SWC75
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Here’s the results of Week One’s games involving future SU opponents. How would you rank them based on these performances? Not expectations – just how well they did this week.
Maryland beat Howard U. 79-0 at home.
This was no fluke: there was only one turnover in the game. The Terps out-gained the Bison 623-68! Howard’s coach said “"We knew Maryland was going to be a challenge. They have a fantastic roster. They're a big, strong team and they're going to be better." Last year Howard was 4-6 and ranked #214 by Sagarin, who had them at #239 in his pre-season ranking.
Clemson beat Georgia Tech 52-14 at home
Tommy DeVito isn’t the only quarterback who had a shaky first game. Trevor Lawrence was 13 for 23 for 178 yards 1TD and 2 interceptions. But Travis Etienne had 205 yards on just 12 carries, 3 of which went for TDs as the Tigers roared for 411 rushing yards and out-gained the Yellow Jackets, who are switching from Paul Johnson’s wishbone attack to a pro set, 632-294. Last year Tech was 7-6. Sagarin ranked them #48. He has them at #58 this year. ESPN: “Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was grateful for the win -- and grateful he and his coaches will have their players' attention after some sloppy mistakes. Swinney said there were plenty of errors on all sides of the ball that will have to get fixed before No. 12 Texas A&M comes to Death Valley in 10 days. "We can give them some truth," Swinney said. "They have to receive the truth and we've got to get better."
Western Michigan beat Monmouth 48-13 at home
The Broncos only ran for 90 yards at 2.7 yards per crack vs. and FCS opponent. But QB John Wassink was sharp, completing 20 of 25 for 368 yards and 5 scores with no interceptions. The game was 31-7 at the half. The Hawks managed 322 yards. Monmouth was 8-3 last year and was ranked #191 by Sagarin, who has them at #184 this year.
Holy Cross lost at Navy 7-45
The Crusaders are an FCS that went 5-6 last year. Sagarin had them at #192 last year and #193 this year. Navy was 3-10 last year Sagarin had them at #107 but has them at #86 this year. Navy rode the triple option to 428 yards rushing. Overall they out-gained the Crusaders 531-231.
Per ESPN: "I thought it was a great team win," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "I thought we played well today. We still have a lot of room for improvement. You can't take any of these wins for granted."
North Carolina State beat East Carolina 34-6 at home
The Wolfpack may not miss Ryan Finley at that much: Matthew McKay completed 25 of 37 passes for 308 yards and a score and ran for two more. Dave Doeren: “"Just very confident, very calm, put his time in, studied, prepared. Like I tell the players: if you're prepared, you won't be nervous. And he prepared the right way for this football game. I said to the guys: `Man, if he throws it like that, we're good Saturday because he's throwing dimes." State out-gained ECU 505-269. The Pirates were 3-9 last year and ranked #140 and has them at #121 this year.
Pittsburgh lost to Virginia 14-30 at home
The Panthers appear to very much miss their two 1,000 rushers form last year, Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall. They ran for 78 yards at 2.6 per carry while quarterback Kenny Pickett was 21 for 41 for just 185 yards, 1TD and 2 picks. They did play good defense, getting out-gained only by 263-310. They even led at halftime, 14-13. But the second half was a different story. Virginia was 8-5 last year. Sagarin had them #43 and has them #42 this year. Athlon and Street & Smith’s has them winning the Coastal Division. Pat Narduzzi: “"That's what happens when you're throwing it a little bit more is they're going to come after you a little bit more. So that goes with the territory. We've got to learn how to pick that stuff up. Kenny took some hits today. We can't let our quarterback take hits like that."
Florida State lost to Boise State 31-36 at home
The Seminoles looked like they were back when they took a 31-13 first half lead. Then they looked like they have a long way to go in giving up 23 unanswered points. They were out-grained 62-290 yards in the second half and 426-621 for the game. James Blackmon did pass for 317 yards and 3 scores while Cam Akers ran for 117 and a score. But their heroics were limited to the first half. Boise was 10-3 last year and ranked #29, (just behind another 10-3 team- ours). He has them at #27 this year. Willie Taggart: “"Let one get away as a team. I think everybody played a part in the mistakes. But I will say one game will not define this football team. Our guys will bounce back."
Boston College beat Virginia Tech 35-28 at home
The Eagles used a 21 point second quarter to beat the Hokies, despite being out-gained 432-442. AJ Dillon was not dominant with 81 yards and 1 TD in 23 carries, (3.5) but Anthony brown passed for 275 yards and 2 scores. Tech was 6-7 last year, 64th in Sagarin who has them at #40 this year, so this was a good win. Steve Addazzio: “"Winning the opener is extremely important. It validates your offseason work and it gives you positive momentum. But winning your opener against a highly-quality football team, I think you get better from that. You can go out, win an opener against a team that maybe you're stronger than, but I don't think that it sometimes helps you because two weeks in, three weeks in you can get shocked at the speed of the game."
Duke lost 3-42 at Alabama
The Blue Devils played good defense early but got worn down. They were down only 3-14 at the half and held the Tide to 145 yards rushing (3.5). But Tua Tagovailoa was 26/31 for 331 yards and 4 scores with no interceptions and Duke had no answer on offense, gaining only 204 yards to 512. Bama was missing four players, including two running backs that were suspended by Coach Saban for missing a team function. The Tide was 14-1 last year and Sagarin’s #2. He has them #1 this year. David Cutcliffe: "Games like this can kind of go one of two ways. They can set you back, or you can get better from them. I know in my heart of hearts that our team will get better from this."
Louisville lost to Notre Dame 17-35 at home
Jerome pass Proved he could run, going for 67 yards and 2 scores while passing for 134 yards. The cardinals showed a spirit that was lacking last year. But Notre Dame made adjustments and scored 28 of the last 31 points.
Wake Forest beat Utah State 38-35 at home
It was a wild, back-and-forth game with neither team getting consecutive scores. Both QB passed for 400+ yards, Wake’s Jamie Newman going 34 for 47 for 401 yards, 3TDs and 0 interceptions. Cade Carney ran for 105 yards on 25 carries that didn’t score. Wake scored on a 2 yard pass with 1:08 left to win it. They were out-gained 579-596. State had a really good team last year, 11-2 and were ranked #27, (just ahead of us) by Sagarin, who has them at #56 this year. Dave Clawson: ““We made a ton of mistakes tonight and there is a part of me that feels like we didn't deserve to win that game. We gave up so many big plays on defense, and offensively our short yardage package was ineffective. We're very fortunate to win, and it certainly feels good to be on the winning end of it. Utah State is a really good physical football team."
My ranking:
1) Clemson: The fact that they could beat an ACC that had a winning record last year by 38 points with a sloppy performance and an off night from Trevor Lawrence is scary.
2) Maryland: Yes, I know it was Howard U. but I also know it was 79-0 and 623-68.
3) Boston College: Anytime you beat the Hokies, it’s a good win.
4) Louisville: A valiant effort against Notre Dame but they still have a ways to go.
4) North Carolina State: I’d ranked them higher except that ECU is a bad team. If McKay, who, like DeVito is a sophomore, is the next Finlay, they will be tough for years to come.
5) Wake Forest: people in the East don’t know how good Utah State and the Mountain West is.
6) Florida State: Ditto. A close loss to Boise State might look good by the end of the season.
7) Duke: I didn’t watch the whole game but they were hanging with the Tide for a while.
8) Western Michigan: Yeah it was Monmouth but they took care of business.
9) Pittsburgh: The Panthers are toothless without their running game.
10) Holy Cross: The Crusaders didn’t have a prayer.
Louisville isn’t rated because they didn’t play and Liberty is in the rear view mirror.
Maryland beat Howard U. 79-0 at home.
This was no fluke: there was only one turnover in the game. The Terps out-gained the Bison 623-68! Howard’s coach said “"We knew Maryland was going to be a challenge. They have a fantastic roster. They're a big, strong team and they're going to be better." Last year Howard was 4-6 and ranked #214 by Sagarin, who had them at #239 in his pre-season ranking.
Clemson beat Georgia Tech 52-14 at home
Tommy DeVito isn’t the only quarterback who had a shaky first game. Trevor Lawrence was 13 for 23 for 178 yards 1TD and 2 interceptions. But Travis Etienne had 205 yards on just 12 carries, 3 of which went for TDs as the Tigers roared for 411 rushing yards and out-gained the Yellow Jackets, who are switching from Paul Johnson’s wishbone attack to a pro set, 632-294. Last year Tech was 7-6. Sagarin ranked them #48. He has them at #58 this year. ESPN: “Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was grateful for the win -- and grateful he and his coaches will have their players' attention after some sloppy mistakes. Swinney said there were plenty of errors on all sides of the ball that will have to get fixed before No. 12 Texas A&M comes to Death Valley in 10 days. "We can give them some truth," Swinney said. "They have to receive the truth and we've got to get better."
Western Michigan beat Monmouth 48-13 at home
The Broncos only ran for 90 yards at 2.7 yards per crack vs. and FCS opponent. But QB John Wassink was sharp, completing 20 of 25 for 368 yards and 5 scores with no interceptions. The game was 31-7 at the half. The Hawks managed 322 yards. Monmouth was 8-3 last year and was ranked #191 by Sagarin, who has them at #184 this year.
Holy Cross lost at Navy 7-45
The Crusaders are an FCS that went 5-6 last year. Sagarin had them at #192 last year and #193 this year. Navy was 3-10 last year Sagarin had them at #107 but has them at #86 this year. Navy rode the triple option to 428 yards rushing. Overall they out-gained the Crusaders 531-231.
Per ESPN: "I thought it was a great team win," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "I thought we played well today. We still have a lot of room for improvement. You can't take any of these wins for granted."
North Carolina State beat East Carolina 34-6 at home
The Wolfpack may not miss Ryan Finley at that much: Matthew McKay completed 25 of 37 passes for 308 yards and a score and ran for two more. Dave Doeren: “"Just very confident, very calm, put his time in, studied, prepared. Like I tell the players: if you're prepared, you won't be nervous. And he prepared the right way for this football game. I said to the guys: `Man, if he throws it like that, we're good Saturday because he's throwing dimes." State out-gained ECU 505-269. The Pirates were 3-9 last year and ranked #140 and has them at #121 this year.
Pittsburgh lost to Virginia 14-30 at home
The Panthers appear to very much miss their two 1,000 rushers form last year, Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall. They ran for 78 yards at 2.6 per carry while quarterback Kenny Pickett was 21 for 41 for just 185 yards, 1TD and 2 picks. They did play good defense, getting out-gained only by 263-310. They even led at halftime, 14-13. But the second half was a different story. Virginia was 8-5 last year. Sagarin had them #43 and has them #42 this year. Athlon and Street & Smith’s has them winning the Coastal Division. Pat Narduzzi: “"That's what happens when you're throwing it a little bit more is they're going to come after you a little bit more. So that goes with the territory. We've got to learn how to pick that stuff up. Kenny took some hits today. We can't let our quarterback take hits like that."
Florida State lost to Boise State 31-36 at home
The Seminoles looked like they were back when they took a 31-13 first half lead. Then they looked like they have a long way to go in giving up 23 unanswered points. They were out-grained 62-290 yards in the second half and 426-621 for the game. James Blackmon did pass for 317 yards and 3 scores while Cam Akers ran for 117 and a score. But their heroics were limited to the first half. Boise was 10-3 last year and ranked #29, (just behind another 10-3 team- ours). He has them at #27 this year. Willie Taggart: “"Let one get away as a team. I think everybody played a part in the mistakes. But I will say one game will not define this football team. Our guys will bounce back."
Boston College beat Virginia Tech 35-28 at home
The Eagles used a 21 point second quarter to beat the Hokies, despite being out-gained 432-442. AJ Dillon was not dominant with 81 yards and 1 TD in 23 carries, (3.5) but Anthony brown passed for 275 yards and 2 scores. Tech was 6-7 last year, 64th in Sagarin who has them at #40 this year, so this was a good win. Steve Addazzio: “"Winning the opener is extremely important. It validates your offseason work and it gives you positive momentum. But winning your opener against a highly-quality football team, I think you get better from that. You can go out, win an opener against a team that maybe you're stronger than, but I don't think that it sometimes helps you because two weeks in, three weeks in you can get shocked at the speed of the game."
Duke lost 3-42 at Alabama
The Blue Devils played good defense early but got worn down. They were down only 3-14 at the half and held the Tide to 145 yards rushing (3.5). But Tua Tagovailoa was 26/31 for 331 yards and 4 scores with no interceptions and Duke had no answer on offense, gaining only 204 yards to 512. Bama was missing four players, including two running backs that were suspended by Coach Saban for missing a team function. The Tide was 14-1 last year and Sagarin’s #2. He has them #1 this year. David Cutcliffe: "Games like this can kind of go one of two ways. They can set you back, or you can get better from them. I know in my heart of hearts that our team will get better from this."
Louisville lost to Notre Dame 17-35 at home
Jerome pass Proved he could run, going for 67 yards and 2 scores while passing for 134 yards. The cardinals showed a spirit that was lacking last year. But Notre Dame made adjustments and scored 28 of the last 31 points.
Wake Forest beat Utah State 38-35 at home
It was a wild, back-and-forth game with neither team getting consecutive scores. Both QB passed for 400+ yards, Wake’s Jamie Newman going 34 for 47 for 401 yards, 3TDs and 0 interceptions. Cade Carney ran for 105 yards on 25 carries that didn’t score. Wake scored on a 2 yard pass with 1:08 left to win it. They were out-gained 579-596. State had a really good team last year, 11-2 and were ranked #27, (just ahead of us) by Sagarin, who has them at #56 this year. Dave Clawson: ““We made a ton of mistakes tonight and there is a part of me that feels like we didn't deserve to win that game. We gave up so many big plays on defense, and offensively our short yardage package was ineffective. We're very fortunate to win, and it certainly feels good to be on the winning end of it. Utah State is a really good physical football team."
My ranking:
1) Clemson: The fact that they could beat an ACC that had a winning record last year by 38 points with a sloppy performance and an off night from Trevor Lawrence is scary.
2) Maryland: Yes, I know it was Howard U. but I also know it was 79-0 and 623-68.
3) Boston College: Anytime you beat the Hokies, it’s a good win.
4) Louisville: A valiant effort against Notre Dame but they still have a ways to go.
4) North Carolina State: I’d ranked them higher except that ECU is a bad team. If McKay, who, like DeVito is a sophomore, is the next Finlay, they will be tough for years to come.
5) Wake Forest: people in the East don’t know how good Utah State and the Mountain West is.
6) Florida State: Ditto. A close loss to Boise State might look good by the end of the season.
7) Duke: I didn’t watch the whole game but they were hanging with the Tide for a while.
8) Western Michigan: Yeah it was Monmouth but they took care of business.
9) Pittsburgh: The Panthers are toothless without their running game.
10) Holy Cross: The Crusaders didn’t have a prayer.
Louisville isn’t rated because they didn’t play and Liberty is in the rear view mirror.
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