Nine secret weapon teams college football teams are relying on this season

Forty names, games, teams and details that are making news in college football, where the The once-great state of Florida went 0-9 at the FBS and FCS level last week. First Quarter: Eight-way SEC tie scenario. Second quarter: Crooked rivalry.

The Colorado Buffaloes defense (23)

Chief among the many improvements Deion Sanders has made in his second year with the Buffs is the hiring of defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, an NFL man who has produced immediate results in Boulder. The number of points allowed per game is 12.2 lower than last year; third-down conversions allowed are down 11%; yards per play are down almost a full yard. In league play, Colorado allows 5.21 yards per play, second-best in the Big 12.

The Buffs are in the Big 12 title race because they are better defensively at every level: better coverage on the back end, better tackling on the second level and better attacking the quarterback up front. They have already registered more sacks (29) this season than last year.

Another underrated dynamic of this Colorado team: It has won every second half and outscored all nine opponents after halftime. Total number: 148-66. Whether that’s due to halftime adjustments, superior conditioning and toughness, super execution or a combination of all of these things, it’s a telling statistic.

The BYU Cougars’ special teams (24)

The undefeated Cougars have scored three touchdowns on kick returns, one of only two FBS teams to do so (UNLV is the other). That includes a 96-yard kickoff against the Utah Utes on Saturday by Keelan Marion, his second of the season. That was a very big play that ultimately turned into a one-point game.

Kicker Will Ferrin was also reliable, making 17 of 20 field goals (including a 44-yard winner against the Utes) and all 34 extra points. He also converted a first down on a fake field goal against the Central Florida Knights on a snazzy “double click” by the Cougars. He made his last nine field goal attempts.

Throw in a few defensive TDs, and BYU has found ways to supplement its intermittent failures on offense. Complementary football, as the coaches like to say.

The Army Black Knights’ ball control (25)

Make no mistake, the military’s defense is very good. But it’s also helped by an offense that takes possession of the ball, drains the clock and limits possession for opponents. Army ranks second nationally in time of possession with nearly 35 minutes per game, highlighted by more than 41 minutes of possession on Saturday against the North Texas Mean Green. That match was marked by this masterpiece of incremental movement: a 21-play, 94-yard grind that took 13:54 off the clock. Army held the ball for almost an entire quarter without giving it up until he scored.

What’s the key to moving the chains without a surplus of explosive athletes? Avoid negative plays. Army has allowed just 85 yards in sacks and tackles for losses on the season – by far the lowest amount in the country. By rarely backing down, the Black Knights turn almost every second and third into manageable distance situations. If you’re never behind the chains, you’ll never have to change your favorite play-calling.

The defense of the Indiana Hoosiers (26)

While Indiana’s prolific offense turned heads early in this historic season, the team’s ability to maintain its undefeated record is increasingly dependent on its defense. The Hoosiers have posted their lowest yardage totals of the season in their last three games, but have won them all because their defense has taken over.

In holding off the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday, Indiana limited them to the fewest yards since 2016 (206) and the fewest yards per play since ’13 (3.12). And the Hoosiers were even stronger on that side of the ball the week before, knocking off the Michigan State Spartans, giving up 193 total yards and 3.02 per game. Indiana leads the nation in rushing defense at 72.2 yards per game, which is partly a byproduct of racking up a ton of negative yards per game.

Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, who joined Curt Cignetti from James Madison, has more than halved Indiana’s points allowed per game, from 29.9 to 13.8.

The defensive disruption of the Mississippi rebels (27)

As good as Indiana has been at getting into the offensive backfield and making plays, it pales in comparison to Ole Miss. The Rebels lead the nation in sacks (46) and tackles for loss (103) by wide margins. Lane Kiffin already had some points up front, then he attacked his SEC rivals for more – and they’re wreaking havoc.

Edge rusher Princely Umanmielen (transfer from Florida) sacked Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck twice Saturday and is second on the team in both sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (12). Blitzing linebacker Chris Paul (transfer from Arkansas) has 10 TFLs this season and had nine total tackles against the Bulldogs. Walter Nolen (Texas A&M transfer) has a problem at 305 pounds at center.

The pressure up front is a big reason why Ole Miss has forced 11 goals in its past five games.

The South Carolina Gamecocks’ rocket launch (28)

Their first three-game SEC winning streak in seven years coincided with the breakout of running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, a transfer from Arkansas who has injected big-play ability into the South Carolina offense.

The Gamecocks didn’t need much from Sanders to beat self-destructive Oklahoma on Oct. 19 in Norman, but he’s been one to remember so far in November. In impressive wins over the Texas A&M Aggies and Vanderbilt Commodores, Sanders produced 414 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns as both a running and receiving threat.

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Sanders is a liability. But he has the hands to be an effective receiver and the speed to run away from tacklers. No running back in the SEC has had more than his 12 plays of 20 or more yards from scrimmage.

The SMU Mustangs’ smart quarterback switch (29)

Preston Stone led the Mustangs to the 2023 American Athletic Conference championship but broke his leg in the December title game. Stone continued his rehabilitation to be ready for this season, but he did not perform well in his first three starts of the season. After a loss in the third game to BYU (not a bad loss in retrospect), coach Rhett Lashlee announced he was turning to backup Kevin Jennings.

Since then, SMU is undefeated and is averaging 43 points per game. Jennings ranks third in the ACC in pass efficiency while averaging 8.4 yards per play on total offense, second only to Miami’s Cam Ward.

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ run-pass ratio (30)

When Brent Key’s team can put together a good game and not rely too much on passing, they tend to win. Average pass attempts in Tech’s six wins: 24.7. Average pass attempts in Tech’s four losses: 39.7. Run-pass ratio in wins: 63% run, 37% pass. Run-pass ratio on losses: 44% run, 55% pass.

It’s certainly helped Tech when its most effective running quarterback, Haynes King, is healthy. Without him, the Jackets threw it 86 times in back-to-back losses to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Virginia Tech Hokies. When King returned for Saturday’s game in Miami, he carried the play 20 times and threw six, with backup Aaron Philo filling in and throwing 10 passes.

The game is three weeks away, but Tech’s newfound prowess at the point of attack could be bad news for a vulnerable Georgia team.

Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns’ old man quarterback (31)

Ben Wooldridge entered his seventh season of college football with eight career starts. He has made the most of this (presumably last) year. Wooldridge has led Louisiana to an 8-1 record and the periphery of the Group 5 playoff race. The Ragin’ Cajuns could use some help with their Mountain West and AAC woes, but at least they’re part of the discussion.

Wooldridge, who was Louisiana’s starter in 2023, suffered a season-ending injury on the first series of the third game. He returned healthy in ’24 and leads the Sun Belt Conference in passing efficiency (162.17). Louisiana ranks fifth nationally in yards per play at 7.01 as the program regains the relevance it enjoyed from 2019-2021 under Billy Napier.