WEEK 7 // 2024
QUOTE OF THE WEEK QUOTE THE WEEK
“At the end of the day, if I can run and I can jog, I still want to go out there for my team. Nobody’s bigger than ‘The S.’”
- Syracuse running back LeQuint Allen, who fought off an injury to score four touchdowns in a 44-41 OT victory over then No. 25 UNLV
TEAM TO WATCH
TEAM of the week
IOWA STATE VANDERBILT
Iowa State climbed five spots to No. 11 in the Week 7 AP Poll after beating Baylor, 43-21, last Saturday. In their best season start since 1980, the Cyclones remain undefeated at 5-0 and are emerging as a contender to win the Big 12 Conference.
Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns, leading the charge from a 21-19 third-quarter deficit. The Cyclones’ running game has emerged with the addition of transfer Jaylon Jackson. The fifth-year senior led Iowa State’s rushing attack with 107 yards and his first two touchdowns as a Cyclone. The Cyclones rushed for 265 yards, marking their third straight game with more than 200 yards.
The Cyclones visit West Virginia, at 5:00 p.m. PHX on FOX, in a matchup of teams with 2-0 Big 12 records.
A week after Alabama defeated then No. 1 Georgia, Vanderbilt stunned the Crimson Tide, 40-35, for the Commodores’ first program win against an AP top five team. Vanderbilt scored 13 points in the first quarter, matching its combined points total in four previous meetings against Alabama.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia finished with 252 yards passing, two touchdowns and 56 yards rushing in the Commodores’ wire-to-wire victory.
Trailing by as much as 16, Alabama closed the deficit to 40-35 late in the fourth on a two-yard rushing touchdown by Ryan Williams with 2:46 left. With possession of the ball, the Vanderbilt offense didn’t flinch in running out the clock to secure the upset.
Vanderbilt will face another tough SEC opponent on Saturday, October 12, when it travels to Kentucky. Kickoff is set for 4:45 p.m. PHX on SEC Network.
GAMES Watch
For a full schedule of Week 7 games, click here. (All times in PHX)
2024 BOWL PREDICTIONS
GAME OF THE WEEK
#2 OHIO STATE AT #3 OREGON
A top-three matchup is set for Saturday night when No. 3 Oregon hosts No. 2 Ohio State. The new Big Ten Conference foes are two of the 12 undefeated teams remaining in the FBS.
Ohio State picked up a 35-7 victory against Iowa last Saturday behind a dominant defense that pitched a shutout into the fourth quarter. The Buckeyes held Iowa to 110 passing yards and 116 rushing yards, while totaling three sacks.
Oregon posted a 31-10 win over Michigan State last week. Quarterback Dillion Gabriel finished with 257 total yards and two touchdowns. Jordan James ran for a career-high 166 yards and a touchdown while Tez Johnson caught 10 passes for 81 yards and a TD.
Ohio State leads the all-time series 9-1, including a 42-20 victory in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2015. ESPN’s College GameDay will visit Oregon and kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PHX on October 12 on NBC.
highlight alumni notable performances JOE BURROW
Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow recorded the first five-touchdown game in his NFL career in the league’s highlight game of Week 5. Racking up 392 passing yards, Burrow was 30-of-39 in the narrow 41-38 overtime loss to Baltimore.
Two other Fiesta Bowl alumni were catalysts in Burrow’s career day. Ja’Marr Chase posted 10 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Additionally, Tee Higgins scored on two of Burrow’s touchdown passes, recording nine receptions for 83 yards.
Burrow and Chase also teamed up in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl for LSU, defeating UCF, 40-32. Burrow threw for 394 yards and four touchdowns and was named Fiesta Bowl Offensive Player of the Game. Chase caught six passes for 93 yards and touchdown in the win.
The Bengals are on the road on Sunday, October 13, at the New York Giants with 5:20 p.m. PHX kickoff on NBC.
KEVIN JENNINGS - SMU
Kevin Jennings accounted for 90 percent of SMU’s 284 firsthalf yards in a 34-27 win over then No. 22 Louisville. Jennings had a remarkable day, recording 394 yards of total offense with career highs of 291 yards passing and 113 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Jennings and the Mustangs came out hot, with touchdowns on three of their first four possessions. Jennings’ jawdropping 59-yard touchdown run gave SMU a 21-10 lead midway through the second quarter. Jennings became the first Mustangs player with at least 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards since 2014.
JACOB RODRIGUEZTEXAS TECH
After Arizona erased a 15-point Texas Tech halftime lead, Red Raiders linebacker Jacob Rodriguez forced a critical fumble to help Texas Tech pick up a 28-22 road win. Additionally, Rodriguez made 13 tackles, had one sack for 16 yards and a crucial pass breakup that resulted in an interception.
Immediately after Texas Tech retook a 21-19 lead, Rodriguez knocked the ball out of Tetairoa McMillan’s arms on the first play of the next possession. The turnover led to Tahj Brooks’ 32-yard touchdown with 1:53 left on the clock, extending the Red Raiders’ lead.
Rodriguez paced a strong Texas Tech defensive effort in the first half, including a fourth-down stop deep in Tech territory and two interceptions that the offense converted into 11.
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 p.m. 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 heading into Week 7:
BIG TEN BIG 12
• The Big Ten made strides in the AP Week 7 Poll. For the first time ever, the Big Ten has three teams ranked in the AP top 4 with No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon and No. 4 Penn State. Indiana follows at No. 18 along with No. 23 Illinois and No. 24 Michigan
• Four Big Ten teams remain undefeated through six weeks of the 2024 season. Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon and Penn State account for one-third of the 12 NCAA FBS teams sporting perfect records entering Week 7
• Oregon’s Jordan Burch earned Defensive Player of the Week with a career-high 2.5 sacks, four tackles and a fumble recovery in the Ducks’ 31-10 win over Michigan State
• Indiana and Ohio State currently rank among the top 15 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Buckeyes lead the nation in scoring defense (6.8 points per game) and rank fourth in scoring offense (46.0). The Hoosiers rank third nationally in scoring offense (47.5) and 14th in scoring defense (14.8)
• Week 7 features eight contests between Big Ten Conference opponents. Conference action kicks off on Friday when Maryland travels to Northwestern before No. 3 Oregon hosts No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday in a battle of conference unbeatens
• 5-0 Iowa State leads the Big 12 in the AP Week 7 rankings at No. 11. BYU ranks No. 14, followed by No. 16 Utah and No. 18 Kansas State. For the first time since the 2018 regular season, four Big 12 schools are ranked in the top 18
• Big 12 running backs have rushed for 175 yards or more in a game five times, the most of any Power 4 conference
• Three of the seven Power 4 receivers averaging more than 100 yards per game are from the Big 12, including Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan (132.8), TCU’s Jack Bech (117.0) and Colorado’s Travis Hunter (112.2)
• ASU’s Cam Skattebo’s 182 rushing yards against Kansas were the second most in Division I for Week 6
• West Virginia’s 389 rushing yards led the nation in Week 6 and are the most against a Power 4 team in two years, and the Mountaineers outgained Oklahoma State 389-34 on the ground
• Houston safety A.J. Haulcy was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, becoming the first Houston player to win the award. Haulcy had two interceptions and seven tackles in the 30-19 win at TCU. He leads the Big 12 with eight passed defended and three interceptions
news in the foundation news in the foundation
Penn State Travels to USC for Big Ten Showdown in Matchup of 1982 Fiesta Bowl Teams
In what looks to be one of the biggest college football weekends of the season, the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions battle USC in Los Angeles at the Coliseum.
History was made in the Arizona desert when the Nittany Lions and Trojans played in the Fiesta Bowl’s first-ever New Year’s Day game.
The January 1, 1982 matchup was a major step for the Fiesta Bowl that only hosted 10 bowl games in its history. It was always the Fiesta Bowl’s dream to move to New Year’s Day and ultimately host a national championship game, which became a reality five years later.
A capacity crowd of more than 70,000 fans attended the game at Sun Devil Stadium, which Penn State won, 26-10.
View the full story here
CHARITy spotlight
POSITIVE COACHING ALLIANCE
Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) - Arizona has made a meaningful difference in the state for thousands of coaches and youth athletes. In August, PCA-Arizona was one of 22 recipients of a Fiesta Bowl Charities grant through the 2024-25 Grant Cycle. With the funding, PCA will enhance the youth sports culture for underserved schools, girls flag football initiatives, Native American communities and youth sports organizations through their traditional programming.
PCA started in 1998 and works to change the culture of youth sports so that every child, regardless of social or economic circumstance, has equal access to a positive experience. The national organization has 18 chapters across the United States and is the only national nonprofit committed to its mission.
PCA-Arizona’s relationship with Fiesta Bowl Charities goes beyond the Grant Cycle as the two organizations partnered on Oregon’s team outreach during last season’s Vrbo Fiesta Bowl game week.
View the full story here
CFP QUARTERFINAL AT THE Vrbo FIESTA BOWL
DECEMBER 31, 2024 | 5:30 PM GUARANTEED RATE BOWL
DECEMBER 26, 2024 | 3:30 PM