Some thoughts after Saturday’s action
Sometimes a game can get out of hand
Thoughts, takedowns and takeaways from Week 11 of the college football season.
1. Can we take Auburn coach Gus Malzahn off the hot seat now?
2. The question was: Can Georgia win if a defense forces freshman Jake Fromm and the passing game to do the heavy lifting? Auburn was the first team to force the Bulldogs into that position and the answer was: Absolutely not.
3. Wisconsin is 10-0 for the first time in school history, doing what Ohio State could not last week: Shutting down Iowa, despite an offense that turned the ball over four times and handed the Hawkeyes 14 points.
4. Note to quarterbacks: Stop throwing at Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson, who has pretty much wrapped up a spot on the AP All-America team with five picks the last two weeks and two TDs against Wisconsin.
5. The next couple of months in Columbus, Ohio, could include a lot of time spent wondering what the heck happened to the Buckeyes in Iowa City last week. The Ohio State team that showed up against Michigan State looked like one of the best in the country.
6. If you’re going to start talking about two-loss teams in the playoff, No. 15 USC is probably going to want into that conversation, too.
7. Saquon Barkely scored a couple of touchdowns for Penn State but managed only 35 yards rushing.
8. Stanford’s Bryce Love, though, is back in it.
Burn the game tape
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — Here’s another example of how the 50-point mercy rule could benefit college football. At least it would help the team getting hammered.
On Saturday afternoon, Jacques Perra of St. Thomas threw for three touchdowns and Stephen Wagner added three more on the ground as the Tommies beat St. Olaf 97-0 to become the second Division III team this season to score 90-plus in a shutout victory.
The Tommies (9-1, 8-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) extended their winning streak to eight games and tied a MIAC record with 28 straight conference wins since 2014.
St. Thomas picked off four passes, had two return touchdowns and held the Oles to 71 total yards. The Tommies gained 667 yards.
Earlier this season, St. John’s scored 98 points in a shutout win over College of St. Scholastica to open its season.
Unheralded stars
John Wolford, Wake Forest, accounted for 499 yards and six TDs in a 64-43 win over Syracuse.
Malcolm Perry, Navy, ran for 282 yards with four TDs in his first start at quarterback and backup kicker J.R. Osborn hit an 18-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to give the Midshipmen a 43-40 victory over SMU.
Will Grier, West Virginia, threw for 372 yards and four TDs and the No. 23 Mountaineers overcame their early mistakes to hold off Kansas State 28-23.
■ Noah Johnson, Alcorn State, accounted for 419 yards and five TDs in a 59-0 win over Mississippi Valley State that clinched SWAC East Division for a fourth straight season.