The Bum's College Football Week # 8 Rated Plays, Trends, News Etc. !!

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Hokies give QB duties back to Brewer
October 19, 2015

Michael Brewer is once again Virginia Tech's starting quarterback.

He played in relief of struggling Brenden Motley in the Hokies' 30-20 loss at Miami on Saturday. It was his first action since he broke his left collarbone in Virginia Tech's season-opening loss to No. 1 Ohio State.

The Hokies (3-4, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) host Duke (5-1, 2-0) on Saturday.

Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler said the time is right to make the change.

Motley had thrown just three passes in his career when he was called on to replace Brewer against the Buckeyes. He acquitted himself nicely despite his inexperience, but struggled against the Hurricanes, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble.

Brewer played the fourth quarter, throwing for one touchdown and also getting intercepted.

''Over the last couple of weeks, he was able to obtain some practice reps and try to get the glitches out of his shoulder injury,'' Loeffler said of Brewer. ''And I think in the time he's been gone, Motley's done an excellent job. He stumbled Saturday and it's just the right time for Virginia Tech to have Michael as our quarterback.

Brewer started all 13 games for the Hokies last season. When he was hurt against the Buckeyes, the Hokies trailed 21-17 but had just crossed into Ohio State territory. With Motley taking over, the Hokies faded, 42-24.

Brewer was cleared to return to practice in a non-contact capacity a few weeks ago, but was only given medical clearance to get back into game situations last week. Loeffler said he never considered starting the senior.

''I think this week of practice will be essential for him,'' he said. ''Like I said, after having the type of injury that he had, to throw him in the mix right off the get-go was not right, not fair. The fact of the matter is ... Brenden Motley was doing a phenomenal job and has done a phenomenal job being in the situation that he was in.''

Wide receiver Isaiah Ford had clearly developed a good chemistry with Motley. The sophomore leads the Hokies with 32 receptions for 497 yards, and he leads the ACC with seven touchdown receptions, but he said with Virginia Tech struggling to get its season moving in the right direction again, the change to Brewer makes sense.

''We've got to go out and prepare hard just like we do every week,'' Ford said Monday. ''With him being back, maybe he'll give us kind of a boost of confidence if anything. Like I said last week, though, we never lost our swagger.

''But there's just little things that need to be fixed and we need to fix them this week.''

Ford and tight end Bucky Hodges each caught scoring passes from Brewer last season as the Hokies edged the Blue Devils 17-16, but Duke arrives this season with some of the best defensive numbers in the country.

Duke ranks fourth in total defense, and second in pass defense, allowing less than 145 yards per game.

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Florida holds 'all call' for kickers
October 19, 2015

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) Florida's kicking situation has gone from depleted to desperate.

The 13th-ranked Gators sent out an ''all call'' for kickers Monday after Jorge Powell was injured at LSU. Powell was run over during a kickoff. And with top kicker Austin Hardin also dealing with a leg injury, coach Jim McElwain has few, if any, other options on his roster.

So Florida took to Twitter ''looking for walk-on kickers.'' The team asked for any interested and eligible students to visit the football office by 4:30 p.m. Monday for a tryout.

The good news for the Gators (6-1, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) is they are off this week before playing rival Georgia (5-2, 3-2) in Jacksonville on Halloween. So they have extra time to get healthy or get a walk-on up to speed.

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TCU's Boykin putting up big offense
October 19, 2015

Trevone Boykin is separating himself from the nation's other prolific quarterbacks. He's the only one to go over 500 yards in total offense three times. No other QB has done it more than once.

The TCU quarterback's latest 500-yard game came in Saturday's 45-21 win over Iowa State.

He now owns three of the top nine single-game totals this season. His 527 yards against Texas Tech ranks No. 5, his 510 against Iowa State is No. 7 and his 504 against SMU is No. 9.

Boykin's average of 425.6 yards ranks second to Bowling Green QB Matt Johnson's 428.3.

The senior from Dallas has recorded seven of the top 10 total-offense games in TCU history.

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Some other notable statistics:

STANFORD STAR:

Christian McCaffrey's 369 all-purpose yards against UCLA last Thursday are most in the nation this season. He rushed for a school-record 243 yards, caught a pass for 4 yards and had 122 kick return yards, with 96 coming on a first-quarter return that ended with him brought down at the UCLA 4. The son of former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey leads the FBS with 253 all-purpose yards per game.

BALL-HAWKING AGGIES:

Utah State had eight takeaways in its 52-26 win over then-No. 21 Boise State and rose to fourth nationally in turnover margin at plus-1.5 per game. The eight takeaways were the Aggies' most in a game since at least 1993, according to the school. Utah State has at least three takeaways in four straight games and 95 in its last 43 games.

COUGAR CRAZINESS:

Mike Leach's ''Air Raid'' offense is averaging 485.3 yards a game at Washington State, and no team has completed more passes than the Cougars. You'd think there would have been some really big plays along the way. But the Cougars remain the only team in the nation to not have a play from scrimmage of 40 yards or longer. In fact, only 13 teams have had fewer than the Cougars' nine plays of 30 yards or longer. The quick, short-pass offense is sixth in plays of 10 yards-plus, however, with 123.

NATIONAL LEADERS:

LSU's Leonard Fournette is the nation's top rusher at 200.3 yards a game. Florida State's Dalvin Cook is second at 159.2. Bowling Green's Johnson is the national passing leader at 413 yards a game. TCU's Josh Doctson is the leading receiver at 152.4 yards a game.

QB RUSHING RECORD:

Jason Vander Laan of Division II Ferris State set the NCAA all-division record for career rushing yards by a quarterback. The junior ran for 161 yards against Ohio Dominican to increase his total to 5,218 yards in 40 games. Wofford's Shawn Graves (1989-92) held the previous mark of 5,128 yards. Vander Laan also has 70 career TDs rushing, two shy of the Division II record for most by a quarterback.

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Clemson faces tough tests on the road
October 19, 2015

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) No. 6 Clemson is hitting the road, stepping out of its comfort zone and focused on duplicating the success the Tigers have had at home.

The Tigers (3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have started 6-0 for the third time in five seasons with all but one of their contests in the cozy confines of Memorial Stadium. Now, they're faced with back-to-back road trips, starting Saturday at Miami (4-2, 1-1).

Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said the players seem prepared to take on the challenges that come with playing away from Death Valley, where the Tigers have won a school-record 14 straight at home with last week's 34-17 win over Boston College.

''We've had a lot of fun at home, but to do what we want to, we've got to win on the road,'' Scott said Monday.

Clemson struggled in its lone chance off campus, holding off Louisville 20-17 in a way-closer-than-expected contest on national TV where the Tigers figured to make their case as one of the country's top teams.

Instead, quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled to move the offense and Clemson was held to its fewest points of the season. Still, the 6-foot-3 sophomore leads the ACC with 14 touchdown passes, three of those coming this past Saturday. Watson was named ACC offensive back of the week, throwing for a season-high 420 yards in the win over Eagles.

''Obviously, Louisville, we got a taste of it and didn't play our best game,'' Scott said. ''But I don't think it was a situation where we came home and said, `Our guys are scared to death to play on the road.'''

Watson said the oddity of a midweek game and opening ACC play led to a sluggish performance. There won't be a similar slow start against the Hurricanes, he said.

''I think we're ready. I think we're prepared,'' Watson said. ''It doesn't matter where we play. We have a standard that we play to and wherever we go, we're going to take that standard and perform.''

The road, though, hasn't been kind to the Tigers in recent years.

Clemson is 17-4 in its past 21 games - all those defeats coming in true road games. That record also includes two neutral site games when Clemson defeated Ohio State in the Orange Bowl after the 2013 season and Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl last December.

Miami enters off a 30-20 victory over Virginia Tech where it forced four turnovers and rebounded from its loss a week earlier to rival Florida State. Clemson presents as difficult a challenge as the Hurricanes have faced, Miami defensive lineman Chad Thomas said.

''We've got our focus on heavy next week,'' he said. ''Practice, we've got to go hard in practice. We've got to go to meeting rooms, major flim. That's just the next game and we've got to take on the challenge.''

Players say they understand what they must do to attack the challenge.

Center Jay Guillermo, who won his second straight ACC offensive lineman of the week award Monday, said the location of the game can't affect the rock-solid approach Clemson has taken all season.

''We missed some opportunities at Louisville for sure,'' he said. ''But we always try and prepare the same and have the same mentality, matter where we're playing. We'll be all right.''

Scott said that also means not thinking about Clemson's high ranking or implications each game has on its College Football Playoff chances. The Tigers come off a dominant showing over the Eagles, the coordinator added, yet slipped a spot in the Top 25.

There's too much of the season left for Clemson to think about piling up points to pass some experts' eye test, Scott said.

''From a big picture standpoint, I don't really see a situation where if we take care of our business in our league,'' he said, ''there's not a big concern on our part that we'd get left out.''

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Ole Miss is banged up, reeling after loss
October 19, 2015

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Mississippi still controls its own fate in the Southeastern Conference Western Division thanks to its surprise victory over Alabama in September.

That's pretty much the end of the good news.

The bad news is that following a sobering 37-24 loss to Memphis last weekend, the Rebels don't look anything like a program that's going to contend for championships.

No. 24 Ole Miss (5-2, 2-1 SEC) is a beat-up team heading into its game against No. 15 Texas A&M (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday.

Coach Hugh Freeze said on Monday that defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and safety Trae Elston are both going through concussion protocol and their availability for the Texas A&M game is uncertain. Starting center Robert Conyers is out for the season because of an ACL tear in right knee.

Injuries are just one major issue. Confidence and execution are a few others.

Freeze concedes that the four weeks since the Alabama win have been difficult, but the adversity is something the team must embrace with five games remaining in the season.

''Those things are a part of life and this is a great teaching time,'' Freeze said. ''We've got five great opportunities left. That's 300 minutes. Yesterday's team meeting was centered on how those minutes should look.''

One positive for Ole Miss is the return of starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound junior All-American will start against Texas A&M after being suspended seven games because the NCAA determined he received illegal benefits.

Tunsil's presence means Fahn Cooper can move back to his normal position at right tackle. The middle of the offensive line is still a work in progress - especially now that Conyers is gone for the season - but Ole Miss hopes Tunsil's presence can boost the Rebels' mediocre running game that gained just 40 yards on 24 attempts against Memphis.

Ole Miss is also trying to figure out some answers on defense. The Rebels have given up 30.3 points in SEC games, which ranks 13th out of 14 teams. They also gave up 384 yards passing against Memphis and the Tigers converted 12 of 20 third-down opportunities.

Freeze said the biggest issue was 30 missed tackles.

But the problems aren't just with injuries and personnel. Quarterback Chad Kelly acknowledges the team's confidence has been shaken after the Florida and Memphis losses.

Still, he's confident that the team that strolled into Tuscaloosa and beat Alabama on its home field hasn't completing disappeared.

''We have to be hungry every day on the practice field and in the weight room,'' Kelly said. ''That's what I've stressed to our guys. We know we're the best team in the land. I have no doubt about that. We have the players and the coaches. As long as everyone believes in that, then we're tough to stop.''

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Status of Washington QB in question
October 19, 2015

SEATTLE (AP) The status of Washington freshman quarterback Jake Browning is in question for Saturday's game at No. 10 Stanford after he suffered a shoulder injury late in the Huskies' loss to Oregon.

Washington coach Chris Petersen said Browning was ''day-to-day'' on Monday, the typical designation Petersen gives for any player who has not suffered a long-term injury.

Browning appeared to injure his right shoulder on Washington's next-to-last possession, which ended with a touchdown pass from Browning to Jaydon Mickens to pull the Huskies within 26-20 with 3:35 left. Browning was hurt a few plays before the touchdown pass.

''That was probably one time he didn't need to escape out of the pocket. We had somebody open who he was trying to find, he just couldn't see him. And so he flushed out of there and got knocked to the turf,'' Petersen said. ''Maybe down the road he does find that guy, but he does a great job of finding guys. Things like that are going to happen.''

When Washington got the ball back with 1:11 remaining, K.J. Carta-Samuels was in at quarterback while Browning was having his shoulder tended to on the sideline. Petersen said after the game that he didn't believe it was a significant injury but did not elaborate Monday.

Carta-Samuels and Jeff Lindquist would both get significant reps in practice this week if Browning is slowed, Petersen said. The decision to go with Carta-Samuels for the final drive against Oregon - which ended with an interception by Ugo Amadi with 24 seconds left.- was an indication that Carta-Samuels was Washington's No. 2 quarterback.

Browning has started all six games for the Huskies and had big games the first month of the season against Sacramento State and Utah State, throwing for more than 300 yards against both.

But since the start of conference play, the Huskies pass game has been mostly grounded.

Browning threw for 152 yards and had two interceptions against California. He passed for 137 yards in the upset victory at USC and finished with 199 yards passing against Oregon.

It's the second time in Petersen's two seasons that the Huskies have had a stretch of at least three straight games without a 200-yard passer. The Huskies went the first five games last season without a quarterback throwing for 200 yards.

But Petersen is adamant Washington needs to get more from its pass game. The Huskies' longest pass play in the past three games is 31 yards. That won't be easy against Stanford's defense, which has allowed less than 200 yards passing in three of six games this season.

''It's not any one thing. It's just we're seeing some teams that play a little bit better defense,'' Petersen said. ''And so we would like to be more explosive there without question.''

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Narduzzi has No. 25 Pitt ahead of schedule
October 19, 2015

PITTSBURGH (AP) Pat Narduzzi arrived at Pittsburgh last December. His job was to find a way to elevate a team seemingly stuck around .500 for years.

He's well ahead of schedule.

The Panthers are 5-1 and ranked at No. 25, cracking the poll for the first time in five years. An early sign of success, sure, but Narduzzi is not swayed by an arbitrary ranking.

''It's just a number,'' he said. ''We're more than a number.''

Pitt is 3-0 in the wide-open ACC Coastal Division and has played four of six games on the road, including a 31-28 win at Georgia Tech last Saturday.

''We've got goals and we've got places we want to go and our kids know that,'' Narduzzi said. ''If they look at the 25 and they walk out there, write it on their wristband `Oh, we're No. 25,' I don't think that's going to happen.''

Pitt's previous ranking was No. 15 in the 2010 preseason under coach Dave Wannstedt. The Panthers didn't last long - they were out of the poll after an opening loss to Utah.

Now, behind one of the nation's top defensive units and most accurate passers in the ACC in Nate Peterman, Pitt is one of the league's biggest surprises.

Narduzzi and his staff understand the importance of the ranking to the players. After all, the Panthers didn't receive a single vote in the previous week's poll.

''The great thing is they were nowhere on the radar,'' Narduzzi said. ''They weren't even a blip a week ago. We talk about earning respect and we do that every week and our kids earned it.''

Peterman ranks 13th in the nation with a 66.7 completion percentage. He completed 14 of 21 attempts for 162 yards and a career-high three touchdowns when the Panthers edged the Yellow Jackets on Chris Blewitt's school-record 56-yard field goal with just over a minute to go.

A transfer from Tennessee, Peterman took the starting job from incumbent Chad Voytik last month. He sees the ranking as a stepping stone.

''It's encouraging, for sure,'' Peterman said. ''I think even after the Virginia Tech game that was big when coach Narduzzi told us they don't give out midseason awards and there's no championship in the middle of the season.''

As Pitt begins the second half of its season, Narduzzi doesn't expect his players' approach to waver even if they aren't the no-name unit they were in August.

''I think that's who they are,'' Narduzzi said. ''I think that's what we've coached in this room and I don't think we'll be any different.''

On Saturday at Syracuse, the Panthers can reach the six-win mark in October. In other years, a sixth win wouldn't come until November. For Pitt, it's a foothold, a road to bigger things.

''The apple or whatever food is right in front of you,'' Peterman said. ''You've just got to go out and grab it.''

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Texas feels good after win, but 'still 2-4'
October 19, 2015

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) If the Texas Longhorns are still giddy after their big win over Oklahoma that many called a program changer, junior defensive tackle Paul Boyette is happy to spoil the fun.

''We played our butts off against Oklahoma,'' Boyette said Monday. ''But we're still sitting here at 2-4.''

Boyette delivered a stark reminder that probably needs repeating to the young team that pulled off a shocking upset after getting blown out by TCU just a week earlier.

The Longhorns (2-4, 1-2 Big 12) had a week off to soak up the win, strut around the neighborhood and even start talking about reaching a bowl game.

But the reality is the Longhorns are still a long way from even a .500 record halfway through the season. Add a mention that the next opponent, Kansas State, just got blown out 55-0 at home by Oklahoma and coach Charlie Strong will be fighting to prevent a dangerous level of self-satisfaction from settling in.

Strong himself fielded only a handful of questions about Kansas State at his weekly news conference, which was dominated by the theme of whether his program had finally turned things around.

''So much has happened. We had never lost our team. It wasn't like the earth was falling,'' said Strong, who was tossed in the air in celebration by his players after the victory. ''Now that it has happened for them, you just hope the confidence continues to build on and on.''

But Strong can also tell his players to look in the mirror to size up what's coming next.

Kansas State (3-3, 0-3) has lost three in a row. Before the blowout by Oklahoma, the Wildcats had dropped excruciating late losses to Oklahoma State and TCU.

Like Texas did with Oklahoma, the Wildcats will be eyeing the Longhorns as a chance to turn their season around.

Strong watched only a few plays of Saturday's game, chalked it up as a bad day for Kansas State and paid no more attention.

''I know that's not who that football team is,'' Strong said. ''The same thing happened to us. We were able to bounce back. Be ready for a team that comes ready to play, a team that's mentally and physically tough.''

Texas players remember a 23-0 loss at Kansas State last year, arguably the low point for the Texas offense in Strong's two seasons. And they remember the beating they took from their own fans after getting blown out two weeks ago by TCU.

Kansas State will be going through the same thing.

''They're going to hear it all week,'' Texas senior wide receiver Marcus Johnson said. ''They'll be a different team.''

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Penalties, punts among UCLA's many flaws
October 19, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) When everything is going well, struggles with penalties and punts might be a minor inconvenience.

In UCLA's current state, decimated by injuries and relying on a freshman quarterback, they can be the difference between having a Top 25 ranking and being knocked out of the polls by two straight losses.

The Bruins (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) did themselves no favors in their 56-35 loss at Stanford, too often giving the Cardinal favorable field position or sabotaging their own chances to stay in the game with poorly timed penalties.

''We just have to clean the mistakes up,'' receiver Jordan Payton said Sunday. ''Those little things are killing us.''

Payton was flagged for the first of UCLA's 10 penalties for 93 yards on an offensive pass interference call early in the first quarter at Stanford. Instead of converting a third-and-1, quarterback Josh Rosen threw an interception on third-and-16 that Stanford cornerback Alijah Holder returned 31 yards for a touchdown.

Payton wasn't sure why he was penalized, and coach Jim Mora said film review of the play showed the defender initiating contact after Payton tried to avoid it before making the catch that would have moved the chains.

Mora was far more troubled by an illegal formation penalty that negated Paul Perkins' touchdown run on the next series, leading to UCLA settling for a short field goal.

''The penalties that bother me are the non-aggressive penalties,'' Mora said. ''A false start bothers me. A misaligned formation bothers me, because those are concentration errors. Guys got to lock in and do a better job in those situations.''

Penalties have been a constant issue since Mora arrived at UCLA, which has ranked in the bottom 14 nationally in penalty yards per game in each of his four seasons. The Bruins are averaging 7.83 penalties for 75 yards per game this season, and two recent targeting fouls have Mora ready to re-examine how that penalty is assessed.

Receiver Kenneth Walker III was ejected for a high hit on Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez as he tried to block for Rosen, a rarity for an offensive player. Linebacker Kenny Young was tossed in the first quarter of the win over BYU for a hit on Cougars quarterback Tanner Mangum.

''I don't know that it needs to be changed, but it needs to be evaluated,'' said Mora, who also pointed to the ejection of Michigan linebacker Joe Bolden in the Wolverines' loss to Michigan State. ''I just think the penalty is so severe sometimes that we have to really make sure it is being officiated right and being judged right and being interpreted right.''

Unlike Michigan, UCLA is at least getting its punts off successfully. How far they go is another matter. Matt Mengel ranks last in the Pac-12 with an average of 38.1 yards per punt, and the senior struggled again against Stanford.

After a solid first punt, Mengel's next try went out of bounds after just 32 yards and gave Stanford a short field. The Cardinal scored three plays later to take a commanding 28-10 lead.

Mora pointed to the bright side, as UCLA has allowed minus-1 yards on punt returns. He praised Mengel's work ethic while also keeping his options open.

''I know Matt is working very, very hard to do better,'' Mora said. ''It's important to him. He's a heck of a good kid and he doesn't take it lightly.''

With Utah holding a two-game lead over the rest of the Pac-12 South, UCLA is aware that a loss Thursday night to No. 20 California would effectively end its pursuit of the division title. Payton said cleaning up those little mistakes is vital to keeping those slim hopes alive.

''For us to beat them, we're going to have to come out and be mistake-free,'' Payton said. ''It's no rocket science. Penalty-free, turnover-free, and score touchdowns.''

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No. 20 California looks to rebound after 1st loss of season
October 19, 2015

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) California coach Sonny Dykes hopes his players took more than a loss from their recent trip to Utah.

He's counting on the Golden Bears having learned a lesson on how to deal with the big stage of college football after years of being at the bottom of the Pac-12.

The 20th-ranked Bears (5-1, 2-1) get their first chance to prove that this week when they return to the spotlight with a Thursday night game against rival UCLA (4-2, 1-2) that still has plenty on the line.

''I think our guys will handle this better,'' Dykes said Monday. ''At least I hope we will. You have to go through something like that to learn from it. As coaches we can talk about it and try to prepare our players as best that we can. But it's something completely different when you go through it. They went through it.''

And they almost came out on top despite a mistake-filled performance. Even with usually reliable quarterback Jared Goff throwing five interceptions and the Bears losing an additional fumble, they were in position late to beat then-No. 5 Utah before falling on the road 30-24 in the Oct. 10 game that had all the hoopla of a matchup between undefeated teams with ''College GameDay'' on hand.

With 11 days off before the game at the Rose Bowl against the Bruins, the Bears have had plenty of time to get past that loss and move on to the rest of their season.

''When I look back, we had a terrible game offensively and we were one possession away from beating the No. 5 team in the nation,'' receiver Stephen Anderson said. ''It's bad that we lost but there are a lot of positives we can take coming into this week.''

The one player who had almost no positives from that game was Goff, who came into it being mentioned as a Heisman Trophy contender and possible No. 1-overall draft pick only to throw the five interceptions. He also tied a season low with only two touchdown passes.

Goff said he moved on quickly from the loss and took advantage of the time off to clear his mind and freshen up his body for the second half of the season.

''Knowing Jared, seeing Jared these last couple of years I think it's a fluke,'' Anderson said. ''It happened. A lot of people like to say the lights were too bright for him or something like that. I don't think the lights were too bright for him. He just had a bad game.''

Even with the loss, there is plenty on the line for the Bears, who are once again a contender in the Pac-12 after winning just nine games overall the previous three seasons.

A win Thursday would make them bowl eligible for the first time since 2011, give them their first win at UCLA in 2009 and give Dykes his first win against one of Cal's three in-state conference rivals.

''There's a lot of reasons we want this game and becoming bowl eligible is one of them,'' safety Stefan McClure said. ''Since it's here right now that's something we can think about. ... There's stuff riding on this game. Getting a sixth win, beating UCLA, which we haven't down there in a few years. That type of stuff. There's some extra stuff to think about. That's one of the goals to get six wins and become bowl eligible. The sooner we can get that out of the way the better we'll be.''

The Bears had three shots at that elusive sixth win last year only to lose to USC, Stanford and BYU to end the season. They missed out again on the sixth win against Utah.

Now they get another chance. They will be the underdog despite having a better record and higher ranking than the banged-up Bruins, who have allowed 94 points in back-to-back losses to Arizona State and Stanford.

''That kind of bothers me,'' Anderson said. ''I feel like we haven't gotten the respect that we deserve to this point. In order to get that, you just have to keep winning. This is a game that everybody will be looking at.''

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No. 17 Oklahoma's pass defense among nation's best
October 19, 2015

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Oklahoma's pass defense was a liability last season, and it appeared more of the same was in store this year after Tulsa torched the Sooners for 427 yards through the air a month ago.

Since then, Oklahoma has been stellar against the pass. The Sooners intercepted West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard three times, made him fumble twice and sacked him seven times in Oklahoma's 44-24 win on Oct. 3. Though Texas focused on the ground game, the Longhorns got little out of the few passes they put up and were held to 55 yards on Oct. 10. Last week, the Sooners allowed just 45 yards passing in a 55-0 shutout of Kansas State.

The 17th-ranked Sooners (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) lead the conference in scoring defense, total defense, pass defense and interceptions, and are second in sacks in league play. Overall, Oklahoma ranks ninth nationally in pass defense.

Coach Bob Stoops likes what he's seeing.

''It's getting better,'' Stoops said. ''They're talented guys. They have experience on the field. They work hard in practice. They're playing in a good way.''

The unit will be tested Saturday against Texas Tech's Air Raid offense. The Red Raiders (5-2, 2-2) rank second nationally in passing yards per game (427.6), second in total offense (623.7) and third in scoring offense (49.4).

Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes already has thrown for 2,628 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, and he's rushed for six more scores.

''Mahomes is an excellent quarterback,'' Stoops said. ''Great arm, great thrower, great job scrambling and moving around and getting out of the pocket. He hurt us bad last year getting out of the pocket. They had several big plays on us from him scrambling around and finding people late, five, six seconds into the route. He's a really good athlete.''

He'll face a top-notch pass rusher in Eric Striker. Oklahoma's senior linebacker has the school record for sacks for a linebacker with 20. He leads the conference with four sacks during league games, with two against West Virginia and two against Texas.

Cornerback Zack Sanchez was the Big 12 defensive player of the week after intercepting two passes and returning one 38 yards for a score against Kansas State.

Cornerback Jordan Thomas was suspended for the Tulsa game for violating team rules, but he has been a difference maker since his return. He leads the Big 12 with three picks an seven passes defensed during league play.

''First, I was really surprised that I had to suspend him because that hasn't been his character, but he's playing the way we thought he would play,'' Stoops said. ''He's an excellent athlete, he's a smart young man, and he's playing at a much higher level. But we anticipated that. He's not a freshman anymore, he's played a lot of football, and he's getting better. I still think there's a lot more to come.''

Sanchez gets more action now that Thomas has established himself. Thomas intercepted two passes against West Virginia and picked off one against Kansas State.

''Yeah, he's kind of on a hot streak right now,'' Sanchez said of Thomas. ''Teams don't want to throw at a guy that's hot, especially a corner.''

Hatari Byrd, Ahmad Thomas and Steven Parker are starters in the secondary, and Will Johnson, made an impression against Kansas State. The experience and depth have prompted the coaches to allow the unit to play more aggressively.

''We try to,'' Stoops said. ''Again, with better execution, that happens. And in a lot of circumstances, we're playing tighter coverage because we have the confidence to do it.''

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College FB Week 7 Recap

Watching Jalen Watts-Jackson's 38-yard game-winning fumble return linger for just a brief moment when he was slowed down by Michigan's Wayne Lyons around the 15-yard-line, I was expecting the Spartans redshirt freshman safety to step out of bounds and save his team those few seconds it needed to attempt a game-winning field goal.

Could you imagine having all that chaos transpire and it leading to no points? That's how it might have ended if Michigan tight end Jake Butt would've gotten to Watts-Jackson right before he reached the goal line with the clock on the verge of expiring. There was also a point where Michigan State's Jermaine Edmondson clearly holds Lyons down the sideline, allowing Watts-Jackson to steamroll ahead, cutting back inside and accelerating for the final yards before Butt finally runs him down and tackles him into the end zone, giving the Spartans a 27-23 walk-off win.

A yellow flag would've probably commanded free meals in Ann Arbor for the rest of time, but instead, a play that's going to live forever becomes the defining moment of the Michigan State-Michigan rivalry the same way Auburn/Alabama has their missed field goal return and Cal/Stanford have their trampling of the band. Timeless.

Spartans can turn break into monster season

Because this was Jim Harbaugh's first one of these rivalry games as head coach, it was always going to be historic. The fact the Wolverines have been better than anticipated and carried an impressive three-game shutout streak into the festivities added spice. They were favored by 7.5 points on a night when a primetime stage assured the full attention of the college football world. What we all got to see appeared destined.

Punter Blake O'Neill fumbled, sure, but what he did after that miscue compounded the entire situation. Instead of scooping it up in the direction his momentum was taking him, he circled the ball on a weird u-turn and nearly came up with it cleanly. If he'd just cut his losses by diving on the football and downing it there, he would've at least forced Michigan State to drive a few yards to set up a field goal. Instead, five Spartans converged and O'Neill didn't see them. He ends up batting the ball in the air, unintentionally lateraling it into Watts-Jackson's waiting hands.

Head coach Mark Dantonio called it "letting the lion out of the cage," putting 11 players up at the line of scrimmage and hoping for the best. It was one huge helping of madness in a college football season that has already offered up its share.

The question that looms now is what Michigan State is going to do with this gift, besides rub it in rival Michigan's face every chance they get over the next 12 months. They'll host Indiana next week before a Halloween hiatus, enjoying a bye week to prepare for a final stretch comprised of road games at Nebraska and Ohio State in addition to home dates against Maryland and Penn State. Running the table and defeating the Big Ten West champ in the conference title game would certainly guarantee the Spartans a spot in the College Football playoff.

Dantonio's team lost to only Oregon and Ohio State last season, so falling just short is a sour taste they know all about and want to avoid, which may turn this reprieve into a weapon. Connor Cook has already failed. Passes to Aaron Burbridge, Josiah Price and Macgarrett Kings late in Saturday night's comeback bid often missed their mark only barely. Avoiding a loss in Ann Arbor could be a galvanizing force in Lincoln and Columbus if Michigan State responds the right way. They know they'll never be out of any game, enjoying a shared belief in one another that few other teams can boast. Ironically, the Buckeyes are in that priviledged minority, looking for a 20th consecutive win this weekend at Rutgers.

Maybe an undefeated Michigan State coming into Ohio Stadium would simply serve to ensure the defending champs don't come out sleep-walking like they have for most of the season, but it will at least guarantee that the Big Ten will get another bid into the national semis. All the Spartans have to do over the next month is clear a few hurdles and get to Nov. 21 unscathed, but they've already done the heavy lifting on a special season.

Ironically, Watts-Jackson underwent surgery on Sunday after dislocating and fracturing his hip upon being tackled from behind. That he couldn't celebrate his season-altering heroics because he was writhing in pain added a strange twist to an unforgettable story. We'll see what post-script Michigan State writes the rest of the way.

NCAA Football Week 7 recap snapshot

Best games:

1. Michigan State 27 Michigan 23, 2. LSU 35 Florida 28, 3. Rutgers 55 Indiana 52

Best players:

1. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford: 25-243 4 TDs vs UCLA, 2. Seth Russell, Baylor: 20-33 380 yds 5 TD, 14-160 rushing yds, 1 TD vs. West Virginia, 3. Derrick Henry 32-236 yds 2 TD vs Texas A&M.

Best plays:

1. Whether you call it Anguish in Ann Arbor or side with Spartan miracle, it was worthy of all the hype it's gotten. 2. It looked like the play of the year until Saturday night, but Stanford's Francis Owusu will have to settle for a brilliant runner-up, catching a pass from Kevin Hogan behind the back of UCLA DB Jaleel Wadood. It might just be the catch of the year despite ranking second on the week. Hard to imagine anybody topping it. 3. LSU's Les Miles contributed a Mad Hatter Special by calling for a fake field goal that kicker Trent Domingue wound up taking into the end zone with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter, snapping a 28-28 tie against Florida. Domingue juggled the shovel pass for added drama but managed to secure it and race away from Gators corner Vernon Hargreaves.

Best coaching jobs:

1. Justin Fuente delivered the week's biggest upset, taking down Ole Miss at home. 2. With a 40-10 blowout of Northwestern, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz got his Hawkeyes past their most accomplished opponent remaining on their schedule. There are challenges ahead against Minnesota and at Indiana and Nebraska, but Iowa may run the table and set up a Big Ten Championship game between undefeated squads. 3. Nick Saban stared down a talented spread team in College Station and crushed it with his calling cards of defense and discipline. The Tide got three TDs on interception returns and a monster day from Henry in a 41-23 win over Texas A&M.

Worst coaching jobs:

1. Bryan Harsin saw his team lose control on the road, coming out and commiting seven first-half turnovers in Logan to fall behind Utah State 45-10 at the break. The Aggies forced three turnovers and scored 21 points in the last 1:25 of the half to shut the lights out. The Broncos may not lose again since this is a down year for the Mountain West, but the Aggies got themselves a great inside track. 2. Indiana's Kevin Wilson saw his Hoosiers shoot themselves in the foot with three consecutive fourth-quarter turnovers to help blow a 52-27 lead. 3. Kansas State's Bill Snyder always gets the most out of his kids, but they didn't show up as he got crushed by former pupil Bob Stoops. Oklahoma came into Manhattan and emerged with a 55-0 win, blanking K-State for the first time since 1996 and the first time at home since '91.

Close calls and bad beats:

That 55-0 Oklahoma win got over the posted total of 53 without the Wildcats help when Joe Mixon ran it in. At least the Sooners didn't let it linger, scoring their final points with about 10 minutes remaining.

Utah RB Devonta Booker scored on a 62-yard run with just 1:11 remaining to get the over in the Utes/Sun Devils game in. Booker took the game over as he has multiple times this season and has a chance to find himself a Heisman finalist with a big next few weeks.

Tulsa-ECU featured the cover changing hands twice in the final 1:24, The Pirates (-14) were rolling by a 23-0 count through three quarters, but surrendered the cover by giving up 10 quick fourth-quarter points. They took it back after having to go just four yards when the Golden Hurricane failed to convert on a 4th down inside their own 5-yard-line. QB Dane Evans then managed to hit Keyarris Garrett for a 47-yard score with just 30 seconds left and the Redford Jones PAT delivered Tulsa a 30-17 loss.

Auburn and Kentucky played a riveting game to open the week that came down to the final minutes for both the side and total. The Tigers closed as a two-point road favorite and the total landed at 56.5, so over bettors rejoiced when the 'Cats closed within 30-27 with only 4:06 left.

New Mexico State trailed Georgia Southern 56-14 as a 31-point underdog, but pulled off a 56-26 cover with a pair of late scores.

The cover that you're telling your friends about for weeks came thanks to Troy, which was getting 30/31 at Mississippi State and trailed 45-14 in a game where they were down 38-0 at the half. The Bulldogs clearly took their foot off the gas, but still had Troy beat until the Trojans sent out kicker Jed Solomon to make a 21-yard field goal with just 27 seconds to go, covering the spread and aggravating all chalk-eaters.

Key injuries:

Michigan State DB Jalen Watts-Jackson (Hip, OFY), Baylor DL Andrew Billings (Ankle, week-to-week), Miami (FL) LB Raphael Kirby (Knee, OFY), Ole Miss C Robert Conyers (ACL, OFY), Kentucky DT Melvin Lewis (Fibula, out indefinitely), LSU TE Dillon Gordon (Achilles, OFY).

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Tuesday's Top Action
October 20, 2015


UL-LAFAYETTE RAGIN' CAJUNS (2-3) at ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES (3-3)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Arkansas State -6.5

A clash between two Sun Belt schools undefeated in conference play will occur Tuesday night in Jonesboro, AR when Louisiana-Lafayette visits Arkansas State.

Both schools have scored exactly 49 points in in all conference games this season, as the Ragin' Cajuns blew out Texas State 49-27 on Oct. 10, and the Red Wolves knocked off 22-point underdog Idaho 49-35 on Oct. 13 before winning by a similar 49-31 score at South Alabama last Tuesday. UL-Lafayette is now 3-2 ATS for the season (1-1 ATS on road) and Arkansas State is 3-3 ATS this year (2-1 ATS at home).

These Sun Belt foes are meeting for the 12th consecutive year with the home team prevailing in eight of those dozen matchups. While half of these 12 contests have been decided by single-digits, the past three meetings have all been lopsided. The Red Wolves won 50-27 on the road in 2012, and the Ragin' Cajuns prevailed 23-7 on the road in 2013 and 55-40 at home last season in a shootout that featured 1,116 total yards of offense (672 rushing yards).

Nearly all of the top betting trends expect UL-Lafayette to win again, at least ATS. The school is 14-4 ATS on the road in the second half of the season under head coach Mark Hudspeth, and college football underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after a double-digit conference win facing an opponent coming off a game where both teams scored 31+ points are 42-14 ATS since 1992. Although Arkansas State is a dreadful 7-25 ATS versus good rushing teams (4.75 YPC) since 1992, the school is also 10-5 ATS at home in the past three seasons, including 9-5 ATS as a home favorite.

The Ragin' Cajuns are coming off a bye, but they still have five players questionable with injuries in RB Montrel Carter (shin), K Carlos Alvarez (hip) and DBs Christian Goodlett (shoulder), T.J. Worthy (hamstring) and Troy McCollum (ankle). With starting QB Fredi Knighten (groin) having returned last week, the Red Wolves are only concerned with OL Daniel Keith, who is questionable with an ankle injury.

Louisiana-Lafayette's offense has been strong with 30.8 PPG and 434 total YPG (6.2 yards per play), but those numbers are significantly worse on the road (23.5 PPG, 405 total YPG, 5.3 yards per play). Mistakes have been a major key for this team, which has zero giveaways in two wins and 11 turnovers in three losses. Junior QB Jalen Nixon is coming off his best game of the season versus Texas State when he completed 22-of-29 passes for 238 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT. He has also done a great job running the football in the past two games with 99 yards on 16 carries (6.2 YPC) and 2 TD.

But the big reason this team is averaging a strong 231 rushing YPG is the feet of senior RB Elijah McGuire (585 rush yds, 6.0 YPC, 7 TD). McGuire ran for 170 yards on 6.1 YPC and 1 TD against Texas State and totaled 154 yards on 18 touches in the most recent road game at Louisiana Tech on Oct. 3. McGuire was clearly the star of the rout versus Arkansas State last year when he carried the ball 19 times for 265 yards (13.9 YPC) and four touchdowns from 74, 54, 43 and 13 yards out.

Defensively, UL-Lafayette has had problems stopping opponents all year with 32.4 PPG allowed on 408 total YPG (6.0 yards per play). This includes surrendering 41.5 PPG on the road and 35.0 PPG in the past three contests. A subpar run-stop unit (189 YPG, 4.8 YPC) and generous secondary (220 pass YPG, 7.6 YPA) are both to blame for the large number of points allowed so far. Another reason for the deficiency is a lack of turnovers, as the Cajuns have only four takeaways through five games. They need to have that number rise quickly, especially playing a turnover-prone opponent with 16 giveaways in six games in 2015.

Arkansas State's offense has been strong this season with 33.5 PPG on 386 total YPG, and these numbers are even more impressive in three home games (46.3 PPG, 454 total YPG). The team has displayed great balance all season with 198 rushing YPG on 4.4 YPC and 188 passing YPG on 6.6 YPA. Senior RB Michael Gordon had only six carries last week, but opened October with a monster performance against Idaho where he ran for 221 yards on 26 carries (8.5 YPC) and three touchdowns. Gordon was also outstanding in last year's loss to Louisiana-Lafayette with 134 rushing yards on 15 carries (8.9 YPC) and a touchdown.

Senior QB Fredi Knighten was also huge in that 2014 meeting with 405 total yards (344 passing, 61 rushing) and 4 touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing). After missing three games with a groin injury, Knighten showed no rust in last week's win at South Alabama when he completed 10-of-17 passes for 117 yards, 2 TD and 0 INT. Another senior, WR JD McKissic, also did some damage in Lafayette last year (7 rec, 99 yds), but didn't do much last week with a season-low two catches for 27 yards.

Defensively, this unit has surrendered 32.0 PPG on 376 total YPG, but these numbers have been much better in three home games (23.0 PPG and 322 total YPG). The biggest deficiency has been stopping opposing quarterbacks who have thrown for 229 YPG. But after giving up 140+ rushing yards in each of the first five games, the run defense was outstanding last week in holding South Alabama to 29 yards on 32 carries. The Red Wolves also forced another five turnovers in last week's win, giving them 15 takeaways over the past five games.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF
Dunkel

Week 8


LA-Lafayette @ Arkansas St

Game 301-302
October 20, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA-Lafayette
70.746
Arkansas St
83.673
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arkansas St
by 13
75
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Arkansas St
by 8
62 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Arkansas St
(-8); Over
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NCAAF
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 20

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LA LAFAYETTE (2 - 3) at ARKANSAS ST (3 - 3) - 10/20/2015, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAFAYETTE is 2-0 against the spread versus ARKANSAS ST over the last 3 seasons
LA LAFAYETTE is 2-0 straight up against ARKANSAS ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NCAAF
Armadillo's Write-Up

Week 8

Tuesday's game
Arkansas State scored 49 points in each of its I-A wins; they scored 33 points total in three losses. ASU is 5-2 as home favorite in Anderson era; they lost five of last seven games with UL-Lafayette, losing 55-40/23-7 last two years (dogs 3-1 last four vs spread). ULL is 4-6 last ten games as road underdog; they lost 40-33/43-14 in two road games, but got first win last game, at home over Texas State. Sun Belt home teams are 3-7 vs spread in conference play, 2-3 when favored.




NCAAF

Week 8

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Trend Report
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Tuesday, October 20

8:00 PM
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arkansas State
Louisiana-Lafayette is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Arkansas State
Arkansas State is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Arkansas State's last 13 games

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[StarDust Bum]

NCAAF

Tuesday, October 20


Baylor offense getting scarier by the week

WACO, Tex. -- The list of things opposing defensive coordinators have to worry about when they get ready to play the No. 2-ranked Baylor Bears keeps growing.

As Halloween approaches, Baylor is creating its own brand of horror story. This week the Bears (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) will try and haunt Iowa State's defensive unit.

Baylor has long-since established itself as a prolific offense, supposedly based around a pass-heavy spread scheme. But for years now the Bears have been just as dangerous on the ground as through the air.

This season, Baylor's go-to running back Shock Linwood has rushed for 100-plus yards in four of six games. On Saturday, though, quarterback Seth Russell subbed in as the ground-gainer and went for 160.

Baylor coach Art Briles said he likes seeing Russell run, as long as the QB protects himself.

"(Russell is) a good enough athlete that, if he's out in space and sees somebody, he can protect his body," Briles said. "I thought he did a really good job of doing that the other day."

Baylor also has a decent change-of-pace running back in Johnny Jefferson and the Bears are expecting another experienced rusher, Devin Chafin, to come back from a hamstring injury any week now.

But slowing down Baylor's rushing attack isn't something opponents can devote too much attention to, since the Bears can still burn just about any defense over the top.

Last Saturday, Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman kept up his video-game-like touchdown pace, scoring three times to bring his TD total to 16 for the season. By the end of the day, he had 10 catches for 199 yards to go along with the three scores.

"I've been saying it for two years, at least, that it's his passion, his energy, his toughness, and his skill level that allow him to separate himself from other people," Briles said of Coleman. "He's got all that with talent, and that's what allows him to separate and be different."

Even if a viewer knew nothing about Coleman's single-season-record-setting TD stats, one play in the second half versus West Virginia would be convincing enough.

Coleman caught a slant pass from the left side, about eight yards into the secondary. Instead of carrying out the play through the middle, Coleman stopped on a dime, causing the Mountaineers best corner, Rick Rumph, to fall down. With his defender on the ground, Coleman reversed field and raced to a 33-yard touchdown.

That's a nightmare in a nutshell.

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

--WR Corey Coleman has been unbelievable so far this season. On Saturday, Coleman caught three touchdown passes to re-establish Baylor's single-season record for receiving touchdowns with 16. Coleman passed former Bear Kendall Wright, who caught 14 touchdown passes in 2011. And Coleman still has half a season in front of him.

--QB Seth Russell becomes more of a dual threat with each passing week. Russell passed for 380 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 160 yards and a score with a long run of 46 yards against West Virginia. If Russell keeps up that kind of production, listen for his name in Heisman discussions before long.

--LB Taylor Young posted seven solo stops, including two tackles for loss against West Virginia. He's become a key cog in the Baylor defense over the last two seasons. Despite missing two games this season, he has compiled 17 tackles, including 12 solo stops and 3.5 tackles for losses. He'll likely keep moving up Baylor's team tackle chart as the season continues.

SERIES HISTORY:

Baylor leads Iowa State, 7-6.

QUOTE TO NOTE:

"I think we just try to be intelligent with (QB Seth Russell running). We realize it's a position that if you want to see grandma, while she's knitting, get up and scream, it's usually when they're tackling the quarterback. We understand that." -- Baylor coach Art Briles on whether or not it makes him nervous to have Russell running as much as he did on Saturday versus West Virginia.



Seminoles try to tie ACC record 29-game win streak

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- After Georgia Tech's remarkable 2014 campaign that ended just short of an ACC title (thanks to Florida State), most Seminole fans figured the rematch during the 2015 regular season might wind up being a battle of Top 25 unbeatens staking their claim on the conference crown.

Come Saturday, that scenario is still alive and well -- but only for one.

No. 9 Florida State (6-0 overall, 4-0 in the ACC) still has a lot at stake Saturday when it faces the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, where the Seminoles will look to stay perfect and remain on a crash course for a date in the ACC Championship game in December.

As for Georgia Tech? Well, at 2-5 overall -- and 0-4 in ACC play -- the Yellow Jackets will simply be looking for a win in what's been a woeful defense of the Coastal Division title.

And unfortunately for Florida State, a desperate team is often a dangerous team.

"I think all games are about toughness," Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said Monday. "But this one especially is."

Toughness would be a good way to describe what the Seminoles demonstrated in the face of adversity, both mentally and physically, last Saturday

After falling behind 7-6 at halftime to Louisville at Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida State came out of the locker room a completely different team, scoring on all five of its second-half drives and capping each with a touchdown to turn what looked like an upset into a 41-21 blowout.

Former Florida State quarterback and Heisman winner Jameis Winston, the No. 1 overall pick of the Tampa Bay Bucs earlier this year, was even on hand to witness yet another Seminoles comeback against the Cardinals -- albeit slightly less prolific than Winston's.

It was Winston who last year led Florida State back from a 21-0 hole to topple Louisville in the program's biggest comeback win in school history. And Fisher was glad to see him and several other former players come back for the weekend to support the team in what ended up being the program's 28th straight ACC win.

"He ain't changed a lick ... that knucklehead," Fisher said of Winston, who was also joined on the sidelines last Saturday by two other former Florida State stars: current Atlanta Falcons starting running back Devonta Freeman and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrance Brooks.

Florida State enters as only a five-point favorite, but that's likely only due to the unpredictability of star running back's Dalvin Cook's hamstring, which he pulled two weeks ago in the first quarter against Wake Forest and has become tight -- causing him to head to the sideline for treatment -- during both games since. Cook, a Heisman Trophy contender, has amassed 955 yards and 11 total touchdowns so far this season.

The Seminoles will have a chance to tie the ACC record for consecutive wins -- a record it set from 1992-95 -- Saturday at Georgia Tech, which is on a five-game skid and hasn't won a game since beating Tulane on Sept. 12. That's pretty stunning considering the Yellow Jackets -- who rose to No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll after season-opening blowout wins -- were the near-consensus pick to win the ACC title this season during ACC Media Days over the summer.

"I wish the outcomes had been different, but they haven't," said Yellow Jackets head coach Paul Johnson, whose program will be guaranteed a losing ACC season for the first time in 20 years if it can't find a way to pull the upset Saturday. "We're sitting here, I think the last five teams we've played are 27-4 and we got another one coming in (in Florida State) that's Top 10 and 6-0, so that makes (the opponents' record) in the last six games 33-4. We're playing good teams, the games are close ... but we just have to find a way to break through and win one.

"So maybe it's this week."

Or maybe Florida State -- just like it did in 1995 when it won its record 29th straight against, coincidentally, Georgia Tech -- will make the Yellow Jackets a footnote to history once again.

"I feel like we're the best defense in the country and nobody can stop what we do or what we bring," said Florida State linebacker Jacob Pugh, who has been one of the shining stars on a unit that ranks ninth in the nation in scoring allowed at 15.2 points per game and is coming off a five-sack outing against Louisville. "We're going to keep on bringing it every week and every Saturday"

NOTES, QUOTES

PLAYERS TO WATCH

--WR Kermit Whitfield is one of the most explosive players in college football. Yup, that's right, Whitfield, the ACC's Receiver of the Week on Monday, is back and better than ever all the sudden for the Seminoles, who got a career-high 172 receiving yards and a touchdown from the junior wideout in last week's win against Louisville. You have to use the word "back" when referring to Whitfield because, as a freshman, he became a hero to Florida State fans when his kickoff return for a TD late in the fourth quarter against Auburn in the BCS title game helped propel the Seminoles to the championship. But as a sophomore he fell off the map in terms of playing time and possibly in the doghouse with Fisher, only to return this season and become the team's breakout star. He's now emerged as Florida State's top receiver with 29 catches for 379 yards and two TDs, as well its best kick returner, averaging 30 yards a return. What may be most impressive about Whitfield is how he's able to get open and handle a lot of contact despite his diminutive stature: He's just 5-foot-8 and 184 pounds. He's arguably the fastest player on the team, and Fisher is now singing the Orlando native's praises. "If you go back and watch Kermit, he's been asked to play a position (receiver) he never really played in high school, or his whole life," Fisher said. "The comfort level of doing it; now he's done it enough, he's had some success with it, his confidence is growing and he feels more comfortable. He's getting much better and (I'm) very proud of the work and the time he's put in."

--LB Jacob Pugh, a former Tallahassee prep star from Godby High, is giving the hometown fans a heck of a season. Pugh was named the ACC's Linebacker of the Week on Monday after he led the Seminoles in tackles against Louisville with seven to go along with two sacks -- both career highs. He's now second on the team in sacks and fifth in tackles, despite starting only three games -- the fewest of any of Florida State's Top 5 defensive leaders.

--DB Derwin James had been waiting for his chance to shine all season, and that time came last Saturday against Louisville. Getting his first career start, James made the most of it with six tackles (second-most on the team), including a sack and a forced fumble on Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson in the third quarter that permanently flipped the momentum in the Seminoles' favor. He's now seventh on the team in tackles and tied for third in sacks.