The final week of September is when school soccer really begins to go off the rails. Each staff is within the midst of convention play and the primary marquee video games of the league slate present up on our radars.
Fortunately, No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Alabama gave us one of the entertaining common season contests the final a number of years because the Tide shocked the ‘Dawgs 41-34. The truth is, six ranked groups fell in Week 5.
With all of the chaos, listed here are among the greatest winners and losers of school soccer’s Week 5, together with a coach elevating himself to the elite degree, a receiver getting into the Biletnikoff race and a workers as soon as once more pulling defeat from the jaws of victory in really unprecedented vogue.
Winner: Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer
SEC followers are skeptical of outsiders, and for good purpose. There have been a couple of questions for Kalen DeBoer, a person who had by no means coached nearer to the Southeast than Carbondale, Illinois. Contemplate all of these questions answered after the Tide raced out to a 28-0 lead and held on to beat the mighty Georgia Bulldogs 41-34 within the recreation of the 12 months to this point.
DeBoer is an elite quarterback coach, however Jalen Milroe exceeded has expectations. He is the primary quarterback in AP ballot historical past to submit 300 yards passing, 100 yards speeding and two speeding scores in opposition to a top-5 opponent. Whereas Georgia managed to get again on monitor within the second half, Kane Wommack’s protection held the Bulldogs to three.1 yards per carry and compelled three interceptions on Carson Beck, together with a game-clincher ultimately zone by freshman Zabien Brown.
Granted, DeBoer must take some classes from this recreation. He tends to let off the fuel early and let groups again into video games. Within the SEC, that will not fly. It almost value them on Saturday. However now, DeBoer is a cool 30-3 as an influence convention coach and 6-0 in opposition to Kirby Sensible, Steve Sarkisian and Dan Lanning. Welcome to the elite coaches tier, Kalen.
After dropping to Arkansas final week, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze claimed that if the sport was performed 9 extra instances, he believes they might win each time. Perhaps he’ll really feel the identical after an astonishing 27-21 loss to Oklahoma that noticed the Tigers blow a 21-10 lead within the fourth quarter at house. Auburn outgained Oklahoma by almost 200 yards, however squandered the sport because of a decide six by Payton Thorne within the fourth quarter.
Underneath Freeze, Auburn has put collectively a masterclass in dropping winnable video games over the previous two years. To this point this 12 months, the Tigers have arguably outplayed California, Arkansas and Oklahoma solely to lose. A 12 months prior, the Tigers blew fourth-and-31 in opposition to Alabama and suffered a three-touchdown loss in opposition to New Mexico State. Auburn is already a foul staff. The very last thing they want is to lose video games during which they really play properly. Discovering Even two extra wins on the schedule is terribly troublesome. Fielding the worst season since Gene Chizik was fired is on the desk.
Oh, and by the way in which, it would not assist that Alabama changed the very best coach of all time with one other legend within the making. Freeze is on monitor to turn into the primary Auburn coach to submit three straight dropping seasons since Earl Brown from 1948-50.
The Working Rebels have been the discuss of school soccer for all of the strangest causes after beginning quarterback Matthew Sluka opted out of the remainder of the season days earlier than an enormous recreation in opposition to Fresno State. It seems UNLV backup Hajj-Malik Williams was greater than prepared for his shut up.
UNLV took out all its frustrations in opposition to the Bulldogs, obliterating FSU 59-14 behind 300 whole yards and 4 touchdowns from an almost good Williams. The Rebels led 21-0 on the half and by no means seemed again to as soon as once more set up itself as the highest contender to Boise State within the Mountain West. Extra importantly, they relieved any query of whether or not this system is able to keep within the Faculty Soccer Playoff race after a quarterback change.
The Rebels put an amazing funding into their 2024 roster and have been rewarded with a No. 6 nationwide rating because of this. It took one recreation in opposition to a succesful opponent for all the things to return crashing down. The Rebels choked away a lead within the fourth quarter and whiffed on a makeable area aim that may have compelled additional time to snap a 10-game house successful streak relationship again to Nov. 24, 2022.
Whereas the staff efficiency was disappointing, the trail it units up is way worse. All of a sudden, highway journeys to South Carolina and No. 14 LSU really feel far tougher. A house recreation in opposition to No. 2 Georgia shall be no cakewalk. The Rebels have little or no margin of error to remain within the dialog of elite groups.
Expectations for Smith have been off the charts coming into his first season at Ohio State. In his first Massive Ten recreation, a 38-7 win over Michigan State, Smith exceeded these hopes. The freshman and former No. 1 recruit had his manner with the Spartans, knocking down a pair of highlight-reel one-handed catches and including a 19-yard rush for a landing as properly. Ohio State got here into the season with a gap subsequent to Emeka Egbuka at receiver and Smith has already stepped into it. His subsequent recreation in opposition to Iowa shall be an actual check to see if he can get into the Biletnikoff or Heisman race.
Loser: Baylor coach Dave Aranda
The Bears misplaced a real heartbreaker in additional time in opposition to Colorado in Week 4. Sadly, the emotional hangover value them a must-win recreation in opposition to No. 22 BYU. The Cougars went up 21-0 within the first quarter, which in the end proved to be too massive a deficit in a 34-28 house loss. The Bears had two go-ahead drive alternatives within the waning minutes, however they ended with a turnover on downs and interception. Whereas the Bears are definitely improved from final season, the identical unhealthy developments proceed to point out up in massive moments for Aranda groups. With a 2-3 begin, the Bears are properly behind the eight ball on the subject of reaching a bowl recreation. A highway journey to No. 18 Iowa State subsequent week may very well be a rock-bottom second for Aranda’s tenure.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti talked an enormous recreation every time he took the job, however outcomes have come quicker than anybody may have dreamed. The Hoosiers shocked Maryland 42-28 to achieve 5-0 for the primary time since 1967. Whereas the record of opponents would not leap off the web page, Indiana’s dominance does. With a two-touchdown win in opposition to the Terrapins, Indiana is outscoring FBS competitors by 26.3 factors per recreation. With video games in opposition to Northwestern, Nebraska, Washington and Michigan State developing, the Hoosiers have an opportunity so as to add to the win column earlier than marquee matchups in opposition to No. 12 Michigan and No. 3 Ohio State late within the 12 months. Calling this effort the best-case state of affairs is underselling it. Indiana is breaking the size.
Winner: SMU
The Mustangs’ first ever ACC convention recreation at Gerald Ford Stadium in opposition to league energy Florida State went swimmingly. SMU tight finish RJ Maryland caught a pair of second-half touchdowns from Kevin Jennings because the Mustangs pulled away for a 42-16 victory to begin their energy convention tenure 1-0. Since Brashard Smith took over at working again, the Mustangs have run the ball with much more consistency. Smith cleared 129 yards and a landing within the win as a part of a 200-plus-yard speeding effort in opposition to a stable FSU entrance. Maybe simply as encouraging, BYU’s 2-0 begin in Massive 12 play helps SMU’s lone nonconference loss look just a little bit extra palatable. If Louisville falls out of the rankings, the Mustangs is not going to have a single ranked opponent remaining on the schedule and a clear shot to cope with Miami and Clemson for a spot within the ACC Championship Sport.
Winner: The Troops
Do not look now however Military and Navy have taken properly to taking part in in the identical convention for the primary time in historical past. The final time that each packages began 4-0 was in 1945, the waning years of World Struggle II. Navy crushed UAB to maneuver to 3-0 in AAC play, whereas Military reached the mark with a 42-14 victory over Temple on Friday. Each have very manageable schedules forward. May we get two sudden iterations of Military-Navy in back-to-back weeks?
