Top 5 moments of the college football weekend
Published 4:00 pm Monday, September 21, 2015
- College Football Week 3
The third week of the college football season brought fans amazing upsets and individual performances from around the country. Here are the top five moments of the college football weekend.
1. Coach Charlie Strong and his coaching staff were already on the hot seat after the way Texas lost in the season opener to Notre Dame. It became even more uncomfortable when athletic director Steve Patterson was fired last week after only 15 months on the job. But, the way the Longhorns fell to California Saturday at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium may have just pushed fans, alumni and boosters over the edge.
After trailing by 21 points at one point, the Longhorns stormed back behind the play of quarterback Jerrod Heard and closed to within 45-38 with 1:51 left in the fourth quarter. The offense got the ball back and Heard scored on a 45-yard touchdown run to pull team within one point with 1:11 left on the clock.
The field goal team trotted onto the field to kick the game-tying extra point and possibly send the contest into overtime. But, as the Longhorns celebrated on the sideline, kicker Nick Rose’s attempt was wide right. The stadium went silent except for the smattering of Cal fans, who were also stunned at the turn of events.
With no timeouts left and failing to recover an onside kick attempt, all Texas (1-2) could do is watch the Bears run the clock down in what could be the program’s most crushing defeat in years.
“It’s hard,” senior receiver Daje Johnson told the Austin Statesman. “Very hard.”
2. It has already been an injury-plagued season for Notre Dame, from its starting running back to quarterback. The luck has not been with the Irish in the first two weeks.
The injury bug hit Notre Dame again Saturday during their 30-22 win over Georgia Tech. This one came to sophomore safety Drue Tranquill who tore the ACL in his right knee while celebrating a big play.
After making a making a defensive stop in the endzone in the second quarter, Tranquill gave teammate Joe Schimdt the stand flying chest bump. However, he came down wrong on his right leg and tore his ACL.
Tranquill tore the ACL in his left knee last November.
3. In what may have been the biggest game of the weekend, Ole Miss upset Alabama 43-37 Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It’s the second straight season the Tide have fallen to the Rebels.
While the contests featured several big plays, it was the one made by Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly and receiver Quincy Adeboyejo for a touchdown in the third quarter that showed just how much it was Ole Miss’s night.
On the play, Kelly fumbled the snap on the first possession of third-quarter possession. He scooped it up and turned around as several Alabama defenders bore down on him. Instead of just taking the sack, Kelly heaved the ball down field as he was being hit. The ball deflected off the initial Ole Miss receiver, and into the hands of Adeboyejo, who sprinted toward the endzone for a 66 yard score.
4. The first Heisman trophy-worthy performance of the season may have come from LSU running back Leonard Fournette. In a 45-21 victory over SEC rival Auburn, the sophomore ran for 228 yards, three touchdowns on only 19 carries.
The single game performance now ranks sixth in LSU history.
Fournette said he was fueled by a comment made before the game by Auburn defensive back Rudy Ford, who basically said he didn’t think it would be a difficult challenge in stopping Fournette. Ford may be rethinking those words today.
5. In Iowa, the Hawkeyes are in the midst of a trying to compete with Ohio State and Michigan State for the Big 10 Championship. However, no matter how the season ends, they will be hard-pressed to witness a moment as inspirational as the one that took place Saturday before their home game against Pittsburgh.
In 2011, the Hawkeyes’ Brett Greenwood suffered a cardiac arrest. He spent 27 days in a medically induced coma because of the lack of oxygen to his brain. At the time, the prognosis was that he would never have a normal life again.
Four years later, with the help of former Hawkeyes Pat Angerer, strength coach Chris Doyle and a pair crutches, Greenwood walked out of the Iowa tunnel leading the team out onto the field.