Winners and Losers from Week 10 of College Football
November is here and the conference games across college football are growing ever more important. There have already been wild finishes and upsets that promise to shake up the College Football Playoff picture.
From TCU's game-winning field goal on the road against West Virginia to Florida's stunning beatdown over Georgia, November has already come through in providing some great games. Oregon finally took care of Stanford, and Auburn survived a shootout with Ole Miss.
From those games and much, much more, we have it all covered.
Which teams, players and moments came away as winners? Which ones didn't? The answers are in the following slides.
Winner: Florida State's Phenomenal Freshmen
1 of 17
Florida State's 24-game winning streak can be attributed to how well head coach Jimbo Fisher and his coaching staff have recruited over the years. When one class moves on to the NFL, the next group steps up, sometimes with little-to-no drop-off.
But in Thursday night's 42-31 win over Louisville, Florida State needed some of its phenomenal freshmen from the 2014 class to contribute in a big way. Running back Dalvin Cook (pictured) and wide receivers Ermon Lane and Travis Rudolph—the top three players in FSU's '14 class, according to 247Sports—all played key roles.
Cook led his team with 110 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries, providing a big-play spark the offense desperately needed. Rudolph caught a 68-yard touchdown pass on a broken coverage play, and Lane caught a 47-yard touchdown.
In all, those three freshmen accounted for four of Florida State's six touchdowns. Not a bad way to break out on a Thursday night.
Loser: East Carolina
2 of 17
There are losses, and then there's what East Carolina did.
As a one-loss "Group of Five" team eyeing a major bowl berth, the Pirates have been skating on thin ice over the past few weeks with close wins—relatively speaking—over South Florida and UConn. That has officially caught up to them.
In a 20-10 loss to Temple on Saturday, East Carolina turned the ball over five times while allowing just 135 yards of offense from the Owls. According to ESPN, it's the first time Temple has defeated an Associated Press Top 25 opponent since 1998.
Yeah, that type of game. And coupled with Central Florida's 37-29 loss to UConn, it was a bad day atop the American Athletic Conference standings.
The loss tosses East Carolina out of the major bowl conversation and elevates the likes of Marshall, Colorado State and potentially Boise State.
Winner: Texas A&M Defensive End Myles Garrett
3 of 17
Texas A&M's 21-16 closer-than-it-should-have-been win over Louisiana-Monroe was a debut of many things, including some swanky throwback uniforms and freshman quarterback Kyle Allen.
But it's the player who has been turning heads all year who gets a helmet sticker from W&L: Aggies defensive end Myles Garrett.
An early sack of Warhawks quarterback Pete Thomas gave Garrett 8.5 sacks on the year, breaking former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney's freshman SEC record of eight sacks. The play also gave Garrett his 10th tackle for loss, which leads the team.
A&M needed this win, regardless of how ugly it was, to become bowl eligible, and the last three games against Auburn, Missouri and LSU provide no guarantees. In an otherwise frustrating day, Garrett breaking Clowney's record is a positive.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Winner: Your (Almost) Weekly Shaq Thompson Update
4 of 17
Washington linebacker/running back—or is it running back/linebacker?—Shaq Thompson is no stranger to Winners and Losers. In fact, if W&L had a Heisman vote, it would certainly put Thompson up there among the finalists.
In a 38-23 win over Colorado, Thompson led all rushers with 174 yards and a touchdown while averaging 11.6 yards every time he touched the ball. He also had 41 yards receiving on two catches.
That is, in our professional analysis, pretty good.
UCLA linebacker Myles Jack made headlines last year when he moonlighted as a running back with great success. Thompson is doing the same thing this year, and he's been a scoring machine on both sides of the ball.
Loser: Washington State
5 of 17
Quarterback Connor Halliday was the best thing in an otherwise disappointing season for Washington State. Through eight games, Halliday led the nation in yards (3,833) and touchdowns (32).
Unfortunately, the Cougars have now lost Halliday to injury. Down 14-0 to USC, Halliday was rolled up on as he was tackled to the ground. Google the video if you must, but be warned, it's tough to watch. USC would go on to win 44-17.
Jacob Thorpe of the Spokesman Review reports that Halliday is undergoing surgery for a broken fibula. That would certainly end Halliday's season and, sadly, his college career.
There's no shortage of respect for Halliday across the Pac-12. USC quarterback Cody Kessler even went over to check on Halliday as he laid on the ground.
It's awful to see Halliday go down to injury like that. He was a productive player and criminally underrated nationally given his team's record. Here's hoping for a successful, and quick, recovery.
Winner: TCU Cornerback Kevin White
6 of 17
Perhaps the best matchup of the TCU-West Virginia game was Horned Frogs cornerback Kevin White against Mountaineers receiver Kevin White.
And, wouldn't you know it, Kevin White won. The TCU one, that is.
West Virginia's White had just three catches for 28 yards in a 31-30 loss to TCU, all of which came early in the game. It's the second-straight game where White has been held to essentially identical receiving numbers after recording seven-straight 100-yard receiving efforts.
TCU's White did an outstanding job in coverage, eliminating the other White from the game plan. Until the final minutes of the game, there was a long stretch where White wasn't even targeted.
Kevin White the receiver has been great this year, without a doubt. He's physical, big and has tremendous upside. But on Saturday, TCU's Kevin White had the better day by a landslide.
Loser: West Virginia
7 of 17
This one will hurt West Virginia for a long time.
The Mountaineers gave away a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to fall to TCU, 31-30, on a last-second field goal. But it was how West Virginia lost that will sting the most.
West Virginia had five—count 'em, five—turnovers, all of which came in its own territory. Amazingly, TCU was only able to get 14 points off of those turnovers. In that sense, credit the Mountaineers defense for doing its job in a tough situation.
Still, losing the turnover battle 5-2 is no way to win a game. Then, there was the uncharacteristically conservative play-calling from Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen. With stud wide receiver Kevin White a non-factor and quarterback Clint Trickett struggling, Holgorsen opted to run the ball.
"Clint was incredibly uncomfortable," Holgorsen said, per Jake Trotter of ESPN, adding a pass "wouldn’t have turned out good."
On several occasions, the Mountaineers had the right look. TCU would put just six defenders in the box and dare West Virginia to run. As the game went on, the Frogs won in the trenches on both sides of the ball. That ended up being the biggest difference.
It's still a spectacular turnaround for West Virginia from a year ago. Three losses to Alabama, Oklahoma and now TCU—all of which were respectable scores, too—is nothing to scoff at.
All the same, West Virginia would like to have this one back.
Winner: Pitt Running Back James Conner
8 of 17
Yes, Pitt lost a heartbreaking game to Duke in double-overtime, 51-48, but it certainly wasn't the fault of Panthers running back James Conner.
The sophomore posted season-high numbers in carries (38) and yards (263) in addition to three touchdowns. Interestingly, Conner wasn't used at all in Pittsburgh's second overtime attempt, which led to a 43-yard field goal.
Duke would go on to score a touchdown in its next possession.
Conner has been great all season, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark and being the every-down bruising back you'd expect from a Paul Chryst offense. If the Panthers are going to win two of their final three games—against North Carolina, Syracuse and Miami—Conner must continue to be a big part of the offense.
Winner: Auburn Quarterback Nick Marshall
9 of 17
It didn't come easy, but Auburn survived a 35-31 thriller against Ole Miss to stay alive in the SEC West and the College Football Playoff race.
Especially strong was the performance of Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall, who threw for 254 yards—and 11.5 yards per attempt—and two touchdowns with an interception. Marshall also added 50 rushing yards and another pair of scores to account for four of Auburn's five touchdowns.
The Tigers weren't sharp elsewhere, committing 13 penalties for 145 yards, but Marshall was on point.
Marshall isn't getting a ton of Heisman chatter, if any, but he's been brilliant in basically all but one game this year—the loss to Mississippi State in which he completed less than 50 percent of his passes and threw two picks. (He also missed part of the season opener against Arkansas because of a half-game suspension.)
Auburn still has to play Texas A&M, Georgia and Alabama, with the latter two on the road.
Loser: Georgia
10 of 17
It's beyond time to start asking whether any team wants to win the SEC East. Or if any team in that division is really that good.
Following Florida's stunning 38-20 victory over Georgia, the SEC East is back up for grabs. Coupled with Missouri's 20-10 win over Kentucky, the Tigers are now atop the division. Put another way, the SEC East leader is the same team that lost to Indiana. At home. And was shut out by Georgia last month.
Getting back to Florida-Georgia, the single most surprising thing was that the Gators racked up 418 yards—at seven yards a carry—on the Bulldogs defense.
The Gators have truly struggled on offense this season; for this team to pound away at Georgia like it did was unexpected to say the least.
Even Missouri coach Gary Pinkel got a laugh out of it.
Whether this saves Florida coach Will Muschamp's job remains to be seen, but it was a much-needed win. The Gators are two wins away from bowl eligibility, which is a must if Muschamp is going to keep his job at all.
Winner: Oregon
11 of 17
The theme for Oregon heading into Saturday's game against Stanford was about exorcising demons. For the past two years, the Cardinal held the Ducks to an average of 17 points in two wins.
Not this time.
Oregon blew past Stanford with ease in a 45-16 victory. Quarterback Marcus Mariota, who has had his own struggles against Stanford, had 323 all-purpose yards and four total touchdowns. The Ducks showed tremendous balance, throwing for 258 yards and rushing for 267 against the top defense in the Pac-12.
As Dave Lombardi of ESPN notes, this was the first time in 32 games that Stanford has given up more than 30 points in a game, an impressive streak by itself.
Barring a disaster in the final three games of the season, Oregon looks to have the Pac-12 North locked up.
Loser: Ole Miss
12 of 17
First and foremost, it's tough to think about anything else with Ole Miss other than the gruesome leg injury sustained by wide receiver Laquon Treadwell.
The sophomore caught his 10th pass of the night on a short throw from quarterback Bo Wallace and appeared to be on his way into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Instead, Treadwell was tackled awkwardly, causing both the injury and a fumble at the goal line that Auburn recovered.
It was the textbook definition of adding insult to injury.
Less disappointing in context was the 507 yards Ole Miss gave up on defense. Injuries are mounting for the Rebels, but the defense has been this team's calling card all season.
At 7-2, the Rebels are likely on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff discussion. The program's best win is still over Alabama at home, but it has a crucial game against Mississippi State to end the season.
Winner: Tennessee Quarterback Joshua Dobbs
13 of 17
It would appear that the future of Tennessee football, at least at quarterback, is unfolding.
Vols sophomore Joshua Dobbs tallied 467 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns in a 45-42 come-from-behind overtime win over South Carolina.
The Gamecocks are sputtering and have lost four of their last five games, giving up late-game leads in three of those games. Still, performing like Dobbs did on the road deserves mention. Plus, it gives the Vols their first conference victory of the season.
As Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports tweets, Dobbs is showing Tennessee fans what the future could hold. And the future looks bright.
Tennessee has to win two of its next three games—vs. Kentucky, Missouri and Vanderbilt—to reach a bowl. Getting back to the postseason would be a positive step for head coach Butch Jones as he tries to revitalize this program.
Winner: South Carolina Wide Receiver Pharoh Cooper
14 of 17
South Carolina gave up another big lead in a loss to Tennessee, and head coach Steve Spurrier definitely doesn’t want to talk about it, but that’s hardly the fault of wide receiver Pharoh Cooper.
Against the Vols, Cooper had a season-high 11 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns, three rushes for 23 yards and a score and a 30-yard touchdown pass. That’s not too shabby of a night.
It was the second time this season Cooper has reeled in double-digit catches but the first time he's gone over 200 yards receiving.
Of course, Cooper would rather come away with the win, but there’s a do-it-all performance that deserves to be highlighted.
Loser: Arizona
15 of 17
Like the SEC East, the Pac-12 South is a revolving door of divisional leaders. Arizona could have kept pace atop the South with a win over UCLA.
Instead, the Wildcats' offense was held to just one touchdown in a 17-7 loss to the Bruins. Freshman quarterback Anu Solomon had a particularly rough night, going 18-of-48 on just 3.6 yards per attempt.
As for UCLA? The Bruins have rarely looked pretty, but are 7-2 all the same.
Arizona has played in its fair share of tight games throughout the season, and for the most part, have come out ahead. However, its last two close games—against UCLA and USC—have been losses. With Washington, Utah and Arizona State still on the schedule, the Wildcats will have to find a better way to close out games.
At 3-2 in the Pac-12, Arizona dropped from a divisional front-runner to the fifth-place team just like that. There's still time to rebound, but the past few weeks indicate the final stretch of the season could be frustrating.
Winner: Notre Dame Quarterback Everett Golson
16 of 17
When ball security issues aren’t, well, an issue, Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson is one of the best at his position in college football. Put simply, Golson can spin it with the best of them.
That was on display in a 49-39 win over Navy in which Golson accounted for six touchdowns—three passing and three rushing—along with 348 all-purpose yards. He needed every one of those yards, too, with the Irish defense giving up 454 yards to the Midshipmen.
Golson aside, it's still tough to figure out this Irish team. It looked great in a loss at Florida State last month but had to survive against North Carolina and Navy. The Irish still have a few big games remaining on their schedule, including a Week 11 road trip at Arizona State.
If Notre Dame really wants to get back in the heart of the playoff discussion, it has to beat the Sun Devils—which means Golson is probably going to have to have a big game.
Winner: Arizona State
17 of 17
Rebuilding year? What rebuilding year?
Picked to finish third in the Pac-12 South by media members, Arizona State has instead taken the lead in the divisional race following a 19-16 overtime win against Utah. Temporarily, that is.
The Sun Devils are 5-1 in conference play, a half-game ahead of USC. Still to go on ASU's schedule is Notre Dame, Oregon State, Washington State and Arizona. Still, Arizona State controls its Pac-12 South destiny.
Whether or not the Sun Devils are playoff worthy remains to be seen; a 62-27 blowout loss to UCLA is a tough blemish to hide, even if the Bruins keep winning.
What continues to be the most impressive part of Arizona State's season is the defense, which was breaking in almost an entirely new starting 11. With the exception of the UCLA loss, the results have been largely solid. The Sun Devils have given up an average of 12 points in the last three victories.
Arizona State continues to be known for offense, and deservedly so, but its defense has stepped up big time over the course of the season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
