When I was a student, there was no better season than the honeymoon at the beginning of every semester-- a chance to view the possibilities of each class and the opportunities for learning without actually reading or even buying books. But then there's that first exam or paper that turns the semester from fun into focus. For some teams, the first bad grade has them studying at all hours while others have that first exam coming up quickly. Kudos to LSU for having an ambitious first month-- three big road games against ranked opponents. And justifiably so, the Tigers are the early valedictorians.
Alma Mater Update-- Syracuse somehow is 3-1 after four less than impressive games... the Orange rank 75th in scoring and 79th in points allowed (and there are only 119 schools in FBS). Three wins-- two in overtime and a third a seven point victory over and FCS school. I don't know how long this mirage will remain... but SU is halfway to postseason eligibility. One can only imagine the excitement if one year from now the Carrier Dome faithful get to see a second Pinstripe Bowl banner get raised to the rafters.
Maryland (1-2) got manhandled by Temple in a game that felt decided after just one quarter... the Owls dominated from the opening kickoff to the final gun-- handing the Terps a 38-7 trouncing that readjusts the ceiling and floor for this unit. Terrapin Triumphs-- the pregame tailgate at Matt and Stacia's was pretty nice: breakfast quiche with muffins and juices. On the field, Demetrius Hartsfield notched 17 tackles and one sack. Terrapin Troubles-- where to begin? Temple scored on all five first half possessions... sacked Danny O'Brien three times and ruined his timing throughout... and the Owls blocked a punt to set up the touchdown that made the score 21-0 in the first quarter. The Owls had possession for over 41 minutes. Of the 14 third down opportunities the Maryland offense had, 11 were of five yards or more; Temple in its 15 third down chances only had four such instances. And did I mention the average starting field position was the Terp 20? Next up: Saturday against Towson.
Virginia (2-2) was in position to notching three wins in September after being held to 3 victories in all of 2009 and 4 wins last year. Unfortunately, the Eagles wouldn't cooperate as the Cavaliers fall 34-24. On the bright side, the St. Supery Moscato is the perfect pairing for provolone... as Kippy and Buffy ease toward popped collar underneath the sweater season. Cavalier Congratulations-- Perry Jones rushed for 82 yards while notching six catches... the run defense held the Eagles to 61 yards rushing. Cavalier Catastrophes-- three interceptions by Michael Rocco is hardly ideal... and he wasn't even stretching the field (!) once again averaging under 10 yards per completion. The defense saw more than a few big plays-- two of the three Southern Miss td's came by 20 yards or more. Next up: Saturday against Idaho.
#11 Virginia Tech (4-0) wrapped up a successful September with a 30-10 road victory at Marshall. Before you get out of hand, remember that this year's Hokie edition is much like that smoked turkey leg-- more time is needed on the grill for it to properly cook. Hokie Highlights-- the defense holds the Thundering Herd to 6 net yards rushing, 3-15 on third down and how about keeping the opposition scoreless in the first quarter? David Wilson led the ground game with 132 yards rushing (Jared Oglesby providing the lightning to Wilson's thunder with 75 yards and two touchdowns). Hokie Humblings-- two turnovers... and Logan Thomas is experiencing the usual learning curve. Also, given the opposition-- VT hasn't pulled away the last three weeks by any stretch of the imagination. Next up: Saturday against #13 Clemson.
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