Full day of football yesterday. The final page of Week 2’s chapter has turned, and we move onto chapter 3 next week. The story continues. Last week, I dipped my toe back into the college football world and picked three games to watch. Yesterday, I cannonballed from the high dive and watched as much as my two eyes could process. Too much. Truthfully, too much to recap in one sitting, and you know what? I don’t have to. I’m sure the guys on the Cover3 podcast or any other high caliber media show will highlight the day better than I could ever describe it. I mean, I could type 10,000 words on yesterday’s action alone with the pages and pages of scribbled notes, stats, and storylines in the Mead 70 sheet sitting next to my morning double dose of caffeine. But seriously, what could I write that won’t be said on outlets reaching far more people that I could?
This is why I’ve decided to highlight some things that I loved and stood out to me on a personal level. But briefly, before I get too lost in the weeds and highlight the things I enjoyed which is bound to happen any sentence now, I would like to draw attention to a couple of stone-cold things that I do not question at this moment. The list is short but resolute.
Georgia and Texas are playing on another level to begin this season than any other team I have laid eyes on this year. These teams control the game from the inside out with their Offensive Line leading the way. Specifically, #65 Jake Majors and #67 Hayden Connor for Texas. Two “earth movers” as my buddy Rusty called them. These two teams have top talent at every position. Swaggy Sarkesian confidently and correctly described his team’s preparedness and depth during his pregame interview with college gameday and while adorning a Texas Orange Cashmere Jacket. These two will not have to wait until the playoffs to meet. October 19th the Bulldogs travel to Austin. Let’s not hype this too much yet but come on…that is going to be a must watch if both teams are healthy. And with that, that is all that I do not question—that UGA and Texas look effortlessly elite. Should Tennessee be on that list? Probably. Ohio St? Mississippi? Perhaps. But who wants to be on top in Week 2 anyways? All that matters is winning week to week. The rankings do not matter. If no one talks about how amazing a team is all season, but they are undefeated at the end of it, guess what? They still get into the playoffs. Long gone are the days of an undefeated team not getting a shot at the Title. There are 12 spots to be had at the end. Just be one of them.
Now, to ‘kickoff’ the list of things I loved in Week 2 here is a brief transcript from yesterday as a I followed the Edinboro/ Robert Morris game.
Hey! 90 seconds left in the Edinboro game. You know, since they are my new favorite team. The Fighting Scots are clinging to a 23-21 lead on the road in the hostile Moon Township, PA. I need to visit there. Pittsburgh, Eerie, Moon Township. Catch a Steelers game, maybe a Pirate’s game if it’s early football season. Damn, now I want to go to PA. Maybe I’ll make that happen. Sneak over there for a long weekend. Maybe during Halloween and stay somewhere remote, let things get spooky. Don’t, tempt me, Frodo. (Gandalf)
50 seconds to go. The Fighting Scots in line for their first win of the season, and as a massive fan (since last night), this is getting stressful. Let’s distract with a fun fact…Oh yeah, Dr. Katherine Robbins, Athletic Director for Edinboro is a three-time National Water Ski Champion, in case you missed that nugget in last night’s ramblings. And Final!! Well done to the Scots.
Edinboro Fighting Scots 23 @ Robert Morris 21 Big bounce back after that blunder last week against East Stroudsburg. Fighting Scots forever!! Traveling to Kutztown to take on the Golden Bears this Saturday at 11am/est. Look for more in the Week 3 preview.
I love that I randomly went down that rabbit hole Friday night. A little poking and a little research and poof…I’m a Fighting Scots fan. Kismet.
- Enjoy the little things
- Thomas Hammock. “The Irish lost,” that’s the story. “Martin Freeman may lose his job,” that’s the speculation. But Thomas Hammock’s genuine heartfelt postgame interview… that’s the real stuff. It’s worth watching if you haven’t seen it. I personally did not watch a minute of this game, but turned the dial to NBC just as the interview began. It brought a tear to my eye. Why? Because it was real. I saw a man full of passion. I saw a man pouring his heart out on the field. I saw a man who put every bit of himself into that team. I saw a man that cared. I saw a man that knew winning in South Bend was near impossible and overwhelmed by what his young men had just accomplished. I saw a real man. A man that loves NIU. In fact, he and his wife both are Alums. In 1999, Hammock began his collegiate career running the ball for the Huskies. Hammock rushed for 1,000 yards in both his sophomore and junior seasons and his fingerprints are all over the program located in Dekalb, Illinois, which is just 65 miles west of Chicago. Outside of a few years coaching at other schools and spending four seasons with the Ravens coaching the running backs, Hammock’s football career has centered around Northern Illinois, where he began coaching the running backs in 2005 and returned to his Alma Mater in 2019 as Head Coach. Just think, he almost never got the chance as straight after college he worked for Wells Fargo briefly before the game that he loved beckoned him back. When he left Baltimore to accept the job as Head Coach, John Harbaugh, head coach for the Ravens said, “our loss is Northern’s gain.” There is a well-done article from 2019 featured in the New York Times Athletic, if you are interested in more of his story. I encourage you to read it. There is a theme to Thomas Hammock, and it shines through brightly in the feature. In a few words Hammocks theme to his career is this: communicate. He prioritizes returning every text, phone call, and email. There is a neat story about how this theme led to him become the Head Coach of his beloved Alma Mater, but it is a story better read On the Athletic. (I tried to link the article but I’m a dummy) I would argue that there is no one on earth that felt the weight of that win at Notre Dame yesterday more than Thomas Hammock. To win at South Bend is special for anyone. To win at South Bend with a small school, where you played, graduated, met your wife, and now coach…Come on now, that’s the real stuff. I applaud the Huskies for what I’m sure was a brave effort against the much more touted talented Fighting Irish, but my hat personally is off for Thomas Hammock. In a world full of fake folks, you sir are a real man.
- Dave Aranda/ Baylor defense. “Utah won,” that’s the story. “Cam Rising got injured,” that’s the worry. But Dave Aranda and the Baylor defense shutting out the Utah offense for 3 quarters after being down 17-0 on the road, that’s what I love. If we only look at the first quarter from yesterday’s game played in 92 degree heat in Salt Lake City, it would be strange to highlight the Baylor defense. Cam Rising led the Utah offense to three first quarter scores and the Ute defense tormented the Baylor inexperienced offense. It looked to be a rout for the home team. Then, early in the second quarter, Cam was tackled awkwardly near the sideline, and he injured his hand, knocking him out for the rest of the game. Utah stalled for the next two drives but found a way to score when they blocked a Baylor field goal attempt and returned it back for a TD making it 23-0. That was the last time the Utes would score, but the offense concluded their contribution the quarter before when they kicked a field goal with 0:48 remaining. Why? Sure, Rising left the game, but I think there is more to it. Dave Aranda said in his press conference this week “Our focus is on winning individual battles..individual blocks, individual one on one tackles on the edge and perimeter” and so on. He knew he had questions on the offensive side and planned on working through some things during the game, which to his credit, the offense did move the ball better as the game progressed. But more importantly, he wanted to focus on winning those little details. Well, I watched the entire game, and it ended up being one of my favorite games to watch because of this very thing. Drill sergeant looking, spectacle wearing Dave Aranda had his defense, regardless of the moment or score, constantly positioned well and prepared to win each tackle. Man, I hope if you watched this game, you had the sound up to full volume because you could hear and if you played, could even feel the hits being delivered. Shoulders squared, head up, hard hitting, wrap up tackling. I was especially impressed with the secondary’s ability to wrangle the skill positions on the edge. Down 23-0 on the road, without any semblance of an offense and against gritty Kyle Whittingham’s innovative defense, it would be easy for the team to lay down and take their beating, but that’s not what happened. Baylor kicked a FG at the end of the half to make it 23-3, but truthfully, the game seemed out of reach. Well, the second half was exactly how Baylor wanted it to be. It was slow. It was a sludge. They won every individual battle that I saw and allowed their offense to inch back into the game, although they never could find the endzone. The Ute offense did not have an answer for the tenacious organized Aranda defense, but their own defense ‘dug in’ and made the plays necessary to hold onto the win. The Utes still haven’t allowed a touchdown this season in 8 quarters. Impressive. This is about Aranda though. This is about the Baylor defense. This is about not giving up when victory is most likely out of reach. This is about working hard on every play and focusing on doing the “little things” well regardless of circumstances or the pending poor outcome. A college team losing 23-0 on the road to a superior opponent without having an elite QB on the roster is almost guaranteed to be a loss, and for a team in that position, to rally, never give up, fight for every inch, and simply, try on every play is worth a standing ovation but at the least, recognition for such an effort. I’m glad Utah won. They are just a few miles south, but part of me in the second half felt that Baylor deserved it. Aranda and the Baylor team should wake up in Waco feeling a sense of pride. They lost the game on the scoreboard in the first quarter, but in terms of determination and effort, the Bears are winners, and that’s what I love the most. Shit, this is getting long. Still with me? Football is awesome.
- Ja’Quinden Jackson. After beginning his college career for the Longhorns in 2020, he transferred to the Wasatch Front to play for the Utes from 2021-2023, before transferring to the Ozarks in Northwest Arkansas for this season. His first half effort led the Razorbacks to a 21-7 halftime lead scoring all 3 touchdowns. Then, he left the game early in the 3rd quarter and did not return. His team struggled immensely and only scored 10 total points between the 3rd and 4th quarter and two overtimes resulting in a 39-31 loss. Even though he exited early, his numbers for the day were impressive 149 yards gained on 24 carries with the 3 TD’s. I loved watching his first half effort and wish him continued success. Wonder which mountains he prefers?
- A few players I’d love to highlight on the way out:
Dominic Zvada K Michigan: 2/2 from field goal yesterday making him 5/5 this season including two from 52 yards and one from 55! Jahvaree Ritzie DT UNC: 2 sacks. Now 5 total for the ‘Tarheel Tank.’
The Texas offensive line. All of them. Damn.
That is all for now. Just the tiniest of glimpses into a couple of positive things worth loving about this sport. I’m always looking for the ‘real stuff’ that is special to me, and this was just a couple of examples.
Week 3 college preview will come out this week along with a few other doses to ‘Curb the workday boredom.’ Week one of the NFL is about to begin as I finish this sentence. Go fantasy team!
Find the humor and keep on movin’
Whit W.