Hello one and all and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post! This one of course covers the best quarterbacks in all of college football, ranking them 1-10 to see who the best truly are, when it comes to the NFL Draft anyways.
I know I've said this the past couple times, but it's crazy that we're already at week 12. It literally feels like yesterday when we made our preseason predictions, and now we're sitting here with so many changes that it looks unrecognizable from those initial rankings. I love it and hate it at the same time. I don't want college football to end, but I am excited for even more draft coverage.
This week's list is a little wonky, and the longest quarterback ranking(s) post I've made so far this year, which is also pretty crazy to think about. In this one, we see a new face in the top-three as well as seeing an old face returning to the list for the first time since week six. Craziness.
I won't keep you any longer. So, without any further delay, I, Logan Blackman, the self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present to you our week 12 quarterback prospect rankings! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
Pictured: Bo Nix, Oregon; Jayden Daniels, LSU; Carson Beck, Georgia
1. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Wk 12 - 16/36 209 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/10 carries 67 yds 0 touchdowns @ Clemson (31-20 L)
Season - 247/387 3,354 yds 22 touchdowns 7 interceptions/103 carries 343 yds 8 touchdowns
The conference's top offense going up against the conference's best defense and in the end, the top defense came out on top. Going into this game, I did think North Carolina had enough fuel to get by a Clemson team that had been building momentum as of late, but I guess after an emotional double overtime victory against much hated Duke, a fall off was bound to happen, especially since that game was probably Drake Maye's final home game as a Tar Heel. Things have kind of taken a turn for the worst for North Carolina. After being ranked 10th in the nation prior to the game against Virginia, the Tar Heels have gone on to lose three of their last four games in the ACC, losing to aforementioned Virginia and Georgia Tech in rough fashion with both essentially ending on turnovers before getting beat by double digits against Clemson. Starting off in the game against Clemson things started off really weird, as both teams traded fumbles and punts before North Carolina finally opened the scoring later on in the first quarter thanks to a spectacular throw by Maye to J.J. Jones from 33-yards out. That was on the third drive of the game though, going back to the first one, Maye would throw an absolute dime to Tez Walker down the far sideline for a 43-yard gain on fourth and six.
What an absolute dart from Maye to help the Tar Heels pick up a much needed first down. This is really best on best here, as Tez Walker was lined up across one of the nations best corners in Nate Wiggins. Maye shows a lot of trust in Walker on this play, as he didn't both looking anywhere else but to his favorite receiver on this play and it worked out. With Wiggins playing tight along the line of scrimmage, Walker just beat him for speed on the outside, and Maye just threw a dart to pick up the massive gain and the first down. Unfortunately for North Carolina, after a false start penalty pushed the offense back to the seven-yard line, running back Omarion Hampton would fumble the ball. The Tigers would ultimately jump on the ball and completely kill the momentum the Tar Heels had after that 43-yard pass play. Thankfully the defense would come up big and force a three and out. Then after North Carolina had a three and out of their own, the defense would come up big again, but this time stripping Tyler Davis on a fake punt attempt, which would set the offense up at the Tiger 46-yard line. On the fourth play of the drive, Drake Maye would hit J.J. Jones from 33-yards out to give the Tar Heels their first lead of the game.
This is the throw we brought up earlier, and again, what a throw it was. With pressure pretty much coming free from the left side of the formation, Maye is forced to roll out to his right to avoid being sacked. As he's rolling out though, another Clemson defender pops up right in his face, forcing him to try and get around him and either roll out even more or just let the ball go. Obviously the dude chose the latter, and off his back foot, delivers a damn near perfect ball to Jones for the score. This throw shouldn't have been this good. Leaning back and throwing off your back foot are usually recipes for disaster, but in this case, Maye delivers a beautiful ball to give the Tar Heels the lead. The defense would force Clemson to go three and out on their next possession, and North Carolina would have a chance to double their lead late in the first quarter. After Maye completed a short pass to John Copenhaver that would go for 13-yards, Omarion Hampton would cut up the far side of the field and take the ball 64-yards for the score, or so they thought. Instead of scoring a touchdown, Hampton would actually fumble it again, getting caught from behind by Nate Wiggins, and was stripped at around the two-yard line with the ball going out of bounds in the end zone for a touchback. Clemson would then put together a nice 14-play scoring drive to tie the game up at seven. North Carolina would struggle to get anything going the rest of the half, though they would be given a lifeline by the defense stripping Will Shipley at the seven-yard to stop another Tiger touchdown attempt. On the following drive, Maye would pick up a first down with his legs, picking up 16-yards and giving the offense a little more cushion by getting away from their own end zone.
Nice job by Maye at escaping the pressure once it broke through the left side of the offensive line. I also like the fact that his eyes are downfield the entire time as well as though running for the first is an option, hitting a receiver could prove more fruitful. With all receiver covered up though, Maye cuts through the gap in the defense and picks up a nice 16-yards on the ground for a first down. A few plays later, Maye would be sacked, which would ultimately for the Tar Heels to punt the ball away with about a minute 20 left in the first half. To make matters worse, Clemson would march right down the field on their final drive of the half, thus taking a 14-7 lead into the locker room. On their first drive of the second half, Maye would once again pick up a first down with his legs, going for 13 on third and six to get to the Clemson side of the 50.
I think an underrated part of this play is that Maye actually uses the ref as a screen to pick up even more yards. I don't know if he meant to do that or not, but if he did, that's very nice awareness from the Tar Heel quarterback to slow down the defenders pursuit by putting someone in-between you and a the tackler. I also like how he doesn't really waste much time when eventually deciding when to run the ball. With everybody well covered to the far side of the field, Maye just decides to tuck it and run rather than force the issue and throw it into coverage. Unfortunately, much like the last big first down Maye picked up with his legs, the drive would ultimately end in a sack, with North Carolina turning it over on downs. The Tar Heels would find the end zone on their next drive as after a 16-yard pickup between Maye and Walker helped move the chains, Omarion Hampton would take it in from 55-yards out to make the score 21-14 in the third. Despite their next drive ending in a punt, we would once again see Maye utilizing his athleticism, breaking a few tackles and picking up 30-yards on the ground on second and 15.
I imagine this is a designed quarterback run, as the left guard runs to block the linebacker while Maye is still back in the pocket. For being as big as he is, Drake Maye is very illusive, able to skirt past defenders as well as being able to break the weaker arm tackles that would bring most other quarterbacks down to the ground. Got to respect the toughness of Maye by not going down on those said arm tackles, being able to pick up a nice 30-yard gain and another first down with his legs. A couple penalties would ultimately stall the drive, forcing the Tar Heels to punt the ball away again, though they would find the end zone again on the following drive, with Omarion Hampton scoring from three-yards out on fourth and one. On that drive, Maye would pick up another first down with his legs, this one going for 15, as well as hitting Nate McCollum on a little shovel pass that would go for a further 19-yards.
Like he's done a few times this game, Drake Maye did an excellent job at making something out of nothing. After Maye pulls the ball from the running back, he looks as if he's dead to rights, as two Clemson defenders close in on him while he's three or four yards back from the line of scrimmage. Once he sucks them in enough, Maye has the wherewithal to flip the ball out to McCollum, just beating the originally blocked defender, who does the rest once the ball is in his hands. As we mentioned before, Hampton would punch it in from three-yards out to give the Tar Heels more of a fighting chance, despite them missing on the two-point conversion. A couple penalties and a couple incomplete passes on their next drive would see North Carolina turn it over on downs, before Maye would throw a game sealing interception with just over 2:30 left in the game.
Wiggins read this play like a book, baiting Maye into making the throw to Tez Walker on the outside before he jumped the route and came away with an interception. Again, Maye was absolutely baited into making that throw, ultimately sealing the victory for Clemson, who would come out on top 31-20. As for the Tar Heels, like we mentioned before, this is their third loss in their last four conference games, not really ending the season on the highest of notes, are we? As for Maye, I thought he made some decent throws throughout, namely the one to Jones for the 33-yard score, but in this one he was much more effective using his legs, which shouldn't be too surprising given how good of an athlete he is. Coming off a loss, lets see how the Tar Heels bounce back facing 22nd ranked NC State who have won their last four games, one of those coming against Clemson. A solid defensive unit that ranks third in the conference in total defense and fourth in points allowed per game, this will be another tough test for Drake Maye and co., especially since this game is on the road. Turnovers hurt them in this game against Clemson, if they can clean up some of those mistakes, I don't see why they can't go into Raleigh and beat the Wolfpack on Saturday.
Preseason - 1b
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 2
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - 2
Wk 9 - 2
Wk 10 - 2
Wk 11 - 1
Wk 12 - 1
Wk 13 - @ no.22 NC State
2. Caleb Williams, USC
Wk 12 - 31/42 384 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/7 carries -20 yds 0 touchdowns v UCLA (38-20 L)
Season - 266/388 3,633 yds 30 touchdowns 5 interceptions/97 carries 136 yds 11 touchdowns
This season did not go anywhere near what you or I thought it would for Caleb Williams the USC Trojans. After taking home the Heisman Trophy a season ago, many, including myself, thought this would not only be the year we saw USC break back into national championship contention, but also a year where we could see the second ever two-time Heisman winner. Through the first part of the season it certainly looked like both would be on the cards. After the Trojans win against Colorado, it looked like a forgone conclusion that Williams would take home the prestigious award for the second consecutive season, as he just passed for a whopping 403-yards with six-touchdowns with just 10-incompletions. Sure the Buffaloes possessed one of the worst defenses in all of college football, but that's the kind of stat line you'd expect from a quarterback as good as Caleb Williams against that bad of a defense. After that game though, things kind of started falling off the rails, as a triple overtime victory against Arizona made people think twice about how good this USC team actually was. The following week, the Trojans would suffer an embarrassing 48-20 road loss to Notre Dame, in a game where Williams would toss three first half interceptions, which happened to be the first time he had thrown multiple interceptions in a game since he lost to 13th ranked Baylor in November of 2021 while he was still at Oklahoma. USC would go on to lose all but one game the rest of the season, with their defense gifting yards and points like it was Santa Claus. As a result, they fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, after his unit gave up 48, or more, points in three of his last four games in charge. Williams and the offense can only do so much, putting up a good number of points but just couldn't out score their own defense. It sucks because this may be the last time we see Caleb Williams in a USC uniform. To bow out after losing five of your last six games sucks, but again, there was only so much he and the offense could do. In his potential final game of college football, the Trojans fell victim to their in city rival UCLA by a score of 38-20, USC's biggest loss since falling to Notre Dame in October. This result shouldn't have been too surprising to people, as UCLA's defense is one of the best in the country, and though their offense isn't amazing, USC's lack of defense would allow the Bruins offense to look at least somewhat decent, which they did. As for Williams, things couldn't have really started out much worse, as they would give the ball back to UCLA in every way imaginable. Throughout their first four drives, USC turned it over on downs, punted, fumbled, and threw an interception, literally every way you could turn the ball over, they did. Kind of impressive actually. What makes it worse is that these drives weren't even that long, as the longest drive lasting just five-plays, with Williams' interception coming on just the second play of the fourth drive.
Just not a good throw from Williams. He did a nice job, initially, at trying to look off the high safety, but the ball kind of sailed on him when trying to hit Rice up the sideline. With the UCLA matching Rice for stride, it seems like Williams tries to lob it up to his intended receiver, as he knows his receiver probably wouldn't beat the defender down the field, but again, the ball sails on him and goes over Rice's outstretched hands and into the arms of the defender. With the Bruin corner possessing very good size, 6'3" 205 lbs., this ball probably should've been thrown back shoulder, rather than floated over top, as Rice and the defender are about the same size. Just an unfortunate play for Williams and the offense, though the Trojan defense would force the Bruin offense to go three and out. Williams would more than make up for the interception on USC's next drive, hitting Brenden Rice up the far sideline for a 74-yard touchdown to cut UCLA's lead in half.
What a throw by Caleb Williams and what a way to respond after throw an interception. It should be illegal to throw a ball this effortlessly. After stepping up in the pocket, dude just launches it, while on the 'run,' and delivers a perfect ball to Rice for the score. Really couldn't have been a much better play for Williams and the Trojan offense, getting them back into this game at the start of the second quarter. Though they'd go three and out on their next drive and miss a field goal on the following drive, Williams would help lead a nice 12-play 78-yard drive to help set up a potential field goal, starting off by hitting Brenden Rice on a slant route for 15-yards.
Good read and solid throw here by Caleb Williams in the face of pressure. With the slot defender going up to guard the receiver to the far side of the field, that pretty much vacates the middle of the field. So, with pressure coming down from the left side, and the defender guarding the flat, Williams gets this ball out quick and hits Rice for the first, showing good placement on the ball as well, not leading his receiver into the path of the UCLA safety. Dude threw the ball right at Rice's face, slowing his momentum and allowing him to turn up field without getting smacked by a defender. After a long 14-yard throw to Rice, a 31-yard dump off to MarShawn Lloyd, and a well thrown out route to Zachariah Branch, USC were in prime position to come away with some points on this drive, whether it be a touchdown or a field goal. After getting the ball all the way down to the UCLA eight-yard line, kicker Denis Lynch would go on to miss the eventual 25-yard kick, meaning USC would still be down seven with just over a minute 30 left in the first half. Thankfully for Lynch he'd get another chance before the half, after the Trojan defense forced UCLA to go three and out, Williams would help lead a 9-play 51-yard drive to help give USC some points before the half, making a great throw down the far sideline to MarShawn Lloyd for a 33-yard gain.
After getting around one of the best edge rushers in all of college football, Williams is able to step up in the pocket and deliver a nicely floated ball to Lloyd for the first down. With the safety coming down, Williams has to take a little more off this ball in order for Lloyd to not only make the catch, but also gain a few extra yards as well. This is just a very well executed play by Williams and Lloyd, who did a nice job at taking his route down field once pressure started coming down on his quarterback. Though a Williams sack would keep them out of the end zone, Lynch wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste, as he'd sink the 34-yard field goal to cut UCLA's lead down to four going into halftime. The momentum wouldn't carry over to the second half one bit for the Trojans as after a long 15-play touchdown drive by UCLA put them up 21-10, USC's first play of the half would see Lloyd fumble the ball at the Bruin 11, which would then be recovered by UCLA and taken in for the score. So before the Trojans really got things going in the second half, they would find themselves down 28-10, certainly not the most ideal way to start a half. They would manage to register a field goal on their first real drive of the second half, with Williams completing big passes to Duce Robinson and Brenden Rice, with the latter picking up 24-yards on fourth and seven.
With the corner matching Rice stride for stride, and with the safety over top, the only way this ball really could've been completed would be by throwing it back shoulder. Though it may seem simple, there are some out there who would've tried to launch this thing into the end zone, especially when you're down 18-points to your in city rival. But, Williams makes the smart play, helping pick up the first down and set them up at the eight-yard line. That being said, after a MarShawn Lloyd run and two Laiatu Latu sacks on Caleb Williams, USC would have to settle for three again, making it 28-13 later in the third quarter. After turning it over on downs on their next drive, UCLA would ultimately put the game away, scoring a touchdown midway through the fourth to put them up 38-13. I know the game was pretty much over already, but that really put the final nail in the preverbal coffin. That being said, the Trojans would keep fighting, posting an 11-play 75-yard drive to score a touchdown with just under four minutes to go. On that final drive, we'd see Williams make a really nice play to get the ball to Zachariah Branch for a first down on a 22-yard pass play.
Excellent job at not only avoiding the pressure by Caleb Williams, but an even better job at keeping his eyes down field waiting for something to open up. Dude put the ball where only his insanely athletic receiver could get it which speaking of, great sliding catch by Branch on this play, obviously a massive reason on why USC was able to pick up 22-yards on this play. USC would pick up a few fourth downs on this drive as well, with one coming via a penalty and the other coming way of a Caleb Williams shot to Tahj Washington for 23-yards on fourth and 14. They would ultimately punch it into the end zone after the second fourth down conversion, making the score a little more respectable 38-20. Just a really tough way to finish the regular season for USC, who started this season with such promise but ultimately fell flat on their face when going up against superior opponents. As for Williams, despite the interception and the pressure, I thought he played a very solid game against a very good defense, just a shame he had to come out on the losing end of things last weekend. I guess you could say that about a lot of games USC had this year, despite Williams playing well, the Trojans just weren't able to get some of those loses over the line. Hell, without Williams, USC would probably be 5-7 and could be looking for a new head coach, given the expectations going into the season. Though we don't know if he'll suit up in the bowl game, we can say that this dude made a lot a insane plays while quarterbacking USC. It should've ended better, but he did a lot of good in his time in college, and we should expect to hear his name called come April.
Preseason - 1a
Wk 0/1 - 1
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - 1
Wk 9 - 1
Wk 10 - 1
Wk 11 - 2
Wk 12 - 2
Wk 13 - BYE
3. Jayden Daniels, LSU (+1)
Wk 12 - 25/30 413 yds 6 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 96 yds 2 touchdowns v Georgia State (56-14 W)
Season - 220/303 3,577 yds 36 touchdowns 4 interceptions/124 carries 1,014 yds 10 touchdowns
Another game, and another week LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels tightens his grip on the Heisman Trophy. I'm aware this last game was against Georgia State, a team that had been blown out in their previous three games and possessed one of the worst defenses in their respective conference, but how often do you see someone score eight touchdowns in a game? Not only did he register a school record eight touchdowns, but he also threw for an insane 413-yards and rushed for another 96, giving him 509-yards of total offense in this game. Now, that would be crazy for a lot of people, but it's still 97-yards behind the amount of yards he had the previous week against Florida. So again, I don't really give a rats ass about who the Tigers played on Saturday, the fact of the matter is Jayden Daniels should be considered the favorite for the Heisman. You can give me Marvin Harrison Jr. and Bo Nix, but Daniels is not only putting up insane numbers in the passing department, but he's also putting up insane numbers in the run game as well, finally passing the 1,000 yard mark with the 96-yards he had against Georgia State. So the dude is top three in passing yards, top one in passing touchdowns, top one in passer rating, and top 25 in rushing yards, as a quarterback no less in the SEC, and you're telling me he's not the Heisman front runner? Alright. This dude is having an unreal season and it should definitely be capped off with a Heisman, right? As for this individual game, things really couldn't have been any easier, as the Tigers scored touchdowns on eight of their nine drives in this one, with the exception coming when they ran out the clock to finally end Georgia State's suffering. It was a perfect game all around for LSU, who answered the Panthers opening drive touchdown with one of their own, as Daniels would hit Malik Nabers from 18-yards out to give the Tigers their first points of the game. Though it wasn't Daniels' greatest throw, he made some ridiculous plays in the run game leading to the touchdown, starting off by picking up nine-yards on third and six before picking up 29-yards on the following play by making something out of nothing to get LSU to the opposite side of the 50.
This dude is arguably the best in all of college football at making something out of absolutely nothing. With Georgia State bringing a decent amount of pressure, Daniels is not only able to make the first guy who breaks through miss, but even the dude(s) who were responsible on keeping an eye on him once he got past the line of scrimmage. When it comes to playing defense against Jayden Daniels, it's best to have someone play as a spy, though that's easier said than done. Dude then puts on a few more moves once he gets past the first down marker, even hitting a good old fashioned Chris Berman 'whoop' once he got around a crowd of Panther defenders. Daniels would find Nabers up the field a few plays later. As I said earlier, LSU would go onto score a touchdown on every single possession this game, so there's no point in me saying 'LSU's next touchdown drive' because they're all touchdown drives. But after a a few shorter passes that would eat up a decent amount of yards, Daniels would score his first rushing touchdown of the game, taking it in from 14-yards out to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.
Designed quarterback draw, and Daniels takes it the 14-yards needed for LSU's second touchdown of the game. Was able to get past a few weak tackle attempts from the Georgia State defense before finding the angle to punch it into the end zone. On their next drive, after scanning the left side of the field, Daniels would fire it to Malik Nabers on a hitch who would take the ball 33-yards to get the Tigers near the 50. A few plays later, Daniels would zip a ball into Kyren Lacy from 27-yards out to gift LSU the lead back early on in the second quarter.
This was a very well executed play by the LSU offense. With two receivers running fades to the outside, that forces both Panther safeties to make a quick decision, whether to help the corners over top, or not. In this scenario, both safeties decide to play spy to help out the corners, leaving the middle of the field wide open. Lacy would then split the difference of the two safeties as Daniels delivers a strike to him for the score. Daniels absolutely zipped this ball into Lacy. Though the gap between the two safeties was fairly big, there's always a chance at a defender recovering and making a play on the ball, so Daniels decides to put this thing on a line, hitting his receiver in stride for the score. Some of my coaches used to say 'throw it where the receiver wouldn't like to be hit and they're more likely to catch it.' In this case, I'm sure Lacy would rather catch the ball then have it hit him right in the face. After the Tiger defense forced the Panthers to turn it over on downs, Daniels would need just one-play to further extend LSU's advantage, hitting Brian Thomas Jr. on a beautifully thrown deep ball, 70-yards for the score.
First off, what an effort by Thomas at stretching the ball across the goal line once he was starting to be brought down by the defender. Secondly, and this shouldn't be too surprising, what a throw by Jayden Daniels. As we've said numerous times throughout these blog posts, Daniels arguably throws the best deep ball in all of college football, and it was firmly on display there. Sure Thomas had a step or two on his defender, but this ball was placed perfectly in the bread basket, which would be taken in for six. Like, this ball was thrown from the LSU 23 to the Georgia State 25, that's far than an easy throw. Great throw and great effort from both quarterback and receiver to help LSU double their lead late in the second. LSU's next touchdown drive would be short and sweet as well, as a 32-yard pass play between Daniels and Kyren Lacy would help set the Tigers up inside the Panthers 10-yard line.
At first glance, it may just look like Daniels is hitting an open receiver running across the formation on a dig route. Well, yeah, I guess that is what happens, but this is still a very nice throw. With Georgia State sitting back, Daniels has to be very smart, and careful, on where he puts the ball. As the receiver cross the formation, Daniels has an opening between the two Panther linebackers, and he has to make sure to not lead Lacy too much, because that could just end up with the defender near the hash coming away with the ball. When the ball is caught, the Georgia State defender is about a yard or two in front of the receiver, in the sense of going sideline to sideline. So again, if this ball is a little more out in front, Georgia State really could come away with this football. But Daniels delivers a very well thrown football that Lacy is able to take up field to the Panther eight-yard line. After a false start penalty moved them back to the 13, Daniels would hook up with Lacy again for their second combined touchdown of the evening. Daniels does a very nice job at scanning the whole field in the face of a decent number of Georgia State pass rushers. Though there were a lot of them, LSU's offensive line held their own and then some, giving Daniels time to survey the field before delivering the ball to an open Lacy for the score. The Tigers would get the ball to start the second half, and wouldn't waste too much time to make their lead grow even more, going 70-yards in eight-plays to give them a 42-14 lead at the start of the second half. After a few dump off and shorter passes, Daniels would flash the athleticism, picking up 14-yards on the ground.
This dude is just impossible to tackle in the open field. After smartly tucking and running after pump faking it, Daniels is able to make the first would be tackler miss in the backfield, before snatching dudes ankles around the 39-yard line and picking up 14-yards. As we've said a few times before, you cannot leave a defender one on one with Daniels in the middle of the field. More times than not, the dude is just going to make that said defender look silly, like he did here. Then, after a five-yard pass to Malik Nabers and a 20-yard run by Noah Cain, Daniels was able to register another passing touchdown, this time coming from three-yards out where he'd hit an open Mac Markway for the score. Nothing fancy about it, just a short little roll out to the left with a Georgia State defender kind of caught in no mans land on who to guard between the two LSU tight ends. The defender chose low, so Daniels chose high and came away with his fifth passing touchdown of the game. Daniels would be seen cooking on the Tigers next drive, hitting Kyren Lacy up the far sideline for a 19-yard gain.
Really nice placement on this throw from Daniels. With the corner trying to act as a spy, Daniels needs to be careful on where he puts this ball. Where the corner is situated, sitting between Lacy and the tight end, this ball can't really go towards the sideline, as there's a likely chance the defender would come away with the ball. So, Daniels decides to throw this ball a little behind his intended receiver, as it keeps the defender from making a play and gives Lacy enough time to turn his head an prepare for any hit. Though the hit never really comes, the placement from Daniels is really nice, and it helped LSU pick up 19-yards. After a long throw to Brian Thomas from the far hash to the near sideline went for 15-yards, LSU was set up at the Georgia State 10. Then, after a few runs by Daniels, and a defensive penalty for a horse collar tackle, dude would call his own number on a quarterback sneak from a yard out, giving LSU a 49-14 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. On his final touchdown drive, Daniels would throw a very nice floated ball to Malik Nabers down the far sideline, that would pick up 18, before hitting him again for a 40-yard touchdown a few plays later.
Nice use of the pump fake by Daniels at the start of the play and another nice deep ball to his favorite receiver. This combo has been crazy all year, so it makes sense that they would connect for LSU's final touchdown of the game. I'm sure Nabers was feeling it a little bit after his back smacked against the grass but hey, I'm sure he'll take the slight loss of breath to help the Tigers score yet another touchdown. LSU would just hand the ball off on their final official drive of the game, seeing out a comfortable 56-14 home victory against Georgia State. This result really shouldn't shock anyone, this is a really good LSU offense going against a not so good Georgia State defense, this was bound to happen. Now, did I think it was going to be that easy, not necessarily, but I'm not surprised on what the score ended up being. This week, Daniels and the Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies, a team with an interim head coach but a very solid defense. Coming in, the Aggies rank atop the SEC in regards to total defense, which could potentially halter LSU's high flying offense. We should be for an interesting affair come Saturday morning, which will be Daniels' final chance to try and clinch the Heisman Trophy.
Preseason - 10a
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - 10b
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - 8
Wk 8 - 8
Wk 9 - 8
Wk 10 - 5
Wk 11 - 4
Wk 12 - 3
Wk 13 - v Texas A&M
4. JJ McCarthy, Michigan (-1)
Wk 12 - 12/23 141 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/2 carries -7 yds 0 touchdowns @ Maryland (31-24 W)
Season - 175/237 2,335 yds 18 touchdowns 4 interceptions/47 carries 164 yds 3 touchdowns
JJ McCarthy has been in a really weird run of form recently. It's not even that he's playing 'bad' or anything, necessarily, it's just been weird (except for this one). Like, back on October 21st, McCarthy threw for 287-yards and a season high four-touchdowns against in-state rival Michigan State. Since then, not only has he not thrown a single touchdown pass, he also registered his first interception since that weird week three match-up against Bowling Green, in this most recent game against Maryland. In the two previous games, before Michigan took on Maryland, McCarthy may not have thrown for any touchdowns, but he put forth some very solid performances against the likes of Purdue and Penn State, despite only throwing eight-passes against the latter. Against Maryland though, not only did he tally an interception for the first time in a long time, but he also threw for a season low (minus the Penn State game) 141-yards while only completing 12 of 23 passes. Though the Wolverines won the game, which is ultimately all that matters, I'm sure he would've wanted to put up a better stat line in lead up to 'the Game' against Ohio State. Though Michigan would be forced to punt after going three and out on their first possession, McCarthy would help the Wolverines register their first points of the game their next time out, with the drive starting off with a 23-yard pass from McCarthy to Roman Wilson.
Credit must go to Wilson for hanging on to this ball after taking a big time shot from the Maryland defender, but this is a very nice throw from McCarthy to help pick up the first down. McCarthy threw this ball between the gap in Maryland's zone. Right at Wilson got passed the linebacker in the slot, McCarthy was lining up to zip this ball into him. With the two defenders playing up high, dude had to make sure not to put this ball too far out in front of his intended receiver, which he didn't. McCarthy fit this ball into a fairly tight window and it helped Michigan pick up a first down. After throwing an absolute dart to his favorite receiver, McCarthy would only throw the ball one more time on this drive, with Blake Corum dominating the rest of the drive that ultimately end with him scoring from two-yards out to give Michigan a 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter. The Wolverine defense would come up big on Maryland's next possession, strip sacking Taulia Tagovailoa and taking it in for six, thus putting Michigan up 14-3. Following another massive defensive/special teams play, in where Michigan blocked Maryland's ensuing punt on their next drive for a safety, McCarthy would help lead another touchdown drive, this one stemming an impressive 15-plays. Though the run game was the main focal point, McCarthy helped set up Michigan's next offensive touchdown by hitting Colston Loveland on a 13-yard out route to get the Wolverines inside the five-yard line.
I really like the use of motion here by Michigan, bringing the guy back inside, making the corner shift along before delivering the ball back to the outside for a first down. This is a very nice throw McCarthy, and a really nice route by Loveland as well to get enough separation for his quarterback to hit him along the sideline. Can't really ask for more, and Corum would punch it in from a yard out a couple plays later to give the Wolverines a nice 23-3 lead at the start of the second quarter. Despite having a few more completed passes on their next drive, McCarthy makes a really bad decision down in the red zone for Michigan, trying to fit a ball in and around three Maryland defenders to Colston Loveland that would end up being intercepted.
I understand McCarthy and Loveland have a nice thing going for them and have solid chemistry, but the hole to fit this ball in is just too damn small. Like, it would have had to been an inch perfect throw from McCarthy to get this ball to his tight end. With two defenders either side and one on the goal line, there was about a 5% chance this pass wouldn't have gotten intercepted, because I think if the first defender didn't get it, one of the other two would've. To be honest, he should've thrown an interception on the previous play, but it fell incomplete. Kind of just delaying the inevitable, right?
Nice move by McCarthy to get around the defender coming off the left side of the formation, snatching his ankles in the process, but as for the throw, this is just a bad decision that should've been intercepted. Again, pretty much just delaying the inevitable, which is fairly out of character for a quarterback who's usually as smart with the ball in his hands as McCarthy. Maryland scored on their first possession of the second half, Michigan would be forced to punt after going three and out. But after a Tagovailoa interception, Michigan would be set up around the 50-yard line, which would lead to their final touchdown drive of the game. Though they were set up with good field position, the Wolverines would be forced to go for it on fourth and three, where McCarthy would hit Loveland a few yards past the first down marker for an 11-yard gain.
I really like the route ran by Loveland on this play, as it is one of my favorite routes in general. But also, nice job by McCarthy at getting this ball out quick enough to his tight end so that not only would he be able to turn his head up field and pick up a few more yards, but it also gets there before any defender can make a play on the ball. With three Maryland defenders around Loveland, this ball needed to be out quick and right on his body, which it was. McCarthy put the ball right on Loveland's hip, away from the defenders, helping Michigan pick up a much needed first down. Semaj Morgan would score on a reverse on the very next play, but after a failed two-point conversion, the Wolverines would lead by a score of 29-17. Michigan's final three drives would end with punts, with only one of those drives going longer than three-plays. That being said, the Wolverines should have had a touchdown on their second of those three drives, but McCarthy missed a wide ass open Cornelius Johnson for what would've been a walk-in touchdown.
This looks like a little bit of miss-communication between quarterback and wide receiver. I'm not defending McCarthy because I think he should've at least hit him regardless, but it looks like he thought Johnson would take his route a little bit more up the seam, rather than cut towards the pylon. That's just me playing devils advocate because again, I think McCarthy, as good of a quarterback as he is, should be hitting receivers that created a good amount of separation between themselves and the defender. This should've been six for the Wolverines, thus sealing the game up sooner than it eventually was. After another three and out, that saw McCarthy nearly throw another interception, Tagovailoa would get called for intentional grounding the end zone, resulting in a safety, their second of the game. Michigan would end the game by handing it off to Blake Corum a bunch of times on their final drive, thus coming away with a 31-24 road victory against Maryland. As we said before, this was not JJ McCarthy's best game, with it probably being his worst since the Bowling Green game back in September. This is not the game you want to have with Ohio State coming up this weekend, as you want everybody at their best going into the biggest game of the season. Now, McCarthy did have a solid enough outing against the Buckeyes last season, but he'll probably need to be even better if they want to come out on top this time around. Back at the Big House, I do expect Michigan to come out on top for the third consecutive year.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - 4
Wk 9 - 4
Wk 10 - 3
Wk 11 - 3
Wk 12 - 4
Wk 13 - v no.2 Ohio State
5. Carson Beck, Georgia (+2)
Wk 12 - 24/30 298 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 5 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.18 Tennessee (38-10 W)
Season - 255/350 3,320 yds 21 touchdowns 5 interceptions/47 carries 104 yds 3 touchdowns
This game last year was seen as one that could've changed the landscape of college football. After being lauded as the best team in the nation for the past couple seasons, Georgia's grasp of the number one ranking came to an end before they took on Tennessee last season, with the Volunteers and their high powered offense being seen by many as the new best team in college football. I can't lie, I was one of those people who thought Tennessee should've been ranked number one over Georgia, especially when you look at the fact that they beat five top-25 teams up until that point in the season, notably beating Alabama by a score of 52-49. Fresh off kicking Kentucky's ass 44-6 the week before, I again was one who thought it was time to see someone else take over the top spot in college football, boy was I wrong to want that. I know the scoreline read that Georgia only beat Tennessee by a score of 27-13 but in reality, it wasn't that close. The Bulldogs proved they were the best team in the country that day, and would go on to lift their second straight national title. Though that was the case last year, in regards to Tennessee being viewed as potentially better, that thought never crossed anybody's mind this year. Hell, Georgia came into this game as -8.5 point favorites, and to me that seemed insanely low, especially when you've seen how inconsistent Tennessee's offense has been this year, not to mention their blowout loss to Missouri the week prior. Even with this game being at Neyland Stadium, a Georgia victory seemed all but guaranteed, and the Bulldogs came out on top 38-10, with quarterback Carson Beck throwing for just under 300-yards with three touchdowns in the dub. Though Georgia only answered Tennessee's opening play touchdown with a field goal, I don't think they were ever fazed with the task at hand. On the drive, Beck would complete some nice passes to Rara Thomas for 18 and Brock Bowers for nine on third and seven, but a fumble would set them back to third and 18, with a 12-yard pass to Bowers helping them get closer so Peyton Woodring could attempt a 42-yard field goal, which he would convert. Georgia's defense would force a three and out their next time on the field, opening the door for the offense to register their first touchdown of the game. Though it came close to stalling out, Beck used his legs and stumbled to a first down on third and six, picking up eight-yards.
I know it didn't go for a massive gain but this is what you want to see from your quarterback. After seeing nothing was open, Beck smartly decides to tuck it and try to get as many yards as he can to help move the ball for the Bulldogs. Some quarterbacks out there would've either crumbled or gone down easy with some of those arm tackles, but Beck stayed strong and bumbled and stumble his way for a first. A couple plays later, Beck would find Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint down the field for a nice 21-yard gain and a first down.
I really like Beck coming up to the line and making some pre-snap adjustments before taking the snap, shifting the protection before having Dominic Lovett come across the formation to further shift the defense. To the play itself, this is a really good throw from Beck. With the blitz coming, Beck is able to stay calm in the face of pressure and deliver a nice ball to Rosemy-Jacksaint for the 21-yard gain. With Tennessee playing zone, Beck finds the gap between two Tennessee defenders and hits his intended receiver on his back shoulder and on his body, keeping the ball away from the nearest defender as well as allowing him to pick his head up and make a potential play after making the catch. Beck then makes a very quick throw to Brock Bowers on third and five, picking up eight-yards in the process.
With Bowers route leading him to the outside, Beck knows he's got to get this ball out quick so the defender on the SEC logo doesn't jump the route. This is a very nice and quick throw by Beck, but an even better job by Brock Bowers at getting his hands up and ready to make the catch. Quarterbacks are taught to throw this right as the receiver breaks, putting it on him right as he exits. The issue is though sometimes the receiver isn't necessarily ready for the ball, but that's what makes Bowers an elite weapon for the offense. Though it only went for eight-yards is was a really good play by both quarterback and tight end. The very next play, Dillon Bell would hit a wide ass open Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint from 18-yards out on the halfback pass. Great play design, deservingly ending the drive with six. Beck would throw an interception on Georgia's next offensive possession, though it would ultimately be cancelled out to a defensive holding call prior to the ball being let go, bailing him out. The thing is though Georgia would go three and out on that drive, but I'm sure they'd much rather punt it away than have an interception returned all the way to their own 18-ish yard line. Beck would make up for the near interception on Georgia's next drive, registering his first touchdown of the game by hitting Dillon Bell underneath for a nine-yard touchdown. Before that though, Beck would make a very nice throw to Brock Bowers down the far sideline, picking up 21-yards and setting the Bulldogs up in the red zone.
After the double fake in the backfield, Beck does an excellent job at putting this ball on Bowers back shoulder, rather than lead him into the path of the oncoming Tennessee safety. Yes, Bowers still takes a little bit of a hit, but again, where Beck placed it is the best place for both the ball and Bowers, which helped Georgia pick up 21-yards, a first down, and a touchdown a couple plays later. The touchdown run would continue on Georgia's next possession, which looked to be started of by Beck throwing Dillon Bell open on second and 11, picking up 18-yards, but a holding call would set them back to second and 21.
Though he probably doesn't even get the thrown off if it weren't for the hold, Beck again does a nice job at throwing Bell open. When Bell stops his route, there are two Tennessee defenders in-front of him, so if Beck were to throw where he was, the first defender would've come away with an interception. Instead, Beck throws this ball outside of the hashmarks, away from the out stretch arm of the Tennessee defender, thus turning his momentum up the field and helping him pick up 18-yards. Sadly again, the play didn't count. If not for the holding though, we wouldn't have gotten to see Beck's near sideline throw to Bell on third and 12 that would pick up 21-yards.
I got to start off by saying, what a catch by Dillon Bell down the near sideline, and credit to Beck for trusting him to go up and get it on a big third and 12 play. As for Beck though, this is a stupid throw (in a good way). With the safety coming in over top and the corner playing physical with Bell, the best place for this ball is high and to his back shoulder, which is exactly what happened right here. This is a perfect throw from Beck, coupled with a fantastic catch by Dillon Bell for the first down. Beck would make another insane throw on this drive, hitting Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint for 34-yards to put Georgia in the red zone and set up Beck's second passing touchdown of the game.
Like we said with the last one, this is just a stupid throw from Beck. With three Tennessee defenders in the area, the throw from Beck needed to be perfect, and it was, lacing this ball between two defenders and into the waiting hands of Rosemy-Jacksaint. Like, there's nothing really more you can say about it, that's a damn perfect throw from Beck, zipping a ball through a tight window and leading his receiver perfectly for the massive gain. Beck's touchdown would be a little less impressive, as he'd hit Brock Bowers on a short roll out from three-yards out to give the Bulldogs a 24-7 lead just before halftime. Two, or three, elite level throws from Beck on that drive, pretty damn impressive. Though Georgia would technically go three and out on their opening possession, the drive should've gone much longer, as Beck hit Oscar Delp right in the chest at the first down marker, but the tight end would drop it, forcing the Bulldogs to punt the ball away. That being said, Georgia would score a touchdown on their next offensive possession, with Beck totaling his third touchdown of the game, finding Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint from eight-yards out for the score. That touchdown was essentially set up by a 33-yard run by Arian Smith, and a 24-yard completion to Dillon Bell.
Though the blitz doesn't break through, when you sees pressure walk-up late, that can sometimes startle even the best quarterbacks, especially on third down on the road. So it's nice to see Beck stay within himself and deliver a strike to Dillon Bell for a big gain and a first down. Beck's third touchdown would come a couple plays later, as after a short roll out, he would dump it off to Rosemy-Jacksaint a few yards past the line of scrimmage who would take it the rest of the way for the eight-yard touchdown, giving Georgia an even more impressive 31-10 lead midway through the third quarter. Beck would help pick up a first down with his legs on third and three their next time out, before drilling another ball to Dillon Bell for a 19-yard gain, setting up a 15-yard touchdown run by Kendall Milton a play later.
As you can probably see, Beck is reading number two for Tennessee. Once he sees him tuck down to the line of scrimmage to play the run, Beck pulls it and delivers a strike to Bell for the 19-yard gain. On plays like this, if you pull it, the ball needs to come out quick to avoid any illegal man downfield penalties. With a defender coming off the edge, I'm sure Beck sped up his process a little more after he saw the first defender crash. Dude gets this ball out quick and on target, thus helping set up yet another touchdown for the Bulldogs, really putting the final nail in the preverbal coffin. Though the ball would squirt loose on Georgia's next possession, the game would be pretty much over. Beck would make one final contribution to the game on Georgia's final drive, hitting Jackson Meeks for 23-yards on third and two before being pulled for Brock Vandagriff to see out the rest of the game, which would end with Georgia pulling off a 38-10 road victory. Beck played awesome this game, making some really impressive throws while also picking up some big third downs with his legs when he needed to. I don't think a lot of people expected it in the preseason, but Beck has really played himself into the first round conversation, despite there being a solid chance he goes back to Georgia next season. As for now though, the dude is playing really well, and I expect said play to continue against Georgia Tech. I know this game is in Atlanta, and that the Yellow Jackets have won four of their last six games, with two coming against top-25 teams, but Georgia is just too damn good. I don't really foresee the Bulldogs having too many problems come Saturday night.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - NR
Wk 4 - NR
Wk 5 - NR
Wk 6 - NR
Wk 7 - NR
Wk 8 - NR
Wk 9 - NR
Wk 10 - 10
Wk 11 - 7
Wk 12 - 5
Wk 13 - @ Georgia Tech
6. Bo Nix, Oregon
Wk 12 - 24/29 404 yds 6 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 7 yds 0 touchdowns @ Arizona State (49-13 W)
Season - 282/361 3,539 yds 35 touchdowns 2 interceptions/41 carries 128 yds 5 touchdowns
I'm not going to lie, I know Oregon is a very good and complete football team, but I thought this game would be a lot closer. Look, I understand the Arizona State Sun Devils have three-wins to their name so far this season, but they've been competitive in most of their games this year, despite them coming out on the losing side more times than not. To start their season, they lost to a now 23rd ranked Oklahoma State team 27-15, despite being up 15-10 at halftime. They lost 42-28 to USC, despite keeping things very interesting throughout the game. They then had a stretch of games where they lost by a touchdown or less against the likes of Cal, Colorado, and top rated Washington Huskies team by a score of 15-7, in Seattle no less. Not to mention they beat the likes of Washington State and UCLA, two solid outfits in their own right. Again, I'm not surprised Oregon won, but I am slightly surprised by the way in which the victory came about, beating the Sun Devils by a score of 49-13, while going up 42-0 at halftime. By that token, you shouldn't surprised by me telling you Oregon scored a touchdown on every single drive they had in the first half, going six for six while Arizona State struggled to get any semblance of an offense going. As for individual performances, I think it's safe to say quarterback Bo Nix was feeling himself throughout this one, throwing for a whopping 404-yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. That's kind of been the theme for Nix as of late, as he threw for 412 with four touchdowns last weekend against USC and 386 with four touchdowns against Cal the weekend prior, he's been on an absolute tear as of late which has put him in the conversation for possibly taking home the Heisman Trophy. Though you should know where I stand in regards to the biggest individual trophy in collegiate sports, I can't Nix doesn't deserve to be in the conversation, as again, the dude has absolutely been balling out. In this game, success would come early and often for Nix and the Oregon offense. After converting on third and 11 by hitting Tez Johnson for 18-yards, Nix would hit Patrick Herbert up the seem for a 23-yard touchdown on Oregon's opening drive.
I really like this throw from Nix because, as we've stated before, he doesn't lead his intended receiver into the path of the high safety. With Herbert finding the gap between both safeties, Nix does the smart thing and just puts this ball right on his body, and since the ball is thrown with enough zip Herbert is able to whip his head around, break through the arm tackle(s), and score Oregon's first touchdown of the game. It must also be said that Nix does a nice job at staying calm with a Sun Devil defender coming right at him, being able to toss it over him to his tight end for the score. After a few run plays, plus a short six-yard pass to Herbert on their next drive, Nix is able get his second passing touchdown of the game, hitting Herbert in the flat who takes it in 49-yards for the score. Really nothing to see here, as the tight end catches the ball four yards behind the line of scrimmage before taking it the distance, but hey, it still all counts the same. Nix would throw a much cooler touchdown on Oregon's next possession, zipping a ball to Troy Franklin between two defenders from 16-yards out to grow their lead to 21 late in the first quarter.
I could be wrong, but I think this play ends in a touchdown with whoever Nix decides to throw to on the near side of the field. With Oregon pairing their two best receivers to the near side of the the field, we create match-up nightmares for the Sun Devil defense. Even more so when you motion Johnson out from the backfield. With Johnson motioning out, the linebacker has to decide whether to follow Johnson or stick with Franklin. Obviously he choses the former, at least at the start, which allows for a small window to throw to Franklin. But, notice how I said he followed him at the start? Well, he didn't track him on the wheel, meaning again, we probably would've had a touchdown regardless of who Nix threw it to on the near sideline. As for the throw to Franklin, dude put a whole lot of zip on this ball. With the corner tracking and the safety playing over top, there's very little margin for error here for Nix. Thankfully for him and the rest of the Ducks offense, the throw is exactly where it needed to be, which resulted in Oregon's third touchdown of the game, making it 21-0 for all you non-Spanish speakers. Nix and Franklin would connect in the end zone again on Oregon's next drive, with dude throwing a perfect deep ball up the seem for a 45-yard touchdown.
You're playing a very dangerous game if you decide you're going to play defense against Oregon with no high safeties, especially when they've got two burners in the form of Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson. That's just easy pickings for Bo Nix and co., as you you better be prepared for the consequences if you're going to leave a corner on an island against Troy Franklin, especially when you walk up pressure late in the play clock. Just an odd call from the Arizona State defense, and a very easy pitch and catch between quarterback and wide receiver. Smart play by Franklin at going up for a hands catch on this play, as if he tried to let the ball land in the bread basket it may have been broken up. So solid job at not only going up to make a hands catch, but excellent hand strength shown by the receiver as well. As for Nix, just an easy read and a very well thrown ball, you'll usually be successful as a quarterback with that combination. The Ducks would only need two-plays to score on their next drive, as Nix would hit Gary Bryant Jr. in the flat four yards behind the line of scrimmage, who would take it 71-yards for the score. This touchdown is 100% all on Bryant, as dude broke at least four-tackles before getting it across the goal line for the score. Can't ask for a much easier touchdown if you're Nix than that. Just dump it off to your receiver in the flat and let him do the rest, helping put Oregon up 35-0 midway through the second. Arizona State should've come away with points on their next possession. After posting a 15-play drive, quarterback/running back Cameron Skattebo would see his pass intercepted by Cole Martin at the two-yard line, giving Oregon the ball back with just over a minute to go in the first half. If you've watched Oregon play any football this year, you'd know that no matter where they are on the field, a minute is more than enough for them to score a touchdown, which is exactly what would happen before the half, with Nix registering his sixth passing touchdown of the game. Before the touchdown though, Nix would show off the touch by floating a ball to Troy Franklin for a 20-yard gain with pressure barreling down on him.
This is a very nice anticipatory throw from Bo Nix on this play. With pressure coming from the right, after the Sun Devils stunted, Nix floats this ball to where Franklin will eventually be, showing excellent touch on the throw. As for Franklin, great hands catch again, doesn't wait for the ball to land in his arms, but rather reaches out to grab it so he can get moving a little quicker. It's small, but it can sometimes prove to be very important. Really nice play here from the Ducks. A few plays later, Nix would hit Tez Johnson around the two-yard line, who would dive into the end zone for Oregon's sixth touchdown of the half, making it 42-0 with 11-seconds left. Though it wasn't one of Nix's best throws, Johnson was still able to make the most of it and take it into the end zone despite the throw being behind and contact from the defender. Nix's day would pretty much be done after that, as Ty Thompson would finish out the game and the Ducks would take home a 49-13 road victory. As we've said a few times throughout this, a lot of these throws were as simple as you'd like, though Nix made some very nice plays throughout the course of this game. This was a nice and comfortable win for Oregon, who will be taking on a very tough Oregon State Beavers team on Friday night. Now, this is a team that beat Oregon last year, so I'm sure the Ducks would like to exact some revenge on their instate rival. We should be in for a very fun on in Eugene.
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - 9
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - 9
Wk 8 - 9
Wk 9 - 9
Wk 10 - 6
Wk 11 - 6
Wk 12 - 6
Wk 13 - v no.16 Oregon State
7. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (-2)
Wk 12 - 13/28 162 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 22 yds 1 touchdown @ no.11 Oregon State (22-20 W)
Season - 262/394 3,695 yds 30 touchdowns 7 interceptions/23 carries -5 yds 3 touchdowns
The Washington Huskies have been playing with fire the past couple months. After beating Cal by a score of 59-32 all the way back in September, every single game Washington has played has been decided by 10 or less points. Don't get me wrong, they've played some solid outfits, namely Arizona, Oregon, Utah, and, most recently, Oregon State, but they've also played some not so great teams as well, such as Arizona State and Stanford, two teams with a combined six-wins on the season. Now, I don't want to say we've seen a 'down turn' in play from quarterback Michael Penix, but these past few weeks have not been his best, completing below 60% of his passes in three of the last four games, completing a season low 46.4% of his passes against Oregon State this past weekend. As we said in our last blog post, and just above, the Beavers are a solid and physical team with a very solid pass defense that ranks second in the conference behind in state rival Oregon. So I'm not necessarily surprised by Penix having an off day, especially given the sloppy conditions, but I did think he'd play better than what he did, completing just 13/28 passes for 162-yards, though he did have two passing touchdowns and rush for a season high 22-yards with another rushing touchdown, his third one in as many games. All that being said, despite the struggles, Penix and co. would march right down the field on their first drive of the game and punch it into the end zone, with Penix hitting Rome Odunze from 12-yards out to go up seven early. Before the touchdown though, dude would flash the arm strength by hitting Odunze across the field for a 25-yard gain.
This is not an easy throw by Michael Penix, and yet he makes it look like one of the easiest throws on the field. Sure Odunze has created a good amount of separation between himself and his defender, but if this throw is even slightly behind, this ball could really be going the opposite direction and potentially for six. This throw is from the near hash to the far numbers, and Penix hits his intended receiver perfectly in-stride for the 25-yard pickup. A few plays later, Penix and Odunze would hook up again, this time from 12-yards out on third and six for a touchdown.
Even with the defender playing six or seven yards off this is still easy pickings. As we've brought up before, Odunze is one of the best receivers in all of college football, so however you want to cover him, chances are, it won't work. Odunze sells the slant inside very well, and the corner bites really hard on it, leaving dude open in the back of the end zone which Penix doesn't miss. Just as easy as you'd like, really. Like we said, if Odunze is lined up outside, you can only try to contain him, as he'll get his more often then not, and when you've got Michael Penix throwing him the ball, it's either going to result in a big play or a touchdown. Washington's next few drives wouldn't be as fruitful, as they'd go three and out on their next drive (after a Ja'Lynn Polk drop) and punt after six plays on their next drive before turning it over via a Dillon Johnson fumble. On their second drive that ended in a punt, Penix would flash the athleticism, picking up a first down with his legs on third and 10.
As we brought up in last weeks blog post, in these recent games, Penix has looked more and more comfortable running the football, and this could be used as exhibit proof of that being the case. This is not something we've seen Michael Penix do a lot of this year, tucking it and taking the ball up the middle, breaking an ankle tackle, and picking up a first down with his legs. He does a very nice job at feeling the pressure come around the right side of the formation and again, does a nice job at taking the correct angle around the Oregon State linebacker to pick up the first. Though it ultimately wouldn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of this drive, it is nice to see Penix do stuff like this. Dillon Johnson's fumble would come on the following drive, but the Huskies would finally register some points on their following drive, as Penix would take it in from five-yards out to extend Washington's lead.
Like we just got done saying, I love that this is starting to become a thing for Penix and the Husky offense. The dude does possess a decent amount of athleticism, despite his knees being made of literal glass. He showed flashes of this while at Indiana, but we haven't seen it at Washington until these recent games. From picking up a first down on third and 10 with his legs, to having a designed run for him at the goal line for the second straight week, I love seeing this from Michael Penix. Credit to Dillon Johnson too for coming up with the help on a seal block to help free up Penix. From touchdown, to fumble, to touchdown partial block, it's nice to see Johnson contribute on a touchdown after fumbling away his own. Penix would pick up another first down with his legs on Washington's next touchdown drive. After hitting Jack Westover and Giles Jackson for gains of 10+ yards, Penix would call his own number on third and four, picking up six-yards and a first down, which would help set up his second touchdown pass of the game, hitting Rome Odunze down the far sideline for six.
On this throw, Penix does a very nice job at looking off the defenders to the right before flipping his attention back to the left for Rome Odunze who makes a very nice catch in the end zone for six. I honestly don't think Penix was going anywhere else with the football on this play, simply trying to look the defenders off before hitting his favorite receiver for the touchdown. Really nice placement of the ball too. With the Oregon State defender matching Odunze stride for stride, the ball from Penix should be thrown a little more outside, which is was. As we always say, with a receiver like Rome Odunze, you can kind of just throw it anywhere and he'll go up and make a play, so a throw to the outside, which forced him to adjust, is nothing too big for him, and it helped Washington further extend their lead with under a minute left in the first half. After a failed two-point conversion, Washington would take a 22-10 lead into the locker room. Those 22-points would be it for the Huskies, as they'd pretty much just try and see this game out, though they would try to add some points on their first drive of the half, but would miss the ensuing 39-yard attempt. After going three and out on their next drive, the following drive, Penix would make a very nice throw to Jack Westover, which would go for 19-yards and a first down.
Much like Peyton Manning later in his career, this was not the prettiest pass from Penix, but it sure was effective. With pressure coming in from all over, Penix has to try and make something out of nothing, without forcing it and turning the ball over. He not only does a very nice job at evading the oncoming pressure, but shows very nice touch on this throw to Westover, who did a nice job at adjusting his route once he saw Penix leave the pocket. Overall, really nice play for the Huskies, helping extend their drive. That being said, they would be forced to punt the ball away a few plays later, but after Oregon State turned the ball over on downs, Washington would end up seeing this game out on their final drive, taking home a 22-20 road victory against a tough Oregon State team. Despite the weather, Penix was still able to register three total touchdowns in the win, which is sometimes all you can really ask for. Though they've already punched their ticket to the PAC-12 Championship, Penix and co. will want to finish the regular season out strong with a win against in-state rival Washington State. Though they've been on a skid recently, losing six of their last seven games, I'm sure they'd love nothing more than to potentially ruin Washington's Playoff dream. That being said, with the game being in Seattle, I fully expect the Huskies to come away with yet another win, finishing the regular season 12-0 with their Playoff hopes on the line in the PAC-12 Championship.
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - 5
Wk 9 - 5
Wk 10 - 4
Wk 11 - 5
Wk 12 - 7
Wk 13 - v Washington State
8. Michael Pratt, Tulane (+1)
Wk 12 - 21/28 252 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries -2 yds 0 touchdowns @ Florida Atlantic (24-8 W)
Season - 155/225 2,043 yds 19 touchdowns 4 interceptions/78 carries 271 yds 4 touchdowns
Congratulations to the Tulane Green Wave for finishing their first correct scoreline in the past few months! Now, what do I mean by 'correct scoreline?' The fact of the matter is Tulane is a good football team, much better than a lot of the other teams in their conference. What I mean by 'correct scoreline' is that Tulane is letting these 'lesser' teams hang around a lot longer than they should, even letting some teams mount some comebacks against them. Take the games against North Texas and Rice as example. In both of those games, they would see themselves got up 21-0 against North Texas, and 27-7 against Rice. The final scores for each of those games were 35-28 and 30-28, against two sub-.500 teams. Again, for a team as good as Tulane, they shouldn't be allowing those comebacks. Then in games against East Carolina and Tulsa, they would only win by scores of 13-10 and 24-22, two teams that have a combined five-wins on the season. I understand winning the game is the most important thing, and the Green Wave have done a solid job at doing just that as they currently sit at 10-1 on the season, but come on, they can play better than that, right? That's why winning this game by double digits was important, as it's the first time they have accomplished that feat since beating Memphis 31-21 back in mid-October. This win should help build even more momentum for their upcoming match against a good UTSA side, which is sometimes all you can ask for. As for individual performances, quarterback Michael Pratt had one of his best games of the season, throwing for over 250-yards with three-touchdowns and no interceptions, though he would fumble on Tulane's first drive of the game, which would be recovered by the Owl defense. He would more than make up for it on their next offensive possession, essentially starting off the drive by hitting Chris Brazzell II down the far sideline for 38-yards before hitting Brazzell again for 16-yards which would set them up in the red zone.
I would show the highlight of hitting Brazzell on the 38-yard play down the sideline, but Pratt put a little too much air under it, forcing the receiver to jump and make a play on the ball rather than just run underneath it for a potential touchdown, as he had beaten his defender on the play. To me, this throw is much better from Pratt, zipping it past the linebacker near the hash marks to Brazzell for a nice 16-yard gain. An absolute rope from Pratt, and a nice hands catch from the receiver to get the Green Wave into the red zone. Pratt would register his first touchdown pass of the day a couple plays later, with a ball that seemed to surprise Chris Carter from nine-yards out.
I don't know why, but this ball definitely seemed to surprise Carter on this play. I don't know if he lost Pratt behind the big Florida Atlantic defender, or if the ball was just thrown with so much velocity that he couldn't control it, I don't know. All I know is that this is very good job by Pratt at buying time, waiting his receiver to create separation, and deliver a really nice ball around the defender in his face. Even beating the corner's out stretched arm, just a really good overall play from Pratt, and it helped give the Green Wave their first lead of the ball game. After a pass to Bryce Bohanon went for 22-yards, followed by a few shorter completions, Pratt would find the end zone for his second touchdown on Tulane's next drive, hitting Chris Brazzell II from nine-yards out to double Tulane's advantage early in the second quarter.
This is a very nice throw from Pratt. With the defender playing five or six yards off the line, the chances of him getting beaten over top, or maybe at all, are kind of slim. So in order to keep the defender from jumping the route, Pratt throws this right as Brazzell is exiting his break, and a little outside to boot, to make sure the defender has no chance at making a play on the ball. This ball is placed pretty much exactly where it needed to be, and give credit to Brazzell for making a nice diving catch on the play to again, double Tulane's advantage early on in the second quarter. That would really be the last thing the Green Wave offense would do in the half, punting after five-plays on their next drive before kneeling it out to take the 14-point lead into the locker room. One reason Tulane really only had one more possession after scoring with over 14-minutes to go in the half is because the Owls had an insane 19-play 73-yard drive that resulted in them coming away with no points. Like, how the hell do you run 19-plays and not score? Instead, they turned it over on downs at the Tulane two-yard line, on a drive that took over nine-minutes to complete. Absolutely crazy. Pratt would register his third and final touchdown of the game on Tulane's first drive of the second half, finding Chris Carter again, but this time from eight-yards out to give them a comfortable 21-0 third quarter lead.
Nice and easy completion between quarterback and wide receiver to further extend Tulane's advantage in this one. Though it may not have been Pratt's best throw, as it's a little bit inside, but Carter was still able to corral the ball and take it in for six because of the separation he created on his route. Again, just a really easy play, which is exactly what we like. After a few passes to Alex Bauman and Makhi Hughes went for decent gains, Pratt would dial up the deep ball, hitting Yulkeith Brown for 37-yards down the far sideline to set the Green Wave up at the Owl five-yard line.
Low key, I kind of respect the Florida Atlantic corner on this play. Knowing you got beat deep, instead of trying to make a play on the ball, you dive for the receivers ankles so that when once he catches it, he doesn't get very far. I can't confirm nor deny that's what he was actually trying to do, but if he was, that's hilarious and I respect it. As for the play itself, Pratt wasn't looking anywhere else to throw this football. With a defender pressing one of his fastest receivers at the line, with no safety help, this is just a very simple read for Pratt to make, and he takes advantage of it. Sure Brown had to slightly slow down for the ball, but it's still a nice read and nice pass from Pratt to help set them up around the five-yard line. Unfortunately, a couple runs and a Michael Pratt sack would ultimately stall the drive out, forcing the Green Wave to settle for a field goal late in the third quarter. Though it would push their lead to 24, which is something almost every team can work with. Florida Atlantic would score their first touchdown of the game on their following drive, which following a two-point conversion, would make the score 24-8 in the fourth quarter. Tulane would basically just see the game out from there, with Michael Pratt only completing two-more passes the rest of the game, as the Green Wave come out double digit winners in Pratt's homecoming. Like we said before, this was one of Michael Pratt's best games of the season, with his touchdown to interception ratio equaling his second best mark of the season, behind his four-touchdown zero-interception week one outing against South Alabama. Overall, this was a very solid game from everyone involved, though the main focus here will be on the quarterback, and it's kind of clear to see why. Hopefully this double digit dub helps give them a little extra boost as they take on a 8-3 UTSA team this Friday. The Roadrunners are a very solid team who have won their last seven-games, who have a very talented quarterback in his own right on their side, in the form of Frank Harris. This is only the second time these two teams have played each other, with the only previous time coming all the way back in 2013, which UTSA won 10-7. I'm sure Pratt and co. would like to tie the series up at one on Friday, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - NR
Wk 4 - NR
Wk 5 - NR
Wk 6 - NR
Wk 7 - NR
Wk 8 - 10
Wk 9 - 10
Wk 10 - 9
Wk 11 - 9
Wk 12 - 8
Wk 13 - v UTSA
9. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (-1)
Wk 12 - 19/27 207 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 24 yds 0 touchdowns v Kentucky (17-14 W)
Season - 259/367 3,074 yds 19 touchdowns 7 interceptions/90 carries 88 yds 4 touchdowns
For the first time in a while, we are actually going to be writing about the week South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler had. I don't have a great reason apart from we ran out of time and we needed to post which makes me feel bad, as I'm not actively trying to leave out Rattler's reason, but sometimes that's how the cookie crumbles. Well, fret not Spencer Rattler fans, as we are finally able to jot some notes down for the former Oklahoma Sooner. Now, this was kind of an odd game, was it not? Like, when I first saw this match-up, I was expecting a little more than 31-total points being scored. I understand neither team really have that high powered of an offense. But from a betting stand point, I was surprised to see that the game finished so far below the over/under, which was 52.5, especially when you see that both defenses give up a decent amount of points on average. In this battle of mid, South Carolina came out on top, as they needed to in order to keep their bowl hopes alive. I don't know how likely that scenario is, as they currently sit at 5-6, but hey, at least they're still alive, right? As for individual performance, Spencer Rattler had himself a solid day, throwing for over 200-yards with two-touchdowns and no interceptions, not to mention he registered a further 24-yards on the ground with 10-carries, which was good for second on the team. I think the 'no interception' part is big for Rattler as in the previous six-games dude had thrown an interception, or more, in five of them, which is certainly not ideal. So to come away with two-touchdowns and no interceptions is big, especially when you consider they won the game by three-points and an interception could've turned the tide. Things started off as good as they for the Gamecocks. After forcing the Wildcats to go three and out on their first possession, Rattler would lead a 11-play 69-yard drive (nice) for their first score of the game. Leading up to the score, Rattler would hit Xavier Legette for a first down on third and seven, helping extend the drive and get the Gamecocks to the Kentucky side of the 50.
I know the play only went for 10-yards, but this is very nice ball placement from Rattler to help pick up a much needed first down. With the defender right on Legette's back, Rattler throws this ball short and to the sideline, making his receiver work more back to the ball rather than have him wait for it and potentially have the defender make some sort of play on it. I like the use of the motion as well. On third down, having your best receiver motion across the formation makes him slightly harder to defend, and any advantage you can gain to pick up a first down you should take. The Gamecocks would be faced with another down shortly after picking up this one but this time, Rattler decides to call his own number, picking up 12-yards on the ground on third and 11 to pick up the first.
Really nice job from Rattler as once once the pocket closes in around him, and after not seeing anyone down field, he smartly decides to tuck it and run. As we've said with previous quarterbacks, when scenario happens, some would just curl up in a ball and take the sack or worse, try to force a ball to one of your covered receivers. I guess the latter wouldn't have mattered too much since there was a holding call in the secondary but still, you love to see plays like this from your quarterback, especially when he takes it out of bounds rather than take an unnecessary shot from a Kentucky defender. A few plays later, Rattler would find his favorite target wide open in the back of the end zone, which would give South Carolina their first lead of the game, midway through the first quarter.
First off, I have no idea what the corner was trying to do on this play. Like, I understand Legette cooked him with the double move, but he didn't need to try and tackle him, did he? Maybe he thought if he tackled him it wouldn't have looked as bad but I think the opposite may actually be true. Tackling him or not, which he didn't, makes you getting cooked look even worse. But hey, I think it's funny, so I'll allow it. As for the touchdown itself, it really don't get much easier for Rattler. When you have a receiver that can cook a defender like that, all you have to do is not miss him in the end zone and you'll score a touchdown, and that's exactly what happened on this play, which saw South Carolina take a 7-0 lead midway through the first. After forcing Kentucky to go three and out yet again, the Gamecocks would put together a nice 12-play drive that would ultimately end in a field goal. On that drive, Rattler would flash the athleticism again, picking up 14-yards on third and 11 to get South Carolina in the red zone.
Another nice job at using his legs to pick up a first down, with some shit talking thrown in at the end for good measure, gotta like that. Nice job at corralling the awkward snap by Rattler, and an even better job at stepping up and evading the pressure coming around the left side to go and pick up the first. For the second time this game, Rattler comes up big with his legs on third and 11, helping extended two-drives that would both end with a kick, only this one would count for three instead. Though he would come close to scoring a few plays after the third down conversion, being brought down at the two-yard line on an eight-yard run. The long drives for South Carolina would stop after that field goal drive, at least for the half, as the Gamecocks would go three and out on each of their next three drives, despite the defense coming away with a couple turnovers, with one of them even being an interception in the end zone. Their first three drives of the second half would end the exact same way, punting the ball away, though only one of those three drives saw the Gamecocks go three and out. It would be all the way til the fourth quarter for South Carolina to get something going again on offense, as Rattler would connect with Xavier Legette for a 28-yard gain on third and 15 to give the offense a new lease on life early on in the quarter. Rattler would then hit Trey Knox for 22-yards on a comeback-ish route to help them get inside the red zone before hitting Legette in the end zone again, this one coming from 17-yards out to give South Carolina the lead midway through the fourth quarter.
In the face of pressure, on third down, with the game potentially on the line, Rattler stays calm and delivers a really nice ball to Legette for the go ahead touchdown with under eight-minutes to go in the game. This is exactly what you want to see from your quarterback, staying calm and cool in the face of a lot of pressure, both literally and figuratively, while delivering a strike for a touchdown. Can't really say much more about this play than that, can you? I guess we can talk about how Legette went up to meet the ball, rather than waiting for the defender to make some sort of play on it. Dude is widely considered to be one of the best receivers in college football, and that's an example of why. In moments like this you need your big time players to step up and make big time plays, and that's what happened for South Carolina. The Gamecocks would go three and out on their next two drives, but after Kentucky fumbled and turned the ball over on downs, South Carolina would hold on for the narrow three-point home victory, once again keeping their bowl hopes alive. Though it wasn't the highest scoring affair, this was a very solid outing for Spencer Rattler, who made some really big plays for the Gamecocks to help secure the dub. We'll see how he does this weekend against a Clemson team that is coming off a nice double digit win against North Carolina. Though it's at home, South Carolina will be going up against one of the nation's best defenses. Lets hope Rattler and co. are up to the challenge and are able to pull off the upset for the second straight season.
Preseason - 10b
Wk 1 - 10b
Wk 2 - 10
Wk 3 - NR
Wk 4 - 10a
Wk 5 - NR
Wk 6 - NR
Wk 7 - 10
Wk 8 - NR
Wk 9 - NR
Wk 10 - NR
Wk 11 - 8
Wk 12 - 9
Wk 13 - v no.24 Clemson
10. Cameron Ward, Washington State (NR)
Wk 12 - 18/30 288 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 5 yds 2 touchdowns v Colorado (56-14 W)
Season - 292/438 3,415 yds 22 touchdowns 5 interceptions/109 carries 141 yds 8 touchdowns
This game was an absolute shite show from the word go, and I don't know if many people would've predicted this outcome given how the past few weeks have gone for the Washington Cougars. After starting off with an impressive 4-0 record, with wins against Wisconsin and Oregon State, the Cougars would go on to lose their next six-games, dropping to 4-6 on the season before their eventual win against Colorado. If you would've told me that the Cougars would not only start 4-0, but would climb to 13th in the ranking, before crashing back down to Earth in the most abrupt fashion, again, losing their next six games. There were some winnable matches in their for Washington State as well. Sure they played the likes of UCLA, Arizona, and Oregon (two of those three games on the road), but they also played the likes of Arizona State, Stanford, and Cal, three teams that are all currently below .500. Just an insane turn of events. So again, to see them absolutely obliterate Colorado was somewhat of a surprise. I say 'somewhat' because the Buffaloes haven't had the greatest run of form either, along with possessing one of the worst defenses and offensive lines in all of college football. In a way, this could've served for a get right game for both teams, though one clearly had a better Friday night than the other, as the Cougars came out 56-14 victors. As for Cameron Ward, he had himself a solid game, throwing for nearly 300-yards with two-touchdowns through the air and a further two on the ground, totaling four for the game. Though his first touchdown(s) wouldn't come on their first drive, he would make some nice plays that would lead to a Cougar touchdown, like his throw to Kyle Williams that would go for 12-yards and a first down on second and nine.
On this play, Ward does a very nice job at throwing his receiver open. Like, he threw this ball before Williams was really out of his break, though the bump from the defender kind of slowed his route down which made the ball look like it was traveling more inside than it was. Easy read from Ward as well, as the slot and the outside corner go towards the flat route, leaving a gap between the slot and the safety to fit a ball to his intended receiver for the first down. Ward would also hit Lincoln Victor on a nice little speed out to the near side of the field that would go for 15-yards, before Victor would take it in from 15-yards out for a rushing touchdown, giving the Cougars an early seven-point lead. Washington State's defense would come up big on Colorado's next possession, as they would strip sack Shedeur Sanders and take it back 40-yards for the touchdown. So in the blink of an eye, the Cougars had doubled their lead. Though Washington State's next offensive drive would see them go three and out, after a Colorado touchdown, Leyton Smithson would return the ensuing Colorado kick off for a touchdown, giving them a 14-point advantage once again. The defense would once again force the Buffaloes to go three and out on their next drive, while the offense would find the end zone once again, with Ward registering his first touchdown pass of the evening. Before that though, Ward would hit Josh Kelly for 16-yards after a short roll out to the right.
After hitting a nice play action roll out, Ward zips this ball between a few Colorado defenders for the first down. With Ward's momentum carrying him to the outside, and Kelly's route carrying him inside, there's a chance things could pretty wrong. Thankfully for everyone wearing grey, Ward put this ball right on Kelly's body, allowing him to get his head up and try to pick up a few more yards after making the catch. Ward would hit Kelly again on the next play for a 13-yard pickup on an RPO, before dumping the ball off to Nakia Watson a yard or two behind the line of scrimmage, who would take it in from 23-yards for the score. One of the easiest touchdowns Washington State will score, as no one was really guarding Watson in the flat, or was prepared for the screen pass further down the field, getting into the end zone untouched for the Cougars 28th point of the half. Washington State would be forced to punt the ball away after going three and out on their next drive, but they would find the end zone a drive later, with Ward leading a 10-play drive before punching it in from a yard out to get his first rushing touchdown of the game. Leading up to the touchdown, Ward would toss a perfect ball down the far sideline to Carlos Hernandez that would go for 29-yards and set the Cougars up at the Colorado eight-yard line.
Like, can you really throw a football much better than this? With the corner playing extremely tight, and the safety playing overtop, this ball needed to perfect, otherwise it's probably getting picked off. This ball was placed absolutely perfectly by Ward, who threw this to Hernandez's outside shoulder, putting the ball between the defender and the sideline, in a spot where only his intended receiver could get it. A couple plays later, Ward would take it in by himself from a yard out to give Washington State a 35-7 lead later on in the second quarter. Ward would come back firing on the Cougars next drive, hitting Josh Kelly on a beautiful throw down the far sideline that would go for 51-yards and take them down to the Colorado two-yard line.
This is a very tight window to fit this ball through, yet Ward made it look almost routine, fitting it between the safety and the corner to Kelly who would again, take the ball down to the two-yard line. Not only did he fit it in their, he hit his receiver in stride, making it that much more of an impressive play. Can't really ask for a much better throw from your quarterback, who would punch it into the end zone on a quarterback sneak a play later, sending the Cougars into the half up a whopping 42-7. Though they't punt on their first two drives to start the second half, Ward would find the end zone for his second passing touchdown their third time of asking. After picking up a first with his legs, he'd then dump it off to Lincoln Victor who would go for 19-yards, before throwing an absolute dime to Kyle Williams from 34-yards out for the score.
Much like the previous throws, there's not much more you can do to make these throws better, as they're damn near perfect. Hell, one could just say that these throws are perfect, straight up. With the Colorado defender playing press against Williams, this made for an easy read for Ward, who didn't even need to think twice about throw this ball, placing it right in the bread basket for his second passing touchdown of the game, now making the score 49-7 midway through the third. Ward's last contribution to the game would be fumbling on the 11-yard line. To make matters worse, the ball would squirt out of the back of the end zone for a touch back, giving the Buffaloes the ball after their own turnover on offense. A real sour way to end the game for Ward, who would sit out the rest of the game as John Mateer would finish off the game at quarterback. Apart from the fumble, which was his 11th of the season, Ward had himself a very solid game, throwing a few dimes and registering four-total touchdowns in a dominating 56-14 victory. Now back on the winning train, maybe the Cougars can pull off an insane upset this weekend as they take on the fourth ranked Washington Huskies. Though they beat them in Seattle a couple years ago, this Washington team is a completely different animal, which presents quite a challenge for a Washington State team that is fighting for bowl eligibility. Who knows, though I highly doubt it, maybe they can pull off the insane upset. Crazier things have happened, right? To wrap it up I've got two-words for you, Cameron Ward v Michael Penix, must see TV.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - 8
Wk 5 - 8
Wk 6 - 10
Wk 7 - NR
Wk 8 - NR
Wk 9 - NR
Wk 10 - NR
Wk 11 - NR
Wk 12 - 10
Wk -13 @ no.4 Washington
Others
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
Wk 12 - 21/29 277 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/0 carries 0 yds 0 touchdowns v Wake Forest (45-7 W)
Season - 183/287 2,549 yds 22 touchdowns 7 interceptions/41 carries 76 yds 3 touchdowns
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
Wk 12 - 15/28 187 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/15 carries 90 yds 0 touchdowns
Season - 188/294 2,105 yds 19 touchdowns 8 interceptions/159 carries 432 yds 2 touchdowns
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Wk 12 - 17/30 147 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries -13 yds 0 touchdowns v no.1 Georgia (38-10 L)
Season - 207/321 2,430 yds 16 touchdowns 5 interceptions/73 carries 288 yds 5 touchdowns
Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Wk 12 - 13/16 197 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries -1 yd 0 touchdowns v Chattanooga (66-10 W)
Season - 142/214 2,267 yds 19 touchdowns 6 interceptions/108 carries 332 yds 12 touchdowns
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (FL)
Wk 12 - 24/39 327 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/2 carries -3 yds 0 touchdowns v no.10 Louisville (38-31 L)
Season - 196/297 2,413 yds 17 touchdowns 12 interceptions/20 carries 7 yds 1 touchdowns
Previous Rankings
Thank you for taking the time to read through the list! Hope you enjoyed it! If you did, give the article a like and comment down below how you felt!
While you're at it, go subscribe and/or follow me on all forms of social media!
Facebook: The Logan Blackman Show
Instagram (personal): @blackmanlogan
Instagram (show): @theloganblackmanshow1
LinkedIn: Logan Blackman
TikTok: @theloganblackmanshow
Twitter: @logan_blackman
YouTube: The Logan Blackman Show
Comments