In a surprisingly important Big East showdown, Rutgers RB Ray Rice rushed for 225 yds, almost outgaining Pitt by himself as the Knights had 17-12 FD & 340-236 yd edges & remained unbeaten moving up to #10 in the AP poll...
It's rare when a team has a 4-0 turnover deficit & not only wins but covers a game & such was the case with Middle Tenn. They had 215 yds rushing & 234 passing & held ULM to just 286 total yards & overcame a 4-0 TO deficit in a dominating 35-21 win...
Yes, N Dakota St is ranked #9 in IAA ball & knocked off Ball St earlier this year but Minnesota's struggling season almost went into full collapse. The schools are just 4 hours apart & NDSt has 12,000 alumni living in the Twin Cities area so a good portion of the crowd was cheering for the IAA squad & the announced crowd of 63,845 was the largest of the season. NDSt is leading Div IAA in rush D allowing just 41.5 ypg & held a vaunted Gopher rush attack to 99 yards. UM blk'd a 42 yd FG on the game's final play to escape with a 10-9 win...
Marshall was avg just 314 ypg but actually had more yds than that in the 1H vs UAB's solid D & rolled up 473 yds in their road upset win. They attempted just 12 passes as Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 242 yards on 25 carries...
Oregon came in with a high flying offense but Washington St's D shut it down. Jonathan Stewart was held to 28 yds on 11 att's & Dennis Dixon, who was avg 239 ypg, hit 12 of 20 for 105 & was pulled for Brady Leaf. WSU led 27-3 after 3Q's & the Ducks did most of the damage in their 4Q...
W Michigan's Ameer Ismail had 6 sacks vs Ball St which tied the NCAA record set by Elvis Dumerville. Ismail also had an IR for a TD on his huge day...
Toledo trailed E Michigan 9-0 when Clint Cochran, who began the year as a starter but lost his job after injury, came off the bench. Cochran led consecutive drives for TD's & Toledo was poised to take a 6 pt lead when their 2 pt conversion was fmbl'd & ret'd for 2 & they only led 13-11. EM drove for a TD with :36 to pull out the win...
First road starts are usually problematic for young QB's & such was the case for frosh Josh Freeman. Freeman hit just 5 of 19 passes for 63 yds, was int'd twice, lost a fmbl & was also sacked 4 times in his first road start at Missouri. The game was not as close as the 41 21 score would indicate as K-St got a 43 yd fmbl return on the first play for a TD & with Mizz up 41-14 & driving for another score, the Cats rec'd a fmbl & drove 69 yds in 11 plays for a garbage TD with 2:53 to close the game...
Despite Notre Dame's long & storied history, the UCLA game was just the third time they had won a game with a TD in the final :30. The previous two times were in 1992 & 1978. UCLA's two TD's came on 54 & 36 yd passes. ND meanwhile, struggled in the redzone missing 2 FG's & settling for 2 FG's inside the 10. Things appeared lost for the Irish when Brady Quinn was stopped on a QB sneak at the UCLA 35 with 2:20 left but the Irish got the ball back after a punt & went 80 yds in 3 plays & Samardzija's spectacular 45 yd TD rec with :27 left gave them the outright win...
Louisiana Tech piled up 570 yds offense including 345 on the ground in their 48-35 win over Utah St. LT played a killer non-conf schedule facing foes like Nebraska, Texas A&M, Clemson & Boise St & should fare better in WAC play...
Georgia Tech's outstanding D played well early but collapsed in the 2H & allowed 321 yards rushing to Clemson including a career high 216 by James Davis. CJ Spiller also rushed for 116 yards on 16 carries & Clemson shockingly held GT WR Calvin Johnson without a reception for the first time in his career...
Graham Harrell had a career high 6 TD's vs Iowa St & Texas Tech simply dominated with a 475-221 yd edge. They did get a TD pass with 1:28 left extending it to a 16 point win...
Arkansas QB Mitch Mustain hit 12 of 15 for 157 yds & moved to 6-0 as a starting QB. McFadden had just 65 yds rushing but he did have 85 yds on 2 rec's & Felix Jones had a 100 yd KR for a TD as the Hogs dominated Ole Miss 38-3 & are the lone remaining unbeaten team in SEC play...
Teams that get rare wins over ranked foes generally struggle in their next game. Vanderbilt had beaten a ranked foe for the first time in 50 games 2 weeks ago when they knocked off Georgia but S Carolina had a 327-253 yd edge in their 31-13 win last week...
Nebraska had not beaten a Top 10 team since 2001 but appeared to have a game vs Texas in hand. On 3rd & 3 leading 20-19, Taylor hit Nunn for a FD but he fmbl'd & UT rec'd with just 2:17 left. Nebraska allowed UT a 39 yd 8 play drive & Bailey's 32 yd FG with :23 left in the snow gave them a 2 pt lead. NU got as far as the UT 40 but their Hail Mary pass on the final play fell incomplete.
SPECIAL TEAMS MISCUES TURNED SOME GAMES AROUND
UCF was trailing Rice 6-3 when they dropped a TD pass & settled for a FG in a 6 6 game. Their D forced Rice into its 2nd straight 3 & out & they had the game's momentum as they ret'd a punt 65 yds to the Rice 20 & would soon be leading 13-6. Unfortunately, roughing the P overturned it & gave Rice a FD. Rice would benefit, & on 3rd & 5 appeared to sack Clement. He got away & ran for a FD & Rice continued on for a TD & a 13 6 lead. UCF led 16-13 in the 3Q but Quinton Smith had a 69 yd TD run where he broke 4 tackles & UCF fmbl'd at the Rice 22 & was int'd in Rice territory coming up short 40-29...
Florida St had a similar turnaround late in the 1H. FSU led 10-7 & forced a punt & were going to get the ball back in good field position but roughing the P gave BC a FD with 2:23 left in the half. BC would go on for a TD with :51 left & then got a 36 yd IR for a TD & instead of trailing at the half, actually led 21 10. FSU trailing by 7, was SOD at the BC 9 on 4th & 4 with 1:54 left & lost by 5.
MISLEADING FINALS & FRONTDOOR & BACKDOOR COVERS
It was a 14 pt win for Penn St but Illinois actually dominated the game. Penn St QB Morelli missed most of the week's practice with a concussion. At the half IL had a 209-96 yd edge but only led 9-3 as they had a 1st & goal at the 1 turn into a FG. The game was just 17-12 with 1:30 left when IL was sk'd for a safety. PSU then ret'd the ensuing onside free kick 29 yds for a TD & won by 14 despite being outgained 358-188...
San Diego St did lead Air Force most of the game including 10-3 after 3Q's but trailed 12-10 when they got a FG to pull out a one point lead with :02 left in the game. AF tried a lateral play on a KO & SDSt ret'd a fmbl for a TD & a 7 pt win...
Michigan had a lackluster game vs Iowa & Mike Hart had just 27 yards rushing on 8 carries in the 1H. He rebounded with 99 yards on 23 carries in the 2H. UM only led 10-6 after 3Q's & settled for a 37 yd FG with 12:55 left. They took over with 8:17 left at the Iowa 43 & 9 plays later got the frontdoor cover with a TD on 2nd & 9 on Hart's 10 yd run with 3:59 left. Iowa did get to the UM 15 but their 4th & 6 pass was incomplete with 1:37 left...
Maryland appeared to be coasting vs NC State leading 23-6 in the 4Q when they allowed a 65 yd PR for a TD. MD did settle for an 18 yd FG, 26-13 with 1:55 left & NCSt went 66 yds in 6 plays for a garbage TD with :58 left to make the stats & score appear closer...
Garrett Wolfe's Heisman chances are officially gone. Taking on Temple, a team with the nation's longest losing streak (20 games), Wolfe had just 25 yards on 17 carries & was taken out midway thru the 3Q. N Illinois did lead 40-0 in the 3Q but Temple would score 3 TD's for the backdoor cover.
INJURIES OF NOTE
Oklahoma St had their chances to put Texas A&M away but had to do so without starting QB Bobby Reid who came in leading the Big 12 in pass efficiency. Backup QB Zac Robinson hit 7 of 16 for 94 yds after Reid had suffered a concussion early. OSU missed an xp in the 1Q. At the end of the game, A&M overcame a 4th & 13 with a 17 yd shovel pass out to their own 32 & would drive for a TD with :03 left & the xp sent it to OT. In OT each team scored a TD but A&M blk'd the xp & prevailed by 1...
Shane Steichen had been splitting the QB duties at UNLV with Rocky Hinds but was taken off the field with his right leg in an air cast in the 2H vs BYU...
E Carolina WR Aundrae Allison who missed a few games this year, returned from his ankle inj & had 13 rec for 138 yds & that helped QB James Pinkney have a career high 391 yards passing as he hit 31 of 40...
Rudy Carpenter, who has been much maligned at Arizona St this year, was very efficient hitting 14 of 15 for 160 yards vs Stanford & at one point completed 12 straight passes, one short of the school record. It was vs the Stanford D, however, & ASU ran the ball with ease with 206 yds on the ground. TC Ostrander got the start for the Cardinal with Trent Edwards out for the year & hit just 7 of 25 for 66 yds. Stanford more than doubled last week's yardage total with 145 total yards...
Auburn rested TB Kenny Irons vs Tulane & Ben Tate rushed for 156 yards on 26 carries. Tulane was also playing without 2 starting WR's but still managed 389 yards offense vs Auburn's #5 ranked D. Part of the reason the game went Over the Total was 2 FG's in the final :15 of the half. Auburn went for it on 4th & 1 at their own 32 & were stopped & Tulane got a 21 yard FG. Then a squib kick was ret'd to midfield & Auburn got a 22 yd pass & a 45 yd FG on the half's final play. The game finished at 51 pts, with the Total at 50...
Nevada QB Jeff Rowe was a late scratch but Travis Moore had a solid game throwing for 178 yds & rushing for 27. NU could have been up by much more & had a 10-0 lead but were driving late in the half when they were int'd & ret'd to the 11 & San Jose St got a TD on the next play to stunningly pull within 3 despite NU having 16-4 FD & 253-97 yd edges. NU finished the game with 25-13 FD & 408-235 yd edges...
Adrian Peterson's replacement, Allen Patrick, is the new "A.P.". Patrick actually became the first player to run for more than 100 yds vs Colorado's underrated D which came in #9 in the NCAA in rush D. Patrick rushed for 110 yds but it took him 35 carries to do so. Oklahoma lost starting RT Branndon Braxton to a broken leg & he will likely miss the rest of the year...
N Texas was playing without HC Dickey who suffered a heart attack last week. NT played a solid game as it was 10-10 at the half but Arkansas St wore them down in the 2H & finished with 23-13 FD & 465-263 yd edges. ASU trailed 10-7 when NT fmbl'd a punt at their own 7 & ASU got a 19 yd FG to tie with 1:55 left in the half to take momentum...
Oregon St star RB Yvenson Bernard inj'd an ankle late in the game vs Arizona & is questionable for this week. Arizona did have its chances for the comeback vs OSU. Third string QB Kris Heavner (top 2 QB's inj'd) was int'd at the OSU 45 & on their last drive got to the OSU 28. A sk forced them back to the 40 but Heavner underthrew an open receiver in the EZ & was int'd at the 2. Arizona's offense only managed only 183 yds...
S Miss faced Virg Tech without RB Damion Fletcher who is #8 in the NCAA in rushing & G Travis Cooley who were out with knee injuries.
POINTSPREAD PLAYS OF THE GAME
While Syracuse did only trail Louisville 7-6 at the half, the Cards were in control & led 21-6 in the 4Q. They were driving for the cover & had a FD at the SU 11 when Brohm threw a poor pass that was int'd. SU converted on 3rd & 8 & 4th & 2 & got a 38 yd TD pass with 5:09 left to clinch the cover, however, the Cards did drive 93 yds in 9 plays for a TD with 1:43 left...
Frank Beamer was completely out of character vs S Miss & it led to the game going Over the Total. VT had the game firmly in hand, 29-6, when they took over at the SM 48 with 3:56 left. VT converted on 4th & 4 for a FD & was running out of the shotgun with Whitacker. They did have a 22 yd TD run called back on a hold & on 3rd & 12 they got a FD pass to the 15 yd line. SM was not going to use any time-outs & there was only :44 left & VT simply had to take a knee. Beamer opted to run another play & Lewis broke 6 tackles & headed into the EZ for a meaningless TD which put the game Over the Total & is something coaches usually do not do leading 29 6!...
Shawn Bell threw for a school record 394 yds for Baylor & they overcame a 38-17 deficit with three 4Q TD's but came up short on a pair of 2 pt conversions & only won by 1 laying 3 or 3'.
BIG BLOWN LEADS
Utah led New Mexico 24-3 & appeared on their way to a dominating with 3:27 left in the 1H. They allowed a 3rd & 15 FD pass & 2 plays later a 40 yd TD pass but only led 24-10 at the half. NM's offense got back on track in the 2H & they jumped out to a 27-24 lead. Utah scored a TD but allowed another TD with 2:09 left to trail by 3. They were stopped inches short of a FD at midfield with 1:00 left...
In 1989 Ohio St overcame a 31-point deficit vs Minnesota & the NCAA record with Maryland overcoming a 35-pt deficit vs Miami Fl in 1984 for wins. Michigan St trailed Northwestern 38-3 in the 3Q with 9:54 left before mounting their comeback & getting a TD with 3:43 left to tie it at 38. After an int they got a 28 yd FG with :13 left for the win. It was a gutsy performance by Drew Stanton who had to leave the game due to multiple injuries but returned to guide the comeback..Miami, Fl appeared on their way to a romp over Duke leading 17-0 at the half but forgot to show up for the 2H & Duke nearly rallied for a win. They finished with 380-320 yd edge & had the ball at the Miami 6 with :03 remaining. UM int'd it in the EZ & nearly ret'd for a TD as the Hurricanes held on playing without 12 suspended players...
Washington had a prayer answered when a 40 yd Hail Mary pass on the final play to force OT but their comeback ended in OT when they were int'd after Cal had scored a TD. UW was playing without Isaiah Stanback, & Carl Bonnell hit 17 of 31 for 284 yards & surprisingly rushed for 64 yds on 9 carries. Cal had scored 192 pts in the 1H of the previous 6 games but needed a 21 yd FG with :02 left 2Q to avoid being shutout in the 1H as they trailed 10-0.
