College Football Round Up: Yards, Respect and Pressure -

Week One of the 2023 college football season provided excitement, yards and surprises. What did you take away from it?

As Florida State demolished LSU, the majority of the first full week of action ended. Now, with months ahead, fans, teams, and media will now settle in. Which teams will continue to shock, exhilarate or break the collective hearts of their fanbases? The game boils down to effective yards and executing on offense.

The Son Rises In Fort Worth

For months, people predicted a bumpy road for Deion Sanders in Colorado. If they didn’t mention the quality of play, Sanders’ choice for high turnover made the headlines. Yet, the game still needed playing. In the game of the day, featuring little defense, Colorado outlasted TCU 45-42. More importantly, it signaled a shift in the national conversation. Shadeur Sanders threw for 510 yards on 38-for-47 passes. Additionally, he tacked on four touchdowns. Granted, Sanders may struggle to escape the shadow of his father. However, Saturday’s performance showed the FBS world what HBCU already knew. Through a combination of poise, a quick release and excellent accuracy, Shadeur Sanders kicked the door down. Forcing the media to pay not only attention but respect takes a measure of self-confidence intertwined with fearlessness.

A Tale Of Two Coaches

If you follow college football at all levels, G.J. Kinne’s name should not be new. The former Tulsa standout made his bones as an assistant before taking the reins at Incarnate Word. In his first game for the previously moribund Texas State Bobcats, Kinne showed why his name will be linked to various head coaching jobs over the next few seasons. The Cats racked up 441 yards of offense versus a team with a defensive-minded head coach. Speaking of Dave Aranda, while his seat in Waco is not quite warm yet, the landscape does not favor him. The ever-expanding Big 12 continues to add teams that will continue to make life tough for the Bears. Forget about Texas and Oklahoma leaving. Next season, Utah, Colorado and the Arizona schools will join the conference. The seat catches fire without wins.

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No Sense In Complaining Now

Matt Rhule’s offense really tallied 114 yards through the air versus Minnesota. Now, applaud the Nebraska defense for holding the Gophers to 251 yards of total offense. Back to Rhule. If critics of Rhule want to point to a specific issue early, look at Nebraska’s last drive, three of their final plays were run from the shotgun. Jeff Sims can find the open receiver. Unfortunately, he found the open Gopher but the point remains. With this said, Rhule will need to get creative. Running the ball versus Colorado and scoring ten points will not win that game. If Rhule retreats into a conservative playcalling mentality, Colorado will run Nebraska out of Boulder.

A Little Less Talk

During the week, LSU head coach Brian Kelly decided to explain how the fifth-ranked Tigers would walk into Tallahassee and smash the Seminoles. Apparently, no one told Florida State to lay down. Instead, FSU embarrassed LSU. Despite seventeen first-half points, the Bayou Bengals could not mount any meaning offense in the second half. On top of that, the Tigers provided no answers for Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. That pregame chatter from Baton Rouge served zero purpose as that duo of Seminole receivers combined for three scores, sixteen catch and 226 yards. Number five teams can’t lose in such a humiliating fashion in the first week. Before LSU heads into the SEC gauntlet, they play Grambling in a get-well game. Life moves fast, especially in the Southeastern Conference.

Quietly In Madison

Before the season, Wisconsin looked like a darkhorse to make noise in the Big Ten. With the lion’s share of the attention focused on Michigan and Ohio State, watch out for Bucky. The Badgers hired Luke Fickell as head coach. More importantly, Fickell brought Phil Longo along as offensive coordinator. Longo, late of North Carolina, brings his spin of the Air Raid offense to the University of Wisconsin. For decades, the Badgers thrived with a strong rushing attack behind a dominant offensive line. Now, adding in the wrinkle of an offense that uses pace and spacing to buttress the run game makes the Badgers dangerous. Bucky will be fun to watch as they evolve into a serious threat in the Big 10.

Standout Performers

1. Shadeur Sanders (Colorado QB) – 38/47, 510 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions vs. TCU
2. Erick Hunter (Morgan State LB) – 11 Tackles, 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble vs Richmond
3. Kenny Hrncir (UT-Permian Basin) – 19/24, 287 yards, six touchdowns, zero interceptions vs. Texas College