Week Two is in the books, and we may have a QB controversy in Florida between Graham Mertz and freshman DJ Lagway; Notre Dame suffered a shocking upset loss to Northern Illinois; and linebacker Collin Oliver (foot), a three-time All-Big 12 selection, will be out at least a month for OK State.

Makhi Hughes Trying to Again Pace AAC in Rushing

Okay, so perhaps the Tulane Green Wave was not able to pull off an upset over No. 17 Kansas State as some had thought a real possibility. But it was damn close (34-27) and if not for a huge second half comeback by the Wildcats, Tulane would have been the talk of the town in the Big Easy.

Sophomore running back Makhi Hughes sure did his part for the Green Wave. He carried a massive load for the team as a freshman last year and looks poised to duplicate or surpass that effort, logging 128 yards and forcing four missed tackles on Saturday to put a pedestrian season debut in the rear view mirror.

Hughes now has touchdowns in each of the first two games and has already recorded 35 carries and five receptions. A former three-star recruit (one scouting service gave him four stars), he has a good RB frame (5’11, 210), using it to amass a whopping 964 yards after contact, while leading the conference in rushing last year. Hughes was considered one of the AAC’s top 10 draft prospects heading into this season, and if he takes the next step as expected (he says he’s gunning for 1,500 yards this year — see video below), he can raise that profile.

If he doesn’t show enough progress, expect him to return to school for his junior season before declaring for the draft.

Cameron Rising Hurts Hand

The Utah Utes, the nation’s 12th-ranked team, are off to a solid start (2-0), plowing Southern Utah 49-0 in the opener before having a bit more trouble in downing Baylor 23-12 in Week Two.

Can the Utes go undefeated? Current odds at FanDuel suggest it’s +370 to happen, but the team got a big scare on Saturday when senior quarterback Cameron Rising had to leave early with an injury to his throwing hand.

Utah’s pivot, who kept his promise by returning for his senior season, had thrown for a pair of TD passes before getting hurt. The injury is reportedly not very serious, and he may even play this week against Utah State, but Coach Kyle Whittingham would not confirm his status one way or the other (so consider Rising questionable for Week Three until we get an update).

Rising wasn’t as sharp against Baylor as he was in Week One (when he threw a career-high five TD passes), but that isn’t surprising given the better opponent. Still, he’s off to a stellar start, having yet to throw an interception after a somewhat down season in 2022 when he was picked and sacked a bit more often. A knee injury sidelined Riser for the entire 2023 season.

A mobile pocket passer, he’s considered quite poised, but because this is his seventh year of college ball, he’s already over 25 years old. That’s going to limit how much Rising will be able to develop as a pro, and will likely cap his potential. The injury history will also give teams pause. Still, Rising is likely to get a shot as an NFL backup and will either be a Day Three draft pick or get signed as an undrafted free agent.

RotoRob Tune of the Day

Pink Floyd was famous for its detailed live shows, always an incredible spectacle. In 1971, they released a compilation album, Relics (A Bizarre Collection of Antiques and Curios), featuring “Remember a Day,” originally released on A Saucerful of Secrets (1968).