September 10, 2024
CFB InsiderWe're Now In The Full Swing
Lone Star Player of the Week Candidates
Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo - 297 yards total offense, 262 rushing, 35 receiving in 30-23 win over Mississippi State
Texas QB Quinn Ewers - 24 for 36 for 246 yards and three touchdowns in win over #10 Michigan in the Big House.
Georgia QB Carson Beck - The Bulldogs QB threw for five TDs in a 48-3 win over Tennessee Tech.
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It feels like the college football season just began, but we’re now in full swing, nearing conference play in a week or so. In week two, the cream seemed to separate from the rest of the crop on Saturday and will continue to do so until said national powerhouses actually meet one another on the field later in the season.
Before we look too far ahead, let’s look back at week two, which featured a couple of dominant performances by SEC stalwarts Texas and Tennessee.
Texas Bowl Team of the Week - Texas - Last year, Texas traveled to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama in week two. The Longhorns left with one of the most impressive wins in the 2023 season, which led the Horns to the Big 12 Championship and a CFP berth. This year, a week two berth resided in Ann Arbor, MI against the defending national champions. However, this one wasn’t even close as QB Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns dominated the game from the outset and didn’t need any backup. He finished with 246 yards passing and three touchdowns. The defense jumped all over the Michigan offense and suffocated the Wolverines attack in no time flat. The Longhorns won’t be invited back for week two anywhere next year.
Texas Bowl Honorable mention Team of the Week - Tennessee - Vol Nation was amped for this season in large part due to the presence of dynamic QB Nico Iamaleava. The reality might be even better than Vol fans thought at the outset of the season. In the only other week two matchup of ranked teams (Michigan v. Texas was the other one), Tennessee completely cleaned NC State’s clock in Charlotte 51-10. Iamaleava threw for two touchdowns, but the story of this matchup was the dominating run performance of RB Dylan Sampson (20 rushes for 132 yards and two touchdowns). Tennessee is clearly one of the top ten teams in the nation and top three in the SEC.
Texas Bowl Player of the Week - Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo - Outside of having one of the best names in college football, Skattebo strung together one of the most impressive performances in college football in week two. The Sun Devils star RB carried the rock 33 times for 262 yards, the highest yardage total for week two, against Mississippi State. Skattebo led Arizona State to their second straight win in Tempe, 30-23 over the Bulldogs. He tacked on three catches for 35 yards, giving him 297 yards total offense in the seven point win.
Texas Bowl Honorable mention Player of the Week - Iowa State K Kyle Konrardy - Okay, so I didn’t see this one coming given my lack of love for kickers, but it’s hard to deny Konrardy’s clutch-ness in the fourth quarter in the 20-19 win over rival #21 ranked Iowa AT Iowa. Down 19-14 in the fourth quarter, Konrardy nailed a 46-yard field to cut the lead to two. Then, with just six seconds remaining, Konrardy hit the game winner from 54 yards out to give the Cyclones the one point victory. Konrardy’s clutch field goals capped a comeback from 13 points down in the second half.
National Team of the Week - Northern Illinois - How could ANY team be the National Team of the Week other than Northern Illinois? After Notre Dame went down to Texas and knocked off #20 Texas A&M, the Irish were seemingly flying high early in the game against NIU. But, head coach Thomas Hammock’s Huskies chipped away at the lead. RB Antario Brown caught a slant route and took it 83 yards to the house to tie the game at 7. That TD changed the game and it was a slugfest the rest of the way. With 35 seconds remaining, NIU K Kanon Woodill knocked home a 35-yard field goal to put NIU ahead by a point. NIU blocked Notre Dame’s last second game winning attempt to ice the win at Notre Dame Stadium. What a massive upset and program changing win for Hammock and NIU!!
Honorable Mention National Team of the Week - Illinois - The Kansas Jayhawks were ranked 19th in the nation and one of the most underrated teams in the nation. But, Illinois was ready to knock the Jayhawks down a peg or two. In Champaign, IL, the Illini rallied from behind in the fourth quarter for the 23-17 upset over the Jayhawks. That was a huge win for Bret Bielema and the Illini.
National Player of the Week - Syracuse QB Kyle McCord - The Cuse was an underdog at home against Georgia Tech, but Fran Brown’s Orange walked out with a win because of the performance of McCord. The Ohio State transfer completed 32 of 46 for 381 yards and four TDs against the Yellow Jackets in the Cuse’s 31-28 upset win. Two games into the 2024 season, McCord has been sensational, throwing four touchdowns in each of his first two games.
Honorable mention National Player of the Week - Washington State QB John Mateer - In the Mike Leach Bowl up in Pullman, WA, the Cougars went into anti-Leach mode against Texas Tech, running Mateer 21 TIMES for 197 yards and a touchdown. He also threw for 115 yards and one touchdown in a 37-16 win over the Red Raiders. I mean, somewhere Leach was wondering what Mateer was doing running so much in a football game, but it worked…and worked well.
Quick Kudos
…to Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty in a losing effort at Oregon. Jeanty ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns one week after scoring six rushing TDs in the opener.
…to Oklahoma State for its comeback win over Arkansas in Stillwater. HUGE comeback 2OT win.
…to USC for its first shutout win (48-0 over Utah State) since 2011.
…to BYU for a massive W in Dallas in a slobberknocker of a matchup with SMU.
…to Matt Rhule and the Nebraska Cornhuskers for a dominating win over Coach Prime’s Colorado squad in Lincoln.
…to Arizona State for its second win in a row, this one against SEC member Mississippi State
…to Kansas State for a 14 point fourth quarter on the road that led to a 34-27 win over gritty Tulane.
…to Clemson QB Cade Klubnik for the best game of his career, throwing for 378 yards and five TD in a 66-20 win over App. State
…to Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai for his 27 carry, 208 yard, three touchdown performance in a 49-17 win over Akron.
…to Pitt K Ben Sauls for his game winning field goal with no time remaining to beat rival Cincinnati.
…to UNLV WR Ricky White for a five catch, 111 yards and three touchdown performance against Utah Tech.
…to the South Carolina Gamecock defense for holding Kentucky to six points IN LEXINGTON. The Gamecocks flew home with a 31-6 dominating win. DB Nick Emmanwori led the Gamecocks in tackles (seven) and interceptions (one).
…to UCF’s RB R.J. Harvey who had four TD in a 45-14 win over Sam Houston
…to Michigan State and head coach Jonathan Smith for their comeback win at Maryland. Down seven in the fourth quarter, MSU QB Aidan Chiles 77-yard TD pass to Nick Marsh tied the game and K Jonathan Kim won it with a 37-yard field goal on the last play of the game
Week 3’s Big games
#20 (2-0) Arizona at #9 (2-0) Kansas State - The new Big 12 rivals are two of the most exciting teams in the nation and will meet for the first time as Big 12 rivals. There’s a TON of talent on each sideline, but my eyes will be locked onto my WR1 in the Harris 100 - Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan.
#24 (2-0) Boston College at #9 (2-0) Missouri - The upstart Eagles go on the road again to take on another ranked opponent. BC QB Thomas Castellanos v. Missouri QB Brady Cook might be the most underrated QB matchup in any game in the month of September. I love this game and it’ll be the first real test for the Tigers in 2024.
(2-0) Washington State at (2-0) Washington - The Apple Cup will be up for grabs in Seattle for the second consecutive season. WSU QB John Mateer did his best Tim Tebow imitation last week and he’ll do the same to get a win over Washington…and win one for the Pac-12, err, Pac-2.