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The forecast for Week 2’s faculty soccer slate was dreary and but, the scheduled delivered.
The Solar Belt rose to the event as Marshall knocked off then top-10 Notre Dame 26-21 and Appalachian State — this week’s host for Faculty GameDay — went into Faculty Station and handed Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M an surprising early season loss. And, in fact, Georgia Southern capped the night time off with a win over Nebraska that finally led to a training change in Lincoln. Not dangerous for a “boring” week, eh?
Sadly for faculty soccer followers, Week 3 solely options two video games the place each groups are ranked however — if final week confirmed us something — the storylines will probably be plentiful Saturday, no matter preliminary notion.
What does Nebraska appear to be towards longtime rival No. 6 Oklahoma after firing Scott Frost? How do Jimbo’s Aggies bounce again whereas dealing with a proficient Miami crew? And can we discover out who the true Oregon Geese are as they welcome No. 12 BYU to Eugene?
These are the important thing tales as we prepare for one more week of school soccer.
No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners at Nebraska Cornhuskers (Saturday, midday ET, Fox)
It goes with out saying that the dialog surrounding Nebraska this week has been much less about its sport towards Oklahoma and extra about the place this system goes from right here after firing Scott Frost.
Interim coach Mickey Joseph, a former Nebraska quarterback himself, stated his main focus inside this system has been to make modifications that can assist the crew play higher than it has throughout its 1-2 begin. To that finish, there are a number of defensive modifications — together with tackling in follow and shifting defensive coordinator Erik Chinander to work extra intently with the safeties.
Nebraska ranks No. 124 within the nation in whole protection, permitting a mean of 492 yards per sport — uncharacteristic of its “Blackshirts” moniker. Final week was a low level, as Nebraska gave up 642 yards in a 45-42 loss to Georgia Southern. Subsequent up is a large check towards Oklahoma, a crew that’s usually some of the troublesome to defend.
“I met with Coach Chinander and we’re going to play sooner,” Joseph advised reporters in Lincoln this week. “We’re going to sort out in follow. We’re going to element what we’re doing with our children. We’re going to make our children maintain themselves accountable.”
Final season, Nebraska performed Oklahoma powerful, shedding 23-17 — one of many many video games the Cornhuskers misplaced by one rating underneath Frost. Being concerned in so many shut video games is a part of the explanation why Joseph feels there may be nonetheless potential to avoid wasting the 2022 season. Beating Oklahoma would go a great distance towards constructing the arrogance and perception that may occur.
“We transfer all the things to the previous and we begin from right here,” Joseph stated. “We now have 9 extra alternatives and we’re able to successful video games, and that’s the reason they perceive the primary alternative is that this weekend towards OU.” — Andrea Adelson
No. 12 BYU Cougars at No. 25 Oregon Ducks (Saturday, 3:35 p.m. ET, Fox)
Following its thrilling 26-20 win towards Baylor in double extra time final week, BYU heads to Eugene with an opportunity to make one other assertion. A win would seemingly propel the Cougars into the top-10, at which level they’d be on trajectory to succeed in, at minimal, a New 12 months’s Six bowl with the Faculty Soccer Playoff an affordable goal.
There are sufficient respectable opponents left on the schedule (Notre Dame, Arkansas, Boise State, Stanford) for BYU to construct a powerful résumé throughout its final yr as an unbiased earlier than becoming a member of the Large 12.
“I am wanting ahead to the problem as a result of it will be a very good defining second for our guys,” BYU coach Kilani Sitake stated.
It is unusual to listen to the stakes laid out like that this early within the season, however he is proper. A loss would successfully remove the Cougars from the nationwide dialog after simply three video games. That dynamic is what’s so problematic about convention independence. For a program of BYU’s caliber, video games which have tangible implications deep into the season are uncommon. Nonetheless, a win would not make the season by any means, it might delay the likelihood for a particular season.
With a 45-point loss and an FCS win on its résumé, Oregon stays an unknown. The Geese got here into the season with excessive expectations underneath first-year coach Dan Lanning and Saturday’s sport ought to present one of the best glimpse into the kind of crew this will probably be when it opens Pac-12 play the next week at Washington State. — Kyle Bonagura
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BYU college students and followers storm the sector after they seal the cope with nice protection within the second extra time to finalize a 26-20 win.
No. 22 Penn State Nittany Lions at Auburn Tigers (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
We all know this about Bryan Harsin: He does not again down from a battle and does not flinch even underneath probably the most dire of circumstances.
As he advised ESPN previous to the season, months after the university-directed inquiry into this system and coup to run him out of city failed: “Every part we went via was bulls—. Let’s be clear on that. We’re not folding our tent by any means.”
In January, there weren’t many individuals on the Plains or wherever else who thought Harsin can be round for a second season at Auburn. However right here he’s heading into Week 3 and dealing with maybe a very powerful sport of his Auburn profession on Saturday when Penn State visits Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Merely wanting down Auburn’s schedule is proof of how pivotal this sport is for the Tigers if they are going to enhance on final season’s 6-7 end. A win over Penn State would arrange a really manageable pathway for Auburn to be 5-0 and make the most of 5 straight residence video games to open the season. The Tigers face Missouri and LSU over the subsequent two weeks at residence.
It is a related state of affairs for James Franklin and Penn State, though Franklin’s offseason was nowhere close to as rocky as Harsin’s. Franklin had the consolation of inking a 10-year contract extension final November — paying him $7.5 million yearly. And but, on the sector, the Nittany Lions did not fare a lot better than the Tigers. Penn State completed 7-6, and that is after going 4-5 in 2020.
So each coaches (and groups) may use momentum-building wins.
Auburn has been pedestrian on offense in its first two video games, and Harsin is the primary to say that the Tigers have to make extra performs within the passing sport. Quarterbacks T.J. Finley (the starter within the first two video games) and Robby Ashford have mixed for one landing cross. The absence of a extra explosive passing sport would make it simpler for Penn State to stack the road of scrimmage and cease Auburn star operating again Tank Bigsby, who’s averaging 6.8 yards per carry. No Auburn broad receiver caught greater than three passes in final week’s 24-16 win over San Jose State, a sport by which Auburn trailed 10-7 on the half.
“I’ve challenged our offense. I’ve challenged our crew,” Harsin stated. “When we have now alternatives to make performs, we have to go make them.”
One of many key matchups will probably be how Auburn defends Penn State’s passing sport. Quarterback Sean Clifford, in his sixth season, is not more likely to be rattled by a Jordan-Hare Stadium crowd that may be ear-splitting. He overcame a fourth-quarter pick-six within the season opener to steer Penn State on an eight-play, 80-yard landing drive within the last minutes in a comeback 35-31 street win over Purdue. Clifford completed with 282 yards and 4 touchdowns.
A yr in the past in Penn State’s 28-20 win over Auburn in State Faculty, Clifford was 28-of-32 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Auburn’s power on protection is its entrance, however the Tigers have but to drive a turnover of their first two video games this season. Groups have used the short passing sport to maneuver the ball.
“We now have an entire group of fellows who can actually get after the passer. … We simply must be constant and never get annoyed after they do throw fast routes,” stated Derick Corridor, who had 10.5 tackles for loss a yr in the past, together with seven sacks.
One of many huge developments for Penn State final week in its 46-10 win over Ohio was freshman operating again Nick Singleton breaking out with a 179-yard dashing look, together with landing runs of 78 and 44 yards. It is the primary time Penn State has produced a 100-yard rusher since Week 6 of the 2020 season. Auburn, which has held groups to simply 2.1 yards per rush in its first two video games, may actually make it onerous on itself if the Nittany Lions set up the run early.
“I feel you noticed what [Singleton] brings to the offense. … It was only a matter of time,” Clifford stated final week. — Chris Low
No. 11 Michigan State Spartans at Washington Huskies (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN app)
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker has utilized the switch portal to rapidly rebuild his roster and took the crew to an 11-2 season in 2021. He as soon as once more introduced in some key transfers and is off to a 2-0 begin this season.
One of many huge standouts to this point has been linebacker Jacoby Windmon, who leads all FBS gamers with 5.5 sacks and three pressured fumbles. Windmon transferred from UNLV and has been an enormous a part of the Spartans protection this season.
“He is a mature participant, mature younger man, and he understands alternative. He understands what it takes to play nice soccer,” Tucker stated. “We ask our gamers to be in one of the best situation and in order that’s the muse of what we do. If you’re in form, there is not any purpose why you possibly can’t give one hundred pc when giving one hundred pc is completely your alternative. … If you see Jacoby play, that is how he performs. He is aware of what to do, he performs onerous and he is bodily and he has success on the sector.”
Washington has solely allowed two sacks this season, however the Spartans have 12 as a crew, probably the most of any FBS program. That cross rush and protection will probably be an enormous a part of the sport, and which crew has success, however Michigan State could have its arms full with Washington’s protection, as properly. The Huskies are giving up a mean of 121.5 cross yards per sport to this point this season and the Spartans may need a banged up Jayden Reed at receiver. When requested if Reed can be able to play for Saturday’s sport, Tucker was lower than committal.
“He is sore,” Tucker stated. “So, he’ll be prepared when he is prepared.”
Along with the potential of Reed enjoying whereas not 100%, Tucker stated the crew has targeted on mitigating any results from touring throughout the nation. He stated they’ve consulted with professionals and even requested the gamers to go to mattress an hour earlier this week in preparation for the journey.
“Our sports activities science crew and power coaches and our trainers laid out some factors of emphasis for our gamers and a few protocols that we’ll use this week and on the journey,” Tucker stated. “We’re going to ensure these issues get performed and ensure we’re in one of the best place to have the ability to compete at a excessive stage and be at our greatest bodily and mentally.” — Tom VanHaaren
UTSA Roadrunners at No. 21 Texas Longhorns (Saturday, 8 ET, Longhorn Community)
Texas is coming off a heartbreaking 20-19 loss to No. 1 Alabama, however it will possibly’t afford to dwell on it with UTSA coming to city. The Roadrunners could also be a UT system faculty (and the gulf within the athletic budgets — $35 million for UTSA, $187 million for Texas — is about as huge because the 80 miles separating the 2 campuses) however that does not imply the Longhorns anticipate to roll.
For one, there’s nonetheless some thriller about who will begin at quarterback for Texas (“That is for me,” coach Steve Sarkisian stated), with Quinn Ewers out and Hudson Card struggling an ankle damage towards the Tide. Third-stringer Charles Wright can be subsequent up if Card could not play, Sarkisian stated, although backup operating again Roschon Johnson was an All-American QB in highschool and took a couple of snaps out of the wildcat formation in the course of the sport.
However the Roadrunners had been additionally one of many hottest groups within the nation final yr, going 12-2 and successful the Convention USA title whereas making the varsity’s first look within the AP ballot.
“You activate the tape of UTSA, and so they get your consideration rapidly with their schemes, personnel and the best way they play the sport,” Sarkisian stated this week.
UTSA QB Frank Harris leads FBS in whole offense at 394.5 yards per sport, and the Roadrunners are coached by Jeff Traylor, a former Texas assistant underneath Charlie Robust who was a wildly successful Texas high school coach. Traylor is aware of precisely what he is up towards and what buttons to push along with his gamers.
“It is the College of Texas, proper?” Traylor advised ESPN. “I doubt each certainly one of my gamers got here in to play for me over Sark. All of them know that they had been neglected. Everyone within the state is aware of they most likely would have gone there, however they did not need ’em. That is an amazing motivating issue for individuals, to know that you simply’re not needed and also you get the chance to go play that crew.” — Dave Wilson
No. 13 Miami Hurricanes at No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies (Saturday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN app)
There are not any straightforward fixes for Texas A&M after it was upset by Appalachian State final Saturday. Jimbo Fisher, who was as soon as hailed as a quarterback guru, now faces questions on whether or not he’ll proceed calling performs or hand that responsibility over to his offensive coordinator.
His reply: perhaps someday, however not now.
However with Miami coming to city on Saturday night time, there may be one space the place we may see a change: at quarterback.
Whereas Haynes King received the job out of preseason camp, his efficiency via two video games has been uninspired. First, he threw two interceptions towards Sam Houston within the season opener. Then, towards App State, he threw for lower than 100 yards (97 to be precise), together with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
King’s 33.0 Whole QBR is the bottom amongst qualifying SEC quarterbacks.
So naturally there have been requires LSU switch Max Johnson or prized recruit Conner Weigman to supplant him.
Johnson can be the most definitely decide; he has 14 profession begins underneath his belt and final season threw for 27 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Fisher even stated after Saturday’s loss that he thought-about placing Johnson in.
However this week Fisher is giving up nothing. On Monday, he advised reporters it was a risk they make a change.
“We’ll consider all the things this week,” he stated.
On Wednesday, he was requested whether or not Johnson was working with the primary crew in follow and would solely say this: “We’re repping them.”
So the ready sport it’s.
Whoever it’s faces an uphill battle. Based on FPI, the Aggies are underdogs in seven of their last 10 video games, together with every of the subsequent 4 (Miami, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Alabama), and have solely a 53% likelihood of reaching bowl eligibility this season. — Alex Scarborough