Winners and Losers: College Football Week 5
WINNER: Kalen DeBour and Ryan Williams Rolling
Alabama defensive back Domani Jackson, left, celebrates with defensive back Zabien Brown (2) and linebacker Que Robinson (34) after Brown intercepted a pass in the final minute during the second half of Saturday’s game against Georgia. Vasha Hunt / AP Photo
We’re still in September, and the game of the year might be already decided.
Alabama-Georgia, 2024 edition (and we may still see a rematch), was an instant classic in every sense of the word: electric, high-scoring offenses, a massive lead blown only to get retaken instantly, three touchdowns from 35+ yards out, and even a safety.
The Crimson Tide yet again rolled over the Bulldogs in a 41-34 win that solidified Alabama as, again, the top team in the country.
Kalen DeBour improves to a staggering career 30-3 against Power 4 teams, now earning the first statement win of his green tenure leading ‘Bama, snapping Georgia’s 42-game regular-season winning streak and 28-straight SEC wins.
Alabama quarterback and Heisman favorite Jalen Milroe dazzled the Tide faithful at Bryant-Denney Stadium, throwing for 374 yards and two touchdowns, plus a deflected interception and 117 rushing yards and two more scores.
The biggest hero was 17-year-old freshman Ryan Williams, with an unreal day.
It’s too tough to describe his 75-yard touchdown in words, so you’ll just have to watch it yourself.
Insane.
The Dawgs didn’t lose all hope in their loss: they went a crazy 5-5 on fourth down attempts, helping make up for their poor 3-15 on third downs. Quarterback Carson Beck threw three costly interceptions (including the game-icing one) but also gained 439 yards and three scores.
UGA’s head coach Kirby Smart falls to 1-6 against Alabama, nearly unbeatable versus everyone else.
LOSER: Virginia Tech and the ACC Refs
https://www.espn.com/college-football/game/_/gameId/401634767/virginia-tech-miami
It’s just heartbreak after heartbreak for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and Thursday night’s thriller at No. 7 Miami did little to quiet the nervousness of those birds, especially after perhaps the most controversial ending of the weekend.
Despite a 14-7 first-quarter deficit, the Hokies rocketed off 17 straight to take a 10-point lead, right before the Hurricanes whisked down the field in 20 seconds to bring it back to one score as the first-half clock expired.
Miami inched within three to start the fourth, but another early VT touchdown gave them breathing room.
Two more Miami scores gave them a four-point lead inside two minutes, but poor clock management had Virginia Tech at the Miami 30-yard line with three seconds to go.
Kyron Drones heaves it to the endzone... and you take a look for yourself.
The referees ruled it a catch on the field, but after a very, very lengthy review, it’s suddenly overturned and ruled incomplete. Miami wins.
The odd part about this is overruling a play means there must be “clear and obvious” video evidence... but if takes almost 10 minutes to rule one way or the other, how can it be “clear and obvious”?
This decision is a major plus to Miami, now 5-0, as the clear No. 1 option for the ACC looking ahead to the College Football Playoff.
WINNER: The Meteoric Rise of Ashton Jeanty
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (2) races for a touchdown against the Washington State Cougars on the Broncos’ opening drive on Saturday at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
No. 25 Boise State put on a SHOW in their #MountainWestAfterDark performance Saturday night against the Washington State Cougars, scoring 45 in their first game as a ranked team since 2020.
The clear champion of this game lay in the sturdy hands and lighting-fast legs of Ashton Jeanty, who may just be the best running back in college football.
The junior running back sprinted for an incredible 259 rushing yards and four, yes FOUR touchdowns. He tallied on 96 receiving yards and two touchdown snags on just four catches for good measure.
Jeanty entered the game with 195.3, leading the country, and bumped his season totals to 845 yards and 13 touchdowns (over 10 yards per carry).
This 200-yard rushing game for Jeanty ties the Boise State record for most in a career.
The Broncos now seem to be on a collision course with the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, who are on a tear of their own.
LOSER: UNLV Doubters
UNLV quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (6) smiles after making a first down during the college football game against Fresno State at Allegiant Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Daniel Jacobi II/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Speaking of UNLV... let’s take a look at the very tumultuous week they’ve had.
On Wednesday, the Rebels’ starting quarterback Matthew Sluka announced on social media that he will redshirt the rest of the season due to an NIL dispute, one that he claims to have not been paid out the $100,000 he was promised by the school.
UNLV head coach Barry Odom released a statement after their game Saturday against Fresno State that didn’t comment much on the situation, but read that “our football program complied with applicable rules”.
Regardless of the controversy, it seemed to not bother UNLV whatsoever in a 59-14 beatdown of the Fresno State Bulldogs.
New Rebels quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams proved he maybe should’ve been the starter all along, finishing with a wild stat line of 182 passing yards and three passing scores, plus 119 rushing yards and one rushing score.
UNLV had zero turnovers, 25 first downs, 452 total yards of offense, plus 6.7 yards per ruhs and 11.6 yards per pass.
The cherry on top is UNLV earned a spot in the AP Poll for the first time ever (No. 25) and are off to their best start since 1978.
WINNER: Colorado (but for real this time)
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/sports/college/ucf/2024/09/28/ucf-knights-football-colorado-buffaloes-takeaways-loss-big-12-conference-college-football/75323547007/
The 2023 Colorado Buffaloes were known mainly for having extraordinarily high levels of media hype, only to crash and burn in Deion Sanders’ year one with a 4-8 record and last in the Pac-12.
Now in 2024, things have quickly changed in Boulder.
The Buffs ripped UCF in a 48-24 rout, highlighted by Sheduer Sanders’ 290 yards and three scores, plus another sensational day from Travis Hunter with a 23-yard receiving score plus two tackles and a pass deflection.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the win was Colorado’s defense, an often well-criticized facet of last season.
The Buffaloes forced four turnovers (including a scoop-and-score) plus halting the Knight’s nation-best rushing attack to just 177 yards on 44 carries, good numbers against a team tat averages over 200 more rushing yards a game.
Colorado is now 4-1, 1-0 in the Big 12 with only one loss (at Nebraska), but still has a tough road ahead with hosting No. 20 Kansas State and then going to Arizona, who likely could be ranked then.
LOSER: The Old Big Ten West
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2024/09/28/live-updates-michigan-wolverines-minnesota-golden-gophers-football/75347636007/
Gone are the days of conferences with divisions (outside of the Sun Belt), and the formerly weaker half of the Big Ten conference out west is continuing to trend downward as we close September.
Two such teams, Minnesota and Wisconsin, laid fairly large eggs this weekend in their own ways.
Minnesota played at No. 12 Michigan, a tall task for any team, but never led after falling into a 21-0 deficit, then scoring 21 of their own in the fourth quarter, all too late.
The Golden Gophers turned the ball over twice and committed seven penalties, plus, perhaps the most crushing stat, only gained 38 rushing yards on 25 carries. That equals to an abysmal 1.5 yards per rush.
For Wisconsin, they did the opposite, taking a 21-10 lead going into the halftime break, and proceeding to allow No. 13 USC to score 28 unanswered second-half points to lose by 17.
The Badgers have been outscored 49-7 in their last two second halves, now 2-2 after a blowout loss to Alabama a week ago.
This was Wisconsin’s first trip to the LA Coliseum since 1966, and their seventh all-time loss to the Trojans, their only win in the 2015 Holiday Bowl in San Diego.