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If Thursday night indicates the action awaiting us the rest of the weekend, then be prepared to have your eyeballs melt from chaos. From celebration pukes to egregious targeting calls, night one of the season’s first week gave fans plenty to talk about. Rivalries renewed, stars being born. This is how the start of the season should always feel. Here are the 4 biggest stories from night one of Week One.
1st Down – Give Us All The Rivalries
Backyard Brawl delivered in every way. Just awesome!
God Bless College Football!!— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) September 2, 2022
The Backyard Brawl delivered on every expectation for a rivalry that fans haven’t seen since 2011. West Virginia and Pittsburgh sharing the gridiron again gave us geriatric millennials’ memories of Big East football from yesteryear. The Panthers ended up winning the game over the Mountaineers 38-31, in front of the largest crowd to attend a Pittsburgh game. The atmosphere for the game has everyone ready to see their most hated rival. With all the expansion going on in college football, this game was a good reminder about us not forgetting the game’s roots.
2nd Down – Review The Targeting Rules
Penn State LB Abdul Carter has been ejected for targeting.pic.twitter.com/NMgikWEecZ
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 2, 2022
Early on in the Backyard Brawl Penn State LB Abdul Carter was called for a horrendous targeting foul that ended his night prematurely. Yes, targeting is something that should be taken seriously when there is malicious intent involved. Accidentally helmet-to-helmet contact, like the play in the video above, has to have a different outcome instead of the player being ejected from the game for making a normal football play. College football has to take a closer look at what targeting actually means.
3rd Down – Time Management Is Still A Lost Art
Jeff Brohm’s clock management… #Purdue pic.twitter.com/o3SDLTtwc5
— Bato (@RealMattBarbato) September 2, 2022
Purdue fans will be waking up this morning with the feeling we saw on the Boilermaker sidelines last night. A game that could’ve easily gone their way instead fell right into the hands of Penn State, as the Nittany Lions took home the 35-31 dub. Fans were highly critical of Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm’s playcalling down the stretch.
Brohm pulled a Kyle Shanahan tonight. That was horrible down the stretch.
— Ethan Sartin (@Ye_Swell_Bamf) September 2, 2022
Some would even compare the playcalling to a certain Super Bowl that led to an epic comeback. It’s okay, Boilermaker’s, let it all out. This is a safe place.
4th Down – Tennessee Back?
Hendon Hooker in Week 1:
🍊 18/25 ATT
🍊 234 total yards
🍊 2 passing TDs
🍊 2 rushing TDs pic.twitter.com/EOx7FHo4Tr— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 2, 2022
As someone who partakes in the religion of University of Kentucky athletics, let me be the first to say I hate Tennessee. Their fan base has made their claim of a return to the college football landscape more than the fine folks down in Austin, Texas. However, something feels different this time around. Behind a monstrous performance from rising QB star Hendon Hooker, the Vols dismantled Ball State right out of the gate to an impressive 59-10 home opening victory. I hate everything about this, but the talent could be too hard to deny. Is… Is Tennessee back? I think I’m gonna puke.
