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2nd weekend of college football by the numbers

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Saturday’s action brought some significant numbers both large and small. They represent happenings both good and bad.

752 – Yards of total offense surrendered by Florida A&M against Samford in a disappointing 58-21 loss to the Bulldogs. Such heights were never reached when Jimbo Fisher or Bobby Bowden played there.

266 – Rushing yards by Florida State’s Dalvin Cook in Saturday’s win over South Florida. Cook’s outburst is the second highest by an FSU running back and the most since Greg Allen ran through Western Carolina in 1981.

265 – Blood vessels burst by Florida Coach Jim McElwain during the Gators’ 31-24 win over the East Carolina Pirates in The Swamp. McElwain apologized for his team’s play after a few sideline rants and blood pressure-rising slow burns.

149 – Points scored by the No. 14 Mississippi Rebels in their first two games against Tennessee Martin (76) and Fresno State (73). In setting a school record for scoring in a season’s first two games, Ole Miss is averaging 74.5 points and 634.5 yards of offense.

41 – Point underdog Jacksonville (Alabama) State nearly pulled the upset of the young century against No. 6 Auburn. The Tigers prevailed over the Gamecocks, 27-20 in overtime. Jacksonville State narrowly missed achieving the rare Division 2-FCS team beating a Division 1-FBS team.

18 – The former ranking of the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Hogs bumbled and stumbled their way to a 16-12 loss to the Toledo Rockets of the Mid-American Conference in Fayetteville, Ark.

11 – Consecutive games won on the road by the No. 21 Missouri Tigers. Mizzou topped Arkansas State, 27-20, in Jonesboro, Ark.

6 – Touchdown passes thrown by Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson in a surprising 48-27 rout against Maryland on the road in College Park. The Falcons evened their record at 1-1 after last week’s 59-30 drubbing at Tennessee.

5 – Rutgers football players under suspension for incidents of robbery, criminal restraint and possession of a weapon. It may have had something to do with the favored Scarlet Knights’ 37-34 home loss to Washington State.

2 – The number of women who have scored in a major college football game. Kent State’s April Goss kicked an extra point in the Golden Flashes’ 45-13 Saturday win over Delaware State. Goss joins New Mexico’s Kate Hnida, who kicked two extra points in 2003, in the exclusive club.

Next week’s games are sure to provide plenty of numbers that will please some and frustrate others. With Florida traveling to Lexington, Ky., to play the Kentucky Wildcats, the hope here is for a strong performance from the Gators, if for no other reason than Coach McElwain’s well-being.

Bob Sparks is President of Ramos and Sparks Group, a Tallahassee-based business and political consulting firm. During his career, he has directed media relations and managed events for professional baseball, served as chief spokesperson for the Republican Party of Florida as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Attorney General of Florida. After serving as Executive Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Charlie Crist, he returned to the private sector working with clients including the Republican National Committee and political candidates in Japan. He lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Sue and can be reached at [email protected]

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