This article is part of our The Spread Offensive series.
The first weekend of college football was followed with a real dud. Let's be honest; it was mostly Power 5 schools padding their statistics. This weekend features four games between ranked opponents. Hallelujah. However, there were some notable performances by a few notable characters during Week 2.
Worst Performance in a Supporting Role, Week 2: Officials, Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State
If there is anything that Sesame Street taught me as a little kid, it is that everyone makes mistakes. Oh yes they do. Referees make mistakes, too. Let's just say the zebras from this game made more than just a slight boo-boo, though.
Oklahoma State committed intentional grounding on fourth down with no time left on the clock, leading 27-24. Despite the oddness of the play, the game should have been over. Instead, the officials awarded an untimed down to Central Michigan. CMU then threw a Hail Mary that was caught around the 10-yard line; the receiver, with his back to the end zone, pitched a ball to a sprinting teammate coming down the field. The Cowboys did not have enough time to react. Six points. Chippewas win. On a play that never should have happened in the first place. Let's just say OSU head coach Mike Gundy, he of "I'm a man" speech fame, was not enthused.
Worst Performance in a Leading Role, Week 2: Brandon Harris, QB, LSU
Harris must look dynamic in practice. Oozing athleticism. Big arm. Quick feet. Whatever he shows in practice seems
The first weekend of college football was followed with a real dud. Let's be honest; it was mostly Power 5 schools padding their statistics. This weekend features four games between ranked opponents. Hallelujah. However, there were some notable performances by a few notable characters during Week 2.
Worst Performance in a Supporting Role, Week 2: Officials, Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State
If there is anything that Sesame Street taught me as a little kid, it is that everyone makes mistakes. Oh yes they do. Referees make mistakes, too. Let's just say the zebras from this game made more than just a slight boo-boo, though.
Oklahoma State committed intentional grounding on fourth down with no time left on the clock, leading 27-24. Despite the oddness of the play, the game should have been over. Instead, the officials awarded an untimed down to Central Michigan. CMU then threw a Hail Mary that was caught around the 10-yard line; the receiver, with his back to the end zone, pitched a ball to a sprinting teammate coming down the field. The Cowboys did not have enough time to react. Six points. Chippewas win. On a play that never should have happened in the first place. Let's just say OSU head coach Mike Gundy, he of "I'm a man" speech fame, was not enthused.
Worst Performance in a Leading Role, Week 2: Brandon Harris, QB, LSU
Harris must look dynamic in practice. Oozing athleticism. Big arm. Quick feet. Whatever he shows in practice seems to disappear in games. Harris is now a junior, and coach Les Miles is still waiting for the former highly touted recruit to live up to his lofty potential. Myles would even take a mediocre game at this point. Harris went 12-of-21 for 131 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the season-opening loss to Wisconsin. Pedestrian numbers, certainly. But Harris would bounce back against lowly Jacksonville State, right? Wrong. Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette sat this game out, that's how confident the Tigers were. Wrong. Yet Harris started the game 1-for-4 for eight yards and was subsequently benched. Against a team from the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Tigers went on to roll over the Panthers behind Purdue transfer Danny Etling, but Harris might be running out of rope. The only saving grace for Harris is that Myles may have no other choice if Etling struggles too. Still, the smart move would be to simply lean on Fournette and one of college football's best backups, Derrius Guice. The latter could start for most schools.
Best Performance in a Supporting Role, Week 2:Mark Walton, RB, Miami
Walton rushed 17 times for 155 yards and four touchdowns in Saturday's 38-10 win over FAU. That was his second consecutive 100-yard game to open the season. True, Miami has had a cupcake schedule. However, Appalachian State took Tennessee to the limit in the season opener, so the upcoming game in Week 3 looks far more interesting than when the slate first came out. Walton has 271 yards rushing and five scores while essentially splitting carries with Joseph Yearby. Another 100-yard game should be in the works, and it is going to become harder and harder to keep the ball out of Walton's hands if he keeps running like a man possessed. The best news for Miami is that the Canes are 2-0 and star quarterback Brad Kaaya has not quite found his rhythm just yet.
Best Performance in a Leading Role, Week 2: Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
Don't look now, but the Aztecs have won 12 games in a row dating to last season. Pumphrey put up some Herculean numbers in the 45-40 upset win of the Cal Bears. He rushed for 281 yards. Yes, you read that correctly. In the process, he passed Marshall Faulk to become the all-time leader in rushing yards at SDSU. The senior found the end zone three times in the triumph. Despite being only 5-foot-9, 180, Pumphrey has rushed for more than 1,600 yards and more than 15 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. He appears well on his way to duplicating those numbers in 2016.
As an aside, this was the only game against a Power 5 team for the Aztecs. They do not play Boise State, and as a result could be yet another squad to watch in pursuit of an undefeated season and a possible shakeup in the rankings.
Still Too Early Heisman Watch:
1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville - Jackson is third in the nation in rushing yards. He scored four touchdowns on the ground against Syracuse last Friday. Did I mention he also threw for 411 yards in that game? This guy's good. This guy's really good. Oh, and if you haven't seen him leap a small defender in a single bound for a touchdown, I suggest you Google that. This week's matchup with Florida State should be a dandy, and Jackson's first real test from a legitimate defense.
2. DeShone Kizer, QB, Notre Dame - Followed up scintillating performance at Texas with three more touchdowns in less than a full game. The fact that Brian Kelly wanted to rotate the two quarterbacks is looking more foolish by the minute. Kizer appears NFL-ready at this point. Michigan State's defense should be a big test for Kizer. Notre Dame's schedule this season is brutal, with Stanford and Miami still to come.
3. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech - If we're going on pure numbers, Mahomes is putting up some eye-popping stats. He has more than 1,000 yards passing in two games. More than 100 yards rushing. 12 touchdowns. The system and the eventual mediocre record of Texas Tech will hurt him as the season wears on, though.
4. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State - Oklahoma's defense looked suspect in Week 1, as Houston quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. carved up the Sooners. Barrett tossed six touchdown passes in Week 1 and brings his dual-threat ability to town in one of four games between ranked opponents this weekend. Don't expect Urban Meyer to take his foot off the gas pedal. Remember, Barrett was Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2014, and runner-up for Player of the Year in the conference, before suffering a gruesome lower leg injury and losing his job to Cardale Jones, which started the subsequent quarterback circus in 2015. Now Jones is in the NFL and Barrett has the reins of the Buckeye offense all to himself.
