Jamal Roberts is turning Missouri into must-see TV in the SEC.
After bursting for 211 yards and three touchdowns on Florida last week, Roberts was even more explosive Saturday in a 27-6 win over Texas A&M. He piled up 222 yards and two scores, another emphatic performance in a stretch that has flipped the Tigers’ season from afterthought to problem.
Missouri had been brushed aside after its 31-24 loss at Mississippi State on Sept. 26, but that’s changed in a hurry. The schedule is about to get louder, too, with Ole Miss, Georgia and Texas all waiting in the next five weeks.
JAMAL ROBERTS HOUSE CALL‼️@MizzouFootball pic.twitter.com/1WCh8eltkt
Nebraska spent most of Saturday looking like it was about to do the thing its fans have been waiting a quarter-century to see: knock off a heavyweight and finally reclaim some of that old edge. The Cornhuskers controlled the game in volume, running nearly twice as many plays as Indiana, 83 to 44, and for long stretches it felt like they were the team dictating terms against the defending national champions and their 22-game winning streak.
Then came the swing plays. In the early fourth quarter, Indiana wide receiver Nick Marsh ripped off touchdown catches of 75 and 44 yards, and that was that for Nebraska’s charge.
The Huskers now head to Oregon before their bye week.
THE HOOSIERS HAVE THE LEAD IN THE 4TH!Hoover finds Nick Marsh for six! @IndianaFootball pic.twitter.com/0Owzu06spV
North Carolina also had reason to feel good after a result that finally gave its coach a breakthrough against a ranked opponent. A year and a half in, the greatest coach in the history of American football picked up that first ranked win, even if it came against a No.
25 Pitt team adjusting to life without quarterback Mason Heintschel. The Tar Heels’ defense came up with two interceptions, and Billy Edwards Jr. played clean enough to keep the afternoon on track, finishing 18 of 26 for 249 yards while throwing two picks of his own.
If North Carolina can keep moving through Syracuse on Oct. 24, UConn on Nov. 7 and Virginia on Nov. 21, it will earn a shot at its first bowl win since 2019.
In Other News...
UNCs First Malone Rotation Hint Should Grab Tar Heels Fans Attention
Michael Malone wasted little time using North Carolinas exhibition against USC to see what kind of combinations might actually fit once the games start counting. The Tar Heels cycled through 24 different five-man lineups, a clear sign that the new coach is still probing the edges of his roster and trying to figure out which groups can provide the best balance. The starting five of Terrence Brown, Matt Able, Neo Avdalas, Jarin Stevenson and Sayon Keita saw the most action, with a version that included freshman Maximo Adams close behind.
Even in a night filled with experimentation, Jarin Stevenson stood out as the one constant, logging the most minutes and showing up in the majority of the lineups Malone tried. Isaiah Denis also earned significant run, another clue that the rotation picture is still very much taking shape. For a team in search of early identity under a new coach, the exhibition offered a useful first look, but it also left the most important question hanging: which of these combinations will still matter when the season truly begins? [Read more 🡒]
Tar Heels Showed Off New Depth In Michael Malones First UNC Test
Michael Malones first test on the North Carolina sideline came with a reminder that preseason games can still tell a useful story. In an 88-70 exhibition win over Southern Cal, the Tar Heels got contributions from a deeper group than many expected, with Jarin Stevenson, Isaiah Denis, Maximo Adams and Neo Avdalas all giving Carolina a reason to feel better about its rotation before the games start to count.
The night also had a few of those early-season flashes that tend to stick with a coach, none better than Sayon Keita jumping a passing lane for a steal and finishing with a dunk. Both teams were missing key players because of injury or eligibility, so the real value for Carolina was less about the final score than the way new faces handled a bigger stage, and how much more depth Malone may have to work with than first assumed. [Read more 🡒]
Isaiah Denis Just Gave UNC Fans A Reason To Reconsider Him
Isaiah Denis used an exhibition game to make his case for a bigger role in a Carolina rotation that still has plenty of questions under new coach Michael Malone. In 20 minutes, Denis delivered 14 points, four rebounds and a pair of 3-pointers, a sharp showing from a player whose minutes were limited last season because of injury and who now looks much more like part of the conversation than an afterthought.
Denis said the game felt personal, and his response fit the moment. He pointed to Malones trust and coaching style as part of the reason for the jump, while Malone praised Denis development and his choice to stay with the program through the coaching changes. For Tar Heel fans trying to figure out which returning pieces can matter in this new era, Denis just gave them one name worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]