October 15, 2007

Mike Huguenin
Rivals.com College Football Editor

Conference players of the week

ACC

Georgia Tech senior TB Tashard Choice ran for a career-high 204 yards on 37 carries as the Yellow Jackets upset host Miami 17-14. UM had been allowing 111 rushing yards per game, but Choice reached that total by midway through the third quarter,

Big East

Louisville senior QB Brian Brohm threw for 350 yards and three TDs as the Cardinals beat Cincinnati 28-24; it was the Bearcats' first loss. Brohm finished 28 of 38 with no interceptions and threw TD passes in the first, second and third quarters. Plus, he had a 51-yard completion to Harry Douglas to set up the eventual game-winning TD in the fourth quarter.

Big Ten

Iowa senior LB Mike Humpal led a strong defensive effort in a 10-6 upset of visiting Illinois. Humpal had a career-high 18 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery as the Hawkeyes snapped an eight-game league losing streak.

Big 12

Oklahoma State senior TB Dantrell Savage ran for 212 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys blasted host Nebraska 45-14. The Cowboys rushed for 317 yards and five TDs against the Huskers.

Conference USA

Houston senior WR Donnie Avery had 346 receiving yards and 427 all-purpose yards as the host Cougars rallied to beat crosstown rival Rice 56-48. Avery had 13 receptions, including two touchdowns. He also had 81 return yards. Avery had three catches for 208 yards in the first quarter. His TD catches covered 77 and 67 yards.

Mid-American

Miami (Ohio) junior LB Joe Hudson had a huge game as the RedHawks crushed Bowling Green 47-14 in a key conference game. Hudson finished with eight tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception, a forced fumbled, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry as Miami held the Falcons to 232 total yards, 206 below their season average,

Mountain West

Air Force senior wingback Chad Hall ran for a school-record 256 yards and four TDs as the Falcons pounded Colorado State 45-21. It was the fifth 100-yard game of Hall's career and his third against the Rams.

Pac-10

Oregon State senior TB Yvenson Bernard ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns as the Beavers shocked host California 31-28. His second touchdown came with 8:30 left and gave the Beavers?who have won four in a row in Berkeley ? the lead for good.

SEC

Kentucky senior QB Andre' Woodson threw for 250 yards and three TDs as the host Wildcats stunned top-ranked LSU 43-37 in three overtimes. Woodson's 7-yard TD pass to Steve Johnson in the third overtime proved to be the game-winner. Woodson also led UK on two fourth-quarter scoring drives as the Wildcats sent the game into overtime after trailing 27-14 late in the third quarter.

Sun Belt

Middle Tennessee State true freshman QB Dwight Dasher piled up 410 yards of total offense and accounted for two TDs in a 21-7 upset of host Memphis. Dasher threw for 230 yards and a TD and also ran for 180 yards and another score.

WAC

Hawaii QB senior Colt Brennan threw for 545 yards and four TDs and also ran for a score as the Warriors rallied to beat San Jose State 42-35 in overtime. It was Hawaii's second OT victory of the season. Brennan, who also threw four interceptions, finished 44-of-75, and had three receivers go over 100 yards.

Saturday marked the first time since Sept. 21, 1996, that the No. 1 and No. 2 teams lost on the same day in the regular season, meaning every team in the preseason top 10 now has lost a game. The latest victims were LSU and California as the topsy-turvy top 10 kept on shaking.

If you were surprised by any of the outcomes Saturday, shame on you. Hey, you should be used to this by now. The losses by the Tigers and Golden Bears mean only two teams in the preseason top 25 haven't lost at least once: Hawaii and Ohio State.

Cincinnati, Connecticut and Missouri also lost Saturday, meaning there are four teams other than Hawaii and Ohio State who remain unbeaten: Arizona State, Boston College, Kansas and USF. Each of the BCS conferences except the SEC has one unbeaten; the WAC also has one.

So, who has the best chance to stay unbeaten? Let's look at each of the six.

ARIZONA STATE

THE GOOD: A strong, physical offensive line that starts four fifth-year seniors, including three guys who already have their undergraduate degrees. A deep stable of tailbacks. QB Rudy Carpenter is a good fit for new coach Dennis Erickson's offense. An aggressive, ball-hawking defense. A kicker who hasn't missed a field goal in 14 attempts.
THE BAD: The schedule has been easy so far, with just two road games, and there's a history of losing games they shouldn't. While the Sun Devils may be able to overcome that history, can they overcome a schedule that has them playing Cal, Oregon, UCLA and USC in four consecutive weeks, with the middle two on the road?
THE VERDICT: One or two losses. While the secondary has played well, we're not convinced it will stand up against Cal and Oregon. And the two games against L.A. schools won't be easy, either.

BOSTON COLLEGE

THE GOOD: QB Matt Ryan is a legit Heisman contender. There's a nice group of tailbacks who run behind a solid offensive line. BC has been superb against the run. There's an opportunistic secondary.
THE BAD: The receivers are adequate, nothing more; they're helped greatly by Ryan's presence. The schedule definitely is backloaded. Still to come are road games with Clemson, Maryland and Virginia Tech and home games with Florida State and Miami.
THE VERDICT: At least one loss, maybe two. Still, our pick to win the ACC Atlantic Division.

HAWAII

THE GOOD: QB Colt Brennan is a great fit for coach June Jones' pass-first, pass-second and pass-third attack. There is a great group of receivers. The schedule is manageable, with the toughest remaining games (Boise State and Washington) at home to close out the regular season.
THE BAD: The defense is mediocre, at best. Brennan has been sloppy with the ball at times (10 interceptions already). Fresno State's and Boise State's rushing attacks will cause problems.
THE VERDICT: One loss. There will be no BCS appearance, which was a long shot anyway with this schedule. The Warriors will be 11-1 and playing in the Hawaii Bowl, on their home field.

KANSAS

THE GOOD: The Jayhawks are crushing people, winning by an average score of 50-10. QB Todd Reesing, a first-year starter, has made all the right throws. While KU doesn't have one standout player on offense, there is a lot of good complementary talent. The defense has been stout, especially against the pass. Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech aren't on the schedule, and there are just three more road games. The Jayhawks believe they can win. And let's get serious: The rest of the schedule is easily navigable. There isn't a great defense on there, and only Missouri and Oklahoma State have offenses that will worry the Jayhawks.
THE BAD: There has been one legit opponent so far, Kansas State, whom KU beat 30-24. More are coming, and three of the Jayhawks' next four are on the road (Colorado, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State). Missouri lurks at the end. How legit are those defensive numbers, considering the level of competition thus far?
THE VERDICT: One loss in the regular season. A Big 12 North title, then a loss in the Big 12 Championship Game.

OHIO STATE

THE GOOD: A ton of talent on defense, with standouts at each level (end Vernon Gholston, LBs Marcus Freeman and James Laurinaitis and CB Malcolm Jenkins). TB Chris Wells is a talent. Brian Robiskie has become a legit go-to receiver. QB Todd Boeckman hasn't made mistakes. The Buckeyes have won their games by an average score of 36-7. The remaining schedule isn't that daunting because, hey, the Big Ten isn't that good.
THE BAD: For all the impressive defensive numbers, the Buckeyes have just a plus-1 turnover margin. And the schedule has been, to be kind, easy. There are wins over a I-AA program, two MAC teams, a Washington team that's going to finish in the bottom third in the Pac-10, two cruddy league teams (Minnesota and Northwestern) and one imposter (Purdue). Each of the next five games is against a team that has spent at least a week in the top 25.
THE VERDICT: If there's a team that's going to finish unbeaten, it's this one. There's no reason to think the Buckeyes can't run the table. At the same time, a loss or two wouldn't be a surprise. Right now, though, we say they finish unbeaten. Funny: The Buckeyes who were unbeaten in the regular season in 2002 weren't thought to be that strong, and they won it all. The Buckeyes who were unbeaten in the regular season last year were thought to be unbeatable, and they were hammered in the title game.

USF

THE GOOD: QB Matt Grothe always seems to make a big play when it's needed. The defense is good ? really good. The cornerback duo of Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams is one of the best in the nation. Defensive end George Selvie is a pass-rush machine. The linebackers are good. There is great speed on defense. The toughest part of the schedule has passed.
THE BAD: Did you notice that other than Grothe, we didn't talk about the offense in the section above? The receivers have talent, but they also seem to drop three or four passes a week. There is no feature back that scares the opposition. Four of the remaining six games are on the road, and the two home games left are against Cincinnati and Louisville.
THE VERDICT: One loss. As good as that defense is, there will be a game when it has some trouble. Can the offense bail it out?

How the mighty have fallen

Florida State (4-2) plays host to Miami (4-3) this week, and has there been a less eagerly anticipated Seminoles-Hurricanes matchup in recent memory?

And get this: This will be the first time since 1977 ? yes, 1977 ? that neither team is ranked when the game begins. It's the first time since 1998 that both teams aren't ranked when they've met.

The problem for both remains the offenses. FSU is 94th nationally, at 342.7 yards per game. Miami is worse, ranking 96th at 339.1 yards per game. The Seminoles have gained more than 381 yards once, against lowly UAB. UM has been over 400 yards four times, but the Hurricanes also have been held under 225 twice.

Quarterback play for both has been spotty, and it's obvious that neither team has a quarterback it can count on to provide consistently solid play. Each has used two this season ? Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford at FSU, Kirby Freeman and Kyle Wright at UM. All four came highly touted, but none has come close to living up to his high school press clippings.

Wide receivers also are a problem for both. UM's three main wide receivers have a combined 48 catches and four TDs in seven games. Think about that for a minute: Miami, which has produced a ton of NFL skill-position talent, doesn't have a go-to receiver seven games into the season. FSU is a bit better, as its three top receivers have a combined 67 catches and six TDs in six games. Again, though, this is Florida State, and it's hard to believe the Seminoles ? like the Hurricanes ? don't have a wide receiver who scares anybody.

Both changed offensive coordinators in the offseason, with FSU bringing in Jimbo Fisher from LSU and Miami ? which has a new staff ? hiring Patrick Nix away from Georgia Tech. But this season's results show recent problems weren't just because of the coaches. The lack of talent on hand at quarterback and wide receiver ? and offensive line, for that matter ? was a bigger problem than most observers wanted to admit.

After UM, FSU has three ranked teams ? Boston College, Virginia Tech and Florida ? on its schedule. Miami still has to play three ranked teams as well ? Virginia, Virginia Tech and Boston College.

Each had visions of a New Year's Day bowl when the season started. Now it appears the best each can hope for is a trip to the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Making memories

California QB Kevin Riley was in a position to do something that would have him remembered forever by Golden Bears fans. Instead, he did something that will have him remembered forever by Golden Bears fans.

Yes, we admit that's a bit convoluted. But read on.

Riley, a sophomore from Beaverton, Ore., right outside Portland, made his first college start Saturday against Oregon State because starter Nate Longshore was hampered by a sore ankle. Riley had some tough spots, but that was to be expected against a Beavers defense that was allowing just 290.0 yards per game coming in.

Riley ran for a TD and threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He made a couple of NFL-like throws in the fourth quarter, most notably a beautifully thrown 37-yard laser to Robert Jordan that gave Cal ? which was trailing 31-28 ? a first down at Oregon State's 27. A pass-interference call two plays later gave Cal a first down at Oregon State's 12 with 14 seconds left. That's when Riley made the play that will be remembered forever.

Cal was without timeouts but well within range for a field goal that would've tied it at 31. Coach Jeff Tedford called for a pass, obviously figuring Riley would just throw it away if he was pressured. Instead, Riley took the shotgun snap, moved to his right, then back to his left ? and then forward, past the line of scrimmage. He quickly was hunted down by Beavers LB Joey LaRocque, and the clock ran out as a crowd of 63,995 ? and a national TV audience on Vs. ? watched incredulously.

Thus, instead of guiding Cal to its first No. 1 ranking since 1950, Riley instead made a play that means Cal now is a game behind in the Pac-10 race.

"I knew there were 14 seconds left on the clock," Riley told the San Jose Mercury News. "My initial read wasn't there. I saw some green field at first and I thought I could get around the guy. It's just football instincts. I thought about throwing it out of bounds, but I thought I might have been over the line of scrimmage.

"It's just part of the game. I was trying to make a play and it didn't work out."

Tedford slammed his clipboard and his headset to the ground after the play, but he was far more conciliatory later. "It's not his fault," Tedford said. "He played his heart out at the end to get us in that situation. We didn't lose the game because of that play."

Saturday's game was supposed to be somewhat easy for Cal, which now has lost four times in a row at home to the Beavers, before the scheduled toughened. This week, Cal is at UCLA, followed by a trip to unbeaten Arizona State. Later, there's a home game with USC.

Grid bits

? The nation's two longest winning streaks ended Saturday, LSU at 13 and Cincinnati at nine. Three teams now are tied at eight: Boston College, Hawaii and USF.

? Last week, we had some fun at the expense of Nebraska's defense. Well, we're going to do it again this week. The Huskers are 105th in the nation in total defense (a drop of eight spots from last week) and are giving up 457.2 yards per game after Oklahoma State rolled up 551 yards on them Saturday in a 45-14 beatdown. Nebraska has allowed at least 40 points in four of its past five games and has allowed at least 400 yards in five consecutive games. Oklahoma State led 38-0 at halftime. "We're searching, trying to find the right answer," defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove told reporters after the game. "There was absolutely nothing that they ran that was counter to what they do. But we have to make some plays." Huskers coach Bill Callahan said he wouldn't fire any assistants during the season. After the season, of course, is a different matter. And you wonder if Callahan will have his job. Yes, he received a contract extension, through 2011, in September. But it's conceivable the Huskers don't go to a bowl, and that will leave the natives mighty restless.

? If you want to make sure you see an exciting game, watch UTEP. The Miners (4-3) have been involved in three consecutive games where both the winning and losing teams have scored in the 40s, and the margin of difference in the three games has been a combined seven points. Saturday, UTEP fell 45-42 in overtime to East Carolina, which scored on a 34-yard pass on the final play of regulation to force OT. Last week, UTEP rallied from a nine-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Tulsa 48-47 on a TD pass with 58 seconds left. And two weeks ago, the Miners rallied from 21 down to beat SMU 48-45 in overtime.

? While there are six unbeaten teams, four teams remain winless: Colorado State, Florida International, Marshall and Utah State.

? Houston set a Division I-A record Saturday by having a 200-yard rusher and a 300-yard receiver in the same game in a 56-48 victory over Rice. TB Anthony Alridge ran for 205 yards and four TDs, and WR Donnie Avery caught 13 passes for 346 yards and two TDs.

? Kansas is 6-0, and five of the victories have come at home. The average score in those five: 54-7.

Under-the-radar games

At first glance, these games don't jump out at you. But upon further review, they look a whole lot more interesting.

? Penn State at Indiana: The Nittany Lions trounced Wisconsin and are one of five Big Ten schools with two conference losses. Indiana, which was shredded by Michigan State, is another in that quintet. Penn State's two losses this season have come on the road. Can IU get enough offense to drop the Nittany Lions to 0-3 on the road ? and, in the process, become bowl-eligible?

? Virginia at Maryland: The Cavaliers are 6-1 after handing Connecticut its first loss of the season. So why is no one talking about the Cavs? Despite the good record, the schedule has been relatively easy, and a visit to College Park will be their toughest road test thus far. Maryland's rushing attack is the key.

? Kansas State at Oklahoma State: Both are in the title mix for in their respective Big 12 divisions. K-State's rush defense has been stout in every game but one ? a loss to Kansas. Oklahoma State isn't going to win unless it can run for 200 yards.

Mike Huguenin is the college sports editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at mhuguenin@rivals.com.