1 Quick Fix Every Top 25 College Football Team Will Make Between Week 1 and 2
If they haven't already, head coaches across college football are reviewing game film right about now. Even in big wins, it's 100 percent guaranteed each and every one of those coaches is looking at something on film and grimacing.
Welcome to a world without preseason games to knock off the rust and work out the kinks. That's why the time between Week 1 and Week 2 is so crucial. Many would say it's the time in which teams show the most dramatic improvement.
Or, at the very least, it's the time that teams must show that improvement.
What will each Associated Press Top 25 team be working on this week? We tackle one "quick fix" issue that plagued each team in the opening weekend but can at least be realistically addressed in time to show some improvement by the second game. Not every problem has to be completely solved, but it should be capable of being adjusted quickly.
No. 25 Mississippi State
1 of 25
Fix: Get the defense off the field sooner
There were myriad factors in play, but Mississippi State ran just seven plays in the first quarter of last week's game against Southern Miss. This was partially due to turnovers and a special teams touchdown. But the concerning thing is that, when Southern Miss did have the ball, the Bulldogs had a hard time getting off the field.
The last thing head coach Dan Mullen wants against LSU is to keep his defense on the field for an extended period of time. For one, that means start quarterback Dak Prescott is standing on the sidelines. When you have arguably the best player on the field, you want him actually on the field.
The other angle is LSU running back Leonard Fournette. The Tigers offense is going to feed him the ball over and over again. The longer he's on the field, the more he's going to wear down Mississippi State's defense.
No. 24 Utah
2 of 25
Fix: Run blocking
One of the top running backs in the Pac-12 in 2014, Utah's Devontae Booker had just 69 yards on 22 carries in the season opener against Michigan. That's roughly three yards per carry, and Booker never had a run longer than 16 yards.
Put simply, the Utes need to have more explosiveness in the running game. It's their bread and butter.
Michigan, for all its faults, has a good defense, but so does Utah State. The Aggies had the top defense in the Mountain West in 2014 and were excellent again against Southern Utah. If Booker can top 100 yards, that would be considered a huge improvement up front.
No. 23 Tennessee
3 of 25
Fix: Pass defense
We knew heading into Week 1 that Bowling Green could score. Sure enough, the Falcons put up 30 points and 433 yards passing against Tennessee. Suffice to say, the Vols can't let that happen again against Oklahoma.
As head coach Butch Jones said in his Monday press conference, the fault in the pass defense lies in all three levels:
"With a naked eye, everyone wants to point toward the secondary. That’s not how pass defense works. It’s all 11 individuals and it starts up front. It starts up front with generating the pass rush. It starts up front with our get-off off the ball. The use of our hands. It starts with the second level with our linebackers and the third level with our secondary.
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The Sooners are breaking in a new Air Raid offense and a new-look wide receiver unit. Can the Vols do a better job of disrupting OU's passing offense? That'll be a focus this week.
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No. 22 Arizona
4 of 25
Fix: Defensive fundamentals
Arizona's 42-32 win over UTSA to begin the season had some Wildcats fans holding their breath. Not only did Arizona give up 525 yards of total offense, but the defense lost starting linebacker Scooby Wright III to a knee injury. We now know that injury will keep him out for the next month or so, according to Kyle Hansen of the Daily Wildcat.
Redshirt senior Haden Gregory will replace Wright, but head coach Rich Rodriguez thinks it matters less who's in the game and more what they're doing fundamentally.
"I don’t think we had a lot of missed assignments, particularly for our first game,” Rodriguez said, via the Daily Wildcat. “But fundamentally, we can get a little bit better, particularly at tackling getting off blocks.”
Nevada is Arizona's next opponent, followed by Northern Arizona. Then, the Wildcats open Pac-12 play against UCLA.
No. 21 Missouri
5 of 25
Fix: The running game
Missouri's offense still showed signs of being a work in progress against Southeast Missouri State in Week 1. The bottom line is quarterback Maty Mauk is throwing to a young wide receiver unit and needs help in the running game.
Compounding those issues are the ankle injuries to center Evan Boehm and running back Russell Hansbrough. Both are questionable for Saturday's game against Arkansas State, according to Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star.
Ish Witter would likely get the start if Hansbrough can't go or is limited, but he averaged just 2.5 yards per carry in Week 1. Injuries and youth are hurting Mizzou, but that means new players have to step up quickly.
No. 20 Boise State
6 of 25
Fix: First-down offense
Offense was hit-or-miss in Boise State's opening win against Washington. If the Broncos defense hadn't stepped up, perhaps the outcome would have been different.
Quarterback Ryan Finley was shaky in his debut as the full-time starter, averaging just five yards per pass attempt and tossing an interception. It's going to take some time for Finley to get comfortable, so in the meantime, Boise's offense can do more to make sure the offense sets itself up in manageable second- and-third-down situations (Boise State was 8-of-18 on third downs).
While running back Jeremy McNichols was brilliant at times, he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. Overall, a better a start to offensive possessions will open up more options and should help Finley on second and third down.
No. 19 Oklahoma
7 of 25
Fix: Passing attack
The stat sheet doesn't show it necessarily, but Oklahoma got off to a slow start against Akron in Week 1. Specifically, the Sooners' passing game took a little time to click. The first six drives for the offense were never longer than five plays, and OU had just three points to show for it.
Things picked up in the third quarter when Oklahoma scored 21 points and put the game away for good, but quarterback Baker Mayfield and the new-look receiving corps have to be on the same page soon. Tennessee, Oklahoma's Week 2 opponent, is currently last in the SEC in pass defense, and the Vols played Bowling Green in Week 1.
This is an opportunity for the Sooners to take advantage.
No. 18 Arkansas
8 of 25
Fix: Quarterback pressure
This isn't so much a "quick fix" as it is an area for continued improvement. Arkansas' pass rush took a big hit with the departures of defensive linemen Trey Flowers and Darius Philon. Against UTEP, the Razorbacks recorded one sack and four quarterback hurries, but three of those came from the linebacker unit.
In short, the Hogs have to do a better job of getting pressure with their front four. The Week 2 game against Toledo is a good opportunity to pick up in that area before the next nonconference game against Texas Tech—a rematch from last year—and the start of SEC play.
No. 17 Ole Miss
9 of 25
Fix: Third-down situations
When you beat someone you're supposed to by 73 points, what, exactly, do you need to fix? Not much in Ole Miss' case. But if there's one thing to concentrate on this week, it'll be third downs.
The Rebels were so-so in that category against UT-Martin, going 4-of-9 but converting both fourth-down attempts that followed. Not all third-down attempts were for long yardage, but it's not like Ole Miss set itself up for short-distance third downs regularly, either.
Let's put it this way: Only two of Ole Miss' nine third-down attempts were close enough to the first-down marker that the offense felt confident enough to call a running play.
And since the ground game was a major concern for Ole Miss heading into the season, winning first downs and getting into short-yardage third downs will be something to work on going forward.
No. 16 Texas A&M
10 of 25
Fix: Being cautious with the quarterback rotation
Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray are both going to play this season. That much was evident during the Aggies' season-opening win over Arizona State. How head coach Kevin Sumlin plans to use each going forward will be a huge storyline.
Allen is the starter, and thus far he's done nothing to suggest he shouldn't be. Murray is the electrifying runner, but he still has long way in regard to developing as a passer. Murray also suffered a hip injury in the game against the Sun Devils. His availability for Ball State isn't clear just yet.
However, it's clear the coaching staff wants to get Murray on the field at least some. This is fine. Sometimes, getting a tremendous athlete on the field can provide a much-needed spark. But there's also something to be said for having an established quarterback depth chart and sticking to it.
Surely, Sumlin knows he has to be careful in how he approaches this rotation.
No. 15 Georgia Tech
11 of 25
Fix: Ball security
When you beat up on Alcorn State 69-6, there's not much concern heading into Week 2—especially when that opponent is Tulane. How good were the Yellow Jackets? They attempted just five passes—a small number even for their run-heavy offense—and still averaged 9.2 yards per carry.
However, head coach Paul Johnson wasn't happy with the team's ball security, which was likely a result of beating the ever-living daylights out of an overmatched opponent. Ken Sugiura of the Albany Herald explains:
"Lapses in ball security were among the chief sins committed against the Braves. Freshman B-back Marcus Marshall had the ball stripped, leading to a turnover. Quarterback Justin Thomas, while he didn’t fumble, did not carry the ball with sufficient care. Qua Searcy dropped a punt late in the game.
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It didn't cost Georgia Tech this time, but when you run the ball as much as Georgia Tech does, ball security is extra important.
No. 14 LSU
12 of 25
Fix: Keep developing Brandon Harris
LSU's Week 1 game against McNeese State was cancelled because of inclement weather, so there's nothing to fix from one week to the next, per se. However, that doesn't mean the Tigers can waltz into their next game at Mississippi State and think they're good to go.
If anything, as Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee wrote this week, McNeese State would have been a good warm-up for LSU quarterback Brandon Harris.
"LSU needed to figure out what it had with Harris—who essentially has held down the starting job for the duration of fall camp after inheriting it during the offseason while Jennings was suspended," Sallee wrote.
Now, our first impression of the '15 version of Harris will come a week later against a far tougher opponent on the road.
No. 13 UCLA
13 of 25
Fix: Forcing turnovers
The main storyline exiting UCLA's Week 1 win over Virginia was the outstanding performance of true freshman quarterback Josh Rosen. His priority going forward is being as consistent as possible to avoid the ups and downs that can be associated with a freshman campaign.
Defensively, despite missing cornerback Ishmael Adams because of suspension, the Bruins showed a lot of physicality, especially up front. The pass defense gave up some chunk yardage, which can be nullified through takeaways. However, UCLA had just one forced turnover: an interception.
"Thirty-five times their quarterback dropped back and he got sacked once, hit 11 times, two tips, five pass break-ups. We hit him 11 times in 35," head coach Jim Mora said, via David Woods of Scout.com. "We had one takeaway, we'll have to be better there, try to get more takeaways."
The Bruins travel to UNLV next. If the defense can double up on turnovers from Week 1 to Week 2, that would be a huge improvement.
No. 12 Clemson
14 of 25
Fix: Turnovers
The biggest negative for Clemson exiting its season-opening win over Wofford was the neck injury to receiver Mike Williams. According to Aaron Brenner of the Post and Courier, he crashed into the goal post on a touchdown catch and has a "small fracture" in his neck that will keep him sidelined for an unspecified amount of time.
If there's something else the Tigers can take away, though, it's improvement in ball security. Clemson had two fumbles against the Terriers, though neither came from a major contributor.
Backup quarterback Nick Schuessler and return man Hunter Renfrow each lost a fumble on Saturday. Though it didn't affect the outcome of the game, ball security will undoubtedly be a talking point this week ahead of the game against Appalachian State. Clemson doesn't have a lot of time between now and the start of ACC play to clean up its ball-security issues.
Louisville, which had three interceptions against Auburn, hosts Clemson in two weeks.
No. 11 Florida State
15 of 25
Fix: Special teams
Florida State didn't have a lot of trouble with Texas State in quarterback Everett Golson's debut for the Seminoles. However, FSU did have several special teams miscues in the kicking and the return game, as Safid Deen of the Tallahassee Democrat noted:
"The Seminoles also fumbled two Texas State punts and surrendered a first down after a fake punt in the second quarter of the 59-16 victory. In that quarter alone, Texas State outscored FSU 10-7.
The fake punt allowed Texas State to salvage a field goal for the Bobcats’ first points of the game. But the first fumble, by cornerback Marquez White, put Texas State in prime position to score from the 29-yard line.
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Head coach Jimbo Fisher said receiver Bobo Wilson will work in the return game going forward, per Deen. Additionally, Roberto Aguayo kicked two kickoffs out of bounds. He is one of the best kickers in college football, if not the best. Week 1 was a slow start for him, but he should be able to rectify his miscues quickly.
No. 10 Georgia
16 of 25
Fix: Keep developing Terry Godwin
There's honestly not much Georgia needs to fix ahead of its Week 2 game against Vanderbilt. So we'll take a side route and say the Bulldogs must continue to work on the passing game without one of their top receivers.
With Isaiah McKenzie still nursing a hamstring injury, Terry Godwin will continue to get more snaps. He played well against Louisiana-Monroe, hauling in three catches for 31 yards.
We'll say this for Vanderbilt: It will likely be a long, long season for the Commodores, but holding Western Kentucky to 14 points is actually a nice accomplishment. (The Hilltoppers averaged 44.4 points per game in 2014.) Furthermore, Vandy held WKU to less than two yards per carry.
If Vandy can somehow keep Georgia's run game in check, it could be up to Greyson Lambert and the passing game to keep things going. With a backup taking first-team snaps at wide receiver, Georgia needs to make sure it's ready to go there.
No. 9 Notre Dame
17 of 25
Fix: Clean up pre-snap penalties
You couldn't have asked Notre Dame to play much better in its season opener against Texas. The Longhorns are rebuilding, but there's nothing wrong with winning 38-3. Quarterback Malik Zaire was efficient and made excellent decisions. Running back C.J. Prosise played well in relief of the injured Tarean Folston. The defense got all kinds of pressure on the Texas offense.
But the Irish had some frustrating pre-snap penalties. That's the case for a lot of teams in Week 1, and it's the result of not having a preseason to work out the kinks. It was especially true for Notre Dame, though, which had six penalties for 39 yards.
We've already seen what can happen when Notre Dame's offense is clicking. Pre-snap penalties do nothing but kill momentum.
No. 8 USC
18 of 25
Fix: Pass protection
Giving up five sacks to Arkansas State isn't exactly the kind of start USC wanted to get off to with its pass protection. Granted, the Trojans had no problems putting away the Red Wolves 55-6, but allowing five sacks per game isn't going to help USC's chances of realizing their playoff hopes.
Part of the issue was pass protection. The other was quarterback Cody Kessler not getting rid of the ball like he needed to.
”Really, you can point to Cody on a couple of them, quite honestly," head coach Steve Sarkisian said to Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Idaho will provide a nice chance for USC to correct the issue—or, at least partially correct it—before getting into Pac-12 play against Stanford and Arizona State.
No. 7 Oregon
19 of 25
Fix: Keep receivers in front of defenders
It doesn't matter what division Eastern Washington plays in. The Eagles have a great offense and will run defenses all over the field on any given Saturday. Though Oregon (and former Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.) beat the Eagles 61-42 last Saturday, Eastern Washington ran 86 plays and recorded 438 yards passing.
Granted, Eastern Washington was trying to play catch-up, but the offense averaged eight yards per pass attempt and Cooper Kupp surpassed the 200-yard mark receiving.
Michigan State isn't likely to run 86 plays against the Ducks, but this is not a slow, low-scoring offense. The Spartans are breaking in new receivers, but quarterback Connor Cook is a decent downfield passer. With a good running game and offensive line, Michigan State can exploit defenses vertically. Oregon's job will be to keep as much in front of them in the passing game as possible.
No. 6 Auburn
20 of 25
Fix: Jeremy Johnson's decision-making
Just like everyone predicted*, Auburn's 31-24 win over Louisville was more about the Tigers defense than their offense. While this is a good sign for Auburn down the road if the offense runs into roadblocks again, it also shows the need for improvement on that side of the ball.
Namely, quarterback Jeremy Johnson has to make better decisions throwing the ball. His three interceptions against the Cardinals were rough choices on his part. As B/R colleague Michael Felder noted in his postgame video, Johnson tended to stare down receivers and make telegraphed passes that were easy to pick off.
Going through an entire progression is not going to be fixed in a week. But by Week 2, Johnson can show an improvement in not forcing things the first time.
If the pass isn't there? Don't be afraid to move on to fight for another down or another series. This is head coach Gus Malzahn's offense we're talking about here. The history for points is there. Johnson has to trust in the offense and learn it's OK if the first read isn't there.
*No one predicted this.
No. 5 Michigan State
21 of 25
Fix: Kick-return coverage
Even though Western Michigan made things interesting at first, Michigan State was generally impressive in its Week 1 win over the Broncos. If there's one area Sparty needs to improve quickly, however, it's in kick-return coverage.
Against Western Michigan, Michigan State allowed 209 yards on five kickoff returns, aided largely by the 100-yard return from Darius Phillips to give the Broncos their first points of the game. And if there's one thing we know about Oregon ahead of the Ducks' Week 2 game against Michigan State, it's that there's no shortage of speed on the field.
This was on display in last year's win over Michigan State. The Spartans looked like they had the game in control, but just like that, Oregon started scoring in bunches. What Michigan State can't afford to do in this year's game is give up any momentum it has in a heartbeat to Oregon. Because that's how the Ducks win games.
No. 4 Baylor
22 of 25
Fix: Limiting big plays on defense
Baylor's opener against SMU was interesting for a half until the Bears went full Baylor by outscoring the Mustangs 28-0 in the second half.
Still, what allowed SMU to hold court with the Bears were the big plays. In all, Baylor gave up four plays of at least 20 yards against the Mustangs. Yes, new SMU coach Chad Morris is already turning around this program, and Week 1 was a nice start. However, Baylor's defense needs to be better.
Baylor is always going to be known as a team that can win in a shootout, and it's not necessarily crucial that the defense holds teams to less than 20 points per game. That said, the defense does need to make opposing offenses work for everything they get. With Texas Tech's offense being the next big test in October, the Bears have some time to improve on limiting big plays.
No. 3 TCU
23 of 25
Fix: Pass protection
TCU's 23-17 win over Minnesota last Thursday was the textbook definition of survive and advance. And, hey, sometimes that's what you have to do. The biggest surprise was the Horned Frogs offense, which was held in check after scoring 46.5 points per game in 2014. The 23 points scored is the fewest by TCU since 2013, as noted by Marcus Fuller of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.
Minnesota only recorded one sack, but the Gophers kept the pressure on TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin all night. (Additionally, Minnesota's secondary did a nice job of staying with TCU's receivers, leading to limited options downfield.) The senior looked panicked and unsteady at times, an accomplishment in and of itself. Boykin was running for his life and seeing ghosts when he did have a clean pocket, overthrowing two wide-open receivers for would-be touchdowns.
The knock on TCU's veteran offensive line is that it's on the smaller side. That can be problematic against more physical defenses (though the Frogs handled Ole Miss just fine in last year's Peach Bowl). But you'd like to see TCU protect Boykin a little better and receivers get open quicker. This offense is too good to be averaging 5.9 yards per pass attempt.
No. 2 Alabama
24 of 25
Fix: The kicking game
Surprise, surprise, right?
Alabama has had issues on special teams, namely the kicking game, in the past. If there is one area needing improvement following the 35-17 win over Wisconsin, it's that.
Adam Griffith went 0-of-2 on field-goal attempts (44 and 39 yards, respectively). And though punter J.K. Scott averaged 36.8 yards per kick, he shanked one punt that cost the Tide field position before the end of the first half and nearly resulted in a field goal for the Badgers.
As head coach Nick Saban explained after the game, Scott's inconsistencies are an extension of a rough preseason camp.
"I think that there's been a little inconsistency sometime in his drop, which was the problem with the poor kick on Saturday in that he dropped the ball on the outside," Saban said, via Michael Casagrande of AL.com. "So when he drops it correctly and hits it with a nice, smooth pace he's pretty consistent and kicks it really, really well. We have a lot of confidence in him. He just has to get confidence back in his drop and he'll be fine."
Scott, who is considered one of the best punters in college football, can fix his issues easily. Whether Griffith can turn things around in the place-kicking game remains to be seen.
No. 1 Ohio State
25 of 25
Fix: Give Ezekiel Elliott more touches
There's not a whole lot Ohio State needs to fix between now and its next game against Hawaii. Monday's game against Virginia Tech was tight at halftime, but eventually, the more powerful Buckeyes pulled away 42-24. With four players returning from suspension, including defensive end Joey Bosa, Ohio State should be even better.
In the first half against the Hokies, however, it felt like Ohio State tried to do too much by getting all of its playmakers the ball. It's a good problem to have, in a way, but it meant fewer touches for running back Ezekiel Elliott.
On his first carry of the game, Elliott broke through a hole in the middle of the line and bolted for an 80-yard touchdown. According to Bleacher Report's Insights team, Elliott has had runs for 80 yards or more in three of his last four games. Yet, he had just three more carries in the first half (for 11, five and nine yards). Elliott finished the game with 11 carries and two receptions. Plus, he was an absolute monster while blocking for others.
Head coach Urban Meyer didn't ignore Elliott, but he can handle a much bigger workload. And his history of explosive plays has to be taken into consideration as well.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of ESPN.com and cfbstats.com.
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