My oh my oh my, what a weekend of football we just had.
Such that I feel compelled to weigh in on my favorite moments.
Other than again on my U of L Cardinals’ 48-16 trouncectomy of visiting Florida State. About which I’ve already posted, and which you can read here.
Now on to the other curiosities. Some even significant.
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I feel compelled to ponder, because my mind swirls about like that, whether Devyn Ford and Todd Gurley II have had any contact in the last day or so?
To cry on each other’s shoulder.
‘Cause they got something in common. And it ain’t good.
As in they both scored a late TD, both of which ill-advised ventures into paydirt cost their teams victories.
On Saturday in Bloomington, with Penn State up 1, and only needing to run out the clock in the Red Zone, Nittany Lion Devyn Ford, when the Hoosiers adroitly allowed the seas to part, scored before realizing his gaffe with 1:42 to play, increasing the visitor’s advantage to a still reachable 28-20.
Wunderkind Michael Penix Jr. led the Crimson & Cream down the field, scoring both the TD, and the tying two point conversion with :22 on the clock.
Everyone paying attention to the first weekend of B10 action knows what happened in OT. Because the replay has been on SportsCenter tape loop since.
Franklin’s Follies scored first, hit the conversion for a 7 point lead.
Tom Allen’s increasingly germane Hoosiers countered on a toss from Penix Jr. to the zestily named Whop Puryear for six.
Penix Jr. dove for the pylon for the game winning deuce.
He either actually made it or he didn’t.
He was called in.
During the review, I kept thinking, they can’t take this W away administratively.
And they didn’t.
“The call on the field stands.”
Which improbably set up the B10’s only matchup between undefeateds in the league’s second week of play.
Between the Hoosiers and, ahem, Rutgers.
If you’d have had that as a prop bet before play, you’d have already called your boss, and advised, “I’m outta here.”
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Meanwhile on Sunday, my Detroit Lions stood over Todd Gurley II, and literally cheered as he accepted Motor City’s invite to score and crossed the plane. After a two point conversion, Atlanta had a six point advantage.
The Lions had no timeouts, but a “plenty of time” 1:04 to score. Which under the often masterful comebacktiveness of QB Matthew Stafford is exactly what the Silver & Blue did. On an 11 yard strike at the buzzer to T.J. Hockinson. Conversion split the proverbial uprights.
Which turned the Lions flight back to Motown a significantly more joyous affair than the Nittany Lions’ trip back to State College.
For the exact same reason.
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Meanwhile, a moment of commiseration for Rice place kicker Collin Riccitelli.
In the Owls first battle of season, an L to woeful Middle Tennessee, Riccitelli went doink-doink-doink-doink on a FG attempt from 45 yards out.
Literally.
His kick hit the right stanchion, then caromed off the crossbar, hitting the left upright, and then bouncing off the crossbar again, before falling short.
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Not to be confused with Tampa Bay hurler of the same name, there’s a Nick Anderson who plays football in the secondary for Wake Forest.
He is a true freshman. He is a walk on.
And he intercepted, count ’em, one, two, three Virginia Tech passes in the Demon Deacons upset.
Hokie Pokie.
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And, with some sad — but not too sad news — I end with this.
Louisville Cardinal Pigskin Super Fan Red Ruffansore’s monumental consecutive home game streak ended on Saturday.
Torn meniscus.
His intention is to start a new streak this Saturday when Virginia Tech comes calling.
— c d kaplan