Wk 3: Kickers struggle and it's Jerry's World
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Special teams is sometimes the forgotten part of the game, but it was a major theme in week three all across the nation.
It all started on Thursday night when Houston kicker Kyle Bullard missed a field goal and two extra points. Before we'd even reached the weekend, the four games on Thursday night and Friday night featured seven total missed kicks. It spread into Saturday and maybe if one coach was aware of the kicking epidemic, he wouldn’t have called a timeout.
Iowa lost the Cy-Hawk Trophy to Iowa State on a last-second field goal by the Cyclones. Iowa State’s Cole Netten originally missed the 42-yard game-winning attempt, but Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz called a timeout. Netten went on to hit the game-winner.
Other teams weren’t so lucky.
UMass kicker Blake Lucas missed a 22-yard chipshot that would’ve sent the game to overtime, handing Vanderbilt its first win. Elsewhere in the SEC, Georgia’s Marshall Morgan missed two field goals – one a 24-yarder – in what was a three-point loss. Those two misses came after Morgan set the SEC record with 20 straight field goals made.
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Florida survived a 3OT thriller vs. Kentucky. |
The epidemic continued in Gainesville where both Florida kickers Frankie Velez and Austin Hardin missed field goals in the Gators’ three-overtime win. The Gators’ opponent, Kentucky, missed a field goal in the third overtime that gave Florida the chance to win. But, if it wasn’t for the wacky day in kicking, Kentucky wouldn’t have made it to overtime. Austin MacGinnis’s 51-yard field goal to send the game to overtime was nearly a miss – instead hitting the right upright and bouncing over the crossbar.
In other close games, Penn State had both a field goal and a punt blocked in the 13-10 win over Rutgers and West Virginia’s Josh Lambert saw his fourth-quarter field goal in a 37-37 tie blocked before he got another chance to hit the game-winner as time expired.
And those were just games where the kicks really mattered. In all, there were 42 total kickers that missed at least one kick and 51 total misses in FBS play. That’s astounding.
Who are the kickers that come to mind when we think of the nation’s best? Morgan (Georgia), Michael Hunnicutt (Oklahoma), Kyle Brindza (Notre Dame), Jeremiah Detmer (Toledo) and Shawn Moffitt (UCF) are five that come to mind -- and all had a miss.
There’s also the Louisville-Virginia game, which the Cardinals came back to take the lead, 21-20, and just needed to field a punt and possess the ball to win the game. Instead, James Quick muffed the punt and the Cavaliers recovered and kicked the game-winning field goal. Another special teams blunder.
To add to the craziness, Texas A&M blocked a Rice field goal, returned it 91-yards for a touchdown, but was then called for unsportsmanslike conduct on the sidelines and had the score wiped out.
In the UCLA-Texas game, Texas botched the coin toss, electing to kick when UCLA won the toss and deferred, so the Longhorns kicked off to begin both halves. In the Duke-Kansas game, the two teams lined up on the wrong sides of the field for the second half kickoff.
Those things all actually happened.
HOW GOOD IS THE SEC WEST?
Through the first quarter of the season, the SEC West is now 15-0 in non-conference games and the division’s only loss belongs to Arkansas, but it came to a divisional opponents in Auburn. The SEC is without a doubt the strongest division in college football. Meanwhile, the SEC’s long-standing rival, the Big Ten, has only two undefeated teams left – Nebraska and Penn State.
FOUR DOWNS
1. Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo has received a lot of criticism for not giving the football to Todd Gurley on Georgia’s first-and-goal from the four-yard line in the final possession. I think Bobo deserves a break on this one. The whole stadium thought the ball was going to Gurley, but instead Bobo called a play-fake and rollout. It went horribly wrong when Hutson Mason’s pass was deflected and he was flagged for intentional grounding. That was the worst possible outcome for Bobo when his thought process was probably that if that pass falls incomplete, he has three downs left to hand the ball to Gurley and get into the end zone.
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Saturday AT&T Stadium was truly 'Jerry's World' (Neuheisel, that is). |
2. Jerry’s World indeed. UCLA beat Texas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., thanks to the heroics of Jerry Neuheisel. This Jerry, in Jerry Jones' house, relieved Reese's Senior Bowl watch lister Brett Hundley, who had to leave the game with a left elbow injury. Neuheisel struggled at first, but came out in the second half with a lot more confidence and UCLA set him up for success with a lot quick and short passes. Neuheisel completed 23-of-30 passes, but none bigger than the hitch-n-go throw to Jordan Payton for the game-winning touchdown. It was a brilliant call because that was the last thing the Texas defender, Duke Thomas, was expecting from a backup quarterback after so many short routes.
3. Penn State ran a play it's wanted to run all year, but Rutgers did a great job on defense having the discipline to not let it succeed. If you’ve watched the Nittany Lions on offense, you have seen a lot of wildcat formations with Bill Belton taking the snap and Christian Hackenberg split out wide. Every time in every game it has been a run play by Belton. Even when Penn State used it earlier in the Rutgers game, it was a direct snap and Belton ran the ball. But, when Penn State needed a play, it went to the double pass with Belton throwing it out to Hackenberg, who then wanted to throw it down the field. Instead, Rutgers had it covered and Hackenberg had to scramble for positive yardage. That was an excellent job by Rutgers knowing that Penn State was looking for a big play and not letting it happen. Penn State waited three weeks for that opportunity.
4. Welcome to the Gun(ner) Show. Cincinnati’s quarterback Gunner Kiel finally made his much-anticipated debut after going more than1,000 days without appearing in a game. The third-year sophomore began his career at Notre Dame, where he did not play in a game his freshman season when the Irish lost to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game. Then, despite Everett Golson’s suspension at Notre Dame, Kiel went forward with his transfer to Cincinnati and sat out last season due to transfer regulations. Before Kiel even got to college, he received a lot of criticism for switching his commitment from Indiana to LSU and eventually signing with Notre Dame. So, all Kiel did in his debut was throw for 418 yards and six touchdowns, setting the NCAA record for most touchdown passes by a player appearing in his first FBS football game.
TEAMS OF THE WEEK
Boston College – beat USC 37-31
Emotions can be a very powerful thing and Boston College rode them with extra motivation as the school honored 9-11 hero Welles Crowther and his signature Red Bandana. That led to the program’s first win over a top ten team in a decade as the Eagles beat ninth-ranked USC 37-31. The Eagles became the first team to expose USC’s young offensive line by sacking quarterback Cody Kessler five times and holding the Trojans to 20 rushing yards. USC tried to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, but Boston College quarterback Tyler Murphy’s 66-yard touchdown run sealed the victory. The Eagles ran for 352 yards on the Trojans worn out defense.
East Carolina – beat Virginia Tech 28-21
The Pirates were perhaps two Shane Carden interceptions away from upsetting South Carolina last week. Carden took that personally and led a turnover-free performance in Lane Stadium. East Carolina jumped out to a 21-0 lead over the Hokies, who were due for a letdown after the emotional victory over Ohio State last week. East Carolina had touchdown drives of 70, 75, 58 and 65 yards and shut down Virginia Tech’s running game, forcing the Hokies to throw the ball for a school-record 56 tmes. East Carolina had 370 yards of offense in the first half and when the Hokies came back to tie the game with 1:20 to go, Carden led them 65 yards in three plays for the win.
Arkansas – beat Texas Tech 49-28
The Razorbacks went into Lubbock and dominated Texas Tech from start to finish. Arkansas held the ball for more than 40 minutes and rushed for 438 yards on the Red Raiders. Arkansas had more rushing attempts (68) than passing yards (61). Texas Tech knew what was coming and couldn’t stop it. The Razorbacks only allowed Texas Tech to have three second-half possessions. Alex Collins finished with 212 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns and Jonathan Williams had 145 yards on 22 carries with four touchdowns.
Missouri – beat UCF 38-10
The SEC East might be sleeping on Missouri, again. So far the Tigers have not had any problems, returning last year’s top three receivers and leading rusher. Missouri didn’t care that Central Florida had a bye week to get ready for this game. The Tigers scored 31 unanswered points after trailing 10-7. More impressively, Missouri handed UCF its worst loss since the Knights lost 35-3 to Texas in 2009 -- and this was a UCF team that returned almost everyone from the Fiesta Bowl a year ago.
Virginia – beat Louisville 23-21
Virginia may have let Louisville retake the lead in the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers still found a way to win. Louisville punt returner James Quick muffed a punt with less than five minutes to go and Virginia capitalized by retaking the lead with a Ian Frye 42-yard field goal. Then the Cardinals had one more chance, but Eli Harold got another sack and Virginia forced a three-and-out to hold onto the win. After coming so close to upsetting UCLA in week one, the Cavaliers finally broke through with a big win.
UPSET WATCH | WEEK FOUR
No. 5 Auburn at No. 20 Kansas State
Auburn is the highest-ranked team to go into Manhattan since 1969. The stadium at Kansas State isn’t named after Bill Snyder for nothing. The Wildcats will be ready for the Tigers, but Auburn also had extra time to prepare. Expect some surprises from both teams. Can Kansas State match the speed that Auburn will trot out on offense? Baylor’s offense was an issue for Kansas State in the past because of the speed. Auburn might even get Sammie Coates back for this game.
Florida at No. 3 Alabama
The last time Florida went to Tuscaloosa, the Gators lost 31-6. After what Florida showed against Kentucky, some think this game could be a similar result for the Gators. When you look at the roster talent, though, these teams create a really good matchup. Can Florida protect Jeff Driskel and give him time to exploit Alabama’s secondary? Will Alabama’s quarterback carousel end and will the man taking snaps play mistake-free football against Florida’s defense? Those are valid questions that make this game intriguing, along with the Amari Cooper vs. Vernon Hargreaves III matchup.
No. 4 Oklahoma at West Virginia, night game
Oklahoma will find out that a night game in Morgantown is not an easy environment to play. The Sooners have been extremely impressive on defense, but the secondary hasn’t been tested yet. West Virginia’s passing game will provide that first true test and the Mountaineers have a big offensive line to go against Oklahoma’s front.
No. 22 Clemson at No. 1 Florida State
This game didn’t live up to the hype last year -- and might not this year -- but one could argue that the Seminoles aren’t as impressive as last year’s team and Clemson will have something dialed up coming off the bye week -- although Florida State also had a week off.
Miami at No. 24 Nebraska
It’s another tough road test for Miami’s true freshman Brad Kaaya at quarterback. Kaaya is finally gaining confidence after throwing for a school freshman record 342 yards last week. The Cornhuskers have yet to be tested this season and Miami’s defensive front seven will challenge Nebraska up front.
Mississippi State at No. 8 LSU
LSU has posted back-to-back shutouts, but those last two games were against Sam Houston State and Louisiana-Monroe. What will defensive coordinator John Chavis have dialed up for a loaded Mississippi State offense that is both running and throwing the ball well so far this season. The Bulldogs defense against the young LSU offense isn’t something to overlook either. Mississippi State has the talent to win this game.
Utah at Michigan
Michigan responded to its 31-0 shutout to Notre Dame by beating Miami (OH) at home. It was a breakout game for running back Derrick Green and receiver Amara Darboh, but now the Wolverines welcome in Utah. The Utes had a bye week to prepare for this game and Dres Anderson and Kenneth Scott provide a test for Michigan’s secondary.
Virginia at No. 21 BYU
Can Virginia keep the mojo going on the road? The Cavaliers defense shut down UCLA and Louisville at home and now travel to Provo to face BYU. Virginia beat the Cougars 17-16 last year in Charlottesville. BYU is a hot topic right now after its dominating win over Texas. Can Taysom Hill keep it going against Virginia’s defense?
North Carolina at East Carolina
This is the final game of a three-game stretch for East Carolina that featured road games at Sotuh Carolina and Virginia Tech the last two weeks -- and the Pirates came away 1-1. Now it’s time to finish and go 2-1. East Carolina beat the Tar Heels 55-31 in Chapel Hill last year and posted 603 yards of total offense. Yes, this East Carolina team is even better in 2014 and North Carolina has had some issues in pass defense.
Iowa at Pittsburgh
Iowa just lost to in-state rival Iowa State and hasn’t looked good in any wins this season. A lot of folks chalked up Iowa to go 9-0 because of the schedule, but this is a game that stood out from the start. Iowa has had trouble establishing the run game it needs to succeed and Pittsburgh’s running game with James Conner is unstoppable. Will Iowa’s defensive tackle duo of Louis Trinca-Pasat and Carl Davis be the first to slow Conner down?
THIS WEEK'S PICKS
Auburn 45, Kansas State 24
Alabama 31, Florida 24
Oklahoma 38, West Virginia 28
Florida State 34, Clemson 20
Nebraska 31, Miami 23
LSU 21, Mississippi State 17
Utah 28, Michigan 27
BYU 31, Virginia 19
East Carolina 38, North Carolina 31
Pittsburgh 28, Iowa 20
LAST WEEK'S PICKS (WITH RESULT)
(WEEK 3: 6-4) | Season: 27-13 (.675)
Virginia Tech 35, East Carolina 17 (East Carolina 28, Virginia Tech 21)
Missouri 33, UCF 27 (Missouri 38, UCF 10)
West Virginia 34, Maryland 27 (West Virginia 40, Maryland 37)
Louisville 31, Virginia 16 (Virginia 23, Louisville 21)
Georgia 42, South Carolina 28 (South Carolina 38, Georgia 35)
Texas Tech 38, Arkansas 34 (Arkansas 49, Texas Tech 28)
Ole Miss 35, La-Lafayette 21 (Ole Miss 56, La-Lafayette 15)
Oklahoma 45, Tennessee 24 (Oklahoma 34, Tennessee 10)
UCLA 34, Texas 13 (UCLA 20, Texas 17)
Penn State 27, Rutgers 20 (Penn State 13, Rutgers 10)
THE NEW TOP 10
1. Oregon (at Washington State)
2. Auburn (at Kansas State)
3. Florida State (vs. Clemson)
4. Alabama (vs. Florida)
5. Oklahoma (at West Virginia)
6. Baylor (off)
7. Texas A&M (at SMU)
8. LSU (vs. Mississippi State)
9. Michigan State (vs. Eastern Michigan)