The college football season is in full swing as conference play kicked off for most of the field on Saturday.
Here are some knee-jerk reactions from the Week 4 action:
Arch Manning’s time will come, but he may not be ready yet
Making his first college start in place of injured QB Quinn Ewers, Manning’s performance overall was impressive in Texas’ 51-3 win over ULM. However, it’s clear there are parts of his game that need improvement.
Manning finished 15-of-29 for 258 yards (8.9 YPA), throwing for two scores. But he also threw two picks and didn’t look nearly as polished in the pocket as the man ahead of him on the depth chart.
QB controversy brewing at Oklahoma?
After QB Jackson Arnold turned the football over three times in the first half, Oklahoma turned to true freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. to steer the ship in the second quarter against No. 6 Tennesse. That didn’t necessarily solve the problem in a 25-15 loss to Tennessee, but it may have created a new one.
Hawkins was more productive than Arnold, finishing 11-of-18 for 132 yards (7.3 YPA) and a touchdown. Now, Oklahoma heads into a Week 5 battle at Auburn with more questions than answers at the QB position.
Michigan may abandon passing attack altogether following win over No. 11 USC
After benching QB Davis Warren in favor of Alex Orji, No. 18, Michigan leaned heavily on the run game in Saturday’s 27-24 win over USC. The Wolverines rushed 46 times for 290 yards, paced by RB Kalel Mullings (159 yards, 17 carries, 2 TDs), RB Donovan Edwards (74 yards, 14 carries, 1 TD) and Orji (43 yards, 13 carries).
Orji finished with only 32 yards (7-of-12, 2.7 YPA), the fewest by the Wolverines since 1996, per ESPN. It’ll be interesting to see if the strategy against Minnesota, who entered the week ranked 20th against the run, holding opponents to 2.6 YPA.
Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins is approaching elite territory
A week after recording 108 yards (9 carries) and two touchdowns against Western Michigan, Judkins had his breakout game as a Buckeye in Saturday’s 49-14 win over Marshall. The junior did whatever he wanted, rushing for 143 yards (14 carries), averaging 12.4 yards per carry with a pair of scores.
A three-star recruit in high school, Judkins proved himself with two 1,000-yard seasons at Ole Miss before landing at Ohio State. Now, he’s inching closer to being considered among the elite backs in college football.
Georgia Tech let one slip away against No. 19 Louisville
Georgia Tech gave Lousiville all it could handle, out-gaining them 410-326. But two crucial mistakes ultimately resulted in a 31-19 loss.
In the first half, leading 7-0, a sloppy lateral from QB Haynes King from their own nine-yard line led to a fumble recovery in the endzone by DL Roman Puryear. Then, trailing 24-19 with 7:16 to go, DB Tayon Holloway blocked a field goal attempt, returning it 60 yards for a touchdown.
It’s a hard pill to swallow as, without those errors, they may have clinched their second victory over a top-ranked opponent this year.
First-year HC helping Buffalo make noise
Buffalo improved to 3-1 under first-year head coach Pete Lembo, posting a shocking come-from-behind 23-20 upset over No. 23 NIU on Saturday. Trailing by 11 at halftime (14-3), the Bulls forced three punts and an interception in the second half, outscoring the Huskies 17-6 to clinch the victory.
Since a one-sided 38-0 loss to No. 9 Missouri, Buffalo has responded with two wins, including arguably the most important in the program’s history.
