OHIO NOT SHYING AWAY FROM CHALLENGE AT NO. 1 OHIO STATE
Ohio doesn’t have the resources to compete for a national title like its in-state brethren, defending champion Ohio State, but the Bobcats have the mindset that they can compete with the top-ranked Buckeyes when they play Saturday in Columbus.
The Bobcats (1-1) of the Mid-American Conference lost their opener 34-31 to a Big Ten school, Rutgers, then last week defeated West Virginia of the Big 12, 17-10.
“Our kids are extremely competitive,” Ohio coach Brian Smith said. “They’re very confident. They obviously know that this is a big challenge and we’re playing a really strong program that has obviously earned that right to be one of the top programs in the country and they’re excited for the challenge.”
For the Buckeyes (2-0), it’s another tune-up before opening Big Ten play at Washington on Sept. 27. They didn’t get any challenge in a 70-0 win over Grambling State and will look to improve on their pass rush and inconsistent running attack.
“Every play is an opportunity to get better,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “I think what we’re really trying to hammer home right now is that you can’t circle opponents on your schedule. You have to continually grow with the process and if you understand that it’s about us, it’s about our training, it’s not about the results.”
However, it will be almost impossible to improve the passing game with Julian Sayin coming off an 18-for-19 performance for 306 yards and four touchdowns against Grambling State. He completed a school-record 16 consecutive passes to open the game to earn the conference’s Freshman of the Week honors.
Sayin’s favorite target is Jeremiah Smith, whose 87-yard TD against Grambling State was the second-longest pass play in Ohio State history.
The Bobcats have an honoree as well in linebacker Michael Molnar, who earned the MAC Defensive Player of the Week award with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks against West Virginia.
“That’s a kid that’s long and that’s a really good athlete and cares a lot,” Smith said. “The more opportunities that he gets to get reps and play at full speed at a high level, the better he’s going to continue to get.”
The Buckeyes, under first-year defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, have allowed seven points in two games but will be tested by dual-threat quarterback Parker Navarro.
He has rushed 27 times for 180 yards (6.7 per carry) and one TD and completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns this season, although he had three interceptions against West Virginia.
“You watch what he’s done against two Power (Four) opponents, one Big Ten opponent — he’s done some really good things,” Day said. “He’s spread the ball around. He can make plays off-schedule. He’s got good quickness. Competitive player. Ultimately, he’s a winner. He did that last week. It’s a good challenge for us.”
Day likes the in-state matchup.
“It’s good for the state. I think it’s great for their school. I think it’s great for our school,” he said. “When you’re from the state of Ohio, having a memory of playing in (Ohio Stadium) during your college career is significant. We know these guys are going to be playing with their hair on fire.”
ILLINOIS’ FOOTBALL HOME IS NOW KNOWN AS GIES MEMORIAL STADIUM AFTER ALUMNUS MAKES $100M DONATION
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois’ football stadium will be known as Gies Memorial Stadium after alumnus and philanthropist Larry Gies made a $100 million donation to the school’s athletic department.
The school announced Tuesday the gift is the largest in the athletic program’s history. Gies’ name also is on the university’s College of Business.
Gies is the founder and CEO of the Chicago-based global investment company Madison Industries. He is making the gift in memory of his late father, Larry Gies Sr., a United States Army veteran.
Memorial Stadium, which turned 100 years old in 2024, originally was named in honor of the men and women who have served in the U.S. armed services.
“This gift is about honoring my father, a true patriot, and every brave soul who has worn or will wear the uniform to defend our country,” said Gies. “With this investment, we can ensure that this stadium continues to be a place where their sacrifices will never be forgotten — and a shining light for every American who protects our freedom in the future.”
The Illini football program has been on the rise under fifth-year coach Bret Bielema. The team is No. 9 in this week’s AP Top 25, its highest ranking since 2001. The 2024 team won 10 games, including the Citrus Bowl.
The men’s basketball team reached the 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and recorded its sixth straight 20-win regular season in 2025. The women’s basketball team has made the NCAA Tournament two of the last three years.
“Larry Gies is a visionary leader who invests in people and organizations that impact the world around them,” athletic director Josh Whitman said. “I want to thank him for his belief in Illinois Athletics and the ability of our program to change the lives of our student-athletes, to advance the mission of our broader university, and to uplift the many people and communities connected to our program, both directly and indirectly.”
REPORTS: COLORADO TO START QB RYAN STAUB VS. HOUSTON
Ryan Staub will be Colorado’s starting quarterback Friday night at Houston, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
Staub was third on the depth chart before coming off the bench to lead Saturday’s victory against Delaware.
The redshirt sophomore completed 7 of 10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Buffaloes’ 31-7 win. He had a 21-yard TD pass to Dekalon Taylor to close out the first half and a 71-yarder to Sincere Brown to open the second half.
Staub backed up Shedeur Sanders the past two seasons in Boulder and began the campaign behind transfer Kaidon Salter and four-star freshman Julian Lewis.
“To be honest, this whole week, I wasn’t really expecting to play,” Staub said after the Delaware game. “Friday, I kinda got the call and, OK, I might be playing. I was just waiting on an opportunity. Didn’t know it would be a two-minute drill, and kind of the rest is history.”
Salter has completed 30 of 44 passes for 261 yards with one TD and four sacks in two games. Lewis has two completions for 8 yards.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders stayed mum on his QB situation after the game.
“I know exactly how I’m going to handle (it),” he said. “I’m not going to say it, but yeah, I’m not lost for direction.”
Friday’s game at Houston (2-0) will be the first road game and first Big 12 game of the season for Colorado (1-1).
NO. 2 PENN STATE HOPES EARLY REPS FOR NEW RECEIVERS PAY DIVIDENDS LATER
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Devonte Ross knew he’d have just one man to beat. He knew where the football would be and exactly when it would get there.
For the new Penn State wide receiver, those are the perks of paying attention in practice. The ensuing twisting, one-armed, 42-yard touchdown catch through tight defense in the No. 2 Nittany Lions’ win over FIU on Saturday was the payoff.
“That was a special moment for me,” Ross said. “I’ve dreamed of playing on a stage like this at a school like this, so it was a dream come true.”
The Nittany Lions (2-0) believe more of those moments are coming.
Ross and fellow transfer receivers Trebor Peña and Kyron Hudson were brought in to bolster a position group that’s seen almost constant turnover since 2022. The trio is getting as many opportunities as possible to build chemistry with quarterback Drew Allar through the first three weeks of the season.
It’s a stretch where past transfers failed to take flight.
Before Ross, Peña and Hudson arrived, the Nittany Lions had signed four receivers from the transfer portal since 2022. Those players — Mitchell Tinsley, Malik McClain, Dante Cephas and Julian Fleming — combined for just 19 catches for 237 yards and three touchdowns over their first two games with Penn State.
Only Tinsley finished with more than 50 catches. McClain and Cephas managed six and 22 catches, respectively, and transferred again the following year. Fleming wrapped up his Penn State career with 14 catches for 176 yards and a touchdown.
In the last three years, nine receivers have transferred out of the program.
By design, Ross, Peña and Hudson have been much more involved in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense early. They’ve got a combined 29 touches for 343 yards and two touchdowns. All three have played multiple receiver positions through the first two games. All three have drawn praise for their downfield blocking. Peña and Ross also have returned punts.
“I think we have a really good group of guys assembled,” wide receivers coach Marques Hagans said. “If you didn’t have labels on them for which school they came from, you wouldn’t know the difference. They’re all very smart, they’ve all picked it up.”
Ross needed a bit more time to recover from an unspecified training camp injury, so Hudson and Peña shared the load in the team’s 46-11 win over Nevada in Week 1.
Peña caught seven passes for 74 yards, working the sideline, plus short and intermediate routes. Kotelnicki used him on an end-around run, too. Hudson snagged six passes for 89 yards, including a touchdown on a deep throw from Allar.
Once Ross was ready, Kotelnicki turned him loose down the field against FIU’s single coverage. It was a play Ross said they “practiced all week.”
“We’ve gone into these first couple of weeks with a philosophy of things we’re trying to get done in terms of building chemistry and confidence in certain aspects of the game,” head coach James Franklin said. “I think that those things could factor in to a degree, and that really kind of revolves around those three receivers, but we need to be more balanced.”
As the program has waited for a star to emerge on the outside, opponents have regularly stacked the line of scrimmage, geared to stop running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. In the last two seasons, Penn State’s passing offense has ranked no better than 66th nationally.
Jahan Dotson was the last Penn State receiver to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in a season. He did it with 91 catches in 2021. Nationally, there have been 92 1,000-yard receiving seasons by FBS players since then.
Since Franklin took over in 2014, only two other Nittany Lions players have finished with 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Tight end Tyler Warren had 1,233 yards on 104 catches while playing all over the field, and Chris Godwin finished with 1,101 yards on 69 catches in 2015. All three now play in the NFL.
Franklin knows more downfield passing success would not only create the big plays he and his staff covet, they also would open things up for Allen and Singleton.
With Villanova visiting on Saturday as a final tuneup before No. 4 Oregon comes to Happy Valley on Sept. 27, Franklin has a better idea for what the possibilities are now that he’s seen Ross, Peña and Hudson in action.
“We have a lot of great weapons on our offense,” Ross said. “Every position has great players, so I think we can be really great.”
BIG TEN’S WEAK SLATE THIS WEEK RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULING STRATEGIES
The Big Ten’s lackluster schedule this week exemplifies a problem facing the conference: Not enough teams are testing themselves outside of league play.
The Big Ten prides itself on having a nine-game conference schedule, which traditionally had set it apart from the Southeastern Conference. Yet the SEC will move to a nine-game league schedule starting in 2026 while continuing to require its league members to play at least one nonconference game against a Power Four school or Notre Dame, something the Big Ten doesn’t mandate.
That could put more pressure on the Big Ten to step up its nonconference scheduling. This week’s slate includes six games in which a Big Ten team faces a Championship Subdivision program.
Six of the league’s 18 members ( No. 2 Penn State, No. 22 Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern, Rutgers and Washington) aren’t playing any nonconference games against Power Four schools or Notre Dame. Only four Big Ten programs (Michigan, Southern California, UCLA and Wisconsin) don’t have a FCS program on their schedules.
No. 7 Texas, which lost at No. 1 Ohio State in arguably the nation’s best matchup so far this season, is the only SEC school that isn’t playing an FCS team this year. But the SEC at least can point to all its nonconference games against Power Four programs.
Penn State coach James Franklin says he wants more consistency in how each conference arranges its schedule.
“The reality is we don’t have a commissioner of college football, so that’s where the commissioners of the Power Four conferences, specifically the Big Ten and the SEC, need to get together and come up with what’s in the best interest of college football and the best interest of student-athletes and the fans,” Franklin said. “And then you won’t have to worry about all these different things when it comes to scheduling, because everybody is going to kind of have the same parameters.”
What are the options?
The problem is determining the specifics.
“Our schools are constantly evaluating the impact of nonconference scheduling across many variables — postseason access, home attendance, geographic rivalries, etc.,” a Big Ten spokesman said. “The conference will continue to engage with all 18 to determine the best strategies to balance these factors, using the most current information available about an evolving landscape.”
The Big Ten could strengthen nonconference schedules by prohibiting FCS opponents, something the league did from 2015-16. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule noted that such a decision would hurt FCS programs that benefit financially from those games.
Grambling State lost 70-0 at Ohio State last week but received $1 million for making the trip. This week, Indiana State is earning $475,000 for playing at Indiana and Houston Christian is getting $500,00 for visiting Nebraska. Montana State returned from its season-opening trip to Oregon with a 59-13 loss and a $680,000 paycheck.
“I was in the FCS, and if you don’t have an FBS team, it’s hard to fund your football team, it’s hard to fund the rest of it,” said Rhule, a former Western Carolina assistant. “The SEC has been really smart. The years they play their FCS team it’s late in the year, so as they’re getting ready to go on their playoff run, they play them before the last game, which I think is a really smart way to schedule.”
Another possibility would be to copy the SEC strategy of requiring each school to include at least one Power Four opponent in its nonconference schedule.
Does it matter for the postseason?
Those non-conference games are taking on increasing importance: The College Football Playoff last month said its selection committee will place more emphasis on strength of schedule this year when determining which teams make the 12-team field.
Last year, Indiana reached the playoff with a nonconference schedule that included lopsided wins over Florida International, Western Illinois and Charlotte. If No. 2 Penn State makes it this year it will be with a non-conference schedule of Nevada, FIU and Villanova, but this season ended a string of eight straight years in which Penn State played at least one nonconference game against a power-conference school (except for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season). Penn State’s 34-0 win over FIU was a game arranged after a matchup with Virginia Tech was canceled.
Northwestern isn’t playing any Power Four nonconference games, but it did play at Tulane, an American Conference school that went a combined 32-10 from 2022-24. Northwestern lost that game 23-3.
“I think that as we’ve learned in college football, everybody by nature does what’s best for them and their program, and that’s the way you’ve got to look at it,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said. “Whether you want to complain about the way somebody else schedules or the way you schedule, let’s be honest, we’ve all got to do what’s best for us.”
Michigan State athletic director J Batt offered a similar assessment.
“At Michigan State we’re building a football program to challenge for championships,” Batt said. “Toward that end goal, we’re going to look to play compelling, meaningful games which create opportunities for our team to prove themselves, while also providing great content for fans and television partners. Given the overall strength of the Big Ten Conference in addition to any marquee non-conference matchups, it’s also important to create balance in the schedule, in whatever form that may take.”
There’s a general agreement on the need for consistency among the conferences to make things easier for the selection committee. The trick is reaching a consensus on the best approach.
“If you’re in Power Four football, everybody should be playing a similar schedule so that the committee can get together at the end of the season and compare apples to apples as much as we possibly can,” Franklin said.
GEORGIA TECH QB HAYNES KING ‘LOOKS GOOD’ IN RECOVERY FROM INJURY AHEAD OF VISIT FROM NO. 12 CLEMSON
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King showed in a season-opening win over Colorado why expectations are high for him in 2025.
His backup, freshman Aaron Philo, showed in Week 2 why coach Brent Key believed in the preseason he had the “best quarterback room in the nation.”
Key said Tuesday that King is trending in the right direction as he recovers from a lower-body injury that kept him sidelined in the Yellow Jackets’ 59-12 win over FCS opponent Gardner-Webb. Philo started the game, overcoming two early turnovers (a fumble and an interception) to throw for a freshman school-record 373 yards. The performance earned Philo Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the week honors.
King is still the unquestioned leader of the quarterback room — and the team — after his strong 2024 campaign and Week 1 heroics against Colorado. The sixth-year senior accounted for 299 total yards and three rushing TDs against the Buffaloes, including a game-winning 45-yard touchdown run with just over a minute remaining to go up 27-20.
As Georgia Tech (2-0) prepares for a visit from No. 12 Clemson (1-1) on Saturday, King’s status remains unclear.
“Looks good, feels good,” Key said at his press conference. “We’ll make a determination this weekend.”
King warmed up before the Gardner-Webb game and was in full uniform throughout its entirety, but medical staff ultimately decided to hold him out.
“It was a decision that was really right up until gametime,” Key said.
If King plays, he will be looking to avenge a poor performance in his only other outing against Clemson. Back in 2023, he threw four interceptions in a 42-21 loss, the most recent of Clemson’s nine consecutive victories in the series.
The Yellow Jackets and other ACC teams are required to release an availability report on Thursday, a new wrinkle this season after the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference already required coaches to publish official designations for injured players.
Teams will have to submit a report on Thursday and an update Friday before a Saturday game, with a final update coming two hours before kickoff. Players will be designated as available, probable, questionable, or out on Thursday and Friday, with the options reduced to available, gametime decision or out on Saturday.
“We’ll follow the procedures and get it in,” Key said. “We’ll do what we’re required to do.”
NO. 6 GEORGIA QB STOCKTON LOOKING FOR MORE EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE IN HIS FIRST ROAD START AT TENNESSEE
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia’s lackluster offense in a win over Austin Peay failed to generate momentum for quarterback Gunner Stockton as he now prepares for his first true road game in the No. 6 Bulldogs’ visit to No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday.
Stockton appeared tentative on some throws as Georgia led by only 11 points at halftime in its 28-6 win over the FCS team. The Bulldogs (2-0) fell two spots in the AP Top 25 following the sluggish effort in their final warmup for their Southeastern Conference opener against the Volunteers.
“We’ve got to find ways to be explosive,” Smart said. “You’ve got to be able to throw the ball down the field and take shots and that’s probably the toughest thing I’m most disappointed in.”
Smart said Stockton has displayed the necessary ability to make explosive throws in practice but has been limited to shorter throws by the defensive schemes of Marshall and Austin Peay.
“It’s more about how people are playing us right now,” Smart said. “It’s been two weeks in a row that there’s just a ton of cushion. … If they want to play like that, you’ve got to take what they give you.”
Stockton recognized the offensive performance against Austin Peay “wasn’t our standard of how we’re supposed to play. We need to get back to work.”
Added Stockton: “You definitely want to be explosive.”
Asked what is the identity of the Georgia offense, Stockton said, “I think our identity is we can run the ball and taking our shots and being able to throw the ball.”
The Bulldogs’ chances for improved production would increase if right tackle Earnest Greene III (back) and right guard Juan Gaston (knee, ankle) return from injuries. Smart said Monday he was “hopeful to get them back.”
Smart called Stockton “a warrior” after the junior passed for two touchdowns and ran for two scores in the Bulldogs’ 45-7 win over Marshall to open the season. Even so, Smart said the next step for Stockton is to play with more confidence, and that will be needed against the Vols, who rolled to a 72-17 rout of East Tennessee State last week.
“That’s what we came here for and that’s why we enjoy playing in the SEC,” Stockton said of the test against Tennessee. “We’re excited to get started and grateful for the opportunity.”
Stockton has completed 40 of 58 passes for 458 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had only one career start entering the season after taking over in the College Football Playoff following Carson Beck’s season-ending elbow surgery. Stockton won the full-time job following Beck’s transfer to Miami.
“He’s played really well,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said of Stockton. “You look at him this year, he’s taken great care of the football, he’s been accurate with it, he’s got the ability to be extremely mobile and extend and create plays on his own.”
Heupel said Stockton and a balanced running game led by Nate Frazier makes for a “huge test for us defensively.”
“You have to do a great job of applying pressure but still bottling them up inside of the pocket, not letting them get outside of it,” Heupel said. “If they choose, he certainly can be a part of the quarterback run game as well. … We’ve got to be at our best.”
BIG 12 OFFICIATING CREW REMOVED FROM NEXT ASSIGNMENT FOR NOT ENFORCING KICKOFF RULE IN MISSOURI WIN
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 officiating crew that worked the Kansas-Missouri game last week has been removed from its next assignment because it failed to enforce a rule in the kicking game, the conference announced Tuesday.
NCAA rules require the kick following a touchdown to be kicked off a tee or be a dropkick, a type that’s nearly obsolete. Missouri had Connor Weselman punt following its first touchdown, and the Tigers should have been penalized 5 yards and re-kicked properly. The crew headed by referee Mike McCabe allowed the teams to play on after the punt.
“We believe we have one of the best officiating programs in college football,” Big 12 chief football and competition officer Scott Draper said in a statement. “When the Conference’s high standard for officiating is not met, the Big 12 will take action.”
McCabe’s crew had been scheduled to work one of the two Big 12 games Friday night. The conference did not specify whether it was Colorado at Houston or Kansas State at Arizona, and a spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Missouri, which beat Kansas 42-31, went into the game with a precarious kicking situation. The Tigers’ starting kicker, Blake Craig, tore his ACL in the opener against Central Arkansas and Oliver Robbins handled the opening kickoff.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called on Missouri after its first touchdown, and the 15-yard penalty was enforced on the kickoff from the Tigers’ 20. Weselman punted, against the rules, and Robbins was back to handle kickoffs the rest of the game. The only time a punt is allowed following a score is after a safety.
BEHREN MORTON, NO. 21 TEXAS TECH LOOK TO KEEP ROLLING VS. OREGON ST.
High-flying No. 21 Texas Tech will welcome another test on the eve of Big 12 play when Oregon State comes to Lubbock, Texas on Saturday.
The Red Raiders (2-0) moved up three spots in the AP Poll this past week after a 62-14 thrashing of Kent State. Texas Tech played well on both sides of the ball, putting up 601 yards and holding the Golden Flashes to just 229.
There was an incident after the game, however, as starting cornerback Amier Boyd was arrested Sunday night and charged with reckless driving. Boyd, who had an interception in the Red Raiders’ first game of the year, was released Monday morning and could face potential punishments of a fine of up to $200, up to 30 days in jail or both.
After starting the last game, Boyd has since been moved to a backup on the official depth chart. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said that Boyd’s situation will be handled internally.
Boyd’s status for Saturday may be up in the air, but the Red Raiders are still a force to be reckoned with, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Having put up at least 60 points in each of its first two games, Texas Tech is currently third in the nation in total offense (604.5 yards per game). The Red Raiders are led at quarterback by experienced starter Behren Morton, who has thrown for 459 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.
There were some questions heading into the year if the Red Raiders could replicate the production of longtime running back Tahj Brooks, who broke the Texas Tech’s all-time rushing record, which had stood for 28 years, last season.
So far, the Red Raiders’ three-headed monster at running back has been productive. Adam Hill, J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey all have put up at least 100 yards across the first two contests, totaling 415 yards and four touchdowns among them.
“Guys that I think have really stepped up, I’ve been proud of all the running backs,” McGuire said Monday. “Anytime you’re replacing the all-time leading rusher, and you’ve had a group in there that has played (as well as) the way they’ve played, I’ve been proud of them.”
While Texas Tech has looked unstoppable through the first two weeks, Oregon State (0-2) has lived at the opposite end of that spectrum.
The Beavers are coming off a disappointing 36-27 loss to Fresno State. Oregon State played well enough to win, outplaying the Bulldogs in the box score.
Oregon State finished with 210 more yards, nine more third-down conversions and nearly 15 more minutes of possession. Costly turnovers and special teams mistakes proved to be the team’s undoing.
Starting quarterback Maalik Murphy has aired it out to start the year with 615 passing yards, good for 14th in the country, but has a 4-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
This will be the Beavers’ first road game of the season. They will look to change their recent road fortunes, entering this week having lost seven of their last 10 games away from home.
“They’re an extremely talented team, and they’ve got talent and speed all over, so it’s going to be just a challenge from that standpoint,” Beavers coach Trent Bray said on Monday.
This will be just the second time these two teams have played and the first since 1959, a 15-14 Texas Tech win.
NO. 5 MIAMI OUT TO DENY NO. 18 USF THIRD STRAIGHT UPSET
No. 18 South Florida is one of the biggest surprises in college football, but faces its toughest challenge yet on Saturday at No. 5 Miami in Miami Gardens, Fla.
The game wasn’t a Top 25 matchup until the Bulls (2-0) scored their second consecutive victory over a ranked opponent when they shocked then-No. 13 Florida 18-16 in Gainesville last Saturday.
USF opened the season with a convincing 34-7 home victory over Boise State, which was ranked No. 25 at the time.
It was the first time the Bulls beat ranked opponents in back-to-back weeks and the first time they beat two ranked opponents in the same season since 2009.
USF coach Alex Golesh is trying to keep his team from being distracted by the added hype after its strong start.
“I think there’s still so much to play for, there’s so much still ahead of us,” Golesh said this week. “I told the guys last week (after Boise State) and I truly believe this: There’s going to be so many people who are going to tell them how good they are now, how good we are, how good I am. When you’re process-driven, you just go right back to work and you worry about Sunday, you worry about Monday.”
Even before USF’s recent rise, the Hurricanes (2-0) anticipated a tough challenge after the Bulls kept last year’s game close for a half before Miami pulled away 50-15 in Tampa. Miami leads the all-time series 6-1 with the Bulls scoring their lone victory in 2010 at Miami.
Miami’s respect for USF stems in large part from Byrum Brown’s skills as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks. Brown has completed 39 of 60 passes for 473 yards and a touchdown and has 109 rushing yards and two scores on 31 carries.
Brown did not throw or run for a touchdown in last year’s game against Miami, but completed 19 of 30 passes for 274 yards and did not throw an interception. He also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass.
Brown and Carson Beck, who will make his third start for the Hurricanes, trained together in the offseason.
“He’s a good kid. He’s obviously had a lot of success this year. Hopefully he does well the rest of the year,” Beck said on Tuesday. “I’m rooting for him, but this game hopefully our defense comes in and attacks him.”
Beck is coming off a record-breaking performance in a 45-3 win over Bethune-Cookman, completing his first 15 passes to top the school record set by Vinny Testaverde in 1986. Beck has thrived in Miami’s offense, completing 42 of 54 attempts for 472 yards and four touchdowns without throwing an interception.
Freshman Malachi Toney has emerged as one of Beck’s top targets with 12 catches for 162 yards while CJ Daniels has 119 yards and three touchdowns on 10 catches.
Keshaun Singleton has caught seven passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bulls’ offense.
The Bulls and the Hurricanes each have produced four turnovers without committing one. They are tied for the fifth-best turnover margin in the country among teams yet to turn the ball over.
NO. 8 IRISH PREACHING LONG VIEW, WHILE NO. 16 TEXAS A&M SEEKS REVENGE
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman introduced his team to the concept of delayed gratification this week.
Sometimes, Freeman told them, you don’t get the thing you want right away. But with the right amount of patience and persistence, the prize is still attainable.
No. 8 Notre Dame (0-1) will see if the lesson pays off when it squares off against No. 16 Texas A&M (2-0) on Saturday evening in South Bend, Ind.
The Fighting Irish are looking to bounce back from a 27-24 loss against No. 10 Miami in their season opener. Notre Dame erased a 14-point deficit but fell short after the Hurricanes kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:04 remaining.
Freeman’s focus is on preventing the loss from snowballing into something more.
“Outside of our building, you’re evaluated off one thing, and that’s wins and losses,” Freeman said. “But inside the building, we must continue to be mature enough to understand that the momentary success or failure is not what the goal is. Our goal and our focus has to be to reach our full potential.
“That takes understanding of delayed gratification.”
The idea carries weight for Texas A&M, too. The Aggies have waited for a full calendar year to try to avenge a home loss against Notre Dame.
This time, Mike Elko’s team is headed north to one of the storied venues in college football. Elko said the Aggies were ready for the challenge.
“Obviously, the schemes are similar (as last year),” Elko said. “They’re pretty well-entrenched in who they are and what they do.
“Last year, there was a lot more unknown. It was Coach (Mike) Denbrock’s first game as the (offensive coordinator). It was our first game as a staff.”
The Aggies lost 23-13 against Notre Dame last season before winning the next seven games in a row. They have started this season with back-to-back victories over UTSA and Utah State, surpassing 40 points in both contests.
Notre Dame must find a way to slow down Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed, who has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for 509 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions through two games. He also has rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Reed left last week’s game because of an injury but is good to return, Elko said.
Mario Craver and KC Concepcion are the Aggies’ top targets in the passing game. They have three receiving touchdowns apiece.
The Fighting Irish will turn to quarterback CJ Carr for a second straight start. He completed 19 of 30 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in his starting debut against Miami.
“I think we were very intentional about trying to protect the first-time starter early in the game, right?” Freeman said. “I was vocal about giving him easy reads, easy throws. Let’s not just tell him to bomb the ball down the field every play, because he’ll do that if we allow him to. …
“But he showed he’s ready, he’s capable. As you saw as the game went on, we were able to take some more shots. … We feel like CJ can execute the entire game plan, the entire playbook. He’s a special player.”
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love also figures to get a bigger workload against the Aggies. He had 10 carries for 33 yards in his season opener.
STREAKY TY SIMPSON, NO. 19 ALABAMA HOST 2-0 WISCONSIN
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson found his footing with a perfect throwing performance in Week 2.
Now Simpson and the No. 19 Crimson Tide aim to build off the biggest shutout win in school history when Alabama faces Wisconsin in nonconference play on Saturday afternoon at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Simpson completed all 17 of his passes and set a school record for consecutive completions to start a game as the Crimson Tide routed UL Monroe 73-0 last weekend. His performance leaves him two shy of the longest streak in program history: Mac Jones’ 19 straight completions in 2020 that began with eight to close out against Georgia and finished by hitting his first 11 passes versus Tennessee.
Simpson passed for 226 yards and three touchdowns against UL Monroe as Alabama (1-1) bettered a 66-0 victory over Cal in 1973 for largest shutout margin.
New Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was beaming over Simpson’s performance.
“I thought he was extremely decisive,” Grubb told reporters. “He was very dialed on his reads. He didn’t pass up open players. I thought he played great. I thought he was really, really into the game plan all week and I was really hopeful that he was gonna play very, very well.”
The Crimson Tide outgained the Warhawks 583-148 in the follow-up to a disappointing 31-17 loss to Florida State in Week 1.
Alabama star receiver Ryan Williams is still working his way through concussion protocol and his availability remains uncertain. He was injured in the fourth quarter of the Florida State game and sat out against UL Monroe.
Top running back Jam Miller (collarbone) missed both games, but he’s making a push to return against the Badgers.
“You can see that with Jam. He’s champing at the bit,” said Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer. “We’ve just got to make sure we’re making a smart decision. That will be left up to our training staff and our doctors and also how Jam feels. He’s making a lot of progress.”
Alabama clobbered Wisconsin 42-10 last season in Madison in the first of the two-game series.
The Badgers (2-0) have played two light foes this season, beating Miami (Ohio) 17-0 and routing Middle Tennessee 42-10 last week.
San Diego State transfer Danny O’Neill completed 23 of 27 passes for 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against Middle Tennessee while starting in place of injured quarterback Billy Edwards Jr.
Edwards sustained a sprained left knee in the victory over Miami (Ohio).
“I don’t know a whole lot,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said of Edwards’ status. “We’ll see as we continue to push forward in the week, but we’ll get obviously prepared either way.”
The Badgers will need a better defensive showing this time around as they struggled against former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe last season.
While the competition hasn’t been heavy, the defensive numbers are stellar through two games. Wisconsin ranks third nationally in total defense (169.0 yards per game) and tied for sixth in scoring defense (5.0 points per game). Standout safety Preston Zachman has a team-leading two interceptions.
Fickell maintains the Badgers are vastly improved from the squad that went 5-7 last season and ended the school’s bowl appearances streak at 22.
“I think we’re in a better place at every position,” Fickell said. “The depth of the offensive line is the one spot that continues to be an issue or stands out a little bit to you, but as a whole and as a team, I think where we are and the things that we’re doing, I think that’s where everything’s got to start.” Wisconsin will be attempting to halt Alabama’s 13-game home winning streak.
