Just like that, four weeks of the college football season have passed. About a third of the season, gone. It’s a gentle reminder that time is fleeting and life is a highway and we’re all dust in the wind and deep stuff like that.
Or it could just be a chance to look back at all the neat things that have happened already this season in the greatest sport in the world. So let’s do that.
If he does say so himself
Houston’s Isaiah Chambers earned rave reviews from Houston’s Isaiah Chambers for a masterful performance on the field.
My Acting skills: 10/10 https://t.co/0xgu49Ayag
— Isaiah Chambers (@esta_guapo) September 8, 2018
Handle Kyler with care
The Oakland A’s, who drafted Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the ninth pick of the MLB draft and signed him to a guaranteed contract worth nearly $5 million, have found their fall to be a little stressful watching the Heisman candidate run all over the field.
Watching @TheKylerMurray play and wishing this is what the uniforms looked like. pic.twitter.com/X0HfQfOmul
— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) September 8, 2018
Some really special special teams
North Texas’ Keegan Brewer caught a punt and just stood there, pretending it was a fair catch, even though any of 11 Arkansas Razorbacks could’ve pummeled him at any moment. After walking between three defenders, he took off and ran 90 yards untouched for a touchdown.
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North Texas punt returner Keegan Brewer pretends that he called a fair catch, then takes it to the house.
Toledo’s Cody Thompson simultaneously blocked a punt and scored a touchdown before anyone knew what had even happened.
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Cody Thompson breaks through the line to engulf VMI’s block attempt and takes it in for a touchdown.
Kansas State holder Colby Moore makes sure kicker Blake Lynch gets his exercise.
K-State kicker Blake Lynch is 5’5″. His holder is 6’1″.
Please enjoy their post-kick high five 😂 pic.twitter.com/rYMNMmqGkq
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 8, 2018
Some not-as-special special teams
Wake Forest kicker Nick Sciba missed a field goal after originally being discovered missing from the field goal attempt.
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Freshman kicker Nick Sciba rushes onto the field after forgetting to set up for the Demon Deacons’ field goal attempt and shanks the kick off the left upright.
The Golden Age of turnover regalia
It seems like everyone has a bit now for celebrating the procurement of the pigskin. Let’s flash back to the season’s first Thursday night, when Tulane debuted some really festive turnover beads.
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After an ugly interception from Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman, Tulane celebrates with turnover beads.
Last year’s hottest sideline accessory, Miami’s turnover chain, got some refinements and a lot more stones, apparently, as part of a makeover. But it wasn’t long before they were everywhere.
• Turnover Chain 1.0 (2017): roughly 2 kilograms, charm roughly 5.5 inches, stone count 900 (450 orange, 400 green)
• Turnover Chain 2.0 (2018): roughly 3 kilograms, charm roughly 8.5 inches, stone count more than 4,000
– Photo courtesy of @CanesFootball pic.twitter.com/2QDkuDfeV8— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) September 9, 2018
We can appreciate Oregon State coming through with a regionally appropriate pun.
OREGON STATE HAS A TURNOVER CHAINSAW! pic.twitter.com/RIVFTDtTjE
— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) September 16, 2018
But Boise State has a fancy chair.
The @TurnoverThrone is in the house! It’ll (hopefully) make its Albertsons Stadium debut tonight. pic.twitter.com/MhpYONUFK4
— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) September 9, 2018
And Memphis has a Ric Flair-inspired robe.
Memphis is rocking the turnover robe and trying to hang on late against Navy: https://t.co/YckwHWyFT0 pic.twitter.com/46NhfWyWPp
— SI College Football (@si_ncaafb) September 8, 2018
Nevada, meanwhile, has a rather austere towel.
Fumble recovery on special teams – time to bust out the TURNOVER TOWEL! #WeAreNevadaSports pic.twitter.com/eQydPzF5Up
— Nevada Sports Net (@NevadaSportsNet) September 22, 2018
And Sacred Heart came up with a bottle of glue on a chain, which could be an artistic statement on the sudden preponderance of garish accessories. Or it could just be somebody’s Pinterest craft.
Turnover Beads ❌
Turnover Throne ❌
Touchdown….Elmer’s Glue Chain ✅
(@SHU__Football) pic.twitter.com/m96zd3oQnn— Stadium (@WatchStadium) September 8, 2018
This is by no means a comprehensive list. But we’re ready to move on.
A memorial suitable for a legend
Florida State honored former Seminoles running back Burt Reynolds, who died Sept. 6 at 82, with an iconic helmet sticker, a replica of the Trans Am license plate in “Smokey and the Bandit.”
For you Burt! A Nole forever! pic.twitter.com/tpY4wLjI1l
— FSU Football EQ (@FSUFootballEQ) September 8, 2018
Where the buffalo groans
Chip the Buffalo surely doesn’t consider this to be among the best happenings of the early season, but we can’t resist reminiscing about a mascot who fired a T-shirt cannon, uh, into the lower deck during Colorado’s Sept. 15 win over New Hampshire.
Chip the Buffalo, Colorado’s mascot ends up on injured reserve this week after firing a T-shirt cannon into his own groin pic.twitter.com/jQjyW59rZi
— Jared Christopher (@JaredLChris) September 20, 2018
Chip is OK and even had a bye week to recuperate for UCLA on Sept. 28.
I’m good guys! Thanks for all the love ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VK9vKm8xvM
— Chip the Buffalo (@Chipthebuffalo) September 15, 2018
You can’t advance a fumbled head in the final two minutes, sorry
Credit goes to @KatrinaMarsden2 on the vid but our cougars heads are falling off! pic.twitter.com/keeU1HEINo
— Kyle Marsden (@kupcake_189) September 23, 2018
He set the bar this high
Texas Tech’s T.J. Vasher channeled Odell Beckham Jr. and gave us a candidate for catch of the year in the first quarter of Tech’s first game.
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Mark Jones and Dusty Dvoracek are as stunned as anyone by Texas Tech wideout T.J. Vasher’s highlight-reel catch.
When in Alma …
For his first game on Sept. 8 as head coach of Alma College, his alma mater, Jason Couch wore a kilt on the sideline. The school in Alma, Michigan, which calls itself “Scotland, USA,” has an official tartan, which is registered in Aberdeen, Scotland, and is worn by the Scots’ Kiltie Marching Band and its mascot, Scotty.
An admirable show of appreciation
In a show of sportsmanship, Oklahoma fans gave Army players a standing ovation as they left the field after a 28-21 overtime loss to the No. 5 Sooners on Saturday.
#Sooners fans give Army standing ovation when they leave the field. Former Army assistant Tim Kish shook plenty of hands with Army players. pic.twitter.com/SblKSlMzzh
— Eric Bailey (@EricBaileyTW) September 23, 2018
An admirable show of concentration
During UCF’s 56-36 win over FAU on Friday night, one Knights fan stood stoic among a rowdy crowd, staring directly into a camera (and your soul).
All 76 seconds of the face you’ll never forget if you were in the Bounce House on Sept. 21, 2018 😅 pic.twitter.com/g03P7XvbYW
— UCF Knights (@UCFKnights) September 22, 2018
A century, on the dot
Anthony Violi, a 100-year-old former member of the Ohio State band, dotted the i in script Ohio on Saturday.
One of the coolest things you’ll see all year. 👏
100-year-old WWII veteran Anthony Violi dotted the Script Ohio “i” for @TBDBITL on Saturday. When he joined the band in the 1930s, the tradition was only a year old. pic.twitter.com/nHMusxz747
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 22, 2018
They want effects, some nostril effects
USF engineers created an evil intimidating new motorized bull that celebrates touchdowns with glowing red eyes and smoke coming out its nose.
Here’s the nostril effect #USF pic.twitter.com/bp0tBCvb8r
— Joey Knight (@TBTimes_Bulls) August 30, 2018