Elsewhere In College Football — Bye Week Edition

Bye weeks are never easy for college football fans.

Georgia fans waved good-bye to the College Football Playoffs as they joined the “who’s out” list following an overtime loss to South Carolina as the ’Cocks proved they were more than game between the hedges.  If I was on Twitter—and that’ll happen about the same time I touch my right elbow with my right hand—I’d tweet to Heather Dinich and other talking heads a simple message:  CFP? Dawg-gone.

For Buckeyes fans a bye week provided a couple of choices.  Cross a few things off the “to do” list or stay committed, say, ”bye week be damned” and write a terrific column about a Saturday of binge-watching the other games.  I tried to do a little of both.  I watched a few games and wondered with the bye week if the O-Zone might need a fluff piece to help make up for the lack of stories, interviews, recaps, notes, quotes and photos associated with a game and determined the least I could do was pull together a limited edition of “Elsewhere in College Football” to help fill the void.

If you’re reading this keep these two things in mind.  First, my hunch was correct.  Fluff pieces are sometimes needed.  And secondly, “limited edition” is the key phrase here.  I was graciously allowed to contribute EiCF for several seasons but now that I’m retired and relaxing in a pool of apathy for anything that requires me to stay focused for more than 30 minutes this is a one and done effort.  I’ve fully embraced the mantra of the least I can do and try to do it as often as possible.

With that preamble out of the way let’s look back on a crazy weekend of games you may have missed.

Blowouts of the Week:  Two teams lost 90-0.  One was Capital and if you live in or near Columbus this may not be news to you.  Perhaps you were one of the 2,000 fans at Bernlohr Stadium and witnessed all that occurred.  If not, I’ll fill in you with a few details.  It was Homecoming for the Crusaders as they hosted nationally-ranked John Carroll and for three or four minutes it was quite a game.  The rest?  Not so much.  The Crusaders were out-gained 695-141; held John Carroll to just 13.9 yards per play; were 0-13 on third down and punted 11 times.  The Blue Streaks only needed 50 plays to score 90 points and ran just six third down plays. UFABET เข้าสู่ระบบ ภายในไม่กี่วินาที login takes just seconds.

The Spires, yup really, of the University of St. Mary (Kansas) traveled to #2 Kansas Wesleyan for a NAIA game Saturday afternoon and like Capital lost 90-0.  Surprisingly, St. Mary’s played even worse than the Crusaders.  The Spires came into the game inspired, perspired throughout the game and what transpired was truly memorable.  St. Mary was held to 42 total yards.  On 53 plays. Their longest play was a 13-yard run. On their first play from scrimmage.  The remaining 52 plays gained 29 yards.  That’s 87 feet.  Need more math?  That’s 1.6 feet per play. Every time the Spires said “hut”, they picked up a foot and a half.  At that rate they needed to run 187 plays to score.  Amazingly, Kansas Wesleyan didn’t allow that to happen.  The #2 Coyotes amassed 793 yards—2,379 feet or slightly less than half a mile–of total offense.  Quarterback Johnny Feauto led the attack accounting for 438 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Kansas Wesleyan moves to 6-0 on the season and St. Mary drops to 0-6.

Fewest Point by a Winning Team:  Some teams won with 90 points and one team won with 10% of those points.  Arkansas-Monticello defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State 9-7 on a safety early in the fourth quarter. In addition to being the lowest scoring game in college football yesterday this game deserves a mention because of the team nicknames and as noted above with the Spires that’s an important factor for inclusion any EiCF submission.  Arkansas-Monticello are the Boll Weevils and SOSU are the Savage Storm.  The Storm held the Weevils to just over 200 yards of offense but were hurt by eight fumbles, four of which they lost.  The Savage Storm is now 1-5 on the season and The Boll Weevils improve to 4-2.

Making an Incorrect Assumption Outside the Actor’s Studio:  Pace University is perhaps best known for James Lipton’s long-running television show Inside the Actors Studio, but continuing the “nicknames we like” theme, Pace earns a spot in this EiCF episode because they are the Pace…anyone…anyone…? If you guessed Setters, high five yourself.  The Pace Setters, really what else could it be, hosted Assumption Saturday and snapped a ten-game losing streak to the Greyhounds when Setter QB Darius Jones connected with Carlton Aiken for a three-yard TD with :34 seconds left in the game for a 35-32 victory.  Assumption trailed by 16 late in the third quarter but rallied and took the lead on Khaleed Exum-Strong’s 5-yard run with 1:39 left.  Greyhound fans were positive the late lead was safe but you know what happens when they do that.  They make an ass out of u and mption.  Both teams are now 4-2.

Name Game of the Week:  Christopher Newport beat William Patterson 34-10 Saturday in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match-up.  I would have loved to see the coin toss for this one.  William meet Christopher, Christopher William, Bill Chris, Chris Bill.  The Captains of Christopher Newport earned their first win of the season behind a stellar defensive effort and the play of freshman QB Xander Jedlick.  The defense held William Patterson to 195 total yards and forced four turnovers.  Jedlick was 13-18 passing for 181 yards and two scores.  These two teams have combined to win only three games this year so it seems to me they should merge and become the William Christopher Fighting Father Mulcahys.  Just sayin…

A Shot of Finlandia Outta Cure That:  The Hornets of Kalamazoo College opened the 2019 season with a 3-0 win over Oberlin but had dropped three straight heading into their game against Finlandia and the winless Lions were exactly what they needed to get back on track.  Kalamazoo rolled up over 400 yards and won easily 44-0. Finlandia, who really should consider changing their nickname to the Vodka Tonics, was held to seven first downs and 88 total yards.  The Lions have dropped 15 consecutive games and have been outscored 726 to 88 over that span.  Finlandia Vodka’s brand position is Live Magnificently. Drive Responsibility.  Finlandia Football’s brand position can best be described as Play Horribly. Lose Continually.  The Lions host Hope next week and in case you think that’s a chance to end the skid, think again.  Hope beat Finlandia 70-6 last year.

Art Imitating Life or Life Imitating Art?:  That’s a philosophical question that has puzzled the world’s best thinkers for centuries and I’m not here to provide an answer.  I don’t do philosophical questions.  There’s no reason for that it’s just my policy but I will try to provide a little insight on something you’ve probably seen dozens of times so far this year.  It’s impossible to watch any college football game and not see the Coca-Cola “This is our Team” commercial where a college student urges the crowd at a game to not give up.  This game’s not over he implores.  So we’re not be the best, our kicker stubbed his toe on the football, our water boy is dehydrated and I’m pretty sure our mascot has his costume on backwards but this is our team and he mentions they may not win this game or the next one but sometime in the future we will and he’s holding a bottle of Coke with a Tomcat on the label.  There actually is a Tomcat team.  It’s Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania.  The commercial was filmed there and the Tomcats are, with the possible exception of the backwards mascot costume thing, exactly as portrayed in the spot.  Thiel hosted Saint Vincent College on Homecoming at Alumni Stadium in front of 975 fans and lost 41-18 dropping them to 0-6.  It was the Tomcats 23^rd straight loss. Thiel hasn’t won a game since September 16, 2017 when they beat Bethany 28-13.  In Saturday’s game the Tomcats scored three touchdowns but failed to convert an extra point.  One was a missed kick, and thanks to the TV commercial, we know why.  Plus, they failed on two two-point tries.  Thiel rushed 26 times for minus 38 yards and managed just 12 first downs.  This may have been the best chance the Tomcats had to win this year as Saint Vincent was winless heading into the game.  The remaining teams on Theil’s schedule are a combined 15-9.

And Finally, Box Score We Love:

I see box scores like this and the first thing that pops in my head is, was this a last second/last play win and in this case the answer is yes.  And since yes was the answer I dug deeper.  Calling this a close game may be the understatement of all understatements.  Let’s look at the numbers.  The Wolverines of Grove City had 25 first downs.  The Titans of Westminster had 28.  Grove City rushed 45 times for 223 yards averaging 5.0 yards per carry.  Westminster rushed 41 times for 218 yards averaging 5.3 yards per carry.  The Wolverines passed for 265 yards, the Titans 267.  Westminster ran 67 plays for 485 yards, a 7.2 per play clip.  Grove City finished with 66 plays for 488 and 7.4 per play. GC’s time of possession advantage was :14 seconds and 4 of those proved to be the difference.  Grove City led 37-27 at the 13-minute mark of the last quarter but the Titans rallied for two scores including a 40-yard TD run by Keano Grice with just under four minutes to play.  Tanner Dudek’s PAT made it 41-37.  Jacob Ross return the ensuing kick-off to the Grove City 29 and the Wolverines had 1^st and 10 with 3:44 left.  Eleven plays later GC faced 4^th and goal at the 4 with :12 seconds left and that’s when things got interesting.  Sophomore quarter Josh Ehst’s pass was intercepted by Paul Gonzalez at the 3-yard line and the Titans and the 2,670 fans at Harold Burry Sadium went crazy as they got the ball back with :08 seconds left.  Westminster was hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty and the ball was moved back to the 1-yard line.  Knowing taking a knee was not an option Titan QB Cole Konieczka tried a sneak and was stopped, the ball came out and Grove City’s Dan Melville recovered it at the one with :04 remaining.  Ehst made up for his interception and scored the winning TD as time ran out.  Both teams are now 4-2 on the season.

Cool thing #1—This marked the second straight game Ehst had won on the last play of the game.  His QB sneak in overtime lifted GC to a 29-26 win over Carnegie Mellon the previous week.

Cool thing #2—Both these teams play at Thiel.  The Titans visit on Saturday and Grove City plays on November 16^th.