College Football
Week 11 – Big ACC week: ND-BC, Wake-UNC, Miami-VT
A thriller in
South Bend;
Not so in
Jacksonville
In South Bend, the game went to two overtimes. In Jacksonville, the game was all but over at halftime.
In South Bend, undefeated and No. 1-ranked Clemson took on undefeated and No. 4-ranked Notre Dame. When the game was over, No. 4 beat No. 1. But the outcome of the game was hanging in the balance until the second overtime.
Early on, it didn’t appear that the game was going to be a thriller. When Notre Dame’s Jonathan Doerer kicked a 45-yard field goal with 2:41 to go before halftime, the Irish went up 23-10 on Clemson. All was looking good for Notre Dame.
But the luck of the Irish would soon change. First, Clemson added a field goal of its own, also a 45-yarder. Kicker B.T. Potter closed the gap to 23-13 with just 1:09 on the clock before halftime.
Then, Clemson scored the first 10 points of the second half. Score tied, 23-23, at the end of the third quarter. We had a ballgame.
The field goal contest continued. Early in the fourth quarter, Doerer added a 44-yarder and Notre Dame was back up, 26-23. Not to be outdone, less than two minutes later, Potter added a 30-yarder. We had another tie, 26-26.
After a six-minute stalemate, Clemson took its first lead in the game. Travis Etienne scored on a 3-yard run. The Tigers were up 33-26. Clemson held the lead until 0:22 was left in the game. That’s when the Irish’s Avery Davis caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Ian Book. Guess what? The game was tied again. And still tied, 33-33, as the fourth quarter came to an end.
In the first overtime, both teams scored touchdowns – 40-40 after one OT. The angst continued.
But in the second overtime, it all came crashing down for Clemson. Notre Dame had the ball first. The Irish scored on a three-yard run by Kyren Williams. Notre Dame was up 47-40. Now it was Clemson’s turn. But the Irish defense took control. They sacked Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei twice on the Tigers final possession. The game was over – Notre Dame 47, Clemson 40 (2OT).
Now the kicker: More than likely, we will see these two teams in a rematch on December 19. That’s when the ACC championship game will be played in Charlotte, North Carolina. Stay tuned!
In Jacksonville, on the banks of the St. Johns River, Florida and Georgia met for the 99th time. Georgia was a 3-point favorite according to the oddsmakers. But no one was quite sure what to expect. Florida had an offense; Georgia didn’t. Georgia had a defense; Florida didn’t.
When the game was over, Florida had a quarterback; Georgia didn’t. And, although Georgia’s defense held Florida to 98 yards rushing, Florida’s offense racked up 572 total yards. Georgia had less than half of that in total yards – 283.
The game looked good for Georgia at the beginning. Less than four minutes into the first quarter, the Dawgs jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the Gators. But before the first quarter was over, Florida recovered. The Gators scored two touchdowns and tied the score, 14-14.
Georgia scored a touchdown in the second quarter and took its last lead in the game – 21-14. Florida then scored 27 unanswered points, 24 of those in the first half. The Gators were up 38-21 at halftime, and 41-21 early in the third quarter.
Before the game ended, Georgia added another touchdown and Florida added another field goal. At the end, the Gators beat the Dawgs, 44-28. No. 8 beat No. 5.
On the banks of the St. Johns River on Saturday, Florida not only had the better offense, but also, the Gators had the better defense.
Alabama coach Nick Saban recently said, “It used to be that good defense defeats good offense. Good defense doesn’t beat good offense anymore.”
Now the kicker: It looks like Florida will match its good offense against Alabama’s good offense on December 19. That’s when the SEC championship game will be played in Atlanta, Georgia. Stay tuned!
Week 10 began early last week – Wednesday night. And it began in a big way, with six games – all Mid-American Conference contests. Yes, the 12 teams of the MAC began play last week for the first time this season.
Four of the six games were blowouts. But two were exciting – Central Michigan 30, Ohio 27, and Kent State 27, Eastern Michigan 23. Both Central Michigan and Kent State scored last and in the fourth quarter to win their games. Tied 27-27, CMU kicked a 22-yard field goal. And trailing 23-20, Kent State scored on a 9-yard touchdown pass to win.
Where Wednesday night was for the MAC, Thursday night was for the MWC. Colorado State surprised Wyoming, 34-24, and Nevada toppled Utah State, 34-9. Nevada quarterback Carson Strong passed for 411 yards and three touchdowns.
Three games were on the docket Friday night. Two of the games matched undefeated teams – BYU at Boise State and San Jose State at San Diego State. The third game was an ACC encounter – Miami (Florida) at NC State. More than three minutes into the fourth quarter, in the ACC encounter, NC State led Miami, 41-31. But the Canes went on to score 13 unanswered points and rallied to beat the Wolfpack, 44-41.
BYU totally dominated Boise State. As the fourth quarter began, the Cougars led the Broncos, 38-3. BYU went on to beat Boise State, 51-17. BYU is 8-0. Boise State suffered its first loss.
Down in California, and as the fourth quarter began, San Diego State led San Jose State, 17-14. But the Spartans went on to score 14 unanswered points and beat the Aztecs, 28-17. San Jose State is 3-0. San Diego State suffered its first loss.
The Clemson-Notre Dame game was a thriller, but that was far from the case in two other ACC games on Saturday. North Carolina pounded Duke, 56-24, and Pitt smoked Florida State, 41-17. North Carolina running back Javonte Williams scored three touchdowns, rushing for 151 yards. Pitt outscored Florida State, 17-0, in the second half.
In a close ACC encounter, Boston College edged Syracuse, 16-13. The Boston College defense held Syracuse to 53 yards rushing.
The SEC provided a couple of interesting games. In Columbia, Texas A&M pasted South Carolina, 48-3. The Gamecocks only had 150 total yards – 50 rushing. Gus Malzahn’s goose may not be cooked, but surely Will Muschamp’s is. Then in Fayetteville, Arkansas downed Tennessee, 24-13. Arkansas scored all 24 of its points in the third quarter. Surely, Jeremy Pruitt’s goose is heating up.
In the Big Ten, it is becoming apparent that the two worst teams in the conference may be the two Michigan teams. Iowa toppled Michigan State, 49-7. It was Iowa’s first win. And Indiana flattened Michigan, 38-21. Indiana quarterback Michael Penix passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns.
Then again, Penn State may be the worst team in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are 0-3, after losing to Maryland, 35-19. Now we know why Penn State didn’t want to play football this season. Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa passed for 282 yards and three touchdowns.
Hey, where is Chattanooga when we need them? Nebraska, who wanted more than anything to play Chattanooga, and now we know why, lost to Northwestern, 21-13. The Huskers are 0-2. Minnesota won its first game, beating Illinois, 41-14, while Ohio State continued to roll. The Buckeyes silenced Rutgers, 49-27.
In the Big 12, Texas and Oklahoma State knocked their opponents out of contention for the Big 12 championship game. Texas slipped by West Virginia, 17-13, while Oklahoma State edged Kansas State, 20-18. The Longhorns held the Mountaineers to 43 yards rushing.
Iowa State outlasted Baylor, 38-31. Five interceptions were thrown in the game. Two by Baylor’s Charlie Brewer and three by Iowa State’s Brock Purdy. Meanwhile, Oklahoma keeps rolling along. The Sooners demolished Kansas, 62-9. It was the second-straight week for Oklahoma to score 62 points.
The Pac-12 debuted on Saturday. In a thriller, USC got by Arizona State, 28-27. The Trojans scored two fourth quarter touchdowns, the second with 1:20 on the clock, to rally from a 13-point deficit and win the game.
Colorado and UCLA put lots of points on the board. Colorado beat UCLA, 48-42. Colorado running back Jarek Broussard rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns. And Oregon dismissed Stanford, 35-14.
Cincinnati and SMU remained the top-two teams in the AAC. The Bearcats topped Houston, 38-10, while SMU pasted Temple, 47-23. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder passed for 162 yards and one touchdown, and rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns. SMU quarterback Shane Buechele passed for 355 yards and four touchdowns.
America’s team, Coastal Carolina, improved to 7-0. The Chanticleers downed South Alabama, 23-6.
Give me Liberty or give me death. Virginia Tech chose death. Liberty’s Alex Barbir kicked a 51-yard field goal with 0:01 on the clock. The Flames surprised the Hokies, 38-35. And the kicker: On Barbir’s first attempt at the field goal, it was blocked by Virginia Tech and returned for a touchdown. But hold on: Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente had called a timeout to ice the kicker. So no kick-six for the Hokies. Liberty improved to 7-0.
In the late show, Saturday night, Washington State beat Oregon State, 38-28. And in the late-late show, Hawaii downed New Mexico, 39-33.
I don’t know about you, but I thought Clemson’s defense was really sucking wind at the end of the Notre Dame game. They seemed wasted during the overtimes.
West Virginia’s offense continues to have red zone problems. I don’t know if I have ever seen an offense struggle in the red zone the way West Virginia’s does.
Week 10’s Winners: Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book, Notre Dame running back Kyren Williams and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask. Week 10’s Losers: West Virginia coach Neal Brown and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp.
Seven Group of Five teams grace this week’s AP Top-25 poll. That might be a record. They are in order Cincinnati (6-0), BYU (8-0), Coastal Carolina (7-0), Marshall (6-0), SMU (7-1), Liberty (7-0) and Louisiana (6-1). Army (6-1) is knocking on the door. Cincinnati is the highest ranked at 7th.
Two former NFL greats have died – Herb Adderley and Jimmy Orr. Adderley was a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys from 1961 to 1972. He played on three Super Bowl championship teams. A native of Philadelphia, Adderley played college football for Michigan State. Herbert Anthony Adderley was 81.
Orr was a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Colts for 13 seasons from 1958 to 1970. He played on one Super Bowl championship team. A native of Seneca, South Carolina, Orr played college football for Georgia. Jimmy Orr was 85.
Also, a former well-known college basketball coach has died – Billy Tubbs. Tubbs coached Lamar, Oklahoma and TCU for 30 seasons, most notably at Oklahoma from 1980-1994. Billy Duane Tubbs, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was 85.
In the mail, Gator fan Fern Musselwhite sent me a picture of the nachos she made to eat while watching Florida beat Georgia on TV. She is thankful to Alabama fan Ken Burger for his suggestion. It worked for Ken; it worked for Fern. So I suggest that my South Carolina friends take heed. Make sure you eat nachos while you watch the Gamecocks play Georgia on TV on November 28.
Fortunately, Florida coach Dan Mullen was doubly good on Saturday. He did not impersonate Rocky Balboa at the end of the first half, and he did not get into his Darth Vader outfit for the post-game press conference. But he did jump up into the stands with the players and students after the game. I’m wondering if Megan Mullen, Dan’s wife, has a play room or a play pen in their house for Dan?....Does Georgia have a new quarterback?
Touchdown Tom
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Kelly’s heroes – Notre Dame 47, Clemson 40 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 28, Notre Dame 24). A big difference in the game: Notre Dame held Clemson to only 35 yards rushing. Travis Etienne was a no show. In 18 carries, Etienne only had 28 yards rushing. Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book passed for 310 yards and one touchdown.
RUNNER-UP: Uga was all bark – Florida 44, Georgia 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 24, Georgia 20). Florida led 38-21 t halftime and went into cruise control in the second half. The Gators had 29 first downs to 12 for Georgia. The Dawgs only had 112 yards passing. Georgia running back Zamir White rushed for 107 yards. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was benched in the second half and replaced by redshirt freshman quarterback D’Wan Mathis.
REST OF THE BEST: So, what has Brown done for you, lately? – Texas 17, West Virginia 13 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Texas 25). Nothing. WVU coach Neal Brown is having trouble maintaining any consistency from week to week with his team. The Mountaineers are up one week and down the next. WVU’s defense played an outstanding game. But the offense struggled, struggled and struggled. WVU quarterback Jarret Doege was 35-for-50, passing for 317 yards, but no touchdowns. Texas running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 113 yards.
Wildcats spurred – Oklahoma State 20, Kansas State 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, Oklahoma State 26). Oklahoma State won the game with only 256 total yards. Kansas State had 370. Kansas State quarterback Will Howard rushed for 125 yards. Okie State improved to 5-1.
Loss on the Blue Carpet – BYU 51, Boise State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 30, Boise State 29). BYU racked up 573 total yards, while the Cougars defense held Boise State to just 61 yards rushing. BYU quarterback Zach Wilson passed for 359 yards and two touchdowns. Cougars running back Tyler Allgeier rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
Canceled – Purdue at Wisconsin (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 28, Purdue 20). This game was canceled due to the continued COVID problems at Wisconsin.
The King of Raleigh – Miami (Florida) 44, NC State 41 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, NC State 22). Miami quarterback D’Eriq King was 31-for-41, passing for 430 yards and five touchdowns. King also rushed for 105 yards. The Canes racked up 640 total yards. Miami receiver Mike Harley had eight receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns. The Canes improved to 6-1.
No cracks in this bell – Liberty 38, Virginia Tech 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia Tech 35, Liberty 28). Both teams passed for 217 yards. The quarterbacks’ numbers were so similar. Liberty’s Malik Willis was 20-for-30, passing for 217 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Tech’s Hendon Hooker was 20-for-27, passing for 217 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. Willis rushed for 108 yards. Hooker rushed for 156 yards. But Liberty controlled ball possession for more than 37 minutes.
Spartans are for real – San Jose State 28, San Diego State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 33, San Jose State 27). San Jose State scored two late touchdowns to beat San Diego State. Neither team demonstrated much offense. The Aztecs dominated the statistics.
Troy sacked – Georgia Southern 20, Troy 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Troy 34, Georgia Southern 30). Georgia Southern had 411 total yards. The Eagles held Troy to 34 yards rushing. Georgia Southern controlled ball possession for more than 42 minutes. Eagles running back Gerald Green rushed for 109 yards and one touchdown.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
The Cats were too Wild – Northwestern 21, Nebraska 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Northwestern 30, Nebraska 28). Nebraska had 28 first downs to 14 for Northwestern. The Huskers had 442 total yards to 342 for the Wildcats. Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez rushed for 102 yards. But he only passed for 125 yards.
On the rebound – North Carolina 56, Duke 24 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 34, Duke 25). North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell was 18-for-27, passing for 235 yards and three touchdowns. The Tar Heels racked up 573 yards of total offense.
Week 10 Results: 5 winners, 6 fumbles (45.5 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA:
Memphis 34, South Florida 33
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Florida’s Kyle Trask – 30-43-1 for 474 yards (4TDs); Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei – 29-44-0-439 (2TDs); Memphis’ Brady White – 30-50-1-437 (4TDs); Miami of Florida’s D’Eriq King – 31-41-0-430 (5TDs); Nevada’s Carson Strong – 36-52-0-411 (3TDs); Hawaii’s Chevan Cordeiro – 33-43-2-410 (4TDs), and USC’s Kedon Slovis – 40-55-1-381 (2TDs).
Also, BYU’s Zach Wilson – 21-27-0 for 359 yards (2TDs); SMU’s Shane Buechele – 24-35-0-355 (4TDs); East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 27-43-0-351 (3TDs); Michigan’s Joe Milton – 28-34-2-344 (3TDs); Indiana’s Michael Penix – 30-50-0-342 (3TDs), and ULM’s Jeremy Hunt – 26-39-0-339 (3TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim – 224 yards (4TDs); Colorado’s Jarek Broussard – 187 yards (3TDs); Cincinnati’s Gerrid Doak – 184 yards (1TD); Virginia Tech’s Hendon Hooker – 156 yards (1TD); TCU’s Max Duggan – 154 yards (3TDs); North Carolina’s Javonte Williams – 151 yards; Washington State’s Deon McIntosh – 147 yards (1TD); Wyoming’s Xazavian Valladay – 147 yards, and Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams – 140 yards (3TDs).
Also, UNLV’s Max Gilliam – 139 yards (1TD); Buffalo’s Jaret Patterson – 137 yards (2TDs); Texas State’s Jahmyl Jeter – 135 yards; Iowa State’s Breece Hall – 133 yards (2TDs); Fresno State’s Ronnie Rivers – 133 yards (3TDs); Duke’s Mateo Durant – 132 yards (1TD); Texas A&M’s Isaiah Spiller – 131 yards; Ball State’s Caleb Huntley – 130 yards (2TDs), and Tulane’s Cameron Carroll – 129 yards (2TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“I can answer that real quick: No!” Alabama coach Nick Saban when asked if he is interested in running for political office.
“I don’t think Florida can play with Alabama. But I do think Georgia can. So they’ve got to find a way to get it going this weekend,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit.
“It seemed like there were a lot of students and they were juiced and they were trying to get me to jump into the stands right there. You have to enjoy it. I may be 48 years old, but I am still really young on the inside. So, I got to enjoy some of the stuff. Some of our players were up there, and I decided to jump in there with them,” Florida coach Dan Mullen, on jumping into the stands with the students after the Georgia game.
Touchdown Tom’s
Predictions for
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Notre Dame (7-0) at Boston College (5-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Boston College could be catching Notre Dame at the right time. The Irish could come into Chestnut Hill still celebrating their Clemson win. And Notre Dame could be a little beat up after the Clemson game. Then again Notre Dame could come in on a roll. But we know that BC gave Clemson a good fight. And at Clemson. The Eagles are at home against the Irish. But it’s the luck of the Irish – Notre Dame 28, Boston College 26.
RUNNER-UP: 2. Ohio State (3-0) at Maryland (2-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – No doubt, Ohio State will win this game. But in College Park can Maryland give the Buckeyes a fight. After all, Maryland beat Penn State just as bad as Ohio State did. It could be interesting. For a while – Ohio State 35, Maryland 24.
REST OF THE BEST: 3. Arkansas (3-3) at Florida (4-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Arkansas hopes to catch Florida still celebrating its win over Georgia. And the Razorbacks could. Perhaps the biggest question is: What entertainment will Dan Mullen provide this week? A pork bar-b-que – Florida 24, Arkansas 16.
4. Northwestern (3-0) at Purdue (2-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, BTN – A battle of two unbeaten teams. It should be interesting. Northwestern is stronger on defense. Purdue may have the edge on offense. The Wildcats remain undefeated – Northwestern 27, Purdue 17.
5. Miami (Florida) (6-1) at Virginia Tech (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Virginia Tech lost a gut-wrencher last week. Miami won a gut-wrencher. This one could be a gut-wrencher too. But the Canes gut it out – Miami 30, Virginia Tech 22.
6. Wake Forest (4-2) at North Carolina (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ACCN – Both teams are having a good season. The Tar Heels may be a little disappointed. Wake should be happy. But not this week – North Carolina 32, Wake Forest 26.
7. SMU (7-1) at Tulsa (3-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – SMU is having a great season. But Tulsa can be dangerous. The Golden Tornado can play good defense. But the Mustangs play better offense – SMU 34, Tulsa 27.
8. TCU (3-3) at West Virginia (4-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Up the week before, down last week – West Virginia should be up this week. And the Mounties are home. They are unbeaten at home this season. WVU keeps the streak alive – West Virginia 27, TCU 23.
9. Coastal Carolina (7-0) at Troy (4-3) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU – America’s team is on a joy ride. You just wonder if it will come crashing down. Troy is certainly capable of applying damage. But the Chanticleers keep crowing – Coastal Carolina 24, Troy 17.
10. Georgia (4-2) at Missouri (2-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Either Missouri will find Georgia real mad or real sad. A mad Georgia team will be dangerous. A sad one will be vulnerable. And who will start at quarterback for the Dawgs – Stetson Bennett or D’Wan Mathis? Regardless, the Dawgs pull it out – Georgia 28, Missouri 19.
YE OLDE STOMPING
GROUNDS:
Penn State (0-3) at Nebraska (0-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN1 – One of these teams has to win this week. It’s been a short, but tough season for both of them. The frustrations have to be mounting. They keep mounting for the Nittany Lions – Nebraska 32, Penn State 30.
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Florida Atlantic (3-1) at FIU (0-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN….
Temple (1-4) at UCF (4-2) – AAC vs. AAC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU….
Touchdown Tom
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