Week 2 Top Stories
1. USF takes down a great USC team in Los Angeles.
2. This wasn't how the season was supposed to start for the Black Knights with loss to Northern Illinois.
3. Virginia Tech notches a Champions Division win over Georgia.
4. The Buckeyes steal one from #3 Alabama 17-14.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 2 Champions Division Results
STAN 31 - OU 28 OT | VT 28 - UGA 24 | tOSU 17 - ALA 14
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 3 Champions Division Schedule
#8 Alabama (1-1, 1-1) at #3 USF (2-0, 1-0)
#2 Stanford (1-0, 1-0) at #1 Ohio State (2-0, 2-0)
#15 Oklahoma (0-2, 0-2) at Georgia (0-2, 0-2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 3 Notable Games
Kansas State (1-0, 0-0) at #10 USC (0-1, 0-0)
#5 Navy (1-0, 1-0) at South Carolina (2-0, 2-0)
#6 Penn State (1-0, 0-0) at #7 Texas (1-0, 0-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week
QB Dante Hall (Auburn): W 42-30 at Florida - 15 of 25, 309 yards, 17 carries, 100 yards, 5 total touchdowns
LB Mark Lloyd (Stanford): W 31-28 vs. Oklahoma - 13 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, interception
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HB Robert Stover (Nebraska): W 42-7 vs. Sam Houston State - 22 carries, 138 yards, 4 touchdowns
LB Mark Lloyd (Stanford): W 31-28 vs. Oklahoma - 13 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, interception
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notable Florida Recruiting Commitments
#84 Chris Thompson [WR #24]: 6'3", 177lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
The Bullpen: USF planning for Rashad Woodard to be available against Alabama
Jonathan Bright -- BullsNation.com Football Reporter
USF senior quarterback Rashad Woodard was a full participant at Wednesday's practice after not practicing on Monday and being limited on Tuesday according to offensive coordinator Jeremy Butler.
"We're preparing for him to be available and getting him ready to play," Butler said of Woodard's status after Wednesday's practice.
USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. echoed those sentiments during his earlier availability with the media, listing Woodard as probable for Saturday's game against Alabama. Woodard suffered a severe sprain in his right elbow according to Francois Sr. against USC but that the swelling and discomfort had gone done as of Monday and that the limitations on Tuesday were precautionary steps.
‣ Oregon State off to less than promising start under Francois Jr.
Malcolm Francois Jr. might have gotten a win in his first career game as head coach at Oregon State but fans hardly left Beaver Stadium happy with the team's 35-28 win over Eastern Washington as they needed a late touchdown with 47 seconds remaining to beat a four-win FCS team from the previous year.
Redshirt junior Andrew Beck threw two interceptions in seven pass attempts while sophomore Dylan Slaughter fared a bit better, throwing for 102 yards and rushing for 35 yards. The star of the day was Mark Colbert who rushed for 223 yards and four touchdowns and seemed poised for a breakout season in Francois Jr's offense which will need to rely on the running game due to the quarterback play.
Freshman Mark Collier, who left the Bulls at the alter on National Signing Day to sign with Oregon State, failed to record a catch.
Week 3 Preview: vs. #8 Alabama Crimson Tide
Record: 1-1, 1-1 Champions Division
Last Season Record: 11-3, CFP Semi Finals
Head Coach: Jonathan Henry (33-11 at Alabama, 4th year, 46-12)
Offensive Coordinator: John Burns (Spread)
Defensive Coordinator: Charlton Warren (3-4 D)
Team Leaders
Passing: Andrew Britt (342 yards, 3 TD, INT, 120.1 rating)
Rushing: Andrew Britt (222 yards, 4.8 ypc, TD)
Receiving: Antonio Craft (7 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD)
Defense: Brandon Stewart (14 tackles, 7 TFL, 2 sacks)
Team Schedule
vs. #16 Virginia Tech: W 41-38
at #1 Ohio State: L 17-14
Alabama's two point conversion intercepted as comeback effort falls short against USF
USF and Alabama's second matchup of the 2043 season came down to two yards as the Bulls were unable to convert the two-point conversion, falling to the Tide for the second time in three months as Alabama would advance to the College Football Playoffs Semi Finals.
Two yards once again separated the two teams as Andrew Britt was intercepted by Damon Hill on the two-point conversion as the Bulls were able to avoid overtime and hang on to beat the Tide 31-29 on Saturday.
Alabama head coach Jonathan Henry made two crucial decisions late in the game to punt the ball on 4th and short which will be heavily debated for the upcoming days and potentially months if it holds playoff implications.
The first was 4th and inches from the 11-yard line on a drive the Tide had already converted a fourth down play that was nearly stopped behind the line of scrimmage but Eddie Watson broke through the tackle for the first down. Alabama had failed two previous fourth down attempts in the first half and with a chance to make it a one-point game with a field goal, Henry opted for that route.
"You take a look at a variety of things," Henry said after the game, "Ultimately, I felt that it was the best thing for our team at that time based on a variety of factors so it stops with me, we ultimately didn't win so we'll review those decisions, like we do all decisions, and move on from there."
Alabama would get the ball back with a little over seven minutes remaining thanks to a three-and-out force by their defense but would go three and out themselves to give USF the ball back.
Rashad Woodard and USF's offense would bounce back from a slow start to the game, which included two interceptions in the first half, to put together a methodical drive that ended with Justin Thomas scoring his second touchdown of the game to make it a eight point game.
The second fourth down decision was a more difficult conversion as Britt was sacked on third down to lead to a fourth and eight with 2:51 remaining where the Tide would choose to punt it.
It would prove to be the right decision as Alabama used two of their three remaining timeouts to get the ball back with two minutes left. USF would force an early fourth and seven where Britt found Parker Gibson for a sixteen-yard completion for the conversion. On the very next play, Britt would hook up with Andrew Crews for the 46-yard pick up to get the ball near the USF 10-yard line with a minute left.
Three plays later, on fourth and two, Britt found Crews in the end zone for the touchdown to make it a two-point game where he would target Crews once more, only to be intercepted by Hill.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[ALA] G. Wright, returned interception 40 Yds (0:48)
Quarter 2
[ALA] E. Houston, 32 Yd FG (4:26)
[USF] J. Thomas, 16 Yd run (2:11)
[ALA] E. Houston, 38 Yd FG (0:40)
[USF] J. Love, 22 Yd FG (0:00)
Quarter 3
[ALA] P. Gibson, 72 Yd pass from A. Britt (6:55)
[USF] D. Jones, 72 Yd pass from R. Woodard (6:22)
[USF] C. Stokes, 5 Yd run (3:09)
[ALA] E. Houston, 22 Yd FG (0:12)
Quarter 4
[USF] J. Thomas, 3 Yd run (4:16)
[ALA] A. Crews, 7 Yd pass from A. Britt -- 2pt failed (0:22)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #8 Alabama Crimson Tide
QB Andrew Britt: 25 of 31, 328 yards, 2 touchdowns, sacked 2 times
HB Eddie Watson: 17 carries, 88 yards
WR Andrew Crews: 7 receptions, 112 yards, touchdown
WR John Langford: 7 receptions, 83 yards
WR Parker Gibson: 3 receptions, 93 yards, touchdown
OLB Melvin Carrington: 7 tackles, tackle for loss
CB Grant Wright: 5 tackles, interception, touchdown
OLB Frank Cole: 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack
LB/DB Brandon Stewart: 4 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
DT Brandon Harper: 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
#3 South Florida Bulls
QB Rashad Woodard: 14 of 25, 234 yards, touchdown, 2 interceptions, sacked 5 times, 17 carries, 41 yards, fumble (recovered)
HB Cameron Stokes: 9 carries, 35 yards, touchdown
HB Dave Parker: 8 carries, 62 yards
HB Justin Thomas: 3 carries, 30 yards, 2 touchdowns
WR Eddie Shaw: 4 receptions, 60 yards
WR Ryan Murray: 4 receptions, 55 yards
ATH Michael Williams: 2 receptions, 48 yards
WR Donald Jones: 1 reception, 72 yards, touchdown
S Mike Mason: 9 tackles
OLB Richard Smith: 7 tackles, 4 tackles for loss
LB Julian Harrell: 6 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
DT Brent Craft: 2 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack
Week 3 Top Stories
1. Bulldog Stadium will never be the game as Georgia Tech upsets playoff hopeful Fresno State.
2. USF triumphs over #8 Alabama.
3. Texas is tough to beat at home as they easily take care of Penn State.
4. Is anybody playing better than the #1 Buckeyes as they beat No. 2 Stanford?
5. USC bounces back from USF loss with win over Kansas State.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 3 Champions Division Results
USF 31 - ALA 29 | tOSU 38 - STAN 10 | OU 45 - UGA 31
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 Champions Division Schedule
#12 Oklahoma (1-2, 1-2) at #3 Nebraska (2-0, 0-0)
#1 Ohio State (3-0, 3-0) at Georgia (0-3, 0-3)
#11 Alabama (1-2, 1-2) at #8 BYU (1-0, 0-0)
#14 Virginia Tech (1-1, 1-1) at #6 Stanford (1-1, 1-1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 Notable Games
#7 USC (1-1, 1-0) at Miami (1-1, 1-1)
#15 Miami University (2-0, 0-0) at Cincinnati (2-0, 0-0)
Minnesota (2-0, 0-0) at #23 Michigan State (1-1, 0-0)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week
QB Ryan McClain (Wisconsin): W 51-48 OT vs. Syracuse - 19 of 30, 277 yards, 23 carries, 164 yards, 6 total touchdowns
CB Adam Johnson (Louisiana Tech): W 52-16 at Virginia - 2 tackles, forced fumble, interception
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QB Kyle Jones (Oklahoma): W 45-31 at Georgia - 15 of 26, 215 yards, 7 carries, 23 yards, 3 total touchdowns
LB Thomas Hudson (Georgia Tech): W 41-27 at Fresno State - 7 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, sack, interception
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notable Florida Recruiting Commitments
#84 Chris Thompson [WR #24]: 6'3", 177lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
The Bullpen: Sophomore running back Dave Parker likely out for the rest of the season with injury
Jonathan Bright -- BullsNation.com Football Reporter
The prognosis for Dave Parker's injury wasn't a positive one as USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr. confirmed that Parker will likely miss 'two to three months' as he underwear surgery on Monday night to repair a dislocated elbow he suffered against Alabama late in the game.
"Whenever you need surgery for that kind of injury, it's not good news. He's a tough kid, a hard worker and he's in good spirits and ready to tackle this thing on but honestly speaking, we're probably at least two or three months from seeing him on a football field."
Parker is second on the team in carries (27) and yards per carry (8.3), trailing Cameron Stokes (38 carries) and Justin Thomas (9.8 yards per carry) who will be the two feature backs with Parker sidelined along with true freshman Brian Clay who had four carries on the team.
Even prior to Parker's surgery, offensive coordinator Jeremy Butler was critical of himself for not utilizing Thomas more both against Alabama and throughout the season with Thomas having just two carries in the first half. He does lead the team in touchdowns (5) and in rushes of more than 20 yards with three on the season.
The five-foot-nine, 182 pound running back is a former five-star whose diminutive frame has made him primarily a change of pace back for the Bulls but Butler reiterated after the game that Thomas has the potential to be more than that.
"We really need to get [Thomas] going," Butler said on Saturday, "Two touches in the first half is inexcusable and that's on me. We have a lot of talented guys on the roster but he's different, we need to find ways to get him involved."
‣ Richard Smith is looking like a future first round pick
Alabama had no answers for Richard Smith who had four tackles for loss, bringing his season total to eight as he's tied with Alabama's Brandon Stewart for most tackles for loss this season in the Champions Division.
He'll need to continue improving as a pass rusher and round out his game if he's going to be a day one selection but from a talent perspective, he flashes when you watch him live and especially on tape as his motor always puts him in position to be a disruptor to offenses.
Oliver Colvin is still finding his sea legs as he's now a full-time starter with just one tackle on the season but if he's able to come online, the Bulls should have a dynamic pair at outside linebacker this season.
‣ Oregon emerging as early favorites for Malcolm Francois III
In some recruiting news, Oregon 247 Sports Insider Andre Murphy logged a Crystal Ball for the Ducks to land four-star quarterback Malcolm Francois III who is the son of Oregon State head coach Malcolm Francois Jr. and the grandson of USF head coach Malcolm Francois Sr.
While the Beavers were losing 27-17 to Troy on the road, Francois III was in Eugene to watch the Ducks lose 42-35 to the University of Ohio. Francois III was there on an unofficial visit, tagging along with high school teammate Jacob Johnson, a three-star cornerback that is a heavy Oregon lean.
"It's been a three-team race between Oregon, Oregon State and USF," Murphy wrote in his article which predicted Francois III to the Ducks, "The Ducks made him a priority coming out of his junior season with three visits this past summer."
It's also of note that one of those three visits came during the same weekend of the Green and Gold Bash where the Bulls typically try to get all of their top recruits in the building that weekend. Kevin Meadows wasn't in attendance last year and ultimately signed with USF so it's not a death sentence for USF's hopes of signing Francois III who is their top target right now at quarterback.
Week 4 Top Stories
1. Alabama notches a conference win behind the arm of Britt over BYU.
2. Led by White and crew, Stanford knocks off Virginia Tech.
3. Arkansas State hands #9 Penn State a crushing 28-11 defeat.
4. Rutgers opens conference play with a win over Kentucky.
5. The Buckeyes KO Georgia in conference play.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 4 Champions Division Results
NEB 38 - OU 28 | tOSU 49 - UGA 6 | ALA 31 - BYU 28 | STAN 24 - VT 10
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 5 Champions Division Schedule
#2 USF (3-0, 2-0) at #6 Stanford (2-1, 2-1)
#17 Oklahoma (1-3, 1-3) at #8 Alabama (2-2, 2-2)
Georgia (0-4, 0-4) at #11 BYU (1-1, 0-1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 5 Notable Games
Illinois (3-0, 0-0) at #15 Rutgers (2-0, 1-0)
Washington State (3-0, 0-0) at #18 UNLV (3-0, 0-0)
#7 USC (2-1, 2-0) at #4 Texas (3-0, 2-0)
Ohio (2-1, 0-0) at #20 Penn State (1-2, 0-1)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week
QB Paul Davis (NC State): W 45-38 at Arizona - 14 of 24, 205 yards, 19 carries, 205 yards, 6 total touchdowns
OLB Wendell Davis (Coastal Carolina): W 45-31 vs. New Mexico - 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, sack, 3 forced fumbles, fumble recovery
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WR Adam Whaley (Oklahoma): L 38-28 at Nebraska - 8 receptions, 176 yards, 4 touchdowns
LB Scott Craft (Virginia Tech): L 24-10 at Stanford - 9 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumble, fumble recovery
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top 247 Five-Star Commitments
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notable Florida Recruiting Commitments
#84 Chris Thompson [WR #24]: 6'3", 177lbs | Tampa, FL | 4-star | University of South Florida
Week 5 Preview: at #6 Stanford Cardinal
Record: 2-1, 2-1 Champions Division
Last Season Record: 14-1, National Champions
Head Coach: Eric Russell (2-1 at Stanford, 1st year, 31-21)
Offensive Coordinator: Dana Holgorsen (Pro)
Defensive Coordinator: Jay Bateman (3-4 D)
USF prepared to make a move on several top targets once hectic road schedule settles down
Eddie Fernandez -- 247 Sports USF Insider
USF is working on a major, in-season recruiting weekend on October 21st where they expect to host a bevy of talented players on official visits, led by five-star tight end Neal Higgins.
Higgins confirmed to 247 Sports that he'll be in attendance for the Bulls game against Nebraska on October 22nd, adding that he expects to meet several other top prospects during that weekend.
"It's going to be a movie," Higgins said, "[4-star WR commit Chris Thompson] put us all in a group chat and we're all excited to really get a chance to know each other, know the coaching staff and see if this is some place we can all link up and make something happen."
Higgins is the top ranked tight end in this class and says he's going to take official visits to Georgia, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma. The Sooners are the long time favorites for the Columbus High School star but the Bulls remain in the hunt.
Five-star running back Kevin Mooney, five-star defensive back Marlon Pace and four-star linebacker Marlon Gunn are among the others expected to be on campus that weekend.
In addition to getting all of their top targets together to mesh and recruit each other -- akin to the Green and Gold Bash which typically results in several commitments -- the mega-recruiting weekend is likely out of necessity as well. The Bulls are on the road or on a bye for a month until they play Nebraska.
Tampa is buzzing following South Florida's 37-26 win over Stanford
USF's season ended last year on a two-point conversion against Alabama. For the second game in a row, USF kept their undefeated season alive by being on the other end and forcing a stop.
Stanford's fourth quarter rally fell short as Brent Barber was sacked on the two-point conversion that would have made it a three-point game with 1:26 remaining and instead allowed USF to run out the clock and score once more to beat the Cardinal 37-26.
USF quarterback Rashad Woodard came back from a hip injury in the first half to throw for 99 yards and rush for 70 yards with three total touchdowns, including an important ten yard scamper in the fourth quarter to give USF the eight point lead with seven minutes remaining.
USF's defense would force a three-and-out on the next Stanford possession and would kick a 45-yard field goal with 2:19 remaining to make it a two score game.
---------------------------------------------------------------- Scoring Summary
Quarter 1
[STAN] M. Ford, 1 Yd pass from B. Barber (4:59)
Quarter 2
[USF] R. Woodard, 11 Yd run (7:11)
[STAN] M. Ford, 18 Yd pass from B. Barber (4:45)
[USF] R. Woodard, 28 Yd run (3:46)
[USF] J. Thomas, 31 Yd pass from C. Price (1:57)
[STAN] J. Robinson, 40 Yd FG (0:01)
Quarter 3
[STAN] J. Robinson, 43 Yd FG (5:51)
Quarter 4
[USF] R. Woodard, 10 Yd run (7:01)
[USF] J. Love, 45 Yd FG (2:19)
[STAN] R. Jackson, 21 Yd pass from B. Barber -- 2pt failed (1:26)
[USF] B. Clay, 11 Yd run -- 2pt failed (0:19)
---------------------------------------------------------------- #2 South Florida Bulls
QB Rashad Woodard: 10 of 14, 99 yards, sacked 4 times, 17 carries, 70 yards, 3 touchdowns, fumble (recovered)
HB Justin Thomas: 12 carries, 83 yards, 3 receptions, 23 yards, touchdown
HB Cameron Stokes: 10 carries, 36 yards
HB Brian Clay: 7 carries, 54 yards, touchdown
WR Ryan Murray: 3 receptions, 62 yards
TE Jake Bryant: 2 receptions, 24 yards
LB Julian Harrell: 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
S Mike Mason: 7 tackles
LB Nate Jacobs: 5 tackles, tackle for loss
OLB Richard Smith: 3 tackles, tackle for loss
#6 Stanford Cardinal
QB Brent Barber: 22 of 35, 254 yards, 3 touchdowns, 7 carries, 31 yards
HB Corey Jones: 20 carries, 51 yards
WR Roderick Jackson: 8 receptions, 75 yards, touchdown
WR Jake Thompson: 5 receptions, 81 yards
TE Marcus Ford: 3 receptions, 53 yards, 2 touchdowns
S Ira Smith: 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
OLB Matt Peters: 8 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
DT Kyle Smith: 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
CB Shane Britt: 5 tackles, tackle for loss
LB Chris Hutchinson: 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
DE Tommy Lane: 3 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
DE Myron Brown: 3 tackles, tackle for loss, sack
