Shoutout to Marcus Mariota for just being, in the words of Stephen A. Smith when referring to Aaron Rodgers, a "bad, bad man". Facing the stingiest defense in the country, Mariota and the Ducks had no reason to do anything but run their blitzkrieg offense as usual, but the Spartans, to their credit, forced their hand. At halftime, Oregon had 14 rushes for 13 yards! I was ready to proclaim the MSU defense as the second coming of the '85 bears...and then the second half happened. You see, as the ground game was being stifled, Mariota was quietly having yet another efficient game through the air. This passing success most likely opened up more holes for guys like Byron Marshall and Royce Freeman in the second half as Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio likely tried making some adjustments. The result? 26 rushes for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second half, which guided the Ducks out of a 27-18 deficit en route to a 46-27 victory. And it's not like Mariota just let his RB's do all the heavy lifting the rest of the game either. He pitched in 42 rushing yards on his own while tossing 17 passes for 318 yards and 3 TD's. Simply put, the dude is unbreakable. Sparty came out and hit the Oregon offense right in the beak, and it's like they barely flinched. I don't know if it's just me, but 2015 just seems like the year of the Duck. After what he did to possibly the most feared D in the nation, I would be shocked to find a defensive coordinator who wasn't terrified of Marcus Mariota.
Shoutout to Art Briles for being the best college football coach I've ever seen, at least from an offensive standpoint. I imagine this is the conversation he had with the team doctor early Saturday morning:
Doctor: "Hey, coach, Bryce (Petty) won't be able to play today."
Briles: "Oh, that's unfortunate."
Doctor (concerned about Briles' lack of concern): "Coach, how do you plan on replacing him? He's pretty much the focal point of the offense."
Briles: "Tell me doctor: Am I going to be on those sidelines come game time?"
Doctor: "Well. yes coach, you will be."
Briles: "Then hop on my fucking back and whatever no-name QB we throw out there will look like Peyton-fucking-Manning."
Yeah, whatever, the version of Art Briles that I have in my head is a snarky narcissist who loves to use profanity, but isn't that the best possible Art Briles? Anyway, backup quarterback Seth Russell received the keys to the juggernaut that is the Baylor offense and went for a joy ride, throwing for 438 yards and 5 touchdowns. Extremely impressive right? In case your jaw hasn't dropped yet, how about this? 438 of the 438 yards, as well as 5 of those 5 touchdowns, came in the FIRST HALF!!! I really don't even care that this was against Northwestern State, those numbers are astronomical for a Heisman favorite. Meanwhile, some sophomore from Garland, Texas can just make his first ever collegiate start and look like he's playing Madden on Rookie. Congratulations Seth, but the credit here goes to Briles for creating the greatest system in college football history.
Shoutout to Amari Cooper for making millions of dollars by proving beyond any doubt that he is worthy of a top-15 pick after exploding for 13 catches, 189 yards, a touchdown, and considerable Heisman recognition. This dude is just going to straight up carry this 'Bama passing game this season, and the bandwagon is still vacant and accepting applications. Not your usual stud #1 WR at only 6-1, Cooper uses his exceptional route running, plus speed, and sure hands to reel in any ball coming his way. Injuries forced him to not make as big of an impact last season as he would have liked, but now that he's healthy, defenses have been put on notice. I feel pretty confident in saying that I would take Cooper over any WR in the country right now (sorry Rashad Greene). QB Blake Sims appears to have seized the starting job after looking very comfortable these first two games, and it's no stretch to say a lot of that comfort results from knowing you got Cooper out there to haul in anything you throw near him.
Shoutout to the Notre Dame defense for making Michigan look like a high school team, and not even one of those powerhouse ones. Michigan brought an NCAA record 365 consecutive games without being shut-out into this contest, and Notre Dame stomped all over that stat like it was a pesky ant. Also the first time the Wolverines were blanked by the Irish since 1984, this game was controlled from start to finish by Notre Dame as the defense not only stumped talented Michigan running backs Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith (20 combined rushes for 55 yards), but also forced QB Devin Gardner to throw 3 picks. Notre Dame is stacked on D as a result of great recruiting in recent years, and blue-chippers like LB Jaylon Smith and S Max Redfield stood out in this game for sure. Smith, in particular, is developing into a bonafide superstar. Irish quarterback Everett Golson had himself another effective game throwing the ball, but it's a lot easier to find holes in the opposing defense when they are all gassed from being on the field all game (a point I am about to bring back up in the next shoutout). All in all, dominant performance by Notre Dame, and one that should catch the attention of the playoff selection committee.
Final shoutout is one I am not happy to make, but nonetheless one I am forced to make. BYU QB Taysom Hill took another dump on the Texas defense last night en route to a 41-7 demolition of the Longhorns. Hill's stat-line wasn't all-world like the other guys I usually give special mention to (like Kenny Trill, who turned in another monster performance), but he did finish with 280 total yards, 3 touchdowns (all on the ground), and the grudging respect of every Longhorn fan. Hill ran like a man possessed all night, and as the Texas defense became more and more worn out (I mean, the Texas offense managed -1 yards in the entire 3rd quarter. No, I'm serious.), the running lanes only became bigger and bigger. This run right here pretty much sums up Hill's game last night. Yeah, it should be SportsCenter Top 10, random guy in the background providing commentary on his own video. Hill was a true leader, and those BYU players just seem to respond to his toughness and moxie. It also doesn't hurt that the dude possess insane talent. Absolutely no hyperbole here, but Taysom Hill's running ability is on par with that of Mariota, Hundley, Tebow, Newton and any other star mobile QB we've seen in college football the last decade. He's also no slouch throwing the football either. The Texas secondary, led by Quandre Diggs, actually played decent all night, so Hill didn't have his best game passing against the Longhorns, but just last week Hill threw for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns against UConn. Hill and Arizona St. RB D.J. Foster (had to give him a small shoutout) are two guys who are going to put up obscene numbers all year, and probably still won't receive much national attention. Well, Taysom, you are forever my most hated college football player, and honestly, I mean that with the most admiration attached to it as possible.
Final shoutout is one I am not happy to make, but nonetheless one I am forced to make. BYU QB Taysom Hill took another dump on the Texas defense last night en route to a 41-7 demolition of the Longhorns. Hill's stat-line wasn't all-world like the other guys I usually give special mention to (like Kenny Trill, who turned in another monster performance), but he did finish with 280 total yards, 3 touchdowns (all on the ground), and the grudging respect of every Longhorn fan. Hill ran like a man possessed all night, and as the Texas defense became more and more worn out (I mean, the Texas offense managed -1 yards in the entire 3rd quarter. No, I'm serious.), the running lanes only became bigger and bigger. This run right here pretty much sums up Hill's game last night. Yeah, it should be SportsCenter Top 10, random guy in the background providing commentary on his own video. Hill was a true leader, and those BYU players just seem to respond to his toughness and moxie. It also doesn't hurt that the dude possess insane talent. Absolutely no hyperbole here, but Taysom Hill's running ability is on par with that of Mariota, Hundley, Tebow, Newton and any other star mobile QB we've seen in college football the last decade. He's also no slouch throwing the football either. The Texas secondary, led by Quandre Diggs, actually played decent all night, so Hill didn't have his best game passing against the Longhorns, but just last week Hill threw for 308 yards and 3 touchdowns against UConn. Hill and Arizona St. RB D.J. Foster (had to give him a small shoutout) are two guys who are going to put up obscene numbers all year, and probably still won't receive much national attention. Well, Taysom, you are forever my most hated college football player, and honestly, I mean that with the most admiration attached to it as possible.
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