School soccer winners, losers in Week 12: Travis Hunter’s Heisman case, LSU slipping underneath Brian Kelly

By Week 12 of the school soccer season, virtually each sport is consequential. Nowhere is that extra clear than the ACC. Convention chief No. 14 SMU wanted each final second to outlive Boston School, whereas No. 20 Clemson and Pittsburgh performed an elimination sport. No. 19 Louisville dropped a stunner to Stanford that would have playoff implications and Miami followers have been grateful for a Hurricanes bye. 

Throughout the game, highly-ranked groups discovered themselves in hassle. No. 22 LSU misplaced within the afternoon window. No. 3 Texas performed an inconsistent sport towards Arkansas. At this level of the season, survival is on the prime of everybody’s thoughts, even when it would not include model factors. 

Moreover, convention championship sport races are slowly beginning to come into focus. The AAC turned the primary league to formally set its title sport as Military and Tulane each clinched. Boise State did as effectively within the Mountain West. After that, issues stay murky.  

Listed here are the most important winners and losers of Week 12. 

Loser: BYU

BYU has made a dwelling off making the proper play on the proper time, however luck lastly went towards them in a 17-13 loss towards Kansas. The Jayhawks tried a pooch punt that occurred to hit a BYU defender within the head, making it a dwell ball that was recovered by Kansas. KU transformed the turnover into what turned the game-winning landing. The Cougars had one last push, however obtained stopped on fourth down within the purple zone to finish the sport. 

Now, BYU’s path to the School Soccer Playoff instantly turns into rather more sophisticated. The Cougars must win the Large 12 to achieve the postseason subject, which might require taking down Arizona State in a troublesome highway check. The Large 12 runner-up can also be now assured to have two losses, which makes any alternative for an at-large bid unlikely. BYU’s record-breaking season flipped immediately. 

Winner: QB Carson Beck, Georgia

Beck has shouldered a lot of the blame for Georgia’s disappointing two-loss marketing campaign after throwing 12 interceptions in six video games. In opposition to No. 7 Tennessee and with out his prime rusher and one other key receiver. the senior laid all of it out on the sphere. 

On key downs, Beck even leaned on his legs, changing a key second-and-10 and reaching the tip zone for his first dashing rating of the 12 months. His receivers dropped 4 passes, a number of of them pinpoint. And nonetheless, Beck threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns in a must-win efficiency. 

Beck has not been excellent in 2024 and nonetheless faces a steep hill to get again within the NFL Draft dialogue. However towards Tennessee, he proved that he’s nonetheless able to taking part in like one of many nation’s finest. 

Loser: Nebraska

Curses aren’t actual, however there is perhaps an exception in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are on some of the astonishing runs of dangerous luck in faculty soccer historical past. Nebraska has misplaced eight straight video games with an opportunity to make a bowl sport over the previous two years after reaching 5-1 and 5-3. The 28-20 loss to USC was some of the irritating. 

USC took over with 10 minutes remaining within the fourth quarter. The Trojans transformed three third downs, burned practically eight full minutes of clock and punched the ball into the tip zone to push the result in eight. Nebraska earned one final throw into the tip zone and appeared to attract go interference. As an alternative, the go was intercepted. 

Nebraska has video games left towards Wisconsin and Iowa, however failing to choose up a sixth victory towards USC may value them a postseason journey as soon as once more. 

Winner: Arizona State

The Solar Devils is perhaps the quietest convention title contender in America, however they kicked the door down on Saturday. Arizona State shocked No. 16 Kansas State 24-14 and positioned itself as the primary crew out ought to Colorado or BYU slip. Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns and the Solar Devils compelled a pair of interceptions off KSU sophomore Avery Johnson. 

Now, Arizona State is 8-2 for the primary time since 2014 in Kenny Dillingham’s second season. ASU was picked on the backside of the Large 12 after a 3-9 season. As an alternative, Arizona State is about to enter the CFP Rankings and can host BYU subsequent in a marquee Large 12 showdown. 

Winner: ATH Travis Hunter, Colorado

Colorado athlete Travis Hunter has slowly put collectively a strong Heisman Trophy case, however he confirmed off the entire bundle in a 49-24 win over Utah. Hunter posted 55 yards dashing, an interception and rushed for a landing within the win as Colorado scored essentially the most factors on Utah’s elite protection since 2014 Oregon. 

Hunter continues to construct up an elite two-way resume. After 10 video games, he has cleared 900 all-purpose yards, 10 whole touchdowns and three interceptions. He charges as one of many prime cowl corners in faculty soccer and has a game-winning compelled fumble towards Baylor. 

The case for a defensive again to win the Heisman won’t ever be simple, however Hunter is hitting all of the benchmarks he must if he desires to develop into the primary to do it in practically 25 years. 

Loser: LSU

After a disappointing loss of their opener Tigers fought again their method again into the SEC Championship Sport race with a resume that features an additional time win over No. 9 Ole Miss. After the final three weeks, it appears to be like like that victory was the exception and never the rule. LSU dropped an embarrassing 27-16 sport to Florida, knocking the Tigers all the way down to 6-4 and out of a practical shot at an SEC title. Florida was 0-4 towards ranked groups heading into the sport, however the Tigers misplaced by double digits. 

Had LSU gained, the Tigers would have been in favorable tiebreaker possession to achieve the SEC Championship Sport. As an alternative, LSU’s season is over. Making issues worse, the Tigers offense struggled to achieve the tip zone towards a protection that ranks among the many worst within the SEC. There aren’t any actual solutions on this program. The Tigers underneath Brian Kelly are miles away from actual rivalry. 

Winner: Scorching seat coaches

Coming into the 2024 season, few coaches sat on on hotter seats than Baylor’s Dave Aranda and Florida’s Billy Napier. After the performances this weekend, each have basically locked up their returns to their applications in 2025. 

Aranda confronted a troublesome highway after falling to 2-4 in the course of October. For the reason that bye week, the Bears have revved their engines. Baylor shocked West Virginia 49-35 to choose up their first-ever win in Morgantown and return to bowl eligibility. The Bears are instantly on a four-game profitable streak and must be favored of their last two contests. All of a sudden, the Bears’ first profitable document since 2021 is on the desk. 

Napier beforehand earned a vote of confidence from athletic director Scott Stricklin however pushed his luck with a lopsided 49-17 loss to No. 3 Texas. Beating LSU is the primary win over a ranked opponent in 14 months and offers the Gators an opportunity to make a bowl sport with a win over a hapless Florida State squad on Nov. 30. Napier simply wanted one optimistic second, and he has it. 

Loser: Pittsburgh

Pitt had an enormous alternative to choose up a uncommon win towards Clemson and keep within the ACC Championship Sport image. Regardless of outplaying them for a lot of the sport and ending with practically 100 extra yards, a number of severe psychological errors value them in a 24-20 loss. 

The worst got here at first of the primary quarter when Pitt charged all the way in which to the 1-yard line. The Panthers dedicated an unlawful formation, delay of sport and false begin to astonishingly flip it right into a third-and-goal on the 16-yard line. 4 extra factors would have been extremely beneficial in a 4-point loss. 

Clemson obtained the ball again with 96 seconds remaining. On the third play of the drive, quarterback Cade Klubnik flummoxed the Pitt protection for a 50-yard landing. That they had eight yards dashing on 26 carries earlier than the breakaway. 

Pittsburgh’s loss drops it to 7-3 and basically knocks them the Panthers of the ACC title sport race. With a win, they’d have been in a tie for third place with a tiebreaker over Clemson. The Panthers are nonetheless having an incredible 12 months, however at the moment are on a three-game dropping streak. SMU broke them. 

Winner: Tulane

Sustaining success via teaching adjustments is among the hardest issues to do in faculty soccer, particularly on the Group of 5 stage. Previous to Will Fritz’s departure, the final time a Tulane coach completed with a profitable document was 1998. The Inexperienced Wave dropped from 12-0 to 3-8 the subsequent season. In his first 12 months at Tulane Jon Sumrall is once more establishing himself as a rising celebrity within the sport. 

With a 35-0 win over Navy, No. 25 Tulane clinched a spot within the AAC Championship Sport for the second straight season. The Inexperienced Wave have gained eight straight video games and their solely losses have been fourth quarter video games towards Kansas State and on the highway towards Oklahoma. Tulane has gained solely two convention championships since final profitable the SEC in 1949. Sumrall can add a second in three years. 

Loser: Western Michigan

Western Michigan obtained off to a blazing 4-0 begin to MAC play, however the Broncos have fallen again to earth and out of the convention title race in latest weeks.  Western Michigan fell 31-13 to fellow MAC contender Bowling Inexperienced, because the Falcolns bottled up the Broncos’ productive offense. Star working again Jaden Nixon was held to solely 22 yards on seven carries and quarterback Hayden Wolff turned it over twice. The MAC title race is now probably all the way down to Miami-Ohio, Bowling Inexperienced and Ohio. 

Winner: Mississippi Valley State

One of many greatest upsets in faculty soccer got here on the FCS HBCU stage this weekend. Mississippi Valley State entered the matchup towards reigning Celebration Bowl champs Florida A&M as 31-point underdogs and on a 15-game dropping streak. FAMU was on a 23-game house profitable streak. MVSU quarterback Ty’Jarian Williams led the Delta Devils with 251 yards and two touchdowns and the protection compelled three fumbles in a 24-21 win.