Written by MikeSpinelli

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Week two of the college football season was anticlimactic for most of the teams. Most were either BCS fodder, or laying the wood to FCS teams. There were a couple notable exceptions, including Akron leading heavily favored Florida International late in the game, Toledo upsetting Wyoming,  and Bowling Green letting Idaho hang around all day.

 

 

The game of the week was Akron taking FIU to overtime on the road. After losing by 42 points last week, the Zips were 24 point dogs to the Panthers. But as I said, Akron was not as bad as last week’s score showed, and BowdenBall is a whole new ballgame. At one point in the second quarter Akron had a two touchdown lead on FIU, and held a 38-35 lead until a 30 yard FG by Jack Griffin tied the game as time ran out.

In overtime Akron was unable to move the ball, and Robert Stein missed a 45 yard field goal. FIU was only able to garner one first down, but Griffin again kicked a field goal (29 yards) to win the game. Dalton Williams was 27/54 for 313 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. Josh Chisholm ran 12 times for 43 yards, and Marquelo Suel led receivers with 7 catches for just under 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Chisholm also caught two TD passes. The defense held FIU to 209 yards passing and 232 on the ground. Once again turnovers and dumb mistakes held back the Zips, but this week was much better than the first game. There is no such thing as moral victories, but when you beat the spread by 21 points, it clearly shows an improving team.

I predicted Kent State’s game against Kentucky would be the game of the week, and they did jump out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, before the Wildcats woke up in the second. By the half Kent was down by 10. They would open the second half with another rushing TD, but that was it as Kentucky dominated 47-14. Spencer Keith threw 28 for 43 for 227 yards. Trayion Durham led the team with 16 rushes for 87 yards and one TD (the other TD was by Dri Archer). Josh Boyle led Kent receivers with 6 catches for 64 yards. Kent’s defense was exploited to the tune of 354 yards by air and 185 by ground. Despite putting up 47 points, Kentucky only had the ball 24 minutes.

Ball State visited #12 Clemson in their annual cash grab, and lost 52-27. Clemson put up 526 yards on the Cardinals.

Miami put one up in the win column against Southern Illinois; Zach Dysert threw for 226 yards and a touchdown. Steve Marck put up 73 yards on only 4 catches.SIU actually had 13 more total yards…

Eastern Michigan hosted FCS Illinois State and got destroyed. Down by ten after the first quarter, EMU scored two touchdowns in the second on an Alex Gillett pass and a keeper, but that was it. Illinois State 31 Eastern Michigan 14. Dang.

The MAC’s FCS school UMass hosted Indiana, and while they did lose 45-6, they ruined my prediction that they would not score in September. Mike Wegzyn ran 16 yards to put UMass on the board for the first time in FBS play. They missed the point after. Indiana was just short of 600 total yards. Nine carriers combined for 333 yards on the ground. Maybe they were getting exhausted.

Central Michigan hosted in-state rival Michigan State (ranked #11). This one ended 41-7 as the Chippewa’s O was goose-egged. The one CMU score was on a Pick-6 with 1:39 left in the game.

Buffalo hosted Morgan State and had little trouble with this one, winning 56-34. Branden Oliver rushed for 238 yards and 2 TD’s. The Zips are licking their chops at this one, hosting the Bears next week.

Ohio U put 51 points on New Mexico State as Tyler Tettleton threw for 257 yards and Beau Blankenship ran for 168.

Western Michigan put 52 on Eastern Illinois with Alex Carder gaining 364 yards in the air. That was more than EIU gained altogether.

Northern Illinois beat Tennessee-Martin 35-7, gaining 427 yards in the process.  

Toledo edged Wyoming 34-31 in what would rank as the upset of the week, as the Rockets continue their tour of the American West. Terrance Owens threw for 300 yards and 5 TD’s in the win.

And Bowling Green managed to squeak past the Idaho Vandals 21-13. Giving up 352 yards by air will put you in that situation (they did hold the Vandals to 6 ground yards).

For those not keeping score at home, EMU’s loss and Toledo’s win left me 11-2 this week, 21-4 overall.

Next week Bowling Green and Toledo start conference play, Ball State takes on Indiana, and Akron takes a turn with Morgan State. W.Mich, E. Mich, and UMass take on the Big Ten. Kent State and Buffalo take the week off (and play each other the following Wednesday). And Miami travels to the blue turf of Boise State (where they may play a bowl game in a few months). Hang in there, conference play is coming.

I promise.