick Gilder

…35 years ago this week in 1983 was “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel

…30 years ago this week in 1988 was “Red Red Wine” by UB40, and “A Groovy Kind Of Love” by Phil Collins

…25 years ago this week in 1993 was “Dreamlover” by Mariah Carey

Not exactly college football related, but there were two passings of note last week – Paul Allen and Dick Modzelewski.

Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft and a prominent leader of both business and philanthropy in the Seattle area, died last week. He was 65. Allen co-founded Microsoft with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975. He left Microsoft in 1983 and turned his attention to a wide-range of other businesses and scientific pursuits. Allen was known for his generosity to social services and a deep love of sports and the arts. He owned the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and the Portland Trailblazers of the NBA. Allen was an accomplished rock guitarist. Paul Gardner Allen was born in Seattle on January 21, 1953. His mother was a school teacher and his father was a librarian at the University of Washington library.

Dick Modzelewski, a star defensive tackle who appeared in eight NFL title games with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns during the 1950s and 1960s, died last week at his home in Eastlake, Ohio – outside of Cleveland. He was 87. Modzelewski spent 14 years in the NFL, eight seasons with the Giants. He also played for the Browns, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He never missed a game. Modzelewski appeared in six NFL title games with the Giants and two with the Browns. After playing, he coached in the NFL for 22 years. Modzelewski was an All-American at Maryland in 1951 and 1952. He won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best lineman in 1952. Richard Blair Modzelewski was born on February 16, 1931, in West Natrona, Pennsylvania.