Game 636: Late scores in two halves propel Penn State past Purdue in Big Ten openers

Posted on by

West Lafayette, IN – Last minute touchdowns in both halves by Penn State keyed their victory over Purdue in the Big Ten opener for both, 35-31.  With two seconds left in the first half, TE Brenton Strange shed two tacklers and rambled down the right sideline 67 yards to give Penn State a 21—10 advantage at halftime. Purdue fought back to take the lead into the final period.  However, with 57 seconds remaining in the game, Sean Clifford connected with RB Keyvone Lee on a nine-yard swing pass out of the back field to seal the Nittany Lion win.  The score capped an 80-yard drive. Purdue seemed to have the game well in hand holding Penn State to only 326 yards at that point with 2:29 left.

See-saw, See-saw

   The lead changed seven times during the game.  Purdue struck first with a 36-yard FG late in the first period when Mitchell Fineran split the uprights. The Lions roared back on their next possession early in the second after converting a fourth and two at the Boilermaker 29 for a first down.  At the 12, Clifford tossed his first of four TDs with a scoring strike to WR Mike Tinsley to lead by four.  Purdue, with the benefit of a targeting penalty by LB Carter Abdul who got ejected, drove 75 yards with RB King Doerue breaking through the left for a 3-yard TD.  Later in the half, Penn State advanced 57 yards with Clifford carrying the ball over with a two-yard plunge to lead once again, 14-10. 

Purdue RB King Doerue slips this tackle to score from the three.

   On the subsequent Purdue possession, Boilermaker RB TJ Sheffield coughed up the football and CB Joey Porter, Jr. recovered for the Lions at their 18.  A pass interference call put the Lions on their 33.  Many PSU fans in our section 101 called for James Franklin to sit on the lead and just go into halftime.  However, it seems like with all the attention Franklin calls to the talent he recruits, this is the time when he needs to show why he recruits such extraordinary talent.   Are they as good as he says they are?  Show us.  Clifford (20 for 37, 282 yards, four TDs, 1 INT) went to the air, hit Jordan along the right sideline, and instead of the four-point lead, Penn State led by seven going into the halftime. 

Sean Clifford (14) unleashes toward WR Parker Washington (3) during second period.

Great Tailgate at Purdue!

    With our good friend Mike Pirrello and his wife Amy from NJ whose daughter Julia just entered her senior year at Purdue, St. Laurie and I had a tremendous tailgating experience!  Along with Rick and Kristie Blount of the same NJ town whose son Matt also attends Purdue, they all came to West Lafayette to celebrate the opening game of their kids’ senior season at Purdue.  On a beautiful day, we were treated to a party in the back yard of Matt’s house shared with other friends located only a few blocks from Ross-Ade Stadium.  Mike and Rick worked over hot grills making some of our favorite NJ specialties like Taylor Ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches along with sausage, pepper, and onions on rolls.

     We all brought various samples of favorite Brews to go along with burgers and hot dogs while sharing many “Tales from the Tailgate”.   My Penn State cohorts from over the many years, John Massimilla (PSU grad, die-hard fan) and Dr. Wayne Hoover (fellow Juniatian, class of ’83) came up to root for Penn State from Chambersburg.  We all had a great time meeting and tailgating with the Purdue students and parents who all welcomed us there.  John brought some bourbon and we all appreciated being in the shade on a hot, sunny day.  We took several group photos to remember a very fantastic pre-game party! 

     Mike and Amy’s youngest daughter, Taylor, joined as well and the family would leave early Friday morning to go back for her to cheerlead for her high school team that night.   A senior, Taylor is considering going to a Big Ten school, but not sure where yet.  After the game, I suggested to her father that Collegefootballfan.com still has to go to game at Wisconsin. We hope he can steer her to Madison for another great tailgate to go along with a Fifth Quarter Celebration with Badger fans!

Collegefootballfan.com enjoyed tailgating with friends and fans from both Penn State and Purdue in West Lafayette. Our first Purdue game at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Boilermakers steam out of locker room

    Purdue’s offense came out firing to start the second half.  They drove 75 yards in 3:49 with Doerue running it over from the two this time to cut the lead.  PSU came in without Clifford on offense.  No one in 101 realized he sustained an injury on Jordan’s touchdown to end the second first half.  Nearby Lion fans voiced approval when frosh QB Drew Allar came into play behind center.  Penn State punted from the 49.  Clifford ran back on the field during a break in the next drive.  He came out to play again to mixed emotions among the Blue and White faithful.  Like Allar, his next series resulted in a punt. 

Next, the Boilermaker offense put together an 81-yard TD drive.   O’Connell (29 for 58, 356 yards, one TD) hooked up with Iowa transfer and former high school teammate Charlie Jones for a 17-yard scoring pass.  Heading into the fourth, Jones’s (12 receptions, 153 yards, one TD) catch put Purdue in front, 24-21.

Aidan O'Connell got good protection most of the game against Penn State
Purdue gave O’Connell good protection throughout most of the game.

See-saw, See-saw

     After exchanging punts, Penn State went back to work from their 45.  On a slant pattern over the middle, WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith hauled in a 29-yard pass from Clifford and spun off a tackler to bounce down the middle of the field.  PSU advanced ahead, 28-24.  After forcing a Purdue punt, the Lions looked to take control starting on their 36.  Boilermaker S Chris Jefferson dimmed Penn State’s spirits, however, when he intercepted Clifford’s overthrown pass to Tinsley and wove his way 72 yards back for a Purdue touchdown with 8:29 left in the game.  “Boilers Up” as Purdue fans say, 31-28.

    In what seemed like an eternity, the two teams went back and forth not scoring for most of the 8:29 remaining.  PSU started from their nine due to a penalty on the kick return and went three and out.  Next, Purdue punted from their 35 after being thrown back to a 4th and 30 due to penalties.  The Lions punted again 22 seconds later following three incompletes.   The Boilermakers earned a first down at their 41 on a pass to Jones. 

Following consecutive time-outs by both teams, Purdue TE Payne Durham seemed to make a successful diving catch deep in Penn State territory between two diving defenders.  After further review, however, the replay showed that the ball hit the ground and Durham never had full control.  Had his hand been under the nose of the football, the Boilermakers could control the clock and at least get a field goal to thwart any Penn State comeback attempt. Instead, another incompletion for Purdue, and the ensuing punt sailed through the end zone for a touchback.    

Penn State DBs halt Purdue ball carrier
Penn State CBs Kalen King (4) and Marquis Wilson (8) halt Purdue ball carrier in third period.

“Lions up”

   By this time, some taunting and finger-pointing started by a big, young Boilermaker student sitting in section 102 who probably imbibed too many “Boilermakers” before the game, started to enrage the AARP delegation of PSU fans just this side of our aisle.  Some fans nearby signaled to security, and a representative of the stadium force about the same age as the “delegation” came down and stood between to keep the peace.  If not, this Purdue fan would have probably incurred the wrath of a couple dozen, steaming, unhappy senior citizens in white Penn State t-shirts.  Would’ve been a spectacle to see for sure on post-game highlights. 

An iconic, “old school” fan of Penn State showed up at Purdue, but the young Purdue fan didn’t attempt to taunt him and his other three buddies toward the end of the game.

 Old dog, old tricks

  His next throw went to Lee who swung out behind the Boilermakers’ left side uncovered to grab Clifford’s lofted pass for the winning score.  The taunting, twenty-something was now nowhere to be seen. However, section 101 remained intact, but on edge, as Purdue started its possession from the 19.  A sigh of relief came from the Faithful as CB Johnny Dixon sacked O’Donnell for ten-yard loss back at the 21.  The Boilers got as far as the 36, but their engine sputtered as the clock hit all zeros.

PSU sack of O'Connell on last series.
Penn State CB Johnny Dixon take down Aidan O’Connell on last Purdue possession to end Boilermakers’ hopes.

Game in review

     Our Guest Game Analysts John and Wayne agreed that like most of section 101, that Penn State should be thankful to be leaving Ross-Ade Stadium with a win.  Disappointment still existed with the blocking of the Lion O-line and the running game in general.  The ground game netted only 98 yards, and the longest gain of the day went for only 12.  Expectations for blocking and running were much higher.

     Wayne noted that Joey Porter provided very tight coverage in the secondary.  He led the Lions in tackles with eight and had three pass breakups.  John remained concerned about the play-calling by the Lion coaching staff.  Until the end of the game, there seemed to be many questionable play calls and ill-timed execution.  Wayne remained positive though as he said, “Most coaches will tell you the biggest adjustment period in college ball comes between the first and second game.”   We agree.  Let’s see what direction Penn State will go in after this win over the Boilermakers who will also surely continue to improve after this one.

Nittany Lion mascot ponders why Penn State’s running game wasn’t what he had hoped for against Purdue.

     At some point during this post-game analysis, St. Laurie blurted out “we”.  I said nothing, but Wayne chimed in, “We?”  She who only attends only “if she has to” suddenly seemed to take interest as a fan of some team – Penn State, of course, in this case.  She had to admit she got caught up a little in the excitement of what she said was an “interesting game.”  Later, she asked me what games I think she is supposedly going to.  I chisel away at this question figuring the amount is already beyond her normal quota of three.  I have a few bribes in the works.

Next Up

Purdue takes on FCS Indiana State here at home again before traveling to Syracuse and returning home versus Florida Atlantic before entering Big Ten play. Penn State returns to Happy Valley to host the Ohio Bobcats of the Mid American next Saturday. This Saturday, Collegefootballfan.com currently heads to Tuscaloosa for our first visit there to see No. 1 Alabama entertain Utah State (1-0). We hope to be entertained as well!

Ed. – by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!” Read the stories of why my Wife of 33 years earned her title of “St. Laurie”.  This man’s proud story of a lifetime that continues now and…???

Purdue cheerleaders
Purdue cheerleaders remain optimistic against future Big Ten foes. They don’t have to play Ohio State, Michigan, nor Michigan State among the east division of the Big Ten.

Preseason preview with Justcollegfootball.net; Penn State – Purdue; Alabama-Utah State previews

Posted on by

Listen to our recent podcast with Stephen Hiegel of Justcollegfootball.net as we preview the upcoming 2022 season and discuss some Collegefootballfan.com history. To listen, click on the icon below (please fast forward four minutes. This is an unedited copy with four minutes of wasted set-up time. Thanks) :

Game 636 preview: Penn State at Purdue, 8 pm EST on Thursday, September 1

     Don’t be fooled.  Despite a long-term contract, James Franklin sits on a hot-seat at Penn State.  The Nittany Lions’ recent record of 11-11 fires up the pressure on him, not the fans waiting for results.  His efforts have to show improvements on the field of play this season.

     Purdue comes off a successful 9-4 season led by returning QB Aidan O’Connell. The 2nd Team All-Big Ten QB from a year ago threw for 3,712 yards and 28 TDs last season culminating in a 45-42 win we attended in last season’s Music City Bowl.  Some key Boilermaker receivers will likely be replaced by comparable talent. Their running game needs to step up to offer a more potent offensive attack. 

We ended 2021 seeing Purdue in an exciting win over Tennessee, 45-42, in the Music City Bowl. Our 2022 FBS slate begins with the Boilermakers hosting Penn State on the evening of Thursday, September 1.

    Defensive Coordinator Brad Lambert, now with Wake Forest, left an improved defense behind.  Two understudies, Ron English and Mark Hagen, resume his defensive 4-2-5 scheme.  The loss of DE George Karlaftis to the NFL draft needs to be shored up.  S Jalen Graham will be called on to lead the defensive charge as the primary tackler in this defense.

Penn State preview: The good, the bad, and a new season

   The Nittany Lions return sixth-year QB Sean Clifford.  Many see this as a detriment after last season’s performance, but Clifford played effectively against Iowa last season before suffering an injury while leading.  PSU lost that game.  Hobbled, he returned and didn’t perform up to speed in losses to Illinois and Ohio State. They also fell by four and three points to Michigan and Michigan State respectively. 

    Reviewing last season, Franklin noted he needed to strengthen his running game.  Five-star frosh RB Nick Singleton took up residence in Happy Valley last January. He will be called up on early to improve the struggling ground game.  WR Parker Washington steps up to replace current pro Jahan Dotson, and WR Mike Tinsley transferred in from a record-setting Western Kentucky passing game.

Defense and counter-defense 

  Like Purdue, PSU has a new defensive coordinator in Manny Diaz, successful as the same previously at Miami.  In addition to several returnees up front, two starters from 2020 out with injuries last season return.  DT PJ Mustipher and DE Adisa Isaac will be back.  The LB corps has only one starter returning, but Diaz moves starting Safety Jon Sutherland up to that spot this season.  The secondary will be the strength of this defense with S Ji’Ayar Brown (six INTs) and Joey Porter Jr. at CB.

    Purdue HC Jeff Brohm’s offense with O’Connell counters with WR Broc Thompson off a great performance in the Music City Bowl.  TE Payne Durham leads a strong group in that position that will give defenses fits.  The O-Line returns experience to lead returning top RB King Doerue (533 yards, two TDs) from a year ago.  Sampson James, OSU recruit and Indiana transfer, expects to bring some explosiveness to the Boilermakers’ running attack.

Penn State’s line will be reinforced this year by key returnees who were sidelined by injuries last season.

Pressure points

   Penn State needs to see some improvement up front to give Clifford time and to spring Singleton into the secondary.  Key battles this evening will be between the Purdue passing attack against a very good pass defense with more pressure coming up front this season.

   Speaking of pressure, pressure falls on Franklin mostly to get his program headed in the right direction right now.  He supposedly recruits the talent, but he needs to show how well he can make it all work together on the field.  He needs to do this now with improved play-calling for his experienced QB.  We expect his offense to be more balanced, and we expect Manny Diaz’s defense to be aggressive.  We anticipate that Penn State wins this game over Purdue by a TD at some point in the fourth quarter.

Hail Utah State! Could be surprising in 2022. They visit Alabama on this Saturday.

Game 637:  Utah State at Alabama preview, 7:30 pm EST on Saturday, September 3

     Alabama with its annual bevy of five-star recruits and returning Heisman candidate in QB Bryce Young on offense and LB Will Anderson Jr. on defense should overcome a pretty experienced 11-3 Utah State Aggie team from a year ago.  Utah State (1-0) did not want to expose much last week vs. #131 Connecticut to win 31-20 at home.  HC Blake Anderson will be pulling out all stops he plugged in last week.  We expect to see State run a more balanced up-tempo offense against The Crimson Tide.  We watched last week’s USU game on TV.  QB Logan Bonner seemed to be throwing off his back foot.  If he does that against Bama, the Aggies won’t challenge much on offense, if at all.  He’s also going to have to rely more on runs by Calvin Tyler, Jr. behind an experienced o-line to mix in with his passing game.

Utah State QB Logan Bonner posted 361 passing yards when we saw the Aggies defeat Hawaii in 2021.

Short memory, long day?

    DE Byron Vaughns impressed on defense last week and as MVP in The LA Bowl last year. However, Alabama’s receivers, Jermaine Burton and Ja’Corey Brooks, though inexperienced, probably have too much speed for the Aggie secondary.  If Vaughns and the experienced Aggie front four don’t bring any pressure against that patented load of offensive Alabama linemen, they will have a long day in Tuscaloosa. What can be said in an Alabama preview that hasn’t been over-advertised already?

Factors and antidote

  The X-factors for State, if there are any, may include Bama’s date at Texas next week versus former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkasian.  Like Utah State against UConn a week ago, Alabama may not be as focused on the task at hand Saturday night.  The point spread for this game looms at 41.5 points.  First game question marks, learning curves, inexperience at some positions, overconfidence, opponent’s motivation factors, late game substitutions, and looking ahead could possibly keep the Aggies in this one longer than anticipated.  The antidote for all of these, of course, could just be HC Nick Saban’s experience. We’ll bank on that, but we just hope that we will see Utah State present some kind of a challenge during our first game ever at Bryant-Denny Stadium to make it somewhat memorable.

-ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!  Click on the title to order your book to read our unique, fun story about seeing every FBS team (up to the first 120) play in person a least once.  And come back here weekly to read about games we continue to attend on a weekly basis stating with #636 and #637 previewed above. Thanks!

When it comes to all the variables to preview in an Alabama game, consider Nick Saban first and foremost.

Game 635: WKU Hilltoppers turn back APU Governors in college football’s season opener

Posted on by

Bowling Green, KY – Western Kentucky’s Hilltoppers and the FCS Austin Peay Governors battled into the fourth quarter Saturday with the Toppers leading, 21-20.  Long TD passes and turnovers in the final period gave the home team the victory by a final score of 38-27.  With an 11 am CST kickoff to start Week 0 between these two nearby rivals, Collegefootallfan.com attended the inaugural college football game of the 2022 season.

Western Kentucky enters stadium on opening day 2022.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers open the 2022 season as the first FBS to enter its stadium on August 27.

Early season offensive struggles to be expected

     WKU QB Austin Reed connected with WR Malachi Corley (five receptions, 61 yards, three TDs) for early scores. The Topper defense gathered four take-aways resulting in three scores.  Both teams struggled offensively early. Throughout the game, both the Toppers and Govs adapted to playing for the first time with transfer QBs. Reed last played two seasons ago for D-2 West Florida who won the national championship with him under center.  Jarret Doege was to initially start for the Hilltoppers, but he transferred to Troy 12 days ago.  The Govs started Mike DiLilleo (15 for 21, 156 yards, two TDs, two INTs) who played a back-up roll last season for Middle Tennessee.  We saw him in action last season briefly here against the Hilltoppers.  We expected to see Sheldon Layman start, but HC Scotty Walden had him dressed on the sidelines with no pads.

 Work in progress for both

     Hilltopper DB AJ Braithwaite picked DiLilleo’s pass off on APU’s first possession to take over at the Toppers’ 49.  On a fourth and four, Reed (20 for 34, 279 yards, four TDs, 1 INT) connected with Corley wide open over the middle in the end zone for a 17-yard scoring pass to lead, 7-0.  The Govs cut the lead 7-3 on their next possession with Maddux Trujillo’s 41-yard kick.  At times, APU showed glimpses of the same run-pass, delayed mesh option operated successfully by Wake Forest.  They probably needed to run this more often to develop the deception aspect.  Before the first period ended, DiLilleo connected with WR Drae McCray (six catches, 90 yards, two TDs) with his longest pass of the day for a 44-yard TD.  The FCS visitors led at the end of the quarter, 10-7.  Most of the game, Gov passes went short to the flats.

APU Drae McCray TD catch and run for 44 yards.
Austin Peay WR Drae McCray enroute on 44-yard catch and run for a TD in first quarter.

    In the second, the Hilltoppers continued on a 75-yard scoring drive. An 11-yard TD pass to Corley took back a 14-10 lead.  The Govs seemed to gain some momentum on their next drive, but lost it quickly. The left end blocked down, and the RB swung around left end on a pattern down the left hashmark.  DiLilleo fired an errant pass behind him which his intended mark never looked for.  However, Hilltopper DB Upton Stout saw the opportunity right from the start.   He raced toward for the ball to intercept, and he returned it 34 yards unscathed for a pick-six to extend the lead for the home team, 21-10. Most errant pass play ever witnessed in our history. We saw the play unfold from our upper deck seats as clearly as Stout.

Malachi Corley TD reception
Malachi Corley (11) breaks through for his second of three TD catches in this contest. This one from 11 yards out.

Governors fight back

    Starting the next drive from their forty, following two Topper penalties on the ensuing kickoff, give the Govs credit.  APU drove the length of the field with DiLilleo running it in from the one. Eighteen seconds left in the half to whittle the lead, 21-17.  The teams went into the locker-rooms for half time. Fans looked for cover under Houchens Industries-Smith LTD Stadium grandstands when the halftime festivities led by the Governor marching band started as a cold, intermittent rain storm began. 

WKU Dance Team performs during halftime festivities.

Defenses control third period

     As the first half remained hot and sunny late into the second period, a large black cloud blocked out the sun to change the atmosphere of the second half.  The APU marching band remained with fans under the covered mezzanine in line at the concession stands.  We eventually moved up to some empty seats under the awning of the upper-level press box.  On the second series of the third period, only the Governors came up with points on Trujillo’s 49-yard FG.  The one-point Hilltopper lead remained 21-20 heading into the final period.

 Hilltoppers take over

   Western Kentucky started its next possession on their 29 leading into the final period. With 12:56 left, Corley made a diving catch in the end zone on a 25-yard scoring pass from Reed to extend the Hilltopper lead.  The following drive by APU halted on a high snap to DiLilleo. He mishandled the ball on the exchange to his back resulting in a fumble recovery by WKU on their 49.  Three plays later, Reed connected with WR Daewood Davis (6 snares, 124 yards, one TD) on a bomb just short of the end zone. There Davis backpedaled into the end zone against two defenders for a 48-yard touchdown reception.

WKU Daewood Davis TD catch
Hilltopper WR Daewood Davis positions himself under Reed’s pass to back into the end zone for a 35-20 lead.

     The Toppers forced a Governor punt on the next defensive series, but CB Shamari Simmons pick off a pass to put the Govs back on offense at their own 15.  A halfback option pass for 39 yards and a 15-yard penalty against WKU put the Govs at the 24.  They capitalized when DiLilleo connected with McCray again. The TD pass from there put them back within 35-27, with 8:09 left to play.  Aided by a pass interference call, with 3:18 left, Hilltopper Brayden Narveson booted a 23-yard FG to put the home team up, 38-27. 

APU’s Shamari Simmons comes down with an interception to kick start the Governor’s last scoring drive.

On the ensuing kickoff return, APU fumbled the ball away, not once but twice! Western Kentucky took over at the 27.  Topper HC Ty Helton showed some class. He decided to run the clock out rather than try to pad the score.  The Austin Peay Marching Band started singing its signature song by the Beatles, “Take the last train to Clarksville,” in honor of their campus location. They chanted one last time, “Let’s go Peay!” The first final score of the 2022 college football season was in the book, 38-27, in favor of the 1-0 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

 On tap for Week One

    Next week, the Hilltoppers travel over the Pacific to play Hawaii (0-1), 63-10 losers to Vanderbilt late Saturday night. When they return stateside, they’ll have their work cut out for them.  Only one of two teams playing 13 regular season games this year (Hawaii is the other), they play games 11 straight weekends with no breaks.  Collegefootballfan.com will see the Hilltoppers play again on Saturday October 1 when they host Troy of the Sun Belt Conference. 

     Austin Peay returns to Clarksville to host the Presbyterian Blue Hose of Clinton, SC next Saturday.  On September 24, we will see the Governors host Eastern Kentucky in an early key ASUN Conference game for a possible FCS playoff bid.  Only six teams compete in this newly formed conference this year.

    As for CFF.com, we have two big FBS games coming up this week.  On Thursday, we will venture to West Lafayette, Indiana for our first time. Purdue hosts Penn State at Ross-Ade Stadium.  On Saturday, we head to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The No. 1 Crimson Tide play at Bryant-Denny Stadium for our first time to see them against Utah State (1-0), winner over UConn on Saturday, 31-20.

APU cheerleaders "chase the Lion" along with their football teamn
Austin Peay HC Scotty Walden titled his team’s continuous Improvement program as “Chase the Lion.” Evidently the APU cheerleading squad has bought into it as well.

Extra Points:

    We enjoy watching the APU coaching staff led by HC Scotty Walden keeping their team charged up all during the game.  We saw a lesson being taught on their first kickoff. One assistant grabbed Frosh LB Vinay Singh by the arm and made sure he completed his race to the back of the end zone with his teammates as the Governor kick-off team does every time the ball sails through the end zone.

  Good atmosphere at WKU with the announced crowd of 13,868 for the opener.  Of course, not as festive as was last season’s sold-out opener against Power Five school Indiana. Both bands and cheering squads in full attendance.  Free programs (annual publication), free parking, a free Topper t-shirt (we will wear it against Troy), and a real ticket for all fans in attendance.  Great way to open our season!

   Sloppy play in some aspects to be expected in an opener for both teams.  Both are well-coached and adjustments will be made for their next games throughout the season.  We expect to see QB Sheldon Layman get some time along with DiLilleo for the Governors.  They will look for more downfield passing opportunities. Blocking schemes will have to be improved. The Govs were sacked five times.  Perhaps, Walden may be planning do develop the run-pass option game some more to the standards Wake Forest runs today. For the Hilltoppers, run-blocking will be worked on to improve over the 108 yards and 3.4 avg per run in this game.

Ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!   If you enjoy reading this article, please click on the title to read about games we attended over the years to see every FBS ream (until there were 120) at least once.  We’ve seen all 130 in existence play in person since.  How many people that you know have done that?  Please read it and submit a review on our Amazon.com page.  Thanks!

APU defense knocks down pass
In early action, the APU defense applied pressure and knocked down an Austin Reed pass attempt.

Steveo’s Salvos: Let’s get the 2022 season started

Posted on by

     Enough about NIL sponsors, transfers, and escape portals, let’s get the 2022 season started!  We’re right on top of it.  11 am CST this Saturday, Austin Peay at Western Kentucky opens our season.  FCS and Group of Five get rolling with similar starts breaking in a new QB.  “Let’s go Peay!” – one of our favorite college cheers now!

Doege gone

     If you haven’t heard, the WKU Hilltoppers starting QB of a week ago, Jarret Doege, who transferred there from West Virginia, turned his back and transferred to Troy! Fourth team in five years?  Didn’t think that could happen without sitting out a season.  Two years at Bowling Green. Three years at WVU. Tranfers to WKU. Quits. Now practicing with Troy. Not right.  Bonus for us though. We already have Troy at WKU penned in on October 1.  Think the Hilltoppers defensive front will pin their ears back for this one?  We hope so. Let’s get the 2022 season started!

    As for the Governors of APU, we figure we saw their two top QBs in action last season.  Primary signal caller Draylen Ellis who led the Govs in our opener last season with an upset win over UT Chattanooga, transferred.  We saw him later in a loss to Tennessee State. That’s where he is now! What a tangled web this portal weaves.   In our third Gov game last year, we watched Soph Sheldon Layman lead the Govs to a convincing 47-7 win over Murray State.  We attended the rivalry between Middle Tennessee and WKU last season.  With MTSU starter Chase Cunningham out, two back-ups stepped in, Nick Vittiato and Bill DiLilleo. With Cunningham returning healthy this season, DiLilleo took the portal and found his way to Peay.  We figure Layman and DiLilleo contend to start this Saturday. Another question to be answered as we get the 2022 season started.

QB Sheldon Layman played well for the Governors in his first start last season for a big win over Murray State.

Our standard response, “So what?”

    Paul Finebaum, aka “Mr. Obvious” in this corner, reports the greatest threat to Alabama’s road to the national championship rests in Ohio State.  Doesn’t just about everybody think that?  Why do the internet headlines try to make such announcements so questionable when the majority of fans would reason the same?  Surprise us when something out of the ordinary comes around. Waste of infinite cyberspace.

Top RBs to return on our schedule in 2022

     This season, we will witness four top RBS returning from among last season’s yardage leaders. Happens that collegefootballfan.com has seen all play these last few years, but each will impact their teams even more this season. TB Chris Rodriguez of Kentucky led the Wildcat ground game last season with 1,379 yards and nine TDs. We plan to see him perform twice this year vs. South Carolina and vs. Georgia. Last year he romped for 144 yards against the Gamecocks, but for only a mere seven against the vaunted Dawg defense in a 30-13 loss.

     Texas’ Bijan Robinson returns on the Heisman watch list with 1,127 yards and 11 TDs. The Baylor Bears will be his comp when we see him perform on Black Friday.  Last season, the Bears knocked him off course from his 5.8 yards per carry to only 2.5 holding him to 43 yards. Despite a TD for Robinson, the Bears won, 31-24.  Tank Bigsby of Auburn ran for 1,099 yards and ten TDs a year ago. He played a solid game against Penn State in a game we attended.  He gained 102 yards and scored twice, but the Lions beat the Tigers, 28-20. 

QB Malik Cunningham of Louisville returns as the nation’s top rushing QB tallying 1,031 yards and 20 touchdowns. We saw him in an OT win in 2019 win over Wake Forest, 62-59, when he produced 99 yards and two scores.  This year, we will see him perform against first-year FBS program James Madison.  Can’t wait to see what these guys will do once we get the 2022 season started!

Baylor DT Siaki Ika (2nd white jersey from top) will lead Baylor’s defensive charge to stop RB Bijan Robinson of Texas when they meet in Austin on November 26.

Deacon D-Up?

     For Week Two, we anticipate Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman hopefully returning to play from a non-related football injury when the Deacs come to Nashville to play Vanderbilt.  Last season, the Deacs averaged 41.0 ppg.  However, though the WFU offense could pour it on, so could their opponents against a very suspect defense.  In three three-point wins, they allowed 34, 37, and 42 points. Against Army’s triple option, the Deacon offense outgunned the Cadets, 70-56, to overcome. In three losses, they allowed 58, 48, and 45 points to allow an average of 28.9 ppg for the season.  Die-hard Wake alum Jim “Bug” Harton and collegefootballfan.com talked offseason as to when his team would upgrade their defense. HC Dave Clawson searched to hire new blood to inspire his “D”.

     The offseason answer came from Purdue.  Former DC Brad Lambert was brought to Wake to improve things on the other side of the football.  His Boilermaker defense allowed 22.4 ppg in 2021. Only twice, did Lambert’s D allow over 30 points. To Ohio State, they surrendered 59.   In the Music City Bowl we attended, the Boilermakers edged the Tennessee Vols in the end, 45-42.  If Hartman and company, even in his absence, can continue to score like last year, and if Lambert’s revamped defense can keep most opponents to 30 or less, Wake could be ready to make a move.  Hartman needs to be ready for Clemson by September 24.  A “W” can only happen though if Lambert can hold that Tiger offense for Clawson’s program for the first time in nine years.

Under pressure last season, NC State QB Devin Leary fires this 28-yard TD pass to WR Devin Carter in their 45-42 loss at Wake Forest. Under new DC Brad Lambert, the Deacs look to improve defensively.

Pro portal?

     Reading a recent update about two pro QBs we saw play as collegians, it struck us as “funny”.  Looks like Baker Mayfield, seen play for Oklahoma and Heisman winner as well, beat out Sam Darnold formerly of USC as the starter for the Carolina Panthers.  What?  Darnold can’t go through the transfer portal?  With all these current college QBs searching for “greener pastures” when they don’t start, how will they take this kind of news if they make it to the pros? Just quit?

Now, some actually may have more money they made from their NILs in college as they will make from the pros.  Surely, it’s eventually going to happen. Another funny thing read later regarding this situation, a back-up QB who may take over for either of these guys could be PJ Walker, HC Matt Rhule’s starting, unheralded QB compared to these two when he was at Temple.  Didn’t even know he made it to the pros. Of course we like the QB from Elizabeth, NJ High School.

QB Sam Darnold of USC (14) defeated UCLA when we saw him play, but he hasn’t made much of a mark in the pros yet.

Best of upcoming Collegefootballfan.com 2022 season

Top Teams – Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Baylor, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Houston, PSU. First-time Stadiums – Bryant-Denny, Clemson Memorial, Ross-Ade, Red Floyd, Yager, and Scheumann Best games – Ohio State at PSU, Georgia at Kentucky, Baylor at Texas, PSU at Purdue, PSU at Auburn Hottest coaching seats – Scott Satterfield (Louisville), Jake Spavital (Texas State), James Franklin (PSU) Best players- QB Bryce Young (AL),TE Brock Bowers (UGA), RB Bijan Robinson (TX), LB Will Anderson (AL) Best Tailgates – PSU at Purdue, Houston at Navy, ArmyNavy, PSU at Auburn, Wake at Vandy, Louisville at Clemson                                                                     Best possible upsets – Navy over Houston, South Carolina over Kentucky, James Madison over Louisville,  Utah State over Alabama Best Rivalries – ArmyNavy, Penn State-Ohio State, Middle Tennessee-Western Kentucky

Watch for Upcoming CFF.com Podcast for Week “0”

     Check here again shortly for our preseason interview soon.   Done with us by Stephen Hievel of JustCollegeFootball.com,  it should release just in time to get the 2022 season started this weekend.  In addition to our 11 am CST kickoff when Austin Peay goes at it with Western Kentucky, we plan to keep an eye on the results of two other games on Week 0 that include future teams on our early season slate.  UConn visits Utah State, who we will see at Bama on September 3.  Vanderbilt visits Hawaii.  The Commodores return to Nashville to host Wake Forest on September 10.

-Ed. by Steve Koreivo, “Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!”  Please click on the title. It would be great if you would purchase “Tales” and submit a review on its page on Amazon.com.  Thanks!                 

Let’s get this 2022 season started!

Collegefootballfan.com adds pre-season No. 1 Alabama to 2022 slate

Posted on by

With Ohio State, Georgia, and Clemson already on our slate this season, we figured somehow we needed to get pre-season No. 1 Alabama on our schedule. Originally considering the Texas A&M clash on October 8, the prices exceeded our budget. Figuring Alabama fans might take the Utah State Aggies for granted in the season opener on September 3 in Tuscaloosa, we found prices very affordable. We will see Penn State visit Purdue on Thursday, September 1. Lacking a local game near Nashville that really stirred our interest two days later, CFF.com figured we had to come up with a better contest than FCS Elon at lowly Vanderbilt in Week 1 on Saturday night. We found much better than we ever anticipated.

In addition to seeing No. 1 Alabama, we anticipate seeing the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. We project that QB Bryce Young will repeat his performance of 2021 to take home the hardware once again. Among his competition this year, we will see Ohio State’s QB CJ Stroud, RB Treyveon Henderson, and WR Jaxon Smith Njigba when they play Penn State. Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman will be on our slate if he recovers from injury before the Vanderbilt game that we will attend. Former Oklahoma candidate QB Spencer Rattler shows off his stuff this year when he steps under center for South Carolina against Kentucky. RB Bijan Robinson of Texas appears on our watch list when we see him and his Longhorns face Baylor. Even Pryce’s No. 1 Alabama teammate LB Will Anderson vies for attention for that elusive recognition given to defensive players.

Our more recent Alabama sightings have been in CFP games. Here, they appeared against The Sooners in the 2018 Orange Bowl.

Aggies on the rise

Last season, we got to see these Aggies play in with the friendly confines of Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah. They defeated Hawaii, 51-31. Last season under first-year HC Blake Anderson, Utah State improved from 1-5 in the Covid-19 abated season before to 11-3 in 2021. They matched their program’s high mark for wins in a season. Their 7-2 Mountain West mark put them in the conference championship game. There, they defeated San Diego State on the road, 46-13. In the LA Bowl, the Aggies triumphed over Oregon State to rank at No. 24 at the season.

QB Logan Bonner established five single-season passing records at USU. Accumulating 3,628 yards and 36 TDs, he missed the LA Bowl due to a knee injury. In his place, Cooper Legas took over and earned MVP honors. All five starters return on this year’s offensive line. RB Calvin Turner churned out 884 yards behind their push. Good experience returns up front defensively led by DEs Byron Vaughns and Patrick Joyner. Hunter Reynolds, playing a LB/S combo, returns as their leading tackler in 2021 with 83.

Better than expected?

This Utah State program may not be up to par with a top-recruiting team like No. 1 Alabama. However, the players State returns should add some more formidable, experienced players than what The Tide usually faces early. Plus, Bama may be thinking more past this game to their meeting the following week at Texas and their former OC Steve Sarkisian. We think this really adds a great game to our already formidable schedule with nine to ten teams among various pre-season Top 25s. Check it out our 2022 schedule by clicking here!

Utah State QB Logan Bonner added five yards rushing in addition to his 361 passing yards against Hawaii last season.

Our football history

In the annals of collegefootballfan.com’s history, this will be our first visit ever to Bryant-Denny Stadium. However, two of our first three Crimson Tide games attended were played at Legion Field in Birmingham, AL, former permanent home of the Iron Bowl. Back then, we actually watched Paul “Bear” Bryant prowl the sidelines. Over the years, Alabama’s record in our presence is 9-1. Utah State falls on our slate for the fourth time. Their record stands at 2-1.

ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate; From the Fan who’s seen ’em all! Please click on the title to purchase our book about how we’ve seen 120 FBS teams (at that time) play for the first time in our ongoing 42-year adventure (we’re up to 130 now and adding JMU this year)! . And, please submit your review for us. Thanks!

Many players from Bear Bryant’s 1979 No. 1 Alabama graced the cover of the program of the Iron Bowl game the following year.

Steveo’s Salvos: Western Kentucky QB Doege hits transfer portal two weeks before opener

Posted on by

     Our QB season preview started with Jarret Doege of WKU stepping into a great opportunity after transferring from West Virginia. So what does he do now?  Less than two weeks before his team’s opener on August 27, he announces he’s transferring.  What? This reeks with shame regarding where college football is headed.  No doubt, the NIL and transfer portal threaten this great game.  Doege demonstrates the shams of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), and the supposed “one-time” transfer portal.  The NIL exudes greed, and the transfer portal is not a one-time opportunity for college football players.  Doege started at Bowling Green, and transferred to and started at WVU. He entered WKU as a graduate student (?), and now Doege suddenly seeks an opportunity to play elsewhere.  “Get along little Doege?” Funny, but outside the world of Academia, that equals “four” transfers for Doege. Don’t colleges teach basic Mathematics anymore?

College football needs better controls – and fast!

It’s bad enough that this “student-athlete” can turn his back on his current team. The Hilltoppers prep for their first game eleven days away. However, how could any other member school of the NCAA offer or accept this player on such short notice?  Did some school intentionally come up with a monetary package to draw Doege away from Western Kentucky?  Not only from an ethics standpoint, but whatever happened to restrictions on time? Doesn’t a university have a deadline when to accept students into their “academic” programs? At the pre-season Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Blitz, yours truly attended recently, Head Coach Rick Stockstill commented precisely on this.  Players can transfer any time.  The NCAA has to designate a specific term and a time limit to when players can make this move. Based on Doege’s fourth move which would require a waiver, how does the NCAA not put its foot down?  How weak is this leadership?

In 2021, WKU QB Bailey Zappe (4) led the nation setting FBS passing records for yards and TDs. Becoming a fourth round draft pick for the New England Patriots, he leaves behind a coaching staff, a system, and players to run this same offense. Jarret Doege found a better opportunity than this two weeks before his first game with the Hilltoppers?

Forget life’s lessons – NOT!

   As we argue in vain, is college football only supposed to be for the benefit of players seeking to make it to the professional level? By no means is there a guarantee that Doege will. The NCAA indicates that this must be its true purpose.  It’s only about the money.   No wants to recognize college football’s values about teamwork, commitment, loyalty, and dedication for teams to achieve goals together (Fantasy football undermines teamwork as well, but another story).  These are life lessons well-learned for the students outside of the classroom.  This sport teaches players life-long lessons in family matters, careers beyond sports, the value being a good citizen in society, and the dedication of being part of something greater than oneself.  Not sure if this is college sports’ way of catching up with the rest of society? Or, does our educational system foster the “me” attitude to support selfishness and forget about everybody else?

World of Academia needs to learn how to teach

  These charades called NIL and transfer portal have to be brought under control immediately. Not only is this great game of college football (and other college sports) in jeopardy, but so are the lessons of life that they were intended to teach.  These institutions of “Higher Learning”, through their inept organization called the NCAA, needs to step up and tend to their intended purpose, to educate.

-ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of “Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!”    Click on the title to buy and review this unique story of college football over thirty years. With the pending changes to college football, you can remember what the “amateur” game was about as opposed to the professional level of what it’s about to become.

2022 season preview: Collegefootballfan.com’s top QBs

Posted on by

    On Collegefootballfan’s schedule this season, we will see some of the top QBs in all of college football.  Last season, we watched record-setting FBS QB Bailey Zappe at Western Kentucky, a transfer from Houston Baptist, perform twice.  He set season NCAA records with 5,967 passing yards and 62 TD passes.  He went on to become drafted in the fourth round by the New England Patriots.  Our slate this year features some of the “Top Guns” aiming for similar marks and destinations.

The transfer strategy

   Our season starts off with Western Kentucky, and with Austin Peay once again.  HC Tyson Helton brought on another transfer to assure dominance through the air.  Jarret Doege arrives fresh from West Virginia where he threw for 5,635 yards and 33 TDs the past two seasons.  Despite last season’s OC Zach Kittley moving on to Texas Tech, his understudy Ben Arbuckle remains. He continues the pass dominated offense preferred by Helton. 

We see the Hilltoppers open the season on August 27 hosting FCS Austin Peay.   We watched the Governors start to turn the corner last season with a 47-6 win over Murray State led by first-time starting QB Sheldon Layman.  The Govs won four of their last five games under young, energetic HC Scotty Walden. Another possible QB starter for APU could be MTSU transfer Mike DiLilleo.  Both teams will be learning what they have at QB in this game. It should be fun to watch QB shuttles along both sidelines.

Another Belichick surprise. QB Bailey Zappe, led the nation in passing yards at Western Kentucky comes in to challenge last year’s QB Mack Jones. With the no. 137 spot in the draft, New England assures itself of QB talent going forward.

No transfers needed here

      In a Big Ten opener the following Thursday, Penn State visits Purdue.  Unlike our opener, both squads start very experienced, top QBs. Purdue brings back three-year starter and 2021 second team All-Big Ten QB Aidan O’Connell.  We attended his encore performance in the 45-42 Music City Bowl win over Tennessee. There, he spread his passes around to nine different receivers for 543 yards and five TDs.  O’Connell found WR Broc Thompson who returns as his favorite receiver. That day, Thompson hauled in seven receptions for 217 yards and two TDS.  O’Connell amassed 3,712 yards and 28 TDs for the season.

      PSU returns its top QB in Sean Clifford for his fourth season as starting QB.  Despite an injury against Iowa that slowed him down last year, he finished with 3,107 yard passing and 21 TDs.  In his sixth season with the Nittany Lions, this will be the first time he will have the same OC in Mike Yurich.  Despite the graduation of top receiver Jahan Dotson, Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith return as top targets from last year. The addition of transfer Mitchell Tinsley from WKU adds to his experienced targets as well.  For a Big Ten opener, this match-up could be a barn-burner.  The burning question to ask, whose defense will be most up for this one?

In our Annals, Deacons should become “11-1”

      On September 10, AP No. 13 Wake Forest comes to Nashville to play Vanderbilt.  Demon Deacon QB Sam Hartmann returns with his offensive line and two top receivers intact. They should continue their 41.0 scoring average going into this one.  We watched the Deacs in action last season beat NC State at home, 45-42. They finished their regular season defeating Boston College on the road with us, 45-10.  Hartman, ranked seventh among top QBs in 2021, led his team with 4,435 passing yards and 46 TDs while only turning over six INTs. 

Vanderbilt comes off a 2-10 season. We will scout them hosting FCS Elon the week before to make a true assessment if they have a shot at winning the SEC as some unknown pollster predicted.   By the way, even our friends from Wake Forest can’t believe that we’ve seen their Deacs play eleven times since 1980 and that they won ten times (only loss in OT to Louisville in 2019). (Stop the presses – Hartman on the sideline indefinitely for non-football, medical issue. Waiting to hear more).

Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman returns in 2022, and with Demon Deacon cohorts, we’ll see him lead Wake against Vanderbilt in Nashville.

Auburn transfer: proven Bama-beater

     We’ll see Penn State on the road for a second time when they and we travel to Auburn for a rematch of their 28-20 victory over the Tigers we attended last season.  However, Auburn QB Bo Nixon has transferred out to Oregon.  In his place, we expect to see Soph QB Zach Calzada who transferred in from Texas A&M.  Zach’s “claim to fame” comes from his start for the Aggies in last season’s 41-38 upset win over No. 1 Alabama.  He completed 21 of 31 passes for 285 yards and three TDs, only one INT.  For the season, he threw for 2,185 yards, 17 TDs, but nine INTs.  Replacing injured QB Haynes King, the Aggies expected to compete for the SEC West, but among Calzada’s ten starts, A&M finished 4-4 in the conference.  Maybe Auburn will allow him to breathe new life as their sophomore starter.

Best meeting of transfer QBs

     October 8 sends us to Lexington, KY where the Kentucky Wildcats with QB Will Levis, last year’s starter, will host South Carolina. Levis, who we’d seen previously on display at Penn State spring games, and as back-up to Sean Clifford, led the Wildcats at QB last season to a 10-3 season.  He returns after tossing for 2,827 yards and running for 376 yards resulting in 33 UK touchdowns.  He has two years of eligibility remaining if he chooses to stay with the Wildcats in 2023.  Carolina will counter with their transfer, a top QB with “star potential” in former Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler.

   Rattler’s story is well known having been the starter and a Heisman candidate at OU. Too many turnovers led to his demise last season.  Caleb Williams (now with the other USC) took over to lead the Sooners the second half of their 11-2 season.  Rattler started the first six games (without a loss) passing for 1,483 yards, 11 TDs, but five INTs plus costly fumbles sat him down. Seeking new opportunities in the portal, he found his former Sooner QB coach Shane Beamer, new HC at South Carolina, a very welcoming option.   He’ll undoubtedly be a big boost at QB for the Gamecocks.  Pre-season reports caution success, however, with a suspect offensive line returning for Carolina.  We’ll get to witness how the Gamecocks stack up first hand in early October.

Eastern Swing, part 1

   Since we relocated to Tennessee, we continue to venture east to hit our two favorite eastern venues on back-to-back weekends as we started this tradition last year.  We travel to Annapolis on October 22 to see Navy host Houston in the Cougars last season in the American Athletic. Then, we roll on to State College, PA to see the Ohio State Buckeyes tussle with the Nittany Lions for our ninth time.  Among top QBs, Houston brings back QB Clayton Tune who pitched for 3,546 yards and 30 TDs leading the Cougs to an 11-2 record.  We saw them fall to Cincy in the AAC championship game before defeating Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl.

     The Cougs averaged 35.9 ppg, but just beat Navy at home, 28-20.  Navy will counter with QB Tai Lavatai running their triple option.  He was out for several games last season. He returned to turn that rushing offense around late and upset 9-2 Army.  The key to Navy success goes with the effectiveness of their QB running the option. This keeps Tune and the opposing offense off the field.  Navy’s ball control helps their defense. Lavatai needs to follow in the footstep of Malcolm Perry and Kennan Reynolds. Both recent Navy QBs ran that offense so effectively that both got drafted as position players by the NFL.

 

Houston WR Nathaniel Dell sprints to Clayton Tune’s pass for Cougars first TD vs. Cincy. Dell and Tune both return to U of H this year.

Eastern Swing, part 2  

   At Beaver Stadium in State College, if Sean Clifford stays healthy up until this point for the Nittany Lions, he’s probably the best bet they have at QB to lead his offense to offset the strength of Buckeyes’ QB CJ Stroud.  A pre-season All-American, Stroud returns from the 11-2 season and Rose Bowl win totaling 4,435 passing yards and 46 TDs.  He finished fifth among top QBs. Despite losing top receivers to the NFL draft, his top target Jaxon Smith-Njigba returns. He snagged 95 tosses for 1,248 of those yards and 15 scores.

 A day game here means no “white-out” in Happy Valley. However, if both schools come in to fight to lead the Big Ten, this will again be an outstanding game. In our annals, PSU leads this series (all at home), 5-3. If we deduct the score of the Lions’ 1994 63-14 win, the Buckeyes hold the edge in points, 157-154. We hope everyone remains healthy for this one which we anticipate as being a close one again.

Run, Malik, run!

    On November 5 and 12, we will see Louisville with their top QB returning in Malik Cunningham. Last season he passed for 2,941 yards and 19 touchdowns. He led all QBs in rushing nationally with 1,031 yards and 20 TDs.  To stay healthy, reports say HC Scott Satterfield may want him to stay protected in the pocket more often this season.  We’ll see him in the first of two consecutive weekends hosting FBS newcomer James Madison.

Louisville QB Malik Cunningham go off to a hot start in the first half against Wake in 2019. Hurt later in this game, the Cards went on to win in OT, 62-49.

The Dukes will be breaking in a new QB after the departure of their impressive QB Cole Johnson. HC Curt Cignetti brought in another transfer (nobody needs to recruit high schools for the time being), QB Todd Centeio from Colorado State. Centeio completed 60% of his passes for 2,958 yards in 2021.  That’s how this works. CSU brings in Jay Norvell from Nevada as HC, so he brings along freshman (aka first year player) Clay Millen to run his Air Raid offense.

  The following week we will follow the Cardinals to see a game at Clemson for the first time.  The big question mark for Dabo Swinney’s team is if his top QB DJ Uiagalelei recovers from last season (nine TDs, 10 INTs). Will DJ have to step aside for Frosh QB Cade Klubnik or some transfer in the pipeline? Will Cunningham pass more or run more against this Tiger defense? We get to see some interesting games impacted by QB play this season.

MVP! MVP! Top QB again?

  Going back to Kentucky on November 19, we get to see defending champion Georgia. Returning comes their sixth-year QB Stetson Bennet intact. Over the years at Georgia, Bennet outlasted QB JT Daniels who transferred from Southern Cal who all UGA fans clamored for to start.  Daniels opted out after last season. In a web of QB transfers, he goes to West Virginia to replace Jarret Doege who we will see play QB at WKU.  Is this what college football has become?  Transfer until you find a place where you might play?  How good is Daniels if he hasn’t stepped up from previous QBs playing ahead of him?  Let the pros just draft these guys out of high school and let them invest their money to develop them.  Transfer portal – do once and done!

    Bennet took MVP honors in their CFP semi-final 34-11 victory over Michigan last season.  Defense dominated for the Dawgs last season.  Will Bennett step up and lead the offense to offset some of the learning curve a basically new defense needs to undergo? Several offensive linemen return to block and All-American TE Brock Bowers returns as his leading receiver along with WR Adonai Mitchell.  Last season, the Wildcats suffered one of their three losses, 30-13, to the Bulldogs on the road.  Kroger Stadium will be pumped for this one and so will Collegefootballfan.com.  We’ll see what a difference a year will make for both of these programs.

Big 12 battle of QBs inexperience

On Friday of Thanksgiving weekend, we will see Baylor and Texas, preseason favorites with QBs in question early in the season. Baylor HC Dave Aranda favored Soph Blake Shapen after spring sessions which prompted incumbent Brian Bohannon to seek greener portal pastures. Shapen demonstrated his skill in the Big 12 championship win over Oklahoma State. He completed 17 straight passes and tallied 180 passing yards and three TD passes. However, he started only two games last season when the Bears finished 12-2. He sat out the 21-7 Sugar Bowl win over Ole Miss with a should injury.

The Longhorns big offseason story centered around HC Steve Sarkisian luring transfer QB Quinn Ewers away from Ohio State. Unlike Joe Burrows sitting along the Buckeye sideline for four years sopping up some value from that vaunted program, Ewers absorbed whatever knowledge exists there for only one season. He hasn’t played since his last high school game of 2020. How ready will he be?

By the time we attend this game, hopefully Shapen and Ewers will be healthy, “seasoned” veterans of the college game. Whether they both play or either does, we hope to see a game of meaning. If things don’t work out as things appear to be now, the lead story on both by then could be that they may be seeking the transfer portal. We hope not, but this lack of commitment among top QBs has to end somewhere. The lesson in life has to be that eventually, you have to stick it out and battle for what you want. You can’t always walk away. Whatever happened to, “When the going gets tough…”?

Ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of “Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!”  Click on title to buy your copy and add a review today!

Steveo’s Salvos:  Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders Blitz 2022

Posted on by

   Collegefootballfan.com had the pleasure of attending a luncheon held by the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raider Blitz featuring Head Coach Rick Stockstill at CP Between the Lakes Pub in Mt. Juliet, TN on Monday.  Coach Stockstill gave an overview of this year’s Blue Raiders and took questions. In C-USA clashes, CFF plans to see his charges go up against the UTSA Road Runners on Friday, September 30, and again Saturday, October 15, when they host their big rival, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. 

Head Coach’s pre-season analysis

    Stockstill, who played QB at Florida State (class of ‘82) under Hall of Fame HC Bobby Bowden, looks forward to this season with more depth at QB than last season (7-6, 4-4 in C-USA).  When we attended the game at WKU last season, frosh QB Nick Vittiato started, taking over for Senior Chase Cunningham who left previously due to a leg injury that ended his season.  Both return this season.  Vittiato thrived last year as the Blue Raiders won three of their last four games including a 31-24 win over Toledo in the Bahamas Bowl.  He earned the MVP Trophy completing 23 of 35 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns.  MTSU also recruited heralded, three-star freshman QB DJ Riles to the program to add more depth. 

      Stockstill feels good about his returning running game which will be bolstered by transfers, although the O-line requires some rebuilding.  The defense returns key starters up front which will be a strong point for the team.  In some cases, transfers will be stepping in on D, especially in the secondary where DC Scott Shafer, former HC at Syracuse, pulls the team together.  So, when practice starts next week, work in progress begins putting the finishing touches to the Blue Raiders who welcome James Madison University from the FCS to the FBS in their first game on September 3 in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

SS Tra Fluellen (17) returns to step up in the Blue Raiders’ secondary this season.

New world of recruiting

     Speaking of transfer portals and the NIL, Rick took some questions about how these are affecting not only his program, but college football in general.  Whereas recruiting used to focus on kids and where they’d play, playing time, and their interests in the academic goals, the new focal points zoom in on money they can possibly make and what facilities a school offers.  You hear about the sliding boards in the Clemson football facility, and Georgia’s new multi-million-dollar investment.  This forces every FBS program to keep up.  The NIL opens up a whole new world, but he envisions some changes will have to be made. We hope as soon as possible.  

    One change of utmost importance to him is shortening the open portal window.  Currently, it’s constantly open.  Coaching staffs are already overwhelmed by time spent on recruiting, but the portal requires even more time now focused on the future as opposed to the present. Programs have to prepare for anything, especially now, not knowing who they can possibly lose.  He foresees changes for the better alluding to hearing about designating limited portal dates.  One other attendee mentioned NIL offers made now to high school players.  And in an honest answer to my follow-up question regarding, “Who is supposed to monitor this process?”, he rolled his eyes to the laughter among the audience and said, “No one.”  That’s what scares me most regarding the future of college football.

Extra Points

I lunched with MTSU play-by-play radio broadcaster Chip Walters.  We had a great conversation about MTSU and college football in general.  He introduced me to the audience as a “sidewalk” alum and told of the 634 games I’ve attended.  Even Rick Stockstill’s eyes opened up!  Met several nice people, fans and athletic staff members.  Chip plans to invite me to talk again before a Blue Raider game on his pre-game tailgate show.  Go Blue Raiders!  I look forward to seeing them play.

Ed. – Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all!

Go Blue Raiders!

Steveo’s Salvos: There is no “I” in team, but there is in NIL, Anti-trust, and lawsuits; three in litigation

Posted on by

And that is where the non-thinking academicians of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) now lead college football, the greatest institution ever of American amateur athletics. In recent years, I have begun to accuse our educational system of no longer teaching students how to think, but wrongly, what to think instead. Now, the NCAA demonstrates that institutions of “higher-learning” themselves, don’t think at all.

Thanks for nothing, Doc

     How did Dr. Mark Emmert, CEO of the NCAA, present the “Name, Image, and Likeness” (NIL) policy to the board of the NCAA?  It seems to have gone like this: “Let’s allow potential college athletes negotiate with potential sponsors, donors, and corporate advertisers, and see how it goes.” Evidently, no foresight seems to have been analyzed to determine the ramifications that would impact not only Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football. Most of college football including some FCS programs and other NCAA sports programs among all its members depend on revenues generated primarily by football and by men’s basketball.

      Great strategy? How about…no strategy?  Allow some 18-year-old high school kids and their families to negotiate NIL contracts with any benefactor they want. Of course, not every potential athlete will get an offer. Approximately an average of 20 players among 133 FBS schools annually sign letters of intent in the end.  That’s 2,660 kids per year applying that can end up playing for some program. Some will get more money than others; some will get none.  In this generation of “everybody gets a trophy”, no one in the NCAA saw this as a cause for dissension even “within a team”?  All of a sudden, this isn’t an issue?  Almost everybody goes to a bowl game now.  We heard rumors there was a particular power five program that had internal issues with this last season. Kids who had money flaunted it.  Others resented it.  So much for no “I” in “team”.

We plan to see the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders do battle again this season. Do you think all these players are candidates for NIL contracts?

Can’t “Pay for Play”? Really?

   The NCAA states, however, they want to be sure that no one violates illegal “Pay for Play” arrangements that could result in suspensions of NCAA teams who violate this.  Uncontrolled NIL policies and Pay for Play seem to contradict one another.  Who controls or monitors that to prevent violations?  Are schools allowed to solicit sponsor offers directly to players?  If not, who is going to know?  And take it from someone with over 40 years of professional Purchasing experience. There are online tools out there already to run auctions to select the highest bidder if desired.  Wait until the adept high school kids who are technology savvy start doing this.  Is the world of academia aware of anything like this?  It seems they live in a very small world void of business, laws, and/or common sense. 

As for the transfer portal

     Does anyone think alumni or big donors to universities with wads of cash (more than $60,000 spent by the former Tennessee coaching staff now under investigation) won’t approach coaching staffs to lure not only the best high school talent available?   Now, they can also can consider how they can lure proven college football talent from among the best of “The Group of Five” or FCS players. Through the wide-open transfer portal, of course. (Are these student-athletes really transferring all their course credits from school to school so easily?).  Maybe from even another Power Five foe.   Don’t believe that there’s really a one-time transfer limitation, submission of waiver requests provides even more flexibility.  Some players have played for three or four schools already within four-five years.

Not blind here

   Don’t get me wrong. We’ve all seen players like Joe Burrow sit out for four years at Ohio State and finally get a chance with LSU and win a national championship. Great! We’ve also seen Jalen Hurts win a national title his freshman year at Alabama only to be benched behind Tua Tagovailoa a year later.  He moved on and starred at Oklahoma.  Joe Flacco left Pittsburgh after sitting on the bench. He transferred to play at FCS Delaware before landing in the Super Bowl a few years later.  In these three cases, all QBs of course, they made one move and found success. If a player needs to make more than one move, maybe he’s not as talented as he thinks, or he’s not committed to play for any team he joins. Allow transfers, but relegate it to one time only, and that’s it.

     As far as health insurance, that’s a no-brainer.  Every player should be insured to avoid costly medical bills suffered from football injuries and any other potential losses of income.

Joe Burrow, “poster boy” for the transfer portal proved to be “the man” to leave Ohio State to lead LSU to the national championship as we witnessed here in the CFP Peach Bowl win over OU in 2019, 66-28.

Any NCAA members out there offer courses in Market Research, Business Law, or Econ?

    Oh, what poorly made plans initiated by the NCAA!   No foresight whatsoever.  No thoughts, no models tested, no in-depth discussions? Evidently not.   Whatever happened to Research Departments at institutions of higher learning? The very small number, but dominant, of the “rich” football programs get richer, and the “mediocre” teams among the majority not only become fodder to them on game day because of superior talent levels recruited (check out those rankings), but they also become feeder systems of talent to them as well. Competitive restraints start to expose the monopolization of a few among 133 schools playing FBS football.  Thus, anti-trust violations abound. Most of these academic institutions of “higher learning” depend upon the revenue-producing sports of football and men’s basketball to fund most of the non-revenue athletic programs for other “student-athletes”, both men and women.

Whatever happened to sportsmanship?

     With the advent of billion-dollar TV contracts for whatever eventually defines the Southeastern Conference, The Big Ten, and possibly the Atlantic Coast Conference (let’s refer to them as the “Super Conferences”), profits will benefit only about 48 FBS football programs.  What happens to the remaining 85 teams supposedly competing for the same national championship and the monetary rewards to be reaped from media contracts, ticket revenues, CFP bowl games, alumni donations, and national merchandising revenues afforded to the Super Conference teams?  They don’t equally compete for that same revenue stream opportunity. Does that seem fair?

    The non-Super teams may get other media opportunities but at much lower rates compared to TV contracts for teams of “more glamorous” NIL players in the Super Conferences.  With lower revenues than what some of these other programs make now, it might become too costly for them to continue playing college football at the FBS level, or in some instances, to continue playing at all.  If discontinuation of these revenues becomes reality for any, all their collegiate athletic programs may no longer be affordable at their current levels of competition. Other sports programs will have to fold because of a football program’s inability for increased revenue contracted with the minority of Super Conference teams. 

We at collegefootballfan.com may have to consider limiting ourselves to watching D-3 games where real student-athletes still play football. Seen here are Mt. Union and Mary Hardin-Baylor going at it in the 2017 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Great long-term, investment opportunities

     In addition, can we assume that the NIL money afforded to players contracted will eliminate these players’ needs to be awarded football scholarships?  It seems now that most should use their new-found funding to invest in their educations.  This will reduce the costs for these Super Conferences again allowing them the benefit of cutting costs and investing scholarship money elsewhere.  Whereas any hangers-on among the “non-Super” have to consider survival only if they can afford to offer scholarships.  However, will this all be worth it to them?

How about some compensation among “friendly foes”?

     After a year or two, a player for the non-Super may consider an offer of NIL money from the Supers that be and exits his current team through the transfer portal (Is this offer allowed? Who monitors?  If not, who monitors?).  Thus, the non-Super ends up offering another scholarship to a replacement with no guarantee that this will not happen again.  Is this unfair among 133 programs competing for supposedly equal advantages to compete for the same national championship and its rewards?  You bet it’s not fair.

Not these people again

     With everything else our US Congress has to be involved in to correct important issues to turn our economy around, to offset inflation, and to reduce crime, they’re probably going to have to be involved in Anti-trust legislation to assure competition is not being violated among 133 universities of higher education who cannot effectively govern themselves through a very inefficient, clueless, and leaderless NCAA. Hopefully not, but perhaps, Legislators will just let the entire system struggle until it’s no longer worth the effort save this great, but now out-of-control, American tradition from a slow death.

How this may all end

     Regretfully, the NCAA evidently never put much of any thought into what these new policies could do to destroy the enthusiasm for many who love college football as well as for the players who play hard and for the alumni and student bodies who take pride in them.  All might as well let the money people in the NFL start funding their own minor league system like Major League Baseball does.  Remember, college football spawned pro football – not the other way around.  Looks like it’s time now to let the pros invest in the development of their future players. Let the TV networks fund their minor league football since they’ve learned how to profit so much by controlling college football.  Let’s see how much benefit they can reap from another new creation – kind of like the USFL, WLAF, the XFL, or Arena Football.

Ed. – by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all! Click of the title to review and buy the book on Amazon.com.

Where do Army and Navy fit amongst this college football confusion? We’ll try to address this next time.

Steveo’s Salvos: Before conference realignment, first address NIL policy and transfer portal

Posted on by

    Many wait for Notre Dame to make the move first for realignment.  Next, anticipate existing conference members to make desperate (or greedy?) moves based on that.  Which teams sell memberships to move for consolidating big money TV rights?  Other programs consider pleading to jump on the big band wagons of the SEC and Big Ten. Stragglers that find themselves left out seek others absconded to form new partnerships as distant, varied, and uninteresting they be, just to continue to play football.  Does anyone consider the loss of student athletes no longer able to participate in what was the great tradition of college football if some programs so fold up?

Notre Dame’s initial move supposedly starts other potential realignments in motion.

Let’s get college football priorities straight

   This current focus on conference realignment needs to take a back seat to issues regarding the current lack of a fair NIL policy or the wild, disorganized system of the selfish, transfer portal.  Until these are addressed, a few programs will continue to dominate. The chasm between the very few good football programs and the many mediocre grows wider and wider.  College football will lose its primary objective not of revenue, but of equitable competition on the playing field for all to possibly win a national championship.

     Clearly, the quality of competition already favors a few half-dozen or so Power Five Programs. Until someone in charge (that doesn’t seem to be the NCAA… maybe ESPN and Fox Sports?…maybe the NFL?… either, regretfully?) formulates a plan to make NIL fair to all members and rein in the false statement that the portal transfer limits every player to only “one transfer”, competitive decline will decimate the quality of college football.  Yes, it’s all about the money, but someone has to realize “it” gets bigger and better for everybody when there’s more competition.

Compare models

  Consider the college football way like the MLB way compared to the NFL way. What do fans across the country prefer?  The New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, and LA Dodgers dominate baseball annually. Primarily, because they have the most money by commanding the largest TV market shares? Or, do fans prefer the revenue sharing strategy of the NFL? There, 32 teams share earnings equitably, spread talent fairly, and to some extent, level out schedules to play equivalent competitors annually.  These level parameters allow small TV market teams like Buffalo, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh to excel against New York, LA, and Chicago. 

Questions and answer

   College football recently approved three new programs to enter the Football Bowl Subdivision to total 133.  How many years until James Madison, Eastern Kentucky, and/or Jacksonville State qualify for the CFP? Even if under the current playoff format? Even if it expands to 12 teams? Why bother?  Already, these three newbies are on upcoming schedules of teams recruiting higher levels of talent than many players on their rosters right now. Ole Miss, South Carolina, and North Carolina have contracted them for games already. Surely like FCS Austin Peay, lowly New Mexico State, or ULM, these programs will end up on an Alabama or Georgia non-conference slate eventually.

JMU faced South Dakota State in the 2017 FCS Semi-final we attended here. How close will they ever get to the CFP?

   No doubt, The Tide and the Bulldogs already draw the best talent. Their large stadiums, superior television contracts, and merchandizing revenues bolster the budgets of their brands.  So do other schools like Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Clemson, and Oklahoma. So why should they tout their recruiting prowess and then schedule teams without similar clout?  Answer: to run up scores and impress pollsters with big victories to offset any close losses. This assures top rankings.  Why else?

The best get better because they can easily afford to

     If top programs continue to follow these practices, unbalanced competition becomes the biggest threat to college football. Ask Nick Saban. He conceded that he envisions this in a press conference this week. Click here.  Of course, we don’t see him scheduling nonconference games against Notre Dame, Penn State, and Clemson in home and home series every year.  However, if you’re getting the best players, put them to the test against comparable competition when you have a choice. Prove it!

     Let’s end this charade in college football. Both NIL policy and transfer portals will now allow the best programs to always remain on top.  The best players will want to play for these schools who don’t have to recruit.  They can just “reload”.  They not only continue to dominate, they get even better. In similar fashion, look at the FCS and D-3. North Dakota State and Mount Union/UW Whitewater dominate these subdivisions respectively. Of course, recent coaching changes have started to change the dominance at D-3.  Is that what we have to wait for in the FBS? Coaches there make too much money to leave, however.

Check out Austin Peay’s Fortera Stadium. Alabama hosts the Governors this year in Tuscaloosa. Similar football budgets, you think?

Unfairness of NIL policy

   The NIL now allows, whether legally or underhandedly, a program to approach a recruit or a transfer with a “package”. Whether provided by a corporate sponsor, anonymous donor, or rich alum to offer some kind of financial benefit, they can now provide their best bid possible to entice a player to matriculate at their institution of higher learning.  Do all 133 programs have equal opportunities regarding this?  Will all of them, some day?  The Los Angeles Dodgers revenue will always be higher than that of the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Who most likely goes to the World Series more often now?  And why? Have you checked out the salary scales of these two teams lately? Is that ever going to change?  How can it in college football?

A “pipedream” is all I got

   The only way to envision a change, and all fans know this will never happen, is if somehow all NIL funds are deposited into a centralized college football budget. From that, every recruited player on an FBS roster receives a “salary”. Maybe, base salaries by positions.  Every program requires an equal budget to be distributed to a recruiting class upon entry into the program under contract.  Should players leave before graduation, their salary goes back into the pool for the team’s next recruiting class to replace that position.  My pipedream is neither foolproof nor steam-lined by any means. This is only my desperate attempt to “level the playing field“ to enable playing football at the FBS level to be “more competitive” for all 133 programs.

Transfer portal – a matter of enforcement

  As for the transfer portal, the current rule in place needs to be enforced with one slight change. They say every player only gets once chance during his career to do this, but other opportunities for that same player can be reviewed. Strike the second part of that sentence.   Already, we know it’s been too liberal. The rule reads “if all of the schools are four-year institutions and your sport was offered at the previous two, then the 4-4-4 transfer rules NCAA come into play. Generally, you will need to lose a year of eligibility, but some exceptions exist.” Wide-open opportunities exist for individual athletes to play for more than two teams here!  Of course, players all look for a better situation.  Again, the portal becomes a free “grab-bag” for the top schools to attract the best talent – another mean to continue domination!

QB Kyler Murray (1) transferred to Oklahoma from Texas A&M before falling to Alabama in the CFP. Baker Mayfield transferred from Texas Tech to Oklahoma before him. Jalen Hurts followed Murray from Alabama. Maybe QBs should get more NIL money than the other positions.

OK, so I’m “old-school”, and here’s why

   To be honest, there’s jealousy here. This comes from yours truly. At the Naval Academy in the 70’s, I made the 150-lb team my plebe (freshman) year.  The sport is now called “sprint football.” I never cut to the required weight of 158 lbs. for game day while hovering around 163.  The following year, I played for our company, flag-football team. The next year, I transferred to D-3 Juniata in Huntingdon, PA.  Despite never having been part of the USNA varsity program, I was ineligible to play. However, that entire season, I practiced as a member of the scout team offense to run against the first team defense. That spring, I played club lacrosse for the first time to get in shape for football.

   As team captain in my first lacrosse game ever, I hyper-extended my knee over my own stick and further damaged it in a pickup basketball game a few weeks later tearing my ACL and menial meniscus.  I required major surgery and a hard cast for over a month before rehabbing.  Not fully recovered in time for the next season, my knee gave out in practice. However, right away I continued to work-out to get back into shape for football.  I went out for track to throw the javelin that spring to get more running in.  

    The writing was on the wall in the following fall. Coaches shoved thoughts of me to the side despite my efforts. I had great practices. However, I only got in for the last seven plays in our first scrimmage against Millersville State. Biggest regret of my life…I left realizing all my hard work wouldn’t pay off. I’ll only say this, I may have quit for the wrong reason, but I never quit on myself. I can still hold my head up for what I had done. I can say I was never a college football player, but I was definitely a football “practicer”!  And at age 65, I still envision myself having a year of eligibility left somewhere.  I think I can still hold for extra points and possibly make a run or pass into the end zone for a fake if the defense promises not to tackle me!  I can only dream.

This is as close to I ever got on the field for the Navy varsity football team when I was there, and I still had to sit out a season after transferring to D-3 Juniata!

Bottom line

   The point is that the transfer portal is all for the sake of “individuals”. To me, Football is the epitome of “team” sports.  One time to transfer may make sense for a legitimate reason. However, more than once over four years of college indicates a lack of commitment to the team, any team for that matter.  In life, individuals are always going to be part of teams – in a family, at a job or in the military, as a member of a church or of any charitable organization, and society as a whole.  This is a lesson learned outside the classroom and a great place to learn for these players early in life to be part of one team with a common goal. Two for a good reason, ok, but more, no! Individualism needs to be set aside more often than not throughout life for the good of many.  For that reason, one transfer makes sense enough for each college football player no matter what, but primarily if for nothing more than a most valuable lesson for life.

Ed. by Steve Koreivo, Author of Tales from the Tailgate: From the Fan who’s seen ‘em all! Please click on the title to consider buying. Then review the book for me on Amazon.com.  Thanks.

College football – it’s a team sport!