Before we begin the NFL round of drinking and tailgating, let’s get a nice big cup of coffee and go over what we learned on Saturday, shall we?
-Michigan State eked out a win against South Florida, but they didn’t look overly impressive when I put them on during the Florida-Miami halftime. The one thing that stood out to me was when the announcers said that cornerback Darqueze Dennard has been timed running a 4.32 40-yard dash. That’s pretty freaking fast, and he plays fast too.
-Tennessee did eventually spank Western Kentucky, but at one point in the first half the Vols had 3 completed passes and 4 interceptions. WTF.
-Virginia, like a lot of teams, had absolutely no answer for the speed or the pace of Oregon.
-The turning point in the Georgia-South Carolina game was a goal-line stand by the Dawgs with 8:28 remaining in the game. On 4th-and-2 with 2:37 left, Todd Gurley got five yards and it was game over. The Aaron Murray-Can’t-Win-The-Big-Game thing should be just about dead by now. (Although I can think of another SEC quarterback people used to say that about. His initials are P.M. and he plays for the Broncos. I’d say that guy’s had a decent NFL career).
-Did we all maybe overhype Jadeveon Clowney just a wee bit?
-LSU may have found their Next Great Pass Rusher in Jordan Allen. In other LSU news, they whupped UAB pretty good. Zach Mettenberger passed for five TDs, which is a school record, and Odell Beckham Jr. had 123 all-purpose yards with over 2:00 remaining in the first quarter. He also returned a missed FG 109 yards for a TD.
-Possibly overlooked in the Michigan-Notre Dame game (although probably not, since Brett Mussberger mentioned it) is that kicker Brendan Gibbons has now made 16 consecutive field goals, a Michigan record.
-Devin Gardiner had an excellent game for the Wolverines, minus that one enormous brain fart in the end zone.
-BYU rushed for 348 yards against Texas in the FIRST HALF. Total yards at halftime were 412-202, and the Cougars outgained the Longhorns on the ground 550-132. Seat getting a little warm there, Mack Brown?
-Washington State committed eight penalties for 87 yards, lost a fumble, threw three interceptions, and rushed for a total of SEVEN YARDS… and beat USC. No, seriously. They won 10-7, doing just about everything that every tired football cliché tells you not to do. According to ESPN, there were distinct “Fire Kiffin” chants by the end of the game. Can’t say I blame the fans.
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