LSU won on a last-second field goal, Wisconsin lost when it
missed a last-second field goal and Kyler Murray aced his first road test. But
what will it mean going forward? Here's what you need to know for every Top 25
team.
NO. 1 ALABAMA 62,
OLE MISS 7
Alabama coach Nick Saban figured out how to keep both of his
team's quarterbacks happy -- blow out the opposition. The No. 1 Crimson Tide
became the first SEC team to score 50 points in its first three games with a
62-7 rout at Ole Miss. Alabama scored 49 points in the first half -- it
second-highest scoring total in the first half against an SEC opponent -- and
both Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts played big roles. Tagovailoa started for
the third straight game and completed 11 of 15 passes for 191 yards with two
touchdowns. Hurts played in the first half and completed 7 of 10 passes for 85
yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Rebels threw the first
punch, scoring on Jordan Ta'amu's 75-yard touchdown pass to D.K. Metcalf on the
game's first offensive play. But Alabama's defense made fast adjustments,
holding the Rebels to 153 yards of offense on their next 50 plays.
NO. 2 CLEMSON 38,
GEORGIA SOUTHERN 7
A week after surviving a physical, hard-fought game against
Texas A&M, the Tigers relied on their ground game in a 38-7 win over
Georgia Southern. Of immediate concern is the status of starting
quarterback Kelly Bryant,
who missed the second half after taking a hit to the head in the second
quarter. On the whole, though, whether it was Bryant or Trevor
Lawrence leading the offense, there wasn't much consistency or
rhythm, or many big plays in the passing game (though freshman Justyn Ross had
a pretty, 57-yard touchdown reception). Clemson rushed for more than 300 yards,
with Etienne shouldering the load. Etienne finished with 162 yards and two
rushing touchdowns.
NO. 3 GEORGIA 49,
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 7
For only the second time in school history, Georgia has
scored 40 points in each of its first three games, and it's unlikely anyone
will slow down the Bulldogs' balanced offense soon. Both quarterbacks --
starting sophomore Fromm and freshman Justin Fields --
were extremely efficient, combining for only four incomplete passes and four
touchdowns, and the running game continued to flourish by committee. Led by
Elijah Holyfield's 100 yards on eight carries, the Bulldogs averaged 8.3 yards
per carry. Georgia travels to Missouri next week and then has back-to-back home
games against Tennessee and Vanderbilt, respectively. The Bulldogs should be
6-0 heading into their first real test of the season, Oct. 13 at LSU.
NO. 4 OHIO STATE
40, NO. 15 TCU 28
Head coach Urban Meyer returns to a 3-0 team that showed it
could overcome significant adversity against a well-coached, talented opponent.
The Buckeyes trailed TCU in the third quarter when they lost their best player,
defensive end Nick Bosa, who at that point had accounted for the team's only
touchdown with a strip-sack of Shawn Robinson. The offense wasn't finishing
drives, and the defense struggled with TCU's speed and pace. But the defense
tightened up and generated another takeaway for points, and Dwayne Haskins and
the offense finally started completing drives. A 28-point burst in a span of
9:28 showed how dangerous this team can be. There's plenty to clean up,
especially on defense with a trip to Penn State looming in two weeks. Bosa's
injury is also worth watching. But Haskins looks like the type of accurate
passer to take this offense -- and possibly this team -- to the next level.
It's clear the Under Frogs will be a tough out in the Big 12
despite Saturday's loss, especially if they can limit the mistakes that
ultimately doomed them against Ohio State. Head coach Gary Patterson, offensive
coordinator Sonny Cumbie and the rest of the staff had an excellent game plan
to upset a bigger, more talented Ohio State squad. TCU showed it can attack the
perimeter with speed and boasts big-play threats both at running back (Darius
Anderson) and wide receiver (Jalen Reagor, KaVontae Turpin, Dylan Thomas). You
can't turn the ball over for points as the underdog, much less twice, and
quarterback Shawn Robinson's decision-making must improve against top-tier Big
12 foes. TCU's defense struggled at times in the second half but still tackled
well and disrupted Ohio State's rhythm at times
NO. 5 OKLAHOMA 37,
IOWA STATE 27
Oklahoma is going to be OK -- for now -- without star
running back Rodney
Anderson. The Sooners continued to show on Saturday that they've got
plenty of offensive options. But for the first time in three games this season,
an opponent exposed a few of Oklahoma's weak points. Start with the play of the
secondary. Iowa State's Zeb Noland,
starting in place of injured QB Kyle Kempt,
teamed with Hakeem Butler to
torch the Sooners through the air. On the edges, in particular, Oklahoma
couldn't contend with Iowa State's height. It allowed the Cyclones to come back
quickly in the first half from a 10-0 deficit and keep OU's third win in doubt
until the final three minutes.
Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray was
spectacular again at times, throwing for 348 yards and rushing for 77. Marquise
Brown was unstoppable at wideout for OU in the first half.
And Trey Sermon gained
71 yards on the ground as a solid replacement for Anderson -- but Marcelias
Sutton, also needed to handle a load at running back, left in the
third quarter with a leg injury. The Sooners can't afford more injuries there.
And they've got issues to address in pass defense before the schedule toughens
in October.
BYU 24, NO. 6
WISCONSIN 21
Wisconsin's playoff hopes took a nosedive on Saturday in
what was arguably the biggest upset of the weekend. Wisconsin was a 23.5-point
favorite against BYU and had a 93.1 percent chance to win, according to ESPN's
FPI, but couldn't overcome a fourth-quarter deficit. The home loss will
continue to cost them in the eyes of the playoff selection committee.
Wisconsin, which was again a heavy favorite to win the Big Ten West, can
obviously still reach the conference title game and shouldn't be completely
disregarded in the playoff conversation, but it's fair to call the Badgers a
long shot now. Remember, unranked Cal found a way to beat BYU. Wisconsin's only
other nonconference wins are against Western Kentucky and New Mexico, which
does nothing for its playoff résumé. The Badgers still have road trips to both
Michigan and Penn State -- not to mention Iowa and Northwestern, which aren't
gimmes. If Wisconsin wants to get back into the playoff race, it has to win
them all.
NO. 12 LSU 22, NO.
7 AUBURN 21
This LSU team might not be pretty. It might blow a big lead
early, and it might try a fake-punt jump pass that would offend the football
gods. But Ed Orgeron's bunch continues to get the job done, first surpassing
expectations in the season-opener against Miami and then storming back in the
fourth quarter on the road at Auburn. Joe Burrow continues to take shots deep
and show a confidence at quarterback that this program has been lacking for
years. And the defense continues to do its thing, with Greedy Williams looking
like the best cornerback in the country. With games against Mississippi State,
Georgia and Alabama remaining, the road ahead will be challenging. But if
Burrow can continue completing big-time passes, LSU might be on to
something.
They blew it again. A year after Auburn blew what felt like
an insurmountable lead to LSU in Baton Rouge; it turned around and did the same
at home at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Entering the fourth quarter, the game felt as
if it was in hand. Jarrett Stidham was in a groove, the running game had
momentum and the defense had sucked the wind out of LSU's sails. And then it
all came undone. Stidham threw an untimely interception, and LSU quarterback
Joe Burrow connected with Justin Jefferson for a back-breaking, 71-yard
touchdown. With the momentum gone and the penalties racking up, LSU completed
the comeback. Now, Auburn's margin of error is down to almost nothing with
games on the road against ranked teams in Mississippi State, Georgia and Alabama.
NO. 8 NOTRE DAME
22, VANDERBILT 17
While the Irish offense got a bit stagnant in the second
half, Brian Kelly and company seem to be more comfortable each week with
playing to their quarterbacks' strengths. Brandon
Wimbush ran 18 times for a touchdown and 94 yards (before
sacrificing some of them to kill time on the final drive of the game). Ian Book came
off the bench to throw the ball when the offense reached the red zone. The
offense has had trouble keeping its rhythm for a four-quarter stretch thus far,
but thanks to a secondary well-stocked with playmakers, it might not matter.
Notre Dame's defense hasn't allowed more than 17 points in its first three
games. Two goal-line turnovers from that group helped squeak out another close
win this week.
NO. 9 STANFORD 30,
UC DAVIS 10
With star tailback Bryce Love sidelined
for the afternoon with an undisclosed injury, Stanford's offense sputtered its
way to a 20-point win over UC Davis. After opening the season with a pair of
highly anticipated rematches against teams (San Diego State and USC, twice)
that beat them in 2017, the Cardinal had hoped to guard against complacency
before the schedule picks up with a tough, two-game road swing to Oregon and
Notre Dame.
Instead, Stanford was never able to establish the run
against its FCS opponent, rushing for only 137 yards on 33 carries. And in the
first half, when the game was still reasonably competitive, the Cardinal
managed only 33 yards on 19 attempts. Their leading rusher was
third-stringer Trevor
Speights, who rushed for 38 of his 87 yards on a touchdown early in
the fourth quarter. Quarterback K.J. Costello threw interceptions on the
Cardinal's first two drives.
It was a continuation of an unexpected, season-long trend,
as even Love has failed to generate the sort of eye-popping rushing numbers
that he did in last year's run to a second-place Heisman finish.
NO. 10 WASHINGTON
21, UTAH 7
The Huskies will be happy to escape Salt Lake City with a
win and should be encouraged by another outstanding game from their defense,
but they'll undoubtedly be discouraged by a sloppy, often-frustrating
performance by the offense. It's easy to point to quarterback Jake Browning's
departed offensive weapons in the past two years to try to account for why his
production isn't close to what it was in 2016 -- when he finished sixth in the
Heisman Trophy voting -- but as a fourth-year starter, his poor decision-making
is tough to explain. When the offensive line fails to provide him time to let
plays develop, he needs to start throwing the ball away or be more willing to
take a sack.
NO. 11 PENN STATE
63, KENT STATE 10
After a 45-38 overtime win against Appalachian State in the
opening week, Penn State is starting to find better balance on offense and
defense. Since that close win, the Nittany Lions have beaten Pitt and Kent
State by a combined 114-16 the past two weeks. A big part of the offensive
success has been quarterback Trace
McSorley, who now has six rushing touchdowns this season to go with
603 yards and five touchdowns through the air. Many of the questions about Penn
State coming into the season were geared around how they would replace running
back Saquon Barkley and some of the production at receiver. It has been a
running back-by-committee process so far, but DeAndre
Thompkins stepped up in the pass game with 101 yards and one
touchdown in the game against Kent State. If the Nittany Lions can continue to
build on these past two games, we could be in store for an exciting game in
Week 5 against Ohio State.
NO. 16 MISSISSIPPI
STATE 56, LOUISIANA 10
It was the Nick
Fitzgerald show as Mississippi State easily cruised past
Louisiana. Fitzgerald accounted for six touchdowns: four rushing and two
passing. It's the second time in his career he has rushed for four touchdowns
in one game, joining Harry Furman as the only players in school history with
multiple career games of four rushing touchdowns. Furman did it in 1907.
Fitzgerald also became the third player in SEC history with at least 35
touchdowns rushing and passing. Mississippi State scored on its first seven
possessions, and Fitzgerald left the game late in the third quarter. There was
one bit of bad news: Starting cornerback Jamal Peters left
the game with a left leg injury in the second quarter and returned to the
sideline with crutches and a brace on his leg.
NO. 24 OKLAHOMA
STATE 44, NO. 17 BOISE STATE 21
Coach Mike Gundy's program has long been known for its
high-powered offenses. But against Boise State, the Cowboys landed a huge
victory behind spectacular special teams and tenacious defense. For the first
time since 2012, Oklahoma State blocked two punts, the first leading to a
Cowboys touchdown three plays later; the second, Za'Carrius Green returned 17
yards for a backbreaking touchdown late in the third quarter. Defensively, the
Cowboys sacked quarterback Brett Rypien seven times and eliminated Alexander
Mattison and the Boise running game. In what was supposed to be a rebuilding
year, the Cowboys are now 3-0 and should be ranked in the top 20 next week.
They also could be favored in every game leading up to Nov. 10, when they
travel to Norman for Bedlam.
The Broncos squandered a tremendous opportunity to gain the
inside track to a New Year's Six bowl as the Group of 5 representative.
Instead, behind a series of special-teams miscues, they got blown out in
Stillwater. Boise State had two punts blocked inside its own 20, both leading
to Oklahoma State touchdowns. The Cowboys scored three plays later off the
first; they returned the second 17 yards for another touchdown. Haden Hoggarth
also clanked a 26-yard field goal attempt off the upright after a 14-play drive
in the first quarter, which sapped some of Boise State's early momentum. The
Broncos remain the favorite in the Mountain West Conference, but they'll
probably need help now to get to a New Year's Six bowl.
NO. 19 MICHIGAN
45, SMU 20
A 45-point performance showed some bright spots for the
Wolverines' offense, but it shouldn't be misinterpreted as a sign that all
concerns on that side of the ball have been answered, considering the Mustangs
gave up 46 to North Texas. Shea Patterson is looking like the playmaker
Michigan hoped he would be, and former blue-chip recruit Donovan Peoples-Jones
(3 TDs) had the best performance of his young college career. The offensive
line didn't take control until late in the game and remains a work in progress,
but confidence is growing in Ann Arbor as the conference schedule opens next
week.
NO. 20 OREGON 35,
SAN JOSE STATE 22
It was not the smoothest performance for the Ducks in their
win over San Jose State. Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes but also
had two interceptions, including one in the red zone right before halftime.
They also struggled to convert on third down and had too many penalties. The run
game wasn't consistent, either, and the defense gave up too many big plays.
These are areas Oregon will no doubt want to get cleaned up now that
"cupcake season" is over, especially with a home game against
Stanford coming up next weekend. Stanford has outscored Oregon 101-34 in their
past two meetings.
NO. 21 MIAMI 49,
TOLEDO 24
Malik Rosier did
enough to quiet his critics, at least for one week, in a 49-24 win over Toledo.
Rosier became the first Miami player to rush for three touchdowns and throw for
two in a game since the Hurricanes joined the ACC in 2004, and it's a
performance he needed to have after a shaky start to open the season against
LSU. Deejay Dallas had a 100-yard rushing game, and Jeff Thomas had
a 100-yard passing game to help the offense get going. But there are some
injury questions for the Miami defense: Safety Jaquan
Johnson left the game with a right hamstring injury, and
defensive tackle Gerald Willis also got banged up. Johnson and Willis are two
of the Canes' best defensive players, and Miami is going to need them healthy
if it is going to make a run for the Coastal Division title
TEXAS 37, NO. 22
USC 14
Freshman quarterback JT Daniels and
the Trojans took it on the chin in Austin. After a promising start, which
included an early 11-point lead, a host of miscues led to the team's collapse.
Special teams were a mess -- three Chris Tilbey punts
averaged just 26.3 yards per kick, a blocked Chase McGrath field
goal was returned for a touchdown and Talanoa
Hufangacommitted a roughing the kicker penalty on a punt. The
Trojans also caught some tough breaks, such as a would-be safety that never
came to be after replay review and the loss of Porter Gustin to
a third-quarter targeting call. Most troubling, however, were the struggles in
the running game. USC wound up with minus-5 yards on 16 rushing attempts. Daniels
had his fair share of struggles -- including an ill-advised interception -- but
not being able to run the ball didn't help matters and has to be fixed moving
forward.
SAN DIEGO STATE
28, NO. 23 ARIZONA STATE 21
The Cinderella start to the season for Herm Edwards' crew
came to a dramatic end against San Diego State. While the lack of a run game
didn't hurt last week against Michigan State, SDSU was able to take advantage
of the one-dimensional Sun Devils attack, corralling N'Keal Harry for
most of the game while surrendering just 25 yards on the ground. --
David M. Hale
Teams with games canceled due to Hurricane
Florence: No. 13 Virginia Tech, No. 14 West Virginia, and No. 18 UCF
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