CFW Week 2 Results - Willie the Wildcat to the rescue

 CFW Week 2 Results – Willie the Wildcat to the rescue

The SEC got its groove back, for the most part, while Notre Dame’s groove is MIA

 

Wow! What a weekend! It had a little bit of everything. Some games went as expected, while others had totally unexpected outcomes. Where to begin?

 

Well, after suffering three key and big losses the previous weekend, the SEC bounced back Saturday – for the most part. The SEC was dominant and overwhelming in its two feature games. In The Big House, in Ann Arbor, Texas made mincemeat out of the Wolverines. The Longhorns soundly beat Michigan, 31-12. Bo Schembechler was rolling in his grave and Jim Harbaugh was choking on his guacamole. But the ghost of Darrell Royal was dancing the Texas Two Step, while singing, “Deep in the Heart….” Texas is 2-0, Michigan is 1-1.

 

In the other feature game, Tennessee made ground beef out of the Wolf Pack – every Wolf in the Pack. The Vols easily beat NC State, 51-10. Davy Crocket would have been proud. “Good ol’ Rocky Top.” The Vols were getting their corn from a jar. Tennessee improved to 2-0. NC State is now 1-1.

 

Remember, I said, “for the most part.” In three other games, the SEC was not dominant and overwhelming. Instead, these three SEC teams were dominated and overwhelmed. These three SEC teams were a combined 0-3.

 

Arkansas almost made it 1-2. The Razorbacks put up a good fight against Oklahoma State. Better than expected. Sam Pittman’s belly was shaking like a bowl full of jelly. But in the end, Arkansas fell to the Cowboys, 39-31 in two overtimes. Okie State is 2-0. Arkansas is 1-1.

 

Next, the Tigers of Auburn went down to the plains on Saturday and were met with a big surprise. Saturday was the day the Teddy Bears were having their picnic. The California Bears feasted on the Auburn Tigers to the tune of 21-14. The Bears were having a lovely time on Saturday. Aubie was not. California is 2-0, Auburn is 1-1.

 

And finally, Bully got caught in a sand trap in the desert southwest. Mississippi State fell to Arizona State, 30-23. Entering the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils led the Bulldogs, 30-10. Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo rushed for 262 yards. He also had three receptions for 35 yards. Arizona State improved to 2-0. Miss State fell to 1-1.

 

So, the two UT’s – Texas and Tennessee – restored the SEC’s honor. While Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State put blemishes on the SEC’s honor.

 

What happened in South Bend? I’m sure the Irish were hoping what happened in South Bend would stay in South Bend. Not to be. It was too tumultuous. Northern Illinois, yes, Northern Illinois shocked Notre Dame, 16-14. NIU kicker Kanon Woodill kicked a 35-yard field goal with 0:31 remaining in the game to win it for the Huskies. Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard threw two interceptions, while NIU running back Antario Brown rushed for 99 yards. The Huskies dominated time of possession – 34:38 to 25:22. And they held the Irish to 286 total yards.

 

Notre Dame was a 29-point favorite over NIU. During his post-game press conference, Northern Illinois coach Thomas Hammock was so emotional he was crying – tears of joy. The Huskies are 2-0, while the Irish are 1-1.

 

This happened to Notre Dame two years ago in their second game of the season. Marshall upset the Irish, 26-21. That same year, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman lost 16-14 to a 3-9 Stanford team. Freeman is now 20-9, coaching the Irish. At most other schools, that would be an acceptable record. It may not be acceptable in South Bend. But I’m sure the loss to NIU raised some eyebrows. Freeman needs to tread carefully for the rest of the season. Stay tuned.

 

College football Week 2 began with three games Friday night. In the first game, Indiana flexed its muscles, beating Western Illinois, 77-3. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was 15-17-0, passing for 268 yards and two touchdowns. It was Indiana’s most points scored in a football game in 123 years. The previous record was 76 points scored in a 76-0 victory over Franklin College in 1901. Indiana is 2-0.

 

Next, BYU kicked a 26-yard field goal to break a 15-15 tie with 1:58 remaining to beat SMU, 18-15. There were six field goals in the game – five for SMU and one for BYU. It was also a game of miscues, with six turnovers – three by each team. BYU is 2-0, while SMU fell to 2-1.

 

In Friday’s nightcap, Duke scored in the second overtime and Northwestern didn’t. The Dookies beat the Wildcats, 26-20 (2OT). Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy was 24-39-1, passing for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Perhaps the best part of the game occurred in the second half when a rabbit hopped onto the field. Many attempts were made to chase the rabbit away. None were successful, until Northwestern mascot, Willie the Wildcat approached the rabbit. One look at Willie and the rabbit hightailed it out of there. The Dookies are 2-0. Northwestern is 1-1.

 

There were other big games on Saturday. Two of the best were Oregon 37, Boise State 34, and Nebraska 28, Colorado 10.

 

In Eugene, Boise State led Oregon, 34-27, with less than 10 minutes to go in the game. With 9:59 remaining on the clock, Oregon scored a touchdown to tie the score at 34-34. Then, as time expired on the clock, the Ducks Atticus Sappington kicked a 25-yard field goal to give Oregon the three-point win. Don’t know what to think of the Ducks yet. That was their close encounter of the second time. Oregon is 2-0. Boise State fell to 1-1.

 

In Lincoln, the Colorado-Nebraska game was called the revenge game. Well, the Huskers got their revenge. Nebraska downed Colorado, 28-10. Until 8:45 left in the game, the Huskers led the Buffaloes, 28-3. Nebraska moved to 2-0. Colorado fell to 1-1.

 

I don’t know what Penn State’s problems were, but the Nittany Lions had problems overcoming Bowling Green, 34-27. Penn State never led in the game until 6:13 to go in the third quarter. Penn State improved to 2-0.

 

Georgia Tech is no longer undefeated. But Syracuse is. The Orange (2-0) beat the Yellow Jackets (2-1), 31-28. Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord had a great game for the Cuse. McCord passed for 381 yards and four touchdowns.

 

Pitt was trailing Cincinnati 27-6 late in the third quarter. The Panthers proceeded to score 26 points (three touchdowns and a field goal) in the final 15:46 of the game to beat the Bearcats, 28-27. Pitt’s winning field goal – a 35-yarder – came with 0:17 remaining in the game. Pitt is 2-0. Cincinnati is 1-1.

 

The Big Ten won its challenge with the Big 12 – two games to one. As mentioned above, Nebraska beat Colorado. Illinois knocked off Kansas, 23-17, to give the Big Ten its two wins. The Big 12’s lone win came when Iowa State edged Iowa, 20-19. The Cyclones trailed the Hawkeyes, 19-7, with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter. Iowa State proceeded to score 13 points (a touchdown and two field goals) to win the game. The winning field goal – a 54-yarder – came with 0:06 left in the game.

 

South Carolina defied the forecasters – big time. The Gamecocks trounced Kentucky, in Lexington, 31-6. South Carolina’s defense was outstanding. The Gamecocks are 2-0. Kentucky is 1-1. Likewise, Michigan State stunned Maryland in College Park, 27-24. The Spartans scored a touchdown and a field goal in the final 4:11 to overcome a 24-17 deficit. The winning 37-yard field goal came with 0:01 on the clock. Michigan State is 2-0. Maryland is 1-1.

 

UTSA-Texas State was supposed to be a big game between two strong Group of Five teams. It wasn’t. Texas State overpowered UTSA, 49-10. Meanwhile, UCF remained undefeated (2-0), beating Sam Houston, 45-14.

 

Clemson won bigger than expected, while Oklahoma won closer than expected. The Tigers took care of Appalachian State, 66-20. Clemson racked up 712 total yards, with quarterback Cade Klubnik passing for 378 of those yards. Meanwhile, Oklahoma squeezed by Houston, 16-12. Early in the third quarter, the Sooners led the Cougars, 14-12. OU got a two-point safety with 1:42 left in the game. OU is 2-0, while Houston is 0-2.

 

After you went to bed, Washington State (2-0) beat Texas Tech (1-1), 37-16. The Red Raiders had four turnovers. Oregon State (2-0) downed San Diego State (1-1), 21-0, and USC beat Utah State, 48-0. The Trojans Miller Moss passed for 229 yards. USC is 2-0.

 

If every weekend is like this past one, we’re in for a hell of a rollercoaster ride this fall.

 

Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes died last week. His career took off with worldwide hits by his band Brasil 66. Mendez and his band were known for playing bossa nova, sometimes bossa nova mixed with funk. Mendes played piano. He and Brasil 66 had four songs reach the Billboard Top 40 between 1968 and 1984 – three made it to the Top 10. Their biggest hits were “The Look of Love,” which peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song was popular in the spring and summer of 1968. “Never Gonna Let You Go” was a hit in the spring and summer of 1983, peaking at No. 4. And finally, “The Fool On the Hill” during the fall of 1968. It peaked at No. 6 on the charts. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sergio Santos Mendes was 83. 

 

Touchdown Tom

September 9, 2024

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

(The next CFW – Week 3 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, September 12.)

 

 

Week Two Recap

 

GAME OF THE WEEK: Bevo is king – Texas 31, Michigan 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 27, Michigan 20). Texas came out fast and furious, establishing control. By the end of the first half, the Longhorns had a 24-3 lead. The Texas defense remained strong in the second half, while the Longhorns offense went into cruise control. Texas led 31-6 until Michigan’s lone touchdown came with 1:54 left in the contest. With his performance, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers established himself as the early front runner for the Heisman Trophy. Ewers was 24-36-0, passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns. The Texas defense held Michigan to 80 yards rushing. While the Wolverines defense showed some positive signs, their offense was flat. Michigan suffered three turnovers. Texas had none. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 111,170

 

RUNNER-UP: The quacking never stopped – Oregon 37, Boise State 34 (Touchdown Tom said: Oregon 34, Boise State 27). Except for the third quarter, the Oregon defense struggled. The Ducks were lucky to win. Trailing Boise State, 20-14, at the half, Oregon outscored the Broncos, 13-0, in the third quarter to take a 27-20 lead. Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel was 18-21-0, passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks receiver Evan Stewart had five receptions for 112 yards. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 192 yards. In its two first games, Oregon has had two close calls over Group of Five and FCS competition. The Ducks won both games by a total of 13 points. Attendance in Eugene: 58,134

 

REST OF THE BEST: Kings of the wild frontier – Tennessee 51, NC State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Tennessee 30, NC State 20). The Wolfpack were outclassed in both halves – 20-3 in the first half and 31-7 in the second half. It began bad for NC State and never got better. The Vols had a big win in spite of the fact that quarterback Nico Iamaleava wasn’t at his best. Iamaleava threw two interceptions. Regardless, NC State’s defense couldn’t stop the Vols, and the Packs’ offense couldn’t get started. NC State was held to 39 yards rushing. NC State may have been an overrated team. The Wolfpack didn’t look good last week against Western Carolina. Attendance in Charlotte: 72,730

 

CY takes the trophy – Iowa State 20, Iowa 19 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 23, Iowa State 20). When Iowa State and Iowa meet, you know it’s going to be a close game. Well, they didn’t disappoint this year. You can’t get any closer than one point. For a while, it looked to be all Iowa. The Hawkeyes led 13-0 at the half, and 19-7 late in the third quarter. But the Cyclones pulled it out with a 54-yard field goal by Kyle Konrardy with 0:06 to go in the game. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Konrardy kicked a 45-yard field goal. Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson had 187 yards rushing. But Hawkeyes quarterback Cade McNamara only had 99 yards passing. McNamara completed only 44.8% of his passes and he threw two interceptions. Attendance in Iowa City: 69,250

 

The Hogs were honking, but ended up squealing – Oklahoma State 39, Arkansas 31 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma State 26, Arkansas 18). With the game tied, 28-28, at the end of regulation, Oklahoma State kicker Logan Ward kicked a 38-yards field goal and Arkansas kicker Kyle Ramsey kicked a 45-yard field goal in the first overtime – 31-31. Then in the second overtime, the Cowboys scored a touchdown and the Razorbacks didn.t. Okie State won. Arkansas dominated the game and still lost. The Hogs had 648 yards of offense. They had 33 first downs. They controlled the time of possession: 36:14 to 23:46. But Okie State still managed to win. Arkansas running back Ja’Quinden Jackson rushed for 149 yards. Arkansas receiver Andrew Armstrong had 10 receptions for 164 yards. Oklahoma State definitely has problems on defense. Arkansas may be a better team than anticipated. Attendance in Stillwater: 52,202

 

Cam is still Rising – Utah 23, Baylor 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Utah 28, Baylor 14). Utah started off strong and ended up weak. The Utes led 17-0 after one quarter and 23-3 at the half. Then they went scoreless in the second half. But Baylor never mounted much of an offense. The Bears only had 223 total yards. Both teams played good defense. Utah quarterback Cam Rising was 8-14-0, passing for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 52,827

 

The Wildcats were surfers – Kansas State 34, Tulane 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Kansas State 30, Tulane 24). For a while it looked like Tulane was going to win. The Green Wave had a good first half. They led K-State 20-10 at the break. But Tulane went quiet in the second half, while K-State scored 24 points. Still, it was a close game. Tulane led 27-20 early in the fourth quarter. But the Wildcats scored two touchdowns in the final 11 minutes of the game. Tulane dominated the statistics. But the Green Wave had two turnovers. K-State had none. Tulane running back Mahki Hughes had 128 yards rushing. Green Wave receiver Mario Williams had six receptions for 128 yards. Attendance in New Orleans: 25,034

 

Cocky declawed the Wildcats – South Carolina 31, Kentucky 6 (Touchdown Tom said: Kentucky 21, South Carolina 20). Boy was this game a surprise. Not that South Carolina won, but that South Carolina won so easily. It was a tight, close-nit game in the first half. South Carolina had the edge at halftime, 10-6. Then the Gamecocks outscored the Wildcats 21-0 in the second half. Neither team had much offense. South Carolina had 255 total yards; Kentucky had 183 total yards. The Gamecocks only had 89 yards rushing. Kentucky only had 44 yards passing. South Carolina took advantage of Kentucky’s mistakes. Attendance in Lexington: 61,349

 

All the Buffaloes could see was Red – Nebraska 28, Colorado 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 30, Colorado 20). Nebraska owned the first half. Colorado owned the second half. But Nebraska’s first half was better than Colorado’s second half. The Huskers led 28-0 at halftime. The Buffaloes outscored Nebraska 10-0 in the second half. The Nebraska defense was overwhelming. Colorado only had 16 yards rushing. And the Huskers defense basically contained Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. After the game Colorado coach Deion Sanders was complaining about his offensive line. Deion often is prone to throw his players under the bus. Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola was 23-30-0, passing for 185 yards and one touchdown. Attendance in Lincoln: 86,906

 

Dangerous Tigers – Clemson 66, Appalachian State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Appalachian State 23). Poor Appalachian State. Clemson took its Georgia frustrations out on them. There was no mercy. Clemson had 712 total yards – 252 yards rushing and 460 yards passing. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik had his best game ever. Klubnik was 24-26-0, passing for 378 yards and five touchdowns. Clemson appears to have its game back on track. Clemson scored 56 points (eight touchdowns) in the first half. Attendance in Clemson: 81,500

 

 

YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:

 

Turn around – West Virginia 49, UAlbany 14 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 49, UAlbany 9). West Virginia jumped out to a 21-0 lead. The Mountaineers then surrendered two touchdowns to UAlbany. The WVU lead was 21-14. But the Great Danes never scored again, while West Virginia went on to score four more touchdowns. WVU had 553 total yards – 305 of those yards were from rushing. WVU quarterback Garrett Greene was 17-23-0, passing for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Greene also rushed for a touchdown. Two Mountaineer runners rushed for 100 or more yards. C.J. Donaldson had 125 yards and Jahiem White had 100 yards. The WVU defense held UAlbany to 68 yards rushing. But, sadly, the WVU pass defense still looks very suspect. Attendance in Morgantown: 50,073

 

The future quarterback – Florida 45, Samford 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 34, Samford 14). Florida had a tough first half. The Gators only led 14-0 at halftime. Then the Gators broke loose for 31 points in the second half. But it was the first start for Florida freshman quarterback D.J. Lagway. By the end of the game, it looks like Florida has found its new quarterback. Even if Graham Mertz gets healthy from his concussion, I suspect Lagway will remain the starter. But I could see both being used, sharing time in the remainder of the games. Florida had 632 total yards – 466 yards passing. Samford was contained to 66 rushing yards. Lagway was 18-25-0, passing for 456 yards and three touchdowns. Gators receiver Eugene Wilson had six receptions for 141 yards. Attendance in Gainesville: 89,295

 

It must have been the rabbit – Duke 26, Northwestern 20 (2OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 20, Northwestern 19). Not only were the attendees entertained by the players, but also by a rabbit who made an appearance on the field in the second half. The rabbit was eventually scared away by Northwestern mascot, Willie the Wildcat. Meanwhile, Duke is still beating Northwestern, and I actually picked the Dookies this year. The game was close throughout. There were two ties in regulation and neither team led by more than four points. Four field goals were kicked – two by each team. Duke was the better passing team. Northwestern was the better rushing team. The game was marred by 15 penalties – nine on the Dookies and six on the Wildcats. Attendance in Evanston: 11,062

 

Embarrassing – Georgia 48, Tennessee Tech 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 59, Tennessee Tech 7). Georgia didn’t let up until the fourth quarter. The score was 45-0 after three. Tennessee Tech was hapless. The Eagles only had nine first downs. They only managed 134 total yards – only 18 yards passing. It must have been painful, watching Tech attempt to play football. Georgia had 498 total yards. Carson Beck was 18-25-0, passing for 242 yards and five touchdowns. Attendance in Athens: 93,033

 

Week 2 Results:  12 winners, 2 fumbles (85.7 percent)

For the Season:  21 winners, 9 fumbles (70 percent)

 

 

ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:

 

West Florida 38, McKendree 6 – Attendance in Pensacola: 4,305

Army 24, Florida Atlantic 7 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 21,810

Mercer 31, Bethune-Cookman 2 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 8,484

 

Miami 56, Florida A&M 9 – Attendance in Miami Gardens: 57,886

UCF 45, Sam Houston 14 – Attendance in Orlando: 43,807

 

FIU 52, Central Michigan 16 – Attendance in Miami: 17,852

Stetson 35, Warner 0 – Attendance in Deland: N/A

Alabama 42, South Florida 16 – Attendance in Tuscaloosa: 100,077

 

 

Superlatives

 

Week Two’s Best Passers:

 

Florida’s D.J. Lagway – 18-25-0-456 (3TDs); Arkansas’ Taylen Green – 26-46-1-416 (1TD); Wake Forest’s Hank Bachmeier – 27-42-0-403 (1TD); Syracuse’s Kyle McCord – 32-46-0-381 (4TDs); Clemson’s Cade Klubnik – 24-26-0-378 (5TDs); Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart – 25-27-0-377 (1TD), and Fresno State’s Mikey Keene – 24-35-2-358 (2TDs).

 

Also, Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea – 33-43-2-357 (3TDs); Western Kentucky’s T.J. Finely – 27-39-0-351 (1TD); Louisville’s Tyler Shough – 21-33-0-349 (2TDs); Tulane’s Darion Mensah – 19-29-1-342 (2TDs); Oklahoma State’s Alan Bowman – 27-48-1-326 (1TD), and UConn’s Joe Fagnano – 13-19-0-324 (5TDs).

 

Week Two’s Best Rushers:

 

Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo – 262 yards; Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai – 208 yards (3TDs); Washington State’s John Mateer – 197 yards (1TD); Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty – 192 yards (3TDs), and Iowa State’s Kaleb Johnson – 187 (2TDs).

 

Also, Ole Miss’s Henry Parrish – 165 yards (4TDs); Army’s Noah Short – 160 yards; Cincinnati’s Corey Kiner – 149 yards; Arkansas’ Ja’Quinden Jackson – 149 yards (3TDs), and Pitt’s Desmond Reid – 148 yards.

 

 

Quotes of the Week

 

“We just never got it together. Protections were a problem. We should be able to move the ball on anyone. We should be able to protect with the experience we have offensively. We just couldn’t get it going today,” Colorado coach Deion Sanders, on the loss to Nebraska.

 

Touchdown Tom

https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com

 

 

P.S.

 

Not exactly college football related, but in mid-September as the college football season was underway, 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” by Vic Damone with Glenn Osser’s Orchestra, and “Someday (You’ll Want Me To Want You)” by Vaughn Monroe and His 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 “The Three Bells” by The Browns

 

…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 “Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones

 

…50 years ago, this week in 1974, was “(You’re) Having My Baby” by Paul Anka and Odia Coates

 

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

 

…40 years ago, this week in 1984, was “What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner

 

…35 years ago, this week in 1989, was “Hangin’ Tough” by New Kids on the Block