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Cal coach Justin Wilcox used the referee’s microphone to implore fans to stop throwing cards onto the field as the Bears were assessed 15-yard penalties. Just another night of ACC After Dark.
Manning’s moment
Texas replacement for 5 TDs
Texas’ Quinn Ewers, considered the best quarterback in the country this season, left the Longhorns’ 56-7 win over UTSA in the second quarter with an abdominal strain. After the game, coach Steve Sarkisian said the injury was not caused by physical contact and the severity of the injury “remains to be seen.”
Ewers’ absence opened the door for backup Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie, to record his first significant playing time for Texas. His final stat line: 9 of 12 for 223 yards, four TDs, plus three runs for 53 yards and a score. I asked The athleteSam Khan’s Texpert analyses the 19-year-old’s performance for us today:
“He showed all the traits that made him such a coveted recruit. He was precise, decisive, showed his arm strength and his athleticism.
“His 67-yard touchdown run on his third play of the game showed how athletic he is. ‘I think he inherited his grandfather’s athleticism, I don’t know if he inherited his uncle’s,'” coach Steve Sarkisian joked.
“But his talent on the arm was also evident. His final touchdown pass to Johntay Cook was perfectly placed in the back corner of the end zone. Earlier in the drive, he ran left and threw a beautiful pass to rookie Ryan Wingo.
“Most importantly, Manning seemed relaxed, which is encouraging considering how little playing time he has had since arriving. This was just his fourth career appearance and only his second with more than two game series. If Ewers is out and the Longhorns have to start with Manning, it looks like they are in good hands.” – Khan
SEC Heartbreaker
The surprises that could have been
The underdogs made convincing arguments, but did not quite manage to achieve the big victory.
💔 Kentucky loses 13-12 to No. 1 Georgia. There’s just something special about Georgia and Kentucky’s Kroger Field. Two years after a narrow 16-6 win and four years after a 14-3 victory, the No. 1 Bulldogs were tested again in Lexington. Kentucky led 6-3 at halftime and held the Bulldogs without a touchdown for three quarters. But Kirby Smart’s team did just enough in the second half to win, even if it was Georgia’s lowest-scoring performance since Sept. 4, 2021, against Clemson. Kentucky hasn’t scored a touchdown for two weeks in a row (but, to be clear, no one has reached the end zone against Georgia this season).
💔 South Carolina had a prime chance to beat No. 16 LSU, but lost 36-33. The Gamecocks built an early 17-0 lead, but as LSU closed the gap, two South Carolina pick sixes were called back for penalties, giving the Tigers even more opportunities. The Gamecocks attempted a 49-yard field goal as time expired, but the kick went just wide left. LSU made many mistakes, but South Carolina could not hold onto its lead and take the early conference win, even though the Tigers looked extremely vulnerable.
Week 3 Trends
FSU continues to fall, Texas A&M rises
📉 If you haven’t checked it yet, Florida State, which started this season ranked No. 10 in the country, has still not won. The Seminoles lost 20-12 to Memphis (where Mike Norvell was head coach from 2016-19 before being poached for Tallahassee) and fell to 0-3. At one point, QB DJ Uiagalelei completed 5 of 5 passes for 7 yards. It was another embarrassing performance that begs the question: How can a team win 13 games one year and become an absolute disaster the next?
📈 Texas A&M defeats Florida 33-20 in a game that felt much more one-sided. It was the Aggies’ first real road win since October 16, 2021, and that was with backup QB Marcel Reed (starter Conner Weigman was out with a shoulder injury). In the meantime, it seems like Florida coach Billy Napier’s chair is getting hotter and hotter.
📉 Wisconsin has been trending in this direction for some timebut a 42-10 rout of No. 4 Alabama – the Badgers’ worst home loss in 16 years – showed how far Luke Fickell’s program is from success. Wisconsin QB Tyler Van Dyke left the game with a right knee injury, but the Badgers’ problems run far deeper than their quarterbacks. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide cemented its position as the College Football Playoff frontrunner. Next up? No. 1 Georgia.
📈 No. 18 Notre Dame recovers from last week’s shocking loss to Northern Illinois with a 66-7 victory at Purdue. It was the Fighting Irish’s biggest win since 1996. Both QB Riley Leonard and RB Jeremiyah Love rushed for 100 yards. (In case you’re curious about Northern Illinois, the Huskies didn’t play.)
Enjoying the early rivalry
Backyard Brawl creates a great atmosphere
Yesterday, some West Coast rivalries were in play (No. 12 Utah caught up and beat Utah State 38-21 and Colorado beat Colorado State 28-9). And as for the Pac-12 rematch…
- No. 9 Oregon woke up with its 49-14 victory over Oregon State. The Ducks were outstanding in the second half, winning 330-89 and outscoring the Beavs 27-0. Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel completed 20 of 24 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown. Special points go to the uniform duel in this game – it was tight. And while Oregon State’s future looks clearer after the Pac-12 expansion, the future of this Civil War rivalry remains uncertain.
- Washington State won the Apple Cup 24-19 against Washington. WSU quarterback John Mateer threw for 245 yards and a touchdown and led the Cougars on the ground with 16 carries for 62 yards and two more touchdowns. The Cougars cemented the victory on neutral ground at the Seahawks’ stadium with a late goal-line stand.
But it was a rivalry in the East that stole the show:
- The Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pitt proved to be one of the most exciting games yesterday. The Panthers won 38-34, their second straight comeback victory. The Mountaineers’ Justin Robinson caught a highlight-worthy one-handed touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Pitt scored two touchdowns in the final 3:06. Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi made his thoughts on the refereeing clear: “We beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl and beat the referees in the same game,” he said. Narduzzi’s Panthers got 12 penalties for 112 yards, while WVU got seven for 67 yards.
Quick snapshots
A whooping cough outbreak in Portland State caused the Vikings to postpone their game against South Dakota.
Nebraska is 3-0 for the first time since 2016, with Big Ten play coming up. The Huskers avoided a misstep yesterday in a 34-3 win over Northern Iowa.
What did we learn about the College Football Playoff Race in Week 3? The SEC could dominate the field this year… and one of their teams is still massively underrated.
To read Stewart Mandel’s final thoughts from week 3 here.
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(Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images)
