US LBM Coaches Poll: Georgia and Clemson on two very different paths
Week 1 of the college football season is in the books and the US LBM Coaches Poll provides us with an early look at how this season could play out.
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Two Top 10 teams and College Football Playoff participants from a year ago will step on the field at Michigan Stadium on Saturday in a highly anticipated SEC-Big Ten showdown.
Early Heisman Trophy candidate Quinn Ewers and No. 3 Texas will head to the Big House to take on No. 9 Michigan, last season’s defending champions in a game that could very well play a big role in the Playoff picture.
The Longhorns shredded Colorado State in Week 1, racking up 52 points and 545 total yards in a game during which the starters were removed late in the third quarter. Ewers threw three touchdowns passes (two to Matthew Golden) and completed 20-of-27 passes for 260 yards. Backup Arch Manning was 5 for 6 for 95 yards and a TD pass, and added a rushing score in relief of Ewers.
USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest updates, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more throughout the game. Follow along.
After a Michigan field goal, Texas took six plays to take total control of the game. Gunner Helm caught a 22-yard pass and Ryan Wingo took a reserve and sprinted 55 yards to get instead the 5-yard line.
Quinn Ewers (23-33, 243 yards) threw his third touchdown of the game, a 7-yarder to Jaydon Blue, who was left wide open on the left side to make it 31-6 in favor of the Longhorns.
Michigan is not being overly aggressive, continuing to stick with the run for the most part. Dominic Zvada nailed a 52-yard field goal, capping off a nine-play, 41-yard drive. The big play game on the possession came on 3rd-and-10 on a Colton Loveland 24-yard catch. The Wolverines are 2-8 on third down and have 73 passing and 73 rushing yards.
After the Wolverines punt again after five plays on their first possession of the season half, Texas did the exact same thing, going five plays before having to punt the football away.
Michigan tight end Colston Loveland was hit after a catch and fumbled, with Jahdae Barron scooping up the ball, Texas started on the Michigan 44. Ewers hit Jaydon Blue on first down for 19 and found Matthew Golden for another nine yards.
Golden then caught a 5-yard touchdown from Ewers, extending the lead to 24-3 just before halftime.
The Wolverines were held to 90 total yards in the first half and only had four first downs.
After Michigan quarterback Alex Orji was interception by Texas defensive back Andrew Mukuba, Texas took advantage going 29 yards and settling for a 26-yard field goal by Bert Auburn, making it 17-3.
Ewers is 14-22 for 165 yards, with gunner helm catching six passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. The Longhorns, who have 237 total yards in the first half, have been flagged four times, each by offensive lineman Cameron Williams.
Texas put on its big boy pants, led by Quintrevion Wisner, who ran for 21 yards with an 18-yard catch on the drive. The Longhorns extended the lead on a Jerrick Gibson 7-yard run, to cap the 12-play, 76-yard march.
Donovan Edwards was the bellcow on the Wolverines’ 55-yard scoring drive, running for 28 yards on five carries. After being stuffed on 3rd and 3, Michigan cashed in on a 37-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada.
A 28-yard punt by Michigan put Texas in good field position, starting their second possession on their own 44.
The Longhorns quickly went to work with a Gunnar Helm 22-yard catch and Helm capped off the drive with a 21-yard touchdown catch. The six-play, 56 yard drive took 3:06 off the clock.
Quinn Ewers is 9-12 for 103 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.
Texas won the coin toss and took the ball. The Longhorns, more than a touchdown favorite, went 3-for-4 on third downs, with an Isaiah Bond 33-yard catch on 3rd-and-13, a Bond 7-yard catch on 3rd-and-5 and Quinn Ewers scrambling for 8 yards on 3rd-and-7.
Texas was penalized three times on the drive including a holding penalty that nullified a touchdown and had to settle for a 42-yard field goal attempt by Bert Auburn, which was pushed wide right.
Here’s who our staff is predicting will win this matchup, and other Top 25 games for this week:
Here are the kickoff times and TV info for Top 25 teams in the US LBM Coaches Poll. (All times are Eastern):
This will be only the second meeting between the Wolverines and Longhorns. The last time these two teams met was in the 2005 Rose Bowl, which Texas won 38-37 on a 37-yard field goal by Dusty Mangum as time expired.
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Just one week into the college football season and there’s some significant changes for the USA TODAY Sports bowl projections. A big week by Miami (Fla.) moves the Hurricanes into position to be ACC champions, and Missouri now rates as the fourth SEC team after questions were raised about Oklahoma. — Erick Smith
The state of Florida schools and their college football fortunes are going different directions after the opening weekend of the season. Miami went into the Swamp and routed Florida, adding more pressure to the hot seat of Gators coach Billy Napier. Two days later, Florida State suffered its second ACC loss of the season in a humbling defeat at home to Boston College. The Seminoles started the season ranked No. 10 and are now out of the US LBM Coaches poll.
Dan Wolken and Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports discuss these topics and more in this week’s version of the College Football Fix.
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