Monday, November 5, 2018


College Football Week 11 – Kansas fires David Beaty

Loh has balls, Jewel in the Crown,

and Horns Down in Austin


Before any serious football was played last week, there was some serious goings on in College Park, Maryland. On Tuesday, the long-awaited decision on the status of suspended Maryland coach D.J. Durkin, was announced by James T. Brady, the chairman of the Maryland Board of Regents.

Durkin was absolved of any wrong doing in the death of Maryland player Jordan McNair and cleared of running a toxic football program at Maryland. At the recommendation of the Board of Regents, Durkin was to be reinstated as Maryland’s coach.

Brady’s announcement sent shock waves not only throughout the University of Maryland community – students and school administrators, but also throughout the media around the country – printed and social. Everyone was riled by the Board of Regents decision. Maryland students began protesting – saying they would not attend anymore home games.

The Board of Regents told Maryland president Wallace Loh that he would be fired if he didn’t officially reinstate Durkin. But, lo and behold, President Loh, who already had announced he was retiring at the end of the year, proved he had some balls after all. On Wednesday, the day after Loh reinstated Durkin, he defied the Board of Regents and fired Durkin.

Loh supported his decision, saying he had spoken with the leadership of the student government, leaders of various student organizations, deans, department heads and other campus leaders and all wanted Durkin fired. Later, Loh’s decision was backed up by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

The next day, Thursday, Board of Regents chairman Brady resigned.

So Durkin, who had been on paid administrative leave since August, was, in effect, the Maryland coach again for only 24 hours. Interim coach Matt Canada will continue to coach the Terrapins for the remainder of the season – maybe longer.

Now the other culprit in this whole mess is Maryland athletic director Damon Evans. And everybody wants Evans fired. A few years ago, Evans was fired by the University of Georgia for inappropriate behavior. No one could understand how or why Maryland ever hired Evans in the first place. Stay tuned!

Maryland sure is one hell of a mess.

And I must say it has been interesting this season in the Big Ten with decisions from Boards of Regents.

Thursday night, the playing of serious football began. That’s when UCF outlasted Temple, 52-40, in Orlando. Now I won’t go so far as to say that the officials gave this game to UCF. But I will go so far as to say that the officials did everything they could do to keep Temple from winning the game.

In all, Temple was penalized 14 times for 149 yards. Often, when Temple got close to scoring a strategic touchdown, the officials would thwart the Owls scoring drive by flagging them with some false claim. Conversely, whenever it looked like Temple may have stopped a UCF scoring drive, the officials would call pass interference or some such on the Owls. It was ridiculous. Even the ESPN commentators were questioning the calls.

I can only imagine that word went out from the AAC commissioner’s office to the officiating crew directing that under no circumstances was UCF to lose this game. After all, UCF is the AAC’s only “Jewel in the Crown.” The Knights are 11th in the AP and Coaches Polls and 12th in the College Football Playoff Rankings. The AAC has never had it so good. 

Friday night, in Charlottesville, Pitt stunned Virginia, 23-13. Pitt running back Darrin Hall rushed for 229 yards. Then in Tucson, Arizona improved to 5-5, as the Wildcats thumped Colorado, 42-34. Arizona running back J.J. Taylor rushed for 192 yards, while quarterback Khalil Tate passed for 350 yards.

Saturday, the big game was supposed to be Alabama-LSU. Some were calling it the “game of the decade” in Baton Rouge. Well, the “big game” was the “big misnomer” of the weekend. It was a dud. LSU was a no show. Bama beat the Tigers for the eighth-straight time. The final score was Alabama 29, LSU 0. The Tigers only had 196 total yards – only 12 yards rushing.   

Georgia at Kentucky was supposed to be a big game. The winner would win the SEC East Division and play in the conference championship game. Kentucky was playing its best football since the 1970s. But the game was a dud. Georgia led Kentucky 28-3 in the third quarter and 31-10 in the fourth quarter, before ultimately winning 34-17.

Penn State at Michigan was supposed to be a big game. But like LSU and Kentucky, Penn State was a no show. The Wolverines beat the Nittany Lions, 42-7. Michigan led Penn State 42-0 until 1:59 left in the game. The Nitts only had 184 total yards – only 68 yards rushing. 

As it turned out, the game of the week took place in Austin, Texas – West Virginia-Texas. It was a game where the lead changed hands eight times. When West Virginia scored its first touchdown on a 60-yard pass from Will Grier to David Sills to retake the lead at 10-7 in the first quarter, Sills raised his hands and flashed a double “Horns Down” gesture. The referees flagged Sills with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Huh?

On the succeeding extra point kick, the officials flagged WVU left tackle Yodny Cajuste with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and ejected Cajuste from the game. But there was no explanation of what Cajuste supposedly did. It became apparent at this point that West Virginia was not only up against Texas, but also the Mountaineers were up against the officials. Even the FOX broadcast commentators were questioning the calls. Before the game was over, WVU was flagged 14 times.

Game on. The lead bounced back and forth throughout the first half. Texas led at the break, 28-27. After 55 points were scored in the first half, only three points were scored in the third quarter. Texas added a field goal and led 31-27 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Texas added another field goal and extended its lead to 34-27. With a touchdown at 5:40 on the clock, WVU tied the score at 34-34. Three minutes later, Texas went up 41-34. The Mountaineers had two minutes and 34 seconds to respond. They did. With 0:16 on the clock, Will Grier hit Gary Jennings on a 33-yard touchdown pass and West Virginia trailed Texas, 41-40.

Assuming WVU made its extra point kick, it appeared the game was going into overtime. But the Mountaineers were out to win the game. There would be no extra point kick. WVU was going for two.

On the attempt, Grier hit David Sills on a quick pass and the conversion attempt was good. West Virginia wins. But wait. No. The officials said Texas had called a time out just before the center snapped the ball. WVU would have to try again for the two-point conversion.

On the second attempt, Grier took one step back, briefly paused as if he was going to pass and then scampered around the left side and into the end zone. West Virginia goes up 42-41.

Texas had 16 seconds to change the score. But, on two plays, the Longhorns failed to make a difference. Game over. West Virginia beat Texas (and the officials), 42-41. The Mountaineers are now 4-1 all-time in Austin.

Also, in Texas, later that night in Lubbock, there was another thriller in the Big 12 – Oklahoma beat Texas Tech, 51-46. And yes, there was another surprise Saturday in the Big 12. Oklahoma State fell to Baylor. Trailing Oklahoma State 31-21 with less than six minutes left in the game, Baylor scored two touchdowns to rally and beat the Cowboys, 35-31. The Bears second of the two touchdowns came with 0:07 on the clock.

In the ACC, NC State held Florida State to only 24 yards rushing, as the Wolfpack beat the Noles, 47-28. In Blacksburg, Boston College handed Virginia Tech its second-straight loss. The Eagles downed the Hokies, 31-21. In South Florida, Duke stunned Miami. The Dookies beat the Canes, 20-12, holding Miami scoreless in the second half.

Two games in the Big Ten resulted in wins by a combined seven points. First, in Columbus, Nebraska came to play and gave Ohio State a big time scare. In the end, the Buckeyes held on to beat the Huskers, 36-31. In West Lafayette, Purdue led Iowa throughout the game, only to have the Hawkeyes come back and take a 36-35 lead over the Boilers with 10:19 on the clock in the fourth quarter. But with 0:08 left in the game, Purdue kicked a 25-yard field goal and squeaked by Iowa, 38-36.

The Pac-12 is always good for a few thrillers and the conference did not disappoint on Saturday. First, in the western part of Washington – Seattle – the Huskies survived a second half rally from Stanford and held on to beat the Trees, 27-23. Washington led Stanford 21-0 at halftime. Then, in the eastern part of Washington – Pullman – the Cougars and the Bears were involved in a defensive battle. With less than a minute to go in the game, Washington State and California were tied 13-13. The Cougars scored a touchdown with 0:32 on the clock and beat Cal, 19-13.

Utah quarterback Tyler Huntley broke his collarbone in the Utes 38-20 loss to Arizona State. Herm Edwards (ASU) is now 5-4 and Kevin Sumlin (Arizona) is now 5-5. But Chip Kelly (UCLA) is just 2-7. The Bruins lost to Oregon, 42-21.

In the SEC, South Carolina and Ole Miss put on a show of offense. With less than 12 minutes to go in the game, the Sharks led the Cocks, 44-34. But South Carolina rallied, scoring two touchdowns in the final 11 minutes of the game. The Cocks beat Ole Miss, 48-44. In Auburn, the Tigers trailed Texas A&M 24-14 with less than six minutes left in the game. But Auburn rallied. The Tigers scored two touchdowns and beat the Aggies, 28-24. In Gainesville, the Gators, still searching for a quarterback, were stunned by Missouri, 38-17. It was Missouri’s first SEC win of the season.

There were two upsets in the AAC. First, in Dallas, SMU knocked off Houston, 45-21. Then in Tampa, Tulane surprised South Florida, 41-15. In Conference-USA, Florida Atlantic walloped FIU, 49-14. In the MWC, Fresno State and Utah State continue to impress. Fresno State (8-1) downed UNLV, 48-3, while Utah State (8-1) topped Hawaii, 56-17.

In a couple non-conference affairs, Boise State edged BYU, 21-16, and Army beat Air Force, 17-14.

Speaking of Air Force-Army, Aurora, the Air Force Academy’s falcon mascot was injured during the football team’s trip to West Point. Aurora suffered an injury to both of her wings when she was abducted by West Point cadets in a prank gone wrong. The injuries may require Aurora to be euthanized.

Clemson joined the “70s Club.” The Tigers smashed Louisville, 77-16. Massachusetts came close to club membership. UMass outlasted Liberty, 62-59 in three overtimes. There were no other overtime games.

The nation’s longest losing streak came to an end over the weekend. UTEP ended its 19-game losing streak with a 34-26 win over Rice. Ironically, Rice now  holds the longest losing streak at nine games. The Owls are followed by Rutgers with an eight-game losing streak.

With their wins over the weekend, Alabama and Georgia punched their tickets to the SEC championship game. The Tide and the Dawgs will meet in Atlanta on December 1.

So, Alabama (9-0), Clemson (9-0), Notre Dame (9-0) and UCF (8-0) remain unbeaten. The Irish beat Northwestern, 31-21. This week, Alabama hosts Mississippi State, Notre Dame entertains Florida State and UCF hosts Navy. Clemson visits Boston College. That one could be interesting.

Looking strong with just one loss are Michigan (8-1), Georgia (8-1), Oklahoma (8-1), Washington State (8-1), Ohio State (8-1), West Virginia (7-1), Cincinnati (8-1), Utah State (8-1), Fresno State (8-1), UAB (8-1) and Buffalo (8-1).

USC coach Clay Helton fired his offensive line coach Neil Callaway last week. I wouldn’t be surprised if Helton is fired at the end of the season.

The Big 12 Conference announced last week that it was fining Baylor $2 million for “reputational damage to the conference and its members” stemming from Baylor’s sexual assault scandal two years ago.

Deposed Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant, who’ll be a graduate transfer next season, has visited North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri and Auburn. He has a visit coming up with Mississippi State. So far, Bryant seems to like Auburn the best. But you never know.

Kansas coach David Beaty was fired yesterday. In his fourth season with the Jayhawks, Beaty was 6-39 – 3-6 this season. He was 2-31 against Big 12 teams – 1-5 this season. Yesterday, Kansas lost to Iowa State, 27-3.

Beaty’s current contract runs through the 2021 season. He will be owed $3 million. Some reports say Kansas has interest in former LSU coach Les Miles. Beaty is the third coach to be fired this season. A few weeks ago, Bowling Green fired Mike Jinks, and last week Maryland fired D.J. Durkin.

Meanwhile, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck fired his defensive coordinator, Robb Smith, yesterday. Against Big Ten opponents this season, Minnesota’s defense has allowed 43.2 points per game and 507.7 yards per game.

This weekend, Bootsie, Rockledge Gator, Swamp Mama and I will be in Gainesville for the South Carolina-Florida game. After Auburn’s big win over Texas A&M, Bootsie is buying our drinks. The way Florida has been playing lately, she may have a big tab.  

Bootsie counters, saying that after West Virginia’s big win over Texas, I am buying dinner.

Horns down!

Touchdown Tom
November 5, 2018 
https://collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  LS Who? – Alabama 29, LSU 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Alabama 26, LSU 23). To begin with, Alabama had 576 total yards to 196 for LSU. Need we go further? The Tide maintained time of possession for more than 35 minutes. Bama had 29 first downs; LSU had 13. The only thing negative about Alabama was quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw his first interception of the season. Obviously, it didn’t help LSU any. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 102,321

RUNNER UP:  Is it basketball season yet? – Georgia 34, Kentucky 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia 26, Kentucky 21). That’s what Kentucky fans must be thinking. Georgia shut down Kentucky’s running game and stepped up their own. The Dawgs held Wildcat running back Benny Snell to 73 yards rushing. Meanwhile two Georgia runners rushed for more than 100 yards – D’Andre Swift (156 yards) and Elijah Holyfield (115 yards). Attendance in Lexington: 63,543

REST OF THE BEST:  Getting better – Michigan 42, Penn State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 30, Penn State 20). Michigan seems to be a team going in the right direction, while Penn State is a team going in the wrong direction. The Wolverines held the Nitts to 186 total yards, 12 first downs and 68 yards rushing. Michigan controlled time of possession for more than 37 minutes. Michigan running back Karan Higdon rushed for 132 yards. Attendance in Ann Arbor: 111,747

Still perfect – Notre Dame 31, Northwestern 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Notre Dame 24, Northwestern 19). Early in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame appeared to be running away with the game when the Irish went up 24-7. But Northwestern came roaring back, scoring two touchdowns to close the gap to three points – 24-21. The Irish defense pretty much shut down the Wildcats. ND quarterback Ian Book passed for 343 yards. Attendance in Evanston: 47,330

Two – West Virginia 42, Texas 41 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 33, Texas 27). The teams combined for 55 points in the first half, but only 28 points in the second half. The defenses tightened up after the break. The teams combined for 1,098 total yards – 578 for WVU. Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger passed for 354 yards and three touchdowns. WVU quarterback Will Grier passed for 346 yards and three touchdowns. WVU running back Martell Pettaway rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Attendance in Austin: 100,703

Questionable officiating – UCF 52, Temple 40 (Touchdown Tom said: UCF 29, Temple 22). Quite a game. The lead changed hands seven times. The teams combined for 1,300 total yards. Temple had 670 of those yards. Each team had 35 first downs. Temple dominated time of possession – more than 38 minutes. Owls quarterback Anthony Russo passed for 444 yards. Knights running back Greg McCrae ran for 188 yards. Temple running back Ryquell Armstead rushed for 142 yards. Attendance in Orlando: 41,153

Shoot-out – Oklahoma 51, Texas Tech 46 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 20). Oklahoma took its first lead with 4:22 left in the second quarter. But Texas Tech retook the lead just before half time. Oklahoma went back up early in the third quarter and never relinquished the lead, but Tech stayed close. The teams combined for 1,136 total yards. The Sooners had the better stats, but not by much. OU quarterback Kyler Murray passed for 360 yards and rushed for 100 more. OU running back Trey Sermon rushed for 206 yards. Attendance in Lubbock: 60,454

Blight – Washington 27, Stanford 23 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 26, Stanford 21). Except for rushing yards, Stanford all but outplayed Washington. But the Trees had three turnovers. Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello passed for 347 yards. Washington running back Myles Gaskin rushed for 148 yards. Attendance in Seattle: 69,690

Bootsie was a happy camper – Auburn 28, Texas A&M 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas A&M 29, Auburn 23). Texas A&M all but shut down Auburn in the stats. The Aggies had 28 first downs to 13 for Auburn, 421 total yards to 278 for Auburn and controlled the clock for more than 38 minutes. The Aggies even held the Tigers to 19 yards rushing. But the Aggies literally died in the fourth quarter. Attendance in Auburn: 85,945

The Hokies were pokeys – Boston College 31, Virginia Tech 21 (Touchdown Tom said: Boston College 26, Virginia Tech 22). The teams were pretty even in the stats. Virginia Tech led 14-7 at halftime. But the Hokies were outscored 24-7 by BC in the second half. Both teams had less than 400 yards in total offense. Attendance in Blacksburg: 65,632


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Wet Devils – Duke 20, Miami (Florida) 12 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Duke 25). Miami had 411 total yards to 290 for Duke, but the Dookies had eight more points. Two Miami running back rushed for more than 100 yards – Travis Homer (133 yards) and Deejay Dallas (124 yards). Duke running back Deon Jackson rushed for 113 yards. The game was played in pouring rain. Attendance in Miami Gardens: 62,754

Blast – Purdue 38, Iowa 36 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 23, Purdue 17). Purdue led throughout the game, but Iowa wouldn’t go away. The Hawkeyes finally led for about 10 minutes in the fourth quarter. A last second field goal saved the Boilers. Purdue quarterback David Blough passed for 333 yards. Attendance in West Lafayette: 60,716


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Quarterback-less – Missouri 38, Florida 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 24, Missouri 16). After two and a half quarters, Florida benched Feleipe Franks for Kyle Trask. Trask was an improvement. But the Gators are still looking for an offense, while the defense seems to be deteriorating. Missouri quarterback Drew Lock was 24-32-0 for 250 yards and three touchdowns. Missouri running back Damarea Crockett rushed for 114 yards. Attendance in Gainesville: 80,017

So close – Ohio State 36, Nebraska 31 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 38, Nebraska 16). Nebraska led 21-16 at halftime. But Ohio State dominated the second half, outscoring the Huskers 20-10. The teams were pretty even in the stats. Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins rushed for 163 yards. Attendance in Columbus: 104,245

Week 10 Results:  10 correct picks, 4 fumbles (71.4 percent)
For the Season:     102 correct picks, 47 fumbles (68.5 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

NC State 47, Florida State 28 – Attendance in Raleigh: 57,600
Tulane 41, South Florida 15 – Attendance in Tampa: 31,388
Florida Atlantic 49, FIU 14 – Attendance in Miami: 18,478

Howard 31, Florida A&M 23 – Attendance in Washington, DC: 6,858
Bethune-Cookman 30, Morgan State 28 – Attendance in Baltimore: 2,008
Jacksonville U. 48, Butler 44 – Attendance in Jacksonville: 1,765
Stetson 48, Morehead State 24 – Attendance in Deland: 2,571

Florida Tech 37, North Greenville 7 – Attendance in Melbourne: 2,800
Valdosta State 48, West Florida 21 – Attendance in Pensacola: 5,893


Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  

Massachusetts’ Ross Comis – 29-44-1 for 540 yards (4TDs); East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 34-62-0-449 (3TDs); Temple’s Anthony Russo – 31-52-2-444 (4TDs); Florida State’s James Blackman – 29-46-1-421 (4TDs); New Mexico State’s Josh Adkins – 32-44-0-396 (4TDs); Ole Miss’s Jordan Ta’amu – 31-46-0-379; South Carolina’s Jake Bentley – 22-32-0-363 (2TDs), and Memphis’ Brady White – 21-30-0-362 (3TDs).

Also, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray – 20-35-2 for 360 yards (3TDs); Buffalo’s Tyree Jackson – 20-34-0-358 (3TDs); Texas’ Sam Ehlinger – 25-36-0-354 (3 TDs); Arizona’s Khalil Tate – 17-22-1-350 (5TDs); West Virginia’s Will Grier – 28-42-0-343 (3TDs); Notre Dame’s Ian Book – 22-34-0-343 (2TDs), and Colorado’s Stephen Montez – 27-42-1-343 (3TDs).

Impressive Rushers:

Pitt’s Darrin Hall – 229 yards (3TDs); Illinois’ Reggie Corbin – 213 yards (2TDs); Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 208 yards (3TDs); Oklahoma’s Trey Sermon – 206 yards (3TDs); USC’s Aca-Cedric Ware – 205 yards (3TDs); Middle Tennessee’s Chaton Mobley – 198 yards; Arizona’s J.J. Taylor – 192 yards; UCF’s Greg McCrae – 188 yards, and Wyoming’s Nico Evans – 187 yards (1TD).

Also, Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singletary – 184 yards (3TDs); Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin – 175 yards (2TDs); Northern Illinois’ Tre Harbison – 169 yards (1TD); Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins – 163 yards (3TDs); UCLA’s Joshua Kelley – 161 yards (1TD); Appalachian State’s Darrynton Evans – 159 yards (1TD); Michigan State’s Connor Heyward – 157 yards (2TDs), and Georgia’s D’Andre Swift – 156 yards (2TDs).


Quotes of the Week

“I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach, and somebody spit in my face,” Martin McNair, father of former Maryland player Jordan McNair, on hearing that Maryland coach D.J. Durkin had been reinstated.

It is the pathetic thing to do. It is the weak thing to do. It is the cheap thing to do,” USA Today sports writer Dan Wolken, on Maryland reinstating D.J. Durkin.

“I am deeply troubled by the lack of transparency from the Board of Regents, and deeply concerned about how they could have possibly arrived at the decision announced yesterday,” Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, on the Regents decision to reinstate D.J. Durkin.

“What a mess the Maryland football program has become. The entire Board of Regents should be the next to go. They should take athletic director Damon Evans with them. They all need to go. It’s that bad,” USA Today sports writer Christine Brennan.

“I will step down from the Board of Regents immediately,” Maryland Board of Regents chairman James T. Brady.

“To be honest with you, I hope we elect to kick ass, is what I hope we do,” Alabama coach Nick Saban, when asked what he will choose during the coin toss of the Alabama-LSU game.

“I’m not scared of the Alabama defense,” LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, prior to the Alabama game.

“I’m ready to smash somebody,” Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson, prior to the LSU game.


Signs of the Week

We Want UCF

My Mama Said They Say Roll Tide Because They Can’t Spell Elephant

Saban Eats Crawfish With A Fork



Touchdown Tom’s Predictions for

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

GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Clemson (9-0) at Boston College (7-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Of the four unbeaten teams, Clemson is the only one who could have some problems this week. If BC is clicking on all cylinders, the Eagles could be a problem for the Tigers. But only a thorn in the Tigers paw – Clemson 30, Boston College 22.

RUNNER UP:  2. Mississippi State (6-3) at Alabama (9-0) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – After the LSU performance, Miss State must be the encore. Or if LSU was the entre, Miss State is the dessert. There may be a bit of a letdown. After all LSU was a pretty big show. But even with a letdown, Bama should have little trouble from the Bulldogs. A soothing victory for the Tide – Alabama 34, Mississippi State 12.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Ohio State (8-1) at Michigan State (6-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Purdue showed us there are issues. Nebraska showed us the issues haven’t all gone away. If there are still some issues, Michigan State could take advantage. The Spartans are capable. But the Spartans are such an up-and-down team. They are not up enough – Ohio State 21, Michigan State 20.

4. Auburn (6-3) at Georgia (8-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 6 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Uga could be ripe for a bit of a letdown, after wins over Florida and Kentucky. But this is Auburn and the Dawgs are generally up for the Tigers. But the Tigers are generally up for the Dawgs too. Uga is up higher – Georgia 28, Auburn 20.

5. South Florida (7-2) at Cincinnati (8-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPNU – South Florida is in a funk. The Bulls have lost two straight. And last week’s loss at home to Tulane of all teams was really unexpected. The Bearcats are no slouch. The Bulls are still in a funk – Cincinnati 28, South Florida 24.

6. Fresno State (8-1) at Boise State (7-2) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:15 pm ET, Friday, ESPN2 – Fresno State has been an up and coming team this season. The Bulldogs have a strong offense. Boise State is good this year but not great. The Bulldogs get a rare win on the blue carpet – Fresno State 27, Boise State 25.

7. Oklahoma State (5-4) at Oklahoma (8-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – How do you figure out Okie State? The Cowpokes beat Texas then they lose to Baylor. Oklahoma doesn’t have to figure them out. The Sooners just beat them – Oklahoma 39, Oklahoma State 19.

8. Washington State (8-1) at Colorado (5-4) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Washington State is sitting atop the Pac-12 North. The Cougars are on a roll – unstoppable. But, in Boulder, the Buffs could stop them. Ralphie is capable, but not capable enough – Washington State 26, Colorado 21.

9. Wisconsin (6-3) at Penn State (6-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Both of these teams have been a bit disappointing. More was expected of them. This should be a close one. But the Badgers are happy in the valley – Wisconsin 22, Penn State 21.

10. Oregon (6-3) at Utah (6-3) – (Pac- 12 vs. Pac-12) – 5:30 pm ET, Saturday, PAC-12N – The Utes were on a four-game roll, then they up and lost to Arizona State. Oregon has been up and down too. Playing at home, the Utes take advantage of the Ducks – Utah 32, Oregon 30.


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

11. Troy (7-2) at Georgia Southern (7-2) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 1 pm ET, Saturday – The best teams in the Sun Belt are in the East Division and these are two of the best. The Eagles knocked off Appalachian State two weeks ago. Now they would like to get Troy. But they don’t – Troy 27, Georgia Southern 20.

12. South Carolina (5-3) at Florida (6-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – South Carolina has been winning an awful lot of close games. Granted this should be another close one. The Gators are hurting for a quarterback. Feleipe has been a bit too flippy. Maybe Kyle will pull this one out for the Gators. Whatever, Albert won’t back down – Florida 24, South Carolina 22.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

TCU (4-5) at West Virginia (7-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FS1 – Now the last thing WVU needs is a letdown after the big win over Texas. Otherwise, the Frogs could take advantage of them. TCU is a strange team – scary at times, but generally not. The Eers take care of business – West Virginia 34, TCU 17.

Illinois (4-5) at Nebraska (2-7) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – I don’t know what got into Illinois last week. The Banned Indians scored 55 points against Minnesota. But then, Nebraska scored 53 points against Minnesota. And the Huskers almost beat Ohio State – in Columbus. Win No. 3 – Nebraska 28, Illinois 21.

North Carolina (1-7) at Duke (6-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12:20 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – So how long will it be before North Carolina fires Larry Fedora? It can’t be very long. Maybe the Dookies will help them make their announcement. The Dookies put another nail in the coffin –  Duke 29, North Carolina 20.

Texas (6-3) at Texas Tech (5-4) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – One thing is for sure. This will be a wild game. All games are wild in Lubbock. Texas has already lost two-straight games. Make it three – Texas Tech 35, Texas 33.

Purdue (5-4) at Minnesota (4-5) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – So will Purdue score 50 some points on the Gophers. That seems to be the trend. Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck has been a disappointment. The Boilers may not score 50 points but they win – Purdue 27, Minnesota 23.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Navy (2-7) at UCF (8-0) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN2….

Miami (5-4) at Georgia Tech (5-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2….
Florida State (4-5) at Notre Dame (9-0) – (ACC vs. Ind.) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, NBC….

Western Kentucky (1-8) at Florida Atlantic (4-5) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….
FIU (6-3) at UTSA (3-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7 pm ET, Saturday….

North Carolina Central (4-4) at Bethune-Cookman (5-5) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 7 pm ET, Thursday, ESPNU….
South Carolina State (3-5) at Florida A&M (6-3) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Stetson (7-1) at Butler (3-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Jacksonville U. (2-6) at Valparaiso (1-8)– (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….

Florida Tech (7-3) at Shorter (0-10) – (Gulf South vs, Gulf  South) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
West Florida (6-4) at West Alabama (7-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….

Touchdown Tom


P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but in early November as the college football season began its final stretch, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1943 was “Paper Doll” by The Mills Brothers

…70 years ago this week in 1948 was “Buttons And Bows” by Dinah Shore

…65 years ago this week in 1953 was “Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)” by Les Paul and Mary Ford, and “You, You, You” by The Ames Brothers

…60 years ago this week in 1958 was “It’s Only Make Believe” by Conway Twitty

…55 years ago this week in 1963 was “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs

…50 years ago this week in 1968 was “Hey Jude” by The Beatles

…45 years ago this week in 1973 was “Midnight Train To Georgia” by Gladys Knight & The Pips

…40 years ago this week in 1978 was “You Needed Me” by Anne Murray

…35 years ago this week in 1983 was “Islands In The Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

…30 years ago this week in 1988 was “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys

…25 years ago this week in 1993 was “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” by Meat Loaf



Not exactly college football related, but sadly there was one passing of note last week – Willie McCovey.

Willie McCovey, the Hall-of-Fame first baseman who hit 521 home runs in 22 major league seasons, almost all of them with the San Francisco Giants, died last week at Stanford Hospital in California. He was 80. McCovey joined the Giants in 1959 and was a unanimous selection as the National League’s rookie of the year. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, his nickname was Stretch. The inlet of San Francisco Bay behind the right-field fence at the Giant’s AT&T Park has been christened McCovey Cove. Willie Lee McCovey was born in Mobile, Alabama, on January 10, 1938, the seventh of 10 children. He was signed to the Giant’s minor league system in 1955. McCovey was traded to the San Diego Padres after the 1973 season and played with them until late in the 1976 season when he was picked up by the Oakland A’s. He rejoined the Giants in 1977 and played for them to the end of the 1980 season, retiring as a four-decade player.


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Monday, October 29, 2018


College Football Week 10 – First playoff rankings out Tuesday

In the State of Florida,

it was a sad state of affairs


Yes, it was a sad and a bad weekend in the State of Florida. Florida, Florida State, Miami, South Florida and Florida Atlantic all lost. Only FIU won. UCF didn’t play. But, then again,  UCF doesn’t play anybody to begin with.

The carnage began Friday night – not once, but twice. First, Miami fell to Boston College, 27-14. The loss dropped the Canes to 5-3 on the season. When the season began, Miami was the overwhelming favorite to win the Coastal Division of the ACC. Currently the Canes are sitting in fourth place in the  division.

Immediately after the game, Canes fans flooded social media, calling for Mark Richt’s job.  “Fire Mark Richt” comments were prevalent. Miami is 2-4 in its last six ACC games – 5-6 in its last 11 games overall.

And then there’s Lane Kiffin. Kiffin was one of the hottest coaches in the country last year when he coached Florida Atlantic to an 11-3 record in his debut season with the Owls. FAU entered this season on a 10-game winning streak. Friday night, Florida Atlantic lost to Louisiana Tech, 21-13, dropping the Owls to 3-5 on the season.

All of a sudden, Kiffin isn’t so hot anymore. And this was supposed to be a great season for Florida Atlantic. At preseason, FAU was picked to win the C-USA championship. Today, the Owls are in fifth place in the East Division of C-USA.

Saturday, the carnage continued – not once, but three times. In Tallahassee, Florida State suffered its worst-ever home loss, falling to Clemson, 59-10. Beating the Noles, Clemson became the first ACC team to beat FSU four-straight years. Florida State’s previous worst loss in Doak Campbell Stadium was 58-14 to Southern Miss in 1981. And 59 points is the most ever allowed by FSU at home.

Clemson’s lopsided win could have been worse. Late in the fourth quarter, the Tigers led the Noles, 59-3. Florida State scored its sole touchdown with 4:43 left on the clock. The loss drops FSU to 4-4. At preseason, the Noles were picked to finish second in the Atlantic Division of the ACC. Today, FSU is in fifth place in the division.

Then, at the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville, Florida lost to Georgia, 36-17. The loss dropped Florida to 4-2 in SEC play and virtually eliminated the Gators from winning the East Division of the SEC. Georgia and Kentucky are each 5-1 in SEC play and both have wins over Florida.

It’s obvious that Florida has no pass defense. That’s Todd Grantham’s problem. Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm picked apart the Gators secondary. It’s also obvious that Florida doesn’t have a quarterback. That’s Dan Mullen’s problem. Feleipe Franks is a boob. He’s careless. Florida had three turnovers in the game and Franks was responsible for two of them. He also only passed for a measly 105 yards.

Finally, on Saturday, unbeaten South Florida lost to Houston, 57-36. The Bulls were actually in the game until the fourth quarter. But in the final 15 minutes, South Florida was outscored 14-0 by Houston.

The lone bright spot for Florida’s FBS (Division IA) teams over the weekend was Florida International. FIU beat Western Kentucky, 38-17. The win improved the Panthers’ record to 6-2. Picked to finish fourth in the East Division of C-USA, today FIU is in first place in the division with a 4-0 conference record.

FIU is coached by former Miami (Florida) and North Carolina coach Butch Davis. In his second season with the Panthers, Davis is 14-7. FIU and FAU clash this week – Davis against Kiffin.

Undefeated UCF (7-0) was off. The Knights resume play this week at home against Temple.

Yes, Saturday was a sad state of affairs in the State of Florida.

Week 9 of college football began early. Tuesday night, Troy beat South Alabama, 38-17.

Thursday night, West Virginia and Georgia Tech rolled to victories. West Virginia’s offense and defense put together two good halves, as the Mountaineers vented their frustrations on Baylor, 58-14. Will Grier passed for 353 yards in just three quarters. Backup quarterback sophomore Jack Allison played the entire fourth quarter for the Mounties and threw a 36-yard touchdown pass.

Meanwhile, in Blacksburg, Georgia Tech failed to complete a pass (0-for-1) the entire game, but the Yellow Jackets racked up 465 yards rushing, as they pounded Virginia Tech, 49-28. Jackets quarterback Tobias Oliver rushed for 215 of those yards. Georgia Tech led 49-21 until late in the fourth quarter.

Appalachian State’s appearance in the Top 25 will be brief. Also on Thursday night, Georgia Southern smacked Appalachian State, 34-14. App State entered the game ranked 25th in the AP Poll.

Chip Kelly’s two-game winning streak came to an end. Utah plastered UCLA, 41-10. Kelly is now 2-6 for the season. In the Big Ten, Minnesota scored a touchdown with 1:34 left in the game and then held on to beat Indiana, 38-31. Entering the fourth quarter, the Gophers had a 31-9 lead on the Hoosiers.

Herm Edwards and Kevin Sumlin both won Saturday. On the road, Arizona State downed USC, 38-35, improving Edwards’ Sun Devils to 4-4. Then, at home, Arizona surprised Oregon big time. The Wildcats beat the Ducks, 44-15, improving Sumlin’s Wildcats to 4-5.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, there were some interesting outcomes. With 19 seconds left on the clock, Washington State kicked a 42-yard field goal and beat Stanford in Palo Alton, 41-38. California surprised Washington. The Bears upset the Huskies, 12-10, in Berkeley. But the biggest surprise of all occurred in Boulder. Oregon State, losers of their last 13 Pac-12 games, stunned Colorado, 41-34 (OT). Trailing Colorado 31-3 in the third quarter, the Beavers scored 28 unanswered points to tie the score 31-31 at the end of regulation. Oregon State last won a Pac-12 game in November 2016.

The most exciting game in the SEC took place in Columbia, Missouri. Trailing Missouri 14-3 with less than six minutes to go in the game, Kentucky rallied to knock off the Tigers, 15-14. Kentucky’s winning touchdown came as time expired in the game. Actually, it came after time had expired in the game.

On what would have been the final play of the game as time expired, Kentucky threw a pass into the end zone. The pass was incomplete, but defensive pass interference was called on the play. That penalty gave Kentucky a second chance. And the second time was a charm for the Wildcats. Kentucky was successful on a 2-yard pass into the end zone.

In the other Columbia, South Carolina rallied and held on to edge Tennessee, 27-24. Will Muschamp is now 6-0 against Tennessee – 3-0 at Florida and 3-0 at South Carolina. Meanwhile, Mississippi State spoiled Texas A&M’s visit to Starkville. The Bulldogs beat the Aggies, 28-13.

In the Big 12, it was a big day for the Oklahoma’s. In Norman, the Sooners, as expected, rolled past Kansas State, 51-14. In Stillwater, Oklahoma State blew a 31-14 halftime lead over Texas, but ultimately held on to beat the Longhorns, 38-35. The big surprise in the Big 12, and it was a big one, occurred in Lawrence, Kansas. The Jayhawks, losers of their last 14 Big 12 games, shocked TCU, 27-26. Kansas last won a Big 12 game in November 2016.

In the Big Ten, Penn State, Michigan State and Northwestern all won. In University Park, Penn State edged Iowa, 30-24. In East Lansing, Michigan State stymied Purdue, 23-13, and in Evanston, Northwestern surprised Wisconsin, 31-17.

Syracuse and Pitt had big wins in the ACC. In the Carrier Dome, Syracuse won a thriller over NC State, 41-31. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, Duke and Pitt were tied 45-45 with less than a minute to go in the game. Pitt got a touchdown and a safety, all in the final 5 seconds of the game, to beat Duke, 54-45.

UTEP extended its losing streak to 19 games – the nation’s longest. The Miners lost to UAB, 19-0. But San Jose State ended its 6-game losing streak. The Spartans beat UNLV, 50-37. Also, in the MWC, Nevada upset San Diego State, 28-24.

Massachusetts knocked off Connecticut, 22-17. And Army improved to 6-2, with a 37-22 win over Eastern Michigan.

For the third week, no one joined the “70s Club.” But Maryland and Utah State came close. The Terps beat Illinois, 63-33, and Utah State downed New Mexico, 61-19.

In addition to Oregon State-Colorado, the only one other overtime game – Cincinnati 26, SMU 20 (OT). Cincinnati not only won the game in overtime, but the Bearcats won it on a “kick-6” in overtime.

In 2015, Louisville coach Bobby Petrino pulled Matt Colburn’s scholarship offer just 48 hours before national signing day. Colburn went on to sign with Wake Forest. Saturday, Colburn got his paybacks. The Wake Forest running back ran for 243 yards and three touchdowns, as Wake Forest beat Louisville, 56-35. Justice!

So, after nine weeks of football, four teams remain undefeated – Alabama (8-0), Clemson (8-0), Notre Dame (8-0) and UCF (7-0). South Florida (7-1) lost for the first time. Like UCF, Alabama was off Saturday. Clemson, as mentioned, took care of Florida State and Notre Dame rocked Navy,  44-22.

This week, Alabama visits LSU (7-1) and Notre Dame travels to Northwestern (5-3). Clemson hosts Louisville (2-6) and UCF entertains Temple (5-3). Stay tuned!

The first college football playoff rankings will be released at 7 pm, Tuesday, on ESPN.

Touchdown Tom
October 29, 2018


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Dawg party – Georgia 36, Florida 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Florida 24, Georgia 20). With less than 9 minutes to go in the game, Georgia only had a 6-point lead – 23-17. Then the Dawgs exploded for two touchdowns. Florida had three turnovers to none for Georgia. The teams were close in rushing yards, but Georgia had 240 passing yards to only 105 for Florida. Attendance in Jacksonville: 84,463

RUNNER UP: King for a day – Houston 57, South Florida 36 (Touchdown Tom said: Houston 33, South Florida 27). This was a tight game until the fourth quarter. Houston led 43-36 at the end of three. The teams combined for 1,147 total yards, but Houston had 681 of those yards. Houston quarterback D’Eriq King had 419 yards and 5 touchdowns passing and 132 yards and two touchdowns rushing. Attendance in Houston: 31,631

REST OF THE BEST:  Mulch – Washington State 41, Stanford 38 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 26, Stanford 24). Washington State won the game on a field goal in the closing seconds. The Cougars won the game in spite of only 59 yards rushing. Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew passed for 438 yards. Attendance in Palo Alto: 39,596

Happy in the Valley – Penn State 30, Iowa 24 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 24, Penn State 22). Iowa controlled the stats, including time of possession. But the Hawkeyes couldn’t control the score. Neither quarterback – Nate Stanley of Iowa and Trace McSorley of Penn State – were impressive. Both completed less than 50% of their passes. Attendance in University Park: 105,244

Retreat – Clemson 59, Florida State 10 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 33, Florida State 23). The Clemson defense held FSU to just 21 yards rushing. Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for 314 yards. Clemson had 25 first downs to 14 for FSU. Attendance in Tallahassee: 68,403

Richt-less – Boston College 27, Miami (Florida) 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Miami 30, Boston College 26). A good game in the first half, BC led at the break, 17-14. Then it was all BC in the second half, as the Eagles defense kept the Canes from scoring. BC running back A.J. Dillon rushed for 149 yards, as the Eagles had 439 total yards. Attendance in Chestnut Hill: 44,514

Orange is the new Red – Syracuse 51, NC State 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Syracuse 30, NC State 28). Syracuse jumped out to a 24-7 lead. NC State rallied and the game became a barn burner. The teams combined for 1,102 total yards. But both teams had less than 90 yards rushing – 81 for Syracuse and 68 for NC State. NC State quarterback Ryan Finley passed for 473 yards and Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey passed for 411 yards. Attendance in Syracuse: 40,769

Poked – Oklahoma State 38, Texas 35 (Touchdown Tom said: Texas 37, Oklahoma State 21). Okie State controlled the stats and the clock, but barely won the game. Texas came on strong at the end. Okie State quarterback Taylor Cornelius passed for 321 yards. Attendance in Stillwater: 56,790

Eagles soar – Georgia Southern 34, Appalachian State 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Georgia Southern 30, Appalachian State 29). After a scoreless first quarter, Georgia Southern took control of the game, outscoring App State, 17-7 in the second quarter and 17-7 in the second half. The Eagles led 34-7 until late in the fourth quarter. App State had five turnovers in the game, including four interceptions. Georgia Southern won the game in spite of only managing 57 yards passing. The Eagles running Shai Werts rushed for 129 yards. Georgia Southern improved its record to 7-1. Attendance in Statesboro: 19,252

It ain’t over until it’s over – Kentucky 15, Missouri 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Missouri 22, Kentucky 21). Thanks to a defensive pass interference call, Kentucky got a second chance after time had expired. The Wildcats capitalized on that chance. The game was a defensive battle. Both teams rushed for less than 100 yards – 91 yards for Kentucky and 84 for Missouri. Mizzou quarterback Drew Lock had a terrible game.  Attendance in Columbia: 53,397


….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Totality – West Virginia 58, Baylor 14 (Touchdown Tom said: West Virginia 30, Baylor 17). West Virginia scored a touchdown on its opening drive, just 50 seconds into the game, and the Mountaineers were off and running. WVU outscored Baylor 41-0 in the first half and 17-14 in the second half. WVU racked up 568 total yards to 285 for Baylor. Mountie receiver David Sills had five receptions for 139 yards and Gary Jennings had three receptions for 100 yards. WVU’s defense held Baylor to 80 yards rushing. Attendance in Morgantown: 53,117

Where’s Don Ho when you need him? – Fresno State 50, Hawaii 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Fresno State 34, Hawaii 27). This game was all Fresno State. The Bulldogs led 50-13 early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs had 565 total yards and held Hawaii to 88 yards rushing. Fresno State quarterback Marcus McMaryion passed for 284 yards. Bulldogs running back Ronnie Rivers ran for 125 yards. Fresno State even got a touchdown on a “kick-6.” Attendance in Fresno: 33,659


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Shucked – Nebraska 45, Bethune-Cookman 9 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 56, Bethune-Cookman 12). Nebraska just toyed with Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats lone touchdown came as time expired. Huskers running back Devine Ozigbo rushed for 110 yards. Attendance in Lincoln: 88,735

The defenses forgot to show up – Pitt 54, Duke 45 (Touchdown Tom said: Duke 25, Pitt 21). What a game! The teams combined for 1,253 total yards. Most of Pitt’s yards were rushing – 484. Most of Duke’s yards were passing – 396. Three running backs – two from Pitt and one from Duke – rushed for more than 100 yards. Attendance in Pittsburgh: 31,510

Boilers weren’t up – Michigan State 23, Purdue 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan State 26, Purdue 23). The Spartans were still mad and the Boilers were still celebrating. It was a tight game throughout. Michigan State just led 16-13 with less than 2 minutes to go in the game. The Spartans defense held Purdue to 62 yards rushing. Michigan State quarterback Rocky Lombardi passed for 318 yards. The Spartans controlled the clock for more than 38 minutes. Attendance in East Lansing: 72,657

Week 9 Results:   9 correct picks, 6 fumbles (60 percent)
For The Season:  92 correct picks, 43 fumbles (68.1 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

FIU 38, Western Kentucky 17 – Attendance in Bowling Green: 15,138
Louisiana Tech 21, Florida Atlantic 13 – Attendance in Boca Raton: 14,948

Florida A&M 38, Morgan State 3 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 14,037
Stetson 56, Davidson 53 – Attendance in Davidson: 3,992
San Diego 59, Jacksonville U. 35 – Attendance in San Diego: 1,047

West Florida 26, North Greenville 10 – Attendance in Tigerville: 2,687
West Alabama 29, Florida Tech 22 – Attendance in Livingston: 5,106



Superlatives

Impressive Passers: 

NC State’s Ryan Finley – 26-44-1-473 (3TDs); Utah State’s Jordan Love – 23-34-0 for 448 yards (4TDs); Washington State’s Gardner Minshew – 40-50-0-438 (3TDs); Houston’s D’Eriq King – 28-41-2-419 (5TDs); Syracuse’s Eric Dungey – 27-38-0-411 (3TDs); Boise State’s Brett Rypien – 20-34-0-399 (5TDs), and Duke’s Daniel Jones – 27-42-0-396 (4TDs).

Also, NC State’s Ryan Finley – 26-44-1 for 373 yards (3TDs); Louisville’s Jawon Pass – 30-54-0-358 (1TD); West Virginia’s Will Grier – 17-27-0-353 (3TDs); Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray – 19-24-0-352 (3TDs); Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder – 33-50-2-352 (2TDs), and TCU’s Michael Collins – 23-33-1-351 (1TD).

Impressive Rushers:

Wake Forest’s Matt Colburn – 243 yards (3TDs); Georgia Tech’s Tobias Oliver – 215 yards (3TDs); Utah’s Zack Moss – 211 yards (3TDs); Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin – 185 yards (2TDs); Wyoming’s Nico Evans – 176 yards (1TD), and Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn – 172 yards (3TDs).

Also,  Florida Atlantic’s Devin Singletary – 171 yards (1TD); Troy’s B.J. Smith – 170 yards (1TD); Duke’s Deon Jackson – 162 yards; Georgia State’s Tra Barnett – 161 yards (2TDs); Illinois’ Reggie Corbin – 155 yards (1TD), and Minnesota’s Shannon Brooks – 154 yards (1TD).


Quotes of the Week

“This is what happens when you have Urban Meyer at the helm. Ohio State, you brought this upon yourself with how sloppy and undisciplined this team is. When you’re worried about deleting texts off your phone, when you’re sending out five different apology tweets, because of your behavior and your program’s behavior, when you’re worried about the findings of a sham internal investigation. This wasn’t a real internal investigation into Urban Meyer at Ohio State, it was an absolute sham. When you have to worry about that stuff, you’re unfocused, and that leads to your team being undisciplined,” ESPN and SEC Network college football commentator Peter Burns.

“That’s Urban Meyer’s fault, but more importantly, it’s Ohio State’s fault, and their lack of leadership has hurt those kids, because I think that team at Ohio State is as talented as any team in the country right now. But they are led by someone who is unfocused, and that’s the reason they lost that game to Purdue, and I think they’ll lose another,” ESPN and SEC Network college football commentator Peter Burns.

At some point, Ohio State has to realize what’s better for their university, and guess what, it’s not Urban Meyer being the head coach,” ESPN and SEC Network college football commentator Peter Burns.

“Urban Meyer looks anguished, emotional and erratic on the sidelines and the Buckeyes have big problems. There are issues there,” ESPN college football commentator Kirk Herbstreit.

“They need an expanded playoff system, minimum 16 teams. I haven’t quite figured out how everybody from rec league softball on down can figure out how to put together a tournament and Division I can’t,” Washington State coach Mike Leach, on an expanded college football playoff.

“It’s official. The U is dead under Mark Richt,” former Miami player Warren Sapp.

“Dear Bulldog fans, can you please take Mark Richt back? Please,” Miami fan Calvin Capone.”

“I’m not optimistic, but Kentucky being at home has momentum. This is going to be the biggest football game in Kentucky history. That’s not saying very much. It’s going to overshadow the Duke-Kentucky basketball game a couple of nights later. This place will be insane,” ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum, on the Georgia-Kentucky football game.

“It’s going to be a celebration. Do I think they’re going to win? Probably not,” ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum, on Kentucky’s chances against Georgia.



Signs of the Day

Herschel Walker Didn’t Get Into UF

If you or a loved one has been exposed to Georgia football, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Call 1-800-UGA-SUCKS

Tebow Cries At Weddings

Eat Mor Bulldawg

Who Names Their Kid, Kirby?

Win Or Lose, At Least I Don’t Go To UCF


Touchdown Tom’s Picks for

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


GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Alabama (8-0) at LSU (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – This is the biggest game of the season to date and may end up being the biggest game of the season. But it won’t be big unless LSU wins or comes darn close. The Tigers have not beaten Alabama since 2011. And the Tide turned around and beat LSU in the second game (BCS Championship) that season. So it has been a tough seven years for the Tigers. Make it a tough eight years – Alabama 26, LSU 23.

RUNNER UP:  2. Georgia (7-1)  at Kentucky (7-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – This is the “it” game for Kentucky. Win and Wildcats  fans will be talking about this game for 100 years – maybe more. Lose and it’s when does basketball season start? Anything could happen. But I think Wildcats fans will be talking about basketball season – Georgia 26, Kentucky 21.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Penn State (6-2) at Michigan (7-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:45 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – Jim Harbaugh has the Wolverines on a roll. James Franklin has the Nitts flickering. Roll bets Flicker – Michigan 30, Penn State 20.

4. Notre Dame (8-0) at Northwestern (5-3) – (Ind. vs. Big Ten) – 7:15 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – You gotta figure Northwestern is capable of beating Notre Dame. Capable is the “key” word here. The Irish gotta be feeling the pressure. It’s not easy being undefeated, unless you are Alabama. Pressure survives capable – Notre Dame 24, Northwestern 19.

5. West Virginia (6-1) at Texas (6-2) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, FOX – Both teams have one loss in Big 12 play. Neither can afford another one if they want to make the Big 12 title game. This one has the makings for an interesting contest – very interesting. Bevo steaks go good with moonshine – West Virginia 33, Texas 27.

6. Temple (5-3) at UCF (7-0) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 7:30 pm Et, Thursday, ESPN – Temple has already knocked off one unbeaten team this year – Cincinnati. The Owls will be looking to make UCF its second unbeaten victim. If the game were played in Philly, it could happen. But the game is played in Orlando. Knights prevail – UCF 29, Temple 22.

7. Oklahoma (7-1) at Texas Tech (5-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 8 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – The Red Raiders are capable of giving Oklahoma’s defense a test, especially in Lubbock. But Kyler Murray should have a heyday against Tech’s defense. The Sooners win the shootout – Oklahoma 35, Texas Tech 20.

8. Stanford (5-3) at Washington (6-3) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 9 pm ET, Saturday, PAC-12N – Last week, the Trees lost to the other Washington team on a last second field goal. They could lose the same way this week. Washington lost too and the Huskies will be mad. The Trees are uprooted – Washington 26, Stanford 21.

9. Texas A&M (5-3) at Auburn (5-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Aggies got bounced in Starkville last week. Meanwhile, Auburn was sitting back resting up for this encounter. It’s hard to figure Jimbo Fisher losing two straight games. It’s hard to figure Gus Malzahn beating Jimbo – Texas A&M 29, Auburn 23.

10. Boston College (6-2) at Virginia Tech (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:45 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – Two teams going in opposite directions. BC is having a good season and coming off a good win against Miami. Va Tech is having a disappointing season and coming off a bad loss to Georgia Tech. Still, the Eagles have their weaknesses and the Hokies have their strengths. But the Hokies don’t find BC’s weaknesses in this one – Boston College 26, Virginia Tech 22. 



….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

11. Duke (5-3) at Miami (Florida) (5-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Duke left its defense at home last week. Miami left its offense home. The Dookies may have lost their defense for good. The Canes better win or the calls for Mark Richt’s firing will get stronger. Richt breathes a little easier – Miami 30, Duke 25.

12. Iowa (6-2) at Purdue (4-4) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Both teams tripped and stumbled last week. The Boilers have some more tripping and stumbling to do – Iowa 23, Purdue 17.


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS

Missouri (4-4) at Florida (6-2) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – Both teams are mad and frustrated. Florida coming off the loss to Georgia and Missouri coming off the beyond the last second loss to Kentucky. Florida gets its act together. Missouri discombobulates – Florida 24, Missouri 16.

Nebraska (2-6) at Ohio State (7-1) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, FOX – Nebraska may be getting better and Ohio State may be getting worse, but the Huskers are playing the Buckeyes at the wrong time. After the bad loss to Purdue and all the negative commentary about Urban Meyer, Ohio State is going to come out mad and fired up. And the game is in Columbus. It won’t be a pretty site for the Huskers – Ohio State 38, Nebraska 16.


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State (4-4) at NC State (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC….
Tulane (3-5) at South Florida (7-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBSSN….
Florida Atlantic (3-5) at FIU (6-2) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday….

Florida A&M (6-2) at Howard (3-4) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Bethune-Cookman (4-5) at Morgan State (2-6) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Butler (3-5) at Jacksonville U. (1-6) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3… 

Morehead State (3-5) at Stetson (6-1) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

North Greenville (4-4) at Florida Tech (6-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 2 pm ET, Saturday….
Valdosta State (8-0) at West Florida (6-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 5 pm ET, Saturday….

Touchdown Tom



P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but there was one passing of note last week – Tony Joe White.

Tony Joe White, the songwriter who wrote “Polk Salad Annie” and “Rainy Night in Georgia,” died last week at his home in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, near Nashville. He was 75. White was known for his deep, growling voice and potent “swamp rock” sound, which incorporated elements of blues, rock, country and R&B. During the past 50 years, his songs have been recorded by countless greats, including Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield, Brook Benton, Ray Charles, Waylon Jennings, B.J. Thomas, Kenny Chesney, Johnny Cash and Tina Turner, among others. It was White’s 1972 record “The Train I’m On” that brought serious attention to his singing and songwriting. Tony Joe White was born on July 23, 1943, near Oak Grove, Louisiana. His debut album “Black and White” was released in 1969. The song “Soul San Francisco” was a hit in France. Nine months after the album’s release, the song “Polk Salad Annie” entered the charts and peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100. At the same time, Brook Benton’s recording of “Rainy Night in Georgia was zooming up the charts. It peaked at No. 4 on the Pop Charts. In the late 1980s, Tina Turner recorded four of White’s songs, including “Steamy Windows.”


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Monday, October 22, 2018


College Football Week 9 – Will No. 2 lose again this week?

It’s Not Safe To Be No. 2

Not lately. That’s for sure.

Just look at what’s happened. Last week, undefeated Georgia was sitting comfortably in the No. 2 spot. That is until the Dawgs ran into LSU. The Tigers not only beat Georgia, but they blew the Dawgs off the field, 36-16.

When the rankings came out after Georgia’s loss, Ohio State was the new No. 2 team. The undefeated Buckeyes were sitting comfortably in the No. 2 spot.

Well, that is until undefeated Ohio State ran into Purdue Saturday night. Just like LSU blew Georgia off the field, Purdue literally tossed Ohio State from one side of the field to the other, beating the Buckeyes, 49-20.  

Purdue’s defense bottled up Ohio State’s running game – 76 yards rushing. Buckeyes running backs Mike Weber and J.K. Dobbins were never heard from all night. Between the 20s, Ohio State moved the ball almost at will. But only through the air. However, once Ohio State hit the red zone, Purdue’s defense stepped up again. The Buckeyes were denied the end zone. Ohio State could only manage two field goals on five trips to the red zone.

Meanwhile, Purdue’s offense, with a healthy mix of running and passing, kept Ohio State’s defense guessing all night. The Buckeyes defense often appeared to be confused, not knowing what the Boilers would throw or run at them next.

At the end of three quarters, Purdue led Ohio State 21-6. The Boilers went on to outscore the Buckeyes 28-14 in the fourth quarter to cap their 49-20 win. The game was reminiscent of Ohio State’s 55-24 loss at Iowa last ear.

Ohio State was one of three unbeaten teams to lose Saturday. In a battle of unbeatens, Clemson handed NC State its first loss of the season. And it really wasn’t a battle. The Tigers had their way with the Wolfpack, beating NC State, 41-7.

In Philadelphia, unbeaten Cincinnati lost for the first time. The Bearcats fell to Temple, 24-17 (OT). Neither team acted like it wanted to win the game, as both suffered from three turnovers.

So, going into Week 9, we are down to five unbeaten teams – Alabama (8-0), Clemson (7-0), Notre Dame (7-0), UCF (7-0) and South Florida (7-0). UCF, playing without starting quarterback McKenzie Milton, downed East Carolina, 37-10, Saturday night.

Meanwhile, South Florida continued to live on the edge. The Bulls, leading Connecticut by only one point, 31-30, with less than five minutes to go in the game, scored late to hang on for a 38-30 win over UConn. Notre Dame had the week off.

Alabama and UCF are off this week. They will still be undefeated come this time next week. Notre Dame plays Navy (2-5) in San Diego. That should be a safe win for the Irish. However, South Florida definitely has a tough game and No. 2 Clemson has what could be a tricky game. South Florida plays Houston (6-1) in Houston. There’s a good chance the Bulls won’t be unbeaten after this Saturday. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, Clemson plays Florida State (4-3) in Tallahassee. The Noles have been improving and Clemson could have a let down after the Tigers big win over NC State. Just saying. Then again, Clemson could blow FSU off the field.

But if the trend continues, Clemson could be the third-straight  No. 2 team to lose. Can FSU beat Clemson? Only time will tell. Stay tuned!

With its win over East Carolina, UCF extended its winning streak to 20 games – the nation’s longest. Alabama is second with a 10-game winning streak, while South Florida is in third place with 8-straight wins.

Conversely, UTEP (0-7) is right up there with UCF, only losing instead of winning. The Miners extended their losing streak – the nation’s longest – to 18 games. UTEP is followed by San Jose State (0-7). The Spartans are riding a 7-game losing streak.

But in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Huskers ended their 10-game losing streak. Nebraska and first-year coach Scott Frost got their first win of the season Saturday, beating Minnesota, 53-28. The Huskers got off to a good start and you just knew they were going to get the monkey off their back. Late in the second quarter, Nebraska led Minnesota, 28-0.

But then the Gophers scored three-straight touchdowns. Midway through the third quarter, the Huskers lead was cut to six, as Nebraska led Minnesota, 28-22. The first win appeared to be slipping away from the Huskers. However, Nebraska went on to outscore the Gophers 25-8 to safely secure its first victory.

The weekend’s games began Thursday night. Stanford took advantage of three Arizona State turnovers, as the Trees beat the Sun Devils, 20-13. ASU quarterback Manny Wilkins passed for 353 yards. Herm Edwards is now 3-4. 

I have to tell you, I really enjoyed Saturday. No, not just because Nebraska got its first win and Ohio State and Urban Meyer got beat. Saturday was different. I was relaxed. I was cool as a cucumber.

You see, West Virginia and Florida had the day off. On the Saturdays when the Mountaineers and the Gators play, I’m on edge. Even after they win or lose, I stay on edge, especially if they lose.

Saturday, I was so relaxed. WVU and Florida weren’t playing. I sat back and used the remote to follow several games. For the 12 noon starts, I switched between Auburn-Ole Miss, Oklahoma-TCU, Michigan-Michigan State and Maryland-Iowa. Occasionally, I checked in on Cincinnati-Temple.

When the Michigan-Michigan State game went into a weather delay, that game dropped off my cycle. 

Surprisingly, Auburn dominated Ole Miss. The game was never really close. Auburn went on to beat Ole Miss, 31-16. The OU-TCU game looked like a rout for the Sooners. Oklahoma had a 28-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Then the Frogs started hopping. TCU rallied and trailed OU at the half, 28-24. But the second half was all Oklahoma. The Sooners outscored TCU, 24-3, and beat the Frogs, 52-27.

Iowa dominated Maryland, especially Iowa’s defense. The Hawkeyes beat the Terps, 23-0. And as mentioned earlier, Cincinnati lost to Temple, 24-17 (OT).

For the 3:30 p.m. starts, I switched around between  Alabama-Tennessee, NC State-Clemson and Colorado-Washington. And as the Michigan-Michigan State game resumed from its weather delay, I added that game to the 3:30 cycle. Alabama simply tore apart Tennessee. It was pathetic. The Tide beat the Vols, 58-21. And as mentioned earlier, Clemson totally dominated NC State, 41-7.

Now the Colorado-Washington game was an interesting one. In the first half, Colorado had two leads – 7-0 and 10-7. Washington led at the break, 14-13, and, 17-13, at the end of three quarters. In the fourth quarter, Colorado fell apart. The Huskies outscored the Buffs, 10-0, and Washington went on to beat Colorado, 27-13.

The Michigan-Michigan State game was tight. The score was 7-7 late in the third quarter. However, the Spartans only got a touchdown because the Wolverines fumbled on their own goal line. Michigan went on to score two more touchdowns and beat Michigan State, 21-7.

For the evening games, and what turned out to be the best games, I switched around between Mississippi State-LSU, Vanderbilt-Kentucky, Oregon-Washington State and Ohio State-Purdue.

Actually, the Miss State-LSU game wasn’t that exciting. Although it wasn’t a blowout, LSU dominated Miss State. The Bulldogs had no offense. LSU won the game, 19-3. Vanderbilt-Kentucky was a close game and a defensive battle. Halfway through the second quarter, the score was 7-7. And it remained that way until 8:04 on the clock in the fourth quarter when Kentucky went up 14-7. Vandy had its chances, but the Wildcats hung on to win – 14-7.

I think the Oregon-Washington State game was my favorite. Mike Leach is always fun to watch. The first half belonged to the Cougars. And did it ever. Washington State led Oregon, 27-0 at halftime. The rout appeared to be on. But the Cougars went silent in the second half, as Oregon came back and pulled within seven – 27-20, with 6:38 to go in the game. Washington State got a security touchdown with 3:40 on the clock and won, 34-20.

And what more can I say about Ohio State-Purdue. I think you could hear all the country cheering every time Purdue scored. Outside of the State of Ohio, the Buckeyes are one of the most, if not the most, hated teams in the country. And, outside of the State of Ohio, Urban Meyer is the most hated coach in the country.

Yeah, I was cool as a cucumber Saturday – totally relaxed. My remote got its workout.

For the second week in a row, no team made the “70s Club.” Missouri came the closest. The Tigers beat Memphis, 65-33.

There were four overtime games Saturday. In addition to Temple-Cincinnati, Syracuse beat North Carolina, 40-37 (2OT), Army outlasted Miami (Ohio), 31-30, and Akron edged Kent State, 24-23 (OT). Poor Kent State muffed the snap on the extra point kick in overtime.

In the late show, UCLA beat Arizona 31-30. After losing his first five games, Chip Kelly has won two in a row. Meanwhile, Kevin Sumlin is 3-5.

Well, it wasn’t a “kick-6” like the Auburn-Alabama game in 2013, but I guess you could call it a “kick-3.” As time expired in the Old Dominion-Western Kentucky game, and the score tied 34-34, WKU missed a field goal attempt. An Old Dominion player caught the kicked ball in the end zone and ran it back to near the WKU goal line where he was driven out of bounds.

Time had expired, but there was a face-mask penalty on Western Kentucky during the run back. You can’t end the game on a penalty. So Old Dominion lined up and kicked a 26-yard field goal to win the game, 37-34. I must say, when Old Dominion (2-6) wins, the Monarchs do it in style. First they knocked off Virginia Tech and then they win on a “kick-3”.

Freshman Rhett Rodriguez played quarterback for Arizona Saturday against UCLA. Starting quarterback Khalil Tate was out with an ankle injury. Rodriguez is the son of former Arizona, Michigan and West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. It was Rhett’s first career start. But last week, coming in for the injured Tate, Rodriguez completed 20-of-38 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown in the Wildcats 42-10 loss to Utah. Saturday, Rhett passed for 231 yards in the Wildcats 31-30 loss to UCLA.

Rob Robertson, who was in his 52nd season on the Washington State football radio broadcast, announced his immediate retirement last week. Robertson began calling Cougars football games as the play-by-play announcer in 1964. He remained in that role until sliding over to the analyst chair in 2011. Robertson also called Washington State basketball games for 23 years. To conclude every broadcast, Robertson would say, “Always be a good sport, be a good sport all ways.”

Touchdown Tom
October 22, 2018


Weekend Recap

GAME OF THE WEEK:  Tough Tigers – Clemson 41, NC State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Clemson 30, NC State 22). Clemson took total control of this game. The Tigers led the Wolfpack, 31-0, before NC State scored. Surprisingly, NC State shutdown Clemson’s running game (91 yards), but the Tigers had 380 yards passing. Meanwhile, NC State quarterback Ryan Finley only passed for 156 yards and threw two interceptions. Attendance in Clemson: 81.295

RUNNER UP:  Cougs like Duck – Washington State 34, Oregon 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington State 32, Oregon 30). Neither team could run – 65 yards for Oregon and 77 yards for Washington State. Washington State won in spite of suffering two turnovers to none for Oregon. Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew passed for 323 yards. It was the Cougars fourth-straight year beating the Ducks.  Attendance in Pullman: 33,152

REST OF THE BEST:  Huskies bite – Washington 27, Colorado 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Washington 30, Colorado 20). Washington pretty much dominated the stats. The Huskies held Colorado to 263 total yards. Attendance in Seattle: 68,798

Stubborn – LSU 19, Mississippi State 3 (Touchdown Tom said: LSU 27, Mississippi State 19). LSU won the game with only 239 total yards. The Tigers held the Bulldogs to just 59 yards passing. State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was a measly 8-for-24 passing and four interceptions. But Fitzgerald did run for 131 yards. LSU was not impressive on offense, but the Tigers looked good on defense. Attendance in Baton Rouge: 101.340

Gritty – Michigan 21, Michigan State 7 (Touchdown Tom said: Michigan 26, Michigan State 24). Michigan State only had 94 total yards – 15 rushing and 79 passing. Michigan on the other had had 394 total yards. Michigan running back Karan Higdon rushed for 144 yards. Michigan maintained time of possession for more than 41 minutes. Attendance in East Lansing: 76,131

Great Horns – Temple 24, Cincinnati 17 (OT) (Touchdown Tom said: Cincinnati 26, Temple 25). Both teams were flat on offense. Temple only had 80 yards rushing. Cincinnati running back Michael Warren rushed for 132 yards. Each team held a lead in the game and the score was tied twice. Attendance in Philadelphia: 33,026

Captain Kirk -- Iowa 23, Maryland 0 (Touchdown Tom said: Iowa 33, Maryland 18). Iowa’s defense held Maryland to 115 total yards – 68 rushing and 47 passing. Iowa only had 84 yards passing, but 224 rushing. The Hawkeyes controlled the clock for more than 40 minutes. Attendance in Iowa City: 69,250

The Devils were cakes – Virginia 28, Duke 14 (Touchdown Tom said: Virginia 22, Duke 21). Virginia held the Dookies to only 58 yards rushing. The Wahoos also dominated time of possession for more than 36 minutes. The Dookies suffered two turnovers, while Virginia had none. The Cavaliers improve to 5-2. Attendance in Durham: 20,277

Wings – Buffalo 31, Toledo 17 (Touchdown Tom said: Buffalo 29, Toledo 25). Buffalo never led in the game until the fourth quarter. But once the Bulls got the lead, they never relinquished it. Buffalo had 32 first downs to only 8 for Toledo. There were 8 turnovers in the game – four by each team. Buffalo maintained time of possession for more than 39 minutes. Attendance in Toledo: 18,114

Dull Horns – Oklahoma 52, TCU 27 (Touchdown Tom said: Oklahoma 31, TCU 17). Oklahoma dominated the stats and the game. The Sooners had 536 total yards to 275 for TCU and 26 first downs to 12 for the Frogs. OU controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes. Oklahoma running backs Kennedy Brooks and Trey Sermon rushed for 168 and 110 yards respectively. Attendance in Fort Worth: 45,055



….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

Blazing Blazers – UAB 29, North Texas 21 (Touchdown Tom said: UAB 30, North Texas 27). UAB never led in the game until the fourth quarter. But once the Blazers got the lead, they never gave it up. North Texas only had 64 yards rushing, but North Texas quarterback Mason Fine passed for 336 yards. Attendance in Birmingham: 28,014

Hurtin’ Herm – Stanford 20, Arizona State 13 (Touchdown Tom said: Arizona State 33, Stanford 28). A close game in the first half, Stanford took control in the third quarter, jumping out to a 20-6 lead. Still, Arizona State cut the gap to 7 halfway through the fourth quarter. The Sun Devils only had 84 yards rushing, but 353 passing. ASU also was plagued with three turnovers. Stanford maintained time of possession for more than 38 minutes. Attendance in Tempe: 42,946


YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

At last – Nebraska 53, Minnesota 28 (Touchdown Tom said: Nebraska 28, Minnesota 27). Nebraska’s offense was fired up – amassing 659 total yards. Huskers quarterback Adrian Martinez was 25-329-0 passing for 276 yards and three touchdowns. Martinez also ran for 125 yards. Nebraska running backs Devine Ozigbo and Maurice Washington rushed for 152 and 109 yards respectively. Attendance in Lincoln: 89,272

Miracle – Purdue 49, Ohio State 20 (Touchdown Tom said: Ohio State 29, Purdue 17). The two teams combined for 1,085 total yards – 546 for Ohio State and 539 for Purdue. But the Buckeyes only had 76 yards rushing. Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins passed for 470 yards. Purdue quarterback David Blough passed for 378 yards. Boilers running back D.J. Knox rushed for 128 yards. Attendance in West Lafayette: 60,716

Week 8 Results:  11 correct picks, 3 fumbles (78.6 percent)
For the Season:  83 correct picks, 37 fumbles (69.2 percent)


ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

Florida State 38, Wake Forest 17 – Attendance in Tallahassee: 67,274
UCF 37, East Carolina 10 – Attendance in Greenville: 31,159
South Florida 38, Connecticut 30 – Attendance in Tampa: 42,127

Marshall 31, Florida Atlantic 7 – Attendance in Huntington: 23,825
FIU 36, Rice 17 – Attendance in Miami: 13,741

North Carolina A&T 35, Bethune-Cookman 10 – Attendance in Daytona Beach: 6,225
Florida Tech 30, West Florida 28 – Attendance in Pensacola: 5,191
Stetson 38, Jacksonville U. 35 – Attendance in Deland: 2,427



Superlatives

Impressive Passers:  

Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins – 49-73-1 for 470 yards (2TDs); Houston’s D’Eriq King – 25-38-0-413 (3TDs); Texas Tech’s Alan Bowman – 36-46-1-408 (3TDs); East Carolina’s Holton Ahlers – 29-52-1-406 (1TD); Purdue’s David Blough – 25-43-0-378 (3TDs), and Liberty’s Stephen Calvert – 32-48-2-362 (2TDs).

Also, Florida State’s Deondre Francois – 29-40-0-353 (2TDs); Arizona State’s Manny Wilkins 26-43-1-353; Missouri’s Drew Lock – 23-29-0-350 (4TDs); Utah’s Tyler Huntley – 22-29-0-341 (4TDs), and North Texas’ Mason Fine – 29-40-0-336 (3TDs).

Impressive Rushers:  

Connecticut’s David Pindell – 197 yards (2TDs); California’s Patrick Laird – 193 yards (2TDs); Air Force’s Isaiah Sanders – 173 yards (3TDs); Auburn’s JaTarvious Whitlow – 170 yards, and Kentucky’s Benny Snell – 169 yards (1TD).

Also, Oklahoma’s Kennedy Brooks – 168 yards (1TD); South Florida’s Johnny Ford – 164 yards (3TDs); Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor – 159 yards; Arizona’s J.J. Taylor – 154 yards (1TD), and Nebraska’s Devine Ozigbo – 152 yards (2TDs).



Quotes of the Week

“His problem is self-evident. The fans don’t like him. They have no faith in him. They’re not eager to support him, and I really don’t know where this program goes now. Gus Malzahn doesn’t have a plan going forward. If a coach has no support from the fan base, and there’s no enthusiasm and there’s no where to go, it starts to effect other things like recruiting,” ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum, on Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.

“Alabama is taking the fun out of college football,” ESPN college football commentator Paul Finebaum.

“It’s long overdue,” first-year Nebraska coach Scott Frost, after the Huskers won their first game of the season.

Signs of the Day

We Skipped Our Kid’s Wedding For GameDay

It Looks Like Woodstock, Except Corso Has His Clothes On



Touchdown Tom’s predictions for

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


GAME OF THE WEEK:  1. Florida (6-1) vs. Georgia (6-1) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, CBS – It’s always fun when these two teams hook up. Well, fun for the winner. Florida has had the most fun during the past 25 or so years. The world’s largest annual outdoor cocktail party comes together again on the banks of the St. Johns in Jacksonville. Well, I guess the Oktoberfest could challenge that claim, but they don’t serve cocktails at the Oktoberfest. Both teams have had the week off to prepare. Uga hopes to win its second in a row, but Albert spoils that – Florida 24, Georgia 20.

RUNNER UP:  2. South Florida (7-0) at Houston (6-1) – (AAC vs. AAC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ABC/ESPN – South Florida is undefeated but has been living on the edge all season. The Bulls might fall off the edge this weekend. Houston is a formidable opponent. The Cougars are the only respectable team in the AAC West Division. A good battle looms between the two quarterbacks – South Florida’s Blake Barnett and Houston’s D’Eriq King. The Cougars hit the Bullseye – Houston 33, South Florida 27.

REST OF THE BEST:  3. Washington State (6-1) at Stanford (5-2) – (Pac-12 vs. Pac-12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, PAC-12N – The Cougars looked good in their win against Oregon last week – very good. Again, Stanford took advantage of the other team’s miscues. The Cougars won’t make any miscues – Washington State 26, Stanford 24.

4. Iowa (6-1) at Penn State (5-2) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN – The Hawkeyes have been looking good, except for their loss to Wisconsin. Iowa has been playing good defense. The Nitts have been disappointing. The Lions continue to disappoint – Iowa 24, Penn State 22.

5. Clemson (7-0) at Florida State (4-3) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ABC – Clemson is in the precarious seat – No. 2. The Tigers are on the road this week and a letdown is possible. After all, the Noles don’t look like a strong opponent this season. But the Noles are getting. Just not better enough for the Tigers – Clemson 33, Florida State 23.

6. Miami (Florida) (5-2) at Boston College (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Friday, ESPN – The Canes are playing a little worse than people thought. The Eagles are playing a litter better than people thought. BC has a close loss to NC State and a bad loss to Purdue. Both teams just have one loss in ACC play. Make it two losses for BC – Miami 30, Boston College 26.

7. NC State (5-1) at Syracuse (5-2) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – Trap game for NC State. The Wolfpack suffered a bad loss to Clemson. They need to recover fast. Syracuse is no pushover, especially not in the Dome. This one could be a donnybrook. Orange covers Red – Syracuse 30, NC State 28.

8. Texas (6-1) at Oklahoma State (4-3) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Saturday, ABC – Okie State has been playing some pretty bad football lately. At preseason, a few thought the Cowpokes could win the Big 12. Obviously, they were wrong. Now Mike Gundy has to figure out what’s wrong with his team. And Texas isn’t exactly the team to figure that out against. The Longhorns appear to be going nowhere but up. They’re riding a six-game winning streak. Make it seven – Texas 37, Oklahoma State 21.

9. Appalachian State (5-1) at Georgia Southern (6-1) – (Sun Belt vs. Sun Belt) – 7:30 pm ET, Thursday, ESPNU – A big game in the Sun Belt Conference. And in the East Division of the conference. All the good teams are in the Sun Belt East. App State is favored, but that will inspire the Eagles even more. A sad night in Georgia for the Little Mountaineers – Georgia Southern 30, Appalachian State 29.

10. Kentucky (6-1) at Missouri (4-3) – (SEC vs. SEC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, SECN – The Wildcats barely got by Vanderbilt. Mizzou in Columbia won’t be an easy task. The Tigers need a quality win in SEC play. They get it – Missouri 22, Kentucky 21.



….AND TWO TO KEEP AN EYE ON: 

11. Baylor (4-3) at West Virginia (5-1) – (Big 12 vs. Big 12) – 7 pm ET, Thursday, FS1 – Both teams are coming off a loss. Baylor’s was expected. WVU’s wasn’t. Playing at home and at night, the Eers should have the better chance of bouncing back. The Mounties get their act together – West Virginia 30, Baylor 17.

12. Hawaii (6-3) at Fresno State (6-1) – (MWC vs. MWC) – 10:30 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN2 – An interesting game in the MWC. Both teams have been playing well this season. The Bulldogs have the home field advantage. They play better in this one – Fresno State 34, Hawaii 27.



YE OLDE STOMPING GROUNDS: 

Bethune-Cookman (4-4) at Nebraska (1-6) – (MEAC vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, BTN – The Huskers got their first win under Scott Frost last week. This will be their second win. Bethune-Cookman was added to the schedule after the season opening game against Akron was called off due to weather. Herbie weathers Beth – Nebraska 56, Bethune-Cookman 12.

Duke (5-2) at Pitt (3-4) – (ACC vs. ACC) – 3:30 pm ET, Saturday, ACCN – You never know which Duke team will show up. But then you can say that about Pitt too. The Dookies show up this week – Duke 25, Pitt 21.

Purdue (4-3) at Michigan State (4-3) – (Big Ten vs. Big Ten) – 12 noon ET, Saturday, ESPN – Something tells me Purdue is going to have a big-time letdown. But after beating Ohio State last week. The Boilers deserve a letdown. Something tells me the Spartans are pissed after that loss to Michigan. They take out their frustrations on the Boilers – Michigan State 26, Purdue 23.



ELSEWHERE AROUND FLORIDA: 

FIU (5-2) at Western Kentucky (1-6) – (C-USA vs. C-USA) – 7:30 pm ET, Saturday….
Morgan State (2-5) at Florida A&M (5-2) – (MEAC vs. MEAC) – 4 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

Stetson (5-1) at Davidson (5-3) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 1 pm ET, Saturday….
Jacksonville U. (1-5) at San Diego (5-2) – (Pioneer vs. Pioneer) – 4 pm ET, Saturday….

West Florida (5-3) at North Greenville (4-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 1 pm ET, Saturday…..
Florida Tech (6-2) at West Alabama (5-3) – (Gulf South vs. Gulf South) – 5 pm ET, Saturday, ESPN3….

UCF (7-0) is off this week.

Touchdown Tom



P.S.

Not exactly college football related, but as the days were getting shorter, the nights were getting colder, the leaves were falling, the frost was on the pumpkins, and Halloween was just around the corner, the number one song in the country…

…75 years ago this week in 1943 was “Pistol Packin’ Mama” by Al Dexter and His Troopers

…70 years ago this week in 1948 was “Twelfth Street Rag” by Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra

…65 years ago this week in 1953 was “St. George And The Dragonet” by Stan Freberg

…60 years ago this week in 1958 was “It’s All In The Game” by Tommy Edwards

…55 years ago this week in 1963 was “Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs

…50 years ago this week in 1968 was “Hey Jude” by The Beatles

…45 years ago this week in 1973 was “Angie” by The Rolling Stones

…40 years ago this week in 1978 was “Kiss You All Over” by Exile, and “Hot Child In The City” by Nick Gilder

…35 years ago this week in 1983 was “Tell Her About It” by Billy Joel

…30 years ago this week in 1988 was “Red Red Wine” by UB40, and “A Groovy Kind Of Love” by Phil Collins

…25 years ago this week in 1993 was “Dreamlover” by Mariah Carey



Not exactly college football related, but there were two passings of note last week – Paul Allen and Dick Modzelewski.

Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft and a prominent leader of both business and philanthropy in the Seattle area, died last week. He was 65. Allen co-founded Microsoft with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975. He left Microsoft in 1983 and turned his attention to a wide-range of other businesses and scientific pursuits. Allen was known for his generosity to social services and a deep love of sports and the arts. He owned the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and the Portland Trailblazers of the NBA. Allen was an accomplished rock guitarist. Paul Gardner Allen was born in Seattle on January 21, 1953. His mother was a school teacher and his father was a librarian at the University of Washington library.

Dick Modzelewski, a star defensive tackle who appeared in eight NFL title games with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns during the 1950s and 1960s, died last week at his home in Eastlake, Ohio – outside of Cleveland. He was 87. Modzelewski spent 14 years in the NFL, eight seasons with the Giants. He also played for the Browns, Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers. He never missed a game. Modzelewski appeared in six NFL title games with the Giants and two with the Browns. After playing, he coached in the NFL for 22 years. Modzelewski was an All-American at Maryland in 1951 and 1952. He won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best lineman in 1952. Richard Blair Modzelewski was born on February 16, 1931, in West Natrona, Pennsylvania.


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