Turn Back the Clock: Michael Penix Jr.
The Washington quarterback looked like all the player he was in 2020 and then some when he led Indiana to one of the best finishes in program history. He was 24 for 40 for 397 yards and four touchdowns with zero turnovers. Receiver Ja’Lynn Polk was the main beneficiary, catching three of Penix’s four touchdowns. The Huskies look like they could be a contender in the Pac-12 North under new coach Kalen DeBoer.
Ground and Pound: DeWayne McBride
A week after ending the Scott Frost era at Nebraska, Georgia Southern was again on the road, this time at UAB. But they forgot to bring their rushing defense, as Blazer running back McBride ran for 223 yards and four touchdowns on 28 carries in UAB’s 35-21 victory.
Blow the Whistle: Purdue
The Boilermakers lost to Syracuse 32-29 in one of the wildest fourth quarters of the weekend, but the biggest story from this game might be Purdue’s sloppy play. They had 13 penalties for 138 yards, including some key pass interference flags giving Syracuse extra downs. They spoiled another huge performance from quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who had 424 yards and three scores. And don’t look now, but the Orange are 3-0 and Dino Babers is rewarding the Syracuse brass for giving him one more year.
Active Sabotage: Scott Frost
Yes, he was fired last week, but perhaps the most damning news came out this weekend. It turns out that the Cornhuskers hadn’t tackled in practice in four years. “We’ve been tagging up for four years.” That’s coaching malpractice. It’s the same thing as not having your baseball team take batting practice and then being surprised when they can’t hit in games. The levels of incompetence are mind boggling.
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Falling Flat: Miami
After watching Appalachian State’s offensive line handle Texas A&M and run the ball at will, the game plan for the Hurricanes was laid out for them: Use Zion Nelson and the rest of their strong OL to use the two-headed monster of Henry Parrish Jr. and Jaylan Knighton to run the ball down their throats. And when they handed the ball off to them, it worked well – they averaged 5.4 yards per carry combined. But they got cute in the red zone and had to settle for field goals after abandoning the run.
The Real Deal: Nicholas Singleton
The true freshman had his second consecutive huge game, but this time in a much bigger spot. Singleton ran for 124 yards and two scores in Penn State’s dominant victory over Auburn on just ten carries. In a conference of standout running backs, he’s got a chance to be the best of all of them.
Welcome Back: Mohamed Ibrahim
After suffering a gruesome injury last season, it’s great to see the all-conference tailback return for the Golden Gophers. Ibrahim ran all over Colorado, amassing 202 yards on 23 carries for three touchdowns. Minnesota looks like the best team in the Big Ten West, while the Buffaloes are in contention for worst team in the Power 5.
Friendly Fire: Houston
Whatever this is, it isn’t a good sign for Dana Holgerson and co.
Kansas Jayhawks playing so good they making Houston Cougars Sam Davis & Joseph Manjack fight on sidelines…#GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/pI3byIWps1
— Eric Bryan Reinholtz (@ericjerseyvill) September 17, 2022
