Looking back on last weekend in college football

by Gary Shelton on October 18, 2018 · 0 comments

in College Sports in Florida, Florida State University, general, University of Florida, USF

Feleipe Franks has been more efficient for Florida./STEVEN MUNCIE

Thursday, 3 a.m.

5 Observations

1. When USF has the ball, I think of the possibilities. I think of the weapons. I think in a hurry, because the Bulls may soon be kicking the extra point. But when USF's opponent has the ball, I wonder if this team can avoid losing three times this year.

2. Give credit to Dan Mullen for the job he has done in the middle of the stream. The Gators who lost to Kentucky weren't very good. But since then, they've been impressive. A nice first step.

3. By the way, when did Florida pass FSU?

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4. Every now and then, Miami shouts to the world that, no, it isn't back. Sometimes, it's on its back. The Hurricanes will not succeed until they have a quarterback.

5. UCF seems to be taking advantage of voters who can't remember that they've played a weak schedule. It's not their fault, but yeah, it should count in a person's vote.

They Said It

(On college football's upsets): "It's tough each and every week. You gotta come ready to play, but I think that's what makes college football so fun and exciting because you can't take a week off. Everybody is good now and the parity of college football is a lot closer than what it used to be, which makes the game great. You just gotta come ready to play. You gotta be on your A game I think is really important. I think you see the teams that's winning a lot, the teams that are winning championships, they play to a certain standard every week no matter who they're playing. And I think that's what we all aspire for our football teams to be. You have a standard in the way you play, so you don't play up or down to your opponents. That's what championship football teams do."

-- FSU coach Willie Taggart

(On entitlement): “The guys that come to Florida, come to Florida and they’re putting on that Gator uniform, they think that entitles them to play in and win big games just because of what’s happened before them. I think one of the things that’s changed with this team right now is they’re learning as a team how to come together and how hard you have to work and the things you need to do to be successful out there on the field. I think it started when we first got here through the offseason and they saw their physical growth and conditioning growth. Once the season started, they’ve bought into working and practicing harder every single week. All of a sudden they noticed they started playing better. Hey, when the guys start to believe that this team approach, how we’re doing things, this program, we’re going to be successful. You’re going to find a way to win these tough games.”

-- Florida coach Dan Mullen

(On soul-searching): “I think everybody’s got to do that and make sure that whatever responsibility they’re in charge of that they’re doing the very best they can. ...And then if things gotta be changed, change them. If things just gotta get done better, then set it up where you can get better at it.’’

-- Miami coach Mark Richt

(On looking ahead): "You can't worry about their record. This is a conference game, and you're always gonna get your opponent's best. So the thing we've got to do is put together our best. We need to get out, we need to start fast, we need to play well, we need to play with great fundamentals and technique. We've just got to get started and get going."

-- USF coach Charlie Strong

Player of the Week

He didn't score a touchdown. He didn't have 100 yards receiving. All Tyre McCants did was win the game for USF.

McCants caught a 37-yard pass in the dying seconds Saturday night, allowing the Bulls to kick a game-winning field goal. For the night, McCants caught eight balls for 91 yards.

He is a bowling ball of a wide receiver, a thick, fullback-looking wideout. but he is perhaps the most dependable  player on USF. '

Team of the Week

Yes, LSU lost to Florida. But the Tigers have three big wins -- over Miami, over Auburn and over Georgia -- to get to the outskirts of the national title discussion. Their thumping of a previously unbeaten Georgia team assured that.

LSU plays a tough schedule. They still have Mississippi State, Alabama and Texas A&M to go. But they've played their way into a chance.

5 Computer Ratings

Team         Colley.   Billingsley    Sagarin  A&H    Wolfe

Florida         9               7                   12         6             6

UCF            12              13                  31         14           14

USF             17              28                 63        16           17

Miami        35              39                 21         22         39

FSU            74              57                 59          80        71

FAU           82              65                 95          74         80

FIU            65               80               101         81         66

5 Leading Passers (Florida)

11. McKenzie Milton, UCF               299.5

30. Blake Barnett, USF                     257.5

37. Deondre Francois, FSU             251.0

43. Chris Robison, FAU                  236.0

49. James Morgan, FIU                  228.0

5 Leading Rushers (Florida)

3. Jordan Cronkrite, USF                151.4

16. Devin Singletary, FAU               104.5

54. Travis Homer, Miami                 75.6

90. Adrian Killins, UCF                    64.2

106. Cam Akers, FSU                        60.3

5 Leading Receivers (Florida)

35. Jovon Durante, FAU.    82.8

37. Gabriel Davis, UCF        83.2

57. C.J. Worton, FIU            76.5

83. Darnell Salomon, USF  65.8

90. Tyre McCants, USF       64.3

5 Leading Sackers

5. Jachai Polite, Florida           7

9. Brian Burns, FSU                5

46. Jonathan Garvin, Miami. 4

46.  Josh Black, USF                4

36. Joe Jackson, Miami             4

Bowl Projections (USA Today)

USF-FIU                        Gasparilla Bowl

FAU-Toledo                  Bahamas Bowl

Miami-Auburn              Music City Bowl

FSU-Arizona State       Sun Bowl

UCF-LSU                       Peach Bowl

Florida-Washington     Fiesta Bowl

Skins

(Games Won by Teams Beaten)

Florida   21

USF        15

UCF        14

Miami     12

FSU           9

FAU           7

FIU            7

Best-Ever Miami Hurricanes

(One of a Series)

1. Jerome Brown

2. Warren Sapp

3. Vinny Testaverde

4. Ed Reed

5. Ted Hendricks

Random List

Former Champions Who Will Never Win It Again

1. Princeton

2. Yale

3. Colgate

4. Detroit

5. Minnesota

Florida Schedule

Wake Forest at FSU

UConn at USF

UCF at East Carolina

FAU at Marshall

Rice at FIU

National Games of Note

Michigan at Michigan State

Alabama at Tennessee

Mississippi State at LSU

N.C. State at Clemson

Cincinnati at Temple

5 Closing Thoughts

1. It says here that Scott Frost plays in a major bowl before Chip Kelly. We're talking about the 18th of never against the 12th of never.

2. UConn has yet to hold one of this year's opponents to less than 49 points. You think that will be enough to win for USF?

3. Yes, they're unbeaten. No, N.C. State doesn't have a chance against Clemson.

4. The last time I used this analogy, Robert Conrad himself called me to complain. But I think that USF is stuck in an episode of the Wild, Wild West where the star was always in danger at the commercial break.

5. At this very minute, Lane Kiffin is scouting a day-care center.

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