Wolves by Selena Gomez & Marshmello came out in the fall of ‘17. It peaked at #20 on the US Billboards Hot 100. Since I already did Hungry Like the Wolf and Wolf Like Me in the same week, I might as well lean into this for the weekend. The EDM tune infused with Selena Gomez’ vocals is nice, but did you know Selena Gomez got her start on Barney & Friends…
For All The Dogs
- The first gray wolves likely originated in Eurasia about a million years ago and then migrated to North America.
- Anthropologists believe that humans first started feeding wolves 50k years ago, but more evidence suggests that the domestication of wolves into dogs occurred between 15k to 10k years ago. Either way, dogs were humans’ first domesticated animals by adopting wolf pups and breeding the most docile ones. (Mission Wolf)
- Wolves have much narrower frames, longer legs, bigger paws, and larger heads than most dogs. They are built for endurance over speed and can trot at a steady pace for hours with no wasted energy. Wolves have been known to travel well over 50 miles in a single day. That’s wild.
- Wolves tend to be monogamous and have strong social bonds with their wolf packs.
- When Wolves howl, it is not just a way to communicate with their wolf pack but with other wolf packs. How loud a wolf pack’s howl is can determine if they should attack or retreat. (Natual Habitat Adventures)
That’s all I got for the dogs for now, on to College Football Week 3…
The Kansas State Wildcats and the Missouri Tigers have been going at it since 1909. The two schools are about 3 and a half hours away with Kansas City being the midway point. From 1937 to ‘11, both schools were in the same conference so they played each other every year. This will be the 99th head-to-head matchup between the Wildcats and Tigers with Missouri holding the series advantage with 60 wins. These two renewed their old conference rivalry last year with Kansas State blowing out Missouri 40 to 22. Kansas State will be going into Missouri as the #14th ranked team in CFB.
The Kansas State Wildcats last year won 10 games thanks to the likes of RB Deuce Vaughn (Cowboys) and edge rusher Anudike-Uzomah (Chiefs) who are now pros in the NFL. This Kansas State has some NFL prospects as well. At OG, Cooper Beebe, was the ‘22 Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year. Beebe slots in at 31 on Week to Week Notes’ Draft Rankings. The Wildcats QB Will Howard is looking forward to the hostile Mizzou environment, “It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a loud, packed environment. It’s kind of an us-against-the-world mentality when you go in there. You have 70-plus players and some staff and you have a whole stadium rooting against you. We love that. We love being on the road.” Howard has combined to score 8 TDs (5 passing and 3 rushing). As for the Kansas State defense, Khalid Duke has already had 3 sacks this season, and his sack celebration of reeling in fish is fantastic.
The Missouri Tigers are in year 4 of head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s tenure and their results have been so-so as he carries a 19-19 record as Mizzou coach. At QB, Brady Cook is a 2nd-year starter who is lucky to throw to WR Luther Burden III. Burden is anything but a burden to throw to as the sophomore is elite at going up and making high-point catches. That said, I think if Kansas State can contain him, they should get the W.
Prediction: 27-21 Kansas State (-3.5 Kansas State & Under 49)
Today will be the first time that North Carolina and Minnesota have ever faced off in a College Football game. UNC is coached by former longtime Texas Longhorn head coach Mack Brown while Minnesota has former NFL WR PJ Fleck as their head coach. Fleck has been with Minnesota since ‘17 and turned their program into a solid midtier Big Ten school while earning some NFL head coaching candidate hype along the way. UNC is ranked #20 in the country and is hosting Minnesota.
Minnesota plays a classic Big Ten defense first and run-the-ball kind of style. The Gophers’ safety Tyler Nubin is their best player. He earned the Jim Thorpe Award Week 1 (best defensive back) for his 2 INTs against Nebraska. Nubin spent this offseason with his former teammate and current Tampa Bay Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. On the offensive side of the football, Minnesota has 2 stud RBs Darius Taylor and Sean Tyler. Taylor is a true freshman from Detroit who just ran for 193 yards on 33 attempts against Eastern Michigan last week, while Tyler transferred to Minnesota from Western Michigan.
QB Drake Maye has led the Tar Heels to a 2 and 0 record, but he hasn’t exactly lit up the scoreboard. Maye is still in Week to Week Notes’ top 5 on the draft board even though it appears to miss WR Josh Downs who is now with the Colts. Sophomore RB Omarion Hampton has picked up the slack as he just rushed for 234 yards last week against App State. UNC’s top WR thus far is Kobe Paysour, while Devontez Walker has still been ruled ineligible to play after transferring to North Carolina. I think PJ Fleck pulls this one out against Mack Brown.
Prediction: 26-24 Minnesota (+7 Minnesota & Under 51)
The Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers are two very proud College Football programs that have seen better days. Florida is 1-1 losing to Utah in Week 1. Tennessee is 2-0 and ranked #11 in the nation. This will be the 53rd time the Gators and Vols are suiting it up with UF winning 31 of the matchups. This SEC rivalry game is otherwise known as Third Saturday in September.
The Florida Gators offensively are led by their two stud RBs Montell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne. Johnson Jr. has scored twice and is averaging nearly 7 yards per carry, while Etienne is indeed the younger brother of Jags RB1 Travis Etienne. Week to Week Notes’ on the ground fan insider of the Jaguars and Gators actually met Mrs. Etienne while tailgating - “She was a very nice lady.” Trevor, much like his brother, is tough to tackle. On the defensive side of the ball, CB Jason Marshall Jr. is the name to know. He gave up a long TD in Week 1 against Utah, but his previous two seasons were elite. He didn’t allow a TD in ‘22 and as a freshman in ‘21 he allowed the lowest completion rate in the SEC, so he’s got a track record that he can bounce back.
The Volunteers have not won a game in Gainesville, Florida since ‘03. While Florida may have a nice running game, Tennessee’s is elite. The Vols have rushed for an average of 257.5 yards per game, which is good for 4th in the nation. Their RB #0, Jaylen Wright, is averaging 9.32 yards per carry, so basically a 1st down every time he gets the ball. The Vols on defense are led by LB Aaron Beasley who had a phenomenal Week 2. The speedy linebacker had 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups. Although the Vols haven’t won in the Swamplands since ‘03, Gator coach Bill Napier is also 0-4 in rivalry games so I’ll take Tennessee.
Prediction: 31-24 Tennessee (-6.5 Tennessee & Under 58.5)
This ‘23 matchup between the Pitt Panthers and WV Mountaineers will be the 106th edition of the Backyard Brawl. These two football programs are only an hour and 15 minutes apart so they share a ton of history on the gridiron. After last playing each other in ‘11 due to conference realignments, last year these two renewed the rivalry with Pitt winning 38-31. Of the 105 games played in the Backyard Brawl, Pitt has won 62 times, West Virginia has won 40 times, and they kissed each other’s sisters 3 times.
After getting booed last Saturday at home in their loss against Cincinnati, Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec was asked how it felt and he gave an honest answer. "I think if you're a grown-ass man booing in that stadium, I think you have to go and look at yourself. I think that's pathetic." Jurkovec is originally from Pittsburgh but played his previous 5 years with Boston College. Since he redshirted in ‘18 and got an extra year from COVID, Phil Jurkovec is this week’s Van Wilder of the Week.
West Virginia may have found their WR1 and you’re looking at him below going viral in an empty parking lot dancing in pajamas. That would be the redshirt freshman WR Hudson Clement, who just last week had 177 yards and 3 TDs in a win over Duquesne. What can I say, some guys just have it all. Another notable player for the Mountaineers is their center, Zach Frazier, a 3-time Academic All-Big 12 student-athlete who was named to the Preseason All-American First Team this season. I’ll take West Virginia.
Prediction: 33-28 WVU (-2.5 WVU & Over 50.5)
The Colorado Buffaloes and Colorado State Rams have been facing off against each other in the Rocky Mountain Showdown since 1893. It was so long ago that Colorado State was called Colorado Agricultural. Tonight will be the 92nd game between the schools, with Colorado holding a commanding series lead of 67 wins.
Expect this game to get pretty chippy. During a press conference this week, Colorado State head coach, Jay Norvell, took a shot at Deion Sanders when he told reporters, “When I talk to grownups I take my hat off and I take my glasses off. That’s what my mother taught me.” Norvell does not wear his sunglasses at night, confirmed. While I understand that Norvell is probably trying to motivate his own players about how they won’t get caught up in the bravado that Primetime brings to College Football, this may backfire horribly. Colorado State has only played once this year and they got destroyed at home to Washington State 50-24.
Deion went into the locker room after hearing the comments from Norvell and immediately bought his whole team their own shades to wear inside. Shedeur Sanders, the star QB and son of Primetime went on First Take yesterday and said, “You gotta be a fool to do that… It’s just extra motivation.” Coach Prime said, “I’m minding my own business and watching some film… They messed around and made it personal.” Shedeur Sanders has been awesome and Travis Hunter has been great, just want to Note that WR Xavier Weaver leads the team in receiving yards with 288. Colorado is pissed off. Watch them not only cover the spread but the over entirely on their own.
Prediction: 63-0 Colorado (-23.5 Colorado & Over 62.5)