Like every week in this sport week 11 delivered on the drama and action with lots of crazy finishes. Every week we see lots of unexpected turns.
American
Army at North Texas was the biggest game of the week in the conference. Both teams had a reputation for playing good offense but it featured significantly less points than expected. Both offenses seemed a little off at times while Army’s defense came up with lots of key stops throughout the game. Finally, Army put the game away in the 2nd half with the drive of the season. Army marched 21 plays 94 yards in just under an entire quarters worth of time. It was a truly masterful drive, the best drive of the season by any team. Army rolls into their bye week unbeaten which sets up a huge showdown with Notre Dame in 2 weeks. For North Texas they’ve been stuck just a win under bowl eligible for a month now. That’s because the Mean Green have played a brutal stretch against 3 of the best teams in the conference. The schedule gets easier from here on out for the Mean Green.
Navy got back on the right track against South Florida with a dominating 28-7 win. It was good for Navy to look more like the team we saw the first 6 games. This has been a disappointing season for South Florida. They sorely miss Byrum Brown who got hurt against Miami FL and hasn’t played since the Tulane game. Unfortunately we’ll never know what this South Florida team would have been.
East Carolina has completely taken off the last 2 weeks, especially on offense. The Pirates scored 56 last week and 49 this week. Katin Houser has taken off with the starter role. East Carolina definitely seems on pace to reach a bowl and maybe even a winning record.
ACC
Upsets were the story of the day in the ACC. After so many close calls the Miami Hurricanes came crashing down against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets entered this game pretty beat up but it still didn’t stop them from running all over Miami FL and controlling the pace. A disciplined rush against Cam Ward’s scrambles allowed the Yellow Jackets to get to him without giving up too many big plays and most critically strip sacked him in the key moment to win the game. Georgia Tech will go on the record having 2 Top 10 wins this year, even if the first was the most fraudulent top 10 win in history. The Jackets are going bowling and Brent Key has them going in the right direction. For the Hurricanes we saw their flaws finally come back to bite them, fortunately they have a bye and then face Wake Forest so I don’t think this loss will become multiple. If them and Clemson won out they would have the same record but most outlets have expressed confidence that the Hurricanes would hold the tiebreaker in that scenario. Although a one loss Miami FL and a SMU/Clemson ACC championship would probably be the scenario needed for a multi bid ACC.
Unlike what we saw with Pitt. The Panthers found themselves in a tight battle with Virginia for a lot of the game and then misfortune struck as Eli Holstein left the game with an injury. Pitts offense wasn’t the same after. How long he’s out will bring a great deal of concern for Pitt because they play Clemson at home next and then close with Louisville and Boston College on the road. What looked like a special season could fade very quickly.
Clemson and Virginia Tech put on an absolute beauty of a half.
While it felt like the mess was focused on Clemson after last week it was Virginia Tech who was very quietly having the worst half of the two (outside of one special teams play.) Clemson pulled themselves together and grabbed the lead in the second half, that was all she wrote. Virginia Tech’s offense went absolutely nowhere. If I’m being honest their offensive plan confused me. In Clemson’s loss to Louisville the running backs averaged over 8 yards per carry. Virginia Tech apparently decided that wasn’t something to attack, only giving their running backs 4 carries the entire game despite leading for an entire half. I don’t understand it.
Big Ten
Minnesota and Rutgers entered their game against each other with Minnesota on a 4 game win streak and Rutgers on a 4 game losing streak. So naturally Rutgers won the game 26-19. It was the Athan Kaliakmanis revenge game as he had his best game of the season against his former team. Meanwhile Minnesota couldn’t run the ball. It definitely proved to be a showstopper for the momentum Minnesota had. Rutgers meanwhile has revived bowl hopes as a result of this win.
Indiana had a dramatic finish for the first time this year. The Hoosiers struggled up front on offense with Michigan front, so for the first time we really saw a flaw show up for the Hoosiers machine. Still, Indiana pulled together a drive to extend their lead to 5 and then came up with the plays on defense to win it. Indiana has moved to 10-0 for the first time ever, what a huge accomplishment but they appear to not be done yet.
Iowa has blasted opponents with their run game the last few weeks but then against UCLA it stalled and the Bruins were the ones that ran the ball. How does that make sense? Well it appears their run game and run defense don’t travel. The common denominator of Iowa’s wins and losses are most of their wins are at home and these multi score losses to Ohio State, Michigan State and now UCLA were all on the road.
Big 12
The Big 12 delivered as always, but the biggest drama occurred After Dark with the Holy War between BYU and Utah. Utah was very clearly motivated to ruin BYU’s season and their defense was flying around in a way we haven’t seen in a few weeks. Meanwhile BYU couldn’t stop making mistakes in particular their coaching staff was strangely sloppy managing the game. Still, BYU made a comeback and got within 2 of the Utes. BYU got a the ball in the final minutes from near their own goal line. On 4th and 10 Retzlaff was sacked for a near safety and that was all she wrote, or so we thought. A defensive holding penalty was called and gave BYU new life, whether it was legitimate or not depends on which fanbase you ask. BYU took advantage and marched down the field for the game winning FG to escape once again. It was a crazy game that will never be forgotten in the the state of Utah or anywhere else. BYU remains undefeated and is position to move up, they survived despite having their worst game and Utah could have salvaged a highlight from this disappointing season but instead they are left with this extremely bitter loss.
Colorado went on the road to Texas Tech in what was considered a Big 12 championship elimination game. Texas Tech jumped all over Colorado early on and rode off to an early 13-0 lead but Colorado eventually got going, came back got the lead and eventually pulled away before the game got a little dramatic at the end until a fumble 6 allowed Colorado to put it away for good.
Beware the Big 12 pack it seems, once you fall into it, it’s tough to get out. That appears to be what Iowa State is dealing with the Cyclones ended up seeing the best Kansas offense we’ve seen all year and they just couldn’t keep up with the Jayhawks in another loss. Iowa State’s Big 12 and playoff hopes are likely done at this point but they can still have a special season if they can pull it together. Kansas might prove to be a huge problem for the Big 12 down the stretch here. The Jayhawks very clearly look like a team that’s finally hit the right formula on offense, and they’ve always had the talent there to be dangerous. This looks like the Big 12 championship contender we expected, only dressed as a 3-6 team. They play BYU and Colorado next…uh oh.
CUSA
CUSA delivered the nation the craziest game and finish of the day. Jacksonville State and Louisiana Tech found themselves in a fun shootout with each other that included a lot of crazy plays. Louisiana Tech’s receiver caught a pass behind his back then took off for a TD. A high snap safety by Jacksonville State gave Louisiana Tech the lead and finally with LA Tech up 37-31 on the last play of the game Jax State hit a Hail Mary and then missed the XP in a real “hit the bdubs button for OT” moment. Jacksonville State did win in OT to keep their unbeaten conference record intact.
UTEP and Kennesaw State faced off in a tight battle of two teams that were seeking their second win to continue building. It was a back and forth game that was always within a score. Kennesaw State scored late to bring it to OT and UTEP ended up winning in Double OT. Scotty Walden’s victory celebrations are a lot of fun to see. Kennesaw State meanwhile let go of Brian Bohannon in a shocking move after this game. It appears he and the administration had a fractured relationship that played a part, but now the Owls future looks murky.
Other results in CUSA involved Western Kentucky and Liberty both cruising to multi score wins. There was some drama early for Liberty due to a few turnovers but the Flames eventually rolled, meanwhile Western Kentucky was challenged by New Mexico State at times but the Tops closed strong for a 41-28 win. WKU and Jax State remain on a collision course, for now.
MAC
Weeknight MACtion finally arrived and it did so with a bang on Tuesday night with some games in wet weather which is exactly what you come to expect from MACtion. Bowling Green controlled the first half but due to a litany of mistakes managed to end the half with the smallest advantage on the scoreboard possible based on how it went (9-7), Bowling Green came out a little cleaner in the 2nd half and pulled away.
Meanwhile Miami and Ball State played in even worse conditions which led to a lot of interesting plays. Probably the most hilarious was Miami’s punter struggling to handle the ball in wet conditions, having it slip out of his hands into the waiting arms of a Ball State rusher who then returned it for a TD, the best part is because the ball never hit the group this registered as a pick 6 for Alec Bevelhimer. Miami ultimately came out with the win so hopefully he got to laugh about it later.
Western Michigan was the MAC’s surprise team so far as the Broncos raced off to a 4-0 start but that all came crashing down on Wednesday against Northern Illinois. The Huskies have now out gained all 9 opponents they played this year but are 5-4 and will relish their role as spoiler in the MAC. Western Michigan can’t let themselves get down after this loss, the Broncos have their toughest games ahead.
Mountain West
It was a little more dramatic week atop the Mountain West then expected. Boise State had a primetime FOX game against Nevada and the Broncos ended up displaying their sloppiest self in the game. The Broncos made a litany of mistakes throughout the game but survived a pesky Nevada team thanks to a strong effort from Ashton Jeanty. Jeff Choate and Nevada deserve some credit their record may only show 3-8 but this team gave 2 playoff contenders a run for their money (don’t forget the SMU game in week 0) and beat Oregon State. UNLV also faced a tough test going against Hawaii out on the islands. The Rebels appeared to be off and running early with a 10-0 lead but Hawaii answered and kept answering throughout the game to make UNLV sweat it out. UNLV did get out of there with a 29-27 win.
Has Air Force found something? The Falcons offense looked completely different Saturday night compared to how it looked all year. They were executing very well and ABSOLUTELY DOMINATED time of possession. The Falcons held the ball for nearly FIFTY MINUTES in their 36-28 win over Fresno State. It’s taken some time but it feels like Troy Calhoun might have a path to get this team back toward the top of the Mountain West next year. Fresno State meanwhile is now 5-5 and closes with Colorado State & UCLA, are the Bulldogs going to miss a bowl?
New Mexico and San Diego State had a standalone After Dark game on Friday night as they faced off on San Diego State’s sandy field. Early on RB Eli Sanders for New Mexico looked unstoppable on the sandy field as he broke two long runs. San Diego State did button up from there against him which eventually allowed the Aztecs to grab a 16-14 lead. New Mexico had to resort to more Devon Dampier runs to retake the lead and eventually put the game away. This was another win for Bronco Mendenhall’s team that shows the future is bright. Danny O’Neill for San Diego State appears to be going through growing pains of his own, when he was named the starter it was hard to tell if that was because he starred in camp or if this year simply felt like a rebuild year where Lewis would start young and try to build from there. It seems to be the latter at this point.
Pac-12/Independents
Washington State and Oregon State are in two very different trajectories at this point. Washington State continues to play well, the Cougs cruised to an easy win over Utah State but Oregon State seems to be in danger of missing a bowl game now. The Beavers definitely were hit harder by the portal this offseason and it shows. Oregon State was beaten at home 24-13 by San Jose State and the Spartans truly controlled that 2nd half despite some challenges with the officials.
UConn had a more dramatic game than expected. The Huskies trailed UAB a shocking 20-3 at the half but Jim Mora Jr and co made adjustments to come back and grab a 31-23 win. I’m very impressed by this team, they are resilient and have put together a special season. Ultimately goals will get bigger for UConn football at this pace but for now reaching a bowl and a winning record is a good accomplishment.
SEC
There’s no separation in the SEC and this is not normal. The SEC is normally the most boring routine race in the sport but not this year. It’s now officially a muddled mess. Georgia at Ole Miss felt like the usual place where Georgia asserts their dominance and Kiffin’s crew falls short. It looked that way on the opening drive when Jaxon Dart had no time to throw and heaved a pick to the Georgia defense then got hurt. Georgia muscles their way in for a TD and it looked like a Georgia blowout was on the way especially with Dart’s status in doubt. That’s not what happened. First with the backup in Ole Miss marched straight down the field on Georgia to tie it up, then Dart returned and Ole Miss absolutely dominated this game outscoring Georgia 28-3 the rest of the way. It was shocking to see the Bulldogs defense have no answer, and outside of the Texas game they really haven’t looked good as a unit. I was very wrong about Ole Miss, they really stepped up.
A team I wasn’t wrong on was LSU. I thought their run defense didn’t stand a chance against Alabama and I was proved correct in this case. The Tide ran all over LSU all night in a blowout win. This has to be frustrating for LSU fans because each year the media continues to give them hope that they’re a national title contender but in the end they keep falling short.
South Carolina is one of the hottest teams in the SEC right now. The Gamecocks season started very sketchy, they nearly lost to an Old Dominion team that didn’t even play their best game in the opener, then they blew a game they should have won against LSU, and quit against Ole Miss. They couldn’t finish the Alabama game but they nearly won that one and it seemed to be a turning point. South Carolina was the first team all season to just straight up boatrace Vandy, it was something most SEC teams did routinely in the past but not this year. South Carolina is the team one wants to play, but you also have to wonder how special this season could have been for the Gamecocks if they finished that LSU game.
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt usually produces wild and entertaining games but blowouts were the story this weekend. Louisiana made a statement against their despised foe Arkansas State in a 55-19 win. The Ragin’ Cajuns have looked good all season but you gotta like that they continue to improve each week. It’s been a special season in Lafayette. JMU crushed Georgia State 38-7, a reminder that Georgia State beat Vanderbilt then proceeded to go on a bye week and lose 6 in a row after that game because this sport never ceases to be wild.
UL-Monroe hosted Texas State in the pouring rain which gave the Warhawks an excellent opportunity to grab a key win and become bowl eligible. Based on their styles of play this weather was great for ULM plus they practiced in this weather routinely. Yet it didn’t work for them. The Bobcats bullied the Warhawks on the ground in a 38-17 win. Texas State got some strong performances out of young QBs in this game and may have discovered that the run game is the answer for their sometimes stalling offense.
Thursday night was a meeting of App State and Coastal Carolina teams that were on opposite trajectories. Appalachian State entered the game on a 2 game win streak after a rough start while Coastal Carolina lost 4 of their last 5 after an undefeated start. Yet it was the Chanticleers that dominated this game and won 38-24. Appalachian State is now 4-5 and will only play 11 games this year, they need to beat James Madison and Georgia Southern to reach a bowl game. Shocking turn of events when the Mountaineers were the odds on favorite to win the Sun Belt in the preseason.
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