Saturday Scoreboard: Week 1
By Tucker Harlin
The Week 1 Saturday slate is in the books and per usual, it was a great introduction to the new college football season.
This is a look back at some of the more marquee matchups and big surprises in college football this Saturday, so there’s a good chance your school won’t be on here if it played an FCS team.
#14 CLEMSON 3 vs #1 GEORGIA 34
If you seriously thought Clemson was going to hang around for the entire game like Vegas wanted to tell you it would, you don’t watch enough college football.
All it takes is one Kirby Smart halftime butt chewing to inspire Georgia to come out and blast its opponent in the second half, and I can almost guarantee that’s what happened today.
I’ve been out on Cade Klubnik since the beginning of last season and his 142 pass yards and interception did nothing to change that for me.
You know it’s bad when a Clemson great and longtime pro is calling out the state of affairs.
Clemson has all these playmakers but only 3 points. Something has to change.
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) August 31, 2024
VIRGINIA TECH 27 @ VANDERBILT 34-OT
This one was the biggest surprise of the weekend.
Vanderbilt came out and scored 17 straight points in the opening half but was outscored 27-3 in the stretch between the end of the first half and late in the fourth quarter.
The Commodores tied it in the final two minutes but weren’t able to cash in on a game winning field goal at the end of regulation.
Quarterback Diego Pavia scored the go ahead touchdown in overtime and the Hokies were unable to respond.
The relocation of New Mexico State players and personnel from Las Cruces to West End should put Vandy closer to a bowl than 2-10. However, I don’t think this has as much to do with Vandy being solid than it does Virginia Tech not looking as good.
It’s kind of similar to the Week 1 game between Colorado and TCU in 2023. A team that was miserable in the previous season comes out and knocks off a team expected to contend for a conference title.
One thing’s for sure: if Pat McAfee got his wish, VT would be the first College Football Playoff team to lose to Vandy in its history.
#8 PENN STATE 34 @ WEST VIRGINIA 12
Penn State led this game 20-6 before a pretty lengthy rain delay.
Drew Allar threw three touchdown passes before the delay, and Penn State pounded the football the rest of the way.
The Nittany Lions out rushed West Virginia 222-85, something a team that depends so heavily on its rush attack the way the Mountaineers do simply can’t let happen.
I really thought this one would be close at the very least and could possibly result in a significant upset, but I guess boring James Franklin football still works against every team that isn’t Ohio State or Michigan.
#19 MIAMI 41 @ FLORIDA 17
My expectation for this game was a close game in which one of the two coaches made an awful decision to let the other win.
I wasn’t overly confident in my Florida pick last week but a blowout was the last thing I expected.
Cam Ward threw an interception early in the game, but he really settled in once the second quarter came around.
The Hurricanes led 24-10 at half and by as much as 28 in the fourth quarter, and Ward finished with 385 pass yards and three touchdown passes.
Graham Mertz left the game with a concussion at the end of the third quarter, forcing the Gators to turn to D.J. Lagway in the final frame.
Many Gator fans believe Lagway’s future in Gainesville is a bright one, but it was a too little too late situation for Florida this week.
Anyway, this video is a perfect microcosm for how it went in the swamp.
Jaden Harris INT
— NMD Grant (@NMDgrant) August 31, 2024
First Career INT of DJ LAGWAY pic.twitter.com/vCsQBLlJHD
NOTRE DAME 23 @ TEXAS A&M 13
No surprise the winner of this game only scored in the 20s.
Both Mike Elko and Marcus Freeman are defensive guys to the core, but the offense in this one was hard to watch at times.
Texas A&M went from one of the better producers of quarterbacks in the SEC to a quarterback’s worst nightmare in the last three seasons. Connor Weigman’s 12/29 passing for 100 yards and two interceptions is a great example.
Riley Leonard didn’t exactly light the world on fire either, going 18/30 for 158 yards.
A persistent run game is what powered the Irish in the second half, breaking the 6-6 knot and ultimately securing the win in the fourth quarter.
Texas A&M isn’t going to face defensive juggernauts like Notre Dame for the majority of the season, but on the flip side, it’s going to be very hard for anyone on Notre Dame’s cupcake schedule to beat it later this year.
