The Hangover Cure: Week 10

Ah, sweet November.

That’s what’s inspired me today.

Día de los Muertos

The state of Washington might stop recognizing football as a sport soon.

In losses to USC and Stanford, respectively, Washington and Washington State were outscored by a combined 125-0. They totaled 409 yards together, which was less than either opponent racked up. They committed eight combined turnovers and forced zero. Neither team has a win over an FBS opponent this season, and Wazzu’s lone win was over Portland State, currently 3-4 against its fellow FCS competition.

Their two coaches, WSU’s Bill Wulff and U-Dub’s Tyrone Willingham, are a combined 12-40 in their tenures in the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, that record will get at least one game better by the end of the year.

But only because there’s a little game called the Apple Cup where these two meet.

Remembrance Day

Georgia celebrated last year.

This year, the Gators remembered that well.

In a steamrolling that was never even competitive after Florida scored to go up 21-3 early in the third quarter and never looked like a potential win for Georgia after Brandon Spikes slammed Knowshon Moreno to the ground on the Bulldogs’ second snap and delivered a literal message to Moreno and a figurative one to the Red and Black, the Gators avenged last year’s loss and established themselves as the scariest team in the Eastern Time Zone and possibly the nation.

The Gators’ defense set the tone from that Spikes tackle, and never let up, stymieing three first-half drives of 50 or more yards and forcing three field goal tries; Blair Walsh missed the first and last, the latter banging squarely into the left upright with a satisfying thud that was probably the sound of Georgia falling to Earth. The Dawgs’ patchwork offensive line, so good this year despite missing multiple NFL-quality players, was unable to open the lanes Moreno is accustomed to, and the back’s usual brilliance was only good for a handful of six- and eight-yard runs as a result; without big-play potential in the running game, Georgia had to take to the air.

And while Matthew Stafford played admirably, he was battered by the Gators’ front seven all day, and he threw three interceptions, two the results of good coverage and followed on the next offensive play by touchdowns, and one on a twisting, awesomely athletic move by Dustin Doe. The Dawgs also fumbled once, on a toss that went off Moreno’s hands.

Equipped with short fields by those turnovers and a failed onside kick after Georgia’s field goal made the score 7-3, Florida’s offense was less beautifully explosive and more brutally efficient. Tim Tebow ran for 39 yards and three touchdowns, looking like the decisive power runner he was last year; Percy Harvin, Jeff Demps, and Chris Rainey all had slicing runs to keep drives moving, but no breakaways; the passing game was highlighted by a gorgeous touchdown on a perfectly placed ball to Louis Murphy, but mostly shredded the Dawgs underneath. All of the above was made possible by an offensive line that continued its great protection of the last four weeks, keeping Tebow upright and opening creases when necessary.

And though Florida benefited from a few questionable calls, on an early Tebow run that was ruled a first down after a replay, an interception wherein Joe Haden threw an arm out and used A.J. Green like Gene Kelly used light poles, and the Murphy touchdown, where a shirt pull went unseen and uncalled, the Bulldogs shot themselves in as many paws as possible, with penalties wiping out an early interception and creating long downs on offense. It was fitting that a 54-yard completion to Green, the Dawgs’ longest offensive play of the game, was immediately followed by an Ahmad Black interception: Georgia squandered opportunities and made Florida’s better all day.

In the end, with John Brantley throwing a touchdown in garbage time and Urban Meyer calling timeouts so Emmanuel Moody could accrue enough yardage to be the game’s leading rusher, Florida savored their handiwork. This was a demolition, a great team laying into a merely very good one.

That great team, after other events Saturday, has the clearest road to Miami it’s had since its loss to Mississippi. On Halloween weekend, that should scare their potential opponents.

Veterans’ Day

Michael Crabtree’s only a sophomore, but he’s already one of the best receivers the Big 12’s ever seen. Graham Harrell’s a senior, and he’s put in the time and compiled the stats to make him one of the best quarterbacks, statistically, the NCAA’s ever known.

And on Saturday night, they connected in one moment that validated Texas Tech as a national conte