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David Hale, ESPN Workers Author
At first, it was a quaint footnote.
Then, it was all vibes, the bandwagon filling up with wide-eyed pleasure riders, and all of the breaks going their approach.
And now, 9 weeks into the season, it is getting more and more tough to shrug off all we have seen as dumb luck, mushy schedules and whole flukes.
As we shut in on November, it is time to take Indiana, BYU and Pittsburgh severely.
The momentum has constructed slowly, cautiously — like when somebody suggests going to Waffle Home as a celebration winds down. Everybody has an excellent snigger, however the subsequent factor you already know, Indiana’s within the Huge Ten title sport, a waitress is poking you with a fork to be sure you’re alive and your face is glued to the desk with maple syrup.
To see Pitt, BYU and Indiana among the many small handful of groups nonetheless undefeated as we attain the ultimate Saturday in October is incongruous and perplexing and but undeniably exhilarating — like seeing Mr. T on the airport. It is not sensible, however right here we’re, shaking our heads, smiling ear to ear and pitying any idiot who would not recognize simply how cool that is.
Sure, the nation’s finest staff should be Georgia, which had the week off so Kirby Sensible might analysis the house addresses of every official from final week’s sport towards Texas, or maybe Oregon, which completely demolished Illinois 38-9 on Saturday, or any considered one of a half dozen different completely predictable success tales. However with a lot soccer nonetheless to be performed on this new period of the 12-team playoff, there isn’t any must focus an excessive amount of on fixing the thriller of who’ll in the end hoist the trophy at yr’s finish when these possible purple herrings are nonetheless a lot enjoyable.
Indiana is 8-0 after overwhelming Washington 31-17, even with out beginning QB Kurtis Rourke. Prior to now, shedding the beginning QB would solely lead to a brutal loss and better insurance coverage premiums for the Hoosiers, however not this staff. We’re eight video games into the season, and Indiana nonetheless hasn’t trailed at any level. In accordance with ESPN Analysis, no different program in not less than 20 years has performed that. A program finest recognized for offering miserable lyrics to John Mellencamp songs is all of the sudden doing issues even Nick Saban could not handle.
We knew when the season started that the Huge 12 could be chaos, however of all of the doable eventualities — Kansas State, Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State — how many individuals predicted BYU could be the lead canine? It is a full fever dream, this offense led by a Jewish quarterback at a Mormon faculty bouncing from rollicking come-from-behind wins to defiant dominance, akin to Saturday’s 37-24 win over hapless UCF. Jake Retzlaff accounted for 3 touchdowns, LJ Martin ran for 101 yards and the protection picked off UCF twice.
FAKE FIELD GOAL FROM BYU 🫢 pic.twitter.com/5ahmgTfWKW
— ESPN School Soccer (@ESPNCFB) October 26, 2024
After which there’s Pitt, which stumbled its option to a 3-9 season in 2023 however discovered new life this offseason with a new-look offense, a 5-foot-6 tailback and a head coach who has rebuilt his program by going towards each defensive intuition he has ever had like some kind of Yinzer George Costanza. On Thursday, the Panthers’ protection stole the present, swarming Syracuse as Kyle McCord handed out interceptions like he was Oprah freely giving vehicles. Pitt has the third-lowest time of possession within the nation, trailed by double-digits within the fourth quarter twice in September and is counting on an offensive famous person who’s not tall sufficient to journey the Tilt-a-Whirl, and but all of it works.
Are any of them championship materials? What does that even imply? There are simply seven undefeated groups left within the energy conferences, and Indiana, BYU and Pitt are amongst them. In the meantime, a forged of final yr’s champions — the groups that received the Huge Ten, Pac-12, SEC, ACC, Solar Belt and MAC — are a mixed 19-27 towards FBS competitors this yr.
In an period when the switch portal is meant to sap the second-class packages of their finest expertise, a QB who left Alabama is main the way in which at Pittsburgh.
In an period when the perfect coaches are imagined to be cashing eight-figure checks on the largest colleges, Curt Cignetti took a large portion of his roster from James Madison to one of the moribund packages within the sport and is operating circles across the Huge Ten whereas only a win shy of matching Indiana’s all-time file for victories in a season.
In an period when the perfect groups have the largest budgets to lure elite recruits, BYU has a roster full of fellows who by no means needed to be wherever else, they usually’ve confirmed to be the right mixture of grit and efficiency and drive — like if Weight loss plan Mountain Dew had been a soccer staff. Nobody understands it, nevertheless it’s nice.
RIDE IT. THAT SADDLE. pic.twitter.com/lqEapm1MQY
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) October 26, 2024
There are different good tales in school soccer this season — from Cam Ward‘s magic to Ashton Jeanty‘s heroics to Sonny Dykes’ short-lived profession ready tables at Coyote Ugly lastly paying dividends. However in a sport that has spent the majority of the previous 5 years enjoying the function of depraved stepmother for each would-be Cinderella, it is becoming that a lot of the 2024 season, the primary on this new period of faculty soccer, has been in regards to the little guys who’ve discovered a option to construct a staff with castoffs and duct tape and remind the nation that it is nonetheless OK to root for the underdog.
Soar to:
Colorado’s going bowling | Aggies win with backup QB
Penn State survives | Ward rattled vs. FSU | Sunflowers for K-State
Horns up in Nashville | Irish eye playoff | Alabama rolls
Ohio State escapes | Vibe shifts | Heisman five | Under the radar
Buffs going bowling
Coach Prime will coach a bowl sport.
Colorado knocked off Cincinnati 34-23 on Saturday, reaching six wins on the season and securing postseason eligibility, one thing that a lot of Deion Sanders’ critics believed wasn’t doable.
Shedeur Sanders was glorious. Travis Hunter was dynamic. Warren Sapp consumed three Subway footlongs on the sideline. Each star shone vibrant within the win.
Colorado hasn’t been to a bowl sport since 2020, however Saturday’s win marked one other turning level that Deion Sanders promised upon arrival. There have been affordable doubts given Coach Prime’s unconventional strategy to constructing a staff, however the distinctive alchemy of Hunter, myriad transfers, two of Sanders’ personal youngsters, a ton of media consideration and an unquenchable need to spite idiots within the media turned out to be simply what the Buffaloes wanted.
There are nonetheless hills for the Buffs to climb. They’ve but to beat a ranked foe. They have a shot on the Huge 12 title sport. They’d prefer to see extra engagement on Shilo Sanders‘ cat’s new YouTube channel. However that is invariably a serious step for a program that, earlier than Coach Prime’s arrival, was a laughingstock and is now one of many higher groups within the Huge 12 and a genuinely stable program.
Aggies roll with Reed
Down 10 within the third quarter, Mike Elko made a daring resolution, benching QB Conner Weigman and handing the keys to the offense over to freshman Marcel Reed.
By sport’s finish, the transfer regarded like a stroke of genius, Texas A&M was celebrating a 38-23 win over LSU.
Reed sparked the Aggies’ offense, finishing simply two passes for 70 yards, but additionally speeding for 63 and three touchdowns within the win.
In the meantime, the Aggies’ D was distinctive late, selecting off Garrett Nussmeier 3 times within the second half, and turning a 10-point deficit into a simple win.
1:12
BJ Mayes’ Superman-like INT leads to Reed’s third speeding TD
BJ Mayes dives to make a powerful interception, then Marcel Reed gallops into the top zone for his third speeding landing.
Nonetheless, Elko wasn’t performed when the clock hit zero. In his postgame information convention, he delivered an impassioned lecture on the state of this system in his first season as head coach.
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko: “It is a actual program. It’s not pretend. It’s not a politician operating this program, speaking quick and BSing everyone.”
Whoa.
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) October 27, 2024
It appeared a moderately pointed commentary about what Elko had inherited at A&M, and former coach Jimbo Fisher was fast to reply with a torrent of gibberish that amounted to suggesting he would’ve received 10 video games if A&M had simply adopted tariffs on all Texas gamers being recruited out of state to fund its NIL collective. He then kissed a child, shook palms with the prepare dinner at a neighborhood diner and promised to chop Reveille’s taxes.
Drew Allar sat the second half of Penn State’s 28-13 win over Wisconsin, however the Nittany Lions nonetheless managed to outlive one other week, establishing a key Week 10 showdown with Ohio State.
Wisconsin, which had been little greater than a gentle cheddar for a lot of Luke Fickell’s tenure in Madison, had been upgraded to a spicy pepper jack throughout a three-game profitable streak, and it was poised to earn wealthy burrata standing after main 10-7 at half. However with out Allar, the Nittany Lions relied on Beau Pribula, a stable run sport and a stout protection to ship the win.
Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton mixed for 194 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, and James Franklin celebrated one more win that can be instantly forgotten when he loses to a top-10 staff subsequent week.
Ward rattled, Miami wins
They are saying, in rivalry video games akin to Miami vs. Florida State, you’ll be able to throw the information out the window, to which Mike Norvell asks why they cannot additionally try this towards Duke.
Regardless, FSU was frisky Saturday, proving that in case you’re merely dangerous sufficient, it is nearly good.
0:30
FSU’s Luke Kromenhoek runs for 50 yards on deliberate QB sneak
Florida State QB Luke Kromenhoek averts catastrophe and takes off for a 50-yard rush.
True story: That was Florida State’s longest run of the yr. The earlier excessive got here on a pretend punt. A lot of FSU’s offense is predicated on a dare.
Nonetheless, the Noles’ D performed properly, and largely stored Cam Ward in verify, holding the Heisman hopeful to fewer than 300 yards and with out a landing cross — a primary for Ward in each classes this season.
The Canes’ floor sport carried the day, nonetheless, speeding for 230 yards and three touchdowns, whereas Ward truly caught a landing cross as a result of Miami felt it was essential to seek out new methods to embarrass Florida State this yr.
Sunflowers for Ok-State
Kansas State received the Sunflower Showdown for the sixteenth straight season, thwarting Kansas with a go-ahead 51-yard area objective with 1:42 to play to outlive 29-27.
0:35
Chris Tennant drills a go-ahead 51-yard FG for Ok-State
Chris Tennant drills a go-ahead 51-yard FG for Ok-State
It was the most recent indignity in a season stuffed with them for the Jayhawks, who fall to 2-6 on the yr with 5 of their losses coming by six factors or fewer.
Ok-State’s Avery Johnson threw for 2 touchdowns, ran for a 3rd and received a halftime Ted Nugent lookalike contest.
Horns up in Nashville
In some other yr, enjoying Vanderbilt is the right likelihood to get proper after a very brutal loss such because the one Texas endured final week towards Georgia. This yr although, Vandy is the tough equal of the DIY plumbing mission that regarded really easy on YouTube solely to lead to a damaged bathroom, a close to drowning and a narrative your spouse will inform at cocktail events whereas everybody laughs at you.
So it was Saturday, as Texas struggled to place the Commodores away, even after QB Quinn Ewers performed almost flawless soccer earlier than the half. After throwing a choose on Texas’ first drive of the sport, Ewers accomplished 17 straight passes because the Horns jumped to a 21-7 lead.
Nonetheless, Vandy refused to roll over, scoring with 46 seconds left to tug to inside three, however the subsequent onside kick try discovered a Texas participant, and Diego Pavia did not get a final likelihood at some magic, with the Horns holding on 27-24.
Irish eye playoff
A lot for the feel-good story of Navy‘s 6-0 begin to the season. Notre Dame marched into MetLife Stadium and completely dominated the Midshipmen’s protection, cruising to a 51-14 win behind 265 yards and 4 touchdowns on the bottom.
Riley Leonard threw for 2 touchdowns within the win, and the Irish protection picked off Blake Horvath as soon as and recovered 5 fumbles within the sport. The win is the second of the season for the Irish over a ranked opponent, which helps to cowl for what’s the most embarrassing lack of the yr (towards Northern Illinois) of any playoff contender, nevertheless it additionally upends all of the enjoyable of the undefeated begins to the season for Military and Navy.
All of this begs the query: Why could not Notre Dame simply let America have this one unifying storyline? Why could not we simply come collectively as a rustic to get pleasure from supporting one thing nonetheless untarnished by divisiveness and outrage?
And the reply is as a result of Notre Dame would not imagine in an America that does not think about Notre Dame to be America’s staff. It is egocentric. It is irritating. It is the American approach.
Tide turns in T-town
A win over Missouri is not prone to take the strain off Kalen DeBoer for lengthy, however Alabama did put collectively an emphatic all-around efficiency Saturday that ought to not less than persuade a couple of Finebaum callers to skip this week’s tirade and focus their outrage on Ulysses S. Grant once more for some time.
Jalen Milroe accounted for 265 yards and a rating, the protection picked off Drew Pyne 3 times, and Alabama delivered a powerful 34-0 win Saturday, serving to erase the recollections of final week’s exploding cigar towards Tennessee.
1:06
Spotlight: Balanced Bama bounces again, blasts Missouri
The No. 15 Crimson Tide grind out 486 yards of whole offense (271 speeding) and shuts out No. 21 Missouri, 34-0.
The Tide nonetheless finish October with a number of losses for the primary time since 2007, however due to the 12-team playoff, there isn’t any purpose to imagine a championship is out of attain — significantly since LSU is the one offense with a pulse nonetheless on the docket.
Brady Cook tried to do his impression of Monty Python’s Black Knight, explaining that his ailing hand was however a flesh wound, however Alabama possible delivered a mortal harm to Missouri’s time within the prime 25. After Missouri narrowly escaped Boston College, Vanderbilt and Auburn this yr, the Tide formally pulled the “contender” masks off the Tigers, revealing them to be principally simply Kentucky with a greater receiving corps.
Cease us in case you’ve heard this earlier than: Nebraska misplaced a detailed sport to a ranked opponent, letting all of the air out of what had as soon as felt like an encouraging season.
Ohio State was the most recent to topple the Cornhuskers, escaping with a 21-17 win Saturday after Dylan Raiola threw a choose on Nebraska’s last drive, ending hopes of a late comeback.
For the Buckeyes, it was a less-than-flattering efficiency, however a gritty win nonetheless. For Nebraska, it was the most recent little bit of futility in a string of distress that may’ve been deemed “too darkish” for the “Noticed” franchise.
It was Nebraska’s twenty seventh straight loss to a ranked opponent, a streak courting again to 2016. In that very same span, the Huskers have misplaced 35 video games by a landing or much less, eight greater than some other FBS program. And Matt Rhule is now 2-22 as a head coach towards ranked groups, which does not even depend his tenure with the Carolina Panthers, which has been described as “like getting a root canal at a Creed live performance.”
The win for the Buckeyes retains their hopes for a Huge Ten title sport look alive, nevertheless it was a giant blow for the road of groups ready exterior Ryan Day’s home hoping he’ll get fired to allow them to be his rebound relationship.
Week 9 vibe verify
Every week, large swings upend playoff projections, however a number of smaller shifts additionally alter the school soccer panorama. We maintain tabs on these right here.
Trending up: Hostilities in Michigan
Most of Saturday’s sport between Michigan and Michigan State was a rock struggle, and when it was over, the 2 groups went the extra conventional struggle route.
A struggle breaks out after Michigan takes the knee to seal the win vs Michigan State 😳 pic.twitter.com/xHedEDaBLB
— FOX School Soccer (@CFBONFOX) October 27, 2024
It was a battle to see who was essentially the most middling staff in Michigan (apologies to Central Michigan, who stays, geographically, essentially the most middling), and whereas the early outcomes amounted to little greater than two toddlers preventing over a popsicle, Michigan truly emerged with its first vestiges of an offensive id this yr.
Davis Warren obtained the beginning at QB, and he regarded stable, finishing 13 of 19 passes for 123 yards and a landing. Alex Orji proved a useful weapon within the run sport, carrying six occasions for 64 yards and a rating. And Colston Loveland was the perfect participant on the sphere for a lot of the sport, hauling in two landing grabs — the primary sport by which Michigan had a number of receiving TDs as a staff because the opener towards Fresno State.
When the mud settled on the postgame skirmish, each groups agreed there have been no arduous emotions, made a couple of jokes about Ohio State coach Ryan Day and all was forgiven.
Trending down: Kickers in Durham
Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee eagerly admitted SMU had no enterprise profitable on Saturday. The Mustangs turned the ball over six occasions towards Duke, together with twice within the fourth quarter, however the Blue Devils missed a 42-yard area objective and had a 30-yarder on the finish of regulation blocked when Jahfari Harvey reenacted a scene from “The Matrix.”
0:32
Duke’s potential game-winning kick blocked as time expires
Duke tries to kick the game-winning 30-yard area objective, however the kick is blocked.
This was technically a sport between two 6-1 groups, which is a bit of like saying Dr Pepper and Dr. Dre technically completed medical faculty. As a substitute it was largely a comedy of errors, with SMU’s fourth quarter amounting to a fumble and two picks, whereas Duke had six completely different drives into SMU territory that did not finish with factors.
Trending up: Particular groups chicanery
If there was one overriding pattern from Week 9, it was groups embracing pretend kicks.
Texas Tech scored off a pretend area objective, although it nonetheless misplaced to TCU.
Huge XII: Convention of Pretend Performs pic.twitter.com/61iO4t6Eal
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) October 26, 2024
Wisconsin‘s punter scrambled for an impromptu pretend that went for a primary down, although the Badgers, too, misplaced to Penn State.
ATTICUS BERTRAMS.
THE IMPROMPTU FAKE PUNT FOR WISCONSIN.
BIG TEN PUNTERS CAN DO IT ALL! pic.twitter.com/xdAfq4CxT9
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) October 26, 2024
And West Virginia executed the pretend area objective to perfection in a win over Arizona.
0:18
WVU runs pretend FG to perfection for a landing
Leighton Bechdel fakes the maintain earlier than reducing it exterior for a Mountaineers landing.
By day’s finish, Brent Venables had determined subsequent week Oklahoma was simply going to run pretend punts on each play.
Trending up: Do-it-all ACC QBs
Virginia Tech‘s Kyron Drones threw a 20-yard landing, caught a 6-yard TD on a cross from Jaylin Lane and ran in a rating from a yard out within the Hokies’ 21-6 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday.
Drones is the primary ACC QB with a passing, speeding and receiving TD in the identical sport since Jordan Travis did it in 2022 and simply the fourth of the playoff period.
To not be outdone, Cal QB Fernando Mendoza threw and caught a landing — on the identical play.
WHAT A HEADS-UP PLAY FOR THE TD 🤯 @CalFootball pic.twitter.com/argQ3QyBbn
— ACC Community (@accnetwork) October 26, 2024
Mendoza tossed to Jaivian Thomas, who was rapidly wrapped up however lateraled the ball again to the QB, who scampered for a simple landing in a 44-7 win over Oregon State.
In the meantime, Florida State QBs additionally joined within the enjoyable by shedding the helmet with the speaker in it, unintentionally setting the staff bench on fireplace and giving out Mike Norvell’s social safety quantity to a person claiming to be a Nigerian prince all in the identical sport.
Trending down: Sooners’ new OC
After final week’s 35-9 unraveling towards South Carolina, Oklahoma determined it had gone so far as it might with offensive coordinator Seth Littrell. Looking back, having your entire offensive playbook printed in Comedian Sans ought to’ve been an early warning. Regardless, Week 9 was an opportunity to show the web page, and for the primary half, it regarded as if the Sooners might need some actual mojo. Sadly, mojo is just not an offensive lineman.
As a substitute, essentially the most thrilling offensive weapon on the sphere in Oklahoma’s 26-14 loss to Ole Miss was a squirrel, who ran 20 yards for a landing within the first quarter.
0:35
A squirrel scores a TD within the Oklahoma-Ole Miss sport
A squirrel will get on the sphere within the Oklahoma-Ole Miss sport and scores a landing, making the Rebels followers go wild.
Brent Venables tried to signal the squirrel to play tailback for the rest of the season, however the sides couldn’t agree on NIL compensation, after the squirrel demanded a deal which Oklahoma’s collective known as “fully nuts.”
Trending up: Sam Pittman’s job safety
Taylen Green threw for 5 touchdowns and ran for a sixth in Arkansas‘ 58-25 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, transferring the Hogs to inside one sport of bowl eligibility and pushing them over final season’s win whole of 4.
Inexperienced was distinctive, almost matching his season whole for passing TDs (6) within the sport, throwing for 314 yards and speeding for 79 extra, clearly flourishing beneath offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.
This marks the primary time in historical past Petrino had a hand in saving a coach’s job, and admittedly, he should be as confused as the remainder of us. That mentioned, if Billy Napier would not win one other couple video games, he’d prefer to remind the parents at Florida they will view an up to date CV for him on LinkedIn.
Trending up: Winless groups
Kent State is the final staff standing. Or, sitting. Or, maybe, curled up within the fetal place on the 50-yard line.
Regardless, the not-so-Golden Flashes had been annihilated by Western Michigan 52-21 on Saturday, falling 0-8, the final FBS staff nonetheless seeking a victory in 2024.
In the meantime, the opposite previously winless FBS staff, Kennesaw State, picked up victory No. 1 with model, knocking off undefeated Liberty 27-24 on Wednesday.
It marked the primary time a winless staff beat an undefeated staff 5-0 or higher since North Texas toppled Middle Tennessee in 2001. It was additionally Kennesaw’s first win as an FBS program, marking the second-greatest accomplishment at school historical past after that one time somebody remembered there have been two Ns and just one S in “Kennesaw” with out having to look it up.
Trending up: Iowa being Iowa
Iowa trounced Northwestern on Saturday, 40-14. Within the sport, the Hawkeyes recorded a security, a particular groups landing, three takeaways and a simple win despite no QB within the sport throwing for greater than 100 yards.
So, please money in your Iowa B-I-N-G-O card on the entrance desk to say your prize, and sure, the prize is a mosaic portrait of Hayden Fry fabricated from corn kernels.
Trending up: Punting
After flirting with the Huge 12, UConn continues to search for a convention house, and after Saturday’s sport, the Huskies are wanting fairly tempting to the Huge Ten.
UConn and Rice performed the undercard match within the Paint Drying World Championship, with the 2 groups combining for 20 punts in a 17-10 UConn win. Rice managed simply 10 first downs and 178 yards of offense, together with simply 88 yards via the air.
Earlier than both staff discovered the top zone, the sport featured 14 punts, two turnovers, a missed area objective and an intentional grounding penalty that ended the primary half.
Trending up: Heels’ D-line
North Carolina demolished Virginia 41-14, thanks largely — actually — to its defensive entrance.
Kaimon Rucker led the way in which with three sacks, and UNC obtained to Virginia QB Anthony Colandrea 10 occasions within the sport. However it was large man Jahvaree Ritzie who stole the present with an 84-yard pick-six.
0:51
UNC DL makes ridiculous 84-yard choose six
North Carolina defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie intercepts Virginia’s quarterback and goes 84 yards for a landing.
Trending up: Foodborne sickness
Hugh Freeze skipped the staff flight to Kentucky this week due to an upset abdomen introduced on both by watching sport movie of his QBs or consuming a McRib he discovered behind his sofa. Regardless of the trigger although, it was a stroke of genius by the Auburn coach.
Freeze joined his team Saturday after chugging a mix of 7-Up and Pepto, and Auburn clearly regarded impressed by its coach’s resilience. The Tigers shut out Kentucky within the second half and cruised to a 24-10 win — their first SEC victory since Nov. 11 of final yr — behind 278 yards and two touchdowns from tailback Jarquez Hunter.
Freeze stays undefeated in his profession when teaching after medical points, and he has promised to maintain the streak going by downing a bathtub of Gus Malzahn’s chili that has been sitting within the coaches workplace fridge earlier than subsequent week’s sport towards Vandy.
Heisman 5
This was the week the Heisman pleasure got here crashing all the way down to actuality for a variety of contenders. Some — Ashton Jeanty, Cam Ward — survived. Others, akin to Blake Horvath did not. And others, akin to Cade Klubnik, took the week off to atone for the brand new season of “Lincoln Lawyer.” It isn’t good however he wants one thing to speak to Dabo about.
1. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Jeanty confronted a stacked field constantly and was thwarted repeatedly in Boise State’s 29-24 win over UNLV on Thursday. It was, clearly, his low level in 2024. He additionally had 139 yards and the game-winning landing. We must always all be so fortunate to have our arduous days in Vegas look so good.
2. Miami QB Cam Ward
Saturday was theoretically Ward’s worst sport of the season, however here is a enjoyable stat: On third down, he was 8-of-8 passing for 89 yards. For the season on third and fourth down, Ward is finishing 79% of his throws, averaging 9.6 yards per contact and has transformed 56% of his performs.
3. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel
The Geese dominated listless Illinois, and Gabriel accounted for simply shy of 300 yards and 4 whole touchdowns — averaging higher than 11 yards per cross. He additionally impressed the teaching employees at Illinois, with Bret Bielema promising that, at some point, he’d like his staff to throw a ahead cross, too.
4. Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter
After lacking a lot of the previous two video games, Hunter returned to motion Saturday and made up for misplaced time. He performed greater than 120 snaps, caught 9 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and had two tackles and three passes defended on protection. And his finish zone celebration was so Mick Jagger-like that Keith Richards sat up in his hammock, yelled some gibberish, introduced a brand new tour and fell again to sleep.
5. Army QB Bryson Daily
Military was off this week, leaving Every day to work full time in his different job as one of many Avengers.
Below-the-radar sport of the week
There are blown leads, after which there’s what occurred to UTSA on Saturday, which was one thing extra akin to getting kicked whereas an anvil falls in your head.
Simply checking in on how the UTSA-Tulsa sport ended and… oh pricey lord. pic.twitter.com/v4dV7odIxJ
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) October 27, 2024
The Roadrunners led 35-7 at halftime, 42-17 with 5:30 to go within the third and 45-32 with 3 minutes left within the sport.
They led by 6 with Tulsa going through a second-and-13 at its personal 5-yard line with 1:55 to play.
They usually misplaced.
Tulsa went 95 yards on the following seven performs, scoring in lower than a minute to take a 46-45 win. Cooper Legas threw 5 touchdowns, together with three to Kamdyn Benjamin, within the win. UTSA received the turnover battle, outgained Tulsa by 113 yards, allowed simply 63 yards on the bottom and nonetheless misplaced. It was a surprising end, even for a college named for a metropolis recognized for memorable losses.
Below-the-radar play of the week
Usually this house is reserved for significantly noteworthy school soccer video games, however since Texas highschool soccer is definitely higher than Convention USA, we’re making an exception.
On Thursday, Lone Star was poised for a rollicking win over Frisco Wakeland, driving for a game-winning rating in additional time, handing the ball off from the 9-yard line with an opportunity to win. Karece Hoyt pushed the pile ahead to the 1 earlier than being enveloped by a scrum of defenders wanting the objective line, solely to see Wakeland’s Austin Wilson emerge with the soccer, returning the fumble 99 yards for a rating and a 65-59 win.
You will not see a extra loopy end to a soccer sport…
Frisco Wakeland with a 99-yard fumble return in additional time to win…#txhsfb pic.twitter.com/AvAvT5FFdq— Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) October 25, 2024
On one hand, it was a tribute to Wakeland’s never-say-die strategy to the sport’s last moments. Then again, it was a reminder that pushing for further yards with the sport in hand is rarely worthwhile, and easily giving up, kicking a area objective and hitting the Dairy Queen is a much better choice.
