Saturday Scoreboard: Week 3
Credit: University of Florida Athletics
By Tucker Harlin
Week 3 of the 2024 college football season certainly shaped out better than it appeared on paper.
No, there weren’t many upsets, but there were several games that wound up more competitive than they were chalked up to be.
This is a look at some of the more important contests and surprises Week 3 treated us to.
#20 ARIZONA 7 @ #14 KANSAS STATE 31
This was a Friday game, but it was just one of two ranked matchups the entire weekend.
The game was competitive for about a half before the Kansas State Wildcats pulled away.
Both teams started off the games with touchdowns on their first possession, and K-State returned a punt for a touchdown to give it a 14-7 lead early.
K-State quarterback Avery Johnson made a big mistake at the end of the half, shuffling back to his right and trying to run on the final play of the half instead of just throwing the ball away for a field goal.
Johnson made up for it with his improvisation in the second half. He finished the day with 156 pass yards and a pair of touchdowns while running for another 110 yards.
Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan hooked up on 11 plays for 138 yards, but the Arizona Wildcats either punted or turned the ball over on downs on every second half possession.
An important win for a Kansas State team that hopes to compete for a Big 12 title for the second time in three years.
#4 ALABAMA 42 @ WISCONSIN 10
As one Alabama beat writer put it, “they jumped around and left.”
The 16-point spread didn’t suggest this one was expected to be close, and Tyler Van Dyke’s injury didn’t help matters for Wisconsin.
Jalen Milroe connected with receivers Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard and tight end Josh Cuevas on long touchdown passes over the course of the game.
The Tide scored on a 40-yard run play from Jam Miller to put the game out of reach early on in the third quarter.
The Badgers offense didn’t impress against Western Michigan or South Dakota in the opening weekends, and that weakness was further exposed by quality opponent in the Crimson Tide.
As for Tyler Van Dyke, he returned to the sideline on crutches after being carted off the field, not a good sign for an already struggling Wisconsin offense.
MEMPHIS 20 @ FLORIDA STATE 12
Poetic is the best word I have to describe the Tigers’ win in Tallahassee.
Look, Memphis has never been a coaching destination but there’s something sweet about beating the guy who left you to ascend in the coaching ladder.
The Tigers set the tone when they jarred the ball loose on the third play of the game, and they led by as much as 17 in the second half.
Among other things, Mike Norvell going for two after the Seminoles’ lone touchdown was puzzling.
They weren’t cutting it to a one possession lead, it would’ve been 20-11 had they converted.
Mix that with settling for a 25-yard field goal and you get a team with an 0-3 team with a serious lack of confidence going forward.
The lightning in the bottle has fizzled out at Florida State and the athletic program is stuck in a pickle it desperately wants to get out of.
#16 LSU 36 @ SOUTH CAROLINA 33
I owe College GameDay an apology, this wound up being one of the best games of the week after I trashed it.
South Carolina put up 17 straight out of the gate.
The defensive line was getting pressure early, both Rocket Sanders and LaNorris Sellers had long rush touchdowns, and we got a taste of Beamer Ball in the first half with a blocked punt.
But the Bayou Bengals didn’t give up.
Caden Durham, a freshman running back getting more run due to John Emery’s injury, made his mark on this game with 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground to keep the Tigers in it through three quarters.
The Tigers briefly held a lead to start the third quarter, but the longest of Sanders’ two rush touchdowns quickly changed the lead.
LSU wouldn’t break the plane again until Josh Williams ran it in with just over a minute to go, taking a 36-33 lead.
Sellers had left earlier in the game with an injury, so Auburn transfer Robby Ashford had to lead the way on the final possession.
The Gamecocks had driven the ball to the LSU 32 with 18 seconds to go but were unable to advance the ball the next plays, so they had to settle for a long field goal and overtime.
But Beamer Ball didn’t Beamer Ball this time around.
Alex Herrera’s 49-yard kick drifted left of the upright, and South Carolina’s upset bid fell short.
While it’s not as pretty as LSU was hoping for, it’s always important to come away with road wins in the SEC.
#24 BOSTON COLLEGE 21 @ #6 MISSOURI 27
The -17 spread for Mizzou was suspiciously large.
The Eagles came out and worked their magic on the opening drive, chewing off half the quarter and ending it with a 12-yard touchdown pass.
Thomas Castellanos did his best Chad Kelly two possessions later, bobbling the snap and finding Reed Harris for 67-yard touchdown pass to give the Eagles a 14-3 lead.
But the Tigers were about to go on a run.
Castellanos threw a pick his next time out, setting up a Brady Cook pass touchdown to Luther Burden. The two connected six time for 117 yards and that touchdown.
The Tigers made a long field goal to take a halftime lead, and Cook finished the opening drive of the second half with a rush touchdown.
Castellanos was picked off again in his own territory, but the Tigers only got a field goal out of it.
The Eagles scored a late touchdown but weren’t able to stop Mizzou and get the ball back.
Boston College doesn’t see a bunch that’s at Mizzou’s caliber the rest of the season, so that’s an encouraging thought.
Mizzou obviously wanted a better start, but games where you don’t start your best and come out on top are beneficial ahead of an SEC slate.
#9 OREGON 49 @ OREGON STATE 14
The rivalry formerly known as the “Civil War” appears to have lost a lot of its luster following the dissolution of the old Pac-12.
The Ducks held a 22-7 lead late in the first half, but Beavers running back Anthony Hankerson scored in the final seconds to keep it at a one score game.
But any hopes of a competitive game were dashed by Oregon in the second half as it scored 27 unanswered points.
Dillon Gabriel finished the day 20/24 for 291 yards and a pair of touchdowns while running for another 54-yard touchdown.
This was not just a win over a rival for the Ducks but their first win that suggests they look the part of a College Football Playoff team.
WASHINGTON STATE 24 @ WASHINGTON 19
The 2024 Apple Cup defied all trends of the rivalry’s recent history.
Washington State quarterback John Mateer rushed for a pair of touchdowns in the first half, giving the Cougars a 17-13 halftime lead.
Washington kicked a field goal to open the second half, but the Cougars answered with a touchdown pass to Josh Meredith.
The Huskies made another field goal, but the defenses duked it out from about the six minute mark to the Huskies’ final drive of the game.
Washington found itself in a goal to go situation, and Will Rogers connected with Denzel Boston to set up a 4th and goal at the 1. The Cougars stuffed Jonah Coleman on 4th and goal to leave Seattle victorious.
Of the Pac-2 schools, Washington State has come out the strongest.
Washington’s in a big rebuild of its own, but it at least found its way into a power conference during the Pac-12’s leadership collapse.
WEST VIRGINIA 34 @ PITTSBURGH 38
The old Backyard Brawl was a heartbreaking ending for West Virginia and a second consecutive dramatic comeback win for Pittsburgh.
The Mountaineers led 34-24 with just under five minutes to play.
Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein unloaded on 2nd and 30 and found Daejon Reynolds draped in the end zone for a score, cutting the deficit to three.
West Virginia was pushed backwards for seven yards on its next possession and had no better option than to punt.
Holstein found a couple of targets and used his legs to get the Panthers into a goal to go situation. Running back Derrick Davis scored the go ahead touchdown from a yard out with just over 30 seconds to play.
The Panthers sit at 3-0 ahead of ACC play with another non conference game against Youngstown State next week.
Looking at the road ahead for Pitt, I could easily see it winning six games before reaching the meat of its ACC schedule the way Holstein’s spinning the ball.
TEXAS A&M 33 @ FLORIDA 20
This one became ugly fast for Florida.
Texas A&M scored 10 before a weather delay and another 10 before the end of the half.
The Gators scored on an Elijhah Badger reception to start the second half, but Marcel Reed answered with a 73-yard touchdown pass on the very next possession.
A few possessions later, Graham Mertz had his pass deflected into the breadbasket of Aggies defensive back Bryce Anderson, who proceeded to return the pick for a 45-yard touchdown.
It was yet another home game where the Gators had to score late touchdowns to make the result look less ugly than it actually was.
As for Texas A&M, this win was an important one for the future of the program.
The first SEC win of the season snapped a prolonged losing streak on the road that dates back to 2021. Additionally, moving on from Conner Weigman to Marcel Reed at quarterback could quicken the pace of the Aggies’ rebuild.
#1 GEORGIA 13 @ KENTUCKY 12
The average fan is shocked by this result, but recent trends suggest otherwise.
In each of Kirby Smart and Georgia’s last three trips to Lexington (which have all been wins), the most the Bulldogs have scored there is 16.
Kentucky kicked a 32-yard field goal to take a 6-3 lead at half, and it hit a 40-yarder to extend the lead to six early in the third quarter.
Georgia cut its deficit to three later on in the third quarter, and running back Branson Robinson scored the lone touchdown of the game to put it up 13-9 early in the fourth.
The Wildcats kicked yet another field goal to cut its deficit to one point and forced another Georgia punt, opening the opportunity to take a lead.
Kentucky had crossed midfield but was hit with a false start penalty on a 4th and 8 at the Georgia 47, backing it up to its own 48.
Mark Stoops elected to punt on 4th and 13 as opposed to playing with house money and trying to pick up the first down.
Sure you aren’t set up well to convert against that defense, but if you’re Mark Stoops, you won’t have a better opportunity to take down the Bulldogs than what you had in that moment.
Long story short, don’t take this game and act like Georgia is overrated and Kentucky is better than you thought.
We’ve known who they are, but you’re guaranteed at least one odd week a year.
