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| Sam Hartman (Peter Miller/Associated Press) |
There was the exuberance of UMass, the hearbreak of UTEP, the euphoria of Louisiana Tech and the machine-like precision of Notre Dame. What there wasn't was a ton of eyes on USC and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, who were relegated to the Pac-12 for the opener with San Jose State -- and that may as well have been the public access station at midnight for the number of folks who saw it.
Sure, we don't know anything about the teams at this moment, and really won't until about week three or four. But these are our snap judgements after Week Zero.
NOTRE DAME -- Dismantled what was supposed to be a new-look Navy team with precision and brawn and efficiency -- and a shiny new quarterback in Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman.
Hartman was calm and composed on the occasions where the pocket broke down, adeptly stepping up to extend plays and firing the ball on a line to a number of receivers. Yeah, I know it was Navy. The Irish were bigger, stronger, faster and were SUPPOSED to do those things. But it is pretty obvious when a player is good, no matter the competition. Hart,am brings stability to an offense that was far to sledgehammer and not enough sports car last season, and he has some help, too.
Running back Audric Estime looked like a different back and a difference maker, routinely running to contact and breaking tackles. A bowling ball sort, he has surprisingly nifty feet and an ability to get upfield quickly.
Linebackers JD Bertrand and Marist Liufau were dominant on defense, weaving their way through traffic to find the football and packing a wallop when they did. Bertrand reminds me of Michael Stonebreaker with his instincts and an ability to flow to the football. He was all over the field and should be a vital part of the Irish defense.
The team speed is improved, but there is still a heavy bully factor to the Irish. It will be difficult to get a real gauge on them until the opposition improves.
UMASS -- The Minutemen not only erased a 24-game road losing streak, but looked solid in doing so.
In quarterback Taisum Phommachanh (ex of Clemson), the Minutemen have a guy who can run and throw and keep opposing defenses off-balance.
The defense was more aggressive and a better tackling outfit than last year's group, which was one of the worst stop units in America last season. Safety Tyler Rudolph was a presence, and end Marcus Bradley was excellent setting the edge and a force against the run game. I'm not saying there will be a parade or anything in Amherst this season, but Don Brown's bunch looks like a squad on the uptick.
LOUISIANA TECH -- The Bulldogs were 0-3 in one-score contests last season, so to pull out a last-minute, five-point win against Florida International was progress.
Hank Bachmeier put up nice numbers but didn't have a real impact, save for his dart to Smoke Harris that was taken 64 yards for a score in the second quarter. Oh, he had some moments, and made some tight window throws. But he also had a couple of poor decisions and uncertainty, which could easily be ironed out as the season progresses.
Harris is a game-changer with his speed, and that was evident on his touchdown. It was a simple slant into zone coverage, Bachmeier placed the ball perfectly and Harris outran the defense to the end zone. He can be a real weapon this season, and if the Bulldogs turn things around from last year's 3-9 campaign, this pitch-and-catch duo will be a big reason behind it.
People don't typically watch the offensive line, but do yourself a favor and pay attention to center Abraham Delfin. He was a mauler against FIU and seems to treat every play like it could be his last. He's powerful and smart and one of the more unheralded pivots in all of college football.
VANDERBILT -- Head coach Clark Lea has the Commodores trending up, though they will need to play better than they did against Hawaii if they want to see true improvement. Yeah, Vandy scored 35 points and won the game, and quarterback AJ Swann looks ready to take the next step. His decison-making was quick and his throws were generally on point, but the Vandy defense needs work.
Far too many times the secondary left Hawaii receivers open, allowing QB Brayden Schager to go over the top for big gains. Hawaii had pass plays of 50 and 45 yards, and seven pass plays in all that went for 20 yards or more.
Wideout Will Sheppard is the real deal -- excellent body control, nice size, sticky hands. He had two touchdowns and was Swann's most reliable target for much of the contest. Sheppard is someone who will be heard from all season.
SAN DIEGO STATE -- The Aztecs did Aztecs things -- plodded along on offense, suffocated on defense and did just enough to win.
In Jalen Mayden, San Diego State has a guy who will never wow with stats, but he's efficient and he gets the ball to the right guy more often than not.
Cody Moon is lights-out at linebacker, a dynamo who is all over the field and who is at his best moving forward. He was a disruptor all night against Ohio and could end up being one of the best defensive players in the Mountain West by the end of the season.
Punter Jack Browning is another special teams weapon for a team that is routinely among the best in America in that facet. His three punts averaged over 56 yards per, and he was able to help the Aztecs win the field position battle.
OHIO -- The Bobcats are obviously not the same without Kurtis Rourke at the controls, so the hope is that isn't out for any prolonged period.
Even in his absence, receiver Sam Wiglusz came to play, grabbing 10 passes for 103 yards -- including a couple of nifty sideline grabs.
Linebacker Bryce Houston is one to watch as he looks almost effortless chasing down the football. He's smooth yet powerful, and he was all over the field in the loss.
USC -- Based simply on highlights -- because, you know, Pac-12 Network -- the Trojans appear to be about the same as last season.
Caleb Williams was wondrous, freshman receiver Zachariah Branch was "Wow!" and the defense was WTF?
Branch shows a rare gear in the open field -- watch his 96-yard kickoff return. He approaches the hole, hesistates for just a moment to allow a blocker to wall off his defender and then simply explodes through the hole and gets to the outside. It looked routine but was anything but. The Trojans have another young star on their hands, and he's going to be a problem.
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