By Phil Steele
Florida Atlantic continued to play well under their interim HC and had a 585-278 yard edge vs New Mexico St. FAU went 91/12pl for a td then blocked a punt for a td late 1Q, 14-0. On 3&11 they got a 64 yard td pass, 21-0. There were 5 punts then FAU went 54/2pl for a td, 28-0 (3:27). NMSt took over with 1:33 left in the half and went 47/5pl for a td with :38 left, 28-7. At the half FAU had a 280-148 yard edge. FAU opened the 3Q with a 68/6pl drive for a td, recovered a fumble on a sack, got a 33 yard td pass, 42-7, and coasted to a 55-10 win. Jaquez Johnson hit 15-22-321.
Colorado St’s D played well vs Utah St as USt had a slim 191-185 yard edge while CSU had a 13-11 FD edge. Kapri Bibbs, who had rushed for nearly 600 yards the previous 2 weeks was held to 54-18 and as you can tell by the yards, this game was a defensive struggle. There was a steady 25-30 mph wind that whipped around Romney Stadium. Joey DeMartino was actually the top RB having 127 yards on 35 carries. CSU was intercepted at its own 37 on its opening drive. The next six possessions were punts but CSU faked a punt for a FD and went 89/15pl. They had a FD at the 12 but lined up for a 24 yard FG and missed it. The next 4 possessions were punts and USt, after a 27 yard punt into the wind, took over at the CS42, got 2 FD and nailed a 42 yard FG to lead 3-0 at the half. At the half CSU had a 133-75 yard edge. USt opened the 3Q with a 69/11pl drive for a td. The next six possessions were punts. CSU, on 3&10, was intercepted. USt took over at the CSU29, got a 2 yard drive and a 44 yard FG to go up by 13. CSU on 4&13 was stopped on a fake punt. USt took over at the CSU25 but had a 33 yard FG blocked. CSU was SOD at its own 25 and USt was SOD at the CSU18 with :33 left.
You couldn’t get a much better day for Stanford as they were playing their final Pac-12 game and taking on their rival, Cal, who limped in with a 1-10 record. They got the news during the game that the Oregon Ducks had lost putting SU in the Pac-12 title game. SU took care of business with 603-383 yard and 25-18 FD edge. WR Ty Montgomery tied Darrin Nelson’s single game record for td’s which Nelson set against Oregon St in 1981 (5). He actually scored the first 4 times he touched the ball. Kevin Hogan hit 17-26-329. Jared Goff hit 10-19-194 and was injured in the 2Q and did not return. Zach Kline hit 8-15-115. Normally Cal scores a bunch of points in the 2H when down, but SU’s D shut them out in the 2H. The first three possessions of the game were all td’s. SU led 14-7 and Cal punted and SU went 51/7pl for a td, 21-7. After each team punted, Cal went 83/11pl and had a 1&gl at the 9. They settled for a 29 yard FG. On 3&8 SU got a 72 yard td pass to Montgomery, his 4th td of the game with 14:44 left in the 2Q. There were 3 punts and SU went 79/5pl for a td, 25-10. Cal went 46/6pl but settled for a 47 yard FG with 4:58 left in the half. SU went 67/13pl and on 3&8 got a 9 yard td pass to Montgomery with :05 left in the half. At the half SU had a 356-238 yard edge. Cal had a fake punt to open the 3Q at its own 43 and was SOD but SU fumbled 3pl later. SU went 92/8pl for a td to lead 49-13. The Cardinal punted to open the 4Q then drove 55/6 and 72/10pl the latter with 1:51 left to close out the scoring in their 63-13 rout.
Tommy Rees hit 15-28-235 and Notre Dame won their final home game of the season with a 470-415 yard edge vs BYU. The game was played with on and off snow, temps in the 20’s and winds that gusted up to 30 mph. ND took its opening drive 84/5pl for a 61 yard td pass, 7-0. Each team went on a long td drive 14-7 (4:43 1Q). BYU went 31/9pl but on 4&2 was SOD at the ND29. 2 punts. ND went 60/14pl and got a 26 yard FG, 17-7. ND went 69/12pl but on 4&7 was SOD at the BYU24 passing up a 41 yard FG which would have been into the wind. BYU went 31/5pl and was intercepted by Austin Collingsworth in the EZ from the 45 on a Hail Mary on the last play of the half. ND had a 288-191 yard edge. ND opened the 3Q with a 52/5pl drive but on 4&1 settled for a 26 yard FG. BYU went 80/12pl and got a 31 yard FG, 20-10. ND went 43/10pl but was SOD on 4&2 at the BYU32. BYU went 58/11pl and with :39 left in the 3Q, settled for a 27 yard FG to pull within 20-13. ND went 58/8pl and on 2&14 from the BYU22 Rees was intercepted in the EZ. BYU got 1 FD and punted with 10:27 left and ND went 25/7pl. Kyle Brindza had the wind at his back and hit a 51 yard FG to give them a 2 score advantage with 6:53 left. The Cougars went 71/9pl and with 4:15 left, their 22 yard FG on 4&gl from the 4 was blocked. BYU’s last drive ended on a 4&8, incomplete pass at the ND38 with 1:49 left.
North Texas had been playing great at home in Apogee Stadium and had held a firm grasp on getting to the CUSA title game. Surprisingly they were dominated by UTSA with UTSA having a 458-334 yard edge including a 184-105 rushing edge. UTSA took its opening drive 70/7pl for a td. Three punts. UTSA was intercepted and returned 14 yards to its 31 and NT would gain 4 yards and got a 44 yard FG, 7-3. Two punts. UTSA went 48/11pl and missed a 50 yard FG with 2:25 left. After an NT punt UTSA got it back at its own 11 with 1:15 left in the half. They got 3 FD’s but missed a 57 yard FG. At the half UTSA had a 262-92 yard edge and only led 7-3. NT went 50/12pl and missed a 42 yard FG to open the 3Q. UTSA went right down the field (75/9pl) capped by a 2 yard td run, 14-3. NT went 45/9pl and got a 5 yard run to the UTSA31 on 4&10. UTSA went 3&out and only got off a 9 yard punt. NT took over at the UTSA40 and went 37/8pl but on 4&gl from the 3 opted for a 21 yard FG after having a 1&gl at the 9, 14-6. UTSA went 75/12pl and got a 10 yard td run, 21-6. NT went 68/8pl and got a 6 yard td pass with 5:38 left, 21-13. NT kicked off deep–down 8– but UTSA got 3 FD’s on a 68/9pl drive, but on 4&4 missed a 46 yard FG 1:12 left. NT got a pair of FD’s to midfield and on 4&10 gained 12 yards to the UTSA33. NT would get a 1&gl at the 3 on its last drive but was intercepted in the EZ by Bennett Okotcha.
Well, at least Ohio St doesn’t have to worry about competing with Baylor for that #3 BCS spot. The Bucks would have clearly dropped to #4 after another lackluster performance vs Indiana. I say lackluster because even though they led 42-0, they only won 42-14 and only had a 471-442 yard edge. Braxton Miller in a game played in 20-degree temps and swirling wind that chased half the crowd home for the 2H, hit just 11-17-160 yards. Mitch Ewald came in 8-8 on FG’s but had a pair of attempts bounce off the uprights from 42 and 36 yards or it could have been closer. OSU went 71/5 and 56/5pl for td’s on their first 2 possessions, 14-0. Miller was sacked and fumbled at the OSU36 on OSU’s 3rd possession but Ewald had a 42 yarder bang off the upright 4pl after converting on 4&1. OSU blocked a punt and recovered at the IU8 and 2pl later got a 5 yard td run by Miller, 21-0 (8:36 2Q). Indy went 59/9pl but on 4&6 was SOD at the OSU31 (1:29 2Q). OSU went 69/4pl and got a 5 yard td run by Carlos Hyde, 28-0. Indy gained 67 yards down to the OSU19 on the final 4pl of the half. OSU only had a 265-195 yard edge. Indy opened the 3Q with a 47/13pl drive but a 41 yard FG bounced off the upright. OSU was intercepted at its own 39, but Indy, on 4&5, was SOD at the 35. OSU went 65/6pl for a 24 yard td pass, 35-0. Indy went 79/13pl and on 4&gl from the 2 was SOD. OSU went 98/8pl and got a 39 yard td pass and with 10:37 left in the game, led 42-0. Indy then went 48/13 for a td. OSU with backup QB Kenny Guiton in, fumbled at the UI42 with 5:09 left. The Hoosiers went 58/8pl and on 3&19, got a 25 yard td pass with 2:03 left to get under the 5 td number. OSU got 1 FD running out the clock.
In two years since the NCAA hit Penn St hard stating all their players could transfer without having to sit, more than 90% stayed and only 10 transferred. PSU played well in its final home game and had a 387-360 yard edge vs Nebraska. Christian Hackenberg hit 16-33-217. Ron Kellogg took the majority of the snaps at QB for the Huskers and hit 20-34-191. Zach Zwinak rushed for 149 on 39 carries for PSU and Ameer Abdullah had 47 on 25 for NU. Naturally, like most of the games this week, it was played in chilly weather. The first 5 possessions were punts. PSU went 40/8pl and got a 2 yard td pass with :33 left 1Q, 6-0 but missed a crucial xp. NU went 91/7pl and got a 27 yard td pass, 7-6. Three punts. NU blocked a punt and recovered at the PSU48. They went 47/9pl and on 3&gl from the 1 Abdullah fumbled into the EZ for a TB with 4:01 left in the half. At the half NU had a 198-159 yard edge. NU was sacked and fumbled at its own 8 yard line to open the 3Q and 2pl later Hackenberg’s 7 yard td run made it 13-7. Kenny Bell returned the ensuing KO 99 yards for a td, 14-13. 2 punts. PSU was intercepted at the NU and the Huskers went 30/9pl for a 39 yard FG with 1:11 left, 17-13. PSU got a 22 yard pass then on 3&3, Hackenberg hit Jesse James on the sideline. He broke a tackle and raced 46 yards for a td, 20-17. The next 4 possessions were punts. NU took over with 8:56 left and got 1 FD then Abdullah ripped off a td run to put them in the lead. A flag behind the play called NU for a personal foul on a block, even though replays showed the block was initiated in the front. That brought the ball back to the 27 yard line. NU got 2 FD’s but on 4&gl from the 1, opted for a 19 yard FG and the tie. PSU got 2 FD and punted with 1:31 left and NU was pinned at its 4 and got 3 FD’s including a gutsy 3&13 call when they went deep with it and pass interference gave them a FD. PSU still had a time-out left and could have had the ball at the NU40 with over 1:00 left but the pass was incomplete. In OT PSU missed a 37 yard FG and NU lined up for a 37 yard FG, a false start made it a 42 yarder and they nailed it for the win.
Another blowout loss for Southern Miss. The stats were actually respectable as Middle Tenn only had a 319-371 yard edge. Nick Mullens started for SM and hit 27-47-289. Logan Kilgore only hit 11-25-172 for MT. SM shot itself in the foot as they moved the ball well early. SM’s opening drive went 64/10pl and they settled for a 29 yard FG then missed it. SM’s next drive ended on an interception where they were not only intercepted but returned 24 yards for a td and SM had a 67-10 yard edge but trailed 7-0. SM went 75/10pl and got an 11 yard td pass. At this point SM had a 142-10 yard edge but the game was tied at 7. SM forced a punt but then on 3&6 was intercepted and returned 51 yards for another td by MT, 14-7. Three punts. MT went 71/11pl for a 3 yard td run with 2:53 left in the half then got it back with 1:45 left and went 72/7pl and got a 16 yard td pass with :28 left for the 28-7 lead. They only had an 11-9 FD edge and even with all of the yardage on the last 2 drives only a 212-143 yard edge. The 2H opened up with 5 punts. USM went 57/6pl for a 14 yard td pass, 28-14 (1:27 3Q). Two punts. MT went 79/8pl for a td with 9:12 left and SM, on 4&6, was SOD at the SM47. MT went 47/3pl and got a 32 yard td run, 42-14 with 6:36 left. SM went 75/13pl and on 4&6, hit a 13 yard td pass with 2:33 left to close the scoring.
Andre Williams rushed for 263 yards and became just the 16th player in NCAA history to top 2,000 in a season. Tough loss for Maryland as they led 24-13 and appeared on their way to victory. Boston College did finish with a 374-278 yard edge. BC opened with a 70/7pl drive but settled for a 22 yard FG, 3-0. Two punts. MD went 27/7pl for a 43 yard FG to tie it. Two punts. BC fumbled the snap and rolled all the way back to the 1 yard line where MD recovered. MD got a 1 yard td run on the next play with 1:49 left 1Q, 10-3. BC blocked a punt and recovered at the MD6. They got a 6 yard td run on the next play, 10-10 with 12:30 left in the 1H. At the half MD had a 100-85 yard edge and 10-10 tie. The Terps opened the 3Q with a 70/8pl drive for td. Two punts. BC went 73/14pl for a 19 yard FG, 17-13. BC fumbled the punt at its own 33 and MD went 33/6pl and with 10:52 left appeared to have it in control, 24-13. Williams changed all of that with a 72 yard td run on the next play to get them back in it at 24-20. MD was still driving and was about to clinch the win. They went 43/6pl and had a FD at the 11 of BC when by far the key play of the game happened. They fumbled after a 4 yard gain and BC took over at the 8. They got 1 FD and on 2&9 a deep pass to Alex Amidon went 74 yards for a td. BC did take the lead, however, as the xp was tipped and grabbed in the EZ by a Terps player who returned it the distance for 2 points, 26-26. MD punted with 1:32 left and BC took over at their 20 and on 3&3, got a 36 yard run by Williams. On 3&8 they lined up for a 52 yard FG with :02 left and missed it but Edsall called time-out. That gave them another shot at the 52 yard FG and this time they made it for the win.
It was cold and windy in Minnesota, almost reminding me of those games at Bloomington Field when the Vikings played outdoors. UM did not score an offensive td, was outFD’d 18-11 and outgained 324-185 but only lost this game by 13. Chris Borland had 12 tackles and forced a fumble which was the 14th of his career. It would have tied him with 5 players for the FBS record, however, Buffalo’s Khalil Mack broke that record in his game on Tuesday. Wisconsin took its opening drive 48/4pl and got a FD at the 12 but settled for a 31 yard FG. Four punts. UM fumbled at the end of a pass at the UW32 but on 3&6, Joel Stave was intercepted and returned 39 yards for a td and stunningly UM led 7-3. UM did go 34/9pl but on 3&11 was sacked and fumbled from the UW35. UW went 49/5pl for a td, 10-7. UM got it back after a punt with 1:35 left. They went 41/11 but on 4&gl from the 2, settled for a 20 yard FG. They had a 1&gl at the 3, 13-7. At the half UW had a 193-94 yard edge. UW opened the 3Q with an 83/12pl drive for a td and then UM fumbled at its own 26 but Jack Russell missed a 38 yard FG (UM used an interesting video during his attempt). Two punts. Jared Abbrederis returned a punt 35 yards to the UM34 but on 4&2 the Badgers were SOD again. UM was SOD on 4&6 at the UW31. UW punted 29 yards and UM went 53/11pl but on 4&10 gained 5 yards to the UW13. UW got 2 FD and took a knee.
Arizona limped in 6-4 at home and they were a 3 td underdog. Some of Oregon’s players got a lot of publicity during the week as they said they really didn’t care to play in the Rose Bowl, they only wanted the National Title game. While those comments could have been taken out of context, the players got their wish as Oregon’s Rose Bowl chances were slammed shut in a dominating Arizona win. UO did finish with a 506-482 yard edge but Marcus Mariota’s Heisman chances went out the window as he hit 27-41-308. Mariota did rush for 53 yards on 8 carries but had a streak of passes without an interception end at 353. UA tore the goal posts down after the game. On the first play of the game Mariota’s streak ended with UA’s Shaquille Richardson jumping OOB but tipping the pass back in to his teammate Scooby Wright at the 45. UA went 45/9pl for a td. UO went 3&out then UA went 59/10pl for a td. UO went 64/12pl but after 1&gl at the 9, settled for a 33 yard FG. UA went 83/16pl for a td, 21-3. It was time to get the Ducks back in it and they went 67/11pl and on 4&1 from the 1, Mariota hit a 1 yard td pass, 21-9. UO forced a punt. They got 2 FD’s to midfield but fumbled. On the Ducks next drive they took over with 3:27 left in the half and on 4&2 were SOD at the UA40. That was crucial as UA went 60/6pl for a 1 yard td with :18 left to extend it to 28-9. UA had a 278-275 yard edge at the half. UA punted to open the 3Q and UO went 76/12pl with everyone waiting for the Duck’s offense to ignite but on 4&2 they were SOD at the UA6. UO punted with 5:43 left 3Q and UA went 70/9 and got a 9 yard td run by Ka’Deem Carey, 35-9. Carey rushed for 206 yards with an amazing 48 carries. UO went 84/11pl and got a 2 yard td pass, 35-16 but UA answered again going 75/12pl and basically slammed the door shut, 42-16 with 8:59 left. UO went 78/11pl and had a 2&1 from the UA13 but was intercepted at the 3. UA’s offense got a 4&1 conversion and ran out the final 5:40.
Washington St has not played in a bowl since 2003. Utah was playing without its starting QB and Adam Schulz hit 21-46-347 in his 2nd start. Connor Halliday hit 39-62-488 for the Cougars. Utah has actually lost 5 in row since they upset #10 Stanford. WSU opened with a 73/10pl drive for a td then after a 34 yard punt and 15 yard kick/catch interference, they started at the UU35. They got 1 FD but on 4&1 went for it and lost 3 yards. Two plays later Schulz was intercepted and returned 22 yards for a td by Damante Horton, 14-0. Three plays later Schulz was intercepted and returned 39 yards for a td by Casey Locker, 21-0. Utah got back in it going 75/12 and 63/4pl for td’s to pull to 21-14. WSU went 65/8pl for a 27 yard FG then went 78/7pl for a 9 yard td pass, 30-14 (7:16). WSU fumbled the punt at its own 40 but Utah punted 4pl later. Utah took over with 3:23 left in the half and went 49/7 getting a 3 yard td pass to pull within 30-20. WSU took over with 1:13 left and went 38/7pl for a 52 yard FG by Andrew Furney. At the half WSU had a 281-195 yard edge. Each team went on a long drive for a FG to open the 3Q, 36-23. Then both went on a long drive for a td, 43-30 (5:34 3Q). Utah punted and WSU went 33/8pl for a 52 yard FG and missed it. Utah got to the WSU46 but was SOD. Two plays later, WSU fumbled and Utah got a 64 yard td pass on the next play to pull within 6, 43-37. Each team punted. WSU faced a 3&6 with 4:42 left and appeared they would punt the ball back to Utah giving them a chance to win but Halliday hit Williams with a 71 yard td pass and the 2 point conversion failed, 49-37. Utah went 65/12pl but on 4&8 fired incomplete with 1:52 left.
It amazes me that Hawaii is 0-11 because they have played so much better than the record would indicate as they suffered their 2nd straight OT loss and 5th loss this year by 7 points or less. Wyoming had 793-624 yard and 34-30 FD edges. The 793 yards by WY were a MW record. Brett Smith hit 29-48-498 yards and rushed for 142 for a MW record 640 yards total offense. It was the best output by any individual player in the NCAA this year. Sean Schroeder hit 37-50-499 yards for UH. WY actually punted to open to open and each team went on a long drive for a td, 7-6. After UH punted, the next 3 possessions were td’s and WY after a 47 yard td pass led 20-14 on the first play of the 2Q. WY fumbled the punt and UH went 27/3pl for a td and the lead 21-20. Each team punted and WY on 3&4 got a 51 yard td run by Smith, 28-21 but UH went 75/4pl and got a 30 yard td pass, 28-28. On their next play, Smith hit Keenan Montgomery with a 72 yard td pass, 35-28. UH got to midfield but was intercepted at the 7 on a deep pass. WY fumbled at its own 44 (2:01) and UH went 44/7pl and got a 6 yard td pass to tie it, 35-35 (:52). WY went 48/6pl and missed a 38 yard FG. At the half WY had a 491-347 yard edge. WY fumbled the punt at its own 47 to open the 3Q and UH went 53/3pl for a td. WY converted on 4&1 twice on the next drive getting to the UH5 but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and 2 sacks forced a 4&37 and they punted. WY forced a punt and went 61/10pl for a 20 yard td pass to tie it at 42. UH fumbled at the WY47 but on their next drive went 79/8pl and got a 14 yard td pass. The xp was blocked with 13:09 left, 48-42. WY got a 71 yard td pass, 49-48 for the lead. The teams punted 3 straight possessions then WY went 94/12pl and got a 5 yard td pass with 2:52 left to go up by 8, 56-48. UH converted on 4&4 for a FD and continued on a 75/8pl drive and got a 33 yard td pass. The 2 point conversion tied it with 1:18 left. WY punted with :33 left and UH got to the WY44 but intentional grounding forced OT. In OT UH got 1 FD and on 4&1 from the 4 was stopped at the 5. They were all runs by Joey Iosefa. WY on 4&3 got a 36 yard FG for the win.
Last week was Tulane’s final game in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome where they have played since 1975. As you can tell by the final score of 45-3, TU dominated UTEP with 26-13 FD and 482-232 yard edges. In the 1H TU’s first 6 drives went 72/7, 41/7, 65/8, 15/4 (after fmbl) and 75/5pl for td’s, their only non-td came on a 4th & gl at the 1 where they were SOD. UTEP managed a 32 yard FG. TU’s 7th possession went 33/5 and got a 39 yard FG to go up 38-3 at the half with a commanding 357-70 yard edge. UTEP started Mack Leftwich and he hit 13-24-128. They were without their top RB although Nathan Jeffery, who came into the season #1, was back in the lineup. UTEP was intercepted at the TU9 and TU went 91/8pl for a td then put it away. The next six possessions were punts. UTEP went 60/7pl and fumbled at the TU20 with 1:23 left.
Florida St had one of the largest spreads in history at 57 but still managed to cover it. They had a 645-345 yard edge and only a 28-22 FD edge but, of course, played their backups a lot in the 2H and even gave Idaho a 75/9pl drive for a td with :42 left to skew the stats. The Seminoles have now scored 607 points, breaking the single season ACC record which they set last year. Jameis Winston hit 14-25-225 and Sean Maguire got plenty of action and hit 9-14-84. NT Timmy Jernigan was dominant for FSU and very disruptive. FSU went 83/7 and 72/5pl for td’s, 14-0 and then got a 79 yard IR td, 21-0. After an interception on their 3rd offensive possession they went 44/5pl for a td. Winston was sacked and fumbled from the ID32 on their next possession but they went 85/5pl for a td to make it 35-0 with 5:54 left 2Q. FSU punted on 4&18 with 2:25 left in the quarter and ID went 63/10pl getting a 15 yard td pass with :41 left in the half. The drive was kept alive by a 4&2 conversion at midfield. Winston took FSU (after 58 yard KR) 35/6pl and got a 20 yard td pass on 3&10 with :03 left, 42-7. They had a 352-183 yard edge. FSU went 48/5, 61/4, 65/15 and 64/8pl all for td’s on their first four 2H possessions, 66-7. ID was SOD on 4&9 at midfield but FSU after a 1&gl at the 6 was intercepted in the EZ for a TB. They got it back on an interception 3pl later and went 7/3pl for a td, 73-7. ID went 62/9 and was intercepted and returned 78 yards for a td with 4:19 left, 80-7 and that’s when ID brought Josh McCain in at QB and went 75/9 for a garbage td with :42 left.
Johnny Manziel’s Heisman hopes probably ended in Death Valley where as Les Miles says, “dreams come to die.” Manziel had his worst game of his career hitting 16-41-224 with 2 interceptions and only rushed for 54 yards guiding A&M to just 10 points vs an LSU D that had been allowing 27 ppg in conference play. LSU ended A&M’s 13 game streak of scoring 40+ points. LSU had a 517-299 yard edge. LSU’s opening drive was SOD at its own 39 on 4&1 but Manziel on 4&6 gained 5 yards. After each team punted, LSU went 71/5pl for a td and 65/7pl for a td. A&M went 89/11pl but on 4&gl from the 3 was SOD. LSU only got off a 14 yard punt but A&M gained 3 yards and settled for a 41 yard FG, 14-3. LSU went 91/8pl and got a 10 yard td pass, 21-3 with 1:37 left in the half. A&M went 73/3pl and got a 51 yard td pass to Walker, 21-10 and surprisingly LSU which was snapping the ball with basically :03 or :04 left all game long, didn’t try to score in the final 1:08. They even got 1 FD and took it to the half. LSU had a 275-198 yard edge. LSU opened the 2H with a 71/13pl drive and settled for a 21 yard FG. Manziel was intercepted 4pl later. LSU went 61/9pl for a td and with 2:01 left in the 3Q, led 31-10. A&M got 3 FD and punted 54 yards for a TB on 4&13. LSU went 61/9pl and got a 36 yard FG, 34-10. A&M got 3 FD’s on a 68/7pl drive but on 2&gl from the 10 was intercepted in the EZ. LSU’s last drive started with 4:26 left at midfield and they got 2 FD’s to the 25. Zach Mettenberger hit 11-20-193. Terrence Magee was LSU’s top rusher with 149 yards.
Gator Hoskins showed why he is one of the Mackey semi-finalists as he has 137 yards receiving and 3 td’s for Marshall as they routed FIU with a 558-262 yard edge. It was the 7th time this year FIU has scored 10 or fewer points. FIU shockingly took the lead. They took their opening drive 49/8pl and got a 42 yard FG and Marshall got off to a very slow start punting on the first 3 possessions. After the 1Q FIU led 3-0. MU then went 67/8pl for a 25 yard td pass to Hoskins then went 38/8pl but had a 38 yard FG blocked. MU got a 72 yard td run by Steward Butler then punted with 2:17 left in the half. FIU was intercepted at the MU34 and MU went 66/7pl and got a 21 yard td pass with :11 left to go up 20-3. At the half MU had a 308-107 yard edge. MU punted on its opening 3Q possession but then went 55/2pl for a 15 yard td pass to Hoskins. Each team was SOD around the other’s 30 yard line on the next 2 drives then MU went 65/2pl with a 32 yard td pass to Hoskins, 34-3 (2:08 3Q). After each team punted, FIU went 88/4pl and got a 10 yard td pass, 34-10. MU with Blake Frohnapfel at QB went 54/8pl and he got a 45 yard td run, 41-10. FIU gained 47 yards (10pl) being SOD on 4&21 at the MU28. MU went 72/4pl and got a 40 yard td pass to Hunt, 48-10 with 2:18 left and FIU ran it 4 times.
SMU QB Garrett Gilbert was injured and frosh backup Neal Burcham came in late 2Q and hit 9-18-91. SMU finished with 20-10 FD and 280-259 yard edges. SMU took their opening drive 60/9 but settled for a 25 yard FG. There were 3 punts then SMU was intercepted at its own 36. USF missed a 51 yard FG after gaining 3 yards. After each team punted, SMU went 54/12pl but on 4&4 was SOD on Burcham’s 2nd play at the USF36 with :48 left in the half. SMU had a 157-126 yard edge. SMU opened the 3Q with a 75/11pl drive for a 6 yard td run by Zach Line, 9-0 (xpng). SMU went 72/11pl but on 3&gl from the 9 was intercepted at the 1. SMU went 46/4pl and on 4&1 got a 37 yard td pass to Der’rikk Thompson, 16-0 on the last play of the 3Q. USF was intercepted at its own 34 and intercepted at its own 40 on the next two drives but SMU, playing conservative, punted each time losing 11 yards on both drives. USF went 73/7pl but was SOD on 4&gl from the 17 with 4:53 left. SMU punted and Chris Dunkley returned the punt 50 yards for a td to avoid the shutout, 16-6. SMU recovered the onside kick and got 2 FD’s to the USF16 where they ended the game.
Taylor Kelly hit 20-27-225 and Arizona St clinched a berth in the Pac-12 title game with their road win over UCLA. This was a game that ASU dominated early and was up huge, 35-13 at the half but then had to hang on at the end. ASU had a 448-404 yard edge. Kelly was also the team’s leading rusher with 99 yards on 22 carries. Myles Jack had 86 yards on 16 carries for UCLA and Brett Hundley hit 18-26-253. ASU opened with a 76/7pl drive for a td and UCLA got a 58 yard KR and on their first play, a 42 yard td pass. There were 3 punts then UCLA, after a 49 yard PR, started at the ASU31 and got a 48 yard FG on a 1 yard drive, 10-7. ASU went 84/8pl for a td then got an 18 yard IR td 2pl later, 21-10. UCLA went 56/7pl but missed a 39 yard FG. Two punts. ASU went 65/12pl and on 4&gl from the 1, got a td 28-10 with 2:36 left in the half. UCLA got a 69 yard KR to the ASU31. They went 26/6pl for a 23 yard FG, 28-13 with :47 left but ASU went 62/4pl and got a 19 yard td pass with :05 left, 35-13. ASU had a commanding 357-136 yard edge at the half. UCLA opened the 3Q with a 79/10pl drive and got a 3 yard td run by Jack, 35-20. ASU went 3&out and UCLA got a 67 yard PR to the 15 with special teams being huge in this game. UCLA went 15/4pl for a td, 35-27. ASU went 63/13pl but settled for a 28 yard FG, 38-27 (1:07 3Q). UCLA went 65/10pl for a 27 yard td pass with 11:25 left, 38-33 (2ptng). ASU punted and UCLA went 63/8pl. They were down at the 11 yard line but settled for a FG then missed it. ASU got 1 FD and punted with 3:21 left. UCLA converted on 4&5 out to the 45 but on 4&25, after a pair of holds and a sack, they gained 21 yards with :05 left.
Tennessee clinched its 4th straight losing season, something that has not happened at UT since 1902-’06. Vanderbilt had lost just 2 fumbles in the first 10 games but lost 3 vs UT. It was an extremely tough loss for UT as at the end of the game, they stopped VU on downs. While celebrating the win the replays amazingly overturned it despite the fact there was no clear-cut view of where the football was. UT was intercepted on its opening drive and VU went 61/11pl for a td. VU was intercepted on its next drive and returned 41 yards to the 24 but UT settled for a 33 yard FG and it was blocked. VU fumbled and UT went 53/7pl for a td to tie. UT was intercepted at its own 40 but VU fumbled it back at the 1. At the half VU had a 168-84 yard edge and the game was tied at 7. UT opened the 3Q with a 55/12pl drive for a 32 yard FG and the lead, 10-7. Darrius Sims returned the KO 71 yards to the UT26 but QB Patton Robinette fumbled on 3&4 at the 16. After each team punted, UT started at the VU48. They got 3 FD’s then had a td run by Kendrick Doss called back on holding. On 4th & 19 they actually faked a FG as the holder flipped it to Michael Palardy over his head but he was intercepted at the 8. Each team punted. VU after a 27 yard punt on 4&21 from its own 2 started at the UT29 and they missed a 42 yard FG with 7:15 left. UT punted with 4:16 left and VU got 2 FD’s and on 4&1 was stopped but they reviewed it and gave them the FD. They got a 25 yard pass on the next play and a Robinette faked a jump pass then ran it in 5 yards :16 left. UT got 2 FD’s to the VU48 but their final pass was incomplete.
Georgia lost starting QB Aaron Murray just before the half. Hutson Mason filled in for the 2H and hit 13-19-189 and amazingly UGA would outscore Kentucky 24-7 in the 2H with Mason at the helm. Todd Gurley rushed for 77 yards on 8 carries. UGA had a 602-211 yard edge. UGA opened with a 59/3pl drive for a td then went 76/11pl for a td. After UK fumbled, UGA went 17/2pl for a td and was quickly up 21-0 before punting with 3:39 left in the 1Q. UK got a 69 yard td run by Dyshawn Mobley to make it 21-7 but UGA went 79/9pl on their next drive to go back up 28-7. UGA fumbled a punt at its own 26 and UK got a FD at the 11 but settled for a 24 yard FG, 28-10. UGA went 62/10pl and Murray was intercepted at the 2 yard line and returned 5 yards. Murray was out for the rest of the game. UGA went 57/5pl and got a 24 yard td pass from Mason to Gurley with :12 left in the half, 35-10. UGA had a 350-106 yard edge. UGA opened the 3Q after a 28 yard punt by UK and went 39/5pl for a td, 42-10. UK fumbled at its 30 and UGA went 30/2 for a td, 49-10. UK went 53/6pl and was sacked at the UGA22 on 4&7. UGA went 81/10pl for a 3 yard td run then went 62/16pl for a 41 yard FG, 59-10 with just 7:41 left. UK went 74/6pl and got a 30 yard td pass with 3:54 left and UGA got 2 FD’s running out the clock.
Missouri had a 485-378 yard edge and was playing to keep the lead in the SEC East needing to win their last 2 games to get to the SEC title game where 1 loss would put them out of it. James Franklin made his first start since his shoulder injury back in October and hit 12-19-142. Maty Mauk did hit 3-7-83. MO opened strong with a 72/8 drive for a td. MO got an int and returned it 17 yards to the Ole Miss 39 but after a sack and false start, punted on 4&16. Miss went 85/18 and had a 1&gl at the 1 but settled for a 23 yard FG and it was blocked. 2 punts. Each team went on a long drive for a FG, 10-3. MO went 68/7 and got a 3 yard td run, 17-3 (1:37). Miss missed a 61 yard FG on the final play of the half and at the half MO did only have a 229-211 yard edge. Miss went 78/4 and got a 45 yard td run by I’Tavius Mathers, 17-10. MO went on a 5 play drive and was intercepted at the Miss34. MO went 85/8 for an 11 yard td run by Henry Josey, 24-10 (6:56 3Q). 3 punts. MO went 51/11 but on 4&3 were SOD at the MO31. MO went 56/12pl and fired incomplete on 4&gl from the 13 with 8:08 left. MO then went on a 61/15pl drive ending the game at the Miss22 yard line taking a knee.
Trey Watts ran for 189 yards on 40 carries for Tulsa and they came in just 2-8 despite being the preseason favorites to win the CUSA West but had a 368-336 yard edge and won 24-14. TU got to the Louisiana Tech 27 on their opening drive but was intercepted at the 13. TU went 53/5 for a Watts 6 yard td run, 7-0. Tulsa fumbled at the end of their next drive, this time at their own 43. LT went 3&out on their first 5 poss. LT went 42/8 and on 4&8 was SOD at the TU36. TU went 44/11 but was intercepted on 3&6 at the 5 and returned 14 yards. LT went 81/9 and got a 10 yard td run, 7-7 (3:06). TU went 45/7 for a 26 yard FG, 10-7 (:39). At the half TU had a 220-191 yard edge. LT was intercepted at midfield and returned 29 yards early 3Q. 2pl later Watts had an 11 yard td run, 17-7 (12:17). LT went 49/10 but on 3&10 was intercepted at the 2. Each team punted and Tulsa was intercepted and returned 16 yards to their 26. LT went 26/8 and on 3&gl got a 4 yard td pass to pull within 17-14. TU went 62/11 for a Watts 5 yard td run, 24-14. LT got 2 FD’s and was intercepted at the TU44 and returned 16 yards. TU got 1 FD but on 4&1 were SOD at the LT16 with 4:45 left. LT got 4 FD’s to the TU29 but on 4&21, was intercepted at the 12 and returned 17 yards with 2:10 left and TU got 1 FD and ran the clock.
It was senior day for Fresno St and Derek Carr had a school record 7 td’s in the final reg season home game. He hit 27-37-527 yards. New Mexico was playing with their top QB Cole Gautsche and top RB Kasey Carrier. Carrier had led the team with 1,122 (5.9) and Gautsche was #2 with 777 (6.6). If you get my Inside the Pressbox newsletter, you know I used this as one of my High Scoring Games of the Week and the two totalled 97 points with FSU having an 822-325 yard edge. FSU went 88/5pl for a td on their opening drive and punted on their 2nd. After a 22 yard PR went 33/1 for a td, 14-0. They went 81/4, 90/5, 55/7 all for td’s and led 35-0 with 5:15 left in the 2Q. They had a 36 yard FG blocked with :49 left. At the half FSU already had 418 yards and NM 155. FSU punted to open the 3Q and NM went 54/2 for a td, 35-7. The next 3 poss were all td’s including a NM 4&5, 24 yard td run, 49-14. FSU went 48/9, 74/7, 80/11 all for td’s, 69-21 (11:35). FSU punted with 7:52 left and NM had an 80 yard td run by Jhurell Pressley. FSU took over with 7:31 left and was able to go 39/12 getting a 1&gl at the 3 and taking a knee.
Iowa St was playing in their final home game and had a 502-279 yard edge. Kansas had just upset West Virginia at home the previous week and they were still celebrating their first Big 12 win in 26 games. Grant Rohach started and played the entire game for Iowa St. He hit 15-20-300 yards on a chilly night. It was ISU’s first shutout since 2010 and that came vs an FCS foe (N Iowa). Montell Cozart in his 2nd start hit just 4-12-20 with 1 int and Jake Heaps came off the bench and hit 7-19-72-0-0. KU went 64/12 but on 4&4 were SOD at the ISU25. ISU got 1 FD then a 58 yard td pass, 7-0 (6:43). ISU went 91/14 for a 22 yard FG, 10-0 (13:01). KU went 49/8 but was SOD on 4&1 at the ISU13. KU took over, down 10-0, with 2:22 left in half and got a FD to the ISU41 but on 3&16 was intercepted in the EZ for a TB. At the half ISU had a 210-174 yard edge. KU punted to open the 3Q but then fumbled at their own 38. ISU, 6pl later, got a 21 yard FG, 13-0. KU punted 25 yards and ISU went 38/6 for a 15 yard td pass, 20-0 (6:00). ISU went 75/7 for a 5 yard td run, 27-0 (1:09). KU went 56/15pl and on 4&6 fired inc. ISU went 84/4 with a 23 yard td run by Johnson, 34-0. KU fired incomplete at the ISU33 and got a 1 yard run on 4&2 at their own 39. ISU on 4&2 got a FD to the 15 but then on 2&10 Rohach took off on a 14 yard run and fumbled into the EZ for a TB. KU just ran a couple times ending the game.
Temple actually had 372-235 yard and 23-13 FD edges and led 21-0 at the half but ended up losing 28-21. PJ Walker hit 26-46-280 and Connecticut’s Casey Cochran 8-18-111. TU opened with a 65/13pl drive but missed a 27 yard FG. 2 punts. UC was intercepted at their own 28. TU went 28/4pl for a 6 yard td run, the key a 3&24, 31 yard pass down to the 6 one play before the 6 yard td run by Walker, 7-0 (:25). TU went 79/7 and got an 8 yard td pass, 14-0 (10:59). TU blocked a punt at the UC18 and got an 18 yard td run by Williams on the next play, 21-0 (8:49 2Q). TU fumbled at their own 42 but UC on 4&8 was SOD at the TU28. TU went 51/9 but on FD from the UC15 was sacked and fumbled with :09 left at the half. At the half TU had a commanding 271-64 yard edge. UC opened the 3Q with a 75/6 drive for a td. TU went 55/4 and on 4&13 fired incomplete at the UC25. 2 punts. UC went 58/8 and got a 4 yard td run, 21-14 (:43 3Q). TU went 3&out and UC went 50/14pl. On 4&1 they got a PI for a 1&gl at the 1 and a td on the next play, 21-21. TU got 1 FD and was intercepted and returned 59 yards for a td by Yawin Smallwood, 28-21. TU39 got 2 FD’s but a sack on 2&7 made it 4&20 and they fired incomplete with :38 left at the UC45.
Clint Chelf had the best game of his career hitting 19-25-370 yards. Bryce Petty hit 28-48-359 and rushed for 46 but Baylor’s offense was slowed and Oklahoma St had a 594-453 yard edge. BU came in with BCS pressure and all the talk was that they would jump to #3 over Ohio St in BCS with a win and a Florida St or Alabama loss, would put them into the National Title game. They had a 13 game win streak snapped and have not won in Stillwater since 1939. OSU has now won 10 or more games in 3 of the last 4 seasons. OSU took its opening drive 33/9 and went for it on 4&1 but were SOD at their own 47. That would start BU’s 2nd drive and it would be the turning point of the game. BU went 45/7 and Petty on 3&2, ran 28 yards but as he was about to go into the EZ he tripped over the yard line and fell down at the 1. No big deal, right? Well, 2 plays later Shock Linwood fumbled and OSU recovered at the 1 and went 99/7 for a td and a stunning turnaround. Shockingly the next 5 poss were punts. OSU went 80/5 for a td then there were 2 punts. BU went 71/6 but settled for a 29 yard FG with :13 left in the half, 14-3. At the half OSU had a 276-174 yard edge. OSU opened the 3Q with a 76/4pl drive and a 56 yard td pass. BU on 4&4 were SOD at the OSU20. OSU went 80/6 and got a 1 yard td run, 28-3. BU fumbled at the OSU46 then BU went 24/9 but on 4&9 fired incomplete at the OSU45. BU went 48/8 but on 4&10 gained 8 yards on a Petty run to the 32. OSU then went 68/6 for a td, 35-3. BU went 73/7 and got a 24 yard td pass with 14:04 left. They forced OSU to go 3&out and took over at their 44. They got 3 FD’s to the 7 but there was a bad snap on 3&gl from the 2. OSU not only recovered it but returned it 78 yards for a td and that closed the door, 42-10. OSU went 92/9 getting a td with 3:01 left. BU went 64/4 for a 32 yard td pass with 1:59 left and OSU took a knee.
Antonio Andrews rushed 21 times for 204 yards and WKU had a 473-130 yard edge vs Texas St. Tyler Arndt threw for 5 passes for Texas St, completed 1 and had 3 interceptions. Tyler Jones replaced him and hit 14-25-104. TXSt fumbled on their first poss and WKU on its 3rd poss went 30/9 but on 4&1 were SOD at the TXSt43. TXSt was intercepted at their own 38. TXSt was intercepted at their own 21 and returned 5 yards. WKU drove 3 yards for a 30 yard FG, 3-0 (14:10 2Q). TXSt was intercepted and returned 15 yards to their 29. This time WKU went 29/2 for a td, 10-0. TXSt went 3&out and WKU got a 47 yard td run by Andrews 17-0 (9:27). WKU got 2 FD and on 4&10 fired incomplete. TXSt went 65/12 and got a 3 yard td pass on 3&3 with :35 left in the half, 17-7. WKU got 3 FD’s but missed a 47 yard FG on the 1H’s final play. At the half WKU had a 234-69 yard edge. TXSt went 50/14 and missed a 40 yard FG. WKU went 45/10 but on 4&2 were SOD at the TXSt32. TXSt with Jones at QB was intercepted and WKU went 74/11pl for a td, 24-7. 3 punts. WKU went 73/4pl and Andrews’ 33 yard td run with 5:42 left made it 31-7. TXSt went 3&out and WKU went 54/6 and got a 21 yard td run by Wales with :40 left, 38-7.
South Alabama had a 424-274 yard and 25-14 FD edges and Ross Metheny hit 15-26-194. Kolton Browning hit 18-26-196. The first 3 poss ended in punts. USA went 48/8 and got a 43 yard FG, 3-0 (6:38). USA went 50/6 for a 45 yard FG, 6-0 (3:07). ULM went 80/11 and got a 6 yard td run, 7-6 (12:23). USA went 75/9 for a 29 yard td pass, 12-7 (9:13). 3 punts. USA went 85/9 for a 35 yard td run, 19-7 (:15). At the half USA had a 212-127 yard edge. USA punted to open the 3Q and ULM went 55/6 for a 44 yard td pass on 3&17. USA went 75/11 for a td, 26-14 (5:58) then 63/13 for a 34 yard FG, 29-14 (13:33 4Q). After a 13 yard punt, USA took over at the ULM33 but was intercepted at the 3. 2 punts. ULM4 went 61/14pl but on 4&21 ran for 12. Two plays later Metheny got a 63 yard td run, 36-14 with 3:30 left.
Cody Kessler hit 19-28-184 and Max Wittek got some action hitting 1-2-22. Javorius Allen ran for 145 yards. USC was in a clear flat spot off their huge win vs Stanford with rival UCLA on deck but still, USC improved to 8-0 all-time vs Colorado and jumped out to a huge lead. USC opened with a 71/10pl drive for a td. Each team punted and USC blocked a punt out of the EZ for a safety. 5 punts. CU fumbled. USC went 20/3 for a td, 16-0 then after an int went 66/8 for a td, 23-0 and At the half had a 206-63 yard edge. USC fumbled on their first play of the 3Q and CU returned it 31 yards for a td, 23-7 (14:46). USC went 75/7 and 43/4 both for td’s, 37-7 (7:19). CU was SOD on 4&2 at the USC35. CU went 75/8 and got a 38 yard td pass, 37-14. USC went 45/8 and got a 39 yard FG, 40-14 (10:14). CU went 65/6 for a 3 yard td run to get down by under 3 td’s 40-21 (8:01). They then went 42/7 and got a 5 yard td pass with 3:19 left, 40-29 (3:19). USC recovered the onside kick and on 2&13, Soma Vainuku got a 52 yard td run with 2:19 left, 47-29.
San Diego St had a 349-297 yard edge for the game and at the half had a 196-49 yard edge but needed Boise to miss a FG at the end of regulation and won it in OT. SDSt became the first team to beat Boise St in consecutive seasons since Washington St did it in 2000-2001. Each team punted to open. SDSt went 70/12pl for a 2 yard td run, 7-0 (4:15). BS got a Bryan Douglas 100 yard KR td 7-7 (4:01). 2 punts. SDSt went 50/9pl. On 4&5 from the 5 pass interference gave them a FD to the 2 and they got a td 2pl later, 14-7 (10:26). 2 punts. BS started at SDS44 but on 3&12 was intercepted at the 12. It went to the half with the Aztecs having a 196-49 yard edge and leading 14-7. The first 3 poss of the 3Q were punts and SDSt fumbled a punt at their 44 but BSU went 3&out. SDSt went 3&out and BS went 49/4 for a td to tie it (6:33). SDSt fumbled the KO and BS went 24/4 for a td for the lead, 21-14 (5:02). SDS
t went 67/18 and on 4&gl from the 4, they passed up a 21 yard FG which they do quite often and fired incomplete. BS was intercepted and returned 18 yards for a td 3 plays later, 21-21. BS went 69/6 for a 10 yard td pass, 28-21. SDSt got 1 FD and was intercepted at the 1. BS went 3&out and SDSt returned it 41 yards for a td with 4:04 left to tie, 28-28. BS was SOD on 4&1 at the SDS40 with 1:42 left then missed a 43 yard FG with no time left. BS got a 34 yard FG in OT and SDSt got a 10 yard td pass to Lockett on 2nd & 10.
If you watched a couple series of the Washington/Oregon St game, you didn’t need to watch any more as the Huskies flat out mauled the Beavers. Forget the final score of 69-27, it wasn’t that close! OSU had 27 points in the 4Q! Forget the final stats at 692-414 – it wasn’t that close! This was an obliteration despite the fact that UW had a backup QB, Cyler Miles (15-24-162). Bishop Sankey ran for 179 yards. Deontae Cooper rushed for 166 yards, Dwayne Washington ran for 141 yards and basically UW won almost every single play in the 1H. They got a 62 yard KR to start, went 38/7 plays for a 3 yard td run, 7-0. They went 60/3 for a td, 43/8 for a 44 yard FG, 17-0. UW actually punted but then went 15/6 for a 24 yard FG after an int, 65/7 for a td and led 27-0 at the half with 319-122 yard edge. They would extend it to 48-0 after 3Q’s before OSU finally got some offense going vs the backups.
Phil Steele is a college football analyst who has been publishing his annual College Football Preview since 1995. His magazine is regarded as one of the best in the business.
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