Saturday Scoreboard: Week 5

Written By Tucker Harlin

Credit: University of Alabama Athletics

By Tucker Harlin

September of the 2024 college football season went out with a bang.

The final slate of the month appeared to have one incredible game and several that could develop into close contests.

The slate did just that. From close conference battles to controversial replays to wild upsets, the last weekend of September delivered.

This is the leaner cut of a wild weekend of college football

VIRGINIA TECH 34 @ #7 MIAMI 38

I realize this is the third week in a row in which I’ve included a Friday game, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a more controversial ending the rest of the season.

Officials initially ruled this play a touchdown on the field but reversed it following a lengthy review. Keep in mind officials are supposed to adhere to the call on the field if they cannot locate conclusive evidence via replay.

Looking past the call, Virginia Tech forced itself into a tight game when it had no business doing so.

The Hokies picked off Cam Ward on this play and set up their offense in prime territory on this play:

The Hurricanes defense held its own and forced Virginia Tech to bring out the field goal team. Hokies kicker John Love had already made two from beyond 50 yards, so this chipshot wouldn’t have been a challenge to give the Hokies a 30-17 lead.

But they faked it and disaster struck.

Despite turning the ball over three times, Cam Ward had a chance to set it right for Miami in the final quarter.

Andre Ware said it best on the broadcast: Ward is never in a hurry, he’s always finding ways to slow the game down to his speed, something that creates a difficult challenge for his opponents.

Check out this play on the Hurricanes’ go ahead scoring drive late in the fourth quarter:

This was an important win not only for Miami but the ACC as a whole. Chaos creation is fun for fans, but the ACC desperately needs one school to stand out from the pack.

KENTUCKY 20 @ #6 OLE MISS 17

If you’re reading this you have a potential fraud call incoming from Oxford, MS.

I asked before the weekend if Kentucky could pose the first true test to Ole Miss in 2024, and much to my surprise, the answer was yes.

The Rebels quickly marched down and scored on their opening drive, but they fell asleep on offense the next two quarters. Brock Vandagriff connected with Dane Key for five yards to the back of the end zone to put the Wildcats up a field goal at the break.

Both sides traded field goals before Jaxson Dart connected with Tre Harris on a 48-yard strike to end the third quarter.

There was another long offensive stalemate until Kentucky got the ball back with just under five minutes to play. The Wildcats were cornered into a 4th and 7 on their 20. Vandagriff launched a prayer over the shoulder and into the breadbasket of receiver Barion Brown for 63 yards, Kentucky’s longest play of the season.

Two plays later, backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt came in for a designed run. Wimsatt lost the ball in midair but it was caught by tight end Josh Kattus as he fell into the end zone.

Now trailing 20-17 with just over two minutes remaining, Ole Miss was in desperate need of a field goal. Dart chucked up a prayer on 4th and 11 from his 24 that tight end Caden Prieskorn high pointed at the Kentucky 42.

The only favors the Wildcats gave the Rebels in the next series were an offsides penalty and a two-yard pass to running back Henry Parrish.

Unwilling to risk a failed fourth down conversion, Lane Kiffin trotted out kicker Caden Davis. Davis hooked the 48-yard attempt wide left.

This was the Wildcats’ first win over the Rebels since 2011 and first in Oxford since 1978. It’s their first Top 10 win since the 1977 win over Penn State.

For Ole Miss, it’s a harsh reality check and a damper on one of the most anticipated seasons in program history.

#20 OKLAHOMA STATE 20 @ #23 KANSAS STATE 42

This was supposed to play out as a get right game and a must win for a Big 12 title contender.

Oklahoma State fired a shot early at the Wildcats. De’Zhaun Stribling put on the burners on this 77-yard flea flicker touchdown.

The big reason Kansas State won was because it dominated the middle eight against the Pokes.

Oklahoma State lost a fumble late in the second quarter, and K-State quarterback Avery Johnson made it pay with this deep touchdown pass to receiver Jayce Brown.

The Wildcats forced a punt coming out of the locker room, and running back D.J. Giddens scored from 66 yards out to put them up 15.

Oklahoma State quarterback Alan Bowman was picked off on two occasions later in the half, both of which were results of athletic plays by Kansas State defensive backs.

With a pair of head to head losses against Big 12 title hopefuls Utah and Kansas State, any shot at a college football playoff appears dashed for Mike Gundy’s bunch.

#15 LOUISVILLE 24 @ #16 NOTRE DAME 31

Self-inflicted wounds put Louisville down and kept it down through the duration of its loss at Notre Dame.

Both teams scored on their opening possession, but quarterback Tyler Shough lost the football on a 46-yard run. The Irish capitalized with four-play touchdown drive.

Notre Dame forced a punt on the next possession, but a high snap set up its next possession at the Louisville 4. The Irish took a 21-7 lead.

Louisville would intercept Riley Leonard and score a touchdown of its own later in the first half, but Notre Dame did enough to keep a steady lead over the course of the game.

It was an important for Notre Dame to add another Top 25 win to its résumé, but the offense is still suspect through September. For Louisville, the loss stings, but it readies it for competition such as Miami and Clemson in ACC play.

#21 OKLAHOMA 27 @ AUBURN 21

Believe it or not, Auburn led this game 21-10 at one point.

Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr broke free for a long rush touchdown early in the game, but the Tigers were able to weather the storm for about the next three quarters. When tight end Luke Deal made a difficult catch in the end zone early in the fourth quarter, everything appeared as if it was in Auburn’s control.

The Sooners very quickly answered the call as Hawkins connected with J.J. Hester on a deep pass to set up a Jovantae Barnes rush touchdown.

Auburn needed to do one thing and one thing only down the stretch: keep the ball on the ground. Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne threw the ball straight to Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis, who promptly returned it 63 yards to the end zone.

The Sooners defense attacked Auburn on its remaining possessions, powering them to their first win as an SEC member.

Turnovers are the Achilles heel of the 2024 Auburn Tigers. The worst part about this game for the Tigers was the fact there was only one turnover and it happened to be a pick six to essentially kill all momentum.

ARKANSAS 17 vs #24 TEXAS A&M 21

Another Southwest Classic, another one score win for Texas A&M. That makes seven of 13 Southwest Classics one score wins for the Aggies since they joined the conference.

The Hogs came firing out of the gate. Quarterback Taylen Green uncorked this beautiful rainbow of a touchdown pass to receiver Isaac TeSlaa on 3rd and 10 from the Arkansas 25.

The Aggies didn’t answer right away, but Marcel Reed connected with receiver Noah Thomas on this 70-yard touchdown play to tie it up.

The Razorbacks responded quickly. They ran this fake punt, which led to an 8-yard rush touchdown by Ja’Quinden Jackson.

However, mistakes were about pile up for Arkansas, particularly Green.

Green and Jackson botched an exchange deep in their own territory, something Reed made them pay for with a rush touchdown. Green threw a pick late in the second quarter on a play in which he didn’t locate the safety.

Neither side scored again until Arkansas made a field goal. The Aggies struck back on a methodical, run-heavy drive that ended in Reed’s second pass touchdown of the day.

Down 21-17, the Hogs had one last chance to score in the final quarter. On 1st and 10 from his own 28, Green couldn’t feel the pressure coming from Nic Scourton on this play and fumbled the game away as a result.

#19 ILLINOIS 7 @ #9 PENN STATE 21

Not even two of the highest ranked Big 10 teams were immune to a stereotypical low scoring Big 10 battle.

There’s nothing that screams “Big 10” like the 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took over five minutes off the clock to start the game for the Illini. The Nittany Lions tied it up with a drive that lasted eight plays and just over four minutes.

Three punts and two missed field goals later, the Nittany Lions took over six minutes off the clock to score their second touchdown of the game at the beginning of the second half.

Illinois was near midfield in the middle of the fourth quarter in a 4th and 6 situation. The Nittany Lions picked off Luke Altmeyer’s pass and scored one final touchdown on an eight play drive that lasted just under four minutes.

Not a surprising result whatsoever. If you were watching this game instead of next one on the Week 5 scoreboard, what were you thinking?

#4 GEORGIA 34 @ #2 ALABAMA 41

This rare regular season matchup between the Dawgs and Tide was projecting as the game of the year, and it definitely played out like the game of the year.

However, it didn’t start like the game of the year. Alabama was moving the ball at will despite minor setbacks from penalties, and Carson Beck looked completely lost at points in the first half as he finished it with two interceptions. The Tide held a 30-7 lead at half and led by as much as 28 in the half.

But Kirby Smart’s bunch wasn’t going down without a fight.

Two possessions into the third quarter, the Bulldogs put together a 15-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to cut their deficit to 15.

Alabama scored a field goal on its next possession, a field goal that was set up largely by this absurd catch from freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams.

Georgia lost a fumble on its next possession, but that didn’t stop it from scoring two more touchdowns to make it a one score game.

The Tide had to punt after the following series, and the Bulldogs found the end zone in just one play with Beck’s strike to Dillon Bell.

The Bulldogs now held a 34-33 lead. All momentum appeared lost for the Tide as tears rolled down the cheeks of Alabama fans as the lead they held in the first half had evaporated in thin air.

But everything was about to change.

On the first play of a do or die possession for Alabama, Jalen Milroe found Ryan Williams. I’ll let you watch the rest:

Georgia now trailed by a score with just over two minutes to play.

The Bulldogs found their way to the Alabama 20 with 43 seconds to go. On 1st and 10, Beck opted to take a shot for the back left corner of the end zone.

It cost Georgia dearly as Zabien Brown picked Beck off to secure the win.

With the win, Alabama now sits atop the college football universe as the #1 team in the AP Poll.

ARIZONA 23 @ #10 UTAH 10

The marquee matchup of the day may have already concluded, but the weekend had one more surprise at the ready.

Arizona and Utah split a pair of field goals at the start of the game, but Arizona was first to find the end zone on a three-yard Noah Fifita touchdown pass to Jeremiah Patterson.

The Wildcats took the 10-3 lead into the half. They started the second half with a made field goal on the second possession, and they picked off Isaac Wilson to set up another field goal and took a 16-3 lead.

Utah picked Fifita off a few series later and capitalized with a touchdown drive of their own.

But Fifita responded accordingly. Eight plays into the ensuing possession, Fifita found receiver Keyan Burnett for this 35-yard score in the back of the end zone.

The race for the Big 12 title has suddenly become very fascinating as most of the perceived contenders have cannibalized one another. BYU, a 5-7 team from 2023, is now the highest ranked team in the conference at #17.

Tucker Harlin
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