Rivalry Saturday

Notes from today's football games. For the record I'm wearing a GT blue t-shirt. Tech has won the last two games in Athens. Both times they wore gold helmets, white jerseys, and white pants. That's what they're wearing today. Smart choice.

UGA methodically drives the field for touchdowns on their first two possessions. Ridley catches a short pass over the middle for the first score, then Swift powers in for the second. 14-0.

On Tech's first possession CPJ was going to go for it on fourth down, but after the third down play the UGA defender pulls GT QB TaQuon Marshall's helmet off. Marshall has to sit out a play, then the Jackets jump offside on fourth down. Pressley Harbin punt fair caught on the 12 yard line. 

Buckeyes strike first, scoring on a touchdown pass.

GT returns kickoff for TD. I might've been the only one to see the uncalled clipping penalty. Was pulling for Rodrigo to make the tackle. 14-7.

Another UGA drive. Fromm TD pass, his second of the day. 21-7.

UGA hitting harder after the obvious targeting penalty was overturned. The backup Tech linebacker celebrates. Dawgs stop jackets on fourth down, then Fromm spots Hardiman in man to man, covered by a slow linebacker. 28-7.

1:11 pm: Buckeyes go up 14-6.

Down 28-7 GT punts. Good return by Mecole Hardiman. Freshman Cook slices through the defense for twelve. Another UGA lineman goes down. Swift for ten. Holyfield 11 yard TD run. 35-7 with 5:00 remaining in the half. Five TD's scored by five different players. UGA has outgained Tech 303 to 43. Fromm 9-10 for 144 yards.

Marshall sacked on 4th & 5, giving UGA good field position with 48 ticks remaining in the half. Rodrigo splits the uprights to end the half. 38-7. Peter Burns: "My Thanksgiving turkey put up a better fight than Tech in the first half."

Syracuse 28 BC 14
Buckeyes 21 Michigan 7 (1:35 pm)
Buckeyes 24 Michigan 19 (1:55 pm)

Second half: Jackets forced to punt, a rugby 29 yarder. Fromm starts the third quarter. Where is Justin Fields? Dawgs drive. Fields run. Fromm to Ridley for the touch. 45-7.

Jackets convert on 4th & short. Twice in a row. But not a third. Fields takes over with a minute remaining in the third quarter. On third & five, Fields overthrows Hardeman, and UGA has to punt for the first time since the Auburn game.

Florida extends their lead over FSU 27-7. The loss ends the Noles' long streak of bowl games. NC State 21-13 over UNC. Wake Forest 38-7 over Duke.

Fields barely converts on fourth down. Cook fumbles. Tech drives. Searcy scores. 45-14 with 7:30 remaining.

Buckeyes 34-19 over Michigan (2:50 pm).

Fields finally strings together several first downs on his third possession, mostly thanks to the talented Mr. Cook. Fields unwisely catches his own deflected pass, losing more yards. Rodrigo's 48 yard try hits halfway up the upright. He's 19-22 for the year.

34-14 Florida.

TaQuon passes the Jackets downfield as the clock ticks down, hitting senior Brad Stewart for the touchdown with 39 seconds remaining. 45-21 will be the final score. 

After the game I went out to hang Christmas lights CVS, Bojangles, and Pizza Hut. Thin crust beef and onion for me.

Georgia Southern 35 Georgia State14

Ohio State 62 Michigan 39. Puts Haskins back in the Heisman race, but how could the #10 Buckeyes jump six teams to make the playoff - especially after failing to show up against Purdue and Maryland? Doesn't change anything for the Dawgs - they still have to beat Bama to advance. 

With the state championship on the line, Clemson wears their orange championship pants. Gamecocks take the kickoff and march down the field for a touchdown. It's the first time Clemson has allowed an opponent to score a TD all season. 7-0.

Clemson answers with two TD drives, the second a 95 yarder. 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Kentucky 21 Louisville 7 - no surprise.
Florida 41 FSU 14
Syracuse 42 BC 21
NC State 34 UNC 28
Wake Forest 59 Duke 7
 
SC drives. A first & goal after a pass interference penalty, but the Tigers hold. Bentley throw incompletions on third and fourth down. Clemson drives 97 yards to go up 21-7, but SC answers with a 67 yard catch and run on third down: 21-14.

USC draws first blood: 7-0 (8:20 pm).
Kentucky 28 Louisville 10
Miami 24 Pitt 3

More scoring: Clemson drives for another TD, punctuated by a long run by QB Trevor Lawrence (need to compare his rushing stats to those of Kelly Bryant last year). But SC throws another long TD pass - 75 yards. 28-21.

Clemson has to punt for the first time, with two minutes remaining in the first half. Dabo wearing an orange cap with an old school block C. Would be fun to be a coach and wear a different cap almost every game: white, ordange purple, visor, cap, tiger paw, block C, baseball's round C. 

SC drives close to midfield, but Bentley throws an interception. Lawrence immediately throws a TD pass, but Rogers is called for pushing off. Griese calls it a "ticky tack" call. Completion to Renfrow but two straight incompletions: one out of bounds and another a shade too low. The field goal was wide right. 28-21 at the half, the most point Clemson has allowed all year. 

Kentucky 35 Louisville 10
Vanderbilt 38 Tennessee 13 
Minnesota 37 Wisconsin 15. Badgers a preseason playoff pick. And zero talk about Penn State today. 

USC 10 Notre Dame 7

Griese on Hunter Renfrow: "one of the best players in college football." Tigers take the second half kickoff and drive for five minutes. TD makes it 35-21.

SC has to punt. Another TD drive for Clemson. 42-21 with 7 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Has SC given up on defense?

ESPN's Todd McShay: Clemson almost as good as Bama. Cocks drive. First and goal, but Tigers hold again (9:50 pm).

LSU & A&M tied at 17 (at 9:50) but ten minutes later A&M answers: 24-17.

Fourth quarter in Clemson. Tigers drive. The fog rolls in off the lake. Streeter caps the 98 yard drive with a TD run: 49-21.

SC drives the field against Clemson's backups, scoring on a fourth down TD pass. 49-28. Most points Clemson has given up all year.

Notre Dame 14 USC 10 at 10:15 pm.
#8 Washington State lost last night to Washington, 28-15.

Clemson fumbles, and SC converts, making it a two score game with 3:37 remaining. 49-35.

LSU returns a fumble to tie the score at 24.

Clemson drives the field as the clock runs down. Inside a minute remaining on fourth down Lawrence passes to Renfrow for a first and goal at the nine yard line. All Clemson has to do is take a knee to run out the clock, but Lawrence takes the snap from the shotgun, and hands to Entiene, who powered across to make the score 56-35.

Wild ending: SC tries to mount one last drive, but with the chains not set from a long gain, SC receiver makes another first down but fails to get out of bounds. Officials don't stop the clock and the game ends before Bentley can go for the end zone.