College Football Saturday Wrap Up: 20 Things We Learned
College Football’s first Saturday is officially in the books, and now we can all finally take a deep breath and regroup.
We saw some wild things today, from amazing upsets to great individual performances.
In the end, what exactly can we take away from this day as we move forward into thick of the rest of the college football season?
Here are 20 things we learned from the first Saturday of the season.
1. Denard Robinson Was the Right Choice
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After winning a three-way battle to become the starting quarterback for the Wolverines, Denard Robinson responded by completing 19 passes out of 22 attempts for 186 yards in Michigan’s 30-10 romp of UCONN in the Big House this afternoon.
Robinson also carried the ball 29 times for 197 yards as he tore up UCONN’s defense.
There’s no doubt that coach Rich Rodriguez made the right decision anointing Robinson as the starter.
He has made a vast improvement from his freshman season, and now looks poised to lead this Michigan team out of the hole they’ve dug themselves into.
2. Daniel Thomas Is The Best Running Back in College Football
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You wouldn't believe me when I told you Daniel Thomas was the best running back in college football.
You tried to throw names like Mark Ingram and Dion Lewis at me, and I simply laughed them off.
When it comes right down to it, no other back in college is on this kid’s level in terms of athleticism.
The 6‘2, 230-pound Thomas rushed for 234 yards on 28 carries in Kansas State’s 31-22 victory over UCLA in Manhattan today.
Expect similair performances throughout the 2010 season as Thomas runs his way into the first round of next year's NFL Draft.
3. North Carolina Has A Lot Of Heart
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TJ Yates and Zack Pianalto were almost the unbelievable heroes of the college football world tonight, but alas, it was not to be.
The shorthanded North Carolina Tar Heels came up just five yards short in their bid to shock the world in a 30-24 loss to LSU.
The Tar Heels rallied from a 30-10 halftime deficit as they stifled the LSU offense in the second half, but their efforts just weren’t enough as they fell to the Tigers in the Georgia Dome tonight.
We'll see what the future holds for North Carolina, and we'll find out just how many star players they will retain as they go through the rest of the season.
One thing is for sure, tonight was a gut check for this team, and they showed they had no quit inside of them as they almost pulled off a miraculous win.
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4. Mike Pouncey Is Not His Brother
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It was supposed to be a simple solution: plug one Pouncey in for the other. I mean, they are twins, right?
After Maurkice Pouncey declared for the NFL Draft a year early, the Florida Gators were left with a gaping hole at the center position.
The sensible answer to that problem was to shift Maurkice’s twin brother, offensive guard Mike Pouncey, over to the center spot.
The only problem?
Mike Pouncey is absolutely terrible at shotgun snapping. If you watched today’s Florida-Miami (Ohio) game then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Florida’s coaches are going to have to find a way to correct this if they want their offense to run smoothly and efficiently this season.
5. You Overrated This 2010 Florida Gators Team
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Speaking of the Florida Gators, was that a top five team out there on the field today?
Not even close.
I’m sorry Florida fans, but you’re are not winning the SEC East this year.
Sure, you could cite having an “off day” today, but your problems run much deeper. This team lacks the “it” factor that they had the last two seasons.
Maybe Tim Tebow really was that much of an emotional force for this program, or maybe this group is just as dysfunctional as the reports have said they were.
Whatever it is, the 2010 version of the Florida Gators isn’t about to scare any opponents off if they continually put out performances that resemble today’s mess.
6. Brian Kelly Isn't Afraid to Run The Football
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36 running plays to 26 passing plays? Was that really a Brian Kelly coached team I saw in South Bend today?
Oh, it was.
Now don’t get carried away; you won’t see that very often this season. But at least for the first weekend, Coach Kelly had his mind set on running the ball while quarterback Dayne Crist settled into the offense.
It wasn’t a very bad strategy, either, when you consider that the Irish have two capable backs in Armando Allen and Cierre Wood.
Coach Kelly doesn't care how he gets it done, all he cares about is getting the W's and that's exactly what he did today as Notre Dame toppled Purdue 23-12.
7. "Crazy Things Happen Sometimes"
7 of 20Those were new Mississippi quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s exact words after the Rebels were stunned by Jacksonville State 49-48 in double overtime this afternoon.
Hmm, maybe Masoli’s distracting eligibility circus was just a little more trouble than it was worth.
8. Oregon Can Plug ‘Em In
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LaMichael Who?
Star running back LaMichael James sat out Oregon’s opening game of the season because of a one-game suspension, but the team seemed to fare all right without him.
The Ducks destroyed New Mexico 72-0 in Eugene as James’ replacement, Kenjon Barner, rushed for 147 yards on 17 carries. Barner scored five total touchdowns in the first half alone.
Oregon would go on to set a school record with 720 yards of total offense.
Needless to say, New Mexico coach Mike Locksley has some work to do.
9. Case Keenum Still Knows How To Throw
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Houston senior quarterback Case Keenum entered his final season with the potential to crush some of college football’s biggest all-time passing records.
So far, he’s off to a good pace.
Keenum threw for 5 TDs and over 250 yards as the Cougars sprinted out to a 54-7 halftime lead against Texas State.
System or no system, that’s pretty impressive.
10. Mark Herzlich Is Pumped
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Mark Herzlich completed his triumphant return from cancer today as he took the field for the first time in over a year in Boston College’s 38-20 win against Weber State.
Herzlich looked like his old self again as he screamed and ran around the field with reckless abandon.
It was a sight college football fans around the nation have been waiting to see since Mark’s diagnosis last summer.
It just goes to show that with the right mindset, you can overcome whatever obstacle life puts in front of you.
11. Florida State Will Be Fine
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For the Seminole traditionalists who may have been worried about Bobby Bowden’s departure, it seems things will be quite all right for the Florida State football team under new coach Jimbo Fisher.
In his coaching debut, Fisher led his team to a 59-6 victory over Samford earlier today.
Heisman candidate quarterback Christan Ponder looked terrific in the win, completing 12 out of 14 passes for 167 yards and 4 TDs.
The schedule will certainly get tougher, but for now, Fisher can savor the opening day victory and look forward to a promising season with this new look group.
12. Aaron Murray Can Lead the Georgia Offense
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New Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray may have been without the services of his top receiver, junior A.J. Green, and his top running back, sophomore Washaun Ealey, but he performed great in Georgia's 55-7 blowout win against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Murray connected on 17 of his 26 passes for 160 yards and 3 TDs in the win.
The redshirt freshman may only be 6‘1, but he has the poise and leadership ability to lead this Bulldog offense, which returns 10 starters, to some big things this season.
13. Texas Fans Need To Let Garrett Go Through Some Growing Pains
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Growing pains: they hurt, but there something that every new quarterback has to go through.
For those Longhorn fans expecting Garrett Gilbert to be perfectly in tune with the Texas offense just because he got a few quarters of action in last year's national title game, you may have been sorely mistaken.
Garrett is a talented young man, but he’s going to take some time to settle in. The sophomore showed flashes of both greatness and inconsistency in Texas’ less than impressive 34-17 victory over Rice at Reliant Stadium today.
In his first start ever, Gilbert finished with 14 completions for 172 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
14. Adam Robinson Will Be The Key To Iowa's Success
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If you asked me before the season started what facet of the Iowa team would be the cause of their success in 2010, I would have said their extraordinary defensive line which included the likes of Adrian Clayborn and Christian Ballard.
After today, I might have changed my mind.
Iowa running back Adam Robinson looked phenomenal in the Hawkeyes’ 37-7 win over Eastern Illinois. The sophomore rushed for 109 yards on 24 carries and found the end zone three times.
The defense should be top notch this season, but it could be Robinson who holds the key to the team's success.
15. Colorado Can Make Some Noise in the Big 12 North
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After a few tumultuous years, Dan Hawkins actually has this team moving in the right direction..
Yes, it probably took a few seasons too long, but the Buffaloes are finally in position to contend.
Today's 24-3 victory over rival Colorado State should give this team the momentum and confidence they need for a sustained conference run.
We'll find out next week when this team travels to Berkley for a game with CAL if this group is really ready to take that next step.
16. Drake Nevis And Ryan Kerrigan Are Two Defensive Lineman to Watch
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How odd is it that we could've found Marvin Austin's replacement for the top senior defensive tackle in the nation in the very game he was suspended for?
The 6'2 290 lb. Drake Nevis was far too much to handle for North Carolina's offensive line tonight. He has superior strength and unbelievable quickness for his size.
No. 92 definitely showed that he is a defensive lineman that all the draftniks need to watch this season.
Another defensive lineman who needs to be mentioned is Purdue's Ryan Kerrigan.
The senior defensive end drew rave reviews from commentator Mike Mayock during today's Purdue-Notre Dame game and showed that he has the strength to give college offensive lineman fits all season long.
17. TCU Is Pretty Good, But Are They Great?
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In what actually turned out to be one of the better games of the day, TCU found a way to outlast Oregon State and come away with a 30-21 win in Cowboys Stadium tonight.
The Horned Frogs came in looking to make a statement that they could run with a BCS school, and they did just that.
So were does that leave this TCU team now?
It leaves them with a not too highly regarded schedule that includes three more out of conference games: Tennessee Tech, Baylor, and Southern Methodist.
If senior quarterback Andy Dalton can actually lead this team to an undefeated season, would tonight’s win against the Beavers be enough to get them into the national title game?
18. Washington State Still Sucks
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In case you were wondering if Washington State, a team that has a combined 3-22 record over the last two seasons, was about to turn things around, the Cougars were demolished at Oklahoma State 65-17.
19. Utah State Could Be The Surprise Team Of The Lower Conferences
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I thought Diondre Borel would be good, but not this good. With Borel at the helm, the Aggies played their hearts out in a 31-24 loss at Oklahoma tonight.
341 yards of passing may not have been enough tonight, but the senior quarterback could have this Utah State team, which is the most experienced and talented bunch they've had in years, in position to make a run similar to what Idaho was able to accomplish last year.
Gary Andersen deserves more credit for the job he's doing up there in Logan.
20. It's About to Be a Wild Season
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Buckle Up!
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