By Phil Steele

Surprisingly both BYU and Idaho St had 22 FD’s but BYU’s FD’s were much more productive as they had a 578-287 yard edge in 22 seniors’ final home game. BYU led 59-10 and ISt went 78/11 getting a 26 yard FG with 7:06 left. Adam Hine rushed for 141 yards and Jamaal Williams for 131 for BYU.

Texas had 389-380 yard and 25-21 FD edges but 3 big interceptions did them in. Also Clint Chelf, who came into the game completing just 50% of his passes, would hit 16-22-197 yards (73%) and rushed for 95 yards on 10 carries. The play that probably iced it for Oklahoma St was at the end of the half with just :18 left. Case McCoy threw it up at the sideline and was not only intercepted but returned 43 yards for a td and OSU would take an 18 point lead to the locker room instead of a manageable 11. OSU was playing without WR Josh Stewart who didn’t make the trip and he’s the nation’s leading PR. It was Mack Brown’s worst ever loss at Texas Memorial Stadium and he’s right back on the hotseat. Each team went on a long drive on their 2nd possession but OSU got an 18 yard td run on 3&10 while UT on their 3&10 fired incomplete and settled for a 39 yard FG and trailed 7-3. OSU, mid-2Q, drove 42/5pl for a td but UT went 75/10pl for a td with 3:39 left in the half. OSU went 67/6pl, the key a 3&10, 29 yard pass and then 2pl later tossed a 12 yard td pass. The ball actually went through the DB’s hands on what would have been a sure interception bounced into the air and was caught by WR Moore for a td, 21-10. Then the key play happened 4pl later. After UT got a FD, they were intercepted and returned 43 yards for a td with :18 left. In the 3Q, UT went 84/10pl but settled for a 27 yard FG, 28-13. OSU went 53/11pl for a 39 yard FG, 31-13. While each team punted, UT was taking over at midfield but roughed the P and after the next punt started at their own 18. They were intercepted again and OSU got a 21 yard td pass on the next play, 38-13. McCoy was intercepted again on the next drive at the OSU17. UT was SOD at the OSU40 with 6:13 left and ended the game at the OSU9–fittingly on a sack.

Navy was playing its final home game for 22 seniors and Coach Ken Niumatalolo was chocked up in the postgame press conference. Navy had 519-300 yard and 28-19 FD edges. South Alabama had lost all of their games by a td or less this year and this was the first time they were blown out. Navy tallied its 6th win and accepted the bid to the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, TX to face a MW team. Navy took its opening drive 49/13pl for a FG but USA took its 2nd drive 48/14pl for a 4 yard td pass to lead 7-3. Each team went on a td drive and USA led 14-10. Navy went 51/5pl for a td, forced a punt, went 67/13pl and after a 1&gl at the 6, settled for a 21 yard FG, 20-14. At the half Navy had a 258-192 yard edge. Navy opened the 3Q with an 82/8pl drive for a td. 4 punts. USA went 79/20 but on 4&2 was SOD at the 6. Navy would then go 94/7pl to get a 45 yard td pass, 35-14. Navy took over with 7:08 left and went 64/8pl and got a 24 yard td run with 2:17 left for the 42-14 margin.

Kansas St had 411-348 yard and 19-17 FD edges but needed a 41 yard FG on the final play to escape. KSU did lose outstanding safety Ty Zimmerman to injury and TCU attacked his replacement, Dylan Schellenberg. KSU punted on its first possession but went 41/5pl for a td and got a 74 yard td pass from Jake Waters to Tyler Lockett on the next play to lead 14-0. TCU was SOD on 4&1 at the KSU43 but after a 14 yard PR took over at the KSU38 with 6:10 left in the 1H. Three plays later a BJ Catalon 15 yard td run pulled them back to 14-7. KSU went 51/11pl for a 31 yard FG, 17-7. At the half KSU had a 174-142 yard edge. TCU opened the 3Q with a 52/4pl drive for a td. KSU fumbled at its own 41 and TCU went 41/8pl for a 7 yard run, 21-17. KSU got a 3&14, 79 yard td pass to Tramaine Thompson to retake the lead, 24-21 but TCU got a 3&7, 51 yard td pass from Casey Pachall to David Porter to retake the lead, 28-24. KSU went 58/7pl and settled for a 34 yard FG with 2:50 left in the 3Q to pull within 1. KSU took over with 14:46 left at the TCU44 after a 34 yard PR by Thompson. They went 38/14pl eating up nearly 9:00 and got a 23 yard FG with 5:59 left. TCU went 36/9pl and Jaden Oberkrom nailed 56 yard FG with 2:13 left for the lead, 31-30. KSU got 1 FD on 3&10, another FD, then on 4&6, a 41 yard FG gave them the win on the last play.

Louisiana only had a 482-481 yard edge. They did get a 2&4, 80 yard td pass to Elijah McGuire on their 2nd drive of the game to go up 7-0. Georgia St fumbled at the UL12 on 2&3 on its 2nd possession. Each team punted and UL fumbled at its own 16. GSt went 16/3pl for a td. UL went 75/10pl for a td, 14-7 (10:54 2Q). GSt was intercepted at the UL1 with 7:44 left on 2&5 from the 23. UL went 99/11pl and got a 50 yard td pass, 21-7. GSt went 75/8pl and got a 42 yard td pass to pull within 21-14 with :14 left in the half; the td coming on a daring 4&3 call. At the half UL had a 312-275 yard edge. GSt took its second 3Q possession 70/10pl for a 22 yard td pass to tie it. UL went 75/8pl for a 36 yard td pass, 28-21. GSt went 61/10pl but on 4&3 gained 2 yards to the UL14. UL got breathing room by going 86/9pl for a 13 yard td with 7:58 left, 35-21. GSt on 4&10 was SOD at the UL38. UL got 1 FD and missed a 37 yard FG. GSt got 2 FD and on 4&26 fired incomplete at the UL43 with 1:46 left.

Marcus Mariota was still not 100% as he ran just 4 times for minus-18 yards. He did hit 19-26-288 passing. Utah was dealing with a little bit of a bigger QB injury as starting QB Travis Wilson did not even make the trip (now out for year, concussion). Backup Adam Schulz hit just 13-30-181 yards and a td. Oregon only had a 433-297 yard edge and much like some of their other Pac-12 games, it was close mid-3Q before they pulled away. This time, however, Utah scored a td with 6:01 left to only lose by 23. UO punted on its first possession but then, after an interception, drove 38/3pl for a td. They went 54/7pl for a 31 yard FG on their 3rd possession, 10-0. The Ducks punted twice and Schulz led Utah 72/10pl for a td, 10-7. UO got a 57 yard pass to the 7 and Mariota got a 5 yard td pass 2pl later with 2:07 left in the half, 17-7. UO had a 190-137 yard edge. Utah opened the 3Q with a 86/8pl drive and Schulz’s 4 yard td run made it 17-14. Thomas ripped off an 86 yard td run, 23-14 (xpng). UO went 93/8 and Mariota’s 14 yard td pass made it 30-14 with 5:42 left in the 3Q. The Ducks punted then went 64/5pl for a td, 37-14. UO got a 71 yard PR td called back by a block in the back but went 61/9pl and got a 16 yard td run to make it 44-14. Each team punted and Utah took over with 9:45 left and went 64/8pl and got a 10 yard td run with 6:01 left. The Ducks would get to midfield and ran the clock.

Brandon Connette rushed for 4 td’s for Duke as they alternated him and Anthony Boone almost every possession. Boone hit 11-15-104 and Connette 5-9-81 while rushing for 37 and Boone 11. Josh Snead ran for 139 yards. Miami had a 565-543 yard edge and Dallas Crawford rushed for 115 yards with Duke Johnson out for the year. Stephen Morris, who is still not 100%, hit 30-49-379 yards as the two teams totalled 1,108 yards. UM jumped out to a 3-0 lead and then got a 79 yard PR td after Duke went 3&out for a commanding 10-0 lead right out of the box. Each drove for a td on their next drive, 17-7. UM was intercepted at the Duke34 and returned 14 yards. Duke went 52/6pl for a 22 yard td pass, 17-14. UM went 68/10pl for a 32 yard FG, 20-14. Duke went 75/10pl for a 3 yard td run by Connette and took the lead with 2:01 left in the half, 21-20. At the half UM had a 279-252 yard edge. Each team opened the 3Q with a drive for a td. UM went 68/10pl for a 31 yard FG, 30-28. Duke went 45/9pl for a 48 yard FG, 31-30. 3 punts. Duke went 75/4 for a 4 yard td run, 38-30. Duke got a 25 yard PR and went 64/6pl for a td with 6:50 left to lead 45-30. UM was SOD on 4&3 at its own 32. Duke got a 4&1 FD and then got a 32 yard FG, 48-30 (1:04). UM gained 55 of its yards on its final drive being SOD at the Duke16. Duke is in the driver’s seat to get to the ACC title game.

As I’m sure you all saw, Auburn/Georgia featured one of the wildest finishes in college football history, but I’ll get to that later. Nick Marshall showed that Auburn can indeed pass the ball as he hit 15-26-229 yards and rushed for 89. Aaron Murray hit 33-49-415. UGA won the last 2 meetings by 38 points each. AU opened with a 56/16pl drive but settled for a 22 yard FG. The Tigers also went 63/6pl for a td then 56/11pl but settled for a 35 yard FG. UGA went 3&out on its first 2 possessions and it was complete domination with a 175-(-1) yard edge for Auburn but only a 13-0 lead. Each team went on a td drive, 20-7. AU went 38/7pl but had a 36 yard FG blocked with 3:10 left in the half but UGA was intercepted at the AU39 with 2:40 left. AU went 61/6pl and got a 24 yard td run with 1:07 left in the half. UGA took over at its 25 and went 55/9pl for a 37 yard FG on the last play to give them some momentum. AU had a 327-174 yard edge at the half. UGA opened with a 75/10pl drive for a td but AU responded with a 77/7pl td drive and led 34-17. After each team punted, UGA went 57/7pl but was SOD at the AU39 with 3:05 left 3Q. AU went 46/10 but settled for another FG, this one from 32 yards to apparently ice with 12:39 left, 37-17. UGA went 75/9pl for a td. AU went 3&out and UGA went 56/5pl and got a 24 yard td pass with 5:59 left and kicked off deep. AU went 3&out and only punted 31 yards. UGA went 45/9pl and got a 5 yard td run by Murray on 4&gl from the 5 as he got in by inches–one of those Heisman moments. It gave UGA the win, 38-37. AU got 1 FD and on 4&18, the game was over. But what happened next was one of the most stunning plays of the 2013 season. Marshall launched a pass that was headed straight for two UGA defenders who had prime position to either grab it or knock it down. Instead it was tipped and Ricardo Lewis, who had clearly lost site of the ball, reached out and somehow corralled the tipped pass in to finish off the 73 yard td pass with :25 left. The game still wasn’t over. UGA got to the AU25 and had 2 shots at the EZ but both were incomplete. Auburn finished with a 566-532 yard edge.

How many tough losses can one team have on the season? Northwestern/Michigan, just like Auburn/UGA had a wild finish and it was a game NW should have won. UM went 63/12pl on its opening drive, settling for a 25 yard FG. NW went 49/16pl settling for a 40 yard FG and the two drives ate up all but 2:47 of the 1Q and it was 3-3. The next 4 possessions were punts. UM missed a 51 yard FG and each team punted. NW went 56/11pl and got a 22 yard FG to lead 6-3 at the half. The first 4 possessions of the 3Q were punts. NW went 77/10pl for a 29 yard FG to extend the lead to 9-3. After each team punted, UM took advantage of an 8 yard NW punt which was like a TO. They started at the NW11, gained 0 yards and got a 28 yard FG to make it 9-6. UM went 67/9pl and went for it on 4&2 at the NW5 and amazingly was SOD when a FG would have tied, but NW got 2 FD’s punting with 2:18. UM converted on 4&4, added another FD, converted on 4&4 again and had a pass interference for a FD to the NW30. On 3&23, they got to the NW27 with a 16 yard pass but the clock was ticking down. To me, it looked like the UM players ran on the field and were all in motion. They did set but the K never stopped moving so I was thinking it should have been an illegal procedure penalty but it was not called and Brendan Gibbons banged home a 44 yard FG with no time left, 9-9. Each team scored a td in the 1OT and each kicked a FG in the 2OT. UM got a 5pl td drive and 2 point conversion and NW took a sack on 2&9, on 3&23 was almost intercepted, and on 4&23 fired incomplete. NW earlier lost on a Hail Mary to Nebraska, had an OT loss to Iowa and now a tough 3 point loss to UM meaning now they need to beat both Michigan St and Illinois just to become bowl eligible.

Once again Florida St put on a dominant performance. Jameis Winston hit 19-21-277 despite off-field distractions. FSU scored on its first 6 possessions, the 6th being a 53 yard FG to lead 38-0 and actually punted with :42 left in the half. At the half FSU had a 374-68 yard edge. Winston’s backup, Jacob Coker was injured and OFY so they have to get Sean Maguire ready in case something happens to Winston. Maguire is a 6’3” 215 rFr who is a PS#42 and he ran a wing-T in HS but has good arm strength. They ended up using him at QB for the entire 2H. He passed a grand total of 5 times hitting 3 for 21 yards. They went 46/3pl and 84/4pl on their first two 3Q possessions and got a 31 yard FR td to lead 59-0 with 5:47 left in the 3Q. Syracuse, while they gained 247 yards, actually had 2 drives in the 4Q down 59-0 where they went 66/20pl and 64/11pl, one resulting in a 32 yard FG to avoid the shutout with 7:42 left. FSU ran a grand total of 3 plays in the 4Q for 6 yards so after 3Q’s they had a 517-117 yard edge.

Nebraska had a 392-361 yard edge vs Michigan St. Ameer Abdullah rushed for 123 yards while Michigan St’s Jeremy Langford rushed for 151. Connor Cook hit just 15-31-193 for MSU while Tommy Armstrong and Ron Kellogg combined to hit 17-32-210 for NU. Why did MSU win by 13 points? The answer to that is easy. They had a 5-0 TO advantage. NU’s 5 TO’s led to 24 of MSU’s 41 points. The game started with a fumble on the 3rd play. MSU had a 12 yard drive for a 45 yard FG. NU was intercepted at its own 46 on the next drive. NU fumbled the punt at its own 8 and MSU got an 8 yard “drive” for a td, 10-0. NU went 75/5pl for a td to make it 10-7. MSU got its only offensive drive of the 1H going 74/17pl for a 25 yard FG to make it 13-7. At the end of the half, NU’s Armstrong, on 3&1 ran but fumbled the ball and MSU took over at the 22. They took advantage of that gift by going 22/3pl so they had scoring drives of 12, 5 and 22 yards in the 1Q yet had a 20-7 halftime lead despite being outgained. NU went 62/3pl for a td to open the 3Q. The teams punted 3 times. NU, pinned at its own 1, fumbled the ball at its 3. This time MSU had a “huge” 3 yard drive for a td to lead 27-14. NU went 79/11pl and got a 38 yard td pass to pull within 27-21 and actually had a 100 yard edge at this point. MSU put together its 2nd offensive drive of the game going 75/10pl getting a td with 7:56 left to make it 34-21 and went on to a 41-28 win.

Colorado snapped a 14 game conference losing streak as Sefo Liufau threw for a career high 364 yards hitting 23-36 passes. It was very windy with gusts up to 35 mph. Cal’s QB’s were bothered by the wind as Jared Goff and Zach Kline combined to hit just 26-52-214. CU took its opening drive 53/13pl but missed a 40 yard FG. They went 71/7pl and settled for a 27 yard FG then went 87/5pl for a td, 10-0 despite putting up over 200 yards offense. After each team punted, Cal went 22 yards for a 42 yard FG, 10-3. After kick/catch interference they started at their 45 and got a 55 yard td run by Khalfani Muhammad despite being outplayed the game was tied at 10. CU then went 75/10pl for a td, pulled the surprise onside kick and went 49/8pl for a td and led 24-10 at the half with a 346-200 yard edge. In the 3Q CU was intercepted at its own 38. Cal went for it on 4&7 but was SOD at the CU45. 4 punts. CU went 71/12pl and got a 24 yard FG with :33 left in the 3Q, 27-10. Cal was SOD on 4&5 at the CU33 and 2pl later Liufau hit a 63 yard td pass, 34-10. Cal took over with 10:20 left and went 52/12pl for a td with 6:14 left but CU got a 46 yard onside KR td by Nelson Spruce, 41-17. Cal went 75/11pl getting a 26 yard td run with 1:21 left.

USF, which had a couple games where they were outgained greatly and didn’t have an offensive td yet won, this time had a 325-242 yard edge vs Memphis but lost. UM QB Paxton Lynch hit just 6-13-59 while USF Fr QB Mike White, who took over the starting duties vs Houston, hit 18-33-198 but had 4 interceptions. UM was intercepted on the fifth play of the game and USF missed a 49 yard FG. USF was intercepted a the UM46 on its next drive and UM went 56/8pl but settled for a 19 yard FG, 3-0. A 37 yard PR set up USF at the UM30 but on 2&gl from the 1, Lawrence Martin fumbled into the EZ for a TB, a huge play. It was the first carry of Martin’s career. USF went 38/9pl and missed a 55 yard FG. UM got a 56 yard FG with :12 left in the half to lead 6-0. At the half USF had a 107-106 yard edge. USF opened the 3Q with a 75/9pl drive for a 28 yard FG. They got 4 FD’s on an 11pl drive but punted on 4&4 from the 40. UM got 3 FD’s on a 7pl drive and punted. UM’s next drive went 59/8pl and got a 5 yard td run with 4:09 left, 13-3. USF was intercepted and returned 22 yards to the 16. UM on 4&10 got a 34 yard FG, 16-3 then got a 36 yard IR td with 1:35 left for a misleading 23-3 lead. USF did go 73/6pl for a garbage td with :46 left, 23-10. Then they recovered the onside kick and got 1 FD on 4&3 to the UM42 but were intercepted in the EZ on the final play.

Houston had played UCF tough last week on the road and now had a 2nd straight tough road game vs #19 Louisville but almost pulled the upset. On their opening drive, the Cougars returned the KO to the UL39 and got a FD to the 28 but went for it on 4&10 and only gained 5 yards. UL quickly marched 77/12pl for a td, 7-0. The next 3 possessions were punts. UL then went 44/7pl and got a 37 yard FG to lead 10-0 (14:11 2Q). UH went 48/6pl for a 46 yard FG 10-3. UH went 60/10pl for a 4 yard td run to tie with 6:35 left in the half. UH went 3&out but UL fumbled the punt at its own 39. Roughing the passer gave them a FD to the 24 wiping out an interception at the 15 and UH got 1 more FD and would get a 22 yard FG to lead 13-10 at the half with a 162-154 yard edge. UL opened the 3Q with a 70/7pl drive and a 3 yard td run, 17-13. UL went 46/12pl and got a 39 yard FG, 20-13. The next 4 possessions were punts. UH got to the UL42 but punted on 4&16. UL went 3&out punting with 2:50 left. UH, on 4&25, gained 8 yards and tried some laterals but was brought down and UL took a knee clinging to their 7 point win. UL did have a 332-195 yard edge but would still need UCF to lose twice to win the conference.

Florida lost its 5th straight game, their longest losing streak since 1979 when they were 0-10-1. It is a banged up UF team that was starting Skyler Mornhinweg at QB (first snaps all year) and he hit 10-13-107. South Carolina trailed the majority of the game. Connor Shaw hit 14-28-213. SC went 70/9pl and settled for a 25 yard FG. UF went 67/14pl capped by a 20 yard td run, 7-3. SC went 59/8pl for a 45 yard FG, 7-6. UF went 75/6pl pounding the ball on the ground and got a 29 yard td run to lead 14-6. Each team punted. SC missed a 38 yard FG with 1:31 left in the half. At the half SC did have a 183-162 yard edge but trailed 14-6. After UF punted to open the 3Q, SC went 64/7pl capped by a 32 yard td pass, 14-13. UF went 61/11pl and had a 1&gl at the 9 but not only settled for a 32 yard FG, they missed it. Two punts. SC was SOD on 4&3 at the UF43. On their next drive, the Gamecocks went 87/8pl and had a 1&gl at the 2 but settled for a 22 yard FG to take the lead, 16-14. UF was SOD on 4&13 at their own 32 with 4:40 left and that set up SC for a 43 yard FG, 19-14. Mornhinweg was intercepted at the SC36 on the next drive with just 1:22 left. SC finished with a 377-307 yard edge and the FD’s were even at 15.

Arkansas St’s Michael Gordon ran for 184 yards and 3 td’s. Things didn’t look good for Arkansas St early as Texas St led almost the entire 1H. ASt was SOD at its own 45 on 4&1 and TXSt 2pl later got a 41 yard td pass, 7-0. ASt got a 40 yard td run by Gordon 3pl later, 7-7. TXSt went 59/9pl for a 4 yard td run, 14-7 (5:08 1Q). ASt, 2 possessions later, went 80/12pl and got a 9 yard td run by Gordon, 14-14. ASt was intercepted and returned 7 yards to their 22. TXSt went 22/3pl for a td and with 5:35 left in the half, led 21-14. ASt went 71/10pl and got an 8 yard td pass, 21-21. At the half ASt had a 273-216 yard edge. ASt got a 43 yard PR by JD McKissic after TXSt’s 2nd punt of the 3Q and would go 32/4pl for a td and got their first lead of the game. ASt’s next drive went 82/13pl and got a 1 yard td run by David Oku, 35-21. TXSt went 3&out and their P’s knee touched the ground at the 10 yard line so ASt added a 23 yard FG. TXSt went 64/11pl but faked a 34 yard FG and came up short. TXSt’s last drive ended on 4&5 at the AS41. ASt only had 424-368 yard and 22-16 FD edges but got a 17 point win.

It was homecoming for Rice and they have not lost a homecoming game under David Bailiff despite being an underdog in numerous ones. This was the first time they were a large favorite. My heart goes out to HC Bailiff who lost his father, Bob, who had been a fixture at Rice games the past 7 seasons and passed away on Tuesday night. It was a very emotional game for him and his team gave quite an effort with a dominating 52-14 win. Rice had 35-14 FD and 582-327 yard edges. Louisiana Tech QB’s Ryan Higgins and Scotty Young combined to hit just 15-30-181 yards. Charles Ross rushed for 215 yards and became the first Owl to top 1,000 yards since Quinton Smith in 2006. Rice opened with a 66/4pl drive for a td. LT went 62/8pl but fumbled at the 1 yard line. Rice went 53/7pl but fumbled at the LT27. However, on the return LT fumbled it right back and Rice would then go 27/7pl for a td to lead 14-0. Rice went 74/11pl for a 30 yard FG to lead 17-0. Three punts. Rice went 70/12pl and got a 5 yard td pass with 1:54 left in the half to lead 24-0. It was 31-0 when LT got a 74 yard td pass on 3&9 to pull within 31-7 but Rice went 93/17pl then after an int 43/9pl and after a SOD, 60/9pl all for td’s to lead 52-7 with 3:59 left. LT went 70/9pl for a 9 yard td run with 1:50 left in the dominating win.

UTEP powered to 327 yards rushing with QB Blaire Sullivan rushing for 104 and RB Nathan Jeffery for 130. It was the first home win for Sean Kugler. Mack Leftwich got the start at QB for UTEP and hit 3-7-80 with 1 int. UTEP went 58/12pl for a td and 64/6pl for a 34 yard FG to lead 10-0. FIU went 75/7pl for a td and UTEP, after a 60 yard KR, missed a 38 yard FG. Three punts. Sullivan led UTEP 65/9pl and Jeffery’s 1 yard td run on 4&gl with :38 left in the half made it 17-7. At the half UTEP had a 220-97 yard edge. FIU was tackled in the EZ for a safety on its second 3Q drive and after the free kick UTEP missed a 24 yard FG after a 9pl drive. Leftwich hit a 64 yard td pass on the first play of their next drive, 26-7. FIU, 2 possessions later, went 31/7pl for a 31 yard FG, 26-10. FIU fumbled at the UTEP42 and Jeffery got a 54 yard td run 2pl later, 33-10 with 7:05 left and finished with 407-200 yard and 16-11 FD edges.

Baylor was playing its first game since Art Briles got his new 10-year contract. The Bears were playing without Lache Seastrunk and Glasco Martin and of course lost WR Tevin Reese for the year and things didn’t look good for BU early. Texas Tech scored the first 3 times they had the ball going 75/15 and 89/8pl for td’s to lead 14-0. BU did go 56/3pl to make it 14-7 but TT answered right back with a 75/8pl drive capped by a 5 yard td pass, 20-7. The game turned when after each team surprisingly punted. BU got a 58 yard PR td by Levi Norwood, 20-14 and on the next possession, BU got an interception at the TT31. On the next play, Bryce Petty hit Antwan Goodley with a 31 yard td pass. Petty hit 17-31 and as usual, averaged about 20 ypc (335 yards). Baker Mayfield hit 28-51-314. BU went 48/10pl but missed a 49 yard FG. Mayfield fumbled at the TT43 and BU went 43/5pl for a td, 28-20. Petty was sacked and fumbled back at hits 23 and Mayfield hit a 4 yard td pass 3pl later, 28-27 (4:28). However, 5pl later Petty hit Norwood with a 58 yard td pass, 35-27 at the half. BU only had a 308-304 yard edge. BU opened the 3Q with a 71/8pl drive and got a 6 yard Petty td run, 42-27. TT went 62/8pl to the BU25 but on 4&2, was SOD. BU went 75/5pl and got a 47 yard td run, 49-27. Each team punted then TT went 62/5pl and got a td with 2:45 left 3Q, 49-34. BU then looked like Oregon does in the 4Q. They went 72/9pl for a td then after recovering a fumble at the TT40 were SOD at the TT21. After forcing a punt, they went 75/8pl and Shock Linwood’s 10 yard td run put them ahead by 29 with 7:30 left. BU’s last drive got to the TT13 where they ran out the clock. BU did have 675-458 yard and 32-24 FD edges.

Over the last 18 years now, the week after playing LSU, Alabama is 7-11 with an average score of 19-19. They were a favorite in 12 of those games with an average line of 6. Once again they suffered a hangover vs Mississippi St although they did have a 383-197 yard edge. Bama opened with a 59/14pl drive and got a 33 yard FG. MSU was without its electric QB Dak Prescott and Tyler Russell hit 15-24-144 and the team definitely missed Prescott’s running ability as Russell had just 4 carries for 4 yards. The next 6 possessions were punts. MSU went 73/9pl and missed a 23 yard FG after a FD at the 11. Bama took over with just 2:49 left in the half, got a 50 yard run by TJ Yeldon, and then on 3&11, an 18 yard td pass to Brian Vogler with :20 left to take a 10-0 lead. Bama had a 170-101 yard edge at the half. Bama fumbled on its opening 3Q possession and MSU went 46/5pl for a td, 10-7. Bama went 77/9pl for a td including a 3&8, 26 yard pass to start the drive, 17-7. MSU got down to the UA32 but was intercepted in the EZ. Bama went 75/10pl for a 35 yard FG, 20-7. Bama was intercepted at the MSU9 and returned 53 yards. MSU on 4&13 ran for no gain with 6:47 left after missing an open pass in the EZ. Bama fumbled again at its own 24 but MSU, on 4&8, went for it and had an open WR for a td but the pass was incomplete. MSU was SOD at its own 5 on 4&8 with :58 left. AJ McCarron hit 18-32-187 and Yeldon ran for 160.

The situation greatly favored USC as Stanford was off a big game vs Oregon and hadn’t really played great all year except for 3Q’s vs ASU then 3 more vs Oregon. USC dominated the first 25:00 beginning with a 63/9pl drive for a td. SU went 76/5pl for a td on its 2nd possession. USC answered with a 76/8pl drive for a td then went 74/7pl but settled for a 23 yard FG to lead 17-7. SU, after 2 punts, went 50/10pl and got a 27 yard FG, 17-10 with :17 left in the half. USC had a 181-148 yard edge. SU went 92/10pl on its first 3Q possession and got an 18 yard td run by Tyler Gaffney, 17-17. USC was sacked and fumbled at its own 19 but SU had a 30 yard FG blocked. Three punts. SU went 75/9pl but on 3&gl from the 10 Kevin Hogan was intercepted at the 9. Three punts. Hogan on 2&3, surprisingly threw it up for grabs and was intercepted at the USC44. USC made a daring call as they faced a 4&2 at the SU48–if they came up short they basically handed SU a FG and the win, but they converted on 4&2, added another FD to the 21 then actually ran twice for -9 yards making it a 47 yard FG and the much maligned Andre Heidari came through as it split the uprights with :19 left. Cody Kessler hit 25-37-288 yards.

Boise St is starting to round into form and had a 524-265 yard edge vs Wyoming. Things did not start out well as QB Grant Hedrick was sacked and fumbled at his own 46 and UW went 46/6pl for a td and a quick 7-0 lead. UW forced a BS punt but then BS went 55/6pl for a td. UW got to the BS21 but was sacked and fumbled and BS went 69/10pl, the key a 4&6, 11 yard pass from the 25 yard line. UW was intercepted on the next possession and returned 35 yards. BS went 15/2pl for a td. BS went 83/6pl for a td on its next drive 28-7. BS’s next drive was 55/13pl but they were intercepted at the 29. UW was SOD at the BS18 and the game went to the half. At the half BS had a 297-136 yard edge. BS opened the 3Q with a 45/10pl drive for a 47 yard FG, 31-7. UW fumbled at its own 2 and Jay Ajayi got a 2 yard td run on the next play, 38-7. UW was intercepted at midfield and then was SOD on 4&9 at the BS28 and BS went 72/5pl for a td with 4:24 left in the 3Q, 45-7. BS went on a 57/13pl drive but fumbled at the UW18. After recovering a fumble, they went 49/11 for a 35 yard FG to lead 48-7 with 4:17 left.

Cody Fajardo has just 2 interceptions all year and last week hit 20-27-171 yards delivering my Inside the Pressbox Upset Play of the Week with a 38-16 win over San Jose St. Fajardo also ran for 104 yards on 14 carries despite coming into the game listed as questionable. Nevada went 75/12pl for a td. SJSt went 46/9pl for a 47 yard FG, 7-3. SJSt went 94/8pl for a td, 10-7 but UN went 75/12pl for a td, 14-10. SJSt went 52/10pl for a 44 yard FG, 14-13. UN went 61/10pl and got a 2 yard td run, 21-13 with 3:32 left in the half. SJSt got a 50 yard FG on the final play of the 1H, 21-16. At the half. SJSt had a 247-216 yard edge. UN opened the 3Q going 77/8pl but on 1&gl from the 1, fumbled. They forced a punt and went 62/4pl for a td, 28-16. SJSt got 1 FD and punted and UN went 64/7pl for a td, 35-16 (3:08 3Q). Two punts. SJSt went 90/14pl but was SOD on 4&gl at the 4. SJSt fumbled a punt at its own 45 and UN would get a 44 yard FG 5pl later, 38-16. The next 3 possessions all ended on SOD and UN had a 482-384 yard edge with David Fales hitting 28-43-326 for SJSt but UN had a 311-58 yard rushing edge.

San Diego St had a 499-355 yard edge vs Hawaii but needed a late comeback and OT to get past the Rainbow Warriors. Joey Iosefa had a school record 37 carries for Hawaii for 150 yards. Adam Muema rushed for 163 yards on 24 carries. UH was intercepted at its own 26 but SDSt which really doesn’t kick FG’s anymore was SOD on 4&11 at the UH24. UH fumbled at its own 43 but SDSt fumbled it back at the UH31. After 3 punts, the ball hit off the SDSt player and UH fell on it at the 27. UH took over at the SDS23. They got a 5 yard td run 2pl later, 7-0. Four punts. SDSt went 64/3pl for a 56 yard td pass. UH jumped offsides on the play making it a free play, 7-7. UH went 65/5pl getting a td with 7:00 left, 14-7. At the half SDSt had a 209-189 yard edge. The key play of the game happened when SDSt had 2 FD’s and punted to open the 3Q but running into the K gave them a FD and on the next play Donnel Pumphrey ripped off a 30 yard td run to tie at 14. SDSt went 85/10pl but fumbled at the UH14 and UH went 86/16pl and got an 8 yard td pass with 9:42 left to take the lead, 21-14. Each team punted and SDSt took over with 6:20 left and went 82/8pl and got a 14 yard td run with 2:34 left. SDSt got it back with :54 left but fumbled at the UH41 with :26 left and it went to OT. SDSt went 25/3pl for its td while UH was sacked, then on 4&20 fired incomplete.

Colorado St/New Mexico was a shootout and probably closer than the 66-42 final. CSU had 649-527 yard and 35-23 FD edges as Kapri Bibbs rushed for 291 yards and 6 td’s tying the MW mark and setting the school record. Garrett Grayson hit 20-28-302 yards as CSU had over 300 yards both rushing and passing. Each team scored nearly every time they had the ball. However, on their first possession, the Lobos were SOD at the CSU26 and on the 10th possession of the game, they were intercepted at the CSU23 and trailed 31-21 with CSU having a 343-239 yard edge. The first 6 possessions of the 2H all went for scores, 52-42. NM was SOD at its own 37 with 10:33 left and CSU went 37/4pl for a td. NM went 31/11pl and was SOD on 4&18 at the CSU35. CSU went 65/5pl adding a td with :54 left for a somewhat misleading final. I used this game as my High Scoring Game of the Week on my Inside the Pressbox and the two combined for 58 FD’s, 108 points and 1,176 yards.

Arizona St controlled the 1H against Oregon St with a 216-127 yard edge. They were intercepted at the OSU5 then intercepted at the 50 but OSU fumbled a punt at its own 15 and ASU went 15/4pl for a td. At the end of the half, OSU went 45/15pl but settled for a 22 yard FG to trail 20-3. OSU went 96/12pl getting a 6 yard td pass, 20-10. OSU went 52/10pl and had a 48 yard FG blocked with 10:17 left and ASU went 55/10pl but settled for an 18 yard FG after 1&gl at the 6, 23-10. Sean Mannion was intercepted and returned 23 yards for a td and punted with 5:08 left in the game. ASU led 30-10 and OSU went 75/8pl for a td, ASU recovered the onside kick at the 44 and got 2 FD’s to the 18 where they took a knee. OSU had a 390-339 yard edge and the FD’s were even at 20.

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Phil Steele is a college football analyst who has been publishing his annual College Football Preview since 1995. His magazine is regarded as one of the best in the business.
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