College Football Notes: Looking Back and Forward
By Mike Neri
If you to play totals, keep an eye on Missouri (3-0). The Tigers may have lost QB Chase Daniel to graduation, but the offense is still humming under new 6-foot5 sophomore QB Blaine Gabbert (5 TDs, 0 picks). They had a blowout win over Illinois, then had a scare in a 27-20 comeback win over Bowling Green.
There are talented pieces on offense in junior RB Derrick Washington, senior WR Jared Perry and 6-foot-5 senior WR Danario Alexander. Early reports said that QB Gabbert was a better prospect than Daniel. Regardless, he has looked shapr. In the opener, Gabbert was 25-of-33 for 319, 3 TDs and no picks in a 37-9 rout of Illinois as Mizzou rolled up 442 yards. They have a new offensive coordinator in Dave Yost and Mizzou is on a 14-8 over the total run. They play run and gun Nevada this weekend.
While Missouri keeps plugging in talented quarterbacks, new Boston College coach Frank Spaziani can't find ONE QB! Redshirt freshman QB Justin Tuggle (4 TDs, 3 INTs) has been forced in, even though they had no QB experience last season, either. In Saturday's 25-7 loss at Clemson, QB Tuggle was 4-of-20 with 3 picks and BC had a ridiculous 54 total yards!
Big 10 rivals Illinois and Ohio State play Saturday. Last year Ohio State won 30-20 at Illinois as a 9-point road favorite though Illinois had 455 total yards (214 rushing, 6.1 ypc) and Ohio State had 305 yards rushing!
This is the first meeting at the Horseshoe since 2007, when QB Juice Williams led the upset of No. 1 Ohio State, 28-21. But there are some differences: In 2007, Illinois went to Ohio Stadium full of vigor, coming off a 27-point win at Minnesota and already commanding big-time bowl attention. This year? Confidence is sagging, injuries are mounting and chemistry still seems to be unsettled.
They are on a bye week, and history also tells us that the Illini don't react well to a week off during the season. They've lost their last four games by an average of 22.7 points following a weekend off. Extended breaks don't help, either, as the three consecutive season-opening losses to Missouri and the Rose Bowl debacle against USC have shown.
Northwestern and Minnesota hook up this weekend. Northwestern is 13-3 SU, 6-10 ATS its last 16 as a favorite. Northwestern won 24-17 as a dog last year, but Minnesota is 6-0 ATS the last 6 at Northwestern.
Texas Tech is at Houston this weekend in a non-conference tilt, but it should be a fun one. Texas Tech has 6-foot-5 junior QB Taylor Potts (12 TDs, 4 INTs, 1,281 yards, 69.5%), blessed with a strong arm and decent agility.
The Houston offensive coordinator used to run the Texas Tech Red Raider offense: Houston offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen has made the Houston attack in the image of the one he just left at Texas Tech -- spread the field and air it out often.
Junior QB Case Keenum (7 TDs, 1 pick, 725 yards, 72% completions) is a terrific talent who was 32-of-46 for 366 yards, 3 TDs and one pick in Houston's 45-35 upset of Oklahoma State. They had the edge in yards 512-434. College football has plenty of great offensive teams, even early in the season!