Week 3 set up for a big following week of ball games.
Each member of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll top-four didn’t exactly run away with their outings, as No. 1 Georgia battled a 14-3 halftime deficit, No. 2 Michigan held a 7-6 second-quarter lead over Bowling Green, No. 3 Texas was tied at 10 with Wyoming in the fourth quarter and No. 4 Florida State allowed 19 unanswered points to end its 31-29 win over Boston College.
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The tight competition led to the Longhorns and Seminoles flip-flopping in the rankings, and No. 10 Oregon entered the top-10 by steamrolling ahead past Hawaii 55-10.
Here are some noteworthy quotes as focus turns from Week 3 to Week 4.
Tim Albin, Ohio
The Bobcats hosted Iowa State and came out with their first Power 5 win since 2017.
Albin and Ohio saw a scoreless first half turn into a defensive showdown between the two teams. Ohio was edged in total yards 271 to 247.
Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke found receiver Sam Wiglusz on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 11:18 left in the third quarter, and kicker Gianni Spetic booted a 27-yard field goal to claim a 10-0 lead.
It was enough for the win as Iowa State’s comeback bid fell short. Ohio intercepted the Cyclones after their missed game-tying field goal, staking a big claim in the win.
“I could not be more jubilant for our fans, this university and Athens,” Albin said. “It was electric out there, unbelievable showing, noon kickoff against a really a great opponent. Both teams, I thought, defensively going in it was going to be like that. I really did. Nobody was panicked at halftime with the score and just the defensive effort kept us in it at halftime, a few adjustments. We were able to get enough things done offense to to get some points on the board, and I could not be happier with the team and how they won.”
Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame
This week’s big top-10 showdown will take place in South Bend, Indiana.
No. 6 Ohio State will complete its home-and-home series with No. 9 Notre Dame on Saturday night when the two teams meet for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
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Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has the chance to get back at his alma mater one year after the Buckeyes spoiled his head coaching debut, and Freeman had kind words for Ohio State’s program.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Ryan Day again,” Freeman said. “He’s done an unbelievable job leading that program. I’ve told him every time I talk to him that he’s just done a tremendous job of really leading that program. So we know it’s going to be a really good opponent with a great coaching staff, and we’re looking forward to that.”
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Freeman said “a lot of different factors” go into the differences between last year’s matchup and this season’s, but experience is the biggest key of them all.
“You have a year under your belt. It’s not the first game of the year,” Freeman said. “You’ve been able to develop an identity as a program with these first four games and so it’s a lot different than what it was last year being the first game of that season for me and the first game of the year.”
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin appears to be readying for someone else.
Someone else as in Alabama and its defensive coordinator, who are next for No. 15 Ole Miss on Saturday. Kevin Steele is Alabama’s defensive coordinator, and he’s in his first season in the role.
The Rebels climbed to No. 15 in the latest AP Poll after defeating Georgia Tech 48-23 behind Jaxson Dart’s 251 passing yards and the team’s 299 rushing yards also led by 136 from Dart.
According to Ben Garrett of On3 Sports, Kiffin and the Rebels seem to be preparing to play an Alabama defense led by Crimson Tide cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson rather than Steele.
“We’ve been against Kevin a number of times,” Kiffin said. “Worked with him at Alabama and against him at Auburn and LSU. There seems like there’s been a change there. I don’t know what happened after the Texas game, but our guys watching the TV copy and schematically in this last game, certainly seems like T-Rob’s now calling the defense. We played him before at South Carolina, so we’re preparing accordingly for him calling the defense. He’s done a good job, too, and they’ve got really good players.”
Harrison Mevis, Missouri
Mevis broke the Southeastern Conference record with a 61-yard field goal as time expired on Saturday.
Missouri needed a big fourth quarter in order to upset then-No. 15 Kansas State. It trailed 24-17 with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, and it came down to special teams for the win.
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Mevis’ 12-point day completed with two additional field goals, an average of 64.3 yards across six kickoffs and three converted extra points. But his final field goal sealed the win and the upset.
“I kind of forgot everything, but I was locked in,” Mevis said. “I knew what I had to do. I knew that, give the defense credit, they went, made them go three and out two times. (It) gave me a chance for the kick. So, really, it’s just doing the little things right. It comes down to the little things, it comes down to snap-hold operation, it comes down to me hitting a clean ball, it comes down to me getting through the ball, and you know, all those things clicked, and we made the kick.”
