College Football Recap (Oct. 18)

Julian Sayin Shines in Ohio State Victory

Former Carlsbad High School star Julian Sayin delivered a career-best performance for Ohio State in the Buckeyes' 42-36 victory over Wisconsin Saturday morning. The sophomore quarterback completed an impressive 85.7% of his passes (36-of-42) for 393 yards and four touchdowns, showcasing the elite talent that made him one of the nation's top recruits. Sayin's precision passing attack carved up the Badgers defense as he distributed the ball efficiently throughout the game, displaying the poise and accuracy that San Diego County football fans have come to expect from the talented signal-caller.

The performance wasn't just statistically impressive—it marked Sayin's arrival as a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender for the undefeated Buckeyes.

Sayin has now completed more than 70% of his passing attempts with at least two touchdown passes in each of Ohio State's last six games, joining an exclusive club that includes only four other quarterbacks: 2023 Heisman finalist Bo Nix, 2020 finalist Trevor Lawrence, 2019 winner Joe Burrow, and 2018 winner Kyler Murray. 

His teammate, star wide receiver Carnell Tate, didn't mince words about Sayin's Heisman credentials, declaring: "He's the truth. He's a Heisman winner. There's no ifs, ands or doubts about it. Each and every week, he shows us he's a Heisman winner."

The Carlsbad native has taken the college football world by storm in his first year as a starter, leading the nation in completion percentage while piloting Ohio State's high-powered offense. Head coach Ryan Day intentionally opened up the offense against Wisconsin, putting more on Sayin's plate and challenging him to push the ball downfield—a test the young quarterback passed with flying colors. The Buckeyes remain perfect at 7-0 and have won 11 consecutive games dating back to their College Football Playoff championship run last season, with Sayin emerging as the orchestrator of one of the nation's most dominant offenses.

Southwestern Falls to Riverside 69-42 in High-Scoring Affair

The Southwestern Jaguars are no longer undefeated after a 69-42 defeat to Riverside at DeVore Stadium in Chula Vista. Despite the loss, Jaguars quarterback Ty McCutcheon delivered an impressive performance, completing 28-of-46 passes for 355 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Clint Thomas Jr. was McCutcheon's go-to target, recording 11 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns, while Nic Cline added six receptions for 94 yards and a 59-yard score.

The Jaguars struggled against Riverside's offense, which totaled 697 yards and averaged over 10 yards per play. Riverside quarterback Bryan Wilson was nearly perfect, completing 26-of-30 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns while adding three rushing scores. The Tigers dominated from the opening whistle, jumping out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter behind touchdown runs from Wilson and Marquis Monroe, plus a 66-yard scoring strike to Kayvion Sibley. Southwestern's defense struggled to contain the big plays, surrendering multiple scores of 50-plus yards. Despite Caleb Blocker's 71-yard touchdown run and strong offensive output, the Jaguars' defense couldn't get the necessary stops to mount a comeback. SWC saw its record drop to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play as they return home next week looking bounce back against El Camino.

Grossmont Dominates LA Pierce 40-19

Grossmont College improved to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play with a convincing 40-19 victory over LA Pierce on Friday night at Shepherd Stadium. Quarterback Melvin Spicer IV put on a masterful performance, accounting for five total touchdowns in the Griffins' dominant win. Spicer threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-33 passing while adding two rushing scores, including a 12-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory.

The Griffins' offense was firing on all cylinders, racking up 461 total yards and controlling the clock for over 25 minutes. Wide receiver Elijah Realzola was Spicer's favorite target, hauling in 10 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. Ayden Billups (Lincoln) provided the big-play element with a 40-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. The defense was equally impressive, forcing two interceptions and limiting LA Pierce to just 333 total yards. Sy Fanua's 43-yard interception return highlighted the defensive effort, while the Griffins recorded two sacks and held the Brahmas to just 3.7 yards per carry on the ground.

Photo Credit: Nicole Noel Photography

San Diego Mesa Falls to Saddleback 59-41 in Shootout

San Diego Mesa dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play despite a valiant offensive effort in a 59-41 loss to Saddleback on Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Reggie Johnson (Madison) had a spectacular day through the air, completing 8-of-13 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Jay Porter was Johnson's primary weapon, torching the Saddleback secondary for five receptions, 122 yards, and two touchdowns, including scoring strikes of 68 and 46 yards in the fourth quarter.

The Olympians struggled to contain Saddleback's offense, which amassed 540 total yards and scored touchdowns on seven of their nine possessions. Mesa's defense surrendered 290 passing yards and 250 rushing yards, with Kavaughn Clark proving particularly difficult to stop as he rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. The turning point came in the third quarter when Saddleback's Jacob Sekiyoba returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown, extending the lead to 34-13. Despite Micah Goold's 35-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, Mesa couldn't overcome the deficit and face their third straight loss. They return home next week to face Chaffey.

Palomar Drops Road Game to El Camino 45-31

Palomar fell to 1-6 on the season after a 45-31 road loss to El Camino at Murdock Stadium in Torrance. The Comets showed resilience throughout the contest, with Bubba Garcia providing a highlight-reel moment when he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter to cut El Camino's advantage to 24-10. The score energized Palomar, which battled back to make it a one-score game in the fourth quarter when Michael Perry-Mack hauled in a 26-yard touchdown from quarterback KJ Chatham (Lincoln).

However, El Camino's ground game proved too much for the Comets to overcome. Running back Damonte Bias gashed the Palomar defense for 266 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, including a 57-yard scoring run. Jaden Moore added 184 rushing yards and three total touchdowns for the Warriors, who amassed 469 yards on the ground. Chatham showed promise in relief duty, completing 11-of-16 passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns, while Logan Cella provided a spark in the running game with 78 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Despite forcing three fumbles, Palomar's defense couldn't contain the Warriors' rushing attack.