By: Ryan Moreland (@ryanmoreland)
Week Two had some upsets, plenty of great storylines, and maybe the Game of the Season. Let’s get into it.
Game of the Season
The battle between LSU and Florida had a lot of hype around it. The winner would be the only undefeated team left in the SEC and both teams were coming off impressive Week Ones. Well, it did not disappoint! There were over 100 points scored, five turnovers, and a 31-point quarter by the losing team! This was a wild game and if you missed it I highly recommend going back to watch it!
LSU had a 21-point lead at the half and many thought the game was over (shame on you if you hopped off the stream). However, the Gators dug themselves out of the hole. They would tie the game thanks to a goalline run by Bode Dale with 6:12 left in the game.
Three plays later LSU would take back their lead thanks to a 50-yard touchdown pass by Robert Ivory. He broke two tackles after the catch to get this score. The Tiger defense quickly forced a three-and-out following Ivory’s score. With time dwindling, this game appeared to be over.
However, the Florida defense did their job and forced a punt. After a great punt, the Gators got the ball on their own six-yard-line with less than four minutes on the clock. Florida QB Beau Dale needed to be great and he was. He went 4/5 for 76 yards on the drive, including a 45-yard pass to WR Ryan Hall that set up the tying touchdown. 107 ticks remained on the clock and the game was tied at 52 a piece.
LSU got the ball back and started the drive strong. On the second play of the drive, QB Charlie Sammons threw a laser to Ken Dixon up the seam for a 36-yard gain that put them into Florida territory. Eventually, the Tigers would work their way down to the Florida 35-yard line. On third and eight, all they had to do was melt the clock, kick a field goal, and come out the victors. Once again it appeared as if Florida’s night was over.
13 seconds were left on the clock when Sammons snapped the ball. He quickly decided to tuck it and run. Florida DT Dru Hanna grabbed Sammons and slung him backward and when he did the ball squirted free! Defensive end Jeremiah Griffin dove on the ball (his first career fumble recovery) and Florida had the ball.
Now, if you are like me (or the many others in chat) you are gearing up for OT. Florida had eight seconds on the clock and had 65 yards of field in front of them. Denim Dale, however, had other plans. Ole reliable Freddy Chen got open deep over the middle and Dale put the ball right on him. Chen was tackled and Vennom nearly had an aneurysm calling for the time out. They got it and Kicker Trudie Gohl would nail the chip shot field goal to win the game.
This game had it all. The offenses were explosive, the defenses were forcing turnovers, there was a big comeback, and the game was decided in the final plays. This was one of the best games I have had the pleasure of watching. Both teams played their hearts out, but Florida would come out on top. Seriously, go watch it.
Out with the New and In with the Old
Last week I wrote about the fantastic start of new teams (teams that weren’t around in Season 18). They were a perfect 3-0 against old teams in the opening week.
Well, things changed in a big way in Week Two. There was an old vs new matchup in sevens games this week and the oldies won all seven. The clean sweep changes the narrative back to what many suspected: starting a new team is hard and there are bound to be bumps in the first few seasons. We will see if that holds true in the future. But for right now the old guard is in control.
Unbeaten Watch
As crazy as the CFSL tends to be, it is never too early to start keeping an eye on which teams are left in the undefeated club. At the end of Week Two, eight teams have yet to put any marks in the loss column. There are three in the ACC (Miami, Florida State, and North Carolina), three in the B1G (Michigan, Illinois, Penn State), one in the Big XII (Texas), and one in the SEC (Florida).
This week that number will shrink again. Unblemished UNC will host top-ranked Florida State on Monday Night. One of these teams will fall from grace and one will continue to stay unscathed.
That is the only matchup between unbeaten teams in Week Three, but they aren’t the only ones that will play a tough opponent. There could be a lot less members of the undefeated club after this week. Best of luck.
Getting the Monkey off Your Back
Coming into this week the Oregon Ducks held a 15-game losing streak. Even worse news, Baylor was coming to town after a dominant win in their opener. The Bears were favored by 7.5 points by the Sportsbook.
The Ducks didn’t seem to care who should win this game. Oregon dominated all three phases of the ball and got the win, 48-17. The streak is over! Congrats to the Duck players and their coaching staff on a big win. Now it is time to start a new streak, and this time it will be wins. Good luck Oregon.
Who Impressed Me This Week
Beau Dale, Florida QB
There are a lot of Gators (and Tigers, for that matter) that I could put on this list. But, I am taking the leader of the Florida offense. Dale could have let the bad start derail him, but he stepped up to the plate and kept swinging. This was a great win and there is no way Florida gets it without the clutch ability that their QB possesses.
Dustin Hall, Oregon Co-ADs
There have been a lot of last-minute changes to an already turbulent team. However, Hall stepped in to provide some stability. He helped the Ducks end the streak and Eugene is grateful for their help.
West Virginia Defensive Backs
The Mountaineers pulled off a big upset against Oklahoma State this week and their corners are a big reason why. Alex Bernard and JT Miller both had massive inceptions that either gave WVU quick points or stole them away from the Cowboys. There were two picks thrown by Oklahoma State in the redzone. The entire Mountaineers squad could easily be on this list, but let’s give the DBs some credit for a great game.
Miami Wide Receivers
The Hurricanes have no shortage of talent at wideout and it showed this week. Delmas Williams, Deuce Bolden, Tyson Steele, and JaMarr Carr combined for 452 receiving yards and three scores. All four had more than 80 yards, while Carr and Bolden both went for 130 or better. Sam Dobbins is being envied by every QB in the league with those kinds of weapons.
Tee Boozer, Boise State OLB
The game didn’t go the way he was hoping, but Boozer came up big for the Broncos. He had nine tackles and two forced fumbles in this game against Kentucky. Only three players have had more forced fumbles in a single game in CFSL history. Keep up the bone-crushing hits big fella.
Billy Jude, Ohio State CB
Jude had just one career interception coming into his senior season. He got one last week and a pair this week to bump that number to four! Jude’s ball-hawking paid off big for the Buckeyes, as one of his ints this week was a long pick-six. Let’s see if this senior can continue this unexpected hot start going.
The Adieu Haiku
Two weeks have passed by.
Your saga is not finished.
Make me write your name.
