WOW! WOW! WOW!
In 1971 Graham Nash released his first solo album entitled; “Songs for Beginners” which included the hit single: “Military Madness.”
Well to paraphrase Nash, it’s been “Magnolia Madness” in the state of Mississippi.
In stunning fashion, both Mississippi State, and Mississippi continue to shock, and dominate the college football landscape.
One Mississippi, two Mississippi, has always been used as a measure to count off a proper second.
But now, it may be where both schools find themselves ranked in the latest AP Poll. AMAZING!!!
We’ll begin in Starkville, aka StarkVegas, where in the biggest victory in school history, the Bulldogs, and its Heisman Trophy leader, QB Dak Prescott dominated the Tigers of Auburn: 38-23.
[Note: a one point it was 21-0]
“Hail State!”
As the faithful say: “Hail Mississippi State-ment,” and what a statement it was.
MSU has now knocked off three consecutive top-ten teams, for the first time in its history, and with the din of clanging cowbells dominating the victorious night air, Coach Dan Mullen kissed his wife, then kissed the cheek of his stellar QB.
It truly was a Mississippi State-ment!!! And places the once downtrodden Bulldogs into the Penthouse of the college football elite. AWESOMNE!!
In College Station, Texas it was more of the: “Bo Knows show!”
We think it’s time to bury the “Good Bo,” “Bad Bo,” theme, as Ole Miss’s starry gunslinger, QB Bo Wallace, ran for the games first two touchdowns, as the Rebels silenced the crowd of 104,000-plus; stunning the Aggies: 35-20.
It’s not just with an exciting offense, the Rebels intimidate it opponents with its stifling, anvil-hitting “Land Shark” D. Which is one of the nation’s best.
Coach Hugh Freeze summed up his team’s confidence, which had a 99 yard TD drive, it’s first since George H.W. Bush occupied the White House, when he said, “There are 106,000 people against us, and 100 with us, I like our odds.” AWESOME!!
It’s Magnolia Madness at its best, as Mississippi is 6-0 for the first time since the kid from Massachusetts, JFK, occupied the White House in 1962. WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!
Onto the wackiness that occurred in Waco.
It a game that will live forever in the annals of Baylor Football, the Bears, left for dead, down 21 with 11-minutes left to play, staged a Waco Miracle, scoring the game’s final 24 points stunning TCU; 60-58.
QB Bryce Petty threw six-touchdown passes, but it took the leg of kicker Chris Callahan to complete the improbable comeback.
The kid, who had been a miserable 1-6 coming into the game, went “another improbable” 4-4, including the game wining 28 yarder.
“There’s a certain spot I hit on the ball every single time; inside left low. I just focused on that. Once I got there, I didn’t even look up. I just took off running because I knew it was good,” said the kicker who, for the rest of his life, will never have to pay for drink in Waco.
The victory keeps Baylor’s hopes for a playoff invite very much alive. AMAZING.
These are the type of games that the blog generally frowns upon; “Can’t anyone here play defense?” to paraphrase Casey Stengel.
But on this one, I must confess, was totally enjoyable, because of its improbability.
It was the largest comeback in the 110 year history of the rivalry, but it took Baylor’s “laconic” Coach Art Briles to best sum it up: “It was a good win for Baylor.”
Enough said!! Oh the beauty of college football!!!
In the “Old Friend’s Department;” former Silver Lake teammates Tim Murphy of Harvard, and Buddy Teevens of Dartmouth, had another winning Saturday, setting up their November 1st meeting in Hanover as a potential mega-Ivy League game.
Finally!!!!!!!!!!!!
The football “Belle of Amherst” Mark Whipple got his first Minutemen (1-6) victory as an FBS coach, as UMass knocked off the winless Golden Flashes of Kent State: 41-17.
“We didn’t dump Gatorade on Coach Whipple, because we expect to win,” said QB transfer Blake Frohnapfel.
The much needed victory ended a 12 game UMass losing streak, and for the first time this season, UMass outscored its opponent in the fourth quarter: 13-0. Good for them!!!
My country for some offense.
Highly touted offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin brought in by Nick Saban to infuse some life into the moribund Alabama offense has been more like a “cooler,” as the Tide hung on for a 14-13 victory of a rapidly improving bunch of Hogs from Arkansas.
Yikes!! It looks like Alabama was wildly overrated.
Florida State, and its QB Jameis Winston continues to swirl in its stench of seediness, (read today’s New York Times front page story), but continues to adds to its nation’s longest winning streak; which now checks in at 22 in-a-row after another unimpressive: 38-20 win over Syracuse.
It sets up next week’s “Armageddon Game” against Notre Dame in Tallahassee.
Up at the Heights, it was a nice bounce back win for the Eagles of BC, who in dominating fashion defeated NC State: 30-14.
The victory leaves the overachieving eleven from Chestnut Hill just a pair of victories from bowl eligibility. Good for them.
And Hail the smart kids, as Duke knocked off Georgia Tech 31-25, snapping a 10-year losing streak against the once mighty Canes.
Finally, Todd who??!!
Georgia, with its Heisman All-America tailback, and offensive leader Todd Gurley suspended for another “Signature-gate” impropriety, went out on the road, and “showed,” that no man is bigger than the team, white-washing a talented team from the “Show Me State,” the Missouri Tigers: 34-0.
Good for good guy, UGA’s Coach Mark Richt.
That’s it from cyber-space. We’ll be up and running with our analysis of week 8 Wednesday night. Until then, Peace, and listen to the music. pk
Saturday Football 