Now that’s a big shootout
When teams combine for more than 120 points and 1,300 yards in a game, the defense has officially become offensive.
In a Big 12 Conference shootout Saturday, Oklahoma State had 662 yards and 70 points; Texas Tech had 642 yards and 53 points. And yes, there were a few long gains. Three Oklahoma State receivers with multiple receptions averaged better than 20 yards a catch. James Washington had four for 200 yards and two touchdowns; David Glidden had two for 80 yards; and Brandon Sheperd had two for 54 yards and a touchdown.
The Cowboys also got a 59-yard return of an interception for a touchdown by Ramon Richards and a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jalen McClesky.
And with all that, the most entertaining player on the field was on the losing team.
Jakeem Grant had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for Texas Tech, and 13 catches for 178 yards and a touchdown. Among the receptions was a short pass he turned into a 90-yard gain, a play in which he probably ran 150 yards as he crisscrossed the field weaving between defenders.
The f lip side
You’ve heard the adage — probably from your coach — that defense wins championships. Or at least games. Well, it’s a nice line. The Boston College defense entered Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech ranked second in the nation overall, first against the pass, and seventh against the run. It was also the toughest unit in the Atlantic Coast Conference to score on, giving up an average of 11.8 points. Yet the Eagles were 0-5 in ACC play. And now are 0-6. Yes, offense is a problem. After its latest loss, 26-10, Boston College still has not scored more than 17 points in a game against a major college opponent. And Coach Steve Addazio is trying everything.
After the Eagles started Saturday’s game with back-to-back three-and-outs with Troy Flutie at quarterback, Addazio turned to John Fadule, a freshman walk-on.
The kid didn’t perform poorly, either. Fadule completed eight of 20 passes for 143 yards, with one interception, and ran for 53 yards.
“He had toughness, he had confidence,” Addazio said. “He ran people over, he threw the ball, he ran the ball.” Sounds like he might have a job. Fadule is the fourth quarterback the Eagles have used this season. Starter Darius Wade was out with a broken ankle, backup Jeff Smith was still recovering from a concussion, and Flutie — yes, from that Flutie family; Doug is his uncle — was ineffective.
Midshipmen rule the ground
Keenan Reynolds can be persuasive, which is how he tied Montee Ball for the NCAA record in career rushing touchdowns.
Navy’s senior quarterback got No. 77 with less than two minutes remaining against South Florida, sneaking in from a yard out after he talked his coach out of kicking a field goal.
Ken Niumatalolo, Navy’s coach, was inclined to go with a kick that would put his team up by eight points.
Reynolds argued for delivering a knockout blow. Then delivered it.
“The kid is smarter than I am,” Niumatalolo said.
Navy had three 100-yard rushers in a 29-17 victory. Chris Swain had 131 yards and Dishan Romine had 115 to join Reynolds.
Buyer beware
Temple’s Matt Rhule is among the trendy choices larger programs will be considering when they go searching for a head coach. And deservedly so. But before a big-time athletic director pulls the trigger — are you listening, Pat Haden? — they might consider what happened with the last hot-shot coach that came out of Temple.
His name: Al Golden, who was fired last week by Miami after the Hurricanes suffered their most lopsided loss ever, 58-0, to Clemson.
Golden, whom UCLA reportedly took a long look at, had a 32-25 record at Miami after going 27-34 (but 17-8 his last two years) in four seasons at Temple.
Unsettling development
Heading into a bye, Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer noted last week how nice it was that the Buckeyes had finally settled on a starting quarterback.
Whoops, not so fast. Even though Ohio State didn’t play Saturday, it took a loss.
J.T. Barrett, who looked so sharp the previous week against Rutgers in his first start of the season, was stopped at a Columbus, Ohio, police checkpoint in the early morning hours and cited on suspicion of operating a vehicle under the influence, a misdemeanor. He will now serve a one-game suspension.
So when the Buckeyes return to action against Minnesota next Saturday, Cardale Jones will be back at quarterback, one game after losing his job.
Jones started Ohio State’s first seven games but played unevenly. He led the Buckeyes to last season’s national championship after Barrett, the Big Ten player of the year, sustained a broken ankle in the final regularseason game.
Doggone it
If the heat wasn’t on Mark Richt is now.
The Georgia coach used a bye week to make a change he hoped would kick-start his team’s spurting offense against No. 11 Florida. It backfired. He benched quarterback Greyson Lambert, who had gone three games without throwing a touchdown pass. But instead of going with the listed backup, Brice Ramsey, he went with Faton Bauta, a junior making his first college start.
Bauta had four passes intercepted during a 27-3 loss in the renewal of an annual rivalry game dubbed “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”
Surely it was enough to drive a Bulldogs fan to drink.
Just for kicks
Fortunately for Florida, Austin Hardin made it through that game without incident.
Hardin is Florida’s kicker, and he’s been dealing with a leg injury, which prompted an emergency move last week by Gators Coach Jim McElwain.
After Jorge Powell suffered a seasonending knee injury against Louisiana State, Hardin was the only kicker left on the roster.
So the Gators held an open tryout for a backup — and got 216 responses.
The winner was Neil MacInnes, a senior studying to become a dental ceramist. He last kicked during a game in 2011, when he played for Chamberlain High in Tampa, a few levels below the Southeastern Conference.