Dave Doeren gave NC State another rough night, and this one came with a pair of head-scratching decisions that pretty much wrote the script.
First, the Wolfpack were up 17-0 and went for it on 4th and inches from their own 14 with 2:00 left in the first half, a gamble that ended up costing them a touchdown. Then, with a four-point lead and seconds left, the QB was sent running around the end zone, and the game slipped away on a fumble. Fourteen seasons into the mediocrity, that’s the kind of ending that makes you wonder how much longer the folks in charge are willing to ride this out.
Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor is the flavor of the month at quarterback, and the numbers are loud: 56-of-82, 832 yards, 11 touchdowns, and one interception. He’s helped deliver wins over Louisiana Monroe, Minnesota, and South Carolina on the road.
The big question now is whether he’s the next Trinidad Chambliss or the next not-as-good-as-we-thought LaNorris Sellers. One line making the rounds on Taylor says it all: “He’s gonna look awesome in a Hurricane uniform next season.”
Bobby Petrino, once hailed as an offensive genius and the next big thing, had a frustrating night of his own. His North Carolina offense led 17-15 and had the ball at 2nd and goal from the Clemson 7 when lightning pushed the game into a long delay.
When play finally resumed, Clemson’s stadium had thinned out badly, with plenty of fans not coming back. Petrino’s group couldn’t finish the drive and settled for a field goal, then Clemson answered with a couple of touchdowns to win it.
The empty-seat theme kept rolling in Fayetteville, where the stands were packed with plenty of gaps from the opening kickoff. Some of the Razorback fans who did show up wore paper bags over their heads.
Will Stein’s Kentucky Wildcats delivered the weekend’s biggest surprise by winning in College Station, and that kind of result has already sparked talk of a new dessert name: 12th Man Cake.
Rumors that Brian Kelly could be named to replace Greg Schiano at Rutgers as soon as this week may be getting ahead of things. Rutgers showed up and nearly knocked off the always underwhelming Southern Cal Lincoln Rileys.
TCU has frog skinned endzones now, and that’s a pretty good look.
Louisville’s receiving group might deserve a revival of one of the sport’s better nicknames: AFROS, short for America’s Finest Receivers On Saturday.
And on the Ole Miss side, there’s just one more swipe at Lane Kiffin. He reportedly pushed his attorney friend Tom Mars to sue for another year of eligibility for Trinidad Chambliss, thinking the quarterback would follow him to Baton Rouge.
That didn’t happen. Chambliss stayed in OxfordTown and got the final word in his postgame interview with Holly Rowe: “Hotty Fuckin’ Toddy.”
Kiffin, according to the reporting, ignored Mars’ view that chasing eligibility for those NFL kids was ridiculous. He did, however, take advice from ChatGPT.
In Other News...
Louisville Has Two Big Concerns Despite Its ACC Statement Win
Louisvilles win over SMU gave Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals the kind of statement result that can change the tone of an ACC season, but it did not erase the lingering issues that have followed the team through the first stretch of conference play. Brohm made clear the job now is to build on that performance and keep tightening the operation, with a home matchup against Wake Forest next up on the schedule.
The concern is less about the scoreboard than the details Louisville can still clean up. Penalties have been a problem for both teams, and the Cardinals also need to keep an eye on Isaac Brown, whose knee injury has limited him at times even though he was a full participant against SMU. For a team trying to turn one quality win into momentum, the health and discipline pieces may matter just as much as the rsum boost. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Just Got A Big Reminder What That LSU Win Means
Louisvilles weekend win over SMU was one of the most significant results in college football, even in a slate packed with eye-catching scorelines and conference shakeups. It fit a broader picture that is still taking shape across the sport, from Trinidad Chambliss turning heads against LSU to USCs defensive issues in its Big Ten opener at Rutgers, but the Cardinals performance stood out because it carried real weight in the league race.
For Louisville, the victory also sharpened the conversation about what kind of team it might be turning into as the season develops. The early-season board is already crowded with teams trying to define themselves, and the Cardinals have at least put themselves in the mix with a result that will matter when the conference picture gets tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Brohm Sees Something Bigger In Tyler Shough's Fast NFL Start
Tyler Shoughs fast start with the New Orleans Saints has already turned into a point of pride for Louisville, where Jeff Brohm has watched the former Cardinal settle in quickly at the next level. In a Week 2 win over Baltimore, Shough showed the kind of efficiency and poise that made him an intriguing pro prospect, completing 27 of 34 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns while guiding New Orleans to a 24-17 victory.
For Brohm, the early success is about more than one strong Sunday. It reflects the growth Shough showed in college and the way he has carried that development into the NFL, where the Saints have found a quarterback who is making defenses adjust right away. The numbers have been eye-opening through two weeks, and for Louisville fans, the encouraging part is that this feels less like a surprise than the continuation of a steady rise. [Read more 🡒]