It's time once again for the column that makes your Tuesdays feel like a Saturdays, Notes on a Big Ten Scorecard. We still miss you, Alan Malamud.
Summaries
USC 73- Missouri State 13: Los Angeles, CA- The Bears got a rude welcome to the FBS by the Trojans where the game time kickoff temp was in the high '80s at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC came in as 35.5 point favorites over the Bears, but nobody really expected this degree of a blowout. After falling behind 3-0, the Men of Troy just blew the doors off the Bears. The highly anticipated debut of JuCo phenom RB Waymond Jordan was a short but fine one as he carried then ball only five times for 42 yards and a TD, but it was a pretty exciting 42 yards. Displaying a new mechanical structure to his passing, QB Jayden Maiava completed 15 of 18 passes for 295 yards and two scores. He also ran for a TD. Throw in a TD by TE Lake McRee, a 3-yard run by RB Bryan Jackson, a 39-yard pick six from Bishop Fitzgerald and 73-yard TD on a screen pass by RB Rocket Sanders and USC held a 42-10 lead at the break. Trojan HC Lincoln Riley emptied the benches to start the third period. No starter really saw anytime in the second half and everyone but the Tuba players earned their letter. Backup QB Huson Longstreet had a great half connecting on all nine of his passes for 80 yards and TD while also rushing for 54 yards and another TD. When it was over, just about everyone played and now the coaches have a ton of game film to go over before taking on Gomer and the Georgia Southern Eagles next week.
Telling Stat: 1930; USC scored its' most points ever since obliterating Cal, 74-0 in 1930. Howard Jones did love a good butt kicking.
Rutgers 34- Ohio U- 31: Piscataway, NJ- The first game of the Big Ten season was little tighter than Rutgers really wanted. It looked like the Scarlet Knights had distanced themselves from the Bobcats to close to the half when DB Cam Miller recovered a blocked punt for a TD and a 31-14 lead. Ahhh but the kids from Athens, Ohio weren't done yet. Just a little over a quarter later, a 30-yard FG from PK David Dellnbach, a 17 yard TD jaunt by QB Parker Navarro and a 13-yard TD strike form Navarro to TE Jake Bruno left the game tied at 31 all. Could Rutgers pull this one out after their offense had been missing in action for a good portion of the second half? The Scarlet Knights then put together a 14 play drive that covered 67 yards and ended with a 26-yard FG from PK Jai Patel and a 34-31 lead. Then RU defense forced an Ohio punt with 6:41 left in the game. The Bobcats never got the ball back. The Scarlet Knights ran out the final 6:41 with a 49 yard drive that featured a 4th and 7 conversion with a 10 yard pass from QB Athan Kaliakmanis to WR DT Sheffield with 1:14 remaining. Kaliakmanis had a fine evening completing 18 of 23 passes for 252 yards and two scores. RB Raymond Antwan did a good job toting the rock in place of RB Kyle Monangai, who left for the NFL after last year, by rushing for 92 yards and a TD on 14 carries. As for the Bobcats, Parker was pretty special competing 21 of 31 passes for 239 yards and three scores while also running for 96 yards on nine carries and another score.
Telling Stat: 15 is fine; Rutgers PK Jai Patel was good on his two field goal attempts to extend his school record of consecutive FGs made to 15. The Scarlet Knights needed both of. those kicks to escape with a win.
Minnesota 23- Buffalo10 : Minneapolis, MN- It was grinder of a game, but HC P.J.Felck's Boat Rowers held on for a win over the Bulls. Minnesota did blow their fair share of opportunities, putting up a a good number of yards between the 20s but had trouble finding the end zone. Even with that the Golden Gophers held only a slim 16-10 lead with 10:52 left to play in the game when QB Drake Lindsey spotted the bust in the coverage and connected with WR Jalen Smith for a 60-yard TD pass to take a large step towards getting the win. Now up 23-10, the Gophers defense enforced a 3 and Out and the offense took it form there. Lindsey handed off 16 straight times and watched his team march 58 yards to kill the clock and secure the win. Lindsey had a solid debut as the UM's new QB. He completed 19 of 35 passes for 290 yards, two TDs and an interception. Returning starter RB Darius Taylor had a strong game carrying the ball 30 times for 141 yards. For the hard luck Bulls, QB Ta'Quon Roberson completed 12 of 20 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
Telling Stat: They played keep away; Minnesota's 16-play, 58 yard drive to run out the clock was a thing of beauty.
Nebraska 20- Cincinnati 17: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO- This neutral site game was basically a Nebraska home game just moved a little south. However, it was made aware to us all that Cincinnati alum Travis Kelce and his fiancée were in attendance. Wherever Matt Rhule has been a HC, year three in any of his programs has always been a big year. So much was expected last Thursday of his Huskers when they hit the field. The Big Red did not disappoint with a gutty win over the Bearcats. NU turned a 6-3 lead into a 13-3 lead when QB Dylan Raiola connected with WR and Cal transfer Nyziah Hunter from five yards out. The fourth quarter found the Huskers clinging to a 20-17 lead with 1:59 to play. You could feel the anxiety of Big Red fans everywhere anticipating yet another late collapse and bitter defeat. That feeling intensified as the Bearcats drove down the field and had a 1st and 10 at the NU 33-yard line with :41 left. UC QB Brendan Sorsby took the snap and then fired a pass down the right side near the end zone. Husker fans gasped, horrible losses of the past flashed into their heads, but something different happened. DB Malcolm Hartzog, Jr. picked off the pass in the end zone for a touchback. One kneel down later and Nebraska had a big win. For the Huskers, Raiola completed 33 of 42 passes for 243 yards and two scores while RB Emmett Johnson carried the ball 25 times for 108 yards. In the loss, Sorsby threw for a paltry 69 yards, but ran 13 times for 96 yards and two TDs.
Telling Stat: Possession mattered; Nebraska held the ball for almost 40 minutes which allowed them to control the game and keep Cincy under 20 points.
Wisconsin 17- Miami (OH) 0: Madison, WI- This opener showcased a good defense and a pretty poor offense for the Badgers. This game was a snoozer for a long while. The Badgers lost starting QB Billy Edwards, Jr. to a knee sprain in the second quarter. That put a damper on an already suspect offense that managed to put just three points on the board in the first half thanks to a 42-yard FG from PK Nathaniel Vakos. Luckily for Wisconsin, the Redhawks had no offense at all. Miami didn't cross the 50-yard line until their final drive of the contest. Meanwhile the Badgers put the game away with WR Vinny Anthony catching a three-yard TD toss from backup QB Danny O'Neill. O'Neill then capped off the scoring with a one-yard TD plunge with 6:45 left to play. O'Neill completed 12 of 19 passes for 120 yards with a TD and an interception to lead what could be called the Badger attack. The Redhawks had no offense to speak of with QB Dequan Finn completing 9 of 18 passes for 83 yards and two interceptions.
Telling Stat: No O= A big 0; Wisconsin's defense held Miami to 117 total yards, 0 for 9 on third down conversions, and forced two turnovers en route to a shutout.
Illinois 52- Western Illinois 3- Champaign-Urbana, IL- The Fighting Illini came out and got a good workout in against their FCS little brothers. QB Luke Altmyer, a talented RB trio and a tough defense were way too much for the Fighting Leathernecks to handle in this blowout at Memorial Stadium. The Illini scored on their first five possessions to take a 31-0 lead and officially end the competitive portion of the contest with 3:09 left in the second quarter. The second half saw the scoring slow down when the Illini emptied the benches. Altmyer finished the game completing 17 of 21 aerials for 217 yards and three scores. The trio of RBs Aiden Laughery, Kaden Feagin and Ca'Lil Valentine combined to run the ball 31 times for 226 yards and three TDs. As for the Leathrnecks, QB Chris Irvin completed 14 of 29 passes for 134 yards in the losing effort.
Telling Stat: Nowhere to run; Illinois held Western Illinois to 29 yards rushing on 26 carries.
Ohio State 14- Texas 7: Columbus, OH- Oh what a day it was at the Horseshoe. First all of the emotions involved with the final College Gameday for Coach Lee Corso and then the #1 Longhorns and the #3 and defending National Champion Buckeyes played what looked like a tight defensive game. Texas out gained the Buckeyes by a good 130 yards. What decided this game was missed opportunities for the Longhorns. Down 7-0 in the third quarter, UT HC Steve Sarkisian eschewed a FG attempt on 4th and Goal at the Buckeyes one-yard line. Texas came away with nothing when Manning was stuffed short of the goal line. Then when trialling 14-0 midway through the fourth quarter, the Longhorns were stopped on 4th down on TheeeOSU's nine-yard line. A pair of FGs would have kept the Horns in it at 14-6. So when Manning did throw a TD pass with 3:28 left, the Horns would have only been a two-point conversion away from a tie game. However, that did not happen and the Horns fell to 0-1. For the Buckeyes, new QB Julian Sayin was efficient completing 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a score while RB CJ Donaldson ran the ball 19 times for 67 yards and a TD. Manning completed 17 of 30 throws for 170 yards, a TD and an interception in tough loss.
Telling Stat: 1 for 5 = W; Ohio State held Texas to 1 for 5 on 4th down conversions and that was the difference in a very very tight game.
Maryland 39- Florida Atlantic 7: College Park, MD- Terps fans had been anticipating the debut of freshman QB Malik Washington. They were a little uneasy as the first quarter ended at 7-7 and the Maryland's only score being a 20-yard pick six by LB Daniel Wingate. Ahhh, but the second quarter came and Washington fired off three TD passes to go along with a the first of three FGs from PK Scott O'Haire and safety to give the Terps a 33-7 lead at the half. The second half was pretty dull with O'Haire adding two more FGs in the third period to make the final score, 39-7. Washington finished the afternoon with 27 completions in 43 attempts for 258 yards and three TDs. His favorite target was RB DeJuan Williams who caught 10 balls for 54 yards. As for FAU, QB Caden Veltkamp completed 30 of 49 passes for 228 yards, a TD and four interceptions.
Telling Stat: A pick six and six picks; The stat sheet makes this look like an even game, but the Maryland defense picked off six FAU passes and retuned one for a TD to ensure a big win.
Purdue 31- Ball State 0: West Lafayette, IN- New Purdue HC Barry Odom has a way with resurrecting moribund programs and Purdue has been the defitinton of moribund lately. Last year they gave up more points and yards than almost anyone in the nation. So coming out and thrashing a Cardinals squad that's not looking to challenge in the MAC this year was a good thing for the Sons of John Purdue and their fans. Just 40 seconds in Purdue went out to a 7-0 lead on a 49-yard TD pass from QB Ryan Brown to WR Arhmad Branch. Five minutes later, Browne ran five yards for another score and the Boilermakers were up 14-0. While the PU defense held Ball State in check, the Boilers added a four-yard rumble for a TD from RB Devin Mockobee in the second quarter, a 14-yard TD pass from Brown to WR Michael Jackson III in the third quarter and a fourth quarter FG of 28 yards from PK Spencer Porath to go up 31-0. Meanwhile the Ball State offense couldn't cross the street much less score. Browne had a good day being accurate on 18 of 26 passes for 311 yards and two TDs. Mockobee led all ground gainers with 59 yards on 14 carries and a TD. For the Cardinals, QB Kialy Kelly completed 10 of 16 passes for 87 yards in defeat.
Telling Stat: 1; Purdue picked up their first win over an FBS team since beating Indiana, 35-31 way back on 11-25-2023.
Tulane 26- Northwestern 3: New Orleans, LA- The Wildcats found themselves creating bulletin board material when they refused Tulane's request to allow the Green Wave to wear white jerseys in honor of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to that, the Wildcats also had to face new TU QB Jake Retzalff. Retzlaff, who won 11 games at BYU last year, transferred to the school in The Big Easy after finding out he was going to be suspended by BYU for violations of the honor code by engaging in premarital sex. The Wildcats had a tough time with Retzlaff. While the Wildcat defense forced three field goals, they also allowed a pair of TDs as Retzlaff threw for 152 yards and a score while also running for 113 yards and another TD. As for the Wildcats, they just gave the ball away a lot. Four interceptions and a fumble doomed whatever chances the Wildcats had to win the game. NU QB Preston Stone completed 19 of 36 passes for 161 yards. He also completed four more to the other team in the loss.
Telling Stat: One over many; Tulane QB Jake Retzlaff accounted for 265 total yards of offense, Northwestern as a team piled up just 237 yards of total offense.
Michigan State 23- Western Michigan 6: East Lansing, MI- Year two of the Jonathan Smith era started off decently with the Spartans grinding out a 21-0 lead by halftime. RBs Brandon Tullis and Makhi Frazier ran for scores of 12 yard and nine yards while QB Aidan Chiles hit WR Nick Marsh from seven yards out to account for the 21 points. Then the second half happened and the Spartans left their offense in the locker room. In fact, there were no points scored by either offense in the final two quarters. With 8:01 left in the third, WMU RB Jalen Buckey was gang tackled in his own end zone for a safety and a 23-0 Spartan lead. The Broncos finished out the scoring with 2:51 left to play when DB Tate Hallock, a MSU grad transfer, picked off backup QB Alessio Milivojevic and returned it 32 yards for a TD. For the victorious Spartans, Chiles completed 17 of 23 tosses for 155 yards and a TD, while Frazier led all rushers with 103 yards on 14 carries and a score of his own. There was no offense to speak of for Western Michigan.
Telling Stat: 4+2 = W; The Michigan State defense played a full four quarters while the offense played two quarters and that was enough for the win.
Indiana 27- Old Dominion 14: Bloomington, IN- The Monarchs have made a habit of ruining many an opener for Power Four schools since they made the transition to the FBS level a number of years ago. So you can imagine how stunned the Memorial Stadium crowd was when ODUs QB Colton Joseph raced 75 yards untouched on the first play from scrimmage to give the Monarchs a 7-0 lead. The crowd went from stunned to panic mode when ODU then made a goal line stand and kept the score 7-0 midway through the first period. IU HC Curt Cignetti was beside himself and the Hoosiers were reeling. Then, PR Jonathan Brady reset the game when he fielded a bouncing punt and took it back 91 yards for the game tying touchdown. The Indiana defense then shutdown the Monarchs for the rest of game, while the offense, now being guided by former Cal QB Fernando Mendoza, managed to keep scoring and pull away from the Monarchs. Mendoza completed 18 of 31 passes for 193 yards, but the best thing he did all day was hand off the ball. The Hoosiers ran for 309 yards on 57 carries with the combo of RBs Kaelon Black and Roman Hemby combining for 211 yards on 40 carries. Black runs like a bowling ball heading downhill while Hemby runs with raw power. In the loss, ODU QB Colton Jospeh was the ODU offense both good and bad. He ran the ball 10 times for 179 yards and two scores, but completed only 11 of 22 passes for 96 yards and three interceptions.
Telling Stat: You can't score without the ball; Indiana held the ball for 41:28 to keep Old Dominion at bay.
Penn State 46- Nevada 11: Happy Valley, PA- It was a perfect 70 degree day for the #2 ranked Nittany Lions to start the season at Beaver Stadium against the Wolfpack. After a short Nevada drive stalled. PSU picked up where they left off last year by going on a 69-yard, 13-play drive that ate 6:41 off the clock for a 7-0 lead when RB Nick Singleton slashed into the end zone form a yard out. Then the rest of the half saw Penn State offense debut an up tempo offense with varying degrees of success on drives while the defense held the pesky Wolfpack in check. A 12-yard TD jaunt from the other half of PSU's Vaunted RB duo, Kaytron Allen, and a 31-yard TD reception by USC transfer WR Kyron Hudson along with a pair of FGs from PK Ryan Barker added up to a 27-3 halftime lead for the Fighting Paternos. The third quarter saw the up tempo offense produce two more FGs from Barker and an another one-yard TD plunge from Singleton for a 39-3 PSU lead through three quarters. HC James Franklin emptied the PSU bench in the final period with backup Ethan Grunkemeyer rumbling six yards through a beaten down Nevada defense for the Nittnay Lions final score. Nevada got a cosmetic score and two-point conversion with :25 left to round out the scoring for the afternoon. In three quarters worth of work QB Drew Alar was efficient completing 22 of 26 passes for 217 yards and a TD, while the Allen and Singleton gained 69 yards on 16 carries with three TDs. For the overmanned Wolfpack, Chubba Purdy, (Brock's little brother), completed just seven of 15 passes for 97 yards and an interception.
Telling Stat: They were never in it; 124 of Nevada's 203 total yards and their only TD came after Penn State had emptied their bench in the fourth quarter.
Oregon 59- Montana State 13: Eugene, OR- Despite Puddles losing his head, the Ducks that actually play the game did not lose theirs in a rout over a very good FCS squad in the Bobcats. The Webfoots scored on the first nine of their 10 total possessions on drives of all lengths from long to short for an easy afternoon at Autzen Stadium. QB Donte Moore completed 18 of 23 throws for 213 yards and three TDs before turning over the offense to the backups. His favorite target was WR Malik Benson who caught five balls for 51 yards and a TD. Meanwhile RB Noah Whittington, Jr. was the best of a dozen backs who carried the ball for UO with 68 yards on 10 carries and a score. For the Bobcats, QB Justin Lamson connected on 21 of 31 throws for 198 yards in the rout.
Telling Stat: Way too little, way too late; Montana State's one TD and 100 of their 244 total yards came after the Quacks emtied the benches up, 59-6.
Iowa 34 - Albany 7: Iowa City, IA- The Hawkeyes found themselves down early, 7-3 to the Great Danes of the Coastal Athletic Association of the FCS, but that didn't last long and the Hawkeyes put in a workmanlike effort to come away with the win. he win is the 205th win for Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz. It moves him into a tie with Woody Hayes for most wins in Big Ten history. As for the game itself, the Hawkeyes remained firmly rooted to the earth as most farmers are. They ran the ball 53 times for 310 yards and three TDs. RB Xavier Williams lugged the leather 11 times for 122 yards and a TD. Iowa QB Mark Gronowski threw when necessary, completing 8 of 15 passes for 44 yards and a score. For the Great Danes, QB Jack Shields completed 13 of 25 passes for 134 yards and a TD in defeat.
Telling Stat: They didn't move those chains; Iowa held Albany to 2 of 11 on third down conversions and just nine first downs for the game.
Michigan 34- New Mexico 17: Ann Arbor, MI- The offense was little slow and plodding at times, but there is no doubt that true freshman 5 Star QB and #1 overall recruit in the nation Bryce Underwood is just what the Wolverines needed to have a complete offense. His ability to throw opened up the Michigan attack. It also helps to have a RB like Alabama transfer Justice Haynes. The Back from Bama gashed the Lobos for 159 yards and three TDs on just 16 carries. He announced himself to the crowd at the Big House with authority when he scampered 56 yards for a TD on Michigan's first possession of the game. Underwood's first start ended with him completing 21 of 31 passes for 251 yards and a TD. For the Lobos, QB Jack Layne connected on 31 of 47 passes for 208 yards and a TD. He also threw three passes to wrong color jersey too.
Telling Stat: Dialing Long Distance; Five Michigan's scoring drives were over 70 yards in length.
Utah 43- UCLA 10: Pasadena, CA- UCLA came into this one with much hype around their new transfer QB from Tennessee, Nico Iamaleava. He was supposed to lead the bRuins back to relevance, but he had a dismal night thanks to the Utah defense. The Utes trounced the bRuins and racked up their first win in Pasadena since 2018. In the first quarter plus of action the only thing that went wrong for Utah was a failed PAT by PK Dillon Curtis as they built-up a 20-0 lead. UCLA would see Iamaleava throw his first TD pass as a bRuin when he completed a 19-yard TD pass to RB Anthony Woods. UCLA wouldn't get any closer than that when after trading field goals, Utah extend their lead to 30-10 on 2-yard TD jaunt from QB Devin Dampier to end the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw the bRuins fade out of the picture as the Utes found the end zone two more times to finish off the rout. Dampier was the star of the game, completing 21 of 25 tosses for 206 yards and pair of TDs while also running for 87 yards on 16 carries and another score. For the hapless bRuins, Iamaleava completed only 11 of 22 passes for 136 yards, a TD and an interception.
Telling Stat: Ground and Pound; Utah turned the UCLA defense into a sieve, rushing the ball 53 times for 287 yards. That's a nifty 5.1 yard per carry.
Washington 38- Colorado State 21: Seattle, WA- The last game played on Saturday night saw the Huskies pull away late for the win at Husky Stadium. UW RB Jonah Coleman scampered for a 26-yard TD run to open the scoring only to see CSU QB Tahj Bullock rumble in form two yards out and the game was tied 7-7 at the end off the first quarter. The second and third quarter saw this process repeat with the teams tied at 21-21 midway through the third period. Then as ol' Dan Jenkins used to say about Billy Clyde Puckett, the Huskies decided to win this (bleeping) game. Over the last 18 minutes UW shutout the Rams, 17-0 . A 12-yard pass from QB Demond Williams, a 24-yard FG from PK Grady Gross and a three-yard jaunt to paydirt from RB Jonah Coleman provided the margin of victory. When it was over Williams had thrown 226 yards and a TD while Coleman packed the pigskin 24 times for 177 yards and pair of trips to the end zone. CSU QB Brian Fowler-Nicolosi completed 17 of 32 passes for 180 yards with a TD and an interception. The oddest stat line of the game belonged to CSU Backup QB Tahj Bullock who carried the ball four times for -4 yards and a TD.
Telling Stat: A Dawgged Defense; The Husky defense in the final 18 minutes of play picked off one pass and held for downs twice to ensure a victory for the Purple Gang.
Observations
...Heroic off the field; Army sophomore FS Larry Pickettt, Jr. and his father pulled a driver from a wrecked vehicle moments before it burst into flames last Sunday in Fort Montgomery, NY. Cadet Courage
...He's back; Georgia Southern heads to the Coliseum this week to take on USC with former Trojan HC Clay Helton at the helm of the Eagles. The desire of the Trojan fan base for a blowout is strong.
...Not since Bo and Barry; Michigan heads to Oklahoma this week for the first meting between these schools since their first one in the 1976 Orange Bowl where the Sooners came away with a 14-6 win. It was a different era, only five passes were completed all game.
...Full circle; Tulane's 26-3 win over Northwestern was the Green Wave's first home win over a Big Ten team since 1955. The team they beat back in 1955 was... Northwestern. Tulane beat the Wildcats 21-0 in 10-1-1955.
...The Headless Quack; Oregon's mascot Puddles took a fall and lost his head in running out ahead of the team's entrance v. Montana State last week. Here's a different angle of it with a great caption. Quacked Up!
...You can't save 'em; Colorado blew the game last week v. Georgia Tech, falling 27-20. The worst part of the loss may be that HC Deion Sanders displayed a total lack of clock management skills at the end of the game. To kill his own clock and not use either of his final two time outs was embarrassing.
...Mood; How Bama fans feel right now...
...Not a 5 Star attitude; Oregon WR Jurrion Dickey has been suspended indefinitely by HC Dan Lanning. Lanning didn't address the reasons why Dickey was suspended, but his rejoining the team again looks in doubt. He's Gone
...They won't be ignored now; All the fuss that was made over Bill Belichick and his debut as the UNC HC was the prime focus of the media as TCU, the Tar Heels opponent of the opener on Monday night, was all but ignored. So TCU went out and soundly thrashed Belichick's Boys, 48-14 and it wasn't even that close.
...So long Lee; I will miss Lee Corso and all the fun brought to us all through College Gameday. I will also miss his head gear picks of USC. The Trojans never lost when Lee donned the helmet and flashed the sword. Flight On, Coach Corso!
...Hold the Blame; USC didn't go out and make Missouri State a priority to be put on the schedule. The Bears became the replacement for Ole Miss. A mutual agreement to cancel the home and home series between the schools had SC searching for a replacement. I was bummed. I was looking forward to tailgating in The Grove. Ole Miss replaced SC with Georgia State.
...A Spartan tragedy will unfold; San Jose State heads to Texas this week to take on the Longhorns. Ouch.
...Trouble in Westwood; UCLA may be historically bad this year.
...Still heated; Tulane HC Jon Sumrall was still angry postgame about Northwestern's refusal to let the Green Wave wear white jerseys last Saturday after his Green Wave whipped the Wildcats. Here's the whole rant. Crescent City Proud
...This just in; the Alabama dynasty is over.
...Bison strong?; Indiana is bringing back an old mascot that has deep roots at the university. It's a Bison. The Bison's story can be found here. Is that a Hoosier?
...Eat some greens or prunes, dude; Utah HC Kyle Whittingham still look constipated while pacing the sidelines.
...Incredible FCS start; Tarleton State followed up a week zero 42-0 pasting of Portland State with a 30-27 win in 2OT over Army. The Texans are 2-0 and both are road wins.
...Horrible FCS start; Portland State was slammed by Tarelton State as mentioned above in week zero and were crushed 69-0 by BYU in week one. The Vikings are 0-2 and have been outscored 111-0. Ouch.
...It just was his day; This screenshot from X says it all...
NFL Notes
...106; This Thursday the 106th season of the National Football League starts when Micah Parsons-less Dallas Cowboys travel to the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.
....Where have all great nicknames gone?; I miss those classic old nicknames in the NFL. Great defenses like The Steel Curtain and Doomsday to specific units like the Raiders secondary which was known as the Soul Patrol to the great individual nicknames like Captain Comeback, The Diesel and Sweetness. They were just fun to talk about and watch. Heck there were even great fan group nicknames like Franco's Italian Army and the Super Chargers Fan Club. I do miss those days.
...The Cowboy Rides Away; Dallas Cowboy great and NFL HOFer Lee Roy Jordan passed away at 84 last week. He was one of the stalwarts of Dallas' first Doomsday Defense with Chuck Howley and Bob Lilly that won Super Bowl VI. RIP Mr. Jordan. Here he is on his 1967 Philadelphia Football Card.
Big Ten Overreactions
Michigan State needs an offense transplant.
Northwestern is a 3-9 team.
USC is a 9-3 team.
Rutgers can't run the ball.
UCLA is a 2-10 team.
Michigan has a real offense again.
Illinois could have double digit wins.
Washington will get two surprise wins.
Oregon will sleepwalk their way out of the playoff.
Wisconsin has shot against Alabama.
Maryland will not make a bowl.
Indiana is an eight win team.
Nebraska has hope.
Minnesota's boat will run aground this year.
Ohio State will lose three games.
Penn State is loaded for a title run.
Purdue will ruin someone's season.
Iowa won't score 30 points again in a game all year.
Keeping Up With Your Exes
You can see the toll now that being left behind is starting to take on Oregon State and Wazzu. The Beavers were easily outclassed by Cal, 34-15 up in Corvallis while the Cougars had to get a last second field goal to beat Idaho, 13-10. Gonna be a rough year for those two schools.
Ugly Uniform of the Week
This Week's winner is Long Island University who were spanked 55-0 at Florida last Saturday. This pastel uniform with an unrecognizable helmet logo and a font on the jersey the reads more like Lost Island is pretty bad.
A Chicle of Wisdom
Our next card from the 1935 National Chicle football set that will pass on age old wisdom of the game is the best looking card in the set. It's #10 Cliff Battles. It's hard to find a more 1930s matinee idol look on a card than this one of Cliff. Coach Casey uses Cliff here to explain how to stiffarm opponents.
Departments
Low Score Game of the Week: Miami Gardens, FL- PK Matt Conord hit a 43-yard FG as time ran out to lift the Howard Bison to a 10-9 win over the Florida A&M Rattlers in the Orange Blossom Classic held at Hard Rock Stadium. The Bison were held to just 195 total yards by the Rattlers, but their defense shined brighter by keeping FAMU out of the end zone and blocking a FG attempt.
Blowout Game of the Week: Rio Grand Valley Edinburg, TX- Four years after the UT-Rio Grand Valley student body approved the creation of a football team and marching band to go with it, the Vaqueros announced their presence with authority, blanking Sul Ross State, 66-0. UTRGV is starting on the FCS level while SRSU had just made the jump to the D-II level. Regardless, it was a party in the Rio Grande Valley. QB Eddie Lee Marburger hit WR Xayvion Nolan with a 50-yard TD pass to start off the scoring in the first period. Marburger would complete 18 of 19 passes for 365 yards and five TDs before watching the rest of the game from the bench. 15 different backs handled the ball in this inaugural laugher that saw UTRGV rack up 674 yards of total offense. The Vaqueros defense was pretty good too, They held SRSU to 74 total yards and just six first downs.
Razorback Report: Fayetteville, AR- They didn't cover the spread which was an outlandish 47.5 points, but the Hogs did whip the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, 52-7. Taylor Green threw six TD passes to five different receivers and the Hogs defense allowed just one scoring drive in this laugher. Next week the Hogs host instate rival Arkansas State.
This Week's Three Notes About Nothing...
There's nothing cooler than having your opening Wordle guess be the Wordle word.
There's nothing more uncool than realizing you now have to come up with new opening guess Wordle word.
Near triple digit temps here on Labor Day makes you think that fall can't be just a couple of weeks away.
Until next time folks, remember to enjoy the easy wins, there will plenty of nerve wracking ones ahead.
-The Commissioner
