(6-0) #8 Miami 39 @ (3-2) California 38
College Gameday visited Berekely for the first time ever this past week. The ACC betting favorite, Miami Hurricanes, went into the game looking to follow up their dramatic win over Virginia Tech. On the other hand, the California Golden Bears were seeking their first-ever ACC victory after losing their contest with Florida St. Each team scored a first-quarter touchdown but a pair of Jaydyn Ott touchdowns, a Nohl Williams pick-six, and a Chandler Roberts TD put the Bears up 25 points very quickly. Damien Martinez, who finished with 93 yards, punched in a score, but the Bears kicked through a field goal to put them up 20 points, giving them a 99% chance to win. Late in the game, Cam Ward turned on his X-factor and scored touchdowns on three consecutive 70+ yard drives in the final 10 minutes. The Canes won 39-38, pulling off an improbable comeback. Cam Ward delivered a Heisman-worthy performance finishing with 452 yards including 277 yards and 3 TDs in the fourth quarter.
(4-1) #9 Missouri: 10 @ (5-1) #25 Texas A&M: 41
In the only ranked matchup of Week Six, the ninth-ranked, yet underwhelming, Missouri Tigers took on the 25th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, who have won every game since losing their week 1 affair with Notre Dame. The Aggies went up 24 at the half and didn’t look back. Texas A&M added insult to injury when RB Le’Veon Moss, the breakout star with a career-high day in yards and touchdowns, ran in a 75-yard touchdown. The Aggies outgained the Tigers by 258 yards as QB Conor Weigman completed 82% of his passes and accounted for 309 total yards in a flawless performance. In comparison, QB Brady Cook completed just 42% of his passes, generating just 197 yards while Nate Noel was neutralized by the Texas A&M defense, accounting for just 30 yards on the ground. The Aggies will look to build off this performance as they travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State next week in what should be an easy victory. Missouri faces UMass in their last nonconference affair.
(4-1) #4 Tennessee: 14 @ (4-2) Arkansas: 19
After a week off, the red-hot Tennessee Volunteers, fresh off an impressive win at Oklahoma, took to Fayetteville to face the Arkansas Razorbacks. The first half was a defensive struggle, finishing 3-0 in favor of Arkansas. This was before star running back Dylan Sampson woke up, who finished with 138 yards, and punched in two touchdowns over a 4:14 span early in the second half. The Volunteers failed to score again. With ten minutes left Malachi Singleton, the freshman quarterback took over for the injured Taylen Green and he ran in the winning touchdown with 1:17 left. The Razorbacks prevailed through supremacy in the passing game as Green and Singleton completed 70% of their passes for 297 yards with no picks. To compare, Iamalaeva, the 5-star Freshman, completed just 59% of his passes for 158 yards and was sacked four times. Heupel will look to lead Tennessee to a big win against bitter rival Florida in a Checkerboard Neyland game while Sam Pittman and Arkansas have the week off after the biggest win in their young careers.
(4-1) #1 Alabama: 35 @ (3-2) Vanderbilt: 40
Perennial powerhouse #1 Alabama arrived in Nashville on a roll after a huge win over Georgia while the Vanderbilt Commodores were coming off a 2OT heartbreaker to Mizzou. Vanderbilt came out on fire, taking a 23-7 lead in the second quarter before Alabama cut the lead to two before wide receivers Junior Sherill and Ryan Williams traded deep touchdown passes in the third quarter. A field goal, forced fumble, and touchdown pass were too much for Milroe to overcome and the Commodores secured their first-ever win over a top 5 opponent after 60 consecutive losses. Vanderbilt was fueled by Diego Pavia, the Senior transfer, who threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns in the biggest win in program history. The Crimson Tide struggled defensively, not forcing a single turnover and allowing Vanderbilt to score 40 for the first time in SEC play since 2018. Vanderbilt will look to build on this performance against Kentucky while Alabama looks to bounce back against South Carolina.
(4-2) #10 Michigan: 17 @ (4-2) Washington: 27
In a repeat of last season’s national championship, the Michigan Wolverines came to Husky Stadium in what should have been an easy win, however, Washington got revenge and shockingly upset the Wolverines. Washington went up 14-0 early after Will Rogers threw for two scores early but Michigan came storming back to take the lead heading into the 4th quarter. The Huskies scored 13 unanswered fourth-quarter points to beat Michigan 27-17 in the rematch. The Wolverines continued to struggle to pass the ball, completing 52% of their passes and throwing for just 113 yards while Washington eclipsed 300 yards in the air. Michigan has a week to figure things out before their game vs. Illinois while Washington takes on a strong Iowa Hawkeye team.
Bests of the Week
Game: Miami @ Cal
Upset: Alabama @ Vanderbilt
Team: Vanderbilt
Worst: Missouri
Legendary Performance: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt QB
Dominating Performance: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State RB
Clutch Performance: Cam Ward, Miami QB
Game to Look Forward To: (5-0) #3 Ohio State vs. (5-0) #6 Oregon