Studs And Duds

 On paper, week three of the college football didn't look like much -- a few intriguing games, a couple of marquee matchups, but nothing as tasty as the previous week gave us.

 As usual, college football proved us wrong, with compelling moments from beginning to end, and a few -- good and bad -- stood out over others.

 This is studs and duds for the weekend that was:

STUDS
MASON RUDOLPH -- Not everyone was on board the Oklahoma State train at the beginning of the season, but Rudolph is beginning to convert the non-believers with his play. He was stellar on the road against Pittsburgh, rolling up 497 passing yards and throwing five touchdowns, four of which were 40 yards or longer. Rudolph is deadly accurate, and isn't afraid to take chances downfield, as his 15.5 YPA against the Panthers shows. He is second in the nation in QBR at 92.7, and will have a chance to really prove that he belongs in the same breath as Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield with a showdown against unbeaten TCU next weekend.

VANDERBILT DEFENSE -- The Commodores have teased fans before, showing promise before slogging their way to a .500 season. Well, folks, take notice of this Vandy team, because it has a legitimate defense. Linebacker Emmanuel Smith and safety LaDarius Wiley are both playing like big time stars, collecting 12 and 11 tackles, respectively, in Vandy's 14-7 old school win over Kansas State. The Wildcats came in averaging over 500 yards on offense but were limited to just 277, and converted just 4-of-16 third downs after success on 50 percent in the first two games. Vanderbilt played hard and harassed KSU quarterback Jesse Ertz into a 10-of-28 night, picking him off twice. Vandy gets Alabama next week in Nashville, and if it plays D the way it did against Kansas State, it has a shot at the upset.

CHASE McGRATH -- It's not often that we'll give props to a kicker, but McGrath gets in based on his pressure-filled game-winning field goal in the second overtime against Texas, giving USC a 27-24 victory. McGrath hit a 31-yarder to tie the game at the end of regulation, then one-upped himself in the second extra stanza. Texas fumbled on its possession in the second OT, and the Trojans simply needed a field goal to win the game. A one-yard Ronald Jones run and a pair of Darnold incompletions meant that McGrath wasn't getting off easy, but he nailed the kick, keeping USC's hopes alive for a big season. 

DUDS
OREGON STATE DEFENSE -- The Beavers have been absolutely abysmal at stopping people, allowing a nation's worst 25 touchdowns in four contests. Washington State's Luke Falk threw for six in a 52-23 Cougars win, and Oregon State has allowed 158 points in its three losses. Its only win was a 35-32 nailbiter against FCS Portland State, and with Washington and USC next on the schedule, things might only get worse for Gary Anderson's squad.

MISSOURI -- Head coach Barry Odom fired defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross after the Tigers 31-13 home loss to South Carolina, but said it was due to "philosophical differences" and not on the field play. Odom has assumed the role of defensive coordinator, and may want to fire himself after Missouri looked lifeless at home in a 35-3 loss to Purdue. The Boilermakers rolled up 477 yards of offense and held the football for over 43 minutes. While time of possession is often a meaningless stat, it wasn't in this case. Purdue converted 8-of-17 third downs and put together touchdown drives of 11 and 13 plays, as well as a 12-play drive that ended in a missed field goal. Mizzou is simply bad on defense right now, which means Auburn could be licking its chops at the prospect of coming into Columbia next weekend. 

NEBRASKA -- The Huskers have been on a roller coaster all season, barely escaping the opener against Arkansas State (43-36, allowing 497 yards) and falling to Oregon (42-35, 566 yards). Well, the drop finally came, in the form of a 21-17 loss AT HOME to Northern Illinois, the first non-Power 5 team to win in Lincoln since 2004 (Southern Mississippi). The Huskies returned two touchdowns for scores, and Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee has thrown seven interceptions, most in the nation. The upshot is that Nebraska AD Shawn Eichorst announced an extension for coach Mike Riley earlier in the week, then said after the loss to NIU, "I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm disappointed. I want to continue to show support, but I also understand there is lot of frustration out there when you don't win games like today." This is the second time in three seasons under Riley that Nebraska has lost two of its first three games.