The Huddle: College football notes and quotes
Each week during the season, visit the Huddle for the latest in college football news, notes, conversation and opinion.
This is notable
Keep your eyes on the quarterbacks Saturday when No. 3 Louisville (4-0) faces No. 5 Clemson (4-0). The Cardinals’ Lamar Jackson is the surprise player of the season, so far. He has passed for 1,330 yards and 13 touchdowns and has rushed for 526 yards and 12 touchdowns. Clemson’s DeShaun Watson hasn’t put up those kinds of numbers, but 996 yards passing and nine touchdowns is nothing to be ashamed of. Plus, Watson knows how to pull out a big victory. He did it last season against four top 25 teams and led the Tigers to the College Football Playoff championship game.
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No. 8 Wisconsin is 4-0 with victories over two top 10 teams — then-No. 5 Louisiana State and then-No. 8 Michigan State — for the first time since 1962. Badgers first-year defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox’s unit has surrendered just three touchdowns and their 30-6 victory over Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich., marked just the second time in Spartans history that they did not score a touchdown at home.
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That’s a flop
No Oscar for you, Tennessee safety Rashaan Gaulden.
Gaulden dramatically fell on his back Saturday during the Volunteers’ second-half comeback against Florida, but upon review his acting didn’t hold up.
Florida’s Brandon Powell was ejected for swinging at Gaulden and would have been suspended for the first half of this week’s game, but the Southeastern Conference reviewed the incident and overturned the call.
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That was tweet
“The people that want to understand will listen … we must [not] worry about changing all ppl, but we must make enough decent ppl better ppl!”
—Michael Rose-Ivey (@Rose_IveyNB15)
The Nebraska player took a knee with two teammates during the national anthem Saturday and Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts took exception, calling the protest a “disgrace” and “disrespectful.” Rose-Ivey tweeted to Ricketts that he would like to discuss the issue, which has sparked more conversation about racial injustice. Even actress Gabrielle Union chimed in, giving Rose-Ivey a retweet. Rose-Ivey and the governor agreed to meet and talk next week.
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“Couldn’t be prouder. #4thandshort”
—Kyle Whittingham (@UtahCoachWhitt)
If only other coaches had the guts to attempt a fourth-down conversion that could lead to a game-winning touchdown, instead of attempting a game-tying field goal (or punting), then more fan bases would be proud. Less than an hour after defeating USC, 31-27, the Utah coach commended his team on a job well done. The undefeated Utes were four of four on fourth down.
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“I’m so stressed this is starting to feel like the HACKETT years.”
—Keyshawn Johnson (@keyshawn), accompanied by a photo of Traveler wearing the Internet-famous “Crying Jordan” face.
Less than a year after the former USC All-American receiver stood at practice imploring players to work hard for Clay Helton so that he could be named permanent coach, Johnson is comparing Helton to one of the worst coaches in USC history. Paul Hackett had a record of 19-18 in three seasons.
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Hot off the presser
“I don’t have to be a lunatic on the sideline and throw chairs and do that kind of stuff. But they have to feel that from me as well.”
—Brian Kelly
Notre Dame is 1-3, defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder has been fired and now Kelly has vowed to put the “Fighting” back in “Fighting Irish” … or something like that. Kelly was known for his sideline antics early in his Notre Dame career. It sounds like he’ll stop short of yelling in players’ faces, but who knows exactly where he’ll take it.
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“So, because 17-year-olds are decommitting, let’s give them a legal document so they can’t decommit. That’s not very smart. Young people have a right to choose where they want to go to school. Period. Let them decommit 100 times. They’re 17 years old. That’s why they’re called 17-year-olds.”
—Urban Meyer
The Ohio State coach is firmly against the notion of an early signing period for football recruits, which means every paid Internet recruiting site must be firmly on board with him. The 17-year-old gossip and rumor mill is the gift that keeps on giving.
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Fresh out of the Pac
It’s been a long time coming on Montlake Boulevard.
For the first time since 1997, two teams ranked in the top 10 will play in Husky Stadium on Friday when No. 7 Stanford (3-0) and No. 10 Washington (4-0) face off.
The game could determine the winner of the Pac-12 Conference North, likely the only conference team with a chance at making the College Football Playoff. (Sorry undefeated Utah, but history shows you rarely pull through.).
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My Thiry
Fire up the coaching carousel.
Les Miles is out at Louisiana State after 11 seasons and a final 18-13 loss to Auburn, and Ed Orgeron is in — at least temporarily.
Which only gets the imagination going.
Orgeron handed out cookies and led USC to a 6-2 mark in 2013 after Lane Kiffin was fired. But the gravelly voiced Louisiana native left in a huff when Steve Sarkisian was named permanent coach before the Las Vegas Bowl.
So what happens when Orgeron leads LSU to several Southeastern Conference victories and the Tigers give Lane Kiffin a call?
Hang in there, Ed.
And speaking of making calls …
USC, it’s never too early to start war dialing Tom Herman, but good luck getting through.
lindsey.thiry@latimes.com
Twitter: @LindseyThiry
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