College Football Corner: Late night for Maryland, long day for Virginia Tech
The best college football broadcasters always over prepare with the knowledge that they won’t use all of their material but enter the booth with the comfort knowing they can fill during the latter stages of a blowout, or if there’s a delay due to injury on the field.
Saturday crews were tested in Blacksburg, Charlottesville and Annapolis when lightning strikes either delayed or interrupted games. Navy saw their kickoff against Wagner pushed back before play was stopped in the third quarter due to lightning.
Virginia-James Madison was delayed 80 minutes in the fourth quarter. But both of those incidents paled to the nearly six hour delay for Virginia Tech and Purdue. One was wondering if Hokies-Boilermakers (which began at noon) would end after the Maryland-Charlotte game that was slated to start in prime time.
Nationally, No. 22 Colorado continues to secure the spotlight thanks to their rout of Nebraska while No. 8 Texas is back (again) after knocking off No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. And last-minute disasters in Lubbock and Waco keep announcers on their toes.
James Madison (2-0) trailed Virginia (0-2) 35-24 when lightning interrupted their game, and after the break it was the Dukes who struck — not once but twice. A Jordan McCloud touchdown pass with 55 seconds left completed the comeback and the Dukes defeated the Cavaliers 36-35. One hopes the two schools will play again, sooner rather than later (the previous matchup was in 1983).
Duke Do’s: Ty Son Lawton rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns while JMU averaged 4.9 yards per carry. Quarterback Jordan McCloud led a turnover free attack and directed a pair of must-score drives down the stretch. Jamree Kromah notched two of the team’s four sacks. And Aiden Fisher blocked a first quarter punt that he recovered in the end zone for a score.
Duke Don’ts: the defense allowed 377 yards passing to a true freshman making his first career start, coughing up 18.9 yards per completion. The D hit the wall midway through the game, allowing touchdowns on three straight UVa possessions to go from leading by ten to trailing by eleven.
Next: Saturday at 7 p.m. at 1-1 Troy (on the NFL Network, no less).
Cavalier Congrats: true freshman Anthony Colandrea threw for 377 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start, with Malik Washington (five catches for 119 yards and a TD) and Malachi Fields (eight for 74) his top targets. Jonas Sanker led the defense with 12 tackles. Daniel Sparks averaged 46.8 yards per punt.
Cavalier Concerns: after taking a 35-24 lead in the fourth quarter the offense managed just 22 net yards on their final 16 plays from scrimmage over three possessions. The running back rotation was stymied all afternoon, gaining 48 yards on 28 carries. And the defense that stiffened after an early hiccup allowed touchdowns on JMU’s final two drives of the day.
Next: Friday at 7 p.m. at 2-0 Maryland.
Virginia Tech (1-1) trailed Purdue by 17 before knotting things up just before intermission. Unfortunately they weren’t able to build off that momentum in the second half as an interception on their second offensive play of the third quarter set the tone in what would be a 24-17 loss to the Boilermakers. And after missing a chance to capitalize on some home cooking, Coach Brent Pry’s team plays three of their next four games on the road.
Hokie Highlights: Jaylin Lane caught five passes for 54 yards with three of those grabs (for 33 yards and the game-tying score) coming on their final possession of the first half. Keli Lawson and Jalen Stroman each made 14 tackles. And triple-threat Bhayshul Tuten had kickoff returns of 29 and 35 yards to go with his eight carries and two catches.
Hokie Humblings: the offense managed just 95 total yards on 30 plays in the second half, and both phases were equally responsible for going 2-12 on third down. The running back rotation finished with 22 yards rushing while the quarterback combination completed under 50% of their passes. The defense failed to tally a take-away.
Next: Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on the road against 2-0 Rutgers.
Navy (1-1) wasn’t just delayed; the traditional marching of the brigade on the field was scrapped. But once play began the Mids went to work against Wagner, scoring their first touchdown of the season on their first possession of the day to start on the right foot in a 24-0 shutout of the Seahawks. Now for a quick turnaround as AAC play begins.
Midshipman Medals: Tai Lavatai completed eight of 13 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown while running for 60 yards. Eight players caught passes as the new-look offense flexed its muscles after cramping up in the opener against Notre Dame. But don’t worry, the ground game remains a focus in Annapolis as the Mids posted 245 rushing yards. Clay Cromwell paced the defense that held the Seahawks to 6-17 on third down with eight tackles.
Midshipman Miscues: two missed field goals did not hurt against an FCS foe, but they can’t come up empty against conference competition. The offense converted just 4-13 third downs and gained 21 yards on 11 plays the last three times they had the ball.
Next: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on the road against 2-0 Memphis.
Maryland (2-0) didn’t have to deal with a lightning delay, as the two I saw happened at 5:55 and 6:11 p.m., well before the 7:37 kickoff. Perhaps they could have used a delayed start, as Charlotte took a 14-0 lead three minutes into the game with a 48-yard touchdown pass on their first drive and a pick-six on the Terps’ first offensive play. But Coach Mike Locksley’s team rallied for a 38-20 victory, a win where, according to Locksley, there was plenty to clean up.
Terrapin Triumphs: Roman Hemby rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown while catching four passes for 55 yards. Corey Dyches recorded six receptions for the second straight week. The defense held the 49ers to 2-10 on third down and turned them over twice in the second half to slam their window of opportunity shut. Jack Howes connected on three first half field goals with a long of 45 yards.
Terrapin Troubles: Taulia Tagovailoa was intercepted twice, with one being returned for a touchdown while the other was in Charlotte’s end zone to prevent a Maryland score. The defense allowed big plays of 37, 40 and 48 yards.
Next: Friday night at 7 p.m. against 0-2 Virginia.