Best Misdirection Play? Operation Dumb Drop in Durham
The plan for North Carolina’s home opener versus McNeese State was to have skydivers descend into Kenan Stadium with the game ball. The parachutists made a bad read, though, landing instead in Duke’s Wallace Wade Stadium.

Most Exciting Freshman? Robert Griffin
Baylor’s signal-caller is the youngest starting quarterback in the FBS and a world-class intermediate hurdler as well. If the Big 12 were not in the midst of a historic season in terms of quarterback talent, Griffin would be more widely known outside of Waco.

Best Misnomer? Air Force
The Air Force Academy aimed high, low and everywhere but on target in a game against Houston, completing zero passes. They still won, though. And by the way, the Falcons are the only offense not to have allowed a sack (50 pass attempts) this season.

Most Gruesome Injury? Charlie Weis gets chop-blocked
The Notre Dame coach was blindsided by Irish outside linebacker John Ryan, who was blocked into him by a Michigan player during a punt. The 6-5, 265-pound junior sailed directly into the side of Weis’ left knee, tearing both his ACL and MCL. To Weis’ credit, if that is the correct word, he never missed a play nor a day of work since the hit.

Most Eye-Popping Score? BYU 59, UCLA 0
Norm Chow learns the hard way that you can’t go home again. Or it’s best that you do not.

Stats Incredible!
Two statistics, both involving Big 12 offenses, that we find difficult to comprehend: 1) Missouri went 51 offensive drives before its first three-and-out, which happened in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State, and 2) Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell has been sacked just once in 262 pass attempts.

And yet her namesake university, Notre Dame, has never, to the best of our recollection, won a game in this manner.
Both Buffalo and Middle Tennessee State have won games this season on game-ending Hail Mary passes. The Blue Raiders have actually completed two such last-ditch tosses but the former, at Kentucky, ended one yard shy of paydirt.

Most Precarious Position? Quarterback at Oregon
Beginning when Dennis Dixon tore his ACL — ending both the Ducks’ national title and Dixon’s Heisman hopes — in Tucson last November, Oregon has had seven quarterbacks knocked out of action. As a Los Angeles Times headline put it recently, “Oregon quarterbacks haven’t learned to Duck.”

Lehman Brothers Award for Fiscal Responsibility
West Virginia granted first-year head coach Bill Stewart a six-year contract extension after the Mountaineers lost at East Carolina. At the time Stewart had yet to win a regular-season game against a BCS conference team. Coach Paterno might want to mention this item when his contract comes up for review.

Speaking of Stock Plummeting…
East Carolina opened its season with impressive wins against Virginia Tech and West Virginia. ESPN dispatched Dr. Lou to do a segment on the head coach, who happens to be his son, and the only blemish the program appeared to have was its overzealous security personnel. Then, quicker than you can say, “BCS-buster”, the Pirates lost three straight to sit at 3-3 at the halfway point.

Most Favorable Hue? Golden
The Golden Gophers of Minnesota are the season’s biggest surprise (sorry, Vandy). Now 6-1, Minnesota is bowl-eligible just one year after a 1-11 disaster that included a loss to North Dakota State. The undefeated Golden Hurricane of Tulsa lead the nation in scoring, averaging 53.17 points per game. And sophomore Golden Tate leads Notre Dame in receptions (28), receiving yardage (518 yards) and touchdowns (4).

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