College Football Corner: Second half stumbles for Virginia and Virginia Tech, plus a shocker in the swamp

It’s easy to break down a football game as a tale of two halves, and sometimes one half looks nothing like the other.

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 09:James Jackson #7 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrates a defensive stop against the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium on November 09, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)(Getty Images/Andy Lyons)

Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter. Read his ballots here.

It’s easy to break down a football game as a tale of two halves, and sometimes one half looks nothing like the other.

Witness what happened in Raleigh and Blacksburg Saturday: Virginia and Virginia Tech each had double-digit leads at intermission, and those leads evaporated in the September air as both the Cavaliers and Hokies had no defensive answers for their opponents. Meanwhile, Navy turned things on defensively to pitch a second half shutout after allowing UAB to score on every first half drive.

Two other second halves of note: No. 8 Clemson rallying from 16 points down against Troy to avoid an 0-2 start, and a Dabo Swinney press conference to remember forever, while unranked South Florida stayed with and shocked No. 13 Florida in Gainesville thanks to a last-second field goal.

Maryland (2-0) grinded their way to a 20-9 win over Northern Illinois on an evening that saw another slow start (two, three-and-outs in their first three possessions) while the Huskies played keep away (a second quarter drive took 8:37 off of the clock) early. Give credit to a defense that is off to its best start since 2001 (16 points allowed in two games this fall).

Terrapin Triumphs: True freshman Malik Washington threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns despite multiple drops and bounced back from a fumble in the red zone to direct the final scoring drive of the night. Daniel Wingate paced the defense with 14 tackles while Trey Reddick’s 11 stops included a sack. After being whistled 14 times for 100 yards in week one, the Terps committed just three penalties for 30 yards.

Terrapin Troubles: Some of the drops came at the worst times, with at least one denying the Terps a third down conversion and another occurring on a fourth down in the end zone. The running game was held to 86 yards on 3.1 per carry, despite the Terps playing with a lead for most of the evening. The defense allowed four conversions on fourth down (in six tries) with a failed fake punt on one of NIU’s misses. Next: Saturday at noon against 2-0 Towson on Peacock.

James Madison (1-1) took leads of 7-0 and 14-6 at Louisville but came up empty after their first possession of the second half in a 28-14 loss to the Cardinals. The Dukes were bedeviled by big plays, coughing up second half scores of 64 and 78 yards.

Dukes Do’s: The quarterback combination had their moments, with Matthew Sluka rushing for 83 yards and a touchdown while Alonza Barnett III threw a touchdown pass on JMU’s second possession. Linebacker Gannon Weathersby led the defense that held the Cardinals to 5-14 on third down by making seven tackles with one sack.

Dukes Don’ts: Each quarterback turned the ball over in the fourth quarter, with Barnett’s fumble recovered for a UL touchdown and Sluka’s interception ending JMU’s second to last drive. Twelve penalties for 95 yards won’t help you on the road against a Power 4 school. Next: Saturday, Sept. 20, at 1-1 Liberty at 6 p.m. on ESPN+

Virginia (1-1) started strong by scoring on four of five first half possessions at NC State, leading 24-14 at intermission. Unfortunately, the Wolfpack found their bite in the third quarter, scoring on back to back to back drives to take a 35-31 lead. UVa’s final three possessions: A missed field goal, failed fourth and one from the NC State eight, and an interception in the end zone with just over a minute to play.

Cavalier Congrats: J’Mari Taylor rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns, posting scoring runs of 39 and 66 yards. The offense moved the chains on 13 of 19 third downs. James Jackson posted eight tackles to lead the defense that held the Wolfpack to 1-7 on third down.

Cavalier Concerns: The offense scored just once after halftime, with the final three drives ending in frustrating fashion. The defense failed to post a sack while allowing 6.2 yards per carry and coughed up over 10 yards per play during that disastrous third quarter. Next: Saturday at noon against 1-1 William & Mary on the ACC Network.

Navy (2-0, 1-0 American) and UAB wasted no time striking pay dirt, as each team scored on their first three possessions of the afternoon. Unfortunately, lightning struck and the game was delayed by weather twice in the first half. Two hours and six minutes of interruptions later, the teams would play out the final six minutes of the first half, but after intermission the Mids defense would dominate with three takeaways while going on to win 38-24.

Midshipmen Medals: Blake Horvath threw for 168 yards and a touchdown while running for 72 yards and two more scores. Alex Tecza rushed for 111 yards and a TD. Landon Robinson paced the defense with 10 tackles while Phillip Hamilton forced a fumble and notched an interception.

Midshipmen Miscues: Eight penalties for 98 yards, including more than a few “after the play” infractions (perhaps the penalty virus that was in College Park last week moved to Annapolis). The defense took a while to find their footing, allowing Jalen Kitna to complete his first seven pass attempts as UAB scored on all four of their first half drives. Next: On the road Saturday against 1-1 Tulsa at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

Virginia Tech (0-2) looked as if they were on the right track against Vanderbilt, taking a 20-10 halftime lead at Lane Stadium. But after intermission, the offense ran aground with three straight three and outs while the Commodores would score touchdowns on their first five possessions in the second half. When the dust cleared, VT lost 45-20 and will not be applying for SEC membership anytime soon.

Hokie Highlights: The defense tallied a pair of takeaways in the first half that led to both of their touchdowns, and the offense ripped off a 64-yard march on their first possession to take a 3-0 lead. Michael Short tallied 11 tackles, while Nick Veltsistas averaged 44 yards per punt.

Hokie Humblings: The offense gained just 29 yards on 17 plays in the second half, failing to produce a first down the first four times they had the ball. The defense allowed the Commodores to convert 5-7 third downs, while also allowing a soul-sucking 6:58 drive covering 75 yards on 11 plays to begin the third quarter and set the tone for the rest of the night. Next: Saturday at 7 p.m. against 0-1 Old Dominion on the ACC Network.

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College Football Corner: Second half stumbles for Virginia and Virginia Tech, plus a shocker in the swamp

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