By Dave
Hershorin
September 11, 2006
We all knew before the season began
that the Ohio State-Texas matchup would be huge, but
how many would have guessed that it would be the first
regular season game with No.1 playing No.2 since 1996?
The buildup all week was evident, and the quality of
the game, though it wasn’t close late, didn’t
disappoint. One difference was Buckeye QB Troy Smith.
His leadership skills were something the Longhorns don’t
have quite yet with freshman Colt McCoy. Texas stymied
State’s running game, and Smith subsequently took
advantage of his 26 throws by completing 17 for 269
yards and two TDs. In a big game with this kind of magnitude,
with many other factors being equal, this aerial dimension
was the key in steadying the team’s nerves so
that the early season gitters that kept it close early
could turn into mid-season polish in the second half.
Another factor was Buckeye WR Anthony Gonzales stepping
into now-vacated Santonio Holmes’ starting spot
and shining brightly. The biggest surprise, though,
was how OSU’s new-look defensive back
seven played like a veteran group. Texas only
had two plays over 20 yards, and McCoy was limited to
19-for-32 passing for 154 yards. For what was supposed
to be a possible weakness, the LB corps really did its
job. First-year starter and true sophomore LB James
Laurinaitis, who had nine tackles all of last year in
his limited reserve role, had 13 tackles (10 solo),
forced two fumbles, and had both a pass breakup and
an INT, all of which was good enough for him to be honored
as the Walter Camp defensive Player of the Week. It
was sweet payback to avenge one of State’s two
losses from last season. They get Penn State, their
other ’05 detractor, in two weeks at the Horseshoe.
OSU is now 3-0 in games with No.1 vs. No.2; they are
28-4-1 all-time against teams from the Big 12, and they
have scored at least one TD in 115 consecutive games.
For Texas, the loss snapped their national-best winning
streak at 21 games, which leaves Ohio State’s
current nine game winning streak as the nation’s
second best (TCU is working on 12). It was the second
longest streak in Texas history next to their 30-game
run from 1968-70. Texas had been 72-0 in the Mack Brown
era when outrushing their opponent, but that streak
ended, too. Who knows how this game may have turned
out if McCoy’s first quarter pass completion to
Billy Pittman wasn’t fumbled on OSU’s two-yard
line and returned by freshman CB Donald Washington to
midfield.
Another game where QB experience was
the key factor was in Notre Dame’s 41-17 home
romp over Penn State. Anthony Morelli went 21-for-33,
but that was only good for 189 yards, whereas senior
Brady Quinn’s 25-for-36 performance earned the
Irish 287 yards and three scores. Like in the Texas-Ohio
State game, the winning squad was outrushed, so it was
the big play passing of proven QBs that differentiated
who came out ahead. In big games, one can never underestimate
what a superior field general affords his side. Well,
that and getting three turnovers while committing none.
It was the third-consecutive game in which the Irish
haven’t committed a TO, a span of 214:33 dating
back to last November’s game against Stanford.
One major weakness that was revealed is how shaky Penn
State’s defense is – even the Nittany Lions’
stellar LB corps can’t carry the entire load,
and a good offense can spread them out to the point
of ineffectiveness (see Akron story below). Expect more
exploitation when Joe Pa’s guys meet Ohio State,
for if you think Quinn did a good job of this, wait
until Troy Smith studies the game film and inflicts
his damage(s). We will know just how “for real”
Notre Dame is when Michigan comes into South Bend this
weekend. The Wolverines have eight defensive starters
back, and their balanced offensive attack, led by Chad
Henne, Michael Hart and Steve Breaston won’t wilt
nearly as easily. Still, Notre Dame is 214-106-15
(.661) all-time against the Big Ten, and they
beat Michigan in Ann Arbor 17-10 last year. With Michigan
coming off two easy wins and the Irish amply tested
already in their two wins, it could be another blowout
once the score is tallied.
The Akron upset in Raleigh was seen
coming by many after the problems the Zips gave the
Nittany Lions last week. Akron held the ball for almost
38 minutes versus PSU, earning 18 first downs to Penn
State’s 13. N.C. State found out what ’25-wham’
was as each of Akron’s three TDs was scored on
this short running play. Since Philip Rivers left, State
has been struggling with offensive consistency,
often winning games via its defense. But with the latest
NFL draft gutting coach Amato’s front seven, stopping
even a mid-major like Akron seems challenging enough.
Still, State leads Division I with 120 yards worth of
loss in their TFLs. It won’t get any easier for
the Wolfpack with Southern Mississippi, Boston College
and FSU as their next opponents. Amato is a great defensive
mind, but he might be on the hot-seat if things don’t
start to get better, and quick.
Florida State had their own scare in
the home opener with Troy State. Down 17-10 with under
seven minutes remaining, FSU got two big TDs to avoid
the season’s biggest upset so far and won 24-17.
Most noticeable is the continuing woes of State’s
running game – after ranking 109th in 2005, their
running efforts currently rank 118th (out of 119 I-A
teams) and they are the only team in 2006 to
average under one yard per attempt (.87). It’s
either the backs, the front line, or the coaching, but
it is most likely a combination of all three factors
that keeps this once-powerful running team stuck in
the proverbial mud. In watching the game against Miami,
it seems like the Seminoles only have about four or
five running plays from which they choose. The predictability
of their ground game makes even the best back(s) neutralized,
and any team that scouts this fact can employ a rather
simple strategy to limit FSU this way. The mindset in
Tallahassee doesn’t regularly utilize spread formations,
so again trying to set up the run through the pass isn’t
really going to work. The Noles can continue to win
with their superior defense, but it won’t equal
any national championships anytime soon if they can’t
solve this grounding conundrum.
Iowa was another team that barely escaped
the upset bug as they held home team Syracuse to basically
no gain on six straight plays at the goal line
to end their 20-13 2OT win. Iowa, who has been chosen
by some as a viable underdog to win the Big Ten, handed
the Orangemen four INTs to keep the hosts alive. Syracuse
41-yard FG with only :06 left in the fourth quarter
wowed the home crowd, but then they deflated the Carrier
Dome by failing to convert with all their close chances
in the second OT. Syracuse held the ball close to seven
more minutes than Iowa, and converted 9-of-20 third-down
tries…just keeping up with a team like the Hawkeyes
means SU is on an upturn from the quality of football
they have been practicing lately.
The final upset dodge came in Knoxville,
where Tennessee was befuddled by Air Force’s triple-option
and barely came out with a 31-30 win. The Falcons scored
what looked like the game-tying TD with 1:35 left, but
instead of going for the sure one point PAT, Air Force
went for two and got stuffed. Coach Fisher DeBerry said
he went for two because “we didn’t
come here to tie.” Air Force actually
scored two TDs in a little over a one-minute span at
the end of the fourth after playing a nearly flawless
game against a resurging Volunteer team. The Falcons
out-paced UT 281-79 on the ground. But Tennessee’s
Erik Ainge was 24-for-29 for 333 yards and three TDs,
making him the Vol’s most valuable asset until
junior DE Xavier Mitchell stopped AFA RB Chad Hall on
the crucial two-point try. Tennessee was coming off
a huge home win over a highly-ranked California squad,
which ironically was the last ranked team Air Force
beat (in 2002, Cal was No.23 when they lost 23-21.)
DeBerry will be stuck in a shoulda-woulda-coulda conversation
with himself and alumni as long as he lives knowing
he might have won if he hadn’t taken such a brazen
approach to this game’s ending (see FSU vs. Miami
from 1987). Tennessee looks to be a well-seasoned squad
as they enter their annual SEC scorcher with Florida
this week. The Gators tuned up against Southern Mississippi
and Central Florida, so we will see just what UF is
made of as they venture into Knoxville against a tested
team that is sure to give them a smack in the mouth.
Lagniappe
California bounced themselves back into
respectability by beating Minnesota 42-17 in their home
opener. The Golden Bears got their vaunted running game
in gear with 231 net yards rushing, but also got 300
through the air via Nate Longshore’s 22-for-31,
four TD performance…At least Clemson’s 34-33
double-OT loss at Boston College comes early enough
in the year so they can rebound in the polls for BCS
consideration…Tulsa, which hoped to use its weak
schedule to make a run at the BCS, fell against a tough
BYU squad in Provo 49-24. So much for that Cinderella
story, but this victory gives BYU a huge defensive
boost that has been lacking in recent years, something
they will need with trips to Boston, Fort Worth (TCU),
Colorado Springs (AFA) and Salt Lake still looming…Boise
State is back in BCS conversations after beating recent-Pac
Ten bottom feeder Oregon State. After trailing 14-0
midway through the first quarter, they reeled off 42
straight unanswered points. Sophomore Ian Johnson was
named Walter Camp offensive Player of the Week for his
240 rushing yards (on 22 carries) and five TDs. His
was the third-highest rushing total in school history.
Ex-head coach Dan Hawkins sure wishes his Colorado squad
could share in the accolades after they fell for the
second straight week, this time in Denver 14-10 to rival
Colorado State. With all of that recruiting pull and
talent in Boulder, it is a wonder he can’t get
his Buffaloes to perform even close to the level of
the Broncos – yet…Virginia Tech only needed
nine first downs and 224 total yards to beat North Carolina.
Four interceptions don’t hurt the cause either,
nor did reserve WR Josh Morgan’s punt block that
freshman DE Jason Adjepong returned to the UNC one yard
line. It was the 56th blocked punt during the 20 year
tenure of coach Frank Beamer. That makes 111
total blocked kicks in the Beamer era –
34 field goals and 21 PAT tries have also been checked…Tulane
was originally scheduled to host Houston in this past
week’s matchup, which would have been their first
game in the Superdome since hurricane Katrina. But that
will have to wait until SMU comes to town at the end
of this month. The Green Wave fell 45-7 to the Cougars
as Houston QB Kevin Kolb set the school’s all-time
career passing mark. His 350 yards gives him 9,738,
which surpasses the old mark of 9,430 set by David Klingler.
Klingler still has the school’s (and NCAA’s)
highest one game total (716 yards in a 62-45 win against
Arizona State 12/2/90)…In two games, Navy has
committed only three penalties (for 17 yards) in starting
2-0. Marshall, 1-1, has committed 23 so far, losing
an average of 109 yards per game…Fresno State,
which gave up a total of 40 return yards on punts (on
only seven run backs) for all of 2005 has already allowed
58 yards in four returns. Freshman punter Robert Malone
just doesn’t have the control senior Mike Lingua
does, and with Lingua out indefinitely due to back spasms
– possibly for the whole season – it looks
like this special teams dimension isn’t one coach
Pat Hill can count on as an automatic advantage…West
Virginia leads the land as they have converted on 73.9%
of their third-down tries. Florida places second at
70.8%...UCLA has allowed only 8.3% of their foe’s
third-down tries to be converted, while Air Force has
allowed 81.8% to succeed…And finally, though Temple
is 0-2 and has been outscored 71-3, they lead the nation
in time-of-possession (38:25). Conversely, Nebraska
(2-0) has outscored its foes 105-17, but they are last
in TOP as they hold it an average of only 17:33 per
game. Evidently, this stat reveals little…
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