Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter. Read his latest rankings here.
This year’s college football calendar delivers fourteen weeks between Labor Day and Thanksgiving weekend, meaning schools will get two byes (Navy and Army each have three because their showdown is outside the main calendar while the same is the case for schools who play on “Week Zero”).
Seven Top 25 schools along with Navy and James Madison took the weekend off, and while many eyes were on Charlottesville and Norfolk, more than a few ears were dealing with the aftermath of a near-upset in Lexington.
At night, the AM radio waves get a much bigger bounce (it’s what allows 1500 AM incredible reach) and on my way home from Maryland-Virginia after midnight I was able to pick up WHAS 840 AM from Louisville, Kentucky, and hear the University of Kentucky post-game call-in show for about an hour.
The Wildcats are not a school known for football, to put things mildly. They infamously went 40 years (1978-2017) without posting a winning SEC record, and this century have recorded as many winless as winning conference marks.
But on Saturday, Kentucky had No. 1 Georgia on the ropes only to have the slingshot misfire down the stretch in a 13-12 loss. To hear the hosts lament UK coming so close to a historic victory yet being unable to finish the deal (while taking more than a few entertaining callers) drew me out of my car on U.S. Route 29 and plopped me smack in the middle of the Bluegrass State. The local FBS schools are still all in position to enjoy special seasons. How will they meet their moment?
Maryland (2-1) and Virginia (2-1) met in Charlottesville for the first time since 2012, and things began auspiciously when cornerback Jalen Huskey almost ran into the Cavaliers’ mascot horse Sabre. What started out as a defensive duel (each team was held out of the end zone until their final possession of the first half) turned into Terp takedown in the second half as Maryland outscored Virginia 20-0 on their way to a 27-13 victory that gave Coach Mike Locksley’s team the necessary answers while providing Coach Tony Elliott’s team with plenty of questions. One hopes this matchup will become a September signature of the schedule down the road.
Terrapin Triumphs: Billy Edwards Jr. threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns while running for the Terps’ other score. Tai Felton tallied nine catches for 117 yards and a TD, becoming the first Maryland player to post three straight 100-yard receiving games to begin a season. The defense forced four takeaways and held the Cavaliers to 82 total yards in the second half.
Terrapin Troubles: Seven first half penalties-including three false starts on three separate third downs that torpedoed possessions. The defense coughed up passes of 33, 39 and 45 yards.
Next: Saturday at noon against 3-0 Villanova at SECU Stadium.
Cavalier Congrats: Anthony Colandrea threw for 196 yards in the first half, while Antonio Clary led the defense with 14 tackles. Will Bettridge made both of his field goal attempts while Daniel Sparks averaged 45.6 yards per punt.
Cavalier Concerns: Colandrea completed just 8-18 passes for 51 yards in the second half, as the offense was held in check (three 3 & outs plus two turnovers). And the first half saw multiple missed opportunities as UVa got inside the MD 15 three times in their first five possessions, only to post a pair of field goals and a lost fumble in that stretch.
Next: Saturday at 2 p.m. on the road against 3-0 Coastal Carolina.
Virginia Tech (2-1) visited its house of horrors as the Hokies entered Saturday 0-2 all time at Old Dominion. But the Hokies started strong by reaching the end zone on their first two possessions and after a mid-game hiccup found their second half groove with five scores in their first six drives after intermission. The 37-17 victory doesn’t wash away 2018 or 2022, but the win puts Coach Brent Pry’s team back on track.
Hokie Highlights: Kyron Drones rushed to 117 yards and a touchdown while Bhayshul Tuten ran for 115 yards and two scores. Antwaun Powell-Ryland posted four sacks as the defense held the Monarchs to 2-13 on third down. Only two penalties for 19 yards.
Hokie Humblings: special teams wasn’t completely that as a 33-yard field goal attempt was blocked. The defense allowed 243 yards rushing at 6.2 per attempt.
Next: Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against 2-0 Rutgers at home.
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