Football Week 6 – Rutgers coach, Chris Ash, is fired

Clemson is vulnerable,

Nebraska’s not ready for prime time,

USC’s Clay Helton is done

and Wake Forest is undefeated

Week Five may have been a routine week, all went as expected, but Week Five was, if nothing else, a revealing week.

For starters, Clemson revealed its vulnerability. Just when everyone had Clemson pegged for an undefeated season and a spot in the four-team playoff, North Carolina popped up and darn near upset the Tigers.

The Tar Heels all but shutdown the vaunted Clemson offense that was averaging 42.3 points a game coming into the contest. As the teams entered the fourth quarter, the score was tied 14-14. Clemson went ahead 21-14 with 9:54 to go in the game. Then, with 1:17 on the clock, North Carolina scored a touchdown. The Tar Heels trailed the Tigers by one point – 21-20.

Rather than kicking the extra point, North Carolina coach Mack Brown chose to go for two. In my view point, that was the right decision. On the conversion attempt, the Tar Heels ran an option play to the right. But the Clemson defense stuffed North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell. Personally, I thought the Tar Heels should have run a quarterback bootleg, giving Howell the option to run or pass. Clemson won, 21-20.

North Carolina’s ability to contain Clemson leaves the possibility open that another team on Clemson’s remaining schedule could do the same. Quite frankly, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne have been disappointing this season. Lawrence is 34^th in passing yards, averaging 226.2 yards a game. Etienne is no better than 20^th in rushing yards, averaging 92.4 yards a game.

To Clemson’s advantage, its remaining schedule is weak. The schedule is so weak that analysts figure if the Tigers were to suffer a loss, a one-loss Clemson team would not make the playoff. But then, no one thought that North Carolina would almost beat the Tigers. Clemson’s remaining games are against Florida State, Louisville, Boston College, Wofford, NC State, Wake Forest and South Carolina. Of those teams, only Wake Forest is ranked.

Speaking of Wake Forest, what’s with the Demon Deacons? They are undefeated – 5-0. Saturday, Wake Forest won its fifth game, beating Boston College, on the road, 27-24. This week, the Deacs are ranked 22^nd  in the AP Poll and 20^th in the Coaches Poll. Wake Forest quarterback Jamie Newman is 3^rd in the country in passing yards, with 1,521 yards. He is averaging 304.2 yards a game.

As a general rule, Wake Forest is not accustomed to this notoriety. This week, the Deacs are off. They return to action on October 12 at home against Louisville. But the interesting game could be November 16 when Wake Forest meets Clemson at Clemson.

What was dubbed the Game of the Week took place in Lincoln, Nebraska. ESPN’s College GameDay was there. It was ABC’s prime-time game on Saturday night. The Huskers were hosting Ohio State. A jam-packed crowd of 89,759 filled Memorial Stadium. Everybody showed up except the Nebraska football team. They were a no-show – big time.

No one expected Nebraska to beat Ohio State. But a whole heck of a lot of people sure thought Nebraska would make it a game – at least until the fourth quarter. It was not to be. At halftime, Ohio State led, 38-0. With four minutes to go in the third quarter, the Buckeyes led, 48-0. Ohio State went on to win, 48-7.

Expectations were high this season for Nebraska under second-year coach and native son, Scott Frost. In Frost’s second season at UCF, he took the Knights from 6-7 to 13-0. In his first season at Nebraska, the Huskers were 4-8. This year, Nebraska is off to a 3-2 start. Let’s just say, there is reason to believe that improvement will come. But at this point, Nebraska is not ready for prime time.

In the Pac-12, USC was 3-1, with a non-conference loss to BYU. Washington was 3-1, with a conference loss to California. The two met Saturday night in Seattle. USC came into the game with a big win over Utah. Washington entered the game with a big win over BYU.

Washington beat USC, 28-14. Except for about four minutes in the second quarter (Washington led 14-7) the game was never really that close. The Huskies led 28-7 in the third quarter. Trojans quarterback Mike Fink, who had such an outstanding game against Utah the week before, threw three interceptions against Washington.

The question is: Was this loss for USC the final nail in Clay Helton’s coffin? Helton entered the season on one of the hottest seats in the country. Just five games in and the Trojans already have two losses. One of the losses was to BYU – a team that lost 30-12 to Utah, 45-19 to Washington and most recently, 28-21 to Toledo on Saturday.

USC is currently looking for a new athletic director. When the new AD is hired, chances are he or she will be looking for a new football coach. Fight on!

The routine, yet revealing, week got started Thursday night when Memphis improved to 4-0, with a 35-23 win over Navy. You gotta believe Memphis coach Mike Norvell will be coaching at a Power Five school next season.

Friday night there were two blowouts and a first loss. Penn State plastered Maryland, 59-0, and Duke plucked Virginia Tech, 45-10. In Berkeley, the Golden Bears suffered their first loss. Arizona State downed California, 24-17.

Saturday, four teams who lost for the first time last week, all bounced back in good standing. Notre Dame bested Virginia, 35-20, Utah shutdown Washington State, 38-13, Michigan blew away Rutgers, 52-0, and UCF rocked Connecticut, 56-21. Now can Notre Dame, Utah, Michigan and/or UCF win the remainder of their games and finish with one loss?

Speaking of Michigan’s win over Rutgers, it turned out to be curtains for Rutgers coach Chris Ash. Yesterday, Rutgers officials decided they have had enough of Ash. He was terminated, effective immediately. Tight ends coach Nunzio Campanile will serve as interim head coach for the rest of the season. Ash was 8-32 in three-plus seasons at Rutgers. Only three of his eight wins were against a Power Five team.

The Texas A&M-Arkansas game almost wasn’t routine. The Aggies were supposed to make mince pork out of the Razorbacks, especially after Arkansas lost to San Jose State last week. But the Hogs came to play. Late in the second quarter, they led Texas A&M, 17-14. As the fourth quarter began, Arkansas led the Aggies, 24-21. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Hogs only trailed A&M by one point, 28-27.

At this point, Aggie fans had to be thinking, “And we’re paying Jimbo Fisher $7.5 million a year for 10 years.” Texas A&M held Arkansas and went on to win 31-27.

Elsewhere in the SEC, Auburn pounded Mississippi State 56-23, South Carolina handled Kentucky, 24-7 and Alabama blew past Ole Miss, 59-31. Tua Tagovailoa was 26-for-36, passing for 418 yards and six touchdowns. Tagovailoa has thrown 23 touchdown passes this season and rushed for two more.

In the ACC, Florida State may have found the quarterback it has been looking for in Wisconsin transfer Alex Hornibrook. FSU beat NC State, 31-13. Hornibrook was 29-for-40, passing for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Friends Neal and Stephanie Stein attended the game. Their son, David, is a freshman at FSU.

In the Heartland, Baylor remained undefeated. The Bears slipped by Iowa State, 23-21, on a 38-yard field goal with 0:21 on the clock. Oklahoma State took care of Kansas State, 26-13, and Oklahoma blasted Texas Tech, 55-16. Jalen Hurts was 17-for-24, passing for 415 yards and three touchdowns. Hurt also ran for 70 yards.

Out West, Arizona beat UCLA, 20-17. Chip Kelly falls to 1-5.

SMU remains undefeated. The Ponies beat South Florida, 48-21, improving to 5-0.

After Week Five, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma are my four superpowers. After its close call with North Carolina, Clemson drops to my potential superpower list, joining Auburn, LSU and Wisconsin.

Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard leads the country in rushing yards with 938. Hubbard is averaging 187.6 yards a game. Just behind Hubbard are Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbin (654 yards) and Boston College’s A.J. Dillon (627 yards).

Washington State’s Anthony Gordon leads the country in passing yards with 2,146. Gordon is averaging 429.2 yards a game. Two quarterbacks who had exceptional games over the  weekend were Penn State’s Sean Clifford and Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan. Clifford was 26-for-31, passing for 398 yards and three touchdowns in Penn State’s win over Maryland. Morgan was 21-for-22, passing for 396 yards and four touchdowns in Minnesota’s 38-31 win over Purdue.

With their wins on Saturday, Notre Dame and Oklahoma joined the 900 club – FBS teams with 900 or more wins. Teams in the club are Michigan (956 wins), Ohio State (916), Texas (911), Alabama (910) and Nebraska (900). Yale, an FCS team, has 909 wins.

In a routine week, there was nothing routine about the move of two Houston players. Starting quarterback D’Eriq King and starting receiver Keith Corbin both decided to redshirt for the rest of the season. Under NCAA rules, a player can take a redshirt year if they only play in four or less games. At this stage, both King and Corbin are saying they plan to return to the Houston team next season. With a 1-3 start, apparently they have decided this season is going to be a bust. Why keep playing?

In Morgantown this weekend, it’s Horns Down for Homecoming. Friends Fred and Sally Adkins will be there for the Texas-West Virginia game.

Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I will be in Gainesville this weekend for the Game of the Week – undefeated Auburn against undefeated Florida. ESPN College GameDay will be there too.

Touchdown Tom
September 30, 2019
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com




Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Bounce back – Notre Dame 35, Virginia 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Virginia 24). Virginia owned the first half. The Cavaliers led the Irish, 17-14 at the break. Notre Dame dominated the second half. The Irish outscored the Cavs, 21-3. Virginia couldn’t find a running game. The Cavs only had four yards rushing. Virginia’s only bright spot was quarterback Bryce Perkins. He passed for 334 yards. Notre Dame had a balanced attack – 178 yards rushing and 165 yards passing. Five turnovers killed any chances the Cavaliers had. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622

RUNNER UP:  Nixed – Auburn 56, Mississippi State 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 30, Mississippi State 20). Bo Nix put on a passing show for Auburn, throwing for 335 yards and  completing 76% of his passes. The Tigers had 580 yards of total offense. Auburn led Miss State at halftime, 42-9. Attendance in Auburn: 87,451

REST OF THE BEST:  The Sun Devil Also Rises – Arizona State 24, California 17 (Touchdown Tom said: California 30, Arizona State 27). This game was tied 7-7 at the half and 14-14 after the third quarter. Arizona State took the advantage in the fourth quarter. Cal lost its quarterback, Chase Garbers (shoulder injury), late in the first half. The Bears were never the same after that. Attendance in Berkeley: 47,532

A mashing of the Corn – Ohio State 48, Nebraska 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 38, Nebraska 24). Ohio State thoroughly dominated Nebraska. The Buckeyes led 48-0 late in the third quarter. Then Ohio State cooled its engines in the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes controlled the ball for 37 minutes, racking up 580 yards of offense. Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins rushed for 177 yards, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez only passed for 47 yards. Three of his 17 tosses were intercepted by the Buckeyes. Ohio State only punted once in the game. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,759

Still perfect – Wake Forest 27, Boston College 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 30, Boston College 26). This was basically a close game throughout. Twice, Wake Forest led by 10 points – 10-0 for four minutes in the first half and 27-17 for three minutes in the fourth quarter. The Deacs controlled time of possession – 36 minutes. The Eagles A.J. Dillon rushed for 159 yards. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 39,352

Chuba, Chuba – Oklahoma State 26, Kansas State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 31, Kansas State 27). Okie State running back Chuba Hubbard rushed for 296 yards. The Cowboys racked up 526 total yards of offense. Kansas State only managed eight first downs. Attendance in Stillwater: 55,509

Helton in trouble – Washington 28, USC 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, USC 23). Washington jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and then played USC on even terms for the rest of the game. The teams were closely matched in the stats. Three interceptions hurt the Trojans. Washington’s Salvon Ahmed rushed for 153 yards., averaging nine yards per carry. Attendance in Seattle: 66,975

Downfall continues – Utah 38, Washington State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 34, Washington State 32). All of Washington State’s 13 points came in the first half. Utah shutdown the Cougars’ offense in the second half. The Utes outscored Washington State 17-0 after the break. Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley passed for 334 yards. The Utes had 526 total yards. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 46,115

Late shake – Michigan State 40, Indiana 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 30, Indiana 18). After trailing since midway through the first quarter, Indiana came back and took a 24-21 lead early in the fourth quarter. The score was tied, 31-31, late in the fourth quarter. Attendance in East Lansing: 71,048

Techless in Norman – Oklahoma 55, Texas Tech 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 15). Oklahoma had 646 total yards and 415 of those yards were from the passing of Jalen Hurts. Hurts also rushed for 70 yards. Attendance in Norman: 84,416



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Smashed – Penn State 59, Maryland 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 26, Maryland 18). The Nitts totally cleaned up on the Terps. Penn State had 30 first downs to 10 for Maryland and 622 total yards to 128 for Maryland. The Terps couldn’t do anything right. They only had 60 yards rushing and 68 yards passing. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford passed for 398 yards. Attendance in College Park: 53,228



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Warm up – Florida 38, Towson 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 40, Towson 15). Florida’s Kyle Trask didn’t pass for a lot of yards, but he completed 90% of his passes – 18-for-20. Warming up for Auburn, the Gators just went through the motions, beating Towson. Florida’s defense held Towson to 89 yards rushing.  Attendance in Gainesville: 79,126

Bud Foster can’t retire soon enough – Duke 45, Virginia Tech 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 27, Duke 25). Buddy Boy used to know how to coach defense. Not anymore. Justin Fuente used to know how to coach offense. Not anymore. The Dookies went into Blacksburg and stunned the Hokies. Duke was up 21-3 at the half and continued the carnage in the second half, outscoring Tech 24-7. The Dookies had 24 first downs to 14 for the Hokies, and 422 total yards to 259 for Tech. Attendance in Blacksburg: 59,537

Boilers down – Minnesota 38, Purdue 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Minnesota 33, Purdue 27). Minnesota had a 28-10 lead at the break and then held off the Purdue rally in the second half. Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan passed for 396 yards, completing 95.5% of his tosses – 21-for-22. Conversely, Minnesota only had 92 yards rushing. Attendance in West Lafayette: 50,629

Week 5 Results:  12 winners, 2 fumbles (85.7 percent)
For the Season:   56 winners, 17 fumbles (76.7 percent)




ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Stetson 55, North Carolina Wesleyan 21 – Attendance in Deland: 1,300
Jacksonville U. 42, Ave Maria 28 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,643
Bethune-Cookman 37, Howard 29 – Attendance in Washington, DC: 5,700 

SMU 48, South Florida 21 – Attendance in Tampa: 28,850
Florida Atlantic 45, Charlotte 27 – Attendance in Charlotte: 12,334
Florida A&M 30, Norfolk State 28 – Attendance in Norfolk: 8,249
UCF 56, Connecticut 21 – Attendance in Orlando: 44,164 

Florida Tech 44, West Georgia 10 – Attendance in Melbourne: 2,450
West Florida 27, Mississippi College 21 – Attendance in Pensacola: 4,909
Florida State 31, NC State 13 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 60,351



Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

Arkansas State’s Layne Hatcher – 25-35-2 for 440 yards (4TDs); Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa – 26-36-0-418 (6TDs); Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts – 17-24-1-415 (3TDs); Penn State’s Sean Clifford – 26-31-1-398 (3TDs); Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan – 21-22-0-396 (4TDs); Troy’s Kaleb Barker – 34-57-1-367 (4TDs), and North Texas’ Mason Fine – 35-55-0-353 (2TDs).

Also,  Arizona’s Grant Gunnell – 29-44-0 for 352 yards (1TD); Southern Miss’s Jack Abraham – 19-28-0-351 (3TDs); Iowa State’s Brock Purdy – 27-45-1-342 (2TDs); Oregon State’s Jake Luton – 27-39-0-337 (1TD); Auburn’s Bo Nix – 16-21-0-335 (2TDs); Utah’s Tyler Huntley – 21-30-0-334 (2TDs); Virginia’s Bryce Perkins – 30-43-2-334 (2TDs), and Central Michigan’s David Moore – 33-48-2-330 (1TD).

Impressive Rushers:

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard – 296 yards (1TD); Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson – 183 yards (1TD); Utah State’s Gerold Bright – 179 yards; Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins – 177 yards; Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 159 yards; SMU’s Xavier Jones – 155 yards (2TDs); Washington’s Salvon Ahmed – 153 yards, and South Alabama’s Tra Minter – 150 yards.



Quotes of the Week

“They’re all must win games. Every single game. You know what next week’s gonna be? Well, that’s where we’re open. And we need to kick open’s ass too,” South Carolina coach Will Muschamp, when asked if Kentucky is a must-win game.



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Auburn (5-0) at Florida (5-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) –3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – These two teams used to play every year. But that hasn’t happened in a long time, thanks to the SEC’s screwed up scheduling process and the SEC’s failure to play nine conference games a year. I think we know Auburn is good. Quite frankly, we’re not real sure about Florida. But we should be sure after this game. Gator defense needs to make Bo Nix look like the freshman he is. Kyle Trask just needs to play with cool. Hope I’m wrong – Auburn 27, Florida 24. 

RUNNER UP:  2. Iowa (4-0) at Michigan (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – This is going to be some game. After the embarrassing loss to Wisconsin, Michigan doesn’t want to lose again, especially not at home. If they do, Jim Harbaugh is definitely up a creek without a paddle. The Hawkeyes stain Harbaugh’s cap – Iowa 27, Michigan 24. 

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Michigan State (4-1) at Ohio State (5-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Ohio State has an open date next week. So the Buckeyes won’t be looking ahead to anybody. The Spartans are good, but not that good. Justin Fields is a quiet winner. He gets the job done. Nothing spartan about Fields – Ohio State 31, Michigan State 17. 

4. California (4-1) at Oregon (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – If Cal quarterback Chase Garbers plays, the Bears have a chance. Without Garbers, Cal has no chance. Garbers injured his shoulder last week against Arizona State. Oregon is coming off a week of rest. The Ducks are super charged – Oregon 30, California 21. 

5. Texas (3-1) at West Virginia (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – It’s Homecoming in Morgantown and the theme is Horns Down for Homecoming. The Horns will be out for revenge after the loss to WVU last year. They still have Sam Ehlinger. West Virginia no longer has Will Grier. Both teams are coming in from a week off. Both should be rested. Both should be patched up. But instead of Gold and Blue, the skies will be Burnt Orange – Texas 30, West Virginia 17. 

6. UCF (4-1) at Cincinnati (3-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – This will be a tough test for the Knights. Cincinnati is tough and the Bearcats are home. The stadium should be rockin’. The Knights lose another one – Cincinnati 36, UCF 32. 

7. Arizona (3-1) at Colorado (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, PAC-12N – Both teams are playing better than expected, especially Colorado. The Buffs are good on offense; so-so on defense. The Wildcats are so-so period. Ralphie roams – Colorado 26, Arizona 24. 

8. Baylor (4-0) at Kansas State (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Baylor has a good quarterback in Charlie Brewer. K-State has a good coach in Chris Klieman. The good coach comes out on top – Kansas State 23, Baylor 20. 

9. Tulane (3-1) at Army (3-1) – (AAC vs. Ind.) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, CBSSN – Tulane is off to a good start. The Green Wave have a good quarterback in Justin McMillian. He’s cool under pressure. Army has a good quarterback too – Kelvin Hopkins. Both can execute. The Green Wave are hungrier – Tulane 24, Army 22. 

10. Air Force (3-1) at Navy (2-1) – (MWC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN – Both teams are off to a good start. Air Force is off to a better start with the win over Colorado. Air Force has played the tougher schedule too – Colorado and Boise State. The Falcons get their prey – Air Force 29, Navy 25. 



….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

11. TCU (3-1) at Iowa State (2-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Iowa State took it on the chin at Baylor last week. The Cyclones got to be hurtin’. TCU is beatable. SMU showed us that. The Cyclones will show us too – Iowa State 28, TCU 23.



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Northwestern (1-3) at Nebraska (3-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – A week ago, I thought this was a give me for Nebraska. I’m not so sure now. The Huskers have been playing sloppy. Northwestern gave Wisconsin a run for its money. They’ll give Nebraska a run for its corn – but, like the Wisconsin game, they won’t win – Nebraska 28, Northwestern 25.

Pitt (3-2) at Duke (3-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Unless Pitt plays like it did against UCF, the Panthers have no hope. The Dookies are getting better. The Panthers aren’t. Pitt eats it again – Duke 29, Pitt 19.

Georgia (4-0) at Tennessee (1-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Dawgs took a week off after their big win over Notre Dame. Playing Tennessee will be like taking another week off. This one could get ugly. But Kirby shows mercy – Georgia 35, Tennessee 12.

Purdue (1-3) at Penn State (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Going from Minnesota to Penn State is like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. That’s what it will be like for the Boilers. Purdue turns blue – Penn State 34, Purdue 17.



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Jacksonville U. (2-2) at Dayton (2-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday….
Butler (1-3) at Stetson (3-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN+…. 

North Carolina Central (2-3) at Florida A&M (3-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
Virginia Tech (2-2) at Miami (2-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN….
Morgan State (0-4) at Bethune-Cookman (3-1) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday…. 

Delta State (3-1) at West Florida (3-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
Fort Valley State (2-2) at Florida Tech (3-1) – (SIC vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
South Florida (1-3) at Connecticut (1-3) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Massachusetts (1-4) at FIU (1-3) – (Ind. vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday…. 

Florida Atlantic (3-2) and Florida State (3-2) are off.



Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com 

P.S. 

Not exactly college football related, but there were two passings of note last week – Robert Hunter and Jacques Chirac.

Robert Hunter, the man behind the poetic words for many of the Grateful Dead’s finest songs, died last week at his home in San Rafael, California. He was 78. Although proficient on a number of instruments, Hunter never appeared on stage with the Grateful Dead during the group’s 30-year run. When he attended the group’s concerts, he either stood on the side of the stage or sat in the audience. Among Hunter’s most memorable Grate Dead songs were “Truckin’,” “Ripple,” “It Must Have Been the Rose,” “Terrapin Station,” “The Days Between,” “Brown-Eyed Women,” “Jack Straw,” “Friend of the Devil,” “Box of Rain,” “Uncle John’s Band” and Black Muddy River.” “Truckin’” was arguably Hunter and the group’s best-known song. Hunter was born Robert Burns on June 23, 1941. His last name became Hunter at the age of 11 when his mother remarried. He attended the University of Connecticut for one year. 

Jacques Chirac, France’s blunt-speaking and often flamboyant president who became best known in America for his vocal opposition to the invasion of Iraq, died last week. He was 86. Chirac served two terms as president from May 1995 to May 2007. He was the mayor of Paris for 18 years. Chirac was a large man by French standards, standing 6-foot-2. He boasted of his affection for the United States. In the 1950s, Chirac hitchhiked across America, working as a soda jerk at a Howard Johnson’s in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a forklift driver in St. Louis and as a journalist with the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He was the first foreign leader to travel to the United States after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He visited Ground Zero and dispatched French troops to the U.S.-led military operation in Afghanistan. Yet he became one of the most outspoken opponents of George W. Bush’s plans for military action against Iraq. He said the war would inflame anti-Western passions in the Middle East. Jacques Rene Chirac was born on November 29, 1932.

College Football Week 5 – Urban Meyer to FSU, Tennessee or USC

Week Four never disappoints,

How ’bout, 67-63 and 23-17

I don’t know what it is about Week Four. Every year the fourth week in college football is generally filled with more thrills, chills, excitement, shocks and wows than any other week during the season. If nothing else, it certainly is the first week of every season that makes us sit up and say, “Really! That happened?”

Well, Week Four didn’t disappoint again this year. “Really. That happened!”

How ’bout UCLA trailing Washington State, 49-17, late in the third quarter, then rallying in the fourth quarter to overcome a 32-point deficit and come back to beat the Cougars, 67-63.

In the late show, UCLA and Washington State gave us everything you would want to see in a football game. Everything that is except defense. There were 18 touchdowns – nine by each team. UCLA scored seven of its touchdowns in the second half alone. There were 1,377 total yards of offense. There was a total of 1,077 passing yards. That’s enough touchdowns and passing yards to make you dizzy.

UCLA came into the game winless, with losses to the likes of Cincinnati and San Diego State. The Bruins were only averaging 14 points a game. Washington State on the other hand was undefeated. Not anymore.

Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon passed for 570 yards. All nine of the Cougars’ touchdowns came on Gordon passes. UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson passed for 507 yards. He threw five touchdown passes.

How did UCLA do it? Well, six, yes six, Washington State turnovers were a big help to the Bruins.

How ’bout Notre Dame and Georgia keeping you on the edge of your seat from the opening kickoff to the final seconds of the game. That’s what the Irish and the Dawgs did. The game of the week lived up to its hype.

Notre Dame-Georgia was the complete opposite of UCLA-Washington State. There were only four touchdowns – two by each team. The game was tied twice. Notre Dame took the lead twice. Georgia never led in the first half. The Dawgs first took the lead with 4:21 to go in the third quarter. Georgia went up 13-10. The Dawgs never relinquished the lead for the rest of the game and went on to win, 23-17.

Then there was a third-string quarterback, entering a game early in the first quarter and leading his team to an upset of a previously undefeated team. The third-string quarterback was a guy by the name of Matt Fink. Fink plays for USC. He led the Trojans, passing so easily against Utah’s vaulted defense, to a 30-23 win over the Utes. Fink passed for 351 yards and three touchdowns.

Then there was Tulane, pulling off not one, but two unexpected feats in its 38-31 win over Houston. First, the Green Wave rallied from a 21-point deficit, scoring 24 unanswered points to take to take a 31-28 lead over Houston. Second, with the game tied at 31-31, and only 18 seconds on the clock, and the ball on their own 29-yard line, Tulane scored a touchdown in just two plays to win the game.

Early in the second quarter, Houston led, 28-7. But then Tulane went on a rampage, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal. With 6:10 to go in the game, the Green Wave kicked a 44-yard field goal and took a three-point lead over Houston – 31-28. The Cougars came back and tied the score at 31-31 on a 24-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the game.

After the ensuing kickoff, the fireworks began. It only took Tulane two plays to score the winning touchdown. On the first play, from their own 29 yard line, the Green Wave fooled the Houston defense on a fake kneel-down. After the snap, Tulane quarterback Justin McMillan appeared to be taking a knee. But, before the knee touched the ground, he handed off to running back Amare Jones who scampered around the end for an 18-yard gain before running out of bounds. Tulane had the ball on its own 47. On the next play, McMillan connected with Jalen McCleskey on a 53-yard catch and run. Touchdown Tulane, with 3 seconds on the clock. Tulane beat Houston, 38-31.

How ’bout Ole Miss losing to California, 28-20, and the Rebels had the ball just six inches from Cal’s goal line as time expired. With time running out and no timeouts left, Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee completed a 41-yard pass to Demarcus Gregory to put the ball on the Cal 10-yard line. On the next play, Plumlee’s pass to Elijah Moore moved the ball to six inches from the goal line with nine seconds left in the game. On the last play, as time expired, Plumlee was stopped short of the goal on a quarterback keeper. Cal moves to 4-0 on the season.

How ’bout Wisconsin walloping the daylights out of Michigan, 35-14. Wolverines’ coach Jim Harbaugh stood stunned on the sidelines. Harbaugh had a look on his face that said, “What in the hell is going on?”

Then there was SMU surprising TCU, 41-38. It was SMU’s first win over TCU since 2011. And San Jose State, yes San Jose State, beating Arkansas, 31-24. And who would have thought that Nebraska would have been trailing Illinois from 48 seconds into the game until the fourth quarter. The Huskers rallied to tie the score, then lose the lead again, then win the game, 42-38.

How ’bout UCF losing to Pitt, 35-34. It was the Knights first regular season loss in 27 games. Auburn held off Texas A&M, 28-20, in a thriller. Appalachian State upset North Carolina, 34-31. And Texas outscored Oklahoma State, 36-30.

With all the excitement of Week Four, there was only one overtime game. Texas State beat Georgia State 37-34 (3OT).

Among the quarterbacks, Tua Tagovailoa had another good week. In three quarters of play, the Alabama quarterback was 17-for-21, passing for 293 yards and five touchdowns as Bama beat Southern Miss, 49-7. LSU’s Joe Burrow was 25-for-34, passing for 398 yards and six touchdowns in the Tigers win over Vandy. Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts had the week off.

In four games, Tagovailoa has passed for 1,300 yards this season. Burrow has passed for 1,530 yards in four games. Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon leads the country with 1,894 yards in four games.

Speaking of quarterbacks, I don’t understand why Florida coach Dan Mullen replaced Kyle Trask with Emery Jones for the Gators second series against Tennessee. In the opening drive, Trask led Florida down the field in near perfection to a game opening touchdown. With Jones replacing Trask on the next series, the Gators lost their rhythm. They got out of sync. It made no sense to me. What was Mullen thinking. Putting Jones in later in the game when the Gators had a comfortable lead was logical. But not on the second series. Florida beat Tennessee, 34-3.

So in my book, after Week Four, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma remain the five superpowers. However, three of my four potential superpowers have gone by the wayside – Notre Dame, UCF and Utah are no more. LSU remains on my potential superpower list and I’ve added Auburn and Wisconsin to the list. But I am suspect of LSU’s defense. The Tigers gave up five touchdowns to Vanderbilt in their 66-38 win over the Commodores.

Of those eight teams, only Auburn appears to have a tough game this week. The Tigers host Mississippi State. Auburn could have a letdown after the big win over Texas A&M. In what should be fairly routine games, Alabama hosts Ole Miss, Oklahoma entertains Texas Tech and Wisconsin hosts Northwestern. Clemson is on the road at North Carolina, while Ohio State plays at Nebraska. Georgia and LSU have the week off.

And for the final wow factor of Week Four – speculation has Urban Meyer coaching either Florida State, Tennessee or USC come January. Stay tuned!

Yeah, I have to say, Week Four lived up to its reputation.

Touchdown Tom
September 23, 2019   

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

Weekend Recap 

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Kelly’s no hero – Georgia 23, Notre Dame 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Notre Dame 18). Georgia had a running game and Notre Dame didn’t. That was the big difference in the game. It allowed Georgia to control the clock for about 35 minutes. The game was a classic defensive battle. Notre Dame played its best defense in the first half, holding the Dawgs to only seven points. Georgia played its best defense in the second half, holding the Irish to only seven points. Georgia’s Jake Fromm was 20-for-26 passing and D’Andre Swift had 98 yards rushing. Notre Dame’s leading rusher had 21 yards. Attendance in Athens: 93,246

RUNNER UP:  Jimbo’s in limbo – Auburn 28, Texas A&M 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Auburn 23 Texas A&M 19). Up 28-10 midway through the fourth quarter, Auburn held off an A&M rally. Like Notre Dame in the Georgia game, Texas A&M had no running game against the Tigers. The Aggies only had 56 yards rushing. Their leading rusher only had 26 yards. A&M’s Kellen Mond did put on quite a passing show – 355 yards. Auburn beat Texas A&M for the third-straight year. Attendance in College Station: 101,681

REST OF THE BEST:  Harbaugh can’t cut the cheese – Wisconsin 35, Michigan 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 26, Michigan 20). This one was over before it began. Wisconsin led the Wolverines 35-0 with 5:13 to go in the third quarter. Like Notre Dame and Texas A&M, Michigan had no running game – 40 yards rushing. The Wolverines’ leading rusher only had 21 yards. Wisconsin controlled the ball for 41 minutes. Four turnovers didn’t help the Wolverines any. The Badgers’ Jonathan Taylor rushed for 203 yards. Attendance in Madison: 80,245

Fight on – USC 30, Utah 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, USC 23). USC took a 7-0 lead with 12:57 on the clock in the first quarter. The Trojans never trailed for the rest of the game, although it was tied once. USC lost quarterback Kedon Slovis early in the fourth quarter. Third string quarterback Matt Fink took over for the Trojans. Fink passed for 351 yards and three touchdowns. Utah dominated the statistics, but the Utes couldn’t dominate the score. Utah controlled the ball for 38 minutes and USC only had 28 yards rushing. Attendance in Los Angeles: 55,719

The Cowboys can’t lasso the Cows – Texas 36, Oklahoma State 30 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 33, Oklahoma State 25). A tight game throughout. Texas led at the half, 21-20. Okie State led midway through the third quarter, 23-21. Texas pretty much put the game away when the Horns went up 36-23 with 11:33 left in the game. But Okie State came back with one more score. The two teams were as about as evenly matched in the stats as you can get. Basically no difference. Both passed well and both rushed well. Attendance in Austin: 96,936

The Mustangs take the Frogs for a ride – SMU 41, TCU 38 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 30, SMU 16). SMU jumped out to an 18-7 first quarter lead over TCU and the Mustangs never looked back. Texas transfer quarterback Shane Buechele had a great game for SMU, passing for 288 yards. Attendance in Fort Worth: 41,250

Wild Horses – Boise State 30, Air Force 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 25, Air Force 19). This was a tight contest going into the fourth quarter. Boise State led 17-13. Then the Broncos scored two unanswered touchdowns and it was all over but the shouting. Boise State led 30-13. The Broncos won the game with only 93 yards rushing and with Air Force controlling the clock. The Falcons had 242 yards of rushing. Attendance in Boise: 36,498

Tar Heels couldn’t download the App – Appalachian State 34, North Carolina 31 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 24, Appalachian State 23). North Carolina dominated the stats but App State dominated the score. The Little Mountaineers took advantage of three North Carolina turnovers. Attendance in Chapel Hill: 50,500

Give that dog a biscuit – Washington 45, BYU 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 26, BYU 18). Hard to believe this was the same BYU team that beat USC last week. The Cougars had no running game – only 79 yards rushing. Washington quarterback Jacob Eason was solid passing – 24-for-28 and 290 yards. That’s an 86% completion rate. BYU is now 1-for-3 against Pac-12 teams this season. Attendance in Provo: 62,117

Bully skins the Cat – Mississippi State 28, Kentucky 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Kentucky 25, Mississippi State 22). Kentucky couldn’t overtake a 21-3 Miss State halftime lead. Kentucky quarterback Sawyer Smith only completed 36% of his passes. Two Miss State players rushed for more than 100 yards – quarterback Garrett Shrader ran for 125 yards and running back Kylin Hill had 120 yards. Attendance in Starkville: 54,556



.…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Taking care of business – West Virginia 29, Kansas 24 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Kansas 23). West Virginia took a 7-0 first quarter lead and never trailed for the rest of the game – although the score was briefly tied 7-7 in the second quarter. The Mounties controlled the clock for almost 38 minutes. Other than ball control, the teams were fairly evenly matched in the stats. Attendance in Lawrence: 35,816

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Albert smokes Smokey – Florida 34, Tennessee 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Tennessee 14). The Gators totally shutdown Tennessee. The Vols only had 12 first downs and only 88 yards rushing. The game was a bit sloppy at times. There were seven turnovers between the teams. Florida’s Kyle Trask, starting his first game, was 20-for-28 passing for 293 yards. Florida has won 14 of its last 15 games against Tennessee and 27 of the last 34 games. Attendance in Gainesville: 82,776

Seeing Buckeyes on the horizon – Nebraska 42, Illinois 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 34, Illinois 9). Now tell me Nebraska was looking ahead to Ohio State. Illinois held a two-touchdown lead over the Huskers throughout much of the game. Of course four fumbles didn’t help Nebraska any. The Banned Indians were pathetic passing – only 78 yards. Huskers’ quarterback Adrian Martinez passed for 327 yards and rushed for 118 yards. As a team, Nebraska had 671 total yards. Illinois’ Reggie Corbin rushed for 134 yards. Attendance in Champaign: 44,512



Week 4 Results:    9 winners, 4 fumbles (69.2 percent)
For the Season:   44 winners, 15 fumbles (74.6 percent)



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Louisiana Tech 43, FIU 31 – Attendance in Ruston: 18,782
Dartmouth 35, Jacksonville U. 6 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 2,077
Florida State 35, Louisville 24 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 46,530
Pitt 35, UCF 34 – Attendance in Pittsburgh: 42,056 

Miami 17, Central Michigan 12 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 49,997
Florida Atlantic 42, Wagner 7 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 14,210
Stetson 59, Western New England 28 – Attendance in Deland: 1,330 

Bethune-Cookman 22, Mississippi Valley State 6 – Attendance in Itta Bena: 6,487
Florida A&M 27, Southern U. 21 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 27,191
Delta State 30, Florida Tech 28 – Attendance in Cleveland: 6,665
West Florida 69, Virginia-Lynchburg 0 – Attendance in Pensacola: 4,831



Superlatives 

Impressive Passers: 

Washington State’s Anthony Gordon – 41-61-2 for 570 yards (9TDs); UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 25-38-1-507 (5TDs); Iowa State’s Brock Purdy – 21-27-1-435 (3TDs); Colorado State’s Patrick O’Brien – 32-52-1-405 (1TD); San Jose State’s Josh Love – 32-49-1-402 (2TDs); LSU’s Joe Burrow – 25-34-0-398 (6TDs), and FIU’s James Morgan – 29-41-1-394 (2TDs). 

Also, Florida Atlantic’s Chris Robinson – 25-36-0 for 379 yards (5TDs); California’s Chase Garbers – 23-35-1-357 (4TDs); New Mexico’s Tevaka Salanoa-Tuioti – 16-28-1-355 (3TDs); USC’s Matt Fink – 21-30-1-351 (3TDs); Wake Forest’s Jamie Newman – 27-35-1-351 (5TDs); Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels – 24-39-1-345 (2TDs), and UCF’s Dillon Gabriel – 25-42-2-338 (2TDs). 

Also, Colorado’s Stephen Montez – 23-30-0 for 337 yards (3TDs); Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond – 31-49-0-335 (2TDs); New Mexico State’s Josh Adkins – 30-47-1-335 (3TDs); Ball State’s Drew Plitt – 35-57-1-333; Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez – 22-34-0-327 (3TDs); Western Michigan’s Jon Wassink – 20-34-0-327 (2TDs); North Carolina’s Sam Howell – 27-41-2-323 (3TDs); Arkansas State’s Logan Bonner – 17-31-0-320 (4TDs), and Liberty’s Stephen Calvert – 10-16-0-319 (2TDs).

Impressive Rushers:

Colorado State’s Marvin Kinsey – 246 yards (2TDs); Toledo’s Bryant Koback – 228 yards (3TDs); Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 203 yards (2TDs); TCU’s Darius Anderson – 161 yards (2TDs), and Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 150 yards (2TDs). 

Quotes of the Week 

“If there was one thing professionally that I would do over again, it would have been not to leave LSU. It was a huge mistake to leave college football,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, reflecting on his departure from LSU for the Miami Dolphins 

Signs of the Week 

Brian Kelly Texts With His Index Finger 



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some 

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Virginia (4-0) at Notre Dame (2-1) – (ACC vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Notre Dame could have a letdown after its tough loss to Georgia. But the Irish know they cannot afford anymore losses. Virginia was obviously looking ahead to Notre Dame in its near miss to Old Dominion. We really don’t know how good the Cavaliers are. Are they for real? We’ll find out this week. It won’t be an Irish wake – Notre Dame 30, Virginia 24.

RUNNER UP:  2. Mississippi State (3-1) at Auburn (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Speaking of letdowns, that’s exactly what Auburn could have this week, following the big win over Texas A&M. Miss State won’t be a pushover. The Bulldogs should be fired up after their win over Kentucky. They are but the fire goes out – Auburn 30, Mississippi State 20. 

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Arizona State (3-1) at California (4-0) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Cal is the surprise team of the year. The question is: Can the Bears keep it up. This was going to be the game of the week until the Sun Devils lost to Colorado. Looks like the Devils are going to lose again – California 30, Arizona State 27. 

4. Ohio State (4-0) at Nebraska (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Nebraska is very suspect on defense – very. And Ohio State loves to prey on weak defenses. When things are clicking, the Huskers offense can score. They could give the Buckeyes a test. But the defense is the Huskers weak link in the chain – Ohio State 38, Nebraska 24. 

5. Wake Forest (4-0) at Boston College (3-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Wake Forest has been playing well. Except for that hiccup against Kansas, BC has been playing well. Both teams should put some points on the board in this game – maybe a lot of points. The Deacs put up the most – Wake Forest 30, Boston College 26. 

6. Kansas State (3-0) at Oklahoma State (3-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – Kansas State is undefeated, but no one is really sure about the Wildcats. Their new coach – Chris Klieman – is definitely a good one. Okie State needs to rebound after the tough loss to Texas. The Cowboys do – Oklahoma State 31, Kansas State 27. 

7. USC (3-1) at Washington (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Washington can’t afford another loss. The Huskies already have a conference loss. USC’s loss is not a conference loss. So the Huskies have more to lose than the Trojans. That’s why they don’t lose this one – Washington 30, USC 23. 

8. Washington State (3-1) at Utah (3-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 10 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – I don’t think Washington State is going to be scoring 63 points this week. Both teams should be mad after last week’s losses. The Utes are madder – Utah 34, Washington State 32. 

9. Indiana (3-1) at Michigan State (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – On paper, this should be a breather for Michigan State. But Indiana is known to give the Spartans problems. The Hoosiers age getting better. But not better enough – Michigan State 30, Indiana 28. 

10. Texas Tech (2-1) at Oklahoma (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Both teams had the week off. So both should come in raring to go. It’s the start of conference play for both teams. OU moves to 1-0 in the Big 12 – Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 15. 



.…AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

11. Penn State (3-0) at Maryland (2-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Friday, FS1 – Neither team has established itself. Penn State is 3-0 but an uncertain 3-0. Maryland looked really good against Syracuse, then the Terps fell apart against Temple, who lost to Buffalo, who lost to Penn State. But I know, you can’t compare scores. However, compared to the Terps, the Nitts are better – Penn State 26, Maryland 18. 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Towson (3-1) at Florida (4-0) – (Colonial vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – This will be like the UT-Martin game. In fact Swamp Mama said to me, “Where is Towson?” It’s like, “Where is Martin?” I don’t think Martin or Towson know where they are. But Towson gets a big pay check. Actually, Towson is big in lacrosse. But this is football – Florida 40, Towson 15. 

Duke (2-1) at Virginia Tech (2-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Two teams whose seasons could go either way. This game may determine which way. Actually, we have a road race coming up in Indialantic called the “Witch Way.” But I don’t think the Dookies know the way – Virginia Tech 27, Duke 25. 

Minnesota (3-0) at Purdue (1-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Minnesota often gets off to 3-0, etc. starts and then the Gophers seem to fall apart. Purdue has already fallen apart. I don’t think the Gophers are ready to fall apart yet – Minnesota 33, Purdue 27. 

Georgia (4-0), Texas (3-1) and West Virginia (3-1) are off this week. 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

North Carolina Wesleyan (1-1) at Stetson (2-1) – (South Athletic vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Ave Maria (2-1) at Jacksonville U. (1-2) – (Sun vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Bethune-Cookman (2-1) at Howard (1-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3…. 

SMU (4-0) at South Florida (1-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….
Florida Atlantic (2-2) at Charlotte (2-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, NFLN….
Florida A&M (2-1) at Norfolk State (1-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3…. 

Connecticut (1-2) at UCF (3-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
West Georgia (2-1) at Florida Tech (2-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
Mississippi College (2-1) at West Florida (2-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….
NC State (2-1) at Florida State (2-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN …. 

FIU (1-3) and Miami (2-2) are off this week. 

Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com



P.S.

Not exactly 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…

…75 years ago this week in 1944 was “Swinging On A Star” by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra

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

…65 years ago this week in 1954 was “Hey There” by Rosemary Clooney

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

…55 years ago this week in 1964 was “Oh, Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison

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

…45 years ago this week in 1974 was “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” by Barry White and “Rock Me Gently” by Andy Kim

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

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

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

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



Not exactly college football related, but there were six passings of note last week – John Ralston, Ric Ocasek, Phyllis Newman, Cokie Roberts, Sander Vanocur and Howard “Hopalong” Cassady.

John Ralston, the former Stanford and Denver Broncos coach, died last week in Sunnyvale, California. He was 92. Ralston was the head coach at Utah State from 1959 to 1962. He became Stanford’s coach in 1963 and the Denver Broncos’ coach in 1972. After leaving Denver in 1976 with a 34-33-3 record in five seasons, he coached the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League. He ended his coaching career at San Jose State, where he coached the Spartans from 1993 to 1996. Ralston’s Stanford teams won consecutive Pac-8 championships and the Rose Bowl following the 1970 and 1971 seasons. He coached Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett at Stanford and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive Rose Bowl under coach Pappy Waldorf. Ralston served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the South Pacific during World War II.

Ric Ocasek, the Cars founder, songwriter and front man, whose deadpan vocal delivery and lanky, sun-glassed look defined a rock era with chart-topping hits such as “Just What I Needed,” died last week in Manhattan, New York. He was 75. The Cars were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. Ocasek, along with Benjamin Orr, formed the Cars in Boston in 1976. The Cars became one of the most essential American bands of the late 1970s and 1980s with their fusion of 1960s pop and 1970s glam. Ocasek’s long, lanky appearance formed the band’s lasting image. The Cars first three hits were “Good Times Roll,” “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Just What I Needed.” The band had 10 other hit singles on Billboard’s Top 40 chart. Four of their six albums made Billboard’s Top 10 album chart. The Cars commercial peak came in 1984 with the hit singles “You Might Think” and “Magic” sung by Ocasek and “Drive” sung by Orr. The band broke up in 1988, but its influence was deeply felt into the 1990s. Ocasek grew up in Baltimore His family moved to Cleveland when he was a teenager. After graduating from high school, Ocasek attended Antioch College and Bowling Green State University in the mid-1960s. He met Orr in 1965. They relocated to Boston in the early 1970s. Ocasek was married for 28 years to model Paulina Porizkova. They had recently separated.

Phyllis Newman, a Tony Award-winning Broadway veteran who became the first woman to host “The Tonight Show” before turning her attention to fight for women’s health, died last week. She was 86. Newman won the 1962 Tony for best supporting actress in the musical “Subways Are For Sleeping.” She earned a second Tony nomination in 1987 for her performance in the Neil Simon play “Broadway Bound.” Her other Broadway credits include “On the Town,” “Awake and Sing” and “The Prisoner of Second Avenue.” She replaced Barbara Harris in “The Apple Tree.” She appeared on several television shows, including a brief appearance on the ABC soap opera “One Life to Live.” Newman also appeared in several films. Phyllis Newman was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on March 19, 1933. She made her Broadway debut in 1952 in “Wish You Were Here.”

Cokie Roberts, a pioneering journalist who joined an upstart NPR in 1978 and left an indelible imprint on the growing network with her coverage of Washington politics before later going to ABC news, died last week. She was 75. A bestselling author and Emmy Award winner, Roberts was one of NPR’s most recognizable voices and is considered one of a handful of pioneering female journalists. Roberts joined ABC news in 1988, while retaining a part-time role as a political commentator at NPR that she maintained until her death. The daughter of former U.S. representatives, she grew up walking the halls of Congress. Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs was born in New Orleans on December 27, 1943. She was given the nickname Cokie by her brother who had trouble pronouncing Corinne. The nickname stuck. Roberts father was Thomas Hale Boggs, a former Democratic majority leader of the House who served in Congress for more than three decades before he disappeared on a flight in Alaska in 1972. Her mother, Lindy Claiborne Boggs, took over her husband’s seat and served for 17 years. Roberts graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She married journalist Steven Roberts in 1966. In the early 1970s, they moved to Athens, Greece, where he worked for the New York Times. She filed radio stories for CBS. In 1977, Roberts and her family returned to Washington and she soon joined NPR. She left NPR in 1988 to become a political correspondent for ABC’s “World News Tonight” with Peter Jennings. From 1992 to 2002, Roberts co-anchored ABC’s Sunday morning news show “This Week,” alongside Sam Donaldson.

Sander Vanocur, a veteran broadcaster for NBC and other networks who covered the civil rights movement and Vietnam War, died last week in Santa Barbara, California. He was 91. Vanocur was a familiar face on television news for decades, beginning when he joined NBC News in the late 1950s. Vanocur left NBC in 1972 to lead a short-lived news program with Robert McNeil on PBS, then spent time at a think tank and teaching before joining the Washington Post in 1975. In 1977, he went to ABC News. Sander Vanocur was born on January 8, 1928, in Cleveland, Ohio. After his parents divorced in the early 1940s, he moved with his mother and sister to Peoria, Illinois. Vanocur graduated in 1950 from Northwestern University. He then studied at the London School of Economics and served in the U.S. Army for two years. He worked for the Manchester Guardian, before joining the New York Times in 1955. He moved to NBC in 1957.

Howard “Hopalong” Cassady, who won the 1955 Heisman Trophy at Ohio State, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship in his junior year, and who later played in the NFL, died last week. He was 85. Cassady also played baseball at Ohio State and was a longtime coach and official in the New York Yankees organization. He rushed for 2,466 yards and scored 37 touchdowns in his 36 games at Ohio State. Cassady played shortstop on the Buckeyes’ baseball team, where his teammate was Frank Howard. He played eight seasons in the NFL, six with the Detroit Tigers, one with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Philadelphia Eagles, before retiring in 1963. Cassady was a native of Columbus, Ohio.

College Football Week 4 – Florida has a new quarterback

It’s five superpowers

and then all the others

                                                                  

It’s only three weeks into the season and I’ve already made up my mind. At this point, I don’t need any more evidence. Of the 130 teams in FBS (I-A) football, I’ve identified the five superpowers for 2019. In alphabetical order, they are Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

I’m not sure anybody is going to touch those teams. Although it’s pretty obvious that Alabama or Georgia has to get touched before the playoffs. If those two make it through the season undefeated, then they will meet each other in the SEC title game.

Now the question is: Of the five teams, which one won’t make the playoffs? Logic says there won’t be two teams from the SEC, but don’t count on that. After Notre Dame and Oklahoma got decimated in the semifinals last year, the argument that Georgia should have been one of the four finalists got louder and louder. That being Georgia instead of Notre Dame or Oklahoma. 

Four of the five teams are averaging 46 to 56 points a game on offense. Clemson is the outlier at 39 points a game. Oklahoma is the highest at 56 points a game. But the Sooners are the worst on defense, giving up 20 points a game. Georgia is the best on defense. The Dawgs are allowing just eight points a game. Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama are all between 10 and 12 points allowed per game. 

Now, I will admit I have four teams who are in the potential category. They have the potential to emerge as a superpower. They are LSU, Notre Dame, Utah and UCF. Yes, UCF. The Knights are outscoring their opponents by 38 points a game. The dynasty that Scott Frost began is continuing under Josh Heupel. UCF is 28-1 in its last 29 games. 

LSU has the opportunity to become a superpower when the Tigers meet Alabama on November 9 in Tuscaloosa. Notre Dame has its opportunity this weekend. The Irish play Georgia in Athens. If Utah finishes its season undefeated, including the Pac-12 title game, then the Utes qualify as a superpower. Utah has a tough defense, giving up only 10 points a game. 

The remaining 121 teams are just going to beat each other up during the season – some doing more beating than others. 

I know its early – only three weeks – but that’s my observation as we head into week four. Stay tuned! 

The five superpowers all looked strong on Saturday. On the road in Columbia, Alabama crushed South Carolina, 47-23. On the road in the Carrier Dome, Clemson shutdown Syracuse, 41-6. Racking up 656 total yards, Georgia skunked Arkansas State, 55-0. On the road in Bloomington, Ohio State plastered Indiana, 51-10, and on the road in the Rose Bowl, Oklahoma bested UCLA, 48-14. 

I mentioned above that the remaining 121 teams were just going to spend the season beating each other up. Here’s an example. Last week, Kansas lost at home to Coastal Carolina, 12-7. Saturday, Les Miles’ Jayhawks went into Chestnut Hill and not only beat Boston College, but beat the Eagles bad. Kansas tumbled Boston College, 48-24. This the same Boston College that beat Virginia Tech, 35-28, two weeks earlier. 

Mack Brown’s luck finally ran out. After North Carolina began the season with two upset wins over South Carolina and Miami (Florida), the Tar Heels fell Friday night to Wake Forest, 24-18. 

Last week, two teams had so much fun winning in overtime, they decided to go into overtime again Saturday. It was a good thing for one of the teams and a bad thing for the other. BYU, who beat Tennessee, 29-26 (2OT), last week, beat USC, 30-27 (OT) on Saturday. But Colorado, who beat Nebraska, 34-31 (OT), last week, lost to Air Force, 30-23 (OT). In the only other overtime game Saturday, Citadel surprised Georgia Tech, 27-24 (OT). 

Former West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen is off to a 1-2 start at Houston. Friday night, Dana’s Cougars lost to Washington State, 31-24. Holgorsen’s lone win is over an FCS team. 

Speaking of Holgorsen, his previous team found itself and its offense on Saturday. West Virginia erupted to beat NC State, 44-27. Neal Brown’s Mountaineers are now 2-1. 

Last week, I asked: What’s up with Maryland? Are the Terps for real? This after Maryland downed Syracuse, 63-20 and improved to 2-0, averaging 71 points a game. Well, as it turns out, nothing’s up with Maryland. And the Terps aren’t for real. Saturday, Temple beat Maryland, 20-17. 

After beating two weaker teams, UCF stepped up to Power Five competition on Saturday. The Knights made a big step, downing Stanford, 45-27. Down the road in Florida, first-year Miami coach Manny Diaz got his first win of the season. After losing its first two games to Florida and North Carolina, the Hurricanes beat Bethune-Cookman, 63-0. 

And speaking of Florida teams, the Gators rallied from a 21-10 fourth quarter deficit to beat Kentucky, 29-21. Florida got its revenge after losing to the Wildcats last year for the first time in 31 games. Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the game. Franks was replaced by Kyle Trask. With Trask quarterbacking, the Gators outscored Kentucky, 19-0. 

Sun Belt Conference teams have been a nuisance to Power Five teams this season and Georgia Southern was a nuisance to Minnesota on Saturday. In the closing seconds of the game, the Gophers trailed Georgia Southern, 32-28. But Minnesota scored a touchdown with 13 seconds on the clock to beat the Eagles, 35-32. 

But remember Georgia State? The Sun Belt team that beat Tennessee earlier this season. Well, Georgia State’s moment in glory is over. Saturday, Western Michigan blasted Georgia State, 57-10.

Willie Taggart always has to blame someone when Florida State loses. Someone but himself. The Seminoles lost to Boise State in Week One and Taggart blamed the loss on the team’s medical staff. He said his players were dehydrated and that’s why FSU lost. Now, after losing to Virginia on Saturday, Taggart blamed the loss on the play calling of his offensive coordinator, Kendal Briles. 

In Saturday’s three nightcap games – the late shows and the late-late shows – Arizona beat Texas Tech, 28-14, Boise State downed Portland State, 45-10, and Oregon tackled Montana, 35-0. 

Among the big-name quarterbacks, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa stepped into the spotlight Saturday. In the Tide’s big win over the Gamecocks, Tagovailoa was 28-36-0 for 440 yards, passing for five touchdowns. His former teammate, Jalen Hurts, led Oklahoma to a solid win over UCLA. Hurts, playing just three quarters, was 15-20-0 for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Hurts also had 150 yards rushing, scoring another touchdown. 

LSU’s Joe Burrow, who had such a great game last week against Texas, performed well again on Saturday. Burrow was 21-24-1 for 373 yards and two touchdowns, as LSU beat Northwestern State, 65-14. The bright new star on Saturday was UCF freshman Dillon Gabriel. Starting his first game for the Knights, Gabriel was 22-30-0 for 347 yards, passing for four touchdowns in UCF’s 45-27 win over Stanford. 

This week, among the five superpowers, only Georgia has a challenge. The Dawgs host Notre Dame in Athens. Three of the other four superpowers play cupcakes and one has the weekend off. Alabama hosts Southern Mississippi, Clemson hosts Charlotte and Ohio State entertains Miami (Ohio). Oklahoma is off. 

In the something’s got to give games this week there are four games matching undefeated teams. Somebody’s got to lose. The games are Air Force (2-0) at Boise State (3-0), Michigan (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0), SMU (3-0) at TCU (2-0) and the big one – Notre Dame (2-0) at Georgia (3-0). 

Fortunately, Tropical Storm Humberto was a no show over the weekend. He pulled a student-body right and stayed far off the coast. 

Touchdown Tom
September 16, 2019
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Twice-delayed – Iowa 18, Iowa State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 27, Iowa State 23). Trailing Iowa State, 17-15, Iowa kicked a 39-yard field goal with 4:51 to go in the game. The Hawkeyes held on to win. The lead changed hands three times in the fourth quarter. Iowa State led 14-9 as the final quarter began. Iowa went up 15-14 at the 12:10 mark. The Cyclones retook the lead 17-15 with 7:41 on the clock. The Hawkeyes went back in the lead and won with the 39-yard field goal. Iowa State had 418 total yards to 313 for Iowa. But the Cyclones suffered two turnovers. The Hawkeyes controlled the ball for 35 minutes. The game experienced two lengthy weather delays, both in the first half. Attendance in Ames: 61,500

RUNNER UP: 

The beginning of the next 31-straight – Florida 29, Kentucky 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Kentucky 21). Kentucky took a 14-7 at the 7:46 mark in the second quarter. The Wildcats never lost the lead until 4:11 left in the fourth quarter when Florida went up 22-21. With 33 seconds on the clock, the Gators increased their lead to eight points. Late in the third quarter and trailing Kentucky, 21-10, Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks suffered a severe ankle injury and left the game. The injury may have been a blessing in disguise for the Gators. Backup quarterback Kyle Trask entered the game and Florida went on a 19-0 run over Kentucky. The two teams were evenly matched in the stats, except that Kentucky controlled the clock for 35 minutes. Attendance in Lexington: 63,076

REST OF THE BEST:

Better late than never – Arizona State 10, Michigan State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 26, Arizona State 17). Both touchdowns came in the fourth quarter. Michigan State scored at the 8:37 mark. Arizona State scored with 50 seconds left in the game. In the first half, the Sun Devils kicked a 41-yard field goal. With six seconds to go in the game, Michigan State made a game-tying field goal. However, the field goal was negated because the Spartans had too many men on the field. In losing, the Spartans held ASU to just 216 total yards. Attendance in East Lansing: 73,531

So much for the Mack attack – Wake Forest 24, North Carolina 18 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 30, Wake Forest 26). It was non-existent in the first half. Wake Forest led North Carolina, 21-0, at the break. Then the Deacs held on for dear life in the second half, as the Tar Heels rallied. With 1:09 left in the game, Wake only led 21-18. That’s when the Deacs kicked a 32-yard field goal to increase their lead to six. Attendance in Winston-Salem: 31,345

Roasted – Alabama 47, South Carolina 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 34, South Carolina 16). Alabama only had 76 yards rushing, but that’s all the Tide needed with Tua Tagovailoa passing for 444 yards and five touchdowns. Tagovailoa was 28-for-36 passing. At the end of the first quarter, Alabama led 14-10. Then the Tide went on to outscore the Gamecocks 33-13. South Carolina freshman Ryan Hilinski passed for 324 yards. Attendance in Columbia: 81,954

Rolling through the ACC – Clemson 41, Syracuse 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, Syracuse 17). Clemson led 17-6 at the half and outscored Syracuse 24-0 in the second half. Although he threw two interceptions, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for 395 yards. The Tigers held the Orange to 11 first downs, 15 yards rushing and 187 total yards. Meanwhile, Clemson racked up 612 total yards. Attendance in Syracuse: 50,248

Chopped down – UCF 45, Stanford 27 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 26, Stanford 20). At the end of the first quarter, UCF led 28-7. It was all over but the shouting. Freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for 347 yards and running back Greg McCrae rushed for 109 yards. UCF had 545 total yards. Attendance in Orlando: 45,008

They ate it again – Penn State 17, Pitt 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 31, Pitt 15). The Panthers couldn’t find a running game, only rushing for 24 yards. However, the Panthers Kenny Pickett passed for 372 yards. Pitt controlled the clock – 34 minutes – but not the score. Attendance in University Park: 108,661

Smoke signals get crossed – Virginia 31, Florida State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia 37, Florida State 23). The lead in the game changed hands four times. But the final change wasn’t until 2:34 left in the game when Virginia went up 31-24. The Cavaliers controlled the clock for 40 minutes. Florida State only had 95 yards rushing. Attendance in Charlottesville: 57,826

Steamless – TCU 34, Purdue 13 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 33, Purdue 27). Purdue only had eight first downs and 23 yards rushing. Two TCU running backs rushed for more than 100 yards. Darius Anderson tallied 179 yards, while Sewo Olonilua had 106 yards. The Frogs controlled the clock for 40 minutes. Purdue played without starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar -- concussion. Attendance in West Lafayette: 60,037

….AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Well, hello offense – West Virginia 44, NC State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, West Virginia 17). It’s nice to have you back where you belong. Tied 21-21 at the half, West Virginia outscored NC State 23-6 in the second half, limiting the Wolfpack to two field goals. WVU took an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game, although the score was tied on three occasions. The Mountaineers dominated both the rushing and passing game, tallying 445 total yards. Attendance in Morgantown: 57,052

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

A breather – Nebraska 44, Northern Illinois 8 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Northern Illinois 19). Northern Illinois never scored a touchdown. The Huskies only had two field goals and a safety to their credit. Surprisingly, NIU controlled the ball for an amazing 38 minutes. When Nebraska had the ball, the Huskers scored quickly. Nebraska finished with 525 total yards. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,593

Didn’t get stuck in the Middle – Duke 41, Middle Tennessee 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 35, Middle Tennessee 25). The Dookies led 31-3 at the break and went into cruise control in the second half. Dookie quarterback Quentin Harris was 24-for-27 passing (88.9 percent). Attendance in Murfreesboro: 19,852

As expected – Georgia 55, Arkansas State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 42, Arkansas State 22). Georgia amassed 658 total yards to only 220 for Arkansas State. Nuff said. The Red Wolves were restricted to 43 yards rushing. Attendance in Athens: 92,746

The Hook was working – Texas 48, Rice 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 47, Rice 15). Rice didn’t score its 13 points until the fourth quarter. Texas had 509 total yards. The Horns defense held the Owls to 13 first downs and 87 yards rushing. Sam Ehlinger was 23-for-27 passing (85.2 percent). Attendance in Houston: 42,417

Week 3 Results:  12 winners, 3 fumbles (80 percent)
For the Season:   35 winners, 11 fumbles (76.1 percent)




ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Marist 26, Stetson 23 – Attendance in Poughkeepsie: 1,456
West Florida 42, Shorter 14 – Attendance in Rome: 1,177
Florida Tech 30, Newberry 28 – Attendance in Newberry: 2,944 

Florida Atlantic 41, Ball State 31 – Attendance in Muncie: 14,333
Miami 63, Bethune-Cookman 0 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 52,036
Florida A&M 57, Fort Valley State 20 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 17,911 

South Florida 55, South Carolina State 16 – Attendance in Tampa: 31,368
FIU 30, New Hampshire 17 – Attendance in Miami: 11,756
Jacksonville U. 30, Presbyterian 20 – Attendance in Clinton: 2,208

Superlatives 

Impressive Passers: 

Troy’s Kaleb Barker – 29-43-0 for 504 yards (4TDs); Southern Miss’s – Jack Abraham – 28-36-0-463 (2TDs); Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa – 28-36-0-444 (5TDs); Washington State’s Anthony Gordon – 36-48-1-440 (3TDs); Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence – 22-39-2-395 (3TDs); LSU’s Joe Burrow – 21-24-1-373 (2TDs); Pitt’s Kenny Pickett – 35-51-0-372, and Florida Atlantic’s Chris Robinson – 33-41-0-366 (4TDs). 

Also, Notre Dame’s Ian Box – 15-24-0 for 360 yards (5TDs); UCF’s Dillon Gabriel – 22-30-0-347 (4TDs); Liberty’s Stephen Calvert – 23-30-0-325 (4TDs); South Carolina’s Ryan Hilinski – 36-57-1-324 (2TDs); Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond – 20-28-1-317 (1TD); Oregon’s Justin Herbert – 30-42-0-316 (5TDs), and Eastern Michigan’s Mike Glass – 23-36-0-316 (3TDs).

Impressive Rushers:

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard – 256 yards (3TDs); Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins – 193 yards (1TD); Western Michigan’s LeVante Bellamy – 192 yards (3TDs); Kansas’ Khalil Herbert – 187 yards (1TD); FIU’s Kaylan Wiggins – 187 yards (2TDs), and Colorado State’s Marvin Kinsey – 180 yards (1TD).

Also, TCU’s Darius Anderson – 179 yards (2TDs); SMU’s T.J. McDaniel – 159 yards (3TDS); Navy’s Malcolm Perry – 156 yards (4TDs); Wyoming’s Trey Smith – 152 yards (2TDs); Boston College’s A.J. Dillon – 151 yards (1TD); Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts – 150 yards (1TD), and Air Force’s Kadin Remsberg – 146 yards (1TD).



Quotes of the Week

“I wanted to be able to come here and apologize to everybody, the fans, the players and truly tell you how sorry I am for the way it ended,” former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, speaking and apologizing to the Little Rock Touchdown Club, seven years after he was fired for misleading officials.

“Saturday’s are little boring right now. You know, the competitive spirit is still there,” former Arkansas and Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, speaking to the Little Rock Touchdown Club.

“Let’s look at the coaching decisions, which are inexcusable. Let’s also look at his demeanor, which is more inexcusable. You just can’t walk up to that podium namby-pamby. You’ve got to show who you are and what you’re all about. I think Jeremy Pruitt has failed miserably in that regard,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, on the Tennessee football coach.

“When I was at the University of Florida, I think my jersey was one of the top jerseys around the world, and I didn’t make a dollar from it, but nor did I want to,” Tim Tebow, saying that paying college athletes changes the meaning of college sports.

“They’re looking at a 1-6 start. I think it’s time to press the panic button,” ESPN college football analyst Desmond Howard, on Tennessee.



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for
This Week’s 10 Biggest and Most Intriguing Games…and then some

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Notre Dame (2-0) at Georgia (3-0) – (Ind. vs. SEC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – After losing so badly to Clemson in the first round of the playoff last year, this is Notre Dame’s chance to gain some respect. Some people think as long as Notre Dame is an Independent, the Irish should never be selected for the college football playoff. Notre Dame’s defense won’t be able to contain Georgia’s offense. And Notre Dame’s offense won’t be able to penetrate Georgia’s defense. Uga finds the four-leaf clover – Georgia 26, Notre Dame 18. 

RUNNER UP:  2. Auburn (3-0) at Texas A&M (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – If A&M wants to win, the Aggies need to have a better performance from their offense than they did against Clemson. That won’t be easy. Auburn plays good defense. A&M’s key will be quarterback Kellen Mond. He needs a near perfect game. This will also be Bo Nix’s biggest challenge since the opener against Oregon. The Auburn quarterback can’t suffer a letdown. Aubie plays Reveille – Auburn 23, Texas A&M 19. 

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Michigan (2-0) at Wisconsin (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Michigan has been disappointing so far this season. You figure they are going to break out sometime. Wisconsin has looked good, but all against much weaker competition. If the Wolverines can contain Jonathan Taylor, they have a shot. But Taylor will be a thorn in Harbaugh’s side – Wisconsin 26, Michigan 20.

4. Utah (3-0) at USC (2-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 9 pm ET, Friday, FS1 – USC is facing the possibility of losing to two teams from Utah back to back. The Utes have a tough defense, holding opponents to 10 points a game. Utah’s defense is better than its offense. USC is an up and down team under Clay Helton. The Trojans will be down this week – Utah 28, USC 23. 

5. Oklahoma State (3-0) at Texas (2-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Okie State has one of the best running backs in the country in Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard is the leading rusher in the country with 521 yards in three games. Texas has one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Sam Ehlinger. The quarterback wins – Texas 33, Oklahoma State 25.

6. SMU (2-0) at TCU (3-0) – (AAC vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – These two rivals play every year and TCU has won big in recent years. The Frogs looked good in their win over Purdue last week, especially the defense. The Frogs will look good again this week – TCU 30, SMU 16.

7. Air Force (2-0) at Boise State (3-0) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 9 pm ET, Friday, ESPN2 – Air Force knocked off Colorado last week. The Falcons may still be celebrating against Boise State. As usual, Air Force has a good running game, but not much of a passing game. The Broncos are good on the ground and through the air. Versatility wins – Boise State 25, Air Force 19. 

8. Appalachian State (2-0) at North Carolina (2-1) – (Sun Belt vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday – This is a big opportunity for App State to knock off a Power Five team. The Little Mountaineers have a strong running back in Darrynton Evans. He’s averaging 167 yards a game. The Tar Heels can score, but their defense is so-so. That could be an advantage to Evans. But the Mack comes back – North Carolina 24, Appalachian State 23. 

9. Washington (2-1) at BYU (2-1) – (Pac-12 vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2 – After BYU lost 30-12 to Utah, everybody was writing the Cougars off. But BYU has bounced back, winning two games in overtime. Washington is smarting from its loss to California. After a good opening game, quarterback Jacob Eason wasn’t so good against the Bears. But Chris Petersen will have the Huskies back – Washington 26, BYU 18.

10. Kentucky (2-1) at Mississippi State (2-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Both teams lost for the first time last week. One will bounce back. Kentucky quarterback Sawyer Smith has one game under his belt now. That should help the Wildcats. But how will Kentucky respond after the tough loss to Florida? Mark Stoops has them fired up – Kentucky 25, Mississippi State 22. 



AND ONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

11. West Virginia (2-1) at Kansas (2-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+ – Both teams snapped out of it last week. Kansas exploded for 48 points against Boston College. West Virginia exploded for 44 points against NC State. WVU’s defense needs to contain the running game of Kansas. Eers escape the Mad Hatter – West Virginia 27, Kansas 23. 



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Tennessee (1-2) at Florida (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – This used to be a big game. Back in the days when Tennessee used to compete for the SEC East title. The Vols haven’t been a contender in the East for many years. Until Kyle Trask entered the game against Kentucky, it didn’t look like Florida was going to be a contender this year. You gotta figure UT is getting better. Hopefully, Kentucky gave the Gators a wake up call. This is what Kyle Trask has waited for. Rocky Bottoms – Florida 27, Tennessee 14.

Nebraska (2-1) at Illinois (2-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – This will be back to back games against teams from Illinois for Nebraska. I think this one is the easier of the two. The Banned Indians lost to Eastern Michigan last week. Nebraska will probably have more fans in the stands than Illinois. The Huskers will have more points on the board too – Nebraska 34, Illinois 9.

Duke (2-1) and Purdue (1-2) are off



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

FIU (1-2) at Louisiana Tech (2-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 8 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN…. 

Dartmouth (0-0) at Jacksonville (1-1) – (Ivy League vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….

Louisville (2-1) at Florida State (1-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN….

UCF (3-0) at Pitt (1-2)  – (ACC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN2….

Central Michigan (2-1) at Miami (1-2) – (MAC vs. ACC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN…. 

Wagner (0-3) at Florida Atlantic (1-2) – (Northeast vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….

Western New England (2-0) at Stetson (1-1) – (Commonwealth Coast vs. Pioneer) – 6 pm ET, Saturday…. 

Bethune-Cookman (1-1) at Mississippi Valley State (0-2) – (MEAC vs. SWC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….

Southern (1-2) at Florida A&M (1-1) – (SWC vs. MEAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Florida Tech (2-0) at Delta State (1-1) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….

Virginia-Lynchburg (0-3) at West Florida (1-1) – (NCCAA vs. Gulf South) – 7 pm ET, Saturday…. 

South Florida (1-2) is off 

Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com



Not exactly college football related, but there were three passings of note last week – T. Boone Pickens, Eddie Money and Anne Rivers Siddons.

T. Boone Pickens, the Texas oil and gas entrepreneur whose life cast him in disparate roles of corporate raider, defender of shareholder rights, environmentalist, polemicist for political conservatism and philanthropist, died last week at his home in Dallas. He was 91. In corporate circles, Pickens became one of the most hated men in America. But he was the darling of the media. He headed a nationwide campaign to push for energy self-sufficiency through the exploitation of natural gas, wind power and solar energy with the aim of reducing the United States’ dependence on oil imports from the Middle East. T. Boone Pickens was born on May 22, 1928, in Holdenville, Oklahoma, a cattle town surrounded by oil wells. After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1951, he got a job as a geologist for Phillips Petroleum Company. Pickens quit a few years later, creating his own drilling company. Later in life, he became a philanthropist, giving away almost $1 billion to charity, with half going to his alma mater Oklahoma State.

Eddie Money, whose string of rock hits in the late 1970s to the early 1990s included “Baby Hold On” and “Take Me Home Tonight,” died last week in Los Angeles. He was 70. Money’s birth name was Edward Mahoney. His first hit, “Baby Hold On” (1978), was followed by “Two Tickets To Paradise” and “Maybe I’m A Fool.” He had several more hits in the 1980s, including “Take Me Home Tonight” and “Walk On Water.” Edward Joseph Mahoney was born on March 21, 1949, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Levittown, New York, on Long island.

Anne Rivers Siddons, a best-selling Southern author known for many novels, including “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Peachtree Road,” died last week at her home in Charleston, South Carolina. She was 83. Siddons was born Sybil Anne Rivers on January 9, 1936, in Fairburn, Georgia. She attended Auburn University. Siddons published 19 novels. She also worked for Atlanta Magazine.