What We Are Watching In College Football: November 7, 2020 Weekend
Each week we will provide a preview of the upcoming college football weekend. The Pac 12 is the last arrival to the 2020 college football party and will add six games a week to the slate. There are several games and match-ups to keep an eye on so without further ado here is what we are focused on this weekend. (For a recap of last weekend, click here)
The Games We Will Focus On
BYU at Boise State (Fri 9:45 PM, FS1)
Boise State is 2 – 0 after only recently joined the college football season in 2020. The Broncos have a reputation as one of the best non-power five teams annually and should be the toughest test on BYU’s schedule. The Cougars have had a phenomenal season dominating their opponents en route to a 7 – 0 start to their season. The way the season has gone it is not out of the question for one of these teams to qualify for the College Football Playoff, but only if they are undefeated.
The BYU offense has been one of the best in the country. The Cougars have won games behind the strength of their running game (301 yards against Navy) and their high flying passing attack (472 yards against Troy). For the season, BYU ranks seventh in the country with 44.5 points per game and sixth in total offense at 527.7 yards per game. The offense is build behind a strong offensive line that has opened up holes in the running game and protected Quarterback Zach Wilson when the Cougars throw the ball. Wilson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country, completing 74.6 percent of his passes for 2,152 yards with 19 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Wilson has made big plays in the passing game by making smart decisions and being incredibly accurate downfield. Dax Milne and Gunner Romney are a pair of big play receivers for Wilson, both players are averaging over 16 yards per catch. The running attack centers around running back, Tyler Allgeier who averages 6.5 yards per carry, but BYU will mix in quarterback runs and jet sweeps with the receivers as well. The diverse BYU offense can beat a defense in multiple ways, but it is built on the strong play of their offensive line and the near flawless play of their quarterback.
Boise State’s defense has not been tested much this season. They shutdown Utah State, but gave up 30 points to Air Force, though Air Force runs a triple option offense so there is little we can take away from that result and project to Friday night. To slow down Zach Wilson, the Broncos will need to get pressure on the BYU quarterback. Boise State lost star pass rusher Curtis Weaver to the NFL but has an emerging pass rusher in defensive end Shane Irwin, who has made 10 tackles with 2 tackles for loss and a sack so far this season. The Broncos will need to win at the line of scrimmage to stop the BYU offense, though that is easier said than done. Boise State does return three starters in the secondary, so if they can get some pressure they should be able to slowdown the BYU passing attack.
The Broncos offense has been impressive in their first two games of the season. Boise State has averaged 45.5 points per game and gotten strong performances from both of their quarterbacks. Hank Bachmeier started the season opener and played well throwing for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns while completing over 70 percent of his passes. Despite his success, the sophomore did not make the trip to Air Force for an undisclosed reason and Jack Sears had a strong game against Air Force, completing 82.6 percent of his passes for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns. Both quarterbacks are talented players and both have proven they can effectively run the offense, regardless of who is behind center on Saturday the Broncos will be in good shape. The quarterback will also have weapons to get the ball to, Boise State brings back two of their top four receivers from last season and their top tight end. At running back, George Holani is back after running for 1,000 yards as a freshman last season. Boise State has the fire power on offense to play in a shootout against BYU.
BYU has not been a one sided team in 2020, the defense has played very well, holding their opponents to 13.4 points per game. The defense is stingy in every way, ranking in the top 20 in the country in both pass defense and run defense this season. The defense is led by senior linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi, who leads the team with 46 tackles and also has 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 fumbles forced and an interceptions. He is a high motor player, who has great instincts and playmaking ability. Kaufusi has an infectious leadership style which his teammates use to fire themselves up. The Cougars don’t put up big sack numbers or interception totals, but do play a sound defense that limits the big play ability of the offense. They will need to keep Boise State from making big plays to win on Friday night.
This was a game that may not have happened this year, but will be a good indicator of how good both of these teams are. With many conferences playing conference only schedules or limiting their out of conference schedule to one game, the few opportunities teams like BYU and Boise State have against quality opponents become that much more important. The winner could be in the discussion for a spot in the playoff, while the loser is out of the New Year’s Six discussion entirely.
Arizona State at USC (Sat 12:00 PM, Fox)
As the Pac 12 season begins two of the contenders in the PAC 12 South will face off in their season opener. Arizona State is a program that is rising under Head Coach Herm Edwards, while USC is attempting to reestablish itself as the top team in the Pac 12.
USC has gone to an air raid style offense under offensive coordinator Graham Harrell. Junior quarterback Kedon Slovis (#8 QB in our rankings) thrived in the Trojans pass oriented offense, completing 71.9 percent of his passes for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns against just 9 interceptions last season. With Amon-Ra St Brown, Tyler Vaughns and Drake London back, Slovis will have three receivers returning who all had over 500 receiving yards and 5 touchdown catches a year ago. USC does not run the ball nearly as much as they throw it, but they do return their top four backs from last year. Top offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker decided not to opt-out and returned to help anchor the offensive line charged with protecting Slovis. If the offensive line can protect Slovis, the Trojans should have a big time passing attack again in 2020, Arizona State will be the first defense to try and stop it.
Arizona State is changing defensive schemes in 2020, moving to a 4 – 3 scheme this season. The interior of that defensive line should be a strength for the Sun Devils with Jermayne Lole and DJ Davidson (#16 and #22 DTs in our rankings) both back to play defensive tackle. The duo combined for 14.5 tackles for loss a year ago and will be asked to be disruptive in the middle of the defense while the team identifies pass rushers at the end position. The defense held their opposition to 22.4 points per game a year ago, continuing a trend of annual improvement during Herm Edwards tenure. With two returning starters at linebacker and three returning starters in the defensive backfield, expect the Sun Devils defense to continue to improve in 2020. They will get an interesting test in the season opener, but Arizona State has a good mix of experience and talent on the defensive side of the ball.
The Sun Devils offense is led by their own talented quarterback. Jayden Daniels won the starting job as a true freshman and had a successful first season. Daniels completed 60.7 percent of his passes for 2,943 yards and 17 touchdowns with just 2 interceptions. Daniels is a threat to run the ball as well, picking up 355 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns a year ago. Daniels will be asked to lead the offense this year as the Sun Devils lost their leading rusher and receiver from the 2019 offense. Arizona State’s offense only averaged 24.8 points a year ago, but the team is counting on Daniels growth and development to give them a boost in 2020. They believe they have the young playmakers arriving in Chip Trayanum, LV Bunkley-Shelton and Johnny Wilson to make big plays and provide the weapons Daniels needs. It’s always dangerous to count on freshmen, but the trio has earned a chance to contribute early in their careers. There is a lot of unknown with the Sun Devils’ offense, there is also a lot of potential in the Sun Devils’ offense.
USC’s defense suffered a big loss when Jay Tufele opted out of the 2020 season. This is a unit that allowed 29.8 points per game in 2019 with Tufele manning one of the defensive tackles spots. His absence will put more pressure on sophomore defensive end Drake Jackson to lead the defensive line. He led the team with 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2019 and will be counted on to be an impact pass rusher for the Trojans this year. Fortunately for USC, they return both starting safeties and their top three cornerbacks and should have an experienced secondary that can give the defensive front time to find options to play alongside Jackson upfront. The Sun Devils were not an offensive juggernaut a year ago, it would be a troubling sign for USC if they gave up a lot of points on Saturday.
With a shortened season in 2020, each game is critical and there is little time to experiment and see how things work. Utah won the Pac 12 South a year ago, but USC and Arizona State feel like they can win the division in 2020. Getting off to a good start would be huge for both of these teams, of course only one can do that.
Florida at Georgia (3:30 PM, CBS)
When the SEC schedule was released this was the game that was expected to decide the SEC East champion. About halfway through the season that expectation has become a reality. The winner will have a two game lead over the loser in the conference standings and at least a two game lead on everyone else in the division.
Florida has one of the best offenses in the conference this year. The Gators are averaging 42 points per game and have scored at least 38 points in all four of their games. The offense is built around a passing attack that ranks seventh in the country averaging 342.8 passing yards per game. The offense features three players who are counted on to make big plays for the Gators. Quarterback, Kyle Trask (#7 QB in our rankings) had a breakthrough season in 2019 when he took over as the starter. In 2020, Trask has been even better, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 1,341 yards with 18 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions. Trask is playing at a high level, but it doesn’t hurt that he has the best tight end in the country to throw to in Kyle Pitts. Pitts has been unstoppable this season catching 22 passes for 355 yards and 7 touchdowns, but he is not the only big time receiving threat for Florida. Kadarius Toney is a multi-talented big play threat for Florida and has 6 receiving touchdowns and a rushing touchdown this season. The Florida offense counts on their stars to make big plays and open up opportunities for other players. Saturday they will face the best defense they have played this season.
Georgia’s defense is one of the top units in the country, holding the opposition to 16.2 points per game in 2020. The Bulldogs are excellent against the run, allowing just 2.5 yards per carry but are also proficient against the pass, giving up just 6.4 yards per pass attempt. Georgia will be without starting defensive tackle Julian Rochester and star safety Richard LeCounte this weekend, it is still unknown if defensive tackle Jordan Davis will be able to play and how effective he will be. The Bulldogs have a deep and talented defense, but the stars will need to perform for Georgia to play up to their standards. Linebackers, Monty Rice and Nakobe Dean, both rank among the best players at the position and will need to play well for the Bulldogs in the middle of the defense. One of the best ways to slow down a passing attack is to put pressure on the quarterback, Georgia’s best pass rusher is Azeez Ojulari (#6 DE in our rankings). Ojulari is a relentless pass rusher and has already recorded 4.5 sacks and 9 QB hurries in the first five games of the season. Georgia’s defense may not be at 100 percent this weekend, but they will still be the toughest test Florida’s offense has faced.
Georgia’s offense has not had the same success the Bulldogs’ defense has seen this season. Georgia is averaging 29.2 points per game this season, but the team has only scored 14 points in their last six quarters. Alabama and Kentucky seemed to figure out quarterback Stetson Bennett’s limitations and have contained the passing attack. Bennett has thrown five interceptions in the last two games, after not throwing any the first three games of the season. The lack of a consistent passing game has hurt Georgia’s traditionally strong running game which is only averaging 4.2 yards per carry this season compared to 4.9 yards per carry in 2019. Georgia has talent along the offensive line and at running back as well as at the receiver position, if they can make some plays in the passing game it will open up the field for their running game and help the offense get rolling. They have an opportunity to get on track against a Florida defense that has been suspect this season.
Florida’s defense has not played well this season, but in their one game since returning from a Covid hiatus, the Gators did hold Missouri to 17 points. That was Florida’s best defensive effort of the season, though it remains to be seen if this is actual progress or just a byproduct of playing a team that is not very good offensively. The Gators have gotten a boost from Georgia transfer Brenton Cox who will be playing his former team for the first time this weekend. Cox leads the team with 3.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 9 QB hurries and has become the best pass rusher for the Gators. Florida has struggled to defend the pass in particular this season, allowing just over 300 yards per game through the air. That may not be as troublesome against a Georgia offense that has struggled passing the ball recently.
Georgia and Florida are in control in the SEC East and the winner of this game is very likely to win the division, but both teams have a lot to work on and would like to show improvement this weekend. Georgia’s defense should slow down Florida’s offense some, the question is will there offense be able to score enough to get the win.
Clemson at Notre Dame (7:30 PM, ABC)
When Notre Dame joined the ACC for the 2020 season, this was the game their fans circled on the calendar. Clemson is one of the elite programs in college football and Notre Dame is trying to prove they belong in that group as well. With a win against Clemson, their claim to be a national title contender becomes much stronger. The Tigers will be without Trevor Lawrence, but have a capable backup and a very talented roster that can overcome the loss of their quarterback.
Notre Dame’s offense is built behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. The offensive line has allowed less than two sacks per game and has paved the way for the running attack to average 5.1 yards per carry this season. The biggest beneficiary of the strong play up front has been running back Kyren Williams who has developed into one of the best running backs in the country in his second season at Notre Dame. Williams is averaging 100 yards per game and has scored seven touchdowns in six games this season. On the other hand, Notre Dame’s passing game has been inconsistent this season, only breaking 200 yards passing in three of their six games this season. The Fighting Irish are still looking for a go-to receiver to emerge in 2020, as it stands, none of the receivers has averaged 50 yards per game. Clemson will not allow Notre Dame to be one dimensional on offense and beat them so Ian Book and his receivers will need to make plays for Notre Dame to win on Saturday night.
Clemson may have a young defense, but it is a talented defense that is playing very well. Clemson allows just 15.6 points per game and has been particularly stout against the run, limiting their opponents to 2.7 yards per carry. A couple of true freshmen have become major contributors on the defensive line for the Tigers. Defensive End Myles Murphy and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee saw playing time immediately and have been mainstays in the defensive line rotation. Murphy leads the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, while Bresee is second on the team with 3 sacks of his own. Both players are athletic marvels that have an excellent combination of size and quickness that puts pressure on blockers. Clemson is not afraid to bring players into the box to slow down the running attack and put pressure on the quarterback, trusting their secondary to hold up in coverage. The Tigers will focus on the rushing attack and force Notre Dame’s receivers to prove they can win one on one match-ups outside.
With Lawrence out last weekend, Clemson turned to true freshman DJ Uiagalelei and he lived up to the hype that accompanied him as a recruit. He completed 30 of 41 passes for 342 yards and 2 touchdowns with 25 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, while leading the Tigers to a comeback win against Boston College. Uiagalelei has good size, athleticism and arm strength, he needs to continue to get reps but proved he is already capable of winning in the ACC. He also has the luxury of having the best running back in the country next to him in the backfield. Travis Etienne is as explosive a player as there is in college football and can beat a team running the ball or as a receiver out of the backfield. With 606 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns and 434 receiving yards and another 2 touchdowns, Etienne is an all purpose weapon who is nearly impossible to game plan for. Throw in Amari Rodgers at receiver, who has seen his stock rise this season, and it is easy to see Clemson still has a dangerous offense even without their Heisman candidate quarterback.
Notre Dame has the fifth ranked scoring defense in college football, allowing 10.3 points per game. The defense does a good job defending both the run and pass, ranking 9th and 11th in each category nationally. The defense starts with a well rounded defensive line that is able to pressure the quarterback and eat up blocks on the interior allowing Notre Dame’s two stars to run free and make big plays. Kyle Hamilton is an athletic freak, who is one of the best safeties in the nation. He has been as advertised in his second season for Notre Dame, recording 28 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and 3 pass breakups through 5 games. He is joined at the second level by linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who is a fast and instinctual player who gets to the ball in a hurry. He has been credited with 26 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble forced in 6 games this year. Both players will need to make big plays for Notre Dame to slow down the Clemson offense on Saturday night.
Clemson has played in big games like this the past few years and has won their share of them. Notre Dame will be out to prove that they belong on the same level as the Tigers, a win would help them to make that argument. Either way, if both teams win out the rest of the way they could be looking at a rematch in the ACC title game.
Other Stories To Watch
Nebraska returns to action against undefeated Northwestern
Nebraska fought so hard to play the season, but after one week of play they missed a week because Wisconsin had a Covid outbreak. The Huskers tried to schedule a make up game to replace the game only to have the Big Ten refuse their request. The Huskers lost to Ohio State the first week, but that’s easily the hardest game on their schedule. Scott Frost is in his third year at Nebraska and appears to have some of the pieces in place to begin to make an impact in the Big Ten West. If that is going to happen it will have to start with a win over a 2 – 0 Northwestern team Saturday.
Northwestern is 2 – 0 after a come from behind win over Iowa last week. With Wisconsin missing games due to their Covid outbreak the Big Ten West race is wide open, and Northwestern and Purdue have jumped out to a quick lead. The Wildcats have been strong on defense through two games this season, holding Maryland to three points and Iowa to 20 points in a game where Iowa got a short field on turnovers and scored two touchdowns early. Northwestern will now look to slowdown a Nebraska offense that plays a very different style and at a different pace than Iowa.
The Huskers have made a point to get their best playmakers on the field. That means Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey have both been on the field together, giving Nebraska creative options on offense. With the two athletic quarterbacks and a versatile weapon in Wandale Robinson who has performed well as a running back and receiver, Nebraska has the ability to create mismatches and exploit the weaknesses in the defense. If Nebraska is going to compete in the division this year they will have to get a win against Northwestern on Saturday, meanwhile the Wildcats just need to continue the momentum they gained over the first two weeks.
Oklahoma State and Kansas State battle for the pole position in the Big 12
This could have been a showdown between two teams that were unbeaten in conference play but Oklahoma State and Kansas State both lost last weekend. Oklahoma State has a head to head win against Iowa State and still has to play Oklahoma, while Kansas State has a head to head win against Oklahoma and still has to play Iowa State. With a win Saturday, one of these teams will pick up a key tiebreaker and set themselves up as the leader for a spot in the Big 12 title game.
Oklahoma State outperformed Texas most of the game last week, but committed too many turnovers and lost in overtime. The Cowboys defense has been strong this year and their big play weapons on offense give them plenty of firepower. Spencer Sanders is the key, if he can play within the offense and get the ball to Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace the offense will be very productive, when Sanders tries to do too much he has a tendency to turn the ball over. The self inflicted wounds were their undoing last week, Oklahoma State will need to play a clean game against an opportunistic Kansas State team.
The Wildcats dropped an egg at West Virginia last weekend, losing 37 – 10 in a game they were not competitive in. Kansas State has been dependent on true freshmen this year partially because of productivity but partially due to necessity. Deuce Vaughn has been the best player on the offense, and the true freshmen running back has seen his role grow as the season has progressed. Meanwhile, true freshman quarterback Will Howard has been pressed into starting duty due to an injury to Skylar Thompson. Howard has played well at times but he is a very young quarterback who has been inconsistent, if he can play well Saturday Kansas State will be competitive with Oklahoma State.
Final Thoughts
The season is in full swing with every conference back in action. It’s a strange season but having college football is a lot better than not having it. Big games will be a weekly occurrence and the contenders will be separated from the pretenders. We will be back after the games have ended to recap the weekend that was.
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NCAA Football: Virginia at Clemson Image by TigerNet.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
