(This is a weekly article on Student Union Sports covering the most ridiculous stat lines of the week)
This week was certainly not a good week to be going into your game undefeated. Four teams who came in with an unblemished record left the game wondering what the hell happened. While Boise State, Nebraska and West Virginia at least lost in pretty tough games, Baylor lost to a Texas team that has been less than stellar so far this season. Texas pulled of the win by a big performance from RB Terrance Williams (250 yards, 2TDs), and while he did not win my offensive stat line of the week, he does deserve some props for the game he had. Sometimes it really can just take one big performance from any player to help pull off the upset. Those are the kind of stats that make us love watching college football, and this is the place to marvel in their greatness. Here are your top performers for week 9:
Offense: QB Nick Fitzgerald, Mississippi State
Stats: 20-35, 417 yards, 5 TDs, 2 INT, 19 rushes, 119 yards, 2 TDs
Oh man, did Mississippi State need this game. Coming in against Samford sporting a 2-5 record is not the place Bulldog fans wanted to see themselves at. Nick Fitzgerald was on a mission to make sure they came out with the win. While his defense didn’t give him much help, Fitzgerald did more than enough to win throwing and running the ball. Good for them to get some momentum, as the rest of their schedule won’t be so easy: they face #7 Texas A&M, #1 Alabama, and finish up with Arkansas and Ole Miss to close out the season. At this point, MSU fans can plan their winter trips because a bowl game is not looking likely, even if Fitzgerald keeps up this level of play.
Defense: DT Jarron Jones, Notre Dame
Stats: 7 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 pass defended
I won’t lie, there were plenty of defensive players who had better games than Jarron Jones. However, Jones had the most impressive stat I saw; 6 tackles for loss in a single game (for those wondering, the NCAA record is 8). To be able to consistently break through the Miami offensive line and finishing the plays in the backfield amount to a very impressive showing from Jones. Notre Dame was able to win the game and avoid more disappointment for another week after a whole seasons worth in the first handful of games. I mean, who saw Notre Dame sitting at 3-5 with losses to NC State, Duke, and Stanford (and a not so good Michigan State team). At least Jones can be happy with the stats he put up with week.
Special Teams: K Joey Slye, Virginia Tech
Stats: 6/6 field goals, 2/2 extra points
Slye had to be spot on in order for Virginia Tech to win this game and he did exactly that. He nailed all six of his field goal attempts (albeit none were longer than 37 yards) in the Hokies 3 point win over Pittsburgh. One miss would have likely changed the result of the game. He was also just one more field goal off the record for a single game in NCAA history (7), held by Dale Klein in 1985. Virginia Tech can be happy with that win and happy with their season as a whole, as they are ranked and have a favorable schedule while still sporting a 6-2 record.
Join me right back here next week for another edition of On The Ball: Video Game Stats!