2024 College Football: Week 1 Takeaways
The NCAA football season has finally arrived. Last year was hectic; this year is set to be complete mayhem. Realignment accelerated, culminating in the Pac-12’s demise. The transfer portal became more hectic than the caricature in those Dr. Pepper commercials. But now is when things settle down and we just play football! In case you weren’t with us last year, in these weekly posts, I discuss everything that happened during the week’s games, including player/team analyses, CFP discussions, and NFL draft ramifications where applicable. So let’s get right to it! Here are my week 1 takeaways for the 2024 college football season.
(24) NC State, Colorado Survive Scares from Spirited FCS Teams
Even when you win, all might not be right with the world. Two games this week led to more questions than answers. In our first, you have to ignore the 38-21 score in NC State’s victory over Western Carolina. The Wolfpack trailed 21-17 entering the 4th quarter before exploding for 21 unanswered in the final frame. Western Carolina deserves a lot of credit; they played an incredibly efficient and clean game. However, they shouldn’t have been able to hang with a supposed ACC contender. The main culprits for NC State were turnovers, both in the traditional sense (1 INT) and on downs (twice).
Transfer QB Grayson McCall, coming over from Coastal Carolina, clearly needed time to get comfortable. He threw a bad INT early on before settling in and throwing for 318 yards with 3 TDs. I want to shout out RB Jordan Waters (20/123/2) and WR Kevin Concepcion (9/121/3), who really kept the ship afloat while their teammates found their way. The defense also really clamped down in the 4th quarter. I’m expecting the Wolfpack to look sharper in the games ahead. Their problems appear to be about chemistry and execution, which can be fixed with time.
Colorado has more systemic issues to worry about. We talked last season about this team’s deficiencies in the trenches. Despite a plethora of transfers and recruits, the same problems remain. Playing against an FCS heavyweight in North Dakota State, the Buffaloes had a chance to make an early statement. Instead, they let the Bison rack up 449 yards of offense and score 20 first-half points. They even threw for 277 yards despite being a run-based attack. As was the case last year, the Colorado offense had to score on every drive just to keep pace until the defense finally overwhelmed NDSU in the second half.
Fortunately for Coach Prime, his son, Heisman contender QB Shedeur Sanders, was exceptional. He went 26/34 for 445 yards and 4 TDs with 1 INT. He fed WR Jimmy Horn (7/198/1) repeatedly, while two-way star Travis Hunter caught 7 passes for 132 yards and 3 TDs while providing sticky coverage at corner. Here’s my concern: with all those elite performances, Colorado beat an FCS team at home by just 5 points. The run game earned just 2.6 yards per carry, and the Bison seemed to move at will for the bulk of the game. Unless the Buffaloes can improve in the trenches, they’ll struggle with their new Big XII schedule.
(10) FSU Shocked by Ga. Tech, Boston College in Succession
It took us just one game to have a major upset. In what has become an annual tradition, two teams kicked off “Week 0” of the CFB season in Dublin, Ireland last Saturday. Georgia Tech has improved, but nobody really expected them to compete with the 10th-ranked Seminoles. FSU lost considerable talent to the NFL, but this was still an undefeated conference champion from a year ago that should’ve been in the CFP. Perhaps more importantly, they got a shiny new QB in transfer DJ Uiagalelei. I guess the Yellow Jackets didn’t get the memo.
Both teams started out on fire, each blasting through the other for a first-drive TD. The Seminoles added a nifty 2-point conversion for good measure. The defenses settled in from there, but the squads remained remarkably even, heading to the half 14-14. When Ga. Tech started the 3rd quarter with a missed FG, that felt like the type of moment that could open the floodgates for FSU. However, the defense forced two straight punts. They couldn’t penetrate the Seminoles’ offensive line in the pass rushing department, but they rallied to the ball every play. LB Kyle Efford had 10 tackles on his own.
Surprisingly, the Yellow Jackets never trailed in the second half. An 89-yard TD drive gave them a 21-14 lead, but FSU responded with an 84-yard march of their own. That 8:24 drive could’ve broken the underdogs’ spirits, but they didn’t relent. Hoarding the ball for the final 6:33, QB Haynes King and co. drove for a last-second 44-yard FG, which gave K Aidan Birr redemption and the team a 24-21 victory. King (11/16, 146 yards) was efficient, but he did much of his damage on the ground (15/54). RB Jamal Haynes was the star; he took his 11 caries for 75 yards and 2 TDs, adding 16 receiving yards for good measure.
FSU has to be disappointed with their effort. Uiagalelei looked as unconfident as ever, throwing for 193 yards and no TDs. The ground game was decent, particularly when Lawrance Toafili (8/32/1, 3/25 through the air) touched the ball. The defense was the bigger no-show, as that unit was supposed to be the heavyweight. I would advise people not to overlook Georgia Tech though. They came ready to play and looked the part. Ga. Tech won again a week later versus Georgia State in a rout, so coach Brent Key has his group off to a very nice 2-0 start.
The BC game was a much more straightforward affair for FSU. The Seminoles never led during the 28-13 loss, and THEY seemed like the unranked team in their own stadium. Uiagalelei showed extreme inaccuracy (including a miss on a wide-open target in the end zone), and his offense couldn’t get out of its own way. FSU ran for just 1.3 yards per carry on 16 attempts. The defense, tired from being on the field and from their offense doing nothing, finally gave in. BC QB Thomas Castellanos (10/16, 106 yards, 2 TDs; 14/73/1 rushing), and RBs Kye Robichaux (19/85/1; rec. TD) and Treshaun Ward (12/77; 3/61/1 receiving) all had field days.
As I did with Georgia Tech, I want to give due credit to the Eagles. New coach Bill O’Brien brought an NFL mentality to the team, and it showed. They played with discipline and purpose, and they deserved to win. Now back to FSU…this is a disaster. HC Mike Norvell took a team that went undefeated during the regular season last year and made them feckless. These aren’t losses to Georgia and Ohio State. They’re bad losses that will have the Seminoles tumbling all the way out of the top 25 by tonight. FSU’s playoff hopes are likely already shattered, and they have nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and try to salvage the season.
(1) Georgia Dominates (14) Clemson Following Slow Start
Our headliner of the extended opening week was undoubtedly this matchup of contenders. Georgia has been an elite force for years, while Clemson has been good but hoping to rebound to the top of the sport. Both teams are currently known for their great defenses, but what would their offenses look like? Georgia would be without Florida transfer RB Trevor Etienne, who was suspended for a DUI citation, but QB Carson Beck is considered a Heisman candidate. Meanwhile, Clemson QB Cade Klubnik was a 5-star recruit, but he hasn’t played anywhere close to that level to this point.
During the first half, both defenses dominated the opposing attacks. Georgia shut the Tigers out completely in the first two frames, while Clemson played great themselves, holding the Bulldogs to two field goals. Out of 11 first-half drives, we saw those FGs, a kneel-down to end the half, and 8 punts. The difference was that after the break, one team got their offense into gear, whereas the other remained stuck in the mud. Georgia came out on fire in the third quarter, scoring two straight TDs on drives littered with explosive plays through the air and on the ground.
Between those marches, it looked like Clemson might wake up offensively as well, with the team mustering a field goal for their first points. Those would be their only points in a 34-3 demolition. The Bulldogs rounded into form in a big way, ripping off TDs on 4 of their first 5 drives in the second half. Freshman RB Nate Frazier (11/83/1, 24 rec. yards) was a more-than-adequate replacement for Etienne and deserves a share of the load going forward. Beck ended up 23/33 for 278 yards and 2 TDs, making for a very solid day. Clemson’s Klubnik was just 18/29 for 142 yards and an INT, still looking lost on the field.
Defensively, give Tigers DL Peter Woods credit. He had a sack and 2.5 TFLs, and he almost willed his team to a close contest at halftime. Eventually the dam broke though, and Georgia’s defense was the one that held for all 4 quarters. LB Jalon Walker led the way with 1.5 sacks and 6 tackles, making surprisingly easy work of Clemson’s solid offensive line. CB Malachi Starks made a fantastic INT over his head while falling onto his back. He also provided sticky coverage all game. Clemson seems destined to be throttled by their offense, while the Bulldogs are juggernauts that will certainly appear in the new 12-team CFP.
Boise State RB Jeanty, Arizona WR McMillan Have MONSTER Days
Two players already had games for the ages in week 1, and we’d be remiss not to talk about them here. First was Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, who took 20 carries for 267 yards and an outrageous 6 TDs against Georgia Southern. He had a pair of 1-play TD drives, taking those two carries 77 and 75 yards. Those plays showcased high-level speed, but Jeanty also put his pads down and churned out some tough yards with power. He actually had two other 200-yard performances in 2023, but this was his career-high total, and he did it with fewer carries than he had in those previous games.
Playing at Boise State, Jeanty has flown under the radar, but some have rightly viewed him as the current RB1 in the 2025 draft class. The hype is in full swing now thanks to his scoring outburst, and for once I agree with the masses. Whereas the 2024 class didn’t have a true star at the position, players like Jeanty, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, and Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon II are all high-end prospects. Jeanty stated his case to be at the top of that list this week. With his solid receiving and pass protection skills, he might be there already. At present, I have him ranked as the top RB in the upcoming draft.
Our other big-time performer was Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan. If you watched one of the last games to finish Saturday, you got a real treat. Unless you’re a New Mexico fan. The poor Lobos were helpless to stop this 10-catch, 304-yard, 4-TD masterpiece. As with Jeanty, this wasn’t McMillan’s first 200-yard performance, but it was his first time over 300. In doing so, he set a single-game receiving yards record for Arizona. The way he did it was wildly impressive. McMillan is big (6’5″) and fast with supreme body control. We’re looking at a top-10 overall prospect with WR1 written all over him.
Importantly, both of these performances were NEEDED to win high-scoring contests. We weren’t merely dealing with overmatched opponents being run over; each game came against an FBS opponent. That helps clarify why both of them are ranked #1 at their respective positions at the moment. Luther Burden III of Missouri has an argument for being WR1, but I’m sticking with McMillan at this time. In the here and now, both Jeanty and McMillan are the most critical players to their teams’ conference title hopes. We can’t expect this output every week, but if these two even close, watch out for the Broncos and Wildcats.
In-Game Rule Changes Improving the Sport
There has been so much focus on the change occurring off the field that we haven’t seen much discussion about the new features being implemented on the field. We had four notable rule changes. Two of them aren’t very exciting, but they’re nice. Having tablets on the sideline for in-game video viewing is helpful, while penalizing horse collar tackles within the tackle box is a smart choice for player safety. Those changes aren’t going to dramatically change the game though. The other two are much more notable and should in fact be celebrated for making college football a bit closer to the NFL game.
First, we have the addition of a “two-minute timeout” before the ends of the 2nd and 4th quarters. Before you ask, no, apparently we can’t call it a two-minute warning. I like that the NCAA is syncing that up with the pros (even if not by name), and the break allows for more strategy given the free timeout. Perhaps more impactful, that extra clock stoppage provides opportunities for more comebacks, which are always exciting. Any time we can keep more teams in games until the end, we’re upping the entertainment value of an already-great sport.
The final change has the potential to be transformative. Starting now, teams can communicate with one player on the field (who has a green dot on his head) through helmet communications until 15 seconds remain on the play clock or the ball is snapped. On defense, this is usually the unit’s signal caller, and streamlining that role is a good thing. For offenses, that player is always the QB. Not seeing players run to the sideline for plays or coaches holding up coded boards is so wonderful. Plus, players are being prepared for the NFL. This is a win for teams and viewers alike, which feels rare nowadays.