Recaps: Last Week's Games
UHND.com  - Joe Brunson
10/9/2001

Troy State At #1 Miami –52

What I Said:

Miami hosts Florida State next week so look for a vanilla offensive scheme against the Trojans. Hurricane quarterback Ken Dorsey has been amazing so far this year and the only question he has going into this game is how long he will play. He is currently ranked third in the nation for pass efficiency with a 195.9 rating. Troy State comes to town giving up an average of 35 points per game, which should be matched in the first half by Miami. Look for the starters to sit the second half out in preparation for the trip to Tallahassee. Miami by 44.

Miami started slow before reeling off thirty-one straight points to overtake Troy State 38-7. Ken Dorsey went 18-of-30 for 299 yards and a pair of scores to lead the Hurricanes to a 4-0 record. Miami’s defense came out flat and allowed Troy State to amass 312-yards and 24 first downs. Miami has bigger fish to fry next weekend against Florida State, so it is no big surprise they didn’t play as well as they have been.

#2 Florida –11.5 At #18 LSU

What I Said:

Normally, a double-digit favorite against a top twenty opponent is a rarity. Nothing new for Florida, as they were favored by sixteen against Mississippi State a week ago. Gator QB Rex Grossman is playing better football than anyone in the country and Florida’s defense is very underrated. They rank #1 in scoring defense (7.5 ppg) and are allowing only 53 yards/game on the ground. Their offense is not too shabby either, as they are #1 in scoring offense, passing offense and total offense. Grossman is going for a fifth straight 300+ game and is starting to be mentioned in the Heisman race. LSU needs to come out strong to hold off a Florida team averaging 31 points in the first half. The Gators are 12-1 against LSU since 1988 and 5-1 at Tiger Stadium. The last time LSU defeated Florida was 28-21 in 1997 led by QB Herb Tyler. Florida crushed the Bayou Bengals in Gainesville 41-9 a year ago as Grossman tossed three touchdowns to WR Jabar Gaffney in his first career start. LSU’s secondary was burned badly by Tennessee a week ago as they were bunching up to stop RB Travis Stephens. Confidence will be a factor for the LSU defense facing the aggressive approach of Steve Spurrier’s high-powered offense. Florida’s defense is enough to cause Tiger QB Rohan Davey problems and Grossman should have a huge day en route to his fifth straight 300-yard performance. LSU will come out emotional playing in front of a home crowd but Florida has two many players and will be able to dominate in a twenty-point victory.

What Happened:

Rex Grossman threw for a school record 464-yards and five touchdowns helping Florida route LSU 44-15. The Gators came to play early and got off to a 21-3 lead after the first quarter. Florida scored on each of their first three possessions and gripped LSU’s rushing game at bay for most of the game. The Gator front seven held Tiger RB LaBrandon Toefield to only 40-yards on 19 carries while the secondary picked off LSU quarterbacks three times. Tiger QB Rohan Davey went 7-of-17 for 154-yards before leaving the game in the second quarter with a hyperextend knee. Freshman Matt Mauck replaced him but threw two of the three picks. Florida is definitely playing like the #1 team in the nation and visit Auburn next week.

#3 Oklahoma At #5 Texas –3

What I Said:

Texas has been waiting for this for a long time. Losing a rivalry 63-14 has not been readily forgotten. It will be the first ranked opponent for the Longhorns and the second time in as many weeks OU will face a top-ten team. The Red River Shootout could be for a shot at the Sears Trophy (it will be displayed at the game), as the winner of this game will surely be considered as a serious contender for the title. Texas ranks last in the Big XXII against the pass, giving up over 200 yards per game. If Sooner gunman Nate Hybl gets hot, it could be another long day for the burnt orange faithful. Coach Mack Brown has yet to win a really big game at Texas and Chris Simms hasn’t proven himself at QB. Oklahoma will be looking for their first back-to-back wins against Texas since 1987-1988 and their nation leading 17^th victory in a row. Look for Texas to come out and play a zone defense to try and keep OU away from the big plays that led to a school-record nine touchdowns last year. Bob Stoops has proven he can win huge games and his defense is still playing well, scoring in six of their last seven games. They gave up plenty of yards last week hosting KSU, but most of them came off of Wildcat QB Ell Roberson’s running threat. Chris Simms will not run the option and will be facing the most aggressive defense he has seen since his 11-for-23 for 63-yard performance opposite Oklahoma last season. Texas has all the pieces in place to beat the Sooners this time around. RB Ivan Williams is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, they return eight players on defense including All-American CB Quentin Jammer, and they have a quarterback that is supposed to lead the Longhorns to a national championship. However, it will not be enough to stop the brilliant big game coaching of Bob Stoops and his staff. I went against Oklahoma last week, but no doubts this time. The scare KSU gave them may be just what the Sooners needed to regain a swagger that has been missing thus far. Oklahoma will edge Texas by a field goal and may cause "We Want Major" chants amongst impatient Horn fans.

What Happened:

Bob Stoops quieted the doubters again as he lead his Sooners to a 14-3 victory in the Cotton Bowl. The Oklahoma defense held Texas to a mere 27-yards on 25 carries and pounded Longhorn QB Chris Simms all day. Simms finished 24-of-42 for 198 yards and threw four very costly interceptions. The biggest came in the fourth quarter as Texas was trying to mount a 98-yard TD drive to take the game back home to Austin. Simms was hit from behind as he threw and the ball went directly to Sooner LB Teddy Lehman who stepped the two yards into the endzone to seal the win. Oklahoma QB Nate Hybl was knocked out of the game with 35-yards on 4-of-10 passing. His replacement, Jason White, came in and confused the Texas defense with his ability to run. White finished with 38-yards rushing and 108-yards the air in leading his team to a 5-0 record and one step closer to a chance for the Roses.

Iowa State At #4 Nebraska –24

What I Said:

The undefeated Cyclones come into Lincoln with upset notions and top-25 aspirations. They are led by Junior QB Senaca Wallace, who has been compared to Husker QB Eric Crouch by Nebraska players. He is a dual threat averaging 9 yards/carry and boasts a 160.7 quarterback rating. The Iowa States offense ranks 8^th in the nation at 468 yards per game but will face the Blackshirts who rank 2^nd nationally in total defense. Something will have to give and Crouch, who is finally hitting form, is ready. He leads his team into their 96^th matchup against Iowa State. Crouch is averaging 109 yards rushing/game and has a 151.3 quarterback rating. Iowa State has not allowed a single point scored on them…at home. However, during their first road game at Ohio (0-3) they gave up 28 points, including 285 yards on the ground. They were 4-0 last season when Nebraska came to Ames and dropped 41-points and a loss on them. I think they are a better team this year, but Nebraska is starting to play more consistent. Oh yeah, it’s also in Lincoln. Eric Crouch should have another nice game and Nebraska’s defense will collar Wallace in a 27-point victory.

What Happened:

Eric Crouch finished with 214-yards of total offense with four touchdowns to lead the Huskers past Iowa State 48-14. The Nebraska machine knocked out 359-yards on the ground, blocked a punt, and forced two picks to stay undefeated. They came out swinging as they took a 41-0 advantage into halftime. It was never close as Nebraska’s Tracey Craver intercepted a pass and went 57 yards for a score on Iowa State’s first possession. Senaca Wallace didn’t get going until the second half and by that time, it was already a laugher. He ended up with 214-yards passing and another 45 on the ground. Nebraska takes its 6-0 record down to Waco next week. Iowa State will try to get things back on track in Columbia after their first loss of the season.

Georgia At #6 Tennessee –12

What I Said:

Tennessee is allowing a mere 41 yds/game on the ground and heads into Saturday’s game with revenge on their mind. They lost last year in Athens 21-10 as Georgia held Volunteer RB Travis Stephens to 22-yards on nine carries. Georgia brings Redshirt Freshman David Greene, who has thrown for 752 yards in three games, into Knoxville. Complementing Greene will be 212lb Sophomore TB Musa Smith who has ran for nearly five yards on each of his 67 carries thus far. It will be of monumental importance to run a balanced offense in order to keep Tennessee’s rush honest. Tennessee seemed to have problems with LSU last week when they went into a two-minute drill and Bulldog Coach Mark Richt will try to use that to his advantage. The former offensive coordinator of Florida State will play his first game as Georgia coach on the road in front of over 100,000 fans. The Volunteers have ten sacks and have forced six turnovers in three games. Tennessee’s defense should recover from the 356-yard achievement by Rohan Davey and look for them to come after Georgia’s young quarterback. They will also pick on converted running back now cornerback, Bruce Thornton, and stay away from the other side, where All-SEC Tim Wansley looms. South Carolina victimized Thornton on the Gamecock’s winning touchdown pass three weeks ago. Tennessee is too strong at home and will shut Greene down in a 10-point victory.

What Happened:

In one of the biggest upsets of the day, Georgia went into Knoxville and beat Tennessee 26-24 in fiery finish. With 44 seconds remaining in the game, Volunteer RB Travis Stephens took a 62-yard pass from Casey Clausen to the house in what seemed to be the winning touchdown. At that point, Tennessee led 24-20. Then Bulldog QB David Greene took over. Greene drove Georgia to the Volunteer 6-yard line with 10 seconds remaining. He found Verron Haynes wide open over the middle to beat the Vols for the first time in Knoxville since 1980. Greene went 21-for-34 for 303-yards and two touchdowns with six of those balls going to WR Randy McMichael for 108-yards. Tennessee’s special teams did not help in the upset as they allowed for one missed field goal and one 72-yard punt return for a score. Tennessee QB Casey Clausen played well in defeat going 24-for-40 for 295 yards and three touchdowns. Stephens carried the ball 30 times for 176-yards and added 3 catches for 78-yards.

#7 Oregon –6 At Arizona

What I Said:

Last year Oregon slipped by Arizona 14-10 in the friendly confines of home as they were held to a season-low 260-yards of total offense. The Ducks will play with their top two wide receivers, Keenan Howry (ribs) and Jason Willis (concussion) banged up, and will surely be without #3 TB Allan Amundson (ankle), who is also their top kickoff returner. Arizona is depending on their junior signal-caller Jason Johnson to pull off the upset. However, he will be facing an Oregon defense, which has intercepted nine balls already this year. Johnson has thrown for 911 yards and seven touchdowns and has a better completion percentage than his counterpart, Joey Harrington. I think Oregon is walking into a trap as they have yet to play like a top-ten team. First-year coach John Mackovic should have plenty of tricks and gimmicks up his sleeve. The problem is Mackovic was forced out of Texas and Kansas City because he could not win enormous conference games. Look for Arizona to come out strong at home and take a nice lead into halftime. However, Joey Harrington has taken his team to eight fourth quarter comebacks and he will do it again. Oregon will win in a shootout by three points to and take a 5-0 record back to Eugene.

Oregon matched their best start in 37 years by outscoring Arizona 63-28. Oregon QB Joey Harrington completed 15 of 24 passes for 279-yards (267 in the 1^st half) and three touchdowns but it was the 282-yards rushing that really blew the game open for the Ducks. TB’s Maurice Morris and Onterrio Smith combined for 241-yards on 36 carries, including three scores. Oregon took a 35-14 lead into halftime and never looked back. They rolled up 607-yards total offense and finally had the blowout the media has been waiting for and took their undefeated mark to 5-0.

#8 Virginia Tech –15 At West Virginia

What I Said:

This is the Hokies’ first decent test of the year and it could not come at a more appropriate time. Virginia Tech is playing better than ever right now, scoring with every aspect of their attack. The Hokies have recorded a blocked punt and a defensive touchdown in each of the last two games. They have allowed only 24-points this year and 176 yards/game. The best part of this team is the running game, which is averaging 252 yards/game. However, none of those statistics mean much as they have not played a team in the top-50. Enter West Virginia. Senior QB Brad Lewis, who has thrown for 882-yards heads the Mountaineers. Just when it looked as though he had the new offense down, he had a dismal game last week against Maryland throwing for only five-yards/attempt and four interceptions. West Virginia needs a breakout performance from TB Avon Cobourne who has rushed for 544-yards averaging 4.5yds/att. Look for Virginia Tech to shut Cobourne down and limit the effectiveness of the spread offense with multiple zone-blitzes. Virginia Tech will continue to roll in a 20-point pounding.

Virginia Tech’s first test ended up looking like their previous four matchups in a 35-0 romp of West Virginia. The Mountaineers were held to 0.9 yards/att. on the ground and just 173 yards of total offense as the Hokie defense continues to dominate. West Virginia turned the ball over four times, one for a score, and was never able to get anything going on offense. Virginia Tech’s QB Grant Noel had a below-par performance throwing two picks on 12-of-20 passing for 171-yards. However, their running game kept on rolling. TB Keith Burnell carried 22 times for 102-yards and two scores in aiding the Hokie offense to 224-yards on the ground. The Hokies are now 5-0 and face Boston College next week.

USC At #11 Washington –5.5

What I Said:

USC has lost their last three games by a total of eleven points and face a Washington team with growing confidence. Highly touted Trojan QB Carson Palmer has thrown for 1061 yards thus far, but has also had five picks in his last two losses. He has not been helped much by RB Sultan McCullough who has just 103-yards on 54 carries in those three losses. Washington has forced two turnovers in each of their first three games and has not allowed a rushing touchdown all year. The Huskies have learned not to overlook teams and Rick Neuheisel will have the Huskies ready. However, USC is due for a win and will stay with Washington throughout the game. The home-field advantage will be a factor and Cody Pickett grew up in the come-from-behind victory on the road last week. It will be enough to withstand the Trojans thirst for a Pac-10 victory, as Washington stays unbeaten with a 7-point win.

What Happened:

Washington slipped by another unranked opponent with fourth quarter heroics to stay undefeated as they kicked a field goal while time expired to top USC 27-24. Starting Husky QB Cody Pickett suffered a separated right shoulder in the second quarter and did not return. That left the door open for junior-college transfer Taylor Barton to finish the game. He came in and threw for 197-yards on 12-for-20 passing and two touchdowns. RB Willie Hurst added 102-yards on 19 carries and 2 catches for 45-yards. USC RB Sultan McCullough carried a career-high 32 times for 132-yards as the Trojans tried to pound the ball at Washington. It seemed to be working as QB Carson Palmer (8-of-14 for 152-yards) hit WR Kareem Kelly for a 58-yard score to tie the game with 3:47 left. Then Barton took over and drove Washington to their game-winning field goal. Washington is now 4-0 and travel to Los Angeles to take on the Bruins next week.

Colorado At #12 Kansas State –10

What I Said:

KSU’s sophomore QB Ell Roberson had the best game of his young career in last week’s one-point loss to Oklahoma and has emerged as the leader Bill Snyder has been looking for. He averages 81 yds/game on the ground, and trails only Nebraska’s Eric Crouch and Clemson’s Woody Dantzler for rushing yards by a quarterback. He also threw for 257 yards on just twelve completions last week to mount the Wildcat comeback. Kansas State opponents are averaging a mere 1.56 yards/att. and have forced five interceptions. Something has to give as Colorado is hammering opponents with a great 1-2 punch in halfbacks Chris Brown and Bobby Purify. They have combined for 715 yards and nine touchdowns while QB Craig Ochs is starting to gain a better grasp the offense. He has thrown for 835-yards and bolstered his team to a three-game winning streak after losing their season opener to Fresno State. Add the debut of TB Marcus Houston coming back this week and their offense gets even scarier. This just in, it will not be enough! Look for Wildcat RB Josh Scobey and Roberson to get off on the Colorado defense with their five-pronged option attack. KSU will also shut down the Buffs rushing game and force Ochs to throw into a secondary that picked off three passes against the Sooners. KSU wins this one by 17 and sets its sites on Texas Tech.

What Happened:

Kansas State dropped their second conference game in a row on Saturday as they fell to the Buffs 16-6. It looked as though the Wildcats had grown up in their loss to Oklahoma, but Colorado’s defense was too much for K-State QB Ell Roberson and company. Colorado held the Wildcats scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter to take their record to 4-1. The Buffs held KSU to just 74-yards rushing in 40 attempts and forced Roberson to throw the ball. It worked out well, as he was only able to complete 10 balls in 29 attempts for 107-yards with two interceptions. As for keeping Roberson quiet through the option, Colorado played brilliantly. He tried to take off 19 times and was held to –6 yards. The workhorse this week was RB Chris Brown, who carried the ball 33 times for 114-yards to lead Colorado to victory. With their only loss coming at the hands of Fresno State, the Buffaloes may continue to shake up the Big XXII North.

Kentucky At #13 South Carolina –22.5

What I Said:

South Carolina is believing in themselves. They were outplayed last week but never allowed themselves to give up. This is the turning point in many teams’ seasons. Already they have battled back in two games this year, came out victorious, and take a

4-0 record into Saturday’s matchup against Kentucky. The Wildcats have allowed 86-points in their last two games and is playing on the road for the first time this year. Kentucky has yet to announce who their starting quarterback will be. Jared Lorenzen is a pure drop-back passer and Shane Boyd is a scrambler. It won’t matter as Kentucky is only averaging 169 yds/game passing in an air-it-out offense. South Carolina is over the defensive lapse hosting Alabama and will be ready to shut down Kentucky’s offense. South Carolina will win this one by 20-points and go to 5-0 for the first time since 1988.

What Happened:

South Carolina finally got their blowout victory as they defeated Kentucky 42-6. TB Derek Watson ran the ball 16 times for 135-yards and QB Phil Petty played mistake-free going 10-of-16 for 112-yards and two scores to keep South Carolina unbeaten. Kentucky was held out of the endzone until the fourth quarter and committed four turnovers to help the Gamecocks’ cause.

#14 Northwestern At Ohio State –2.5

What I Said:

Northwestern is chasing their first 4-0 start since 1962 under the helm of coach Ara Parseghian. They are also hoping to break a 21-game losing streak at the hands of the Buckeyes. They bring two great athletes to the table: QB Zak Kustok and RB Damien Anderson. It seems that one of these two always perform in big games and this is no exception. Ohio State is still trying to find a passing game but their rushing ability is a formidable one. Senior Jonathon Wells leads the team with 235 yards and 4.1 yds/att. however, there has been the emergence of a game-breaker. Seventeen-year-old true Freshman Lydell Ross came into the first series in the Indiana game and ended up carrying the ball 25 times for 124 yards and a pair of scores. QB Steve Bellisari has been the question mark so far in Coach Jim Tressel’s offense. In their sole test this season against UCLA, Bellisari went 5-for-23 for 45 yards and two picks. This is a ball-control team with an opportunistic defensive unit, which is the #2 scoring defense in the Big 10 and has already caused nine fumbles. Northwestern’s defense is not too shabby either forcing nine turnovers and using a bend but don’t break attitude. Kustok is a gamer and somehow Northwestern finds a way to pullout tough games. It will come down to quarterback play where the Wildcats have a tremendous advantage and will win by six, again in the fourth quarter.

Ohio State ran all over the smaller Northwestern front en route to a 38-20 victory. The final score was not indicative of how badly Ohio State crushed the Wildcats. RB Jonathan Wells ran for 179-yards and three scores on 22 attempts to lead a Buckeye ground attack that gained 287-yards. Northwestern’s mistakes plagued them throughout the game as they drop their 22^nd straight to Ohio State. QB Zak Kustok never had a chance for a last second miracle as two costly turnovers (one INT for a score) left his Wildcats down 38-7 at the end of three. Quarterback play never became a factor and Ohio State re-enters the polls at #25 just in time for a contest against Wisconsin.

#15 Michigan -10 At Penn State

What I Said:

Penn State is last in the Big 10 in total offense. Penn State is last in the Big 10 in total defense. This may get ugly. Averaging only 46 rushing yards/game, Penn State has yet to find any offensive threat. Couple that with a Michigan defense allowing only 2.0 yds/att. and Penn State entertains serious trouble of starting out 0-4 for the first time in Nittany Lions’ history. Unfortunately for JoePa, it will happen as the Wolverines will win by 20.

In a business-like performance, Michigan left Penn State looking for answers winning 20-0. QB John Navarre completed 17-of-31 attempts for 246-yards and two scores while RB B.J. Askew added 122-yards on 27 carries to lift the Wolverines to a 4-1 record. Penn State tried to shake things up by starting freshman Zach Mills (21-38 for 244) but three turnovers and 50-yards in penalties nullified the effort. Joe Paterno may have to wait a bit longer for the Bear’s record as they travel to Evanston to take on Northwestern in two weeks.

#17 Georgia Tech –24 At Duke

What I Said:

The Yellow Jackets are ready to take out their frustrations with last week’s loss to Clemson on the hapless 0-4 Blue Devils. Georgia Tech has won ten of the last eleven games against Duke including a 45-10 thump last season. George Godsey has the nation’s 2^nd leading pass efficiency with 180.4 rating. They should be ready to throttle Duke en route to a 28-point victory before they concentrate on next week’s showdown with ACC frontrunner, Maryland.

Georgia Tech QB George Godsey threw for 295-yards and two touchdowns in 24-of-40 passing as they battered Duke 37-10. RB Joe Burns ran for 122-yards on 24 carries to help lead the way. Duke trailed by only seven at halftime following two Godsey interceptions but a minus-12 yard showing in the third quarter ended any upset notions. Georgia Tech held Duke scoreless in the second half, allowing only 73-yards of offense heading to a 4-1 record.

Utah State At #20 BYU –19.5

What I Said:

BYU heads into Friday night’s contest with a nation leading 50.3 points per game. The Cougars are looking to go 5-0 for the first time since 1984, but have done so against winless opponents. In order to get a glimpse of national attention; BYU must dispose of every team on their schedule convincingly. Utah State may be 0-4, but they are averaging 413 yds/game in total offense. The problem lies in allowing 33 ppg. BYU is not as good as their record shows and Utah State as not as bad as their record shows. Led by QB Brandon Doman (265 yds/game and 9 TD’s) the Cougars should overcome another Aggies’ gutsy effort by 17.

What Happened:

BYU quarterback Brandon Doman went 24-for-34 for 293-yards and four touchdowns as the Cougars outscored Utah State 54-34. The biggest showing came from Cougar RB Luke Staley as he rushed for 207-yards on 23 carries, five touchdowns, and added 44 more yards receiving. Utah State RB Emmett White carried 24 times for 144-yards and two scores as the Aggies led 27-21 at intermission. In the end, it came down to who could score the most points. BYU goes to 5-0, but still fails to leave an impression in the national scene.

Iowa At #21 Purdue –3

What I Said:

Iowa comes into to West Lafayette undefeated at 3-0 in their first test of the year. The key of that record seems to be a defense that has created six turnovers and nine sacks thus far. Offensively, they are led by senior QB Kyle McCann who has thrown for 591 yards with only one interception. Purdue comes off a miracle finish in Minneapolis to defend their Big 10 title. During the rally last week, Redshirt Freshman QB Brandon Hance grew up as he went 11-of-13 for 134 yards and two touchdowns in Purdue’s final three drives. Iowa has played well but they have yet to be challenged by a good team. Not only will they be challenged; they will be beaten at the hands of Joe Tiller’s Boilermakers by ten.

Purdue’s defense held the Hawkeyes to 207 total yards and returned an interception for a score as they shut down Iowa 23-14. Iowa’s defense came to play as well. QB Brandon Hance threw for only 147-yards on 17-of-33 passing and the Boilermaker’s running attack ran for only 2.2 yds/attempt. However, when it mattered, Hance was able to deliver and that was the difference. He was 5-of-7 for 67 yards in the 4^th quarter and lifted Purdue to 4-0 leading up to the clash next week in Ann Arbor.

#23 Toledo –12.5 At Ohio

What I Said:

Ohio runs the option out of their Multiple I-offense and it can be tricky to defend. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, Toledo ranks #1 in the MAC at stopping the run, allowing only 52.8 ypg. The Rockets are led by standout RB Chester Taylor who ranks first in the nation in scoring with 21 pts/game and is third in rushing, averaging 145.3 yards per contest. Ohio is 0-3 and looking for a spark to get their season going in the right direction. Toledo is a very solid program and should tear the Bobcats apart. Remember, this is the same Toledo team that beat Minnesota 38-7. The Rockets will continue to soar in a 17-point win.

Toledo held off Ohio’s rally and stayed unbeaten in a 48-41 shootout. The Bobcats were able to run for 194-yards against the Rocket defense and they held Chester Taylor to 50-yards rushing. The problem was they forgot about Toledo’s passing game. QB Tavares Bolden completed 31-of-39 for a career-high 389-yards and two touchdowns to keep the Rockets from throwing away their perfect season. At one point, Toledo rallied off 24 straight points to stymie a fiery Bobcat squad.

Baylor At #24 Texas A&M –25

What I Said:

Texas A&M quietly has stayed undefeated and the wrecking crew continues to shut opponents down. They may come out a bit lethargic after a big win over Notre Dame and a matchup against Colorado next week but Baylor has nothing to challenge even a complacent Aggie team. Texas A&M has recorded six sacks in each of the last two games and continue to pace their season. Baylor is averaging only 13.3 points per game and College Station is no place to find an offense. TAMU by 28.

Texas A&M came out flat and barley escaped Baylor with a 16-10 victory. The Aggies went into halftime trailing 10-3 before the wrecking crew took over and ended Baylor’s offense. Aggie QB Mark Harris played another mistake-free ballgame and ended with 260-yards on 21-of-36 passing. They did not look nearly as crisp as they did in the triumph over Notre Dame in this sandwich game, but they came away with a win to stay undefeated. They travel to Boulder next week.

Virginia At #25 Maryland –8

What I Said:

Maryland is looking for sole possession of first place in the ACC. Sophomore TB Bruce Perry averages 169 yds/game and boasts a 6.9-yard average leading the Terrapins to a 4-0 record. Maryland’s defense has also answered the bell, intercepting ten passes and holding opponents to 12 ppg. Virginia is also in the hunt as they are coming off of consecutive ACC wins over Clemson and Duke. Al Groh has found his quarterback in Bryson Spinner who has started the year off with a 139.3 quarterback rating. The difference in this game will come on the ground. Can Virginia hold Perry back? No. Virginia is giving up 183.3 yds/game on the ground and Bruce Perry will dominate. However, Groh has Virginia playing with confidence and that should make things interesting. But Maryland is playing too well and should win by a touchdown.

What Happened:

Maryland RB Bruce Perry carried the ball 25 times for 143-yards and QB Shaun Hill went 22-of-35 for 235-yards and two scores as the Terrapins stomped Virginia 41-21. Maryland now sets alone atop the ACC at 5-0. They have not beaten Virginia in nine years and this win sets up an unforeseen monster conference game as they travel to Atlanta this Thursday.

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