By: Joe Cumberland (@punterjoe)
Big10 Dominates in Week 1
Out-of-conference play for Big10 teams couldn’t have gone much better to start Season 23. Conference teams finished the opening week of CFSL play with a combined 5-1 record. Needless to say, that was the best among league conferences. Let’s jump in and find out what all happened to catapult the conference to such a great start.
Iowa Wins In CFSL Return
The Hawkeyes are back after a 7 season hiatus and helped kick off the league’s opening night. After a strong recruiting cycle, many were looking forward to seeing the black and gold in action. AD Matt Haase and his squad took on fellow “expansion” team Nebraska. While the vast majority of predictions went the way of Iowa, the Cornhuskers did their best to play spoiler. After a hard-fought and competitive game, it was Iowa who came away victorious with a 37-30 win.
Freshman signal caller Declan Murphy had a fairly impressive debut outing. He completed 41 of 46 passes for 389 yards and a couple of scores, and he also scored with his legs. The top running back in the Season 23 recruiting cycle, Beau Styles, managed 90 yards and a score on 16 carries. Brykem Alvarez, another Hawkeye freshman, led the way receiving with 8 grabs for 111 yards and a score. Highly touted tight end Leland Everett looks to be another in the great line of Iowa tight ends. He caught 12 passes for 101 yards.
The Hawkeye defense stepped up when needed and made big stops on the way to victory. Leading the “swarm” was linebacker Fritz Donlin, who had 9 tackles and a sack. Bronx Banks and Will Wagner each added 8 stops, while Wagner also picked off a Cornhusker pass. Jesse Briones III would add a sack, while Ryan Dean and Dalton Mercer had multiple tackles from their defensive back positions.
Overall, the game was much what you’d expect from two “new” programs. The Hawkeyes had the clear talent advantage and made the most of it. Could that young talent be a contender in the Big10? We’ll surely find out as the season progresses.
Penn State Snaps Losing Skid
Last season didn’t leave much to be happy about in “Happy Valley”. TJ Smith added some new tools to the toolbox, and most around the CFSL took notice. It was highly noted that this wouldn’t be the same Nittany Lion team, but a tough Florida Gator squad awaited in Houston for the Texas Kickoff. This season’s version of the “Smith Bowl” was a back-and-forth affair until the Penn State running game found its groove. When that train got rolling, it helped Penn State run away from the Gators 44-36. Season 22 may have ended 0-8, but the Nittany Lions find themselves back in the win column to start Season 23.
Penn State rushed for 320 yards on the night. Freshman Colter Thomas was 16 of 25 for 111 yards through the air, but added 132 on the ground. He passed for a touchdown and ran for two more. He executed the option attack to near perfection. Last season’s top recruit, Richard Williams, provided the power. The big back rushed for a score, and through Florida defenders, while amassing 141 yards on 22 carries. Not much happened in the Penn State passing game, but DJ Mayo caught the lone touchdown reception of the night. Kalani Nakamura connected on all 3 of his field goal tries.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions held their own against a pesky Florida offense. In the second half, adjustments were made that stopped the Gator passing attack led by quarterback Jack Schmidt. The key stops allowed the offense to stay on the field and grind the clock. Buck Bolden and Lenny Hines led the way with 8 stops each. Blake Kingman added a sack from his defensive end position.
Trojans “Turnover” The Tide
Alabama, rightfully so, was picked as the #1 team entering Season 23. The USC Trojans lost some star power, but in their own right, are still a good team. The 2 powerhouses clashed in Los Angeles to kick off their new seasons. Both showed why they are so highly regarded. Over 1200 total yards of offense were put up by the teams, but it was the 4 forced turnovers by USC that decided the game. The “men of Troy” came away with a 50-45 “upset”.
Freshman quarterback Troy League didn’t expect to be placed into action so early, but made the most of his debut. He threw 4 touchdowns while completing 44 of 56 passes for 516 yards. He also rushed for a score. Dash Delano returns as a leader on the Trojan offense, he carried the ball 18 times for 53 yards and a score. Freshman standout Keanu King hauled in 10 catches for 138 yards, 2 of those being for scores. Cory Smith also scored while adding 94 yards on 9 catches. Aniyah Late and Kyle Kross also each had 6 receptions.
Takeaways were the main event of the night for USC and seemed to be the only kink in the armor of the juggernaut Alabama offense. Safety Matthew Payne had one of those interceptions and led the way with 11 tackles. Dahmir Lucas had 9 tackles and picked off a Johnny Ray Davis pass as well. Caleb Alexander had the other interception, while Jett Trevor recovered a fumble forced by Jamie King Jr.
Big10 Week One Results
Iowa defeats Nebraska 37-30
Penn State defeats Florida 44-36
USC defeats Alabama 50-45
Oregon defeats Georgia 63-56
Ohio State defeats Auburn 59-54
Michigan loses to LSU 34-44
Big10 Week 2 Schedule
Monday, May 12, 2025
Michigan @ Florida State 8:30 CST on Twitch
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
USC @ Texas A&M 6:30 CST on Twitch
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Clemson @ Iowa 6:30 CST on Twitch
Colorado @ Ohio State 8:30 CST on Twitch
Thursday, May 15th, 2025
Notre Dame @ Penn State 6:30 CST on Twitch
Texas @ Oregon 6:30 CST on YouTube
Big10 Game of the Week
USC @ Texas A&M. The Trojans are coming off a big win versus Alabama, the Aggies are wanting their first win of Season 23 after falling to Miami in a national championship rematch to start the season. This one on Tuesday night at 6:30 should be a really fun watch.
