Another week in college football is in the books and we had some big games this past week. Alabama finally goes down after 15 years to Tennessee in an instant classic. That and more in our weekly News and Notes.
#7 USC vs #20 Utah
In a very entertaining slate of football games this past Saturday, this game was one of the best. USC came into this game as playoff hopefuls with a record of 6-0 and they were ranked number seventh in the country. For the Utes, they were the 20th ranked team in the nation coming into this game at 4-2 after a tough loss to UCLA a week before.
USC started the game with a very hot start going up 14-0 very quickly after two quick touchdowns in the first quarter. Utah’s kicker missed a 34-yarder the previous drive and they looked to get back some points after being down two possessions early and that is exactly what they did. Micah Bernard cashed in for the 12-yard rushing touchdown to bring them to within seven nearing the end of the first quarter. Although the Utes brought it back to a one-possession game, Caleb Williams drove down the field in under two minutes and threw a touchdown pass to Kyron Hudson to go back up two scores. Skipping into the final five minutes in the second quarter, there were three straight touchdowns with Utah scoring two of them. Cameron Rising threw one into the endzone and rushed one in as well, to make it a 28-21 game at halftime.
Going into the third quarter, the Utes started with the ball. They went right down the field with Rising throwing a touchdown pass to Dalton Kincaid to tie it up at 28 all. USC answered in a minute on three plays to go up seven again. In the fourth quarter, Rising ran in for a touchdown tying the game up but yet again, USC answered. Caleb Williams threw a 20-yard touchdown to go up seven with around six minutes left. Rising then went five minutes and 27 seconds to score a touchdown. Instead of tying the game and going to OT, they went for the aggressive two-point conversion. Rising then ran it in for two, making it a 43-42 Utah lead with 48 seconds left. Williams couldn’t get the ball down to the Utes side in time for a field goal, so Utah came out on top in this thriller of a football game, 43-42.
Cameron Rising was outstanding during the game throwing for 415 yards and completing 30 of his 44 attempts. He threw for two touchdowns and also added three rushing touchdowns with 60 yards. The other player that was fantastic for the Utes was Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid caught 16 receptions for 234 yards and one touchdown. What a game from him as he was easily one of the best receivers this past Saturday. On the other side of the ball, Caleb Williams also had an unreal game throwing for 381 yards and five touchdowns. USC had two receivers who had over 100 yards; Jordan Addison and Mario Williams combined for 251 yards and a touchdown.
USC finally lost their first football game and most likely lost their playoff hopes. They now move down to the 12th-ranked team in the nation with a 6-1 record. They have a bye this week to try and regroup for their next game against Arizona. Utah is now 5-2 and ranked 15th in the nation. They have been inconsistent all season and they look to keep playing as they did against USC for the rest of the season. They also have a bye this week and try to continue their momentum against Washington State next week.
#8 Oklahoma State vs #13 TCU
Another great game this past weekend came in Fort Worth and it was a double-overtime thriller. Oklahoma State came into this game as the eighth-ranked team in the nation and one of the few undefeated teams left in college football. The Frogs were also undefeated as the 13th-ranked team in the nation.
The Frogs had the football first trying to make a statement right away but they did nothing going three and out punting it to State. State then proceeded to take advantage of the punt and scored right away on a 29-yard rush touchdown from Spencer Sanders. Both teams scored back-to-back touchdowns making the game 14-7 State. Later in the half, Oklahoma State completed a 22-yard pass to John Paul Richardson from Sanders to go up big early, 24-7. The Frogs eventually hit two field goals the rest of the way to make it a 24-13 game entering the second half.
Right out of the gate there were three straight field goals with State having two of them making it a 30-16 game, State. TCU had to pick up the poor play and that is exactly what they did. The Frogs finally scored a touchdown for the first time since early in the first quarter. Kendre Miller ran it in for three yards and on the next drive they picked off Sanders. Later in the fourth quarter, Max Duggan completed a pass to Jared Wiley for 10 yards for a touchdown to equal the score at 30 a piece. Both teams both punted and went into overtime tied at 30. All of a sudden TCU and State switched sides from the first half to the second with TCU playing better ball and having all the momentum going into overtime.
TCU started with the ball in overtime and two plays in they scored a touchdown with Duggan throwing it to Quentin Johnson to go up seven. State had to respond with a touchdown or else the game was over. They did exactly that scoring a touchdown from a rushing touchdown. Now this time State started with the ball in the second overtime. They only could get off a field goal and Tanner Brown nailed a 52-yarder. The Frogs had a chance to win the game with a touchdown and they did just that. Kendre Miller ran it in from two yards out to finish the game in double overtime winning 43-40 in this remarkable comeback at home to stay undefeated.
Max Duggan had another exceptional game throwing for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown with 57 yards on top of that. The leading rusher for the Frogs was Kendre Miller who rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Quentin Johnson went off for the receivers group catching eight receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown. On the other side of the ball, Spencer Sanders played an average game throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown but had an interception. Although he didn’t have his best game throwing, he did rush for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Oklahoma State finally lost their first game and moved down to 11th in the country as their record is now 5-1. They play a tough opponent in Texas at home this week which should be a very good game. For the Frogs, they are still undefeated at 6-0 and they moved up to eighth in the country. They have another tough test at home against the 17th-ranked team in the nation this week, Kansas State.
#3 Alabama vs #6 Tennessee
This one could be the game of the year, and it didn’t disappoint. Alabama came into this game as the third-ranked team in the nation with a 6-0 record and one of the most dominating teams in the nation. On the other side of the field, Tennessee came into this game as the sixth-ranked team at 5-0. They were looking for a gigantic upset against a top-notch school to have a shot at the college football playoffs.
Bama got the ball first and did nothing with it. They punted the ball and right away we saw the fans going crazy because they knew they could win this game. After getting the ball for the first team, Heisman hopeful Hendon Hooker drove down the field and had Jabari Small run it in for a touchdown to go up early 7-0. On the other side of the ball, Bama has one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and reigning Heisman winner, Bryce Young. Young then marched down the field to tie the game up a seven a piece. Tennessee went off and scored three straight touchdowns to make it a 28-10 game. Everyone knew Bama wasn’t going to get blown out and Young made sure of that. He threw a touchdown and Bama added a field goal to make the score closer at the end of the half, 28-20 Tennessee.
In the second half, Tennessee tried to get another touchdown up but they were too aggressive and turned the ball over on downs. On the next three drives of the game, there were three touchdowns with Alabama scoring two and finally giving them their first lead at 35-34. In the fourth quarter, Hooker threw a 78-yard touchdown to Jalin Hyatt to go up 42-35 after converting the two-point conversion. Alabama answered right away as they usually do with Young throwing a touchdown on fourth down to tie it up. On the next drive for Tennessee, they fumbled the ball and Bama returned it for a touchdown to go up seven, 4+-42. You could hear a pin drop in the stadium after what happened and the upset wasn’t looking good.
Hendon Hooker then showed up on the next drive and proved to the league he is the man for Tennessee. Hooker threw a touchdown to Hyatt to tie the game up with around three minutes left but Bama would have the last chance to score. Alabama then went down the field and put the game into their kicker’s leg. Will Reichard missed a 50-yard field goal leaving 15 seconds on the clock. Hooker threw a 27-yard pass to put them in position for a game-winning field goal. Chase McGrath became the hero of the year when he kicked a very wobbly football through the uprights from 40 yards out. Tennessee finally defeated Alabama and their whole school changed that night.
Once again, Hendon Hooker showed off his amazing skills throwing for 385 yards for five touchdowns and one interception. The other MVP of their offense was Jalin Hyatt. Hyatt hauled in six receptions for 207 yards. Out of those six receptions, he managed five touchdowns. What a historic day for him and the team. For Alabama, Bryce Young also showcased his skills. He threw for 455 yards and two touchdowns. One of the best running backs in the nation, Jahmyr Gibbs, ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Bama had six players who had over 40 yards receiving.
Alabama finally lost to Tennessee and it may cost them the playoffs this year for the second time ever. They dropped to the 6th ranked football team in the nation with a 6-1 record. They have Mississippi State at home this week where Bama looks to rebound. Tennessee finally did it, they beat Alabama. They now move to third in the nation with a 6-0 record having the playoffs in their sights. They have UT Martin at home this week which should be a very easy football game for them.
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