College Football Week 8 - First coach fired
And then there were eight
My how the mighty have fallen.
Well, I’m not so sure how mighty some of them were, but the unbeaten list was reduced from 11 to eight over the weekend. Three teams took a tumble for the first time – Georgia, West Virginia and Colorado.
Yes, three unbeatens went down, eight unbeatens remain. The nation’s longest winning streak was extended to 19 games, but it was in serious jeopardy for a while. Alabama and Ohio State kept rolling along. Chip Kelly won for the first time, Scott Frost almost did and Jeremy Pruitt notched his first SEC win, as college football experienced another interesting weekend. Never a dull moment.
The action began early last week. Tuesday night, Appalachian State (4-1), the cream of the crop in the Sun Belt Conference, polished off Arkansas State, 35-9. But Appalachian State’s star running back Jalen Moore, suffered a broken and dislocated ankle in the game. Moore will be out for the rest of the season.
Wednesday, Hurricane Michael struck Florida’s eastern Gulf Coast, moved across Georgia and continued up the East Coast. With 155mph winds and a 10 to 14-foot storm surge, Michael devastated a quaint and beautiful stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast from St. Marks on the east to Panama City on the west. The area is known as the Forgotten Coast.
Football resumed Thursday night. In a mild upset in Fort Worth, the Red Raiders of Texas Tech (4-2) downed TCU, 17-14. There’s life in Kliff yet.
Friday night, it was déjà vu for South Florida, as the Bulls rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Tulsa, 25-24. Trailing Tulsa, 24-10, with less than 8 minutes to go in the game, South Florida scored two touchdowns and a field goal in 7 minutes and 8 seconds to beat Tulsa by one point. Rallying in the fourth quarter to win games has been commonplace for South Florida this season. The Bulls remained unbeaten, improving their record to 6-0.
I always thought Tulsa was a strange school. I mean, any school that calls itself the Golden Hurricanes has to be strange – maybe sick. Believe me, there is nothing golden about a hurricane. And besides, based on Tulsa’s location, if the school really wants to go down that path, then they should be the Golden Tornadoes. Tulsa is a strange school.
In another game Friday night, Utah (4-2) pounded Arizona, 42-10. The Utes have scored 82 points in their last two games.
Then it was Saturday. Georgia was the first of the three unbeatens to fall. And a hard fall it was. LSU (6-1), losers for the first time last week, regrouped. The Tigers whipped the Dawgs, 36-16.
The game wasn’t close. LSU held Georgia scoreless in the first half, as the Tigers took a commanding 16-0 lead. The Dawgs challenged in the third quarter and trailed LSU 19-9 at the start of the fourth quarter. But the game only became worse for Georgia in the final quarter, as the Dawgs were outscored by the Tigers, 17-7.
Down went the No. 2 team in the country.
West Virginia was the second unbeaten to fall. And the Mountaineers fell hard, too – 30-14 to Iowa State (3-3). WVU has been in a funk since the second half of the Texas Tech game on September 29. In that game, the Mountie offense failed to score a point in the second half, while the defense gave up 24 points.
Last week, WVU’s offense and defense stumbled through a win over hapless Kansas. The Mountie offense suffered four turnovers.
Except for a brief moment, early in the game Saturday, when WVU scored the opening touchdown on an 18-yard pass, the Mountaineers were flat – offense and defense. Iowa State went on to outscore WVU, 30-7. WVU’s only other score was the return of a blocked field goal for a touchdown.
That’s 10-straight quarters the West Virginia offense and defense has failed to produce. Who knows if and when the Mountaineers will snap out of their funk.
Down went the No. 6 team in the country.
Colorado was the third and final unbeaten team to lose Saturday. The Buffaloes lost to USC, 31-20. Like West Virginia, Colorado scored first and took a 7-0 lead over the Trojans. But that was the last we would hear from Colorado until late in the fourth quarter. Trailing 7-0, USC scored four unanswered touchdowns and took a commanding 28-7 lead late in the third quarter.
Down went the No. 18 team in the country.
The nation’s longest winning streak was in jeopardy Saturday. UCF, winners of 18-straight games, was trailing Memphis 30-14, with less than 3 minutes to go in the second quarter. Just before the half, UCF kicked a 44-yard field goal to close the gap to 13 points – 30-17.
In the second half the Knights offense scored two touchdowns while their defense held Memphis scoreless. UCF pulled out a 31-30 win to extend their winning streak to 19 games.
Meanwhile, Alabama and Ohio State continued their winning ways. The Crimson Tide put down Missouri, 39-10. For one quarter, at least, it looked like Missouri might make it a game. Alabama led the Tigers, 13-10, at the end of one. But then the Tide proceeded to score 26 unanswered points.
It took Ohio State a half, but eventually the Buckeyes pulled away to beat Minnesota, 30-14. Nearing the end of the second quarter, Minnesota was leading Ohio State, 14-10. The Buckeyes got a late first half touchdown and led the Gophers, 17-14 at the break.
In the second half, Ohio State outscored Minnesota, 13-0.
Ohio State has the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 12 games followed by Alabama with a 9-game winning streak
Last week, UCLA played its best game of the season, losing to Washington, 31-24. That loss extended the Bruins record to 0-5, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. Saturday, UCLA found that light. The Bruins beat California, and did they ever, 37-7.
Yes, Chip Kelly got the monkey off his back. UCLA’s debut coach got his first win. But another winless coach didn’t get the monkey off his back. Scott Frost came close, but no banana, as Nebraska lost to Northwestern 34-31 (OT).
Not that Nebraska didn’t have its chances. The Huskers led the Wildcats, 28-14 early in the fourth quarter, and 31-21 late in the fourth quarter. Northwestern scored 10 points in the final 2:27 of the game and won in overtime.
Nebraska extended the nation’s second-longest losing streak to 10 games. Ouch!
In the day’s only other overtime game, Oregon slipped by Washington, 30-27 (OT). The Huskies had a chance to win. But Washington missed a 37-yard field goal attempt, as time expired at the end of regulation.
Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt found happiness Saturday. The Vols’ debut coach won his first SEC contest of the season, as Tennessee surprised Auburn, 30-24.
No team made the “70s Club” over the weekend, but Louisiana came close. The Rajin’ Cajuns thrashed New Mexico State, 66-38.
Saturday was a big day for the Michigan teams in the Big Ten. The Wolverines plastered Wisconsin, 38-13, while the Spartans upset Penn State, 21-17. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, Purdue, Iowa and Maryland all romped to victories. The Boilermakers blasted Illinois, 46-7, the Hawkeyes pummeled Indiana, 42-16 and the Terps shelled Rutgers, 34-7. The Scarlet Knights were a tragic 2-for-17 passing for 8 yards.
In the ACC, Virginia upset Miami, 16-13. In the Big 12, Texas survived Baylor, 23-17, while Kansas State came out of nowhere and beat Oklahoma State, 31-12. It was the Wildcats first Big 12 win of the season.
Whenever, Arkansas and Ole Miss play, it’s always a wild and crazy game. Last year Arkansas won a dilly, 38-37. Saturday, Ole Miss beat the Hogs, 37-33. Trailing 33-31, Ole Miss scored a touchdown with 42 seconds left in the game.
There were two escapes in the SEC. First, Florida escaped Nashville, beating Vanderbilt, 37-27. Then Texas A&M got out of Columbia alive. The Aggies beat South Carolina, 26-23.
Notre Dame is back to playing like the Irish did in their first three games of the season – winning by a touchdown or less. Saturday, Notre Dame got by Pitt, 19-14.
Utah State and Fresno State were the big winners in the MWC. Utah State toppled UNLV, 59-28, while Fresno State beat Wyoming, 27-3.
So, with seven weeks down and seven weeks to go, eight teams remain unbeaten – Alabama (7-0), Clemson (6-0), NC State (5-0), Ohio State (7-0), Notre Dame (7-0), and the three Group of Five teams UCF (6-0), Cincinnati (6-0) and South Florida (6-0).
At least one of those eight teams will lose this week, possibly two. Clemson and NC State clash at Clemson. Someone has to come out a loser. Cincinnati makes a dangerous trip to Temple (4-3).
The remaining teams should be safe. Ohio State visits Purdue (3-3) and Alabama travels to Tennessee (3-3). UCF has an easy road trip to East Carolina (2-4), and South Florida has an easy home encounter against Connecticut (1-5). Notre Dame has the week off.
Former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze has been named to be the offensive coordinator of the Arizona Hotshots of the new Alliance of America Football League. The AAFL will debut in February, with eight teams playing a 12-game schedule. The Hotshots are coached by Rick Neuheisel.
The Kansas Jayhawks fired offensive coordinator Doug Meacham on Wednesday. Meacham was previously offensive coordinator at TCU. Kind of strange cause Kansas head coach David Beaty will most likely be fired at the end of the season if not sooner.
Former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant took a recruiting visit to North Carolina over the weekend. Stay tuned!
Sunday, Bowling Green fired head coach Mike Jinks, following a 1-6 start to the season. Jinks, in his third season with Falcons, was 7-24. He was 5-14 in MAC play. BG’s defensive coordinator Carl Pelini will be the Falcons interim coach for the rest of the season. Jinks becomes the first head coach fired this season.
It was good to see and visit with Alex Vamosi, Tim Muth and others Thursday night. Swamp Mama and I attended Florida Tech’s homecoming party at Meg O’Malley’s in downtown Melbourne. A good time was had by all.
Touchdown Tom
October 15, 2018
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Fired up – LSU 36, Georgia 16 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 23, Georgia 20). Quite simply, LSU was fired up and Georgia wasn’t. The Tigers amassed 475 total yards, while holding the Dawgs to 113 yards rushing. Four turnovers – two fumbles and two interceptions – didn’t help Georgia any. Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm completed less than 50% of his passes. LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 145 yards. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,321
RUNNER UP: No contest – Michigan 38, Wisconsin 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 30, Wisconsin 22). Close at the half – Michigan led 13-7 – the Wolverines ran away from Wisconsin in the second half – outscoring the Badgers 25-6. Wisconsin had no passing game – 7-for-20 and two interceptions. Michigan had 320 yards rushing. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 111,360
REST OF THE BEST: Quack, quack! – Oregon 30, Washington 27 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 32, Oregon 27). Washington missed a field goal attempt at the end of regulation and Oregon won in overtime. The teams were very even in the stats. Oregon running back C.J. Verdell rushed for 111 yards. Attendance in Eugene: 58,691
No blues for the Knights – UCF 31, Memphis 30 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 36, Memphis 26). The UCF defense stepped up in the second half and held Memphis scoreless. The teams were pretty even in the stats, but Memphis controlled time of possession – more than 35 minutes. UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton passed for 296 yards. Memphis running back Darrell Henderson rushed for 199 yards. Attendance in Memphis: 38,831
Another day at the office – Alabama 39, Missouri 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 45, Missouri 22). It was just another day at the office for the Tide. Alabama had 564 total yards to 212 for Missouri, and 25 first downs to 13 for Missouri. The Tide defense held the Tigers to 70 yards rushing. Missouri quarterback Drew Lock threw two interceptions. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 101,821
Trojans rule – USC 31, Colorado 20 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 28, Colorado 26). Neither team could run the ball and Colorado wasn’t much better passing. Colorado controlled the clock, but the Buffs couldn’t control the score. Colorado suffered its first loss of the season. Attendance in Los Angeles: 57,615
Let down – Texas 23, Baylor 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Baylor 24). Texas had a big first half, scoring all 23 of its points in the first two quarters. Then the Horns held on to win. Actually Baylor only scored 7 of its points in the second half. Texas held Baylor to 88 yards rushing. Texas running back Keaontay Ingram rushed for 110 yards. Attendance in Austin: 93,882
Downgraded – Virginia 16, Miami (Florida) 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Virginia 25). All the scoring by both teams was in the second and fourth quarters. Virginia only had 231 total yards and only 92 yards passing. Both teams threw three interceptions. With less than 4 minutes left in the game, Virginia led 16-6. Attendance in Charlottesville: 42,393
Surprise – Michigan State 21, Penn State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 32, Michigan State 14). Michigan State came to play, and Penn State didn’t. Trailing the Nitts 17-14, the Spartans scored a touchdown on a 25-yard pass play with 19 seconds left in the game to win. Penn State running back Miles Sanders had 162 yards rushing. Attendance in University Park: 106,685
Closer than the stats – Texas A&M 26, South Carolina 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 28). Texas A&M jumped out to a 13-0 halftime lead. The Aggies led 16-0 late in the third quarter. Then South Carolina woke up. Before the third quarter was over the score was 16-16. Then the Aggies scored 10 unanswered points. The Aggies dominated the stats and controlled the clock for more than 41 minutes. The Gamecocks only had 76 yards rushing. A&M quarterback Kellen Mond passed for 353 yards. Attendance in Columbia: 76,871
….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
Kliff-hanger – Texas Tech 17, TCU 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 29, TCU 27). Trailing TCU, 14-10, halfway through the fourth quarter, Texas Tech scored a touchdown with 7:02 on the clock and held on to win. The lead changed hands four times in the game, with neither team holding more than a four-point lead. TCU suffered three turnovers in the game. Texas Tech quarterback Jett Duffey passed for 190 yards and rushed for 83 more. Attendance in Fort Worth: 44,387
Failure – Iowa State 30, West Virginia 14 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 37, Iowa State 28). Except for its opening touchdown, the game was a disaster for West Virginia. Iowa State had 498 total yards to 152 for WVU. The Cyclones had 25 first downs to nine for WVU. The Mounties only had 52 yards rushing. And Will Grier only had 100 yards passing. Iowa State running back David Montgomery had 189 yards rushing. The Cyclones maintained the clock for more than 37 minutes. Attendance in Ames: 56,629
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Late wake up – Florida 37, Vanderbilt 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 33, Vanderbilt 15). The Gators definitely got off to a rough start. Vanderbilt led 21-3 late in the second quarter. Florida took its first lead at 27-21 early in the fourth quarter. The Gators never looked back. But Vandy cut it to 27-24 just two minutes later. Florida had 576 total yards and a strong running game with 292 rushing yards. Gator running back Lamical Perine had 121 yards rushing and running back Jordan Scarlett had 113 yards. Three turnovers – two by Feleipe Franks – hurt the Gators. Attendance in Nashville: 40,350
So close – Northwestern 34, Nebraska 31 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 26, Nebraska 18). Trailing Nebraska 31-24, Northwestern scored a touchdown on a 12-yard pass play with 12 seconds left of the clock to tie the game at 31-31. In total yards, first downs and time of possession, the teams were roughly even. But Northwestern had 455 yards passing and only 32 yards rushing. The Huskers were balanced in their rushing and passing. Nebraska running back Devine Ozigbo rushed for 159 yards. Attendance in Evanston: 47,330
Dookies can engineer – Duke 28, Georgia Tech 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Tech 33, Duke 25). From week to week, you never know what Georgia Tech team is going to show up. Obviously, the wrong one showed up against the Dookies. Tied 7-7 at halftime, the Dookies scored three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter. Both teams suffered three turnovers. Duke only had 98 yards rushing. The Jackets maintained possession for more than 36 minutes. Attendance in Atlanta: 41,709
Pour it on – Purdue 46, Illinois 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Illinois 21). Illinois scored first and never again. Purdue had 611 total yards to 250 for Illinois, and 29 first downs to 14 for the Banned Indians. The Boilers maintained time of possession for almost 38 minutes. Illinois just had 69 yards rushing. Purdue quarterback David Blough passed for 377 yards. Boiler running back D.J. Knox rushed for 150 yards. Attendance in Champaign: 41,996
Week 7 Results: 11 correct picks, 5 fumbles (68.8 percent)
For the Season: 72 correct picks, 34 fumbles (67.9 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
South Florida 25, Tulsa 24 – Attendance in Tulsa: 16,142
FIU 24, Middle Tennessee 21 – Attendance in Miami: 16,002
Florida A&M 22, North Carolina 21 – Attendance in Greensboro: 15,418
Bethune-Cookman 28, South Carolina State 26 – Attendance in Orangeburg: 12,213
Marist 20, Jacksonville U. 17 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 2,533
Stetson 23, Drake 21 – Attendance in Des Moines: 1,439
Valdosta State 51, Florida Tech 21 – Attendance in Melbourne: 3,679
West Georgia 27, West Florida 7 – Attendance in Pensacola: 6,838
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson – 41-64-2 for 455 yards (3TDs); Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins – 33-44-0-412 (3TDs); Ole Miss’s Jordan Ta’amu – 26-35-1-387 (2TDs); Bowling Green’s Jarret Doege – 21-34-1-379 (3TDs); Purdue’s David Blough – 25-36-1-377 (3TDs), and Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond – 25-37-0-353 (1TD).
Impressive Rushers:
Memphis’ Darrell Henderson – 199 yards (1TD); Marshall’s Tyler King – 195 yards (2TDs); Iowa State’s David Montgomery – 189 yards (1TD); Kansas State’s Alex Barnes – 181 yards (4TDs), and Northern Illinois’ Marcus Childers – 169 yards (1TD).
Also, North Carolina’s Michael Carter – 165 yards; Penn State’s Miles Sanders – 162 yards (1TD); Nebraska’s Devine Ozigbo – 159 yards (2TDs); Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim – 158 yards (2TDs), and UCLA’s Joshua Kelley – 157 yards (3TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“Tua is okay. He got the same injury as he had before. We just didn’t put him back in the game,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, on the status of his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
“I would like to apologize to Kevin Pendleton, the Missouri Tigers, their fans, Alabama fans and my teammates and coaches for my actions during tonight’s game. I allowed my emotions to get the best of me and that’s unacceptable. Again, I’m sorry and it will never happen again,” Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis, on throwing a series of punches at Kevin Pendleton in the fourth quarter of the Missouri game.
Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. NC State (5-0) at Clemson (6-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Both teams took a pause last week to prepare for this game. NC State will hang its hopes on quarterback Ryan Finley and its defense. Clemson will hang its hopes on running back Terry Etienne and its defense. The Tigers have the best hopes, especially with the home field advantage. Dabo does them – Clemson 30, NC State 22.
RUNNER UP: 2. Oregon (5-1) at Washington State (5-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Last week Oregon got by the other Washington team in overtime at home. This week, the Ducks are on the road. It can be tough for a visitor to win in Pullman. The Ducks don’t like the puddles in Pullman – Washington State 32, Oregon 30.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Colorado (5-1) at Washington (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Both teams lost last week. The Huskies lost a heartbreaker. It’s back to back road games for the Buffs. The Huskies will be prepared for this one – Washington 30, Colorado 20.
4. Mississippi State (4-2) at LSU (6-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Let down? That could happen to LSU after the big win over Georgia. Look for the Tigers to get off to a slow start. Then they put the boosters on – LSU 27, Mississippi State 19.
5. Michigan (6-1) at Michigan State (4-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Both teams had big wins last week. Something tells me Jim Harbaugh is on a roll. This is one of those rivalry games where anything can happen. The Wolverines win, that’s what happens – Michigan 26, Michigan State 24.
6. Cincinnati (6-0) at Temple (4-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – Cincinnati is undefeated, but I’m not sure the Bearcats have been tested. Temple will give them a proper test. The Bearcats pass – Cincinnati 26, Temple 25.
7. Maryland (4-2) at Iowa (5-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Iowa is playing very well this season. Maryland isn’t bad. Both teams can explode on offense. The Hawkeyes play better defense – Iowa 33, Maryland 18.
8. Virginia (4-2) at Duke (5-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – This could be a letdown for Virginia, following the big win over Miami. Duke is not a team you want to play when you have a letdown. This will be a tricky game. But the Cavs say, “tricks are for kids.” They get a treat – Virginia 22, Duke 21.
9. Buffalo (6-1) at Toledo (3-3) – (MAC vs. MAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday – First big game of the year in the MAC between two of the conference’s better teams. Buffalo may be the best team. Toledo is better than its 3-3 record. But the Rockets have been disappointing. They disappoint again – Buffalo 29, Toledo 25.
10. Oklahoma (5-1) at TCU (3-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – This is Oklahoma’s first game since the Sooners 48-45 loss to Texas. It’s also OU’s first game since defensive coordinator Mike Stoops was fired. TCU has been struggling this season, mostly on offense. But the Frogs’ defense has been up and down too. Something tells me Oklahoma is rejuvenated. Boomer plows through Cowtown – Oklahoma 31, TCU 17.
….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
11. North Texas (6-1) at UAB (5-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday – It’s not often a C-USA game makes the Top 12 picks. But this one merits a spot among the 12 best games. Both teams are having good seasons. North Texas has a top-notch quarterback – Mason Fine. But the Blazers are all-around good – UAB 30, North Texas 27.
12. Stanford (4-2) at Arizona State (3-3) – (Pac-12 vs, Pac-12) – 9 pm ET, Thursday, ESPN – Both teams are coming off losses – Stanford, a bad one, to Utah, and Arizona State, a close one, to Colorado. Stanford running back Bryce Love is questionable. The Trees are headed in the wrong direction. The Sun Devils are headed in the right direction. The Devils do some chopping – Arizona State 33, Stanford 28.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Minnesota (3-3) at Nebraska (0-6) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – All right, okay. The drought comes to an end this week. I feel it in my bones. Scott Frost will be feeling it in his bones too if Nebraska loses. After a long absence, victory comes to Lincoln – Nebraska 28, Minnesota 27.
Ohio State (7-0) at Purdue (3-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – After a slow start to the season, Purdue has been playing fired-up football lately. Question is are the Boilers fired up enough to knock off the Buckeyes? Not this year – Ohio State 29, Purdue 17.
West Virginia (5-1), Florida (6-1), Georgia (6-1) and Texas (6-1) are off this week.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Wake Forest (3-3) at Florida State (3-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
UCF (6-0) at East Carolina (2-4) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
Connecticut (1-5) at South Florida (6-0) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Florida Atlantic (3-3) at Marshall (4-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 2:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN....
Rice (1-6) at FIU (4-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday….
North Carolina A&T (5-2) at Bethune-Cookman (4-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Florida Tech (5-2) at West Florida (5-2) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….
Jacksonville U. (1-4) at Stetson (4-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….
Miami (5-2) and Florida A&M (5-2) are off this week.
Touchdown Tom
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but there were four passings of note last week – Scott Wilson, Tex Winter, George Taliaferro and Jim Taylor.
Scott Wilson, who played criminals in films like “In Cold Blood” and more recently played a figure of kindness in the hit AMC series “The Walking Dead,” died last week in Los Angeles. He was 76. Wilson’s breakout role was the murderer in “In Cold Blood,” a 1967 adaptation of Truman Capote’s book. More recent audiences know Wilson as a veterinarian and farmer on “The Walking Dead.” Scott Wilson was born in Atlanta on March 29, 1942. He studied architecture at Georgia Tech but dropped out before completing his degree. Wilson hitchhiked to California where he studied to become an actor. His first movie role was in “In the Heat of the Night” (1967). He played a murder suspect. Wilson appeared in several more films, including “The Great Gatsby” (1974), “The Right Stuff” (1983), “Dead Man Walking” (1995) and “The Last Samurai” (2003). He also had recurring parts on the CBS show “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
Tex Winter, the innovator of the “triangle” offense used by teams that won 10 of the last 19 NBA championships, died last week. He was 96. Winter spent nine seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach and consultant. After compiling a resume as a college basketball coach, Winter joined the Chicago Bulls in 1985 as an assistant coach and began a decades-long partnership with head coach Phil Jackson. Winter followed Jackson to the Lakers in 1999. He gained a reputation as a basketball whiz – a professor with a clipboard. Morice Fredrick Winter was born on February 25, 1922, in Wellington, Texas. After his father died, his mother moved the family to Huntington Park, California. After high school, Winter went to Oregon State University on a track scholarship. He left school and served in the Army during World War II. After the war, he enrolled in the University of Southern California where he played basketball alongside future Lakers coach Bill Sharman and learned the triangle offense under USC coach Sam Barry. Winter took his first coaching job as an assistant at Kansas State and eventually became the Wildcats’ head coach from 1954 to 1968. He took Kansas State to the Final Four in 1958. He still holds a school record with a .691 winning percentage. Winter also coached college basketball at Northwestern, Marquette, Washington, Long Beach State and LSU, and in the NBA for the Houston Rockets.
George Taliaferro, an All-American football player at Indiana and a trailblazer for African-Americans in football, died last week. He was 91. A cornerstone of the 1945 Indiana football team, the only team in program history to go undefeated, Taliaferro starred at running back for the Hoosiers. He was the first African-American ever drafted by an NFL team. The Chicago Bears picked him in the 13th-round of the 1949 draft. Taliaferro played for the Bears from 1949 to 1955. George Taliaferro was born on January 8, 1927, in Gates, Tennessee, but grew up in Gary, Indiana.
Jim Taylor, the Hall-of-Fame fullback who embodied the Green Bay Packers’ unstoppable ground game during the Vince Lombardi era and helped the team win four NFL titles and the first Super Bowl, died last week at a hospital in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was 83. Taylor was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1962. He scored the first rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history. Taylor spent 10 seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the second round out of LSU in 1958. He joined the backfield that featured Paul Hornung. Taylor finished his Green Bay career after the 1966 season. He played his final season in 1967 with the expansion New Orleans Saints. James Charles Taylor was born on September 20, 1935, in Baton Rouge. At LSU, he was an All-American in 1957, when he shared the backfield with Billy Cannon, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1959. After his NFL career, Taylor retired to Baton Rouge where he remained close to the LSU football program.
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