Welcome to the first edition of Head of the Class!
Each week, I’ll take a tour around college football and highlight some Grade A performances that caught my eye. I will also throw in a few honorable mentions as well.
Time to get to CLASS!!
We’re starting in Gainesville, and true freshman quarterback DJ Lagway. Starting in place of Graham Mertz, he only threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns against Samford. I know, it’s Samford, and not some top level SEC opponent. I know, Graham Mertz was injured, and Lagway did not necessarily win the starting job.
Or did he?
The big question is this: if Mertz is healthy enough to go this week against Texas A&M, does Lagway’s performance give him an opportunity to step in? The offense was significantly improved this past week than against Miami – I know, it was Samford. Billy Napier said that Mertz is the starter, but Lagway would be utilized multiple times. Like every snap at QB, Coach? Your job may be on the line here.
Next stop: Tempe, Arizona, and the Big 12 Conference?
Arizona State senior running back Cam Skattebo rushed for 262 yards on 33 carries in the Sun Devils’ 30-23 win over Mississippi State. After the game, Skattebo said that he “felt disrespected” by the Bulldogs’ defensive strategy of putting just three players on the defensive line. The Devils shredded that defensive line, got out to a big lead, and then held on at the end for an impressive win over an SEC school.
I say this to Skattebo: you will get all of the respect that you want as long as you keep running the rock like THAT! At the moment, Skattebo is the leading rusher in the Big 12. I’m not sure that is sustainable, but Skattebo ran like a man possessed on Saturday night. I hope for Coach Dillingham’s sake that the senior continues to run like he did against MSU.
Last but not least, the best performance of the week (deserving of an A+++) goes to the Northern Illinois Huskies. They brought a dose of MACtion to South Bend, beating the Irish 16-14, and then cashed a $1.4 million check on the way out! That’s right, Notre Dame paid NIU more than a million dollars to come in and beat them.
Props to head coach Thomas Hammock for a successful game plan. The Huskies are a veteran laden team, with many fourth and fifth-year seniors who have been with the program for their college careers. It was not a pretty performance by any stretch, but it was effective. The defense made plays when it had to. They shut down the Irish offense, holding them to 286 total yards. They forced three turnovers, sacked Riley Leonard twice, made a game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter, and then the huge blocked field goal at the end. We love when the Group of four teams are successful, and we give extra credit for beating the Golden Domers!
Honorable Mentions:
Texas Longhorns, who went into Ann Arbor and embarrassed the Wolverines, 31-12. Quinn Ewers had three touchdowns and 246 passing yards, and the Longhorns forced three Michigan turnovers. They made the national champions look terrible on their home field.
Tennessee crushed NC State in Charlotte, 51-10. Dylan Sampson ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and they rolled up 460 yards of total offense on the Wolfpack, holding NC State to just 143 total yards. This Tennessee team is really good; they have a trap game at home against Kent State this weekend before heading on the road for games at Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Class is dismissed! See you all next week!
