Gophers win, Badgers and Houston highlight week 1
Week 1 is officially in the books, and man was it a week to remember. There were numerous upsets as well as near upsets (looking at you Tennessee), and there were plenty of statements made as well. It is safe to say this was easily one of the best opening weekends of college football ever. Alabama started off on the right foot, Houston proved it belongs in the national conversation, Wisconsin silenced the doubters, and Texas gave us a glimpse of a potential return to relevance. Overall, week 1 gave college football fans a lot to be excited about and hopefully is a sign of things to come.
GOPHERS SUMMARY
Final: Gophers 30 Oregon State 23 Box Score
Final Thoughts: It's never a bad thing to start the season with a win, but teams always realize they have things to fix. Oregon State appears to be immensely improved, but showed it's inexperience. The Beavers limited their turnovers and outgained the Gophers, but couldn't make enough plays when it mattered. Beavers QB Darrel Garretson threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns, but his team couldn't capitalize on a depleted Gophers defense. Minnesota lost three players on careless targeting penalties (though a couple were controversial). While they gave up 23 points, a fumbled punt return put them in a short field that lead to a touchdown. Offensively, the offensive line looked great giving QB Mitch Leidner plenty of time to throw and allowed RB Rodney Smith to run for over 100 yards. I don't understand why Claeys decided to go for two when they scored to go up 30-23. Kicking the extra point puts your team up eight points with 1:27 left, and your defense would have finished the game. I like the aggressiveness, but sometimes you can't overthink tactical decisions like this. Lastly, Minnesota is lucky they play Indiana State next week with three defensive players sitting out the first half.
TRENDING UP
Nebraska----One the saddest stories in college football is being turned into a great memory. Huskers P Sam Foltz was tragically killed in a car accident in July. On their first punt of their game against Fresno State, Nebraska sent 10 men onto the field and took a delay of game penalty to honor Foltz. The crowd erupted with applause, as did Fresno State who declined the penatly. With helmet stickers reading SF on both teams' helmets, Foltz was definitely remembered honorably. Just another great reason why college football can bring people together and tug on the hearts of people all over the nation. To get a full experience of the play, see the video below.
Returning Running backs----More feel good stories in week 1: Nick Chubb of Georgia and James Connor of Pittsburgh returned. Why is that a big deal? Chubb is returning from a gruesome knee injury and Connor is returning from a knee injury and recovered from cancer. Chubb's return included 222 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Bulldogs win over North Carolina. Connor only rushed for 53 yards but had two total touchdowns. To read about Connor's journey, click here.
TRENDING DOWN
LSU----For a great atmosphere, this game was a major dud for the Tigers. At first, I thought that Tigers and QB Brandon Harris didn't deserve to lose that way. But after watching Josh Boutte destroy D'Cota Dixon after the play, I am glad the Badgers won. Clearly, no one has taught the Tigers how to keep their composure, as Harris has yet to develop under OC Cam Cameron and their players show their character when presented with adversity. All Harris had to do was run the ball and leave a chip shot for LSU to win, but instead he threw a pick and Boutte was ejected. For all of the hype the Tigers received, they sure don't know how to handle it. LSU is wasting talent like Leonard Fournette, Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre, and it's sad we may never get to see their full potential. I'm not sure how Les Miles makes it to 2017 in Baton Rouge.
Washington State----Wazzu has now lost to an FCS team two years in a row. Last year, the Cougars lost to Portland State, and this weekend they lost to Eastern Washington. I'm not sure how much breathing room the fans will give coach Mike Leach after this loss. Inconsistency has plagued Leach's teams, but I would be annoyed if my team kept losing to FCS teams. To make matters worse, their defense was torched for 606 yards (496 through the air).
PERFORMERS OF THE WEEK
Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech (483 yards passing, 4 TD; 2 rush TD)----Hard to argue with this when almost all of his production was in the first half. Mahomes started his Heisman campaign on a good note against Stephen F. Austin. Mahomes spent most of the second half on the sideline while the backups played.
Gage Gubrud, Eastern Washington (474 yards passing, 5 TD; 77 yards rushing 1 TD)----Beating an FBS team is nice, but Gubrud did it with flare. The Eagles QB completed 34 of his 40 pass attempts on his way to beating Washington State on the road.
Nick Chubb, Georgia (222 yards rushing, 2 TD)----What a return to college football, and boy did his team need it. Chubb returned to pre-injury form and reminded the nation why he is one of the best backs in the country. Chubb's 55 yard touchdown run put the Bulldogs up 33-24 and an exclamation point on a spectacular night.
GAME BALL----Gubrud. Mahomes was efficient, Chubb was impressive, but Gubrud exploded on the scene. The Eagles are looking forward to their season after his performance against a Pac 12 team.
GAMES OF THE WEEK RESULTS
My pick: Oklahoma 35 Houston 28 ACTUAL: Houston 33 Oklahoma 23 Box Score
What a game! The Brobacks witnessed the best game on Saturday. Greg Ward led the Cougars with his arm, which was surprising. Oklahoma got off to a fast start, and looked like they would control the game; but the Sooners didn't score in the second half until late in the fourth quarter. Baker Mayfield looked rushed at times, and his receivers dropped multiple passes late in the game. Oklahoma's defense kept giving the offense opportunities by making stops, but Mayfield couldn't capitalize. Houston is well on its way to the college football playoff, but the season is just beginning.
My pick: LSU 42 Wisconsin 24 ACTUAL: Wisconsin 16 LSU 14 Box Score
If you're a Wisconsin fan, this may be the best game ever. If you like LSU, you may want to never talk about this one again. The Badgers defense showed it doesn't miss former DC Dave Aranda and shut down the Tigers and all star Leonard Fournette. Fournette struggled to get any traction, and Brandon Harris (once again) couldn't throw to alleviate any pressure on the run game. Wisconsin's offense actually looked better than it did with Joel Stave under center. Bart Houston made good decisions and kept his team in the game while the defense continued to hold the Tigers in check. A late field goal put them ahead, and an interception finished the Tigers (and possibly their playoff hopes).
My pick: Georgia 28 North Carolina 17 ACTUAL: Georgia 33 North Carolina 24 Box Score
Welcome back Nick Chubb! The Bulldogs RB reminded the nation why he was heralded as one of the best backs in college football before his injury. Coach Kirby Smart got his first win as a head coach, but he knows they have things to work on. North Carolina showed it won't skip a beat with QB Mitch Trubisky, as the Tar Heels kept up with the Bulldogs for most of the game. Georgia is definitely the front runner in the SEC East, and North Carolina will be in contention for the ACC title this year.
My pick: Alabama 34 USC 31 ACTUAL: Alabama 52 USC 6 Box Score
There isn't much to say about this game. USC was in the game for a while, but Alabama woke up and showed that these teams did not belong on the same field. The scariest thought about this game: Alabama didn't play its best and still won by 46. QB Jalen Hurts emerged with a big performance after an offseason of questions at that position. The Trojans wish they could say the same as neither quarterback played well and provided more questions than answers.
My pick: Clemson 44 Auburn 31 ACTUAL: Clemson 19 Auburn 13 Box Score
This score may indicate that Clemson isn't as good as people think, but that's not the case. Auburn is better this year than they were last year, which is the reason for the low scoring game. While coach Gus Malzahn still has to figure out who will play quarterback, his defense showed it is ready for any team. Auburn showed that even the second best team has rust to shake off. Deshaun Watson looked uncomfortable and will need time to gel with his offense, but that shouldn't take too long.
My pick: Ole Miss 38 Florida State 28 ACTUAL: Florida State 45 Ole Miss 34 Box Score
Ole Miss started this game on fire, and made Seminoles QB Deondre Francois uncomfortable. As the game went on though, Francois gained confidence and the Seminoles took the lead with a 33-0 run. Francois continued his composure as the Seminoles dominated the rest of the game. Chad Kelly was careless with the ball, and it will be hard to trust him in big games. That, along with an inexperienced offensive line, will be a cause for concern for this season. Jimbo Fisher has a lot to be excited about after coming back from a 22 point deficit (a school record) and his freshman quarterback eased some nerves by playing at a high level.
