TWIF Notes 10-31-22
Welcome Back!
Happy Halloween! Several teams had some scares, and several results were downright frightening, and a coach got axed.
Let's get to the recaps!
Teams Who Defeated FCS Opponents, Just As They Should Have
Appalachian State defeated Robert Morris 42-3
FBS vs FBS Games
NC State eked past Virginia Tech 22-21, scoring the last 19 points, 12 in the 4th quarter. Both teams are out of their respective division races.
Southern Miss jumped out to a big lead, then cruised to a 39-24 win over Louisiana. The Golden Eagles are a half game behind Troy in the SBC West, but the Trojans hold the tiebreaker edge. The Ragin' Cajuns have been all but eliminated from winning the division.
Utah withstood a late charge from Washington State to win 21-17 and stay in the Pac 12 race.
East Carolina hit a FG as time expired to defeat BYU 27-24 and send the Cougars tumbling to 4-5. The Pirates are 6-3 and bowl eligible for the 2nd year in a row, though last year's appearance was cancelled.
FIU kicked a FG with 20 seconds left to tie, then won in 2 overtimes over La Tech 42-34. The win pushes the Panthers to 4-4/2-2 and gives them hope for bowl eligibility.
Ohio State exploded for 28 4th quarter points to outlast Penn State 44-31. The Nittany Lions had 17 points of their own in the final period. The Buckeyes remain undefeated, and seem destined to remain that way, at least until they host Michigan in their final regular season game, though Maryland in College Park on Nov 19 could be problematic.
TCU topped West Virginia 41-31 to remain unbeaten on the year and in 1st place in the Big 12. The Horned Frogs host Texas Tech this week while the Mountaineers will be trying to stay out of the basement when they travel to Iowa State.
Notre Dame held on for a 41-24 victory over Syracuse. The Fighting Irish have won 26 consecutive regular season games against ACC opponents, and at 5-3, are 1 win from bowl eligibility. The Orange still have a chance in the ACC Atlantic, though that chance is very remote.
Arkansas routed Auburn 41-27, as the Tigers scored 2 TDs late to make it look respectable. Both teams have been reduced to the role of spoiler in the SEC West. And news has just broken that Auburn has fired HC Bryan Harsin. An interim HC has not yet been named.
Oklahoma never gave Iowa State a chance in their 27-13 win. The good news for the Cyclones is that they avoided a 5th straight loss by single digits; the bad news is that it was still a loss. The Sooners have now won their last 2, and have a chance to finish the season strong.
UConn destroyed Boston College 13-3, forcing 5 turnovers, and improving their record to 4-5 and inching closer to bowl eligibility. This is the 1st time the Huskies have beaten the Eagles in 15 tries, dating back to their 1st meeting in 1908 (a 0-0 tie). UConn has never scored more than 16 points in any game against BC, and have only accomplished that point total twice.
FSU decimated Georgia Tech 41-16. Both teams are reduced to spoilers in their respective divisions, but the Seminoles have a great chance at reaching a bowl, as they are now 5-3/3-3.
Houston defeated USF 42-27 to improve to 5-3/3-1 and stay alive in the AAC title chase. With the loss, the Bulls drop to 1-7/0-4 and are now ineligible for a bowl.
Toledo scored the final 10 points to squeeze by Eastern Michigan 27-24 and solidify their spot atop the MAC East at 6-3/4-1. The loss drops the Eagles to 5-4/2-3 and into 4th in the division.
Miami, Oh routed Akron 27-9 to move within a game of .500 at 4-5/2-3.
Miami, Fl needed 4 overtimes to succumb Virginia 14-12. The Hurricanes kicked a FG with 3 seconds left to send the game to OT tied at 6-6, then after exchanging FGs in each of the 1st 2 OTs, neither team scored in the 3rd OT, and only Miami scored on their 2 point play in the 4th OT, the only time all game anyone reached the end zone.
Charlotte crushed Rice 56-23 to earn their 1st CUSA win of the year, their 1st CUSA win since defeating the Owls in OT last year, and their 1st win since firing HC Will Healy last week. The loss severely dampens Rice's hopes of reaching a bowl for the 1st time since 2014, as the Owls fall to 4-4/2-2, and their remaining schedule is against the top 4 teams in the conference.
Minnesota shut out Rutgers 31-0 to end their 3-game losing streak. At 5-3/2-3, the Golden Gophers are all but eliminated from the Big Ten West Championship.
Georgia State used a big 3rd quarter to pull away from ODU and win 31-17. The Panthers, 3-5/2-2, have won 3 of their last 4; the Monarchs, also 3-5/2-2, have lost 3 of 4.
Georgia stomped Florida 42-20 to remain unbeaten both overall and in SEC play. The Gators fell to 4-4/1-4, and could be playing to avoid last place when they travel to Vandy on Nov 19. The Dawgs have a huge game against Tennessee this week to determine the SEC East Champion, for all intents and purposes, though not mathematically. UGA played well for 3 of the 4 quarters, but had a little lapse in the 3rd quarter when they seemed to lose focus- turning the ball over, committing penalties, and giving up big plays- but they recovered nicely and reimposed their will in the 4th quarter. Georgia has now won 23 straight regular season games, and 25 of their last 26 overall.
Oregon blasted California 42-24. The Ducks remain in 1st place in the Pac 12 at 7-1/5-0.
Louisville shellacked Wake Forest 48-21. The Demon Deacons led 14-13 at the half, then turned the ball over six times in the 3rd quarter, including 2 pick-6s as the Cardinals outscored WF 35-0 in the quarter. UL forced 8 turnovers overall, all in the 2nd half, as they have won 3 straight ACC games for the 1st time since 2017, and are 5-3/3-3. With the loss, the Deacons drop to 6-2/2-2, and are eliminated from any slim chance they had of repeating as ACC Atlantic Division Champions.
Illinois eased past Nebraska 26-9 to remain atop the Big Ten West at 7-1/4-1 and just about eliminate yet another possible challenger, as the Cornhuskers fall to 3-5/2-3.
UCF upset Cincinnati 25-21 to muddle up the top of the AAC standings. Tulane now stands all alone, with the Bearcats, Knights, and Houston 1 game behind.
Iowa ran rings around Northwestern 33-13, as the Hawkeyes scored their most points since defeating Illinois 33-23 last November. The win broke a 3-game losing streak for Iowa, but extended the Wildcats' misery, as they have now lost 7 straight, and any chance at bowl eligibility.
Kansas State obliterated Oklahoma State 48-0. The Wildcats have strengthened their hold on 2nd place in the Big 12, and need only to beat Texas and Baylor over the next 2 weeks to all but clinch their spot in the Big 12 Championship Game. The Cowboys now have an uphill climb, as both teams above them hold the tiebreaker edge. This was OSU's first shutout loss since 2009, and worst loss/shutout loss since 2000.
New Mexico State outscored UMass 13-0 in the 2nd half to win 23-13. The Aggies are 3-5 and the Minutemen are 1-7, and out of any chances of reaching a bowl.
Navy scuttled Temple 27-20 in overtime, ruining a great comeback by the Owls. Temple scored the final 10 points in regulation, hitting the tying FG with 1:11 left, but the Owls couldn't score in OT to match Navy's TD.
SMU slipped past Tulsa 45-34. The Mustangs are 4-4/2-2 and the Golden Hurricane are 3-5/1-3.
North Texas crushed WKU 40-13, breaking open a close game by scoring 20 unanswered points in the 4th quarter. The Mean Green, 5-4/4-1, remain a half-game behind UTSA in CUSA, and are still in prime position to make the Championship Game. The Hilltoppers are 5-4/3-2 and a game behind UNT.
Missouri upset South Carolina 23-10, holding the Gamecocks to 203 total yards and moving into a 3-way tie for 3rd place in the SEC East with SC and Kentucky. SC will likely fall out of the AP top 25.
South Alabama pummeled Arkansas State 31-3 to stay a half-game behind Troy in the SBC West at 6-2/3-1. The Jaguars have qualified for a bowl for the 1st time since 2016.
USC squeaked by Arizona 45-37. The Trojans are 7-1/5-1 and a half-game behind Oregon, and a half-game ahead of UCLA and Utah in the Pac 12.
Tennessee slapped Kentucky 44-6, as they are the only team to score more than 24 against the Wildcats in the last 24 games, doing it twice (Florida was the last non-UT team to do so, near the end of the 2020 season). The Vols now travel to Athens to take on UGA in a battle of AP #1 and #2 teams in a game that will probably decide the SEC East representative for the SEC Championship Game, as UT only plays bottom feeders Mizzou, SC, and Vandy afterwards, though 2 of those are on the road.
Boise State kicked Colorado State 49-10 to stay in 1st place in the MWC Mountain Division at 6-2/5-0. It's possible their game at Wyoming on Nov 19 could decide the division.
Coastal Carolina defeated Marshall 24-13 to improve to 7-1/4-1 and maintain first place in the SBC East, as every other team has 2 or more losses. The Thundering Herd, at 4-4/1-3, is the only East team with 3 losses, so this is a very tight race.
FAU surprised UAB 24-17, and the Owls are in a 3rd place tie in CUSA with WKU, and they have an decent chance to move up, though UNT has the tiebreaker edge.
Michigan flattened Michigan State 29-7 to remain unbeaten at 8-0/5-0. The Wolverines have one more hurdle- vs Illinois at home on Nov 19- before facing Ohio State in Columbus to close the regular season.
Ole Miss surged past Texas A&M 31-28, sending the Aggies tumbling to 3-5/1-4 and in danger of not making a bowl for the 1st time since 2008 (they were eligible last year at 8-4, but did not participate in a bowl). They've lost 4 straight for the 1st time since losing 4 straight at the end of the 2005 season, and they gave up 390 rushing yards, their most allowed since giving up 393 in 2003 to Texas. The Rebels are 8-1/4-1 and in a 3-way tie for 1st in the SEC West with Alabama and LSU, all of which will work itself out over the next 2 weeks... maybe.
Arizona State beat Colorado 42-34, and I doubt any of you really care about the details.
Baylor grounded Texas Tech 45-17 to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive at 5-3/3-2. The Red Raiders are 4-4/2-3 and in danger of not making a bowl as they've lost 3 of their last 4.
North Carolina flattened Pittsburgh 42-24 to stay atop the ACC Coastal at 7-1/4-0, as they have at least a 2-game lead on every other team in the division.
Middle Tennessee may have righted their season with a 24-13 victory over UTEP. The Blue Raiders are 4-4/1-3, and while they won't make the CUSACG, they could still qualify for a bowl, as most of their more difficult games are behind them. The Miners, on the other hand are 4-5/2-3, and have a little bit more difficult path to bowl eligibility.
UCLA routed Stanford 38-13 to improve to 7-1/4-1 and stay in the race for a spot in the Pac 12 Championship Game. The Cardinal are 3-5/1-5 and currently all alone in last place, a half game ahead (behind?) 4 other teams that are 1-4.
Fresno State scored the last 22 points, including 2 TDs in the last 1:09 to stun San Diego State 32-28. The Bulldogs, 4-4/3-1, are tied with SJSU for 1st place in the MWC West Division, but holds the tiebreaker advantage. The Aztecs, 4-4/2-2, are tied with UNLV at 1-game back.
San Jose State scored the final 14 points to come back and defeat Nevada 35-28. The Spartans, 5-2/3-1, are tied with Fresno State for 1st in the MWC West, but lost to the Bulldogs earlier this year. The Wolf Pack are 2-7/0-5 and in last place.
Wyoming did just enough to beat Hawaii 27-20 in Hawaii. The Cowboys stayed on track to set up a showdown with Boise State on Nov 19 to decide 1st place in the MWC Mountain Division.
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