Dangerous penalties, worse teaching choices and extra in bizarre Week Three
It is onerous to win soccer video games. Coaches speak about this on a regular basis, often to elucidate why followers ought to take some 40-point underdog critically, nevertheless it’s nonetheless most likely true. A minimum of, it was Saturday.
On a weekend wherein there have been zero matchups of ranked groups, we have been handled to a pleasant menagerie of climate delays, frisky FCS groups, brutal special-teams performs and a handful of memorably ridiculous choices that proved, certainly, profitable does not come straightforward.
Begin in Pleased Valley, the place Pitt had an opportunity to tie its hated rival with a primary down on the Penn State 1. Three straight performs gained nothing. The choice on fourth down with lower than 5 minutes to play? A field-goal try. That 19-yard chip shot missed, not that it might’ve mattered a lot.
For the file, for the reason that begin of final season, when groups go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1, they rating touchdowns 70% of the time.
AP Picture/Al Goldis
“We would have liked two scores to win,” Pat Narduzzi mentioned afterward.
Effectively, that is irrefutable logic. It is the tough equal of claiming “Weekend at Bernie’s II” wasn’t going to win an Oscar with out being nominated first, nevertheless it’s however true.
Michigan State did Pitt one higher a number of hours later. The Spartans additionally regarded on the NFL rule guide for variety of gamers allowed on the sector and did that one higher, too.
After Arizona State took a 10-7 lead with lower than a minute to play, Michigan State drove down the sector and into field-goal territory, aided by a questionable go interference penalty. The Spartans lined up for a 42-yarder and Matt Coghlin drilled it. Flag. Sparty had 12 males on the sector. Backed up 5 yards, Coghlin kicked once more … and missed.
However that wasn’t Saturday’s low level. No, we needed to watch for that one. Wait and wait and wait.
Iowa and Iowa State sat via greater than three hours of delays because of climate, so maybe that is why sophomore Datrone Younger was so enthusiastic to get downfield on Iowa’s late punt that might’ve given Iowa State a final probability to win. Younger collided with Deshaunte Jones, who was fielding the punt and the ball rolled free, recovered by Iowa. And so it ended, 18-17.
And that did not even embody Kentucky surrendering a 76-yard run as Florida was simply attempting to expire the clock or Florida State and Virginia combining for seven private fouls or go interference flags within the fourth quarter or USC’s interception in additional time. It is onerous to seize all of it, actually.
Was it an excellent day of soccer? Effectively, it is determined by your definition of “good.” Was “Street Home” good? Is Bizarre Al good? Are hot-dog consuming contests good? It actually does not matter. It was enjoyable and it was entertaining. Head-scratching, too, however that is the delicate brilliance of a Saturday like this one.
Heisman 5
1. Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma
Hurts had 99 speeding yards on Oklahoma’s opening drive as a result of he is not going to even allow you to suppose there’s an opportunity he is not staying atop the Heisman rankings.
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
Even by Tagovailoa’s requirements, 444 yards and 5 touchdowns on the street in an SEC sport is fairly darned spectacular.
2 Associated
Three. Joe Burrow, LSU
Burrow threw a decide in opposition to Northwestern State, which constitutes large information. Other than that, one other ho-hum sport with greater than 400 whole yards and three touchdowns.
Four. Justin Fields, Ohio State
Via three video games, Fields has accounted for extra touchdowns this 12 months (12) than Dwayne Haskins had final 12 months (11).
5. Sam Ehlinger, Texas
Via three video games, Ehlinger has 12 touchdowns and no turnovers.
Week Three panic index
We’re simply three weeks into the season, however the warmth is getting turned up a bit for some big-name groups. So, how unhealthy is it? Let’s have a look.
Trevor Lawrence
Panic score: Deep breaths right into a paper bag
Yeah, Lawrence is off to a tough begin. He threw two picks in opposition to Syracuse, giving him 5 on the 12 months — yet one more than he had all final season. However are we actually going to fret about Lawrence? He is too good for this to final lengthy, and the remainder of the schedule is simply too unhealthy for him to not put up monster numbers within the subsequent few months.
Zero:30
Trevor Lawrence identifies how Clemson nonetheless has a lot to enhance upon, however is glad with the positives within the Tigers’ Three-Zero begin.
Clay Helton’s job standing
Panic score: The “That is Advantageous” meme
What else can Helton say? He is aware of the writing is on the wall and with a brand new AD and brutal schedule upcoming, Saturday’s loss to BYU was most likely simply one other flame rising.
Florida’s offense
Panic score: Kevin Bacon yelling “All is properly!” on the finish of “Animal Home”
Sure, Florida got here again to win at Kentucky, however the Gators misplaced Feleipe Franks within the course of. Kyle Trask held his personal, finishing 9-of-13 passes for 126 yards, nevertheless it stays to be seen how the offense will reply long run. Franks is the primary Florida QB since Tim Tebow to throw greater than 12 TDs in a season, so it isn’t a foregone conclusion that one other profitable passer is ready within the wings.
Michigan hopes that is the 12 months it beats Ohio State
Panic score: Sweating via your khakis
The Wolverines have been off this week after going to OT in opposition to Military in Week 2, however the warmth received turned up a bit with one other dominant win by Ohio State. The Buckeyes trounced Indiana behind a stellar day from Justin Fields and 193 yards from J.Ok. Dobbins.
Illinois’ bowl hopes
Panic score: Jodie Foster in “Panic Room”
Sure, it is unhealthy. It is intruders-in-the-house, lose-to-Japanese-Michigan unhealthy. However hey, not less than they have been ready for the worst.
#goacc, retro type
For years, the #goacc hashtag — all decrease case — was shorthand for the league’s woeful performances, however as Florida State after which Clemson received nationwide titles, the social media sarcasm dwindled. Effectively … it is baaaaack.
Week Three was a brutal one for the league, beginning with an admittedly blown name on the finish of North Carolina-Wake Forest and a horrendous loss by Boston School at dwelling to Kansas on Friday evening.
On Saturday, issues received worse.
Virginia Tech was dropping by double-digits to FCS Furman on the half. The Hokies managed to flee, however hardly in spectacular style.
Pitt’s late-game choices doomed the Panthers to a loss at Penn State, regardless of quite a few possibilities to tie or win.
Struggling West Virginia drubbed NC State, 44-27.
Georgia Tech fell to FCS The Citadel, one of many Yellow Jackets’ most embarrassing defeats in historical past.
Because the Wake-UNC sport was formally a nonconference showdown, the league misplaced 5 video games out of convention in Week Three.
And for outdated time’s sake, even former ACC member Maryland received into the act, dropping its first sport after cracking the highest 25 in a defeat to Temple.
Irish goodbyes
Bob Davie did not make his return to his outdated stomping grounds in South Bend, Indiana, nonetheless recovering from a medical concern that hospitalized the New Mexico coach through the Lobos’ opener.
Davie returned to the staff final week, declining to provide a lot details about his medical situation, however he did not journey with the Lobos to Notre Dame, the place he served as head coach from 1997 via 2001.
It was simply as properly. Notre Dame demolished New Mexico 66-14, operating its file to 2-Zero vs. groups coached by former Irish head coaches. The one different assembly got here in 2005, when Tyrone Willingham’s Washington Huskies have been thumped 36-17. That sport got here in Seattle, nonetheless, and with Davie’s absence Saturday, no former Irish head man has ever made a return to Notre Dame Stadium.
@SECOfficiating remark of the week
First off, an enormous congratulations to the SEC officers for maintaining their Twitter feed alive via three weeks. It appeared not possible they’d make it via the primary Saturday with out shutting issues down. However that does not imply SEC followers have relaxed any.
Simply earlier than halftime within the Alabama-South Carolina sport, it appeared Rico Dowdle might have stretched throughout the objective line earlier than his knee touched the bottom. The officers known as Dowdle down contained in the 1 and did not evaluate the play, main South Carolina coach Will Muschamp to refuse remark, noting “I will be fined for the remainder of my life if I touch upon that.”
Twitter customers, nonetheless, have been completely happy to chime in.
There isn’t any method they may have made that willpower that rapidly… Terrible calls right this moment.
— Jason Cuzzupe (@ZupeFiasco) September 14, 2019
Beneath-the-radar play of the day
Ultimately, it did not matter a lot as Notre Dame romped to a 66-14 win, however do not ignore the insane catch-and-run from Irish receiver Javon McKinley late within the first half. McKinley regarded like Tecmo Bo, breaking six tackles en path to the rating. He hauls within the go on the Irish 40, shrugs off his cowl defender, streaks towards the sideline making one other defender miss, zigzags again towards the center of the sector, spins, hits the B-button a number of occasions for slightly pace increase, then finds pay grime. It does not precisely fill the void left by the dearth of the faculty soccer online game, nevertheless it nonetheless was fairly candy.
Beneath-the-radar sport of the day
P.J. Fleck will need to have accomplished one thing superb in a previous life, as a result of he is received loads of karma on his facet in 2019. Minnesota moved to Three-Zero with a Tyler Johnson landing go with 13 seconds to play to upend Georgia Southern 35-32. It is the third straight one-possession win for the Gophers, who narrowly beat South Dakota State with a late fourth-quarter TD go in Week 1 and wanted additional time to get previous Fresno State in Week 2. Minnesota is simply the third staff up to now decade to win every of its first three video games by 7 factors or much less, becoming a member of 2011 Iowa State (completed 6-7) and 2012 Oregon State (completed 9-Four). So, women and gents, your mark-it-in-ink, sure-to-happen 2019 Huge Ten West champs, the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Zero:35
Trailing by 4 with underneath a minute to play, Tyler Johnson wins a bounce ball in the long run zone for his third rating of the sport, clinching Minnesota’s 35-32 win.
By the numbers
Eno Benjamin scored on a 1-yard run to place Arizona State up 10-7 in opposition to Michigan State with simply 50 seconds to play. The rating was overshadowed a bit by how the sport ended, with the Spartans blowing a late subject objective try, nevertheless it was however noteworthy. Benjamin’s TD gave Arizona State 10 factors for the 122nd straight sport, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data, which is each the longest energetic streak and the second-longest within the AP Ballot period (since 1936) behind Louisiana Tech’s run of 125 straight from 2008 via 2018.
Jake Smith hauled in a 53-yard landing seize late within the first quarter in opposition to Rice. It was the second TD reception of 50 yards or extra up to now two weeks for Texas, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data. Complete variety of 50-yard TD grabs in 28 prior video games underneath Tom Herman? Zero.
Cincinnati’s Michael Warren had 113 yards and three touchdowns on simply 12 carries in a win over Miami (Ohio). It marks the third time for the reason that begin of final season Warren has had a sport with 100 yards and three TDs on the bottom. The one tailback within the nation with extra is Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor.
Ought to we ask the place Murray State would end within the SEC East? The Racers are the one staff to attain a landing in opposition to Georgia’s protection thus far this 12 months after the Bulldogs shut out Arkansas State. For the 12 months, UGA’s protection has been on the sector for 37 drives and allowed only one TD. The one staff but to permit a TD this season is Wisconsin, which had Week Three off.
Scheduling up
UCF received its 27th straight regular-season sport, demolishing Stanford 45-27. The 18-point beating was Stanford’s second-worst loss in a nonconference sport up to now decade (after final 12 months’s 21-point defeat to playoff-bound Notre Dame).
Throughout UCF’s regular-season win streak, the Knights are Three-Zero in opposition to Energy 5 foes, all wins by double-digits. Saturday’s 18-point win follows a 45-14 win over Pitt final 12 months and a 38-10 win over Maryland in 2017. The Knights may have an opportunity so as to add one other Energy 5 win to their resume subsequent week at Pitt.
1:35
UCF freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws 4 touchdowns on 347 yards because the Knights take down Stanford 45-27.
Coping with success
Maryland’s thrashing of Syracuse in Week 2 earned the Terrapins a No. 21 rating within the AP Ballot, however they’re unlikely to spend a lot time within the high 25. The Terps fell to Temple 20-17, extending a streak of practically 13 years and not using a win whereas ranked for Maryland.
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The final time the Terps received as a top-25 staff was method again in 2006, narrowly escaping Miami 14-13. They misplaced per week later to Boston School.
Since then, 93 different groups have received not less than one sport whereas within the high 25, and all however three different Energy 5 faculties have not less than one win whereas ranked. All 4 of the winless groups in that span, nonetheless, reside in the identical convention: Maryland, Indiana, Purdue and Rutgers.
Huge bets and unhealthy beats
Strains courtesy Caesars Sportsbook
South Carolina fortunately reminded bettors it is harmful to fade a heavy dwelling underdog, however this one needed to damage Alabama backers. The Tide have been 26.5-point favorites and up 47-16 with simply 15 seconds to play when Ryan Hilinski’s fourth-down go fell incomplete. Sadly for Bama bettors, the Tide have been flagged for roughing the passer, giving South Carolina one other crack at pay grime. Hilinski’s subsequent go was an 11-yard landing with simply 11 seconds to go, serving to the Gamecocks to a mind-boggling backdoor cowl.
The Citadel upended Georgia Tech in a sport which may’ve made former Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson proud. Whereas Tech has moved on from Johnson’s choice offense, The Citadel continues to run the flexbone, and did it to perfection in Atlanta. The Citadel received 27-24 in additional time whereas throwing simply 4 passes, just one accomplished. It is the third time this 12 months a staff has tried 5 or fewer passes, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data, together with Military’s additional time loss to Michigan and Air Power’s Week 1 win over Colgate. These groups are Three-Zero in opposition to the unfold, and since 2000, groups throwing 5 occasions or much less are 98-23 in opposition to the quantity.
What does Mike Gundy have in opposition to Tulsa backers? Oklahoma State lined its 14-point unfold by going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Tulsa 33, up 12 with 2:41 to play. The consequence was a 33-yard landing run by Chuba Hubbard, dealing an enormous blow to bettors of the underdog hoping for a canopy.