NEWS AND NOTES
Iowa led Northwestern 24-14 after 3Q’s. They settled for a 32 yard FG with 10:58 left and then lined up for the game clinching 41 yard FG with 5:35 left but missed it to the left. Northwestern was int’d at the Iowa 14 with 4:34 left and the Hawkeyes led 27-14 with the game well in hand. Iowa punted with just 3:27 left and NU drove 77 yards in 12 plays for an apparent garbage TD with 2:10 left but NU rec’d the onside kick and drove 47 yards in 6 plays for a TD with :42 left for the improbable comeback win. Iowa still had a shot and got to midfield but their 4th & 10 pass was dropped with :05 left...
While W Virginia did dominate Connecticut on Wednesday finishing with 372-129 yard and 22-9 FD edges, it should be pointed out that at the half WV only had a 190-67 yard edge and led 35-3. They had TD drives of 39, 35 (after punts) and then 20 & 14 yards after TO’s...
Akron had a 369-251 yard edge but allowed a 54 yard PR for a TD and trailed 23-17. They had a 1st & goal at the Ball St 1 with 2:00 to go but on 4th & 5 were int’d in the EZ...
N Carolina had some dominating drives against Boston College. In the 1H they went 72 yards in 13 plays and 75 yards in 16 plays but settled for 20 and 22 yard FG’s and led just 13-7 at the half. In the 2H NC had 11 & 12 play drives that resulted in a 44 yard FG and a punt from the BC 49 with 2:45 left. At that point, NC had a 320-257 yard edge and led 16-7 before allowing BC to drive 80 yards against the prevent D for a late TD with :44 left. NC rec’d the onside kick delivering our College Game of the Year Winner...
Miami, OH led Buffalo 54-0 before the Bulls got 40 and 83 yard drives for a pair of garbage TD’s in the final 5:35...Notre Dame only led Tennessee 31-21 mid-4Q but after a 27 yard PR, got a FG with 4:01 left and then added a 32 yard IR for a TD :40 later to turn a close game into a blowout. Tennessee did have an 18-14 FD edge...
A questionable celebration penalty called on Vanderbilt might have cost them the game. UV HC Bobby Johnson, after scoring a TD with :54 left to pull within one point, was going to go for 2 as his offense had the momentum but the receiver who had just caught a TD pass was simply happy and jumping in the EZ and he was called for a 15 yard penalty. That forced VU to settle for an xp and they ended up losing in 2 OT’s...
LSU’s opponent Appalachian St came in #7 in IAA and LSU had their closest game ever vs. a IAA opponent “only” winning 24-0...
Penn St dominated the 1H vs. Wisconsin leading 21-0 and had a 298-77 yard edge...
Miami has been an Underdog 5 times in this millennium and are not only 5-0 ATS in that role but 5-0 SU. They simply dominated Virg Tech in Blacksburg, taking their raucous crowd out of the game despite the fact they lost their starting RB Tyrone Moss after 6 carries, starting QB Kyle Wright for four series in the 1H and star WR/PR Devin Hester to injuries. Wright did return in the 2H and showed remarkable poise. UM led 27-0 before allowing a 4Q TD to VT...
TCU wrapped up its first outright conf title in nearly 50 years by pounding Colorado St at home. Their last title was back in the SWC in 1958, although they did share conf titles in the SWC in 1959 and 1994 and in the WAC in 1999 and 2000 and CUSA in 2002. The Frogs simply dominated with a 302-87 yard edge at the half in their 33-6 rout...
It’s too bad that Willie Tuitama didn’t start earlier in the year for Arizona, they may have had a much better season. In just his 3rd game after removing his redshirt he threw for 320 yards vs. #7 ranked UCLA guiding the Wildcats to 519 yards offense in a dominating 52-14 win which ended the Bruins unbeaten season...
Georgia Tech became one of 8 teams that will play in a bowl in each of the last 8 years when they defeated Wake Forest 30-17. GT’s D held Chris Barclay, the ACC’s top rusher, to just 24 yards on 15 carries...
Jim Tressel is known as a conservative coach and his offense has been blasted mightily over the past couple of years. Tressel’s offense managed to score at least 40 pts for the 3rd game in a row and that is the first time that has happened since 1995. Ohio St had a 526-160 yard edge vs. the Illini and the Illini’s 2 pts came on a blk’d xp which was ret’d for 2...
Rutgers clinched a bowl bid the previous week and actually did not come out flat vs. S Florida in their 45-31 loss. The key was two defensive TD’s, a 32 yard IR and an 11 yard fumble return for TD’s within 1:26 in the 1Q to open up a 20-0 lead and RU had to fight from behind the rest of the game. RU did have a 398-377 yard edge but lost by 14...
Kentucky has lost 15 straight games to Auburn last winning in 1966. Auburn did lead 42-17 with 10:14 left but UK got a TD with 8:03 left and then clinched the cover with a 27 yard FG with 4:03 left. Aub got a TD with 1:35 left on a 46 yard run but came up a 1/2 pt short of the cover and UK actually finished at the 1 yard line...
Tulane, who has suffered numerous close losses, was in a tough situation last week at Navy having to face the disciplined Midshipmen option offense. Navy scored TD’s on their first four poss and led 35‑0 en route to a 49-21 dominating win. Tulane did get 14 of their 21 pts in the 4Q and Lester Ricard, who threw for over 400 yards vs. Navy the previous year, hit just 2 of 7 for 27 yards and was pulled for Scott Elliott who hit just 13 of 26 for 109...
Indiana actually led Minnesota 14-7 at the half but the 3Q was dominated by the Gophers as they drove 65, 31 (after int), 51 and 54 yards for TD’s to lead 34-14. In their game vs. Iowa, Indy was deep in Iowa territory at the end threatening the backdoor cover. Here they were at the UM 7 yard line trailing by 21 when they were SOD but that would have still left them a point short of the spread.
STREAK BUSTERS
It’s interesting that Notre Dame plays Navy this week as ND’s 41 win streak over Navy is the longest in the country, the 2nd longest consecutive win streak in the country fell by the wayside this past weekend. Nebraska had won 36 in a row vs. Kansas but were actually a 1 point dog. A Memorial Stadium record crowd of 51,750 was on hand. The Jayhawks last win in the series was 23-13 and six different KU coaches did not have a win vs. Nebraska. KU had a 17-7 FD edge and scored sixteen 4Q points blowing open a 24-15 game...
Army ended a streak of 8 straight losses to Air Force and won in Colorado Springs for the first time in 28 years. It was just the 4th time AF was swept by Army and Navy since they started the Commander in Chief Trophy competition in 1972.
FOURTEEN POINT TURNAROUND PLAYS
UL Monroe had a great shot at taking command in the SBC but were upset by Florida Int’l thanks in part to the dreaded 14 pt turnaround play, a 73 yard fumble return for a TD. ULM amassed 29-17 FD and 484-295 yard edges but when their 35 yard FG sailed wide right with :12 left, they actually lost SU 31-29...
Purdue survived a 14 pt turnaround play when they were at the Michigan St 8 yard line with a 14-14 tie and just :11 left in the half. The ball was picked up by an LB who fmbl’d again and then picked up by S Smith and ran 65 yards for a TD and instead of leading at the half, PU trailed 21-14. PU did rally in the 2H for their first Big 10 win, 28-21.
MISLEADING FINALS, BACKDOOR AND FRONTDOOR COVERS
USC scored on each of its seven 1H poss and led 44-7 with the 44 1H pts being the most USC had tallied in a half since they had 49 in the 2H in their epic comeback win vs. Notre Dame in 1974. USC got a TD with 6:44 left to lead 51-14 and were ahead of the spread but Stanford went on a 73 yard, 14 play drive and got a TD with :23 left for the backdoor cover...
While Bama did have a 19-8 FD edge their only 2 TD’s vs. Miss St came with their offense on the sideline. MSU, trailing 3-0, fumbled the opening KO of the 2H and Bama ret’d it 15 yards for a TD. Late 3Q QB Henig was being sk’d and simply threw the ball up for grabs. The DL was not even looking and it landed in his arms and Griffin ret’d it 17 yards for a TD and Bama, without an offensive TD, got the cover 17-0...
It was a tough loss for Arkansas vs. S Carolina. The Hogs had a 356-187 yard edge. Houston Nutt went for it on 4th & 1 at his own 29 early in the game and was stopped setting up SC for an easy TD. Arkansas had a 24 yard IR for a TD nullified by a holding penalty and had a 1st & goal at the 1 but settled for a 19 yard FG. True frosh Casey Dick got his first start and hit 12 of 24 for 137 yards in his first action as SC became bowl eligible. Arkansas was also stopped on 4th & 1 at the SC 18 with 3:33 left trailing by 4.
INJURIES OF NOTE
N Illinois lost starting QB Phil Horvath to a season ending arm injury after the 1Q after he hit 12 of 16 for 115 yards. Backup Dan Nicholson (PS#68) hit 19 of 27 for 320 yards in his place and Sam Hurd had 12 rec’s for 266 yards. CM did miss a 39 yard FG with 1:18 left allowing NI to escape with a 31-28 win...Matt Bohnet ret’d to the lineup for E Michigan and hit 39 of 57 for 398 yards but the Eagles came up short, 44-36 vs. rival WM...
Clemson did not play Charlie Whitehurst as they were only facing Duke and backup Will Proctor hit 13 of 21 for 201 yards. He led CU to TD’s on their first 2 drives. CU actually never led ATS and Duke clinched the cover with a 49 yard FG with 2:56 left. Duke fumbled the punt at their own 27 with 1:19 left and CU got a TD 2 plays later to make it 49-20, one pt short of the spread.
