Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter. Read his ballots here.
Sometimes you can smell an upset loss from a mile away. Doesn’t a barometer let you know when a hurricane is on the horizon? Miami has been playing with fire all season, posting one-possession victories against everyone from Virginia Tech (38-34) to Cal (39-38) to Louisville (52-45).
Even in their Nov. 2 win over Duke, the Hurricanes trailed by double digits in the second half. One had a feeling Miami’s run of luck at the table would end at some point, and for the No. 4 team in the country, it did at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday despite another outstanding afternoon from Heisman Trophy favorite Cam Ward (348 yards and three touchdowns passing). And in a 17-team ACC, one loss can derail your championship game hopes as Miami is now chasing SMU and Clemson (the two schools will be favored in all four of their remaining conference games).
The Hurricanes weren’t the only downgraded team Saturday, as five other top 25 schools lost while two others (No. 9 BYU and No. 12 Boise State) escaped with one-possession wins. The biggest shuffle sends No. 3 Georgia back to a two-loss SEC pack that includes Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Can’t wait to break out the tiebreakers for that one in a few weeks.
Navy (7-2, 5-1 AAC) bounced back from consecutive losses by beginning with a bang at South Florida, reaching the end zone on their first two possessions while holding the Bulls to a three-and-out and an interception the first two times USF had the ball. The 28-7 win keeps the Midshipmen in contention for the AAC championship game.
Midshipman Medals: The running game tallied 321 yards on 5.4 per attempt, led by Eli Heidenreich’s 84 yards with a touchdown. Blake Horvath wasn’t spectacular (6-11 for 58 yards passing plus 56 rushing yards on 19 carries) but still recorded a touchdown pass and a scoring run. The defense held USF to 2.4 yards per carry with Luke Pirris posting a half sack in his nine tackles while Landon Robinson had 1.5 sacks on the day. Riley Riethman averaged 48 yards per punt.
Midshipman Miscues: Tough to find fault in a three-touchdown win after how the last two weeks panned out, but scoring just one touchdown after halftime is not ideal. Especially with the final three foes on their schedule averaging over 30 points per game (with one averaging 41 per contest).
Next: Saturday, Nov. 16 at noon against 8-2 Tulane on ESPN2. I look forward to being there.
Virginia Tech (5-5, 3-3 ACC) started strong against No. 19 Clemson, holding the Tigers off the scoreboard in the first half. They also took a 7-0 lead at intermission thanks to the return of a blocked field goal attempt. But the visitors would reach the end zone on three of their first four second-half possessions, leaving Blacksburg with a 24-14 win that keeps their ACC championship game hopes alive and keeps head coach Brent Pry’s team one win shy of bowl eligibility.
Hokie Highlights: Keonta Jenkins led an inspired effort on defense with seven tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss and two passes defended. The offense despite all of its issues allowed just one sack. And we saw a BEAMER BALL! flashback with Quentin Reddish’s return of the blocked field goal for the game’s first touchdown.
Hokie Humblings: The offense converted just 2-14 third downs. They had problems running (40 yards on 21 carries) and passing (under 50% completion rate) while also turning the ball over three times. The defense bent in the first half but broke after intermission, allowing touchdown passes of 29 and 41 yards.
Next: Saturday, Nov. 23 at 7-3 Duke. It’s football so the Blue Devils won’t get all the calls.
James Madison (7-2, 3-2 Sun Belt) scored the first three times they had the ball against Georgia State, cruising to a 38-7 victory over the Panthers. Home cooking has been helpful for the Dukes this fall as they improved to 5-0 at Bridgeforth Stadium (they’re the only SBC team still unbeaten at home this season).
Duke Do’s: Alonza Barnett completes 67% of his passes while throwing for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Wayne Knight (HELLO, NEWMAN) runs for a score while making a touchdown catch. George Pettaway rushed for 95 yards while the running game averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Eric O’Neill tallied two of JMU’s four sacks while the defense held Georgia State to 4-14 on third down.
Duke Don’ts: You know it’s been a good day when a blocked 53-yard field goal attempt while up 31 and averaging under 40 yards per punt makes its way here.
Next: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. on the road against 4-6 Old Dominion on ESPNU.
Maryland (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) went west with dreams of going toe to toe with the nation’s top-ranked team, driving to the Ducks’ 14-yard line on their first possession before settling for a field goal. Unfortunately, Oregon would answer with a 14-play, 92-yard march later in the quarter and take a double-digit lead thanks to a return of a Billy Edwards Jr. fumble on the ensuing drive. The Terps never led again in a 39-18 loss that sent them back east for consecutive home games.
Terrapin Triumphs: Tai Felton caught seven passes for 72 yards. Jalen Huskey tallied a team-high 10 tackles as the defense held the Big Ten’s top team on third down (53% entering the day) to 6-15 on the money down.
Terrapin Troubles: The offense had problems running the ball (55 yards on 20 carries from their running backs) and was held to 6-19 on third down. Billy Edwards Jr. lost a fumble and threw two interceptions, and those three turnovers led to 17 points for the Ducks. The defense once again allowed the opponent to score on their final first-half possession.
Next: Saturday, Nov. 16 against 5-4 Rutgers on the Big Ten Network. The 6 p.m. kickoff allows me to attempt a double play as Navy faces Tulane at noon forty minutes away (traffic permitting).
Virginia (5-4, 3-3 ACC) once again got a bounce off their bye, improving to 4-0 after weeks off under head coach Tony Elliott by shocking No. 23 Pitt 24-19. The Panthers had their path to the ACC championship game in their hands two weeks ago but now find themselves in a growing middle class of the conference (one game separates fourth from ninth place). And the Cavaliers move within one victory of bowl eligibility.
Cavaliers Congrats: Xavier Brown ran for 68 yards and a touchdown while making two catches for 28 yards and a score. The defense tallied two second-half interceptions: Jonas Sanker’s interception led to their final touchdown of the night and Corey Thomas’ pick sealed the victory. Sanker also blocked a field-goal attempt that led to a Virginia touchdown.
Cavalier Concerns: The offense moved the chains on just 4-14 third downs, while Anthony Colandrea threw two interceptions for the second straight game and the fourth time this season.
Next: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 3:30 p.m. against No. 10 Notre Dame in South Bend on NBC.
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