Judging by some of the on-field temperatures this weekend, it’s hard to believe we’re three weeks into college football! Here are my Week Three Midweek Musings:
Syracuse 30, Florida State 7
I stumped both my boyfriend and my dad with this question on Sunday: name someone who was playing for Syracuse the last time they beat the ‘Noles. My dad said Dwight Freeney; my boyfriend guessed Donovan McNabb. They both need to go back a *bit* further in time. The answer I had in mind?
The year was 1957, and the player was Tom Coughlin.
In the present day, Florida State beat themselves in large part. They were penalized 11 times (nine in the first half) for 90 yards, and were 1-of-14 on third down. Quarterback Deondre Francois was sacked four times, hurried five, and hit repeatedly. He had a 21-yard run and a rushing TD, yet his totals were nine rushes for -3 yards. When you have a 21-yard run and still finish with a negative total, you did not have a good day. The ‘Noles barely avoided their first shutout since 2006.
As for the Orange, they won the game but lost quarterback Eric Dungey late in the first half. Coach Dino Babers told Syracuse.com that it was blurred vision after a poke in the eye that kept Dungey on the sideline. Many had speculated that he may have suffered a concussion. Tommy DeVito played well in relief, going 11-of-16 for 144 yards and a touchdown. Presumably Dungey will be back in action this weekend against UConn.
Troy 24, Nebraska 19
The Scott Frost era is off to a rough start, to put it mildly. The stats show that neither team played particularly well. The Huskers will have to hope that starting quarterback Adrian Martinez can return quickly. Martinez practiced on Monday, but his status for this weekend’s trip to Michigan is still up in the air.
Like the Seminoles, Nebraska beat themselves in large part. Three of their first five drives ended with turnovers and a missed field goal. A personal foul on defense led to a Troy touchdown. Little things, but they add up.
LSU 22, Auburn 21
I hope nobody turned this game off early! For the second year in a row, it came down to the wire, and for the second year in a row, the Bayou Bengals came away victorious. This wasn’t the LSU of Derrius Guice or Leonard Fournette, rushing for just 121 yards, but it appears the Tigers have found the best quarterback they’ve had in awhile. Joe Burrow threw for 249 yards and a touchdown; while his completion percentage was pedestrian (15 of 34), Burrow’s main job is not to lose the game. Auburn has a very good defense, and Burrow avoided mistakes. LSU has now beaten two top-10 teams (Miami and Auburn) in the same season for the first time since 2011, the year they lost to Alabama in the BCS Title Game.
LSU also has a very good defense, but Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham wasn’t able to avoid mistakes. His first pass was picked off by Grant Delpit, leading to an LSU touchdown, and a nice third-quarter drive ended with a Greedy Williams interception.
In addition to having solved their woes under center, it seems LSU has found their best kicker in recent memory in Cole Tracy. His sole missed field goal this season came in this game, and it was a 53-yarder.
Speaking of LSU, I wrote an article earlier this week that Tiger fans might want to read about the misguided petition to set Mike the Tiger free.
BYU 24, Wisconsin 21
I didn’t see this game, but it looks like another one where neither team played terribly, but neither played particularly well either. Obviously, if Wisconsin wants any chance at the Playoff, they can’t drop another game. Fortunately for them, they avoid Ohio State this season. Their visits to Ann Arbor next month and especially to Happy Valley on November 10 just got even more interesting.
Those are my Week Three Midweek Musings. Don’t forget to check back next Wednesday!
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
