The 25 Biggest Takeaways from Week 1 of the College Football Season
Week 1 of the 2015 college football season is officially in the books. All of the anticipation and excitement paid off with a fun weekend of high-profile games, a few upsets, emerging freshmen and transfers and players who thrived in key roles.
Some programs disappointed, while others were exactly what we thought they were. It’s important not to overreact to one week of play (remember Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill’s Heisman Trophy campaign?), but the opening week can give us some valuable insights regardless.
Here are the 25 biggest takeaways from Week 1 of the 2015 season, listed by their potential impact on the season ahead.
25. Stanford Might Not Be Back Yet
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Following a strong finish to an 8-5 season, Stanford was a Pac-12 dark horse this summer, with hopes of regaining the form that earned back-to-back league titles in 2012-13. But the hype train hit a major roadblock in the season opener at Northwestern.
Against a team coming off consecutive 5-7 seasons, the Cardinal offense was anemic, rolling up just 240 yards with two turnovers in a 16-6 loss. Senior quarterback Kevin Hogan passed for 155 yards with an interception and dynamic sophomore back Christian McCaffrey rushed for 66 yards on 12 carries.
The Cardinal and Hogan are going to need to improve dramatically offensively to be a Pac-12 factor. Until that happens, pump the brakes on the hype.
24. BYU Won’t Be a National Force This Season
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Let’s get one thing clear: BYU’s stunning, final-play Hail Mary win over Nebraska was one of the biggest highlights of Week 1. I love a Hail Mary as much as anyone, and Tanner Mangum’s final-play toss to hand the Cornhuskers their first season-opening loss in 29 seasons was a special moment for a player who returned from a Mormon mission just three months ago.
But Mangum was only in the game thanks to an injury to starting quarterback Taysom Hill. Afterward, BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall revealed that Hill’s season was finished because of a Lisfranc fracture in his foot, a huge blow to the Cougars’ hopes of national relevance.
As an independent, BYU needs to excel against the most prominent foes on its schedule to gain national attention. With the exception of Missouri, they’re all clustered in September. This week, BYU hosts Boise State, followed by a trip to College Football Playoff contender UCLA and a trip to Jim Harbaugh-coached Michigan.
Doing so without Hill will be very tough. Last fall, the Cougars began 4-0 with a huge boost from Hill, a dynamic dual-threat quarterback. But after he broke his leg Oct. 3 vs. Utah State, BYU finished 4-5.
BYU can be a bowl team again this fall, but without Hill the Cougars won’t be elite.
23. Kansas Is the Worst Power Five Team
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We knew Charlie Weis left Kansas in bad shape because of his ill-advised plan to populate the roster with junior college players, deepening a rut in which Kansas has won just 12 games in the last five seasons.
New coach David Beaty's job got tougher when leading returning receiver Rodriguez Coleman and leading returning rusher Corey Avery were dismissed from the team for violating team rules and returning starting senior linebacker Jake Love retired from football because of injury.
The Jayhawks took just five returning starters into the season opener against FCS foe South Dakota State and proceeded to fall behind 31-7. They rallied, bringing the score to 41-38, and had a chance to kick a tying field goal in the final seconds, but quarterback Montell Cozart fumbled an attempt to spike the ball and stop the clock, allowing the final seconds to bleed away. Brutal.
With games against Memphis and at Rutgers left before a tough Big 12 slate begins, Kansas is staring straight at 0-12. The Jayhawks appear to be the worst Power Five team, and it might not be close.
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22. Vanderbilt and Derek Mason Are in Deep Trouble
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Derek Mason’s honeymoon at Vanderbilt ended almost immediately. Following back-to-back nine-win seasons that concluded with bowl victories under James Franklin’s watch, the Commodores reverted to SEC cellar-dweller status under Mason, slipping to 3-9.
Mason fired both his offensive and defensive coordinators and became his own defensive coordinator. In the opener against Western Kentucky, that move worked out well. Vanderbilt held a high-powered Hilltopper offense led by prolific quarterback Brandon Doughty to 14 points. But the Commodores scored just 12 points in a 14-12 defeat.
That’s a bad, bad sign for Vanderbilt’s hopes of a turnaround this year. With nonconference road games at Houston and Middle Tennessee ahead, the 'Dores’ best hope of a win might be against FCS foe Austin Peay. Mason might not be long for Nashville.
21. Arizona Could Regress from 2014
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Following a breakthrough 10-4 season that ended with a Fiesta Bowl trip, expectations were raised around Arizona, and rightfully so. The Wildcats returned key offensive pieces in sophomore quarterback Anu Solomon and sophomore tailback Nick Wilson, as well as one of the nation’s most decorated defenders in linebacker Scooby Wright III.
But following the season opener against Texas-San Antonio, those hopes were somewhat tempered. The Wildcats took a tougher-than-expected 42-32 win and, more importantly, Wright left the game with a knee injury later diagnosed as a lateral meniscus tear, per SI.com's Brian Hamilton. He’ll miss at least three to four weeks, putting him back, at the earliest, in early October.
Wright will miss a key Pac-12 South showdown against UCLA but could return for an Oct. 3 game against Stanford. It’s a blow to a defense that struggled to stop good offenses last fall, allowing 28.2 points per game. And it certainly isn’t the way Arizona wanted to start 2015.
20. Penn State's Offensive Line Still Stinks
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Last fall, Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg regressed statistically, throwing 12 touchdowns against 15 interceptions (compared to 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2013). That wasn’t all Hackenberg’s fault: He was sacked 44 times and constantly ran for his life behind a very shaky offensive line.
The Nittany Lions returned four starters from that line, but little has changed. Saturday, Hackenberg was sacked 10 times in an embarrassing 27-10 loss at Temple. The Lions took a 10-0 lead but punted on seven consecutive possessions and converted just two of 13 third-down attempts.
If Penn State hopes to improve on 2014’s 7-6 record, offensive production will have to improve. And that means Hackenberg’s protection must improve, and very quickly.
19. Pitt Is Snakebitten
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With five head coaches in the last eight seasons, Pitt has hardly been the model of a steady program. The Panthers hoped that Pat Narduzzi’s hiring as head coach would change that, and an offense that featured returning ACC Player of the Year James Conner and talented wideout Tyler Boyd helped, too.
But even though Pitt held on for a season-opening 45-37 win over FCS foe Youngstown State and former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, it came with a heavy price.
Conner left the game with what was later diagnosed as a torn MCL, ending his season. Conner is a physical back who rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns, and his absence leaves a huge hole in the Panthers’ backfield. It’s a major blow to a team hoping to break out of its recent rut of ACC Coastal Division mediocrity.
18. Washington State and Mike Leach Are in Trouble
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When Washington State hired Mike Leach four years ago, it was hailed as a coup for the program. The colorful Leach would take the Cougars to the next level and make Texas Tech regret that it had forced him out, right?
Not so far. Leach entered this season 12-25 with one bowl berth in three seasons at Washington State, and it’d be fair if he started feeling some pressure. That pressure will only be ratcheted up after the opener against FCS Portland State.
The Cougars suffered an embarrassing 24-17 home loss and now must attempt to rebound at Rutgers. The Pac-12 slate, with trips to Oregon, Arizona and UCLA, is unforgiving, and unless a major rebound happens, it looks like another bowl-less season in Pullman.
17. Boise State Has a Great Shot at Another New Year's Day Bowl
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Last year, Boise State made Bryan Harsin’s first season as head coach special, making the Fiesta Bowl with the Group of Five spot and defeating Arizona to cap a 12-2 season. The Broncos returned 17 starters from that team, and one week in they look like the class of the non-Power Five programs again.
A gritty 16-13 win over Washington opened the door to an undefeated regular season. The Broncos visit Taysom Hill-less BYU this week and then travel to Virginia on Sept. 25.
Trips to Colorado State and Utah State back-to-back in early October will be challenging, but it’d be hard to bet against the Broncos as the Group of Five rep again this fall.
16. Georgia WIll Be Fine with Greyson Lambert at QB
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Greyson Lambert’s transfer to Georgia as a graduate transfer didn’t raise many eyebrows, largely because he’d been passed on Virginia’s depth chart by fellow junior Matt Johns after throwing more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (10) in 2014.
But he entered UGA’s offense on an equal footing with competitors Brice Ramsey and Faton Bauta; after all, this is Brian Schottenheimer’s first season as offensive coordinator. Lambert was more consistent and won the job, and he showed no signs of giving it back in a storm-shortened 51-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe.
Lambert was efficient, completing eight of 12 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. He utilized a strong supporting cast around him (highlighted by Heisman Trophy candidate Nick Chubb), using screen and mid-range passes to positive effect. With such talent surrounding him, Georgia’s quarterback doesn’t have to be a game-changer, and Lambert fits in quite well. The Bulldogs will be fine with him under center.
15. Ole Miss Will Be Fine Without Bo Wallace
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One of the biggest questions for Ole Miss entering 2015 was its quarterback position. The Rebels returned 17 starters from a nine-win team, but Bo Wallace’s graduation left a serious experience void under center. It can be difficult to draw conclusions from an opener against overmatched FCS foe UT-Martin, but Hugh Freeze’s offense moved on fine post-Bo.
The Rebels put up 76 points (the program’s most since 1935) and rolled up 662 yards of total offense in the rout. New starter Chad Kelly completed nine of 15 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns, adding a nice 20-yard touchdown run around left end.
Even star defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche got in on the act, taking a screen 31 yards for his first career touchdown. With standout wide receiver Laquon Treadwell back in the fold after a broken leg ended his 2014 season, the Rebels’ offense appears ready to take on the best of the SEC West.
14. Notre Dame Made the Right Call with Malik Zaire
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This spring, one of the biggest storylines surrounding Notre Dame’s program was the quarterback battle between incumbent starter Everett Golson and junior Malik Zaire. Shortly after spring practice, Golson transferred to Florida State, leaving Zaire as the starter.
If first impressions are any indication, Brian Kelly made the right choice. Zaire was very impressive in his debut as the undisputed starter, leading the Fighting Irish to an easy 38-3 win over Texas. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and that came against a talented Longhorn defense.
Notre Dame returned 17 starters from last season’s 8-5 team, so Zaire’s emergence answers questions. He’ll have to carry an even bigger load following the announcement of tailback Tarean Folston’s season-ending knee injury. Junior Greg Bryant was already academically ineligible. If Zaire excels, it’ll ease Kelly’s mind.
13. Virginia Tech Could Be Lost Without Michael Brewer
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Michael Brewer was a prophet in the most unfortunate way. At halftime of Monday’s game with Ohio State, ESPN cameras in the Virginia Tech locker room caught his conversation with a teammate. Speaking about a big hit he’d absorbed, Brewer said, “It’s gonna take a hell of a lot more than that to knock me out of a game.”
A few minutes later, he was proved right, taking a hit that broke his collarbone. It could sideline him for up to eight weeks, per ESPN.com, putting a damper on what had been, up to his injury, a very promising evening. Tech recovered from an early 14-0 hole to take a 17-14 halftime lead, with Brewer completing 11 of 16 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
Without him, the Hokies will turn to Brenden Motley at quarterback. Tech’s offense wasn’t the same with Motley, who completed four of nine passes for 36 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Hokies have offensive weapons, but Motley must get up to speed quickly if they hope to challenge in the ACC Coastal Division.
12. Baylor Will Be Fine with QB Seth Russell
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While Baylor returned eight starters from the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense (which averaged 48.2 points per game in 2014), there was reason for apprehension given that star quarterback Bryce Petty is now on the New York Jets’ roster.
His replacement is former understudy Seth Russell, who proved he was very capable in limited opportunities replacing Petty last fall, but being the man in charge can be a different animal. One game in, Russell looks just fine. He threw for 376 yards and five touchdowns in Baylor’s 56-21 rout of SMU.
Russell has several impressive weapons in the passing game, including Corey Coleman and KD Cannon. Both surpassed 100 yards receiving against the Mustangs. Keep those guys happy, and Russell should be just fine.
11. Oregon QB Vernon Adams Jr. Is the Real Deal
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When Vernon Adams Jr. left Eastern Washington and joined Oregon as a graduate transfer, there were legit questions about how quickly he could pick up the Ducks’ offensive system, particularly since he wasn’t allowed to work out with his new teammates until graduating from EWU after preseason practice had already begun.
The answer? Pretty quickly. Adams won the job and showed why against his former teammates, playing very efficiently before being knocked out of the game due to a late hit in the fourth quarter. Oregon won 61-42, and Adams completed 19 of 25 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns, adding 94 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
He’ll get a much stiffer test when Oregon visits Michigan State on Saturday in a key intra-sectional showdown, but his dual-threat skills should translate well in the Ducks’ fast-paced offense. Looks like Adams made the right call.
10. Oklahoma Made the Right Move with Baker Mayfield at QB
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Following a disappointing 8-5 2014, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops cleaned house on his offensive staff, hiring Air Raid guru Lincoln Riley away from East Carolina as his new offensive coordinator. Riley settled on Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield, also experienced with the Air Raid system, as his new starting quarterback over incumbent Trevor Knight.
One week in, that looks like the right call. Mayfield had an excellent debut in a 41-3 rout of Akron, throwing for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Oklahoma will have much tougher tests than the overmatched Zips (starting this week at Tennessee), but this was an exceedingly positive start.
Mayfield actually set an OU record for passing yards in a season opener, beating Sam Bradford’s mark of 363 set in 2007. Keep up that pace and Stoops’ offseason moves will look exceptionally smart.
9. The Big Ten West Might Not Be Very Good
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The Big Ten West was already regarded as the weaker of the league’s two divisions, given Ohio State and Michigan State’s presence in the Big Ten East. But the opening weekend of the 2015 season wasn’t kind to the West.
Of the division’s seven teams, Illinois, Iowa and Northwestern were the only winners. Illinois blasted Kent State, Iowa defeated FCS foe Illinois State and Northwestern upset No. 21 Stanford 16-6. In fairness, the division did aim high.
Minnesota was defeated by No. 2 TCU 23-17 and Wisconsin lost a neutral-site game to No. 3 Alabama 35-17. Nebraska suffered the division’s toughest loss, losing on a final-play Hail Mary to BYU and dropping its first season opener in 29 years.
Purdue did the league no favors with a 41-31 loss at Marshall, but that really isn’t all that surprising given the Boilermakers’ recent cellar-dweller status. In all, the division aimed high but came up short, which isn’t a positive sign for 2015.
8. TCU Will Get Everyone's Best Shot
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A year ago, TCU snuck up on everyone in the college football world, going from 4-8 to 12-1 and just missing the College Football Playoff following a move to the Air Raid offense.
That won’t be happening this fall. The Horned Frogs began the season No. 2 in both Top 25 polls and boast a leading Heisman Trophy candidate in senior quarterback Trevone Boykin. As the season opener at Minnesota showed, repeating that performance will be anything but easy.
The Golden Gophers are a solid Big Ten West outfit and were clearly prepared for the Horned Frogs. TCU never trailed but never really blew away Jerry Kill’s team in a 23-17 victory. Boykin threw for 246 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 92 yards and added a score on the ground, but TCU never got its fast-paced tempo going.
Expect more of the same as the season rolls on. This team won’t surprise anyone, which could make a repeat of 2014 that much tougher.
7. Texas A&M's Defense Is Much Improved
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Kevin Sumlin has always been offense-focused, but he made a major move to make Texas A&M a more complete team by luring John Chavis away from LSU to become his new defensive coordinator. Chavis is one of college football’s elite defensive coordinators, with an excellent track record at both LSU and Tennessee.
He was expected to make the Aggies better, but did anyone expect it to happen so quickly? Chavis’ new A&M defense was purely dominant in a 38-17 win over Arizona State. The Aggies forced a pair of turnovers and had nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss, frustrating a potent Sun Devil attack regarded as one of the nation’s most prolific (ASU averaged 36.9 points per game in 2014).
If Chavis can continue his early success with a loaded defensive line led by end Myles Garrett, the rest of the SEC West should consider itself on notice. Chavis is making $1.7 million annually, but consider that money well spent.
6. Auburn QB Jeremy Johnson Is Not Cam Newton
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When he won Auburn’s starting quarterback role in spring, Jeremy Johnson rode a wave of hype, perhaps unfair. As a backup, the junior had been impressive in relief of starter Nick Marshall, and his size and impressive combination of passing and running skills drew comparisons to former Auburn Heisman winner Cam Newton.
His first day as the full-time starter showed that those comparisons might be a bit off. In the season opener against Louisville, Johnson was shaky at best, completing 11 of 21 passes for 137 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.
He was bailed out by Will Muschamp’s improved defense, which set up the offense’s first score with an interception and contributed the second touchdown on an 82-yard fumble return touchdown for a 14-0 lead.
Auburn’s 31-24 win showed that the Tigers and Johnson have plenty to work on going forward. The Heisman Trophy hype? Perhaps a bit premature.
5. UCLA QB Josh Rosen Can Be the Real Deal
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Coming off consecutive 10-win seasons and returning 17 starters, UCLA was already a legit College Football Playoff contender. One of the only real questions was at quarterback, where Brett Hundley bolted to the NFL following his junior season.
Five-star recruit Josh Rosen won the job after arriving as an early enrollee, but it’s always fair to have concerns about how quickly a true freshman will adjust to a high-profile starting role.
The answer, as it turned out? Pretty quickly. Rosen dominated a solid Virginia defense, completing 28 of 35 passes for 351 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-16 rout. The Pac-12 slate will offer some tougher challenges, but Rosen’s college debut was extremely promising for both he and UCLA’s 2015 seasons.
4. Michigan's Going to Take Some Time to Turn Around
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It’s been impossible to escape Jim Harbaugh as Michigan’s new head coach. Everything Harbaugh did, from battling the SEC over satellite camps to his wardrobe, has been grist for the hype mill. Of course, there was the matter of the Wolverines actually playing under Harbaugh’s watch, which began Thursday night at Utah.
The results were not pretty. Michigan dropped a 24-17 decision to a Utah team that did win nine games in 2014. The Wolverines never led and never showed any explosiveness offensively, with tight end Jake Butt the most impressive weapon.
Iowa graduate transfer Jake Rudock was the starting quarterback, throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns but also throwing three interceptions. It’s clear that Harbaugh won’t turn Michigan into an overnight sensation on the field. Wolverines fans must have patience.
3. Texas Is a Long Way from National Relevance
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If the season opener at Notre Dame was a measuring stick for Charlie Strong’s rebuild of Texas’ program, the Longhorns came up lacking in every way. Texas wasn’t competitive in a 38-3 rout, and Notre Dame outgained the 'Horns’ offense 527-163.
Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes, who had been pushed all summer by backup Jerrod Heard, completed just seven of 22 passes for 93 yards, and Texas averaged just 2.1 yards per carry on the ground. Per ASAP Sports, Strong ripped his offense Monday, saying, “We can’t go through another season with a bad offense." He also declined to commit to a starting quarterback against Rice.
Unless Texas improves its offensive tempo and production quickly, it could be another long season in Austin.
2. Alabama RB Derrick Henry Is Special
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Entering Alabama’s AT&T Stadium season opener against Wisconsin on Saturday, much of the focus was on the Crimson Tide’s quarterback. Would senior Jake Coker emerge as the starter? Or would one of four younger players supplant him? As it turned out, Coker played most of the way in Alabama’s 35-17 victory, but he wasn’t the big story.
The Tide’s biggest difference-maker was junior tailback Derrick Henry. Henry always had the talent (he is the nation’s all-time leading prep rusher) but he always had to share the spotlight. With T.J. Yeldon in the NFL, the 6’3”, 242-pound specimen is Alabama’s clear No. 1 back, and he’s set to take full advantage this fall.
He impressed Saturday night, going for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, including scoring runs of 37 and 56 yards. Henry is a powerful, fast runner, and Lane Kiffin would be smart to build Alabama’s offense around him this fall.
1. Ohio State Is Scary Good
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If Urban Meyer had any worries about how his Ohio State team wound handle defending its national title, those fears should be alleviated following Monday night’s rousing 42-24 victory at Virginia Tech. The No. 1 Buckeyes went into a raucous environment and took the Hokies’ best punch, trailing 17-14 at halftime. But they knocked Tech quarterback Michael Brewer out of the game with a broken collarbone and never looked back, at one point scoring 28 straight points.
Cardale Jones won Ohio State’s much-hyped quarterback competition, taking the first snap and flashing dual-threat skills with 186 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception and adding 99 yards and a rushing score on the ground.
But the real revelation was two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller, playing his first career game as a receiver. Miller made two catches for 78 yards and a 54-yard touchdown, and turned heads with a 53-yard touchdown run that included the kind of spin you usually only see when pushing the “B” button on a PlayStation controller.
The most frightening part? Ohio State was shorthanded. Star defensive end Joey Bosa, H-back Jalin Marshall, senior receiver Corey Smith and junior H-back Dontre Wilson were all serving a one-game suspension for violations of athletic department policy. In addition, up-and-coming receiver Noah Brown is out for the season with a broken leg.
Star tailback Ezekiel Elliott told ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson that made the Buckeyes "kind of scary":
"We were missing guys and we still just had so many weapons on the field today. We get some guys back next week and I know we can all improve on our play. We're very raw right now. First game of the season, that's what you expect but we have so much we can improve on. That's a scary thing. We could be very dominant.
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Ohio State won’t be seriously challenged again until Michigan State visits on Nov. 20, and it’s hard not to say that everyone else is playing for three College Football Playoff spots this fall.
All recruiting information via 247Sports unless otherwise noted.
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