Kilty Cleary is a Los Angeles-based media and marketing pro with 18+ years of experience. He’s worked with top brands like Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, building key partnerships and creating engaging content. Follow him on X and IG @theonlykilty
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Surprising South Florida (2-0) looks for a third straight win over a ranked opponent when they visit Miami (2-0) at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday evening.
Carson Beck #11 of the Miami Hurricanes looks on prior to the game against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Hard Rock Stadium on September 6, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Carson Beck #11 of the Miami Hurricanes looks on prior to the game against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Hard Rock Stadium on September 6, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images
South Florida opened the season unranked but now stands at No. 18 after a dominant 34-7 homefield victory over then-No. 25 Boise State before Nico Gramatica’s 20-yard field goal as time expired sealed an 18-16 win at then-No. 13 Florida last week. The Bulls are 1-6 all-time against the Hurricanes, with the lone win coming at Miami in 2010, and took a 50-15 loss at home last September.
The ‘Canes, ranked No. 10 in the preseason, have climbed up to No. 5 after beating then-No. 6 Notre Dame 27-24 in their opener and followed that up with a 45-3 thumping of FCS opponent Bethune-Cookman a week ago. Carson Beck, a Georgia transfer, has started hot for Miami, completing 76.4% of his throws for 472 yards and four touchdowns, three of those to LSU transfer CJ Daniels.
This is a great college football matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes were hoping to win their second straight game and move to 2-1 on the season when they took on the Houston Cougars on Friday night.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Sanders’ squad didn’t come close to accomplish their goal.
Not only did Colorado lose the game, but the team lost it in embarrassing fashion. There were not many positives for the Buffaloes to take away from the game.
When all was said and done, Colorado lost to Houston by a final score of 36-20. Sanders was not happy at all with his teams performance throughout the game.
Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes looks on against the Houston Cougars during the first half at TDECU Stadium on September 12, 2025 in Houston, Texas. Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes looks on against the Houston Cougars during the first half at TDECU Stadium on September 12, 2025 in Houston, Texas. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Following the game, Sanders spoke out with some brutal remarks about his team. While they were brutal, they were 100 percent truthful as well.
“Oh, Lord, thank you. I’m thanking God for not allowing me to say what I want to say,” Sanders said. “It wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. I take full responsibility of the foolishness that went on out there that we tried to name football. We tried to call it football. It wasn’t that. We’ve got to do better in every phase of the game. We’ve got to do better preparing our kids. We’ve got to do better, period.”
He was also asked about his teams struggle, which led to another pointed message from Sanders.
“We’re not struggling. We’re getting our butts kicked. You don’t have to be polite with me. You don’t have to sugarcoat it,” Sanders said.
Sanders is spot on with his comments. Not only are the Buffaloes getting beat, they’re getting embarrassed. After a 1-2 start, their hope of making a run at the College Football Playoff is already gone.
Fans were wondering what could be expected from Colorado after the team lost both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter to the NFL. So far, there hasn’t been much to be excited about for the future.
If the current level of play continues forward, Sanders could become a name on the hot seat. More than likely, the Buffaloes wouldn’t move on from him after one off year, but his seat could get relatively warm.
Next up for Colorado will be a matchup at home against the Wyoming Cowboys on September 20. Sanders will try to have his team better prepared for that game.
For more on the Colorado Buffaloes and all things college football, head to Newsweek Sports.
Bill Belichick will make his official debut as the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach this season, and the expectations are immense.
There’s plenty of buzz around the multi-time Super Bowl champion coach, who ended his NFL coaching career with the New England Patriots two years ago after coaching them and superstar Tom Brady to six championships.
He’ll now attempt to lead a rebuilding Tar Heels football squad to success, something he’s quite familiar with from his time with the Patriots.
It all begins with a home matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs, who are currently favored to defeat an underdog UNC team in Belichick’s big debut.
And with a debut this large, it’s unsurprising that sports legends, including NBA great Michael Jordan, are expected to attend the big game.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels coaches at Kenan Stadium on April 12, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels coaches at Kenan Stadium on April 12, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Photo by Peyton Williams/Getty Images
MJ initially rose to fame as a member of the Tar Heels in the early 1980s, before ultimately joining the NBA‘s Chicago Bulls, where he dominated opponents, broke records, and also won six championships.
His legendary professional basketball career extended from 1984 to 2003 and featured him retiring twice and returning. The latter of those returns to the sport he loved was to try to help the Washington Wizards succeed.
After two seasons with the Wizards, MJ officially called it a career in 2003 and went on to pursue other endeavors, including becoming an owner of the Charlotte NBA team.
He is currently a principal owner of the 23XI Racing team, which he co-founded with Denny Hamlin in 2020.
And Jordan is just one of several major sports stars who are either North Carolina alumni or have other connections to the state, reportedly attending tonight’s big game in Chapel Hill.
According to Pete Thamel, soccer superstar Mia Hamm, as well as NFL legends Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers, will also attend.
All of these aforementioned athletes attended UNC and represented the Heels in their respective sports.
Attendees expected tonight for Bill Belichick’s UNC debut against TCU, per ESPN sources, include Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, Eric Church, Chase Rice and Blake Snell. Hard to quantify the buzz here in Chapel Hill. pic.twitter.com/S5Ot6O4BZt
As a member of the New York Giants, Taylor became a two-time Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and Pro Football Hall of Famer. Before that, he played college football at UNC from 1977 to 1980.
Peppers, also a Pro Football Hall of Famer, spent his college career there from 1998 to 2001.
Hamm, who won two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA Women’s World Cup championships, played her college soccer with North Carolina from 1989 to 1993.
Additionally, singers Eric Church and Chase Rice will reportedly be at the event.
Rice, now successful in the country music genre, previously played linebacker for North Carolina. Church, also successful in the genre, was born in North Carolina and released an album, Carolina, which is certified Platinum by the RIAA.
They’ll be among the many individuals cheering for Belichick to make a splash with an upset win in his UNC debut.
Kilty Cleary is a Los Angeles-based media and marketing pro with 18+ years of experience. He’s worked with top brands like Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, building key partnerships and creating engaging content. Follow him on X and IG @theonlykilty
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Familiar foes Idaho and Washington State will open their 2025 NCAA schedules against one another on Saturday in the 93rd edition of the Battle of the Palouse.
John Mateer #10 of the Washington State Cougars looks to make a pass play during the first half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Corvallis, Oregon. John Mateer #10 of the Washington State Cougars looks to make a pass play during the first half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium on November 23, 2024 in Corvallis, Oregon. Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images
Week 1 matchups don’t get a lot more intimate than Saturday’s season-opening showdown between Idaho and Washington State. The Battle of the Palouse is a long and storied rivalry between two schools situated less than eight miles apart from one another and will be run for the 93rd time as part of their college football programs this weekend.
The Cougars currently dominate that record 72-17-3 and have won the last 10 straight meetings between the teams in a run that dates back to 2001. However, the Vandals can take heart knowing the most recent clash between the pair, a 24-17 slugfest in September 2022, was the closest scoreline they’ve produced since they last won this rivalry a quarter of a century ago.
Fans of FBS contender Washington State are watching with bated breath to see what head coach newcomer Jimmy Rogers can produce in his first year at the helm. Just three offensive starters have returned in what is otherwise an almost brand-new roster, and Rogers has done his utmost to retain a certain mystique about his plans.
FCS hopeful Idaho is also under new (and old) management after Thomas Ford Jr. returned for his second stint coaching the Vandals. And he’s not the only one, either, after new starting quarterback Joshua Wood joined from Fresno State, hoping to improve upon last year’s 10-4 season and a run to the FCS quarter-finals.
This is not a nationally televised game, but you can still catch the matchup on Fubo with local coverage from WGN in certain regions.
Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Kilty Cleary is a Los Angeles-based media and marketing pro with 18+ years of experience. He’s worked with top brands like Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, building key partnerships and creating engaging content. Follow him on X and IG @theonlykilty
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The Troy Trojans kick off the 2025 season at home against the Nicholls Colonels on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN’s family of networks.
Damien Taylor #3 of the Troy Trojans runs through a first half tackle attempts from Sawyer Goram-Welch #99 of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Veterans Memorial Stadium on November 2, 2024 in Troy, Alabama. Damien Taylor #3 of the Troy Trojans runs through a first half tackle attempts from Sawyer Goram-Welch #99 of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Veterans Memorial Stadium on November 2, 2024 in Troy, Alabama. Photo by Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images
The Trojans, now led by head coach Gerad Parker after his first season in charge, are looking to continue their recent success in the Sun Belt Conference. Troy is expected to once again feature a physical defense and efficient ground game, which have been staples of the program’s identity.
Nicholls, led by long-time coach Tim Rebowe, has been a consistent contender in the Southland Conference and enters with experience across both lines of scrimmage. For the Colonels, this matchup provides an opportunity to test themselves against FBS competition while showcasing their playmakers in a hostile environment.
Troy’s depth and Sun Belt pedigree make them the favorite, but Nicholls’ resilience and discipline could make this an interesting opening-week test.
This is an excellent college football matchup that you will not want to miss. Make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Kilty Cleary is a Los Angeles-based media and marketing pro with 18+ years of experience. He’s worked with top brands like Sporting News and Sports Illustrated, building key partnerships and creating engaging content. Follow him on X and IG @theonlykilty
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The 2025 college football season kicks off Thursday night as the Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks host the St. Francis Red Flash in their season opener at Malone Stadium in Monroe, Louisiana. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET, and fans can tune in via ESPN.
Ahmad Hardy #22 of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks runs the ball in the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Ahmad Hardy #22 of the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks runs the ball in the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Head coach Bryant Vincent enters his second season leading the Warhawks, who finished 5–7 last year, marking their best record since 2019. Despite being projected to finish last in the Sun Belt West, ULM opens at home, a setting where they’ve historically played well, particularly in season openers (20–7–2) and on Thursday nights.
The Warhawks return six All–Sun Belt players from 2024, including defensive lineman Kevontay Wells, and feature a seasoned coaching staff aiming to build consistency on both sides of the ball.
Meanwhile, St. Francis enters the 2025 season under 14th-year head coach Chris Villarrial after a 4–7 record in the Northeast Conference in 2024. This matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
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SEATTLE – The Washington Huskies football team is opening the 2025 season in their first-ever meeting with Colorado State.
The opening matchup between the Huskies and Rams marks UW’s second season in the Big Ten Conference, and second year under head coach Jedd Fisch.
Keep reading for more details on the Huskies’ season opener against Colorado State, and how to watch it live.
What time is the UW-Colorado State game?
Kickoff for the UW-Colorado State game is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. (PT)
Where is the UW-Colorado State game?
Washington will host the Colorado State Rams at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
What TV channel is the UW-Colorado State game on?
The UW vs Colorado State game will air on Big Ten Network, with Mark Followill, Lincoln Kennedy and Alyssa Charlston-Smith calling the action.
How do I listen to the UW-Colorado State game on the radio?
The game will be broadcast on the Washington Sports Network from Learfield. It will also be available on the Huskies Gameday mobile app, the Varsity Network app, and on Sirius/XM channel 137 or 197.
Tony Castricone will handle play-by-play duties, with former Husky tight end Cameron Cleeland as analyst and Elise Woodward providing sideline reports. Coverage begins four hours before kickoff on Seattle’s SportsRadio KJR 93.3 FM with “Husky Gameday.” Statewide coverage starts two hours before kickoff on the 17-station Washington Sports Network. The Husky Football Coach’s Show airs Mondays at 6 p.m. PT.
More on the Huskies
The Huskies enter the season after going 6-7 in 2024 and getting a berth in the Sun Bowl. Colorado State went 8-5 last season and wrapped up the year with a trip to the Arizona Bowl.
Washington has won 20 consecutive home games, the longest home win streak in modern school history. The Huskies roster has 47 players in their first season with the program, with seven returning starters for the offensive line.
UW’s next game on Sep. 6 against UC Davis will be another first-time matchup, also being held at Husky Stadium.
The Source: Information in this story came from University of Washington Athletics and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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Cooper was at a St. Louis Cardinals game 43 years ago when Green, a speedy return ace who’d recently been turned into a two-way threat at wideout and defensive back, became the first NFL player since 1957 to intercept a pass and catch another in the same game.
“(Green) wasn’t as big as (CU football coach) Deion (Sanders) or Hunter,” the scout sighed. “He only did it for a season, or a season-and-a-half.”
With an old Jim Hart and a young Neil Lomax at quarterback, then-Cards coach Jim Hanifan didn’t mess around when it came to what side of the ball mattered more. Once the coaching staff saw Green, a former track star, rack up 708 receiving yards and lead the Redbirds in touchdown catches (four) while re-learning the position on the fly in 1981, his days as an NFL defensive back were numbered.
The whole experiment worked so well, Roy moved to offense full-time starting in 1982, eventually leading the NFL in touchdown catches in ’83 and in receiving yards in ’84, notching Pro Bowl berths in both seasons.
“There are certain guys you want to throw to, guys you know will hang on to the ball,” Hart told Sports Illustrated in December 1981. “Roy’s one of those guys.”
“He’s got a great head on his shoulder as well. He’s tough. He’s smart,” Dave Syvertsen, Ourlads’ senior draft analyst and scout, said of Hunter, the cornerback/wide receiver whose 5-2 Buffs host 5-2 Cincinnati on Saturday night at Folsom Field. “I think he’s got great contest-catch numbers, too.
“Great possession and ball skills. He has superstar potential.”
Syvertsen grades the junior out as a first-rounder at both wideout and cornerback in the ’25 NFL draft. But like Cooper, he has a feeling front offices will look to pigeonhole Hunter into one side of the ball in order to preserve his long-term health.
And like Roy Green two generations ago, they expect that side to be offense — with a sprinkling of defensive appearances, primarily as a nickel back or a slot corner, peppered in.
“I think he could be a great corner,” Cooper said. “(But) there’s something to be said for guys playing some slot corner and also playing on offense. Deion did it himself.
“I think it’s going to depend on the team. I could see him playing in sub packages on defense, because he’s so skilled … eventually, I think, he will be one or the other. I think receiver is probably where he can make the biggest impact long-term. The jury might be out as to whether he can go two ways initially or one way all the time. Unique, unique player.”
The afternoon after CU hosts the Bearcats, the Carolina Panthers, 1-6 and going nowhere fast, visit the Broncos (4-3) at Empower Field. Tankathon.com’s 2025 NFL mock draft as of Tuesday afternoon pegged Hunter going to the Patriots with the No. 1 overall pick and Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders being taken by Carolina with the second selection. Longtime ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper recently ranked Hunter as the No. 1 overall pick on his big board.
For a team that needs everything, including marketable, charismatic stars, Hunter ticks every box. That said, even Buffs icons such as Michael Westbrook, the greatest wideout in CU history, would suggest to Hunter that he lean on offense primarily at the next level.
“I would use him as a wide receiver,” Westbrook told me, echoing the scouts’ sentiments. “I would sparingly put him in (with) nickel packages, dime packages. Anytime they’ve got four wideouts on the field, Travis goes in.”
Defense may win championships, but touchdowns pay the bills. Unlike in Green’s era, limitation on contact with receivers, combined with rules that discourage quarterback hits, have made the NFL more of a passing league than ever.
“(He’s) a top-5 pick,” Cooper said. “Body control, speed. And he’s a great corner. I could see where if a team wanted to use those skills, they could find a way. At least initially.”
As Hunter already knows full well, the league is about making business decisions — and the money for receivers is better than the market for cornerbacks. According to Spotrac.com, the top 6 highest-paid NFL wideouts sport an average cap hit of $25.7 million for 2024, while the top five highest-paid NFL corners average a $19.1 million cap hit.
“If he wanted to become a legit No. 1 receiver on a team, (that franchise) might not want a lot of defensive snaps,” Cooper said. “Even six or seven snaps a game (on defense) might not fit in today’s NFL.”
Some coaching staff may think Hunter is too valuable a receiver to risk on defense, or too valuable a defender to risk getting pummeled on pass routes. Either way, the fare for unicorn rides is about to go up.
“Theirs prevented them from losing the game. Ours won the game.”
With that, he laughed.
“You’ve got to remember who you’re talking to. I’m still Michael Westbrook. I’m still going to talk smack. Even though those are my Buffs.”
He’s loving those 3-1 Buffs, by the way. And he loves wideout LaJohntay Wester’s sliding catch in the rain, the grab that brought Folsom Field to its feet and sent fans outside scurrying back to their seats as time expired.
“Kordell (Stewart) had all the time in the world (in 1994),” Westbrook continued. “Shedeur running was the complete opposite. He’s getting tackled while he releases the ball. It was a stark contrast.
“And (Stewart) is back there waiting for a tip with my 43-inch vertical, just sitting back there waiting. Theirs was a far more difficult play. Ours was very easy. We literally practiced that play every week. Every Friday we practiced that Hail Mary. (Shedeur’s) was a more skilled play, from their perspective.”
Still: Two similar touchdowns, the last one happening three days from the 30th anniversary of the first? Who says the football gods don’t have a sense of humor?
“It’s a huge blessing to have been a part of something like that,” Westbrook continued. “And then (30 years) later, to have something similar transpire … No. 10 throwing the ball in 1994 to No. 10 (Wester) actually catching it in 2024. My last name is Westbrook, his last name is Wester … it’s almost surreal.”
It’s almost poetry. While Shedeur Sanders swung for the fences, Stewart was watching at home, clutching a pitching wedge nervously.
“It’s one of those ‘moments,’ right?” the ex-Buffs QB told me Monday. “I’m like, ‘Are you freaking kidding me?’ Mind you, the (FOX Sports) broadcast had just shown my Hail Mary pass from 1994, right before Shedeur threw that pass.
“I don’t know if you call it fate. But history has a chance to repeat itself sometimes, in the same way, in the same capacity. I didn’t jump up. I was just like, ‘Wow, are you freaking kidding me?’ … I had a moment. I just remembered how it was for us.”
It was pandemonium. It was chaos. It was glorious.
Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver LaJohntay Wester (10) and teammate Travis Hunter (12) celebrate Wester’s touchdown to force overtime against the Baylor Bears in the fourth quarter at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Baylor Bears safety Devyn Bobby (3) walks toward the sideline. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
On Sept. 24, 1994, the unbeaten and seventh-ranked Buffs trailed 26-14 to start the fourth quarter at fellow unbeaten and No. 4 Michigan. Staring at a 26-21 deficit with six seconds left, Stewart, the Buffs QB, had driven CU to its own 36. After a spike stopped the clock, then-Buffs coach Bill McCartney called for “Rocket Left,” in which Westbrook, Blake Anderson and Rae Carruth lined up on the left side of the formation and James Kidd lined up wide right.
The rest is college football history, still regarded as one of the wildest endings of any NCAA contest played over the last 50 years. Stewart dropped back to about his own 27 and fired a deep ball as time expired. The lob had enough juice to carry it past the Michigan 1-yard line, where a mass jump-ball situation ensued.
Anderson tipped the rock high and behind him, where the 6-foot-3 Westbrook, tracking the ball with his eyes, leaped up and cradled it as he rolled to the turf, stunning more than 100,000 Wolverines faithful in the process. Ralphie 27, Big Blue 26.
“There are no flags on the field,” the legendary Keith Jackson said on the broadcast. “Only despair for the Maize and Blue.”
Westbrook’s No. 1 Hail Mary was always going to be a beast to beat. Especially given the context. And the opponent. And the beatified building it silenced.
“The one thing I was jealous of, was when (Wester) caught the ball, the reaction was a complete, stark contrast (to mine),” Westbrook reflected. “It was complete and total, utter silence, versus the decibels being high enough (at Folsom) to pop your eardrums. And it was so awesome to see that.
“I was jealous and I was very proud of them. And very happy.”
“(The Miracle at Michigan) was on the road, we overcame the adversity of 100,000 fans, we just overcame 10 penalties. We came back and won,” Westbrook continued. “(The ’24 Buffs) came back and won, too …
“It was a great play. I’m not going to take that away from them. To put that ball where (Sanders) put it and for (Wester) to catch it like he caught it, that was a better play. That play was better than our play.”
Another laugh.
“But that play, in the grand scheme of things, was not a better play.”
Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver LaJohntay Wester (10) makes a catch in the end zone for a touchdown against Baylor Bears safety Corey Gordon Jr. (24) to force overtime, after the extra point, in the fourth quarter at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. The Buffs went on to win 38-31. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
“I have slowed the game down on offense a little bit,” Rams football coach Jay Norvell explained Monday at Canvas Stadium, “because we were playing some really talented people these first three weeks and I felt like, to give our defense a chance, I needed to slow down the game a little bit and run it a little bit more.”
Air Raid? Smash-mouth? None of the above? Hey, it’s good to be multiple. But over the last 11 months or so, the Rams offense has often looked downright schizophrenic.
Consider: In the first four series of a bonkers 2023 Rocky Mountain Showdown last September, CSU threw it 11 times. In the first four series of a boring first half this past weekend in the ’24 Showdown, a 28-9 CU victory, the Rams aired it out just five times, officially.
At home. Against one of the two schools your alums want desperately to beat most. In front of a rocking, ravenous and rare sellout at Canvas Stadium.
And yeah, we know — personnel played a factor. Last year’s Rams took on CU and the Sanders family with Dallin Holker at tight end, wideout Louis Brown IV and a healthy Tory Horton. CSU this past weekend had no Holker, no Brown and Horton (groin) toughing it out on basically one good leg.
But when you’ve been touting your QB1 as a Power 4-level signal-caller, and then can’t trust him to air it out against a Power 4 defense, red flags start popping up everywhere. Everybody’s credibility suffers.
“(We) need to get our playmakers involved, we need to get it going offensively,” Norvell continued. “And we’ve got talent. We can score. And we need to respond to that.”
“Are you saying you’re going to take a more aggressive approach from here on out with how you attack teams?” the coach was asked.
“No, I’m telling you that I think we had hard matchups, and I don’t think we matched up very well,” Norvell replied. “And I was trying to minimize that — and that’s what head coaches do.”
Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) and CU cornerback DJ McKinney (8) bring down Colorado State Rams running back Justin Marshall (29) in the first quarter at Canvas Stadium in Ft. Collins, Colorado Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
Fortunately, there’s all kinds of time left, nine games, with which to hammer out a new narrative. The Mountain West looks top-heavy, and CSU won’t play two of the three programs — UNLV and Boise State, Fresno State being the other — expected to vie for the league crown.
More hope: The Rams have already faced the two most talented two rosters they’ll see all year in No. 1 Texas and CU. Although if the point was to save some arrows in the quiver for league play, after last Saturday, it might be good for Norvell to start firing off a few.
“We’ve got a lot of season left,” the coach said, “and we’ve got all of our goals in front of us that we want to accomplish in our conference and in the remaining nine games.”
All true. But assuming this weekend’s visit from 0-3 UTEP gets the Rams (1-2) back to .500, it’s also not crazy to wonder if a visit to future league rival Oregon State (Oct. 5) and a home test with San Jose State (Oct. 12) leaves CSU at 2-4 heading into a tussle at rebuilding Air Force (1-2). It’s not unreasonable to wonder whether the CSU administration, after that CU stinker, will have everybody’s back if — if — the Rams are somehow 2-5 with three winnable home games (New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah State) left on the docket.
Norvell knows the score. He’s got a president and athletic director who didn’t hire him, and the former isn’t messing around.
“I’ve felt pressure since the day I started being a coach,” Norvell said. “I mean, that’s just part of it.”
He’s also his own offensive coordinator, his own play-caller, so everybody knows where the buck stops. Norvell’s never shied away from blame after tough losses. He’s rarely pointed fingers. But CSU fans I’ve talked to would prefer to lose more news conferences and win more football games, thanks all the same.
“You don’t want to get me on a soapbox about all that,” Norvell said. “We hadn’t talked about (CU) for months, OK? And so all that stuff that was brought up (as trash talk) was a long time ago.
“So I don’t really have any issue with Brayden or any of our guys. Our guys are focused on what can we improve to get better. And that’s about all I’ve got to say about that.”
If the Rams have an offensive identity right now, it’s that their players, including BFN, keep writing checks their program can’t cash. Nobody cheering on the green and gold right now knows what they’re going to get on game day. Besides heartbreak.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spent a portion of his Monday press conference making a bold proclamation about the importance of his team’s victory against Alabama, with the first College Football Playoff rankings of the 2023 season dropping in less than 24 hours.
Sarkisian reminded the world that his team defeated then No. 3 Alabama at Bryany-Denny Stadium nearly two months ago. He didn’t hide his feelings about the triumph over his former employer.
“I haven’t shied away from this: I think we’ve got a pretty good football team. I’d argue we have the best win in the country right now,” Sarkisian told reporters. “The fact that we go into Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and beat a team that was 52-1 in the previous 53 games going in there.”
Sarkisian also took a jab at Southeastern Conference, where his team will play starting next season.
“I hear so much about how tough the SEC is,” Sarkisian said. “But I haven’t seen any of those teams go into Alabama and win either, so I feel pretty good about our team.”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns celebrates with the team after the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 28, 2023, in Austin, Texas. Tim Warner/Getty Images
Texas is 7-1 and ranked No. 7 after Saturday’s 35-6 win against BYU. The Longhorns won the game against BYU despite missing starting quarterback Quinn Ewers. Maalik Murphy got the start while Ewers was recovering from a shoulder injury. Murphy had two touchdown passes and one interception in the win.
“We’re a very versatile team,” Sarkisian told reporters. “We started our backup quarterback against a 5-2 team and won 35-6. We get another opportunity this week to play with our backup quarterback. Not every team out has had to endure what we’ve had to. If they had their backup, how would they play?”
Several teams would likely counter Sarkisian’s claim that the Longhorns win against Alabama is the best this season. No. 3 Ohio State would point to its wins against Notre Dame and Penn State. No. 5 Washington’s win against Oregon was an impactful game in the Pac-12 and beyond.
No. 10 Oklahoma, who lost shockingly last week to Kansas, had a big win against Sarkisian’s squad when Texas was ranked third. Of course, Sarkisian could use the Oklahoma loss to Kansas and the Sooners’ win against his team to demonstrate the strength of the Big 12 this season. There are five teams, including Texas, tied with 4-1 conference records.
“As the league is starting to bear itself out, we’re starting to find out that I think our league is probably a little stronger than people gave it credit for in early September,” Sarkisian said. “And there’s a lot of teams playing really good football, and maybe some of these other leagues aren’t quite as strong as people were giving them credit for at the start of the year.”
Texas faces Kansas State this week. The Wildcats (6-2, 4-1) are ranked No. 25 in the latest AP Poll after beating Houston 41-0. Sarkisian isn’t sleeping on the Wildcats, nor are the oddsmakers. Texas is a four-point favorite, according to Monday’s odds on BetMGM Sportsbook.
“Our league is tough,” Sarkisian said. “You’ve got to make sure that your team is ready to play because, as we’re finding out, there’s a lot of teams that have an opportunity to compete for a conference championship.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
No. 16 Duke travels to Doak Campbell Stadium for a game against No. 4 Florida State, hoping to make history.
In 21 tries, the Duke football team has never beaten the Seminoles. In their last meeting, December 20, 2020, FSU came away with a 56-35 victory.
It’s no secret that the Blue Devils athletic department is more known for its prowess in basketball than football. However, head coach Mike Elko’s squad is on the upswing. Duke is 5-1 and have been ranked in the top 25 for seven straight weeks, the latter a feat that the program hasn’t accomplished since 1957.
Head coach Mike Elko of the Duke Blue Devils reacts near the end of the team’s win over the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday in Durham, North Carolina. No. 16 Duke takes on No. 4 Florida State this weekend, hoping to make history: Duke has never beaten the Seminoles. Lance King/Getty Images
This will be the Blue Devils’ third game against a top-25 team. Duke opened eyes around the nation in their opening week 28-7 win against then-No. 9 Clemson. In Week 5, Duke had a 14-13 lead against No. 11 Notre Dame with less than a minute to go. It took Audric Estime’s 30-yard touchdown for Notre Dame to escape with a victory and put the first blemish on the Blue Devils’ 2023 campaign.
“It’s probably a little bit different. The Clemson game was the opener, right? So, there wasn’t a ton of like, finality, to that one,” Elko told reporters during Monday’s press conference. “It was just two teams that were playing on a national stage for the first time, trying to establish themselves, and as big as the Notre Dame game was and as huge of a stage that was, that was still a non-conference opportunity. That plays a role a little bit.”
Duke played both games this season against ranked opponents at home. Elko expects a rowdy environment at Doak Campbell.
“Now you’re playing a prime-time game between two unbeaten teams in the ACC, and at the end of this, someone’s going to have a clearer path to Charlotte than the other one,” Elko said. “That’s critical, and that’s not lost on anybody in our locker room. It is an in-league, big-stage, big opportunity for our guys to go kind of rise up to and take advantage of.”
Elko’s team faces a tough challenge against the Seminoles. Florida State blasted Syracuse 41-3 last week to improve to 6-0 and 4-0 in the ACC. The overall and ACC records mark the Seminoles’ best start in each category since the 2015 season.
Head coach Mike Norvell has an eye on Duke’s defense, which has only allowed 20 or more points once this season.
“You look at the standard of good defenses,” Norvell told reporters on Monday during his weekly press conference. “This is one that you would point to. All 11 guys on their defense tackle, they can run, cover. They’re disruptive in the schemes that they present. Got really good pressure packages that challenge offenses. They just play good.”
How to Watch Florida State vs. Duke
No. 4 Florida State (6-0, 2-0) hosts No. 16 Duke (5-1, 2-0 ACC) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Chris Fowler (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sidelines) will call the action.
Betting Info for Florida State vs. Duke
The Seminoles are favored by 14.5 points, according to Thursday’s odds on BetMGM Sportsbook. The over/under is 49.5.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.