Category: Football
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‘Traffic’ Hunter
Was Colorado vs. 17 TCU the talk of college football this weekend. I’m being rhetorical.
In the beginning of the game, Colorado surprised critics and scored a touchdown. A touchdown some at the Athletic might recall? Yes, a touchdown.
It was 1 of 4 passing touchdowns by Shaddeur Sanders and after the game X users started posting comparison photos of him and Tom Brady. Sanders finished as one of the top week 1 quarterbacks in passing yards with 510. He and Travis Hunter ultimately held the roof down.
Hunter played a total of 141 snaps. So between offense (61) and defense (80), Hunter played to extremities and said after the game that he was not winded out. Talk about an unforeseen athlete of his generation.
He was not as productive on the defensive side but saved what could have been a game-sealing touchdown late in the third quarter for coach Deion Sanders and Colorado.
Critics said this team would win 1,2 or 3 games, if any, this season. Well, the Buffaloes check one down, more to come against ruthless opponents such as Oregon, USC, and final game, Utah.
Coach Prime has always been a winner, and he brought coordinators over who know how. It will ultimately come down to the pressure this team and Shaddeur Sanders can handle with this no longer being Jackson State or a non-Power 5 program.
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Carson Beck’s Job’s on the Line
Carson Beck played solidly throughout the day against UT Martin, an FCS school. So much so he converted 21 of 31 attempted passes and gained 294 yards through the air to go with a 158.1 passer rating. Tremendously well done by the Jacksonville, FL native, but the real obstacle lies in the fact that he threw one touchdown and did not seemingly treat this as a game like the defense limiting a total of seven points to Martin.
Kyron Jones had a sensational 26-yard interception return, and sophomore Malaki Starks finished with the most total tackles (8). Georgia’s defense held their gold mark last year, limiting teams to 14 points per game. They provided a considerable start without Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, and Kelee Ringo.
But the problem does not rest there. Kendall Milton performed well with 9 carries on 5.9 yards per carry and so did Brock Vandagriff.
Vandagriff, the redshirt sophomore, completed one of his first passes, and boy was it a doozy. It was so good that he converted on a long touchdown pass and later to the backup of tight end Brock Bowers. In the third quarter, Vandagriff had a lot to show for and he keeps proving it against Carson Beck and freshman Gunner Stockton, the physically gifted quarterback has a ceiling like not many other four star Georgian quarterback prospects.
Carson Beck could have accumulated as many points as Oregon, 81, this Labor Day weekend but did not. The question remains: Is there a bullseye on Carson Beck’s back to win or play for the number one ranked team in the nation: Georgia?
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Utah Defeats Florida in a Crushing Outing
Oh, Utah did not fail to disappoint without starting. Quarterback Cam Rising and freshman Nate Johnson. Bryson Barnes began a hot start and threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to vast receiver-x Money Parks. They both were money on Florida double coverage despite connecting only once.
Transfer Graham Mertz looked to overcome the odds and resort to the ground game, which hardly established momentum in 17 yards of 19 rushing attempts. It was certainly not a better day for special teams either as within the first opportunity of the game to redeem points from a crucial Barnes capitalizing lead, Florida missed a field goal sending it with mere seconds to also punt off a illegal defensive substitution penalty electing the Utes choice to run it for a score by Johnson this particular time.
The Florida Gators are hosting Tennessee in a couple weeks so as many pundits want to say their season is over. It is not. And if it is they have coach Billy Napier and staff to look forward to the 2024 class.
But for now, Utah is looking steady with a 1-0 record, considering their first loss at Florida in 2022. The defense played great, sacking Mertz five times, and expect the Utes to face their most challenging game and rivalry between USC and Caleb Williams on October 21.
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Trey Lance, You Are a Dallas Cowboy
Trey Lance, has been traded for the first time in his career to a storied rival in the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. Troy Aikman and Steve Young would not necessarily be jockeying for positions at ESPN but they dueled it out on the field like competitive athletes. Lance tells the story of a Minnesotan, North Dakota State product who after four starts, three first rounders, and possibly a significant risk.
Lance stands 6 foot 4 and 224 pounds and does not shy away from the spotlight. His receding hairline is not the factoring issue. What can be concerning is that Lance did not perform exceptionally well this preseason and is transitioning from a storied rival to lights, camera, action, America’s Team.
San Francisco, CA is, in fact, the size more a population than North Dakota and Dallas, TX, meanwhile, estimated to populate 1.288 as of 2021. Meaning Lance will play in front of more eyes than ever and that is worrisome. Throughout his career, he completed 54.9% of his passes, thrown 797 passing yards and a 5:3 TD to interception ratio.
Nick Foles is the best example. The Super Bowl MVP quarterback starred in three games compared to Lance’s 2 and completed a percentage of 64.1%. Now this is no typo. Lance must play like the FCS champion he became and display grit. It will be too late if Lance does not bounce back because after all, Trey Lance, you’re a Dallas Cowboy.
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What Does Age 25 Mean for Jalen Hurts?
Happy 25th Birthday, Jalen Hurts! Now, go on the Madden Cover! Not too soon.
Hurts is coming off an exceptional NFL year where he led 12th in completion percentage (66.5%), threw a 22:6 touchdown to interception ratio, and nearly led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs by a final of 38-35.
Do you want to know where Andy Reid was coaching a quarter century ago? Quite simple. The home of Lambeau Field and negative Celcius temperatures in the postseason, during which Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre were still present before Reid ventured to have a successful career in Philadelphia.
The only glaring similarity between Hurts and Reid is they never entirely delivered a Super Bowl championship to Philadelphia. In an excerpt, Sarah Scoop explains:
“The number 25 is a very special number in numerology. It is considered to be an angel number, which means that it has great power and potential to lead into a holy year. The number 25 is also associated with the planet Mars, which is the planet of war and aggression.“
War and aggression sounds about the attitude Hurts needs to display after losing his job to Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 Alabama National Championship and having his shortcomings in the Super Bowl. Great power and potential is on the horizon for a player of Hurts’ stature at only 25 years of age.
She details further:
“Some people believe that the number 25 is unlucky because it can represent chaos and destruction. However, this number can also be a sign of good news and new beginnings. The number 25 is all about change and progress, so it is important to embrace the challenges that come with it.“
No, I, in the team of the Philadelphia Eagles set to embrace obstacles and challenges set forth, whether it is injuries, sideline negotiations, huddle disputes, streaking Vince Papale walk-ons, or Jalen Hurts. Training camp is a sign of good news and new beginnings
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