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ESPN staff
Week 9 of the college football season featured historic defensive efforts, coaching spats, incredible catches, fire extinguisher showers and so many other moments that make us love this sport.
Best troll
Nothing like getting your meme turned right back around on you after a loss, which is exactly what UCF did to Cincinnati.
ope just gonna update this to track 1 https://t.co/oLVnOP5KdF pic.twitter.com/7RE8z6VqXk
— UCF Knights (@UCFKnights) October 29, 2022
For more on CFB’s best trolls, check this out.
Biggest shocker
When Kansas State left TCU’s campus late on Oct. 22, it didn’t look like a team poised for a historic performance. After building a 28-10 lead, Kansas State was shut out in the second half, losing 38-28. Injuries had piled up, impacting top quarterbacks Adrian Martinez and Will Howard, among others.
But Chris Klieman’s teams should never be counted out, especially against top-10 opponents from the state of Oklahoma. In 2019, the Wildcats beat No. 5 Oklahoma in Klieman’s seventh game at the helm. Then, they stunned the third-ranked Sooners the following year. On Sept. 24, K-State beat No. 6 Oklahoma 41-34.
No. 9 Oklahoma State was not about to take Kansas State lightly entering their Week 9 matchup. The Pokes actually closed as slight underdogs.
Kept the receipts 📝@CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/rsDUFe05lk
— K-State Football (@KStateFB) October 29, 2022
But Kansas State didn’t just beat Oklahoma State. The Wildcats blanked the Cowboys 48-0, the biggest margin of victory in a shutout of an AP top-10 team by a lower-ranked opponent. It marked the most lopsided shutout of a top-10 team since Notre Dame’s 51-0 triumph over USC in 1966.
Howard started in place of Martinez and passed for a career-high 296 yards and four touchdowns. But the bigger story was a defense that flustered quarterback Spencer Sanders and an offense that ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring (44.7 PPG).
“We played as well as we could play,” Klieman said of the defense.
Kansas State made its case as the nation’s best two-loss team and soared to No. 13 in the AP poll. The Wildcats are very much alive in the Big 12 chase. “We just played a really good game against a really good team and beat them 48-0,” Howard said.
“We have a lot of confidence, a lot of great talent. The nice thing is that we haven’t played our best game, and that’s still in front of us.” –Adam Rittenberg
Best celebrations
Jackson State hosted College GameDay this weekend for this year’s “BoomBox Classic” between the Tigers and the Southern Jaguars and made the most of it in every way.
Fans showed up early with signs and energy, and Deion Sanders’ team didn’t disappoint in a 35-0 victory. Toward the end of the game, his son Shilo Sanders intercepted a pass and celebrated by doing his best impersonation of the drum major.
Shilo Sanders with the INT and the celly to match 😅 pic.twitter.com/ooowlCvcCM
— ESPN (@espn) October 29, 2022
Minnesota‘s Mohamed Ibrahim is one of the best running backs in college football for many reasons, be it his speed, strength, instincts or vision.
Another reason could be his choice of snack, which he displayed after his first touchdown against Rutgers on Saturday, when he threw down some Gushers on the sideline.
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Mohamed Ibrahim breaks out the Fruit Gushers as an in-game snack after scoring his first touchdown vs. Rutgers.
Ibrahim broke the Minnesota all-time touchdown record on Saturday with the score, the 44th of his Golden Gophers career, surpassing Darrell Thompson.
Perhaps a running back of Ibrahim’s caliber could certainly finesse some sort of NIL deal with Gushers if he wanted to. I know if I were him, I would certainly try. — Harry Lyles Jr.
Small school moment
The biggest Holy Cross-Fordham game in ages — the Crusaders were unbeaten and ranked eighth in the FCS coaches poll, while the Rams came in ranked 15th — was not only an absolute thrill ride, it also stuck the landing. Holy Cross raced to an early 14-3 lead, but four Tim DeMorat touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) keyed a 28-7 run for the visitors. Holy Cross tied the game in the fourth quarter, fell behind and tied it again, then fell behind and tied it AGAIN with a late touchdown. In overtime, after DeMorat’s fifth touchdown pass of the day, Holy Cross responded with a touchdown and decided to end the game right then and there. Take it away, Ayir Asante.
.@AyirAsante IS THAT GUY!!!
A WALK OFF TWO-POINT CONVERSION AT FITTON!
CRUSADERS WIN!#GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/jIBGToIHjq
— Holy Cross Football (@HCrossFB) October 29, 2022
It looked like Asante was supposed to pass the ball back to quarterback Matthew Sluka, but good on him for realizing that (A) he’s not a quarterback, and (B) why share the glory? Take it in yourself!
With its 53-52 victory, Holy Cross is now 8-0 for the first time since 1991, when the Crusaders finished 11-0 and ran away with the Patriot League title. Can they run the table once again? And can they make noise in the FCS playoffs? –Bill Connelly
Spooky season in College Station
Texas A&M was mired in the slog of a disappointing year, starting the preseason ranked No. 6 and coming into Saturday’s game against Ole Miss on a three-game losing streak.
Still, spirits were high with the starting debut of five-star freshman quarterback Conner Weigman, the No. 27 recruit in the 2022 ESPN 300 and the No. 1-rated pocket passer in the class. The 12th Man was ready.
Happy (almost) Halloween from Aggieland. pic.twitter.com/bL0TraqqYw
— Dave Wilson (@dwil) October 29, 2022
Weigman came out slinging, leading two quick scoring drives and looking very much like the Aggies’ QB of the future. Texas A&M led 14-10 at halftime, and Jimbo Fisher was 30-2 at Texas A&M when taking the lead into the half. Weigman finished with 338 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, ending the Aggies’ 24-game streak without a 300-yard passer against FBS teams, the longest in the SEC. All in all, it was a jolt of hope for an offense that has been dreadful all season.
But A&M’s run defense was downright scary, giving up 393 yards rushing to Ole Miss, the most the Aggies have allowed since Dennis Franchione’s 2003 team allowed the same to Texas behind Cedric Benson and Vince Young. Ole Miss rallied for a 31-28 win on the Aggies’ home field, leading to a four-game losing streak for the first time since Franchione’s 2005 season.
Then, A&M suffered the indignity of being haunted by Lane Kiffin, who appeared to delight in beating Jimbo Fisher after Fisher referenced him making NIL jokes about the Aggies, calling him a clown.
“Maybe Jimbo has a Joker outfit for me.”
Lane Kiffin interviews never disappoint 😂 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/eeWsf6I332
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 30, 2022
All in all, it’s the stuff of nightmares for the Aggies. — Dave Wilson
Michigan’s defense dominates
Michigan’s defense held Michigan State to just 63 total yards in the second half of the Wolverines’ 29-7 win over the Spartans on Saturday. Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne had success throwing the ball deep to Keon Coleman in the first half, but Thorne went 1-for-7 for 51 yards with one interception on passes of 10 yards or more in the second half.
Michigan was able to shut down the run game as well, limiting Michigan State to just 37 yards rushing. The Spartans averaged only 1.6 yards per rush on the day and had no rushing touchdowns.
That was a huge turnaround from last season, when Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III ran for five touchdowns against the Wolverines in the Spartans’ 37-33 win.
The Michigan defense was stifling most of the night, but the second half is really where they won the game, as Michigan State had possession for only six minutes and 55 seconds.
–Tom VanHaaren