College Football Week 8 Recap
Saturday Spotlight: Georgia Tech at Duke
Going into the game, both teams had a lot to prove. First, the job Manny Diaz has done to turn around the Duke program has been admirable. However, he still needed to prove he can win a big game as the Blue Devils head coach.
Brent Pry, despite being the underdog on the road, kept Georgia Tech marching along with their sights set on a spot in the ACC title game with Virginia and SMU on their heels.
For much of the early contest, it was a stalemate with both struggling to get points offensively. That is, until a costly turnover gave the momentum to Georgia Tech.
While marching deep into Yellow Jackets territory on the doorstep of taking the early 7-0 lead, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah mishandled the quarterback-to-running back exchange, and Georgia Tech’s Omar Daniels returned the loose football 95 yards for a touchdown. Mensah would redeem himself with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Landen King to even the game at 7-7 before the break.
However, it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Georgia Tech started to pull away. After Haynes King engineered a nine-play, 72-yard drive, the Yellow Jackets were up by two scores with time on their side. After a promising drive, Duke stalled after Mensah threw three consecutive incompletions and was forced to settle for a field goal. Kicker Todd Pelino missed it wide right, effectively putting the game away. Special teams blunders undid the Blue Devils, along with costly turnovers.
Meanwhile, Haynes King was terrific as he has been all season, leading Georgia Tech in rushing and receiving with 325 yards from scrimmage. Georgia Tech remains unbeaten and at the top of the ACC. As for Duke, with the loss, Diaz is now 0-5 versus ranked teams as head of the Blue Devils.
Upset Special: USC Over Notre Dame
Going into the game, it was praiseworthy how USC had defended the run in the weeks prior to their rivalry game against Notre Dame. For years under Lincoln Riley, the Achilles heel for the Trojans has been their defense and able to contain opposing rushing attacks. Tasked with arguably their biggest defensive test of the season, USC failed to stop Notre Dame from running all over them. An unstoppable force met a very movable opposition, and Notre Dame owned the line of scrimmage, allowing one of the country’s top runners to break loose.
The Fighting Irish set the tone early with Jeremiyah Love running 75 yards on their opening drive, including a 63-yard dash. Overall, USC was very much in the game, but couldn’t muster any offense in the fourth quarter. Makai Lemon had a critical fumble with USC in Notre Dame territory that resulted in a touchdown for Notre Dame on the following drive. After that, it was already too late.
It’s a tough loss for USC because they did well enough to be in a position to win the game. Unfortunately, they couldn’t execute when they had their chances. Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, who has been playing well the last few weeks, wasn’t sharp last Saturday. USC couldn’t capitalize, and they allowed Notre Dame to control the tempo on the ground. In all, USC allowed over 300 yards rushing, 228 to Love and another 87 to Jadarian Price. With road losses to Illinois and now Notre Dame, USC showed that they’re still a step behind to be considered amongst the premier teams in the NCAA.
Who Hurt Themselves the Most in Week 8?
It has got to be Texas Tech. Although their loss to Arizona State was disappointing, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Despite what their ranking says, Arizona State is a quality contender in the Big 12. Their two losses this season needed some additional context.
First, Arizona State’s loss to Mississippi State earlier this season was contributed to the Sun Devils playing a sloppy game early; but still managed to overcome a 17-point deficit and should have won if not for a coverage breakdown in the game’s final minute. And, their most recent loss to Utah also comes under odd circumstances. Quarterback Sam Leavitt missed the game because of an injury, and Jeff Sims struggled to get the ball to Jordyn Tyson. The Sun Devils lost despite holding the opposing quarterback to only seven completions.
You may be asking: How does this all tie back to Texas Tech hurting themselves? For starters, the Red Raiders invested heavily in talent through NIL and the transfer portal, but their schedule doesn’t reflect putting their football team where their money is. Granted, the schedule is long-decided before the start of importing talent through the portal. However, look at who Texas Tech has played, and their opponents’ combined record.
Texas Tech has played games against Arkansas Pine-Bluff (2-4), Kent State (2-5), Oregon State (1-7), and Kansas (4-3). In all, their opponents this season are 22-24. Texas Tech simply could not afford to lose that game against Arizona State. Their final marquee game is against unbeaten BYU, and they have now fallen behind Cincinnati in the conference. The margin of error has just become very small, and with another loss and some bad luck, it could see all that money go right down the drain.
College Football: Week 9 Spotlight and Upset Special
Saturday Spotlight: Vanderbilt vs. Missouri
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the team that no one with aspirations for an SEC title or College Football Playoff berth wants to play. Routinely, Vanderbilt is a tough out that, despite not having upper echelon talent, has proven to be a resilient group that refuses to lie down and punches above their weight class. As to why not them as a contender for the SEC title and the CFP? Their schedule is gruesome, and they have to run a gauntlet in the SEC to have hopes of making it that far.
That said, they’ve shown they can be a problem on any given Saturday thanks to Clark Lea and their quarterback. Diego Pavia has been a thorn in the side of many teams over his past two seasons with the Commodores. His ability to extend plays creates conflicts in opposing defenses. Last week, LSU felt the sting from Vanderbilt. Can Vanderbilt make it two weeks in a row where they tame the Tigers and take down a ranked opponent in the SEC?
Missouri is a different group from last season. Last year, the offense leaned on Brady Cook and Luther Burden. This season, their premier player has been Ahmad Hardy. The ULM transfer, who had run for over 1300 yards last season with the War Hawks, has been tearing it up in his first season in the SEC. Hardy is third in the nation at the time of this writing, with 840 rushing yards.
Look for Kevin Coleman to also be a factor in this game. He runs excellent routes to create separation and can make plays after the catch. Both Vanderbilt and Missouri are 6-1 and have a 2-1 record in the SEC. For Vanderbilt’s Cinderella season to keep deferring the midnight hour, they have to win at home. This will be a big-time showdown in the SEC.
Upset Special: LSU Over Texas A&M
Of all the coaches that are facing intense scrutiny for not delivering results, LSU’s Brian Kelly appears to be going under the radar. Yes, the SEC is incredibly competitive. And with no more divisions in the SEC, making the title game is a lot more streamlined and black and white. However, Kelly coaches at one of the sport’s premier universities with premier resources to attract the best talent. If Kelly’s seat isn’t hot, it is certainly simmering.
Since taking over in 2022, Kelly has yet to make an appearance in the CFP. Even after their loss last week, Kelly has been assessing his team’s chances and understands they cannot afford to lose any more games. Kelly knows that now is the time for LSU to right the ship and make a push for the postseason. Kelly needs to deliver against a challenging opponent.
Garrett Nussmeier also needs to silence his critics with a big win at home. That said, this is the week that LSU generates more explosive plays in the passing game. LSU will find a way to force Marcel Reed to be more one-dimensional and force him to win from the pocket. Zavion Thomas should come out with a nice game, and cornerback Mansoor Delane should also play a big factor in LSU taking down fourth-ranked Texas A&M. Tigers stifle the Aggies, LSU wins 27-20.
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