College Football 2019: Studs, duds and thuds from Thursday of Week 1

There were some interesting college football games this Thursday night, but who were the studs, duds, and thuds to start the season?

You know it’s college football season when you have to switch channels to watch all the good football games at once.

This week, we have that beautiful problem as early as Thursday night, where multiple top teams opened their seasons. The opponents might have been lackluster, but we definitely learned a lot about the college football landscape. So, who were the studs, duds and thuds of Thursday night?

To reiterate: a stud is someone who had a great game, a dud is someone who didn’t live up to standards, and a thud is simply a terrible performance. Let’s get started.

Stud: Utah Utes

Utah has been a trending pick to win the Pac-12, and they showed why last night. In a rivalry game, anything can happen. Many had the Utes on upset alert this week against BYU. However, they came out and took care of business. Their defense looked solid, forcing three turnovers and holding BYU to 300 total yards. Tyler Huntley wasn’t asked to do much at quarterback, but he still looked solid in his opportunities.

I’m not sure how successful Utah can be. However, they have a chance to shine in the Pac-12. Their next challenge will be on the road in a few weeks against USC.

Dud: Trevor Lawrence

Everyone wanted to name Trevor Lawrence the best quarterback in college football after his amazing freshman season. He still might be the best quarterback in college football, but he didn’t show it in his opener against Georgia Tech. Lawrence went 13-for-23 passing for 168 yards, two total touchdowns, and a couple of interceptions.

That doesn’t tell the whole story, though. Lawrence’s sole passing touchdown was a deep shot that was under-thrown. The receiver simply made a play. There were also a couple of other passes that hit the hands of defensive backs. Against quality opponents, Lawrence would’ve had more than the two interceptions.

You can blame this on the rust, the fact that the team would’ve won no matter what, or that Clemson didn’t use most of its playbook. It’s truly not a predictor for the rest of the season. Lawrence can still win the Heisman. However, it will take a better performance from him to beat Texas A&M.

Thud: UCLA

After a 3-9 season to start his coaching career at UCLA last year, Chip Kelly knew he needed to change things around fast this year. However, UCLA just looked atrocious against Cincinnati. The Bruins are going to have to win some games early in their season if they want to save Chip Kelly’s job.

The 2019 season is officially upon us, and it feels good. Stay tuned for more studs, duds, and thuds for this college football season.