Week 6 Recap

I wrote the Arizona Oregon recap on Friday. I think I underestimated the importance of week 6. A total of 11 ranked teams lost this week. Six to ranked opponents, 5 to unranked opponents. The upsets started on Thursday night and continued all through Saturday. These are the weeks I live for. It has already been a great season, and we aren’t even halfway done! Let’s look back on the craziness that was week 6.

How I Fared: (3-3, 22-15 overall)

Notable Games
Arizona 31 2Oregon 24 (Thurs); Games like this one make me miss being on the west coast. It is a lot easier to stay up to watch games when they don’t start at 9:30pm. For the second year in a row, Oregon has been upset by Arizona. This loss came during the 100th consecutive sellout of Oregon’s Autzen Stadium. It also snaps a 28-game home winning streak over unranked opponents. This loss most likely takes Oregon out of the playoff hunt unless they can win out and win the Pac-12. The Wildcats are no strangers to upsetting top 10 opponents, and have taken down a top 5 ranked Oregon 3 times since 2007. Arizona freshman QB Anu Solomon was 20/31 for 287 yards, a TD and an INT. Nick Wilson caught a TD and ran for two more. Terris Jones-Grigsby rushed for 115 yards and a TD as well. For the Ducks, QB Marcus Mariota was 20/32 for 276 yards, 2TDs and he also caught a TD pass from Royce Freeman early in the second quarter. Devon Allen and Keanon Lowe each caught TDs. Each team’s kicker attempted and made a FG inside 30 yards. Penalties were huge in this game. Each team had more than 75 penalty yards. Pass interference hurt Oregon the most, giving Arizona 1st and Goal on three different drives that ended with TDs. Turnovers also cost the Ducks on their first and last drives. On their first, Oregon turned the ball over on downs, on their last, Mariota was stripped at the ORE34 and Arizona was able to kneel and run out the clock. Mariota also fumbled on the ARI35 in the 2nd quarter. At least 6 more ranked teams will fall this week. This is probably going to be one of the most important weekends of the season.

11Ole Miss 23 3Alabama 17; Down goes the Tide. Ole Miss was able to get a huge win over Alabama. The crowd rushed the field and took off with the goal posts. The school was fined by the SEC because rushing the field is not allowed, but the fans raised money to pay the fine and buy new goal posts in less than a day. Ole Miss’s win may end up hurting the SEC in the long run, but they don’t care about that right now in Oxford. This might be the start of a changing of the guard in the SEC West. Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace was 18/31 for 251 yards and 3TDs. Laquon Treadwell, Vince Sanders and Jaylen Walton each caught TD passes, all in the second half. Kicker Gary Wunderlich hit a 46-yarder to cap the Rebel’s first drive. On the other side, Alabama QB Blake Sims was 19/31 for 228 yards a rush TD and a crucial INT to Senquez Golson with 37 seconds left to play. Cyrus Jones returned a fumble for a TD near the end of the first half and looked to be swinging the momentum towards the Tide. TJ Yeldon rushed for 123 yards in this game. Kicker Adam Griffith was 1/3 on FGAs. Alabama goes to Arkansas next and Ole Miss will head to Kyle Field to play the Aggies. I’d like to wish Alabama’s Kenyan Drake a speedy recovery. I hate seeing players go down like that.

25TCU 37 4Oklahoma 33; TCU is a lot better than I thought they were. They were able to take down an Oklahoma team I thought had the chance to run the tables. But I guess that’s why college football games are played. If they were easy to predict, they wouldn’t be much fun to watch. TCU QB Trevone Boykin was 20/38 for 318 yards, 2TDs and an INT. Deante’ Gray caught a TD and BJ Catalon caught a TD and also rushed for a score. The Horned Frogs also benefited from two defensive scores. Cliff Murphy recovered a Sooner fumble in the end zone for a TD and Paul Dawson had a 41-yard pick 6 to seal the game. Kicker Jaden Oberkrom was 1/2 on FGAs. For Oklahoma, QB Trevor Knight was 14/35 for 309 yards, a TD and 2INTs. Sterling Shepard had 215 receiving yards, including a 75-yard receiving TD. Samaje Perine rushed for 3TDs in this game. OU plocked the PAT of the pick 6 and ran it back for the 2-point conversion. After that, neither team was able to score and TCU held on to win. Oklahoma faces off with Texas next in the Red River Rivalry and TCU will go to Baylor for a top-10 Big 12 matchup.

12Mississippi State 48 6Texas A&M 31; The score for this game is actually closer than the game was. The Aggies tried to mount a late comeback, but didn’t have enough time to complete it. Texas A&M struck first, but then the Bulldogs rattled off 4 unanswered TD drives. Mississippi State was just too good for Texas A&M. Bulldog QB and Heisman hopeful Dak Prescott was 19/25 for 259 yards, 2TDs and 3 rush TDs. De’Runnya Wilson caught a TD and Fred Brown hauled in a 51 yard score. Josh Robinson rushed for 107 yards and 2TDs. Aggie QB Kenny Hill was 37/62 for 365 yards, 4TDs and 3INTs. Josh Reynolds and Speedy Noil each caught 2TDs. Kicker Josh Lambo hit is only attempt of the game. This wasn’t the cleanest game this season. But Miss State showed they were definitely the better team. The Bulldogs look like they can beat anyone at home, and we will find out the truth behind that when they host Auburn. That game will probably produce a new #1 team in the polls. Texas A&M gets to go home next and will welcome in an Ole Miss team that probably thinks they can beat anyone right now.

Utah 30 8UCLA 28; I can’t really say that I am surprised by the outcome of this game. Utah is a very good team this year and the Bruins have been up and down. They must have still been riding the high from their huge win at Arizona State. Utah jumped out with the lead and went into the 4th quarter up 24-14. UCLA fought back and took the lead with 4:50 remaining in the game. Utah Kicker Andy Phillips kicked the game-winner with 34 seconds left to play to seal the upset of the 8th ranked team in the country. Ute QB Kendal Thompson was 10/13 for 95 yards and a 42-yard TD to Dres Anderson. Devontae Booker rushed for 156 yards and a TD and Tevin Carter picked off Brett Hundley and ran it back for a TD to take a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Along with the game winner, Phillips was perfect on the night, going 3/3. For the Bruins, QB Brett Hundley was 16/21 for 269 yards, 2TDs and an INT. Devin Fuller caught a 93-yard TD and Eldridge Massington caught the go ahead TD. Paul Perkins and Eddie Vanderdoes each rushed for TDs. Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was 0/1 on FGAs. Utah has a bye coming up and UCLA will host Oregon.

9Notre Dame 17 14Stanford 14; I knew if Notre Dame won is was going to have to be at the end of the game. Stanford is probably out of the playoff hunt now with two losses. Notre Dame benefitted from the chaos above them and was able to jump up a couple of spots in the poll. Turnovers were the name of this game. Neither team did a good job of holding on to the ball. Notre Dame QB Everett Golson was 20/43 for 241 yards, 2TDs and an INT. Chris Brown and Ben Koyack each caught TDs and Kicker Kyle Brindza was the difference in the game, even though he was only 1/3 during the game. For the Cardinal, QB Kevin Hogan was 18/36 for 158 yards, 2INTs and a rush TD. Remound Wright also rushed for a TD. The Irish outgained Stanford 370-205 yards. The Cardinal was only able to rush for 47 yards in this game. Notre Dame will host North Carolina next and Stanford will take on a Washington State team that can probably pass on anyone.

10Michigan State 27 19Nebraska 22; This game seemed to be over going into the fourth quarter. Michigan State had a 27-3 lead and looked as if they were going to cruise to a Big 10 win. Nebraska had other ideas. Everyone was counting the Huskers out, including Kirk and Chris. While the MSU fans and students were leaving, Nebraska was mounting a comeback. Early in the 4th Ameer Abdullah (who else would it be?) ran for a score. Then with a little more than 4 minutes left, Abdullah ran for another TD. The defense then forced a 3 and out and a punt that was returned by De’Mornay Pierson-El for a TD. Nebraska was unable to recover their onside kick, but were given one more break when Spartan kicker Michael Geiger missed a FG. Two plays later QB Tommy Armstrong Jr. hit Alonzo Moore for a 43-yard pass and a first down, but the comeback wasn’t meant to be. Trae Waynes picked off a pass and a kneel down sealed the game for Michigan State. Spartan QB Connor Cook was11/29 for 234 yards, a TD and an INT. Tony Lippett caught a TD and rushed for a TD. Jeremy Langford also ran for a TD. Michigan State is going to need to play all 4 quarters if they want to make it through the Big 10.

Arizona State 38 16USC 34; The Pac-12: home of the Hail Mary and last second win. A combined 34 points were scored in the 4th quarter of this thriller. The first score of the game for USC was a Nelson Agholor 53-yard punt return. That set the tone for the next 3 quarters of play. Arizona State QB Mike Bercovici was 27/45 for 510 yards and 5TDs. The leading receivier was Jaelen Strong who had 202 receiving yards and 3TDs, one of which was a 46-yard Hail Mary on the last play of the game. Cameron Smith caught a 73-yard TD and DJ Foster also caught a TD pass. For the Trojans, Cody Kessler was 28/45 for 273 yards and a rush TD. Javorious Allen carried the ball 29 times for 143 yards and 2 scores. Kicker Andre Heidari was 2/2 on FGAs. These two teams combined for 4TDs in the last 3:53 (3 for Arizona State and 1 for USC). USC has to go to 10th ranked Arizona next and the Utes have a bye.

Northwestern 20 17Wisconsin 14; I don’t understand how you can lose a game when you have an RB who rushes for 259 yards, but Wisconsin was able to do just that. Melvin Gordon carried the ball 27 times for 259 yards and a TD. But when your two QBs throw 4INTs, it is hard to win. Tanner McEvoy was 4/10 for 24 yards and an INT and Joel Stave was 8/19 for 114 yards, a TD to Kenzel Doe with 4:16 remaining and 3INTs. Northwestern’s Godwin Igwebuike picked off Tanner McEvoy once and Stave twice. Wildcat QB Trevor Siemian was 15/29 for 182 yards and a TD to Dan Vitale. Miles Shuler rushed for a TD and kicker Jack Mitchell was 2/2 on field goals. Melvin Gordon might be one of the best running backs in the country, but he clearly can’t run Wisconsin to victory by himself.

Utah State 35 18BYU 20 (Fri); Taysom Hill should never play against Utah State again. It doesn’t end well. The Heisman hopeful is now out for the rest of the season with a broken leg. Before getting injured, the QB was 8/11 for 99 yards, a TD to Mitch Mathews and a rush TD. After those two TDs, the Cougars led 14-7. The Aggies then scored 3 consecutive TDs in the last 4:40 of the first half. The only other points for BYU came from kicker Trevor Samson, who was 2/2 on FGs. Aggie QB Darell Garretson was 19/25 for 321 yards and 3TDs and a rush TD. Hunter Sharp had 173 receiving yards and a TD with Devonte Robinson catching the other 2. Nick Vigil also ran for a TD for Utah State. Hill’s backup, Christian Stewart was 10/29 for 172 yards and 3TDs. BYU had high hopes for this season, and now they are all but gone. I want to wish Taysom Hill a speedy recovery, get well soon!

Kentucky 45 South Carolina 38; Wow. My preseason pick for SEC East champs is not doing so hot. South Carolina has already lost 3 SEC game this year. Kentucky, on the other hand, has won to straight SEC games after their long drought. This was an amazing comeback win by the Wildcats. UK was down 38-24 with just under 12 minutes left to play and scored 3 unanswered TDs to secure the upset. Jojo Kemp kept the game going, even when it was clear he could barely run. The effort that Kemp gave was awesome to watch. That guy is someone I would want on my team. He understands the “there is no I in team” concept. UK QB Patrick Towles was 20/29 for 208 yards and a TD to Ryan Timmons. Jojo Kemp carried the ball 17 times for 131 yards and 3TDs, two of which came in the 4th quarter. Braylon Heard also ran for a TD. The game sealing play came from Alvin Dupree, who picked off Dylan Thompson just a couple plays after Kemp’s second 4th quarter TD and ran it back for what would be the game-winning score. Gamecock QB Dylan Thomson was 23/37 for 218 yards, a TD to Pharoh Cooper and 3INTs. Once again, Mike Davis was a workhorse, carrying the ball 23 times for 183 yards and 3TDs. Shon Carson also rushed for a score. Kentucky will host ULM next and has a bye before playing Furman.

California 60 Washington State 59; To me, the 3rd quarter always takes the longest and is the least interesting. This game goes against that. These two teams scored a combined 56 points in the 3rd quarter. This score is no surprise to anyone who has been keeping up with these two teams. I just wish their games were on earlier. Cal QB Jared Goff was 37/53 for 527 yards and 5TDs. Bryce Treggs had 120 receiving yards and 2TDs, Trevor Davis caught 2TDs (and ran back two kicks for TDs, one was 100yds and the other was 98yds, in the 3rd) and Daniel Lasco caught a TD and rushed for one. Washington State QB Connor Halliday set an NCAA record for passing yards, going 49/70 for 734 yards and 6TDs. Vince Mayle had 263 receiving yards and a TD, River Cracraft had 172 receiving yards and 3TDs, and Isiah Myers caught 2TDs. Gerard Wicks also ran for a score for the Cougars. The play of the game was the last. Washington State decided to attempt a 19-yard FG with 15 seconds left on 3rd down. It was missed, giving Cal a huge win on the road. The Cougars head to Stanford next and California will host Washington for Homecoming.

Top 25
5Auburn 41 15LSU 7
7Baylor 28 Texas 7
13Georgia 44 Vanderbilt 17
20Ohio State 52 Maryland 24
21Oklahoma State 37 Iowa State 20
22East Carolina 45 SMU 24
23Kansas State 45 Texas Tech 14

Other Games
UCF 17 Houston 12 (Thurs)
Fresno State 24 San Diego State 13 (Fri)
Florida 10 Tennessee 9
Purdue 38 Illinois 27
Virginia Tech 34 North Carolina 17
Army 33 Ball State 24
Middle Tennessee 37 Southern Miss 31
Clemson 41 North Carolina State 0
Bowling Green 36 Buffalo 35
Air Force 30 Navy 21
Miami (OH) 42 Massachusetts 41
Louisiana-Lafayette 34 Georgia State 31
Toledo 20 Western Michigan 19 OT
UAB 42 WKU 39
Texas State 35 Idaho 30
Georgia Tech 28 Miami (FL) 17
Arkansas State 28 ULM 14
Rutgers 26 Michigan 24
Virginia 24 Pittsburgh 19
San Jose State 33 UNLV 10
Boise State 51 Nevada 46

Stats and Scores from ESPN.com