NFL
By: Bill Carroll
The New Nutties For Week 2 gives us, at Nuts And Bolts, a chance to celebrate, not only the most obvious standouts from the past week’s slate of college games but also those that may slip through the cracks.
FBS
Defense
Oluwaseyi Omotosho, like many children of immigrants, came to football late. Just a red-shirt freshman, Oluwaseyi Omotosho, is becoming a top pass-rusher in his conference. He flashed versus Illinois in week 0, but in week 2 he made his mark. Omotosho, at times, appeared to be the most talented member of the Wyoming Cowboys football program. He had three solo tackles, all of them sacks and a forced fumble.
Honorable mention: Troy’s Theodore Jackson Jr. also known as T.J. had a big day with four solo tackles, one assist, and 3.5 TFLs, of which, two were sacks. He’s a short but ultra-powerful DE in the mold of Owamagbe Odighizuwa or Trent Cole.
Offense
For much of Taulia Tagovailoa’s life, he has lived in the shadow of his older and left-handed brother, but he shone too brightly to be overshadowed, Saturday, versus Charlotte. He had a dazzling day:
27 completions on 31attempts for 391 yards, with four touchdown passes and an interception. Only three passes hit the ground, one was in the arms of a Marshall defender, Comanche Francisco, otherwise, Tagovailoa was surgical, completing 87.1% of his passes as well, the highest single-game completion percentage in Maryland history. His work was all done near the end of the third quarter.
Special Teams
Christian Washington was simply scintillating on his 100-yard kick return against a Boise State team that’s usually solid on special teams. In fact Boise’s Deven Wright’s scored on a blocked punt
recovery, in the third quarter. This was the third time in two years that the Broncos have done so against New Mexico. Washington, a Helix HS graduate, has two kick-off returns this season for a total of 131 yards.
FCS
Defense
Yet another Incarnate Word Cardinal was instrumental in knocking off the Nevada Wolfpack, DE Chris Whittaker, a graduate transfer from Kentucky, by way of Florida International University, was
dangerous. He had seven solo tackles and two assists, four sacks, and forced a fumble.
Offense
Lindsey Scott Jr., the Nicholls State graduate transfer has somehow managed to keep up the torrid pace that his predecessor at Incarnate Word, Cameron Ward had set. After an eye-opening opener versus the Salukis of SIU, he followed that with a ruthlessly efficient 18 connections on just 25 attempts for 406 yards for a lone pick and four scores. Also, his top target Darin Chafin was also spectacular with seven snags for 262 yards and two touchdowns.
Division II
Defense
DE/OLB Caleb Murphy of Ferris State had a field day against a very good opponent, Lenoir-Rhyne, at their home in Hickory, N.C. He posted nine solo stops, and helped on three others, with an astonishing five sacks, six total tackles for loss, and a forced fumble, beastly!
Offense
Running back Jada Byers of Virginia Union, hit my radar last season when he, tallied 33 totes for 228 yards and 2 TDs versus number 25 Chowan. But the stocky Sophomore, from Hammonton, NJ, wanted to serve notice that that was but an appetizer.
This past Saturday, versus the second, Ranked Valdosta Blazers, he seized the game by the throat with 29 rushes for 283 yards and three touchdowns via the ground and one receiving. Jada Byers’ 283 rushing yards is a new VUU school record! The former record was: Jerelle Washington’s with 266 rushing yards in 2013. Byers added three receptions and 23 receiving yards, as well as a 16-yard kick return, that’s a dazzling 319 all-purpose yards.
Honorable Mention: Not to be outdone, Running back Ronnie Brown of Shepherd needed 15 attempts to compile 278 yards, with an additional 42 yards on 3 catches.
Make sure to catch me and my co-host Brock Vierra on our preview show The College Football Forecast
