Well, that was fun!
The long offseason finally came to an end on Saturday, and though no ranked teams took the field during the preliminary Week 0 action, fans were treated to a handful of exciting college football games.
The headliner was the Big Ten matchup between Nebraska and Northwestern in Dublin, in which the Cornhuskers squandered an 11-point lead in a 31-28 loss that does not bode well for fifth-year coach Scott Frost, who may be coaching for his job in 2022.
With the first weekend of college football in the books, here’s who stood out — for either the right or wrong reasons.
Winner: Northwestern's hopes of escaping the cellar in the West
After a top-10 finish in 2020, the Wildcats regressed to 3-9 last fall and finished last in the Big Ten West with a 1-8 conference record. While this doesn’t mean coach Pat Fitzgerald’s team is back to national prominence, it’s a good start. The ground game was fantastic, as was quarterback Ryan Hilinski. There are some things to tighten up on defense after allowing 355 yards through the air (though it came up with two huge interceptions in the second half), but there’s no denying that this was a huge win for the ‘Cats.
NEBRASKA IS PICKED OFF.
NORTHWESTERN WINS IN DUBLIN.
pic.twitter.com/HplDs5WVea— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 27, 2022
Loser: Scott Frost and his job security
Oh, boy. Where to start? Frost needed to come out of the gate strong in 2022 after narrowly surviving last season. And at first, it looked like his team would get that hot start. Quarterback Casey Thompson made some great plays, and the Cornhuskers took an 11-point lead on their opening drive of the third quarter. Then, Frost elected to kick a surprise onside kick, which failed, and Nebraska collapsed. All hope is not lost in Lincoln, but Frost has already dug himself quite a hole.
Watching the onside kick again from Nebraska.
What isn’t being discussed is how prepared Northwestern was for it. Watch how all their guys remain disciplined, immediately sprinting to the ball. Almost as if they knew it was coming.
Now THAT’S coaching. pic.twitter.com/VmaGQJPaah
— Matt Schick (@ESPN_Schick) August 29, 2022
Winner: UConn
Did the Huskies win on Saturday? No. But does that matter for a program that had won just 10 of its last 60 games entering the game? The point is that Connecticut looked competitive against the defending Mountain West champion in Utah State, getting off to a great start and leading 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Aggies ultimately won 31-20, but first-year coach Jim Mora just may have something going at one of the more hopeless programs in the FBS.
Loser: Charlotte coach Will Healy
Frost wasn’t the only coach to disappoint in a conference matchup. Healy is in his fourth season at Charlotte, which is seen as something of a sleeping giant in the Group of Five. It’s a new program, but it’s a big school with a lot of resources relative to the G5. Still, Healy hasn’t had a winning record since a 7-6 finish in Year 1, and his team was blown out by Willie Taggart’s Florida Atlantic team. Not an ideal start for Healy, who is just 37 and still seen as a potential rising star in the sport.
Winner: Rich Rodriguez
Bet it’s been a while since you’ve seen the words “winner” and “Rich Rodriguez” anywhere near each other. Rodriguez is back in the head coaching ranks, and his debut at Jacksonville State was a good one. The Gamecocks took down the No. 10 team in FCS, Stephen F. Austin, 42-17 on national television. This JSU program joins the FBS next season, and Rodriguez’s team could be poised to compete immediately in Conference USA.
Loser: The officiating in Las Cruces
Odds are, you weren’t watching the late-night game between Nevada and New Mexico State. But if you did watch, you were treated to one of the more frustrating displays I’ve seen in a while. With the Wolf Pack up eight and driving to put it away, the Aggies appeared to intercept a tipped ball — which the instant replay reinforced. It was initially ruled that way before the call on the field changed to an incompletion. Despite NMSU’s attempts to call a timeout, there was no review, and Nevada went on to clinch the win with a field goal. I’m not saying New Mexico State would have won if that play was reviewed, but I would certainly be frustrated if I were coach Jerry Kill.
Did New Mexico State intercept this pass? Yes or No? #CollegeFootball
— The College Football & Basketball Experience (@TCEonSGPN) August 28, 2022
Winner: Florida State's ground game
Sure, it was against Duquesne. Still, that doesn’t detract from what FSU did on the ground Saturday in its first season-opening win since 2016. Three rushers — Treshaun Ward, Trey Benson and Lawrence Toafili — eclipsed 100 yards as the group totaled 406. And that’s without utilizing dual-threat quarterback Jordan Travis, who had just four attempts for 11 yards. It will be interesting to see if Mike Norvell’s team can keep that up against an SEC defense in New Orleans next weekend.
FSU football is back baby #fsu pic.twitter.com/SkuJU0mVpM
— Noles (@fsuforevernoles) August 28, 2022
Winner: North Carolina QB Drake Maye
Replacing Sam Howell — as a freshman, no less — is no easy task. But Drake Maye certainly looked the part on Saturday against Florida A&M. He threw for just shy of 300 yards and became the first Tar Heel to toss five touchdown passes in a starting debut. Impressive, even given the opponent.
Josh Downs got 🆙 for Drake Maye's FIFTH Pass TD 🤝 pic.twitter.com/XfV1kFBqpC
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) August 28, 2022
Winner: Vanderbilt and coach Clark Lea
After a 2-10 finish last fall, Vanderbilt had to travel across five time zones for its season opener. The rust was apparent early, as Hawaii took an early 7-0 lead, but the Commodores took complete control after that. Their 63-10 win was their biggest non-conference road win since 1941, and it’s also the most points they’ve scored since 1969. Quarterback Mike Wright looked sharp, and Lea — who is still looking for his first SEC win — seems to have Vandy playing much better football this fall.
Mike Wright’s 87 yard touchdown run against Hawaii is the second longest touchdown in Vanderbilt history!pic.twitter.com/U1YBgUg033
— that SEC podcast (@thatSECpodcast) August 28, 2022
Winner: HBCU Football
HBCU programs are (regrettably) often overlooked despite these schools’ rich histories and passionate fanbases. However, HBCU football was in the spotlight on Saturday. The MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff between Alabama State and Howard was nationally televised and proved to be an exciting matchup — despite an anti-climactic weather delay at the end. Meanwhile, Florida A&M held its own against an ACC team despite being down 21 (out of 65) scholarship players in a game that was also broadcast nationally.
Alabama State's TD was good but the celebration was better 😅 pic.twitter.com/E7ZPLpfqfI
— ESPN (@espn) August 28, 2022
