College Football Roundup Week 3 Miami Triumphs
Hurricanes Pick Apart Georgia Tech As Miami (FL) Claims Ranking #9
Sep 24, 2009
‘A true litmus test’ was the phrase used to describe Miami Florida’s match up against Georgia Tech in the third weekend of College Football action. Well, the Hurricanes truly shone through with a dominant 33-17 victory over a very reasonable football team and now must be considered amongst the better teams in the Country.
Jacory Harris threw for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns as his offensive line provided him with superb protection, also allowing the running game to takeover in the later stages creating an offense that simply seemed unstoppable. On the other side of the ball, Tech’s running game was all but stopped especially after the loss of Jonathan Dwyer to injury. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt was simply unable to step up and make any big plays completing 6 of 15 passes.
Key Question: What next for the Miami Florida Hurricanes?
Miami (FL) has made a strong impression on this young season, but it is still very early days. Their match next weekend against Virginia Tech should prove to be even tougher, and while Jacory Harris and the Hurricanes have more than proven that they are very capable of taking down the ACC Coastal Division favourites, they must not under-estimate a very strong football club. Another concern will be re-adjusting the defense after facing Georgia Tech’s triple option offense this week.
Week 3 Roundup
The third week of action was marked by a series of upsets including an incredible slip up by USC against Washington only one week after seeing off the dangerous Ohio State. Fill in quarterback Aaron Corp and the Trojans offense were completely stifled scoring only 13 points against a fired up Washington defense, the loss seriously damages the team’s BCS ambitions and fires the Huskies into the top 25.
Florida State finally came alive to avoid a poor start to the season by beating #7 ranked BYU. Max Hall and BYU had started the season in fine fashion but a sloppy performance costs them any chance of sneaking into the BCS game. LaMichael James rushed for 152 yards as Oregon upset #14 ranked Utah breaking the Utes 16-game winning streak in spite of a late rally from 21-7 to 28-24 by the end of the third quarter.
Elsewhere; Florida, Texas, Alabama, TCU, LSU and Penn State all stayed perfect with wins, while #6 ranked California broke their road curse with a 35-21 win over Minnesota. Tyrod Taylor’s 11-yard touchdown pass with just 21 seconds left on the clock helped Virginia Tech steal a game from Nebraska 16-15 in a gritty matchup between two strong teams. There were also bounce back wins for Ohio State and Oklahoma State after disappointing results in Week 2.
Outside of the top 25, Me’co Brown ran for 150 yards as Northern Illinois outdid Purdue’s offense to win 28-21. Purdue are now 1-2 putting in a disappointing performance after an exciting encounter with Oregon the previous weekend. They must step up their game if they are to have any realistic Bowl aspirations. Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen threw two touchdowns and 300 yards as the Fighting Irish recovered from a disappointing loss last weekend to win 33-30 over Michigan State, but the victory did very little to show a Notre Dame team that can pose a serious threat on any of the bigger bowl games.
Week 4 Preview
Game to Watch
(9) Miami Florida vs Virginia Tech (11)
The season could hardly have started better for the ACC already having had some of the most exciting contests to start the season. But it could hardly be better than this weekend when the league’s top two teams meet in a fixture that could decide the outcome of the Coastal Division title. Miami Florida has been racking up points behind the superb play of QB Jacory Harris and excellent performances from their offensive line. Virginia Tech will be this team’s toughest test so far both offensively and defensively but everything so far has indicated that the Hurricanes are more than up to it.
Other interesting fixtures include #15 TCU taking on a useful Clemson team; a clash between Michigan State and Wisconsin and two offensive minded teams in #14 Cincinnati and Fresno State set to battle it out.
Upset Pick
Georgia Tech over #22 North Carolina
College Football never ceases to prove that anything can happen and that any team can win or lose. Georgia Tech defeating North Carolina would arguably not even be an upset, especially considering the early nature of the rankings. Simply put, Tech should be able to regain their position in the Top 25, not that their opposition in North Carolina will be easy opposition; certainly a game worth watching. Another possible upset could come from Oregon as they take on #6 ranked California, Cal have been in good form and many are tipping it as being their year, but the Ducks have a strong team and their opponents may just be susceptible to an upset.
 |
