Scully’s NCAAF takeaways: Trask leading the way for Florida

It will be difficult to top the excitement from last weekend, but there are some good matchups scheduled for Week 11 of the college football season.

Notre Dame will need to avoid a letdown against a dangerous Boston College squad, and Wisconsin will return to action against Michigan, which desperately needs a victory, after back-to-back losses as a double-digit favorite.

Here are my three takeaways from Week 10.

Notre Dame edges Clemson in South Bend shootout

Notre Dame earned its biggest win during the 11-year tenure of Brian Kelly when it defeated Clemson, 47-40, in a wild, double-overtime thriller.

Clemson didn’t have All-American quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but take nothing away from Notre Dame’s victory. Lawrence doesn’t play defense or block for Travis Etienne.

Clemson freshman quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was outstanding. He threw for 439 yards, with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they were forced to move the ball through the air, because Notre Dame limited Etienne to 28 yards on 18 carries.

Notre Dame put up 518 total yards, and quarterback Ian Book had a career game. He threw for 310 yards and rushed for 67, while running back Kyren Williams bullied his way to 140 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Down 33-26 late in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame drove 91 yards in just more than a minute to force overtime.

The important win brings Notre Dame a level of respectability that it has lacked since the Irish were  shellacked, 30-3, by Clemson in the 2018 College Football Playoff.

Trask leads Florida past Georgia

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask was exceptional in Week 9. He threw for 474 yards and four touchdowns against a formidable Georgia defense, and the Gators grabbed control of the SEC East with a 44-28 win.

The redshirt senior became the first SEC quarterback with at least four touchdown passes in four consecutive games, and Trask has worked his way into the Heisman Trophy discussion.

An unknown when he replaced an injured Feleipe Franks early in the 2019 season, Trask looked like a short-term fix, but he took the job and ran with it. He won eight of 10 starts down the stretch last year and elevated his skills this season.

Defensive shortcomings proved to be the culprit in the Gators' lone loss, 41-38, at Texas A&M, and Florida is averaging 42.4 points per game. Trask was impressive against Georgia, despite the loss of All-American tight end Kyle Pitts to a concussion in the first half, and the Gators should roll through their final regular-season games (Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Tennessee).

Florida appears headed to a showdown with Alabama in the Dec. 19 SEC Championship Game.

Shough takes helm at Oregon

Tyler Shough passed his first test at quarterback, when he led Oregon to a 35-14 win over Stanford. The redshirt sophomore wasn’t flashy against his shorthanded opponent, but he settled down after an early interception and looks like a good fit for new coordinator Joe Moorhead’s run-pass option offense.

DJ Johnson (five catches for 55 yards against Stanford) has emerged at tight end, and Oregon’s offense has potential. Shough recorded 227 passing yards and 85 rushing, and the new offensive line performed well, with no sacks allowed. The Ducks are young and talented up front, but they had to replace five starters from last year.

Given its stout defense, Oregon will be the cream of the crop in the Pac-12, if the offense continues to meet expectations.

Oregon has a favorable five-game schedule remaining (Washington State, UCLA, Oregon State, Cal, and Washington), and it is the only Pac-12 team ranked in the top 15.

---

Check out all the wagering options for this week's NCAAF action at BetAmerica!