College Football Week 3: Ryan Mallett Shines And 25 Things We Learned
College football just continues to impress and the games get that much better. The top teams in the AP polls did what they were expected to do and there were teams that came out of nowhere to get wins we didn't expect them to get.
There was even a team out in Southern California that came within two minutes of what would have been one of the more shocking upsets of the week.
There are plenty of things to go over from this past week in college football, so let's get to it.
Here are 25 things we learned from week three of the college football season.
Kansas Disappoints, Again
1 of 25
After scoring just three points against North Dakota State in Week 1, the Kansas Jayhawks came up with a more than impressive performance against Georgia Tech in a 28-25 win.
So what would the Jayhawks do for an encore? A 31-16 drubbing at the hands of Southern Miss?
Will the real Kansas Jayhawk football team please stand up?
Where Did UCLA Come From?
2 of 25
After getting pummeled by Stanford last week, there weren't many people that expected the Bruins to pick up a win against Houston.
Except, UCLA apparently figured out how to play football. Not only that, they figured out how to win to the tune of a 31-13 victory. Nicely done, Bruins.
Quarterback Battle Re-Opened in Lubbock
3 of 25
Make no mistake, the Texas Tech fans will be calling for Steven Sheffield to be the new quarterback for their Red Raiders. In the same way they did last season.
Potts threw for just 158 yards and was intercepted twice against Texas on Saturday.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Arizona Is That Good
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I have to admit, I didn't think Arizona could get it done but they proved me wrong. The Wildcats welcome in the ninth ranked Iowa Hawkeyes and waved goodbye to them on their way out of town after a 34-27 win.
Is Arizona that good? I think they more than proved it.
Boise State Did What They Needed To Do
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After Virginia Tech lost last week to James Madison, the college football world then concentrated on Boise State and tried to give reasons why it didn't belong, once again, in the national championship game.
So, the Broncos needed to come out and take care of business against Wyoming on Saturday and do so in blowout fashion.
Seems they were listening to the tune of a 51-6 blowout win over the Cowboys.
New Mexico Needs To Re-Think Its Scheduling
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Oregon, Texas Tech, then Utah. Two of the three teams were ranked but none of the outcomes were any different from each other.
Makes me think New Mexico needs to re-think who it schedules in non-conference play.
Texas A&M Got Lucky
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I'll give Texas A&M credit for coming back and getting the win but it wasn't a win it should have had.
Florida International led for most of the game but gave up 21 fourth-quarter points that ended up being the difference.
Where the Aggies need to be concerned is with quarterback Jerrod Johnson who was intercepted four times and missed on 20 of his 31 passes on the day.
Oregon Continues To Bulldoze Its Opponents
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Through three games, the Oregon Ducks have outscored their opponents 189-13 with two of those games being shutouts. The Ducks are averaging 63 points per game and giving up just over four.
You could look at the three teams they've played (New Mexico, Tennessee, Portland State) and say that they haven't faced legit talent but they'll have a big test on the road against Arizona State next weekend.
Nebraska's Taylor Martinez Making a Case For The Heisman
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Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez had a heck of a game against Washington and might have made an argument to be in the Heisman conversation.
He finished 7-of-11 passing for 197 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 137 yards and three more touchdowns.
Air Force That Good Or a Letdown For Oklahoma?
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We talked a lot about this game the previous week. The fact that it could be a trap game and bantered about which Oklahoma team would show up.
Well, seems it was the Sooners that almost lost to Utah State in the opening week because they knocked off Air Force by just three points, 27-24.
Begs the question. Is Air Force that good, or was this just a letdown for the Sooners?
BYU Overhyped From The Start?
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There was a lot of talk about BYU being one of the possible "BCS busters." The season hasn't really matched the preseason hype.
After a season opening win over Washington, the Cougars have dropped back-to-back games against Air Force and Florida State.
Good luck in independence, BYU. It only gets harder from here.
Colin Kaepernick Continues To Be an Underrated Quarterback
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Week in and week out, Nevada quarterback Colin Kaepernick continues to put up big numbers yet he's always overshadowed by Kellen Moore of Boise State.
So, Kaepernick showed, once more, that he could be one of the most underrated quarterbacks in college football this past Friday against Cal.
He threw for 181 yards, rushed for another 148 and had four total touchdowns, three of them on the ground in a 52-31 blowout of the Golden Bears.
Washington State Still in Rebuilding Mode
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It's clear, through last season and now into this one, that Washington State is still in a rebuilding mode.
They traveled to Dallas, Texas this past Saturday only to leave after a 35-21 loss to SMU. It may take some time, so patience will be needed from the Cougar fans.
Hot Seater Gets a Little Hotter For Jeff Tedford
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After two opening wins against UC Davis and Colorado, facing Nevada wasn't considered a huge road trip for the Golden Bears.
After getting blown out by the Wolfpack, Jeff Tedford has to be squirming a little bit on that hot seat. It doesn't get much easier against Arizona next weekend.
San Diego State Had the Win, And Were Left Wondering What Happened
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San Diego State had it. It was in its grasp. It was less than two minutes away from shocking 25th-ranked Missouri on the road.
Then, in two plays, the shock of the Tigers scoring and getting the win was more than the Aztecs or their fans could believe.
Sure there are moral victories, but even this one is hard to swallow.
Where Was Michigan's Defense
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This was the same Michigan team that knocked off Notre Dame right? Not that that's a huge accomplishment, but to give up 37 points to Massachusetts is unheard of.
Not only that, but the Wolverines could have easily lost that game.
Not Much You Can Say About Ole Miss
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Jacksonville State, Tulane, and Vanderbilt.
Those aren't teams that any team would look at and tremble. Problem is, Ole Miss is 1-2 against them after losing to both Jacksonville State and then Vanderbilt this past Saturday.
There's not much you can say about the Rebels' struggles and they may continue next weekend with Fresno State coming to town.
Top Five Teams Take Care Of Business
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Alabama, Ohio State, Boise State, TCU, and Oregon all did what they were expected to do. No surprise there.
Georgia Tech Bounces Back, Sort of
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Georgia Tech, after being taken down by Kansas the previous week, faced off against a North Carolina team that was going to be without 12 of their players.
Sure the Yellow Jackets came up with a win, but it wasn't a convincing win. Sure they bounced back, but was it really a bounce back in the end?
Ryan Mallett Has a Big Day Against Georgia
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The Razorbacks needed a big performance from quarterback Ryan Mallett if they were going to beat Georgia on the road. They got it.
Mallett completed 21-of-33 passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Razorbacks to the game-winning touchdown with just under a minute to play.
Wisconsin Survives a Scare From Arizona State
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Wisconsin had a heck of a time with Arizona State on Saturday. Thanks to a missed extra point, the Badgers survived a 20-19 win over the Sun Devils.
Dan Hawkins Survives To See Another Week
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The hot seat looked red hot after getting a 52-7 pounding from Cal two weeks ago. But, after a 31-13 win at home against Hawaii, head coach Dan Hawkins might feel a little safer to see another week.
We'll see how long that lasts.
Clemson Can't Quite Get It Done
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Another game where a defense gives up 21 points in one quarter and it ends up making the difference. This time it was between Clemson and Auburn with Clemson being the disappointing one.
Auburn scored 21 third-quarter points and kicked a game-winning field goal in overtime to win a 27-24 decision.
Notre Dame Succumbs To a Michigan State Of Mind
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Notre Dame has to be wondering what's wrong with it when it comes to Michigan teams this season. It had what looked like a game-winning touchdown against Michigan but its defense couldn't hold the Wolverines.
After hitting a field goal in overtime to take a three point lead, the Irish defense couldn't top the Spartans and gave up a game-winning touchdown, 34-31 final.
Stanford's Andrew Luck Goes For Five Touchdowns
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The Stanford Cardinal were going with the all black look against Wake Forest and they scored the most points they've scored all season. It must be the shoes.
Quarterback Andrew Luck, after throwing for two touchdowns against UCLA, threw for four touchdowns and ran for another. Five total touchdowns in a 68-24 blowout.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
