Winners and Losers from Week 6 of College Soccer
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Texas A&M upset FloridaSam Craft/Associated Press
A general thread all the contrivance in which via Week 6 of the college soccer season has been the amount four.
AP No. 4 Florida suffered its first lack of the season in opposition to Texas A&M.
It took four overtimes to crown a winner within the most standard model of the Pink River Rivalry.
And despite coming into the afternoon with zero touchdown passes in his college career, Missouri quarterback Connor Bazelak torched LSU’s secondary for four touchdowns in a marvelous upset—winning by four capabilities, no less.
Alabama running help Najee Harris did no longer get the memo, though. He scored five touchdowns in opposition to the helpless Ole Whisk over defense.
Listed below are the winners and losers from Week 6 of the college soccer season.
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Mizzou QB Connor BazelakAssociated Press
After two weeks, it regarded admire Missouri changed into caught between a rock and a demanding space at quarterback.
TCU switch Shawn Robinson began every of the main two video games in opposition to Alabama and Tennessee, but all he had to impart for it changed into a garbage-time, damaged-coverage touchdown in opposition to the Crimson Tide. But redshirt freshman Connor Bazelak wasn’t any greater in reduction of Robinson with one interception and no touchdowns in 35 attempts.
Going via the reigning nationwide champions this week, Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz decided to let Bazelak originate the main start of his college career.
Suffice it to speak, it can well possibly no longer be his final.
Despite going via a secondary with elite abilities Derek Stingley Jr. and JaCoby Stevens, Bazelak darn near had as many touchdowns as incompletions. He finished 29 of 34 passes for 406 yards and 4 touchdowns with out a interceptions in Missouri’s 45-41 upset of No. 17 LSU.
Reasonably a total lot of it changed into effortless. On the 41-yard touchdown strike to Micah Wilson within the third quarter, there wasn’t an LSU defender within 15 yards of the receiver. Similar goes for the 69-yard pass to Probability Luper to region up the sport-winning touchdown midway via the fourth quarter.
Bazelak changed into impressive all the contrivance in which via, but goodness, that LSU defense is a hot mess. The Bayou Bengals legitimately may well give up 60 capabilities in opposition to Florida subsequent week.
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Florida QB Kyle TraskSam Craft/Associated Press
When the SEC made the choice to play a 10-recreation agenda—adding two more irascible-divisional video games to the customary eight-recreation slate—there changed into no assign a question to that Florida changed into the contender that drew the short stop of the stick.
Alabama added video games in opposition to Missouri and Kentucky. LSU picked up Vanderbilt and Missouri. (That Missouri recreation ended up being approach more of a speak than any individual expected.) Georgia added Arkansas and Mississippi Squawk. Auburn obtained a dwelling recreation in opposition to Tennessee and a avenue recreation in opposition to South Carolina. For all four, that sounded admire two more wins.
But one of Florida’s two “bonus” video games changed into this week’s avenue recreation in opposition to Texas A&M.
The Aggies obtained out to a rough start, barely beating Vanderbilt sooner than getting smoked by Alabama. Outdated to the season began, though, it changed into a projected loss for Florida. And on a day when defense changed into mutually elective, Texas A&M changed into in a predicament to present protection to dwelling field.
Gators Heisman candidate quarterback Kyle Trask had one other swish day, throwing for 312 yards and 4 touchdowns. On every of Florida’s first four possessions, he led the offense on a touchdown power of a minimum of 75 yards.
Awful defense changed into an ominous cloud placing over Florida’s impressive start to the season, though, and it changed into more than the offense may well possibly overcome this week. A&M’s Isaiah Spiller rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns, but it changed into Kellen Mond’s third-down conversions that broke Florida’s help time and again.
The Aggies had been 12-of-15 on third down (and converted their finest fourth-down strive), and the dagger changed into Mond finding Creep Lane for a 16-yard get on third-and-8 with lower than a minute final in a tied recreation. The Aggies had been on the Florida 35, so an incomplete pass would maintain meant a 53-yard field-goal strive for Seth Miniature, whose career prolonged is 52 yards. As one more, they converted and had been in a predicament to rob 41-38 on a chip shot a couple of plays later.
Florida may well possibly peaceable fully originate the College Soccer Playoff if it wins out, but with this defense, that appears to be like to be no longer going.
And on that subject, possibly the Aggies maintain a playoff pulse again? Toll road video games in opposition to Tennessee (Nov. 14) and Auburn (Dec. 5) will be predominant challenges, but it can well be demanding to argue with a team that goes 9-1 with a avenue loss to Alabama. Live tuned on that entrance, but a minimum of Texas A&M’s offense finally confirmed up this week.
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Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press
The buildup to the Pink River Rivalry felt the rest but standard. Even seven months into a lethal disease, there changed into factual one thing surreal referring to the considered Texas and Oklahoma squaring off with a mixed file of three-3 in entrance of fewer than 25,000 followers on the Cotton Bowl.
The recreation itself, though, delivered with its customary dose of total and speak chaos.
Texas fumbled on its 2nd snap of the sport. After taking a 10-0 lead, Oklahoma turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions. Then the Sooners blocked a punt to region up a short touchdown.
And that changed into factual within the main 21 minutes.
A 17-17 halftime tie changed into a 31-17 lead for Oklahoma after the in general-fleet-strike Sooners assign together an uncharacteristic 17-play, 87-yard, eight-minute touchdown power. Oklahoma peaceable led 31-17 when Woodi Washington picked off Sam Ehlinger within the tip zone with five minutes final.
A newbie to this rivalry can also wish changed the channel, thinking the sport performed. But all of us know this recreation is by no manner over till it be over.
Texas obtained the ball help lower than 30 seconds later and scored in a traipse. After forcing one other three-and-out, Ehlinger and Co. regained possession on their very enjoy 26 with lower than two minutes and no timeouts final. No problemo. Ehlinger ran and threw and ran his approach down the field for the sport-tying bag to pressure beyond regular time.
Or must peaceable I instruct overtimes, because they had been factual getting warmed up.
Ehlinger and Spencer Rattler—who spent many of the 2nd quarter on the bench after a disappointing start—every led touchdown drives in every of the main two overtimes, followed by Cameron Dicker and Gabe Brkic every lacking a field goal within the third beyond regular time.
Rattler linked with Drake Stoops for a 25-yard touchdown in beyond regular time No. 4, and then Tre Brown intercepted an Ehlinger pass into the tip zone to finally stop the sport after virtually five hours.
Ehlinger ended up with a Lamar Jackson-admire stat line of 287 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 112 speeding yards and 4 speeding touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough.
Both the Longhorns and the Sooners are truly sitting at 2-2. Will both one play for the Gargantuan 12 title?
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Georgia Tech QB Jeff SimsDanny Karnik/Associated Press
Houston’s 2020 college soccer season finally obtained underway Thursday evening, and that first quarter changed into some form of gruesome for the Cougars.
On their opening possession, they went for it on 4th-and-4 in Tulane territory and threw a fetch-six. They did bag a touchdown on their 2nd power, however the third one resulted in one other defensive touchdown when Clayton Tune obtained strip-sacked and the fumble changed into recovered within the tip zone. Houston then went three-and-out on its fourth possession and misplaced but one other fumble on the fifth power.
After Tulane marched down the field for one other touchdown, Houston changed into down 24-7 with three turnovers lower than 17 minutes into the sport.
Things changed enormously from there, though. Houston scored touchdowns on six of its subsequent eight possessions, including a kickoff returned 97 yards for a touchdown after the finest time Tulane changed into in a predicament to bag at some stage in that 30-minute stretch. The Cougars turned a 24-7 deficit into a 49-31 victory.
The Friday evening recreation between Louisville and Georgia Tech followed a similar script, rather then Louisville’s early touchdowns had been the made of nice drives relatively than turnovers returned for capabilities. Cardinals quarterback Malik Cunningham had a speeding touchdown and two passing touchdowns within the main half of as Louisville opened up a 21-7 lead with lower than two minutes final within the 2nd quarter.
Then, Georgia Tech’s offense came to lifestyles.
The Yellow Jackets went 75 yards in four plays to originate it a one-bag recreation sooner than halftime. And after going three-and-out to begin the third quarter, they scored touchdowns on five of their subsequent six possessions. Meanwhile, Louisville may well possibly no longer get the rest going and shot itself within the foot with a pair of 2nd-half of fumbles. After trailing 21-7, Georgia Tech went on a 39-6 traipse for a 46-27 victory.
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North Carolina RB Michael CarterGerry Broome/Associated Press
Maybe the ideal cause I cherished North Carolina as a fringe CFP contender within the preseason changed into the return of running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams. Every half of of that dynamic backfield duo had a minimum of 1,100 yards from scrimmage in 2019.
Even in an abridged season, it appears to be like to be to be like admire they may well every get there again this year after stomping a mudhole via Virginia Tech’s entrance seven.
Williams rushed for 169 yards and two scores and added three receptions for 55 yards. He is now at 416 yards and 7 touchdowns via three video games.
And he wasn’t even UNC’s finest running help this day.
Carter racked up 214 speeding yards and two touchdowns, plus a 15-yard reception. He is now at 494 yards from scrimmage on the year.
Quarterback Sam Howell had a swish day, as smartly, throwing for 257 yards and three touchdowns with factual five incompletions. He paced the Tar Heels to touchdowns on every of their first three possessions, and so that they by no manner regarded help from that 21-0 wait on.
Virginia Tech briefly clawed help to within one bag on the tip of the third quarter, but that lethal Tar Heels offense went 15-yard pass, 18-yard traipse, 23-yard traipse and 12-yard pass on four consecutive plays to sustain the Hokies at bay in what changed into finally a 56-45 victory.
North Carolina is now 3-0, and it be demanding to study a loss coming any time quickly. The next five video games are in opposition to Florida Squawk, North Carolina Squawk, Virginia, Duke and Wake Forest. Defend speeding admire they did in opposition to Virginia Tech, and the Tar Heels are going to annihilate all of those groups.
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Tennessee QB Jarrett GuarantanoJohn Bazemore/Associated Press
No. 14 Tennessee may well possibly no longer maintain requested for a significantly greater first half of than the one it finished at No. 3 Georgia. On the 2nd play of the sport, a snap sailed over the head of Georgia QB Stetson Bennett and changed into recovered within the tip zone for a Volunteers touchdown. The offense did no longer get rolling till midway via the 2nd quarter, but they scored two more touchdowns and had a late goal-line stand to enter the intermission with a 21-17 wait on.
But that upset-minded team by no manner confirmed up within the 2nd half of.
Lower than a minute into the third quarter, Tennessee signal-caller Jarrett Guarantano changed into strip-sacked on third-and-prolonged, gifting Georgia the ball within the crimson zone.
The Bulldogs had been finest in a predicament to get a field goal out of it, but three plays into Tennessee’s subsequent power, Guarantano turned it but again via an interception. Again, Georgia finest managed to get three capabilities. On the opposite hand, there changed into no assign a question to that all of Tennessee’s first-half of momentum had stumbled on its approach into Georgia’s camp.
The Vols finally obtained a first down on their third possession of the half of, but then they at this time gave those yards away with a pair of false begins. Going via 2nd-and-10, they had been compelled to punt two plays later.
But a minimum of they obtained yards sooner than punting that time. Tennessee misplaced 17 yards sooner than punting on its subsequent power, including a sack-fumble that offensive lineman Cade Mays changed into factual barely in a predicament to get greater.
After the punt, Georgia marched down the field for a touchdown. Lather, rinse, repeat on the next power: three-and-out followed by a Bulldogs TD.
The cherry on top changed into Georgia linebacker Monty Rice sacking Guarantano, knocking the ball free, scooping it up and returning it for a touchdown.
Internal the main 20 minutes of the 2nd half of, Georgia scored 27 capabilities, and Tennessee had 9 yards of total offense. (Minus-six yards if you happen to’d admire to ingredient of their three false begins.) The Vols regarded admire a sound SEC East contender within the main half of, but that Georgia defense asserted its will within the 2nd half of and won this recreation by more than 20 capabilities (44-21) for the fourth consecutive year.
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Liberty’s Emanuel DabneyAssociated Press
Freshman Daniel Sparks took over as Louisiana-Monroe’s punter final week in opposition to Georgia Southern, and his 2nd Saturday on the job changed into an absolute nightmare.
The winless Warhawks had a total lot of trouble transferring the ball in opposition to undefeated Liberty, which meant there had been a total lot of punting eventualities.
The four within the main quarter weren’t too inappropriate. There changed into a 38-yard punt returned 38 yards by Demario Douglas, but every of the a total lot of three traveled a minimum of 44 yards with out a return.
On the fifth punt strive, though, Sparks fumbled within the tip zone, and it changed into recovered by Treon Sibley for a Liberty touchdown.
After going three-and-out to begin the 2nd half of, Sparks again had to punt from his enjoy stop zone. This time, in space of merely scooping up an effortless touchdown, Sibley blocked the punt, and it changed into recovered by Chancellor Smith for one other Liberty bag.
The next time he took the field, Sparks changed into a minimum of in a predicament to get the punt away. On the opposite hand, the punt coverage team changed into unable to acquire Douglas, who returned it 73 yards for one other touchdown.
All suggested, that’s three touchdowns for Liberty’s punt block/return unit, which had no longer previously scored on a punt since becoming a member of the FBS ranks in 2018.
The Flames will mosey to Syracuse subsequent weekend, taking a watch to toughen to five-0.
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Arkansas QB Feleipe FranksButch Dill/Associated Press
Arkansas can also very smartly be 1-2, but this team is a total heck of significantly greater in its first year under Sam Pittman than any individual changed into expecting.
Within the opener in opposition to Georgia, the Razorbacks had been up 10-5 midway via the third quarter sooner than the Bulldogs ran away with a blowout. The following week, Arkansas alarmed Mississippi Squawk, shutting down an offense that had picked LSU to shreds for more than 600 passing yards.
And this week, the Razorbacks must maintain overwhelmed Auburn.
Florida switch Feleipe Franks changed into huge for the Hogs, throwing for 318 yards and 4 touchdowns. Rather than for the three-play power on the tip of the 2nd quarter, there changed into one stretch the assign Arkansas scored on five consecutive possessions—four touchdowns and one field goal. But as a end result of a missed extra point and two failed two-point conversions, the Razorbacks finest obtained 28 capabilities out of those scores.
With lower than a minute final, though, that changed into enough.
They had been main 28-27 when Auburn QB Bo Nix tried to waste the clock. He fumbled the snap, picked it up and spiked it, which is a penalty.
It also must had been a fumble, because he spiked it backward.
And Arkansas had clearly recovered talked about fumble. But the replay first rate evidently did no longer stumble on it that approach. He allowed the Tigers to sustain possession with merely an intentional grounding penalty. Anders Carlson had shanked a 34-yard field-goal strive on Auburn’s previous possession, but he changed into in a predicament to seriously change on the 39-yard recreation-winning are attempting.
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Kentucky celebrates a fetch-six in opposition to Mississippi SquawkAssociated Press
Kentucky’s offense had a gruesome time attempting to switch the ball in opposition to Mississippi Squawk. Inaugurate air of a 51-yard Terry Wilson droop early within the 2nd quarter, the Wildcats did no longer maintain a single get of 20 or more yards. They managed factual 10 first downs and 157 total yards.
And so that they won by 22 capabilities.
That is because Mike Leach’s offense apparently aged up all of its magic within the season opener in opposition to LSU and changed into rendered fully incapable of placing capabilities on the board on this recreation.
K.J. Costello threw for 232 yards, but he averaged factual 4.2 yards per strive and threw four passes to the spoiled team. Backup quarterback Will Rogers came in and changed into even less effective, averaging 2.9 yards per strive with two picks.
As had been the case in Mississippi Squawk’s first two contests, the running recreation changed into nonexistent, too. The Bulldogs did a dinky greater than the 16 carries for 9 yards in opposition to LSU, but no longer by mighty. They’d factual 14 carries for 20 yards in opposition to Kentucky.
The finest capabilities Mississippi Squawk managed to assign on the board had been from a safety on a ball snapped about 10 toes over the head of punter Max Duffy.
Smartly, that’s no longer fully correct. Mississippi Squawk did assign capabilities on the board when Kentucky linebacker Jordan Wright scored on a fetch-six. And Costello practically gave Kentucky one other touchdown when Joshua Paschal returned an interception 76 yards to the 2-yard line, main to a TD one play later.
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Alabama head coach Slash Saban and DB Daniel WrightL.G. Patterson/Associated Press
Whereas Kentucky changed into placing together one of many finest defensive efforts we will stumble on this season, Alabama’s D changed into laying one of many ideal eggs in program historical past.
Alabama ended up winning by a two-touchdown margin, but it changed into by no manner gratified. It wasn’t till the final 200 seconds that the Crimson Tide finally led by a couple of scores, despite scoring on what felt admire every single offensive possession.
Except those final dinky while, every time Alabama scored, Ole Whisk over answered.
The Rebels scored 48 capabilities, obtained 647 yards and did no longer commit a single turnover. Thru the air, on the ground, it did no longer matter. They stumbled on holes all the contrivance in which via the field and turned factual the seventh team to ever bag a minimum of 48 capabilities in a recreation in opposition to Alabama, and factual the third to attain so within the past half of-century.
Credit ranking to accelerate coach Lane Kiffin and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby for a smartly-referred to as recreation, but a total lot of it changed into factual dreadful defense.
The first main crimson flag came early within the 2nd quarter. Ole Whisk over changed into going via third-and-27 near midfield and obtained 22 yards on a easy plot play to Jerrion Ealy. The Rebels then converted on 4th-and-5 when Alabama fully uncared for to protect the left side of the field, leaving Ealy huge start to originate an 18-yard reception out of the backfield.
There had been assorted demanding sequences, but that changed into the one the assign it in reality began to feel admire Ole Whisk over will be in a predicament to dangle round for as prolonged as it did. And if Alabama doesn’t shore up that defense in a traipse, it can well possibly be in a total lot of trouble subsequent week in opposition to Georgia. Attributable to Najee Harris isn’t any longer going in articulate to attain to Georgia what he did to Ole Whisk over.
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Alabama RB Najee HarrisRogelio V. Solis/Associated Press
It changed into a correct evening to be a running help.
Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams averaged virtually 10 yards per carry en path to 185 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-26 rob over Florida Squawk. Marshall’s Brenden Knox went over the century mark and scored three times whereas the Thundering Herd improved to a few of-0 with a rob over Western Kentucky.
But the ideal names had the ideal performances.
Clemson’s Travis Etienne carried the ball 17 times for 149 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-17 rob over Miami. Etienne also made eight receptions for 73 yards, ending the evening with more total yards from scrimmage (222) than the total Hurricanes offense (210). The 72-yard touchdown traipse changed into the main spotlight, showcasing his out-of-this-world explosiveness.
Even Etienne’s evening paled in comparability to what Najee Harris did, though.
Alabama’s star running help ran 23 times for 206 yards and five touchdowns in Alabama’s 63-48 victory. He turned factual the fourth player for the reason that start of the 2017 season to traipse for a minimum of 200 yards and five scores in a single recreation.
On over and over, he merely finished with out would-be tacklers with wonderful cuts and run. On others, he factual plowed via the Rebels who tried to carry him down.
Neither Etienne nor Harris entered the week as a top-five candidate to rob the Heisman, but they’re every unquestionably going to ingredient into that traipse transferring ahead.