NFLBy Bill Carroll
Week 0 was exciting with a host of extremely surprising performances. From teams that impressed in defeat to being shown glimpses of the future.
Week 0 FBS Defense
Isaiah Tufaga was simply a man on a mission. Not since John Wick found his late wife’s gift, brutalized, have I seen such dangerous focus. He posted eight tackles, all solo, three tackles for losses, two of which were sacks. He has an impressive get-off and he can bend.
Week 0 FCS Defense
Anton Juncaj, of the Albany Great Danes, nearly had season in one day. He had five tackles, for of them solo and an assisted stop. That is solid, but nothing too special, however his four sacks for 24 yards of lost territory is the stuff that starts legends.
Anton Juncaj was third-team all-Coastal Athletic Association by the head coaches this in a 2022 season where the Great Danes were second-to-last in the league in sacks and against the run. Juncaj was the best of their lineman last year and he is better now.
At Minisink Valley High School he played football and wrestled, at 6’3″ 273 he has great leverage and power. If he plays like this all season, he will be All-Conference and perhaps All-American.
Edwin White Schultz of The North Alabama Lions football program, transferred from Kansas. The safety was seen seemingly everywhere, he had nine solo stops, helped on five more, with a tackle for loss and forced fumble.
Linebacker, Isaac Dowling of Mercer has been described as “undersized.” I take issue, he’s listed at 5’9″, but he is, a burly, 225 pounds. So “under-tall” may be far more accurate. He left an imprint on the game and some North Alabama ball-carriers. Dowling had four solo tackles, six assists, as well as a sack.
Week 0 FBS Offense
Wake Forest graduate transfer and now Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman, completed 19 of 23 attempts for 251 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. Hartman now has nine games since the 2021 season began, with at least three touchdowns without an interception. The sixth-year senior looked every bit the Heisman candidate as he coolly dissected a game, but out-manned, Navy defense.
At The Power 5 level, USC had a coming out party for a spectacular talent named Zachariah Branch. Branch was a denizen of Feldman’s Freak List. A track star, as well as, a 19-year-old slot receiver, who accounted for 232 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
The 10.33, [wind-aided] sprinter snagged four catches for 58 yards, one carry for 12 yards, 3 punt returns for 66 yards and a 96-yard kickoff return. He is magic in the open field.
As if one young speedster was not enough, Jayden McGowan, was a virtual lightning bolt as he returned a kickoff for 97 yards and a touchdown in win over Hawai’i. He also had 72 receiving yards on six catches and rushed twice for 11 yards. Week 0 allowed him to put all of his skills on display.
While Davon Deon Harris, AKA “Smoke” Harris isn’t as young, or as fast as the other two, the red-shirt senior from St. Francisville, Louisiana is very explosive. At 5’7″ 183 I have called him Tyshun Raequan “Deebo” Samuel , but at 2/3 scale.
Week 0 he was a force with 11 catches for 155 yards, a score with three carries for minus 8, but a long of six yards and he fair-caught a punt. He is also a very fine kick returner.
Week 0 FCS Offense
Jason Brown had an amazing week 0. He passed for 356 yards, was 25 of 29, he connected on 86% of his passes, with 3 TDs and no interceptions. The triple-transfer from, Saint Francis (PA), South Carolina and, most recently, Virginia Tech, was truly in control of all aspects of the offense.
Roy Alexander of Albany had a great impact on the game versus Fordham. In addition to recording 6 catches, for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns, he also had 3 kick returns for 89 yards, including a long jaunt of 44 yards. He even had a carry for four yards. Finishing his day with a total 151 yards on 9 plays and the two scores.
Week 0 FBS Special Teams
Jayden McGowan, see the 97 yard return TD mentioned above.
Week 0 FCS Special Teams
RB/RS Dylan Laube, of New Hampshire, returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of New Hampshire’s 51-17 victory at Stonehill. It was the first of three TD’s in eight minutes for Laube. He also had a 23-yard reception and an 11-yard run for scores. In an exhibition of domination Laub finished with 229 all-purpose yards. It was Laube’s second career punt return for a TD.
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