CFW Week 5 Results - Army, Navy, Duke and Indiana are undefeated

 CFW Week 5 Results – Army, Navy, Duke and Indiana are undefeated

Tuscaloosa turnaround –

A tale of two halves

 

“It was the best of games, it was the worst of games, it was the game of wisdom, it was the game of foolishness, it was the game of belief, it was the game of incredulity, it was the game of light, it was the game of darkness, it was the game of hope, it was the game of despair.”

 

How else can you describe the Georgia-Alabama game? It had everything. Depending on your perspective – whether you were pulling for Georgia, cheering for Alabama or indifferent – the above statement has to describe your feelings at one time or another during that game. But in the end, the one part of the above statement that sums up everyone’s feelings – “it was a game of incredulity.” The game was unbelievable!     

 

Alabama dominated the first half. The Tide led 30-7 at the break. Georgia dominated the second half. The Dawgs rallied to outscore the Tide, 27-3. That was with 2:31 remaining in the game – Georgia led 34-33. However, just 13 seconds later, Alabama’s Ryan Williams scored on a 75-yard pass from Jalen Milroe. The Tide retook the lead. Unbelievable!

 

Georgia still had a pulse. In the final two minutes, Carson Beck was driving the Dawgs down the field into Alabama territory. But in the waning seconds, Alabama defensive back Zabien Brown intercepted a Beck pass in the end zone. Alabama beat Georgia, 41-34. The game was unbelievable.

 

It was a day of incredulity in the Southeastern Conference. Earlier, in a 12 noon start, Kentucky stunned Ole Miss. With 2:25 remaining in the contest, Kentucky scored a touchdown to take a three-point lead. The Wildcats held on in the final 2:25 to beat Ole Miss, 20-17. It was Kentucky’s first win in Oxford since 1978.

 

Next, in a 3:30 start in Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma stunned the Auburn fans, scoring 17 points in the final 8:32 of the game. Trailing Auburn, 21-10, in the final quarter, Oklahoma scored two touchdowns and added a field goal to beat Auburn, 27-21.

 

Also, in a 3:30 start, in Arlington, Texas, Arkansas and Texas A&M kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the very end. With less than 10 minutes to go in the game, Arkansas led Texas A&M, 17-14. With nine minutes to go in the game, the Aggies led the Razorbacks by four points. Texas A&M held on to beat Arkansas, 21-17.

 

It truly was an unbelievable day in the SEC. But the Georgia-Alabama game was the most incredulous.

 

College football Week 5 began Thursday night in Philadelphia. Army visited the City of Brotherly Love, but the Cadets weren’t very brotherly or loving. Army (4-0) downed Temple (1-4), 42-14. Army quarterback Bryson Daily rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Kanye Udoh added 128 yards and one touchdown. In all, Army rushed for 417 yards.

 

Shortly after the Army-Temple game ended, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm (140-145 mph winds) at 11:10 p.m., Thursday, just southeast of the mouth of the Fenholloway River (Taylor County) in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast (45 miles southeast of Tallahassee and 10 miles south-southwest of Perry. Helene moved north-northeast over Perry and Greenville, Florida. The storm entered Georgia, passing over Quitman on its way to north Georgia. Helene was the third hurricane to strike Florida’s Big Bend near Perry in the last 13 months. Idalia (August 2023) and Debby (August 2024) were the other two. 

 

Friday night lights continue to thrill. College football Week 5 continued Friday night with two games and both went down to the final play of the game. Last week, in Week 4, we had three games and all three were thrillers – two ending in overtime and the other ending on a field goal.

 

In the first game Friday night, Miami (Florida) scored a touchdown with 1:57 remaining in the game to beat Virginia Tech, 38-34. But wait! As time expired, Virginia Tech scored a touchdown on a Hail Mary pass. So said the referees. However, upon review of the play, the refs overturned their call – saying upon review, the pass was incomplete. Miami remained undefeated at 5-0.

 

In the second game, Rutgers edged Washington, 21-18. The game came down to the final play. With 0:03 left on the clock, Washington attempted a 55-yard field goal – a field goal that would put the game into overtime. The kick was long enough, but it was wide left. Rutgers remained undefeated at 4-0.

 

Oklahoma State and Kansas State faced off in a must win Big 12 encounter. Both teams were coming off a conference loss the previous week. Saturday, Kansas State handed Oklahoma State its second loss in Big 12 play. It wasn’t close. The Wildcats beat the Cowboys, 42-20. The score was worse than it appeared. K-State led 42-13 with 1:52 to play in the game. Wildcats running back D.J. Giddens rushed for 187 yards, averaging 12.5 yards a carry.

 

How ’bout those Hoosiers? Indiana is 5-0 for the first time in 57 years. Indiana beat Maryland, 42-28. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns.  

 

Popeye the Sailor Man was back at it again – eating his spinach. Navy quarterback Blake Horvath passed for 225 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 84 yards and another touchdown. Navy beat UAB, 41-18. The Middies are 4-0.

 

Last week, James Madison put 70 points on the board, beating North Carolina, 70-50. Saturday, JMU was a little disappointing. The Dukes only put up 63 points. James Madison beat Ball State 63-7. JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett passed for 280 yards and five touchdowns. The Dukes are 4-0.

 

In Big Ten play, USC got off to a slow start against Wisconsin. Early in the third quarter, the Badgers led the Trojans, 21-10. Then USC scored four unanswered touchdowns. The Trojans beat the Badgers, 38-10. USC quarterback Miller Moss passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns.

 

Last week, after starting 0-3, Florida State won its first game. Saturday, the Noles decided they liked losing better. SMU downed Florida State, 42-16. The Noles were outscored 28-7 in the second half.

 

Cincinnati missed a 51-yard field goal as time. The Bearcats lost to Texas Tech, 44-41. Texas Tech running back Tajh Brooks rushed for 172 yards.

 

After you went to bed Saturday night, Arizona beat Utah, 23-10, and Oregon downed UCLA, 34-13.

 

“It was the best of days, it was the worst of days.”

 

The impact of Hurricane Helene caused two football casualties – one a postponement, the other a cancelation. The Alabama A&M-Florida A&M game scheduled to have been played September 28 in Tallahassee was postponed to November 29. The Liberty-Appalachian State game scheduled to have been played September 28 in Boone, North Carolina, was canceled. 

 

In the latest AP Poll, Alabama (4-0) is the No. 1 team in the country, followed by 2. Texas (5-0), 3. Ohio State (4-0), 4. Tennessee (4-0), 5. Georgia (3-1), and 6. Oregon (4-0).

 

Swamp Mama and I flew to Connecticut yesterday. We spent last night at a hotel near Hartford’s Bradley Airport. Today, we will take a leisurely drive down to Mystic, Connecticut. Mystic is the location of this year’s get together of a dozen or so guys who worked, traveled, played and partied together once upon a time in Edzell, Scotland. We were all cryptologic technicians in the U.S. Navy.

 

Our reunion begins this evening with a pizza party. What else but Mystic Pizza. Don’t know if Julia Roberts and Matt Damon will be there or not. Tomorrow, we visit and tour Newport, Rhode Island. Later in the week we visit and tour the Navy Submarine base in Groton, the Coast Guard Academy in New London, the Aquarium, seaport and shops in Mystic, along with dinner gatherings each evening. I’ll give you an update in Thursday’s post.

 

British actress Maggie Smith, known for her wit in comedic roles, died last week. She had an extensive career on stage and screen for more than seven decades. She was an award-winning actress, having won Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony awards. She was one of a few performers to earn the Triple Crown of Acting. Some of her movies included “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1969), “Death on the Nile” (1978), “Room with a View” (1985), “Gosford Park” (2001), the “Harry Potter” films (2001-2011), “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2012) and “Quartet” (2012), among others. She received newfound attention and international fame for her role in the British television drama “Downton Abbey” (2010-2015). Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, a native of Ilford (Essex), England, was 89.

 

“On the Sunday morning sidewalks, wishing Lord that I was stoned, cause there’s something in a Sunday that makes a body feel alone…” Singer, songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson died Saturday. Among his songwriting credits are “Me and Bobby McGee,” “For the Good Times,” “Sunday Mornin’ Coming Down” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” all of which were hits for other artists. Kristofferson graduated summa cum laude from Pomona College in 1958 with a BA degree in Literature. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa his junior year. After graduation from Pomona, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford in England. While at Oxford, he played rugby and began writing songs. After Oxford, he joined the U.S. Army and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He became a helicopter pilot and completed Ranger School. In 1965, he was assigned to teach English literature at West Point. However, he left the Army to pursue songwriting. In 1985, he joined fellow country music artists Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash to form the supergroup the Highwaymen. A native of Brownsville, Texas, Kristoffer Kristofferson was 88. “…And there’s nothin’ short of dyin’ half as lonesome as the sound on the sleepin’ city sidewalks, Sunday mornin’ coming down.”

 

Touchdown Tom

September 30, 2024

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(My apologies to Charles Dickens.)

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: The streak ends at 42 – Alabama 41, Georgia 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 21, Georgia 20). Coming into the game, Georgia had won 42-straight regular season games. The streak is over. The big difference in this game was the first quarter. Alabama came out and quickly scored three touchdowns on Georgia. When the first quarter was over, the Tide led the Dawgs, 21-0. And if that wasn’t enough, Bama scored again early in the second quarter and took a 28-0 lead. After that, Georgia outscored Alabama, 34-13. It was as if Bama went to sleep, and Georgia woke up. The teams combined for 1,066 total yards and 46 first downs. But Georgia only had 80 yards rushing. The Dawgs also had four turnovers. That hurt. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe passed for 374 yards and two touchdowns. Milroe also rushed for 117 yards and two more touchdowns. Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 100,077

 

RUNNER-UP: A stubborn game – Penn State 21, Illinois 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Penn State 30, Illinois 25). This was a hard-fought game. It was a hard-fought win for Penn State. The score was 7-7 at halftime. Penn State led 14-7 at the end of three. Illinois only had 34 yards rushing. The Banned Indians also had two turnovers. The Nittany Lions had none. Attendance in University Park: 109,911

 

REST OF THE BEST: Revenge is sweet – Notre Dame 31, Louisville 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 30, Louisville 23). Notre Dame jumped out to a 21-7 first quarter lead. After that, Louisville outscored the Irish 17-10. Louisville had more total yards – 437 to 283. The Cardinals had 19 first downs to 11 for Notre Dame. Attendance in South Bend: 77,622

 

Still rolling – Indiana 42, Maryland 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 28, Maryland 24). The score was worse than it appears. Indiana led 42-21 with less than three minutes left in the game. Indiana is off to an amazing start. The Hoosiers’ offense is explosive. Indiana had 510 total yards. Attendance in Bloomington: 48,323

 

The wheels are off the Gus Bus – Colorado 48, UCF 21 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 35, Colorado 31). Four turnovers killed UCF. Colorado outscored the Knights in every quarter. UCF had 461 total yards to 418 for Colorado. But the Knights couldn’t get the ball across the goal line. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Orlando: 45,702

 

We don’t need no quarterback – UNLV 59, Fresno State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: UNLV 30, Fresno State 27). Actually, UNLV’s new quarterback appears to be better than the original one. The one who quit the team for lack of payment. The new one – Hajj-Malik Williams – can not only run but also, he can pass. Williams passed for 182 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 119 yards and another touchdown. Fresno State played three quarterbacks. Together, they threw four interceptions. UNLV is 4-0. Attendance in Las Vegas: 24,638

 

A good night for the Knight – Rutgers 21, Washington 18 (Touchdown Tom said: Rutgers 28, Washington 21). Washington took the initial lead. The Huskies went up 3-0 with 4:10 remaining in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Rutgers went up 7-3. The Scarlet Knights never trailed for the remainder of the game. As time expired, the Huskies missed a 55-yard field goal attempt. Washington dominated the stats, but not the score. The Huskies racked up 521 total yards to 299 for Rutgers. The Huskies had more rushing yards, more passing yards and more first downs. Washington quarterback Will Rogers was 26-36-0, passing for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Huskies running back Jonah Coleman rushed for 148 yards. Attendance in Piscataway: 54,079

 

Buckeyes rule – Ohio State 38, Michigan State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 31, Michigan State 19). Ohio State defense swarmed all over the Spartans. Michigan State only had 246 total yards. The Buckeyes played three quarterbacks in the game. Michigan State was hurt by three turnovers. Attendance in East Lansing: 71,114

 

Looking good in Idaho – Boise State 45, Washington State 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Boise State 35, Washington State 32). Boise State is legit. The Broncos led 45-17 with less than a minute to go in the game. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 259 yards and four touchdowns. Boise State is 3-1. The Broncos only loss was by three points to Oregon – 37-34. Attendance in Boise: 37,711

 

The amazing Dookies – Duke 21, North Carolina 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, North Carolina 30). Entering the fourth quarter, Duke trailed North Carolina, 20-7. The Dookies scored two touchdowns in the final quarter – the second one coming with 5:42 remaining in the game. Tar Heels coach Mack Brown suffered his second-straight loss. Duke running back Star Thomas rushed for 166 yards and one touchdown. North Carolina dominated possession time 34:06 to 25:54. Duke is 5-0. Attendance in Durham: 35,018

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Better late than never – Nebraska 28, Purdue 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 34, Purdue 17). The score was 0-0 at halftime. Nebraska only led 7-3 and the start of the fourth quarter. Then the Huskers broke loose, scoring three unanswered touchdowns within five minutes in the fourth quarter. Just like that, Nebraska was up 28-3. Again, the Huskers defense was king. Nebraska held Purdue to 226 total yards, 52 yards rushing and only 12 first downs. Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola passed for 244 yards and one touchdown. Purdue fired its offensive coordinator – Graham Harrell – after the game. Attendance in West Lafayette: 61,441

 

Inaugural SEC game and win – Texas 35, Mississippi State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 49, Mississippi State 20). Texas got off to a slow start too. But, in time, the Longhorns got rolling. Texas had 522 total yards to 294 for Miss State. Horns quarterback Arch Manning was 26-31-0, passing for 324 yards and two touchdowns. Manning also rushed for 33 yards and another touchdown. Attendance in Austin: 101,388

 

Week 5 Results:  11 winners, 1 fumble (91.7 percent)

For the Season:  53 winners, 20 fumbles (72.6 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

Tulane 45, South Florida 10 – Attendance in New Orleans: 20,783

Grand Valley State 31, West Florida 7 – Attendance in Allendale: 10,458

 

Alabama State 26, Bethune-Cookman 21 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 6,721

Florida Atlantic 41, Wagner 10 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 21,151

 

FIU 17, Louisiana Tech 10 – Attendance in Miami: 12,425

SMU, Florida State – Attendance in Dallas: 34,879

 

 

Superlatives

 

Weekend’s Best Passers:

 

North Texas’ Chandler Morris – 22-34-0 for 439 yards (5TDs); Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby – 31-45-1-426 (4TDs); LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier – 26-39-2-409 (2TDs); Syracuse’s Kyle McCord – 28-50-2-385 (4TDs); Alabama’s Jalen Milroe – 27-33-1-374 (2TDs); Indiana’s Kevin Rourke – 23-33-2-359 (3TDs), and TCU’s Josh Hoover – 28-37-2-356 (3TDs).

 

Also, Miami of Florida’s Cam Ward – 24-38-2 for 343 yards (4TDs); Auburn’s Payton Thorne – 21-32-1-338 (3TDs); Washington State’s John Mateer – 26-37-1-327 (2TDs); Tulane’s Darian Mensah – 18-22-0-326 (3TDs); Texas State’s Jordan McCloud – 18-22-0-326 (3TDs), and Texas’ Arch Manning – 26-31-0-324 (2TDs).

 

 

Weekend’s Best Rushers:

 

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty – 259 yards (4TDs); Kansas State’s D.J. Giddens – 187 yards (1TD); Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks – 172 yards (2TDs); Duke’s Star Thomas – 166 yards (1TD); Army’s Bryson Daily – 152 yards (3TDs); Washington’s Jonah Coleman – 148 yards.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“I think last week I didn’t have as much fun as I wanted to. I think I had a little bit more fun today even though it was a little rocky,” Texas quarterback Arch Manning, after the win over Mississippi state.

 

“We’re underdogs every week. Ain’t nobody want to see us win except for our fan base,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders, after the Buffs win over UCF. Colorado was a

13-point underdog to UCF.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

CFW Week 5 Forecast - Notre Dame out for revenge

 CFW Week 5 Forecast – Notre Dame out for revenge

Georgia-Alabama: Gonna be a donnybrook

 

The first football game between Georgia and Alabama was played in 1895. Georgia won that game, 30-6. Seventy-three games and 129 years later, Alabama leads the series 43-26-4. The Crimson Tide has won 11 of the last 15 games, and eight of the last nine games.

 

The two schools played annually from 1919 to 1930 and from 1944 to 1965. They played intermittently in the other years. In 2012, 2018, 2021 and 2023 Georgia and Alabama met in the SEC championship game. Alabama won all four of those games. Three of those four games were decided by seven points or less.

 

After the 2017 and 2021 seasons, Georgia and Alabama met in the national championship game. They split those meetings. Alabama won the first one in overtime – 26-23 (OT). Georgia won the second one by 15 points – 33-18. That Georgia victory for the national championship came just 37 days after Alabama had defeated Georgia, 41-24, in the SEC championship game.

 

In eight of the last nine games between the two schools, Georgia and Alabama were both ranked in the Top 10. The lone exception was in 2015 when Alabama was ranked 13^th and Georgia was 8^th. Alabama won that game, 38-10.

 

Saturday evening, in Tuscaloosa, No. 2 Georgia (3-0) will meet No. 4 Alabama (3-0) for the 74^th time. And for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings, Georgia and Alabama are both ranked in the Top 10.

 

There are four interesting games in the Big Ten this weekend. Perhaps the best of the four is Illinois (4-0) at Penn State (4-0). Who can forget the last time Illinois played at Penn State? That was 2021. The Nittany Lions were favored by 24 points. That game went to nine overtimes. Illinois won, 20-18 (9OT).

 

Indiana (4-0) is off to a great start. Saturday, the Hoosiers host Maryland (3-1). A 5-0 Indiana is almost unthinkable. But think it.

 

Washington (3-1) travels to Rutgers (3-0). Looks like Rutgers could be making a statement this year.

 

The fourth interesting game in the Big Ten is Ohio State (3-0) at Michigan State (3-1). Yes, the Buckeyes are heavily favored. But to date, Ohio State has played three cupcakes. Will the Spartans provide a challenge?

 

Can Louisville (3-0) surprise Notre Dame (3-1) again this year? Last year, the Cardinals upset the Irish, 33-20. Notre Dame will be out for revenge.

 

The best game in the Big 12 this weekend takes place in Orlando – Colorado (3-1) visits UCF (3-0). Are the Knights for real? Will the Gus Bus be rolling? Or will it be Prime Time for the Buffaloes? The second-best game in the Big 12 is Oklahoma State (3-1) at Kansas State (3-1). Both teams suffered their first loss last weekend. Both will be out for redemption.

 

The best game between two Group of Five teams takes place in Las Vegas – Fresno State (3-1) at UNLV (3-0). Both teams are riding a three-game winning streak. But on Tuesday of this week, UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka quit the team. Sluka claims he wasn’t paid the money UNLV promised him when he transferred.

 

The second-best game between two Group of Five teams takes place in Texas – Texas State (2-1) at Sam Houston (3-1).

 

The ACC has two interesting affairs this weekend. The first one is North Carolina (3-1) at Duke (4-0). The Tar Heels’ offense scored 50 points last week. But their defense gave up 70 points. Can North Carolina rebound? Or will the Dookies remain undefeated?

 

The second interesting affair in the ACC pits our old friend Florida State (1-3) on the road against SMU (3-1). FSU won its first game last week. Will it be two in a row for the Noles? Or will Mike Norvell get run over by a Mustang?

 

The best game between a Power Four team and a Group of Five team takes place in Boise, Idaho – Washington State (4-0) is on the blue carpet against Boise State (2-1). Last week the Cougars beat San Jose State in a thriller, 54-52 (2OT). The score could be similar in this game. Maybe in reverse? Washington State may be out of gas.

 

The second-best game between a Group of Five and a Power Four team is Western Kentucky (3-1) at Boston College (3-1). The Hilltoppers are on a three-game winning streak. The Eagles are coming off a close win over Michigan State. This one could be interesting.

 

That’s your lineup for the big games in Week Five. Sounds like a weekend full of wild games to me. I think you are going to need plenty of chili dogs, cold pizza and your favorite beverage.

 

ESPN’s College GameDay is in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the Georgia-Alabama game. FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff is in Orlando, Florida, for the Colorado-UCF game. The SEC Network’s SEC Nation is in Auburn, Alabama, for the Oklahoma-Auburn game.

 

Enjoy!

 

Touchdown Tom

September 26, 2024

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

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

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: 1. Georgia (3-0) at Alabama (3-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – They say Alabama has the better offense and Georgia has the better defense. Alabama is definitely the better rushing team. The Tide is averaging 236 yards a game on the ground. The Dawgs are only averaging 146 yards a game rushing. That is a significant difference. The Dawgs, however, have played two Power Four teams and one cupcake. The Tide have played one Power Four team and two cupcakes. Passing, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has been consistent. In each of the three games, he has passed for 196 yards, 199 yards and 200 yards. That’s consistency. Milroe has completed 70.5% of his passes. Georgia quarterback Connor Beck has passed for more yards at 680. But Beck had a terrible game against Kentucky two weeks ago. He has completed 68.1% of his throws. On defense, Georgia is the king, but Bama isn’t bad. The Dawgs are holding opponents to 6 points a game. The Tide are holding opponents to 8.7 points a game. They say games are won on defense. That’s true. But when the defenses are similar, the offense makes the difference. Uga gets bathed in Tide – Alabama 21, Georgia 20.

 

RUNNER-UP: 2. Illinois (4-0) at Penn State (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC – Illinois may keep this game close, but Penn State’s offense and defense is the better of the two. The Banned Indians are a little below average on offense and a little above average on defense. The Nittany Lions are good on both. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has been a pleasant surprise this year for the Banned Indians. The Starkville, Mississippi, native has stepped up and played better than expected. Still, the Penn State defense will be a challenge for him. Will the Illinois defense be a challenge for the Nittany Lions? One thing is for certain. This game won’t end in nine overtimes. The Lions make Bielema a believer – Penn State 30, Illinois 25.

 

REST OF THE BEST: 3. Louisville (3-0) at Notre Dame (3-1) – (ACC vs. Ind.) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, Peacock – You gotta believe Notre Dame has had this game underlined, asterisked, highlighted, etc. etc. Last year, Louisville embarrassed the Irish big time. It’s time for paybacks. Notre Dame can’t afford to lose another game. If the Irish do, the CFP is out of reach. Win out and Notre Dame most likely will make the CFP. Still, Louisville won’t be easy. The Cards are playing good offense and good defense. Quarterback Tyler Shough has passed for 850 yards. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has been a little disappointing. The Fairhope, Alabama, native needs to have a breakout game. Irish keep their CFP hopes alive – Notre Dame 30, Louisville 23.

 

4. Maryland (3-1) at Indiana (4-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – This Indiana team is amazing. They are playing good offense (50.5 points a game) and good defense (9.2 points a game). Granted, three of their four opponents have been cupcakes. But the Hoosiers looked good, beating UCLA, 42-13, in Pasadena. Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke has completed 76.6% of his passes. The Canadian from Ontario has thrown for 1,013 yards. Maryland quarterback Billy Edwards isn’t shabby either. He has passed for 1,155 yards, completing 75.8% of his passes. This will be a tough game for both teams. The Hoosiers feast on Turtle soup – Indiana 28, Maryland 24.

 

5. Colorado (3-1) at UCF (3-0) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – This is a big game for UCF, with Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and Coach Prime coming to town. The weakest part of UCF’s offense is its passing game. I have to say quarterback K.J. Jefferson has been a disappointment so far. He needs a breakout game, and this could be it. The strength of the Knights’ offense has been the running of R.J. Harvey. The weakest part of UCF’s defense is defending the pass. With Sanders quarterbacking Colorado, that is a problem for UCF – a big problem. Sanders has passed for 1,340 yards, averaging 335 yards a game. He’s completed 67.9% of his passes. To the Knights’ advantage, Colorado is only averaging 69 yards a game on the ground. And the Buffs’ defense is weak. This could be a wild one. Fun times for the Knights in the Bounce House – UCF 35, Colorado 31.

 

6. Fresno State (3-1) at UNLV (3-0) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – Stunning news for UNLV – Just two days ago starting quarterback Matthew Sluka quit the team and is leaving the program. Sluka, who transferred to UNLV from Holy Cross during the offseason, said UNLV was not upholding promises that were made to him. He said that UNLV promised him $100,000. After three games, he had not been paid. Sluka had primarily been a good running quarterback for the Rebels. He was weak on passing, failing to complete 50% of his passes in three games this season. Still, the Rebels have been winning. Another transfer quarterback, Majj-Malik Williams, will now quarterback the Rebels against Fresno State. Much of UNLV’s success has been the play of its defense. The Rebels’ defense isn’t great, but it is good. Last year, UNLV lost this game by seven points in Fresno. That gives the Rebels the incentive to win it this year. But they will have a new quarterback against Fresno State. Other than the season opening loss to Michigan, Fresno State has played well this season. And the Bulldogs were only trailing Michigan 16-10 with less than six minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Fresno State has an outstanding quarterback in Mikey Keene. The Chandler, Arizona, native has passed for 1,040 yards. The Bulldogs have no running game. On defense, Fresno State is below average. The Rebels slot ’em – UNLV 30, Fresno State 27.

  

7. Washington (3-1) at Rutgers (3-0) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 8 pm ET, Friday, FOX – The Scarlet Knights are off to a good start. They hope to make the start even better on Saturday. Rutgers has a well-balanced offense – running (256 yards a game) and passing (215 yards a game). Running back Kyle Monangai is averaging 153.3 yards a game. On defense, Rutgers has been good, except for defending the run. The run defense has not been good. Washington is below average on offense, but extremely strong on defense. The Huskies will give the Rutgers offense a stern test. Washington is holding opponents to 10 points a game. Washington quarterback Will Rogers has passed for 1,048 yards. He has completed 75.8% of his passes. Rogers will give the Rutgers defense a test. The Huskies can’t penetrate the Knights’ armor – Rutgers 28, Washington 21.

 

8. Ohio State (3-0) at Michigan State (3-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, Peacock – This game should give us a truer picture of just how good Ohio State is. The Buckeyes are 3-0, but the competition has been three cupcakes – soft cupcakes. Michigan State is not a CFP contender. But the Spartans aren’t cupcakes either. Michigan State is not good on offense. However, on defense, the Spartans are good. Under first-year coach Jonathan Smith, the Spartans are competitive. Just how competitive, we’ll find out Saturday. Ohio State has a strong, well-balanced offense – running (241 yards a game) and passing (311 yards a game). The running is provided by Quinshon Jenkins and the passing is provided by Will Howard. Both were offseason transfers into Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ defense is one of the best in the country, holding opponents to 6.7 points per game. Spartans can’t crack the Buckeyes – Ohio State 31, Michigan State 19.

 

9. Washington State (4-0) at Boise State (2-1) – (Pac-2 vs. MWC) – 10 pm ET, Saturday, FS1 – You can tell by the scores that both Boise State and Washington State play good offense and lousy defense. Boise State beat Georgia Southern, 56-45, and lost to Oregon, 37-34. Washington State beat Portland State, 70-30 and beat San Jose State, 54-52 (2OT). Both teams are very strong on offense. Boise State is the better of the two on defense. Boise State’s offense is well balanced – running (311 yards per game) and passing (232 yards per game). Boise State’s running back, Ashton Jeanty, comes from Jacksonville, Florida. Jeanty has rushed for 586 yards in three games. Washington State has a running and passing quarterback – John Mateer. The Little Elm, Texas, native has passed for 1,102 yards and rushed for 425 yards in four games. The Cougars are well balanced on offense too – running (225 yards a game) and passing (291 yards a game). But Washington State does have one of the worst defenses in the country. The Broncos are too wild for the Cougars – Boise State 35, Washington State 32.

 

10. North Carolina (3-1) at Duke (4-0) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – The Dookies are off to a 4-0 start. If they make it to 5-0, it will probably be the defense that gets them there. Except for the passing of Maalik Murphy, the Duke offense is not that good. A native of Inglewood, California, Maalik has passed for 1,016 yards, completing 64.4% of his throws. Duke’s defense is pretty sound. North Carolina has an okay offense with a weak defense. The Tar Heels began the season losing their starting quarterback to injury. They are now on their third quarterback – Jacolby Criswell. He passed for 475 yards in UNC’s 70-50 loss to James Madison. The best part of North Carolina’s offense is running back Omarion Hampton. He is good but hasn’t been at his best yet. Maybe he will have a breakout game against Duke. It will be interesting to see how the Tar Heels respond to the loss to James Madison. The Devil has his blue dress on – Duke 31, North Carolina 30.

   

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Nebraska (3-1) at Purdue (1-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, Peacock – After the setback in Lincoln last week, Nebraska should get back on track this week in West Lafayette. The way Purdue has been playing, it doesn’t take a lot to beat the Boilers. Nebraska’s defense is basically good – it’s strong, solid and stable. It’s the Nebraska offense that needs some work – maybe a lot of work. There is some good news on offense. That would be at the quarterback position. Buford, Georgia, native Dylan Raiola is performing well for a first-year freshman. Raiola has passed for 967 yards in four games. He has completed 72.4% of his passes. He should improve each week. As Raiola improves so should the rest of the offense. Purdue, on the other hand, appears to be downright hapless. The Boilers are bad on offense and defense. The defense is giving up 35 points a game. Quarterback Hudson Card has been disappointing. Herbie cools the Boilers – Nebraska 34, Purdue 17.

 

Mississippi State (1-3) at Texas (4-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4:15 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Texas has completed its four-game nonconference schedule. Now the Longhorns are ready to start their SEC play. The schedulers were kind to Texas. Mississippi State is the perfect opponent for easing into SEC competition. Miss State is the Purdue of the SEC. What was the only bright spot for the Bulldogs is no longer bright. Quarterback Blake Shapen was injured in last week’s game against Florida and is out for the season. Shapen had passed for 974 yards in four games. Freshman Michael Van Buren will be the starting quarterback against Texas. Miss State’s defense is one of the worst in the country. Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is still on the mend. Arch Manning will be quarterbacking again this week. Manning benefits from having a good offense and defense around him. On defense Texas is holding opponents to 5.5 points a game. Bevo bullies Bully – Texas 49, Mississippi State 20.

 

 

ELSEWHERE A ROUBND FLORIDA:

 

South Florida (2-2) at Tulane (2-2) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPNU….

West Florida (1-1) at Grand Valley State (3-0) – (Gulf South vs. Great Lakes) – 3 pm ET, Saturday….

 

Alabama State (1-2) at Bethune-Cookman (0-4) – (SWAC vs. SWAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday….

Wagner (2-2) at Florida Atlantic (1-3) – (Northeast vs. AAC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

 

Louisiana Tech (1-2) at FIU (1-3) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN+….

Florida State (1-3) at SMU (3-1) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN….

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“What I fear is there’s only gonna be like three or four male sports and five or six women’s sports and that’s it,” former Florida State and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher on what paying the athletes will do to college sports.

 

“Here’s what bothers me. No one has stepped up and wants to do what’s right for college football. There needs to be a commissioner,” former Florida State and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, on the changes in college football doing damage to the sport.

 

“Jimbo Fisher’s beliefs are common among coaches, though few share their issues to the public out of fear of ridicule,” CBS Sports college football columnist/analyst Brandon Marcello.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

CFW Week 4 Results - For West Virginia, it was deja vu in reverse

 CFW Week 4 Results – For West Virginia, it was déjà vu in reverse

Lincoln Riley can’t win for losing, while

Josh Heupel had a happy homecoming

 

And the drought is over in Tallahassee.

 

USC coach Lincoln Riley can’t win for losing. Actually, he can’t win because his teams can’t play defense. His teams can’t run the ball either.

 

In his third season with the Trojans, Riley is 21-9. Two years ago, Riley’s first year at USC, the Trojans’ opponents averaged 29.1 points a game. USC was 11-3, but lost twice to Utah, 43-42 and 47-24, and to Tulane, 46-45. Last year, USC finished 8-5. The Trojans’ opponents averaged 34.4 points a game.

 

Saturday, USC came into The Big House to play Michigan. The Trojans, 2-0, were favored. The Wolverines beat USC, 27-24. Just two weeks prior, Michigan only scored 12 points in a 31-12 loss to Texas. Saturday, the Wolverines held the Trojans to 96 yards rushing. Michigan had 290 yards rushing.

 

In 1999 and 2000, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel was the starting quarterback for Oklahoma. In 2000, Oklahoma won the BCS national championship. Heupel was a first-team All-American. He won the Walter Camp Award and the Archie Griffin Award. And he was the AP College Football Player of the Year.

 

After graduating from Oklahoma in 2001, Heupel returned to the Sooners in 2006 to be the quarterbacks coach under Bob Stoops. In 2011, he remained the quarterbacks coach, but also became the co-offensive coordinator for Oklahoma. However, at the end of the 2014 season, Stoops fired Heupel.

 

Heupel went on the become the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utah State and Missouri. In 2018, he became the head coach of UCF. Then in 2021, Heupel was named the head coach at Tennessee.

 

Saturday, Heupel returned to Norman, Oklahoma. His Tennessee Volunteers had a game against the Sooners. Entering the fourth quarter, Tennessee led Oklahoma, 22-3. The Vols, holding the Sooners to 36 yards rushing, went on to beat Oklahoma, 25-15. Indeed, it was a happy homecoming for Josh Heupel in Norman. 

 

It was a struggle for Florida State. At times, it didn’t look like the Noles were going to do it. But they did. The drought is over. After starting the season 0-4, 0-5 going back to last year, Florida State overcame the pressure, hung on and beat California, 14-9.

 

Florida State scored first and scored last. In between, Cal kicked three field goals. Entering the fourth quarter, the Golden Bears led, 9-7. Cal outdistanced Florida State in total yards, 410 to 284. But ultimately, it was the Noles’ defense that rose to the occasion and kept Cal out of the end zone. 

 

College football Week 4 began Thursday night in Boone, North Carolina. South Alabama came to town and demolished Appalachian State, 48-14. Jaguars quarterback Gio Lopez passed for 154 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 105 yards and another touchdown. South Alabama, under first-year coach Major Applewhite, began the season 0-2, but have won their last two games to become 2-2. After the game, App State fans trashed coach Shawn Clark on social media, demanding he be fired.

 

The following day, Friday night lights gave us Friday night excitement. Three games were played and all three went down to the wire – two ending in overtime. In the first game, the outcome was decided as the time expired in regulation. Stanford kicker Emmet Kinney kicked a 39-yard field goal as the clock expired. Stanford beat Syracuse, 26-24. Just three minutes earlier, Syracuse had taken a 24-23 lead in the game. Syracuse suffered its first loss.

 

In the next game, Illinois and Nebraska fought to a 24-24 finish at the end of regulation. It only took one overtime to settle the outcome. Illinois scored a touchdown and Nebraska failed to score. The Banned Indians beat the Huskers, 27-24 (OT). Nebraska suffered its first loss. Illinois is 4-0.

 

If the first two games on Friday night weren’t thrilling enough, the third and final game certainly was. It went to two overtimes. In a game where the two teams combined for 1,118 total yards, Washington State and San Jose State finished tied 46-46 in regulation. Washington State kicker Dean Janikowski kicked a 52-yard field goal as time expired to tie the score. Neither team scored in the first overtime. In the second overtime, both scored a touchdown. But Washington State made its two-point conversion and San Jose State didn’t. The Cougars beat the Spartans, 54-52 (2OT). San Jose State suffered its first loss. Washington State is 4-0. 

 

Survival. Florida coach Billy Napier lives for another game. Saturday, the Gators went on the road and beat a hapless Mississippi State team, 45-28. Napier will take all the victories he can get.

 

A reversal of fate in Morgantown. Last week, West Virginia led Pitt, 34-24, with less than four minutes to go in the game. But Pitt scored two touchdowns in the final 3:06 of the game to beat the Mountaineers, 38-34. Saturday, West Virginia trailed Kansas, 28-17, with less than four minutes to go in the game. But the Mountaineers scored two touchdowns in the final 3:27 of the game to beat Kansas, 32-28.

 

Basketball season has begun on Tobacco Road. James Madison beat North Carolina, 70-50. Actually, it was football, believe it or not. JMU and North Carolina combined for 1,227 total yards.

 

Auburn fans were unhappy Saturday. Gator Gabe can testify to that. He was at the game with his girlfriend. Her older sister goes to Auburn. Arkansas came to town and ruined the day for the Tigers. The Razorbacks beat War Eagle, 24-14. With five turnovers, it was a mistake prone day for Auburn.

 

Conversely, Rutgers fans were happy on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights are 3-0. Rutgers kicker Jai Patel kicked a 24-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining in the game. Rutgers hung on to beat Virginia Tech, 26-23.

 

This sailor has been eating his spinach. Navy quarterback Blake Horvath was simply amazing, scoring six touchdowns. Navy beat a good Memphis team, 56-44. Horvath passed for 192 yards and two touchdowns. As if that wasn’t enough, he rushed for 211 yards and another four touchdowns. The Middies are 3-0.

 

For two quarters, LSU struggled with UCLA. The score was 17-17 at halftime. But the Tigers woke up in the second half, while the Bruins went to sleep. LSU outscored UCLA 17-0 in the final two quarters. The Tigers beat the Bruins, 34-17. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was 32-44-0, passing for 352 yards and three touchdowns.

 

Midway through the fourth quarter, Utah led Oklahoma State 22-3. Then, in a four-minute span, the Cowboys scored two touchdowns. With 1:47 to play, the Utes only led by three points. But Utah hung on to beat Oklahoma State, 22-19.

 

Vanderbilt is a strange team this year. They beat Virginia Tech. Then the Commodores lost to Georgia State. Saturday, at the end of regulation, Vandy was tied with Missouri, 20-20. It took Mizzou two overtimes to shake off the Dores. Missouri survived Vanderbilt, 30-27 (2OT).

 

SMU-TCU is a big rivalry, going back many years. The two schools are only 32 miles apart. In recent years, TCU has dominated the rivalry. But not on Saturday. SMU cleaned up on TCU, 66-42. Amazing when TCU quarterback Josh Hoover passed for 396 yards. But the Horned Frogs had five turnovers.

 

Miami quarterback Cam Ward is still performing his tricks. Saturday, Ward passed for 404 yards and three touchdowns, as Miami blasted South Florida, 50-15. The Canes only led 22-15 at the half. But they outscored USF 28-0 in the second half.

 

Bowling Green is giving teams nightmares this season. Last week, Penn State struggled to beat the Falcons, 34-27. Saturday, Texas A&M really struggled to put down Bowling Green, 26-20.

 

Baylor went up on Colorado 10-7 early in the second quarter. The Bears never trailed Colorado again until the end of overtime. Trailing Baylor 31-24 in the closing seconds, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders connected with receiver LaJohntay Wester on a 43-yard Hail Mary pass, as the clock expired. At 31-31, Colorado put the game into overtime. The Buffs scored and the Bears didn’t. Colorado beat Baylor, 38-31 (OT). Sanders passed for 341 yards.

 

The Ivy League began play Saturday. It was primarily a good day for the Ivies, as five of the eight teams opened their seasons with wins. Brown beat Georgetown, 26-14; Columbia downed Lafayette, 31-20; Dartmouth defeated Fordham, 45-13; Harvard beat Stetson, 35-0, and Yale edged Holy Cross, 38-31.

 

Three Ivy League teams came out on the losing end of their games. Cornell fell to Colgate, 41-24, Princeton lost to Lehigh, 35-20, and Penn was defeated by Delaware, 29-22.

 

After you went to bed Saturday night, Fresno State beat New Mexico, 38-21, and Boise State downed Portland State, 56-14.

 

Talk about humiliation: In its last two games Kent State has lost by a combined score of 127-0. The Golden Flashes lost to Penn State, 56-0, and to Tennessee, 71-0. But I’m sure they made a lot of money off of those two games.

 

Texas (4-0) remains No. 1 in this week’s AP Poll. The Longhorns are followed by 2. Georgia (3-0), 3. Ohio State (3-0), 4. Alabama (3-0), 5. Tennessee (4-0), and 6. Ole Miss (4-0).

 

The only two undefeated teams in the AAC are the two service academies. Navy is 3-0 and Army is 3-0.

 

Rockledge Gator was ready for his football Saturday morning. He was watching SEC Nation and sent me a text message: “Laura has some leg action this morning.” Last week, Laura said she is thinking about hosting a cooking show. I hope she does. That’s all it would take to get Rockledge Gator into the kitchen. Of course, Bootsie would have a nervous breakdown.  

 

Andrew Hughes, a writer/blogger for Fly War Eagle, wrote that Florida State and Clemson just wasted everybody’s time with their threats and suits to leave the ACC. Once the two schools found out the Big Ten and the SEC didn’t want them, they started cozying to the ACC again. 

 

“When the world is ready to fall on your little shoulders. And when you’re feeling lonely and small. You need somebody there to hold you. You can call out my name when you’re only lonely. Now, don’t you ever be ashamed, you’re only lonely….” Singer, songwriter and actor J.D. Souther died last week. Souther wrote and co-wrote songs that were recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles, among others. He wrote and co-wrote some of the Eagles’ biggest hits – “Best of My Love,” “Victim of Love,” “Heartache Tonight,” “James Dean,” “New Kid in Town” and “How Long.” As a singer, Southern recorded two major hit songs in his solo career – “You’re Only Lovely” (1979) and “Her Town Too” (1981), a duet with his longtime friend James Taylor. Souther and the Eagles Glenn Frey were roommates in Los Angeles in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, he was a member of the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay. They released two albums and had a minor hit with “Fallin’ in Love” in 1974. In the mid-1970s, Souther recorded with Don Henley, Christopher Cross and Dan Fogelberg. His biggest solo hit – “You’re Only Lonely” reached No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in the fall of 1979. His duet with James Taylor, “Her Town Too.” Reached No. 11 on billboard’s Hot 100 in the spring of 1981. He wrote “Faithless Love” for Linda Ronstadt. He co-wrote Don Henley’s 1989 hit song “The Heart of the Matter.” As an actor he appeared in several films and television shows, including the television dramas “Thirtysomething” and “Nashville,” and the film “Postcards from the Edge” (1990). He dated Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks in the 1970s. A native of Detroit, John David Souther was 78. “….When you need somebody around on the nights that try you. Remember, I was there when you were a queen. And I’ll be the last one there beside you. So you can call out my name when you’re only lonely. Now, don’t you ever be ashamed, you’re only lonely.”

 

Author of adventure and suspense novels Nelson DeMille died last week. DeMille authored several best-selling novels, including “Plum Island,” “The Charm School,” “The General’s Daughter,” “Cathedral,” “The Talbot Odyssey” and “The Gold Coast, among others. He was a graduate of Hofstra University and a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. A native of New York City, Nelson Richard DeMille was 81.

 

Songwriter, performer and writer Billy Edd Wheeler died last week. Wheeler wrote many songs, including “Jackson,” “The Reverend Mr. Black,” “Desert Pete,” “High Flyin’ Bird,” “It’s Midnight,” and “Coward of the County,” among others. His songs were recorded by more than 160 singers, including Johnny Cash and June Carter, Judy Collins, Jefferson Airplane, Bobby Darin, Richie Havens, The Kingston Trio, Neil Young, Kenny Rogers, Kathy Mattea, Nancy Sinatra and Elvis Presley, among others. Wheeler was the author and composer of eight plays and musicals. He was the author of eight books of humor. Wheeler served in the U.S. Navy. From 1961 to 1962, he attended the Yale School of Drama. A native of Boone County, West Virginia, Billy Edward Wheeler was 91.   

 

Mercury Morris, a running back and kick returner, primarily for the Miami Dolphins, died Saturday. He played college football at West Texas State (now West Texas A&M), where he was an All-American. He played seven seasons for the Miami Dolphins (1969-1975) and one year for the San Diego Chargers (1976). Morris played in three Super Bowls, winning twice. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Eugene Edward Morris was 77.

 

(The next CFW – Week 5 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, September 26.)

 

Touchdown Tom

September 23, 2024

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

Weekend Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Heupel was the homecoming king – Tennessee 25, Oklahoma 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 35, Oklahoma 24). Tennessee was favored to beat Oklahoma and the Vols didn’t disappoint. They played like favorites throughout the game. The Vols took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game. Tennessee kept Oklahoma out of the end zone until the 8:25 mark in the fourth quarter. The Vols controlled time of possession: 35:41 to 24:28. Tennessee held Oklahoma to 36 yards rushing and 222 total yards. The Vols only problem during the game was penalties. They had 10 of them. Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was 13-21-0, passing for 194 yards and one touchdown. Actually, Oklahoma played pretty good defense. The Sooners held the Vols to only two touchdowns. Oklahoma definitely has a quarterback problem. Attendance in Norman: 84,701

 

RUNNER-UP: Too little too late – Utah 22, Oklahoma State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 21, Utah 18). Oklahoma State scored first with a 23-yard field goal at the 8:43 mark in the first quarter. The Cowboys never scored again until there was 5:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. In between, it was all Utah – two touchdowns and three field goals. Utah dominated ball control: 42:26 to 17:24. Okie State hardly ever had the ball. The Cowboys only had 48 yards rushing. Utah running back Micah Bernard was the difference in the game. Bernard rushed for 182 yards. Utah appears to be the team to beat in the Big 12. Attendance in Stillwater: 52,202

 

REST OF THE BEST: Cougars won the Cat fight – BYU 38, Kansas State 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 27, BYU 21). If Utah isn’t the team to beat in the Big 12, then it could be BYU. Wow! Where did the Cougars come from? Although, I must say Kansas State didn’t help themselves with three turnovers. And BYU took advantage of those turnovers. K-State had more total yards – 367 to 241. But the Wildcats couldn’t punch the ball over the goal line. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff was 15-21-0, passing for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Provo: 64,201

 

Herbie’s not ready for prime time – Illinois 27, Nebraska 24 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 21, Illinois 19). If you like touchdown passes, this game had seven of them. Illinois’ Luke Altmyer passed for four touchdowns, while Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola had three touchdown tosses. Throughout the game, neither team led by more than seven points. Illinois took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. But by the time the quarter was over, Nebraska had eclipsed the Illinois lead. The Huskers were up 10-7 at the beginning of the second quarter. Nebraska never trailed again until the end of overtime. The score was tied on three occasions – 10-10 in the second quarter, 17-17 in the third quarter and 24-24 at the end of regulation. In overtime, Illinois scored first and scored quickly. When Nebraska got the ball, the Huskers went in the wrong direction – losing ground instead of gaining. Raiola was 24-35-1, passing for 297 yards. Altmyer was 21-27-0, passing for 215 yards. Nebraska’s weakness was its rushing game. The Huskers didn’t have one – only rushing for 48 yards. Illinois rushed for 166 yards. That was the big and obvious difference in the game. The good news for Nebraska – Dylan Raiola has a bright future. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,936

 

They play basketball in Chapel Hill – James Madison 70, North Carolina 50 (Touchdown Tom said: North Carolina 30, James Madison 25). What a start! The two teams combined for 39 points in the first quarter. Five turnovers killed the Tar Heels. JMU controlled possession: 34:04 to 25:56. The Dukes got the first score – a field goal with just 1:04 elapsed in the first quarter. The Tar Heels got the final points – a touchdown with 1:18 left in the game. JMU quarterback Alonza Barnett passed for 385 yards and five touchdowns. Barnett rushed for 99 yards and two more touchdowns. UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell passed for 475 yards and three touchdowns. Criswell also threw two interceptions. After the game, North Carolina coach Mack Brown said he wasn’t retiring. Maybe not now, but I’m thinking he might at the end of the season. Attendance in Chapel Hill: 50,500

 

Not in our house – Michigan 27, USC 24 (Touchdown Tom said: USC 27, Michigan 20). Michigan took the initial lead – 7-0 with 3:10 left in the first quarter. The Wolverines held the lead until the 7:01 mark in the fourth quarter. That’s when USC went up for the first time, 24-20. But the Trojans couldn’t add to their lead. In the final drive of the game, Michigan running back Kalel Mullings took control. He literally ran the ball down the field – a little bit here, a little bit there. USC couldn’t stop him. Mullings scored the winning touchdown with 0:37 remaining in the game. Mullings finished with 159 yards rushing. He averaged 9.4 yards a carry. Michigan won the game with only 32 yards passing. USC quarterback Miller Moss was 28-51-1, passing for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 110,702

 

Spartans couldn’t hold onto the ball – Boston College 23, Michigan State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 24, Michigan State 21). The lead changed hands five times in this game. Michigan State took the first lead at 3-0, and then it went back and forth. At the 9:06 mark in the third quarter, the score was tied – 16-16. Five minutes later, Michigan State went up 19-16. With 1:28 on the clock in the fourth quarter, BC scored on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Castellanos to Lewis Bond. Michigan State dominated most of the stats, including turnovers. The Spartans had four of them. BC had one. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 44,500

 

Cardinals get stingy in the second half – Louisville 31, Georgia Tech 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Louisville 27, Georgia Tech 24). Louisville had a three-point lead at halftime. Then the Cardinals increased their lead in the second half, keeping Tech out of the end zone. The Yellow Jackets only managed a field goal and a safety in the second half. Neither team could run the ball. Louisville only had 63 yards rushing. Both were good at passing. Tech quarterback Haynes King was 21-32-0, passing for 312 yards. Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough was 13-19-0, passing for 269 yards and two touchdowns. Louisville receiver Ja’Corey Brooks had four receptions for 125 yards. Louisville appears to be a contender for the ACC crown. Attendance in Louisville: 50,727

 

The Hokies were in a rut – Rutgers 26, Virginia Tech 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Rutgers 28, Virginia Tech 27). Entering the fourth quarter, Rutgers led 23-7. But Virginia Tech scored two back-to-back fourth quarter touchdowns. With 4:35 to go, the score was 23-23. Rutgers added a field goal at the 1:56 mark. Amazingly, Rutgers controlled ball possession: 39:23 to 20:37. Tech quarterback Kyron Drones had a terrible game, completing less than 50% of his passes. He only threw for 137 yards. Rutgers had 25 first downs to 14 for Tech. The Scarlet Knights are 3-0. Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632

 

The Eyes have it – Iowa 31, Minnesota 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 20, Minnesota 17). Minnesota led 14-7 at halftime. It was all Iowa in the second half. The Hawkeyes outscored the Gophers 17-0 in the final two quarters. Minnesota only had 79 yards rushing; Iowa only had 62 yards passing. Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 9.8 yards a carry. Does Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck have a pulse? Attendance in Minneapolis: 52,048

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPIMG GROUNDS:

 

Didn’t we see this ending last week? – West Virginia 32, Kansas 28 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 27, Kansas 23). Talk about two similar endings in back-to-back games with opposite outcomes. Last week, West Virginia blew a 10-point lead with less than four minutes to go in the game. Saturday, West Virginia overcame an 11-point deficit with less than four minutes to go in the game. Hollywood could not have scripted it any better. WVU had two early leads – 7-0 in the first quarter and 14-7 at halftime. The game was tied twice – 7-7 in the second quarter and 14-14 in the third quarter. Then WVU went up 17-14 at the 7:03 mark in the third quarter. Kansas proceeded to score back-to-back touchdowns. WVU followed with back-to-back touchdowns. Oh, and in between, there was a long weather delay. The teams were nearly dead even in the stats. Kansas was the better rushing team. West Virginia was the better passing team. The Jayhawks did control ball possession: 36:47 to 23:13. WVU has the week off to let this one sink in. Attendance in Morgantown: 52,428

 

Survival in Starkville – Florida 45, Mississippi State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 28, Mississippi State 20). Florida built up a 28-7 second quarter lead and then maintained status quo. There was a lot of offense in the game and very little defense. The teams combined for 983 total yards. Miss State had 240 yards rushing. Florida had 277 yards passing. Florida, of course, played both quarterbacks. Graham Mertz was 19-for-21 passing, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. D.J Lagway was 7-for-7 passing, with no TDs and no interceptions. Florida has the week off to get its act together for UCF. Attendance in Starkville: 49,655

 

The cupcake tasted good – Duke 45, Middle Tennessee 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 31, Middle Tennessee 20). The Dookies had a 35-10 lead at halftime and increased it to 38-10 early in the third quarter. When Duke had the ball the Dookies scored quickly. Middle Tennessee dominated ball possession: 36:15 to 23:45. The Blue Raiders had four turnovers. Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy was 14-21-1, passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns. Duke is 4-0. Attendance in Murfreesboro: 15,209

 

Manning not so hot – Texas 51, ULM 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 52, ULM 12). Texas led 28-3 at halftime and went on to crush ULM. The Horns had 26 first downs to 7 for ULM. Texas had 497 total yards to 111 for the Warhawks. ULM only had 57 yards rushing and 54 yards passing. In spite of the dominance by Texas, Arch Manning didn’t look all that good. Manning threw two interceptions and barely completed 50% of his passes. Attendance in Austin: 102,850

 

Boilers were pelted – Oregon State 38, Purdue 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon State 28, Purdue 27). It’s going to be a long, long season for Purdue. The Boilers only passed for 17 yards. They only had 13 first downs. Purdue did have 263 yards rushing. Boilers running back Devin Mockobee rushed for 168 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 10.5 yards a carry. Oregon State never trailed in the game. Attendance in Corvallis: 34,340

 

Week 4 Results:  10 winners, 5 fumbles (66.7 percent)

For the Season:  42 winners, 19 fumbles (68.9 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

Harvard 35, Stetson 0 – Attendance in Cambridge: 4,488

Clark Atlanta 38, Bethune-Cookman 37 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 8,129

Monmouth 45, FIU 42 – Attendance in Miami: 17,922

 

Florida State 14, California 9 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 55,107

Miami 50, South Florida 15 – Attendance in Tampa: 58,616

 

Connecticut 48, FAU 14 – Attendance in East Hartford: 20,144

Troy 34, Florida A&M 12 – Attendance in Troy: 29,024

West Alabama 35, West Florida 33 (2OT) – Attendance in Pensacola: 5,103

 

 

Superlatives

 

Impressive Passers:

 

North Carolina’s Jacolby Criswell – 28-48-2 for 475 yards (3TDs); Miami of Florida’s Cam Ward – 24-34-1-404 (3TDs); TCU’s Josh Hoover – 28-43-2-396 (3TDs); James Madison’s Alonza Barnett – 22-34-0-388 (5TDs); Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart – 27-31-1-382 (4TDs); San Jose State’s Emmett Brown – 35-54-2-375 (4TDs), and Washington State’s John Mateer – 26-46-2-380 (4TDs).

 

Also, Hawaii’s Brayden Schager – 35-43-2 for 374 yards (4TDs); Memphis’ Seth Henigan – 32-56-1-371 (2TDs); FIU’s Keyone Jenkins – 22-31-0-349 (2TDs); Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders – 25-41-0-341 (2TDs); Syracuse’s Kyle McCord – 27-42-2-339 (2TDs); New Mexico’s Devon Dampier – 33-53-2-338 (1TD), and Maryland’s Billy Edwards – 28-32-1-328 (2TDs).

 

 

Impressive Rushers:

 

Navy’s Blake Horvath – 211 yards (4TDs); Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson – 206 yards (3TDs); Missouri’s Nate Noel – 199 yards; Utah’s Micah Bernard – 182 yards; Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins – 173 yards (2TDs); Virginia’s Xavier Brown – 171 yards, and Purdue’s Devin Mockobee – 168 yards (1TD).

 

Also, Tulane’s Makhi Hughes – 166 yards (1TD); Michigan’s Kalel Mullings – 159 yards (2TDs); Colorado State’s Avery Morrow – 156 yards (2TDs); Connecticut’s Durell Robinson – 256 yards (2TDs); Central Michigan’s B.J. Harris – 151 yards, and Utah State’s Rahsul Faison – 148 yards (1TD).

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“It’s pretty funny. When I got let go at Florida a couple of years ago, they asked me and I said I’d go hire Lane Kiffin right now. If you are going to get rid of me, I’d go hire Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss right now. I don’t know if that is something that would interest him or not. But I think a couple of years ago he probably would have taken the job if offered to him,” former Florida coach Dan Mullen, on whom he recommended that Florida should hire in 2021 when Mullen was fired.

 

“Matt Rhule has two career wins against ranked opponents in his career. He’s 2-20 versus ranked opponents. Has anyone in college football made as much money with so few notable wins?,” Heartland College Sports.

 

“I’m not resigning,” North Carolina coach Mack Brown, after the Tar Heels lost to James Madison, 70-50.

 

“I am in. We’re not talking about a football team. We’re talking about a legitimate reality show. Move over Golden Bachelor, I mean this is the most exciting thing on television right now. But in all the dramatics, I don’t think we’ve seen anything quite like the scene last night,” ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum, on Colorado’s Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expired that put them into overtime.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but near the end of September, as the college football season was about to move into its second month, the number one song in the country…

 

…80 years ago, this week in 1944, was “Swinging On A Star” by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra

 

…75 years ago, this week in 1949, was “You’re Breaking My Heart” Vic Damone with Glenn Osser’s Orchestra

 

…70 years ago, this week in 1954, was “Sh-Boom” by The Crew-Cuts with David Carroll and His Orchestra

 

…65 years ago, this week in 1959, was “Sleep Walk” by Santo & Johnny

 

…60 years ago, this week in 1964, was “The House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals

 

…55 years ago, this week in 1969, was “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies

 

…50 years ago, this week in 1974, was “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” by Barry White

 

…45 years ago, this week in 1979, was “My Sharona” by The Knack

 

…40 years ago, this week in 1984, was “Missing You” by John Waite

 

…35 years ago, this week in 1989, was “Girl, I’m Gonna Miss You” by Milli Vanilli