I’ll remember last week’s slate of college football games for a long time. Following the weekend, the Associated Press’ Top 25 rankings are missing two teams who started the year in the Top 5, a true testament to how grueling college football really is. But I’m not going to waste your time: Here are Week 5’s stunning upsets and top performances, coupled with the upcoming Lato’s Lens Game of the Week.
Biggest Upsets
UCLA 42, No. 7 Penn State 37
Never have I seen anything like this in my 21 years of existence.
Without a head coach, offensive coordinator, or defensive coordinator, the winless UCLA Bruins pulled off a stunning 42–37 upset victory over No. 7 Penn State in front of a home crowd at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The day was marked by interim offensive coordinator and UCLA alumnus Jerry Neuheisel, who steered the Bruins’ offense in the stunning victory. Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava accounted for five total touchdowns — two passing and three rushing — and 294 all-purpose yards.
The question is: where does Penn State go from here? I know head coach James Franklin has built the Nittany Lions into a title contender year in and year out, but his ability to win the “big game” is under much scrutiny, especially after losing to the worst team in the conference.
Florida 29, No. 9 Texas 21
While Franklin’s career may be in shambles, Florida coach Billy Napier might have turned his around.
Though unranked, Florida’s 29–21 trouncing of No. 9 Texas may seem close on paper, the Gators’ defensive dominance made the game anything but close, as they dominated the Longhorns all afternoon. Led by defensive lineman Brien Taylor Jr., the Gators’ defense sacked quarterback Arch Manning a total of six times, finding themselves in the Texas backfield on virtually every play.
Offensively, quarterback DJ Lagway had the best game of his season, throwing for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Though the Gators’ record is only 2–3, the win over Texas could be the momentum needed as the team moves forward in its gauntlet of an SEC schedule.
Cincinnati 38, No. 14 Iowa State 30
Unranked Cincinnati built off a 17–0 first-quarter lead to cruise to a 38–30 upset victory over the undefeated, No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones. Though the Bearcats remain unranked, I would not be surprised if they found themselves in the Top 25 within the foreseeable future.
Quarterback Brendan Sorsby completed 13 of his 25 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the Bearcats’ victory, complemented by his 64 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground. His batterymate, linebacker Jake Golday, led the Bearcats’ defense with 12 total tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss.
With the loss, Iowa State’s playoff hopes remain alive, but back-to-back games against No. 18 BYU and No. 21 Arizona State loom ahead.
Top Performances
Julian Sayin, QB (Ohio State) completed 85% of his passes (23 of 27) for 326 yards and three touchdowns in the top-ranked Buckeyes’ 42–3 blowout defeat of Minnesota.
Leonard Moore, CB (Notre Dame) hauled in two interceptions in No. 21 Notre Dame’s 28–7 victory over defending Mountain West Conference champion Boise State.
Jam Miller, RB (Alabama) rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in No. 10 Alabama’s 30-14 defeat of No. 16 Vanderbilt, avenging last season’s loss.
Luke Altmeyer, QB (Illinois) threw for a career-high 390 yards in the Illini’s shootout win over Big 10 rival Purdue.
Daymion Sanford, LB (Texas A&M) recorded nine total tackles, including two tackles for a loss, one sack and one interception in the No. 6 Aggies’ 31-9 victory over Mississippi State.
Lato’s Lens Game of the Week
No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon – Saturday 3:30 p.m. at Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Ore.)
For the first time since 2004, the seventh-ranked Indiana Hoosiers will make the trek to Eugene to take on the No. 3 Oregon Ducks. Both teams come into the game with a 5–0 record and have dominated throughout Big Ten play.
Since transferring from Cal, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza has solidified himself as one of the best signal-callers in college football under the guidance of offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan. He’s thrown for 1,208 yards and 16 touchdowns thus far, with only one interception. His leading target, Elijah Sarratt, accounts for nearly a third of those yards (412) and six touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Oregon’s Dante Moore has put up similar numbers at quarterback, with 1,210 yards, 14 touchdowns and one interception. His offense is also fueled by a deep running back room, headlined by Dierre Hill Jr., Jayden Limar and Noah Whittington.
This matchup is virtually even and will ultimately be decided by which defense comes to play. But Autzen Stadium is a notoriously difficult place to play and poses a huge challenge for Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers.
Prediction: Oregon