Golden Football Rankings

Did You Notice? College Football Week 4

Clemson Survives
Several preseason magazines listed Wake Forest as a sleeper team for 2022. The Demon Deacons had a chance to live up to that billing when they hosted Clemson. After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, Wake rallied behind the passing of junior QB Sam Hartman (20/29 for 337y and 6 TDs) to take a 35-28 lead heading into the final period. The Tigers tied the game at 35, then again at 38 to send the contest into overtime. The Tigers prevailed in the second overtime when they scored a touchdown, then stopped Wake's fourth-down pass.
Kansas-Duke a Meeting of Undefeated Teams in Football?
Two perennial basketball powerhouses came into their game in Lawrence undefeated. Led by QB Jalon Daniels' sensational performance (19/23, 324y 4 TDs), the Jayhawks prevailed 35-27. Coach Lance Leipold has done a remarkable job turning around the KU program, which went winless in 2020 under Les Miles, who resigned in ignominy amid a flurry of sexual harrassment allegations dating to his time at LSU. The Jayhawks won two of 12 games in 2021 and have doubled that number so far this season, which has included a 55-42 shootout with West Virginia and a 48-30 thumping of Houston on the road. Duke has a new coach this year, Mike Elko, after David Cutcliffe retired at the end of his 14th season in Durham. The Blue Devils beat Northwestern on the road 31-23 in Week 2.
Gut-Wrenching Way to Lose a Game
Auburn's beleaguered coach Bryan Harsin badly needed a win over visiting Missouri, and he got it thanks to a stroke of luck. The game went into overtime, which began with Auburn kicking a field goal for the first points either team had scored since the first half. With the ball at the 20 on Missouri's possession, RB Nathaniel Peat broke around left end and was headed down the sideline. As he got inside the five, it appeared he would beat the onrushing defender to the end zone and score the winning touchdown. But as he changed the football from his left hand to his right and tried to extend it over the goal line, he dropped it, and it rolled into the end zone. An Auburn man pounced on it for a touchback.
App State Gets Taste of Its Own Medicine
Appalachian State established a reputation as a giant killer when the Mountaineers upset Michigan in the Big House in 2007. In 2019, App State notched two more wins over Power Five schools, beating North Carolina 34-31 and South Carolina 20-15. They struck again this year in Week 2 when they upset Texas A&M in College Station 17-14 a week after nearly upending UNC again before falling 63-61. But last Saturday, the Mountaineers got bit themselves when James Madison, an FCS power in its first year in the Sun Belt Conference, shutout the Mountaineers 22-0 in the second half for a 32-28 victory. Interestingly, James Madison had a come-from-behind 35-32 victory over Ap State the last time the teams met in 2008.
QUICK QUIZ: What is James Madison's nickname? (Answer below.)
Kent State - Georgia's Toughest Foe So Far
Georgia embarrassed Oregon in Week 1, destroying the Ducks 49-3 in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates, if that's possible. After breezing past FCS Samford 33-0, the Bulldogs annihilated South Carolina 48-7 in Columbia. So Georgia was a 44-point favorite over Kent State in Athens this past Saturday. But the Golden Flashes of the Mid-American Conference refused to be intimidated. They trailed by only 26-13 at halftime and 32-16 after three quarters before succumbing 39-22. Losing by 17 points against the nation's #1 ranked team, which had won each of its first three games by a minimum of 33 points, was a feather in the cap of Kent State. The 22 points the Flashes scored were than the Bulldogs had given up in the first three games combined.
Speaking of Oregon
The Ducks have rebounded from their embarrassment in Atlanta in Week One to win their next three games. After routing Eastern Washington (which has been a consistently good FCS program) 70-14, Oregon beat #12 Brigham Young 41-20. Then the Quackers started conference play with a thrilling 44-41 victory at Washington State. Oregon trailed 27-15 heading into the final quarter. The teams exploded for 43 in the last 15 minutes. When the dust cleared, the Ducks hung on for a 44-41 victory.
Heartbreak for the Razorbacks
The play with the biggest turnaround occured in Dallas, where Arkansas and Texas A&M have been meeting annually. Late in the first half, the Razorbacks were about to go ahead 20-7 when QB KJ Jefferson fumbled while trying to leap across the goal line. A&M's Tyreek Chappell snatched the ball out of mid-air and ran to the A&M 18, where he alertly handed the ball as he was being tackled to Demani Richardson, who continued the rest of the pay for the touchdown. Instead of Arkansas leading 21-7, A&M trailed only 14-13 (after the PAT failed). The Aggies shutout the Hogs in the third quarter to take a 23-14 lead and withstood a fourth-quarter TD to win 23-21. Arkansas had a chance to take the lead with 90 seconds remaining when they lined up for a field goal. However, Cam Little's kick sailed too high and right, bouncing off the top of the upright and backwards into the end zone.
Curse of Scott Frost
Scott Frost was the Nebraska coach for four years before being fired after three games this season. His Jinx affects teams that beat Nebraska one week and struggle the next week. Consider this season:
Northwestern beat the Cornhuskers in the first week of the season but hasn't won a game since.
Georgia Southern stunned Nebraska in Week 2 (causing Frost to lose his job), then lost the following week to UAB.
Oklahoma routed the Huskers in Week 3, then lost to Kansas State 41-34 Saturday as former Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez completed 21 of 34 passes for 234y. It was the third time in the last four years that the Wildcats beat the Sooners.

Intriguing Numbers - NCAA Week 4
2018	Last time Syracuse started 4-0, which got them the #25 ranking in the Coaches Poll, marking the first time they've been ranked since the beginning of the 2019 season.
16-1	Florida's record against Tennessee since 2005 before the Vols beat the Gators 38-33 in Knoxville.
27-5	Record of SEC teams against non-conference FBS opponents
7	Texas losses by a touchdown or less in their last 11 games
2009	Last time Kansas started 4-0.
402.5	Yards per game Kansas has given up in their four victories.
1.6	Yards per rush for Miami in its 45-31 loss to Middle Tennessee
8.3	Yards per play Miami surrendered in the loss
688	Total yards by Western Kentucky in its 73-0 thrashing of Florida International
31	Margin of defeat of Colorado State at home to FCS Sacramento State (41-10)

ANSWER TO THE QUICK QUIZ: James Madison Dukes

Saints - Panthers Comments

After two games, we asked: "Who are the real Saints for 2022?"
Are they the "bad Saints" team that was dominated by the Falcons for three quarters in Game 1 and self-destructed in the fourth quarter against Tampa Bay?
Or were they the "Good Saints" that came back from a 26-10 deficit to the Falcons in the fourth quarter to win 27-26 and the team that held the Bucs scoreless in the first half?
Game 3 against Carolina has answered that question. Unless something changes drastically, they are the "Bad Saints."
The offense failed to score in the first three quarters, making it seven quarters in a row with just one touchdown. They finally mounted a 10-play, 89y drive to score a TD to cut the margin to 13-7.
The defense had shut down the Panthers in the third quarter. Would the momentum from the touchdown carry over? Nope.
After an incompletion, Baker Mayfield threw a short pass to Laviska Shenault. A Saints DB was in position to make the tackle for just a short gain, but he muffed and the runner continued, also getting by another defender in position to stop him for a 67y touchdown to make it 19-7.
I can't comment on what happened after that because I turned off the TV and took a nap.
As the announcers pointed out, Winston was having trouble pushing off his right foot because of the fractures in his spine. And that clearly affected his accuracy. So the question is:
WHY DIDN'T ANDY DALTON START AT QUARTERBACK? Why did the Saints sign the 11-year veteran who has an 87 QBR for his career if it wasn't for situations like this?
Yes, Dalton has a "small break" in his non-throwing hand. But that doesn't sound as bad as Winston's injuries.

Did You Notice? NFL Week 2

Flacco Leads Comeback
After going 15-of-25 for 175y and two scores in the first three quarters, Jets QB Joe Flacco took his game to another level in the final period. He connected on 11-of-19 for 132y and two more scores to spark the 31-30 squeaker over Cleveland.
Surprising Giants
Two games, two upset wins by the Gmen. After beating the Titans 21-20 on the road in Week One, the Giants beat the Carolina Panthers 19-16.
Who Dak Gonna Lead Them Cowboys to Victory?
With Dak Prescott out indefinitely with a broken bone in his hand, Cooper Rush led Dallas to a 20-17 victory over the Bengals. He finished 19 of 31 for 235y and a touchdown. The defending AFC champions are now 0-2.
Bills Explosion
Buffalo was expected to beat the Titans in one of the two Monday night games, but no one expected the game to be a 41-7 blowout that allowed QB John Allen and his star receiver Stefon Diggs to sit out the entire fourth quarter. Allen finished 26-of-38 for 317y and four TDs. Diggs snagged 12 of his 4 targets for 148y, six first downs, and three touchdowns.
Tua Leads Comeback
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa wasn't having a good day through three quarters against the Ravens in Miami. He threw two first-half interceptions, one in scoring range and one that led to a Ravens TD drive. Miami trailed 35-14 heading into the fourth period. But Tua led a furious rally that produced three straight touchdowns to tie the game. Then, after Justin Tucker's 51y field goal put Baltimore back in front with 2:18 left, Tua led a drive that culminated in a 7y TD pass to his teammate at Alabama, Jaylen Waddle, to pull out the 42-38 victory.

Intriguing Numbers - NFL Week 2
6	Consecutive games going back to last year that Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has scored a touchdown, tying a team record.
2016	Last time the New York Giants started a season 2-0.
24	Receptions by Rams WR Cooper Kupp in the first two weeks of the season, including 11 catches on 14 targets in Week 2 against the Falcons.
7	Total pressures by 49ers edge-rushing phenom Nick Bosa in the 27-7 victory over Seattle: four hurries, two sacks, and a QB hit.
7	Total pressures by Cowboys DE Micah Parsons, the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He also had two sacks and three pass-rush wins to give Bengals QB Joe Burrow fits.
23-5	Aaron Rodgers' record against the Bears after the 27-10 thumping of the Monsters of the Midway last Sunday.
10	Offensive possessions by the Colts, five of which ended in turnovers with the other five ending in punts as the Jaguars won 24-0.
8	Consecutive victories by the Jaguars over the Colts in Jacksonville
11	Catches by each of the Dolphins' receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill for a combined 361y in Miami's comeback victory.
1	Teams in NFL history - the 2022 Dolphins - with a player recording 400+ passing yards and 5+ passing TDs (Tua Tagovailoa) and two receivers with 170+ receiving yards and 2+ receiving TDs (Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle) in the same game.
2017	Last time the Lions scored 35 or more points in game before doing it in both Week 1 and Week 2 this season.