Southern Illinois adds-to the FCS victories over FBS total this year bringing the number to two. Other notes on the second college football weekend.
Southern Illinois 45 at Massachusetts 20
The Salukis of the Missouri Valley traveled east to put a whoppin’ on the Minutemen. Southern Illinois outscored Massachusetts 28-7 in the second half and won the turnover battle 2-1. The Salukis had an almost perfectly balanced attack in reeling-off 502 yards of total offense.
Massachusetts moved-on from head coach Mark Whipple after last season after several years of very respectable and competitive play, throwing the scare into the big boys on a number of occasions. The new era starts 0-2 including this FCS loss. The Minutemen have a tough row to hoe as an Independent. SIU was picked to be near the bottom of the Missouri Valley.
Other College Football Notes
The ever under-the-radar, Doc Holliday, and Marshall gave Boise State a very tough game. However, the Broncos’ defense dominated, holding Marshall to zero first downs in the second half.
Wake Forest has some wide receivers who create tremendous match-up problems and some salty guys on defense. The turnaround of Wake Forest, historically, is one of college football’s most unappreciated stories.
The clutch-play Joe Burrow to Justin Jefferson touchdown pass to seal the LSU win at Texas had a national championship look and feel to it.
The Army turnaround story is another great one, the difference from Wake Forest being that Army had once been a national power.
California won at Washington on a field goal with eight seconds left in an excellent game that very few likely saw. The game was delayed in the first quarter for two and a half hours and did not conclude until 1:22 a.m. local time. That is 4:22 a.m. for the eastern sportswriters.
Scratching my head about Nevada who looked good against Power Five Purdue in a win last week. Not so this week at Oregon where they lost 77-6.
Wisconsin with its second blow-out shut-out.
Michigan State’s neon-green highlighter pants and trim were hideous.
Apparently, all USC’s true freshman QB Kedon Slovis needed was reps in practice with the first unit.
There was a ton of red at Folsom Field, including premium seats. Colorado’s overtime win against Nebraska touched-off a field-storming celebration that seemed to unleash years of pent-up frustration going all the way back to the Big Six.
Kent State barely escaped FCS Kennesaw State by a field goal in overtime.
Missouri looked great against West Virginia and the Mountaineers looked horrible, especially on offense. West Virginia hosts North Carolina State next and then travels to Kansas. The Jayhawks laid an egg against Coastal Carolina and travel to Boston College next. Not looking ahead (actually I am looking ahead) and there will be no Game Day, but Westy at Kansas could be rather interesting in a train-wreck sort of way.
Hilinski, in for Bentley, got a great tune-up against Charleston Southern.
Illinois off to a 2-0 start for Lovie.
UCLA off to a 0-2 start for Chip. Saturday’s loss was at home to San Diego State. I forgot to mention last week how horrible the Bruins’ passing attack looked at Cincinnati.
Florida State escapes in OT by a missed extra point. Willie Taggart really needed this win. Remember all the drama at the end of the Bobby Bowden era at FSU? Remember Jimbo was a coach-in-waiting? The big orange cloud that has been hanging over the Seminoles for the last few years make this thing even more of a pressure-cooker.
Western Kentucky rebounds at Florida International after a season-opening FCS loss. Butch Davis’ FIU outfit is not living up to the high preseason expectations yet with an 0-2 start.
SMU starts 2-0. Peruna got a real workout against North Texas. “Dallas” emblazoned on the front of the uniforms for a very cool look.
BYU got explosive in the late going at Tennessee for an 2-OT win. The financial management gurus at UT are experts at spare-no-expense massive buy-outs once the crazy gets going.
The Mack Brown Era II is off to a 2-0 start at North Carolina with Tar Heel-pleasing wins over South Carolina and Miami.
I can’t really explain it, but I have a secret, long-distance thing for San Jose State. It gets requited about once or twice a decade.
Late-night thriller at Fresno State as Minnesota seals a 2-OT win with a game-saving interception out of nowhere just as the announcer was about to scream, “Touchdown!”
Hawai’i off to a 2-0 start, both at home, against Arizona, and now, Oregon State, both of the Power Five, PAC-12.
ESPN Goal Line action is great during lulls. Where else could you drop-in on Long Island and Merrimack playing in their first-ever FCS games? Sorry to report, however, that LIU’s pastel, powder-blue and off-brand yellow uniforms were the day’s egregious visual assault until I got an unwanted load of Michigan State’s fashion faux pas.
Best wishes to New Mexico’s Bob Davie.