College Football Wrap-Up: Week 7

Georgia dismantled Missouri on Saturday 34-0. The Dawgs traveled to Columbia, MO without their star player, Todd Gurley, and put together their most complete game of the season.  Nick Chubb picked up Gurley's slack and rushed for 143 yards and 1 touchdown.  Hutson Mason played his best game of the season completing 22 out of 28 passes for 156 yards, 1 TD, and no interceptions. The defense played like the Junkyard Dawgs and stymied Mizzou's offense the entire game.

Photo Credit: Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports

The entire team rose to the occasion after learning on Thursday afternoon that they would have to play without their emotional leader, Todd Gurley. While the offense grinded it out, the defense simply shut down the Tiger's offense. To understand how dominant the defense was on Saturday consider this:

• Saturday was the 1st time Missouri has been shut out since 2002 and it was the first time they've been shut out at home since 1992 (versus Colorado)
• Of Missouri's 43 offensive plays, 21 went for zero or negative yards
• The Dawgs held Mizzou to just 147 total yards and they didn't convert a 3rd down the entire game (0-7)
• Missouri ran 4 plays inside UGA's territory and 3 of them resulted in turnovers
• Saturday was the 1st time Georgia has shut out a ranked team since 1982.
• Georgia's four interceptions are the most in a game since the 2008 Sugar Bowl victory over Hawaii
• Gary Pinkel has been at Missouri as long as Coach Richt has been at UGA.  In 171 games as head coach of the Tigers, Missouri had never turned the ball over 5 times in one game... until Saturday
• Missouri is the first SEC team to be shut out this season

The Dawgs defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage both by shutting down the Tigers running game and also by making it easier for Coach Pruitt to drop seven into coverage on passing downs.

Here are some other observations on the game:

• Hutson Mason took command of the offense and was very efficient.  His touchdown run looked a little clumsy, but he did an outstanding job of selling the fake on that play.
• Jordan Jenkins and Leonard Floyd are both excellent outside linebackers, but I'm pretty excited about our future there as well with Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy.
• I was surprised to hear that Brendan Langley was starting at CB on Saturday, considering he was moved to wide receiver after spring practice and had just been moved back to cornerback the week prior to the Vanderbilt game.
• Hopefully Langley can hold down that CB spot because it's obvious Swann plays much better at the Star position.
• Nick Chubb is an impressive young running back as we first learned versus Clemson in the opener. What impressed me about Saturday was the fact that he seems to be a running back that gets stronger as the game moves along.  Those 2 and 3 yard carries in the first half turned into 8 and 10 yard carries in the second half.

Finally, how impressive was this:

Pruitt's Impact
Georgia's defense is certainly still a work in progress, but they seem to be improving each and every week.  It's scary to think what Coach Jeremy Pruitt can do once he's had a chance to recruit the players he wants to run this system.  Through Pruitt's first six games, these two stats are impressive:

#Georgia is the only team in the SEC that hasn't allowed a play from scrimmage of 40 yards or longer this season.
— Jake Rowe (@Rowe247) October 13, 2014

#UGA Defensive Shutouts, '01-'14: B. VanGorder: 1 in 52 games W. Martinez: 3 in 64 games T. Grantham: 3 in 54 games J. Pruitt: 2 in 6 games
— Dawg Treasures (@UGAAlumnus95) October 12, 2014

Notables Around the SEC

• The dream continues for both Ole Miss and Mississippi State. After dramatic wins last weekend, they both delivered again as the Rebels won on the road versus Texas A&M and the Bulldogs defeated 2nd ranked Auburn at home.  Mississippi State is now ranked #1 while Ole Miss is at #3. In 2011, those teams were a combined 2-14 in SEC play.
• It appears that Egg Bowl will be a bigger deal this season than the Iron Bowl.

pic.twitter.com/BbzQKZyDJ7
— The SEC Logo (@SEC_Logo) October 12, 2014

• Somehow, some way Les Miles finds a way to win again. Florida had multiple opportunities to put LSU away, but just couldn't seal the deal as the Tigers hit a 50 yard field goal to break a 27-27 tie with 3 seconds remaining in the game. By the way, the Gators are 3-9 in their last 12 games. It's not looking good for Muschamp to survive after this season and the Gator Nation already has another coach in mind.
• Arkansas fell to 0-3 in the SEC after losing to Alabama 14-13, but they very easily could be sitting at 2-1 right now.  For the second consecutive conference game, they have blown 4th quarter leads.  The Razorbacks had more total yards than Alabama (335 to 227) and more first downs (18 to 10) than Bama. Not to mention, Arkansas won the time of possession (34:13 to 25:47) battle, yet they couldn't put Alabama away at home when they had their chance to do so.
• If Mississippi State continues to win, I'd say Dak Prescott has a very legitimate chance to win the Heisman Trophy.  What do you think?

The hype is real! Dak Prescott: The latest SEC QB to post 1,000 pass yds, 500 rush yds & 20 TDs in his 1st 6 games. pic.twitter.com/kUcQwmgIfk
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 14, 2014

Odds & Ends

• Clemson's offensive coordinator, Chad Morris, is considered the star of their coaching staff.  However, I believe their defensive coordinator, Brent Veneables, is the MVP of Dabo Swinney's staff.  I've been impressed with Clemson's defense (minus the 4th quarter of the UGA game) and their unit certainly shined on Saturday.  With Deshaun Watson leaving the game with an unfortunate hand injury in the first half, the game versus Louisville became a defensive struggle. The Tigers defense held the Cardinals to 1-17 on 3rd downs and limited them to only 52 yards rushing.  
• In my opinion, the unsung hero for Clemson was safety Jayron Kearse, nephew of former All-American Jevon Kearse, who ran down a Louisville wide receiver from scoring what would have been a game winning touchdown late in the 4th quarter. Amazingly, Clemson won on Saturday without an offensive touchdown as the Tigers scored TDs on special teams and defense.
• It sure was fun while it lasted, but the dream came to an end on Saturday.  The Yellow Jacket's appearance in the Top 25 was very brief.
• Notre Dame rallied in the 4th quarter for the second consecutive week to defeat North Carolina 50-43. The Irish must travel to Florida State this coming week and we'll know much more about both these teams after Saturday.
• Baylor scored 24 unanswered points in the 4th quarter and rallied to defeat TCU 61-58. The 119 points combined are the second most in a matchup of ranked teams. Bryce Petty kept his Heisman hopes alive with 510 yards passing and 6 TDs. Baylor moves up to 4th in the country, but still has a tough slate ahead with games versus Oklahoma (on the road), Oklahoma State, and Kansas State.

College Football Wrap-Up: Week 6

Saturday was a great example of why I love college football! You couldn't have asked for a more action-packed day as 11 of the Top 19 teams lost.  The action began on Thursday night as Oregon was upset at home to Arizona, and it didn't end until the early morning hours on Sunday when Utah handed UCLA their first loss of the season.  More on that later, but first let's take a look at the Dawgs.

Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports 

Georgia raced to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, and cruised to a 44-17 victory at home versus Vanderbilt. Todd Gurley once again led the way with 163 yards rushing and two TDs. Oh yeah, and he also managed to complete the longest pass of the season when he connected with Jeb Blazevich for 50 yards in the first half.  Is there anything Superman can't do?



Here are some other observations on the game:

• Overall, I was pleased with the defense.  They limited Vandy to 2 out of 13 on 3rd down conversions and the game was well in hand when Vandy scored their 2nd touchdown of the game in the 4th quarter.
• It was nice to see Bowman stay at home and make a good break on his pick six. We absolutely need to create more turnovers on defense to give us a better chance of success against the better teams we have left on the schedule.
• I thought it was interesting that Brice Ramsey saw action in the first half.  Coach Richt has indicated that he may continue to play both QBs. I believe it's a good idea simply because it gives Ramsey some good game experience prior to next season when he will be the likely starter.
• I'm glad Richt & Bobo have decided to continue utilizing the wildcat formation even without the injured Sony Michel. Now that Gurley had success passing out of that formation, it will give defensive coordinators something to think about when they see Gurley lined up in that formation down the road.
• It was nice to see Malcolm Mitchell playing again. He had a very limited number of snaps but hopefully he can stay healthy and begin making a difference soon. It was also nice to see Mason air out to Mitchell, even if it wasn't completed.
• Gurley passed Lars Tate as 3rd on the list for all-time rushing yards in UGA history.  He now has 3,147 career rushing yards. He only needs 86 yards to pass Garrison Hearst and become the 2nd all-time leading rusher. Gurley is truly having a remarkable season. He leads the SEC in rushing with 773 yards and he's still averaging over 8 yards per carry.

Around the SEC

Alabama at Ole Miss
The Rebels defense played remarkably well and Bo Wallace played mistake free in arguably the biggest game ever played at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.  Ole Miss snapped a 10 game losing streak to Alabama with a 23-17 victory over the Crimson Tide.  The Rebels are 5-0 to start the season for the first time since 1962. Now can they maintain their momentum? They travel to Texas A&M this weekend. It will be a tough night game in a hostile environment against an Aggie team that's hungry for redemption.

Photo Credit: Jeronimo Nisa/Decatur Daily

Texas A&M at Mississippi State
Dak Prescott accounted for 5 TDs and Mississippi State cruised to a big victory over Texas A&M 48-31.  The Bulldogs led 48-17 late into the 4th quarter so the final score is misleading. Prescott is the possibly the best dual-threat QB in the country and, if he can continue to lead his team to victories, then he will certainly have an opportunity to win the Heisman Trophy.

LSU at Auburn
Auburn played their most complete game of the season and dominated LSU in their 41-7 blowout victory. LSU could only muster 13 first downs and 280 yards of offense. The Bayou Bengals might be in store for one of their worst seasons in quite some time. They're currently 0-2 in the SEC and their remaining schedule is difficult with road trips to Florida, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. Their remaining home games are against a quickly improving Kentucky squad, Ole Miss, and Alabama.

Florida at Tennessee
Florida defeated Tennessee for the 10th straight time with a 10-9 victory in Knoxville. Butch Jones certainly must be very disappointed after his team could not manage to score a touchdown versus a Gator defense, coming off a horrible performance two weeks ago against Alabama.  The Gators mounted a 4th quarter comeback after replacing Jeff Driskel at QB with true freshman Treon Harris. Unfortunately for the Gators, the news about Harris wasn't so good on Monday.

South Carolina at Kentucky
Kentucky is now 4-1 on the season after defeating the Gamecocks on Saturday night. South Carolina appeared to be cruising to an easy victory when they jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. However, Dylan Thompson threw 3 interceptions, including a pick six late in the 4th quarter.  Most of the blame will be directed at Gamecock defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward after his defense was gashed by JoJo Kemp with Wildcat runs. What I can't understand is this:

In case you're wondering, Mike Davis' last touch of the game was a 13 yard run with 8:00 left.
— SportsTalk (@sportstalksc) October 5, 2014

Mike Davis had 183 yards rushing (averaging 8 yards per carry) and they lead by 14 with less than 9 minutes remaining in the game yet Spurrier would not run the ball.  This is the 2nd game in a row that South Carolina has squandered a double digit lead late into the 4th quarter.  Kentucky is 4-1 and will have an opportunity to earn a bowl trip this season if they continue to play well.

Around the Nation

Arizona at Oregon
I was so relieved to see Arizona upset the Ducks on Thursday night. Every year the national media hypes Oregon and every year the Ducks lose a game they shouldn't lose.  That was Arizona's 3rd victory over a Top 5 Oregon team since 2007. Meanwhile, Arizona went from unranked in the AP Poll last week to the Top 10 this week.

Stanford at Notre Dame
Notre Dame survived at home 17-14 after scoring a touchdown on 4th and 11 with just over one minute remaining in the 4th quarter. The Fighting Irish have an improved defense under Brian VanGorder, but the rubber will meet the road when they have to travel to Florida State in two weeks.

Arizona State at Southern Cal
I'm not much of a Pac-12 fan but this was an exciting finish and I always enjoy seeing the Trojans get beat.



Nebraska at Michigan State
Michigan State led 27-3 over Nebraska heading into the 4th quarter and eventually held on for a 27-22 victory. The Huskers nearly mounted a comeback in front of an embarrassingly emptying stadium in the 4th quarter.  The Spartans shut down the Cornhuskers vaunted rushing attack and held Ameer Abdullah to only 45 yards on 24 carries. Nebraska plays a weak schedule, so I would imagine there's a good chance that there will be a rematch of this game in the Big 10 Championship game.

Utah at UCLA
Utah kicked a FG with 34 seconds remaining to defeat previously undefeated UCLA 30-28. The Bruins had an opportunity to kick the game winning field goal twice but missed a 55 yarder and then a 50 yarder, after a Utah penalty. UCLA was regarded as having one of the best offensive lines in the country prior to the season, but they surrendered 10 sacks on Saturday. Both teams are now 1-1 in Pac 12 play.

Oklahoma at TCU
Oklahoma had an 8 game winning streak coming into the game but lost to TCU 37-33.  This was a statement win for the Horned Frogs who play another highly ranked opponent next week when they face Baylor.  Meanwhile Oklahoma faces Texas next week in the Red River Rivalry.

Odds & Ends

• This past weekend was the first time in the history of the AP Poll that 5 out of the top 8 teams lost in the same week.
• Do you remember how well the 05' defense played for Georgia? That was Willie Martinez's first defense as coordinator. They were stout, but it was a result of having been coached and developed by Brian VanGorder.  I believe the we're seeing similar results for Louisville. Charlie Strong recruited and developed these players, but Todd Grantham is receiving the credit for their success. The Cardinals have the nation's #1 ranked total defense. Of course, they haven't played anyone in the Top 70 offensively. Louisville travels to Clemson on Saturday. Let's see how they fare against DeShaun Watson and company.
• I hate the hype that's associated with preseason football polls. I would prefer it if polls weren't even released until after week 4. Did you know that 5 of the teams ranked in the AP's preseason Top 15 already have 2 losses each?  That's the case after only 6 weeks of action.
• Two weeks ago Mississippi State was unranked.  Now they are third in the nation.
• I wonder how many Michigan fans would welcome back Rich Rod now? After the upset of the second ranked Ducks, Arizona is 5-0.  Michigan dropped to 2-4 on the season after their loss to Rutgers on Saturday.
• Georgia Tech is 5-0 and they've exercised demons this season with victories over Virginia Tech and Miami.  There's a good chance the Jackets will be 10-0 heading into the final two games of the regular season - versus Clemson and Georgia.

College Football Wrap-Up: Week 4

Georgia dismantled Troy, 66-0, to move to 2-1 on the season. As I indicated last week, this is a bad Troy football team, but it was nice to see the Dawgs put them away early and clear the bench.  It was Georgia's largest margin of victory since 1958 and the first time they've scored more than 60 points since 2011. It would have been easy to come out flat for this cupcake opponent, particularly after a tough loss, but the Dawgs cruised to a 45-0 halftime lead and never looked back.  It was the first time Troy had been held scoreless in 99 games, which dates back to when Nebraska shut them out in 2006.

Photo Credit: AJC/Brant Sanderlin

Here are some quick observations on the game:

• Sony Michel sure did have a nice afternoon with 10 carries, 155 yards, and 3 rushing TDs. Michel and Chubb are going to be fun to watch the next 3 years.
• Isaiah McKenzie had his first collegiate punt return for a TD. I have a feeling this may the first of many punt return TDs he will have in Athens.
• Another game with no turnovers. Georgia is at +4 Turnover Margin on the season through 3 games. That was a nice interception from Tramel Terry in the end zone. Hopefully he can make some strides in becoming a contributor to this defense.
• I'm curious to see if the Dawgs will try to utilize Sony Michel in the wildcat formation, or Faton Bauta under center, when they're in the red zone down the road.
• Coach Richt indicated that Keith Marshall's injury doesn't appear to be serious. I hated seeing him on crutches after the game. 

Looking ahead for the Dawgs

Tennessee travels to Athens on Saturday, after enjoying a bye week. Unfortunately, it was picked up by CBS for a Noon start. I would much prefer a 3:30 or later start, where the home field becomes a much bigger advantage. Georgia has won 4 straight versus Tennessee, and the Vols are still looking for their signature road victory in the Butch Jones era.   Hopefully, the Dawgs are focused and ready to take on the Vols. 

Through three games, Georgia's offense is averaging 7.7 yards per carry and 304 yards per game. As a matter of fact, Todd Gurley is leading the nation with 9.8 yards per carry.  However, it is critical that Georgia become more consistent in their passing game. It would be nice if Scott-Wesley or Mitchell would return to action this week, but I'm not very hopeful based on what the coaches have shared.  Justin Worley has played fairly well, thus far, and Jalen Hurd is likely a future All-SEC type player, but the Vols are average along their offensive line.  In order for Georgia to win this game, their front seven needs to win the line of scrimmage.  It will be the first time Willie Martinez and John Jancek have returned to Athens since Coach Richt fired them in December 2009.

Around the SEC

Auburn at Kansas State

Auburn survived versus Kansas State on Thursday night.  The Wildcats did a marvelous job of shutting down the Auburn rushing attack, but couldn't overcome so many critical mistakes. They missed 3 field goals, had a turnover deep in their own territory, which led to an early Auburn field goal and then there was this:

It was the first non-conference win on an opponent's home field since the Tigers beat Virginia in Charlottesville in 1997.

Florida at Alabama
Blake Sims threw for 445 yards, Derrick Henry rushed for 111 yards, and Alabama overcame 4 turnovers in the first 32 minutes of the ballgame to cruise to 42-21 victory. Alabama's 645 yards of total offense are the most they have allowed in school history. Muschamp and his quarterback, Jeff Driskel, are both in their 4th years at Florida and it seems that the Gator fans are losing faith quickly in their ability to turn around the program.

Put Jeff Driskel on the bench please, I have seen enough.
— Emmitt Smith (@EmmittSmith22) September 20, 2014

Mississippi State at LSU
The Maroon Bulldogs went into Death Valley and took it to LSU. They lead from beginning to end, but after leading 34-10 early in the 4th quarter, they had to hold off a furious rally from LSU and escaped Baton Rouge with 34-29 victory.  This was a statement game for Dan Mullen. It was their first victory against LSU since 1999 and the last time they won in Baton Rouge prior to this week was 1991.

Other SEC Action

• Vanderbilt played their best game of the season and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns but the Gamecocks held off the Commodores for a 48-34 win.
• Missouri embarrassed the SEC by losing at home to a bad Indiana team 31-27.
• Arkansas and Texas A&M cruised to easy non-conference victories.

Around the Nation

Clemson at Florida State
The game I anticipated watching the most this week did not disappoint as Florida State escaped with a 23-17 overtime victory.  Clemson went into Tallahassee and outplayed the Seminoles for the vast majority of the game. Clemson's defense, in particular, played lights out and dominated the line of scrimmage during regulation. Critical mistakes made by Clemson's offense were the difference in the game.

Clemson reached the red zone 7 times vs Florida State and scored on just 3 of those drives. #CLEMvsFSU
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 21, 2014

In summary, Cole Stoudt underthrew a wide open TE in the first quarter, which would have been a touchdown, the kicker missed 2 field goals, a high snap cost them another opportunity to score a touchdown, and then a late fumble deep in FSU's territory cost them a chance to put the game away. You cannot fault Dabo Swinney for going for it on 4th down in overtime.  His kicker badly missed those two field goals.  Furthermore, you're a heavy underdog on the road and the home team has just seized the momentum. What I don't understand is why Chad Morris decided not to put Watson under center on that 4th and 2 play.

Get. Under. Center.
— Pat Forde (@YahooForde) September 21, 2014

Apparently, that sentiment was widely shared.  If you're a Clemson fan, you have to put this loss behind you. Sure, it's easy to get down after starting the season 1-2 with losses to Georgia and Florida State, but they have found a future star at quarterback and you can still have a decent season. They will likely win the next 8 games and be 9-2 when South Carolina comes to town on November 29th.


Other Action

• Forget what I wrote about Virginia Tech after their upset of Ohio State.  They have now lost two straight home games and fall to 0-1 in ACC play, after the loss to Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech's QB, Michael Brewer, who played with such confidence against Ohio State, threw 3 interceptions versus the Jackets and now has 8 on the season.
• Oklahoma survived a tough road game versus West Virginia with a 45-33 victory.  It looks like the toughest games that lie ahead for the Sooners will all be played in Norman (Kansas State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State).
• South Carolina's week 2 victory versus East Carolina is looking stronger each week.  A week after defeating the Hokies, the Pirates took UNC to the woodshed by outscoring them 70-41. They are now in this week's AP Top 25 Poll.