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Week II

Another exciting week of college football is in the books. We had surprises, upsets, and a couple more contenders emerge as potential BCS Busters. Our Tailgater crew cleans up after a weekend of reverie spent on college campuses across the nation. Minnows are growing up, and some old powers seem to be waning in stature. Paper tigers are being exposed, and lions are roaring. Thanks for tagging along for the trip as we finish up Packing Up the Grill on this second week of the 2009 college football season.  

DIVISION OF TALENT

by Matt Strobl

It is held as an obvious truth that FCS (Division 1-AA) schools cannot compete with Division 1 on a regular basis.  Nor should they be expected to.  Inter-divisional matchups are scheduled primarily to give smaller programs access to the FBS revenue machine, and to keep regional rivalries alive.

What has shocked me in 2009 is how well FCS programs have fared against their “big brothers”; in fact, they haven’t merely been competitive.  In more than a few cases, they’ve been better.

The Victors

Villanova (@ Temple): 27-24

So what’s impressive about beating Temple ?  Admittedly, not much.  But Villanova hasn’t been on the national radar for football since Howie Long left.  Trumping an FBS opponent, even a weak MAC team, is praiseworthy.

William & Mary (@ Virginia) 26-14

Why is Al Groh still coaching in Charlottesville ?  Year after disappointing year he remains, and now this.  William & Mary just eke out a win.  The team controlled the Cavs throughout the game.  It was a new low for the ACC.

Richmond (@ Duke ): 24-16

Not to be outdone, Duke decided to blacken the conference’s eye with its own loss.  The Spiders took it to a Blue Devils team that had supposedly made strides coming into 2009.  It appears that Coach Cutcliffe still has some work to do in Durham .

New Hampshire (@ Ball State ): 23-16

Ball State has undergone a lot of changes recently.  12-2 just a year ago, the Cardinals can’t seem to find the answers now that QB Nate Davis is gone.  Tailback Miquale Lewis was hoping to carry the team to another positive season, but an 0-2 start indicates that’s unlikely to happen.  The Wildcats took care of business on the road.

The Near Misses

Weber State (@ Wyoming): 22-29

                      (@ Colorado State): 23-24

The Wildcats have had two chances to topple a Mountain West team, and both times have come with a single score of doing so.  The MWC is often maligned, but recent successes by Utah , TCU, and BYU have elevated its standing with regard to respectability.  For Weber State to play not one, but two of its teams this tough makes a real statement.  The games against CSU was particularly impressive given that the Rams were coming off of a win over Big 12 rival Colorado .

Eastern Kentucky (@ Indiana): 13-19

As the Big Ten devolves into a laughingstock, and Indiana holds its place as the worst Big Ten team, it’s easy to why such little respect is afforded to the Hoosiers.  Still, no one expected the Colonels to march into Bloomington , shut Indiana out in the second half, and come with a touchdown of victory.

Appalachian State (@ East Carolina ): 24-29

After shocking Michigan , Appy St. is on everyone’s watch list when it comes to inter-divisional games.  But ECU is a popular sleeper pick in CUSA while the Mountaineers were without their playmaker Armanti Edwards.  Even shorthanded, Appy proved dangerous, and nearly pulled off the upset.

UMass (@ Kansas St. ): 17-21

Like Appalachian State, Umass has had a lot of success at the FCS level, but that doesn’t make it ok for a rebuilt KSU team to barely avoid a home loss.  The Minutemen could have taken this one with one or two big plays.  Bill Snyder’s return to Manhattan wasn’t very impressive.

Northern Illinois (@ Wisconsin ): 20-28

Going into this season, I predicted that Brett Bielema would be out of a job after the season.  He did nothing to make me thing otherwise.  The Badgers were unable to control this game and had to settle for the narrow victory.

Central Arkansas (@ Hawaii): 20-25

Hawaii is merely a WAC team, and in the minds of many is largely dismissed.  But the Warriors just so happen to have a very potent offense led by Greg Alexander and his 422 yards per game.  For CAU to fly out to Oahu and very nearly catch them napping is impressive, regardless of the WAC effect

Liberty (@ West Virginia): 20-33

Ok, Pat White is gone, and none of knew what to expect from Jarrett Brown.  And 13 points isn’t really that close, right?  It wasn’t just the final score of this one, it was that Liberty played a stingy game, holding the Mountaineers to field goal after field goal.

Southern Illinois (@ Marshall ): 28-31

It wasn’t so long ago that Marshall was a 1-AA team itself, but that’s no excuse for nearly dropping this matchup.   Falling a scant 3-points shy of victory, the Salukis looked pretty darn good against the trouble Herd.  So much for Conference USA .

Samford (@ Central Florida ): 24-28

CUSA had plenty of scares, in fact.  Samford showed up against the Golden Knights, who needed a fourth-quarter touchdown to take the lead for good. 

James Madison (@Maryland): 35-38 OT

First, Maryland was dismantled by Cal .  Then they had to play catch up just to beat the Dukes in overtime.  For Maryland to yield 35 points to and FCS foe is simply shameful.  That’s not meant to disparage JMU in any way- the team played an excellent game, and had a couple of plays broken differently, would have come away from College park with a victory.

Northern Iowa (@ Iowa ): 16-17

In a fair world, Iowa would have lost this game.  They played to lose, and managed to avoid doing so thanks to not one, but two blocked field attempts in the final seconds.  The loss was heartbreaking for Northern Iowa , which has gone winless against the Hawkeyes for more than 100 years.  Teams have gone entire seasons without blocking a single kick.  I wonder if Iowa appreciates its extremely good fortune?

Jacksonville State (@ Florida State ): 9-19

The Gamecocks have no fear of a tough schedule, opening with back-to-back ACC opponents this season.  And if not for some last second heroics by the heavily favored Seminoles, they might have come away with a split.  The game wasn’t even as lopsided as the (still close) final score indicates.  FSU was either asleep, or isn’t nearly as good as predicted. 

Prairie View A&M (@ New Mexico State ): 18-21

The Panthers gave the Aggies all they could handle before falling by a field goal.  Sure, New Mexico State is no powerhouse, but I still expected something more than a squeaker.

  BATTLE OF THE HOT SEAT

by John Mitchell

On Saturday in Ann Arbor , a rivalry renewed between the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This has long been one of the top rivalries in college football, ever since they first kicked off against one another in 1887. They have had a few breaks in this series, and the years these teams have not met, I have long thought that college football was missing out. These two teams had met for the previous seven consecutive years with Notre Dame winning four of those matchups.

This game had a much deeper importance than just respect and bragging rights for the winner. Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis and Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez are sitting on two of the hottest seats in college football right now, and both needing this win to relieve some of the heat that has been put on them. The winner could breathe a sigh of relief as it would look as if the program was on the right track, while the loser would be highly scrutinized for a lack of effort, and it would be a huge hit in their status as a Head Coach.

Coming into this one, Notre Dame was the favorite, and Charlie Weis needed this win more than his counterpart on the Michigan sideline. After reaching BCS bowl games in Weis’ first two seasons at the helm, expectations were raised only for a combined record of 10-15 over the next two seasons with only one bowl berth to show from it, and that was a Hawaii Bowl victory over Hawaii . This seemed to be the make or break year for Charlie Weis, and an improvement from his Irish was needed to salvage his job, because the Irish faithful can only stand so much mediocrity.

Michigan was the underdog, but this game was no less important for Rich Rodriguez. He knew what was at stake in this game, if his Wolverines could prevail a lot of heat would be taken off of him, with fans and the athletic department alike seeing that he had the program headed in the right direction. If they were to lose, it wouldn’t be quite as devastating as it would be for Weis, but it would still be a huge loss, and more questions would emerge on whether or not Rich Rodriguez was the right man for the job in Ann Arbor .

With all these questions before the game, it was time to put them aside and get ready for some football as Michigan kicked off to begin this installment of the rivalry.... CONTINUE

DIFFERENT VENUE, SAME RESULT

by John Mitchell

Last season Rick Neuheisel made his UCLA head coaching debut with a 27-24 home victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. It looked like a huge win for the Bruins -- but who would have guessed how last season would turn out for these two historically strong teams? Tennessee would finish at just 5-7, UCLA at 4-8, and both teams missed a bowl game. Long time Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer caught the brunt of the blame for the failure last year in Knoxville . He was given the boot, and the Vols brought in former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin. At just 34 years old, Lane Kiffin was stepping into a program with a storied history, stuck right dead in the center of the SEC. Kiffin wasted little time with very high talk, angering his fellow coaches in the SEC. After a 65-7 win over Western Kentucky in week one, Kiffin would get his first chance to prove that his team was ahead of schedule and ready to compete this year. Well, Tennessee would face their first true test of the season in week two against the Bruins from Los Angeles in Neyland Stadium.

Coming into this one, it seemed like a slugfest kind of game. If you don’t enjoy defensive struggles and low scoring, then this game was not for you. To begin the game, though, it didn’t look like the defenses would prevail. Each team’s respective first drive led to a field goal. Tennessee ’s defense was the first to hold strong, when on UCLA’s next drive they sacked Bruin QB Kevin Prince and he fumbled the football. Tennessee would recover and take over deep inside the Bruins territory at the UCLA 11. On the very next play, Montario Hardesty punched it in and gave the Vols a 10-3 lead. After the first quarter, I felt Tennessee was firmly in control of this game, and that UCLA would have a tough time moving the ball against this defense all game long.

Then Tennessee shot themselves in the foot in the 2nd quarter with a fumble of their own. UCLA would take over inside Vols territory, and six plays later Kevin Prince connected on a 12-yard touchdown pass to Chane Moline. Just like that, we were all square at 10 with very little offense from either team. Tennessee QB Jonathan Crompton would go on to throw two interceptions in the 2nd quarter. Tennessee will not go very far with him as their leader at the QB position. The rest of the first half didn’t offer much excitement, mainly dominated by the defenses of each team. After multiple punts, we came to end of the first half with a tie ballgame at 10-10.... CONTINUE

THE HOT SEAT WATCH

by John Mitchell and Matt Strobl

Caution:  Highly Flammable!

Well, this one is pretty obvious... if Notre Dame had won and Michigan had lost, then Rich Rodriguez would be taking this hot spot. Coming into this season, it was a make-or-break year for Weis, and after the loss to Michigan , it’s not looking like he has the team moving in the right direction. There is no hotter seat in American than Mr. Weis’ right now.  

Would anyone be surprised if Notre Dame fired Charlie Weis this week?  The loss to Michigan was a crippling blow to an already shaky tenure.  Even though this was a road game, the Irish dropped a game to a team that, while dramatically improved from last season, hasn’t even gotten itself together yet.  Coach Rich Rodriguez is still working out personnel issues and developing gameplans around his recruits, and while he seems to have found a star in freshman QB Tate Forcier, there’s a lot of work left to do in Ann Arbor .  

This game proved what I knew to be true.  The Irish were undeserving of a Top 25 ranking, and talk of the program finally being “back” is premature.  I don’t necessarily blame Weis for the travails in South Bend , but he’s certainly done little to right the ship.  And when you’re the one calling the plays, it becomes pretty difficult to spread the blame around.  

Of course, that didn’t stop Weis from targeting the Big Ten officiating crew after the loss.  It did appear to me that one or two seconds should have remained on the clock after Notre Dame’s “final” play, but given the situation at the time, another second was unlikely to matter.  The Irish were handled, plain and simple, and by a true freshman, no less!  Giving up 38 points is no way to improve your standing as a football coach, and Weis’ situation is more precarious now than ever before.

Heating Up

Ron Zook’s days in Illinois have to be numbered.  In the first game against Missouri , it was supposed to be a coming out party for Illinois as they took a step forward from last season’s disappointment. Instead they struggled on not only defense but offense as well.  His Illini were absolutely embarrassed by a Missouri team that had lost its most potent weapons to the NFL.  No Daniel?  No Maclin?  No problem.  Mizzou crushed Illinois and once again pointed out the weakness of the Big Ten.

Illinois had very high expectations coming into this season thanks to the returning stars on offense like Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn, but they had question marks about their defense. They are coming off a win, but against Illinois State of the FCS. It seems more and more that while Zook is a strong recruiter, he is just not a good coach.

Zook has had his head on the proverbial block for some time, and if the 2009 opener was an indication of what we can expect to see this season, he’ll be packing his bags in December.  Having Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn and still being unable to beat or at least compete with quality teams is simply unacceptable.

Uncomfortably Warm

This is Dan Hawkins' fourth year at Colorado , and this was supposed to be the break out year for the Buffaloes. Hawkins himself said that he thought his Buffaloes could be a ten win team.  Most of us laughed at him, so I’m certain there was nolack of motivation when it came to proving his point.   

Well, what happened? Unfortunately, motivation and execution aren’t the same thing, because Colorado has been an utter bust. The team opened with a loss to Mountain West rival Colorado State .  The Rams have not been a strong team of late, and losing that in-state matchup was a poor effort by Colorado .  And so they promptly followed it up with a loss to Toledo .  

The schedule gets no easier with Wyoming and West Virginia left in non-conference play before they begin the Big XII schedule. Colorado is not looking good, and we could be in for a coaching change at season's end or even earlier.

Obviously Hawkins can’t be on the field, but has he improved this program?  Does keeping him serve a purpose?  He wasn’t necessarily among the small group of coaches under pressure to start the year, but these first two games were poor enough to but him in danger.

UPSET OF THE WEEK

by Matt Strobl

If I may refer our readers to the Week 2 Tailgater, one wizened host predicted a letdown in Stillwater .  And so it came to pass.  While taking Houston to win may have seemed like a lucky strike on my part, I had my reasons for putting OSU on upset alert.  First, they beat a Georgia team that I suspect was highly overrated to start the year.  That assumption was borne out in the Dawgs’ sloppy week 2 win over a South Carolina team that struggled with lowly NC State!  Oklahoma State ’s triumph over Georgia may have vaulted them into the top 5, but it did nothing to prove that the program belonged there. 

Additionally, a big win over a (supposedly) tough foe has a way of relaxing a team.  In the past, OSU has had a tendency to lose focus after big wins, and I thought they might stick to that pattern against Houston . 

If there was anyone out there who didn’t realize that the Cougars have a prodigious offense, they sure do know it now.  Pegging Casey Keenum as a Heisman candidate and taking the team to capture the Conference USA West were not decisions I made carelessly- this is a very powerful and explosive team.  Defensively they could stand to improve, but as we learned last season, Big 12 South defenses can be very soft.  And what happens when a soft defense meets a powder keg like the Houston offense? 

About 45 points.

Of course, to could be argued that I might have taken the same view in the opposite direction.  After all, OSU also has a great offense and Houston also has a soft defense.  So why guess against the Cowboys?  As I mentioned, I expected a hangover following the Georgia win, and that’s exactly what happened.  The first half was a clinic in how to let an underdog take over the game.  True, it took some late-game theatrics to secure the upset, but OSU gave it away when let Houston pile up 24 points before the break.

Mike Gundy has some serious work to do if he expects to beat Oklahoma and Texas .  Because they too have monster offenses (assuming Bradford comes back).  But unlike the Cougars, can actually play some defense. 

BCS BUSTER POWER RANKINGS

by Zach Bigalke

After several years of validation, including last year’s Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama , the Mountain West leads the pack yet again as the conference best positioned to put itself into a BCS game. In our inaugural edition of these rankings, which will appear weekly in each week’s Packing Up the Grill, we’ll rank the top five teams with a shot at claiming a lucrative spot in one of the top-tier bowls, look at who lost their way out of contention (because, sadly, a loss still is a death warrant for any team wishing to crack that BCS nut), and point out the teams on the rise around the nation. While the Mountain West has three (and potentially four) contenders for the conference title and a BCS berth, the MAC already has no undefeated teams left and drops out of the sweepstakes.

The Cougars kept on rolling and open this inaugural poll after following up their 14-13 upset of Oklahoma with a thrashing of Tulane. They face reeling Florida State next week in their home opener, and face overall one of the top three schedules amongst non-BCS teams. They are in the driver’s seat in the Mountain West for a BCS slot... though the MWC resembles a minefield this year, with Utah , TCU, Colorado State and even Air Force showing potential. On the silver anniversary of their 1984 national title, BYU would love to honor their history with another run for the crystal football.  

Coming off a victorious home opener against Pac-10 foe Oregon , there was no let-up for Chris Peterson’s Broncos as they manhandled the Redhawks of Miami ( Ohio ). With the defense allowing under 200 yards, including just 38 on the ground in 23 attempts, the game was wide open for the offense to run away with things. QB Kellen Moore added four more touchdowns to his season total and had a 300-yard passing day, and the running back platoon put up 127 yards and three more scores on the Smurf Turf. Fresno State , who narrowly lost to Wisconsin , will be a tough first road game for the Broncos.  

Conference USA champions three years ago, Houston has a prime opportunity to deliver on the goods once again... and bring more in the bargain. Their upset of Oklahoma State was a masterpiece by an offense which ranked second in the nation last season. Led by junior QB Case Keenum , the Cougars have another showcase game in two weeks when Mike Leach brings his Red Raiders to Houston . Another victory over a Big XII team would do wonders to improve Houston ’s bid for a BCS berth.

After sitting out a week while BYU and Utah got the jump on them in the MWC race, TCU traveled to Charlottesville to lay a beating upon the university that Thomas Jefferson built. The Horned Frogs held the Cavaliers to just 57 yards rushing and less than 200 total yards of offense, getting their top-five defense of 2008 off to another great start. QB Andy Dalton went 15-of-21 for 177 yards and a touchdown, and the backfield platoon piled up over 200 yards rushing. TCU plays its home opener against I-AA Texas State before traveling to Death Valley on September 26 to face Clemson.  

After struggling mightily at San Jose State , the Utes get leapfrogged by their conference rivals from Fort Worth . Locked for much of the game at seven apiece, a 51-yard touchdown bomb from Terrence Cain to Jereme Brooks broke the difference, and Utah pulled away with the game. With a trip to Autzen Stadium next weekend to face the Ducks, Utah could be vaulting further up the charts. But they will have to find their scoring earlier in the game if they are to hang with Oregon and remain in the BCS hunt.

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR: Tulsa (C-USA, 2-0); Hawaii (WAC, 2-0); Colorado State (MWC, 2-0); Louisiana-Lafayette (Sun Belt, 2-0); SMU (C-USA, 2-0); Southern Miss (C-USA, 2-0)

DROPPED OUT OF THE RACE: East Carolina (C-USA, 1-1/L @ West Virginia 35-20); Fresno State (WAC, 1-1/L @ Wisconsin 34-31[2OT]); Buffalo (MAC, 1-1/L vs. Pittsburgh ); Air Force (MWC, 1-1/L @ Minnesota 20-13); Wyoming (MWC, 1-1/L vs. Texas 41-10)

HEISMAN WATCH

by Matt Strobl

With Sam Bradford injured in week 1, the early stages of the Heisman race took an unexpected turn.  Suddenly, fans were watching closely to see who would insert himself into the discussion.   Based on the first two weeks of the season, here are my frontrunners:

1. Tony Pike (QB/Cincinnati): No one was talking about Pike when it came to the 2009 Heisman, but his numbers thus far have been staggering.  The talk surrounding Cincy had to do with the rebuilt defense, and while most fans recognize that the Bearcat offense is talented, no one could have foreseen this type of explosion.  Pike and his supporting cast absolutely blew Rutgers off the field in week one, and followed it up with a 67-point beatdown of punching bag SE Missouri State.  Keep in mind that Rutgers was supposed to have the Big East’s best defense.  While they may have been a stretch, and while Pike has yet to face an elite team, his stat line so far is incredible. With 6 passing TDs and the nation’s third best completion percentage (77.2%), he’s simply carving up defenses.  And unlike Taylor Potts of Texas Tech, what Pike is doing can be written off as a result of a system.  I don’t expect him to stay in the race all year, but for now he deserves a nod.
2. Max Hall (QB/BYU): Hall’s performance against the Bradford -less Sooners raised some eyebrows, and perhaps elevated him significantly in the minds of many voters.  However, the win sort of glossed over the fact that Hall was controlled for most of the game; a win in itself only gets you so much credit. In week 2, Hall and the Cougars took Tulane behind the woodshed.  An impressive win against a not-so-impressive opponent; the game made Hall look good and did nothing to damage his candidacy, but I’m reserving my opinion until he plays a good game against a loaded defense.
3. Jahvid Best (RB/California): Cal ’s star tailback has posted back-to-back 140 yard games after torching Eastern Washington for 144 and a touchdown.  But hey, that’s just against an FCS school, right?  Ok.  How about 13.7 yards per carry and two touchdowns against Maryland in week 1?  If Best continues to post numbers like these, he’ll be in the lead pack all year long.  Of course, the Bears are going to eventually face some teams that can defend, so I expect the 100 yard games to be harder to come by as the year progresses.  Still, despite some gaudy performances seen elsewhere, Best is probably the nation’s top rusher at this point.
4. Case Keenum (QB/Houston): No one has had a bigger win than Keenum’s Cougars earned in week 2.  Houston has to be taken very seriously as a threat to win Conference USA , and as a possible BCS buster if they play their cards right.  Keenum has to outduel another juggernaut offense when Houston hosts Texas Tech in week 4.  It’s a tall task to beat two Big 12 teams with that kind of firepower, but if he can lead his team to another victory, Keenum will vault himself into the Top 3. Houston has a great schedule this year now that OSU has been dispatched.  It’s tough enough to earn BCS respect, but no so tough as to be unwinnable.  Let’s just say for a moment that Keenum comes out the other end undefeated and in a BCS bowl.  He’s going to be a major contender.
5. Colt McCoy (QB/Texas): Do I really need to justify this one?  McCoy had the best completion percentage last season, and he’s started strong again in 2009.  Bradford ’s injury does even more to highlight his production, and he has to be licking his chops in anticipation of getting an undermanned Sooners’ team next month. McCoy is going to be one of the nation’s top QBs all year and will easily be a Top 5 candidate barring injury.
6. Tim Tebow (QB/Florida): If McCoy’s status is secure, then Tebow’s is absolutely rock solid.  Florida is enjoying a 12-game winning streak, and though they haven’t yet faced any worthy competition, Tebow has been firing on all cylinders.  He’ll be in attendance at the Downtown Athletic Club at season’s end.

Others to Watch…

• Darryll Clark (QB/Penn State): Clark is a very steady QB and a veteran leader on a team that could capture the Big Ten.  Ohio State ’s Terrelle Pryor appears unready to take over in Columbus , so the Lions have a golden opportunity to defend their conference title.
• Taylor Potts (QB/Texas Tech): Potts is the next guy in a long line of Tech QBs who have posted gaudy numbers.  Whether fair or unfair, he’s already been slapped with the “system quarterback” label that will haunt him in the Heisman vote.  It’s going to be nearly impossible for him to win it, but his production warrants observation.
• Jacquizz Rodgers (RB/Oregon State):  130+ yards per game thus far, Rodgers is looking to repeat last year’s performance.  What is particularly impressive is his ability to overcome his size disadvantage.  Should the Beavers pull an upset or two, Jacquizz could get some real attention.
• Mark Ingram (RB/Alabama):  The Tide played a real opponent in week 1, and Ingram was very impressive against a Frank Beamer defense.  He plays for a high-profile program and will have quite a few chances against quality teams.  If he continues to churn out 100 yards per game, he’s going to get more than few looks. 
• Joe McKnight (RB/USC): McKnight took over the fourth quarter against the Buckeyes.  Barkley will get all the credit, and there’s no question that he deserves accolades.  It’s not often that a freshman plays with that kind of poise.  However, it was McKnight’s yard after catch that put them in the endzone.
• Michael Floyd (WR/Notre Dame):  True, it is highly unlikely that a wideout will win the award, or even garner serious consideration.  But think about it- how many voters would love to involve the storied Notre Dame program in the Heisman race?  The Irish have been a punchline in recent years, but their appeal has hardly tarnished and their fanbase is substantial.  Coming into 2009, Golden Tate was the golden boy that everyone was watching, but Floyd has been Casey Clausen’s go-to guy.  Against Michigan , Tate had a couple of sloppy moments, and gave up on a route or two while Floyd did his best to carry the passing game.

Don’t Forget About…

• Mardy Gilyard (WR/Cincinnati)
• Ricky Dobbs (QB/Navy)
• Aaron Opelt (QB/Toledo)
• Jordan Shipley (WR/Texas)

PRIME CUTS AND CHARRED REMNANTS

by Zach Bigalke

Another week has gone by, and we’ve seen another round of scapegoats and beasts on college campuses across the nation. We’re back into the upsets, and heroes have emerged in some unlikely places. There were no fisticuffs anywhere, thankfully, after last week saw LeGarrette Blount earn himself a premature end to his college career and a stunted shot at NFL paydays. We still had plenty of people incinerate under the pressure, so many remnants raked over the coals and disposed of with the empties after the game. These remnants will live to play another day, at least, and there’s always the possibility that today’s kebabs will end up as so many discarded bamboo skewers in the next.

This week’s best were headlined by the stars of several upsets:

• Case Keenum (QB/Houston) -- Against a top-five team in the nation, on the road in Stillwater, the junior from Abilene, Texas did everything necessary for the Cougars to pull off the monumental upset against Oklahoma State and put his team squarely into the early-season BCS Buster debate. Tossing the ball efficiently, he completed 32 of his 46 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran in another touchdown on one of his five carries. Calm and confident in the pocket, he is the heart and soul of one of the nation’s most prolific offenses. Keenum looks at this moment like one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, a bona fide small-school Heisman candidate.
• Chris Galippo (LB/USC) -- A junior starter at middle linebacker, taking over for the departed demolisher Rey Maualuga, Galippo has been getting the job done. He quickly deflated the home crowd at the Horseshoe, intercepting Terrelle Pryor’s second pass of the evening and returning it 51 yards to the Ohio State 3. Four plays later, Stafon Johnson was taking in his first 2-yard touchdown of the game to get the Trojans striking first blood. At 6’2”, 250 pounds, Galippo can deliver a hit... or five. He was the catalyst in the middle of the USC defense that held Ohio State to 88 rushing yards and 177 passing in a 19-15 victory.
• Dan LeFevour (QB/Central Michigan) -- After the fourth-year starter looked well past his prime last week, LeFevour came out and played one of the choicest games of the season in leading the Chippewas to a 29-27 upset of Michigan State in East Lansing. Going 33-of-46 for 328 yards and three touchdowns, LeFevour generated a gem of a performance. He led the team on the comeback of the week, driving seven minutes off the clock -- and going 6-of-8 for 40 yards and a touchdown pass and taking three carries for 10 yards and two first downs -- to score the potential game-tying touchdown with 32 seconds remaining. When they decided to go for two, the ball was in LeFevour’s hands... but he couldn’t complete the conversion pass. The Spartans seemed safe... until the visitors got the ball right back on a successful onside kick. The field general went right back to work, going 3-of-3 for 23 yards and getting the Chippewas in position for the winning 42-yard field goal. Had they been able to pull off the upset at Arizona , Central Michigan and LeFevour would be right in the BCS hunt.

And then there were ignominious performances that couldn’t escape scrutiny. Like that last tubesteak that fell through the grates and flamed itself to ash, this is a performance that would be better left forgotten; but we, sadly, must rake through the coals as we pack up the grill on this week’s action:

• Patrick Pinkney (QB/East Carolina) -- After going 22-of-28 for 236 yards and a touchdown in a 24-3 upset of West Virginia last season, Pinkney came back this year for his sixth season of college ball. Granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to early injuries, Pinkney was expected to do great things this year for the Pirates... especially in this matchup. But despite throwing the ball eleven more times, he completed just 16 of his 39 passes for 175 yards. He got a touchdown, but he also tossed a costly interception with 4:14 left in the game that allowed West Virginia to run out the clock on their comeback bid in a 35-20 loss. Pinkney was a prime cut in last year’s loss; apparently his game fell through the slats in the offseason and was lost against the Mountaineers.
• Shaun Draughn (RB/North Carolina) -- Draughn is one of those players who we knew in the preseason would have to step up and take over the backfield for the Tar Heels to have long-term success in the ACC. He went out last Saturday flat and gave his team next to nothing on the field. Getting 16 total touches (14 carries, 2 receptions) Draughn racked up just 38 yards of total offense -- and a full third of those came on a 13-yard pass from T.J. Yates. North Carolina struggled to fend off a Connecticut team that on paper should be a pushover, needing a late safety to seal the game after going into the fourth quarter down 10-0. UNC might be 2-0 right now, but Draughn must step up his game quickly if they are to remain that way.
• Cody Hawkins (QB/Colorado) -- Now 0-2 and in danger of a Husky-sized slide this year, Colorado is looking shakier and shakier the longer the season goes on. A large part of that descent is due to the diminished returns which come when the coach steadfastly refuses to pull his son from under center. After a performance where Cody completed less than half his passes and threw interceptions on three of four fourth-quarter drives, Daddy Dan ought to pull his little boy. But given the four touchdown passes and 356 passing yards, I’m sure papa will find a way to justify Cody’s start next week at home against Wyoming . An 0-3 start could soon be a reality in the bargain.

Submitted 9/14/09 

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