So much happened in November. It already feels like an eternity since Jimbo Fisher was fired, Connor Stalions’ resignation, Bedlam and more. And yes, that all happened in November, showing just how packed the month was on and off the field. It made picking the best of the best that much more difficult. If I had a limitless word count, I could have typed up a novel and a half of things that were “the best of the month.” Unfortunately, I do not have all day (and neither does my editor) and no one wants to read an article that would take hours to read. So here is my abbreviated list of the best of the month of November in college football.
Game of the Month: Snowy Farmageddon (Iowa State 42, Kansas State 35)
There are plenty of other games that would probably be classified as more important that were also exciting (Bedlam, The Iron Bowl and Oklahoma State’s double overtime comeback win over BYU just missed the cut), but Farmageddon had one thing going for it that other games did not:
It was a winter wonderland:
I mean come on, if that doesn’t at least threaten to bring a tear to your eye I don’t know what else to say. As for the game itself, it was incredibly bonkers. The Wildcats had their usual recipe of grinding the other team into dust (or in this case, plowing the opponent into snowy powder?) as they held the ball for over 42 minutes of game time. They were also effective on third down (11-of-23), fourth down (3-of-4) and overall kept the chains moving (32 first downs). On the other side, Iowa State barely held the ball (nearly 18 minutes time of possession), did not get many first downs (10), lost the penalty game (73 yards to Kansas State’s 55) and had more turnovers (two to one). So how did the Cyclones win? The answer: Abu Sama III (check out his highlights here) and Jaylin Noel:
The team ended with 13.9 yards per play thanks to Sama and Noel. So while this game did not have any larger implications and may be gone from memories as the years go on, it had everything. Awesome weather, explosive plays, old school smash mouth ball and an awesome name for the game.
Player of the Month: LSU QB Jayden Daniels
Before I go further: wins are not a quarterback stat. Can wins and losses be attributed to quarterbacks? Yes, of course. But is it the be all, end all that people make it out to be? NO! I will leave it at that.
Jayden Daniels flashed great promise his freshman year at Arizona State. Then poor coaching led to a sharp decline in play. He transferred to LSU and showcased his game-changing running ability along with signs of improvement in his throwing. Then came this year.
Daniels has obliterated opponents, either throwing dimes past defenders’ ear holes or sprinting past them before they can process and grab at a blur of white and yellow.
I could list off his stats, but really, just watch these highlights, then go look at how many more he has. These are not just one-off moments. He has consistently put up plays that would be career highlights for other players. Daniels is a furious ball of electricity that sparks and zaps before ultimately exploding into a beautiful ball of ferocity tearing up football fields. It has been absolutely awesome to watch.
Coach of the Month: Northwestern HC David Braun
It was already looking like a lost season for the Northwestern Wildcats before Pat Fitzgerald was fired after reports of player misconduct during his tenure led to his ousting. In stepped David Braun, who had been hired early this year from North Dakota State, to be the interim head coach. He then took a program that seemed to be sinking quickly under Fitzgerald, even before the reports came out, and made them a seven-win team. That includes a close loss to Iowa at the start of November followed by three straight wins, including a 45-43 barnburner at Illinois to end the season.
For Braun to take the smoldering embers of this team, mold it and make it one of the more competitive and complete teams it has looked in a while is nothing short of miraculous. Now the permanent head coach, the Wildcats seem to be ready to remove themselves from the past and embrace a bright future.
Team of the Month: New Mexico State
The New Mexico State Aggies are 10-3. This is only the second time in program history that they have reached double-digit wins (in 1960 they went 11-0 and finished No. 17 in the AP Poll). They also walked into Jordan-Hare Stadium and walked out with a 31-10 mashing of Auburn and $1.85 million richer. A last-second field goal on Saturday sealed up a perfect 4-0 November which featured the team winning in different ways (a 13-7 defensive battle against Middle Tennessee, a 38-29 high scoring affair with Western Kentucky, the win over Auburn and a close 20-17 win over Jacksonville State). With a win on Friday, the Aggies would have a nine-game winning streak and their first conference title since 1978. For a team with very little historic success, this season has already been one of the best in program history. Two more wins would make it the best ever.
Play of the Month: Gravedigger
Second-and-26 was a much more impactful play based on the stakes of the game. But when it comes to shock value, Jalen Milroe’s dagger through the hearts of the Auburn crowd to Isaiah Bond with the aptly-named play call of “Gravedigger” takes the cake:
As a bonus, here’s the call in Japanese:
Meme of the Month: Texas Tech Opossum
About the author
I’m a Washington Huskies fan who is still amazed but not surprised that we didn’t have more success under Chris Petersen (I blame Jake Browning). Sports are my life. I know nothing else. I graduated from Bethany Lutheran College with a degree in Communication. I’ve been a part of a newspaper since 8th grade, including my college’s official newspaper where I was co-copy editor.
