Transfer QBs duel in LSU-Auburn showdown
I once attended a church where the pastor’s father also attended. The father had a funny saying. “I never could find a preacher I liked, so I just grew my own.”
The opposite is true in the Southeastern Conference, when it comes to quarterbacks. Some SEC teams – and count Auburn and LSU in the group – have trouble growing their own quarterbacks. So they find a transfer who can do the job.
The SEC’s best two teams of Tigers (sorry Missouri) meet Saturday in Auburn, with teams that have two of the best wins so far in college football. Auburn beat Washington in Atlanta and LSU beat Miami in Arlington, Texas. And quarterbacks are a big reason why.
Auburn has Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham for the second straight year. Stidham was an Auburn star last season, and he’s gotten better through two games in 2018, completing 68.1 percent of his passes, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
LSU has Ohio State graduate transfer Joe Burrow, who never won the job in Columbus but found far less competition in Baton Rouge. Burrow, like most LSU quarterbacks, has struggled, completing just 47.7 percent of his passes. But he had his moments against Miami, a 33-17 victory.
When Burrow announced his transfer to LSU, Stidham weighed in from Auburn, telling AL.com that “I don’t know how it was up North, but people down South love their football. That’s No. 1. No. 2, the SEC, it’s a lot of fun. It’s a grind. Every single week, you’ve got to be on your game. There’s no cupcake teams in our league. You’re going to get somebody’s best every single week, so you’ve got to be physically and mentally prepared for those types of games and situations.”
Well, there can be cupcakes in the SEC. But you don’t find any in LSU-Auburn games.
Coach on the hot seat
Florida State looked disjointed in a season-opening, 24-3 home loss to Virginia Tech. And the Seminoles didn’t look jointed five days later, when Division I-AA Samford led Florida State most of the game.
The Seminoles escaped with a 36-26 victory that included a late interception return for a touchdown that sealed the game, but that performance had to send Florida State fans from a state of concern to a state of panic.
Florida State looks the part athletically. But the Seminoles seem disorganized under new coach Willie Taggart, hired away after one season at Oregon. FSU had a 5-1 advantage in takeaways yet still went to the wire with a lower-division team. Samford outgained Florida State 525-454 in total yards.
Jimbo Fisher left Florida State last November, and that relationship had fractured. But the Taggart/FSU relationship will be hardpressed to blossom if the Seminoles don’t start playing better.
Florida State plays at Syracuse on Saturday; the Orange is no world-beater, but Syracuse is capable if the Seminoles continue their lackadaisical play. And another loss would make Seminole Nation ask what kind of coach it hired.
Upset special
Quarterbacks from the state of Hawaii are making their mark all over college football. Following in the wake of 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota of Oregon, the island of Oahu alone has produced Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Central Florida’s McKenzie Milton and Ole Miss’ Jordan Ta‘amu.
But Cole McDonald has emerged as a differencemaking quarterback who went to the Islands. The University of Hawaii sophomore from La Mirada, California, has thrown 13 touchdown passes with no interceptions, while competing 70 percent of his passes, as the Rainbow Warriors have gone 3-0 with victories over Colorado State, Navy and Rice.
McDonald was Dru Brown’s Hawaii backup last season, when the Rainbow Warriors went 3-9. Brown’s numbers were solid – 61.7 percent, 18 touchdowns, eight interceptions – but are nothing like McDonald’s. Now Brown is backing up Taylor Cornelius at Oklahoma State.
Saturday, Hawaii plays at Army. The Cadets are 6 ½ point favorite. But the Rainbow Warriors took apart Navy. Might they do the same to Army? Go with Hawaii in the upset.
Ranking the games
1. LSU at Auburn, 2:30 p.m., CBS: Two coaches, LSU’s Ed Orgeron and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn, who seem to be in perpetual hot water square off. One difference – Malzahn has won big. Orgeron so far has not.
2. Washington at Utah, 9 p.m., ESPN: This could be a preview of the Pac-12 Championship Game.
3. Alabama at Ole Miss, 6 p.m., ESPN: Nick Saban is just 2-2 in his last four games against the Rebels, but those Hugh Freeze Mississippi teams are gone.
4. Brigham Young at Wisconsin, 2:30 p.m., ABC: This could be a quick game. BYU runs the ball these days, and Wisconsin runs it as well as any team.
5. Vanderbilt at Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m., NBC: This is Brian Kelly’s ninth year as the Fighting Irish coach. If he makes it to 2020, he matches Lou Holtz, Ara Parseghian and Frank Leahy, trailing only Knute Rockne’s 13 years.
6. Arizona State at San Diego State, 9:30 p.m., CBS Sports Network: San Diego State beat the Sun Devils last season in Tempe.
7. Missouri at Purdue, 6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network: Boilermakers beat Mizzou last season in Columbia.
8. Hawaii at Army, 11 a.m., CBS Sports Network: The Rainbow Warriors beat Navy on Sept. 1. Alas, Hawaii doesn’t play Air Force this season, unless they meet in the Mountain West title game.
9. Florida State at Syracuse, 11 a.m., ESPN: The Orange is 1-10 all-time against the Seminoles, winning only the first meeting in the series, 1966.
10. South Florida at Illinois, 2:30 p.m., Big Ten Network: USF knocked off Georgia Tech last season and can get to 2-0 against the Power 5.