By: Cole Mantell (@LightningDragon)
Week 2 of the CFSL season saw some more great non-conference action, including everything from dominations to upsets. The SEC had another great week, so let’s recap everything going on around the conference.
Gators Chomp Back
It’s rare for a Thursday night game to have so many eyes on it, but that’s what you will get whenever Florida and Florida State meet in their rivalry. To fuel the fire, Florida State AD Tom Pence tied former Auburn AD Matt Pack at 73 career wins with the Seminole’s Week 1 victory over LSU. So the stage was set where if Pence won this game, not only would he get a rivalry win, but he would become the winningest AD in CFSL history in a win over his rival. Talk about a game with historic implications.
Of course, if there is one thing we all know about rivalries, it is that this kind of history will not stand over in Gainesville. Despite being 9.5-point underdogs on the road, Florida went out and kicked some butt. Florida QB Jack Schmidt threw for 505 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns in the win, both personal records. Schmidt has flown under the radar, but this game might’ve introduced him to a league audience on his talents. WR Duke Hancock also had 142 receiving yards on just 7 catches, providing a huge boost for the Florida offense. The sophomore has 209 receiving yards already this season. Last season, he had 569 receiving yards total.
On defense, two players led the way in the upset win for the Gators. OLB Giga Dolidze had 10 tackles, leading the defense. The sophomore transferred from Alabama last season and this was his first career 10-tackle game. Freshman CB Shelly Menchaca had six tackles, along with the game’s only turnover, a 54-yard interception returned for a touchdown. It was the first turnover of Mechaca’s young career. Florida’s first win of the season also has conference-wide implications. While not as successful a week for the SEC as Week 1, the SEC is the only conference in the CFSL without a 0-2 team. It continues a strong start for the conference, which now sports a combined record of 8-4.
Wildcats Fall Back to Earth
Last week, I talked about Kentucky QB TJ Cunnington and his potential Offensive Player of the Year candidacy. He led Kentucky to a dominant 62-10 mercy win over Clemson in the opener. Unfortunately, USC proved a much tougher opponent for the Wildcats in Week 2. It was an early candidate for the most exciting game of the season, but unfortunately for Kentucky ended in a 36-33 USC OT victory.
This was a fun game for a neutral fan to watch from start to finish. Cunnington had 340 passing yards and three combined touchdowns, but the three interceptions were critical errors in this big game. WR Ricky Rak set a personal record of 119 receiving yards in this contest, leading the team with 9 receptions.
On defense, the two-headed monster of CBs Teddy Legend and Daunte Samuel led the team with 10 tackles. One issue to look for in the defense next week was the lack of pressure on USC’s offense. The whole defense combined for only sacks, even after generating 10 TFLs. Against the #1 team in the country, Kentucky’s missteps proved just a touch too much. Still, I don’t expect the Wildcats to fall much (if at all) in this week’s poll. The Wildcats will look to bounce back next week against West Virginia, a team they should be a large favorite in.
Players That Stood Out This Week
I’ve already mentioned Florida QB Jack Schmidt, WR Duke Hancock, along with Kentucky CBs Teddy Legend and Daunte Samuel. Auburn QB Jay Duke was excellent again in a big win for the Tigers over UNC. In the 44-23 win, Duke had 452 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns, with only 1 interception. Alabama WR Troy Tree leads the CFSL with 347 receiving yards after he caught 11 for 246 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns in a possible Offensive Player of the Week performance. Alabama beat Oregon 42-26.
The Georgia Bulldogs continue to be a dominant defensive team. Senior FS Malik Austin recorded 12 tackles for the 2nd week in a row and the third time in his career. He’s 3rd overall in the CFSL in the category and leads all SEC players. Alabama FS Brett Slate also added 11 tackles, 3 TFLs, a sack, and an interception in the Crimson Tide’s win over Oregon this week. Finally, to shout out special teams as well, Tennessee WR Ace Shepard was a menace for the Volunteers this week. While the team lost to Michigan State 55-6, Shepard had 9 kick returns for a combined 209 return yards, the first time he has had more than 200 return yards in his career. Shepard somehow was not nominated for All-Purpose Player of the Week, so here is my highlight to show who I would’ve voted for.
SEC Results Week 2
Auburn beats UNC, 44-23
Kentucky falls to USC, 36-33 (2 OT)
Georgia falls to Ohio State, 56-17
Alabama beats Oregon, 42-26
Florida beats Florida State, 57-38
Tennessee falls to Michigan State, 55-6
SEC Schedule Week 2
Monday
Auburn vs LSU (6:30 PM on Twitch)
Wednesday
Alabama vs Texas (6:30 PM on Twitch)
Texas A&M vs Florida (6:30 PM on YouTube)
Colorado vs Tennessee (8:30 PM on YouTube)
Thursday
Georgia vs Oklahoma (6:30 PM on YouTube)
Kentucky vs West Virginia (8:30 PM on Twitch)
Potential SEC Game of the Week
I wanted to put Kentucky vs West Virginia on here, as there is a bit of a rivalry and Kentucky is going to look to bounce back. That’ll be my honorable mention this week. My real choice, however, is Georgia vs Oklahoma. Thursday should be a spectacular day for the SEC (again) if you are a neutral fan. Georgia’s defense has been their calling card so far this season. Multiple players are near the top of the lists in defensive categories in the CFSL leaderboards. Georgia had a great win in Week 1 over Virginia Tech with the defense stealing the show and holding the Hokies to only 19 points. Then this week, Ohio State seemed to figure out the Bulldog defense and crushed the Bulldogs 56-17.
In comes Oklahoma and their spectacular freshman QB Himoteo Del Este. Oklahoma enters this game 2-0 after wins over Oregon and Notre Dame so far in non-conference play. At this point, a team picked to struggle in their return to the CFSL preseason is now legitimately contending for the best team in the Big XII. This will be the biggest test of the young season for both teams. Can Oklahoma continue to win in high-scoring affairs like it has in the first two weeks? Or will Georgia get their defense back on track and grind out another big win? Both teams have a lot to play for, so don’t miss this matchup.
