Top 10 things we learned during Week 2 of the season
(TNS) – The second week of the college football season offered some elite teams a chance to shine against inferior opponents while others struggled. Here are 10 things we learned during the college football weekend:
1. Clemson survived but the Tigers should be concerned. Clemson has managed a delicate quarterback competition between Kelly Bryant and Trevor Lawrence to perfection thanks, in part, because of its stout defense. But Texas A&M managed to gash the Tigers for 430 passing yards, the most yards given up through the air by a Clemson team since 2013.
2. Georgia proves it’s still a beast in the SEC East. Critics wondered if Georgia would take a step back in the SEC East after losing running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to the NFL, but the Bulldogs haven’t missed a beat. The team is averaging 277 rushing yards per game, with D’andre Swift (107 yards), James Cook (104) and Elijah Holyfield (101) picking up where Chubb and Michel left off.
3. Kyler Murray keeps Oklahoma on a torrid pace. The Sooners quarterback has been spectacular during his first two starts this season, accounting for more than 600 yards and seven touchdowns during blowouts of FAU and UCLA. That includes seven explosives plays – plays of 20 or more yards – this season. Oklahoma appears to be on pace for another shot at the College Football Playoff semifinals. Georgia defensive back Deandre Baker intercepts South Carolina quarterback Jake Bentley on the opening drive and returns it for a touchdown during the first quarter on Saturday at Williams-brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
4. Stanford gets defensive in a rematch with USC. After allowing more than 1,100 yards during its two losses to USC last season, Stanford turned things around in a big way Saturday by limiting the Trojans to just 332 yards while forcing three turnovers during an impressive 17-3 win that puts the Cardinal in the driver’s seat in the Pac-12.
5. It was a forgettable weekend for some teams in the Big Ten. Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan may have all won in routs, but the rest of the league wasn’t as fortunate. Michigan State and Purdue lost in the closing seconds to Arizona State and Eastern Michigan, respectively, and Northwestern struggled during a home loss to Duke.
6. Ohio State appears to be feeling no ill effects from Urban Meyer’s absence. The Buckeyes have looked impressive during their first two wins without Meyer, who is serving a suspension. Ohio State outscored Oregon State and Rutgers by a combined
129-34. Quarterbacks Dwayne Haskins and Tate Martell have completed 82 percent of their passes for 700 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception.
7. All things must come to an end, including losing streaks. Quarterback Terry Wilson accounted for 256 yards and three touchdowns as Kentucky ended more than three decades of futility by beating Florida on Saturday, snapping a 31-game losing streak to the Gators. Kansas, meanwhile, took advantage of four turnovers to snap a 46game road losing streak with a win at Central Michigan on Saturday.
8. Florida has lots of work ahead. New coach Dan Mullen was brought in to resurrect a struggling Gators program, with an emphasis on jumpstarting a tepid offense. After a stellar showing in the opener against Charleston Southern, UF took a step back against a more physical Kentucky team that not only frustrated UF quarterback Felipe
Franks at times but torched the defense for more than 300 rushing yards.
9. Florida State appears to be a work in progress. After a rough opening loss to Virginia Tech on Labor Day, everyone assumed a showdown with Football Championship Subdivision Samford would cure all that ails FSU. The Bulldogs, who entered the game ranked No. 9 in the FCS, had other ideas and gave the Seminoles all they could handle before falling late. New FSU coach Willie Taggart’s team has concerns, especially with a porous offensive line that struggled once again.
10. It’s been a rude awakening for Kevin Sumlin, Chip Kelly. Things haven’t gone necessarily to plan for two highprofile new coaches in the Pac-12. Sumlin and Kelly are winless in their first two games. Sumlin’s Arizona squad is 0-2 for the first time since 1981, while Kelly’s UCLA team is 0-2 for the first time since 2010.