Ok, we have just wrapped up one of the most exciting opening weekends in College football history! We had everything from major upsets to last minute drives to a game winning Hail Mary pass. As fans, what else could we ask for??
At the end of each week, I will have a wrap-up of some standout and not so standout out performances.
Here is a look at my Stand Up / Sit Down performers of the week:
STAND UP
- FCS teams – Jacksonville St with a major upset of the SEC’s Ole Miss Rebels after converting a 2 point conversion in double overtime and North Dakota St with a low scoring win over Big 12’s Kansas Wildcats.
- Tyler Yates of UNC – Yates had a HUGE game in a losing effort against LSU, going 28/46 for 412 yards and 3 TDs. Sure, there were plenty of quarterbacks that had better stats, but did any of them have it with 2nd and 3rd string receivers? Not even close.
- Hail Mary – Outstanding finish to the East Carolina and Tulsa with East Carolina QB Dominique Davis throwing a dramatic Hail Mary to receiver Justin Jones as time expired on the clock
- Oregon Ducks – Sure, it was New Mexico (did those guys even get off the team bus) but c’mon son! Oregon put up NCAA 11 (on freshman level, no less!) numbers, scoring 72 points and amassing over 700 yards of total offense.
- Alabama Crimson Tide – No Heisman winner? No problem! The Crimson Tide racked up over 250 yards and 4 TDs on the ground in a blowout victory over San Jose St.
- Georgia State University – The 2nd largest University in the state of Georgia (and yes, my alma mater) won it’s inaugural game 41-7 under head coach Bill Curry.
- Boise St – Great game by the BCS buster Boise St. Broncos in a gritty victory against Va. Tech. QB Kellen Moore is now 28-1 as a starter. The Broncos have one more major test standing between them and a possible date with destiny in the National championship game in January.
SIT DOWN
- Kansas Jayhawks and Ole Miss Rebels – Really Division 1 teams? Teams typically play creampuffs their first game to prepare themselves for the grind of the regular season. The Jayhawks and Rebels are no exceptions, except they overlooked their opponents. New Kansas coach Turner Gill, who was the center of a small coaching controversy last season , lost his debut to North Dakota St. Not only did the Jayhawks lose, but the only managed a field goal in the game. Ole Miss went up big late in the game against Jacksonville St., but couldn’t manage to hold on against FCS opponent Jacksonville St. in a wild finish.
- Florida Gators offense – Sure, John Brantley was playing in his first game after replacing the legend that is Tim Tebow, but you were playing against Miami of Ohio. This was supposed to be a blowout, with Brantley calming the fears of the Florida faithful by throwing the football all over the field. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case, as Brantley and the Florida offense struggled all afternoon. Hopefully the Gators can work out the center to QB shotgun exchange sooner than later.
- University of North Carolina – The match up against LSU was supposed to be a showcase for the super talented defense of the Tarheels. Too bad the academic fraud scandal benched 7 of the starters and will likely lead to the “resignation” (read: firing) of head coach Butch Davis. The fallout has already begun as Assistant defensive coordinator John Blake resigned Sunday night.
One can only hope that the rest of the season will be as exciting as this opening weekend was. Check back in next week for my NCAA and NFL Stand Up / Sit Down awards.