Winners and Losers from Anniversary 1 of the 2015 Academy Football Division
College football's back, y'all.
Well, OK. It was aback on Thursday. And endure Saturday. But Sept. 5 apparent the aboriginal abounding day of academy football for 2015. That agency Winners and Losers is aback to blanket up aggregate that was good, bad, ugly, hilarious, affecting and more.
Before diving into all of that, though, let's bare our aboriginal winner: you. You did it. You endured the continued offseason with perseverance. You watched absolute replays of football amateur on YouTube and advertising video afterwards advertising video. You even abandoned the hottest of takes in every animadversion area possible.
For this, we acknowledge you. You're the acumen why this activity is so abundant fun.
And, now, let's get into all that was Anniversary 1 of this academy football season. From BYU's amazing Hail Mary to Kansas' barbarous accident to FCS adversary South Dakota State, there was a lot to cover.
Winners and Losers from Anniversary 1 of the 2015 Academy Football Season
College football's back, y'all.
Well, OK. It was aback on Thursday. And endure Saturday. But Sept. 5 apparent the aboriginal abounding day of academy football for 2015. That agency Winners and Losers is aback to blanket up aggregate that was good, bad, ugly, hilarious, affecting and more.
Before diving into all of that, though, let's bare our aboriginal winner: you. You did it. You endured the continued offseason with perseverance. You watched absolute replays of football amateur on YouTube and advertising video afterwards advertising video. You even abandoned the hottest of takes in every animadversion area possible.
For this, we acknowledge you. You're the acumen why this activity is so abundant fun.
And, now, let's get into all that was Anniversary 1 of this academy football season. From BYU's amazing Hail Mary to Kansas' barbarous accident to FCS adversary South Dakota State, there was a lot to cover.
Loser: Utah State
It's not awfully aberrant for a aggregation to attack adjoin a Football Championship Subdivision adversary in Anniversary 1. But Utah State's 12-9 win over Southern Utah on Thursday was, in a word, gross.
The Aggies mustered just 250 absolute yards of breach in the escape. Abiding brilliant quarterback Chuckie Keeton averaged 3.3 yards per casual attack and completed beneath than 50 percent of his passes. The box account progressed as such: 6-2, 6-5, 9-5—all in favor of Southern Utah.
Had it not been for an 88-yard punt acknowledgment for a touchdown by receiver Andrew Rodriguez with 4:54 remaining, there's a acceptable adventitious Utah State would accept absent to an FCS aggregation that accomplished 3-9 endure year.
Why is all of this account noting? Utah State has been one of the bigger non-Power 5 programs over the endure few years and is projected to accomplishment abreast the top of the Mountain West this year. At this rate, though, the Aggies accept a lot of plan to do to even attack in their conference, let abandoned accept any array of playoff-crashing hopes.
Winner: Baylor QB Seth Russell
This is the allotment area we say "yes, it was just SMU" because we apperceive if we don't say it, anyone abroad will. Still, you can't go amiss with 435 yards of absolute breach (376 yards passing, 59 yards rushing) and six absolute touchdowns in your aboriginal bold as a full-time starter.
Yet, that's actually what Baylor quarterback Seth Russell did Friday night adjoin the Mustangs. Any questions about Russell's adeptness to accomplish Bryce Petty were at the actual atomic tempered, if not answered outright. Russell's aboriginal canyon 42 yards downfield to Corey Coleman showed accurateness and arm strength. And his athleticism throughout the night gave the Bears breach a altered attending than it had with Petty.
Baylor will not be activated until it gets into Big 12 appointment play, so Russell will accept a few added weeks to put up big numbers and accretion confidence. While accurate apprentice Jarrett Stidham looked abundant in cleanup duty, throwing a touchdown on his aboriginal pass, he's not afore Russell anytime soon.
Winner: Baylor QB Seth Russell
This is the allotment area we say "yes, it was just SMU" because we apperceive if we don't say it, anyone abroad will. Still, you can't go amiss with 435 yards of absolute breach (376 yards passing, 59 yards rushing) and six absolute touchdowns in your aboriginal bold as a full-time starter.
Yet, that's actually what Baylor quarterback Seth Russell did Friday night adjoin the Mustangs. Any questions about Russell's adeptness to accomplish Bryce Petty were at the actual atomic tempered, if not answered outright. Russell's aboriginal canyon 42 yards downfield to Corey Coleman showed accurateness and arm strength. And his athleticism throughout the night gave the Bears breach a altered attending than it had with Petty.
Baylor will not be activated until it gets into Big 12 appointment play, so Russell will accept a few added weeks to put up big numbers and accretion confidence. While accurate apprentice Jarrett Stidham looked abundant in cleanup duty, throwing a touchdown on his aboriginal pass, he's not afore Russell anytime soon.
Loser: Admiral in the Colorado-Hawaii Game
Because it was played in the wee hours of Friday morning, affairs are not abounding humans saw Hawaii top Colorado 28-20. Or the accessible officiating bloomer at the end of the game.
Facing a 2nd-and-5 at the Hawaii 12-yard band with 17 abnormal actual in the game, Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau completed a canyon to Phillip Lindsay inbounds with 14 abnormal left. With the alarm still rolling, Mountain West admiral bumbled and fumbled their way to the band of scrimmage, acceptance all 14 abnormal to run off the clock.
Game over.
It was not the officiating crew's finest moment, but a analysis from the Mountain West bent there was no wrongdoing. A account from the appointment was arise to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com:
After a absolute analysis via the accepted procedures of the Mountain West/CFO West infrastructure, it has been bent the MW officiating aggregation active the adapted mechanics on the final play of the Colorado at Hawaii bold and were in no way amiss in the able beheading of their responsibilities. There is aswell no affirmation the Hawaii amateur carefully interfered with the adjustment of the brawl and appropriately no activity by aphorism was warranted.
There may not accept been any atrocity from a abstruse perspective, but it shouldn't accept taken 14 abnormal to move the brawl to area it bare to be.
Winner: Ole Absence DT (WR?) Robert Nkemdiche
There was affluence to like about Ole Miss' 76-3 win over Tennessee-Martin. Aboriginal and foremost, it was never a contest. Poor showings adjoin FCS teams can announce a lot of problems.
Quarterback Chad Kelly looked sharp, traveling 9-of-15 for 211 yards and a brace of touchdowns. Receiver Laquon Treadwell was aback and advantageous from a abominable season-ending leg abrasion with four catches for 44 yards.
But this...this 31-yard touchdown canyon from Kelly to arresting accouterment Robert Nkemdiche? It's the getting of which dreams are made. It's the #blessedlife. It's glorious.
Make no mistake. This is not a "BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN." Nkemdiche is all beef at 296 pounds. He's aswell a crazy, aberrant athlete. Will this be the endure time the Rebels use Nkemdiche in an abhorrent role? Let's achievement not.
Winner: Ole Absence DT (WR?) Robert Nkemdiche
There was affluence to like about Ole Miss' 76-3 win over Tennessee-Martin. Aboriginal and foremost, it was never a contest. Poor showings adjoin FCS teams can announce a lot of problems.
Quarterback Chad Kelly looked sharp, traveling 9-of-15 for 211 yards and a brace of touchdowns. Receiver Laquon Treadwell was aback and advantageous from a abominable season-ending leg abrasion with four catches for 44 yards.
But this...this 31-yard touchdown canyon from Kelly to arresting accouterment Robert Nkemdiche? It's the getting of which dreams are made. It's the #blessedlife. It's glorious.
Make no mistake. This is not a "BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN." Nkemdiche is all beef at 296 pounds. He's aswell a crazy, aberrant athlete. Will this be the endure time the Rebels use Nkemdiche in an abhorrent role? Let's achievement not.
Loser: Stanford
Bad account for anyone who had Stanford as a accessible playoff team: Those dreams took a above hit in a 16-6 accident to Northwestern.
Before accepting into the Cardinal's issues, let's accord acclaim to the Wildcats. This is a affairs that has endured all sorts of hardships on the acreage over the endure two seasons. Remember, there was a time not too continued ago if the Wildcats were a contemporary Big Ten dark-horse candidate. This is a nice win for them.
As for Stanford, the Cardinal were apace accepting exhausted up front, which was unexpected. The Wildcats had big plays through the air and on the arena and were able to run up the middle. Northwestern was the added concrete team, calmly down.
There's aswell architecture affair about arch drillmaster David Shaw and his bourgeois play-calling. Shaw has aswell bootless to consistently advance quarterback Kevin Hogan, and the Cardinal did not affectation their archetypal smash-mouth hasty game. What casual bold the Cardinal did accept was erratic, abounding of drops and inaccurate passes. Hogan actually didn't yield the bound advanced from the end of endure division like he was accepted to take, averaging just 4.4 yards per attempt. His final pass, a game-sealing interception, was a floater.
Blame the aboriginal alpha time if you must, but there's a lot about Stanford that accept to advance quickly. Otherwise, this is not a aggregation accessible to attack for a Pac-12 North title, abundant beneath annihilation more.
Winner: Illinois Acting Arch Drillmaster Bill Cubit
It's been a bad anniversary for Illinois football. As you no agnosticism apperceive by now, arch drillmaster Tim Beckman was accursed just afore the alpha of the division because of an alien address into amateur mistreatment. While the affairs was assuming signs of advance beneath Beckman, the absoluteness of his time with the Illini was abundantly forgettable.
Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit has been acknowledgment to acting arch coach, and the Cubit era—however continued it may be—got off to a abundant alpha with a 52-3 win over Kent State.
There could still be aphotic canicule advanced for the Illini program. It's not ablaze if able-bodied administrator Mike Thomas will even be the guy to accomplish the next hire. But, even if alone for a day, Illinois has something to acclamation about.
Never belittle how important that is.
Loser: Kansas
It wasn't actually breaking account that Kansas would be a rebuilding project—to put it lightly—under first-year drillmaster David Beaty. But conceivably the acclivous ascend the Jayhawks are adverse in 2014 was, cartel we say, underestimated.
Kansas abandoned its opener to South Dakota State 41-38. Credit Beaty's aggregation for clawing aback afterwards falling abaft 31-7, but the massive aperture the Jayhawks activate themselves in to activate with is eye-opening. Then, to top aggregate off, the Jayhawks absent the bold on a fumbled snap-spike. You couldn't accomplish this bold up.
And this was the bold Kansas had the best adventitious of acceptable all season. It's a continued year, and every aggregation deserves the account of improvement, but the accident Saturday makes you accurately admiration if the Jayhawks will win a bold at all.
If you didn't admiration that already, that is.
To accomplish affairs worse, the Jayhawks are down to about 60-65 scholarship players. They are aswell still paying buyout money to the man who put them in this situation: Charlie Weis.
Winner: UCLA Quarterback Josh Rosen
We knew that UCLA accurate apprentice quarterback Josh Rosen was appropriate accustomed that he was called the amateur by arch drillmaster Jim Mora. But his aboriginal bookish achievement adjoin Virginia showed just how appropriate he can be.
In a 34-16 win over Virginia, Rosen went 28-of-35 for 351 yards and three touchdowns. Beyond the absorbing box score, though, Rosen didn't attending like a freshman. That's conceivably the accomplished acclaim he can receive. All offseason, others, like ESPN.com's Ted Miller, accept raved about what he possesses admiral and his adeptness to alteration to the acceleration of the academy game. And that's on top of his concrete abilities.
That was all on affectation adjoin Virginia. Rosen looked air-conditioned and confident, but just as importantly, he played aural himself and didn't try to force things.
Of course, it wasn't all Rosen. UCLA—the apprenticeship agents and starting breach alike—did a abundant job of putting Rosen in positions to be successful. Rosen had apple-pie pockets to canyon from and accessible receivers to bandy to.
It's just one game, but the approaching actually looks ablaze for Rosen.
Loser: Penn State's Abhorrent Line
The abhorrent band issues that bedeviled Penn State's breach a year ago arise to abominably be in aftereffect to alpha the 2015 season. They were actual abundant on affectation in Penn State's 27-10 accident to Temple. Hackenberg went 11-of-25 for an boilerplate of 4.1 yards per attack on the day.
Hackenberg was sacked four times in the aboriginal bisected (and eight times total). For context, the Nittany Lions gave up 3.39 sacks per bold endure year, affliction in the Big Ten. The appulse of that burden has embodied into accurateness and aplomb issues for Hackenberg, as B/R's abstract authority Matt Miller acclaimed on Twitter.
Temple has a solid defense, but Penn State's breach basically abolished in the additional half. It's unfortunate. Hackenberg began his career as a able apprentice but has been banged up again over the endure two years. His bold has regressed in a big way as a result.
As a authentic NFL-caliber prospect, Hackenberg still has upside. He's a big amateur with a bigger arm and has apparent flashes area he can bandy the a lot of admirable brawl in academy football. There artlessly haven't been abounding moments in the accomplished year-plus if he was adequate in the pocket.
Winner: Auburn Arresting End Carl Lawson
As it turns out, the ascendant force in Auburn's division opener adjoin Louisville was the defense. Just like anybody predicted.
It appears new arresting coordinator Will Muschamp had a noticable appulse on that ancillary of the brawl in a 31-24 win over the Cardinals. From the interception by Tray Matthews on the actual aboriginal play, the Tigers got off on the appropriate foot. The body of that success, though, came from the arresting line, which was about unblockable. Carl Lawson, abiding from a season-ending knee injury, had 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss—in the aboriginal 20 account of play. He looked bigger and bigger than ever.
It wasn't just Lawson, however. Montravius Adams and Cassanova McKinzy were studs as well. This looks like a much-improved arresting foreground seven from a year ago.
With Auburn's breach apathetic to get going, it has to be abating to apperceive the aegis can be relied aloft to win games.
Winner/Loser: BYU
What a apricot win for BYU over Nebraska. On one hand, the Cougars had calmly the a lot of agitative accomplishment of Anniversary 1 with a Hail Mary that gave them a 33-28 victory. On the added hand, it wasn’t starting quarterback Taysom Hill throwing that game-winning pass.
That’s because Hill, just abiding from a season-ending leg injury, abiding a bottom abrasion on Saturday that ultimately alone him for the blow of the game. That paved the way for Tanner Mangum to appear in and eventually bandy the Hail Mary.
After the game, BYU arch drillmaster Bronco Mendehall accepted that Hill would absence the butt of the division (h/t Darnell Dickson of the Daily Herald). It’s the additional year in a row, and third in the endure four years, that Hill’s division has been cut short.
It’s just an abominable bearings for Hill, who is one of the added absorbing quarterbacks in the country if he’s healthy. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to breach cocked abundant as of late. BYU may accept been on the appropriate end of a affecting win in Anniversary 1, but how Hill’s abrasion affects the aggregation traveling advanced will be something to watch.
Winner: Maryland Returner William Likely
Want some antic acknowledgment stats for your Anniversary 1 academy football Saturday? Maryland's William Likely has some antic acknowledgment stats for your Anniversary 1 academy football Saturday.
In the Terps' 50-21 win over Richmond, Likely alternate eight punts for, delay for it, 233 yards and a touchdown. He aswell alternate two kickoffs for 63 yards, bringing his absolute on the day to about 300 yards.
You'd think, just accepted sense, that Richmond would, you know, stop accusation to Likely afterwards the, say, fourth or fifth time. You'd anticipate the Spiders would astute up, advisedly bang the brawl out of bound and cut their losses.
Loser: Texas' Offense
Remember if Texas put up a whopping 59 yards in its 31-7 basin bold accident to Arkansas? Well, the Longhorns didn’t actually advance aloft that airing in their division opener adjoin Notre Dame. In a 38-3 loss, Texas mustered just 163 yards.
We could breach down all the things amiss with the Horns. The quarterback bearings is still rough, but in allotment because the abhorrent band is even worse. The absolute abridgement of playmakers, accumulated with adolescence in some key spots, is a bad mix. And, to be fair, Notre Dame looks legit.
Texas, however, still looks a lot like it did endure season.
Texas’ aegis is adolescent and it will alone be able to adhere on for so long. The Longhorns had the aforementioned botheration endure year with a far added accomplished defense. What can Texas realistically apprehend with a two-deep abounding of freshmen and sophomores who are still acquirements how to be academy football players?
In time, arch drillmaster Charlie Strong can get this address angry around. But there will be some angular canicule advanced afore that happens.
Winner: Texas Tech Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Say this for Texas Tech: It would assume the Red Raiders accept activate their quarterback, and his name is Patrick Mahomes. In a 59-45 win over Sam Houston State, the green threw for 425 yards and four touchdowns. He had some attractive tosses and looks like he’ll advance in arch drillmaster Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
The added ancillary of this is Texas Tech bare 59 credibility to win comfortably. The arresting problems that accept bedeviled the Red Raiders over the accomplished few years don’t attending like they’ve been fixed. In short, Mahomes adeptness charge to bandy for 400 yards anniversary in and anniversary out to get Texas Tech aback to a basin game.
Loser: The Pac-12
Heading into the year, the Pac-12 was accepting application as the centermost appointment in academy football. Yes, even added than the SEC.
But afterwards a poor Anniversary 1 showing, it’s harder to get abundant absorption on that narrative. As a whole, the appointment went 2-2 adjoin Adeptness 5 opponents, with the best win getting Utah’s Thursday night achievement over Michigan. Both losses adjoin adeptness appointment opponents came adjoin unranked teams. Additionally, Washington absent to Boise State and Washington State fell to FCS Portland State.
Oregon, which took affliction of Eastern Washington on Saturday, can about-face the trend with a win adjoin Michigan State next. This is not the alpha the Pac-12 capital to have, though—not if its acceptability has been ascent over the accomplished brace of years.
Winner: Notre Dame Quarterback Malik Zaire
You don’t anytime wish to put too abundant banal into a quarterback’s play. Far too often, the quarterback gets added accusation and acclaim than he deserves. However, it actually did feel like Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire was the key basic to the Irish’s playoff hopes. Mostly because he was such an unknown.
For one bold at least, Zaire answered a lot of questions. The first-year amateur showed amazing advance as a passer, traveling 19-of-22 for 313 yards and three touchdowns adjoin Texas.
Heading into the season, Zaire was accepted as added of a hasty threat, and he still is, but that’s not what he had to affectation on Saturday. The Irish breach actually has added of a run-based feel to it with Zaire contributing. However, the casual bold was there, and Zaire’s scrambling adeptness oftentimes helped accessible up receivers. If Zaire can accumulate this up, Notre Dame will be an abundantly boxy aggregation to beat.
Winner: Texas A&M's Defense
The better adventure in the Arizona State-Texas A&M bold was defense. Just like anybody anticipation would happen, right? To be sure, there were solid arresting moments for both teams, but aback the Aggies got the 38-17 win, we’ll focus actually on them.
And how could you not? New A&M arresting coordinator John Chavis did an actually adept job adjoin the Sun Devils. A&M was in quarterback Mike Bercovici’s face all night. Green arresting end Myles Garrett was unblockable with a lightning quick aboriginal footfall and absurd speed. Fellow arresting end Daeshon Hall was appropriately as impressive. There’s still allowance to grow, as B/R aide Michael Felder opined on Twitter, but giving up just 291 yards to the Sun Devils is a abundant abode to start.
If this is the affectionate of aegis we can apprehend from A&M this year, it could adhesive the Aggies as a accepted SEC West contender.
Loser: Wisconsin's Hasty Offense
The a lot of important match-up amid Wisconsin and Alabama was traveling to be in the trenches. Specifically, how would the Badgers’ new-look abhorrent band book adjoin the Tide’s stout arresting front?
We got our answer, and it wasn’t great.
Wisconsin’s run-first breach tallied just 40 absolute yards on the arena at beneath two yards per backpack in a 35-17 loss. Specifically, active aback Corey Clement had just 16 yards on eight carries. Granted, falling abaft meant Wisconsin all but clearly had to carelessness the run, but the arena bold was never there to activate with.
It’s apparently not a huge abruptness that Wisconsin struggled to authorize the run adjoin Alabama. The catechism traveling advanced is whether it can get aback on track, or if Saturday was the alpha of a trend.
Winner: Alabama Active Aback Derrick Henry
On paper, Alabama active aback Derrick Henry had an outstanding night. He alone agitated the brawl 13 times in a 35-17 win over Wisconsin, but he averaged 11.3 yards per backpack and rushed for three touchdowns.
Henry’s a lot of absorbing runs on the night came on 1) a fourth-down about-face in which he bankrupt tackles up the boilerplate and anchored for a 37-yard account and 2) a 56-yard touchdown run to put Alabama up 21-7.
Tackling Henry seems like the atomic bulk of fun anyone can accept arena academy football. At 6'3" and 242 pounds, he's a baby army catchbasin whose brakes accept been disabled. We apperceive the Tide accept accomplished active backs, so for all the babble about Nick Chubb (Georgia) and Leonard Fournette (LSU), Henry should be in that chat as well.
Winner: West Virginia Safety Karl Joseph
For the aboriginal time aback 2011, West Virginia will be accepted for its defense, and not in a bad way. The Mountaineers acquaint a 44-0 annihilation adjoin Georgia Southern, no simple assignment because the Eagles averaged 39 credibility per bold in 2014.
Safety Karl Joseph led all defenders with three interceptions…in one quarter. No, Georgia Southern isn’t a casual team, but that’s a antic box account all the same.
Joseph has a acceptability for getting one the hardest hitters in all of academy football. But he showed some brawl abilities on Saturday as well. Joseph is a longtime amateur who has been there if West Virginia was miserably bad on defense. Now, he’s one of the top safeties in the Big 12, if not the country.
Ben Kercheval is a advance biographer for academy football. All stats address of ESPN.com box scores. All quotes cited unless acquired firsthand.
College football's back, y'all.
Well, OK. It was aback on Thursday. And endure Saturday. But Sept. 5 apparent the aboriginal abounding day of academy football for 2015. That agency Winners and Losers is aback to blanket up aggregate that was good, bad, ugly, hilarious, affecting and more.
For this, we acknowledge you. You're the acumen why this activity is so abundant fun.
And, now, let's get into all that was Anniversary 1 of this academy football season. From BYU's amazing Hail Mary to Kansas' barbarous accident to FCS adversary South Dakota State, there was a lot to cover.
Winners and Losers from Anniversary 1 of the 2015 Academy Football Season
College football's back, y'all.
Well, OK. It was aback on Thursday. And endure Saturday. But Sept. 5 apparent the aboriginal abounding day of academy football for 2015. That agency Winners and Losers is aback to blanket up aggregate that was good, bad, ugly, hilarious, affecting and more.
Before diving into all of that, though, let's bare our aboriginal winner: you. You did it. You endured the continued offseason with perseverance. You watched absolute replays of football amateur on YouTube and advertising video afterwards advertising video. You even abandoned the hottest of takes in every animadversion area possible.
For this, we acknowledge you. You're the acumen why this activity is so abundant fun.
And, now, let's get into all that was Anniversary 1 of this academy football season. From BYU's amazing Hail Mary to Kansas' barbarous accident to FCS adversary South Dakota State, there was a lot to cover.
Loser: Utah State
It's not awfully aberrant for a aggregation to attack adjoin a Football Championship Subdivision adversary in Anniversary 1. But Utah State's 12-9 win over Southern Utah on Thursday was, in a word, gross.
The Aggies mustered just 250 absolute yards of breach in the escape. Abiding brilliant quarterback Chuckie Keeton averaged 3.3 yards per casual attack and completed beneath than 50 percent of his passes. The box account progressed as such: 6-2, 6-5, 9-5—all in favor of Southern Utah.
Had it not been for an 88-yard punt acknowledgment for a touchdown by receiver Andrew Rodriguez with 4:54 remaining, there's a acceptable adventitious Utah State would accept absent to an FCS aggregation that accomplished 3-9 endure year.
Why is all of this account noting? Utah State has been one of the bigger non-Power 5 programs over the endure few years and is projected to accomplishment abreast the top of the Mountain West this year. At this rate, though, the Aggies accept a lot of plan to do to even attack in their conference, let abandoned accept any array of playoff-crashing hopes.
Winner: Baylor QB Seth Russell
This is the allotment area we say "yes, it was just SMU" because we apperceive if we don't say it, anyone abroad will. Still, you can't go amiss with 435 yards of absolute breach (376 yards passing, 59 yards rushing) and six absolute touchdowns in your aboriginal bold as a full-time starter.
Yet, that's actually what Baylor quarterback Seth Russell did Friday night adjoin the Mustangs. Any questions about Russell's adeptness to accomplish Bryce Petty were at the actual atomic tempered, if not answered outright. Russell's aboriginal canyon 42 yards downfield to Corey Coleman showed accurateness and arm strength. And his athleticism throughout the night gave the Bears breach a altered attending than it had with Petty.
Baylor will not be activated until it gets into Big 12 appointment play, so Russell will accept a few added weeks to put up big numbers and accretion confidence. While accurate apprentice Jarrett Stidham looked abundant in cleanup duty, throwing a touchdown on his aboriginal pass, he's not afore Russell anytime soon.
Winner: Baylor QB Seth Russell
This is the allotment area we say "yes, it was just SMU" because we apperceive if we don't say it, anyone abroad will. Still, you can't go amiss with 435 yards of absolute breach (376 yards passing, 59 yards rushing) and six absolute touchdowns in your aboriginal bold as a full-time starter.
Yet, that's actually what Baylor quarterback Seth Russell did Friday night adjoin the Mustangs. Any questions about Russell's adeptness to accomplish Bryce Petty were at the actual atomic tempered, if not answered outright. Russell's aboriginal canyon 42 yards downfield to Corey Coleman showed accurateness and arm strength. And his athleticism throughout the night gave the Bears breach a altered attending than it had with Petty.
Baylor will not be activated until it gets into Big 12 appointment play, so Russell will accept a few added weeks to put up big numbers and accretion confidence. While accurate apprentice Jarrett Stidham looked abundant in cleanup duty, throwing a touchdown on his aboriginal pass, he's not afore Russell anytime soon.
Loser: Admiral in the Colorado-Hawaii Game
Because it was played in the wee hours of Friday morning, affairs are not abounding humans saw Hawaii top Colorado 28-20. Or the accessible officiating bloomer at the end of the game.
Facing a 2nd-and-5 at the Hawaii 12-yard band with 17 abnormal actual in the game, Colorado quarterback Sefo Liufau completed a canyon to Phillip Lindsay inbounds with 14 abnormal left. With the alarm still rolling, Mountain West admiral bumbled and fumbled their way to the band of scrimmage, acceptance all 14 abnormal to run off the clock.
Game over.
It was not the officiating crew's finest moment, but a analysis from the Mountain West bent there was no wrongdoing. A account from the appointment was arise to Brett McMurphy of ESPN.com:
After a absolute analysis via the accepted procedures of the Mountain West/CFO West infrastructure, it has been bent the MW officiating aggregation active the adapted mechanics on the final play of the Colorado at Hawaii bold and were in no way amiss in the able beheading of their responsibilities. There is aswell no affirmation the Hawaii amateur carefully interfered with the adjustment of the brawl and appropriately no activity by aphorism was warranted.
There may not accept been any atrocity from a abstruse perspective, but it shouldn't accept taken 14 abnormal to move the brawl to area it bare to be.
Winner: Ole Absence DT (WR?) Robert Nkemdiche
There was affluence to like about Ole Miss' 76-3 win over Tennessee-Martin. Aboriginal and foremost, it was never a contest. Poor showings adjoin FCS teams can announce a lot of problems.
Quarterback Chad Kelly looked sharp, traveling 9-of-15 for 211 yards and a brace of touchdowns. Receiver Laquon Treadwell was aback and advantageous from a abominable season-ending leg abrasion with four catches for 44 yards.
But this...this 31-yard touchdown canyon from Kelly to arresting accouterment Robert Nkemdiche? It's the getting of which dreams are made. It's the #blessedlife. It's glorious.
Make no mistake. This is not a "BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN." Nkemdiche is all beef at 296 pounds. He's aswell a crazy, aberrant athlete. Will this be the endure time the Rebels use Nkemdiche in an abhorrent role? Let's achievement not.
Winner: Ole Absence DT (WR?) Robert Nkemdiche
There was affluence to like about Ole Miss' 76-3 win over Tennessee-Martin. Aboriginal and foremost, it was never a contest. Poor showings adjoin FCS teams can announce a lot of problems.
Quarterback Chad Kelly looked sharp, traveling 9-of-15 for 211 yards and a brace of touchdowns. Receiver Laquon Treadwell was aback and advantageous from a abominable season-ending leg abrasion with four catches for 44 yards.
But this...this 31-yard touchdown canyon from Kelly to arresting accouterment Robert Nkemdiche? It's the getting of which dreams are made. It's the #blessedlife. It's glorious.
Make no mistake. This is not a "BIG MAN TOUCHDOWN." Nkemdiche is all beef at 296 pounds. He's aswell a crazy, aberrant athlete. Will this be the endure time the Rebels use Nkemdiche in an abhorrent role? Let's achievement not.
Loser: Stanford
Bad account for anyone who had Stanford as a accessible playoff team: Those dreams took a above hit in a 16-6 accident to Northwestern.
Before accepting into the Cardinal's issues, let's accord acclaim to the Wildcats. This is a affairs that has endured all sorts of hardships on the acreage over the endure two seasons. Remember, there was a time not too continued ago if the Wildcats were a contemporary Big Ten dark-horse candidate. This is a nice win for them.
As for Stanford, the Cardinal were apace accepting exhausted up front, which was unexpected. The Wildcats had big plays through the air and on the arena and were able to run up the middle. Northwestern was the added concrete team, calmly down.
There's aswell architecture affair about arch drillmaster David Shaw and his bourgeois play-calling. Shaw has aswell bootless to consistently advance quarterback Kevin Hogan, and the Cardinal did not affectation their archetypal smash-mouth hasty game. What casual bold the Cardinal did accept was erratic, abounding of drops and inaccurate passes. Hogan actually didn't yield the bound advanced from the end of endure division like he was accepted to take, averaging just 4.4 yards per attempt. His final pass, a game-sealing interception, was a floater.
Blame the aboriginal alpha time if you must, but there's a lot about Stanford that accept to advance quickly. Otherwise, this is not a aggregation accessible to attack for a Pac-12 North title, abundant beneath annihilation more.
Winner: Illinois Acting Arch Drillmaster Bill Cubit
It's been a bad anniversary for Illinois football. As you no agnosticism apperceive by now, arch drillmaster Tim Beckman was accursed just afore the alpha of the division because of an alien address into amateur mistreatment. While the affairs was assuming signs of advance beneath Beckman, the absoluteness of his time with the Illini was abundantly forgettable.
Offensive coordinator Bill Cubit has been acknowledgment to acting arch coach, and the Cubit era—however continued it may be—got off to a abundant alpha with a 52-3 win over Kent State.
There could still be aphotic canicule advanced for the Illini program. It's not ablaze if able-bodied administrator Mike Thomas will even be the guy to accomplish the next hire. But, even if alone for a day, Illinois has something to acclamation about.
Never belittle how important that is.
Loser: Kansas
It wasn't actually breaking account that Kansas would be a rebuilding project—to put it lightly—under first-year drillmaster David Beaty. But conceivably the acclivous ascend the Jayhawks are adverse in 2014 was, cartel we say, underestimated.
Kansas abandoned its opener to South Dakota State 41-38. Credit Beaty's aggregation for clawing aback afterwards falling abaft 31-7, but the massive aperture the Jayhawks activate themselves in to activate with is eye-opening. Then, to top aggregate off, the Jayhawks absent the bold on a fumbled snap-spike. You couldn't accomplish this bold up.
And this was the bold Kansas had the best adventitious of acceptable all season. It's a continued year, and every aggregation deserves the account of improvement, but the accident Saturday makes you accurately admiration if the Jayhawks will win a bold at all.
If you didn't admiration that already, that is.
To accomplish affairs worse, the Jayhawks are down to about 60-65 scholarship players. They are aswell still paying buyout money to the man who put them in this situation: Charlie Weis.
Winner: UCLA Quarterback Josh Rosen
We knew that UCLA accurate apprentice quarterback Josh Rosen was appropriate accustomed that he was called the amateur by arch drillmaster Jim Mora. But his aboriginal bookish achievement adjoin Virginia showed just how appropriate he can be.
In a 34-16 win over Virginia, Rosen went 28-of-35 for 351 yards and three touchdowns. Beyond the absorbing box score, though, Rosen didn't attending like a freshman. That's conceivably the accomplished acclaim he can receive. All offseason, others, like ESPN.com's Ted Miller, accept raved about what he possesses admiral and his adeptness to alteration to the acceleration of the academy game. And that's on top of his concrete abilities.
That was all on affectation adjoin Virginia. Rosen looked air-conditioned and confident, but just as importantly, he played aural himself and didn't try to force things.
Of course, it wasn't all Rosen. UCLA—the apprenticeship agents and starting breach alike—did a abundant job of putting Rosen in positions to be successful. Rosen had apple-pie pockets to canyon from and accessible receivers to bandy to.
It's just one game, but the approaching actually looks ablaze for Rosen.
Loser: Penn State's Abhorrent Line
The abhorrent band issues that bedeviled Penn State's breach a year ago arise to abominably be in aftereffect to alpha the 2015 season. They were actual abundant on affectation in Penn State's 27-10 accident to Temple. Hackenberg went 11-of-25 for an boilerplate of 4.1 yards per attack on the day.
Hackenberg was sacked four times in the aboriginal bisected (and eight times total). For context, the Nittany Lions gave up 3.39 sacks per bold endure year, affliction in the Big Ten. The appulse of that burden has embodied into accurateness and aplomb issues for Hackenberg, as B/R's abstract authority Matt Miller acclaimed on Twitter.
Temple has a solid defense, but Penn State's breach basically abolished in the additional half. It's unfortunate. Hackenberg began his career as a able apprentice but has been banged up again over the endure two years. His bold has regressed in a big way as a result.
As a authentic NFL-caliber prospect, Hackenberg still has upside. He's a big amateur with a bigger arm and has apparent flashes area he can bandy the a lot of admirable brawl in academy football. There artlessly haven't been abounding moments in the accomplished year-plus if he was adequate in the pocket.
Winner: Auburn Arresting End Carl Lawson
As it turns out, the ascendant force in Auburn's division opener adjoin Louisville was the defense. Just like anybody predicted.
It appears new arresting coordinator Will Muschamp had a noticable appulse on that ancillary of the brawl in a 31-24 win over the Cardinals. From the interception by Tray Matthews on the actual aboriginal play, the Tigers got off on the appropriate foot. The body of that success, though, came from the arresting line, which was about unblockable. Carl Lawson, abiding from a season-ending knee injury, had 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss—in the aboriginal 20 account of play. He looked bigger and bigger than ever.
It wasn't just Lawson, however. Montravius Adams and Cassanova McKinzy were studs as well. This looks like a much-improved arresting foreground seven from a year ago.
With Auburn's breach apathetic to get going, it has to be abating to apperceive the aegis can be relied aloft to win games.
Winner/Loser: BYU
What a apricot win for BYU over Nebraska. On one hand, the Cougars had calmly the a lot of agitative accomplishment of Anniversary 1 with a Hail Mary that gave them a 33-28 victory. On the added hand, it wasn’t starting quarterback Taysom Hill throwing that game-winning pass.
That’s because Hill, just abiding from a season-ending leg injury, abiding a bottom abrasion on Saturday that ultimately alone him for the blow of the game. That paved the way for Tanner Mangum to appear in and eventually bandy the Hail Mary.
After the game, BYU arch drillmaster Bronco Mendehall accepted that Hill would absence the butt of the division (h/t Darnell Dickson of the Daily Herald). It’s the additional year in a row, and third in the endure four years, that Hill’s division has been cut short.
It’s just an abominable bearings for Hill, who is one of the added absorbing quarterbacks in the country if he’s healthy. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to breach cocked abundant as of late. BYU may accept been on the appropriate end of a affecting win in Anniversary 1, but how Hill’s abrasion affects the aggregation traveling advanced will be something to watch.
Winner: Maryland Returner William Likely
Want some antic acknowledgment stats for your Anniversary 1 academy football Saturday? Maryland's William Likely has some antic acknowledgment stats for your Anniversary 1 academy football Saturday.
In the Terps' 50-21 win over Richmond, Likely alternate eight punts for, delay for it, 233 yards and a touchdown. He aswell alternate two kickoffs for 63 yards, bringing his absolute on the day to about 300 yards.
You'd think, just accepted sense, that Richmond would, you know, stop accusation to Likely afterwards the, say, fourth or fifth time. You'd anticipate the Spiders would astute up, advisedly bang the brawl out of bound and cut their losses.
Loser: Texas' Offense
Remember if Texas put up a whopping 59 yards in its 31-7 basin bold accident to Arkansas? Well, the Longhorns didn’t actually advance aloft that airing in their division opener adjoin Notre Dame. In a 38-3 loss, Texas mustered just 163 yards.
We could breach down all the things amiss with the Horns. The quarterback bearings is still rough, but in allotment because the abhorrent band is even worse. The absolute abridgement of playmakers, accumulated with adolescence in some key spots, is a bad mix. And, to be fair, Notre Dame looks legit.
Texas, however, still looks a lot like it did endure season.
Texas’ aegis is adolescent and it will alone be able to adhere on for so long. The Longhorns had the aforementioned botheration endure year with a far added accomplished defense. What can Texas realistically apprehend with a two-deep abounding of freshmen and sophomores who are still acquirements how to be academy football players?
In time, arch drillmaster Charlie Strong can get this address angry around. But there will be some angular canicule advanced afore that happens.
Winner: Texas Tech Quarterback Patrick Mahomes
Say this for Texas Tech: It would assume the Red Raiders accept activate their quarterback, and his name is Patrick Mahomes. In a 59-45 win over Sam Houston State, the green threw for 425 yards and four touchdowns. He had some attractive tosses and looks like he’ll advance in arch drillmaster Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
The added ancillary of this is Texas Tech bare 59 credibility to win comfortably. The arresting problems that accept bedeviled the Red Raiders over the accomplished few years don’t attending like they’ve been fixed. In short, Mahomes adeptness charge to bandy for 400 yards anniversary in and anniversary out to get Texas Tech aback to a basin game.
Loser: The Pac-12
Heading into the year, the Pac-12 was accepting application as the centermost appointment in academy football. Yes, even added than the SEC.
But afterwards a poor Anniversary 1 showing, it’s harder to get abundant absorption on that narrative. As a whole, the appointment went 2-2 adjoin Adeptness 5 opponents, with the best win getting Utah’s Thursday night achievement over Michigan. Both losses adjoin adeptness appointment opponents came adjoin unranked teams. Additionally, Washington absent to Boise State and Washington State fell to FCS Portland State.
Oregon, which took affliction of Eastern Washington on Saturday, can about-face the trend with a win adjoin Michigan State next. This is not the alpha the Pac-12 capital to have, though—not if its acceptability has been ascent over the accomplished brace of years.
Winner: Notre Dame Quarterback Malik Zaire
You don’t anytime wish to put too abundant banal into a quarterback’s play. Far too often, the quarterback gets added accusation and acclaim than he deserves. However, it actually did feel like Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire was the key basic to the Irish’s playoff hopes. Mostly because he was such an unknown.
For one bold at least, Zaire answered a lot of questions. The first-year amateur showed amazing advance as a passer, traveling 19-of-22 for 313 yards and three touchdowns adjoin Texas.
Heading into the season, Zaire was accepted as added of a hasty threat, and he still is, but that’s not what he had to affectation on Saturday. The Irish breach actually has added of a run-based feel to it with Zaire contributing. However, the casual bold was there, and Zaire’s scrambling adeptness oftentimes helped accessible up receivers. If Zaire can accumulate this up, Notre Dame will be an abundantly boxy aggregation to beat.
Winner: Texas A&M's Defense
The better adventure in the Arizona State-Texas A&M bold was defense. Just like anybody anticipation would happen, right? To be sure, there were solid arresting moments for both teams, but aback the Aggies got the 38-17 win, we’ll focus actually on them.
And how could you not? New A&M arresting coordinator John Chavis did an actually adept job adjoin the Sun Devils. A&M was in quarterback Mike Bercovici’s face all night. Green arresting end Myles Garrett was unblockable with a lightning quick aboriginal footfall and absurd speed. Fellow arresting end Daeshon Hall was appropriately as impressive. There’s still allowance to grow, as B/R aide Michael Felder opined on Twitter, but giving up just 291 yards to the Sun Devils is a abundant abode to start.
If this is the affectionate of aegis we can apprehend from A&M this year, it could adhesive the Aggies as a accepted SEC West contender.
Loser: Wisconsin's Hasty Offense
The a lot of important match-up amid Wisconsin and Alabama was traveling to be in the trenches. Specifically, how would the Badgers’ new-look abhorrent band book adjoin the Tide’s stout arresting front?
We got our answer, and it wasn’t great.
Wisconsin’s run-first breach tallied just 40 absolute yards on the arena at beneath two yards per backpack in a 35-17 loss. Specifically, active aback Corey Clement had just 16 yards on eight carries. Granted, falling abaft meant Wisconsin all but clearly had to carelessness the run, but the arena bold was never there to activate with.
It’s apparently not a huge abruptness that Wisconsin struggled to authorize the run adjoin Alabama. The catechism traveling advanced is whether it can get aback on track, or if Saturday was the alpha of a trend.
Winner: Alabama Active Aback Derrick Henry
On paper, Alabama active aback Derrick Henry had an outstanding night. He alone agitated the brawl 13 times in a 35-17 win over Wisconsin, but he averaged 11.3 yards per backpack and rushed for three touchdowns.
Henry’s a lot of absorbing runs on the night came on 1) a fourth-down about-face in which he bankrupt tackles up the boilerplate and anchored for a 37-yard account and 2) a 56-yard touchdown run to put Alabama up 21-7.
Tackling Henry seems like the atomic bulk of fun anyone can accept arena academy football. At 6'3" and 242 pounds, he's a baby army catchbasin whose brakes accept been disabled. We apperceive the Tide accept accomplished active backs, so for all the babble about Nick Chubb (Georgia) and Leonard Fournette (LSU), Henry should be in that chat as well.
Winner: West Virginia Safety Karl Joseph
For the aboriginal time aback 2011, West Virginia will be accepted for its defense, and not in a bad way. The Mountaineers acquaint a 44-0 annihilation adjoin Georgia Southern, no simple assignment because the Eagles averaged 39 credibility per bold in 2014.
Safety Karl Joseph led all defenders with three interceptions…in one quarter. No, Georgia Southern isn’t a casual team, but that’s a antic box account all the same.
Joseph has a acceptability for getting one the hardest hitters in all of academy football. But he showed some brawl abilities on Saturday as well. Joseph is a longtime amateur who has been there if West Virginia was miserably bad on defense. Now, he’s one of the top safeties in the Big 12, if not the country.
Ben Kercheval is a advance biographer for academy football. All stats address of ESPN.com box scores. All quotes cited unless acquired firsthand.
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