College Football Weekly Recap: Week 10
Week 10 in college football saw four ranked-on-ranked matchups, including the potential matchup of the year on paper; a showdown between No. 1 Tennessee and No. 3 Georgia.
Although we expected a thrilling matchup in Athens, it was a one-sided affair. The Georgia Bulldogs proved they still reign supreme, dominating the Volunteers on both sides of the ball. It seemed that Georgia owned the game from start to finish, edging out a decisive 27-13 victory.
The story of this one was Georgia's takeover in the trenches. The Bulldogs won with their front four defensively, holding Tennessee’s running back Jaylen Wright to only 3.3 yards per carry, notching 69 yards on 21 carries.
Georgia completely shut down an explosive Tennessee offense, sacking Heisman frontrunner Hendon Hooker six times, and adding another eight tackles for loss. Hooker was flustered throughout, not able to eclipse 200 yards passing and throwing a costly interception with no touchdowns.
The Bulldog offense was managed well by the veteran starter Stetson Bennett, who put together a solid performance once again. Bennett went 17-for-25 for 257 yards and two scores. Senior back Kenny McIntosh also ran well, averaging 5.2 yards a run.
With the college football playoff picture coming into the fold, such a decisive win for Georgia could mean a surefire trip to the playoffs. Tennessee clings onto their last second win over No. 6 Alabama, but needs some out of conference turmoil to go their way to sneak into the top four.
Speaking of the Crimson Tide, they traveled south to Baton Rouge to take on the No. 10 LSU Tigers. Nick Saban and company have dominated LSU in recent history, but that was not the case Saturday. LSU walked it off in overtime, winning it 32-31.
After a low scoring first half that saw the Tigers leading 7-6, both teams exploded offensively in the second. There were a flurry of lead changes late, including 25 fourth quarter points— which sent the game to overtime tied 24-24. Alabama scored first, and LSU answered. The Tigers elected to go for two, a decision that would pay off and clinch a battle tested SEC victory.
LSU leaned on quarterback Jaylon Daniels throughout. Daniels dominated on the ground and through the air, throwing for 182 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing 18 times for 95 yards and a score.
The Tigers defense also held Alabama’s Bryce Young in check, holding him under a 50% completion percentage on 6.4 yards per throw.
Alabama now sits with two losses, and any college football playoff hopes for Nick Saban’s squad have diminished. The Tide now pray for some confusion at the top of the SEC, as they must win out to have a chance to play in the SEC title game.
Moving to the Big-12, the No. 24 Texas Longhorns took the road, defeating the No. 13 Kansas State Wildcats 34-27. Kansas State has been a pleasant surprise this season, sporting a top-25 defense and a dangerous two-man rushing attack.
The Longhorns defense locked down the Wildcats ground attack, holding both running back Deuce Vaughn and quarterback Adrian Martinez to under four-yards a carry. Texas also held Martinez to a 58.6 passer rating, sacking him twice and notching five tackles-for-loss.
Offensively, Texas relied on their work-horse running back Bijan Robinson once again. Robinson is cementing himself as the top back in college football, rushing 30 times for 209 yards and a touchdown, running for a whopping seven yards per carry.
The head-to-head victory for Texas moves them up considerably in the Big 12 conference, as both Texas and Kansas State are 6-3 overall, 4-2 in conference play.
The ACC featured the fourth and final ranked-matchup of the weekend, a showcase between No. 21 Wake Forest and No. 22 NC State. The Wolfpack leaned on their home field advantage and a big second half, taking the game 30-21.
Freshman quarterback MJ Morris dominated through the air, throwing for three touchdown passes and 210 yards. The Wolfpack defense also intercepted Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman three times at crucial points in the game.
Week 11 features four more ranked-on-ranked matchups, including another SEC showdown between Alabama and Ole Miss. College football fans can be eager for another great week.
Parker Silverman is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.
