Wild Weekends: Shakeups

Sometimes it can be tough to keep up with so much happening.

With conference play beginning and the NFL’s early upsets out of the way, this past week made the football world almost look like the wild west with a healthy mix of upsets, shootouts, and dominating wins from Alabama’s close win against Kentucky to Vikings/Saints being the year’s second Monday Night game to be a contender for game of the year. Monday’s game provided evidence as to why a career as a return man is better suited for Reggie Bush than dual-position player with the Saints once again letting a game slip away late. Ohio St. gained some leverage in the Big-10 back by shocking Wisconsin late in a game the Badgers had well in hand for the majority of it before Terrell Pryor scored his first game winner as a Buckeye. Sunday saw more of the bizarrely interesting with Sage Rosenfels playing like a quarterback who wants to win without the ability to win as he and the Texans blew a 21-point lead against Peyton Manning and the Colts—I mentioned things being bizarre—and the Ocho Cinco/T.O. show being more about Cinci’s near comeback than two of the most talented receivers in the game. Another week in an ever-changing world with the first rivalry week right around the corner.

Pitt beats tenth-ranked South Florida in college football’s second straight Thursday Night shocker

Dave Wannstedt’s Pitt Panthers have erased the bitter memories of their opening day loss to Bowling Green by winning their fourth straight since the loss, this win coming against the tenth-ranked South Florida Bulls in a game that was won by Pitt’s defense.

The Bulls offense never got going in this game with quarterback Matt Grothe held in check throwing for only 129 yards on the day. Grothe threw and ran for the Bulls two offensive scores on the game.

The Bulls were held to only 245 total yards to Pitt’s 374, only 14 first downs to Pitt’s 24, and held onto the ball for around thirteen minutes less than the Panthers. That mix of lack of ball control, inability to make good on third down, and inability to gain yards spelled the Bulls’ doom all game long.

Lesean McCoy of Pitt was the glue that kept the upset together by running for two touchdowns, his second being the game winner with 4:43 to play after the Bulls had taken a one-point lead. McCoy with 142 yards rushing.

Miami and Florida St. re-ignite rivalry with game of the year contender

For a rivalry that has been a bit dormant as of late, Miami and Florida St. kicked things up a notch this past weekend.

The Seminoles came away with a 41-39 win in the rivalry’s highest scoring game on the feet of Antone Smith whose four touchdowns literally won the game for FSU. Smith scored the first two touchdowns of the game on runs for Florida St. helping to build what would be a 24-0 second quarter lead. Smith’s third score came early in the third making the game 31-10 Seminoles. Smith’s final trip into the end zone clinched the game for the Seminoles coming from 20 yards with just under four minutes to play. Interestingly, smith finished with only 92 yards on the game with half of those yards coming on his touchdown runs.

Christian Ponder was the main producer for the Seminoles rushing game, which netted 281 yards in the game. Ponder ran for 144 yards on sixteen carries, but didn’t see the end zone.

Travis Benjamin ran and caught touchdowns for the Hurricanes sparking their comeback in the second half.

Sean Spence’s interception return for the Hurricanes early in the fourth quarter made the game 34-29 FSU and a Matt Bosher field-goal a few minutes later brought the Canes to within two. It would be as close as they got.

The teams combined for seven turnovers in the game with Florida St. committing four and Miami committing three.

Redskins win fourth straight downing Westbrook, Eagles

Brian Westbrook’s ended Sunday’s game with fractured ribs and his lack of impact on the game itself may have done in the Philadelphia Eagles as the Washington Redskins moved to 4-1 and trail only the undefeated Giants for the NFC East lead.

Westbrook ran for 33 yards on 12 carries and scored the game’s first touchdown.

The Eagles scored another touchdown in the first quarter leading the game 14-0 after the first fifteen minutes. They wouldn’t score again until the fourth quarter.

Clinton Portis capped the Redskins’ 14-point comeback by putting the game away on the first play of the fourth quarter scoring on a four-yard run making the game 23-14 Redskins. Portis finished with 145 rushing yards on the day.

Chris Cooley put Washington up in the third quarter with an 18-yard touchdown catch. He would finish with 109 yards on eight catches.

Redksins kicker Shaun Suisham launched the Redskin comeback by kicking three field goals in the second quarter to dig into the Eagles lead.

FINAL THOUGHTS
We’re just over a month into the season and the teams that are controlling the top spots and the headlines are mostly those confirming that parody thing that I’ve been talking about the last year and a half. Five weeks into the NFL season and the Giants are still unbeaten, Jason Campbell hasn’t thrown an interception, and the Dolphins have beaten both participants in last year’s AFC title game. At the same time, six weeks into the college football season, Alabama is far better than anyone thought they were going to be, several national title game predictions have been broken, and Joe Pa could be on his way towards controversy as far as the national title is concerned one more time. As of now Penn St. is still unbeaten and has shown exactly why their top 10 status is deserved: a great defense combined with a light mostly rushing offense that puts the necessary points on the board. Paterno’s Nittany Lions have two unbeaten seasons that rarely get talked about: 1969 & 1994. Both years Joe Pa’s team didn’t lose a game, but both times they finished second and while ’69 saw no chance that Joe Pa’s boy were going to swing a split national title, that’s exactly what ’94 should’ve brought. And just like Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans were in 2003 and Auburn in 2004, Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions may be on the way to being left out of the party in 2008.