(12) Penn State 59, Maryland 0
Not much to say about this matchup other than pure domination. Penn State had 619 total yards of offense with 421 of those yards coming from a joint effort of quarterbacks Sean Clifford and Will Levis. The Nittany Lion’s flexed their muscles early, going up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, including a 58-yard touchdown reception by sophomore WR KJ Hamler. Sophomore QB Clifford connected two more times in the first half with a 15-yard touchdown pass to senior TE Nick Bowers and a 37-yard touchdown pass to sophomore RB Journey Brown. Those scoring plays in addition to two rushing touchdowns and a field goal as time expired gave Penn State a 38-0 lead at halftime. A 1-yard rushing touchdown by Brown in the 3rd quarter and two rushing touchdowns by freshman QB Will Levis contributed to the blowout victory. 4 sacks, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery by the Penn State defense helped limit the Terps to 128 total yards of offense on the day as Penn State stays undefeated at 4-0 and the move Maryland down to 2-2.
A late-night upset on Friday night helped ASU hand Cal their first loss of the season. A late fourth-quarter field goal would seal the victory for the Sun Devils in the back and forth battle. ASU struck first with an 11-yard touchdown run by junior RB Eno Benjamin, and the Golden Bears responded shortly after with a 17-yard touchdown pass by sophomore QB Chase Garbers. Cal would take their first lead of the night after a 1-yard touchdown run by sophomore RB Christopher Brown Jr., but Benjamin would find the endzone for the 2nd time with a 4-yard touchdown run that would tie the game in the third quarter. A 47-yard field goal by senior kicker Greg Thomas would be the Golden Bears last score of the night as Benjamin scored his third touchdown of the night with a 3-yard run for ASU to take the lead, and a 43 yard field goal sophomore kicker Christian Zendejas would seal the victor, moving Cal and ASU to 4-1.
Texas Tech 16, (6) Oklahoma 55
Jalen Hurts continued to impress with the Sooners dominating win against Texas Tech. Hurts went 17 for 24 with 415 yards and 3 touchdowns in Oklahoma’s victory. Hurts was in the news before the game with a reference to his former coach Nick Saban’s opinion on positive headlines with his “rat poison” comment on Oklahoma’s post about the Sooners having the #1 offense in the nation. Well, that #1 offense in the nation did what it does and built a healthy lead early, going up 17-0 by the end of the first, including a 1-yard touchdown run by Hurts. The Red Raiders got on the board in the second quarter with a 13-yard touchdown run by senior RB Armand Shyne, but Oklahoma responded shortly after with a 71-yard touchdown reception by junior WR CeeDee Lamb. Texas Tech would be unable to get in the endzone for the rest of the game with the rest of their scoring effort on the day coming off of field goals by freshman kicker Trey Wolff. The Sooners had 644 yards of total offense they stay perfect at 4-0.
Northwestern 15, (8) Wisconsin 24
A quiet and poor offensive first half by both teams left Badgers fans nervous at the end of the first half. With an underwhelming score of 7-3 at the half, advantage Wisconsin, both teams were looking for a little more fire in the second half. That fire didn’t come till late in the third quarter with a fumble return touchdown for sophomore DE Matt Henningsen, giving the Badgers a more comfortable lead at 14-3. A 36-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Collin Larsh and a 68-yard interception return by junior LB Noah Burks padded Wisconsin’s lead in the 4th quarter. The Wildcats tried a comeback with a 4-yard touchdown by freshman RB Drake Anderson and a 15-yard touchdown reception by sophomore WR JJ Jefferson, but it wouldn’t be enough as Wisconsin sneaks away with the win and their undefeated record.
The Hawkeyes are surprisingly still undefeated this season after destroying Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon. Iowa wanted to prove their dominance early and did just that as Middle Tennessee found themselves in a 17-0 deficit at the end of the 1st quarter. That deficit would only get bigger as the Hawkeyes would score 27 points before the Blue Raiders even got on the board. Their only scoring play of the day came from a 43-yard field goal by junior kicker Crews Holt in the third quarter. Iowa dominated the run game with 4 of their 6 touchdowns being rushing touchdowns. Junior RB Toren Young lead the Hawkeyes with 131 yards, a career-high. Senior QB Nate Stanley also impressed, going 17 for 25 with 276 yards and 2 touchdowns. Iowa’s defense held Middle Tennessee’s to only 80 rushing yards to help the Hawkeyes cruise to victory.
After a poor performance last week against Wisconsin, Michigan was looking to bounce back. And they definitely did that against Rutgers. Michigan started their scoring campaign with a 48-yard touchdown pass by senior QB Shea Patterson, giving them an early 7-0 lead. The Wolverines had 5 rushing touchdowns, 3 of which came from Patterson, who was desperately in need of a strong performance. Patterson went 17 for 23 with 276 yards, 1 touchdown pass, and 3 rushing touchdowns. Michigan held Rutgers to 152 total yards of offense, including a measly 46 rushing yards along with 2 sacks and a fumble recovery. Michigan avoids panic by staying out of the loss column this weekend at 3-1.
(22) Texas A&M 31, Arkansas 27
Texas A&M was able to hold off Arkansas and sneak away with a win on Saturday afternoon. Texas A&M the first lead with a 9-yard touchdown pass by junior QB Kellen Mond to put the Aggies up 7-0 in a relatively quiet 1st quarter. The Razorbacks scored early in the 2nd quarter to avoid a large deficit with a 46-yard field goal by senior kicker Connor Limpert. Freshman RB helped Texas A&M pad their lead with a 4-yard touchdown run to push them to 14-3. But a 6-yard fumble return by senior LB De’Jon Harris and a 13-yard touchdown pass by senior QB Ben Hicks gave Arkansas their first lead of the day at 17-14. The Aggies responded with a 22-yard touchdown reception by junior WR Quartney Davis, giving them a 21-17 advantage at halftime. Arkansas would take the lead back with an 11-yard touchdown run by senior RB Devwah Whaley. But a 3-yard touchdown reception by Davis and a 50-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Seth Small helped Texas A&M come away with the win and improve to 3-2.
Clemson entered this matchup favored by 27 points, but they wouldn’t even score that many as they avoided near disaster in their victory against UNC. Clemson faced an early deficit after a 40-yard touchdown pass by freshman QB Sam Howell in the first quarter, putting them down 7-0. Junior RB Travis Etienne got Clemson on the board with a 13-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter, tying the game for the Tigers. Howell struck again for the lead by connecting with junior WR Beau Corrales, giving the Tar Heels a 14-7 lead. Trevor Lawrence helped tie the game at 33 seconds to go in the first half with a 3-yard touchdown run. A scoreless third quarter left Tigers fans feeling nervous, and Tar Heels fans hoping for an upset going into the 4th quarter. Lawrence gave Clemson its first lead of the day with a 38-yard touchdown reception to Junior WR Tee Higgins. UNC came just short of the comeback after failing on a 2-point conversion on a late 4th quarter touchdown. Clemson snuck away with this victory to keep them undefeated at 5-0.
Tua Tagovailoa put together another impressive performance to help Alabama cruise past Ole Miss. Tagovailoa went 26 for 36 with 418 yards, 6 passing touchdowns, and 1 rushing touchdown. Alabama’s first touchdown came from a 74-yard touchdown reception by junior WR Devonta Smith. Ole Miss had the advantage in the first quarter, going up 10-7 after a 1-yard touchdown run by freshman QB John Rhys Plumlee and a 33-yard field goal by junior kicker Luke Logan. But that would be the only lead would be erased quickly after the Tide’s explosive 2nd quarter. Alabama had 4 touchdowns (1 rushing and 3 receptions) and one field goal to give them a 38-10 lead at halftime. The Rebels would be able to make up for some of the damage with 3 touchdowns in the second half. Plumlee would have two passing touchdowns before being replaced by freshman backup QB Grant Tisdale who would also connect in the endzone. While Tagovailoa had an incredible day, the MVP of this game goes to Devonta Smith who had 5 touchdowns and 274 yards with 11 receptions. Alabama’s explosive offense keeps them out of the loss column again, moving them to 5-0 as Ole Miss falls to 2-3.
(18) Virginia 20, (10) Notre Dame 35
Notre Dame recorded 8 sacks in an exciting matchup against Virginia. In a much-anticipated game, Virginia went into their bag of tricks to try and top the Irish but would come up short. The Cavaliers showed their ability to compete with the top 10 team after taking their first lead of the day with a 6-yard touchdown reception by senior WR Joe Reed. But two rushing touchdowns by junior RB Tony Jones Jr. and sophomore RB C’Bo Flemister, the Irish would take a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. But the Virginia defense would shut down the Irish offense in the 2nd quarter. Virginia took a 17-14 lead at halftime after a 32-yard field goal by junior kicker Brian Delaney and a 16-yard touchdown reception by senior WR Hasise Dubois. But the second-half was all Notre Dame, with 2 rushing touchdowns by Jones Jr. and a 23-yard fumble return by senior DL Adetokunbo Ogundeji the Irish would build a comfortable lead to secure victory and stay out of the loss column as they improve to 3-1 and UVA gets their first loss at 4-1.
(21) USC 14, (17) Washington 28
Washington utilized the run game to help push them to victory against USC. The Huskies jumped out early, going up 14-0 at the end of the first after a 1-yard touchdown run by freshman RB Richard Newton and a fumble return by senior WR Andre Baccellia. USC would try to keep their deficit small after a 3-yard touchdown run by junior QB Matt Fink, but Washington would answer with a 28-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Peyton Henry as time expired in the first half. Both teams would finish their scoring in the third quarter, including an 89-yard touchdown run by Washington junior RB Salvon Ahmed and a 44-yard touchdown reception by USC senior WR Michael Pittman Jr. The Huskies would force 3 interceptions off of Fink to help keep USC out of the endzone and help improve Washington to 4-1 as USC falls to 3-2.
Indiana 31, (25) Michigan State 40
Michigan State was able to come out victorious in a contested battle against Indiana. The game would be tied at 7 at the end of the first quarter and the back-and-forth battle between the two teams started in the 2nd quarter. MSU took the lead after a 5-yard touchdown reception by senior WR Darrell Stewart Jr, but Indiana had an answer with a 2-yard touchdown run by freshman QB Michael Penix Jr. A 26-yard touchdown reception by Stewart Jr. would give the Spartans a 21-14 lead at halftime. The only scoring play of the third quarter was a 26-yard field goal by senior kicker Logan Justus would cut the Hoosiers lead to 4 points at 21-17. Indiana would take the lead at the beginning of the 4th quarter after Penix Jr. connected with senior WR Donavan Hale for a 12-yard touchdown pass. But a 10-yard touchdown pass by senior QB Brian Lewerke and a 44-yard field goal by junior kicker Matt Coghlin would give MSU a 31-24 lead with less than 4 minutes to go. An 11-yard touchdown reception by junior WR Whop Philyor would help Indiana tie the game. But a 21-yard field goal by Coghlin and a fumble return by freshman safety Michael Dowell, all within the last 5 seconds would give MSU the victory as they improve to 3-1 and Indiana falls to 3-2.
Florida dominated Townson late Saturday afternoon to help them stay undefeated at 5-0. The Gators had at least 1 touchdown in each quarter to help them cruise to victory. Sophomore TE Kyle Pitts gave Florida their scoring play of the day off of a 5-yard touchdown pass from junior QB Kyle Trask. A 42-yard field goal by sophomore kicker Evan McPherson and a 1-yard touchdown run by Trask would have the Gators sitting comfortably with a 17-0 lead at halftime. Trask would connect with Pitts again in the 3rd quarter with a 7-yard touchdown pass, giving Florida a 24-0 lead. Sophomore RB Dameon Pierce would find the endzone on a 37-yard rushing touchdown, and a 2-yard touchdown reception by freshman TE Keon Zipperer would contribute to Florida’s blowout. The Gators defense would combine for 1 fumble, 2 interceptions, and 4 sacks to keep Townson off the board, making the Tigers fall to 3-2.
Mississippi State 23, (7) Auburn 56
Auburn’s ability to spread their offense around would contribute to their rout of Mississippi State, keeping them undefeated at 5-0. Auburn jumped ahead early with three rushing touchdowns in the first by freshman QB Bo Nix, sophomore RB Jatarvious Whitlow, and sophomore WR Anthony Schwartz. Freshman QB Garrett Shrader helped Mississippi State get on the board with a 9-yard touchdown pass to senior WR Stephen Guidry, giving the Tigers a 21-6 lead. Two more rushing touchdowns by Whitlow and a 39-yard touchdown reception by sophomore WR Seth Williams would help Auburn pad their lead as the Bulldogs were only able to score on a 27-yard field goal by junior kicker Jace Christmann in the second quarter. 2 rushing touchdowns by Auburn in the second half would contribute to the Tigers 217 rushing yards on the day, with 6 players having at least 20 yards. Another win and strong offensive performance puts Auburn in a good position as they head to the Swamp next week to take on Florida.
UCF absolutely dominated UConn on Saturday night, putting up 56 points before UConn was ever able to score. UCF freshman QB Dillon Gabriel showed his skills early, connecting with junior WR Gabriel Davis on a 73-yard touchdown pass. A 48-yard pick 6 by senior DB Nevelle Clark and a 75-yard touchdown run by senior RB Adrian Killins Jr. were part of the Knights scoring highlights in the first half. UConn wouldn’t find the endzone until the end of the 3rd quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass by freshman QB Steven Krajewski to freshman WR Cameron Ross. Krajewski connected two more times with a 12-yard touchdown pass to senior WR Ardell Brown and a 15-yard touchdown pass to freshman WR Matt Drayton. But that effort would be nowhere to near enough to stop UCF who was looking to bounce back after an upset against Pitt last week, helping them improve to 4-1.
(24) Kansas State 13, Oklahoma State 26
Oklahoma State controlled the game in an upset against Kansas State. Kansas State found themselves in a 13-0 hole in the second quarter after two field goals by senior kicker Matt Ammendola and a 3-yard touchdown reception by junior TE Logan Carter. Junior kicker Blake Lynch was able to get the Wildcats on the board in the 2nd quarter. Kansas State was desperate to get something going in the second half, but an 84-yard touchdown run by OKST sophomore RB Chubba Hubbard dug them into a deeper hole, pushing their deficit to 23-3. A 37-yard field goal by Lynch and a 5-yard touchdown run senior RB James Gilbert in the fourth wouldn’t be enough to hold off the Cowboys and Hubbard’s 296 rushing yards as undefeated Kansas State gets their first loss at 3-1 and OKST improves to 4-1.
A highly anticipated matchup became a blowout by the Buckeyes very quickly. Ohio State made a statement by putting up 48 points before their defense allowed Nebraska to get into the endzone. Ohio State dominated on both sides of the ball, with their defense forcing 4 sacks and 3 interceptions, and their offense tallying up a combined total of 580 yards. Justin Fields rushed for a 15-yard touchdown the Buckeyes first score of the day, and he would dominate, connecting twice in the first half. Freshman RB Master Teague III would find the endzone twice in the first half as well which would contribute to Ohio State’s 38-0 lead at the end of the first half. Nebraska would only manage to put up 47 receiving yards in their loss, and wouldn’t find the endzone until the end of the 3rd quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run by junior RB Dedrick Mills. Ohio State’s leading rusher of the day was J.K. Dobbins (no surprise there) and while he would never get to the endzone he would still rake up 177 of the Buckeyes 368 rushing yards. Ohio State stays undefeated at 5-0 and looks to keep their winning streak alive against Michigan State next week.
Washington State 13, (19) Utah 38
After losing to UCLA in a historic comeback last week, Washington State was looking to find their footing against Utah. Utah scored first with an 11-yard pass by senior QB Tyler Huntley, but WSU would answer with a 4-yard touchdown pass by senior QB Anthony Gordon. Utah would take the lead back with a 52-yard touchdown reception by junior WR Samson Nacua. The Cougars would put up two field goals by sophomore kicker Blake Mazza to cut their deficit to 1 at 14-13, but the Utes would have a comfortable lead at the end of the first half after a 15-yard touchdown run by Hutley. Utah would build that lead in the 2nd half after a 28-yard field goal by freshman kicker Jadon Redding, a 7-yard touchdown run by senior WR Derrick Vickers and a 3-yard touchdown run by Huntley. Huntley would go 21 for 30 with 334 yards, 2 passing, and 2 rushing touchdowns. The Utah defense would hold WSU to only 61 rushing yards as they fall to 3-2 and Utah improves to 4-1.
Fan Review
This weekend had plenty of entertaining matchups to enjoy such as Oklahoma State’s upset and Notre Dame’s contested win, but highly anticipated matchups like Ohio State vs Nebraska and Penn State vs Maryland got boring (unless those are your teams and/or you enjoy blowouts). I personally enjoyed this weekends matchups, but I was also left looking forward to the NFL matchups on Sunday very early on in the day.
Game Of The Week: (23) Texas A&M vs Arkansas. This was a tough pick between this game and Notre Dame vs Virginia, but the consistent back and forth battle that went down to the wire was the dealbreaker for me. The Aggies were tested in this game but were able to prove themselves a solid competitor.
Player Of The Week: Alabama WR DeVonta Smith. This was an easy pick. Smith had 4 touchdowns in the first half and 1 in the second with 274 total yards on 11 catches. This broke Alabama’s record for most touchdown receptions in a single game. This outstanding performance adds to Smith’s 537 yards on the season in week 5. For perspective, he had 693 total last year. Smith has also already passed his touchdown total from last year (6) at 8.
Next Week’s Best Matchup: (7) Auburn vs (10) Florida. This matchup displays clear signs of being entertaining. Both teams are undefeated, and while Florida gets home-field advantage, I think Auburn will win this one. Florida has not played a ranked opponent yet, while Auburn already has. Bo Nix and Jatarvious Whitlow have both been impressive for Auburn as well. I expect this to be a close game, but with the advantage going to Auburn.
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