Winners and Losers from Week 2 of College Football
Week 2 of the college football season is over. And shame on anyone who thought this slate of games, though poor on paper, would mean a lack of excitement.
[Glances around nervously.]
A lot happened across the country. That's why we have a weekly "Winners and Losers" recap to capture all that was good—and all that was painful—during another week of college football action.
So let's get the conversation going. Which teams, players, coaches and/or moments were the best from Week 2? Which ones were the worst?
Winner: Oregon Ducks
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The Highlight: Let’s give credit where it’s due: Oregon came back and beat Michigan State. The Ducks coaching staff made better halftime adjustments. There’s no other way around it.
The Ducks looked far more like themselves in the second half of a 46-27 win, scoring 21 points in just over five minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters.
Even though quarterback Marcus Mariota was on the run at times because of Michigan State’s pass rush, Oregon got its rushing game going. Freshman running back Royce Freeman finished the game with 89 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.
Oregon also did a nice job of confusing the Spartans in the passing game, with a couple of touchdowns coming from busted coverages.
Defensively, Oregon had a big fourth-down stop deep in its own territory and an interception in the fourth quarter. The way Spartans quarterback Connor Cook was connecting with receiver Tony Lippett in the vertical passing game, that could have been 14 points for the team in white.
The final score looked ugly, but Michigan State was in this game for three quarters and some change. It took a major effort by Oregon to turn the momentum.
Loser: Texas Longhorns
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The Lowlight: When you lose 41-7 to anyone, well, pretty much everything is considered a negative. There was no revenge for Texas against BYU on Saturday. In fact, it was the worst home loss for the Horns since the infamous "Rout 66" game against UCLA in 1997, according to Chuck Carlton of The Dallas Morning News.
Cougars quarterback Taysom Hill showed why he's more than just a dark-horse Heisman candidate, accounting for 280 yards and three touchdowns.
Texas faced an uphill battle when it was announced this past week that quarterback David Ash (head) would miss the game. Things got worse when Texas discovered it would be without three starting offensive linemen—Dominic Espinosa (ankle), Kennedy Estelle (suspension) and Desmond Harrison (suspension).
Clearly, the O-line attrition had a bigger impact.
Sophomore quarterback Tyrone Swoopes wasn’t bad in his first start, going 20-of-31 with a touchdown. But, Texas struggled to run the ball (82 yards on 35 carries), which is the bread and butter of the offense.
The Longhorns defense actually didn’t play terribly, despite what the numbers say. This was a 6-0 game heading into halftime before the Cougars unleashed 28 points in the third quarter. When the offense is unable to do anything, it puts a lot of unfair pressure on the defense.
There's a lot this Longhorns team still needs to figure out. As Geoff Ketchum of Orangebloods.com tweeted, Charlie Strong is finally going to find out what it's really like to be the coach of Texas.
Winner: Big-Play Wide Receivers
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The Highlight: Yes, it was “just” Florida Atlantic, but Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper showed why he’s one of the most exciting players at his position.
Against the Owls, Cooper had 13 catches for 189 yards and a score, including a 52-yard quick pass from quarterback Blake Sims that showed off Cooper’s athleticism in space. Those 13 grabs tied an Alabama single-game record set by D.J. Hall against Tennessee in 2007. Already on the season, Cooper has 25 catches for 319 yards.
Meanwhile, Baylor freshman KD Cannon caught six passes for 223—an average of 37.2 yards per catch—and three touchdowns in an easy 70-6 win over Northwestern State. In the first half.
With the loss of Tevin Reese, Baylor was in need of a deep receiving threat who could stretch the field in a similar fashion. Cannon is still learning, but he already looks like a player who can fill that role for the Bears.
And then there's LSU receiver Travin Dural, who had three catches for 140 yards in a 56-0 win over Sam Houston State. Did we mention all three of those grabs were for touchdowns?
The competition speaks for itself, but so do some of these numbers.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Loser: UCLA Bruins
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The Lowlight: For the second week in a row, UCLA held on to win against a team that, at least heading into the season, it shouldn't have any problem beating.
But, as the kids these days say, that's why you play the game. And it's why UCLA should be quickly dropping down, if not out of, top-25 polls everywhere. A 42-35 escape over Memphis—which, mind you, appears to be on the right track under head coach Justin Fuente—exposed many of the same problems UCLA showed in Week 1 against Virginia.
The Bruins continue to have problems protecting quarterback Brett Hundley, but the offense was statistically a bit more appealing. Hundley, a preseason Heisman front-runner, threw for 396 yards and three touchdowns. But this time, it was the defense that was unable to play at the same level.
In any case, UCLA still has a lot of question marks and looks nothing like the sexy playoff pick folks like Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports chose. The good news is that the Bruins are still getting healthy in the trenches and face Texas in Week 3. The Longhorns, of course, are coming off of a 41-7 loss to BYU.
But Texas' defensive line is full of talent, and the Horns could be coming out of the gate angry. The unofficial over/under on the combined number of sacks may reach double digits by Monday.
Winner: Brock the Bounty Hunter
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The Highlight: Look at this photo. Now back at me. Now back at the photo. What do you see? You see a majestic steed with a flowing mane of a mullet named Brock Hekking, who looks like he deserves to be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Hekking is a senior defensive end for Nevada, which means he's been around college football for a while. But, for some terrible reason, the great mullet has been kept hidden from the general public.
Until Friday night in the Wolf Pack's 24-13 win over Washington State, that is. Here's another look, courtesy of B/R's Barrett Sallee, at our great American hero.
Hekking had eight tackles in Friday's win, but that's secondary to the hair. The power of prime-time television when there are no other football games on is a powerful thing.
Loser: Stanford Head Coach David Shaw
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The Lowlight: Stanford's 13-10 loss to USC hurt, especially considering what could have been. How many different ways do you want to explain that Stanford had a ton of opportunities to score on USC and didn't?
Here's one way: The Cardinal had nine offensive drives in the game and all nine went into USC territory. In fact, according to ESPN's Brett McMurphy, all nine drives ended up inside the USC 30-yard line at one point.
Twice, head coach David Shaw elected to punt near USC's 30-yard line. That's probably because the Cardinal also missed two field goals.
That's not even counting the other time Stanford was stuffed on fourth down just outside the goal line. And the penalties (eight for 68 yards). And the turnovers (two, including the game-sealing strip-fumble of quarterback Kevin Hogan).
Stanford had 413 yards on Saturday but couldn't get the job done when it came to putting points on the board. Furthermore, the Cardinal defense, despite all of the losses from last year's team, held USC to 59 plays on nine drives. Stanford played the type of game it wanted. It just didn't get the result it wanted.
As Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports tweeted, this loss could stay with Shaw and his team for a while. Shaw put it best afterward: "The problem in the red zone is me."
Winner: Iowa State Wide Receiver Jarvis West
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The Highlight: His performance will be overshadowed by the likes of Kansas State quarterback Jake Waters and receiver Tyler Lockett, but Iowa State wide receiver Jarvis West had himself a game.
The problem? Waters led a gutsy go-ahead drive and K-State survived a trip to Ames, 32-28.
West, all 5'7" and 171 pounds of him, finished the game with a 17-yard receiving touchdown, an 82-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 19-yard passing touchdown on a trick play—all in the first half.
West had eight catches for 75 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. He also had a tough drop on a 3rd-and-5 that would have given the Cyclones a first down in the final minute of the game. K-State's defense held Iowa State on the next play. Game over.
Still, the senior is the kind of playmaker first-year offensive coordinator Mark Mangino loves to have. Mangino is a creative X's and O's guy, and with primary receiver Quenton Bundrage out for the season with an ACL tear, he'll look to different guys to step up.
If Saturday was any indication, West can be that guy for the Cyclones.
Loser: SMU Coach June Jones
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The Lowlight: It took eight full quarters of the 2014 season, but SMU finally scored a touchdown.
Not just a touchdown, actually. It took the Mustangs two full games into the 2014 season to score any points at all.
In a 43-6 loss to North Texas, SMU turned the ball over five times and had just eight yards rushing. Had it not been for a 33-yard touchdown pass as time expired, the Mustangs would have been held scoreless. Again.
Last December, and coming off a 5-7 effort, SMU awarded head coach June Jones with a three-year contract extension that takes him through 2017. Now, it looks like SMU couldn't get rid of Jones soon enough.
Jones initially did a nice job of turning around a beleaguered program by taking SMU to four straight bowls from 2009-12, but he is 36-43 overall with the Mustangs.
Now, though, it's easy to wonder whether this team will win a game all season. If nothing else, Jones should be able to coach up an offense given his history. One touchdown in two games isn't close to being acceptable.
"All losses are tough, but we have some young guys that we’re trying to teach how to win," Jones said afterward (via EJ Holland of The Dallas Morning News). "We have to do better, I have to do better and somehow, we have to find a way. It’s not going to go away, you know. We just have to keep fighting."
Whether this team will fight for Jones remains to be seen. That's the most concerning part.
Winner: Nebraska Running Back Ameer Abdullah
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The Highlight: There's only one highlight you need to see, and it's the one that won the game for Nebraska.
And, maybe, saved the season for the Cornhuskers.
Locked in a surprising 24-24 tie with McNeese State with under a minute to go, Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. hit running back Ameer Abdullah coming across the right side of the field. Abdullah then evaded not one, not two, not three, not four, but five tackles on his way to a 58-yard touchdown.
You can see video of the amazing play here.
Overall, it was a bad game for Nebraska, which barely evaded embarrassment on a day when Big Ten teams struggled with early games against opponents from non-power conferences. The Huskers will take the win, though, and move forward with a 2-0 record.
Abdullah will still have to pay for his own meals to avoid an NCAA violation, but he shouldn't have to after that catch and run.
Loser: The Big Ten (Part 1)
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The Lowlight: Sweeping narratives about conferences can be old and played out, but Saturday really wasn't a great day for the Big Ten despite going 8-2 in early afternoon games.
Let's start at the bottom. Purdue lost to Central Michigan 38-17 and Northwestern fell to Northern Illinois 23-15, but wins by Big Ten teams generally didn't come much easier.
Nebraska needed arguably the play of the year from running back Ameer Abdullah to beat McNeese State. Illinois, Iowa, Maryland and Penn State needed late-game rallies to pull away from Western Kentucky, Ball State, South Florida and Akron, respectively.
Granted, Akron and Ball State are good football teams. But perhaps the Big Ten showed the actual gap between the lower half of its conference and the so-called lesser "Group of Five" is closer than expected.
Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com called the Big Ten West the worst division among Power Five conferences. As strong of a stance as that is, it could be accurate.
All the same, it was an underwhelming afternoon for the Big Ten.
Winner: Virginia Tech Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster
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The Highlight: This is a late addition, which is borderline insulting to Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, who put together perhaps the best defensive game plan in all of Week 2.
In a 35-21 win over Ohio State, Foster's defense sacked Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett seven times and forced the redshirt freshman in to three interceptions. The final one was taken back by Donovan Riley for a 63-yard touchdown that sealed the deal.
Barrett went 9-of-29 passing on the night and the Hokies kept him on edge the entire time. The Buckeyes' line was an obvious concern heading into the game and Virginia Tech took advantage.
Tech also limited Ohio State to 108 yards on the ground on 40 carries (including sacks), which kept Ohio State to under 3 yards per rush.
The Buckeyes have their problems on offense, but give credit to Foster and this defensive staff. They did a great job.
Loser: The Big Ten (Part 2)
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The Lowlight: Yeah, the Big Ten's troublesome Saturday gets two mentions.
It was that bad.
Coupled with the afternoon struggles against largely non-power conference teams, the Big Ten upper echelon couldn't muster a major win in key non-conference games.
Ohio State's offensive line problems showed up (again) in a 35-21 loss at home to Virginia Tech. Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster is one of the best in the business for a reason, dialing up blitzes for which the Buckeyes had no answers.
Meanwhile, Ohio State's bitter rival, Michigan, didn't fare well against Notre Dame in what will be the final game for the foreseeable future between the two schools. The Irish took control from the beginning and never looked back, shutting out the Wolverines 31-0.
Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson looks like a completely new and improved player—and possibly a Heisman candidate—after serving a one-season suspension for academic misconduct.
And, yes, Michigan State adds to the list of Big Ten woes after losing to Oregon 46-27. However, the Spartans had a lead heading into halftime and played toe-to-toe with the Ducks through most of the game. The final box score wasn't indicative of how competitive it was.
Still, a loss is a loss, and the Big Ten's best couldn't come away with the big win.
Winner: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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The Highlight: While the Big Ten was being sent back in time, Notre Dame was shutting out Michigan 31-0 in the final meeting between the two schools.
For a rivalry that just three years ago produced a classic, the final game was never even a contest. Michigan's NCAA-record of 365 games without getting shut out came to an end. Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com captured the atmosphere from South Bend:
"“I'd be lying to tell you it doesn't feel great to shut out Michigan 31-0,” Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly, the emphasis in his voice on 31 in case anyone forgot Notre Dame's final score.
How could anyone forget? Irish fans relished the finale as the game ended, snapping pictures of the scoreboard and chanting the “good-bye” song.
"
Irish quarterback Everett Golson continues to look like a brand new player, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns. He's made accurate throws and good decisions, which only complements his scrambling ability.
Michigan had no answer, nor could it provide one on offense. First-year offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier was brought in to be the answer for a putrid 2013 unit. Laying a goose egg shows the Wolverines still have work to do.
The rivalry between Michigan and Notre Dame has unfortunately ended. The Irish have their eyes set on bigger goals this season, but they'll also have the satisfaction of ending the series with an exclamation point.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
