HOT WEEK NINE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates
South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori - The South Carolina star safety had 11 tackles, one TFL, two interceptions, one of which he returned 65-yards for a pick six, in the Gamecocks 35-9 win over Oklahoma in Norman.
Georgia DEs Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams - The two star edge rushers combined for five sacks, five TFLs, 11 tackles, one forced fumble and five QB hurries in a statement win over #1 Texas.
Iowa State QB Rocco Becht - Becht accounted for 371 total yards (274 passing, 97 rushing - throwing/rushing on 66 total snaps) and three total touchdowns in the Cyclones 38-35 win over pesky UCF. He also scored the game winning TD with 0:30 remaining to keep Iowa State undefeated.
Kansas CB Cobee Bryant - The Kansas Mamba had THREE interceptions in the Jayhawks win over Houston. He was the first Jayhawk to record three interceptions in a game since 1958!
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For the first time since the opening weekend, Georgia showed up to play ball and dominated the Texas Longhorns in Austin. That win highlighted the weekend that was filled with ups and downs all the way throughout week eight in college football.
Let’s review that week and then look forward to a sneak hot week nine across the country. It’s going to be a wild one in the SEC, yet again, but the B1G has a couple of great games to preview in week nine as well.
Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Georgia - The Dawgs were dead, right? They beat Kentucky by just a point a month ago. They lost to Alabama after trailing 30-7 at halftime a few weeks ago. They went through the motions, seemingly, in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State last week. Then, from seemingly out of nowhere, they rope-a-doped Texas in Austin when EVERYONE thought that Texas was back. Texas was not back because Georgia said so. It was like Georgia turned into the college football version of ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. The defense sacked Texas QBs seven times and intercepted them once, completely dominating one of the best offenses in the nation. The Dawg defense held Texas to 29 yards rushing, 160 yards BELOW the Horns’ average. Georgia overcame a horrendous moment in the second half to leave Austin with a convincing 30-15 win over the formerly number one Longhorns.
Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - BYU - Kelani Sitake’s Cougars stayed undefeated with one of the great finishes in the 2024 season. Against Oklahoma State on Friday Night, the Cougars engaged in a back-and-forth for the ages. With 1:13 left, Cowboys WR Brennan Presley scored on a throw from QB Alan Bowman to give the Cowboys a 35-31 lead. BYU’s undefeated appeared to be on life support, but Dr. Jake Retzlaff, errr, QB Jake Retzlaff brought the undefeated season back to life, throwing a 35-yard catch-and-run TD to Darius Lassiter with ten seconds remaining to win 38-35. The Cougars are 7-0 and don’t play a ranked team the rest of the season (although the three road games aren’t easy - UCF, Utah and Arizona State)
Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Kansas CB Cobee Bryant - The Kansas Mamba had THREE interceptions in the Jayhawks win over Houston. He was the first Jayhawk to record three interceptions in a game since 1958! He was also the first player in FBS to have three and the first Big 12 player to have three picks since 2012. Yeah, that’ll do it!
Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week (tie) - Georgia DEs Jalon Walker & Mykel Williams - The two star edge rushers combined for five sacks, five TFLs, 11 tackles, one forced fumble and five QB hurries in a statement win over #1 Texas.
South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori - The South Carolina star safety had 11 tackles, one TFL, two interceptions, one of which he returned 65-yards for a pick six in the Gamecocks 35-9 win over Oklahoma in Norman.
National Team of the Week - Indiana - A few years ago, beating Nebraska would’ve been a field rushing event at Indiana. But, after the Hoosiers DESTROYED the Huskers 56-7 in Bloomington, head coach Curt Cignetti and crew have designs on doing much more than celebrating a win over a fellow B1G team. The Hoosiers will have to live life without star QB Kurtis Rourke for a few weeks, but are you going to stop believing in this team now? Absolutely not. Cignetti has been the unquestioned Coach of the Year to this point. Washington, a trip to Michigan State and a visit from the defending national champions Michigan are all that stand in the way of an Indiana-Ohio State top ten matchup for B1G supremacy…possibly, in a few weeks.
Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - America, i.e Army & Navy - I sent a text to my Texans radio crew prior to last Saturday as I was watching Army DISMANTLE UAB during the middle of last week. It hit me that this might not be a one year upswing for the Service Academy programs. Geoff Monken (Army) and Brian Newberry (Navy) have built stalwarts in the college game and they kept the machines rolling in week eight. #23 ranked Army was up 38-7 before they let off the gas pedal in their 45-28 win over East Carolina, while #25 ranked Navy beat Charlotte into submission 51-17. Look at Army’s schedule - it has Notre Dame on November 23rd and not much else. Look at Navy’s schedule - Notre Dame is up this weekend at MetLife Stadium. Pull upsets in those games and December 14th gets all kinds of interesting when these two teams meet.
National Player of the Week - Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten - In the win over Boston College, Tuten was unstoppable. 266 yards and three TD on the ground. One reception for a 20-yard touchdown. Four total touchdowns. One 83-yard run for a TD. One 61-yard run for a touchdown. He was explosive and dominant against an experienced and disciplined Boston College defense. Tuten just went OFF on Thursday night at home in a key 42-21 win over BC in Blacksburg.
Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Miami, FL QB Cam Ward - Watch a full game of Cam Ward live. Do it. Just watch everything he does in a game and you’ll walk away wondering what kind of magician act you just watched. The numbers are always jaw dropping - 21 of 32 for 319 yards and four TD, in addition to 29 yards rushing, mostly on improbable escapes. But, the moments…my gosh, the moments. The flip forward to RB Mark Fletcher Jr when Ward was engulfed by three Louisville defenders. The 35-40 yard LASER to WR Jacolby George, rolling to his left, back across his body into a six inch spot where only George could catch it. Ridiculous.
Quick Kudos
…to Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson for an outstanding ballgame when the Vols needed it the most - 26 carries for 139 yards and two TD in the come-from-behind win over Alabama. Kudos to
…to Oregon for having no let down on a short week, traveling to a tough place to play, after beating undefeated Ohio State…and shutting out Purdue in West Lafayette 35-0
…to Duke for a sixth win this year, a 23-16 win over Florida State. Head coach Manny Diaz has done a wonderful job elevating the program after Mike Elko left for Texas A&M
…to Clemson’s offense that is quietly TEARING it up lately. Since the loss to Georgia in the opener, the Tigers low point output is 29 and they’ve averaged, AVERAGED 48.3 points per game, including 48 against Virginia in week eight.
…to Kansas State for destroying West Virginia in Morgantown 45-18. That’s a tough place to play and Kansas State completely took over the second half with 28 points in the last two quarters.
…to SMU for scoring 31 in the first half against Stanford and cruising to a 40-10 win, giving them an unblemished 3-0 record in the ACC.
…to Mizzou QB Brady Cook for coming back from the hospital to lead the Tigers to a come-from-behind 21-17 win over the Auburn Tigers.
…to Wisconsin, head coach Luke Fickell and DC Mike Tressel for holding Northwestern to three points. After giving up 80 in two games to Alabama and USC, the Badgers held Purdue, Rutgers and Northwestern to a combined 16.
…to UCLA for its first B1G win ever over Rutgers in Piscataway, NJ
…to Cincinnati and head coach Scott Satterfield for a ten point win over hot Arizona State, the Bearcats’ fourth win in five weeks. Four points separates the Bearcats from an undefeated start.
…to Coach Prime and Colorado for a decisive W at Arizona, which moves the Buffs within one win of bowl eligibility…and much more.
…to Dave Arands, Lubbock native QB Sawyer Robertson and Baylor for putting 59 (!!) on Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Week 9’s Big games
#8 (6-1) LSU at #14 (6-1) Texas A&M - Each team’s loss came to a non-conference foe as LSU lost to USC out in Vegas and A&M lost to Notre Dame in each program’s opening game of the season. As such, each program’s SEC Championship/Playoff dreams are still out in front, in full view, with just five games remaining. Kyle Field hasn’t seen as important a football game in quite some time and it’ll be rocking. But, LSU is like a Tiger with nine lives with all the close games it has won this year. QBs Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) and Conner Weigman (A&M) will have a national stage to show it off in the most important game for each to date in their careers.
#5 (6-1) Texas at #25 (5-2) Vanderbilt - Even though Texas is a massive favorite in this game. However, after what, and who, Vandy QB Diego Pavia has slayed this year, can Texas fans feel totally confident in a trip to Nashville to face this Vandy QB and team? I wouldn’t be, especially after the way Texas struggled in all phases against Georgia last week in Austin. Pavia is the LAST QB I’d want to face right now if I were Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian.
#20 (6-1) Illinois at #1 Oregon (7-0) - The Fightin’ Bielemas won’t be wearing the old-time Illini jerseys & helmets as they did last week (if you haven’t seen the helmets, my gosh, what are you doing? Go find a shot of them - BEAUTIFUL). However, they will come to Autzen for a fight because that’s what Bret Bielema-coached teams do. But, the Ducks are on a different level now as they’ve found their stride. The Ducks don’t face a current ranked team after Illinois the rest of the season, so this one is the toughest hurdle to cross on their way to the B1G Championship game.
#12 (6-1) Notre Dame v #24 Navy (6-0) - Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ - The more I watch both Army and Navy, the more I think this success could stick for years to come. Navy QB Blake Horvath’s offense can morph from option look to spread scheme and back in the same series. No defense has come close to slowing the Midshipmen this year but Notre Dame’s is by far the most athletic and dynamic unit that Navy has faced this season. Can’t wait for this one!
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