College football takeaways: Electric performances and position shutouts from Week
Whew! Week 1’s 5 straight days of football are in the books and supplied plenty of insight about the 2024 college football season.The freshman wide receivers? Worth the buzz. Utah QB Camera Rising’s return from injury? He looks as good as ever. Clemson? The Tigers could be in trouble.ESPN’s college football press reporters review huge takeaways
from Week 1. CFP takeaway: The ACC may just have one playoff representative– and it could be Miami It was a tough opening week for the ACC. With FSU already losing to Georgia Tech and now the stunning
loss to Boston College, plus Clemson’s lopsided loss to Georgia, the ACC champ might be the league’s lone representative in a 12-team field. Winning the ACC is Florida State’s only chance, as the 5 highest-ranked conference champs are ensured a quote. Even that’s going to be challenging after an 0-2 start to conference play. The College Football Playoff choice committee will compare teams for the seven at-large bids in the very same way it provided for the four-team field. Who you beat matters, together with how you look while doing it. Up until now, no one in the ACC besides Miami has looked the part of a CFP competitor. The space between Clemson and Georgia is as broad as the score suggested.– Heather Dinich USC’s defense is far from perfect, but it’s certainly better In the middle of a raucous sea of cardinal and gold Sunday night in Las
Vegas, Lincoln Riley and D’Anton Lynn embraced.It was just one game and one result
— a 27-20 win over No. 13 LSU Tigers in the Trojans’ season opener– but the moment between USC’s head coach and his picked defensive organizer spoke volumes.After two seasons riddled with protective shortcomings, a protective planner shooting and an offseason that consisted of a total overhaul of USC’s defensive plan and personnel, holding the Tigers to 20 points and creating a handful of essential third-down stops in crunch time during the unit’s very first showcase, seemed like its own success.”This brand-new defensive identity is way different than previous years, “lineman Braylan Shelby said.”We hold ourselves responsible.”Lynn’s new-look defense, with its improved physicality, taking on and tactical aggressiveness, didn’t need to clear a high bar after what had occurred the two years prior, but it did display its potential on a night where the Trojans won since of their defense, not in spite
of it.LSU’s offense just created 3 plays of 20+lawns vs. USC. The Trojans D gave 71 plays of 20 +last season.Nice sign of some progress under brand-new DC D’Anton Lynn and a by-product of much better taking on tonight.– Max Olson (@max_olson) September 2, 2024 USC minimal LSU to 117 backyards on the ground, and while the defense had a hard time to consist of the Tigers’attack through the air(304 passing yards), they also made the vital plays when they needed to. A fourth-down drop in the red zone on
LSU’s very first drive. Multiple three-and-outs in the second half that kept providing its offense a chance to pick up. And lastly, an interception on the last drive of the game to seal the offer.”You can bring in truly great coaches, which we did, you can run whatever scheme that you want to run, “Riley said.”However at the end of the day, these guys have got to trust in it, believe in it … There’s a vibe and a self-confidence about that group today, and we’re simply going to get much better. “– Paolo Uggetti Penn State might be prepared to make its move The Nittany Lions have not had the ability to get over the hump, going 0-6 versus Ohio State and Michigan over the previous three years. Saturday’s explosive performance in Morgantown revealed why this season could be different.Penn State’s revamped offense under new coordinator Andy Kotelnicki satisfied in a 34-12 victory over West Virginia. Kotelnicki came from Kansas with hopes that he could assist generate more chunk bets an offense that ranked 97th last season in plays of 20 lawns or more.In the very first quarter, quarterback Drew Allar linked on a 50-yard touchdown strike to Harrison Wallace, setting the tone.Allar was particularly outstanding, before and after a prolonged weather hold-up. He posted a QBR of 98.3 while finishing 11
of 17 passes for 216 backyards and 3 goals in a game that never felt in doubt.Behind Allar and Kotelnicki, this Penn State offense appears to be for real.– Jake Trotter Notre Dame opener offers recognition, confidence boost for offense Notre Dame’s offense showed to the college football world Saturday night that it could supply enough dynamite dips into the correct time, even versus a talented Texas A&M defense, in a challenging road setting.
However before Notre Dame might see it to think it, the Irish needed to think they were capable of making such plays.Editor’s Picks 2 Related” They have actually been a little surprised sometimes with how explosive we can be,” offending
organizer Mike Denbrock informed me early in preseason camp.”That’s kind of fun. The lights begin
, like,’Oh, wow, if I really do it the way they ask me to do it, it’s pretty good.’We
wish to play with that mindset that we anticipate to be explosive, instead of hoping that we’re explosive. “The Irish showed that technique in the 2nd half, getting goal runs of 47 backyards from Jadarian Rate and 21 yards from Jeremiyah Love, which sealed the win. Love likewise had a 29-yard run, as a Notre Dame offending line lacking its normal seasoning held up well.Notre Dame
‘s next step is
generating the
exact same kinds of piece plays from quarterback Riley Leonard in the death game.– Adam Rittenberg WR Tetairoa McMillan got for 304 yards and four TDs in Week 1. Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire After catching 90 passes for 1,402 yards last season, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan entered the season as WR1 on many draft boards. So, what did he do to begin the season? Enhanced his stock.In Arizona’s very first game as a Huge 12 school, McMillan almost set the conference single-game getting lawns record, taking 10 passes for 304 lawns and 4 touchdowns. Had Arizona not opened up a big lead in the 2nd half,
he would have had no problem passing Terrance Williams ‘single-game conference record(314)and would have had a real shot at the single-game FBS record(404 lawns
). McMillan and Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita have been playing together considering that middle school– get ready to hear that reality a lot this season– and their understanding of each other makes challenging plays look almost casual. For Arizona, it becomes a concern of who is going to step up opposite McMillan, since it’s difficult to picture opposing defenses will not make stopping him– or a minimum of slowing him down– their main goals each week.– Kyle Bonagura Freshman wideout crop looks unique You can’t always expect freshmen to convert offseason buzz into instant production, no matter how highly touted they may be. But all the buzz about this year’s star-studded freshman wide receiver class showed prescient on Saturday.At Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith looked like the generational game-changer everybody expected while catching 6 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama’s Ryan Williams, a 17-year-old future star, caught 84-and 55-yard touchdowns in his launching. Auburn’s Web cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons and Perry Thompson all scored in their very first game with the Tigers. Texas’Ryan Wingo set up a team-high 70 getting yards. We’re going to be speaking about all of them a load over these next 3 seasons.And let’s not neglect Iowa’s Reece Vander Zee. The three-star freshman
became the first Hawkeyes wide receiver to catch two goal passes in a game given that 2020. Considering Iowa’s wideouts combined for a total of two TD captures in 2022 and three in 2023, that’s a pretty huge deal. It’s going to be enjoyable to watch a lot more young playmakers like him turn up across the country in the weeks ahead.– Max Olson Clemson has bigger problems than Dabo Swinney’s transfer policy The Tigers’34-3 loss to top-ranked Georgia wasn’t about whether Clemson might beat the powerhouse Bulldogs. It wasn’t about Dabo Swinney’s choice to stiff-arm the transfer portal for another offseason, either. For the Tigers, this had to do with more than a single game.The neutral-site opener in Atlanta was a window into the gap in between Clemson and the sport’s ultra-elite in 2024. That truth is clearer after Saturday’s 31-point defeat, leaving questions
remaining more than responses over Swinney’s program.A Tigers offense led by second-year coordinator Garrett Riley and 2nd year beginning quarterback Cade Klubnik entered the season with promise. That unit got shut out before halftime Saturday and mustered just 189 overall yards on the day. After halftime, a once-fearsome Clemson defense was throttled, permitting 287 second-half yards and touchdowns on four of 5 Georgia possessions, burying the Tigers.”In some cases you get
your butt kicked, and we did today,”Swinney stated afterward.Clemson won 96%of its games and
produced 34 NFL draft chooses from 2014 to’19. The dominance and talent of that age felt far-off Saturday as Georgia overwhelmed the Tigers. There’s an apparent space in between Clemson and college football’s finest in 2024, and it’s down more than Swinney’s technique to the transfer website.
— Eli Lederman Utah QB made his huge return after missing out on all of last season due to a knee injury. Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images Utah’s triumph over Southern Utah isn’t a measuring stick for how great the Utes are going to be this season and won’t move the needle when it comes to identifying their spot in the College Football Playoff.However, it was certainly boosting to see Cam Increasing back out on the field, and– to use a basketball metaphor– see the ball go through the basket. Rising tore several knee ligaments in the Utes ‘Rose Bowl loss to Penn State on Jan. 2, 2023, and he missed out on the totality of the 2023 season.In his first action back ever since, the seventh-year senior completed 10-of-15 with
254 lawns and a career-high five touchdown passes. The last time Utah saw an efficiency like that was from Brian Johnson versus San Diego State in 2008, a season in which the Utes went undefeated.That’s not to state that’s what will occur this year with Utah, however it’s an appealing start for a player who is going to be among the figuring out factors of its success.– Harry Lyles Jr.Clark Lea and Vanderbilt come out swinging Lost among some of the larger nationwide stories in Week 1 was Clark Lea winning perhaps his most important game yet in his 4th season at Vanderbilt.The Commodores hadn’t beaten a group from a Power 4 conference considering that completion of the 2022 season, and it was the way they beat Virginia Tech that was most remarkable. There was absolutely nothing flukey about the 34-27 win in overtime. Vanderbilt was the better group. The Commodores rushed for 181 backyards(to Virginia Tech’s 75)and
didn’t turn the ball over. Most remarkably, they began quickly and jumped out to a 17-3 lead, and when Virginia Tech rallied to take the lead in the 4th quarter, Vanderbilt had the wherewithal to respond to with a game-tying six-play, 70-yard touchdown drive and then won it in
overtime.After losing 10 straight games to end last season, Lea overhauled almost everything in the program from the strength and conditioning department to bringing in a new offending coordinator(Tim Beck)and Lea took over protective play-calling tasks. Lea also generated previous head coach Jerry Eliminate to serve
as a special expert. Kill’s experience has been indispensable. And where Vanderbilt might have been behind the times in NIL/transfer portal, the Commodores have made substantial strides in both those areas.Clearly, Lea required to show enhancement this season, and to do so in the first game versus a team bringing back a ton of players and a group some in the ACC thought could make a run at the conference title was a resounding declaration. Equally clear is that Lea’s fullback-like mentality (He played fullback at Notre Dame )is the method he’s going to keep rolling in a job that’s the most difficult in college football. It also helps to have a quarterback, Diego Pavia, who’s brave and plays the position like a linebacker. Pavia passed for 190 backyards, rushed for 104 backyards and represented three touchdowns versus the Hokies.Vanderbilt must be 3-0 going to Missouri on Sept. 21, and while nobody is choosing the Commodores to win the SEC, they look like a group that is a lot more representative of what an SEC team ought to look like.– Chris Low Do FCS groups still have an opportunity against FBS
opponents?Has the clock struck midnight on FCS Cinderellas? There have been 61 games played so far this season in between FBS and FCS groups. FBS teams are a combined 60-1 in those games. Montana State, ranked No. 4 in the FCS coaches’survey, took down New Mexico 35-31 in Albuquerque on Aug. 24, scoring two times in the last 4 1/2 minutes to spoil Lobos coach Bronco Mendenhall’s debut.FCS programs lost by approximately 32.7 points. There were 10 losses of 50 points or more, 21 of 40 or more. SEC teams feasted more than others: Arkansas (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Ole Miss (Furman ), Tennessee(
Chattanooga) and Auburn (Alabama A&M)won by a combined rating of 288-6. The Paladins and Mocs are ranked Nos. 8 and 9 in the FCS poll, respectively.”We can’t take on them anymore,” one FCS head coach told ESPN.”They’re taking all of our finest players. “FCS groups are at the bottom of the food cycle when it comes to the transfer portal. The FCS head coach stated he lost his three finest players to FBS programs after the 2023 season.There were a number of other scares– North Dakota State fell 31-26 at Colorado and Abilene Christian lost 52-51 at Texas Tech after its 2-point conversion effort in overtime failed– however most FCS groups didn’t install much of a fight.
Ten groups were shut out, 12 scored simply a field goal and 28 had seven points or less.My coworker Expense Connelly points out that the best FCS groups– North Dakota State, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota– were competitive. So perhaps it’s more
about FBS groups knowing who not to schedule.– Mark Schlabach