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| Stanford RB Bryce Love has already gone over 1,000 yards for the season (Sports Illustrated) |
STUDS
Bryce Love -- Everyone talked about Christian McCaffrey as a "once in a lifetime back" while he was at Stanford. Well, the Cardinal have found a second as Love is over 1,000 yards rushing in just five games -- and it's just the first day of October. Love is the first back in the Pac-12 (then 10) to eclipse 1,000 yards since Marcus Allen did in 1981 -- the year he won the Heisman Trophy. Love's WORST day this season was his 160 yard showing against USC, where he still averaged 9.4 yards per carry. His ability to burst through the hole rivals that of Penn State's Saquon Barkley, and he's faster in the open field than his Penn State counterpart. He's also shown the ability to carry the workload, taking 55 carries in the last two games. Quite an accomplishment for a guy who stands just a shade above 5-10 and weighs less than 200 pounds. Stanford may be out of the national title hunt, but if Love keeps putting up these sick numbers, he will be right in the thick of the Heisman race.
Luke Falk -- USC gunslinger Sam Darnold garnered most of the headlines heading into Friday night's showdown with unbeaten Washington State, but by the end of the night it was Falk getting the rave reviews. The senior, who came to Pullman as a walk-on, ended the night with 340 yards and two touchdowns, including converting crucial third and fourth downs on the go-ahead fourth quarter drive that culminated in a 23-yard TD pass in the face of an oncoming rush. Falk hit on 10-of-12 passes for 90 yards and a score in the fourth quarter. Falk has been sort of quiet, residing as he does in a conference with Darnold and UCLA's Josh Rosen and Washington's Jake Browning. But Falk isn't just a system quarterback, he has an NFL future. He throws a solid intermediate ball and is precise on timing passees to the sideline. He has enough arm strength to go deep when needed, but his biggest asset is his ability to stay in the pocket and fire off a rocket even under pressure. He certainly looks like the best quarterback in the Pac-12 right now, and if the Cougars go on to a league title, he will be a major reason.
Scott Frost -- People probably thought Scott Frost was crazy to leave Oregon to tackle the rebuilding project that was Central Florida. The Golden Knights were tarnished, finishing 0-12 in 2015 and looking like they were years away from contending. Frost managed a 6-7 record with average talent, and this year has put UCF squarely in the hunt for the Group of Five New Year's Six bid after destroying Memphis 40-13 on Saturday. UCF is seventh in the nation on offense, averaging nearly 540 yards per game and 7.13 yards per play. Quarterback McKenzie Milton has been a dual threat weapon, completing almost 65 percent of his passes, averaging nearly 10 yards per attempt and throwing eight TDs to just two interceptions. He's also averaged over nine yards per carry and is becoming a larger part of the Knights ground attack. UCF is also stout defensively, ranking 22nd nationally. UCF has a big win over a Power 5 school in Maryland, and if it wins the American Athletic Conference crown it will definitely be in the mix for national headlines.
DUDS
LSU -- The Tigers probably thought visiting Troy would be merely a speed bump before SEC play really got underway. It was LSU that ended up covered in tire tracks, losing 24-21 to the Trojans, and putting the spotlight on Tigers coach Ed Oregeron. This was the year it was supposed to be different, where the offense was supposed to enter the modern age. He brought in Matt Canada from Pittsburgh to ramp things up, but LSU is 67th in total offense, at just over 400 yards per game, though are fairly efficient, averaging 6.4 yards per play. So where is the issue? The Tigers are 93rd in third down conversions, hitting just 35.7 percent. They give the ball up too easily, and the passing game is 77th in the country, completing just 60 percent despite averaging 9.0 YPA. So it's downfield or nothing. And the vaunted defense has allowed 29 ppg in its last three contests, so that group isn't getting the job done, either. It won't get any easier as Florida and Auburn, two monster defenses, are up next on the Tigers slate. LSu paid Troy $985K for the visit to Baton Rouge, and obviously got little return on the payout.
Butch Jones -- The beleaguered Tennessee coach ranted against the media earlier in the days leading up to the Vols game against Georgia, wondering why they weren't more "positive" toward his team. As a rallying cry, Jones led his team to a horrific 41-0 loss to the visiting Bulldogs, the worst home loss for the Vols since 1905 and the first time shut out at home since a 31-0 loss to Florida in 1994. Tennessee managed just 142 yards of offense, converted one third down in 12 tries and averaged just 2.67 yards per play. If the Vols were playing to support their embattled coach, their efforts failed. And now Jones, who entered the season with lukewarm support from the fanbase, will have two weeks to weather the storm as the Vols are off before facing South Carolina Oct. 14th. While it may be too early to say Jones is fighting for his job, it might not be. More efforts like this and the decision will be an easy one.
North Carolina -- Oh, how the Tar Heels have fallen. No doubt the fans in Chapel Hill are waiting for Roy Williams and his crew to tip off, because this season has gone down the drain less than halfway in. UNC not only lost 33-7 to Georgia Tech, it was demoralized by Tech repeatedly shoving the ball down its throat. Tech ran for 403 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, and held the ball for nearly 39 minutes. We all know that time of possession can sometimes be a meaningless stat, but Georgia Tech and its triple option scheme NEEDS to possess the ball to be successful. It did, and it was. UNC was also meager on offense, converting just 2 of 12 third downs and averaging just 4.4 yards per pass attempt.
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