Man! Can I pick 'em? (NO!)

Okay. I picked BOTH of Tuesday's games wrong. Both were highly entertaining, however.

Especially the Western Michigan-Purdue game. If you watched that game and didn't come out of your seat a couple of times...you were NOT paying attention. Purdue managed to intercept Western Michigan's Alex Carder four (4!) times, successfully recovered two (2!) on-sides kicks (int he first half!), ran a kickoff back 99 yards for a TD (by Raheem Mostert) and still needed a fumble recovery with two minutes to go to stave off the Broncos.

That's because when Alex Carder wasn't hitting Boilermakers, he was hitting Bronco receivers, most notably Jordan White. Carder finished the night 31 of 57 for 439 yards and 3 TDs. White caught 13 of those passes for 265 yards and a TD.

Turnovers were the story of the game, however. Western Michigan had those four INTs AND three fumbles lost. Purdue had seven fumbles and lost three of them. Turnovers were so abundant, some plays had two of them! Twice, Western Michigan was deep in Purdue territory and threatening to score only to have Alex Carder toss an interception which Purdue returned across the 50 yard line only to have the same Western Michigan wide receiver strip the ball and have the Broncos recover and start marching down the field again. In one case they managed to score a TD. The other they had to eventually punt.

Some will call it a sloppy game (one comment I saw on line called it the IHOP Bowl--more turnovers than a pancake house), and, while it was at times cringe worthy, it was definitely entertaining.

******

The N.C. State-Louisville game was a little more staid. Mike Glennon tossed three TD passes in the first half to put the Wolfpack up 21-10 at half time and then the defense pummeled and pressured the Cardinals' Teddy Bridgewater. When David Amerson returned an interception of an errant Bridgewater toss 65 yards for a TD in the third quarter it gave N.C. State a 31-10 lead. Bridgewater and the Cardinals managed to narrow that down to 31-24 with the help of a fake punt, an on-sides kick and two TD passes but they couldn't get closer.

Freshman Bridgewater was 24 of 43 for 274 yards and two TDs and three INTs in a losing cause. Junior Glennon completed 21 of 33 for 264 yards and three TDs and one INT for the victors.