Several college teams put up surprisingly resurgent performances this opening weekend: Michigan, Syracuse, Washington, and Army led the way after poor 2008 seasons. Are these clues to a turnaround year for each team? Perhaps, but it is too soon to tell.
Michigan 31 Western Michigan 7
Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez ended his hell week with a resounding victory over a decent Western Michigan team. The jury is still out, but we’ll know about Michigan by mid-season after a visit from Notre Dame this coming Saturday and trips to Michigan State and Iowa. If the Wolverines are 5-1 in October, nobody will ever mention over-the-limit practice time again.
Minnesota 23 Syracuse 20
A lot of people felt the installation of former Duke point guard Greg Paulus as Syracuse’s new starting quarterback was simply a desperate act to create buzz about a formerly fine football program that had stumbled into the gutter. Paulus played reasonably well against Minnesota, rallying the Orange as he doled out short passes as if he were a point guard. His one blunder was an end zone interception in overtime that ruined any chance at victory.
LSU 31 Washington 23
In a weekend full of terrible analysis by almost every broadcaster, ESPN’s Bob Davie hit it square when he suggested the Huskies had playmakers on offense but that it would take time for new coach Steve Sarkisian to find defenders who could match the flyers at wide receiver on a team like LSU. Still, as the newly-enthused Seattle fans, many wearing “I Bark for Sark” tee shirts, will attest, Washington’s offense put on a good show and kept the Huskies in the game Saturday night. Washington welcomed back quarterback Jake Locker and running back Chris Polk from last year’s injury list. Sarkasian is an offensive specialist so it figures that sophomore Johri Fogerson, a real flyer in his own right, was moved from free safety to offense.
Army 27 Eastern Michigan 14
Flying far under the radar was Saturday night’s Army coaching debut of Rich Ellerson. Ellerson, the son of a career military officer and younger brother of West Point’s 1962 football captain and a successful advocate of an option run attack, might be the perfect man to resurrect Black Knights football. Beating Eastern Michigan is no great accomplishment, but it occurred on the road by a team that arrived with only 20 wins this decade. Popping off the stat sheet was six sacks by the Army defense.
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