We learned a lot about some of the top ranked teams in college football this week. Some fell from grace like Alabama and USC. Others barely hung on by the skin of their teeth, like Ohio State and UCLA, and showed that they may not be worthy of their rankings. One thing is for certain, with conference play starting for most schools, the real teams worthy of top-25 rankings will show themselves.
Even with last week's upsets and nail bitters, there were quite a few stand-out performances from track athletes on the football field. We're once again taking a look at how these athletes' track backgrounds are making them valuable tools for their football coaches.
KOLBY LISTENBEE - Sr - TCU
*Track & Field - 100 & 200 meters
*Football - Wide Receiver
Kolby had another impactful performance for the horned frogs last week. He had 2 catches for 51 yards, scoring 1 touchdown. He would have had larger numbers if it weren't for an bad fall in the endzone after catching 20+ yard touchdown in the third quarter. Kolby landed awkwardly on his hip and did not return for the rest of the game. His status is unknown at the moment for next weeks game.
TONY BROOKS-JAMES - Fr (RS) - Oregon
*Track & Field - 100 & 200 meters
*Football - Running Back
The Oregon rushing attack is one of the most potent in the nation and Tony Brooks-James has been carving his own personal signature into it since week one. This past week, in a 61-28 routing of Georgia State, Tony had 12 carries for 50 yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. Additionally, he also hauled in three receptions for 17 yards. Small numbers at first glance, but extremely impactful to the flow of the game. Hopefully Utah's defense can keep him contained and not let him escape into the open field. If they do...good luck catching him.
KHALFANI MUHAMMAD - Jr - California
*Track & Field - 100 & 200 meters
*Football - Running Back
Khalfani had the best week out of this group and is proving to be a vital piece in the resurgence of Cal football. For the first time in a long time, Cal is 3-0 and although Texas isn't what it used to be, beating them is still considered a marquee win for any school. During that game against the Longhorns, Khalfani racked up 164 yards rushing and one touchdown, and that was just on 10 carries! He also had 16 receiving yards. Of course, after two years of not playing Cal, Utah plays them when Khalfani has a breakout year.
CHARLES NELSON - So - Oregon
*Track & Field - 100 meters, long jump
*Football - Wide Receiver
Yeah, I know, two Oregon players on the same list. A lot of you might think I love Oregon more than Utah because I always write about them. Trust me, if any other school were using track athletes as well as Oregon, I'd be writing about them instead. Charles Nelson is yet another example of that. Last week he only had two receptions, but those two receptions totaled 48 yards, making him Oregon's leading receiver for the week. FYI, that's just as many yards in one game as Kenneth Scott has hauled in all year. I'm not sure what that is saying, but it says something.
BRODERICK SNODDY - Sr (Rs) - Georgia Tech.
*Track & Field - 100 meters
*Football - Running Back
Georgia Tech has one of the most unique offenses in the entire country. The triple-option has led to the downfall of many a team over the years and no one has run it more efficiently than Paul Johnson. Broderick Snoddy's speed, which he's spent the last four years perfecting competing in the 100 meters for Georgia Tech's track team, has been an invaluable tool for Johnson. Last week, even in the midst of losing to #8 Notre Dame, Broderick was still able to manage 77 yards on just seven carries. Paul Johnson will undoubtedly continue to use the versatile Snoddy throughout the rest of the season.
Check back next week to see how other track athletes are fairing on the football field. If you think there are other performances worth mentioning that I didn't cover, feel free to comment below or hit me up on
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"I'm a graduate of the University of Utah and self proclaimed 'biggest track fan in the state of Utah.' Since Utah is an Olympic proud state, it seems odd that Utah doesn't fully support the marquee sport of the Olympics. Let's do something about it!"
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