Kirk Herbstreit reveals top-performing teams from Week 11
Following an exciting Week 11 schedule, ESPN College GameDay host Kirk Herbstreit has revealed his top-performing teams from this past weekend.
From statement victories to road upsets — here are the seven teams from across the country that made this week’s list:
Michigan Wolverines
The entire college football world waited to see whether or not Jim Harbaugh was going to be able to coach Michigan vs. Penn State on Saturday. He ended up being forced to stay in the team hotel as offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore took over as acting head coach for the top 10 matchup.
Despite being without their head coach, the Wolverines remained undefefated (10-0) after defeating the Nittany Lions 24-15. Moore called 32 consecutive run plays against Penn State, and star running back Blake Corum ended the game with 26 rushes for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Missouri Tigers
Missouri handed Tennessee its worst spanking of the season with its 37-6 victory at home on Saturday. The win improved the Tigers to 8-2 on the season and will likely finish second in the SEC East behind Georgia — who also appears on this list.
Games against Florida and Arkansas, which will likely see Mizzou as favorites in both matchup, will round out the Tigers’ regular season. That means a 10-win regular season and potential Sugar Bowl berth is theirs for the taking — but the Tigers also have everything to lose in the coming weeks.
UCF Knights
UCF running back RJ Harvey rushed for 206 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries against No. 15 Oklahoma State on Saturday. Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee added 299 passing yards and three more touchdowns to help the Knights compile nearly 600 yards of total offense against the Cowboys.
It was the fifth win of the season for UCF, and will now look toward its Week 12 matchup against Texas Tech, who just came off a massive upset of their own this weekend.
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia reminded everybody who they were on Saturday against Ole Miss in what was supposed to be a tightly contested top 10 matchup in the SEC. Instead, the Bulldogs routed the Rebels 52-17 to improve their record to 10-0 on the season.
Star tight end Brock Bowers returned from injury and was able to record a touchdown reception on the night. Running back Kendall Milton totaled 127 yards and two touchdowns on the day while quarterback Carson Beck went for over 300 yards passing for the fifth time this season. More of the same is expected during Week 12’s showdown at Tennessee.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Place kicker Gino Garcia‘s 30-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in regulation was the difference-maker in Texas Tech‘s road win over No. 16 Kansas on Saturday.
The Jayhawks out-gained the Red Raiders 344-312 in total yards on the afternoon, but running back Tahj Brooks kept Texas Tech afloat with 33 carries totaling 133 yards and the only touchdown of the afternoon for the Red Raiders. The win improved Texas Tech to 5-5 on the season, which allows them to fight for bowl eligibility this weekend at home against UCF.
Northwestern Wildcats
Returning from injury, Northwestern started quarterback Ben Bryant for the first time since Week 5 — and he did not disappoint. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns while adding a score on the ground as well.
Now, the Wildcats are one win away from bowl eligibility and with Purdue (3-7) on the docket for Week 12, it seems they’re well on their way after the early season drama that surrounded the program.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Hawaii‘s postseason hopes are all but over, but that didn’t stop them from knocking of a previously ranked Air Force team at home over the weekend.
Taking the 27-13 victory, the Rainbow Warriors were actually out-gained by the Air Force 315-297 total yards, but rode the momentum quarterback Brayden Schager provided throughout the night to victory. Schrager used his dual-threat ability to combine for 233 total yards and three touchdowns. The defense also forced four turnovers during the victory.