Florida State football

Florida State’s offense could not get much going in an opening day loss to Virginia Tech, spoiling Willie Taggart’s debut as head coach.

Despite preaching “lethal simplicity” all offseason, FSU’s offense struggled to get the ball moving. Deondre Francois, making his first start since last September, made some nice throws and Cam Akers busted a long 85-yard run in the third quarter, but Florida State’s offense sputtered often. The ’Noles failed to reach the end zone for the first time since last year’s 35-3 loss to Boston College.

The issues with Florida State’s offense started with the run game. The ’Noles averaged 5.2 yards per play but more importantly, 3.4 yards per rush.

Akers and Jacques Patrick struggled to run the ball against a stout Virginia Tech defense. Outside of Akers’ long run, the pair combined for 37 yards on 20 carries. Virginia Tech’s defense lived in the backfield, racking up 14 tackles for loss and often putting the ’Noles behind the chains. Of the 63 offensive plays that FSU ran, 35 went for zero or negative yards.

Injuries to the offensive line were added adversity for this team. Starting offensive guard Cole Minshew did not suit up for this game and right tackle Landon Dickerson left with injury as well. Left tackle Jauan Williams and left guard Derrick Kelly each left for portions of the game as well. The depth along the offensive line was known to be a major liability and proved to be a factor in this game.

Francois started off hot, hitting Keith Gavin and Khalan Laborn for a couple of big plays down the field. But with the run game shut down, he started to struggle throwing the ball. Francois tossed three interceptions in this game, the second of which came when the junior quarterback threw the ball into coverage despite good pass protection. Francois finished with 233 passing yards, which was the majority of FSU’s 327 total yards.

Florida State particularly struggled in the red zone. After a big gain by Nyqwan Murray to the Virginia Tech 1-yard line, which looked like a touchdown on replay, the Seminoles settled for a field goal. Later in the game, FSU turned the ball over following Akers’ long run that set the offense up at the Virginia Tech 6-yard line.

Simply put, it just wasn’t Florida State’s night.

Overall, Florida State turned the ball over five times in this game, four of which came from the offense.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this offensive performance was the fact that Taggart’s offense looked completely unprepared for its debut. The Gulf Coast Offense, which saved Taggart’s career at USF and earned him jobs at Oregon and Florida State, was overwhelmed by Bud Foster’s defense. The Hokies feasted on FSU’s inexperienced offensive line and flew to the boundary when the ’Noles tried to get the ball to the outside.

The one positive aspect to this offensive performance is that FSU had Virginia Tech on the ropes at times. Several defensive players looked gassed and were forced to leave the field, especially along the defensive line.

Taggart’s debut as FSU’s head coach was disappointing, but the Florida State team he inherited went to the Independence Bowl last season and lost several stars to the NFL Draft. This was always going to be a rebuilding project for the Bradenton native, and this opening day loss to Virginia Tech proved that the Seminoles still have a long way to go.

No. 20 Florida State had the hype, the talent and the stage to ring in the Willie Taggart era with a top 25 ACC win. But all the narratives that were ready to be written about Taggart -- the longtime FSU fan starting his dream job -- ignored the possibility that Monday night was going to be much more about Justin Fuente. 

Virginia Tech's 24-3 win against Florida State started with a beautiful offensive script from Fuente for quarterback Josh Jackson, which resulted in a 10-play touchdown drive on the first possession of the game. While experts downgraded the Hokies because of losses on the defensive side of the ball, the group that showed up on Monday night in Tallahassee played just as nasty as any other Bud Foster group we've seen in maroon over the last three decades. 

There's no doubt about it, Virginia Tech is not going to take a step back and is absolutely a threat to Miami in the Coastal Division. Florida State, on the other hand, looks much less like a threat to Clemson after starting this sloppy start. 

Here are three things to know about Virginia Tech's win, Florida State's loss and what it means for both teams: 

1. A historic home game (for the wrong reasons): The last time Florida State was held to three points or fewer at home was Sept. 20, 2008, in a 12-3 loss to Wake Forest as the Demon Deacons went on to win the ACC. A record crowd -- at least at kickoff -- was on hand to witness it all, the entire frustrating affair with turnovers (5) and poor field position making it seem like Florida State was moving backwards all night long. It didn't help that in addition to losing the field position battle and giving up a ton of hidden yardage, Florida State also had a punt blocked in the end zone for a Hokies touchdown; a very Beamer Ball moment with the legendary Virginia Tech coach on hand for the game as an honorary captain.

2. FSU fans need to show some patience: It's going to be tough considering the positivity, excitement, expectations and how far fans fell from that high before kickoff to the sorrow of leaving the stadium. When adversity hit early, Florida State looked exactly like the team in its first year with a new coach, while Virginia Tech carried an advantage being in Year 3 with Fuente. The Seminoles may have been a little over-hyped and Virginia Tech was definitely overlooked, so this touchdown spread really was a toss-up of a game between two evenly-matched teams. One of those teams turned the ball over five times, the other not at all. Honestly, it speaks to the effort of Florida State's defense that the final margin was only 21 points. 

3. Virginia Tech might be the dark horse in the ACC: The Hokies offense slowed after its hot start, and certainly let some opportunities get away later in the game, but much of that is a credit to Florida State's defense. 

"We battled. Obviously in the third quarter we kept them pinned down. I was worried we let a couple few opportunities to get away, but I'm proud of our kids," Fuente told ESPN's Maria Taylor after the game.  

Russian clubs struggle to maintain World Cup momentum

The national team made an incredible run to the World Cup quarterfinals, but Russia’s clubs have struggled to show any momentum in European competitions this season.

Spartak Moscow was knocked out of the Champions League by Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki, while Zenit St. Petersburg scraped past and Norwegian teams in Europa League qualifying. FC Ufa’s Europa League debut ended last week in a frustrating loss to a Rangers team playing with nine men.

Gone are the days when b could spend more than 80 million euros ($92 million) in a single day to sign Brazil striker Hulk and Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel, as it did in 2012. The billionaire, local governments and state-owned companies which fund many leading clubs have tightened their purse-strings after a drop in the ruble made foreign deals more expensive

.

Some of the Russian league’s biggest names left this year as the star midfielder of Russia’s World Cup squad, Alexander Golovin, quit CSKA Moscow for Monaco, Dutch forward Quincy Promes departed Spartak for Sevilla and Zenit sold Italian defender Domenico Criscito to Genoa.

Transfer spending has been modest, with the best-known arrivals being veterans trying to rebuild their careers.

There’s Abel Hernandez of CSKA Moscow, who missed out on Uruguay’s World Cup squad, plus Benedikt Hoewedes, a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014 and now at Lokomotiv Moscow, and Grzegorz Krychowiak, on loan at Lokomotiv because he is surplus at Paris Saint-Germain.

“We lost a lot of top players in the last years that went to other leagues and countries,” said Alexander Zotov, the CEO of Russia’s main players’ union. “I’m not saying it deteriorated, but the level of football is not growing if you take superstar players away. But if they keep the atmosphere among the fans, you can see the games played in full capacity stadiums, the game changes and they drive the energy to the players. Really, it’s another game.”

Provincial teams in the second division are attracting club-record attendances to their gleaming World Cup stadiums, typically locals who couldn’t make it to a World Cup game.

Rotor Volgograd, Mordovia Saransk and FC Nizhny Novgorod are all averaging more than 23,000 spectators at their first few games this season, in some cases five or 10 times the typical crowd last year. In Kaliningrad and Sochi, the picture is less rosy, with average crowds of 10,000 and 8,500, respectively.

The challenge now is to maintain that World Cup buzz through the winter, and to pay for the costly stadiums.

For Mordovia to attract fans in one of Russia’s poorer regions, it sells many tickets for as little as 100 rubles ($1.50), though the stadium is estimated to cost between 200 and 260 million rubles ($2.95 to $3.85 million) a year in maintenance.

Financial instability has long been a feature of Russian soccer. That was underlined when FC Tosno, last season’s Russian Cup winner and one of the few smaller clubs in private ownership, shut down a month later, citing severe financial problems.

Zotov said players at Baltika Kaliningrad, a second-division club now playing at a World Cup stadium, have complained of unpaid wages and bonuses going back several months.

Despite the World Cup, running clubs “is not a priority” for the state companies and regional governments who dominate soccer, he said.

“There are still enthusiasts and people who work,” Zotov said. “It’s a matter of running the club properly and not doing crazy things and not signing crazy contracts.”

Regional officials have begged the government for help paying for their arenas, but it seems corners have already been cut on maintenance. The lights went out at the new stadium in Samara last month because the company which built it had allegedly failed to pay the electricity bill for several months.

A campaign group founded by President Vladimir Putin has called for an inquiry into why an earth embankment at the stadium in Volgograd collapsed into a road during heavy rain on the day of the World Cup final, and why another stadium’s roof leaks.

Despite the clouds gathering over parts of Russia’s World Cup legacy, Zotov said it’s a great lesson for how to market the game.

“The World Cup is a tournament that develops interest by itself because everybody has heard about it. You get into the hype. It overwhelms everybody,” he said. “If you take the (Russian) Premier League, first division, you have to work on developing this interest among potential customers or fans that would come. They might be interested but they’re not sure. You have to develop a story around the players, the competition between the teams, explain it, and make the stadiums also a fun place to visit.”

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. 

Texas Tech football

100% red Zone efficiency on offense

Last year, Texas Tech was the worst red zone offense in the Big 12 and one of the worst in the nation.  The Red Raiders finished No. 125 in the nation in offensive efficiency due to atrocious place-kicking and poor quarterback play.

Against Ole Miss, points may likely be more difficult to come by given the fact that Tech will be breaking in a new quarterback and three new receivers.  Thus, any foray inside the Ole Miss 20-yard-line must result in points.

Tech must score on 100% of its red zone trips, whether that be either a touchdown or a field goal.  The return of a healthy Clayton Hatfield should fix the team’s kicking woes but it remains to be seen whether the other aspects of the red zone offense will be improved.

With McLane Carter at quarterback, there is reason to believe that Tech will have better success inside the twenty.  Carter’s strength lies in his sense of timing which allows him to deliver the ball on time.

That is an area where 2017 starter Nic Shimonek struggled last season as he was often uncertain with his reads and was hesitant to make throws through tight windows.  Also, Carter is more mobile than Shimonek which could help should a play break down on on the zone-read.

Additionally, an offseason of improvement from an offensive line that returns all five starters might make a difference in the red zone ground game where Tech also faltered last year.  It should further help that Ole Miss was a historically poor defense against the run in 2017.

If the Red Raiders can find a way to come away with points on every red zone trip, and can ensure that at least 75% of those trips end in touchdowns, Tech will stand a good chance at being victorious.

Play Power Football

Texas Tech and power football have not gone together since the 1990’s.  But against Ole Miss, Tech must be the more physical team, especially on offense.

This offseason, Tech hired Kevin Johns to replace Eric Morris as the team’s offensive coordinator.  Johns brings with him a reputation for being an innovator when it comes to running the ball out of the spread formation.

That expertise could be crucial today against an Ole Miss team that allowed over 240 yards per game on the ground last year.  Johns and Kingsbury must commit to running the football, especially between the tackles.

For quite some time, the Texas Tech ground game has been a fitness rushing attack utilizing sweeps and draws to accentuate the speed of the ball careers.  But today, Tech needs to line up and go right at a weak Ole Miss linebacking group.

Look for Tech to have more plays in which 6-foot-5, 225-pound inside receiver Donta Thompson acts as a tight end.  We should also expect to see plenty of 6-foot-4, 260-pound fullback Tyler Carr acting as a lead blocker trying to isolate on a linebacker and open holes for Da’Leon Ward and Tre King.

If Texas Tech is able to impose its will physically by dominating in the run game, the Red Raiders will be able to dictate the pace of the game and will have a great shot at emerging victorious.

But it still is worth looking back at where Texas Tech had success and where it struggled las year being as the team returns so many key players.  Here is a look at some statistical areas that were significant last year and an analysis of what Texas Tech must do in those categories to knock off the Rebels.

Alabama football

Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts Will Both Play in Week 1 for Alabama vs. Louisville

The No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will play both Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa in their season opener against the Louisville Cardinals at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday night. 

"I think we have two guys that are weapons, and they've both played well, so the plan is to play both guys in the game," head coach Nick Saban told ESPN's Chris Fowler in an interview that will air Saturday, according to ESPN.com. "So the only issue is who plays first, and we'll decide that when the time comes."

Tagovailoa only attempted 77 passes as a freshman, but he made them count. Appearing in eight games last season, the former 5-star recruit completed 63.6 percent of his throws for 636 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.      

Those numbers were bolstered by a heroic display in January's national title game against Georgia. After starting the second half in place of the struggling Hurts, Tagovailoa completed 14 of 24 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winning 41-yard strike to DeVonta Smith in overtime. 

Hurts, while not nearly as dynamic a passer, played his role the past two seasons and proved to be a steady game manager for a Crimson Tide team that followed the lead of its dominant defense. 

After throwing 23 touchdowns as a freshman, Hurts completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 2,081 yards, 17 scores and a single interception last year. He also piled up 855 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground in 2017. 

Those dual-threat attributes, combined with an established track record, afforded him a chance to see action Saturday.   

However, the decision didn't come without drama considering Hurts put the coaching staff on blast for letting speculation swirl about his standing throughout the offseason.  

"This is a situation that's uncontrollable," he said, according to CBSSports.com's Kevin Skiver. "Coaches can't control this situation. They tried to let it die down. No one came up to me the whole spring, coaches included, no one asked me how I felt. No one asked me what was on my mind. Now we're trying to handle the situation now, for me, it's kinda late. It's too late. The narrative has already been created." 

Of course, Hurts won't head into Week 1 with much clarity since the actual snap-count split hasn't been confirmed. 

And if the national championship was any indication, Hurts should be on a short leash with Tagovailoa waiting to seize the starting job full-time.