Collage Football winners, losers in Week 2: Texas flexes muscle tissues, Notre Dame cannot get out of its personal method
School soccer did not produce many stunners to open the season, however Week 2 delivered some large nervousness. The primary AP top-five workforce of the season fell and 5 ranked groups fell total. Even out of the groups that survived, elite applications like No. 4 Alabama and No. 8 Penn State have been shockingly pushed to the wire.
For that motive, the largest winners of Week 2 have been the applications that have been in a position to make an announcement. No. 3 Texas walked into the Massive Home and delivered No. 10 Michigan a knockout blow. No. 14 Tennessee dropped 50 factors on No. 24 NC State. Iowa State was in a position to beat hated rival Iowa and set itself up for a particular season.
Listed below are among the largest winners and losers of school soccer’s Week 2, together with a few potential at-large contenders for the School Soccer Playoff bolstering their circumstances with massive wins.
Winner: Texas
Regardless of the metric is for Texas being again, we have formally hit it. The Longhorns traveled to No. 10 Michigan and put collectively probably the most dominant performances of the season.
The offensive points for Michigan weren’t an enormous shock after quarterback Davis Warren’s depressing Week 1 efficiency in opposition to Fresno State. However Texas’ offense confirmed indicators of being a really full unit behind quarterback Quinn Ewers. The junior threw three touchdowns and unfold the wealth in opposition to a Michigan secondary that charges among the many greatest in America.
If that is the extent that Texas can keep heading ahead, the Longhorns belong within the dialog with Georgia and Ohio State as severe nationwide championship contenders.
Loser: Notre Dame
Notre Dame simply cannot get out of its personal method beneath coach Marcus Freeman. Heading into Saturday, MAC groups have been 0-51 all time in opposition to AP high 5 opponents. Fortunate for them, No. 5 Notre Dame was pleased to supply the primary win. The Preventing Irish coughed up a pair of interceptions and failed to seek out almost any offensive consistency as NIU nailed a discipline objective with 31 seconds remaining to shock Notre Dame.
The Preventing Irish misplaced as a 14-point house favourite or higher, probably the most in school soccer since 2022 for the third time beneath Freeman. Nevertheless, the 28-point line was the largest catastrophe by far, particularly after touchdown a win over then-No. 20 Texas A&M to open the season. Freeman now strikes to 20-9 as Notre Dame coach; Brian Kelly went 21-3 in his closing two seasons.
Winner: QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Syracuse coach Fran Brown joked that he ought to ship Ohio State coach Ryan Day a bottle of champagne for letting him land McCord within the switch portal. After two video games, McCord appears like one of many largest additions of the offseason. In his first two video games as an Orange starter, McCord has thrown for 635 yards and eight touchdowns, together with 4 scores in a 31-28 upset victory in opposition to No. 23 Georgia Tech. In Jeff Nixon’s offense, McCord appears calm and cozy, an enormous distinction to the panic he confirmed when at Ohio State. Generally all a participant wants is a change of surroundings. For McCord, the grass is vastly greener on the opposite facet.
Loser: Auburn
When Hugh Freeze determined to cross on a switch quarterback, his hope was giving incumbent Payton Thorne some receiver assist would assist him take a step. In Week 1 in opposition to Alabama A&M, it appeared to work. Sadly, beating up on an FCS opponent was idiot’s gold and the Tigers have made zero progress.
Auburn misplaced 21-14 in opposition to a California workforce it beat on the highway final season. Whereas the offense was dangerous, the cross protection was disastrous, permitting Francisco Mendoza to hit on 20 of his first 22 passes to construct a lead. A minimum of final season the protection was first rate. This time, Auburn has primarily nothing to hold its hat on.
The Tigers have eight video games remaining in opposition to groups ranked greater than Cal within the CBS Sports activities 134 rankings. If Week 2 was any indication, Auburn can be fortunate to return to a bowl recreation.
Winner: Iowa State
Since Matt Campbell took over, Iowa-Iowa State has had all of the hallmarks of a severe rivalry — besides the wins. The Cyclones have been 1-7 in opposition to Iowa heading into the matchup, with the one earlier win satirically coming throughout Campbell’s 4-8 marketing campaign in 2022. The 20-19 stunner in Iowa Metropolis can be one remembered for for much longer.
Iowa State flipped a swap within the second half, overcoming a 13-0 halftime deficit by leaning on its star receivers and trusty kicker. A 75-yard landing from Jaylin Noel broke the sport open and kicker Kyle Konrardy nailed a 54-yarder with six seconds remaining to win it. That is the type of efficiency that may launch a really particular season in Ames if Campbell can lean on his playmakers for a full season. It would not damage the narrative that Iowa State was in a position to escape with a close-game victory, which has been a severe bugaboo for this program over the previous a number of years.
Loser: UAB coach Trent Dilfer
ULM coach Bryant Vincent was a longtime UAB assistant when he was named this system’s interim coach in 2022. After the season, he was handed over by former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, who got here to the job with none school teaching expertise. Dilfer took over a UAB program coming off six straight successful seasons. After a 32-6 loss in opposition to Vincent’s Warhawks, Dilfer is now 3-9 in opposition to FBS opponents.
UAB’s signature offense averaged 3.9 yards per play and a couple of.6 yards per carry in opposition to a workforce that allowed FCS Jackson State to drop 14 factors in Week 1. The Warhawks obliterated UAB’s protection to the tune of 209 yards and two scores. It is one factor to lose a nonconfence recreation badly. What’s worse is seeing what may have been.
Winner: Clemson
Rumors of Clemson’s demise might have been a tad untimely. The Tigers took all of their frustrations out on a poor Appalachian State workforce in a 66-20 victory that someway wasn’t as shut as the ultimate rating. The Tigers took a 42-0 lead earlier than the Mountaineers even knew what hit them and quarterback Cade Klubnik had eight touchdowns within the first half.
The Tigers nonetheless have loads of expertise on campus, however the story must be the emergence of star freshman receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. The five-star recruit had three catches for 130 yards and a landing. He offers Clemson the type of playmaker that it hasn’t had exterior in years. If extra freshmen can rise to the event, Dabo Swinney can have a brand new core to work round.
Loser: SMU
The Mustangs dedicated an unbelievable amount of cash to power their method into the ACC. For sure, shedding to BYU 18-15 and never scoring a landing wasn’t the efficiency the Ponies hoped for of their first Energy 4 matchup. The offense was a whole mess, averaging 3.6 yards per play as coach Rhett Lashlee struggled to choose a quarterback. On the sport’s decisive drive, quarterback Kevin Jennings threw 4 straight incompletions. The Mustangs have some actual soul looking out to do after transferring to 0-6 in opposition to energy convention opponents beneath Lashlee.
Winner: Tennessee
Beating No. 24 North Carolina State 51-10 was loads spectacular on its face. The Wolfpack are a professional ACC contender. What’s extra spectacular, although, is that the Volunteers did it on the again of great defensive dominance, holding NC State to simply 143 complete yards and a surprising 1.4 yards per carry. Tennessee’s offense was strong, posting 460 yards and 6.9 yards per play. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava did not precisely want a breakout efficiency, throwing 23 passes and turning it over twice. Nevertheless, the protection offers this program a flooring that it merely hasn’t had beneath earlier teaching staffs.
Winner: Idaho
The Vandals had a severe likelihood to win in opposition to Oregon in Week 1, however there was no emotional letdown for the FCS contenders heading right into a recreation in opposition to Wyoming. Idaho shocked the Cowboys 17-13 to select up an FCS-over-FBS upset in consecutive seasons. Coach Jason Eck has performed an incredible job since he was in 2022, producing two deep runs into the FCS Playoffs. If the primary two weeks are any indication, it could possibly be a particular season.