'Pathetic' Panthers, College GameDay and Taylor Swift (again) in the sports moments of the week

By Clark Gerber, WRAL SportsFan contributor

The internet is a big place. Unless you're 100% plugged in all the time (and let's be clear, that is NOT recommended), you're going to miss some stuff.

Let us do that work. You can be a well-adjusted human being and still catch all the best sports moments of the week, with a quick review ...

1. "Pathetic" Panthers effort

The third time was not the charm for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, as they fell 37-27 to the Seattle Seahawks. The Panthers (now 0-3) did see an uptick in offensive production... but also in yellow laundry.

Carolina was called for 13 penalties in the contest, including eight false starts.

Quarterback Andy Dalton was visibly frustrated on the field, but not as much as head coach Frank Reich who had some strong words for his team after the game.

The Panthers will look for some positivity this weekend. They will be back home to host the (also winless) Minnesota Vikings in Week 4.

2. Penalties help Pack to Friday night win

Penalties also featured prominently in a wild, closer-than-it-should-have-been win for NC State on Friday night.

The Wolfpack surrendered a late game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion against Virginia. But they were gifted a silver lining when UVA quarterback Anthony Colandrea drew a controversial flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The 15-yard penalty helped NC State get some great starting field position on the ensuing drive, and the Wolfpack drove into field goal range with just 3 seconds left.

Brayden Narveson's 48-yard try was blocked and the game was headed to overtime. That is, until another flag was thrown. This time, it was illegal leaping against Virginia.

Another 15-yard penalty. Another chance at a game-winning field goal for NC State.

You probably know the rest. Narveson nailed the do-over, and the Wolfpack escaped with a 24-21 win.

3. Duke football steps into the spotlight

After only four games, it's already a historic season for Duke football.

The Blue Devils grabbed some attention when they dominated then-No. 9 Clemson in Week 1 -- their first win over an AP Top 10 opponent since 1989.

That was a big deal, but this Saturday may be even bigger.

Not only will No. 11 Notre Dame be visiting for a primetime kickoff, College Gameday will also be in Durham for the first time ever.

Duke has hosted the basketball version of ESPN's most popular pregame show a record 12 times, but never for football.

They had been one of only seven major conference teams that never hosted the football College Gameday (travel started in 1993).

With Duke now off the list, Cal, Illinois, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse and Virginia remain as the only never-hosts in the Power Five conferences.

4. Sean Stewart breaks Zion Williamson's record

Speaking of Duke, remember when Zion Williamson was all the rage because of his absurd athleticism?

Well, it looks like incoming freshman Sean Stewart is ready to raise some eyebrows as well.

The 6'9" forward from Florida broke one of Williamson's team records this week, posting a 36 inch standing vertical leap.

That kind of leaping ability, combined with Stewart's big wingspan, will be plenty good enough to protect the rim and throw down some highlight jams.

Blue Devil fans will be hoping that Stewart has a portion of Williamson's all-around game as well.

5. Martinook takes the stage

Disclaimer up front -- this moment is actually from last week and we missed it. Sorry.

That said, there's no use compounding one mistake with another, so we're bringing it to you right now.

Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook was a guest on stage at this month's Nickelback concert in Raleigh, but not just to hype up the crowd.

The 31-year old fan favorite got to help sing one of the band's biggest hits, "Rockstar."

Points for enthusiasm and knowledge of the lyrics, Jordan. The singing could maybe use some work.

6. Seething at seniors

The world of college football is an emotional place, and the trash talk this week seemed to be extra spicy (many joked that the sport is becoming the WWE).

Other than Colorado coach Deion Sanders, who seems to be a lightning rod for theatrics, there was a strange theme to this week's most epic rants.

They were directed at long-retired coaches who are pushing 90.

The most talked about moment came at the end of the week's most talked about game. Ohio State punched in a game-winning touchdown with one second to go, earning a 17-14 road win at Notre Dame.

Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day (who is normally quite mild-mannered), unleashed a memorable postgame interview on the field, in which he went after 86-year-old former Irish coach Lou Holtz.

In this case, it seems like Holtz was the unfortunate proxy for all of Ohio State's doubters – some within their own fan base.

Holtz responded to Day on Tuesday, saying in part "He can go after me all he wants."

Less publicized was the spat between Washington State head coach Jake Dickert and 88-year-old College Gameday analyst Lee Corso.

Dickert was fired up after his team's big win over Oregon State, and took offense to Corso joking that the game was the "no one watches bowl" – a reference to both schools being left out of the most recent round of realignment.

Dickert suggested that ESPN is to blame for the downfall of the Pac-12 Conference, and that the network feeds lines for Corso to puppet.

Dickert apologized for his comments on Tuesday.

BONUS: Hey, did you hear Taylor Swift was at the Chiefs game on Sunday?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know about Taylor Swift's visit to the Kansas City on Sunday.

The biggest pop star on the planet was at Arrowhead Stadium to cheer on new boyfriend (we think?) Travis Kelce, and even sat next to his mom in the luxury suite!

Since Sunday, Kelce's jersey has reportedly seen a 400% spike in sales, his Instagram has gained more than 300,000 followers, his podcast has shot to #1 on Apple, and the Chiefs sold more tickets in a single day since the start of the season.

The Taylor Swift Effect is real and it is powerful.

However, here's where it gets a little fishy. Swift and Kelce were spotted leaving together after the game and they were very noticeably not holding hands.

Is this their first time meeting in person? Is this all just a big publicity stunt?

Let's all remember the TikTok conspiracy theory that we posted to this space last week.

Even though Usher was recently announced as the Super Bowl halftime performer, there's still a possibility that Swift is playing a long con to benefit her beloved Philadelphia Eagles.

Protect your heart, Travis! We'll see you next week.