College Football
Week 14 – UF hires Napier, USC hires Riley, Duke fires Cutcliffe
Family, friends,
food and football make Thanksgiving week the best
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s my favorite holiday because it contains four of my favorite things – family, friends, food and football. A few years back, I referred to Thanksgiving as the 4F Holiday – family, friends, food and football. When you get those four things together, it doesn’t get any better.
This year was no exception.
The football – For Thanksgiving week excitement, it was hard to beat the NC State-North Carolina, Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn and Oklahoma State-Oklahoma games. More on those games later.
College football Week 13 – began on the Tuesday night of Thanksgiving week. As has been the practice for the past couple weeks or so two MAC games were played. In the first game, Ball State beat Buffalo, 20-3. Ball State played good defense while Buffalo threw four interceptions.
The second game was more of an offensive affair, especially for Western Michigan. The Broncos downed Northern Illinois, 42-21. WMU had 636 total yards – 298 rushing and 338 passing. NIU only possessed the ball for 18 minutes of the game.
The family – Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe arrived Wednesday afternoon. They were accompanied by one of their dogs – Honey, a yellow lab – and one of their cats – Raven. The three, I mean five, of them drove down from Florida’s panhandle. The other dog – Bo, a black lab – and the other two cats – Zeva and Luka – didn’t make the trip this year. But they were well cared for back at home.
The friends – Our dinner guests arrived around midday on Thursday. For the past 25 years, we have been blessed to host Thanksgiving dinner for a number of our friends – as many as 16 one year. Although the group was smaller this year, we had a great time, drinking our Irish mules – virgin mules for Gator Gabe and Gator Babe. We had a good time gobbling our turkey too.
Friends Bootsie and Rockledge Gator left the Sunday before Thanksgiving for a cabin in the mountains near Blue Ridge, Georgia, where they celebrated Thanksgiving with their two sons, daughters-in-laws and grandchildren. And neighbors Sara and Roger Schenk left Tuesday for Peachtree City, Georgia, where they spent Thanksgiving with family – Sara’s daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.
The food – We were thankful and fortunate to have an abundance of food. You know me. As long as I have plenty of pecan pie, I’m a happy camper.
The football continued on Thursday. In an afternoon affair, Fresno State topped San Diego State, 40-9. Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener – the sixth leading passer in the country – passed for 343 yards and four touchdowns. Finishing its season at 9-3, Fresno State awaits its bowl selection.
Thursday night Ole Miss met Mississippi State in Starkville, in the rain, in the battle for the Golden Egg – the Egg Bowl. Ole Miss scrambled Miss State, 31-21. In a losing effort, Miss State quarterback Will Rogers – the second leading passer in the country – passed for 336 yards.
The food continued too, as I managed to have some more pecan pie, with plenty of whipped cream on top. And I didn’t have to worry about running out of whipped cream either. Early in the week, Publix had a “buy one, get one free” sale on its Reddi Wip. Naturally, I took advantage of the sale.
Friday morning, our next door neighbor and one of our Thanksgiving dinner guests, Dieter Gum, took Gator Babe for a ride in his Porsche. That will probably be the highlight of her visit.
Football got a little more serious on Friday with 16 games on tap and some key games at that. Boise State at San Diego State got the proceedings started. The Aztecs punched their ticket to the MWC championship game, beating Boise State, 27-16.
After losing six-straight games, Texas got back on the winning track, beating Kansas State, 22-17. The Longhorns running back Roschon Johnson rushed for 179 yards.
It’s been a tough season for Nebraska. The Huskers finished the season, losing their last six games. Nebraska was 3-9 – 1-8 in Big Ten play. All nine of the Huskers losses were by nine points or less. Five of the losses were by seven points – one touchdown. Two of the losses were by less than seven points. Friday, Nebraska lost to Iowa, 28-21.
Friday afternoon, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe put up our outdoor Christmas lights. Their hard work was well managed and coordinated by Swamp Mama. She’s the light lady.
Arkansas ended its season on a positive note. The Razorbacks downed Missouri, 34-17. South Florida gave UCF a tougher game than expected – much tougher. The Knights escaped the Bulls, 17-13. South Florida was on the UCF 4-yard line as time expired. Gus Malzahn finished his first season coaching UCF at 8-4.
Cincinnati got off to a slow start against East Carolina. The Bearcats failed to score in the first quarter. Eventually, Cincinnati got rolling, beating the Pirates, 35-13. Cincinnati fished its season at 12-0 – 8-0 in AAC play. The Bearcats will face Houston this week in the AAC title game.
It was around this time the five of us decided some pizza was in order for dinner. That can only mean one thing – Bizzarro. Indialantic is hone to the original and famous Bizzarro pizza. I placed the order for pick up – one 18-inch meat pizza and one 18-inch pizza Margherita. We all love Bizzarro, except Swamp Mama. She thinks there is too much garlic in a Bizzarro pizza. But she doesn’t turn it down. And yes, I made sure there was some pizza left over for breakfast.
North Carolina and NC State put on the best game of the day. I should say night. NC State got out to an early lead. The Wolfpack led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. But the Tar Heels came back, scoring 24 unanswered points. North Carolina took its first lead at 17-14, early in the third quarter and increased the lead to 24-14 midway through the third quarter.
NC State pulled within three points, trailing 24-21 late in the third quarter. Then the Tar Heels added six points on two field goals. With less than two minutes to go in the game, North Carolina led the Wolfpack, 30-21.
But never say never. NC State began their charge. The Wolfpack scored 13 points – two touchdowns within 26 seconds – to rally from a nine point deficit and beat North Carolina, 34-30.
The ladies went to bed after the North Carolina-NC State game. Gator Gabe and I stayed up and watched No. 5 Duke play No. 1 Gonzaga in basketball. They met in Las Vegas before 20,000 fans. In a great game, the Dookies beat Gonzaga, 84-81.
Football had a late show too. In the interim-coach game, Washington State blasted Washington, 40-13. Both schools fired their respective coaches earlier in the season. The two teams were playing under interim coaches during the game.
Saturday morning began with Corey’s Bagels. Along with Bizzarro Pizza, Corey’s Bagels is another must when the kids come to town. I always get the bagel and lox – salmon, cream cheese, capers, onion, tomato and dill. And a quick stop at Starbucks on the way home for coffee to accompany the bagels.
Bagel and lox, cold pizza and pecan pie – a perfect Saturday morning football breakfast. It doesn’t get any better than that. And did I mention the whipped cream? But only my pecan pie – not on the cold pizza or bagel and lox. I’m not that crazy.
Bootsie texted to say that Rockledge Gator wants Tim Tebow to be the new coach at Florida. I’m seriously hearing that the Gators new coach will be Billy Napier. Napier is the Louisiana coach.
And speaking of the coaching carousel speculation, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley has joined Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, saying there is no way he is going to LSU. But is Riley going to USC? Reports have Riley leaving Oklahoma to take the job at USC. Riley always reminded me of a surfer dude.
Meanwhile, I have no idea what is going on with the search at Virginia Tech. And if there is no Jimbo Fisher or Lincoln Riley at LSU, then who?
After four days, Thanksgiving football wasn’t half over yet. Tuesday through Friday gave us 20 games. Saturday was filled with 45 games. Little did we know what lied ahead.
Florida State and Florida entered their annual meeting with 5-6 records. The winner would be invited to a bowl; the loser would hang it up for the year. Both teams played like losers. For much of the game it was apparent they came to fight and not play football. For much of the game both teams were plagued with mistakes and turnovers. Florida had 13 penalties for 109 yards. FSU had 9 penalties for 89 yards. Each team experienced three turnovers.
In a sloppy, awful game, Florida beat Florida State, 24-21. To make the game even worse, if you were watching on TV, the ESPN announcers – Mark Warren and Robert Griffin – were terrible. Their commentary on the game was shallow, lacking in clear, logical thought of what was taking place on the field. They babbled and babbled and babbled. ESPN scraped the bottom of the barrel to come up with this pair. Of course the Gators and the Noles were scraping the bottom of the barrel to come up with a well-played football game.
Ohio State and Michigan battled in Ann Arbor for the Big Ten East Division title. Both teams entered the game at 10-1. Michigan left the game at 11-1. After nine years of frustration, Michigan beat Ohio State, 42-27.
The difference was the third quarter. In the third quarter, the Wolverines outscored the Buckeyes, 14-0. Entering the third quarter, Michigan led, 14-13. Both teams scored 14 points in the fourth quarter. But the third quarter belonged to Michigan. The difference was also the ground game. Michigan had one and Ohio State didn’t. The Buckeyes only managed 64 yards rushing – only 2.1 yards per carry. The Wolverines had 297 yards rushing – 7.2 yards per carry.
Wake Forest punched its ticket to the ACC title game. The Demon Deacons downed Boston College, 41-10. Wake held BC to 182 total yards – just 19 yards passing. The Deacons will meet Pitt in the ACC tittle game. The Panthers beat Syracuse, 31-14.
In the Big 12, Baylor survived Texas Tech to secure its spot in the Big 12 title game. The Bears edged the Red Raiders, 27-24. Meanwhile, in the other game to determine a spot in the Big 12 title game, Oklahoma State survived three turnovers and had a big fourth quarter rally to subdue Oklahoma, 37-33.
The game was tied, 24-24 at halftime. After three quarters, Oklahoma led, 33-24. But Oklahoma State outscored the Sooners, 13-0, in the fourth quarter. With 8:54 to go in the game, the Cowboys went up by four points. Then they held on for the remainder of the game to secure their win. Oklahoma State will play Baylor for the Big 12 championship.
In a wild game in the MAC, Miami and Kent State fought for the MAC East Division title. At the end of regulation, the game was tied, 41-41. Kent State scored first in the overtime and went up, 48-47. Miami scored second and the Red Hawks went for two. They failed and Kent State won the game, 48-47. The teams combined for 1,191 total yards. Kent State will meet Northern Illinois for the MAC championship.
Alabama and Auburn met for the 95th time. A Bama victory would secure the Tide’s spot in the SEC title game. It was supposed to be an easy win for Bama. But, surprisingly, Auburn led, 7-0, at halftime. Even more surprising, Auburn led 10-0 at the end of three quarters.
Alabama came roaring back, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter – 7 of those points coming with 24 seconds on the clock. At 10-10, the game went into overtime. Ultimately, the game went into four overtimes – tied 17-17 after the first OT, 20-20 after the second OT and 22-22 after the third OT. In the fourth OT, Alabama scored on its two-point conversion and Auburn didn’t. Alabama beat Auburn, 24-22 (4OT).
In another SEC affair, Ed Orgeron went out a winner. LSU stunned Texas A&M, 27-24. With 20 seconds left to play, and Texas A&M leading 24-20, the Tigers scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Max Johnson to Jaray Jenkins. After the game, Orgeron said he would not coach LSU in its bowl game. Something tells me Jimbo Fisher isn’t earning his $10 million a year at Texas A&M.
The Big Ten was full of surprises on Saturday. In Madison, Wisconsin, the Golden Gophers of Minnesota shocked Wisconsin, 23-13. Late in the third quarter, the game was tied, 13-13. But before the third quarter was over, Minnesota scored a touchdown, and then the Gophers added a field goal in the fourth quarter. Minnesota’s win knocked Wisconsin out of the Big Ten title game, placing Iowa in as the Big Ten West Division champs.
In yet another Big Ten game, Michigan State led, was tied, trailed and retook the lead, to down Penn State, 30-27. The Spartans held the Nittany Lions to 61 yards rushing.
About this time, the five of us decided we needed to order some food from, where else but, Long Doggers. I even left the football games long enough to drive over and pick up the order. But it was worth it.
Back to the action, Western Kentucky and Marshall faced off in Huntington, West Virginia, for the C-USA East Division title. Marshall got off to a good start, taking an early 14-0 lead. But Western Kentucky woke up. The Hilltoppers scored 36 unanswered points to take a 36-14 lead early in the fourth quarter. WKU went on to beat Marshall, 53-21.
Western Kentucky will play UTSA for the C-USA championship. However, in a shocker, UTSA lost its first game of the season, falling to North Texas, 45-23.
After eating, the ladies decided they needed to go to old downtown Melbourne to do some shopping. Gator Gabe and I stayed home to keep the football vibes going.
Virginia and Virginia Tech had a donnybrook in Charlottesville. The game was tied 7-7 in the first quarter, 14-14 in the second quarter and 24-24 in the third quarter. The Hokies scored 5 points in the fourth quarter and the Cavs scored 0. Tech beat Virginia, 29-24. I don’t think Virginia ever beats Virginia Tech.
The most strikingly colorful game of the day had to be Oregon State-Oregon. The Beavers were in their all orange (jerseys and pants) uniforms, while the Ducks were in their all green (jerseys and pants) uniforms. What a contrast. The Green beat the Orange, 38-29.
Just around the time the ladies returned home from shopping, neighbor and friend Jane Sharpe stopped by for a visit. In spite of being a Florida State grad, we love Jane dearly.
West Virginia was on the road in Lawrence, Kansas, for a game with the Jayhawks. At 5-6, the Mountaineers needed a win to become bowl eligible. Early in the third quarter, the game was tied, 21-21. With 5:43 to go in the fourth quarter, WVU went up 34-21. The Mountaineers held on to beat Kansas, 34-28.
And it wouldn’t be a college football Saturday without some late shows, sometimes late, late shows, from the West Coast. There was a triple feature of late shows on the Saturday night after Thanksgiving. Nevada smashed Colorado State, 52-10, BYU got by USC, 35-31 and UCLA punished California, 42-14. Nevada racked up 528 total yards against the Rams. BYU scored a touchdown with 3:57 to go to grab the win over the Trojans, and UCLA held Cal to 217 total yards.
No late basketball games to watch on Saturday night.
Sunday morning, Princess Gator, Gator Gabe and Gator Babe packed their car with Honey, Raven and luggage and left for Florida’s panhandle. But we’ll see them in about three weeks as we start our trek to spend the Christmas holidays at Snowshoe.
Meanwhile, I still have plenty of pecan pie and whipped cream left.
So we finished the regular season with only two undefeated teams – Georgia (12-0) and Cincinnati (12-0). The Dawgs and the Bearcats will be tested this week in their conference title games.
Five Group of Five teams are in both the AP and Coaches Polls. In the AP Poll and (Coaches Poll) they are Cincinnati 3 (4), BYU 12 (14), Houston 16 (16), San Diego State 19 (19) and Louisiana 20 (21).
The fifth CFP rankings will be released at 7 p.m. ET, Tuesday on ESPN. My Top 4 are: 1. Georgia, 2. Cincinnati, 3. Michigan and 4. Alabama. My first six out are: 5. Oklahoma State, 6. Notre Dame, 7. Houston, 8. Ohio State, 9. Baylor and 10. Iowa.
The search is over at Florida. Mid-afternoon on Sunday, the Gators announced that Louisiana coach Billy Napier had been hired as the Florida Gators new coach. Napier, 42, has been coaching Louisiana for four seasons. His record with the Rajin’ Cajuns is 39-12 – 11-1 this season. A native of Cookeville, Tennessee, Napier played college football for Furman (1999-2002) where he was the quarterback. Prior to his head coach position at Louisiana, he was an offensive coordinator at Arizona State and Clemson, a wide receivers coach at Alabama, a tight ends coach at Florida State and a quarterbacks coach at Colorado State. Napier and his wife Ali have four children.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Riley said he wasn’t going to LSU and he was telling the truth. Riley is going to USC. Not long after Florida announced the hiring of Billy Napier, USC announced that Lincoln Riley was the Trojans new coach. Riley, 38, has been coaching Oklahoma for five seasons. His record with the Sooners is 55-10. A native of Lubbock, Texas, in college Riley played quarterback for Texas Tech.
Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops will be the interim coach for the Sooners until a new coach is hired. Reports say that former Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury is on OU’s list to replace Riley. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
Penn State coach James Franklin agreed last week to a 10-year contract extension to remain the Nittany Lions coach through the 2031 season. The contract pays Franklin $7.5 million a year, plus incentives for conference championships, making the playoff and national championships. This ends speculation on Franklin’s future. Some thought Franklin could be in danger of losing his job in Happy Valley while others thought Franklin could be leaving Penn State for another school.
Meanwhile, Liberty coach Hugh Freeze agreed last week to a seven-year contract extension to remain Liberty’s coach through the 2028 season. The contract pays Freeze a little more than $4 million per year. Freeze, 52, has been at Liberty since 2019. The Flames went 8-5 and 10-1 in his first two seasons. Liberty finished this season at 7-5.
Three more coaches had their contracts extended – Baylor’s Dave Aranda, Wake Forest’s Dave Clawson and Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith. Aranda and Clawson have both been mentioned as candidates for openings at other schools. And by the way, Michigan State coach Mel Tucker signed that 10-year, $95 million contract he was offered.
And another coach was given the pink slip. Louisiana Tech fired Skip Holtz. In nine seasons, Holtz was 64-49 at Louisiana Tech – 4-8 this season. Prior to Louisiana Tech, Holtz was head coach at South Florida, East Carolina and Connecticut. His overall record was 152-120. Holtz was the 15th coach fired this season.
TCU announced that Sonny Dykes has been hired as its new coach. Dykes has been the coach at SMU. In four seasons, he was 30-17 at SMU – 8-4 this season. Prior to SMU, Dykes coached California for four seasons and Louisiana Tech for three seasons.
SMU in turn quickly named Brett Lashlee its new coach. He is a former offensive coordinator at SMU. Most recently, Lashlee has been the offensive coordinator at Miami (Florida) for two seasons. He was the OC at SMU from 2018 to 2019. Prior to that, Lashlee was the OC at Connecticut, Auburn, Arkansas State and Samford. In college, he played quarterback for Arkansas (2002-2004).
Arizona defensive coordinator Don Brown, a former head coach at Massachusetts, has been hired to coach UMass again. From 2004 to 2008, Brown went 43-19, coaching UMass when it was an FCS program. That was the winningest five-year period in team history. Previously, Brown was also a head coach at Northeastern and Plymouth State. He is a native of Spencer, Massachusetts.
Make it 16 coaches fired. New Mexico State announced that coach Doug Martin has been shoved out the door. In nine seasons with the Aggies, Martin was 24-72 – 2-10 this season. Replacing Martin is former Minnesota coach Jerry Kill. Most recently, Kill was an assistant coach at TCU. Kill coached Minnesota from 2011 to 2015. Prior to that he was the head coach at Northern Illinois.
Washington State found a replacement for the fired Nick Rolovich. The Cougars elevated their defensive coordinator Jack Dickert to the head coach position in Pullman.
Add Duke’s David Cutcliffe to the list of fired coaches – now 17. In 14 seasons at Duke, Cutcliffe was getting progressively worse each year. His record with the Blue Devils was 77-97 – 3-9 this season (0-8 in the ACC).
“Have writ her name in Crimson flame!”….Cecil Hurt, a longtime sports columnist at The Tuscaloosa News, died last week of complications from pneumonia. He was 62. Hurt had worked for The Tuscaloosa News since 1982, becoming the newspaper’s sports editor and columnist seven years later. He was a 1981 graduate of the University of Alabama. Of Hurt, Alabama football coach Nick Saban said: “He was a man of integrity and a fair-minded journalist blessed with wit, wisdom and an ability to paint a picture with his words that few possessed. He was a role model for young writers and the most trusted source of news for Alabama fans everywhere. He leaves a wonderful legacy as one of sports journalism’s best.”
Yes, I’m thankful for family, friends, food and football. I hope you had a good Thanksgiving!
Touchdown Tom
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: At last – Michigan 42, Ohio State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Michigan 26). The teams were smack-dab even in the stats, except for rushing and passing. Michigan was the stronger rushing team and Ohio State was the stronger passing team. Michigan’s Hassan Haskins rushed for 169 yards and five touchdowns. The Wolverines Blake Corum added another 87 yards rushing. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud passed for 394 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 111,156
RUNNER-UP: Boomer wasn’t Sooner – Oklahoma State 37, Oklahoma 33 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 25, Oklahoma 21). No Big 12 championship game for the Sooners. Okie State won in spite of three turnovers. However OU had two turnovers. OU’s Kennedy Brooks rushed for 139 yards. Attendance in Stillwater: 54,990
REST OF THE BEST: Perfect – Cincinnati 35, East Carolina 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 36, East Carolina 30). If Cincinnati has a problem, it’s turnovers. The Bearcats had three of them against East Carolina. Cincinnati’s defense held the Pirates to 54 yards rushing. Bearcats receiver Alec Pierce had eight catches for 135 yards. Attendance in Greenville: 38,014
The green was mean – Oregon 38, Oregon State 29 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 27, Oregon State 25). Oregon jumped out to a 24-3 halftime lead. Then the Beavers attempted a comeback. Oregon had 506 total yards – 231 yards rushing and 275 passing. The Ducks dominated time of possession. Attendance in Eugene: 56,408
Bells? What Bells? – Ole Miss 31, Mississippi State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Mississippi State 35, Ole Miss 34). Lane Kiffin complained about the cowbells, but they didn’t seem to bother Ole Miss any. This was a close game in the first half. In the third quarter, Ole Miss began to run away from Miss State. The Magnolias led 31-13 with 5:35 to go in the game. The Bulldogs only had 84 yards rushing. Finishing its season at 10-2, Ole Miss is looking good for a spot in the New Year’s Six bowl. Attendance in Starkville: 55,601
Tank tanks Auburn – Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (4OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 38, Auburn 17). With less than two minutes to go in the game, Auburn running back Tank Bigsby mistakenly ran out of bounds with the ball, stopping the clock for Alabama. The Tide only had one timeout left. They didn’t have to use it after that play. Bigsby’s bluster gave Alabama an extra 40 seconds in which to score the game-tying touchdown. Without those 40 seconds, Bama wouldn’t have scored and Auburn would have won the game. Auburn only had 12 first downs and 159 total yards – only 22 yards rushing. The Tide only had 64 yards rushing. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young passed for 317 yards, but he completed less than 50% of his passes. Attendance in Auburn: 87,451
Signed – Michigan State 30, Penn State 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 20, Penn State 19). Before the game, Michigan State coach Mel Tucker signed his $95 million contract. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford passed for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Michigan State dominated time of possession. Attendance in East Lansing: 66,312
MWC title game bound – San Diego State 27, Boise State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: San Diego State 23, Boise State 21). Trailing 16-3 to Boise State in the second quarter, San Diego State scored 24 unanswered points. Boise State was held scoreless in the second half. Aztec quarterback Jordan Brookshire was 11-of-15, passing for 192 yards and one touchdown. Brookshire also rushed For 45 yards and another touchdown. Attendance in San Diego: 11,886
The Gophers were golden – Minnesota 23, Wisconsin 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 30, Minnesota 27). A defensive battle – together the teams combined for only 515 total yards – 282 yards for Minnesota and 233 for Wisconsin. The Badgers used to be a running team, but Minnesota held them to 62 yards rushing. Attendance in Minneapolis: 49,736
Charlotte here we come – Wake Forest 41, Boston College 10(Touchdown Tom said: Wake Forest 32, Boston College 26). Boston College had no offense whatsoever. The Eagles only had 9 first downs, 182 total yards and only 19 yards passing. BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec was just 3-of 11 passing. Wake Forest possessed the ball for 36:13. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 25,854
In the six games I suggested you keep an eye on: Central Michigan smashed Eastern Michigan, 31-10….. UAB topped UTEP, 42-25…. NC State rallied late in the game to beat North Carolina, 34-30…. Baylor edged Texas Tech, 27-24…. Army slammed Liberty, 31-16…. Western Kentucky pummeled Marshall, 53-21.
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUBNDS:
Bowl eligible – West Virginia 34, Kansas 28 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Kansas 27). WVU’s Leddie Brown rushed for 156 yards and Tony Mathis rushed for 118 yards. WVU dominated time of possession and first downs – 23 to 15. The Mountaineers defense held Kansas to 87 yards rushing. Attendance in Lawrence: 23,117
Chippy – Florida 24, Florida State 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Florida State 23). The game was downright disgusting at times – coaching, playing, TV commentating. Florida quarterback Emory Jones threw three interceptions. He was eventually replaced by Anthony Richardson. FSU quarterback Jordan Travis passed for 202 yards (1TD) and rushed for 102 yards (1TD). Attendance in Gainesville: 88,491
Seven-straight – Iowa 28, Nebraska 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 20, Nebraska 18). Nebraska lost to Iowa for the seventh-straight year. The Huskers led 21-6 midway through the third quarter and 21-9 as the fourth quarter began. Iowa came back , scoring 22 unanswered points. Hawkeyes running back Tyler Goodson rushed for 156 yards. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,541
David’s swan song – Miami (Florida) 47, Duke 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 38, Duke 15). In the first quarter, Duke led 3-0 and 10-3. Then it was all over for the Dookies. Miami scored 44 unanswered points, while the Dookies never saw the end zone again. Miami had 530 total yards to 219 for Duke. Canes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke passed for 381 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Durham: 17,391
What a wreck – Georgia 45, Georgia Tech 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 42, Georgia Tech 10). Georgia Tech has given up 100 points in its last two games. The Yellow Jackets only had 9 first downs and 166 total yards. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett passed for 255 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in Atlanta: 52,806
Snapped – Texas 22, Kansas State 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, Texas 23). The Longhorns snapped their six-game losing streak. Trailing Kansas State, 17-13, in the second quarter, Texas scored nine unanswered points – three field goals. K-State was held scoreless in the second half. The Wildcats only had 65 yards passing. K-State running back Deuce Vaughn rushed for 143 yards. Attendance in Austin: 75,072
The rout is on – Purdue 44, Indiana 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 33, Indiana 16). After Indiana tied the score at 7-7 in the first quarter, the Boilers proceeded to score 37 unanswered points. The Hoosiers never saw the end zone gain. Indiana only had 205 total yards. Purdue actually had more than 100 yards rushing (167) – a rarity for the Boilers. Purdue quarterback Aidan O’Connell was 26-of-31, passing for 278 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in West Lafayette: 61,320
Week 13 Results: 13 winners, 4 fumbles (76.5 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND
FLORIDA:
UCF 17, South Florida 13 – Attendance in Orlando: 41,157
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
Miami of Ohio’s Brett Gabbert – 26-51-2 for 405 yards (4TDs); Virginia’s Brennan Armstrong – 30-46-1-400 (1TD); Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud – 34-49-0-394 (2TDs); Miami of Florida’s Tyler Van Dyke – 34-49-0-381 (3TDs), and Arizona’s Will Plummer – 28-38-1-346 (1TD).
Also, Notre Dame’s Jack Coan – 26-35-1 for 346 yards (2TDs); Fresno State’s Jake Haener – 27-36-0-343 (4TDs); Western Michigan’s Kaleb Eleby – 21-26-0-338 (5TDs); Memphis’ Seth Henigan – 27-42-0-336 (3TDs), and Mississippi State’s Will Rogers – 38-58-0-336 (1TD).
Impressive Rushers:
Tulsa’s Tyjae Spears – 264 yards (2TDs); Iowa State’s Breece Hall – 242 yards (3TDs); Coastal Carolina’s Shermari Jones – 211 yards (1TD); Central Michigan’s Lew Nichols – 194 yards (1TD); Texas’ Roschon Johnson – 179 yards (1TD), and Michigan’s Hassan Haskins – 169 yards (5TDs).
Also, Virginia Tech’s Raheem Blackshear – 169 yards (1TD); Kent State’s Xavier Williams – 168 yards (2TDs); Massachusetts’ Ellis Merriweather – 168 yards (2TDs); West Virginia’s Leddie Brown – 156 yards (1TD); Iowa’s Tyler Goodson – 156 yards; New Mexico State’s Juwuan Price – 156 yards (4TDs), and Toledo’s Bryant Koback – 155 yards (2TDs).
Also, Maryland’s Tayon Fleet-Davis – 152 yards (2TDs); North Texas’ Ikaika Ragsdale – 146 yards (2TDs); Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn – 143 yards (1TD); Utah’s Tavion Thomas – 142 yards (1TD); Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks – 139 yards; Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker – 138 yards (1TD), and UNLV’s Charles Williams – 137 yards (2TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“You reap what you sow,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, on fired Florida coach Dan Mullen.
“I think there is something in Jim Harbaugh’s brain. I don’t know what it is. I really don’t want to know. He is incapable of beating his biggest rival,” SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, on Jim Harbaugh being incapable of beating Ohio State.
“And those cowbells are really annoying, by the way. They don’t even come close to following the rule. Whatever rule that is that they are supposed to stop, they don’t,” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, on the Mississippi State cowbells.
“North Carolina’s loss to NC State was a Nebraska style meltdown,” ESPN GameDay’s Rece Davis.
Flubs of the Week
Florida State’s attempt at an onside kick
Auburn’s Tank Bigsby running out of bounds
Touchdown Tom’s
Predictions for
GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Alabama (11-1) vs. Georgia (12-0) (SEC Championship Game – Atlanta, Georgia) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – The anticipated battle of the SEC giants. Alabama and Georgia have a lot of similarities on offense, with Bama a little stronger. The Tide is averaging 42.7 points a game and is 7th in the country in total yards and passing yards. If Bama has a weakness on offense, it is rushing yards. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has passed for 3,901 yards, completing 68.9% of his passes. He’s only thrown 4 interceptions. Georgia is averaging 40.7 points a game. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett has passed for 1,985 yards, completing 65% of his passes. Bennett has thrown 5 interceptions. The difference between the two teams is on defense and Georgia is the stronger. Georgia is only giving up 6.9 points a game. The Dawgs are 1st in the country in total yards allowed, 2nd in passing yards allowed and 4th in rushing yards allowed. Georgia has no weaknesses on defense. Alabama is giving up 19.9 points a game. Therein is the big difference between the two teams. But Bama is 3rd in the country in rushing yards allowed and 7th in total yards allowed. If the Tide has a weakness on defense, it is passing yards allowed. The most points Georgia has given up in a game this season is 17. Bama should be good for 24 points – Georgia 28, Alabama 24.
RUNNER-UP: 2. Iowa (10-2) vs. Michigan (11-1) (Big Ten Championship Game – Indianapolis, Indiana) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Neither of these teams were expected to be in the Big Ten title game. Most everyone seemed to think it would be Ohio State vs. Wisconsin. Well, surprise, surprise, it’s the Wolverines vs. the Hawkeyes. Michigan has the stronger offense. The Wolverines are averaging 37.3 points a game. Michigan running back Hassan Haskins has 1,232 yards rushing. Iowa is averaging 25.7 points a game. Running back Tyler Goodson has 1,101 rushing yards. On defense, the teams are similar. Both are giving up 17.2 points a game. Iowa relies on its defense. On offense, the Hawkeyes are very methodic. They like to wait for and take advantage of their opponents mistakes. Michigan can be a little wild and crazy on offense. The Wolverines get a little wild and crazy – Michigan 26, Iowa 17.
REST OF THE TITLE GAMES: 3. Baylor (10-2) vs. Oklahoma State (11-1) (Big 12 Championship Game – Arlington, Texas) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Neither of these teams were supposed to be here. At preseason, Baylor was pegged to finish no better than 8th in the Big 12 standings. Oklahoma State was slotted to finish no better than 3rd in the conference and most had the Cowboys pegged at 4th. The teams are similar. Baylor averages 33.4 points a game and gives up 19.4 points. Okie State averages 31.8 points a game and gives up 16.4. Both teams have strong running backs. Baylor has Abram Smith, who has rushed for 1,366 yards. Okie State has Jaylen Warren, who has rushed for 1,134 yards. These babies grew up to be Cowboys – Oklahoma State 31, Baylor 27.
4. Houston (11-1) at Cincinnati (12-0) (AAC Championship Game – Cincinnati, Ohio) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Win and Cincinnati should be in the playoff. Cincinnati and Houston have similar offenses – both good. The Bearcats average 39.6 points a game. The Cougars average 38.8 points a game. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder has passed for 3,000 yards. Houston quarterback Clayton Tune passed for 3,013 yards. Cincinnati’s defense is better than Houston’s. The Bearcats give up 15.8 points a game, while the Cougars give up 19.8 points a game. The Bearcats have been plagued with turnover problems this season. But in this game, the Bearcats turnover the Cougars – Cincinnati 36, Houston 32.
5. Oregon (10-2) vs. Utah (9-3) (PAC-12 Championship Game – Las Vegas, Nevada) – 8 pm ET, Friday, ABC – This game is a rematch. Only a couple weeks ago Utah beat Oregon, 38-7. That game was played in Salt Lake City. This one is in Las Vegas. The Utes are on a five-game winning streak. Utah appears to be slightly better than Oregon on offense and defense. These Ducks were made for feather downs – Utah 30, Oregon 27.
6. Pitt (10-2) vs. Wake Forest (10-2) (ACC Championship Game – Charlotte, North Carolina) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Yet another conference with two unexpected teams in the conference championship game. Both teams were supposed to be competitive, but not division champs. Wake Forest is led by quarterback Sam Hartman. He has passed for 3,711 yards. Wake averages 42.9 points a game, but gives up 29.1 points. The Deacons scored 35 or more points in all but one game this season. Pitt has a Heisman candidate quarterback in Kenny Pickett. He has passed for 4,066 yards, completing 67.7% of his passes. The Panthers average 42.8 points a game. The Deacons put a fence around Pickett – Wake Forest 38, Pitt 35.
7. Appalachian State (10-2) at Louisiana (11-1) (Sun Belt Championship Game – Lafayette, Louisiana) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – How will the Rajin’ Cajuns perform with their coach leaving after the game for Florida? It could have an impact. Although Louisiana’s coach Billy Napier is an offensive minded coach, the Cajuns defense is better than the offense. This game is a rematch too. During the season, Appalachian State lost to Louisiana, 41-13. The game was played in Lafayette. This game will be played in Lafayette. App State seems to have gotten better since its loss to Louisiana. App State comes in on a six-game winning streak. Louisiana comes in on a 12-game winning streak. Make it 13 – Louisiana 25, Appalachian State 23.
8. Utah State (9-3) at San Diego State (11-1) (MWC Championship Game – San Diego, California) – 3 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – San Diego State has an offense like Iowa. It isn’t overpowering. It’s very methodical. The offense takes advantage of the opponents mistakes. Mistakes often created by the Aztecs defense. San Diego State has an outstanding defense. Just the opposite of San Diego State, Utah State has an explosive offense and a weak defense. Aggies quarterback Logan Bonner passed for 3,236 yards. As Bonner goes, so go the Aggies. The Aztecs won’t let Bonner go – San Diego State 33, Utah State 28.
9. Western Kentucky (8-4) at UTSA (11-1) (C-USA Championship Game – San Antonio, Texas) 7 pm ET, Friday, CBSSN – Western Kentucky has the leading and most exciting quarterback in the country. His name is Bailey Zappe. He’s from Texas. This game is played in Texas. Zappe passed for 4,968 yards, completing 70.1% of his passes. The Hilltoppers average 43.2 points a game, but they give up 27 points a game. UTSA has a good quarterback – Frank Harris – and a good running back – Sincere McCormick. The Roadrunners were undefeated until last week when they lost to, of all teams, North Texas. They must have been looking ahead to this game. Beep-Beep goes uh oh – Western Kentucky 30, UTSA 29.
10. Kent State (7-5) vs. Northern Illinois (8-4) (MAC Championship Game – Detroit, Michigan) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Northern Illinois is a strange team. The Huskies give up more points than they score. On offense, NIU averages 30.8 points a game. On defense they give up 33.5 points a game. Somehow they are 8-4 and in the MAC championship game. Kent State isn’t any better. The Golden Flashes average 33.4 points a game and give up 34.5 points a game. Kent’s defense ranks as one of the worst in the country. The Golden Flashes do have a good quarterback – Dustin Crum. He has passed for 2,794 yards, completing 65% of his passes. But when this one is over, the Flashes will be picking up the crumbs – Northern Illinois 35, Kent State 27.
One game to keep an eye on:
Touchdown Tom
