CFW Week 11 Results – FSU’s Norvell fires his coordinators
Beck was a wreck and
Nussmeier was a nightmare
Two big games took place Saturday – one in Oxford, Mississippi, and the other in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Both games were played in the rain. In Oxford, the celebratory-record crowd of 68,126 rushed the field of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium after the game. In Baton Rouge, the fans couldn’t rush out of Tiger Stadium fast enough, as the third quarter came to an end.
In Oxford, favored Georgia (7-2) fell to Ole Miss (8-2), 28-10. Georgia’s offense stumbled, fumbled and faltered throughout the game. The Dawgs were limited to a single touchdown in the first half and a single field goal in the second half. Georgia’s offense was stumbling, fumbling and faltering because Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was stumbling, fumbling and faltering.
Beck was a wreck. The senior quarterback was responsible for all three of Georgia’s turnovers – two fumbles and an interception. Under Beck, the Dawgs only tallied 246 total yards. It was the second-straight game Beck was responsible for three turnovers. Last week, in a win against Florida, Beck threw three interceptions.
In Baton Rouge, LSU (6-3) fell to Alabama (7-2), 42-13. LSU’s offense stumbled, fumbled and faltered throughout the game. The Tigers were limited to two field goals in the first half and a single touchdown in the second half – a touchdown that only came with 11 seconds remaining in the game. LSU’s offense was stumbling, fumbling and faltering because LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was stumbling, fumbling and faltering.
Nussmeier was a nightmare. The junior quarterback was responsible for all three of LSU’s turnovers – two interceptions and a fumble. Under Nussmeier, the Tigers did have 346 total yards, but much of that came on their final drive during the closing minutes of the game. It was the second-straight game Nussmeier was responsible for three turnovers. Two weeks ago, in a loss to Texas A&M, Nussmeier threw three interceptions.
And so it was, a parallel tale of two games and two quarterbacks.
And speaking of the Alabama-LSU game, the ABC camera shots of LSU coach Brian Kelly during the game were priceless. I think most coaches have poker faces. You wouldn’t know from their demeanor or the look on their faces if they were winning or losing. Most coaches except Brian Kelly. If LSU is losing, the angry look on Kelly’s face, along with his angry demeanor – snapping at his assistants – gives it all away. It’s all Kelly can do to contain himself. His expressions and actions are so revealing. It’s actually entertaining to watch him. Watching Kelly was definitely more exciting than watching the game. And obviously, the game wasn’t exciting to Kelly.
College football Week 11 began Tuesday night with two games in the Mid-American Conference. Bowling Green (5-4) downed Central Michigan (3-6), 23-13. Bowling Green quarterback Connor Bazelak passed for 207 yards and one touchdown. In the other game, Miami (Ohio) (5-4) edged Ball State (3-6), 27-21. Miami quarterback Brett Gabbert passed for 219 yards and three touchdowns.
Week 11 action continued Wednesday night with two more MAC games. Ohio (6-3) clobbered Kent State (0-9), 41-0. Ohio’s defense held Kent State to 114 total yards – 62 passing and 52 rushing. In the second game, Northern Illinois (5-4) handed Western Michigan (5-4) its first loss in conference play. The Huskies beat the Broncos, 42-28. NIU running back Telly Johnson rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Just a few hours after I posted my weekly forecast blog on Thursday morning, all questions about Florida football coach Billy Napier’s status in Gainesville were answered. In a letter from Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin to the Gator Nation, Stricklin wrote that Napier will continue as head football coach of the Florida Gators. Stricklin expressed his confidence that Napier will meet the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
If there were any doubts, there aren’t any now. Napier is off the hot seat.
Thursday night, the Week 11 contests moved South. Coastal Carolina (5-4) jumped out to a 17-0 lead and went on to be Appalachian State (4-5), 38-24. App State suffered from three turnovers. The other game saw East Carolina (5-4) win its second-straight game. The Pirates shattered Florida Atlantic (2-7), 49-14. East Carolina quarterback Katin Houser was 17-22-0, passing for 343 yards and five touchdowns. Houser also rushed for 52 yards and another touchdown.
Friday night lights was busy under the lights with four games, stretching from North Carolina to Tennessee to California. In Winston-Salem, the Golden Bears of California were truly golden. Cal (5-4) won its first ever ACC game, beating Wake Forest (4-5), 46-46. Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza was 40-56-1, passing for 385 yards and two touchdowns. Mendoza also rushed for 51 yards and another touchdown.
In Tennessee, Memphis (8-2) got by Rice (3-7), 27-20. Memphis running back Mario Anderson rushed for 141 yards and one touchdown. The final two games Friday night took place in Pasadena and San Diego. Improving UCLA (4-5) stunned Iowa (6-4), 20-17. With the game tied 17-17, UCLA kicked a 27-yard field goal with 4:49 remaining in the game and held on to win. In the nightcap Friday, improving New Mexico (4-6) knocked off San Diego State (3-6), 21-16. New Mexico running back Eli Sanders rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Lobos quarterback Devon Dampier passed for 175 yards and one touchdown. Dampier also rushed for 127 yards.
Of the five undefeated teams going into Week 11, four won and one lost. The loser was Miami (9-1). Saturday, Georgia Tech (6-4) upset Miami, 28-23. On Miami’s final drive, with less than two minutes remaining, Canes quarterback Cam Ward fumbled (not a good day for quarterbacks). The fumble, recovered by Georgia Tech, secured the Yellow Jackets win.
It was the second-straight year for Georgia Tech to upset Miami and knock the Canes from the undefeated list. Last year, Miami was 4-0 when Georgia Tech upset the Canes, 23-20.
So, the four remaining undefeated teams are Indiana (10-0), Oregon (10-0), BYU (9-0) and Army (9-0). Indiana struggled in the second half, but hung on to beat Michigan (5-5), 20-15. Oregon struggled at times too, but easily beat Maryland (4-5), 39-18.
BYU struggled in the first half but came alive in the second half to beat Utah (4-5), 22-21. With 0:03 remaining in the game, BYU kicked a 44-yard field goal to secure the win. Army had its share of struggles too, but the Cadets managed to beat North Texas (5-4), 14-3.
Three of the four remaining undefeated teams struggled Saturday to hold onto their perfect records.
In the Big Ten, host Rutgers surprised Minnesota, 26-19. Trailing 16-14 early in the fourth quarter, Rutgers scored 12 unanswered points (a touchdown, safety and field goal) in five minutes to take a 26-16 lead. Washington (5-5) was no match for Penn State (8-1). The Nittany Lions beat the Huskies, 35-6. Washington was held to 193 total yards.
In the ACC, Boston College (5-4) outdueled Syracuse (6-3), 37-31. BC running back Kyle Robichaux rushed for 198 yards, while Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord passed for 392 yards. In a game hurting for offense, Virginia (5-4) knocked off Pitt (7-2), 24-19.
In the Big 12, Kansas (3-6) handed Iowa State (7-2) its second -straight loss. The Jayhawks outlasted the Cyclones, 45-36. The teams combined for 993 total yards. In a game where the lead changed hands six times, Arizona State (7-2) scored last and beat UCF (4-6), 35-31. UCF led 17-7 in the second quarter.
In an SEC game, Tennessee (8-1) toppled Mississippi State (2-8), 33-14. Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson rushed for 149 yards and one touchdown. Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava completed eight of 13 passes for 174 yards all in the first half. Iamaleava suffered an upper body injury and did not return to the game in the second half.
In the MWC, Boise State (8-1) had a surprisingly tough time from Nevada (3-8). The Broncos never trailed the Wolf Pack, but they could never shake them either. Boise State beat Nevada, 28-21. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
Louisiana (8-1) gave notice that it is the team to beat in the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin’ Cajuns demolished Arkansas State (5-4), 55-19. Louisiana racked up 579 yards of offense – 278 rushing and 301 passing. That’s good balance.
After you went to bed Saturday night, Air Force (2-7) upset Fresno State (5-5), 36-28, and Washington State (8-1) stomped Utah State (2-7), 49-28. Washington State running back Wayshawn Parker rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns.
Only five teams in the CFP Top 25 rankings lost over the weekend. No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Miami, No. 15 LSU, No. 17 Iowa State and No. 18 Pitt all went down. Seventeen of the ranked teams won and three were off. The second weekly CFP rankings will be announced tomorrow night on ESPN. Georgia and Miami will fall, but both should remain in the Top 12. LSU, Iowa State and Pitt will drop in the rankings, but all three should remain in the Top 25, although Iowa State and Pitt could be in jeopardy. No. 11 Alabama will move up in the Top 12. No. 16 Ole Miss will move up in the rankings but may not make the Top 12. Stay tuned!
Kennesaw State head football coach Brian Bohannon, who helped build the program from scratch and led its transition from FCS to FBS this season, stepped down yesterday. Bohannon had a 73-38 record in his 10th season. The Owls are 1-8 this season. Co-defensive coordinator Chandler Burks was named the interim coach for the Owls final three games.
Florida State coach Mike Norvell fired his offensive and defensive coordinators yesterday, one day after the 52-3 loss to Notre Dame. Offensive coordinator Alex Atkins and defensive coordinator Adam Fuller were removed from their duties and dismissed from the team.
The Big 12 Conference has fined Utah athletic director Mark Harlan $40,000 for his comments on the officiating in the BYU-Utah game.
Keep veterans in your hearts today!
Touchdown Tom
November 11, 2024
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
Weekend Recap
GAME OF THE WEEK: A game of Jax and Darts – Ole Miss 28, Georgia 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Ole Miss 28, Georgia 27). Ole Miss threw a party and Georgia didn’t show up. But actually, it was looking ominous for the Magnolias early on. In the first quarter, with Georgia up 7-0, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart left the game and the field with an ankle injury. Shortly after Ole Missed tied the score at 7-7, Dart returned to the field. And he returned to the game on the Magnolias’ next series. Fifteen of Ole Miss’s 26 points were from field goals – five of them. Georgia only managed 60 yards rushing. After Ole Miss took a 10-7 lead at the 3:01 mark in the first quarter, the Magnolias never trailed again for the remainder of the game. Attendance in Oxford: 68,126
RUNNER-UP: The Milroe train – Alabama 42, LSU 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 24, LSU 23). Wonder what Brian Kelly thought of the game? At the 10:29 mark in the first quarter, Alabama went up 7-0. The Tide never looked back for the remainder of the game. As much as LSU loves its night games in Tiger Stadium, it wasn’t an LSU night. But it was a Jalen Milroe night. And more so on the ground than through the air. Milroe rushed for 185 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 15.4 yards a carry. And his passing was adequate. Milroe was 12-18-0, passing for 109 yards. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,283
REST OF THE BEST: Ralphie does the raiding – Colorado 41, Texas Tech 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas Tech 31, Colorado 26). Colorado is looking more and more kike the team to beat in the Big 12. Texas Tech jumped out to a 13-0 first quarter lead. That didn’t phase Colorado. The Buffaloes scored the next 10 points. In the second half, Colorado outscored Tech 31-14. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was 30-43-0, passing for 291 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Travis Hunter had nine receptions for 99 yards. The teams were pretty closely matched in the stats. Attendance in Lubbock: 60,229
Vandy’s back to being candy – South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Vanderbilt 14, South Carolina 12). Who is this South Carolina team? The Gamecocks are getting better and better each week. No one has come close to beating Vanderbilt by 21 points all season. The Commodores other three losses were by a total of 10 points. The Gamecocks had a respectable 452 total yards (214 rushing, 238 passing), while holding Vandy to 274 total yards. Attendance in Nashville: 28,934
Close call – Indiana 20, Michigan 15 (Touchdown Tom said: Indiana 28, Michigan 22). This is the biggest scare Indiana has had all season. Indiana had no offense. Fortunately for the Hoosiers, their defense held up. Indiana only had 44 yards rushing. Michigan’s offense was worse. The Wolverines had 206 total yards. There were five field goals kicked in the game – three by Michigan and two by Indiana. Attendance in Bloomington: 53,082
Where were the touchdowns? – Army 14, North Texas 3 (Touchdown Tom said: Army 36, North Texas 30). I don’t know what happened. This was supposed to be one of those high-scoring affairs. Army played very good defense. North Texas only controlled the ball for 18:15. Navy had possession for 41:45. Army only had 15 yards passing. North Texas only had 69 yards rushing. Attendance in Denton: 28,519
Can’t get any closer – BYU 22, Utah 21 (Touchdown Tom said: BYU 24, Utah 18). This is a brutal rivalry, and the score indicated it. Utah led 21-10 at halftime. BYU outscored the Utes 12-0 in the second half. It was definitely a defensive battle. BYU had 339 total yards and Utah had 259 total yards. On BYU’s final field-goal-winning drive, there was an apparent controversial holding call on Utah that kept the drive alive. So controversial that Utah athletic director Mark Harlan vehemently spoke out about it after the game. Attendance in Salt Lake City: 54,383
Storm suppressors – Georgia Tech 28, Miami 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Georgia Tech 23). Georgia Tech just ran the ball down Miami’s throat. The Yellow Jackets alternated quarterbacks Aaron Philo and Haynes King. Together, they were 11-16-0, passing for 99 yards and two touchdowns – one touchdown each. But the threat came from King’s running – 93 yards. And running back Jamal Haynes added 83 yards rushing. King and Haynes each had a touchdown running. Miami’s Cam Ward was the usual Cam Ward. He was 25-39-0, passing for 348 yards and three touchdowns. However, it was Ward’s fumble near the end of the game that killed Miami’s chances. Tech’s running success allowed the Jackets to control ball possession 34:49 to 25:11. They kept the ball away from Ward and it worked. Attendance in Atlanta: 47,358
The fat lady sang – Missouri 30, Oklahoma 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 24, Oklahoma 20). One thing about Missouri – they keep you on the edge of your seat. They did that beating Auburn, 21-17. They did it again, beating Oklahoma. How’s this for living on the edge? Late in the fourth quarter, Missouri led OU, 16-9. With 3:18 on the clock, the Sooners scored and tied the game at 16-16. Just prior to the two-minute timeout, OU scored again and went up 23-16. Fifty-seven seconds later – at the 1:03 mark – Mizzou scored and tied the game at 23-23. It was sure looking like overtime. However, with just 0:22 remaining on the clock, Missouri’s Zion Young scooped up an Oklahoma fumble and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. I think there was more offense in the fourth quarter than there was in the first three quarters of the game. As the fourth quarter began, Mizzou led 10-9. Missouri definitely won time of possession – 34:26 to 25-34. Attendance in Columbia: 62,621
Getting back to business – Clemson 24, Virginia Tech 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, Virginia Tech 27). Two entirely different halves. Tech led 7-0 at halftime. Clemson outscored the Hokies 24-7 in the second half. Tech’s second touchdown came with 1:43 left in the game. Virginia Tech only had 40 yards rushing. Clemson controlled time of possession 36:49 to 23:11. The quarterbacking was not good for either team. Cade Klubnik did have three touchdown passes, but he completed less than 50% of his passes and threw an interception. Tech used two quarterbacks, and each threw an interception. Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632
YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS:
I’ll take those gifts – West Virginia 31, Cincinnati 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 28, West Virginia 24). Well, I misspoke. Neal Brown can beat a team with a winning record. However, WVU can thank three Cincinnati turnovers for this win – one a pick-6 and another a scoop-6. But we’ll take them anyway we can get them. Cincinnati took an early first quarter 7-0 lead. WVU tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter and was up 17-7 at halftime. WVU led throughout the second half. The Mountaineers only had 248 total yards. WVU led 31-21 in the closing seconds. Cincinnati kicked a 29-yard field goal with 0:36 remaining on the clock. Attendance in Cincinnati: 38,007
Routine – Texas 49, Florida 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 37, Florida 17). Well, nobody expected anything different. It went about as expected – Texas led 31-0 at halftime. It stayed pretty civil after that. Texas racked up 562 total yards. Quinn Ewers was 19-27-0, passing for 333 yards and five touchdowns. D.J. Lagway did not play. Quarterback Aidan Warner quarterbacked the Gators. Attendance in Austin: 103,375
The Devils still have it – Duke 29, NC State 19 (Touchdown Tom said: NC State 28, Duke 21). The Dookies jumped out to a 12-0 first quarter lead and never relinquished it for the remainder of the game. NC State did manage to tie the score at 12-12 in the third quarter. Duke then proceeded to score 14-straight points. The Dookies only had 37 yards rushing. Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy was 22-31-0, passing for 245 yards and two touchdowns. There were six field goals kicked in the game. NC State kicked four of them. Duke’s Todd Pelino kicked a 50-yarder and a 49-yarder. Attendance in Raleigh: 56,919
Brutus was brutal – Ohio State 45, Purdue 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 38, Purdue 7). This was like the Florida-Texas game. It went as expected. Nobody expected anything different. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard was 21-26-0, passing for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Purdue was held to 206 total yards. Attendance in Columbus: 103,463
Week 11 Results: 9 winners, 5 fumbles (64.3 percent)
For the Season: 105 winners, 48 fumbles (68.6 percent)
ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA:
East Carolina 49, Florida Atlantic 14 – Attendance in Greenville: 30,573
Navy 28, South Florida 3 – Attendance in Tampa: 34,091
Marist 40, Stetson 41 – Attendance in Deland: 1,568
West Florida 35, North Greenville 14 – Attendance in Pensacola: 4,743
Southern 25, Bethune-Cookman 23 – Attendance in Baton Rouge: 15,443
Prairie View 31, Florida A&M 12 – Attendance in Prairie View: 3,091
Arizona State 35, UCF 31 – Attendance in Tempe: 44,940
Notre Dame 52, Florida State 3 – Attendance in South Bend: 77,622
Superlatives
Impressive Passers:
San Jose State’s Walker Eget – 18-35-1 for 395 yards (1TD); Syracuse’s Kyle McCord – 36-48-0-392 (2TDs); California’s Fernando Mendoza – 40-56-1-385 (2TDs), and Iowa State’s Rocco Becht – 24-37-11-383 (3TDs).
Also, Miami of Florida’s Cam Ward – 25-39-0 for 348 yards (3TDs); East Carolina’s Katin Hauser – 17-22-0-343 (5TDs); Texas’ Quinn Ewers – 19-27-0-333 (5TDs), and UTEP’s Skyler Locklear – 28-33-0-327 (4TDs).
Impressive Rushers:
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty – 209 yards (3TDs); Boston College’s Kyle Robichaux – 198 yards (2TDs); Alabama’s Jalen Milroe – 185 yards (4TDs); New Mexico’s Eli Sanders – 173 yards (2TDs), and Jacksonville State’s Tre Stewart – 166 yards (2TDs).
Also, Army’s Bryson Daily – 153 yards (2TDs); Tulane’s Makhi Hughes – 153 yards (2TDs); New Mexico State’s Mike Washington – 152 yards (2TDs); Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson – 149 yards (1TD), and Washington State’s Wayshawn Parker – 149 yards (2TDs).
Quotes of the Week
“This game was absolutely stolen from us. We were excited about being in the Big 12, but tonight I am not. We won this game. Someone else stole it from us. I’m very disappointed. I will talk to the commissioner. This was not fair to our team, Utah athletic director Mark Harlan, after Utah’s 22-21 loss to BYU.
Touchdown Tom
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com
(The next CFW – Week 12 Forecast – will be posted Thursday morning, November 14.)
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