SATURDAY NCAA RECAP
College football: Texas schools win big in Week 7
Kalah Winters
Oct 14, 2018, 3:00 pm
Ed Oliver and the Cougars defense came up big. Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images
Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Texas college football was full of upsets this week. Here’s how it all went down:
Houston 42, East Carolina 20
Can we all take a minute to bask in the glory that is the Houston Cougar offense? Quarterback D’Eriq King threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score as the Cougars rolled over East Carolina on Saturday night. Star defensive tackle Ed Oliver got his first sack of the season, forced a fumble, and lineman Emeke Egbule scooped it up and barreled five yards to the end zone for the Cougars.
Texas Tech 17, TCU 14
There is much to be said about the mental stamina of the Red Raider’s offense. With two quarterbacks injured, Jett Duffey got his first start of the season and pushed Tech to a 17-14 victory over TCU. After a low-scoring first half, McLane Carter replace Duffey for only one series on a sprained ankle that wasn’t ready for full-speed action. Duffey returned to throw a 62-yard touchdown and ran for another score. "I was really proud of Jett. That's such a hard situation, first start ever and at halftime we're going to try something else," coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "Then have to put him back in, and find a way, dig deep, be mentally tough enough to handle that, make enough plays to win the game. I can't say enough about his mental toughness." Duffey finished 13-of-24 passing for 190 yards and 16 carries for 83 yards.
LSU 36, Georgia 16
Defense wins games but calculated play-calling and prefect execution sure does help. Joe Burrow threw for 200 yards and two touchdown runs as the 13th-ranked Tigers beat the No. 2 Bulldogs 36-16 on Saturday. Fourth-down decisions by coach Ed Orgeron made all the difference. The Tigers converted all four times they ran an offensive play on fourth-and-short and produced a total of 13 points. "We were going to be as aggressive as we can. We were going to take shots and go for it and play to win the game the whole time,'' Orgeron said. "We were going for it as hard as we can today. We were throwing out the kitchen sink, man. We were giving them everything we had, and we did it.'' Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm arguably had his worst game of the season, completing a mere 16-of-34 passes for 209 yards, one score and an interception.
Texas 23, Baylor 17
Remember when I said Texas was a conference championship contender? I meant it. Even without Sam Ehlinger, the ninth-ranked Longhorns still managed to survive Baylor on Saturday, defeating the Bears 23-17. "We knew this wasn't going to be easy and obviously when your starting QB goes out on the first drive, there could have been some panic, a little shock," Texas coach Tom Herman said. Quarterback Shane Buechele entered the game for the Longhorns when Ehlinger was injured early in the first quarter. Texas struggled offensively for most of the game as Buechele passed for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer threw for 245 yards and one touchdown. Now bowl-eligible Texas is off next week before traveling to Oklahoma State on Oct. 27.
Texas A&M 26, South Carolina 23
After a surprisingly strong start, and a squandered 16-0 second half lead, the 22nd-ranked Aggies held off the Gamecocks in their 26-23, and third straight victory on Saturday. A&M quarterback Kellen Mond was 25-of-37 passing with 353 yards, the second most in his career. Aggie kicker Seth Small had four field goals and tight end Jace Sternberger had seven receptions for 145 yards.
Alabama-Birmingham 42, Rice 0
UAB quarterback A.J. Erdely was 11-for-17, 274 yards and two touchdowns as the Blazers shut out Rice on Saturday.
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A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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