Penn State's Evan Royster rushes for a touchdown in the Nittany Lion's 46-17 win over Michigan (Photo: ESPN.com).
It has been said that to win a football game, a team must play well for the entire 60 minutes. The Penn State football team would like to suggest an alternate adage: to win a football game, a team must play GREAT for 30 minutes.
That’s just what the third-ranked Nittany Lions did on Saturday. Trailing 17-14 at halftime to the consistently inconsistent Wolverines of Michigan, Penn State rattled off 32 unanswered second-half points to secure a win and the team’s first 8-0 start since 1999.
Sure, quarterback Daryll Clark settled down and accounted for three scores, and running back Evan Royster gained 174 yards on the ground while averaging just under 10 yards per rush. Even backup quarterback Pat Delvin got in on the action, throwing one pass that went for 80 yards and a touchdown. But it was the Penn State defense that turned the game around. It caused a safety, partially blocked a punt, and forced a fumble on successive drives in the third quarter.
Why play hard for an entire hour when you are so good that all you need to do is turn it on in the second half?
This mantra was certainly alive and well in College Station, Texas, where #7 Texas Tech trailed Texas A&M 23-20 at the half. That’s when Graham Harrell and the potent Red Raider offense went to work, outscoring the Aggies 23-2 after the intermission. The lone two-point score came on a blocked extra-point attempt that was returned 97 yards for a “touchdown.” It was the 11th straight game in which Texas Tech scored 30 or more points and the first time since 1976 that the Red Raiders are 7-0.
And one team, #2 Alabama, played such a good first half that their poor second-half didn’t spell defeat. John Parker Wilson’s 219 yards and 2 touchdowns helped the Crimson Tide establish a 24-3 halftime lead that proved to be just enough. Alabama won 24-17 despite its second-half offensive output – four punts, a fumble, and an interception – looking, well, rather offensive.
Playing 30 minutes of great football and 30 minutes of lackadaisical football is never a good idea…but kudos to the teams that can do it and still pull off a win.
Some top performers from Week 8 in college football…
Mark Sanchez (QB), USC. Speaking of great halves, how about the one Sanchez had? He completed 15 of 20 passes for 253 yards and five scores, ALL before halftime of USC’s 69-0 domination of Washington State.
Shonn Greene (RB), Iowa. Greene accumulated 217 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 25 carries as Iowa handed Wisconsin its fourth straight loss. Not bad for a guy who spent last fall at a community college focusing on academics.
Dezmon Briscoe (WR), Kansas. Briscoe set school records with 12 catches and 269 receiving yards in Kansas’ 45-31 loss to Oklahoma. He also caught both of quarterback Todd Reesing’s touchdown passes.
And here’s how I see the Heisman race shaping up…
1) Colt McCoy (QB), Texas. McCoy put on a clinic in Texas’ 56-31 blowout win over #11
Missouri, completing 29 of 32 passes (including a school-record 17 in a row) for 337 yards and 2 scores. Hopefully Chase Daniel was taking notes from the sideline.
2) Sam Bradford (QB), Oklahoma. All Bradford did on Saturday was go 36-for-53 for 3 touchdowns and a school-record 468 yards in a 45-31 win over #16 Kansas. He singlehandedly made sure the Sooners bounced back from their only loss.
3) Graham Harrell (QB), Texas Tech. You can’t overlook Harrell’s numbers any longer. His 2,761 passing yards are tops in the nation, and he’s thrown 23 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions while guiding the Red Raiders to a 7-0 start.
4) Chase Daniel (QB), Missouri. A decent statistical game for Daniel against the Longhorns (31-41 for 318 yards, 2 touchdowns, and one interception), but the Tigers lost for the second time in as many weeks. And this one wasn’t even close.
5) Javon Ringer (RB), Michigan State. Not only did the Spartans get handled by #12 Ohio State by a score of 45-7, but Ringer was bottled up and held to 67 yards on 16 carries. He still narrowly leads the nation in rushing yards (1,179) and is tied for first in touchdowns (14).
That’s just what the third-ranked Nittany Lions did on Saturday. Trailing 17-14 at halftime to the consistently inconsistent Wolverines of Michigan, Penn State rattled off 32 unanswered second-half points to secure a win and the team’s first 8-0 start since 1999.
Sure, quarterback Daryll Clark settled down and accounted for three scores, and running back Evan Royster gained 174 yards on the ground while averaging just under 10 yards per rush. Even backup quarterback Pat Delvin got in on the action, throwing one pass that went for 80 yards and a touchdown. But it was the Penn State defense that turned the game around. It caused a safety, partially blocked a punt, and forced a fumble on successive drives in the third quarter.
Why play hard for an entire hour when you are so good that all you need to do is turn it on in the second half?
This mantra was certainly alive and well in College Station, Texas, where #7 Texas Tech trailed Texas A&M 23-20 at the half. That’s when Graham Harrell and the potent Red Raider offense went to work, outscoring the Aggies 23-2 after the intermission. The lone two-point score came on a blocked extra-point attempt that was returned 97 yards for a “touchdown.” It was the 11th straight game in which Texas Tech scored 30 or more points and the first time since 1976 that the Red Raiders are 7-0.
And one team, #2 Alabama, played such a good first half that their poor second-half didn’t spell defeat. John Parker Wilson’s 219 yards and 2 touchdowns helped the Crimson Tide establish a 24-3 halftime lead that proved to be just enough. Alabama won 24-17 despite its second-half offensive output – four punts, a fumble, and an interception – looking, well, rather offensive.
Playing 30 minutes of great football and 30 minutes of lackadaisical football is never a good idea…but kudos to the teams that can do it and still pull off a win.
Some top performers from Week 8 in college football…
Mark Sanchez (QB), USC. Speaking of great halves, how about the one Sanchez had? He completed 15 of 20 passes for 253 yards and five scores, ALL before halftime of USC’s 69-0 domination of Washington State.
Shonn Greene (RB), Iowa. Greene accumulated 217 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 25 carries as Iowa handed Wisconsin its fourth straight loss. Not bad for a guy who spent last fall at a community college focusing on academics.
Dezmon Briscoe (WR), Kansas. Briscoe set school records with 12 catches and 269 receiving yards in Kansas’ 45-31 loss to Oklahoma. He also caught both of quarterback Todd Reesing’s touchdown passes.And here’s how I see the Heisman race shaping up…
1) Colt McCoy (QB), Texas. McCoy put on a clinic in Texas’ 56-31 blowout win over #11
Missouri, completing 29 of 32 passes (including a school-record 17 in a row) for 337 yards and 2 scores. Hopefully Chase Daniel was taking notes from the sideline.
2) Sam Bradford (QB), Oklahoma. All Bradford did on Saturday was go 36-for-53 for 3 touchdowns and a school-record 468 yards in a 45-31 win over #16 Kansas. He singlehandedly made sure the Sooners bounced back from their only loss.
3) Graham Harrell (QB), Texas Tech. You can’t overlook Harrell’s numbers any longer. His 2,761 passing yards are tops in the nation, and he’s thrown 23 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions while guiding the Red Raiders to a 7-0 start.
4) Chase Daniel (QB), Missouri. A decent statistical game for Daniel against the Longhorns (31-41 for 318 yards, 2 touchdowns, and one interception), but the Tigers lost for the second time in as many weeks. And this one wasn’t even close.
5) Javon Ringer (RB), Michigan State. Not only did the Spartans get handled by #12 Ohio State by a score of 45-7, but Ringer was bottled up and held to 67 yards on 16 carries. He still narrowly leads the nation in rushing yards (1,179) and is tied for first in touchdowns (14).
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