I’m sure the Big 12 will be sending notices to the UCF and Cincinnati football programs to dig into their piggybanks to pay for six-figure fines after their fans stormed the field following two amazing upsets last Saturday. Post the address for the UCF fine, and I’ll chip in. Its money well-spent.
Even if the Name, Image and Likeness agreement has deteriorated the college landscape into a pool of a fortunate few and the rest of the pack, it’s the upsets against two previously unbeaten opponents – Texas Tech and BYU – by the unranked that continues to spur excitement that on any given day, it’s still about running, blocking, passing and catching, not who has the biggest bank account.
Imagine this: in the past two weeks, three of the nation’s top two teams lost to unranked opponents. On Oct. 17, No. 1 Georgia lost at home to Auburn, 27-24, and No. 2 Notre Dame lost at BYU, 28-24. That victory by the Cougars elevated them to No. 2, but they didn’t stay there after UCF beat a top five team for the first time in the program’s 28-year history, 39-31, in double overtime.
Neither upset was a fluke. The Bearcats amassed 427 total yards, while the Knights ran and threw for 465 against BYU.
Also last Saturday, unranked South Carolina defeated No. 11 Tennessee, 27-24; Wisconsin upended No. 16 Southern California, 24-7, and Minnesota dropped No. 15 Iowa, 13-10.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Cougars since they play at Cincinnati this Saturday.
Top-ranked Miami easily beat Pitt, 38-7, last Saturday. The Hurricanes still have North Carolina, Notre Dame, Duke, Virginia Tech and Boston College remaining on their schedule. Notre Dame is the only ranked team among the group, but as recent history has shown, it’s the undefeated that poses the most risk.
Another thing that makes college football so wonderful is the BYU Alumni Chapter, Cougs Care, collecting and delivering thousands of pounds of non-perishable food to the Knights Helping Knights Pantry that assists about 35% of the student body that deals with some level of food insecurity.
It was more than a nice gesture. It was a calling.
After the game, Cougars Head Coach Kalani Sitake was pure class. Among the chaos, he embraced Knights Coach Scott Frost at midfield and offered a heartfelt congratulation. He later said UCF “bested us.”
Both teams scored and kicked the point after touchdown in the first overtime. College rules state each drive in overtime starts at the opponent’s 25-yard-line. UCF scored on a four-yard pass from Keyone Jenkins to Grayson Brousseau. Jenkins then tossed a two-point conversion pass to Tyren Hornes to make it 39-31.
The Knights then made the key defensive stand in program history, forcing a turnover on downs after the Cougars got as close as the UCF 4. When Bear Bachmeier’s pass slipped through Walker Lyons’ hands and rolled harmlessly on the turf, “The Bounce House” erupted in a deafening roar. Seconds later, fans spilled over the railings and converged on the field to continue the frenzied celebration.
At one end, the goalpost was already pushed to the ground as players and the student body danced and screamed in delight.
It will prove to be a costly party. The NCAA frowns on fans storming the field, but it still differentiates college football from the professional game.
But it’s money well spent.
