WEEK 3 // 2024
QUOTE OF THE WEEK QUOTE THE WEEK
“I didn’t run another play on purpose because I’ve seen him. He’s got a great leg and he’s a special young man.”
- Iowa State Head Coach Matt Campbell on kicker Kyle Konrardy, a native Iowan, after his 54-yard game-winning field goal to defeat Iowa and claim the Cy-Hawk trophy, 20-19
TEAM TO WATCH
TEAM of the week TEXAS northern illinois
In a dominant performance, the Longhorns defeated Michigan, 31-12, in only their second all-time meeting, handing the Wolverines their first home loss in four years. The victory snapped Michigan’s 23-game home winning streak.
Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian’s offense was on full display, outgaining Michigan 389-284 in total offense, compiling 246 passing yards and 143 rushing yards. Facing a Michigan defense with multiple future first-round NFL draft picks, Texas was led by Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Quinn Ewers, who completed 24-of-36 passes for 246 yards with four touchdowns.
With Georgia currently at No. 1 and Texas at No. 2 in the AP top 25, the Longhorns and Bulldogs’ Week 7 showdown is highly anticipated and could also preview the SEC Championship Game. For now, the No. 2 Longhorns will host UTSA in Austin on Saturday, September 14, at 4 pm PHX on ESPN.
In a stunning upset, Northern Illinois shocked No. 5 Notre Dame, 16-14, to earn its first-ever win over a top five team. It is also the first win by a Mid-American Conference team over a team ranked in the AP top five.
The game turned around with five minutes to go, when Northern Illinois began a drive that marched into Fighting Irish territory. Kicker Kanon Woodill drilled a 35-yard field goal to put the Huskies in front, 16-14, with :31 remaining. On the game’s final play, Cade Haberman blocked his second Notre Dame field goal attempt of the day as time expired to preserve the road upset. Entering as a four-touchdown underdog, the Huskies scored their first touchdown on an 83-yard pass from Ethan Hampton to Antario Brown in the first quarter.
The No. 25 Huskies have a bye this week before returning home on Saturday, September 21, hosting Buffalo in their Mid-American Conference opener at 12:30 pm PHX.
GAMES Watch
For a full schedule of Week 3 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2024 BOWL PREDICTIONS
GAME OF THE WEEK
#4 ALABAMA AT WISCONSIN
For the first time since 1971, a member of the Southeastern Conference will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, as No. 4 Alabama faces off against Wisconsin on Saturday.
Alabama is coming off a 42-16 win over South Florida. However, offensive penalties plagued the Crimson Tide, preventing them from sustaining drives. As a result, Alabama only led 14-13 going into the fourth quarter before pulling away, scoring 28 points in the final 10 minutes to improve to 2-0.
Wisconsin also moved to 2-0, with a 27-13 defeat of South Dakota. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke completed 17-of-27 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown. The Badgers’ ground game was effective with Chez Mullusi and Cade Yacamelli combining for 133 of Wisconsin’s 171 rushing yards.
Kickoff is 9:00 am PHX on Saturday, September 14, on FOX.
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highlight alumni
When Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins still sported his Ohio State Buckeyes jersey, he had some of his greatest collegiate games against Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines. In fact, Dobbins ran for 211 yards and scored four touchdowns in the victory over the Wolverines in 2019. This time, he teamed with Harbaugh to help execute the Chargers’ new runheavy offensive gameplan in a 22-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
In an impressive performance, Dobbins had 10 carries, gained 135 yards and scored one touchdown for the Chargers. Averaging 13.5 yards-per-carry, Dobbins provided a spark in the Chargers’ Week 1 victory.
In the 2019 CFP Semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl, Dobbins scored a 68-yard rushing touchdown against Clemson. His 174-yard performance that day helped him shatter the Buckeyes single-season rushing record with 1,998 yards.
Dobbins and the Chargers will travel to Carolina and take on the Panthers this Sunday, September 15, at 10 am PHX on CBS.
notable
performances J.K. Dobbins
Cam Skattebo
Arizona State
Running back Cam Skattebo rushed for a career-high 262 yards in Arizona State’s first win over an Southeastern Conference opponent in school history, as the Sun Devils defeated Mississippi State, 30-23.
Mississippi State bounced back from a 30-3 deficit midway through the third quarter to get within a touchdown at 30-23. Skattebo sealed the win with a 39-yard run with less than two minutes left. The Sun Devils held onto the ball and ran out the clock to finish the game.
Skattebo finished with the second-most ground yards in Sun Devils history, on 33 carries, and was named the AP Player of the Week.
Kyle McCord – Syracuse
Quarterback Kyle McCord threw for 381 yards and four touchdowns, propelling Syracuse over No. 23 Georgia Tech, 31-28.
Following three seasons at Ohio State, McCord joined the Orange and in the first two weeks has already set new single-game career highs for passing yards, completions and touchdowns. The Orange are 2-0 on the season with McCord recording 735 yards passing and eight touchdowns.
With McCord at the helm of the offense, Syracuse picked up its first win over a ranked opponent since 2022 and the first ACC victory under first-year head coach Fran Brown.
big news
The Guaranteed Rate Bowl will once again feature Bowl Season’s only Big Ten vs. Big 12 matchup at a new afternoon time of 3:30 pm on Thursday, December 26. As we eagerly await kickoff in downtown Phoenix, we’re bringing you weekly game highlights, player reports and other updates from the two conferences. Here’s the BIG news for Week 3:
BIG TEN
• Six of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are ranked in the AP Poll. At the top is No. 3 Ohio State, followed by No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Oregon, No. 11 USC, No. 17 Michigan and No. 23 Nebraska – the Huskers’ first appearance since 2019
• Illinois’ Xavier Scott claimed Defensive Player of the Week honors after eight solo tackles in the Illini’s 23-17 win over Kansas, the team’s highest ranked nonconference win since 1995
• Oregon’s Tez Johnson, last season’s Vrbo Fiesta Bowl star, returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown in the Ducks’ 37-34 win over Boise State to earn Special Teams Player of the Week honors
• Indiana rewrote its record book in last Friday’s 77-3 win over Western Illinois. The 77 points marked the most in program history with a program-record 10 Hoosiers finding the end zone
• Three Big Ten teams posted shutouts in Week 2, with Minnesota, Ohio State and USC winning by a combined 152-0 margin
• Traditional rivalry games take place this weekend with Oregon traveling to Oregon State and Washington hosting Washington State on Saturday
BIG 12
• In the AP rankings, Utah, Oklahoma State and Kansas State occupy the No. 12, 13 and 14 positions. Arizona remains at No. 20 and Iowa State moves into the top 25, at No. 21, after upsetting Iowa to win the Cy-Hawk trophy
• This week’s rankings mark the first time since 2012 that five or more Big 12 teams are ranked in the first three AP Polls
• Arizona now holds the longest active winning streak in the country (9) after defeating Northern Arizona, 22-10
• After Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan led the nation in scrimmage yards in Week 1, Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo posted the country’s top Week 2 total with 297 yards (262 rushing, 35 receiving) against Mississippi State
• Three Big 12 teams (BYU, Iowa State, Oklahoma State) had a game-winning score in the last two minutes or OT to beat Power 4 teams
• Iowa State trailed No. 21 Iowa 13-0 at halftime, but the Cyclones came back for a 20-19 victory in Iowa City, winning the Cy-Hawk trophy for the second time in the last three seasons
• Oklahoma State survived a double-overtime thriller against Arkansas. Ollie Gordon II scored a 12-yard touchdown and had a two-point conversion catch to secure a 39-31 win
news in the foundation news in the foundation
Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown Continues, New Flag Football Showdown Coming Next Week
Expanding on a successful first season that elevated youth and scholastic football, Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown returns with games across Arizona and featuring the state’s top programs. In addition, a three-game Flag Football Showdown has been added to place a spotlight on the fast-growing sport of girls flag football.
Fiesta Bowl Friday Night Showdown continues this week to highlight boys football athletes at Perry High School where the Pumas are facing the Queen Creek Bulldogs in a game ranked third in the Arizona Republic’s top matchups in the state.
Reflecting the rapid growth of girls flag football in Arizona, a three-game slate for Flag Football Showdown makes its debut this year starting Thursday, September 19, with a matchup featuring Highland at defending 5A champion Campo Verde. To view the full season’s schedule, click here.
CHARITy spotlight
PALO VERDE FIESTA BOWL CHARITIES WISHES FOR TEACHERS
After a record-breaking season in 2023, the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program returns this fall to deliver $1.25 million straight into Arizona classrooms. In Arizona’s most robust teacher support program, 500 teachers will receive $2,500 each for the second consecutive year as the program enters its ninth year overall.
All Arizona K-12 public and charter school teachers, staff and coaches are eligible to receive much-deserved funding for their classrooms. The application process is simple, requiring only a few minutes to fill out how a teacher will use a $2,500 wish to help fill a need for students. Accessible through WishesForTeachers.org, the application is open through Monday, September 30, at 10 p.m.
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
DECEMBER 31, 2024 | 5:30 PM GUARANTEED RATE BOWL
DECEMBER 26, 2024 | 3:30 PM