Auburn Football

It wasn’t the prettiest of victories, but the Auburn Tigers prevailed, 21-16 over Washington on Saturday in a battle of top 10 teams to open the 2018 season.

There were things Auburn did very well, as in any big win, but there are still some things the Tigers need to improve moving forward. But make no mistake, this was a huge win and one that will look very good on their resume down the road.

Here are five things I liked about Saturday’s big win, and also three things that I believe should and can be improved.

What I liked?

1. Scoring on the first possession: This doesn’t sound like much on the surface, but taking an early lead puts pressure on the opposition and puts questions in their heads from the outset. A 32-yard punt return by Ryan Davis put the Tigers in good field position and the offense did the rest. Sal Cannella picked the perfect time to leap and catch his first touchdown pass at Auburn, a 10-yarder from QB Jarrett Stidham.

2. Stidham’s leadership: In his second season under center, Stidham continues to grow and take ownership of the Auburn offense. He was a very effective 26-for-36 passing for 273 yards.

“We knew it would come down to the end,” head coach Gus Malzahn said. “We were talking about that, and leaders like Darrell (Williams) and Jarrett (Stidham), they seized the moment. Even when it didn’t look super at times, they just kept believing and just willed us to win and found a way to win.”

3. Goal-line defense: The Tigers made it very difficult for one of the nation’s powerhouses to reach the end zone. DE/LB Nick Coe made a huge play to preserve a 15-13 third-quarter lead, forcing a fumble on third-and-goal at the Tigers’ 3-yard line that LB Darrell Williams recovered. Deshaun Davis made a big tackle deep in Auburn territory. Then Williams’ last-second deflection of what looked like a Washington touchdown pass kept the Huskies frustrated.

4. Rallied after losing the lead early in the fourth quarter: A lesser team would have been deflated if it led throughout the game only to let the Huskies take the lead in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. But Stidham led a winning drive, highlighting the march with a 21-yard strike to Darius Slayton before JaTarvious Whitlow bolted into the end zone on a 10-yard run.

“We’ve been talking about overcoming adversity,” Malzahn said. “You look at last season, we didn’t win hardly any, if any, close games, and we knew this was going to be a close game.”

What I didn't like?

1. Penalties: The Tigers committed 12 penalties. That hasn’t happened in years. It’s an area Auburn must clean up if it expects to build on Saturday’s huge win.

2. Inability to cash in: Too many times, Auburn was forced to settle for field goals. After reaching the end zone on its first possession of the game, Auburn was relegated to attempting field goals on its next four drives — connecting on three. We’ve seen this same scenario played out way too many times over the last few years.

3. Pass defense: Granted this is probably nit-picky given that Washington QB Jake Browning is among the best in the country. Still, the Tigers gave up nearly 300 yards (296) through the air. Given that the SEC is gifted with very talented quarterbacks, the Tigers will need to tighten up somewhat on pass coverage or there are going to be a lot more nail-biters on the horizon.

Penn State Football

On Sept. 1, 2007, Appalachian State shocked the world. It went into Ann Arbor and beat Michigan 34-32. Eleven years to the day, history nearly repeated itself against another Big Ten opponent.

No. 10 Penn State beat Appalachian State 45-38 in Happy Valley on Saturday, but only after the Mountaineers stormed back with a 28-point fourth quarter to force overtime. Penn State seemed to have things under control, taking a 31-17 lead early in the fourth, but Appalachian State responded with three straight touchdowns. In fact, after cutting Penn State's edge to 31-24 with 7:40 left, the Mountaineers pulled off a surprise onside kick to get the ball back. Four plays and 53 yards later, Zac Thomas was scoring a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game.

The Mountaineers defense forced a quick three-and-out after that to get the ball back and put together another scoring drive, taking a 38-31 lead with 1:47 left. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers couldn't hold onto that lead, as K.J. Hamler returned the kickoff 52 yards to give Penn State excellent field position. Seven plays later, Hamler finished the job, catching a 15-yard touchdown from McSorley to force overtime. In OT Miles Sanders broke the seal open with four straight carries, scoring on the fourth attempt to give Penn State the lead. Appalachian State's bid to tie the game would end when Amani Oruwariye picked off a pass in the end zone.

1. It wasn't the offense that was the problem: All offseason, the biggest questions surrounding Penn State were how it would replace Saquon Barkley as well as offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. The Nittany Lions offense got off to a slow start, but at the end of the day it had done its job, finishing with 434 yards of offense and averaged a respectable 5.5 yards per carry. What would concern me if I were a Penn State fan is the performance of my defense. Appalachian State scored 38 points, including 28 in the fourth quarter. It racked up 451 yards of offense, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Now, this shouldn't be all that unexpected. Penn State has a lot of new faces on defense this season, and it's only logical that the unit would struggle early. Still, you would have hoped that it could have done better against a Sun Belt team -- even if it's a good Sun Belt team.

2. Trace McSorley showed why he'll be a Heisman candidate: McSorley's overall numbers weren't great. He completed only 21 of 36 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown through the air. He did score two rushing touchdowns, however, and added 53 yards on the ground. But it's not the numbers that mattered as much as his performance late. McSorley kept his composure and led a terrific drive late to get the game-tying touchdown, and his pass to Hamler for the score was a thing of beauty.

3. Wisconsin's on future notice: Listen, if Michigan wasn't enough to teach the Big Ten a lesson about inviting Appalachian State into its home, this game should drive the point home. But it won't be Appalachian State's last chance at a Big Ten pelt, as it's currently scheduled to play Wisconsin in Madison on Sept. 19, 2020.

College football scores

College football scores, winners & losers in Week 1: Alabama upgrades at QB, Texas stumbles again

The 2018 season is officially back. Games have been played. There have been winners. There have been losers. 

So guess what else is back?

The entire Week 1 might not be over -- there's still college football on Sunday and Monday -- but nearly all of the opening games are in the books. From dominating performances by Alabama and Oklahoma to another disappointing start for Texas and UCLA, there are a lot of storylines to get to.

With that in mind, it's time to take a step back and digest everything that's happened through the first three days of Week 1.

Winners

Alabama: Imagine, if you will, what Ferris Bueller must have felt when he got behind the wheel of Cameron's dad's 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California. That's how I like to think Alabama coach Nick Saban felt when he realized he could use a quarterback like Tua Tagovailoa. Prior to last season, Saban had already won five national championships (four with Alabama) primarily because he recruits enough blue-chip players to make those runs every year. To that point, though, he's won those titles without a true difference-maker at quarterback. No longer. Tagovailoa started Saturday's 51-14 win over Louisville and unquestionably is the guy for Alabama's offense. He can do everything Jalen Hurts does as a runner and a passer, and then some. He and receiver DeVonta Smith might be the most exciting television in the SEC. So just think: Alabama was molly-whopping opponents on the regular anyway. Now it's going to be a whole helluva a lot more fun watching them do it. 

Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush: The progression Wimbush has made as a passer from last season to Saturday night's opener against Michigan is night and day. Wimbush has always been a tremendous runner, but his development throwing the ball downfield is what should take the Irish's offense to a completely new level. His numbers (12 of 22, 170 yards, TD, INT) don't do his performance justice. His ability to evade Michigan's pressure (which was frequent) keep his composure and his eyes downfield, and deliver a more accurate strike was on display. He had help from wideouts courtesy of some spectacular catches, but this was a positive step forward in a 24-17 Irish win.

Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield: The Mountaineers may not have beat Penn State in Happy Valley, and that's what Satterfield wanted more than anything. But the 45-38 loss did one thing: It put more eyeballs on Satterfield and his team. A casual observer may remark that Appalachian State has been in this position before -- 11 years ago to the day against Michigan. And yes, App State has a brand as a giant killer. However, this was one of the least experienced teams not only in the Sun Belt, but in the country, per Phil Steele. And they almost beat Penn State on the road. Satterfield is 37-15 starting his fifth season in Boone. He's flown under the radar for bigger jobs, but he'll get a harder look now. Whether or not he takes those opportunities, he's earned them. 

Stanford wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside: It was Arcega-Whiteside, not Bryce Love, starring in No. 13 Stanford's 31-10 win over San Diego State. This is using statistics selectively, but Arcega-Whiteside's 11-to-6 catch-to-touchdown ratio in his past two games dating back to last year's Alamo Bowl is comically high. He's officially a problem. His best catch wasn't even one of his three scores. San Diego State could have been Group of Five, Power Five or The Jackson 5 and it wouldn't have mattered. There's almost nothing you can do about a human giant who, at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, can fight through any defense to latch on to a football. The catch-to-touchdown ratio will drop (... right?) but if he keeps this up, he's going to be must-watch television. 

Losers

Texas coach Tom Herman: You could put the blame of Texas' loss to Maryland on offensive coordinator Tim Beck. More on that 34-29 defeat here. Is that really solving the problem, though? Herman wouldn't even say for sure this is Beck's offense. "We'll all be calling plays on offense," Herman told reporters this week. Herman needs direction, and he needs it fast. He is, after all, an offensive guy by trade. If all else fails, Texas should be good at that. And if that means taking over for the rest of the season and making this his offense? Fine. If it means firing Beck, so be it. Texas may still rebound this year, but the earliest it can re-establish an identity, again, is 2019. That will be Year 3 for Herman. That's not when you establish identities. 

Chip Kelly's debut: The Kelly era at UCLA won't be defined by what happens in Week 1 of Year 1, but Lord in heaven, is losing to Cincinnati at home 26-17 a bad look. There are some positives, of course. Running back Kazmeir Allen is a speed demon and just the type of skill guy Kelly needs to pull off those explosive plays. The defense was good enough to win, too. However, Michigan transfer Wilton Speight couldn't move the offense and Dorian Thompson-Robinson wasn't much better. There are few sure-fire wins on the schedule and this was supposed to be one of them. Getting to a bowl might have been tough for Kelly in Year 1, but it's clear he has a ways to go with this squad.