After last week’s monumental upset, this week’s events are much calmer. Many ranked teams are not playing this week and many of those who are finishing their non-conference schedule. But that does not mean there was no action. So, how did the LSU Tigers, Missouri Tigers, and Utah Utes, among others, fare in week three of the 2024 College Football season?
LSU needs luck to win
The number 16 ranked the USC Trojans defeated LSU Tigers on the last play of the game in their opening match. A week later, while they defeated FCS program Nicholls, they did concede 22 points. Defense is an issue for Brian Kelly’s side. This week, their SEC campaign started against the South Carolina Gamecocks, who defeated Kentucky last week. Could they win another game against an SEC rival this week?
The Gamecocks had the first possession of the game and got its first score. Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers moved his offense down to the Tigers’ 4-yard line, and from here, ran it into the endzone a rushing touchdown to take the early lead.
But, the next drive from South Carolina was less successful. Sellers’s pass from the Tigers’ 30-yard line was intercepted in the endzone. Luckily for the Gamecocks, LSU could not do anything with the subsequent possession. The same could not be said for South Carolina, who extended their lead on their next drive through a 28-yard field goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe ten-point lead grew on the next drive. The Gamecocks took advantage of a very strong field position, thanks to a blocked punt, which set them up at the Tigers’ 10-yard line. From there, Raheim Sanders found the endzone for the 10-yard rushing touchdown to put South Carolina 17 points up on their SEC rivals.
However, on the next drive, LSU finally found some offense. From the Gamecocks’ 26-yard line, Caden Durham would find the endzone for the rushing TD to put the Tigers on the board The good luck would continue for LSU when Sellers would be sacked and fumbled the ball deep in his territory. The Tigers scooped the ball up and would have a good field position to put another big dent into the lead/ However, this drive did not go anywhere, and LSU had to settle for a 28-yard field goal from Damien Ramos.
South Carolina then had a very quick reply. Sellers shook off his previous mistake and rushed 75 yards into the endzone to restore the 14-point lead. But, this did not last long, as on the game’s next drive, LSU QB Garrett Nusmeier found Kyren Lacy for the 12-yard TD pass, but the two-point conversion after this failed. This meant that at halftime, the Gamecocks had a 24-16 lead.
On the first drive of the second half, Nussmeier would be able to bring the LSU offense down to the Gamecocks one-yard line, where he could be faced with an important fourth down attempt. He threw an incomplete pass, and the opportunity was gone. However, the Tigers were more successful on their next drive, where Durham found the endzone for the nine-yard rushing TD.
The scoring would continue on the Tigers’ next drive, where the team would slowly make their way down into the South Carolina red zone, then to the two-yard line. From here, Nussmeier found Mason Taylor for the TD pass to put LSU into the lead as the fourth quarter began.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut this lead did not last long. It only lasted for three plays, as Sanders ran for 66 yards into the endzone to hand the lead back to the Gamecocks. In reply, Nussmeier would fimble the ball in LSU territory, from which South Carolina would be able to kick a field goal, extending their lead to four points.
There was then a period where both teams made mistakes. The Gamecocks fumbled the ball, only for the Tigers to throw an interception in the subsequent drive. However, with under three minutes left of the game, the Tigers could drive down to the Gamecocks’ two-yard line. From here, Josh Williams found the endzone to give LSU a slim three-point advantage.
South Carolina would have one more opportunity to score and create more woe for LSU. Could they?
The Gamecocks got the ball into field goal range, and a 49-yard field goal was set up. All kicker Alex Herrera had to do was to be successful in this kick, and the game would go to overtime. He missed this give, giving the LSU Tigers a 36-33 victory.
This was another close game for LSU, and it went down to the final play. While they are winning games, they are struggling, mostly on defense. They were lucky this week; they may not be in the future. Next week, LSU faces UCLA, while South Carolina faces an easier team in the Akron Zips.
Missouri Hold on
The number six-ranked Missouri Tigers and the number 24-ranked Boston College Eagles have had good starts to the season. Missouri has not conceded a single point this year, while Boston College defeated Florida State (who are now a shell of their former selves) and then battered Duquesne in week 2. These two undefeated teams met in week 3, with Boston College hoping for another big upset win.
The Eagles opening drive of the game went very well. Quarterback Thomas Castellanos would move his offense down into the Tigers’ red zone and then to the 12-yard line. From here, he found Jerand Bradley for the 12-yard touchdown pass. In reply, Missouri tried to break into the Boston College red zone but would be stopped on the 21-yard line. This set up a 38-yard field goal for Tigers’ kicker Blake Craig, which he would be successful with.
Boston College extended their lead a few drives later. From their 33-yard line, Castellanos found Reed Harris for a 67-yard touchdown pass. As with the first Eagles TD score, the Tigers could only reply with a field goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut, the Eagles’ luck soon ran out. Castellanos’ pass would be intercepted by Missouri deep in their red zone. This gave the Tigers a short field to play with and would succeed. Missouri QB Brady Cook found reliable wide receiver Luther Burden III for a 19-yard TD pass. A successful two-point conversion would follow. This, paired with a 56-yard field goal from Blake Craig to end the half meant that the Missouri Tigers had a 17-14 lead over Boston College at halftime.
At the end of the first half, the momentum was with Missouri, and this was something that stayed with them to begin the second half. On the first drive of the half, the Tigers were able to make it down to the Eagles’ 6-yard line quickly. From here, Cook ran it into the endzone to hand Missouri a ten-point lead.
The rest of the third quarter would end in punts, with neither team being able to get anywhere on offense. Then, as the fourth half began, Boston College would make another mistake. Missouri intercepted Castellanos’ pass. In the subsequent drive, the Tigers took their time. In the end, and after a drive that lasted more than seven minutes, A 31-yard field goal from Craig gave the Tigers a big enough lead to hold on to victory.
The Eagles could score one more touchdown, but this was only a consolation score in the grand scheme of things. A 38-yard pass from Castellanos to Kamari Morales gave Boston College fans something to smile about, but it would not be enough. The Missouri Tigers would hold on for a 27-21 victory.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis was Missouri’s hardest test so far, and they were able to win narrowly. This is not because they struggled in this game but because Boston College was excellent. QB Thomas Castellanos went 16/28, throwing for 249 yards and scoring three touchdowns. If it was not for the two interceptions the Tigers capitalized on, Boston College could have won this game.
Next week, Missouri opens its SEC campaign against Vanderbilt in what is its fourth consecutive home game, while Boston College hosts Michigan State.
The Battle of Utah (without Rising)
The number 12-ranked Utah Utes have had a strong start to the season. This is mostly due to the performances of QB Cam Rising. However, during the Utes game against Baylor last weekend, Rising was injured and did not play in the second half. He would not play in the game against state rivals, such as the Utah State Aggies. His replacement was Issac Wilson, the younger brother of former New York Jets QB Zach Wilson. Could he do a better job than his brother did in the NFL?
The opening two drives of the game both ended in punts. But then Utah State made the first mistake of the game. Aggies QB Bryson Barnes’ pass into the Utes’ endzone was intercepted. Luckily for Utah State, the Utes could not do anything with this possession.
However, the scoring would soon start. Taking advantage of a strong punt return, the Utes found themselves in field goal territory, when kicker Cole Becker would successfully kick a 39-yard FG to give Utah the lead. But, this lead did not last long. Barnes was able to quickly move the Aggies offense down to the Utes’ 20-yard line. From here, he found Broc Lane for the 20-yard TD pass.
Utah State would extend this lead on their next drive. This time, Barnes found Jack Hestera for a 12-yard TD pass. But Utah would respond to this with a TD of their own. From the Aggies’ 11-yard line, Wilson found Money Parks for the touchdown to bring them back into the game.
A few drives later, Barnes would throw his second interception of the game, and this mistake was costly. In the subsequent drive, Wilson would again bring the offense down to the Aggies’ 11-yard line, where this time he found Caleb Lohner for the TD to give Utah a 17-14 lead at halftime.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Utes were able to add to this lead at the beginning of the second half. Their first drive stalled at the Aggies’ 6-yard line, which set up Becker with a 25-yard field goal. He was successful with this, increasing Utah’s lead to six points.
Six became fourteen on Utah’s next drive when Micah Bernard ran it in for a three-yard rushing TD, and the two-point conversion succeeded. In reply to this, Utah State brought the ball down to the Utes’ one-yard line. Then, Barnes ran it in for the TD to cut the lead to seven points.
Utah State’s good luck continued on their next drive when Wilson threw an inception. However, on their next drive, the Utes were able to bring the lead back to 14 points when Wilson found Carsen Ryan for the two-yard TD pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor the rest of the game, Utah State struggled to develop a solid set of plays to make it down the field. A late Utah field goal only added to the already strong lead, which meant that the Utah Utes defeated the Utah State Aggies 38-21.
This was a convincing win for Utah and shows that even without Cam Rising, they can win. Wilson had a good day, throwing for 239 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Rising is expected to return next week when the Utes get into their Big 12 schedule. While Wilson had a good day, those two interceptions from Barnes may have cost them the game. Next week, the still undefeated Utah will face Oklahoma State in what could be a very good game, while Utah State will face Temple.
What Happened to the Other Ranked Teams?
#1 Georgia @ Kentucky
The number one ranked Georgia Bulldogs open their SEC play for this season against the Kentucky Wildcats. It was a very close game, but the Bulldogs held off a large charge to record a 13-12 win. I think Georgia may not be the number-one team next week, and they may be replaced by the team below.
UTSA @ #2 Texas
The number two-ranked Texas Longhorns had an easier game than last week against the UTSA RoadRunners. The Wolverine Destroyers started well and reached a convincing lead before disaster struck. QB Quinn Ewers left the game injured. This meant it would be time to see what Arch Manning could do. He dominated. Manning went 9 from 12, throwing for 223 yards and being involved in five touchdowns (something that you will see many players do this week) in the Longhorns 56-7 victory. This performance may give them the number-one ranking next week and show that Arch Manning is the real deal.
Embed from Getty Images#4 Alabama @ Wisconsin
The number four ranked Alabama Crimson Tide faced their first test of the Kalen DeBoer era as they traveled up to the midwest to face the Wisconsin Badgers. It all went wrong for the Badgers. QB Tyler van Dyke injured his knee early in the game, which killed any chance for a surprise offensive game. Alabama ran rings around them, with Crimson Tide QB being involved in five TDs, as Kalen DeBoer remained undefeated as coach with a 42-10 win.
#5 Ole Miss @ Wake Forest
The number-five-ranked Ole Miss Rebels season just keeps getting better. They faced the Wake Forest Demon Deacons this week, and one could guess what happened in this game. The Rebels dominated. QB Jaxson Dart threw for 377 yards and scored two TDs, while Henry Parrish Jr continued his good form, scoring two more touchdowns in a comprehensive 40-6 win over Wake Forest.
Kent State @ #7 Tennessee
The number seven ranked Tennessee Volunteers faced the Kent State Golden Flashes this weekend. From the get-go, Tennessee was the better team, and would easily cruise to a 71-0 victory. Not a lot can be said about this game, but it did have nine touchdowns in the first half.
#9 Oregon @ Oregon State
The number nine-ranked Oregon Ducks, while winning both their games, have not been the best they could have been to start the season. In week three, they faced rivals the Oregon State Beavers and truly dominated the PAC-12 (technically PAC-2) program. QB Dilion Gabriel was involved in three touchdowns, as the Ducks defeated the Beavers 49-14.
Ball State @ #10 Miami
In the first two weeks of the season, the number 10 ranked Miami Hurricanes have convincingly defeated two programs from their state. This week, they faced their first non-Floridan opposition of the year against the Ball State Cardinals. Hurricanes QB Cam Ward scored five TDs in Miami’s 62-0 win to show that they are one of the better teams in the ACC this year.
#13 Oklahoma State @ Tulsa
After their overtime victory over Arkansas last weekend, the number 13 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys faced the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. This game was a lot more simple. QB Alan Bowman threw for 5 TDs and nearly 400 yards in the Cowboys’ 45-10 victory over Tulsa.
#20 Arizona @ #14 Kansas State
In another battle of ranked programs, the number 20-ranked Arizona Wildcats faced the number 14-ranked Kansas State Wildcats. Do you ever think there are too many teams called “Wildcats?”. In the season’s first two games, Arizona’s pairing of Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillian has been key to the teams’ success. In this game, they were shut down by Kansas State, whose QB Avery Johnson threw for two TDs in their 31-7 win.
Embed from Getty ImagesTulane @ #15 Oklahoma
The 15th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners have had an uneventful start to their life in the SEC. They have simply been winning games with little drama. This weekend’s encounter with the Tulane Green Wave was another example of this. The Sooners never looked like losing this game, as quarterback Jackson Arnold dominated the Green Wave defense to record a 34-19 win.
Arkansas State @ #17 Michigan
Last week, the Michigan Wolverines were truly defeated by the Texas Longhorns. They hoped to return to winning ways against the Arkansas State Red Wolves. For most of the game, the Wolverines had the advantage, but a late comeback from the Red Wolves may have jeopardised the win. Ultimately, it didn’t, and Michigan recorded the 28-18 win. However, QB Davis Warren had another bad day, throwing for three interceptions.
#18 Notre Dame @ Purdue
The number 18 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish were on the end of one of the biggest upsets College Football had seen last week, losing to Nothern Illinois. Unfortunately, Northern Illinois is on a bye week this week, so they may not join next week as a ranked team. Notre Dame faced the Purdue Boilermakers and finally had a good game, winning 66-7.
Northern Iowa @ #23 Nebraska
The number 23-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers are making their first appearance of the season in the top 25 this week after embarrassing Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes team. This week, the Cornhuskers faced the Northern Iowa Panthers. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola threw for 247 yards and scored two touchdowns in the convincing 34-3 win over the Panthers.
Embed from Getty ImagesThat was week three of the 2024 College Football Season. Next week, the Michigan Wolverines face another test in the USC Trojans, Utah faces Oklahoma State, and we will finally see if the ranked Northern Illinois can win against the Buffalo Bulls.