College FB '15 Dread News - Week 10

A couple of days before last Saturday's (Nov. 7) games I heard a host on some sports talk show on the radio say that if Alabama won all of their remaining games, they would be one of the 4 teams to make the playoffs. And I thought that while that might become true, it was also true that Alabama could win all their games and still not be the SEC champion. That's because entering Week 10 Mississippi and LSU were the only teams in control of their destiny in the SEC West, while the mighty Crimson Tide were going to need some help to get to the SEC championship game. Well, as you probably know by now, it was a very good Saturday for Alabama fans. The Crimson Tide emphatically took care of LSU themselves, and a few hours before that they got the help they needed as Ole Miss - thanks to one of the most bizarre plays you'll ever see - fell at home to Arkansas.


Hoping that there would be lots of touchdowns scored by players with dreads, the Arkansas-Mississippi game was the first choice of games on my viewing list. But with so many other good games on at the same time during the late afternoon time slot, more often than not I was watching the Rebels and Razorbacks out of the corner of my eye while focusing on another game. Disappointingly there weren't very many TD by players with dreads (only two, surprisingly), but there sure were a lot of touchdowns. Although the two teams didn't score on every possession, every time one team would score to take the lead the other team would answer back immediately on their ensuing possession to tie it back up. And so the game was tied at 7, 14, 17, 24, 31, 38, and then 45 heading into overtime, after a last-second FG attempt by Arkansas was blocked.

The Rebels scored to take a 52-45 lead in OT and seemed to have the game won with the Razorbacks facing a 4th and 25 on their possession. And victory seemed even more certain when Arkansas completed a pass 10 yards short of the first down marker on that 4th and 25. Until .....


Realizing he wasn't going to run after the catch for the 1st down, TE Hunter Henry wisely decided to fling the ball high into the air and back toward the line of scrimmage just before being tackled, where it deflected off the hands of a couple of players trying to catch it, hit the ground and bounced perfectly into the hands of Alex Collins - star junior RB Alex Collins, that is. It couldn't have been in any better hands if you're an Arkansas fan, and as soon as he starting running toward the left side of the field you knew he had a real chance to get the 1st down, because most of the Ole Miss defenders were over near the right sideline where Henry was when he lateraled the ball. Collins (photo above) made it all the way to the 11-yard line, 4 yards past the 1st down marker, but then almost blew it. As he was being tackled, forgetting he only needed a first down and not a touchdown, he tried to lateral the ball to a teammate. The ball was on the ground for an instant, but the Razorbacks recovered it, and the 4th and 25 had been converted. Just the way they drew it up, right? If somehow you haven't seen the play by now, you can see it (and see that I'm not making this story up) in this video: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25366517/watch-arkansas-uses-insane-4th-and-25-lateral-conversion-to-win-in-ot

If you are an Ole Miss fan, you must have had a bad feeling after that play, and sure enough two plays later Arkansas scored a TD to make it 52-51. Then instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game, the Razorbacks went for went 2, probably not wanting to play 4 overtimes again as they did vs. Auburn in Week 8 and definitely not wanting a repeat of that 7-overtime game they had against Mississippi 14 years ago. And once again it looked like the Rebels were the winners after stopping the 2-point conversion attempt. But they were called for a facemask penalty on the play, giving Arkansas a second chance; and the Razorbacks made no mistake, as QB Brandon Allen made it into the end zone (photo above) to end the game and give them the victory 53-52.

You might remember that Collins (photo above), whose dreads are among the longest of any RB in Division 1, stifled his dreads a bit last season after a Texas A&M player grabbed them to make a tackle. But obviously Alex is over that now and was on the field for this game with his dreads flowing at full blast. Collins was credited with 31 yards receiving on that 4th and 25 play, but he already had gained enough yards before that to make the dread stars list. He also topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season, thus becoming only the third SEC running back ever to rush for 1,000+ yards in 3 straight seasons. There were minor contributions by a couple of other players with dreads for Arkansas. Sophomore WR Damon Mitchell had 1 catch for 1 yard, and junior DE JaMichael Winston had 2 tackles (0-2).

With Collins kept out of the end zone, the only 2 TD scored by players with dreads were by two of Mississippi's three WRs with dreads. The trio accounted for 136 of the Rebels' 590 total yards, with sophomore Markell Pack coming the closest to making the dread stars list with 5 catches for 76 yards. Junior Quincy Adeboyejo had 3 catches for 37 yards, including a key 7-yard reception in the 1st quarter (photo above) and an 18-yard TD on a WR screen that gave Ole Miss a 45-38 lead with 4:55 remaining in the 4th quarter. Earlier sophomore Damore'ea Stringfellow made a nice run after his only reception to score a 23-yard TD that gave the Rebels a 24-17 lead. Star junior DT Robert Nkemdiche, debuting his dreads this season, had only 1 tackle (0-1). Senior S Trae Elston finished with 5 tackles (3-2); and junior DE Fadol Brown had 1 tackle (0-1), on which he tackled Collins for a 3-yard loss (the photo below likely is that play, just before he made the tackle).

The Rebels, now 7-3 overall and 4-2 in the SEC West, are by no means out of the race yet, although hoping Alabama will lose again seems more like hoping against hope .....
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..... Especially if Alabama keeps playing the way they did in demolishing #4 ranked LSU. The final score was just 30-16 because the demolition took place mostly in the 2nd half after the Crimson Tide led 13-10 at halftime. The Tide dominated in total yards 434-182 and in time of possession 39:27-20:33.

Apparently not reducing his dreads enough to satisfy Coach Saban, junior RB Derrick Henry had them bunched together even more tightly than usual (photo above). But it matters not whether he has normal dreads, reduced dreads, or no dreads, the 242-pound Henry is a handful to stop. Derrick enhanced his Heisman chances, rushing for over 200 yards and all 3 of Alabama's touchdowns. The only other player with dreads on the stats sheet for the Tide was junior LB Tim Williams, who got credit for a half sack on his only tackle (0-1), stopping QB Brandon Harris for a 4-yard loss (photo below) on 3rd and 8 as LSU went three-and-out on their first drive of the night.

The best dreads on the field were hanging outside the helmet of LSU freshman CB Donte Jackson, who had 1 tackle (1-0) (photo below, getting just enough of WR Calvin Ridley to cause him to go out of bounds for a 14-yard gain on 3rd and 8 in the 3rd quarter) and punt returns of -1 and 6 yards. Sophomore RB Darrel Williams gained 5 yards on his only carry. Star sophomore RB Leonard Fournette, who has no hair at all on his head, was held to only 31 yards on 16 carries after having rushed for at least 150 yards in each of the Tigers' first 7 games. But I'd still vote for him ahead of Henry on my Heisman ballot. Honestly, if Fournette was in an Alabama uniform for this game and Henry were with LSU, we'd all be talking about what a great game Fournette had, while Henry would have been the one who was shut down. It's all about the blocking. No disrespect to Derrick, but I think Fournette is the more talented player. 

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Speaking of talented players, there was still 12:30 remaining in the 1st quarter and Florida State sophomore RB Dalvin Cook had already made the dread stars list. But unfortunately for Seminoles fans and not surprisingly, after Cook broke free for a 75-yard TD on his first carry of the game and for 36 yards on his next carry, the yards were a lot harder to come by against the Clemson defense for the rest of the game. After allowing Cook 129 yards in the 1st quarter, the Tigers held him to 37 yards in the 2nd half as they improved to 9-0, defeating Florida State 23-13 to clinch the ACC Atlantic Division crown. FSU dropped to 7-2.

After Cook took it to house on the game's 2nd play from scrimmage (photo above, as he breaks into the clear after getting past S T.J. Green at the FSU 32-yard line) the Seminoles didn't score another TD the rest of the game. His 36-yard run to the Clemson 41-yard line was followed by an interception 4 plays later. After Clemson scored a TD to take a 13-10 lead in the 3rd quarter, the Seminoles settled for a FG on their next possession after Cook was stopped for no gain on 3rd and 1. Then after the Tigers went back ahead 16-13 midway through the 4th quarter, FSU's ensuing drive ended at the Clemson 40 after Cook again was stuffed for no gain on both 3rd and 4th and 1. The Tigers then went 60 yards in 7 plays to take a 10-point lead with 2:34 remaining.

It was good to see senior LB Terrance Smith with a helmet on his dreads instead of standing on the sideline. Smith (photo above, celebrating after a play in the 1st half) was back in action after missing the previous 4 games due to injury and finished with 12 tackles (5-7). Freshman DE Josh Sweat had 6 tackles (4-2). Senior CB Javien Elliott had 4 tackles (4-0) and 1 PBU (photo below, on a pass intended for WR Hunter Renfrow in the 2nd quarter). The only player with dreads with any stats for Clemson was junior RB Zac Brooks, who had 1 carry for a 2-yard loss.

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You'd think with Toledo coming in with an 8-0 record (including a road victory over Arkansas back in Week 2) and playing at home that this would be the year they finally beat Northern Illinois. Nope. NIU continued to be a major nemesis to the Rockets, beating them for the 6th straight year, driving 67 and 70 yards for touchdowns in the 4th quarter with their 2nd string QB in the game to wipe out a 27-19 deficit and win 32-27. Unlike most of the previous 5 defeats, this one didn't kill Toledo's MAC West title hopes; but it sure did ruin their shot at getting a bid to one of the major New Year's Six bowl games. After the Huskies took the lead with 1:59 remaining, senior LB Boomer Mays clinched the victory on the first play of Toledo's ensuing possession, as he got his 1st INT of the season. Mays finished with a team-leading 10 tackles (5-5); and junior WR Aregeros Turner (photo above) led everybody in all-purpose yards with 189 - 168 of which came on his 5 kickoff returns, including a 58-yarder in the 1st quarter.
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ELSEWHERE 

Junior RB Paul Perkins rushed for 89 yards and 1 TD; junior LB Jayon Brown (photo on right) had a team high 10 tackles (7-3), a half TFL, and 1 PBU; and junior DE Takkarist McKinley had 5 tackles (5-0), 3 of which were TFL, including 2 sacks, as UCLA recorded their first road shutout in 28 years, 41-0 over Oregon State ..... Senior S Matthias Farley tied for the team lead with 7 tackles (4-3) and got his 1st INT of the season (left photo below) as Notre Dame improved to 8-1 with a 42-30 road win over Pittsburgh ..... Junior CB Dakota Austin had 9 tackles (7-2), 1 TFL, 1 PBU, and got his 2nd INT of the season as Oklahoma improved to 8-1 with a 52-16 home win over Iowa State ..... Junior LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin had a game high 9 tackles (8-1), a half TFL, 1 FF, and got a huge FR at the Tennessee 13-yard line with 32 seconds remaining in the game as the Volunteers won at home 27-24 over South Carolina .....

Junior RB Dare Ogunbowale gained 63 total yards, including a 21-yard TD run and 7-yard TD catch, as Wisconsin improved to 8-2 with a 31-24 win at Maryland ..... Senior S Darrin Reddick returned a fumble 27 yards to the house for his 1st career TD for Troy and would have gotten his 2nd less than a minute later on another FR and return had not the officials missed the call and blown the play dead in a 51-14 home win over Louisiana-Monroe ..... Senior LB Jephete Matilus finished with 9 tackles (7-2), including 2.5 TFL and 1 sack, to help FIU defeat UNC-Charlotte 48-31 ..... Sophomore WR Dante Jones scored his 1st career TD in an Appalachian State uniform on a 24-yard reception to give the Mountaineers a 21-14 lead in the 2nd quarter, but Arkansas State came back to win 40-27 and end the Mountaineers' 6-game winning streak ..... Senior WR Deandre Reaves racked up 200 all-purpose yards, including 7 catches for 91 yards, but Marshall dropped to 5-1 in the CUSA East, losing at MTSU 27-24 in OT; sophomore CB Michael Minter had 16 tackles (13-3), 1 TFL, and 3 PBU for MTSU ..... And junior RB De'veon Smith had 118 total yards and 1 TD as Michigan improved to 7-2 with a 49-16 home win over Rutgers; junior WR Janarion Grant (photo below) had a 67-yard punt return to set up a FG and took a kickoff return 98 yards to the house for Rutgers to earn Big 10 special teams player of the week honors.

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IN THE FCS 


When the playoffs begin in a couple of weeks, Charleston Southern will be one of the teams entered in the tournament. The Buccaneers clinched their first ever playoff bid as well as at least a tie for the Big South championship with a 28-14 road win over Kennesaw State. Sophomore DE Anthony Ellis made the dread stars list and made one of the biggest plays of the game. With KSU beginning a drive at the CSU 34-yard line after a poor punt midway through the 2nd quarter, Ellis penetrated into the backfield and batted away an attempted pitch from the QB to the RB, then scooped up the ball and took it 61 yards to the house to up CSU's lead to a more comfortable 21-6. Just as importantly, KSU's starting QB had to leave the game after injuring himself trying to tackle Ellis on the return.

Senior CB Malcolm Jackson contributed to the win with a team high 6 tackles (5-1) and 1 PBU (right photo above). Sick WR Chris Jenkins (left photo above) had 2 tackles (2-0) on special teams. Freshman DT Johnny Robinson had 1 tackle (1-0); and junior RB Alan Barnwell, who played in junior college last season after being dismissed from the team following his freshman season at UNC-Charlotte in 2013, had 24 yards rushing on 7 carries. Freshman RB Trey Chivers had 10 yards on 5 carries for Kennesaw State. Charleston Southern improves to 8-1 overall, 5-0 in the Big South and gets the league's automatic bid because they have the tiebreaker edge over Coastal Carolina thanks to their victory over CCU in Week 9.
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When is 5 TD passes by a QB with dreads not enough to make the dread stars list? I'm glad you asked.
Not only 5 TD passes, Eastern Kentucky junior QB Bennie Coney finished with a career high 354 yards passing (on 22 of 39 attempts) along with 22 yards rushing on 7 carries. But despite those numbers, I could not with a clear conscience include him on this week's dread stars list. There was too much other stuff ..... like a fumble that set up a 28-yard TD drive for Tennessee-Martin that tied the game at 7; like an interception early in the 3rd quarter that led to a FG that cut EKU's lead to 21-17; and especially the other INT he threw, which came with the Colonels leading by 7 in the 4th quarter. That one was returned 41 yards for a TD, tying the game at 35 with 4:32 to go - an absolute killer. Damn, Bennie, a team should never throw a pick 6 when they have the lead in the 4th quarter. The Colonels then went three-and-out on their next possession; and after UTM scored to take the lead 42-35 with 1:05 to play, Coney was benched for EKU's final drive, which also came up empty.

EKU has two players with dreads wearing jersey #4 - Coney on offense and junior LB D'Vonta Derricott on defense. Derricott, the transfer from Kansas State, finished with 2 tackles (1-1) and got his 1st INT of the season. Sick junior LB LaJuan Smith's 1 tackle (0-1) was a half TFL. Sick senior WR Jaucady Rutledge had 2 catches for 20 yards. For UTM junior DE Damani Taylor had 7 tackles (5-2), including 2 TFL and 1 sack. EKU fell to 4-2, while UTM improved to 5-1 in the race to see who finishes 2nd behind Jacksonville State in the OVC.
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Just as Toledo has Northern Illinois, Richmond has New Hampshire as their nemesis. After earning the top seed in the playoffs last season, UNH is having a down year in 2015 - just 4-4 through Week 9. But that didn't stop the Wildcats from defeating Richmond for the 5th straight time, 30-25, to end the Spiders' 7-game winning streak. I knew the telecast of this game was not going to be blacked out, and I was able to watch about half of it, while also keeping tabs on Arkansas vs. Ole Miss. Senior RB Jacobi Green still had his dreads reduced; and I'm beginning to think he may have kept them reduced all season. If that's so, I'll be looking for a new starting RB for this season's dread all-America team.

It was another big game for Green; but at first he wasn't even the best player with dreads on the field. Sophomore CB Patrick Mensah was stealing the show for a while, putting an end to a couple of Richmond drives in the 1st half with his first 2 INT of the season (the second of which in photo on right - you'll have to look hard to see any dreads, and I'm sorry about that; but I could hardly find any photos from this game). Mensah finished with 4 tackles (4-0) and almost made the dread stars list. Green did make the list, racking up 239 total yards. But unlike his 5-TD game in Week 8, none of the 26 times he touched the ball ended with him in the end zone. Jacobi had gains of 10 or more yards on 10 plays but no touchdowns.

Maybe the most disappointment I had came on Green's biggest gain of the day. On the first play from scrimmage after UNH settled for a FG with 6:35 remaining to up their lead to 30-25 he caught a screen pass and broke free for a 46-yard gain but was tackled at the 24-yard line after he cut back (and slowed down) to the middle of the field. If he had just stayed outside, he would at least have gotten 10 more yards and might have scored. 3 plays later the Spiders threw their 4th INT of the game with 4:56 to play, and the ensuing New Hampshire drive killed all but the final 21 seconds. Both teams gained exactly 468 total yards; but Richmond had 5 turnovers to none by UNH. You probably need only one hand to count the number of times a team wins when they're -5 in turnovers.
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Junior WR Verlan Hunter had 3 catches for 79 yards and his 3rd and 4th TD of the season as Grambling improved to 7-0 in the SWAC West, defeating Texas Southern 41-15 ..... Freshman RB Michael Fredrick had 69 yards rushing and 61 yards receiving to help South Dakota win at home over Southern Illinois 34-31 .....Junior DE Ryan Lewis finished with 8 tackles (2-6) and had 2.5 of Robert Morris' 9 sacks in a 21-9 home win over East Tennessee State ..... Senior RB Cameron Molina had 61 yards rushing and 5 catches for 47 yards as Columbia gave Harvard (8-0) a run for their money before falling 24-16 .....Junior DE Khalil Young had 8 tackles (6-2), including 2 TFL; and senior LB Charles Moore had 8 tackles (4-4), 2 PBU, and a big tackle for an 8-yard loss in overtime as Mississippi Valley State got their 1st win of the season, 27-24 in OT at Alabama A&M ..... Senior WR Janawski Davis had 8 catches for 92 yards and threw a pass (the first of his career) for a 16-yard TD as Murray State won 46-40 in OT over Tennessee State to snap their 13-game road losing streak ..... And on senior day at Samford senior WR Gavin Sinclair had 6 catches for 68 yards, including a 24-yard TD (photo above), in a 43-0 win over Clark Atlanta U.
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FINALLY

Russell Hansbrough hadn't scored a TD since New Year's Day, and it had been 33 days since anyone in a Missouri uniform had taken one to the house. But when Hansbrough, the senior RB, took the handoff on 3rd and 4 late in the 2nd quarter on Thursday night, cut up the middle and found running room against the Mississippi State defense, and finished the 14-yard run with a dive into the end zone (left photo below), both of those droughts were finally over.
Hansbrough, who scored 10 TD last season, the last of which was a 78-yarder in Missouri's win over Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl, might have been thinking that his decision to start growing (partial) dreads for his senior season had done nothing but bring bad luck to him and his team. He suffered an ankle injury on the very first possession of the Tigers' season opener. After coming into this season with 6 career 100-yard rushing games to his credit, the most he's run for this season were the 74 yards he got in a 21-3 loss to Florida in Week 6. The Tigers finished 1st in the SEC East the last two seasons, but they don't need to worry about planning for a trip to Atlanta for this year's SEC championship game. And maybe not for a bowl game either, with the Tigers sitting at 4-4 through Week 9. But at least maybe getting that 1st TD with dreads out of the way made Russell feel a little better.
Obviously you can't see Hansbrough's dreads when his helmet is on; but for proof of dreads you can check out the right photo below, a shot of him walking off following Missouri's Week 8 loss at Vanderbilt.

Hansbrough got a season high 16 carries against Mississippi State, gaining 62 yards; and the TD cut the Bulldogs' lead to 14-13. But the Tigers got started on their next drought right after that and ended up going down to a 31-13 defeat.
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DG   

1. Oklahoma State freshman RB Jeff Carr scores his 2nd TD of the season, getting the ball into the end zone before going out of bounds in front of CB Torrance Mosley, finishing off a 12-yard reception on 1st and 10 and upping the Cowboys' lead to 21-9 over TCU early in 2nd quarter at Stillwater. Carr had -1 total yards on the other 4 times he touched the ball from scrimmage but did better on kickoff returns, picking up 19 and 32 yards on his 2 KR.

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2. Oklahoma State's other #20 with dreads, junior LB Jordan Burton, led the Cowboys in tackles, and on this one he causes star WR Josh Doctson to injure his wrist. Doctson picked up 12 yards to convert a 2nd and 10 but was out for the rest of the game, diminishing TCU's chance to come from behind. The score was 28-9 when he left. Burton finshed with 12 tackles (9-3), 2 TFL, 1 sack, and his 1st INT of the season. Oklahoma State improved to 9-0 and snapped TCU's 16-game winning streak, routing the Horned Frogs 49-29.

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3. Coming around the right end on a reverse on 1st and 10, senior WR Marcus Johnson of Texas uses a stiff-arm to elude Kansas junior S Tevin Shaw at the 33-yard line before being knocked out of bounds at the 37 for a gain of 10 during 1st quarter at Austin. Since the player who lateraled the ball to him, WR Daje Johnson, was 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage when he pitched it to Marcus, Marcus was credited with 12 yards on the play. The drive ended with a punt 4 plays later. Shaw finished the game with 7 tackles (7-0).

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4. Leading 31-14 midway through 3rd quarter, the Longhorns try to get Marcus Johnson a TD on a deep pass on 1st and 10, and he has CB Brandon Stewart beat; but the pass is just slighty underthrown, and as Marcus reaches back to catch it, he drops it instead at the 11-yard line .....


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5. ..... Three plays later on another 1st and 10 play, this time QB Jerrod Heard's pass is perfect, hitting Johnson in stride at the 3-yard line; but CB Marnez Ogletree, in the game after Stewart was injured on the previous play, grabs a hold of his arm, and Marcus can't make the catch with one hand. Ogletree got credit for a PBU instead of being called for pass interference like he should have. The drive ended with a TD 5 plays later, but it wasn't scored by Johnson. Marcus finished with just the 12 yards he gained on that reverse plus one other reception for 8 yards. Texas scored on their first play from scrimmage, racked up 598 total yards, and improved to 4-5, rolling over Kansas (0-9) 59-20.


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6. Bowling Green senior LB Trenton Greene stops Ohio RB A.J. Ouellette for no gain, as freshman DE David Konowalski (#94) comes in late to help, during 3rd quarter at Bowling Green on Wednesday night. The play didn't count because the Falcons were offside on the play. Konowalski had 1 tackle (0-1); while Greene nearly joined his brother, Travis, on the dread stars list, finishing with a game high 11 tackles (9-2), 1 sack, and 1 PBU. Bowling Green racked up 581 total yards, improving to 7-2 with a 62-24 rout of Ohio, which dropped to 5-4.


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7. Sophomore RB Gerald Holmes of Michigan State gives the stiff-arm to Nebraska S Byerson Cockrell just before being pushed out of bounds at the 32-yard line after picking up 43 yards on his 1st carry of the game on the 2nd play from scrimmage at Lincoln. The drive ended though on a stop on 4th and 1 four plays later. Holmes made the dread stars list for the first time, but Michigan State fell to 8-1 with a heartbreaking 39-38 loss to the Cornhuskers, who improved to 4-6.


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8. Senior CB Lafayette Pitts of Pittsburgh gets the sack and the strip, clobbering Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer and forcing him to fumble at the ND 29-yard line late in 1st quarter at Heinz Field. Notre Dame recovered the fumble though, and the drive ended with a TD 8 plays later, upping the Irish lead to 14-3. Pitts finished with 4 tackles (3-1) and 1 PBU, but it was a tough day for the Pitt secondary. Kizer threw 5 TD passes as Notre Dame improved to 8-1 with a 42-30 win over the Panthers, who dropped to 6-3.

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9. West Virginia sophomore WR Ka'Raun White gets the better of two Texas Tech DBs on this 3rd and 2 play late in 1st quarter at Morgantown, first outfighting CB Nigel Bethel for the ball to make the catch at the WVU 32-yard and then, after leaving Bethel behind, breaking a tackle by S Keenon Ward at midfield. Ward got credit for the tackle, but not until White stumbled forward another 10 yards before going down after a 30-yard gain. The drive ended with a TD 7 plays later, putting WVU ahead 14-7. White finished with 5 catches for a season high 80 yards as the Mountaineers improved to 4-4 with a 31-26 victory over Texas Tech, which fell to 5-5.
It looks like Ka'Raun's got dreads just as long as his older brother, former WVU star and 1st round NFL draft pick Kevin White; but he's going to have to lose those two rubber bands if he wants a spot on the dread all-America team.


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10. Missouri senior LB Clarence Green moves in to make sure Mississippi State junior WR De'Runnya Wilson goes no further after he is knocked off his feet by S Thomas Wilson after catching a pass on 3rd and 10 during 3rd quarter at Columbia, MO. De'Runnya was held to a 6-yard gain, and the Bulldogs settled for a FG on the next play to up their lead to 24-13. Green did not get credit for a tackle here but had 3 other tackles (0-3) in the game. De'Runnya had only 4 receptions, but they gained enough yards for him to make the dread stars list as MSU improved to 7-2 with a 31-13 victory.


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11. Freshman CB Donte Jackson is wrapped up immediately as he catches a punt at the LSU 11-yard line and is dragged down by Alabama CB Minkah Fitzpatrick during 1st quarter at Tuscaloosa. You know, Donte, you are allowed to call for a fair catch. Watching this play in slow motion, it's remarkable that he didn't fumble the ball. Jackson got credit for -1 on this return and gained 6 yards on his only other return in the game. He also finished with 1 tackle (1-0).

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12. After getting a sack in the 1st quarter, junior LB Tim Williams tries for another one on 3rd and 10 early in the 4th; but QB Brandon Harris gets rid of the ball just before Williams crushes him. The pass was caught - illegally - by an offensive lineman. LSU punted on the next play. The sack Williams got earlier was his only tackle (0-1) of the evening.
Yo, Tim, you play for Alabama; how dare you have your dreads coming that far out of your helmet. Guess it's time for you to see the dreads police. 

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13. Star RBs Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette shake hands after Alabama's 30-16 victory.
      ..... Says Fournette, after being held to a season low 31 yards rushing: "Man, just be thankful you don't ever have to play against your defense."
      ..... Henry: "See you in NYC in a few weeks, right?"

It remains to be seen if they both get invited to the Heisman ceremony. Henry's campaign certainly got a big boost with his performance in this one.

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14. In a sight all too familiar to LSU fans, senior LB Lamar Louis trudges to the locker room after another LSU loss to Alabama. He finished with 4 tackles (3-1), including 1 TFL.
The victory was the Crimson Tide's 5th straight over the Tigers. their longest winning streak in the rivalry since winning 10 in a row from 1971-1981.

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15. It was a much happier time than for Louis for Colorado State senior DT Terry Jackson and his teammates following their game. Jackson raises the Bronze Boot, the trophy awarded to the winner in the Colorado State-Wyoming rivalry, after the Rams' 26-7 road victory. Jackson had 2 tackles (1-1) and 1 FR in the game. Wyoming had won the Boot 4 years in a row from 2009-12, but CSU has won it all 3 years since Jackson joined the team.

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16. Freshman RB Ronald Jones of USC breaks an attempted tackle by freshman S Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles during 2nd quarter at Los Angeles. Flannigan-Fowles had 1 tackle (1-0) in the game, while Jones had a big game, making the dread stars list for the first time and in the process setting a new USC record for most yards rushing in a game by a freshman. USC improved to 6-3, rallying from a 14-0 deficit to defeat Arizona 38-30: http://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/la-sp-usc-ronald-jones-20151109-story.html

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17. Cincinnati senior LB Leviticus Payne gets his helmet knocked off by the stiff-arm of Houston RB Kenneth Farrow as he tries to make the tackle during 3rd quarter at Houston. Payne, a former CB now playing LB despite being listed at 192 pounds, finished with 4 tackles (3-1) in the game.

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18. Junior LB Steven Taylor carries the ball after getting his 2nd INT of the season. The pick ended a Cincinnati drive that had reached the UH 39-yard line early in 4th quarter, keeping the Cougars' lead at 11. Taylor went only 5 yards on the return. Steven also had 1 PBU in the game but finished with 0 tackles.

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19. Sick senior S Trevon Stewart comes through up the middle unblocked on the blitz on 3rd and 15 and sacks QB Gunner Kiel for a 12-yard loss and a safety, upping the Cougars' lead to 30-14 with 4:54 remaining in 3rd quarter. It was the 2nd of 3 sacks Stewart had in the 2nd half. Trevon finished with 6 tackles (5-1) and I might have put him on the dread stars list had he not also given up 2 TD catches.

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20. Senior WR Chris Moore makes a leaping catch on 2nd and 9 and hangs on for the TD as he is tackled in the end zone by CB Jeremy Winchester with 5:07 remaining in the game. It was Moore's 2nd TD of the game. He also made the catch on the next play for the 2-point conversion to cut Houston's lead to 33-30. But the Bearcats got no further than their own 42-yard line on their final drive, and the Cougars held on. Despite allowing 589 total yards, Houston improved to 9-0 with the 33-30 victory.

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DREAD STARS

• Travis Greene - Bowling Green - 106 yards and 3 TD on 13 carries in 62-24 home W over Ohio
• D'Onta Foreman - Texas - 12 carries for 157 yards and 2 TD rushing in 59-20 home W over Kansas
• Alex Collins - Arkansas - 17 carries for 108 yards rushing, and had 35 yards receiving in 53-52 road W in overtime over Mississippi

• David Washington - ODU - 29 for 48 for 378 yards and 2 TD passing (1 INT), and 69 yards rushing on 12 carries in 36-31 road W over UTSA
• Trumaine Washington - Louisville - named ACC DB of the week - had career high 12 tackles (11-1), 4 TFL, 1 sack, and 1 INT which he returned 39 yards for a TD in 41-17 home W over Syracuse
• Will Fuller - Notre Dame - 7 receptions for 152 yards and 3 TD in 42-30 road W over Pittsburgh

• De'Runnya Wilson - Mississippi State - 4 receptions for 102 yards and 2 TD in 31-13 road W over Missouri
• Von Pearson - Tennessee - 8 receptions for career high 121 yards and 1 TD in 27-24 home W over South Carolina

• Darren Carrington - Oregon - 4 receptions for 112 yards in 44-28 home W over California; Ducks racked up school record 777 total yards
• Ronald Jones - USC - 19 carries for 177 yards rushing, including 74-yard TD, and 1 reception for 5-yard TD in 38-30 homecoming W over Arizona

• Al Riles - Louisiana-Lafayette - 8 receptions for career high 103 yards and 1 TD in 23-21 road W at Georgia State
• Devonte Boyd - UNLV - 6 receptions for 120 yards, including 75-yard TD, in 41-21 homecomiong W over Hawaii

• Dalvin Cook - Florida State - 21 carries for 194 yards rushing and 1 TD in 23-13 road L at Clemson
• Gerald Holmes - Michigan State - 22 carries for career high 117 yards and 1 TD in 39-38 road L to Nebraska, ending Spartans' 12-game winning streak
• Chris Moore - Cincinnati - 6 reception for 140 yards, including TD of 25 and 29 yards, in 33-30 road L to Houston
• De'Angelo Henderson - Coastal Carolina - 11 carries for 114 yards and 2 TD rushing in 46-0 home W over Gardner-Webb 
• Khalid Thomas - Alabama State - 29 carries for 139 yards rushing in 17-12 road W at Jackson State
• Tremane McCullough - Southeast Missouri State - 150 yards rushing on 19 carries in 44-15 road W over Austin Peay 

• Darius Victor - Towson - 24 carries for 101 yards and 1 TD rushing in 10-7 road W over Maine
• Damien Strange - Jacksonville - 3 receptions for 105 yards, including TD of 18 and 44 yards, in 42-12 home W over Davidson
• Anthony Ellis - Charleston Southern - named Big South defensive player of the week - 5 tackles (5-0), 4 TFL, 1 sack, and 1 FF and 1 FR (on same play) which he returned 61 yards for TD in 28-14 road W over Kennesaw State
• Darius Spruill - North Carolina Central - named MEAC co-defensive player of the week - 5 tackles (3-2) and 3 sacks, on one of which he got big FF on 2nd and goal, in 43-10 home W over Delaware State
• Jacobi Green - Richmond - 22 carries for 154 yards rushing, and 4 receptions for 85 yards, in 30-25 road L to New Hampshire

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HOUSE OF DREAD

There are still a handful of FCS game recaps I haven't gone through yet, but it looks like this is one of those rare weeks where no games had as many as 4 TD scored by players with dreads. So sit back while I grind through the 6 end zones where there where 3 TD scored by players with dreads.
At Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, OH, Bowling Green whipped Ohio 62- 24, and senior RB Travis Greene scored 3 of the Falcons' 9 TD - on runs of 11, 10, and 43 yards ..... At Heinz Field in Pittsburgh star WR Will Fuller had TD receptions of 47, 46, and 14 yards for Notre Dame in their 42-30 victory over Pittsburgh .....At Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, TN, the home of the Tennessee Volunteers, players with dreads accounted for all of the Vols' TD in their 27-24 win over South Carolina: senior WR Von Pearson had a 37-yard reception, while sophomore RB Alvin Kamara had a 4-yard run and 11-yard reception ..... At Memorial Stadium in Columbia, MO, senior RB Russell Hansbrough's aforementioned 14-yard run was not the only TD by players with dreads in Missouri's 31-13 loss to Mississippi State; junior WR De'Runnya Wilson scored twice for the Bulldogs, on receptions of 5 yards (photo above) and 28 yards ..... At Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, the Foreman brothers accounted for 3 of the Longhorns' 8 TD in their 59-20 rout of Kansas: Sophomore RB D'Onta Foreman scored on runs of 93 yards (the 3rd longest run in school history) and 9 yards, while sophomore WR Armanti Foreman had a 40-yard TD catch ..... And at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, AL, the 3 TD were scored by this week's player of the week .......
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HEAD DREAD

Will Fuller, Ronald Jones, and David Washington all earned serious consideration, but I decided to go with Derrick Henry as the best player with dreads for Week 10. Henry, the junior RB who is likely to be playing on Sundays at this time next year, rushed for 210 yards on a career high 38 carries to contribute more than his fair share to Alabama's big 30-16 victory over previously undefeated LSU.
Henry scored the Crimson Tide's 1st TD - and his 15th of the season - on a 2-yard plunge in the 2nd quarter - right after he had run for a 40-yard gain on the previous play - to make it 10-0. He also scored the Tide's 2nd TD on a 1-yard plunge (lower photo below) that finished off a 28-yard drive following an LSU turnover, upping Alabama's lead to 20-10 early in the 3rd quarter. He then scored his 3rd TD on a 7-yard run late in the 3rd.
Derrick was not perfect (and with so many carries, that's hardly a surprise). His fumble at the Alabama 22-yard line early in the 4th set up a short TD drive for LSU that got the Tigers back into the game at 30-16 with 9:18 remaining. But LSU would get no closer and in fact would never get the ball back again, as Henry rushed for 78 yards and 4 first downs on 10 carries on Alabama's next drive, which moved the ball from their own 4-yard line to the LSU 16 and was still in progress when time expired. Now that's how you finish a game.
An article (link below) from the Birmingham News website summarizes Henry's big game and also includes a video of his interview after the game if you'd like to hear him.
http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2015/11/derrick_henry_makes_statement.html

The win, coupled with Mississippi's loss to Arkansas, moves Alabama (8-1, 5-1) into the driver's seat in the SEC West race. And Henry's 210 yards, which upped his season total to 1,254, keeps him front and center in consideration for the Heisman. So, the best may be yet to come for both Derrick and the Tide.