The Week 4 Finish

COLLEGE FOOTBALL; what more can you say? This weekend was full of the expected and the unexpected. After going 3-2 on the big games we will recap this weekend of college football. We have a new #1 team based on the performance of one of the teams. Let’s recap the games that we highlighted from Week 4.

1. Georgia Tech holds serve late in the game as they win a great game over a good North Carolina team. Georgia Tech played well offensively as they took a 17-7 lead into halftime off of a FG, a Tevin Washington bomb to a wide open Stephen Hill, and a TD by Roddy Jones. The lead was 14 into the 4th quarter. North Carolina struck on a deep pass over the cover to a Eric Ebon for a TD to cut the lead to 7. Then Giovanni Bernard hit the whole like a bullet from a chamber as he scampered for a 55 yard TD to tie the game. But Tech struck back when Tevin Washington scored with 5 minutes left on the clock that proved to be the game winner. As expected Tech won the time of possession in the game by a full 12+ minutes. Tech put up 312 yards rushing, but the leading rusher was Bernard for North Carolina putting up 155 yards on 17 carries. Very good and exciting football game. I picked this game 28-21. So I was there, just one TD off.

2. Arkansas came to Bryant-Denny. And they left Bryant-Denny beat up as they lose to Alabama 38-14. The story of the day was Alabama’s suffocating defense. They allowed nothing to materialize for most of the day for Wilson the Arkansas defense. It wasn’t fair at all to poor Wilson as he got hit in the mouth ALL DAY LONG. I mean he was standing in there like a champ, though. He made every effort in the world to keep Arkansas in the game. But going up against a defense that leads the country in 3 and outs will frustrate even the best QBs. AJ McCarron played well as he managed the game for the Tide, as he goes 15/20 for 200 yards, 2 TDs, and no Int. That is really all he is going to have to do all year. That defense will get you the ball. Trent Richardson seems to be back on track as he has 17 carries for 126 yards, 3 catches for 85 yards and a TD. The bulk of those yards coming on a screen play that went for a TD. Alabama held Arkansas to 17 yards rushing and held Tyler Wilson to 185 yards passing. The most impressive thing is the number of times that Wilson had to check down to his backs out of the backfield, as no one else was open or he didn’t have time to scan the field. This Alabama defense is scary. And they have a task next week of stopping the undefeated Gators as they travel to the swamp to take on the Gators. I picked Bama by 10, but Bama was determined to beat them a little bit more than what fans expected.

3. Oklahoma State goes into college station and puts up one the best total third quarters ever on both sides of the ball as Oklahoma State beats Texas A&M 30-29. This game had all the makings of a blowout when Texas A&M came out firing on all cylinders. They put up 300 yards of offense in the first half as they went into the half up 20-3. Well then the wheels fell off the bus as Weeden and Blackmon took the game over after the half. OK St ran 37 plays in the 3rd quarter and had the ball for over 11 mintes. There were 3 turnovers for A&M in the quarter a fumble and 2 interceptions. Honestly, they should have put up 28 points in the quarter. Blackmon got really fancy and fumbled the ball out the back of the end zone. Really son? Secure the ball. The game shouldn’t have been as close as it was in the fourth quarter. Blackmon did have another 100 yard game and had a TD. But Cooper had 11 receptions and 123 as he is emerging as a star on the opposite of Blackmon. Weeden again showed amazing control of the offense as he carved up Texas A&M in the second half and ended the game with 47 completions for 438 yards and 2 tds. The most important stat is that he did not turn the ball over. This game is simple. You turn the ball over to a good team and you can almost stamp the ticket as a loss. I picked A&M 42-24 because of the first half team you saw. That team that came out the second half is not what I picked.

4. #11 Florida State is on a two game skid as the loose in Death Valley to #21 Clemson 35-30. Clemson is playing lights out football. Florida State was missing some players, but they had chances to really take this game over. Sammy Watkins is dominating anyone they line up across from him with his 8 receptions for 141 and 2 TDs; none bigger than the 62 yard pass from Tajh Boyd. Boyd had another solid day at the park, throwing for 344 yards and 3 TDs. The weirdest play of the weekend was when he was falling and Werner picked off his pass for a TD. This play actually put Florida State back in the game. Clemson’s defense has been playing well also holding FSU to 29 yards rushing. Florida State HAS to find a running game soon or they are going to be in trouble heading into the meat of their ACC schedule. Clemson dominated time of possession again and converted 9 third downs. Clemson is showing teams that if you can’t get them off the field, you’re defense is in for trouble. Florida State is a very unhealthy team right now. I am not sure EJ Manuel would have made a difference. I picked LSU and FSU for the national title game. Well I was off. I thought that FSU defense would have come out with a little more fire than they did. Had I known that EJ Manuel was not playing I wouldn’t have picked FSU. Trickett is ok, but not ready for the spotlight quite yet.

5. LSU went to Morgantown to defeat West Virginia 47-21. LSU gave up a staggering amount of passing yards this game to Geno Smith. 463 to be exact. But don’t let that number fool you. LSU forced 4 turnovers, 2 of them interceptions. West Virginia passed the ball 65 times. The running game for West Virginia was anemic, rushing 22 times for 70 yards. LSU doesn’t blitz much, but they do rely on pressure from their front four. They didn’t really get that all game as West Virginia’s offensive line did a wonderful job at blocking it. Tavon Austin is as good as advertised. The 5”9 WR was dynamic with 11 receptions for 187 yards. He didn’t get into the end zone though and that hurt them. You saw the momentum of the game switch to West Virginia’s sideline when the lead was cut to 27-21. West Virginia’s crowd was rowdy. Rowdy until Claiborne broke a dynamic kick return where he broke down #22 Avery Williams, stiff armed #81 JD Woods and out ran the West Virginia coverage in the tune of a 99 yard kickoff return. That let ALL the air out the stadium and LSU then steam rolled West Virginia from that point forward. Even the third string back Alfred Blue got into the game to score the final touchdown. I didn’t think this game would be as close as it was in the 3rd quarter. I picked this game 35-14, but LSU did beat the spread that I picked. LSU could have scored 7 more points if Randall did not drop that TD pass. West Virginia has no reason to hold their heads down. They played well and may have found an emerging star in freshman back Dustin Garrison. Garrison showed that he is ready for the big stage. I don’t feel he got enough touches. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry. That may have taken some of the pressure off of Geno Smith.

College football has had no shortage of excitement and it looks to continue all season. Stay logged in with 4th and Inches Magazine with the up to date news around college football!