CFW Week 5 Results – Following the games in the Black Hills
Stranger than science
How else do you explain it? That’s the kind of weekend we had in college football. Lacking so-called monumental games, Saturday gave us some of the strangest and some of the weirdest games of all. None lacking in excitement, I might add. There was one surprise after another. One shock after another. It was a weird weekend – stranger than science.
Start with the Baylor-UCF game in Orlando. With less than four minute to go in the 3rd quarter, UCF led Baylor, 35-7. Game over, you say. That’s what UCF thought. Meanwhile, Baylor had other plans. Trailing by 28 points, the Bears proceeded to score 29 unanswered points (a field goal, three touchdowns and another field goal) in the final 18:20 of the game. Baylor’s winning points came on a 25-yard field goal with 1:21 left to play. UCF missed a 59-yard field goal as time expired. Final score – Baylor 36, UCF 35. Gus Malzahn is still trying to figure out what happened.
Kentucky not only beat Florida, the Wildcats clobbered the Gators – 33-14. Even stranger – Kentucky beat Florida for the third-straight year. There was a time when, no matter how hard they tried, the Wildcats couldn’t beat the Gators. I don’t know. Billy Napier could be packing his bags at the end of the season. If so, Napier has nothing to worry about. Nick Saban will put Billy on his staff. Napier and Mel Tucker. Saban has turned the Alabama football program into a therapeutic center for damaged football coaches.
With 2:54 to go in the 2nd quarter, USC led Colorado, 34-7. Not a surprise. The Buffaloes then stampeded to outscore the Trojans, 34-14. That was a surprise. Colorado scored the final three touchdowns of the game. Final score – USC 48, Colorado 41. That turned a few heads. Not that the Trojans won, or the Buffaloes lost, but because USC barely won. The Trojans were lucky the game ended when it did. Had it lasted longer, Colorado would have won. Even stranger, Colorado had more rushing yards than USC – 193 to 95. First time all season that Colorado rushed for more than 100 yards in a game.
How about this oddity? With 1:03 to go in the 3rd quarter, Auburn led Georgia, 17-10. With less than 3 minutes to go in the game, Auburn and Georgia were tied, 20-20. Well, they can’t all be stranger than science. Georgia managed to beat Auburn, 27-20, on a 40-yard pass play Carson Beck to Brock Bowers, with 2:52 to go in the game.
Oh, they went on and on. LSU and Ole Miss combined for 104 points. LSU scored two touchdowns in the final 5:06 of the game, but still lost to Ole Miss, 55-49. With less than a minute left on the clock, Duke was beating Notre Dame, 14-13. The Irish scored on a 30-yard touchdown run by Audric Estime, with 0:31 to be played. Notre Dame 21, Duke 14.
And finally, in Fort Worth, Texas, West Virginia beat TCU, 24-21. In his fifth year in Morgantown, WVU coach Neal Brown is 4-1 for the first time. Stranger than science.
College football Week 5 began Thursday night in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Remember the song by the Everly Brothers – “Bowling Green?” A hit in the summer of 1967, it was the last Everly Brothers song to crack Billboard’s Top 40. The song was about Bowling Green, Kentucky. But I digress. Thursday night in Bowling Green, Western Kentucky downed Middle Tennessee, 31-10. Hilltoppers quarterback Austin Reed passed for 297 yards.
Also, Thursday night Tulsa beat Temple, 48-26. In a balanced running and passing attack, Tulsa racked up 533 yards on offense. Temple only had 44 yards rushing. In the nightcap Thursday, Jacksonville State edged Sam Houston, 35-28 (OT). The Gamecocks scored a touchdown with 0:13 left in the fourth quarter to tie Sam Houstin, 28-28, and put the game into overtime. Jacksonville State running back Malik Jackson rushed for 129 yards and one touchdown.
Friday night was a busy night, with four games played. The action began in Raleigh, where Louisville slipped by NC State, 13-10. Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren flopped again. It’s getting to be a habit in Raleigh. In the second game, Oregon State handed Utah its first defeat. The Beavers beat the Utes, 21-7.
Next, Louisiana Tech downed UTEP, 24-10. UTEP had the better stats. Louisiana Tech had the better score. And finally, Friday night, BYU outlasted Cincinnati, 35-27. The Bearcats had 498 total yards to just 295 for the Cougars. But Cincinnati was hurt by two turnovers. BYU had none. BYU improved to 5-0.
In other games on Saturday, Northwestern and Penn State were tied 10-10 at halftime. More than six minutes into the 3rd quarter, the score was still 10-10. Then the Nitts went on a rampage. Penn State beat Northwestern, 41-13.
Arkansas and South Carolina suffered their third losses of the season. Arkansas fell to Texas A&M, 34-22, and South Carolina was pounded by Tennessee, 41-20. Syracuse lost for the first time this season. Clemson took care of the Orange, 31-14.
Maryland and Marshall remain undefeated. The Terrapins beat Indiana, 44-17, while the Herd downed Old Dominion 41-35. Bowling Green upset Georgia Tech, 38-28. Alabama blew out Mississippi State, 40-17.
And finally, in the MWC, both Air Force and Fresno State remain undefeated at 5-0. Air Force silenced San Diego State, 49-10, and Fresno State stopped Nevada, 27-9.
There were six interesting and intriguing games I said to keep an eye on. First (Texas A&M vs. Arkansas): In spite of three turnovers, Texas A&M downed Arkansas, 34-22. The Aggies had 414 total yards, while holding Arkansas to 42 rushing yards….. Second (South Alabama at James Madison): Holding South Alabama to 27 rushing yards, James Madison beat the Jaguars, 31-23. Midway through the 4th quarter, JMU led South Alabama, 31-10….. and Third (Coastal Carolina at Georgia Southern): Georgia Southern came on strong at the end to down Coastal Carolina, 38-24. The game was tied three times – 7-7, 14-14 and 21-21. After the 21-21 tie, early in the 3rd quarter, Georgia Southern scored 17 unanswered points.
Fourth (Troy at Georgia State): Troy handed Georgia State its first loss, beating the Panthers, 28-7. Georgia State led 7-6 at halftime. Troy outscored the Panthers, 15-0, in the second half….. Fifth (South Carolina at Tennessee): Tennessee blew past South Carolina, 41-20. It was a tight 1st quarter. The Vols led 14-10 after one. Then Tennessee proceeded to outscore the Gamecocks, 27-10….. Sixth (Washington at Arizona): On the road in Tucson, Washington got by Arizona, 31-24. The Huskies never trailed in the game, but the Wildcats kept it close.
As I mentioned last week, Swamp Mama and I were in Rapid City, South Dakota, for my Navy reunion – 13 guys and 11 wives. We had a great time. As we arrived on Wednesday, we all gathered at the Roof Top Bar of the Alex Johnson Hotel in Rapid City – a great spot.
The weather was perfect. For the next three days we had sunny skies with daytime highs between 70 and 76 and overnight lows between 50 and 56. And no humidity.
Thursday, we toured the east side of Rapid City. The bus picked us up at the hotel at 9 a.m. First stop was the Elsworth Air Force Base (home of the B-1B Lancer bomber and soon to be the B-21 Raider bomber) Aerospace Museum. Then we continued east to Wall, South Dakota, for lunch at the interesting Wall Drug. Yeah, it’s tacky. But it’s so tacky, you have to visit it.
Following lunch, we proceeded through the famous Badlands. On our way back to Rapid City, we stopped for a visit and tour of the Minuteman Missile and Silo Museum and Visitor Center. Dinner that evening took place at Paddy O’Neil’s Irish Pub in Rapid City.
Friday was a long day. We had an early start, as the bus picked us up at 6:30 a.m. Before getting out of Rapid City, we first stopped at Fort Hays for a pancake, sausage and biscuit breakfast. Then we headed west to Custer State Park for the annual Buffalo Roundup. After watching the running and roundup of the buffaloes, we lunched on a pulled buffalo barbeque sandwich. This, while watching the buffaloes get corralled.
From Custer State Park, we headed for the Black Hills. First stop was the Crazy Horse Memorial, where the native American is being carved out of the side of a mountain. Then onto to Mount Rushmore for a visit. What a spectacular place. We finished the day back at Fort Hays for dinner and a musical show. The bus dropped us off at the hotel at 9 p.m. It was a long day, but never a dull moment.
Saturday, we had a later start – 10 a.m. Got to sleep in. Like the day before, Saturday was spent in the Black Hills. First, we went to Hill City for a stroll around town. Swamp Mama found a quilt shop and of course purchased some fabric and a pattern. Let me tell you, if there is a quilt shop around, she will sniff it out. Before leaving Hill City, we lunched at the Alpine Inn Restaurant.
The next stop was Sylvan Lake where we took a stroll around the waters. From Sylvan Lake we drove down Needles Highway, which is like a tour itself. Amazing vistas, along with the narrow tunnels. We didn’t think our bus would fit through them. But it did.
Now, as you know, Saturday was a football day – a college football day. I was out of my normal Saturday routine. But as I mentioned last week – “Thank God for cell phones.” All day Saturday, as we were riding on the bus, walking around Hill City, lunching at the Alpine Inn, walking around Sylvan Lake and taking in the vistas along Needles Highway, I was busy on my cell phone. I was keeping up with all the games. I’ve never worked my cell phone harder.
Swamp Mama and I had an early day yesterday. We had a 6 a.m. flight out of Rapid City to Minneapolis, connecting to Orlando. The flights out and back were good. Rapid City and its surroundings were worth every minute. It was a great visit with the guys and their wives.
Next year, we are rendezvousing in Mystic, Connecticut. Wonder if Julia Roberts will join us?
The Melbourne, Florida, area lost a favorite son. MLB pitcher Tim Wakefield died yesterday. Wakefield grew up in Melbourne and played baseball for the local college – Florida Tech. At Florida Tech, he was named the team’s most valuable player as a first baseman. He was then drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates but failed to make it as a position player. He perfected his pitching in the minor leagues and was called back up to pitch for the Pirates. He was released by the Pirates in 1995 and was signed by the Boston Red Sox. He pitched for the Red Sox from 1995 to 2011. I worked with a guy in Melbourne who coached Wakefield in Little League. Timothy Stephen Wakefield was 57.
With all the stranger than science games, my predictions last week were stranger than science. It was a tough week for picks.
Touchdown Tom
October 2, 2023
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Note: CFW Week 6 Forecast will be posted on Thursday morning, October 5.
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: The mighty Bevo – Texas 40, Kansas 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 30, Kansas 20). Texas is an impressive football team. The Longhorns could well be headed for the playoff. They have it all – a quarterback, a running back (two running backs), an offensive line and a defense. Kansas hung with Texas for a while. Texas led 20-14 late in the 3rd quarter. Then the Horns scored 20 unanswered points. Texas had 33 first downs to 11 for Kansas. The Horns had 601 total yards to 260 for Kansas. Texas also dominated ball control 39:41 to 20:19. Attendance in Austin: 102,986
RUNNER-UP: So close – Notre Dame 21, Duke 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 23, Duke 21). Duke almost did it. The Dookies almost did it. They led Notre Dame, 14-13, with less than a minute to go in the game. The teams were statistically even. Except for turnovers. Duke had two and Notre Dame had none. That was a killer for Duke. Attendance in Durham: 40,768
REST OF THE BEST: Beavers dam the Utes – Oregon State 21, Utah 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 20, Utah 18). Tight defensive battle in the first half. Oregon State led 7-0 at the break. The Beavers opened it up a bit in the second half. Oregon State led 21-0 early in the 4th quarter. Utah scored its one and only touchdown with 5:05 on the clock in the final quarter. Without Cam Rising, Utah has no offense. The Utes have been winning their games on defense. But ultimately, the lack of an offense will come back to haunt you. Utah only had 198 total yards – just 57 yards rushing. Oregon State had 358 total yards. Attendance in Corvallis: 37,372
The Dawg gets his bone – Georgia 27, Auburn 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 30, Auburn 14). This game kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Could it really be happening? Was it going to happen? Well, no. Georgia won, scoring with 2:52 left in the game. Georgia’s passing game killed Auburn. The Tigers didn’t have a passing game – 88 yards. Other than that, the game was fairly even. Attendance in Auburn: 88,043
Three in a row for the Cats – Kentucky 33, Florida 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 27, Kentucky 21). Poor Billy Napier. He has his problems. The Gators were never in this game from the get-go. Kentucky was fired up. Florida wasn’t. Kentucky running back Ray Davis rushed for more than 200 yards in the first half. Late in the 2nd quarter, Kentucky had a 23-0 lead. The Gators got a couple of touchdowns, but they never threatened. Florida only had 69 yards rushing. Kentucky only had 69 yards passing. Attendance in Lexington: 61,699
Red Birds pack up the Wolves – Louisville 13, NC State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, Louisville 27). NC State won the first half, 10-0. Louisville won the second half, 13-0. Both quarterbacks threw two interceptions. Louisville held NC State to 201 total yards – just 89 rushing yards. The Cardinals had 18 first downs to 9 for the Wolfpack. Both teams had three turnovers. Louisville improved to 5-0. Attendance in Raleigh: 56,919
Someone lit a fire under Ralphie – USC 48, Colorado 41 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 34, Colorado 20). The first half was all USC. The second half was all Colorado. Both quarterbacks were good, combining for 774 yards passing. The teams combined for 1,062 total yards. Colorado had the most. The Buffaloes actually had a running game. USC has a problem on defense. Attendance in Boulder: 54,032
Magnolia bliss – Ole Miss 55, LSU 49 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 31, LSU 27). This was the “Game of the Day.” It was wild. Everything you can ask for. The teams combined for 1,343 total yards. They were even statistically. Jayden Daniels passed for 414 yards and four touchdowns. Jaxson Dart passed for 389 yards and four touchdowns. Attendance in Oxford: 66,703
Back-to-back wins over Texas teams – West Virginia 24, TCU 21 (Touchdown Tom said: TCU 27, West Virginia 20). TCU won the first half, 21-14. WVU won the second half, 10-0. The Mounties tied the score at 21-21 with 4:29 to go in the 3rd quarter. WVU kicked its winning 49-yard field goal with 9:31 to go in the 4th quarter. It was a clean game – no turnovers and few penalties. Attendance in Fort Worth: 43,736
Not dead yet – Clemson 31, Syracuse 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Syracuse 28, Clemson 26). Clemson came to play, and Syracuse didn’t. The Tigers dominated the stats. Syracuse suffered from three turnovers. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik passed for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Syracuse: 40,973
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
The Maize came in with a blaze – Michigan 45, Nebraska 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 27, Nebraska 12). Michigan led 45-0 before Nebraska even scored. The Huskers scored a touchdown with 4:17 to go in the game. The Wolverines had a strong running game. Michigan dominated ball control 38:01 to 21:59. Attendance in Lincoln: 87,134
The Boilers were fired up – Purdue 44, Illinois 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Illinois 21, Purdue 20). This was a good game in the first half. Purdue led 16-13 at the break. Then the Boilers outscored the Banned Indians, 28-6 in the second half. Up 16-13, the Boilers scored 21 unanswered points. Both quarterbacks Hudson Card and Luke Altmyer had decent games. Attendance in West Lafayette: 59,510
Week 5 Results: 7 winners, 5 fumbles (58.3 percent)
For the Season: 54 winners, 19 fumbles (74 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
Marist 34, Stetson 24 – Attendance in Poughkeepsie: 4,287
Baylor 36, UCF 35 – Attendance in Orlando: 44,005
South Florida 44, Navy 30 – Attendance in Annapolis: 29,789
Florida A&M 31, Mississippi Valley State 7 – Attendance in Itta Bena: 1,689
West Florida 48, North Greenville 24 – Attendance in Tigerville: 3,162
Superlatives
Weekend’s Best Passers:
LSU’s Jayden Daniels – 27-36-0 for 414 yards (4TDs); USC’s Caleb Williams – 30-40-1-403 (6TDs); Missouri’s Brady Cook – 33-41-0-395 (4TDs); Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart – 26-39-0-389 (4TDs); Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor – 20-25-0 383 (6TDs); Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders – 30-45-1-371 (4TDs); Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel – 26-39-1-366 (3TDs); Washington’s Michael Penix – 30-40-0-363, and Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa – 24-34-0-352 (5TDs).
Also, South Florida’s Byrum Brown – 26-34-0 for 338 yards (3TDs); Texas State’s T.J. Finley – 19-24-0-338 (2TDs); Houston’s Donovan Smith – 29-40-0-335 (4TDs); Western Michigan’s Treyson Bourguet – 24-39-0-328 yards (3TDs); Georgia Southern’s Davis Brin – 34-56-0-322 (3TDs); North Texas’ Chandler Rogers – 23-36-0-321 (3TDs); Ball State’s Layne Hatcher – 26-37-0-316 yards (3TDs), and Oregon’s Bo Nix – 27-32-0-290 (4TDs).
Also, Toledo’s Daquan Finn – 16-20-0 for 281 yards (2TDs); Memphis’ Seth Henigan – 18-28-0-269 (2TDs); ULM’s Jiya Wright – 18-27-1-268 (4TDs); Clemson’s Cade Klubnik – 23-37-0-263 (2); Northern Illinois’ Rocky Lombardi – 21-31-0-258 (2TDs); Cincinnati’s Emory Jones – 23-37-1-256 (3 TDs); Tulsa’s Cardell Williams – 14-17-0-244 (3TDs); Virginia Tech’s Kyron Drones – 12-19-0-228 (3TDs); Utah State’s Cooper Legas – 11-13-0-204 (3TDs), and Air Force’s Zac Larrier – 6-7-0-189 (2TDs).
Weekend’s Best Rushers:
Kentucky’s Ray Davis – 280 yards (3TDs); Old Dominion’s Kadarius Calloway – 236 yards (3TDs); Texas’ Jonathon Brooks – 218 yards (2TDs); Wyoming’s Harrison Waylee – 191 yards (1TD); Ole Miss’s Quinshon Judkins – 177 yards (1TD); California’s Jaydn Ott – 165 yards (1TD); Northern Illinois’ Antario Brown – 152 yards, and SMU’s Jaylan Knighton – 150 yards (2TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“What’s our identity. I don’t know who we are. We’re still searching for our true identity,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders, after the loss to USC.
Touchdown Tom
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