It’s the opening week for everyone in college football, and that includes the broadcasters, too.
With TCU taking on Colorado in Deion Sanders’ first game coaching the Buffaloes, Gus Johnson was on the call for the game on Fox — and he seemed to be working out some of the kinks.
Most notably, as the Horned Frogs lined up for a 43-yard field goal with 3:21 left in the second quarter, Johnson appeared to mix up his verbiage as senior kicker Griffin Kell missed the kick wide right.
“A 43-yarder, Lou Groza Award watch list performer, and it’s incomplete as he pushes it wide right — the score remains 14-7,” Johnson said.
Kell, who has not in fact thrown a pass in his college football career, did not throw an incompletion here either.
It wasn’t the first gaffe for Johnson in this game, as on the first series of the game, he made a few flubs on a third-down play.
On a third-and-3 attempt, TCU quarterback Chandler Morris fired an incomplete pass to the far sideline while trying to hit receiver JP Richardson.
Johnson incorrectly called the play complete and then said Colorado was unable to move the ball enough for a first down, even though it was TCU who was on offense.
But early in the third quarter, Johnson seemed to find his groove when he unleashed his signature excitement when Colorado’s Dylan Edwards caught a screen pass and scampered for a 75-yard touchdown.
Johnson has been one of the preeminent college sports announcers of the last 30 years, making notable calls during the football season and March Madness during his career.
His first touchdown call of this year, when Nebraska took on Minnesota on Thursday night, had his usual flair when the Cornhuskers nearly flubbed a trick play before throwing one in for six points.
“It’s a touchdown, wow!” Johnson exclaimed. “Alex Bullock — wide open. Nebraska makes chicken salad!”