CFW Week 12 Results – Auburn got cupcake all over its face
Four thrive, two survive,
and one takes a dive
And then there were six.
Of course, I’m talking about the outcome of the seven undefeated teams over the weekend.
Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State and Liberty thrived. Florida State thrived with a setback. Michigan and Washington survived. And James Madison took a dive.
Georgia had little trouble disposing of Tennessee, 38-10. In fact, the Dawgs had no trouble. Georgia not only thrived but also the Dawgs became the first SEC team to go unbeaten in the conference three years in a row since the league went into an eight-game schedule in 1992. Georgia also tied Alabama (twice) for the longest winning streak in SEC history at 28 games.
Like Georgia, Ohio State had little to no trouble disposing of Minnesota, 37-3. Minnesota didn’t get its 3 points until 6:43 left in the fourth quarter. Ohio State was leading at the time, 37-0. Minnesota only managed 159 total yards – 89 passing and 70 rushing. Kyle McCord passed for 212 yards and two touchdowns. TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Florida State had trouble in the first quarter from North Alabama. The Lions not only led 13-0 at the end of the first quarter but also FSU lost its quarterback Jordan Travis. Late in the quarter, Travis suffered a leg injury and had to carted off the field. Following the first quarter, the Noles had no trouble at all from North Alabama. FSU scored 58 unanswered points, beating North Alabama, 58-13.
Liberty thrived, beating Massachusetts, 49-25. The Flames led UMass, 21-0 at the end of the first quarter. Undefeated Liberty is not a contender for the playoff, but the Flames are a contender for a New Year’s Six bowl, as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. Liberty racked up 549 total yards against UMass.
Michigan didn’t thrive. In fact, the Wolverines struggled to beat Maryland, 31-24. Entering the fourth quarter, Michigan only led Maryland by 5 points – 29-24. The Terps outscored Michigan in the second half 14-8. Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a terrible game, barely completing 50% of his passes and throwing an interception. Maryland suffered from three turnovers and only 15 yards rushing. Michigan won its 1,000th game.
Washington was pushed to the brink, beating Oregon State. With 10:40 left in the game, Oregon State kicked a 35-yard field goal to pull within 2 points of Washington. The Beavers trailed, 22-20. The game hung in balance for the remainder of the fourth quarter, with neither team scoring. Undefeated Washington escaped Corvallis, 22-20.
And then there was James Madison. JMU was the only undefeated team to lose Saturday. The Dukes were upset by Appalachian State, 26-23 (OT). JMU only led once during the game. That was 5-3 in the second quarter. But it was a brief lead. One minute and forty seconds later, Appalachian State retook the lead – 10-5. The Dukes were playing catch up throughout the game.
So, we enter the final weekend of the season with six undefeated teams. There will be no more than five after the final weekend, as Ohio State and Michigan face off in Ann Arbor.
Every year on the next to last weekend of the season, most all of the SEC teams (eight out of six this year) play cupcake teams. The fans hate it. This year, Auburn played New Mexico State for its cupcake. New Mexico State was 0-33 against SEC teams. Well, Auburn got cupcake all over its face. New Mexico State shocked the Tigers, 31-10. It wasn’t even close. The Aggies outscored Auburn, 21-3, in the second half.
College football Week 12 resumed Thursday night in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt Panthers ended a four-game losing streak, beating Boston College, 24-16. Pitt running back Rodney Hammond rushed for 145 yards and one touchdown.
Two games were played Friday night, and both were wipeouts. First in San Antonio, UTSA clobbered South Florida, 49-21. Early in the second quarter, South Florida led, 14-7. Then UTSA scored 35 unanswered points to take a 42-14 lead in the third quarter. Roadrunners quarterback Frank Harris passed for 411 yards and three touchdowns. UTSA racked up 643 total yards.
Washington State began the season 4-0. Then the Cougars lost 6-straight games. On the Palouse Friday night, Washington State ended its losing streak – and in a big way. The Cougars slaughtered Colorado, 56-14. After beginning the season 3-0, Colorado has gone 1-7. Friday night was the Buffaloes fifth-straight loss. Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
In other games Saturday, Tulane improved to 10-1, beating Florida Atlantic, 24-8. Green Wave quarterback Michael Pratt threw for three touchdowns. Also, in the AAC, SMU improved to 9-2, edging Memphis, 38-34. SMU quarterback Preston Stone passed for 286 yards.
Trailing Illinois, 13-9, in the fourth quarter, Iowa rallied to score a touchdown with 4:43 on the clock. The Hawkeyes held on to beat the Banned Indians, 15-13. The win gave Iowa the Big Ten West Division title and clinched a spot in the Big Ten title game for the Hawkeyes. Iowa is 9-2.
Trailing Kentucky, 14-10, midway through the fourth quarter, South Carolina scored a touchdown with 7:44 remaining in the game. The Gamecocks held on, berating Kentucky, 17-14. Spencer Rattler passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown – a 17-yard pass. Kentucky had three turnovers.
In the Pac-12, UCLA stunned USC, 38-20. USC had three turnovers and only rushed for 3 yards. At 7-5, The Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley finished a disappointing and dismal season, losing 5 of their last 6 games. All is not well in Troy.
In the late, late shows, New Mexico upset Fresno State, 25-17, and San Jose State downed San Diego State, 24-13.
In “Big Game,” before 52,971 fans, California beat Stanford, 27-15.
In “The Game,” before 51,127 fans in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale upset Harvard, 23-18. In the other final Ivy League games of the season, Princeton beat Penn, 31-24, Columbia downed Cornell, 29-14 and Dartmouth topped Brown, 38-13.
And finally, in “The Rivalry,” the longest played rivalry in college football, Lafayette beat Lehigh, 49-21.
Syracuse fired Dino Babers yesterday. Babers had a 41-55 record in eight seasons at Syracuse. The Orange are 5-6 this season and have lost six of their last seven games. Saturday, Syracuse lost to Georgia Tech, 31-22.
Last Thursday, Texas A&M interviewed UTSA coach Jeff Traylor for its coaching vacancy to replace Jimbo Fisher. Traylor, 55, has been listed by the media in a pool of candidates for the job. The school conducted a 90-minute interview with Traylor.
On Friday, Michigan fired linebackers coach Chris Partridge. In a report released by Michigan, the firing appears to be related to information obtained by the NCAA in its sign-stealing investigation. The NCAA determined that Partridge was tampering with the investigation. He reportedly destroyed evidence.
It was a great football weekend. Just ask any Auburn fan. And give them a cupcake when you do.
Touchdown Tom
November 20, 2023
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: Harry escapes Benny – Washington 22, Oregon State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Oregon State 27). The game was close throughout, but Washington never trailed. The Huskies led 9-7 after the first quarter, 22-10 at halftime and 22-17 at the end of three. Washington was scoreless in the second half. The game was played in a constant rain. Michael Penix had a hand in all three of Washington’s touchdowns – two passing and one rushing. Oregon State dominated the stats and time of possession – 37:27 to 22:33. The victory clinched a Pac-12 championship berth for Washington. Attendance in Corvallis: 38,415
RUNNER-UP: Well, Hello Dolly – Georgia 38, Tennessee 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 32, Tennessee 17). This is Peyton, Dolly. The presence of Dolly Parton and Peyton Manning at the game wasn’t enough to give Tennessee the boost the Vols needed to beat Georgia. Tennessee did score first and went up 7-0 early in the first quarter. But that was all she wrote for the Vols. Tennessee never scored again until Georgia scored 24 unanswered points. Then Georgia added two more touchdowns to boot. The score was 38-10 after three quarters. Georgia called off the Dawgs in the fourth quarter. Carson Beck was phenomenal, passing for 298 yards and three touchdowns, completing 80% of his passes. Georgia was 9-for-13 on third down efficiency. Tennessee was 2-for-11. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers had seven receptions for 60 yards. Dolly was escorted onto the field by Peyton where she sang “Rocky Top.” Attendance in Knoxville: 101,915
REST OF THE BEST: Swoop got swooped – Arizona 42, Utah 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 26, Arizona 24). Arizona jumped out to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back. Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita passed for 253 yards and two touchdowns. The victory was Arizona’s fifth straight. Arizona is 8-3. Attendance in Tucson: 50,800
Dying winds – Louisville 38, Miami 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 29, Miami 26). The game was tied 14-14 at the end of the first quarter. At halftime, Miami led, 21-20. After three quarters, Miami led, 28-23. Then the Cardinals outscored the Canes 15-3 in the fourth quarter. Late in the fourth quarter, the score was 31-31. Louisville scored its winning touchdown with 4:17 remaining in the game. The teams combined for 956 total yards. With the win, Louisville clinched a spot in the ACC title game against Florida State. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 44,996
Cy goes sigh – Texas 26, Iowa State 16 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Iowa State 23). Late in the third quarter, Texas only led Iowa State by 4 points – 13-9. Then the Longhorns opened it up, outscoring the Cyclones, 13-7. Quinn Ewers passed for 281 yards and two touchdowns. The Texas defense held Iowa State to only 9 yards rushing. Attendance in Ames: 61,500
The Jayhawk was all squawk – Kansas State 31, Kansas 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas 27, Kansas State 25). Kansas led 20-16 at halftime and 27-16 midway through the third quarter. Then Kansas State scored 15 unanswered points. But for the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, the game hung in the balance. The Jayhawks couldn’t capitalize. Kansas had three turnovers. Attendance in Lawrence: 47,233
Lions scare the Knights – Penn State 27, Rutgers 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 24, Rutgers 18). This was a tight game for three quarters. Penn State led 13-6 after three. Then the Nitts scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Neither team looked good on offense. Penn State only had 88 yards passing. Rutgers only had 99 yards rushing. The Knights also had three turnovers. Attendance in University Park: 105,114
Pressure – Appalachian State 26, James Madison 23 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: James Madison 31, Appalachian State 26). Trailing Appalachian State 20-12, James Madison scored a touchdown with 0:57 left in the game. The Dukes trailed 20-18. JMU converted its two-point conversion, and the game was tied, 20-20. In overtime, JMU kicked a field goal but, App State scored a touchdown. App State quarterback Joey Aguilar passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns. Both teams had two turnovers. Neither team could run the ball. JMU had 61 yards rushing and App State had 48. Attendance in Harrisonburg: 25,838
Tigers knock the Tar out of the Heels – Clemson 31, North Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 24, Clemson 23). North Carolina scored first and led 7-0 after one. Clemson went up 14-7 late in the second quarter and never trailed again. The Tigers led 31-14 midway through the fourth quarter. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik passed for 219 yards and one touchdown. There were five turnovers in the game. North Carolina had three of them. Clemson beat the Tar Heels for the sixth-straight time. Attendance in Clemson: 81,305
Grounded – UNLV 31, Air Force 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Air Force 31, UNLV 29). Air Force led 24-7 midway through the second quarter. The Falcons led 27-14 at halftime. Then UNLV shut out Aur Force 17-0 in the second half. After beginning the season 8-0, Air Force has fallen to 8-3. The Falcons only had one turnover this week, but their defense couldn’t stop UNLV. Attendance in Colorado Springs: 23,574
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
Mounties trap the Bearcats – West Virginia 42, Cincinnati 21 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 34, Cincinnati 22). WVU had 424 rushing yards, running all over Cincinnati. All totaled, the Mountaineers had 634 total yards. WVU jumped out to a 21-0 second quarter lead and upped it to 42-7 in the third quarter. The Eers called off the dogs in the fourth quarter. WVU running back Jahiem White rushed for 204 yards. Mountaineers quarterback Jarrett Greene rushed for 154 yards. Attendance in Morgantown: 43,588
Tough loss for the Gators – Missouri 33, Florida 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 26, Florida 17). Florida took a 31-30 lead with 1:36 remaining in the game. For a while, it looked like Florida’s defense was going to hold Missouri. But on three of the final plays, Florida’s secondary got sloppy, allowing Missouri to connect on three consecutive passes. That set up a game-winning field goal for the Tigers, with 0:05 on the clock. The lead in the game changed no less than eight times. Florida quarterback Graham Mertz left the game in the fourth quarter with a collarbone fracture. Missouri quarterback Brady Cook passed for 331 yards and one touchdown. Mizzou running back Cody Schrader rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown. The teams combined for 1,008 total yards. Florida had two turnovers. Missouri had none. Attendance in Columbia: 62,621
So close – Wisconsin 24, Nebraska 17 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Wisconsin 22, Nebraska 18). Nebraska started out hot. The Huskers led 14-0 midway through the first quarter. Then Nebraska cooled off. Wisconsin went up for the first time in the game midway through the third quarter at 17-14. The Huskers kicked a 30-yard field goal with 0:04 on the clock to tie the score 17-17 and put the game into overtime. In the overtime, Wisconsin scored, and Nebraska didn’t. For the third-straight game, Nebraska failed to become bowl eligible. Nebraska quarterback Chubba Purdy passed for 169 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 105 yards and another touchdown. Chubba is the younger brother of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. The teams were pretty even in the stats. Nebraska only had one turnover which was an improvement. Attendance in Madison: 72,237
Dookless in Charlottesville – Virginia 30, Duke 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 25, Virginia 20). I should know better than to pick Duke over Virginia. No matter how bad Virginia is or how good Duke is the Dookies always mange to lose to Virginia. Duke never led in the game, although it was tied twice in the second quarter at 7-7 and 10-10. Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea passed for 278 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 66 yards. The teams were pretty even in the stats, but Duke had two turnovers and Virginia had none. Duke has lost four of its last five games. Attendance in Charlottesville: 36,400
Boiler over – Northwestern 25, Purdue 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Purdue 27, Northwestern 22). Northwestern went up 6-0 in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game. The Wildcats led 23-7 early in the fourth quarter. Purdue dominated the stats, but the Boilers had four turnovers. That was the difference. Attendance in Evanston: 23,291
Week 12 Results: 8 winners, 7 fumbles (53.3 percent)
For the Season: 122 winners, 46 fumbles (72.6 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
UTSA 49, South Florida 21 – Attendance in San Antonio: 22,096
San Diego 47, Stetson 20 – Attendance in Deland: 1,260
Tulane 24, Florida Atlantic 8 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 15,871
Delta State 49, West Florida 14 – Attendance in Cleveland: 1,601 (Division II Playoff – First Round)
Florida A&M 24, Bethune-Cookman 7 – Attendance in Orlando: 56,227
Texas Tech 24, UCF 23 – Attendance in Lubbock: 53,851
Florida State 58, North Alabama 13 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 79,560
Arkansas 44, FIU 20 – Attendance in Fayetteville: 61,442
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
LSU’s Jayden Daniels – 25-30-0 for 413 yards (6TDs); TCU’s Josh Hoover – 24-29-0-412 (2TDs); UTSA’s Frank Harris – 31-46-0-411 (3TDs); Memphis’ Seth Henigan – 35-51-0-402 (2TDs); Miami of Florida’s Tyler Van Dyke – 24-39-0-327 (1TD); Iowa State’s Rocco Brecht – 24-32-1-323 (2TDs); Wyoming’s Andrew Peasley – 14-17-0-319 (2TDs); Appalachian State’s Joey Aguilar – 28-46-1-318 (3TDs), and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart – 24-31-0-310 (3TDs).
Also, Louisville’s Jack Plummer – 24-37-1 for 308 yards (3TDs); Georgia’s Carson Beck – 24-30-0-298 (3TDs); California’s Fernando Mendoza – 24-36-1-294 (3TDs); North Texas’ Chandler Rogers – 19-31-0-294 (3TDs); Washington State’s Cameron Ward – 18-30-0-288 (2TDs); SMU’s Preston Stone – 15-23-0-286 (2TDs); Bowling Green’s Connor Bazelak – 23-35-0-286 (1TD), and Texas’ Quinn Ewers – 23-33-0-281 (2TDs).
Also, Toledo’s Dequan Finn – 20-30-1 for 279 yards (2TDs); Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea – 21-30-0-278 (3TDs); Coastal Carolina’s Jarrett Guest – 26-36-1-279 (3TDs); Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman – 21-29-0-277 (4TDs); Arizona’s Noah Fifita – 22-30-0-253 (2TDs); Tulane’s Michael Pratt – 21-28-0-252 (3TDs); UAB’s Jacob Zeno – 20-28-0-246 (1TD); Akron’s Jeff Undercuffler – 19-26-0-223, and Ohio’s Kurtis Rourke – 15-23-0-222.
Also, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik – 21-32-0 for 219 yards (1TD); Eastern Michigan’s Austin Smith – 20-32-0-214 (1TD); Ohio State’s Kyle McCord – 20-30-0-212 (2TDs); South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler – 19-27-0-207 (2TDs); NC State’s Brennan Armstrong – 18-26-0-203 (2TDs); New Mexico State’s Diego Previa – 19-28-0-201 (3TDs); Alabama’s Jalen Milroe – 13-16-0-197 (3Tds); Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor – 14-17-0-196; Georgia State’s Darren Grainger – 23-29-0-179 (1TD), and South Alabama’s Carter Bradley – 17-23-0-176 (2TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
West Virginia’s Jahiem White – 210 yards (1TD); New Mexico’s Jacory Croskey-Merritt – 204 yards (2TDs); Jacksonville State’s Malik Jackson – 193 yards (2TDs); Rice’s Dean Connors – 184 yards; Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks – 182 yards (1TD); BYU’s Aidan Robbins – 182 yards; Boise State’s George Holani – 178 yards (2TDs); North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton – 178 yards (2TDs), and California’s Jaydn Ott – 166 yards (1TD).
Also, Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon – 164 yards (3TDs); Purdue’s Tyrone Tracy – 160 yards (1TD); Northern Illinois’ Antario Brown – 159 yards (2TDs); San Jose State’s Quali Conley – 155 yards (1TD); West Virginia’s Garrett Greene – 154 yards (3TDs); Missouri’s Cody Schrader – 148 yards (1TD); Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson – 146 yards (2TDs), and Pitt’s Rodney Hammond – 145 yards (1TD).
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
P.S.
Not exactly college football related, but as the regular season was coming to an end and Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pies were almost in the oven, the number one song in the country…
…80 years ago, this week in 1943, was “Paper Doll” by The Mills Brothers
…75 years ago, this week in 1948, was “Buttons And Bows” by Dinah Shore
…70 years ago, this week in 1953, was “Rags To Riches” by Tony Bennett
…65 years ago, this week in 1958, was “Tom Dooley” by The Kingston Trio, and “It’s Only Make Believe” by Conway Twitty
…60 years ago, this week in 1963, was “Deep Purple” by Nino Temp and April Stevens, and “I’m Leaving It Up To You” by Dale and Grace
…55 years ago, this week in 1968, was “Hey Jude” by The Beatles
…50 years ago, this week in 1973, was “Keep On Truckin’” by Eddie Kendricks and, “Photograph” by Ringo Starr
…45 years ago, this week in 1978, was “Mac Arthur Park” by Donna Summer
…40 years ago, this week in 1983, was “All Night Long (All Night) by Lionel Richie
…35 years ago, this week in 1988, was “Bad Medicine” by Bon Jovi
…30 years ago, this week in 1993, was “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” by Meat Loaf
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