Monday, November 2, 2020

College Football Week 10 - Lawrence will miss Notre Dame game

 

College Football Week 10 – Lawrence will miss Notre Dame game

Clemson gets a scare, Dan Mullen was “Rocky” for Halloween, while five Top-25 teams lost – four to unranked teams

College football teams went trick-or-treating over the weekend. Some got treated, while others were tricked. And some, like Wisconsin and Nebraska stayed home because of COVID.

Yes, Week 9 had its share of ghosts, goblins and spooky games – just ask Jim Harbaugh and Ed Orgeron. After all, it was Halloween.

Boston College took Clemson for a ride through the haunted house. The Eagles gave the Tigers a pretty good scare. But Clemson survived the ride. The Tigers came out alive, 34-28.

The first half was a nightmare for Clemson. Playing without quarterback Trevor Lawrence (out with COVID) the Tigers fell behind Boston College 14-7 in the first quarter and, even worse, 28-13 at halftime. Clemson not only couldn’t find its offense, but the Tigers defense was absent as well.

The second half was a different story. Clemson’s offense and defense came alive. The offense scored 21 points, while the Tigers defense held Boston College scoreless. Still, the Eagles led Clemson, 28-26, as the fourth quarter began. But early in the fourth quarter, Travis Etienne scored on a 17-yard run and Clemson took its first lead in the game, 32-28 – a two-point conversion attempt failed.

During the remaining 11:34 of the game, Boston College had its chances, but Clemson’s defense always prevailed. In the final two minutes, the Tigers got a safety and won the game, 34-28. Backup Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei finished with 342 yards passing. 

Florida coach Dan Mullen went trick-or-treating Halloween night as Rocky Balboa. On the last play of the first half in the Missouri-Florida game, Gators quarterback Kyle Trask took a late hit from a Missouri defender. As the two teams left the field for the halftime break, a brawl broke out. Fists were flying. It was a big-time brawl. The coaches were involved. The staffs were involved.

Meanwhile, Mullen and Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz got into a shouting match. Mullen looked like he was ready take on Drinkwitz. He had to be held back by his staff. Eventually, things settled down and the players left the field. As Mullen left the field, he was waving his arms in the air, inciting the fans. After briefly entering the tunnel, Mullen returned to the field and continued to wave his arms. He was reminiscent of Rocky Balboa at the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Before the second half began, two Florida players and one Missouri player were ejected from the game. All of the players on both teams received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. I don’t know who won the brawl, but Florida, who was up 20-7 at halftime, went on to win the game, 41-17.

It was a spooky day for five ranked teams on Halloween, especially for four of those teams. They were upset by unranked teams. No. 6 Oklahoma State fell to unranked Texas, 41-34 in overtime. This game went back-and-forth. It was tied three times. Oklahoma State led 14-7. Texas led 17-14. Finally, the Cowboys built up a 31-20 lead midway through the third quarter. But with 4:27 to go in the game, the Longhorns took a 34-31 lead. Then with 0:05 on the clock Oklahoma State’s Alex Hale kicked a 34-yard field goal. At the end of regulation, the score was 34-34.

In the overtime, Texas had the ball first. The Longhorns scored on a 15-yard pass from Sam Ehlinger to Joshua Moore. Then the Texas defense kept the Cowboys out of the end zone. Texas won, 41-34 (OT).

No. 13 Michigan stumbled to unranked Michigan State, 27-24. This was the same Michigan State team that lost to Rutgers last week. The score was tied twice, but the Wolverines never led in the game. Spartans quarterback Rocky Lombardi, what a classic football name, passed for 323 yards and three touchdowns.

No. 15 North Carolina put on a rally but came up short, losing to unranked Virginia, 44-41. As the fourth quarter began, the Cavaliers led the Tar Heels, 41-27. North Carolina outscored Virginia 14-3 in the final quarter. But Virginia held on for the three-point win. In a losing effort, North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell was 23-for-28, passing for 443 yards and four touchdowns.  

And finally, No. 16 Kansas State came away with no candy, as the Wildcats lost bad to unranked West Virginia, 37-10. The Mountaineers held the Wildcats to 41 yards rushing and to zero points in the second half. It was Kansas State’s first loss in Big 12 play. The Mountaineers played their most complete game, on both sides of the ball, of the season.

The fifth ranked team that lost, fell to a higher-ranked team. No. 18 Penn State lost to No. 3 Ohio State, 38-25. As the fourth quarter began, the Buckeyes led the Nittany Lions, 31-13. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields was 28-for-34, passing for 318 yards and four touchdowns. Penn State is 0-2.

LSU wasn’t ranked and the Tigers didn’t lose to a ranked team. But it was a ghoulish day for Ed Orgeron and his LSU Tigers on Halloween. In a game where LSU was favored, the Tigers lost to Auburn, 48-11. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix was 18-for-24, passing for 300 yards and three touchdowns. Auburn’s defense held LSU to only 32 yards rushing.    

Trick-or-treating, Oklahoma got the most candy on Halloween. The Sooners scored eight touchdowns and kicked two field goals, beating Texas Tech, 62-28. Late in the fourth quarter, the score was 62-21. Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler passed for 288 yards.  

Week 9 football began when else, on Thursday night, with a Sun Belt and Mountain West matchup. In the Sun Belt encounter, Georgia Southern scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and South Alabama didn’t. The Eagles beat the Jaguars, 24-17. South Alabama is 0-7 against Georgia Southern,

In the Mountain West contest, Fresno State led Colorado State 31-10, entering the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs went on to beat the Rams, 38-17. Fresno State only had 84 yards rushing, but 348 yards passing.

The action continued Friday night with three games. Last week, Maryland suffered a 43-3 loss to Northwestern. Friday night, the Terrapins rallied to beat Minnesota, 45-44 (OT). Minnesota’s extra point kick in the overtime was wide right. The Gophers are 0-2. Maryland quarterback Talia Tagovailoa, Tua’s brother, passed for 394 yards and rushed for another 64 yards. As the fourth quarter began, Minnesota led Maryland 38-21.

East Carolina came close but no banana. Tulsa edged the Pirates, 34-30. Entering the fourth quarter, the score was tied 20-20. Tulsa improved to 3-1.

Lastly, in the MWC, Wyoming blasted Hawaii, 31-7. Cowboys running back Xazavian Valladay rushed for 163 yards. Wyoming controlled the ball for more than 38 minutes.

In other games on Halloween, in a defensive battle, Georgia downed Kentucky, 14-3. Georgia running back Zamir White rushed for 136 yards. Elsewhere in the SEC, Alabama continued its dominance of the conference. The Crimson Tide blasted Mississippi State, 41-0. Alabama quarterback Mac Jones passed for 291 yards and four touchdowns. The Tide defense held Miss State to 37 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Texas A&M beat Arkansas, 42-31.

In the ACC, Wake Forest improved to 4-2, as the Demon Deacons toppled Syracuse, 38-14. Wake Forest held the Orange to 79 yards rushing. Notre Dame pummeled Georgia Tech, 31-13.

Northwestern improved to 2-0. The Wildcats rallied from a 17-0 first quarter deficit, to beat Iowa, 21-20. Northwestern held the Hawkeyes scoreless in the second half. Also in the Big Ten, Rutgers’ bubble burst. After upsetting Michigan State last week, the Scarlet Knights lost to Indiana on Halloween. The Hoosiers beat Rutgers, 37-21. Indiana is 2-0.

In the AAC, Cincinnati remained undefeated. The Bearcats crushed Memphis, 49-10. Cincinnati held the Tigers to just five yards rushing. UCF lanced Houston, 44-21. UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for 328 yards.   

In the MWC, Nevada won the battle of Nevada. The Wolf Pack downed UNLV, 37-19. Nevada quarterback Carson Strong was 21-for-27, passing for 350 yards and two touchdowns.

And finally, America’s team improved to 6-0. Coastal Carolina blasted Georgia State, 51-0. The Chanticleers held onto the ball for more than 41 minutes.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence will not play in the Notre Dame game this week. Lawrence is still in COVID quarantine.

That two week layoff may have been just what Florida’s defense needed. The Gators defense had their best game of the season against Missouri. 

The Pac-12 and Mid-American Conference begin play this week. The 12-team MAC will play all six of its games on Wednesday night. The most intriguing opening games in the Pac-12 are Arizona State at USC, Stanford at Oregon and Washington at California.

Seven Group of Five teams grace the AP Top-25 poll this week. They are Cincinnati (5-0), BYU (7-0), Coastal Carolina (6-0), Marshall (5-0), SMU (6-1), Boise state (2-0) and Liberty (6-0). Army (6-1) isn’t far out. Cincinnati is the highest ranked at 6th. Depending on how things play out, it’s not inconceivable that Cincinnati could make the College Football Playoff.   

Week 9’s Winners: Boston College coach Jeff Hafley (in a losing effort), Maryland running back Jake Funk and Florida’s defense. Week 9’s Losers: The Big Ten Conference and Jim Harbaugh.

In the mail last week, Fern Musselwhite of Gainesville, Florida, was thinking that Alabama’s Ken Burger might have had a good thing going while watching the Georgia-Alabama game on TV.  Fern believes it might be a good idea for Gator fans to eat nachos while watching the Florida-Georgia game on TV.

Before the Texas-Oklahoma State game, there were reports claiming if Texas lost, Tom Herman would be fired the next day. Texas won….It seems like it happens every year. Just when you think Gus Malzahn has cooked his goose, he comes back. But the season isn’t over yet….So I’m wondering – did Florida coach Dan Mullen wake up Sunday morning singing. “Gettin’ strong now, coming on now, gettin’ strong now, gonna fly now?”

Enjoy your Halloween candy.

Touchdown Tom

November 2, 2020

 

Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK: No contest – Ohio State 38, Penn State 25 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 40, Penn State 20). Ohio State racked up 526 total yards – 208 rushing and 318 passing. Buckeyes running back Master Teague rushed for 110 yards. Although Penn State hung around, the game was never close. The Nitts only had 44 yards rushing. Ohio State controlled ball possession for 37 minutes. Ohio State appears to be untouchable in the Big Ten.

RUNNER-UP: Saddle sores – Texas 41, Oklahoma State 34 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 29, Texas 23). Oklahoma State dominated Texas in the stats. The Cowboys had 32 first downs to 17 for Texas and 530 total yards to 287 for the Longhorns. Okie State also dominated the turnovers, 4 to 0. Cowboys quarterback Spencer Sanders passed for 400 yards and four touchdowns. Okie State receiver Tylan Wallace had 11 receptions for 187 yards. Okie State suffered its first loss this season.

REST OF THE BEST: Close call – Clemson 34, Boston College 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 38, Boston College 22). Clemson had 451 total yards to 276 for BC. The Tigers defense held the Eagles to 68 yards rushing. Clemson running back Travis Etienne rushed for 84 yards and had seven receptions for 140 yards. Clemson showed vulnerability for the first time.  

Bearcat day – Cincinnati 49, Memphis 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 42, Memphis 30). Cincinnati had 28 first downs to 15 for Memphis and 513 total yards to 321 for Memphis. Memphis quarterback Brady White passed for 316 yards. Cincinnati appears to be untouchable in the AAC.

Almost heaven – West Virginia 37, Kansas State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Kansas State 27). West Virginia had 23 first downs to 13 for Kansas State and 485 total yards to 225 for K-State. WVU quarterback Jarret Doege passed for 301 yards. The Mountaineers improved to 4-2. West Virginia’s offense and defense both looked good.

Aggies high on the Hog – Texas A&M 42, Arkansas 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 26, Arkansas 18). Texas A&M led 42-17 entering the fourth quarter. The teams were closely matched in the stats, with the edge going to Arkansas. Razorbacks quarterback Feleipe Franks passed for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Aggies quarterback Kellen Mond was 21-for-26, passing for 260 yards and three touchdowns.  

All Bo – Auburn 48, LSU 11 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 33, Auburn 30). Auburn had 510 total yards – 210 rushing and 300 passing. LSU only had 32 yards rushing. Auburn quarterback Bo Nix passed for 300 yards and rushed for another 81 yards. Auburn led 48-3 early in the fourth quarter. Instead of rags to riches, LSU has gone from riches to rags.

Poor Dana – UCF 44, Houston 21 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 36, Houston 30). The teams combined for 1,115 yards. UCF had 681 of those yards. Two UCF running backs rushed for more than 100 yards. Otis Anderson had 170 yards and Greg McCrae had 107 yards. When UCF is good, the Knights are really good.

Best fight of the day – Florida 41, Missouri 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 34, Missouri 26). Florida had 514 total yards to 248 for Missouri. The Gators defense held Missouri to 40 yards rushing. Florida quarterback Kyle Trask passed for 345 yards and four touchdowns. If anything, the two week layoff helped the Gators. It didn’t hurt them.

Roosting on Panthers – Coastal Carolina 51, Georgia State 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Coastal Carolina 34, Georgia State 25). This was a complete put down. Coastal Carolina had 30 first downs to five for Georgia State and 530 total yards to 106 for Georgia State. Georgia State only had 76 yards rushing and 30 yards passing. The Chanticleers controlled the ball for more than 41 minutes. Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall passed for 254 yards and four touchdowns. 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Canceled – Wisconsin at Nebraska (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 38, Nebraska 21). The game between Wisconsin and Nebraska was canceled due to COVID problems at Wisconsin.

Dookies rule – Duke 53, Charlotte 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 35, Charlotte 24). Get this – Duke won the game but only controlled the ball for less than 18 minutes. Obviously, the Dookies scored quick when they had the ball. Two Duke running backs rushed for more than 100 yards. Mataeo Durant had 104 yards and Deon Jackson had 101 yards. Duke needed a win like this.

Dawg day – Georgia 14, Kentucky 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 25, Kentucky 15). Low scoring game, the teams only had 575 total yards combined. Kentucky only had 91 yards passing. The Wildcats Christopher Rodriguez rushed for 108 yards. Neither quarterback had a touchdown pass. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett threw two interceptions.

On the tracks – Purdue 31, Illinois 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 32, Illinois 19). Purdue led 31-10 as the fourth quarter began. Then the Boilers held off an Illinois rally. Purdue only had 84 yards rushing. Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell was 29-for-35, passing for 376 yards and two touchdowns. Purdue receiver David Bell had nine receptions for 122 yards. Don’t look now, but Purdue is off to a 2-0 start.

 

Week 9 Results:  11 winners, 2 fumbles (84.6 percent)

For the Season:  69 winners, 20 fumbles (77.5 percent)

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

Florida Atlantic 24, UTSA 3

 

Superlatives

Impressive Passers:

San Jose State’s Nick Starkel – 34-47-0 for 467 yards (5TDs); North Carolina’s Sam Howell – 23-28-0-443 (4TDs); Troy’s Jacob Free – 33-45-0-419 (2TDs); Ole Miss’s Matt Corral – 31-34-0-412 (6TDs); Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders – 27-39-1-400 (4TDs); Maryland’s Talia Tagovailoa – 26-35-1-394 (3TDs), and Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell – 29-35-0-371 (2TDs).

Also, Nevada’s Carson Strong – 21-27-0 for 350 yards (2TDs); Florida’s Kyle Trask – 21-36-1-345 (4TDs); Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei – 30-41-0-342 (2TDs); Louisiana’s Levi Lewis – 22-32-1-332 (2TDs); East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 38-50-1-330 (3TDs); UCF’s Dillon Gabriel – 19-33-0-328 (2TDs), and Michigan State’s Rocky Lombardi – 17-32-0-323 (3TDs).

Impressive Rushers:

Maryland’s Jake Funk – 216 yards (1TD); Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim – 207 yards (4TDs); Iowa State’s Breece Hall – 185 yards (2TDs); UCF’s Otis Anderson – 170 yards (1TD), and San Diego State’s Greg Bell – 157 yards (1TD).

Also SMU’s Ulysses Bentley – 149 yards (2TDs); UAB’s Spencer Brown – 140 yards (2TDs); Virginia Tech’s Khalil Herbert – 133 yards (1TD); Louisiana’s Trey Ragas – 131 yards (3TDs); Texas State’s Brock Sturges – 128 yards (2TDs), and Georgia’s Zamir White – 127 yards (1TD).

 

Quotes of the Week

“This is what the Big Ten wanted. The Big Ten, remember, on August 11 said, ‘We’re done. We’re not playing football this year.’ And then they were forced back into it because they looked around and they saw Notre Dame playing and they saw everyone else playing. They saw it being successful. The presidents of the Big Ten decided, ‘Okay if you coaches want to come back, we’re going to put some serious teeth into the protocol.’ You must have an immunologist and an epidemiologist. And they put, what I think is, a 21-day protocol. Everyone else in sports is 10-14 days. That’s the CDC guideline. So you’re playing an eight-game season, plus one at the end of the season, with the championship game, and there are no bye weeks, guys. None. A team like Wisconsin, who was a threat to be a divisional champ and play Ohio State in the title game – they’re done now. The Big Ten got what they wanted. They did this so Ohio State could have a shot at winning the national championship. And now, they are paying the piper,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, on the Big Ten Conference and the Wisconsin-Nebraska cancelation.

“Nebraska is a total embarrassment these days. I don’t even know where to begin other than to say they’ve been in the Big Ten for 10 years and the only major championship they’ve won is the biggest crybaby. And the athletic director is trying to defend playing Chattanooga. ‘Well, it could be an important data point for the College Football Playoff.’ Nebraska in the CFP? I’ve got a better chance of winning the country’s most sexiest man than Nebraska has of going to the CFP this year,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

“After all the delays and restarts, the Big Ten came up with a specific season – we’re playing each other. We’re not playing Chattanooga. So, why does Nebraska want to go rogue? Remember, Nebraska used to be in the Big 12. They thought they were too good for that and they joined the Big Ten. They ought to get out of the Big Ten and find some place where they can rule the roost, because they don’t belong in the Big Ten any longer,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

“The answer is starting to become clear: The Harbaugh era (at Michigan) is doomed to mediocrity, frustration and unfulfilled promises. Both sides need to figure out how to engineer a graceful exit,” USA Today columnist Dan Wolken.

 

Tweets of the Week

(On the cancelation of the Wisconsin-Nebraska game due to COVID)

“The best way to bring Big Ten football back would have been to stop the unchecked spread of a killer virus in states where Big Ten football is played, but the people who were the loudest about the need for a football season never seemed interested in doing that.”

“Wisconsin announces 12 people have tested positive for COVID-19. It includes head coach Paul Chryst. Game against Nebraska now canceled. If we are going to wear masks, we should actually wear them.” (The tweet included a picture of Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst not wearing a mask during the Illinois game.)

“Wisconsin announced 12 positive cases, including head coach Paul Chryst. Unless Wisconsin is testing a very small number of players and coaches, this is nowhere near a red, red designation.”

“Tried to tell you weeks ago daily testing wouldn’t solve the Big Ten’s problems. As I said then, the Big Ten should have tried to stop being smarter than everyone, come back early and build extra weeks into the schedule. Instead Wisconsin-Nebraska is canceled and can’t be made up.”

“The Big Ten and Pac-12 pushed back their seasons banking on daily testing solving all their problems. Really think those two leagues made a mistake by not starting sooner.”

“Well done Big Ten on the scheduling idea. Eight games in eight weeks….what could possibly go wrong?”

“Feel bad for the Big Ten. Their conference leadership failed them. ACC, Big 12 and SEC had a plan, stuck to it, built in bye weeks and an end of season open week if things didn’t go perfect and planned for positive tests. The Big Ten didn’t do any of that. This is the result.”

“This is the risk the Big Ten took by scheduling nine games in nine weeks without byes to finish in time for the CFB playoff.”

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

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

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Clemson (7-0) at Notre Dame (6-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Without quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Clemson looked vulnerable against Boston College. But backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei actually had a pretty decent game against BC. He completed 73% of his passes and didn’t throw any interceptions. He finished with 342 yards passing. Getting a game under his belt is just what Clemson needed to prepare for Notre Dame. This could come down to a battle of the defenses. The Tigers like Jameson – Clemson 28, Notre Dame 24.

RUNNER-UP: 2. Florida (3-1) vs. Georgia (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – Florida found a defense last week. The Gators need to keep it this week. Although Georgia is certainly not strong on offense. The Dawgs strength is their defense. And it’s a good one. This series has been going in streaks of threes. Florida won three straight from 2008-2010. Georgia won three straight from 2011-2013. Then the Gators won three straight from 2014-2016. Then the Dawgs won three straight from 2017-2019. Now it’s the Gators’ turn to start a new streak – Florida 24, Georgia 20.

REST OF THE BEST: 3. West Virginia (4-2) at Texas (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – West Virginia leads the series 5-4 and all but one of WVU’s five wins over Texas have come in Austin. WVU better hope that Texas is still celebrating its win over Oklahoma State. Texas will test the WVU defense. Hey, they are playing in Austin. That means the Mountaineers win – West Virginia 27, Texas 25.

4. Oklahoma State (4-1) at Kansas State (4-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Both teams coming into this one off a loss. Who will bounce back the quickest? Okie State has to be smarting after the loss to Texas. K-State plays well at home. It’s a Wildcat win – Kansas State 27, Oklahoma State 26.

5. BYU (7-0) at Boise State (2-0) – (Ind. vs. MWC) – 9:45 pm ET, Friday, FS1 – This should be an outstanding game. Both teams are solid. But BYU is solid and smooth. Zach Wilson is quite a quarterback. He gives the Cougars an advantage. But Boise State has the home field. The Cougs don’t care – BYU 30, Boise State 29.  

6. Purdue (2-0) at Wisconsin (1-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – This is a big test for Purdue. Are the Boilers for real? It’s a big test for Wisconsin too without quarterback Graham Mertz. But it is a bigger test for the Boilers – Wisconsin 28, Purdue 20.

7. Miami (Florida) (5-1) at NC State (4-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7:30 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – Both teams are coming in fresh after having the week off. Miami has the manpower. NC State has the willpower. Manpower wins – Miami 30, NC State 22.

8. Liberty (6-0) at Virginia Tech (4-2) – (Ind. vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ACCN – Liberty has played some amazing football this fall. The competition hasn’t always been the strongest. But Liberty will definitely give the Hokies a challenge. The challenge falls short – Virginia Tech 35, Liberty 28.

9. San Jose State (2-0) at San Diego State (2-0) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 9 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – San Jose State doesn’t always have the best of seasons. But this year has started off great. San Diego State will definitely be the Spartans biggest test to date. Is San Jose State for real? The Aztecs are looking for someone to sacrifice – San Diego State 33, San Jose State 27.  

10. Troy (4-2) at Georgia Southern (4-2) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3 – Both of these teams are still alive in the Sun Belt East Division. But the loser of this game won’t be anymore. This will be a struggle. The Trojans struggle harder – Troy 34, Georgia Southern 30.

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

Nebraska (0-1) at Northwestern (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – Northwestern may be a surprise team in the Big Ten. The Wildcats clobbered Maryland and beat a good Iowa team. Nebraska has had an extra week to rest after the loss to Ohio State. The Wildcats will be tougher than Chattanooga – Northwestern 30, Nebraska 28.

North Carolina (4-1) at Duke (2-5) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Duke won big last week. The Dookies are happy. North Carolina got knocked off last week. The Tar Heels are mad. Mad beats happy – North Carolina 34, Duke 25.  

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORUDA:

South Florida (1-5) at Memphis (3-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

FIU (0-3) at UTEP (3-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Pitt (3-4) at Florida State (2-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

Western Kentucky (2-5) at Florida Atlantic (2-1) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Saturday….

Touchdown Tom


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting colder, the leaves had fallen and the frost was on the pumpkins, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1945 was “Till The End Of Time” by Perry Como

…70 years ago this week in 1950 was “Goodnight Irene” by Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers

…65 years ago this week in 1955 was “Autumn Leaves” by Roger Williams

…60 years ago this week in 1960 was “I Want To Be Wanted” by Brenda Lee

…55 years ago this week in 1965 was “Yesterday” by The Beatles, and “Get Off Of My Cloud” by The Rolling Stones

…50 years ago this week in 1970 was “I’ll Be There” by The Jackson 5

…45 years ago this week in 1975 was “Island Girl” by Elton John

…40 years ago this week in 1980 was “Woman In Love” by Barbra Streisand

…35 years ago this week in 1985 was “Part-Time Lover” by Stevie Wonder, and “Miami Vice Theme” by Jan Hammer

…30 years ago this week in 1990 was “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice

 

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