Tonight's College Football Games (8/31/2023)
First off, Happy Phil Brabbs kick against Washington Anniversary! (8/31/2002)
And back to present day, tonight starts 5 straight days of college football games, which is now a Labor Day weekend tradition. The two most notable games this evening are...
- Nebraska @ Minnesota 8:00 on Fox. Matt Rhule's debut against the guy who likes to row a boat.
- Florida @ Utah 8:00 on ESPN. They played a classic game last year that went down to the final seconds. Maybe another good game tonight?
The rest of the lineup sounds pretty meh but it's still football.....
- Elon @ Wake Forest 7:00 on ACC Network
- Kent State @ Central Florida 7:00 on FS1
- Rhode Island @ Georgia State 7:00 on ESPN+
- St. Francis @ Western Michigan 7:00 on ESPN+
- North Carolina State @ Connecticut 7:30 on CBSSN
- South Dakota @ Missouri 8:00 on SEC Network
- Arkansas Pine Bluff @ Tulsa 8:00 on ESPN+
- North Carolina A&T @ UAB 8:00 on EPSN+
- Southern Utah @ Arizona State 10:00 on ???
August 31st, 2023 at 8:14 PM ^
Should we make this a drinking thread? I bet on Utah because they're tough at home. Enjoying a Modelo.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:14 PM ^
First game night of the year! I love that first Thursday. Games are usually decent but not great. Sometimes they’re memorable. It’s always a blast.
Phil Brabbs day was the last game I attended together with my dad.
Two decent games to catch here. Let’s go. Football season.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:14 PM ^
Utah
Holy Fuck!!
August 31st, 2023 at 8:14 PM ^
Where’s the SEC speed Florida
WHERE’S THE SPEED?
August 31st, 2023 at 8:15 PM ^
Minny qb forces throw that aren't there and isn't accurate. I predict INTs.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:19 PM ^
The new B1G/FOX scoreboard thing at the bottom looks strange.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:34 PM ^
It's ridiculously and unnecessarily large. Who the hell gives the okay to this shit?!
August 31st, 2023 at 9:51 PM ^
Someone who doesn’t watch sports.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:19 PM ^
I'm finding it very easy to root against Graham Mertz again this season.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:20 PM ^
Florida looks...slower than I would have expected. I know there are talent and experience issues but they definitely seem to be overmatched by Utah but also seem a step behind.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:22 PM ^
Lots of overalls on Fox
August 31st, 2023 at 8:22 PM ^
That was a fantastic clean hit.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:22 PM ^
Phenomenal punting so far.#B1G
August 31st, 2023 at 8:23 PM ^
So far, Nebraska’s QB is their leading rusher. He looks like he’s going to be a pain in the ass to haul down.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:25 PM ^
Holy shit. #21 on Florida is massive
August 31st, 2023 at 8:25 PM ^
ESPN college football is no longer on Spectrum??? WTF!
August 31st, 2023 at 9:32 PM ^
Same at my house too. Heck of a time for that to happen. Definitley WTF
August 31st, 2023 at 8:25 PM ^
Wouldn’t want to play at Utah.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:51 PM ^
If it means dinner at Red Iguana, I wouldn't mind.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:27 PM ^
Nebraska looks really light up front, and Minnesota is moving them. Looks not unlike UM's game last year against them.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:32 PM ^
Interesting how much traditional play-action Minnie is using.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:41 PM ^
Yeah, not necessarily the offense I expected to see given Fleck's love of the spreadier elements along with a stout rushing attack.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:29 PM ^
This new FOX scorebug is absurdly big. I absolutely hate it.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:33 PM ^
With the proviso that I often come to appreciate change in things I initially dislike, I agree.
For scorebugs bigger is worse, even if the meh design concept grows on me.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:39 PM ^
I don't mind the overall design but it needs to be scaled down to about 60%. There's a bunch of space being taken up for no reason. Why is it not anchored to the bottom? Why are the rectangles with the team name and color so big? Why are the logos bigger than the already big rectangles?
Just awful execution.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:32 PM ^
Run, PJ, run!
August 31st, 2023 at 8:33 PM ^
Can you say tool? I knew you could.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:35 PM ^
These Deion Sanders commercials that are tangentially related to college football are wild. I'd be pissed if I was TCU and somewhat embarrassed if I was a CU player that the framing is "CU sucks so much and is so awful that maybe, hope against hope, a guy who coached 2 years at Jackson St. and could never win the big game might save us from damnation!"
August 31st, 2023 at 8:44 PM ^
Windy day.
No way they could have planned it this way, but Minnesota is absolutely going to roast this weekend, so the Thursday night game turns out to be a nice weather plus.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:44 PM ^
Wow. Fox, who always loves to show more commercials than actual football is 4 minutes into the 2nd quarter while the Florida/Utah game on ESPN just finished the 1st quarter.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:50 PM ^
It's a Big Ten West game. Also we're now at like 12 minutes of commercials on Fox in the second quarter.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:45 PM ^
Florida showing some life now. Mertz looks like a pretty good QB, which I absolutely never expected to be the case.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:51 PM ^
He took a massive hit going for a first down just a bit ago. Like the toughness, but not the decision.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:51 PM ^
He was supposed to be good, so it’s possible that Wisconsin was what ruined him.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:53 PM ^
Yeah, it definitely felt like Wisconsin had some issues that mucked with the QB. At the same time, Mertz has randomly had good games and then forgotten how to play football afterwards so we'll see.
August 31st, 2023 at 10:03 PM ^
Graham Mertz is not good at quarterbacking
August 31st, 2023 at 8:49 PM ^
Go Utes!
August 31st, 2023 at 8:50 PM ^
One of the things I love about football: third downs that are 50/50 where the crowd roars and the offense has to organize amidst the noise and it FEELS like you’re watching something pivotal. The offense makes it or they don’t. One fanbase cheers. The other deflates.
Football has dozens of different kinds of moments like this that are just so incredible.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:52 PM ^
Nate Johnson is a blast from the (relatively recent) past. Was a QB UM wanted.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:54 PM ^
And he fumbles the snap
August 31st, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Yeah, I know Utah is down Cam Rising but their offense has been jankier than I expected, especially since they absolutely have the size and experience advantage up front.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:57 PM ^
Utah takes a lot of their attitude from Rising, I feel like. The most reckless with his own body QB I may have ever seen.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:57 PM ^
He completed a pass to Mikey Matthews. I think he was a recruit at some point last year
August 31st, 2023 at 8:58 PM ^
Graham Mertz is going to die on the field if Billy Napier is interested in making him a running quarterback.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:58 PM ^
NC State up only 10-7 over UConn at the half. Didn’t someone in the annual “what coaches will be fired” thread suggest that this might be it for their guy?
BTW another fun thing about football is how the structure of it invites massive overreactions to events in week one.
August 31st, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^
Who is the 15 year old version of Jonah Hill on the Florida sideline?
August 31st, 2023 at 9:02 PM ^
I thought it was a grown up Chunk from The Goonies.
August 31st, 2023 at 9:04 PM ^
Hey you guyyyys!
August 31st, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^
Nate Johnson is crazy quick.
August 31st, 2023 at 9:00 PM ^
Loved his patience on that run. Flowed outside a bit like he could still pass and then just cut upfield quickly. Great run. Nice touchdown. Go Utes!