Doesn't it just figure. The one weekend that, on paper, seemed destined to be a dud ends up producing the most exciting Saturday in recent memory.
From Northwestern's epic double-overtime upset of Wisconsin, to the backup quarterback's game-winning touchdown for now 4-0 South Carolina, to Michigan's controversial win over Illinois, exciting finishes and wild results ruled the day.
Along the way, we saw Gary Godsey's budding legend for Notre Dame take a hit at Michigan State, UCLA's growing bandwagon take a hit against Oregon, and once-proud Penn State and Alabama take another round of disastrous hits themselves.
| Week 5 Recaps |
| |
| (1) Nebraska 42, Iowa 13 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
6: Sacks by the Huskers, who also intercepted Iowa twice.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Eric Crouch, QB, Nebraska. So he's just a runner? A day with five touchdown passes is a pretty nice argument to that theory. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
| If it wasn't for Northwestern's handiwork earlier, just the fact that Iowa trailed only 21-13 at the half to the Huskers would be the upset of the day. Give the Hawkeyes credit for hanging on longer than anyone expected, but this ended up about where most people expected. Nebraska is done with its non-conference schedule now, and the Huskers seem to have regained some stability lost in South Bend a couple weeks back.
|
| |
| (2) Florida State 31, Louisville 0 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary
|
30-12: Difference in first downs, in favor of FSU. |
| Player of the Game |
|
Matt Munyon, K, Florida State. Converted all four extra-point attempts -- a rarity for FSU these days. |
| Breakdown |
|
Florida State's defense, led by Tommy Polley, bailed out Chris Weinke, who had a rare mediocre day, throwing three interceptions on 221 yards. Running back Travis Minor also came to play, gaining 120 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. The FSU defense held Louisville to 23 yards rushing, prolific receiver Arnold Jackson to only five catches for 47 yards and registered four sacks. Interceptions or not, another dominant performance for the 'Noles.
|
| |
| (3) Florida 59, Kentucky 31 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
14: Consecutive wins against Kentucky by the Gators.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Jesse Palmer, QB, Florida. He's coming into his own, with four rushing touchdowns and another through the air.
|
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
If you ever doubt Steve Spurrier's abilities in game-week psychology, go back and study this week. After hammering his players in the media all week long following a controversial win at Tennessee, the Gators went out and mauled the wanna-be Wildcats. They did it behind strong play from Palmer, who is finally looking like the leader Spurrier wanted him to be three years ago. The defense gave up way too many yards (504), but Kentucky has put up numbers on everyone this year. This is a quality win for the Gators.
|
| |
| (4) Kansas State 55, North Texas 10 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
5: Rushing touchdowns for K-State's Jonathan Beasley. |
| Player of the Game |
|
Jamie Rheem, PK, Kansas State. Seven extra points in three quarters? Hey, being K-State's kicker is a tough job. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
Didn't we go over this whole "analysis" thing last week? But, if you insist -- how in the world did the Wildcats only accumulate 477 yards? And they only blocked two North Texas punts in the first half? Bill Snyder will have the guys running extra sprints at practice this week for that. Give me a break.
|
| |
| Oregon 29, (6) UCLA 10 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
17: Consecutive Oregon home wins since losing to UCLA on Oct. 11, 1997.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Maurice Morris, RB, Oregon. The top Duck ran for 139 yards and a pair of TDs. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
| The Autzen Stadium mystique proved stronger than whatever magic UCLA had relied on so far this season. Buoyed by their home crowd, the Ducks outscored the Bruins 16-0 in the first quarter to continue the wackiness that is the Pac-10 in 2000. The key for the Ducks was defense; UCLA's rushing attack, which had sustained it during an undefeated start, was worthless. The Bruins seemed to get desperate late, throwing long passes on nearly every down rather than going underneath to move downfield. Will the Ducks move into the rankings now?
|
| |
| Northwestern 47, (7) Wisconsin 44, 2 OT |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
1,049: Total offensive yards between the two teams.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Zak Kustok, QB, Northwestern. His numbers weren't pretty (21 of 41), but he kept his cool and made the plays when it mattered.
|
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
You had to figure this would happen to the Badgers eventually. After a season of near-misses, Wisconsin finally got caught against a Northwestern team that easily could have folded at halftime in a hostile environment. Kustok kept the Wildcats focused, and they did just about everything right in the clutch. Meanwhile, the Badgers might have a few offensive worries. That may sound strange, considering the yardage total, but when your back (Michael Bennett) has to carry it 48 times, that might be a red flag. So who's the favorite in the Big Ten now?
|
| |
| (9) USC 34, San Jose State 24 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary
|
55: Rushing yards for SJSU, which came in averaging 225.3. |
| Player of the Game |
|
Carson Palmer, QB, USC. Outstanding under pressure, producing three fourth-quarter touchdown drives in a comeback. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
| A scare for the Trojans, who trailed 24-12 going into the fourth quarter. Amazingly, the Spartans built their lead with hardly any contribution from star running back Deonce Whitaker, who gained only 49 yards. Palmer, who finished with 338 yards, led the comeback. He had help all game from RB Sultan McCullough, who carried 21 times for 136 yards. |
|
| |
| (10) Michigan 35, (19) Illinois 31 |
| Preview |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
338-95: Michigan's advantage in rushing yardage.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Anthony Thomas, RB, Michigan.
Continues his dominating final season with biggest game yet: 228 yards. |
| Breakdown |
|
An amazing, back-and-forth game was ultimately decided by three apparent fourth-quarter fumbles -- two of which were miscalls, both burning the Illini. Before the sloppy, late-game sequence, fans were treated to an offensive shootout, with Illinois QB Kurt Kittner (27-of-38, 355 yards) shredding the Michigan secondary, and the Wolverines answering back with Thomas and receiver David Terrell (114 yards). Drew Henson led the Wolverines' comeback from 21-7 his first appearance of the season.
|
| |
| (11) Clemson 31, Virginia 10 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
7.5: Yards per carry for the Tigers. |
| Player of the Game |
|
Woodrow Dantzler, QB, Clemson. This guy is legit. He rushed for 220 yards and passed for 150 more, accounting for 3 TDs.
|
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
OK, let's get something straight here: Clemson is pretty darn good. No, the Tigers haven't had a huge test yet, but they play in the ACC, where there is only one huge test. A win like this at Virginia, a semi-quality conference opponent, says a lot about what Tommy Bowden has done with this program in a short period of time. If Dantzler was on TV more often, he'd be a Heisman candidate. Look out for the Tigers.
|
| |
| (12) Miami 47, West Virginia 10 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
146: Career receptions for Miami's Reggie Wayne, setting a school record. |
| Player of the Game |
|
Ken Dorsey, QB, Miami. Looked strong all day, hitting 22 of 33 passes for 291 yards and a pair of TDs. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
This could have been a tough one for the Hurricanes, but a challenge never materialized. Miami had two defensive touchdowns to help take the always-raucous Morgantown crowd out of the equation immediately, and Dorsey had a solid day at the helm of the Miami offense. The Hurricanes needed this one after sitting out last weekend; the victory should get them back on track in the Big East race, at least confidence-wise.
|
| |
| (13) Tennessee 70, Louisiana-Monroe 3 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
17: Consecutive homecoming wins for Tennessee. |
| Player of the Game |
|
Casey Clausen, QB, Tennessee. In his college debut, the young star completed 12 of 15 passes for 133 yards and three TDs. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
| This is what they call getting out a little frustration. The Vols didn't bother to leave this one in the hands of an officiating crew, as they used just about every player they had in demolishing helpless Louisiana-Monroe. Tennessee blocked a pair of punts and generally had its way with the Indians in making a pleasant recovery from last week's loss to the Gators.
|
| |
| (14) Ohio State 45, Penn State 6 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary
|
10 of 15: Third-down conversions for Ohio State.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Steve Bellisari, QB, Ohio State. Didn't have to do much, and his 10 of 17 passing for 196 yards was sufficient.
|
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
OK, how bad is Penn State? In horribly sloppy conditions, the Lions might have had some sort of edge, and they kept it close before imploding in the second half. The Buckeyes scored three touchdowns in just over four minutes late in the third quarter to slam the door on the now 1-4 Lions. The one positive for Penn State was discovering some semblance of an offense after last week's embarrassment against Pitt, but those 256 yards didn't matter much with three turnovers.
|
| |
| (15) Texas 48, Houston 0 |
| Preview |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
9: Texas quarterback sacks. |
| Player to Watch |
|
Cory Redding, LB, Texas. Just one of several Texas defenders to put the hurt on Houston QB Jason McKinley. |
| Breakdown |
|
Texas made up for yet another sluggish offensive game with magnificent defense. Houston QB Jason McKinley, who came in averaging 346 passing yards, managed only 173 on 14 of 34 passing, while the Cougars managed only 13 rushing yards on 31 carries. Chris Simms got off to another stellar start, throwing an interception on his first attempt, and the Longhorns, who desperately need to get their offense fixed, rushed for only 96 yards.
|
| |
| (23) Michigan State 27, (16) Notre Dame 21 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
0-for-14: Notre Dame's third-down conversions.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
T.J. Duckett, RB, Michigan State. He's big, he's bad, and his rushing average will actually drop after a 142-yard performance.
|
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
It looked as if Michigan State was doing all it could to give the game away, with Jeff Smoker's horrible fourth-quarter interception in the shadow of his own goalposts, but the Spartans got pretty lucky themselves. Smoker's game-winning strike to Herb Haygood with less than two minutes to play was a thing of beauty, and another unfortunate setback for the Irish. Notre Dame's Julius Jones again looked great, and the Irish tried to find a spark by using a pair of quarterbacks, but the Spartans had just enough at the end.
|
| |
| (17) Oklahoma 42, Rice 14 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
37: Career TD passes for OU's Josh Heupel, who set the school's all-time record with a pair in this game.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Quentin Griffin, RB, Oklahoma. We know what Heupel can do, but the back's 14 carries for 117 yards and 3 TDs are exactly what the Sooners need.
|
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
| Oklahoma keeps plugging away against inferior competition, but it's hard to argue with the Sooners' production so far this season. Rice tried to control the clock, with 50 rushes to only 12 passes, but the Owls could never sustain anything, and Heupel and Co. went right back down the field on the other end. Hey, only two weeks until the Oklahoma-Texas game.
|
| |
| (18) TCU 52, Arkansas State 3 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
|
Game Recap
Game Summary
|
65: Passing yards for Arkansas State.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, TCU. Another day at the office -- 23 carries for 140 yards. |
| Breakdown |
|
TCU may well be a BCS-caliber team, but we'll never know as long as it's playing the Arkansas States of the world on a regular basis. Besides Tomlinson's regular heroics on the ground, QB Casey Printers was an impressive 11 of 15 for 204 yards, and the Horned Frogs' defense made life absolutely miserable for the Arkansas State offense.
|
| |
| (20) Auburn 31, Northern Illinois 14 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
189: Receiving yards by Northern Illinois' Justin McCareins on 11 catches.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Ben Leard, QB, Auburn. Ever steady, Leard hit 15 of 19 passes for 174 yards and two TDs.
|
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
The Ben and Rudi show rolled on for the Tigers, taking a break after their SEC opener last week. Auburn cruised to a 24-0 lead in the second quarter and didn't have to worry much after that, inserting reserves after allowing the starters to rack up their expected numbers. Rudi Johnson ran for 110 yards, his fourth straight game over the century mark, as his dark horse Heisman campaign continues to gain steam.
|
| |
| (21) Purdue 38, Minnesota 24 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
29: First downs for the Boilermakers.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Drew Brees, QB, Purdue. More Big Ten records fell after his 33 of 49 passing, 409-yard, two-TD day. Oh, and he ran for 88 yards and a TD, too. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
Purdue recovered nicely from last weekend's setback with a demolition of the Gophers. It wasn't as close as it looked; the Boilers were up 31-3 early in the third quarter, and Brees got back in his old form to lead the way. With 497 of the team's 531 yards on the day, the QB did just about everything. Minnesota quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq was terrible, passing for only 36 yards before taking a seat. This wasn't exactly what Glen Mason had in mind.
|
| |
| (22) Southern Miss 28, at Oklahoma State 6 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
|
Game Recap
Game Summary
|
Minus-7: Southern Miss' -- who did actually win -- rushing yards on 32 carries. |
| Player to Watch |
|
Jeff Kelly, QB, Southern Miss. Not normally known for big numbers, Kelly completed 20 of 37 for 257 yards. |
| Breakdown |
|
How Southern Miss won so handily despite Derrick Nix running for 23 yards on 21 carries is a great mystery. This much is clear: Oklahoma State became the latest team unable to move the ball on the staunch Eagles defense. Cowboys RB Reggie White gained only 65 yards after averaging 158 coming in. Needless to say, not too many points are going to be scored against Southern Miss in Conference USA season.
|
| |
| (24) Georgia 37, New Mexico State 0 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary |
9: Punts by offense-hungry New Mexico State.
|
| Player of the Game |
|
Bruce Thornton, RB, Georgia. Speedster impressed with 10 carries for 67 yards and a pair of TDs in place of the injured Jasper Sanks. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
The Bulldogs got exactly what they needed out of this game -- a nice, comfortable, confidence-building victory. Despite another shaky start, Georgia was able to work a number of younger players into the lineup, and several stood out. Thornton took advantage of his opportunity, and wide receiver/punt returner Damien Gary turned in several nifty plays. Quincy Carter got himself back on track and the defense shut the Aggies down. All in all, this was as much as Georgia could ask for heading into next weekend's trip to Arkansas.
|
| |
| South Carolina 23, (25) Mississippi State 19 |
| Recap |
Key Stat |
Game Recap
Game Summary
|
305: Career-high passing yards for South Carolina's Phil Petty. |
| Player of the Game |
|
Eric Kimrey, QB, South Carolina. Came in cold on a fourth-and-10 for the injured Petty, threw a perfect 25-yard TD pass. |
| CNNSI.com's Analysis |
|
What can you say about the Gamecocks? A perfect 4-0 so far, with victories over a pair of Top 25 teams that will likely propel South Carolina into the rankings this week -- that's a rebuilding job after 21 straight losses. For much of the game, this looked like it would be the end of the Gamecocks' streak, with unfortunate penalties, a blocked punt and several other mistakes hampering South Carolina's efforts. But the Gamecocks got it done, with some help from MSU quarterback Wayne Madkin, and his receivers, who couldn't connect on anything in the fourth quarter.
|
|
