Although the college football regular season is ending, the excitement is far from over. Week 12 proved to be another thrilling week, with countless dramatic upsets and fantastic finishes that proved to shake up the playoff scene. With that being said, you know the drill: here are some of week 12’s greatest upsets, top performances by players and marquee matchups for the coming week.
Biggest Upsets
Kansas 17, No. 6 BYU 13
Star running back Devin Neal and his Kansas Jayhawks traveled to Provo, Utah on a mission: to upset the sixth-ranked team in all the land, the BYU Cougars. In his already record-breaking season, Neal rushed for the Jayhawks’ only two touchdowns of the game on only 14 total carries. This is Kansas’ second upset win in a row after knocking off No. 17 Iowa State the week before. Two more wins and the Jayhawks will become bowl-eligible after seeming nearly improbable due to a 2-6 start.
New Mexico 38, No. 19 Washington State 35
Led by sophomore quarterback Devon Dampier, the unranked New Mexico Lobos gave a steaming hot Washington State team all they had to upset them 38-35 in stunning fashion. With 21 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Dampier used his legs to score the game-winning touchdown to stun the Cougars. On the ground, Dampier ran for 193 yards on 28 carries with three touchdowns. In addition, the field general also tossed for another touchdown, completing 11 passes for 174 yards.
Florida 27, No. 22 LSU 16
Under the reign of third-year Head Coach Billy Napier, the Florida Gators have struggled this season while playing one of the toughest schedules in all of college football. Full of young talent, the 4-5 Gators have knocked on the door of defeating SEC heavyweights like Tennessee and Georgia but have never been able to get the job done. However, Florida took care of business to stun No. 22 LSU at home by a score of 27-16. Coming off a hamstring injury, superstar freshman quarterback DJ Lagway completed 13 of his 26 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown, leading the Gators to victory over a highly touted LSU squad.
Top Performances
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Again, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty continued his quest for the Heisman Trophy to help his team defeat San Jose State in a convincing 42-21 fashion. Despite the opposing defense keying in on him the whole night, Jeanty was still able to rush for 159 yards on 32 carries, scoring three total touchdowns. The power back has been putting up videogame-like numbers the entire season, scoring a whopping 26 touchdowns with two games left to go.
Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
In a hostile environment with an undefeated record at stake, sophomore defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei of the No. 1 Oregon Ducks came up clutch, intercepting a deflected Braedyn Locke pass to seal a 16-13 win on the final drive of the game against Wisconsin. Uiagalelei also recorded five total tackles, including a sack to keep the Badgers off the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
The South Carolina Gamecocks, led by star quarterback LaNorris Sellers, have been on the biggest hot streak in college football, defeating previously 25th-ranked Vanderbilt, No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 22 Missouri all in a row. In their week twelve contest against SEC rival Missouri, Sellers tossed for an impressive five touchdowns, throwing for 353 yards on 30 attempts. Sellers has been nothing short of remarkable the whole season, wholeheartedly deserving of a spot on this list.
Games to Watch
No. 5 Indiana (10-0) at No. 2 Ohio State (9-1): Saturday – Noon
This year, sensational Head Coach Curt Cignetti has proved that Indiana is not just a basketball school. In the most important game of their season, the undefeated 10-0 Hoosiers will travel to the Horseshoe to take on the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes. This will be the ultimate task for the Hoosiers, who haven’t defeated the Buckeyes since 1988; not only that, but the matchup will also have huge Big 10 Championship implications.
No. 14 BYU (9-1) at Arizona State (8-2): Saturday – 3:30 p.m.
Running back Cameron “Nature Boy” Skattebo has been a force this season, guiding the Arizona State Sun Devils to an 8-2 record with Big 12 Championship hopes in mind. If the Sun Devils win the matchup, their chances of making it to the Big 12 championship game will drastically increase. However, BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff will have other plans, looking for vengeance after being upset by Kansas last weekend. This a must-win game for the Cougars in terms of securing a college football playoff berth.
No. 18 Army (10-0) vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (9-1) at Yankee Stadium: Saturday – 7:00 p.m.
This season has been nothing short of incredible for the Army Black Knights, cruising to an undefeated record and a top 25 ranking. On the other hand, since being upset at home by Northern Illinois earlier in the season, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame have been on fire, winning eight straight games and making a strong case for a college football playoff bid. While the matchup will take place at the historic Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, the stakes couldn’t be higher for both teams as they long for a spot in the playoffs. Keep an eye out for Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard, who has been a leader for the Irish thus far.