Saturday was a day to remember. There was a lot of upsets in the Power 5 conferences and that shook up the top 25 polls. There were also some game-winning drives that came down to the last second, and a double overtime performance in Los Angeles. Here’s what you may have missed last Saturday in college football.
Upsets, upsets, and more upsets
There was a giant upset party Saturday and a lot of teams from the Power 5 conferences were invited. Where do we begin?
How about a shootout in Memphis where the Tigers stunned Josh Rosen and the UCLA Bruins 45-48. The best quarterback on the field that day wasn’t Rosen, even though he threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns, because he also threw two interceptions that cost the Bruins dearly. And then there was Riley Ferguson for the Tigers. He threw for almost 400 yards and six touchdowns. He had a quarterback rating of 86.0 that game. Of course defensively, both teams were incognito but it was clear Ferguson was the better quarterback that game.
How bout Nebraska losing to Northern Illinois? NIU not only leaves Lincoln with a victory, but also a $820,000 team payday just for showing up.
What about in the SEC conference? Vanderbilt outplays Kansas State (my upset pick) in a low scoring defensive game 14-7, and LSU got pulverized by Mississippi State 37-7.
Two more FCS teams stunned their FBS opponents (Idaho State defeated Nevada 30-28 and North Carolina A&T beat Charlotte 35-31). And to top it all off, Stanford got outplayed by San Diego State and lost, 20-17, in a college football night-cap.
The weirdest field goal ever made?
This might be the most bizarre field goal made in college football history — or the sport of football itself. This happened in a Division III school in Texas called Texas Lutheran. The kicker’s name is Tyler Hopkins and he became an overnight sensation after a blocked field goal by the defense, Hopkins still managed to kick the ball off on the ground with poise and made the field goal. After that play, the video went viral. So the next time a kicker gets blocked during a field goal attempt, think about what Hopkins would do.
Drama in Gainesville
As the clock expired, Florida’s quarterback Felipe Franks threw a 63-yard TD to Tyrie Cleveland to give the Gators a stunning win over divisional rival Tennessee 20-26.
Not quite a Hail Mary bomb where everyone is running to the end zone, Franks found Cleveland on a post pattern over the top of the Volunteers' secondary.
The game itself was a struggle between the starting two quarterbacks. Vols QB Quinten Dormady threw three interceptions while Franks had just 149 yards and no touchdowns before his final heave. Clearly, the game-winning TD pass was the highlight of the game.
Two years ago when these two face each other, then-Gators quarterback Will Grier threw a 63-yard bomb to Antonio Callaway on fourth-and-12 with 1:26 left in the fourth. Bit of deja vu there.
Double-overtime win at the Coliseum
It was more of a turnover battle — six overall — between the USC Trojans and the Texas Longhorns. The game got more intense in overtime, The Trojans scored first when Sam Darnold found Deontay Burnett for a TD 25-yard pass. The Longhorns responded as Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger connected with Cade Brewer for a 3-yard pass to the end zone.
In the second overtime, Ehlinger fumbled the football and the Trojans recovered it, As a result, the Trojans converted a 27-yard field goal to seal the deal. The Trojans remain undefeated while the Longhorns fall to 1-2 on the season. Imagine if this was the BCS National Championship game 11 years ago.