Nick Saban invested the second Saturday in September coaching a scrimmage, then speaking to the media through an Internet connection about a game thats still 2 weeks away.
Dabo Swinney signed in with ESPNs College GameDay utilizing FaceTime on his cellular phone– which, inexplicably, he held, arm outstretched, the entire time– from his teams training room.
Ed Orgeron spent the very first Saturday that resembled anything near to real college football doing– OK, were simply going to assume the coach was elbow-deep in some crawfish. At least that would have used some normalcy in the middle of one of the most unusual starts to a college football year.
But while the leading echelon of the sport muddled through a patchwork Saturday, America was dealt with to perhaps the most surprising development of a surreal 2020: The nations best conference up until now is the Sun Belt.
Truly, was there any more fitting method for this season to truly get going than for the Sun Belt to manage a set of stunning upsets Saturday?
In Ames, Iowa, the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns utilized a kick return TD and a punt return TD to shock No. 23 Iowa State 31-14, ending the Brock Purdy Heisman love before it even started. Billy Napiers team held Purdy to simply 145 backyards and no touchdowns. It was the first time Louisiana beat a ranked challenger since 1996 versus Texas A&M, when Jake Delhomme was at QB.
2 RelatedKidding aside, the two unexpected victories provided two programs a much-needed increase after current individual tragedies.
Napier was emotional talking about the loss of offensive line coach D.J. Looney, who died of a heart attack at the age of 31 last month.
” Its a special group of people because locker room,” Napier said after the game. “I understand you guys are aware of what weve been through. We can discuss COVID-19, social concerns and a cyclone. When you lose family members, one of your group members, its a considerable event. I hope my man D.J.s up there smiling for sure.”
It was a similarly psychological win for Arkansas State, which overthrew Kansas State with a 17-yard TD pass from Layne Hatcher to Jonathan Adams Jr. with just 38 seconds left to play. It was Week 2 a year ago that Red Wolves head coach Blake Anderson triumphantly returned to his team after the death of his other half, Wendy. Anderson lost his daddy this offseason, too. But on Saturday, there was nothing but celebration in the Arkansas State locker room.
” Theres water spouting all over, and guys hoppin and jumpin and dancing,” Anderson said. “Really excited but not amazed.”
Anderson stated he believed his team should have won a week back when a bunch of mistakes cost the Red Wolves versus Memphis, and Saturdays triumph only underscored how skilled his group is this season. And as the folks over at Reddit mentioned, it was a particularly damning indictment of Kansas State.
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The gamble paid off, too. Notre Dame barely blew past Duke in its debut as a full-time ACC member, but the Irish eventually retreated behind a stellar performance from tailback Kyren Williams, winning 27-13. For a program well-known for its lack of rich history, getting conference win No. 1 was a watershed moment.
Where does Kellys historical win in the after-effects of a brand-new contract rank among terrific Notre Dame coaching minutes? Well, his pregame speech likely will be duplicated for years.
” Some time, Book, when the group is up versus it, when conference logos on the field look all incorrect and Duke is beating the boys, inquire to enter there with all theyve got and win just one in the ACC.”.
Goosebumps.
Its fuming in here.
Florida might not have played Saturday, but the Gators still made some news when a fire broke out at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which produced loads of social media material– consisting of from the Gators coach.
Initially, it was reported the fire was begun by a defective golf cart, which is truly more suitable in Naples than Gainesville.
Then, word spread on social networks that the issue was a dumpster fire, which wouldve marked the worst such occurrence at Florida considering that the 2013 Georgia Southern video game.
However, word came down from the school that the fire really started with a tractor, adding some salt in the wound for somber Nebraska fans. If anybody was going to integrate tractor fires and football this year, it mustve been them.
Whos got next?
Wondering just how much the COVID-19 pandemic might play havoc with schedules this fall? Saturday gave us more than simply a taste.
The day began with the ACC revealing Virginia Tech-Virginia, arranged for Sept. 19, would be rescheduled because of a break out in the Hokies locker space. That triggered UVA to then move up its game versus Duke, initially set for Nov. 14, to Sept. 26 instead. The change was necessitated because the Cavaliers would not have had a game up until Oct. 10 otherwise.
The relocation also prompted a pretty legendary, CDC-approved burn from one competitor to another.
Things got messier when an outbreak at Memphis forced the postponement of the Tigers video game against Houston arranged for Sept. 18. How did Houston respond? Its found a replacement, Baylor, to play in 6 days!
Heisman Five.
Were still a minimum of a couple of weeks far from seeing a lot of the top prospects for the Heisman, however the anticipated stars who took the field Saturday all provided big numbers. For our very first Heisman Five, were looking just at guys whove played a game so far. There will be plenty of room for Najee Harris and Chuba Hubbard and Kellen Mond– and possibly, simply perhaps, Justin Fields– down the roadway.
1. QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson.
Sure, he threw for more than 350 yards in a blowout win, however heres the stat thats really worth commemorating: 7 carries, minus-24 yards … and two rushing touchdowns. (Seriously, this has happened just three other times in the past decade.).
2. QB Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma.
In his starting debut, Rattler finished 14-of-17 passes for 4 goals, which seems quite good. Remember, thats still 2 fewer TDs than Jalen Hurts had in his debut last year. Plainly Lincoln Riley has lost a step.
There were likewise reminders of the coronavirus pandemic that has overthrown the country for the previous six months. Many stadiums were empty or had a little portion filled with fans.
The games on the field showed lots of fallout from the pandemic, too. The play was– to put it slightly– careless.
North Carolina was flagged for an incorrect start at the end of the very first half– on a kneel down.
Louisiana almost fumbled away its upset with an uninspired breeze on what was expected to be a spike.
There was likewise … whatever this was.
Spencer Rattler links for four touchdowns in the very first half giving the Sooners a 41-0 lead at the half.
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The league opted to play one non-conference video game each this season, a plan that commissioner Bob Bowlsby may be reassessing today. At least Texas Tech won. By two.
For the Sun Belt, however, it was an enormous step into the spotlight on a day when only two Power 5 leagues were playing video games. Odds of both Louisiana and Arkansas State winning Saturday?
On the other hand, the Sun Belts safeguarding champs left to a sluggish start– forgive them, the uniforms required time to dry– but Appalachian State rounded out a 35-20 win over Charlotte, too.
Add everything up, and the Sun Belt has earned its crown– at least for a week.
” People focus, theres really excellent ball played in our league,” Anderson said. “If youre not playing your best ball, youre going to get beat. They were 2 actually great matchups for our league and Im hoping individuals start noticing what our league can.”
Indications of the times
Saturdays kickoff of Power 5 football in 2020 was, in a word, odd.
The massive outpourings of support for social justice reforms were all over, from Clemsons helmets to Syracuses jerseys
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. @ClemsonFB helmets will feature stickers in support of social justice before its video game Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/NrtTLX6Ktd— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 12, 2020
When the NCAA said teams could use a spot on their uniforms, our management council turned to @tomon_fox to create it.
Here is the story behind the consistent spot well use this season. #UNITY pic.twitter.com/Ll7SSXFdQW— Carolina Football (@TarHeelFootball) September 11, 2020
Citadel punter Matt Campbell yields to pressure and fails to deliver an effective punt as Omarion Dollison returns the failed kick for a USF goal.
And after that there were the kickers. Missed field objectives were popular throughout the day, highlighted– or lowlighted, maybe– by Georgia Tech, which saw two kicks obstructed but still handled a 16-13 win over Florida State.
History at Notre Dame.
Hows this for confidence in a head coach: Notre Dame tattooed Brian Kelly to a contract extension before ever seeing the guy coach a conference video game. Right before the Irish started versus Duke on Saturday, news broke that Kelly had actually signed a contract extension through 2024.
Among the most poignant was the decal worn by North Carolina on Saturday. The teams leadership council asked Tomon Fox, Carolinas star outside linebacker and an accomplished artist, to create a decal, and he went to work on something unforgettable. The design features a clenched black fist with the words “Peace,” “Justice,” “Freedom” and “Equality” stitched around it, together with the motto “Say Their Names,” a rallying cry against police brutality.
Kansas State is not even the finest team with “Kansas State” in its name.– RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 12, 2020
3. QB Sam Ehlinger, Texas.
5 TD passes in the very first half against UTEP is good. Its not sufficient to get us to state it. Texas is back!
4. RB Kyren Williams, Notre Dame.
In his first major action, the sophomore ran for 112 backyards and two goals, including another 93 backyards on two catches. More excellent? All those statistics set a school record in conference play.
5. WR Jonathan Adams Jr., Arkansas State.
He has actually played 2 video games against strong competitors, and he has looked rather great. After a six-catch efficiency in the opener vs. Memphis, Adams absolutely controlled K-States secondary Saturday, taking eight grabs, consisting of 3 touchdowns. And after that theres this fingertip grab that will absolutely be on the seasons year-end highlight reel.
Under-the-radar play of the week.
Were all delighted to see college football back in our lives, however nobody was more excited than Charlotte linebacker Peter Agabe, who took the field the exact same method a toddler prevents bedtime. On Saturday, Agabe was everyone.
Under-the-radar video game of the week.
Vitt was outstanding, finishing 26-of-39 tosses for 346 backyards and 4 goals, including leading Texas State to 20 points in the fourth quarter to send out the game to overtime. The extra frames didnt go so well, and UTSA won 51-48 in double OT, however even that was a whirlwind. Texas State kicker Alan Orona missed a potential winning PAT with 1:16 left in regulation, then missed a 20-yard field goal attempt in the second frame of overtime that showed to be the distinction.
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Arkansas State WR Jonathan Adams Jr. nearly transports in a touchdown with his fingers, but loses control as he hits the ground.
Big bets and bad beats.
Charlotte linebacker Peter Agabe is so pumped for football that he is tumbling all over the field.
Hes baaaack.
He started 8 games at QB for Southern Miss way back in 2016 and 2017. He lost the task midway through his sophomore project, transferred to Tulane, sat out all of 2018 and then tossed simply 18 passes last year.
Howard returned to action Saturday, getting the start for the Green Wave, and while he wasnt exactly great– 14-of-30 passing for 190 lawns and a hurrying TD– he did engineer a big second-half comeback, removing a 24-6 deficit to overthrow South Alabama.
Howards last win as a starter before Saturday? Oct. 21, 2017, against Louisiana Tech. He lost his task 3 weeks later.
Breaking 15-year records.
How unusual was this Saturday? Georgia Tech started a real freshman QB, Jeff Sims, and he completed 23 passes en path to a spectacular 16-13 win over Florida State.
Pitt was a 30-point favorite for its game versus FCS enemy Austin Peay on Saturday. It wasnt exactly safe money. Pitt had not beaten an FCS group by 30 because 2014, and it narrowly edged Delaware last year 17-14. So backers must have been pleasantly surprised when the Panthers led at the half 42-0. Easy cash, right? Ah, not so fast. Or, more plainly– way too quickly. The groups agreed to 10-minute quarters in the 2nd half due to the blowout, reducing the game to just 50 minutes total, which was five minutes except the requirement for Las Vegas books to pay, so all bets were canceled.
With less than 20 minutes to play, North Carolina led Syracuse 7-6 and the Orange looked like a cinch to cover a 23-point spread. What took place Saturday?
Last season, Clemson was favored by at least four touchdowns 6 times in ACC play– and covered all 6. The Tigers sure looked like they could keep the steak alive in 2020, too. Clemson was a 34-point favorite in its opener against Wake Forest and looked poised for a cover with a 37-3 cause end the third quarter. However, alas, the Demon Deacons would not let its first check out from College GameDay end with a complete shame. They scored the last 10 points of the video game, consisting of a TD pass with 2:34 to play– their first touchdown versus Clemson given that 2017.
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For the Sun Belt, nevertheless, it was a massive step into the spotlight on a day when just two Power 5 leagues were playing games. Odds of both Louisiana and Arkansas State winning Saturday? @ClemsonFB helmets will feature stickers in assistance of social justice before its video game Saturday night. He has played 2 games against strong competitors, and he has looked rather good. Pitt was a 30-point favorite for its game against FCS opponent Austin Peay on Saturday.
The last time a Yellow Jackets QB finished more than 23 passes was all the method back on Sept. 10, 2005. That QB was Reggie Ball, who finished 24 in a win over UNC. He has been retired from the NFL for 5 years.
Sims debut was hardly a revelation. He had a hard time early and tossed 2 picks in FSU area, part of what couldve been an unsightly night for Georgia Tech that also consisted of 10 penalties and three blocked kicks. Rather, Sims rebounded therefore did the Yellow Jackets, who managed a stunning road win to begin the year and ruin Mike Norvells debut as the Seminoles head coach. In the 4th quarter, Sims finished all four of his passes for 49 lawns and a goal.
FSU has actually now lost four straight openers with 3 various head coaches.
