College FB '13 Dread News - Week 10

As South Florida fans watched the Bulls' offense look better than it has all season in their ESPN Thursday night game at Houston, I know what their reaction was: Where did all this come from? And while watching freshman QB Mike White throw the ball much more accurately than the other three quarterbacks who have played for the Bulls this season, no doubt they were thinking: Why has this guy been on the bench all year? In the Bulls' first 7 games their feeble passing attack averaged 10.6 completions and 132 yards. Making his first start, White passed for 311 yards on 26 completions. And if not for a questionable offensive pass interference penalty that nullified a 27-yard TD that would have given the Bulls the lead with 4 minutes to play, he might have led USF to the upset. But instead Houston held on for a 35-23 victory in a game that featured a lot of players with dreads.

That feeble offense is the main reason I for the most part have avoided watching South Florida this season, even though this is a team loaded with a lot of great dreads. Arguably the sickest of those dreads belong to junior WR Chris Dunkley, who made more of an impact in this game on special teams than on offense.

Dunkley (blurry photo above), who if things had gone according to plan would be playing at Florida instead of South Florida, finished with a game high 171 all purpose yards, including a 41-yard punt return that set up the Bulls' first 3 points of the night. With starting RB Marcus Shaw back from injury after missing the previous two games, reserve RBs Willie Davis and Darius Tice were back to being reserves. Davis rushed for 22 yards on 6 carries, while Tice ran 5 times for 13 yards. On defense, sick senior CBs Brandon Salinas and Fidel Montgomery both finished with 1 tackle (1-0). Montgomery also had 1 FR. With the Houston offense mostly in a 3 or 4-WR set, freshman CB Johnny Ward had a busy night, finishing with 7 tackles (4-3), 1 TFL, 1 PBU, and 1 FR - and also 1 face mask penalty (photo below) and 1 missed tackle on one of Houston's touchdowns.

The three players responsible for making Houston one of the leaders in TD by players with dreads this season all were heard from. Sophomore WR Deontay Greenberry picked up right where he left off after his big game in Week 9 with a 49-yard reception on the Cougars' first play from scrimmage. He later had a 48-yard TD reception that put UH ahead 28-13 in the 3rd quarter. Senior WR Xavier Maxwell scored the Cougars' 1st TD on a 6-yard reception two plays after Greenberry's 49-yard gain. And sophomore RB Ryan Jackson, who gained 88 total yards, also scored a TD and might have had 2 had he not fumbled at the 4-yard line at the end of a 36-yard run early in the 3rd. On defense freshman LB Steven Taylor had 9 tackles (4-5), including a big sack in the 4th (photo below) with the Cougars clinging to a 28-23 lead; and sick sophomore S Trevon Stewart had 10 tackles (3-7) and an INT on 4th down that iced the victory with 1:03 remaining.

For the game Houston had a slight edge in total yards 388-364, even though USF held a big advantage in time of possession (38:37-21:23). The Bulls hurt themselves with a whopping 19 penalties for 170 yards. The loss drops USF to 2-2 and out of the race in the AAC. And at 2-6 overall, their bowl hopes are on life support. Houston improves to 4-0 in the American (7-1 overall), but their next 2 games are at UCF and at Louisville (good luck with that).
.
Sometimes when you win, you thoroughly whip and thrash your opponent, dominating them from start to finish. And other times you win the way South Carolina did in Week 9. Coach Spurrier, still in disbelief moments after Missouri clanked a chip shot FG attempt off the left upright in the 2nd overtime, giving the Gamecocks a 27-24 victory, said, "The good Lord was smiling on the Gamecocks," into an ESPN microphone. He must have been, Coach, because very rarely does a team win when they trail 17-0 in the 4th quarter. Time after time throughout that 4th quarter and in overtime all Missouri needed to do was to make one play. But time after time they failed to do so, and as a result their dream of an undefeated season came to an end.

The SEC schedule maker certainly hasn't been smiling on the Gamecocks. During mid-October of last year South Carolina had to face LSU and Florida (both ranked in the top 10) on the road on consecutive Saturdays. This season the Gamecocks' big test came with three consecutive road games against conference opponents. Now I don't care how good or bad the opponents are, you should never ever in any conference have to play three conference road games back-to-back-to-back. With their SEC title hopes fading after a loss to Tennessee in the second of those 3 games, the Gamecocks somehow stayed alive, improving to 4-2 in the SEC East while dropping Missouri to 3-1.

South Carolina finished with a 498-404 advantage in total yards. Not a single one of the 902 combined yards was gained by anybody with dreads. That's nothing new for Missouri, where dreads have been sparse over the years. But it's certainly unusual for the Gamecocks. Not just this game, but this whole season so far nobody with dreads has touched the ball on offense for South Carolina. You have to go all the way back to 2004 - the year before Sidney Rice's first season in a Carolina uniform - to find the last time that has happened. Players who might have extended the streak this year - like WR Shamier Jeffery, TE Drew Owens, and WR Nick Jones - have all cut off the dreads they once were growing, leaving the Gamecocks to join (in shame) Missouri and Vanderbilt as the only dreads-free offenses in the SEC in 2013.

At least the Gamecocks still have dreads on defense. Five of the 11 starters for this game have dreads. It was great to see junior S Kadetrix Marcus without his dreads reduced (for the first time this season, I think), even though he finished with 0 tackles. Junior DE Jadeveon Clowney had 5 tackles (4-1) (one of them in photo above), 1 TFL, and 1 PBU. Junior LB Sharrod Golightly had 4 tackles (3-1), including 1 key TFL in the 4th quarter, and 1 PBU. Junior CB Victor Hampton had 5 tackles (4-1) and 2 PBU. That's Victor in the photo below lamenting that his PBU in the end zone on 3rd and 3 was not an INT. Missouri kicked a FG on the next play to go up 17-0 midway through the 3rd quarter. Next to Hampton in the photo you can almost see the dreads of sophomore LB Kaiwan Lewis, who finished with 1 tackle (1-0) and got his 1st career INT.

The game announcers a couple of times mentioned that Missouri junior DE Markus Golden (photo below) was having a good game. He finished with 8 tackles (5-3), 1 TFL, and 1 FR; but that wasn't enough for me to include him on the dread stars list. After taking their 17-0 lead, a bunch of key plays all went against the Tigers. South Carolina's 1st TD drive included a conversion on 3rd and 19. The Tigers missed a FG on their next drive that would have made it 20-7. The Gamecocks got a FG with 5:03 to go and then a 2-yard TD catch by Jones to tie it with :42 remaining. Then after Missouri scored a TD in the 1st overtime, the Gamecocks tied it up on a 15-yard TD catch by WR Bruce Ellington on 4th and goal. Finally, after Carolina took their first lead 27-24 in the 2nd OT, the Tigers missed another FG - from only 24 yards away - to seal their fate. With all of that happening, no wonder Spurrier could hardly believe it.

.
As you probably noticed, I did not do a report last week (please accept my apology). But if I had done one, I would have ended it this way: nobody's come close to beating Florida State; will it be any different with Miami? ......
The answer, of course, was an emphatic NO. After leading by only 7 at halftime, the Seminoles went on TD drives of 83 and 79 yards to start the 2nd half and went on to rout the Hurricanes 41-14 at Tallahassee in the first of what likely will be two meetings between the rivals this season. FSU had a huge 517-275 advantage in total yards, with both teams turning the ball over twice.

This was the 7th straight year the FSU-Miami game has had at least one TD scored by a player with dreads, and it did not take long to extend the streak. Junior RB (and Miami native) Devonta Freeman scored on a 5-yard run (photo above) only 5:44 after the opening kickoff to cap the 'Noles game-opening 13-play, 72-yard drive. Freeman would score 2 more touchdowns - on a 48-yard catch and run (photo below) in the 2nd quarter and a 12-yard run in the 3rd - to earn a spot on this week's dread stars list.

Sophomore WR Kelvin Benjamin (photo below) finished with 2 catches for 46 yards. Sophomore LB Terrance Smith led FSU with 10 tackles (6-4), including a half TFL. 2 of sophomore DE Mario Edwards' 4 tackles (3-1) were TFL, including 1 sack. Sophomore CB Ronald Darby finished with 1 tackle (1-0).

Reserve DT Luther Robinson had 3 tackles (1-2) for the 'Canes. Sophomore RB Dallas Crawford (photo below) gained 19 total yards on 5 touches but figures to be touching the ball a lot more in the weeks ahead after starting RB Duke Johnson suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the 4th quarter. The loss drops Miami to 7-1, but the 'Canes still lead the ACC Coastal Division. If they can take care of business the rest of November, they'll get another crack at FSU in the ACC title game.

.
Leading 17-7 at the half at FAU, Tulane was looking good to go to 5-0 in CUSA. But then their offense suddenly turned into a bakery, producing lots of turnovers. An astounding 4 consecutive passes thrown by Tulane - in a span of 8 plays - were intercepted by the FAU D, and the Owls roared back for a 34-17 victory on homecoming. You can blame sick sophomore QB Devin Powell for only one of the INTs. He came in after starter Nick Montana threw the first pick at the 6:19 mark of the 3rd quarter but was back on the bench after his INT at 3:42 led to a 30-yard TD catch by junior WR William Dukes (photo below) two plays later, tying the game at 17.  

The Owls cashed in the last of the 4 INT when senior RB Damian Fortner scored his 1st TD of the season on a 24-yard run, making it 27-17 with 12:06 remaining in the game. Fortner finished with a season high 39 yards rushing on 11 carries. Dukes finished with 3 catches for 68 yards. Powell went 4 for 9 for 34 yards and was sacked twice. Sophomore S Darion Monroe had a game high and career high-tying 13 tackles (5-8) for the Green Wave. I was unable to save some of the best photos from this game; but please click on the link below. The game story from the FAU University Press includes a photo gallery with several shots of sick dreads (including a better look at Dukes' TD).
http://www.upressonline.com/2013/11/fau-trumps-tulane-in-34-17-homecoming-game-win/
With Rice also losing, Tulane is now in a 3-way tie for 1st place in CUSA West. FAU, despite a 3-6 record, still is very much alive in the bowl picture. 
.
ELSEWHERE

Senior DT Ken Bishop led Northern Illinois with a career high 9 tackles (2-7), including 1.5 TFL, and got his 1st career INT, returning it 14 yards to the 6-yard line (photo on left) to set up a TD - earning MAC West defensive player of the week honors - as the Huskies improved to 9-0 with a 63-19 road win over Massachusetts ..... Senior WR Devon Smith had a game high 131 all purpose yards, including a 58-yard catch and 55-yard punt return in the 1st quarter, as Marshall took a 28-0 lead and went on to defeat Southern Mississippi 61-13 ..... Senior RB Colby Goodwyn rushed for 76 yards and his 8th TD of the season, becoming ODU's all-time career rushing leader (1,489 yards and counting) and had 5 catches for 26 yards in a 66-14 home win over Rhode Island ..... Senior RB Vintavious Cooper gained 61 total yards and scored 2 TD, and senior LB Derrell Johnson had 7 tackles (5-2), 1 sack, and 2 PBU as East Carolina became bowl eligible (6-2) with a 34-13 win at FIU .....Senior S Aaron Matthews had a game high 13 tackles (9-4), and junior LB Michael Orakpo added 11 tackles (9-2) as Texas State became bowl eligible (6-3) with a 37-21 win at Idaho ..... Senior S Tre Boston had 10 tackles (4-6) and 3 PBU for North Carolina as the Tar Heels won at North Carolina State for the first time since 2005, 27-19 ..... Junior CB Jonathan McKnight had 5 tackles (5-0) and got his 1st INT of the season to set up a short TD drive in the 3rd quarter for Arizona as the Wildcats won at California for the first time in 11 years, 33-28 ..... And junior S Josh Shaw led USC with 8 tackles (7-1) and had 1 PBU and his 3rd INT of the season; while sophomore CB Kevon Seymour had 6 tackles (5-1), 1 PBU, and his 1st career INT as the Trojans won at Oregon State 31-14.
.
IN THE FCS

Not doing a report in Week 9 allowed me watch some of the early Saturday afternoon games in Week 10; and the one I was looking forward to seeing the most was the MEAC contest between Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central, a couple of teams with lots of sick dreads. But almost immediately I found out the game wasn't going to be as enjoyable as I had hoped because NCCU's starting WRs - sophomore Adrian Wilkins and senior Lamar Scruggs - were not in uniform due to injury. The Eagles were already a heavy underdog, and without Wilkins and Scruggs they got very little done on offense for most of the game, and B-C rolled to a 38-14 victory at Durham to improve to 8-1 NCCU dropped to 4-5.

The Wildcats dominated in total yards 594-137 and would have won by a much larger margin had they not been flagged for an astonishing 25 penalties for 232 yards. They also lost a TD in the 1st quarter when senior RB Isidore Jackson tried to reach the ball over the goal line but instead had it knocked out of his hands just before breaking the plane; NCCU recovered the fumble for a touchback. Jackson bounced back and made the dread stars list before the 1st half was over, rushing for 125 yards before the break and in the process becoming Bethune-Cookman's all-time leading rusher with 2,978 career yards (and counting).

Sick senior WR Preston Cleckley (photo above) caught 3 passes for 28 yards and had 6 punt returns for 63 yards, one of them a 31-yarder. Sick junior CB Thomas Finnie had 2 tackles (2-0) and 1 PBU. Junior LB Tavarus Dantzler had 2 tackles (1-1), both of which were TFL. Senior DE Erik Williams had a 10-yard sack for his only tackle. Senior WR Patrick Harris had 1 punt return for -1 yard, but shockingly (and very disappointingly) no longer has his long dreads (he must have just recently cut them off). Harris was an honorable mention selection on last years dread all-America team. Under consideration for this year's team undoubtedly will be freshman WR Frank Thomas, who had 2 tackles (1-1) on special teams.  

Sophomore RB Deyonta Wright ended up being the only NCCU player with dreads to touch the ball. He finished with 17 yards on 7 carries. Four players with dreads made tackles for the NCCU D, including 3 each by freshman DT Darius Spruill (1-2) and sophomore LB Kris Johnson (1-2). Adding to my disappointment was the absence (due to injury) of sick LBs Anthony McIntyre and Rakeem Covington.
.

Normally a 136-yard, 1 TD rushing game on 26 carries will easily qualify for the dread stars list. But I'm just not comfortable including Stephen F. Austin junior RB Gus Johnson this week because he also had 2 costly fumbles (one of them in photo above) that contributed to his team's defeat. The 2013 edition of the Battle of the Piney Woods, the annual game at Reliant Stadium between rivals Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State, was as wild as could be. SFA racked up 742 total yards, but thanks to 6 turnovers fell to SHSU 56-49.

Johnson's first fumble came on a 2nd and goal play in the 2nd quarter, keeping the game tied at 14. The other one, early in the 4th, came on SFA's 2nd play after SHSU had taken a 35-28 lead, and it began a ridiculous stretch that saw the Lumberjacks turn the ball over 4 times in a span of 7 snaps in the first 2:33 of the 4th quarter. The Bearkats went on a 28-0 run to take a 56-28 lead and held on after SFA regrouped and came roaring back. Freshman LB Jordan Burton had 9 tackles (5-4) for SFA (now 3-6), including 1 TFL, and had 1 FF for SHSU's only turnover of the game. Star senior RB Timothy Flanders had an ordinary game for Sam Houston State (7-2), finishing with 68 yards and 1 TD rushing on 14 carries.
.

Senior RB Rickey Stevens rushed for 74 yards and his 4th TD of the season on 12 carries as Maine improved to 8-1 with a 19-14 home win over Stony Brook ..... Sophomore RB Shepard Little (photo on right) rushed for 67 yards and 1 TD and took a punt return 75 yards to the house as Eastern Illinois, after whipping Tennessee State in Week 9, improved to 8-1 with a 56-21 home win over Tennessee Tech ..... Southern Illinois senior LB Bryan Presume had a game high 11 tackles (5-6) and scooped up a blocked FG and returned it 85 yards to the house in a 34-28 road victory over Western Illinois ..... Junior DT Xavier Williams had 12 tackles (7-5), including 3 TFL, and had 1 FF, but Northern Iowa dropped to an unfathomable 0-5 in the Missouri Valley with a 13-3 loss at Illinois State ..... Senior CB Walt Aikens had a team high 8 tackles (7-1), 1 PBU, and his 3rd INT of the season, which set up a 45-yard TD drive that broke a scoreless tie in the 3rd quarter, and Liberty went on to defeat VMI 17-7 ..... Junior CB Rashod Byers returned his 1st INT of the season 95 yards to the house, and senior LB Robert Gray had 4 tackles (4-0), 1 sack, 1 PBU, and his 1st INT of the season as Jacksonville State won 42-10 at Austin Peay ..... South Carolina State sophomore TE Temarrick Hemmingway got his first 2 TD catches of the season in a 45-9 road win over Savannah State; LB Marquis Smith, quietly having an outstanding freshman season, had a game high 12 tackles (6-6), 2.5 TFL, and a 36-yard fumble return to the house, for SSU ..... Sick senior LB Robert Nelson had 10 tackles (3-7), including 1.5 TFL, as Alabama A&M came back from a 15-0 deficit to win 19-18 at Alcorn State ..... And junior LB Isiah Corbett had 4 tackles (2-2), 2 TFL, and 1 sack, and sophomore RB Xavier Roberson contributed with 52 yards rushing on 14 carries as Southeastern Louisiana improved to 7-2 and moved into the driver's seat in the SLC with a very impressive 41-7 road win over #4 McNeese State.
.
FINALLY 

WEEK 10

It's been a while (more than 2 and a half years) since RB Melvin Gordon changed his mind after giving an oral commitment to Iowa and instead signed with Wisconsin; but apparently Hawkeyes fans have long memories. No doubt jealous that Gordon's breakout sophomore season is taking place in a Badgers uniform instead of in the Hawkeyes' gold and black, the fans gave Gordon an earful in his first game at Iowa City.
Mercifully for those fans they did not have to watch Gordon have a great game. In fact, he was held to a season low 62 yards rushing on 17 carries. But Gordon, a native of Kenosha, WI, and the Badgers got the last word, whipping the Hawkeyes 28-9, a result that delighted me to no end. Details from the Des Moines Register: http://www.hawkcentral.com/2013/11/02/wisconsin-player-win-ended-taunts-from-fans/

WEEK 9 

Arizona senior CB Shaquille Richardson lost the battle but won the war in this year's edition of the Richardson family feud; or as Shaq put it, "He went for his yards and got his stats. We got the win, which is the big thing." The "he" is none other than his cousin, Paul Richardson (no dreads), WR for Colorado. Arizona and Colorado are in the same South division of the Pac 12; but due to injuries this was the first time they've both been healthy when the two teams met.
Paul, in fact, went for 132 yards on 7 catches; thankfully for Shaquille, he didn't have the coverage on Paul's 75-yard TD. Shaq ended up with 5 tackles (4-1). Arizona won 44-20.
Originally the two had expected to be teammates at UCLA but had to detour to other Pac 12 schools after making one of those really bad decisions in life that happen sometimes. The two cousins have been staying out of trouble ever since. Hopefully the next time they face each other it will be on a Sunday. The first link below is to an article about the two from the Denver Post before the game. Below that is a link to an article from the Arizona Daily Star featuring star RB Ka'Deem Carey but also includes a bit of info from the game on Shaq and Paul.

http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_24366765/cu-buffs-wr-richardson-takes-cousin-arizona-cb

http://www.azstarnet.com/sports/football/college/wildcats/carey-the-face-of-ua-program/article_1bdc0f44-7785-5349-8cf0-3ab3a7151215.html 

.

DG

.

1. Houston CB Thomas Bates gets the 1st of his 4 PBU, knocking the ball away from South Florida junior WR Deonte Welch on 3rd and 8 on the 3rd from from scrimmage at Reliant Stadium on Oct. 31. Welch finished with 3 catches - one on each of the Bulls' three scoring drives in 2nd half - for 46 yards, but the Bulls lost to the Cougars 35-23.

.

2. Cincinnati senior CB Deven Drane reaches to make his 2nd INT of the season at the Memphis 25-yard line on a 2nd and 10 pass intended for WR Daniel Hurd midway through 4th quarter at Memphis on Oct. 30. The pick set up a short TD drive that increased the Bearcats' lead to 27-14. Drane also 2 tackles (2-0) and 1 PBU in the game, which UC won 34-21. 

.

3. TCU junior LB Jonathan Anderson sacks QB Clint Trickett for a loss of 10 on 3rd and 9, forcing a West Virginia punt on the next play early in 2nd quarter at Ft. Worth. Anderson finished the day with a team-leading 14 tackles (5-9), 2 of which were TFL, but the Horned Frogs, who led 17-3 early, dropped to 1-5 in the Big 12 with a 30-27 loss in OT to WVU. 

.

4. Freshman DT Demetri McGill gets his 1st career sack, tackling FIU QB E.J. Hilliard for a 2-yard loss on 1st down during 3rd quarter at Miami. It was the only tackle for Gill, who also had 1 PBU in the Pirates' 34-13 win over FIU.

.

5. Hoping to get a sack, junior DE Jadeveon Clowney instead guesses wrong on an option play, clobbering Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott after he hands the ball of to RB LaDarius Perkins in SEC action at Columbia, SC. Clowney, who was lucky not to be flagged for the hit, had 3 tackles (2-1) that did count, along with 1 PBU.

.  

6. Junior LB Sharrod Golightly gets one of his 2 TFL, dropping junior WR Jameon Lewis for a loss of 2 after a catch at the MSU 41-yard line on 2nd and 13 during 1st quarter. The Bulldogs punted two plays later. Golightly finished with 4 tackles (3-1) and 1 FR, which he returned 24 yards to set up a short TD drive in 3rd quarter. Lewis was held to 7 catches for 45 yards. South Carolina improved to 7-2 with the 34-16 home victory over Mississippi State.

.

7. Junior LB D.J. Lynch of Bowling Green tries to strip the ball while tackling Toledo RB Kareem Hunt in MAC action at Bowling Green on Oct. 26. It was one of 6 times Lynch tackled Hunt in the game. He finished with a team high 9 tackles (3-6) and 1 FR in the Falcons' 28-25 loss to Toledo. From the picture on the UT website, it looks like Hunt might be switching from braids to dreads; but I want a better look, and since Toledo freshmen are not allowed to talk to the media, it likely won't be until next season until I know if I have to welcome him to the house. I'll have a few more photos from Week 9 in next week's report. 

.

8. Four plays after Delaware recovers an onside kickoff following a TD that pulls them to within 7 of Towson in the final minute of the game, Blue Hens senior WR Rob Jones makes a 3-yard TD catch to make the score 31-30 with :19 on the clock. It was his 5th TD catch of the season .....

.

9. ..... And on the next play Jones makes the catch for the game-winning 2-point conversion, securing the ball tightly after a slight juggle, as S Christian Carpenter makes the hit too late. Trailing 31-10 in the 4th quarter, Delaware scored TDs at 11:26, :48, and :19 to come back and steal a huge 32-31 CAA road win over Towson. Jones finished with 5 catches for 74 yards as Delaware improved to 7-2. Towson fell to 8-2.

.

10. Alabama State junior RB Isaiah Crowell finds a lot of running room on this play as Kentucky junior DE Za'Darius Smith gives chase. The caption didn't say so, but I'd bet this was the play where Crowell ran 32 yards to the house to tie the game at 7 in 1st quarter at Lexington. Smith finished the game with 2 tackles (0-2). Crowell did much better than the first time he faced UK. While with Georgia in 2011 he carried just twice (due to injury) for 11 yards in a November win over the Wildcats. This time he went for 84 yards on 12 carries; but as expected, Kentucky easily defeated ASU 48-14.

.

11. Star junior S Anthony Harris of Virginia leaps above star junior WR Sammy Watkins of Clemson and intercepts a deep pass at the UVA 7-yard line on 3rd and 8 late in 1st quarter. It was Harris' 6th INT of the season. I haven't mentioned the other 5 in any of my previous reports because I was not sure that he had converted his braids to dreads, as I suspected. But after seeing a shot of him on the sideline after this pick, I'm welcoming him to the house. Anthony also had 7 tackles (5-2) and 1 PBU in the game, but Virginia got blown out on their home field by Clemson 59-10.

.
DREAD STARS

WEEK 10

• Sammy Watkins - Clemson - 8 receptions for 169 yards and 2 TD, including 96-yarder (longest play from scrimmage ever for Clemson in a road game), in 59-10 road W over Virginia

•  Deontay Greenberry - Houston - 4 receptions for 106 yards, including 48-yard TD, in 35-23 home W over South Florida
• Travis Reynolds - Utah State - 8 receptions for career high 152 yards and 1 TD in 47-10 home W over Hawaii
• Tre Mason - Auburn - named SEC offensive player of the week - 32 carries for 168 yards rushing and 4 TD in 35-17 road W over Arkansas: http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110413aab.html

• Sammie Coates - Auburn - 3 receptions for 102 yards and 1 TD in Tigers' 5th straight W
• Devonta Freeman - Florida State - 78 yards and 2 TD rushing on 23 carries, and 6 receptions for 98 yards and 1 TD in 41-14 home W over Miami (F)
• John Hubert - Kansas State - 15 carries for 105 yards rushing and 2 TD in 41-7 home W over Iowa State
• Cam Boyd - ODU - 7 carries for 119 yards rushing, including 70-yard TD (longest run in school history), and 3 receptions for 52 yards in 66-14 home W over Rhode Island

•  Victor Hampton - South Carolina - named SEC defensive player of the week - game high 8 tackles (6-2), 1 FF and 1 FR (on same play), 3 PBU, and also deflected a pass that was intercepted by teammate in 34-16 home W over Mississippi State 
• James Baker - Idaho - 114 yards and 1 TD rushing on 24 carries in 37-21 home L to Texas State
• Darrin Reaves - UAB - 111 yards and 1 TD rushing on 27 carries in 24-21 home L to MTSU
• Joshua Stanford - Virginia Tech - 6 receptions for season high 171 yards in 34-27 road L to Boston  College

•  Isidore Jackson - Bethune-Cookman - 20 carries for 182 yards and 1 TD rushing, and 2 receptions for 14 yards in 38-14 road W over North Carolina Central - becomes school's all-time leading rusher with 2,978 career yards 
• Joe Ferguson - San Diego - 15 carries for 125 yards rushing, and 16-yard TD reception in 58-14 road W at Valparaiso
• Tevin Allen - Illinois State - named MFVC co-defensive player of the week - career high 8 tackles (8-0), 1 TFL, 1 INT, and returned fumble 17 yards to the house for only TD of game in 13-3 home W over Northern Iowa: http://www.goredbirds.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/110313aaa.html

• Antwan Eddie - Robert Morris - named NEC co-defensive player of the week - 5 tackles (3-2), 1 PBU, and 2 INT in 24-3 home W over Bryant: http://www.rmucolonials.com/news/2013/11/4/FB_1104134901.aspx  
• Jaamal Berry - Murray State - 21 carries for 134 yards rushing and 1 TD in 45-17 road L to Tennessee-Martin
• Kalif Phillips - UNC-Charlotte - 15 carries for 132 yards rushing and 1 TD in 50-25 road L to Coastal Carolina
• Morris Norisse - Sacramento State - 10 receptions for 100 yards in 51-48 home L in OT to Montana 

.
WEEK 9 (one of the shortest dread stars list ever)

• Sammy Watkins - Clemson - school record 14 receptions for 163 yards in 40-27 road W over Maryland
• Ja-Mes Logan - Mississippi - 6 receptions for 122 yards, including TD of 37 and 65 yards, in 59-14 homecoming W over Idaho

• Marcus Johnson - Texas - 3 receptions for career high 120 yards, including 65-yard TD, in 30-7 road W over TCU
• Sammie Coates - Auburn - 3 receptions for 113 yards and 2 TD in 45-10 home W over FAU

• Terrence Magee - LSU - 108 yards and 2 TD rushing only 7 carries in 48-16 home W over Furman
• Tevin Reese - Baylor - 4 receptions for 110 yards and 2 TD (62, 25 yards) in 59-14 road W over Kansas

• Trevon Stewart - Houston - named AAC defensive player of the week - 10 tackles (6-4) and had 2 of the 6 turnovers forced by UH defense: an INT in 1st quarter and a FF and FR on same play in 2nd quarter, both of which set up TD, in 49-14 road W over Rutgers
• Jay Ajayi - Boise State - 23 carries for 151 yards rushing in 37-20 road L to BYU
• Adrian Wilkins - North Carolina Central - named MEAC special teams player of the week - 9 receptions for 105 yards and 1 TD, and took punt return 73 yards to the house in 24-10 road W over Savannah State
• Shepard Little - Eastern Illinois - 22 carries for 138 yards and 1 TD in big 34-16 road W over Tennessee State

• Malcolm Cyrus - Alabama State - 17 carries for 138 yards rushing in 31-7 W over Alabama A&M in Magic City Classic at Birmingham
• Tommy Gooden - Jackson State - 203 yards and 1 TD rushing on 20 carries in 51-38 home W over Prairie View A&M
• Ariane McCree - Jackson State - 12 tackles (7-5), including 4.5 TFL and a half sack as Tigers improve to 7-0 in the SWAC

.

HOUSE OF DREAD

WEEK 10
All but one of the TD scored in Auburn's 35-17 road victory over Arkansas were by players with dreads, so the HOD award goes to the end zone at DWR Razorback Stadium at Fayetteville.

Junior RB Tre Mason had a TD run each each quarter for Auburn, from (in order) 9, 4, 5 (left photo above, in front of S Alan Turner), and 12 yards; and sophomore WR Sammie Coates scored on an 88-yard reception for the Tigers. Sophomore WR Keon Hatcher had a 13-yard TD reception (right photo) for the Razorbacks.
.
WEEK 9 (This could take a while)

 Every week there are several games that have 3 TD scored by players with dreads. Thankfully every week there's always a couple of games that separate themselves from the pack and have 4 or more. But in Week 9 there were no games with 4 or more (for the first time ever in a full week, I think), so HOD honors go to the end zones at eight different stadiums (the host school will be in parenthesis):

At Floyd Stadium (MTSU), where MTSU won a thriller over Marshall 51-49, senior WR Kyle Griswould and sophomore WR Christian Collis each had a 16-yard TD catch for the Blue Raiders; junior WR Jazz King scored on a 39-yard reception (photo on left) for Marshall .....  At Kyle Field (Texas A&M), where Texas A&M routed Vanderbilt 56-24, a couple of Aggies accounted for the three TD: senior WR Derel Walker scored on receptions of 8 and 14 yards, while sophomore RB Brandon Williams capped the scoring with a 7-yard TD run ..... At the Alamodome (UTSA), in UTSA's 52-31 victory over UAB, junior WR Earon Holmes had a 17-yard TD catch for the Roadrunners, while junior RB Darrin Reaves scored on a 21-yard reception and 18-yard run for UAB .....

 At Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn), the Tigers defeated FAU 45-10, and the 3 TD were scored by junior RB Tre Mason (8-yard run) (photo on right) and sophomore WR Sammie Coates (36 and 67-yard receptions) ..... At Buccaneer Field (Charleston Southern) junior WR Chris Theodore had a 14-yard TD reception for CSU in a 36-14 victory over UNC-Charlotte. Freshman RB Kalif Phillips scored on runs of 7 and 14 yards for UNCC ..... At Strawberry Stadium (Southeastern Louisiana), in the Lions' 56-34 victory over Lamar, sophomore RB Xavier Roberson had TD runs of 10 and 2 yards for Southeastern, while junior WR Mark Roberts (the transfer from Houston) scored on a 40-yard reception for Lamar .... And at Doak Campbell Stadium (Florida State), in FSU's 49-17 victory over North Carolina State, sophomore WR Kelvin Benjamin scored on a 39-yard reception (photo on left) for the Seminoles, while junior RB Devonta Freeman had TD runs of 11 and 4 yards, also for FSU ..... And the eighth and final HOD was a solo effort turned in by the Week 9 player of the week.


.

HEAD DREAD

WEEK 10

Tre Mason and his 4 TD against Arkansas received serious consideration, but I'm giving the head dread to the RB who wasn't named SEC offensive player of the week.
Georgia fans could only watch and think about what might have been while watching sophomore RB Todd Gurley during the 1st quarter of the Bulldogs' 23-20 win over Florida - as in what might have been had Gurley not injured his ankle in Week 5 and missed the next three games. Most likely the Bulldogs would be ranked in the top 10 and headed for an SEC East division title. Instead they dropped 2 of the 3 games he missed (and were lucky to win the one game they did) to put their SEC title hopes in jeopardy.
Finally healthy and back in action against the Gators, Gurley wasted no time making his presence felt, accounting for 47 of the 75 yards on Georgia's game-opening 7-play, 75-yard drive and finishing the drive with a 5-yard TD run; and then gaining all 77 yards on the Bulldogs' 2nd possession, including a 73-yard catch and run for a TD (top photo). Unfortunately his body must not have been ready for that 73-yard sprint because Todd wasn't feeling too good after it and had to leave the game for a while. But he was in the game at crunch time, carrying 8 times for a couple of first downs on a 15-play drive that allowed the Bulldogs to keep the ball for the final 8:17 of the game and hold on for the win. Gurley finished with 100 yards rushing on 17 carries, 3 catches for 87 yards, and the 2 TD. For more on how Gurley helped UGA defeat Florida for the 3rd straight year, here's an article from the Athens Banner Herald:
http://www.onlineathens.com/sports/college-sports/2013-11-02/uga-tailback-gurleys-presence-felt-return-lineup
.
WEEK 9

Just as with Melvin Gordon, I was very thankful and very happy when WR Deontay Greenberry pulled a surprise on National Signing Day. Instead of signing with Notre Dame (to whom he had made an oral commitment) the Fresno, CA native became the first ever 5-star recruit to sign with Houston. You see, I grew up in a home where we didn't like Notre Dame very much (you probably could call it hate), and I didn't want to see him doing well for ND. He certainly is doing very well in his sophomore season for the Cougars, turning in his best performance so far in an eye-opening 49-14 road victory over Rutgers.

UH let it be known emphatically that you can include them as serious contenders for the AAC title, and Greenberry was a big reason why, claiming both head dread and house of dread honors. He finished with 8 receptions for a career high 168 yards and 3 TD. The first of the three, a 10-yarder in the 1st quarter (right photo and video on link below) was one for the highlight reel. His second was a career-longest 83-yard reception that put UH ahead to stay 21-14 midway through the 2nd; and he completed the afternoon's scoring with a 5-yard TD catch early in the 4th. Keep this up Deontay, and you'll be playing on Sundays sooner rather than later. The win improved the Cougars to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the AAC.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9881447

.
NEXT 

Well. obviously by now all the Week 11 games have been played. Hope you enjoyed them.

As you probably have figured out over the years, I try to get my weekly reports on college football posted before the next week's Saturday games begin. Before this season I was pretty good at accomplishing that. This year I've been a little late with the posts, and I'm sorry for that.

I didn't do a report last week and am very late with this report because the past couple of weeks I have been slowed by an extremely aggravating and (at times) very painful health issue. After wondering for days what was wrong, I think I have figured out the problem. If it's the recurrence of a previous condition as I think, I'll be fine shortly. But if I'm wrong and have to go see the doctor ..... well, I really, really don't want to do that. Anyway, please bear with me, because at this point I have no idea if I'll have future posts done on time or not.