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For those who have been requested in August to select 5 groups that might be undefeated at this level, you’d most likely be fast to call the normal powerhouses: Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Alabama. And you would be flawed on Alabama. However you get the purpose.
Who on the earth thought Louisville, Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri and Washington State all can be unbeaten now? Positive, possibly one or two due to the early-season schedule. However not all of the wins have been anticipated — who thought Kentucky would wallop Florida?
These groups put their excellent data on the road in Week 6, which options the most important battle of 5-0 groups with No. 12 Oklahoma dealing with No. 3 Texas in Saturday’s Pink River Rivalry.
Our reporters preview Week 6 with a have a look at the stunning undefeated groups and quarterback matchups to look at, plus among the week’s finest quotes.
Shock! Look who’s nonetheless undefeated
Louisville: When Louisville employed native son Jeff Brohm, you may really feel the joy construct not solely among the many fan base however among the many soccer program. He then overhauled the roster and introduced in a number of key transfers who’ve paid off in huge methods, beginning with quarterback Jack Plummer, who performed for him at Purdue. Plummer ranks No. 3 within the ACC in passing, no shock contemplating Brohm’s background and historical past, and switch Jamari Thrash ranks No. 2 within the league in receiving. Maybe the most important revelation has been the Cardinals’ speeding offense behind Jawhar Jordan, who leads the league with 510 yards and 6 touchdowns. Defensively, transfers Devin Neal (Baylor) and Cam’Ron Kelly (UNC), tied for second on the workforce with 24 tackles, have been huge additions, too. However returner Ashton Gillotte has taken the subsequent step with 5 sacks.
Brohm described his workforce’s 13-10 win over NC State final week as his protection’s finest efficiency of the season. However it would take a whole workforce effort to beat Notre Dame and finish the Irish’s 30-game regular-season profitable streak in opposition to the ACC.
“We have performed simply sufficient to win 5 video games,” Brohm instructed ESPN. “And we have proven some toughness and a few grit to return again and win a number of, in order that’s been actually good to see, our guys play that tough. Up to now, all the pieces’s been good. I do know as a coach that our schedule will simply proceed to get more durable and more durable, and we will have challenges forward, beginning this week.” — Andrea Adelson
Maryland: Winners of its first 5 video games in a season for the primary time since Ralph Friedgen coached this system to the ACC title in 2001, Maryland heads into a serious highlight Saturday when it visits the Horseshoe to tangle with No. 4 Ohio State. Taulia Tagovailoa spearheads a Terrapins offense that leads the Large Ten in whole offense (454.8 YPG) whereas sitting behind solely Penn State in scoring offense (38.6 PPG). Tagovailoa, who tops the convention with each 1,464 passing yards and 13 landing passes, has three video games of no less than three landing tosses, led by final week’s 352-yard, five-touchdown effort in a 44-17 dispatching of Indiana. Led by Jeshaun Jones‘ 19 receptions, six receivers have caught no less than 11 passes and eight gamers have discovered the tip zone, as Tagovailoa has performed a stellar job of spreading the wealth and never letting opposing defenses key on one participant. Defensively, Brian Williams’ unit has pressured 10 turnovers mixed over the previous three weeks in convincing victories over Virginia, Michigan State and Indiana. It faces its stiffest problem but with a Buckeyes offense itching to maintain momentum from their win in South Bend on Sept. 23. — Blake Baumgartner
Kentucky: The schedule has been greater than manageable, and even probably the most blue-hearted Kentucky fan would acknowledge as a lot. Three of the Wildcats’ wins have come over groups (Ball State, Akron and Vanderbilt) with a mixed 4-12 file, and a fourth win came to visit FCS foe Japanese Kentucky. That is to not diminish the actual fact the Wildcats are doing the issues it takes to win at a excessive degree, specifically operating the ball, stopping the run, eliminating explosive performs and forcing turnovers. They’re averaging 6.48 yards per rush (second nationally) and limiting opponents to 2.54 yards per rush (eighth nationally). Ray Davis, a switch from Vanderbilt, rushed for 280 yards final week within the 33-14 win over Florida, probably the most speeding yards by an FBS participant this season. Kentucky dominated the road of scrimmage, as quarterback Devin Leary tried simply 19 passes, finishing 9 for 69 yards. He is a greater passer than he is proven so far and should make extra performs down the sector within the passing sport if the Wildcats are going to maintain it going, and that begins Saturday in opposition to No. 1 Georgia. Leary’s high two receiving targets, Tayvion Robinson and Barion Brown, left the Florida sport within the second half with accidents. Their standing is up within the air. Some youthful receivers could have to step up, however the Wildcats are going to wish extra out of their passing sport as they deal with an October stretch that features Georgia on the highway after which Missouri and Tennessee at dwelling. — Chris Low
Missouri: The brief model for why Mizzou is 5-0 is straightforward: Brady Cook dinner to Luther Burden III. However this is the longer model. The Tigers started the season with wins over South Dakota and MTSU, however the offense disenchanted terribly within the course of. The Tigers averaged 4.9 yards per play in opposition to MTSU, worse than Murray State (5.7) and everybody else on the Blue Raiders’ schedule, and a few fourth-and-short punts each revealed Eliah Drinkwitz’s basic insecurity and almost proved expensive within the 23-19 win. However the frustration emanating from that evidently lit a fireplace. The Tigers scored no less than 30 factors in wins over Kansas State, Memphis and Vanderbilt — all groups higher than MTSU — in latest weeks. And Cook dinner has been among the finest QBs within the nation within the course of, averaging 364 passing yards per sport with eight TDs. He is set an SEC file for consecutive passes with out an interception, and he is thriving each due to Burden, the nation’s main receiver, and since different targets like Theo Wease (118 yards vs. Vanderbilt) have begun to thrive. The Tigers’ protection remains to be a top-30 or so unit, and instantly the offense is dynamite. And now they return dwelling to host an LSU workforce that’s equal components harmful and flawed. — Invoice Connelly
Washington State: With half the Pac-12 ranked within the high 18 of the AP ballot, the Cougars stay underneath the radar regardless of climbing from unranked to No. 13. But, when laying out the most effective wins by Pac-12 groups, it is the Cougars — Wisconsin, Oregon State — who stand out. Each of these win margins have been by single digits, however WSU managed each video games and has impressed on each side of the ball. There’s a number of credit score to unfold round, but it surely begins with quarterback Cam Ward. In new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s offense, Ward has made vital strides to develop into among the finest quarterbacks within the nation. He is correct, he makes good choices, and he is taking part in with a basic sense of calm that evaded him at occasions final yr. Plus, the additions of Josh Kelly and Kyle Williams at receiver have given him a deep, expertise group of receivers, becoming a member of Lincoln Victor. This can be a workforce and not using a main downside space, which makes it a troublesome out every week. — Kyle Bonagura
QB battles: Who has the higher day?
Sam Hartman (Notre Dame) vs. Jack Plummer (Louisville)
It could be simple to select Plummer based mostly on what occurred final season alone. Hartman, taking part in for Wake Forest, had the worst sport of his profession at Louisville — throwing three interceptions, dropping three fumbles and taking seven sacks in a 48-21 loss. He was benched to start out the fourth quarter in a sport Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson referred to as a “catastrophe.” However Hartman is in a distinct spot now with the Irish — and a distinct offense that’s not asking him to place as a lot on his shoulders as he did at Wake. His late-game heroics final week in opposition to Duke led Notre Dame to a 21-14 comeback victory. In the meantime, Plummer confronted all kinds of strain from the NC State protection per week in the past and didn’t play his finest sport, throwing two interceptions and getting sacked 4 occasions. Anticipate Notre Dame to deliver the identical kind of strain as NC State did, and Hartman to have a a lot better efficiency than a yr in the past. — Adelson
Quinn Ewers (Texas) vs. Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma)
Gabriel notably missed this sport final yr attributable to a concussion, resulting in catastrophe for Oklahoma. 5 totally different gamers tried a move, together with two operating backs and a punter, because the Sooners managed simply 39 passing yards in a historic 49-0 blowout loss, the worst in any sport in class historical past. However this season, he is main the Large 12 in QBR, with Ewers second. Gabriel is third nationally with eight completions of 40 or extra yards, whereas Ewers has been inconsistent on deep balls, although he is improved in that space. Each defenses have taken big steps this season, however Gabriel has been extra constant and will likely be requested to do extra. In what may find yourself as one other Texas-OU shootout, Gabriel possible can have the higher numbers. — Dave Wilson
Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland) vs. Kyle McCord (Ohio State)
McCord completed the Notre Dame sport on an encouraging notice, however Tagovailoa had 5 landing passes final week and eight in his first two Large Ten video games. Maryland’s receiving corps does not generate the eye Ohio State’s does, however there’s actual depth with Tai Felton and West Virginia switch Kaden Prather rising alongside Jeshaun Jones. “Similar to after I was at Alabama, I had [Henry] Ruggs and [Jerry] Jeudy] and [Jaylen] Waddle and Smitty [DeVonta Smith],” Terrapins coach Mike Locksley instructed me. “Your offense is extra dynamic when the ball is unfold round.” — Adam Rittenberg
Devin Leary (Kentucky) vs. Carson Beck (Georgia)
Leary, who handed for six,807 yards throughout his profession at NC State, is due for a breakout sport. He is thrown 10 landing passes and 5 interceptions in his first 5 outings for Kentucky, which actually hasn’t wanted to throw the ball a lot. The Wildcats may very well be short-handed at receiver with Tayvion Robinson and Barion Brown each being banged up, and that will not assist issues in opposition to a Georgia protection that has already intercepted eight passes and is tied for third nationally in permitting simply 4.8 yards per move try. Carson Beck, in his first season as Georgia’s starter, is finishing 72 p.c of his passes and averaging proper at 300 passing yards per sport. The Bulldogs received star tight finish Brock Bowers going within the win over Auburn final week, and that is a connection that provides Beck (and any quarterback) the sting. — Low
Notable quotes
Billy Napier: The Florida coach was blunt when it got here to assessing his workforce’s 33-14 drubbing by Kentucky.
“There isn’t any sugarcoating this factor. We’ve no excuse. We are able to coach higher and we will play higher. Hopefully, we’ll do this.”
Deion Sanders: There is no query that superstar has surrounded the Buffaloes, and the coach was more than pleased to assist Snoop Dogg ship a message to Omarion Miller, who caught seven passes for 196 yards in Colorado’s Week 5 loss to USC.
“A pricey good friend referred to as me and summoned me to get him on the telephone to FaceTime. [He] wished to speak to him and wished to let him know that he has an amazing reward. I do not know what the dialog was, however I do know I simply handed him the telephone. I mentioned, ‘Any individual desires to speak to you.’ He appeared on the telephone like, ‘Oh my god.’ Yeah, it was Snoop. Snoop wished to speak to [Miller]. He wished to problem him.”
Dave Clawson: The Wake Forest coach, whose workforce performs at Clemson on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Community), hasn’t forgotten final yr’s 2OT loss to the Tigers.
“There are particular video games in your profession you by no means, ever recover from. That is one in all them. Once I’m on my deathbed, that sport will nonetheless hassle me. Hopefully, our gamers really feel the identical approach.”
