Mr. CFB: What Did We Learn In Week One?
Okay. The first full Saturday of the 2022 College Football season is in the books. So what did we learn? A lot of what we learned, as we expected, dealt with quarterbacks:
1—The discussion about Stetson Bennett IV is officially over. In fact, he should be on your Heisman Trophy list.
Last season Bennett, a sixth-year senior, was the MVP of both the CFP semifinal with Michigan and the national championship game with Alabama. Still, Bennett has his doubters with a four-star recruit in Harrison Beck and two five stars, Gunner Stockton and Brock Vandagriff, currently cooling their heels in the Bulldog quarterback room.
All Bennett did Saturday against No. 11 Oregon was complete 25 of 31 passes (at least two of the incompletions were throwaways) for a career high of 368 yards passing and two touchdowns. He ran for another score. Bennett was in the game for six possessions Saturday. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on all six.
It was, by any objective measure, the best game of his career.
Says who?
Says Stetson Bennett IV.
“Yeah, probably the best game I’ve played,” Bennett said.
With 15 players lost to the NFL Draft (including five defensive players in the first round) it has been understood that Bennett is going to have to do more if Georgia is going to contend for another national championship. He’s off to a pretty good start.
I'll admit that when the season started I didn't have him on my Heisman Trophy list. He's on it now.
2—If Anthony Richardson plays this way every week, the Gators are going to be hard to handle.
It’s only one game, but Florida’s 29-26 upset of No. 7 Utah may mean it’s time to re-evaluate the Gators. The Gators, who were a three-point underdog to the Utes, took a three-point lead after Anthony Richardson scored on a two-yard run with 1:24 left. Utah, the defending Pac-12 champions, stormed back down the field and looked like they were going to steal the game when they got down to the two-yard line with only seconds left. But Florida linebacker Amari Burney intercepted a pass from Utah’s Cam Rising in the end zone to give the Gators a win in the debut of new coach Billy Napier.
Richardson, a talented player who has been inconsistent throughout his career, was the best player on the field. He threw for 168 yards and ran for 104. And if he continues to play like that the Gators are going to be hard anybody not named Georgia to beat.
“He’s going to get his NFL payday,” said Utah Coach Kyle Whittingham. “He’s 6-4, 230 and runs like a 43. (in the 40-yard dash). He’s a terrific player.”
A lot of people, including this writer, have Florida fourth in the SEC East behind Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Kentucky goes to Florida on Saturday.
3—Arkansas can win nine games again. Maybe more.
Quarterback K.J. Jefferson threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 67 more and another score in a 31-24 win over No. 23 Cincinnati in Fayetteville.
But here was the most impressive thing about this win for Arkansas. The Bearcats scored with 5:49 left to get within a touchdown.
With the pressure on Arkansas simply lined up and ran out the rest of the clock to end the game.
Head coach Sam Pittman, the old offensive lineman, could not contain his glee over how the Hogs took control of the line of scrimmage to put the game away.
“Unbelievable,: said Pittman. “That’s hard to do, no matter who you’re playing.”
Jefferson came up with a couple of big third-down conversions on the final drive, including a 15-yard run on third and nine.
“It just seems like every time there is a play that needs to be made, he makes it,” Pittman said about Jefferson.
Arkansas hosts South Carolina on Saturday.
4—“Beamer Ball” is alive and well at South Carolina: Former Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer became legendary for his ability to make special teams a critical part of the game. His son Shane, the head coach at South Carolina, has picked up the baton and run with it. Locked in a tight game with Georgia State, South Carolina turned two blocked punts into touchdowns and pulled away to beat the Panthers 35-14 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
In addition to turning the blocked punts into touchdowns, South Carolina got two 50-yard field goals. The Gamecocks also kept a drive alive with a fake field goal. The drive eventually led to a touchdown.
Lost in the excitement of the special teams plays was the debut of transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler, who completed 23 of 37 passes for 226 yards an a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions. It will be interesting to see how he plays in his first SEC road game at Arkansas.
5--LSU has a lot of work to do.
The good news is that LSU trailed Florida State 24-10 in the fourth quarter and did not quit. In fact, the Tigers finally found a rhythm on offense and put themselves in position to win in overtime with a 99-yard touchdown drive in the final seconds. That made it 24-23 with no time left on the clock, Florida State. But LSU's extra point was blocked,, just one of many special teams gaffes on the night, and lost the game in New Orleans.
The bad news was everything else that happened in the game. LSU had two kicks blocked. The center that could't get the snap right. They muffed two punts and, for the most part, looked uninspired.
LSU is going to get better but Monday night the Tigers did not look like a well-coached team.
BONUS NOTE
A MILESTONE FOR KENTUCKY’S MARK STOOPS: This is the 10th season at Kentucky for Stoops. No other coach—not even Paul “Bear” Bryant--has ever stayed at Kentucky that long. On Sunday Stoops reached another milestone as Kentucky’s 37-13 win over Miami (Ohio) gave him his 60th win as the Wildcats’ head coach. That ties him with Bryant as the school’s all-time leader in wins,
“You can’t say my name in the same sentence with Bear Bryant,” said Stoops. “But I am grateful to win that many games, to be here this long.”
Stoops can surpass Bryant on Saturday when the Wildcats go to Florida (7 p.m. ESPN).
Kentucky coaches (by wins)
Name…………….…Seasons………Wins
Bear Bryant…………8………………..60
Mark Stoops……….10……….………60
Fran Curci…………….9…………………46
Blanton Collier……..8……………….41
Jerry Claiborne…….8………………..41