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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Let’s be clear: the Astros didn’t lose their series to the Mariners just because the bullpen melted down late. They lost because the offense put them in that vulnerable position to begin with — and the decisions from the dugout didn’t help.
Houston’s bats were a no-show in Game 2 despite the win in extra innings, and it was a massive reason why their bullpen was stretched thin in the series finale. Game 3 starter, Luis F. Castillo, had more control issues than command, and handed out five walks. That should’ve been the Astros’ ticket to a win. Instead? Missed opportunities, weak contact, and a bullpen meltdown caused Houston to drop another series.
The middle of the lineup is a problem
Christian Walker has turned into a black hole in the cleanup spot. His .229 slugging percentage and .196 OBP are not typos — they’re proof that opposing pitchers can pitch around Yordan Alvarez with no fear. Walker ranks 12th-worst in baseball in OPS, and his lone RBI as a cleanup hitter is borderline unbelievable.
Isaac Paredes isn’t exactly lighting it up, either, slugging .255. If Walker wasn’t such a disaster, Paredes would likely be catching more heat. And then there’s Yainer Diaz, who’s been completely lost at the plate. The offensive struggles are deeper than one guy — they’re systemic.
The Astros currently rank dead last in MLB in slugging and doubles, plus they are second to last in OPS. Only two teams have hit fewer homers. That’s not a slump. That’s an identity crisis.
Espada’s decisions worsened the situation
Manager Joe Espada deserves his share of the blame for how the final game unfolded. With a bullpen already running on fumes, Espada pulled his best bats for defense, then rolled out minor-league caliber arms to protect a lead. If he had his full bullpen, fine. But he didn’t — and he knew it. He got greedy.
Instead of turning to Steven Okert to start the eighth after Luis Contreras survived the seventh, Espada went back to the well. That decision backfired, as it often does when a struggling pitcher has already done more than expected. Even more puzzling was the choice to use Contreras at all when Logan VanWey had just been called up. Why call him up if you’re not going to use him?
And why was Bennett Sousa in that game?
Abreu's pitch selection was asking for trouble
Bryan Abreu had multiple 0-2 counts. Inexplicably, he grooved high fastballs over the heart of the plate. Major league hitters don’t miss those very often.
Pitching strategy
Astros pitchers are consistently working deep into counts. They’re far too comfortable taking at-bats to 3-2, especially with runners on. That kind of approach balloons pitch counts, tires starters, and taxes relievers — all things this team can’t afford right now. And don't get us started on how many stolen bases they're allowing.
A Silver lining? Maybe one
Spencer Arrighetti’s fluke broken thumb is obviously unfortunate. But if you’re desperate for a silver lining, this could help limit his innings across the season and keep him fresher for the stretch run — assuming he returns to form quickly.
Bottom line
Yes, the bullpen blew it. But the offense put them in that position, and the coaching staff didn’t pull the right levers. The Astros are 5-7, but with the way they’ve played, it almost feels like they should be thankful it’s not worse. There’s time to turn it around — but it starts with accountability, and the bats doing their part.
We have so much more to cover. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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