Best win: South Florida 21, West Virginia 13
Biggest upset: Colorado 27, Oklahoma 24
Best Bachman Turner Overdrive: Georgia 45, Mississippi 17
Et cetera: Cal 31, Oregon 24 … Kansas State 41, Texas 21 … Auburn 20, Florida 17 … USC 27, Washington 24 … Maryland 34, Rutgers 24 … Wisconsin 37, Michigan State 34 … LSU 34, Tulane 9 … Florida State 21, Alabama 14 … Georgia Tech 13, Clemson 3 … Illinois 27, Penn State 20 … Kentucky 45, Florida Atlantic 17 … Virginia 44, Pittsburgh 14 … Purdue 33, Notre Dame 19
Most unstoppable: DeSean Jackson, Cal
Wide receiver is a dependent position, so Nate Longshore deserves some credit for getting his man the ball. But Jackson was about as single-handedly dominant as a wideout can be in the Bears’ huge win at Autzen Stadium. The first highlight of his career day (11 catches, 161 yards) was a 25-yard touchdown catch, a post-corner route on which Jackson bamboozled the cornerback and got wide open. He set up Cal’s second touchdown with a nice 31-yard catch along the right sideline and scored from 31 yards on a catch-and-run in the fourth quarter.
Most deflated big game: Red River Shootout
I don’t want to hear about Texas and Oklahoma “looking ahead” to next week’s game. I really don’t. It’s among the dumbest cliches in sports. But dang if this doesn’t take a lot of the juice out of next week’s game in Dallas.
Best legs: Wes Byrum, Auburn; Kevin Eberhart, Colorado
Hard to pick a single winner here. Byrum, a freshman, twice nailed a 43-yard field goal to lift the visiting Tigers to their second straight win against Florida. (Urban Meyer called timeout just before the snap on the first kick.) Eberhart beat the mighty Sooners at home with a career-long 45-yarder as time expired. He also helped beat Colorado State in the Buffs’ season opener with a chip shot to force overtime and a 35-yarder to win it.
Best return game: Kansas State
The Wildcats returned a kickoff, a punt and an interception for touchdowns, putting Texas in a stranglehold and giving Ron Prince cause to stomp around the sideline like an exuberant Godzilla. Longhorns QB Colt McCoy threw 4 interceptions, got soaked by rain and took another beating from K-State. Not a good day for the Pistol.
Dealt another blow by Saturday’s upsets: The validity of early-season rankings
Kansas State’s win at Texas was not a shocking upset. Maryland’s win at Rutgers was not a shocking upset. Auburn’s win at Florida was not a shocking upset. South Florida’s win against West Virginia was not much of an upset at all. They’re all good teams. Maybe we should have waited a few weeks to start deciding the nation’s best teams.
Best hands: Terrell Thomas, USC
Boy, those Huskies just would not die, huh? Tyrone Willingham’s men would have had one of the days’ true upsets if not for Thomas. The junior cornerback forced and recovered a fumble by punt returner Anthony Russo with seven minutes left. Washington would have had possession near midfield, trailing 24-17 and starting to roll. With half a minute left, Thomas was in on the Trojans hands team, catching the onside kick that represented the home team’s last chance.
Flattest quarterback matchup: USF vs. West Virginia
Matt Grothe was great for the Bulls, showing the dual-threat form that made him a two-time Florida high school player of the year. But Mountaineers star Pat White left in the second quarter with a thigh bruise. Steve Slaton might as well have joined him, for all the impact he had.
Saddest interception: Andre’ Woodson, Kentucky
Last week UK’s curiously-apostrophed quarterback broke Trent Dilfer’s major-college record of consecutive passes without an interception, but the streak ended at 325 when Tavious Polo of FAU snagged his national-best seventh interception on a goal-line jump ball. Of course, Woodson more than compensated with a career-high five TD passes as the Cats proved themselves a top-10 team.
Running back you need to know: Keon Lattimore, Maryland
Teammate Lance Ball is a fine back as well, but Lattimore brings the speed and sizzle. He carried a whopping 34 times for 124 yards and a touchdown. The Terps held Scarlet Knights star Ray Rice to 97 yards on 21 carries.
Most deceptive final margin: LSU
Tulane led 9-7 — gotta love holding in the end zone — in the final minute of the first half before the Tigers took the lead back with a field goal. LSU won the second half 24-0, but it’s not invulnerable either.
Worst start: Pitt
Ah, the Dave Wannstedt era: Road team opens with a failed onside kick –> 39-yard Virginia touchdown drive. Three-and-out –> 22-yard Vic Hall punt return –> 51-yard TD drive. Fumbled kickoff –> 26-yard TD drive. Three-and-out –> 45-yard punt return by Hall –> 21-yard TD drive. There was 2:13 left in the first quarter.
Longest wait: Illinois
Before Saturday’s win against fast-fading Penn State, the Illini hadn’t beaten a top-25 team in six years. Watch out, here come the Zooksters! Coaches are already sending their resumes to Champaign, hoping to win the 2011 championship with Zook’s recruits after he gets fired.
Worst team ever: Notre Dame
OK, they’re not really the worst team ever, but seriously, the Irish missed extra points after their first two touchdowns. (Yes, they scored more than two. Yes, that’s progress.) There’s no reason the new crop of ND starters should be this bad.