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Upper Deck U.S. National Team alumni report: True freshmen Keith Duncan (Iowa) and Shea Patterson (Ole Miss) lead the upset charge

By Frank Bartscheck | Posted 11/14/2016

As far as entertainment value is concerned, there haven’t been many seasons in recent memory that have been this much fun to watch.

Over the past two weeks, there have been nine upset victories by unranked teams over ranked opponents.

Historically speaking, the past two weeks of college football may represent the largest single shakeup to the Top 25 poll this late in a season. 

The following upsets occurred in just two weekends of action:

  • No. 2 Clemson lost 43-42 to unranked Pittsburgh
  • No. 3 Michigan lost 14-13 to unranked Iowa
  • No. 4 Texas A&M lost 35-28 to unranked Mississippi State
  • No. 8 Texas A&M lost 29-28 to unranked Ole Miss
  • No. 9 Auburn lost 13-7 to unranked Georgia
  • No. 11 Florida lost 31-10 to unranked Arkansas
  • No. 14 Virginia lost 30-20 to unranked Georgia Tech
  • No. 17 Baylor lost 32-22 to unranked TCU
  • No. 17 North Carolina lost 28-27 to unranked Duke

Throughout all of the enjoyable chaos, the U.S. National Team alumni were not just front-and-center, but in many cases, they were directly involved in some of the most important plays of the weekend. 

In fact, National Team alumni were so instrumental throughout the collegiate landscape, we were forced to expand our typical Top 5 list.

Here are the Top 9 U.S. National Team alumni performances from this weekend in college football:

Keith Duncan, K, Iowa:

The freshman walk-on for Iowa was at the epicenter of one of this week’s biggest and most unexpected upsets. No. 3 Michigan had looked unstoppable until this weekend's game against the unranked Hawkeyes, which was appropriately decided on the final play. During the contest, Duncan was 2 for 2 on field goal attempts and none more important than his final try.

Iowa went into the contest with sophomore Miguel Recinos as its starting kicker. However, Recinos missed a 46-yard field goal at the beginning of the second quarter. He was replaced by Duncan, who never wavered in the face of the high-pressure situation and proved to be the difference-maker in one of the biggest upsets of the season.

The final play of the game was a 33-yard field goal that Duncan hit, which sealed the unexpected victory for the Hawkeyes:

U.S. National Team manager Aaron Ingram made sure to congratulate Duncan on his enormous kick:

His efforts earned Duncan the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week Award:

Shea Patterson, QB, Ole Miss:

Shea Patterson was a five-star recruit who raised the level of expectation in Oxford (Miss.) the moment he arrived on campus. However, the future would have to wait. The true freshman was redshirted at the beginning of the year in order to learn the ropes behind starting quarterback Chad Kelly. Last weekend, Kelly's season was unexpectedly cut short due to injury. 

As a result, Patterson had his redshirt pulled mid-week by Ole Miss and started his first game this weekend on the road against No. 8 Texas A&M. The true freshman rose to the occasion and rallied his team from behind when the Rebels were down 21-6 in the fourth quarter. During the game, he had 25 completions on 42 attempts for 338 yards as well as two touchdowns against one interception.

It was quite an impressive debut under tough circumstances for a 19-year-old that was expecting to start his collegiate career next season. Fans in Oxford are rightfully excited about the future because the young quarterback displayed a level of leadership and poise that is normally beyond someone of his age. Directly after the game, he displayed his leadership qualities when he was quick to redirect praise toward his teammates.   

Here is the complete game highlight package – because what Patterson accomplished is so impressive, one highlight will not cut it:

N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State:

The freshman wide receiver had his coming out party on Saturday. Although the Sun Devils lost to No. 15 Utah by the score of 49-26, the game provided a platform for Harry to display his all-around athletic ability. Harry had eight receptions for 114 yards, one rush for 31 yards and a touchdown, as well as one pass completion for 46 yards.

ASU fans should be excited about this young man’s future, especially if the program can build around his game-breaking talents. Here is the amazing 31-yard touchdown scamper:

Harry also had a tremendous on-the-run throw to fellow receiver Fredrick Gammage, which can be view by clicking this link.

Darius Sims, WR, Vanderbilt:

The senior wide receiver had a career day during the Commodores loss to Missouri on Saturday. Sims had seven rushes for 86 yards, one reception for four yards and two kick returns for 42 yards. He now has 2,722 career kick return yards, which puts him at the top of Vanderbilt's all-time list. Sims also entered this weekend ranked No. 4 nationally with an average of 32.1 yards per kick return.

Justin Jackson, RB, Northwestern:

The Wildcats overwhelmed Purdue on Saturday by the score of 45-17. The senior running back continued his strong season by adding 127 yards rushing and two touchdowns to go along with a catch for eight yards. The win must have been sweet for the running back individually and for the team as a whole. Not only is Northwestern in great position to secure a bowl invitation as a result of the victory, but Jackson also eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing marker for the season. He is the first Wildcat to top the 1,000-yard mark in three different seasons.

Here is one of his two touchdowns on the day, which is the same play that pushed the running back over the 1,000-yard threshold for the season:

Alonzo Saxton II, S, Duke:

The junior safety played a big part in Duke’s upset victory over No. 17 North Carolina by the score of 28-27. Saxton chipped in with four tackles (one solo) and was the second leading tackler for Duke’s secondary. However, his biggest play came in the fourth quarter with only 1:02 remaining. With North Carolina down by one point and attempting to drive for the game-winning score, Saxton was “Johnny-on-the-spot” when he hauled in the game-sealing interception. 

Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma:

The senior running back made his return to the gridiron after the leg injury he suffered on Oct. 15 against Kansas State. Perine came into the season with a great deal of hype given how close he was to breaking the Sooners' all-time rushing record held by Billy Sims. However, the injury has put a damper on his efforts. This weekend he got back on track with 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns against Baylor.

The senior is now in fourth place with 45 career rushing touchdowns and seventh place on the all-time rushing list. With two regular season games remaining, Perine needs 161 yards per game in order to break the school record. 

Here are both of his touchdowns from Saturday against Baylor:

Ethan Pocic, C, LSU:

The big guys in the trenches are rarely paid the attention they justly deserve. No. 24 LSU gashed the Razorback defense with 390 rushing yards during a 38-10 victory over No. 25 Arkansas. The senior is the anchor on a line that Pro Football Focus just recently dubbed the top offensive line in college football.

Here is the 96-yard touchdown run by running back Derrius Guice that iced the game for LSU late in the fourth quarter. The senior center (Pocic – No. 77) has a fantastic pancake block at the initial point of attack, which sends Guice on his way:

Terrell Newby, RB, Nebraska:

The senior running back had an impressive afternoon during the Cornhuskers victory over Minnesota by the score of 24-17. Newby had 16 carries for 85 yards and a 31-yard touchdown catch.

Senior Day – Honorable Mention

Sean Maguire, QB, Florida State:

This season has been challenging for the senior quarterback, which is why it was nice to see him back on the field this past Saturday. During Senior Night, Maguire got into the contest during the fourth quarter and went 5 for 7 for 53 yards with two touchdowns.  

It was a fitting end for a senior who was originally expected to start for the Seminoles prior to the season. However, a foot injury during the preseason, combined with the strong play of freshman Deondre Francois, effectively ended his bid for the starting spot. The consummate teammate and leader, Maguire was humble and thankful for the opportunity.

“It was awesome to go back out there and get in the huddle and get the fist bump from the [offensive] linemen because obviously I played with them last year,” Maguire said to the Orlando Sentinel after the win. “It was pretty special.”

Honorable Mention – Keep an eye on

Trevon Diggs, WR/KR, Alabama:

The true freshman continues to contribute to the Alabama offense, which is impressive when you consider how much talent the Crimson Tide field each week. He is a great athlete that will likely thrive in Tuscaloosa over the next few seasons. While Diggs didn’t have many opportunities to touch the ball on Saturday, he made this of this end-around in the fourth quarter:

Ben Gedeon, LB, Michigan:

The senior linebacker, who was not a regular starter prior to this season, continues to prove that he belongs among college football’s best. Although Michigan unexpectedly lost a heartbreaker to Iowa by the score of 14-13, Gedeon did everything he could to help his team. The linebacker was the second leading tackler on Saturday as he racked up nine tackles (four solo) and a tackle for loss. Gedeon currently leads the Michigan defense with 78 tackles on the season.

Durham Smythe, TE, Notre Dame:

The senior tight end was very effective during the Fighting Irish’s victory over Army on Saturday. Smythe had two receptions for 41 yards and two touchdowns. In the last two weeks, Smythe has three receptions, which all went for touchdowns. Head coach Brian Kelly took notice of the performance.

"I'll tell you his biggest contribution is he's a guy that has to do a lot for us, whether he's blocking or running vertical routes or option routes. He's asked to do a lot. You know, he's a committed player. He's high character and well-respected by his teammates,” Kelly said to WNDU.com.

Here are both of the touchdowns Smythe scored this weekend:

Greer Martini, LB, Notre Dame:

Martini was very effective on Saturday as the Fighting Irish dominated an over-matched Army squad by the score of 44-6. The junior linebacker was the second leading tackler for Notre Dame with nine tackles (five solo) and a sack. 

Tarean Folston, RB, Notre Dame:

The senior running back led the way on the ground for the Irish during its victory over Army. Folston had 13 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown, as well as one reception for eight yards. 

Charles Nelson, WR/KR, Oregon:

The junior wide receiver continues to be a bright spot for the Ducks, during a season that has been mired in disappointment. Once again, Nelson flashed his big-play potential during Oregon’s loss to Stanford by the score of 52-27. Nelson had two receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown, as well as two kick returns for 55 yards.

Terry Richardson, DB, Marshall:

The senior defensive back set the tone for the Thundering Herd on the very first series of the game. On the fourth play of the Blue Raiders' first drive, Richardson picked off a pass thrown by Middle Tennessee quarterback John Urzua. On the following series, the Thundering Herd punched the ball in for a touchdown and never looked back for the remainder of the contest. In addition to the timely interception, Richardson finished the day with five tackles (two solo) as the Thundering Herb upended the Blue Raiders by the score of 42-17.

TagsFan/enthusiast College football Tackle football National Team
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