4-Down Territory: Tasty Games on the Menu This Weekend

Jay Paterno
Sep 19
6 min read

First Down: Bread and Butter to Start?: Iowa (2-1) at Rutgers (3-0) Friday 8:00 FOX: Rutgers has surged to two straight winning seasons playing great defense and running the ball. They always seemed to be missing having that QB that could elevate the game. So far this season Athan Kaliakmanis has played at a high level. But the Top 10 Iowa defense will be a stern test for Rutgers. Iowa is looking for the offense to improve after some slow starts this year…..Tulane (3-0) at #13 Ole Miss (3-0) 3:30 ESPN: Tulane QB (and BYU transfer) Jake Retzlaff has run for 6 TDs and 288 yards in just three games. He gives Tulane a dynamic threat throwing and running. The Green Wave has wins over Northwestern and Duke, but this game is a step up in speed that they’ll be facing. Ole Miss has some injury issues at QB with Austin Simmons who should be ready to go. But if he can’t go back up Trinidad Chambliss played at a high level in a tough win over Arkansas……UNC (2-1) at UCF (2-0) 3:30 FOX: After an embarrassing loss to start the year UNC has won two games against Charlotte and Richmond. A road game at UCF will be a good barometer for how much the Tarheels have improved since week one…….Washington (2-0) at Washington State (2-1) 7:30 CBS: This week the country will get a primetime look at Washington. UW fans are high on QB Demond Williams and RB Jonah Coleman as are a number of people who’ve seen them play. If defenses focus on Coleman, Williams is a real threat as a runner (132 yards average 6.3 yards per carry through 2 games). And on the outside WR Denzel Boston is a handful to cover. While Washington State is coming off a bad loss this is the Apple Cup and playing in the Palouse is never a walk in the park.

Second Down: Side Salads: Oregon State (0-3) at #6 Oregon (3-0) 3:00 Big Ten Network: Oregon has an array of weapons on offense as they host this year’s edition of The Civil War rivalry. It doesn’t carry the same feel as the season-ending battle between conference foes, but the disdain remains very real. Oregon State is struggling and that could spell trouble. For Penn State fans watching to see what to expect for next week’s “White Out” game Oregon has an effective edge pass rush and an aggressive set of linebackers and safeties. The vulnerability may be inside against the run. On offense the Ducks have speed that makes them a threat to score on almost any play. For the Ducks the chance to play week in and week out and stay on schedule may be the best way to get ready for next week’s game……..Temple (2-1) at #18 Georgia Tech (3-0) 4:30 The CW: Georgia Tech looks like a very real contender rushing up on the outside in the ACC title horse race. This game looks like a chance to tune up before resuming the conference schedule…..Michigan State (3-0) at #25 USC (3-0) 11:00 FOX: This is one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend and it will be worth staying up for. Both of these teams are looking for dramatic improvement from a year ago and both are off to 3-0 starts. USC looked good in a road win at Purdue last week. USC QB Jayden Maiava leads the nation in pass efficiency by protecting the ball and making big plays. In fact, FIVE different USC receivers have caught passes of 59 yards or longer. How far USC goes this year will likely depend on how they do defensively. While MSU may not be an elite offense yet, MSU QB Aiden Chiles has made dramatic improvement from a year ago with his accuracy and he remains a threat to run. And he has shown the ability to make some clutch plays in the OT win over Boston College.

Third Down: Savory Appetizers: #21 Michigan (2-1) at Nebraska (3-0) 3:30 CBS: This is another Big Ten match-up between two teams looking to jump into the race as contenders. A Nebraska win sets them up as probable favorites in every game between now and a late November match-up at Penn State. For highly touted sophomore Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola this is a time-to-deliver moment at home against Michigan. After throwing 11 INTs a year ago, he has yet to throw one this year. For Michigan they will get another road test for freshman QB Bryce Underwood. Nebraska is the 6^th-ranked defense in the country, but they have yet to see a tough test…….Purdue (2-1) at #24 Notre Dame (0-2) 3:30 NBC: If not for two last-minute plays Notre Dame would be 2-0 and probably ranked #3 or #4 in the country. For those looking to write off the Irish they were backed against the wall after losing to Northern Illinois in week two last year. The road back starts this week against an improved Purdue team. The question for the Irish is whether or not they can reclaim their defensive form from a year ago…..South Carolina (2-1) at #23 Missouri (3-0) 7:00 ESPN: For Penn State fans who are underwhelmed by QB Drew Allar’s season so far, this game offers a peek at former PSU QB Beau Pribula who has been lights out through three games including a 30 for 39 339 yard 3 TD day against Kansas. South Carolina will be his toughest test yet. For the Gamecocks QB LaNorris Sellers is a physical runner but he is a question mark for Saturday. Back-up QB Luke Doty is also a good athlete so if he has to go at QB the scheme will likely be very similar…….Florida (1-2) at #4 Miami (3-0) 7:30 ABC: Beware the wounded Gator. Despite their 1-2 record, the Gators are a top-30 defense and top 25 against the run and gave #3 LSU all they could handle last week. They will need a top-10 caliber defensive effort to have a chance for the win this week. Given Miami’s stout run defense, the Gators will have to put the ball in the air and avoid the costly INTs that cost them the game last week. Miami looks like a legit contender with QB Carson Beck at the helm.

Fourth Down: Main Courses: #17 Texas Tech (3-0) at #16 Utah (3-0) 12:00 FOX: The Utes have started off with the efficient use of the short pass game and the running of QB Devon Dampier (66 yards per game). He’s gone from 12 INTs a year ago to zero so far. Texas Tech has bombed three teams including Oregon State and is rolling up 602 yards per game. They like the big play with a gaudy 16.2 yards per completion when QB Behren Morton is chucking the rock. They will be facing a tough Utah defense ranked 11^th in the nation right now. But the Red Raiders have a top 15 defense of their own and have shown success getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and creating turnovers…..#22 Auburn (3-0) at #11 Oklahoma (3-0) 3:30 ABC: OU QB John Mateer has been effective running for 4 TDs, throwing for 5 and limiting what opposing defenses can do because of his dual-threat abilities. But he has turned the ball over. OU will look to get more run game production from their RBs. When Auburn has the ball, they like to lean on the run game. That could be a problem against an active OU defense that schemes and blitzes to take away the run game and ranks #4 nationally for total defense……#9 Illinois (3-0) at #19 Indiana (3-0) 7:30 NBC: One of the big offseason questions in the Big Ten was “Could Illinois be this year’s Indiana?”—referencing the unexpected playoff run by the Hoosiers last year. After three games could it be that Indiana might be this year’s Indiana and make another run? This is a match-up of two coaches Brett Bielema from Illinois and Curt Cignetti of Indiana who have always gotten the most from the players they have. It's also a match-up of two efficient QBs with Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza at #6 nationally in pass efficiency and Illinois’ Luke Altmyer ranked 14^th. The Illinois run game has not been as dominant as Bielema would like so far but look for them to try to establish that on the road Saturday night. Indiana has racked up gaudy numbers (over 600 yards per game) but this will be the toughest defense they’ve faced all year. One thing is certain, at the end of the night one of these teams will have the inside track on being this year’s Indiana.