Nothing like that first weekend of college football, and, as usual, there are plenty of storylines worth delving into. Here’s what you need to know:
No Manziel, no worries for Texas A&M: Well, maybe not over the long haul, but, gee, the Aggies looked like they were wandering the sidelines Thursday night asking, Manziel who? Sophomore QB Kenny Hill looked like Johnny Football on steroids out there, leading the Aggies to a surprising, comprehensive and downright disheartening demolition of South Carolina, winning 52-28 in a game they entered as underdogs.
Simply put, South Carolina’s defense couldn’t stop Hill and the Aggies. At least not until the game was well out of reach. The Gamecocks’ streak of 18 consecutive home wins – best in the nation – went up in flames, and coach Steve Spurrier has a lot of work to do with a defensive squad that was supposed to be one of the best in the SEC. They were on ice skates on Thursday, skating backwards, giving up chunk-yardage plays, manhandled. When it was all said and done, they gave up 680 yards, most of that through the air on Hill’s arm.
What to make of South Carolina? Well, offensively, they looked okay under QB Dylan Thompson. I mean, they scored 28 points and did manage some big plays against a Texas A&M defense who were just about the nation’s worst a year ago, but, even so, the Gamecocks had trouble sustaining offensive drives. It was feast or famine.
Not so for Hill and the Aggies, whose offensive forays were comprehensive and scintillating, and would have made anyone worried about the lack of Johnny Football in the line-up feel much better. Hill ended the night 44-60 for 511 yards and three touchdowns. Crucially, he didn’t turn the football over once, and seemed to have a good grip on the Aggies offense.
So, maybe it wasn’t Manziel who was the superstar? Maybe it’s Kevin Sumlin, and the system he’s got in place at College Station, because the Aggies looked really scary. You know, the sort of ‘scary’ that has other SEC coaches circling Texas A&M on their calendar.
Wisconsin Fail To Capitalise: The old adage is that football is a game of two halves, but it is more apt to describe the Badgers tilt with the SEC’s Louisiana State in Texas as a game of two and a half quarters versus one.
The Badgers, from the much-maligned Big Ten – the conference has been a regular punching bag for SEC teams in recent years – had a 24-7 lead with less than eight minutes to play in the third, they’d taken the pro-LSU crowd right out of the equation and had just stopped the Tiger offense cold around halfway. From there, instead of ramming home a decisive victory, the Badgers capitulated.
A fake punt from LSU was converted, and the Tigers went on to score a touchdown. Then another. And another. Two consecutive interceptions thrown by first-time starting quarterback Tanner McEvoy meant the Wisconsin defence, already hobbled by two key injuries on their defensive front, spent most of the second half on the field. There’s only so long any defensive unit, even one that’s fully stacked, can hold off the speed and talent that the Tigers can put on the field.
From 24-7 Wisconsin, LSU pulled off a 28-24 victory, one as unlikely as it was ultimately impressive.
What made me scratch my head was play-calling late by Wisconsin. McEvoy was supposed to have been named starter before of his ability to run the read-option scheme, but we saw very little of that. Similarly in the second half, RB Melvin Gordon seemed to be a forgotten man, which is strange considering he gashed the LSU defense for nearly a hundred yards in the first half alone, averaging about nine yards a carry. He didn’t get enough carries against a defense that clearly couldn’t stop him.
Why was McEvoy throwing late in his first game as a starter instead of feeding the ball to Gordon? Can’t work it out. When Wisconsin needed to take time off the clock, they instead chose to throw the ball – and turned it over twice. In fact, just about the only targets McEvoy hit in the second half were wearing LSU jerseys. After a great first half, the Badgers will be rueing this missed opportunity.
Georgia Might Be Better Than Texas A&M: Well, Georgia exploded after half time against Clemson, turning a tight and entertaining 21-21 tussle into a commanding 45-21 victory, thanks to deserved Heisman favourite RB Todd Gurley, who proved just how good he is both offensively (with 198 yards and three touchdowns) and on special teams (with a 100-yard kick-off return) to absolutely shred a Clemson team who had no answers.
As if Gurley isn’t enough, when he goes off, on comes a fleet of other talented backs – most notably, Nick Chubb, who had 70m yards and a score on just four carries – who give the defense no time to rest or breathe…or tackle. An ominous performance from a Bulldogs team who aren’t exactly lacking for firepower. QB Huston Mason, replacing star Aaron Murray, had a solid game, but Saturday inside Sanford Stadium was all about the running game.
Oh, and defense, too. New coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who helped mastermind Florida State’s defensive efforts in their National Championship-winning 2013 season, returns to the SEC and came back with a bang. The Georgia D stifled everything Clemson tried in the second half, and figure to only get better.
That Georgia running game, combined with a defense with a little speed of it’s own to burn, is a scary prospect. If you’re an SEC team, you don’t want to play these Bulldogs at the moment.
USC are a Pac-12 Dark Horse: Gee, Steve Sarkisian has some freshman talent to call on, doesn’t he? Anyone who thought UCLA were the best team in Los Angeles didn’t watch the Trojans wipe the floor with Fresno State on Saturday. It was a resounding 52-13 victory for the Men of Troy and a chance, on national television, to showcase a bunch of incredible skill players who’re going to have the Trojans right amongst the Pac-12 conference race.
QB Cody Kessler had his best game ever, connecting for four touchdowns in amongst 394 passing yards in less than three quarters of game action, part of 701 total yards of offense against a Fresno State team who were made to look poor in all facets of the game, coughing up four turnovers to a good-looking Trojan defense.
Yeah, it’s Fresno State, so we won’t throw the baby out with the bathwater just yet, but there’s reason for optimism in LA – not just because of the way UCLA were challenged against Virginia – and next week’s game against Stanford in Paolo Alto looks like being a real belter. A+ debut for Steve Sarkisian. This Trojan fan is happy.
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