LSU’s collapse, Texas A&M’s resurgence underneath Mike Elko headline Week 9 school soccer winners and losers

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All of the dialogue surrounding the ACC, not less than on the nationwide degree, has centered round Clemson and Miami. It’s comprehensible — the Tigers have dominated since a Week 1 loss to Georgia whereas the Hurricanes stay unbeaten regardless of a few shut calls. That appears to be the possible ACC Championship matchup, and the loser may have a shot at a Faculty Soccer Playoff at-large bid, as nicely.

However there’s one other ACC staff in that blend that hasn’t misplaced a recreation this season and passes the attention check but has not garnered the identical consideration: the Pittsburgh Panthers. Pat Narduzzi’s staff sits at No. 18 within the AP Prime 25 this week, the bottom of any unbeaten Energy 4 squad.

Maybe it’s time we begin speaking about Pitt significantly.

Dealing with off towards Syracuse in a Thursday night time recreation that appeared prefer it may very well be tough, the Panthers dominated in a 41-13 win. They solely managed 217 yards of offense, however that was all they wanted because the protection got here up with 5 interceptions towards Kyle McCord, three of which had been returned for scores.

However when it’s wanted, the offense nonetheless appears to be like fairly good. Eli Holstein, who solely threw for 108 yards however was environment friendly and tossed two touchdowns, stays one of many prime switch signal-callers in school soccer this season. The Panthers have additionally run the ball successfully with Western Carolina switch Desmond Reid.

We’ll know much more about this staff after subsequent week when it faces one other under-discussed ACC contender in SMU. The winner of that recreation will cling round within the convention title image, and if it’s Pitt, that would arrange a Week 12 dwelling matchup towards Clemson with legit ACC title and CFP implications.

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I’ll give Mizzou a little bit of a move right here as quarterback Brady Prepare dinner, who was a game-time choice towards Alabama with an ankle damage and in the end exited the sport after struggling an unrelated hand damage, was not capable of go the entire means whereas main rusher Nate Noel was additionally out.

However that excuse is simply going to take this staff up to now.

It’s not like the problems we noticed on Saturday in an embarrassing 34-0 loss to an Alabama staff coping with a whole lot of its personal issues had been something new for the Tigers. Even with a (comparatively) wholesome Prepare dinner, the offense by no means obtained getting in a blowout loss to a gifted Texas A&M protection.

However it’s actually regarding that Missouri couldn’t spark something in any respect with Drew Pyne, who threw three interceptions, towards an Alabama protection that had appeared shaky at finest in current weeks, and it’s not like Prepare dinner was setting the world on fireplace when he was in there — he had accomplished simply seven passes for 30 yards when he exited.

Luther Burden III, among the best receivers within the nation, was primarily MIA within the loss. He totaled simply three catches for as many yards.

There was a whole lot of hype round this staff coming into the season, and it was justified. The Tigers returned a whole lot of items from a staff that received 11 video games final yr together with the Cotton Bowl over Ohio State. However issues simply aren’t the identical this fall.

Drinkwitz’s staff was handed a simple schedule by new SEC requirements, and it has obviously failed each its main exams up to now. Whereas Mizzou hasn’t been eradicated from the CFP race, not less than nominally, there’s a motive this staff is barely clinging on to a spot within the prime 25 regardless of a 6-2 report within the SEC.

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In hindsight, the components for a profitable Yr 1 at Texas A&M had been there for Mike Elko. He inherited a roster that, regardless of portal attrition, was nonetheless loaded with blue chips. He additionally added to that expertise pool with a powerful portal class of his personal that introduced in skilled gamers all around the protection.

However I’m undecided anybody noticed this staff gelling collectively in addition to it has, and the Aggies appear to be rounding into kind on the proper time. Since a loss to Notre Dame in Week 1 — which initially aged very poorly however appears to be like loads higher now — that is perhaps the most well liked staff in America.

The Aggies have all the time been gifted. That was actually the case underneath Jimbo Fisher, as nicely. However Saturday night time’s win illustrated the distinction between this program underneath Fisher in comparison with Elko.

Texas A&M appeared useless within the water at halftime. It trailed by 10, was getting torched by LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and couldn’t muster something on offense with Conner Weigman. Then, Weigman was swapped for Marcel Reed, who began a number of video games earlier this yr when Weigman was harm, and every thing modified.

Reed instantly sparked the offense together with his dashing skill, main scoring drives each time he touched the ball within the second half. The protection responded to the change in vitality, placing strain on Nussmeier he hasn’t seen this season. The Tigers’ offense stalled, and Nussmeier was compelled into three interceptions that had been each ugly and very pricey.

It was a second half of dominant, complementary soccer for the Aggies after the break. That’s what well-coached groups do.

Elko has turned this staff into the SEC frontrunner coming into November and has likelihood of incomes a CFP bid in Yr 1. $76 million nicely spent, I suppose.

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The parallels between the Tigers and Aggies coming into Saturday’s recreation had been fairly clear. Each misplaced matchups to ranked energy convention opponents in Week 1 and hadn’t misplaced since, seeming to be enhancing each step of the way in which.

For the primary half-hour on Saturday, it appeared like LSU could be the one to announce itself in primetime on a nationwide stage as Brian Kelly hoped his third staff in Baton Rouge would lastly be the one to recover from the CFP hump. However after the Tigers’ second-half collapse, these hopes are all however useless.

Nussmeier was almost flawless main the offense within the first half, however the staff totaled simply 17 factors thanks partially to a pair of missed subject objectives, considered one of which was resulting from a nasty snap. These errors got here again to chew LSU within the second half when Texas A&M made defensive changes and a quarterback change the Tigers inexplicably had no solutions for regardless of there being loads of movie on the market on Reed.

All of it fell aside when the groups got here out of the locker room. Nussmeier, who has operated from a clear pocket almost all season and was sacked simply as soon as coming into the sport, was introduced down twice and pressured fairly just a few extra occasions. It resulted in inaccuracy and questionable decision-making.

The turnovers didn’t assist the trigger, nor did one other failed subject objective try resulting from an operational mishap within the second half, nevertheless it was in the end the protection’s lack of ability to regulate to a working quarterback that proved deadly on this recreation.

Whereas the Tigers are nonetheless technically alive within the postseason race with a 6-2 report, the margin for error is gone. Meaning a house recreation towards Alabama and its professional dashing risk on the quarterback place with Jalen Milroe is now a must-win when the Tigers return from a bye in two weeks.

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• Boise State: The Broncos outlasted UNLV to stay in pole place for the Group of 5’s playoff spot. Nevertheless, there’s likelihood it received’t be the final time these two groups face off.
• USC: It’s already in all probability a misplaced season for Lincoln Riley, however issues may have actually spiraled with a house loss to Rutgers. USC didn’t let that occur and took care of enterprise with a win on Friday night time.
• Indiana: With Faculty GameDay on the town, the Hoosiers had little situation dispatching Washington even with quarterback Kurtis Rourke lacking the sport. Indiana is 8-0, and it doesn’t matter what occurs towards Ohio State in just a few weeks, this staff has a fairly clear path to make the CFP.
• Alabama: As unusual as that is to write down, this was a Crimson Tide staff that desperately wanted to win and accomplish that convincingly. They obtained what they had been in search of towards Mizzou because the protection lastly confirmed out.
• Baylor: It could be a bit too little too late for Dave Aranda, however the Bears are getting higher and have now notched back-to-back wins over Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. There’s a transparent path to bowl eligibility, and that may very well be sufficient to purchase one other yr for this workers in Waco.
• Penn State: Wisconsin isn’t among the many scariest Large Ten applications, nevertheless it’s been enjoying very nicely in current weeks, and successful in Madison is rarely straightforward. Props to the Nittany Lions for overcoming an early deficit and an damage that knocked Drew Allar out of the sport to win by 15.
• Auburn: Coach Hugh Freeze’s staff has squandered so many winnable video games this season, nevertheless it lastly obtained a lead and held it in a street win towards Kentucky. The Wildcats are a multitude proper now, however this was a recreation Auburn completely needed to have.
• Colorado: It’s possible you’ll not wish to hear it, however the Buffaloes stay quietly very competent and are a lot improved in Yr 2 of Prime Time. They took down a stable Cincinnati squad on Saturday to maneuver to 6-2 on the season and clinch bowl eligibility.

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• Syracuse QB Kyle McCord: The Ohio State switch is having a pleasant season together with his new staff, however Thursday night time’s loss is one he’ll wish to rapidly neglect as he tossed 5 (!) interceptions with three returned for touchdowns.
• Navy: The Navy story has been enjoyable, however the Midshipmen ran out of magic towards Notre Dame in a 51-14 blowout loss. This staff has been nice at caring for the soccer, however on Saturday, it had six complete turnovers together with 5 misplaced fumbles. Navy continues to be an AAC contender, however that simply isn’t successful soccer.
• Virginia: The Cavaliers are having a pleasant season in Yr 3 underneath Tony Elliott, however Saturday’s blowout loss at dwelling towards a struggling North Carolina staff with a doubtlessly lame-duck coach was actually a setback.
• Maryland: The Terps had a pleasant win at dwelling over USC in Week 8, however that victory has been sandwiched by blowout losses to Northwestern and Minnesota, which isn’t precisely splendid.
• Rice coach Mike Bloomgren: The Owls opted to half methods with Bloomgren after seven seasons through which he had a 24-52 general report. Bloomgren led the staff to back-to-back bowl video games within the final two years — although it completed 5-8 in 2022 — however Rice will transfer on after a 2-6 begin this fall.
• Oklahoma State: Issues have formally come off the rails utterly in Stillwater. A Cowboys staff that was anticipated to compete for the Large 12 with returning starters all around the subject has regressed massively, sitting in useless final within the convention with a 0-5 report (3-5 general). A loss to a Baylor workers on the new seat was the most recent embarrassment in a monumentally disappointing season for Oklahoma State.
• Texas Tech: The Pink Raiders began 5-1 and gave the impression to be on observe for a much-needed profitable Yr 4 for coach Joey McGuire. Now, after struggling back-to-back losses to Baylor and TCU, blowing a 31-14 lead towards the latter, I’m not so certain.
• Utah: It’s formally a misplaced season at Utah. Coach Kyle Whittingham’s staff fell on a late subject objective to a moribund Houston staff, and it’s clear this staff simply was not ready for a actuality the place a wholesome Cam Rising isn’t an possibility. Utah was a typical decide to win the Large 12, however now sitting at 4-4, bowl eligibility is in critical jeopardy with BYU, Colorado and Iowa State up subsequent.
• Kentucky: The Wildcats don’t seem to be the identical staff that shocked Ole Miss and took Georgia to the wire. Within the final two video games, they had been torched by a Florida offense led by a real freshman quarterback and fell at dwelling by two scores to an Auburn staff that couldn’t purchase a win. After Mark Stoops tried to bolt for Texas A&M this previous offseason, I can’t assist however marvel in regards to the state of this marriage in Lexington.
• Duke: I can’t consider many issues extra brutal than shedding a recreation that might have saved you within the ACC title race through which you compelled six turnovers. That’s the fact the Blue Devils reside in after an extra time loss to ranked SMU.