B/R's College Football Weekly Awards: Week 0

Like any good opening acts at a concert, Week 0 of the 2022 college football season left us with two takeaways.

First, that was delightful. I'll remember some of those moments—and Nebraska coach Scott Frost won't soon be forgetting one in particular—that served as the official "welcome back" to our lovely sport.

And, secondly, we're ready for the headliner.

Before we dive into the goodness that is Week 1, however, B/R's Weekly Awards is highlighting the standouts of the first Saturday's action. For me, the best part is several teams or players that otherwise might not make an appearance this season get a well-deserved feature.

Let's ride.

Throughout the season, you'll probably notice a theme in Team of the Week. Ordinarily, it's the program that secures a very meaningful win or defeats a top-ranked team.

If neither one of those, however, it's the result that makes you think: "Holy what?"

So, yes, that was Vandy in Week 0.

Last season, the Commodores topped 21 points in only four games. Happened once in 2020. Four times in 2019. During that stretch, Vanderbilt never exceeded 38 points.

But to kick off the 2022 campaign, the Dores hung 63—sixty-three!—on Hawaii. Dual-threat quarterback Mike Wright exploded for 309 total yards and four touchdowns, and Vandy rushed for 404 yards as a team.

We're not suddenly thinking Vanderbilt has vaulted itself into SEC contention. Still, that's an incredible opener for what's been an offense-starved team for several years.

I mean, yikes.

For the second straight year, the hot-seat-dwelling Scott Frost opened the season with a Week 0 nightmare. Illinois knocked off Nebraska in 2021, and Northwestern—which is not expected to be particularly strong this year—clipped the Huskers 31-28 in Ireland to begin 2022.

And it's awfully tough to see Frost recovering from this one.

As a double-digit favorite, Nebraska squandered an 11-point lead—not in the least because of an unsuccessful surprise onside kick in the third quarter. That decision led to a quick touchdown, as Northwestern running back Evan Hull scored the eventual game-winner early in the final frame.

Let's put it this way: I'm feeling pretty confident about all of these Nebraska under-7.5-win tickets. Oh, also, Frost's buyout drops 50 percent from $15 million to $7.5 million on Oct. 1.

Five years ago, North Carolina basketball made the Final Four thanks to a last-second shot from Luke Maye. After winning the national title in 2017, the Tar Heels leaned on Maye as he became one of the ACC's top players.

Fast-forward to 2022, and his brother is leading the football team.

Drake Maye, a high 4-star prospect in 2021, initially committed to Alabama but flipped to UNC. He played a few snaps as a reserve last season and toppled Jacolby Criswell in this offseason's QB battle to replace Sam Howell as the starter.

Maye had a stellar performance in his first career start, completing 29 of 37 passes for 294 yards and five touchdowns with zero interceptions. He added 55 rushing yards in UNC's 56-24 victory over Florida A&M.

The competition will increase substantially next weekend when Maye and the Heels travel to Appalachian State. But so far, so good.

I hope Mike DiLiello is a good kid. The poor guy probably won't be mentioned here again, considering he plays for lower-division Austin Peay.

But my man had a highlight to forget.

The worst part is the miscommunication that resulted in a painless pick-six for Western Kentucky defender Upton Stout. Without this turnover, perhaps the Governors would've stayed even tighter. They were 29.5-point underdogs, yet lost to WKU by a respectable 38-27 final.

The quarterback attempted to chase down Stout and lost his balance. DiLiello, arms flailing, went stumbling to the ground.

Unfortunately for DiLiello, the internet lives forever.

Following its FCS schedule, Austin Peay will close the regular season at Alabama. Godspeed, Governors.

North Texas' Hot Start

Seth Littrell isn't quite on the hot seat, but North Texas' seventh-year coach may not be feeling entirely safe. Over the last three seasons, the Mean Green posted a 14-21 record. The promising news is UNT registered a 31-13 triumph at UTEP and silenced any whispers about Littrell's future.

Illinois' Drama-Less Win

Excluding the Big Ten-only 2020 schedule, Illinois has endured a nasty trend lately. Every season since 2016 has included an early loss to a Group of Five opponent. Last year, UTSA clipped the Illini 37-30. Saturday, they steamrolled Wyoming 38-6 and put themselves in position to halt the inglorious streak this fall.

Golf Clap for UNLV's Doug Brumfield

You don't get showered with praise for beating FCS school Idaho State, which finished 1-10 last season. Nevertheless, quarterback Doug Brumfield went 21-of-25 for 356 yards and four touchdowns without a turnover and guided the Rebels to a 52-21 rout.

No. 11 Oregon at No. 3 Georgia (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

With a nod to the Top 25 showdown between No. 23 Cincinnati and No. 19 Arkansas, this contest owns the midafternoon window. Oregon coach Dan Lanning—the defensive coordinator for UGA's title-winning team in 2021—and Auburn quarterback transfer Bo Nix are making their debuts for the program. Georgia, meanwhile, is rolling out an overhauled roster. Huge showdown in Atlanta.

No. 7 Utah at Florida (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Are the Utes a true national contender? Traveling to a sticky, raucous Gainesville environment will likely provide a few key takeaways about the reigning Pac-12 champions. Additionally, it's the start of the Billy Napier era at Florida. Very strong prime-time matchup.

No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 2 Ohio State (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

There are numerous angles here. Could be a preview of College Football Playoff teams or ultimately remembered as a pivotal data point in the final CFP rankings. Perhaps it's the breakout game for Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner or Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud's first step on the way to a Heisman Trophy. Or, hey, maybe it's simply a stellar Top Five clash. No matter what, we'll take it.