Week 0 - Sunday Storylines

The Ramblin' Wreck, Bobcat belief and dumbassery in the desert.

Instant Replay

What did we just watch?

Run the Bawl - Nothing warms my heart quite like a Southern ball coach hollerin’ “Run the Bawl”, so no one should be shocked at my immediate appreciation for what Georgia Tech and head coach Brent Key did on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets did what is usually reserved by the Georgias or Alabamas of the world. With the bright lights of the 2024 college football season upon it, Georgia Tech gave Florida State a truly elite atomic wedgie and stuffed its head in the toilet en route to a 24-21 upset victory in Ireland.

Good gravy, that was a fun showing from the Ramblin’ Wreck, especially on offense. Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner (real name!) dialed up a particularly diabolical run scheme that was eerily similar to that of Gus Malzahn’s craftsmanship. Georgia Tech’s offensive line dominated at the point of attack, enabling the backs to get downhill and cause havoc inside the tackle box. It was beautiful.

Despite struggling through the air at times, GT quarterback Haynes King made plays when it mattered and orchestrated the game-winning drive with grace and gumption. I don’t need to see the box score, King is a gamer. Enough said.

On the opposite sideline, buddy, we might need to have a real-deal conversation about the ceiling of this Florida State team/offense with DJ Uiagalelei at the helm. Week 0 isn’t everything, but it’s not nothing. And today, we say a brutally pedestrian passing attack from Florida State.

After losing a swath of great receivers last year, it was understandable to expect a more reserved approach to scoring points for the Noles. But today was bad. Really bad. In the first half, especially, Uiagalelei was a check-down machine, allowing the Yellow Jackets to load the box and disguise some exotic blitz packages. It led to a stagnant offense and a bloated feel to the game.

FSU will need to improve at the point of attack and be willing to open up the playbook a bit if it hopes to have any real ACC success this season.

Bobcats don't bow down - Entering the fourth quarter, no one could’ve faulted Montana State for mailing in the final 15 minutes of the game. At that time, the Bobcats found themselves down 17 points on the road against an FBS opponent in a windier-than-heck stadium. The natural inclination would’ve been to roll over.

Thankfully, the Bobcats bucked that trend. Instead, Montana State bore its teeth. It started with a touchdown run by quarterback Tommy Mellott. Then came the game-breaker, a 93-yard scamper by running back Adam Jones. After back-to-back defensive stops, Montana State cobbled together a statement drive. 11 plays. 89 yards. Art.

With a mere 10 seconds remaining, Montana State running back Scottre Humphrey plunged into the endzone, capping 21 unanswered points to give the Bobcats the lead and the 35-31 win. It was the punctuation mark on an emphatic, never-quit attitude type of day for the boys from Big Sky country.

Montana State did not cover, but they won, and that’s all that really matters anyway.

Ponies woke up - A good life reminder: No one remembers the second drunkest person at the wedding. And no one will remember how SMU was nearly toppled in the upset of the year as a four-touchdown favorite.

By hook or by crook or by dumbassery, the SMU offense finally kicked things into high gear at the right time in a come-from-behind 29-24 victory against a surprisingly stout Nevada defense. The SMU offense was stagnant for much of the game and the Wolfpack did a great job of hanging around and putting themselves in a position to win.

That said, this game was all sorts of stupid, even for a Week 0 game.

In this game alone, we saw:

• SMU listed both the starting and backup quarterback as captains of the team (I’ve literally never seen that in my entire life)

• An SMU player bare-hand slapped a Nevada player and only received a 15-yard penalty

• An SMU player spit in the direction of an opponent and get ejected

• Nevada muffed a fair catch attempt on a kickoff, resulting in the offensive possession starting on its own 1-yard line.

• That same possession ending in a safety after Nevada attempted a shotgun run attempt (A Cardinal Sin)

You reap what you sow, and both teams deserve the Dunce Hat.

What does this mean in the context of the 2024 season? I’m not sure.

I’m one of the few skeptics of SMU in 2024. I’m bullish on its ACC ventures long-term, but as I predicted last week, I suspect it’ll experience some growing pains. If tonight was any indication, I was right on the money. Time will tell.

SMU starting quarterback Preston Stone looked rusty for about 3.25 quarters. Perhaps that is par for the course for someone who broke their leg last season. It almost goes without saying, but SMU will need much more from Stone and the offense if the Mustangs intend to be formidable in a new conference in 2024.

Nevada did a lot of good things tonight, especially on defense. This still feels like a bottom-tier Mountain West team in Year 1, but it’s hard not to feel hopeful about the Jeff Choate regime after that debut.

Deleware State vs. Hawaii

OK, here’s the proof that I was being a degenerate sicko watching Deleware State-Hawaii at midnight via a streaming site I’ve never heard of. But I did go to bed before it wrapped up and I desperately hope you did, too.

The Brent Musburger Gambling Guide

Let’s review my locks of the week.

-9 Montana State vs. New Mexico – -1 unit

-10.5 Florida State vs. Georgia Tech - -1 unit

What I’m Reading This Season

SID Sports | Griffin Olah - What better way to learn about the landscape of college football than from someone who lived it? SID Sports is an independent publication that takes you into the world of college athletics through the eyes of someone who knows it best: a former FBS Sports Information Director. From breaking down NIL and court cases, to inside views at why teams and athletic departments are trying new things and rankings and previews, SID Sports is your home for all things college football.

No matter if you're a die-hard or casual fan, SID Sports is going to help you understand everything going on each Saturday in the fall and bring it in a fun, easy-to-understand way. It's time to embrace the college football world, in all of its wacky, old-fashioned and just plain weird glory. You'll need a guide, and there's none better than SID Sports.

2201 Kimball Ave | Cameron Morgan - 2201 Kimball Ave is essential reading for all followers of Kansas State football. As a lifelong K-State fan and former player, Cameron brings a unique and thoughtful approach to the analysis of the Wildcats' football team. His newsletters are rational, insightful and I genuinely learn something new with every newsletter.

Split Zone Duo | Alex Kirshner, Richard Johnson and Steven Godfrey - SZD is essential reading and following for CFB ball knowers. Godfrey, Richard and Alex are the Holy Trinity for college football analysis and insight. Each member brings a unique flavor to the conversation, which makes for insightful and downright hilarious banter about the sport we all love. If I had someone ask me where to start for smarter college football coverage, this SZD is where I'd send them.