CI Week 13 Football Highlights
Check out Coaches Inc. Highlights from Week 13 below:
Bears boot Kansas State with last-second kick, 32-31
One of the toughest hurdles for a new coaching staff is establishing a culture that is strong enough to win close games. Baylor made a huge stride in this regard on Saturday night in Waco. After dropping three one-score contests since their season opening win, the Bears got over the hump against the Wildcats with a dramatic comeback. Baylor QB Charlie Brewer drove the offense 57 yards in 2:32 to setup a game-winning 30-yard field goal from kicker John Mayers as time expired. Mayers’ kick capped a 10-0 run for the Bears to finish the game. After a one-yard touchdown rush from Brewer cut KSU’s lead to 31-29 with 4:14 left, Ron Roberts' (@CoachRonRoberts) defense forced a three-and-out to put the ball right back into Brewer’s hands with ample time remaining. Baylor linebackers Abram Smith and Jalen Pitre each made stops on the final Wildcat possession, capping a standout game for the duo as they tied for a team-high eight tackles. Safeties J.T. Woods and Christian Morgan also made an impact for the Bear defense with a pair of interceptions. Congratulations to Roberts on the win! Roberts is in his first season in Waco after building a defense at Louisiana-Lafayette that carried the Cajuns to two consecutive division titles. Before arriving at Lafayette, Roberts spent six seasons as the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana. In 2013, he was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award after leading SLU to its first conference title in program history and a #6 national ranking.
Its season no longer on hold, Georgia Tech leaves Duke in the dust
After going 27 days between games, Georgia Tech DE Domineck Jordan summed up his level of excitement at the prospect of finally being able to play again by remarking, “I felt like I was in the Super Bowl.” Jordan’s enthusiasm carried over onto the field, highlighted by a strip sack of Duke QB Chase Brice and fumble recovery for a touchdown. Jordan’s score gave the Yellow Jackets the lead at 28-23 and they never looked back, rolling to a 56-33 victory. Overall, the Georgia Tech defense forced five Blue Devil turnovers, allowed only 68 rushing yards, and held Duke passers to less than a 50% completion percentage. Including his strip sack, Jordan registered five total tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks. Yellow Jacket LB David Curry led all players with 12 tackles and also forced a fumble and broke up two passes. Congratulations to Georgia Tech DE/OLB Coach Marco Coleman (@MarcoColeman_GT) on the win! Before tutoring pass rushers, Coleman was an elite one in his own right for the Yellow Jackets, twice being named a First Team All-American, including in 1990 when he helped Georgia Tech win the national championship. He went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL and was inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletic Hall of Fame. He began his coaching career as a coaching fellow for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 and spent the 2018 campaign as the assistant defensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders.
Utah State gobbles up New Mexico, 41-27, on Thanksgiving night
When asked about his team’s win over New Mexico, Utah State ILB Kina Maile noted that one of the sweetest things about winning on a Thursday is that there are two extra days to celebrate. In a trying season for the Aggies, their performance on Thanksgiving was worth celebrating. With contributions from all three phases, there was no shortage of highlights. Utah State WR Justin McGriff produced one of the biggest highlights when he hauled in a 36-yard touchdown pass from QB Andrew Peasley to tie the game at 13-13 early in the third quarter. McGriff’s score helped tilt the momentum in the Aggies’ favor as it sparked a 28-0 run for the hosts. The Lobos responded by cutting the lead to 34-27 in the fourth quarter but Peasley scored on a 62-yard run to extend the lead back to 14. USU safety Luke Marion provided the finishing touch on the Lobos’ ensuing drive when he intercepted a pass deep in Aggie territory. In addition to Marion’s pick, USU cornerbacks Dominic Tatum and Cam Lampkin also had their best games of the season, each shutting down their respective side of the field and recording pass breakups. Congratulations on the win to Aggies Passing Game Coordinator/WR Jason Phillips (@CoachPhillips_) and DB Coach Mark Orphey (@Mark_Orphey)! Phillips is in his second season in Logan and last year helped four Aggies earn all-conference recognition. He has previously coached at Salt Lake (AAF), Oregon State, Kansas SMU, Houston, Baylor and Texas State. At Houston, he coordinated a Cougar offense that averaged almost 600 yards per game and ranked second all-time in NCAA history. Orphey is also in his second season at Utah State after a two-year stint as the defensive backs coach at Montana State. He previously spent four seasons as a defensive assistant at South Carolina and also served as the cornerbacks coach at his alma mater, Texas Southern, from 2011-12. In 2018, he completed the Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Minnesota Vikings.
Short-handed South Alabama rallies for 38-31 win over Arkansas State
Down 10 in the third quarter, South Alabama looked unlikely to escape Jonesboro with a win. Things started looking up when QB Desmond Trotter completed a 42-yard touchdown pass to WR Jalen Tolbert to cut the deficit to three, but any momentum was short-lived as Trotter left the game with an injury a few minutes later. In Trotter’s place stepped Tanner McGee, a redshirt freshman whose only prior experience had come on special teams. Unfazed, McGee completed 6-of-8 passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns, both to Tolbert. Those scores, combined with 99 yards on the ground from Jaguar rushers provided enough offense. On the defensive end, USA cornerbacks Devin Rockette and Davyn Flenord combined to post eight tackles, one tackle-for-loss and one pass breakup in the 38-31 win. Congratulations to South Alabama RB Coach Larry Warner (@coachWarnerRB) and CB Coach Josh Jones (@Coach_JonesUSA) on the win! Both Warner and Jones coached all-conference selections in 2019, including RB Tra Minter who also earned All-American honors. The pair are each in their third season in Mobile after holding their respective positions at Central Arkansas from 2016-17. With the Bears, Warner and Jones helped the program go 20-4 overall and 17-1 in Southland Conference games.
Quick Hits
- Miami (OH) WR Jack Sorenson caught eight passes for 177 yards and four touchdowns in the RedHawks’ 38-7 win over Akron. Congratulations to Miami WR Coach Israel Woolfork (@IWMiamiFootball) and RB Coach Lamar Conard (@CoachConard)!
- East Carolina ended its season with a signature win over SMU. Combined with their win last week over Temple, the Pirates notched back-to-back wins over conference opponents for the first time since 2014. Congratulations to ECU RB Coach De'Rail Sims (@DeRailSims) and Special Teams Coor./OLB/DE Byron Thweatt (@Thweattster32)!
- Louisiana moved up to #20 in the AP Poll after defeating Louisiana-Monroe, 70-20. The 50-point win set a new record for margin of victory in the 56-year Battle on the Bayou rivalry. Congratulations to UL Defensive Analyst Keith Barefield (@rkbarefield)!
