Southern Miss wide receiver Jaylond Adams looks faster at the end of an 80-yard sprint than he looks at the beginning of it. Here’s video proof:
Three weeks into the season, perhaps no player in the country has been as explosive as the redshirt sophomore Adams, who says he was most recently timed at 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He has two kick return touchdowns and a punt return touchdown this year. No other player has one of each. He also has six catches of at least 20 yards, tied for seventh nationally.
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A highly decorated player coming out of Alabama in the class of 2017, he was the No. 1 receiver on Southern Miss’ recruiting board from the beginning, and he’s showing why.
“We’d probably been on him the longest,” head coach Jay Hopson said. “We identified him early and thought he would be a great player. He’s been a playmaker since he got here.”
Adams wanted SEC offers from home-state Alabama and Auburn, but it didn’t happen. He says it was because of his 5-foot-10 frame.
“I knew I had the same talent level,” Adams said. “From their point of view, I wasn’t 6-2, 6-3. Hearing a coach tell you you’re an amazing ballplayer but you can’t get an offer because you’re not 6-2, 6-3, that put a different drive in your heart to show otherwise.”
When the Golden Eagles faced Auburn last season, Adams had eight catches for 47 yards, but an ankle injury ended his season after four games. He could have returned late in the season, but Hopson opted to redshirt him.
Hopson knew it was risky, but he didn’t want to waste a year of Adams’ eligibility on half of a season. In Week 11, Southern Miss lost to UAB in overtime. It may have cost Southern Miss the Conference USA West division. The Golden Eagles finished 6-5 and didn’t get a bowl invite.
“You could say that injury maybe cost us the title, but he’s a guy that we felt it was best for him to redshirt,” Hopson said. “Even when he came back, he’d be worth a touchdown, but he didn’t get healthy until Week 9 or 10, and he’d only get two games.”
Now Adams has picked up where he left off. He caught four balls for 56 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 at Mississippi State. Last week, he had 11 catches for 180 yards and a kick return touchdown in a 47-42 win at Troy. A Southern Miss offense that lacked explosiveness has it this year.
This week, Adams and the Golden Eagles travel to Tuscaloosa to play No. 2 Alabama. Hopson says Adams will be an NFL player. Saturday will be another chance to prove what he can do against the best.
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Other C-USA notes: Western Kentucky quarterback Steven Duncan will be out several weeks due to a foot injury that will require surgery. No other quarterback has thrown a pass for WKU this year, but Arkansas graduate transfer Ty Storey — who started nine games for the Razorbacks — is likely to step into the starting job. Duncan has thrown for 790 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions with a 58.8 completion rate this year.
C-USA Game of the Week: FIU at Louisiana Tech
Broadcast: 8 p.m. ET Friday, CBS Sports Network
Pick: Louisiana Tech 24-21
MAC
Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton knows everyone wants to point out the Eagles’ three consecutive wins against Big Ten opponents. It’s certainly something to celebrate, but there was another number he emphasized to his players Sunday night.
Wins against Rutgers in 2017 and Purdue last year were followed by a 34-31 win at Illinois on Saturday. EMU has more Big Ten wins than the Illini in the past three years, and EMU was previously 0-38 against the Big Ten.
“I said (to players), any time tonight, tomorrow or Tuesday before we get rolling, if you’re talking to someone and hear 3-0, you need to immediately say out loud or in your mind, ‘0-10,’ ” Creighton said.
That’s because the Rutgers win was followed by six consecutive losses. The Purdue win was followed by four consecutive losses.
“The room got pretty quiet,” Creighton said of the team reaction.
All 10 losses came by one score. Five of those came in overtime. Close calls have been the theme of Creighton’s tenure. Of the past 30 EMU games, 23 have been decided by one score, and the Eagles are 10-13 in those games. Creighton points to an improved defense and an offense that hasn’t been as consistent as a main reason. The next opponent, Central Connecticut, is 3-0 and hit the 40-point mark in its past two games, though it plays at the FCS level.
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The Eagles have played in bowl games in two of the past three seasons after 29 years without a bowl, but there has been a small margin for error.
“We think we can play with the folks on our schedule,” Creighton said. “We’re also aware if we don’t play well in any week, we’ll lose. The status of our program is we can be good enough to win, but we’re not good enough that we won’t lose. That keeps you on your toes.”
So far this year, Creighton loves what he has in senior quarterback Mike Glass III, the team’s third different starting QB in three years. Glass is completing 69.4 percent of his passes with nine total touchdowns, two interceptions and more than 280 passing yards per game. He went 4-for-4 on the game-winning drive over the final 1:44 to beat Illinois. If EMU is in a bunch of close games again this year, Glass is the guy he wants leading it.
“He’s just a winner,” Creighton said. “Some people have a natural or authentic humility while he’s also incredibly confident. Sometimes on paper, those things don’t go together, but they do with him. He’s got an attractive personality. Guys love being around him. They know he believes in himself and who we are. It’s this awesome dichotomy. He’s super talented. His accuracy and the way he spins the ball, it’s hard not to catch it. He’s got a high football IQ and he’s deceptively difficult to deal with on the ground. He makes people miss and keeps people honest with his feet.”
MAC Game of the Week: Western Michigan at Syracuse
Broadcast: Noon ET Saturday, ACC Network
Pick: Western Michigan 35-31
(Patrick Gorski / USA Today)
Mountain West
Over the past five seasons, no team has more wins against Boise State than Air Force, which did so three consecutive times from 2014-16 — the longest streak by any school against the Broncos in 20 years. The teams meet Friday night in an early-season matchup that could have major implications in a Mountain West that looks very deep.
After winning 28 games from 2014-16, the Falcons dropped to consecutive 5-7 seasons. But they’re 2-0 this year, coming off an overtime win at Colorado, and the defense remains the strength. A run defense that ranked No. 17 nationally in yards per carry allowed last year (3.46) is No. 24 this year (2.81) and allowed 3.3 per rush to Colorado.
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The pass defense, which finished No. 123 in yards per pass attempt in 2018, is currently No. 6 (5.0) and allowed 5.1 per throw against Colorado. Head coach Troy Calhoun loves what he’s seen on defense so far, but he is still exercising caution through just two games.
“It’s still early,” he said. “You’re going to be a completely different team when you get into late October than you are now. We know it’s a long haul. We’ve got to be really exact with our run fits. I do think we do a better job of understanding what kind of leverage we need to have in taking a proper drop in zone.”
That defense will be tested by Boise State true freshman quarterback Hank Bachmeier, who is averaging 8.4 yards per attempt for the 3-0 Broncos. Boise State has scored at least 44 points in the past two games against Air Force, and Calhoun thinks this could be the best Broncos team in seven years.
“They are a complete squad,” he said. “Defensively, they have strength, size, ability. Offensively, they’re very good up front with tremendous balance, and they’ve had big plays on special teams.”
Air Force also surprised Colorado with a passing game. Quarterback Donald Hammond III didn’t throw a pass in the opening win against Colgate. But in Boulder, Hammond went 7-for-12 passing for 155 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The option running game remains the foundation of the offense, but the passing game could be another weapon.
The Falcons are the only Mountain division team to beat the Broncos more than once since Boise State joined the conference in 2011. Wyoming looks improved and Utah State looks like a team that isn’t falling off. An Air Force win could really shake up the division race. We’ll find out Friday night if this early improvement from the Falcons is for real.
Other Mountain West notes: Colorado State quarterback Collin Hill will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL after taking a shot to the left knee in last week’s loss at Arkansas. Hill has previously torn his left ACL twice. … New Mexico head coach Bob Davie will not coach this Saturday against New Mexico State as he recovers from a health scare, but he hopes to return next week.
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Mountain West Game of the Week: Air Force at No. 20 Boise State
Broadcast: 9 p.m. ET Friday, ESPN2
Pick: Boise State 28-21
American
On paper, things couldn’t look much better for Temple right now, but head coach Rod Carey believes a whole lot of things need to be cleaned up. And it’s more fun to do that when you’re 2-0.
“It’s a lot easier to learn from a win than it is a loss,” Carey said.
Temple is coming off a 20-17 win against Maryland, shutting down a team that averaged more than 70 points per game in the first two weeks. The Temple offense is No. 21 in yards per play, and the defense is No. 3. UCF, Georgia Clemson and Baylor are the only other teams ranked in the top 21 in both. But the Owls are also No. 110 in turnover margin and No. 129 in ESPN’s SP+ special teams rankings after a litany of errors last Saturday. And after going 11-for-15 on third down in the opener against Bucknell, Temple went 3-for-14 against Maryland, plus 0-for-3 on fourth down.
“If we could have gotten out of our own way on offense, I think that could have been a way different score,” Carey said of the Maryland game.
Temple was a bit of an unknown in the American Athletic Conference entering the season with a new staff, while teams like UCF, Cincinnati and Memphis appeared to be the frontrunners. Two games in, the Owls look like a contender if they can clean up the little things.
Quarterback Anthony Russo is averaging 8.8 yards per attempt and completing 66.7 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Running backs Jager Gardner and Re’Mahn Davis are both averaging better than five yards per carry. Isaiah Wright is explosive all over the field. Through two games, Temple has three plays of at least 50 yards and 14 plays of at least 20. But the story of the Maryland game was missed opportunities, on both sides. Temple can’t get away with that very often and win.
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“You’d like to see Russo’s decision-making get better,” Carey said. “You’d like to see the routes run better, the guys up front block for that extra step, gotta hold onto the ball at running back. Just really inconsistent. We’re an explosive group, just inconsistent.”
The positive comes from the defensive performance, including holding Maryland to 4.0 yards per play, with two goal line stands and other red zone stops.
“That’s how we practiced on defense last week. They had a great week,” Carey said. “They were locked in. They took it personal how much Maryland was scoring. The learning point from that is to have that same practice week this week. It worked. You got the payoff. Do it again, and hopefully you’ll get the same payoff.”
Other AAC notes: Memphis senior wide receiver/punt returner Pop Williams will miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury Saturday. Williams had five catches for 49 yards in three games, and he’ll redshirt. The Tigers have also been without starting running back Patrick Taylor for the past two games due to an ankle injury. Memphis is idle this week and plays Navy next Thursday.
American Game of the Week: Houston at Tulane
Broadcast: 8 p.m. ET Thursday, ESPN
Pick: Tulane 24-20
(Bill Streicher / USA Today)
Sun Belt
Appalachian State is still going through the growing process with a new staff, but now the Mountaineers travel to Chapel Hill for a major in-state battle with North Carolina.
It took more than a half for App State to get the offense going against East Tennessee State in Week 1, and then the defense allowed 41 points to Charlotte in Week 2. But for the team picked to win the Sun Belt in the preseason, it’s better to work out the kinks now rather than later.
“We’re still getting to know each other,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “Our staff is still trying to figure out the strengths of players and how it fits our scheme. I think our players are trying to figure out exactly how to play within the scheme. Guys play hard. We just have to improve and put them in position to be successful. …
“We’re replacing some really good players, having to grow up in a hurry. (Charlotte) exposed some areas we weren’t as strong at, and it’s good learning. Better to happen in Week 2 and not Week 6.”
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The Mountaineers will be aided by the return of wide receiver Corey Sutton, who was suspended for the first two games after a summer marijuana charge. Sutton was the team’s leading receiver last year with 44 catches, 773 yards and 10 touchdowns. Even without Sutton, quarterback Zac Thomas has shown continued efficiency in the passing game, completing 68 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no interceptions.
App State and UNC have met only one previous time, a Tar Heels win in 1940. The Mountaineers’ move up to FBS could make this more of an in-state rivalry down the road. UNC will go to Boone in 2022, with App State returning to Chapel Hill in 2023.
“They obviously are very excited,” Drinkwitz said of App State fans. “Anytime you’re playing the flagship university of the state, there’s added motivation and emphasis. Expectations at App State are to win every game you play. We understand that.”
Other Sun Belt notes: Troy running back B.J. Smith suffered a season-ending injury in the loss to Southern Miss. Smith was the preseason Sun Belt offensive player of the year.
Sun Belt Game of the Week: Appalachian State at North Carolina
Broadcast: 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, ACC Network
Pick: Appalachian State 38-35
Power Rankings
1. UCF (3-0)
2. Boise State (3-0)
3. Memphis (3-0)
4. Temple (2-0)
5. Appalachian State (2-0)
6. Cincinnati (2-1)
7. Army (2-1)
8. SMU (3-0)
9. Air Force (2-0)
10. Tulane (2-1)
11. Hawaii (2-1)
12. Southern Miss (2-1)
13. Wyoming (3-0)
14. San Diego State (3-0)
15. Houston (1-2)
(Top photo of Jaylond Adams: John Reed / USA Today)
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