It was a weekend loaded with upsets in College Football. Frank Doyle looks back at some historic shocks from the weekend.
Louisiana-Monroe Shocks Arkansas Louisiana-Monroe’s 34-31 overtime victory over Arkansas may have shocked the college football world, but Warhawks junior quarterback Kolton Browning was confident in his club. He was instrumental in the upset, piling up 481 total yards and four TDs, including the 16-yard touchdown scramble that won the game in overtime. Browning finished 42 of 67 through the air for 412 yards and rushed for 69 yards to pace the Warhawks to their first win over a ranked opponent since they joined the FBS in 1994. “It’s a great feeling; we feel like we deserve it,” Browning told reporters following the game. “We believed the whole time, and we’ve believed for two years that we could put something like this together. We knew this moment was coming.”
Razorbacks drop out of AP Poll Arkansas, which was listed as a 30-point favourite, blew a 28-7 third-quarter lead and fell completely out of the AP Top 25 poll after being pegged at No. 8 last week. That checks in as the second biggest drop in the history of the AP Poll. Michigan went from No. 5 to out of the rankings in 2007 after losing its season-opener to Appalachian State.
Arkansas Left Picking up the Pieces The Razorbacks began to scuffle in the third quarter when quarterback Tyler Wilson came out of the game with an injury. Early speculation indicated he may have broken his collarbone, but it is now believed he likely suffered a concussion. Redshirt freshman Brandon Allen came on to fill in and was clearly in over his head. Now Arkansas, which hoped to contend for the SEC title, has to regroup in time for this week’s monster matchup against No. 1 Alabama. The Razorbacks could also be without cornerback Tevin Mitchel and fullback Kody Walker, both of whom were carted off with injuries against Louisiana-Munroe.
Rocky Start for John L. Smith in post-Petrino Era When Arkansas fired Bobby Petrino in April, it obviously had nothing to do with the team’s performance – the Razorbacks were 21-5 in his last two seasons at the helm. After Saturday’s loss, Petrino’s absence is glaring. The Hogs rushed just nine times compared to 22 passing attempts as they tried to put the game away following Wilson’s injury. Arkansas’ defence hasn’t been any better. The Razorbacks have now allowed 58 points and 872 yards in the first two games of the season.
Top Teams Challenged Early No 16. Oklahoma State also suffered a big upset over the weekend, taking a 59-38 pounding from Arizona State. NCAA underdogs were 40-27-1 against the spread Saturday and the Associated Press’ top six teams are a combined 3-8 against the spread this season.
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