Hello everybody and welcome back to another Draft "Expert" blog post! In this one, we'll be taking a look at the best quarterbacks from week three in college football as we prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft!
I think this weeks may be my favorite one yet, as we have tried to add a nice video element to the post as to give you, the reader, a glimpse at what I'm looking at in regards to scouting. I'm hoping this becomes a normal thing for blog posts, I just hope the videos actually play.
Much like the last post, we don't really see too many changes, though we do see someone from the top five drop down a couple spots as well as introduce two new quarterbacks to the rankings! Unfortunately with two coming in, two had to drop out, but that does not mean they'll never return to the top 10, so do not fret little one! Their time may still come...
So, without further ado, I, Logan Blackman host of 'the Logan Blackman Show,' am proud to present to you the Draft "Expert's" week three quarterback prospect rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
Pictured: Michael Penix Jr., Washington; Shedeur Sanders, Colorado; Jayden Daniels, LSU
1. Caleb Williams, USC
Wk 3 - BYE
Season - 55/70 878 yds 12 touchdowns 0 interceptions/12 carries 61 yds 1 touchdown
Not really a lot to talk about with this one, as Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans had their BYE week. Unsurprisingly, Williams still holds the top spot in our quarterback rankings, and I'm willing to bet he holds onto that title after this weekends game against Arizona State, which should make for a very fun matchup against Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes the following week.
Preseason - 1a
Wk 0/1 - 1
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - @ Arizona State
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Wk 3 - 29/40 414 yds 2 touchdowns 2 interceptions/13 carries 34 yds 0 touchdowns v Minnesota (31-13 W)
Season - 74/102 891 yds 4 touchdowns 4 interceptions/28 carries 116 yds 1 touchdown
So far this season, we haven't really seen North Carolina's Drake Maye 'let loose' this season, as he hadn't had a 300+ yard passing game to this point in the season. Now, though he wasn't lighting up the stat sheet per se, he was still putting up solid performances, showing off his ability to extend plays in the passing and running game while also looking very accurate while throwing on the run. Now, a lot of the 'lack of production' comes down to how dominant UNC has been in the run game up to this point, having one of the better rushing attacks in college football, spearheaded by a very impressive 300+ yard team performance against Appalachian State. This week though, the Tar Heels won by double digits, against a Big 10 foe, with Drake Maye throwing for an impressive 414 yards with two touchdowns through the air with a further 34 yards on 13 carries on the ground. Now, Maye did throw two interceptions in this game, bringing his season total up to four, which is the most out of anyone else mentioned in this blog post. As per usual, we'll get the bad stuff out of the way before we talk about the good stuff. So, for the first interception, Maye did have a receiver on the comeback route to the near side of the field, but the Minnesota defender made an excellent read and jumped the pass before it got to his intended receiver.
Like, the defender was guarding the running back in the flat, so it was just a really well timed jump by him to get the interception. Unfortunately, the next interception came on their very next drive. On this one, it was just a bad decision from Maye. Now, Maye saw the defender late, turned his head to the left and bam, there was the defender. He still tried to get the ball out while he was getting hit, which caused to the throw to flutter on him, which saw it land into the grateful arms of the Minnesota defender.
Obviously hindsight is 20/20, Maye should've just eaten it and lived to fight another play, but, he tried to make something out of seemingly nothing which led to his second interception on as many drives in the game. Now, to the good things, which we'll start off with UNC's first offensive drive, which saw Maye lead a nine play 75-yard drive to go up 7-0 on the Golden Gophers. Though it'd look like the drive would initially stall out, Maye picked up a first on fourth and one with a QB sneak to extend the drive. Then, after a not so great screen play, Maye threw a near perfect ball to Nate McCollum for a 46-yard touchdown.
On third and 12, Maye did an excellent job at getting outside the pocket once two of the three rushing defenders got around the tackles, before throwing this ball, on the run, to McCollum for six. Though the ball may have been slightly behind, Maye put the ball in a spot where the defender couldn't make a play on it, putting it right in the bread basket to put North Carolina up early. Like we alluded to earlier, three rushers for Minnesota led to eight players dropping back into coverage, and Maye was still able to make a play out of it. Then, after a Kaliakmanis interception, Maye would lead a fairly impressive drive for the Tar Heels, though it would ultimately lead to a Maye punt. On that drive, on third and eight, Maye would hit McCollum, again, for a first down. Though it wasn't a massive gain or anything, it still picked up enough yards for the first.
On first glance, some may say that this wasn't a good throw by Maye, and he should've led him in order to pick up even more yards. I disagree, as with five Minnesota defenders in the area, Maye had to make sure not to put the ball or his receiver in harms way, so throwing it low and allowing McCollum to make a play makes this a solid throw. Forcing McCollum to come back to the ball kept him from getting led into a big hit as well as giving him time to pick his head up and realize where he was on the field. The lower driven ball also kept Minnesota's defenders from potentially jumping the route, though they weren't necessarily standing right next to McCollum when he caught the ball. We would then see Maye pick up another third down on this drive, this time though using his legs.
This shows him getting around the Minnesota edge rusher, who broke free from the tackle, and able to beat the linebacker to the yard marker for the first down. He would be seen hitting McCollum again later on in the drive, zipping the ball to him between three Minnesota defenders, picking up a first on first and 15.
Like we've mentioned in previous blog posts, this is one of those throws where you have to be careful where you place the ball, as there was a defender up behind, to the side, and in front on McCollum when the ball was thrown. If it's over thrown slightly, it's picked. If it's under thrown slightly, it's picked. And if it's thrown behind him on the route it's probably picked as well. Maye placed this ball perfectly, though McCollum would take a slight shot to the back from the Minnesota defender. Can't place a ball much better than that. Though again the drive would stall out, we would see Drake Maye punt the ball, which saw him drop the ball inside the 20, so you can't really ask much more than that, right? After the punt, we would see Maye uncork one down the field to Kamari Morales for 55-yards.
Though Morales had to slow down slightly, that's one of those where you just don't want to over throw the receiver, because they can always slow down. Before the throw though Maye did an excellent job at focusing to the left side of the formation first, pushing the high safety to that side of the field before rolling ever so slightly to his right to avoid the pressure and then delivering the ball to Morales for the big gain, which UNC would capitalize on a play later with a Hampton touchdown run. The next two drives would end with those aforementioned interceptions, but Maye still did some nice things on the drive, like picking up a first with his legs on second and six, and delivering a ball to Bryson Nesbit for a first down on third and five.
This again shows Maye doing a nice job at not leading the receiver into danger by putting the ball more on his body rather than leading him upfield. It also shows excellent ball placement past that as he fit this throw in between two nearby Minnesota defenders. Though that throw was impressive, later on during that drive would be Maye's second, though final, interception of the game. Maye would make up for that thought on North Carolina's next drive, hitting JJ Jones on a nice 39-yard pass play.
Just a beautiful throw, what more can you say? Nothing more to say about it, literally just stepped up in the pocket and delivered a dart to Jones for the massive gain, which would set up Maye's second touchdown a few plays later.
Nice little pump fake by Maye which froze the defender ever so slightly to free up Nesbit for the easy 19-yard touchdown. With Nesbit essentially faking a run block, the pump fake really sold the throw to the flat, which Minnesota of course jumped at, which again opened up a decent hole for Maye to hit Nesbit, who did the rest after making the catch. Nothing would really come on UNC's first drive of the second half as they'd be forced to punt, though Maye would have a near deep ball completion to Andre Greene Jr. which would have been a massive gainer for the Tar Heels. That being said, North Carolina wold come away with a field goal on their next drive, which Maye would set up via a 38-yard pass play to Gavin Blackwell which would get them down to the 24-yard line.
Besides the throw, I guess the main thing you could say is good job by Maye at feeling the pressure coming from the right side of the offensive line and getting the ball out before the defender had a real chance at making a play. Back to the throw though, Maye is such an effortless thrower of the football, like dude threw this ball from the UNC 32 all the way to the Minnesota 28 on a line, just an insane showcase of arm talent from Drake Maye on that throw. Again, they'd settle for a field goal. On their next drive, though they'd ultimately have to punt the football, Maye would show off his ability to throw on the run, hitting JJ Jones for a 17-yard play.
Just a really good play by Maye at getting outside the pocket and delivering a strike right on the sideline to pick up the first. Again, yes they'd ultimately punt the ball away, but the ball placement from Maye on the run was very impressive, especially with a defender barreling down on him. You would see him make a, as Cris Collinsworth would say, a 'Mahomes-esq play,' by halfway rolling to the left before contorting his body and dumping it off to his running back for a few yards, but after a holding call that set them back to third and 20, the 12-yard pick didn't end up mattering too much. On their next drive though, we'd see Maye flash the athleticism again, this time strictly using his legs to pick up a first down on third and four.
I don't know if this was a designed run play or not, but still, Maye's ability to break past the line and pick up the first in a somewhat pressure situation was good to see. After a few more run plays, North Carolina would punch it in from a yard out to make it 31-13, which would end up being the final score in Chapel Hill. Like we mentioned before, this was really Drake Maye's first 'let loose' game, as we saw him fill the stat sheet in both the pass and the run game. The interceptions will need to slow down but all in all, Maye's had a very solid start to the season. This week against Pitt though could present some challenges, as the Panthers, though 1-2, have the third best passing defense in all of college football, which could cause some problems for Maye and the UNC offense, especially since the game is at Pitt. Time will tell I guess, but I still expect Maye, given his talents, to have a solid game come Saturday.
Preseason - 1b
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - @ Pitt
3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 3 - 38/47 348 yds 4 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries 3 yds 0 touchdowns v Colorado State (43-35 W)
Season - 107/136 1,251 yds 10 touchdowns 1 interception/25 carries -59 yds 1 touchdown
The legend of this year's Colorado football team just keeps growing, doesn't it? I know this game was a lot closer than many out there expected, but this was still an incredibly entertaining game to watch, with the Buffaloes coming out on top 43-35 in double overtime. Though this was a game between a top-25 PAC-12 school and a zero win Mountain West team, it's still a rivalry, and you could tell that pretty much from the first snap of the game as each team was really at each others throats. Like, lets give Colorado State some credit, they woke up ready to end the Colorado hype train, which they nearly did, if it weren't for some of the heroics pulled by the Buffaloes star quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. Though Sanders would eventually help lead Colorado to victory, it didn't start off as smoothly as he would've probably liked, as he threw his first interception of the season on just his second throw of the game.
To give Sanders the benefit of the doubt, he did get hit while he released the ball, which obviously took a lot off the pass. The ball was fairly well placed by Sanders, but it was still an insanely tough throw, even despite getting hit, and the Colorado State defender ended up with the ball, which is certainly not ideal. That being said, Sanders would make up for it a couple drives later, hitting Xavier Weaver from 24-yards out to tie the game back up at 14.
Here is another angle
After that touchdown though, Colorado would really struggle to move the ball, punting on five of their next six drives, the odd one out being their one play drive before the end of the first half. That being said, on their last drive that ended in a punt, Shedeur would find Tar'Varish Dawson across the middle for a nice 20-yard gain.
With the Colorado State defender fighting tooth and nail to get through the double team, Sanders stood tall in the pocket and delivered a very nice ball to Dawson for the first down. You can see the defender get a little shot in at the end, so again, credit to Sanders on that play for staying calm, cool, and collected in the pocket. But again, that drive would end in a punt, though the last one of the game. On their next drive though, which would unfortunately end with a missed field goal, we'd see Sanders hit a few dink and dunk passes before delivering a strike to Michael Harrison for a first down.
This is a very solid throw from Sanders. Yes, the ball was behind the intended receiver but again, in this type of situation, that's where you want to place the ball. The receivers momentum is leading in to the middle of the field, which would lead him into the path of the Colorado State defender, which could in turn lead to him getting his head ripped off. A lot of credit should go to Harrison though, as on the same breath, if he doesn't catch that ball it may be going back in the other direction. So kind of a good yet scary play from Sanders, but all in all, it worked out. Shedeur would show have a short throw to the flat on third and 10 which saw him showcase his athleticism, but it didn't lead to much, resulting in fourth down and in turn the missed field goal. On the next drive though, Sanders would flash the arm strength, hitting Tar'Varish Dawson for a 10-yard gain.
This isn't a play that will garner a lot of attention on social media or anything, but it's still a very hard throw to make, going from the near hash all the way to the far sideline. I just felt the need to at least mention it. A few plays later, Sanders would show off nice ball placement, fitting it to Dawson again to pick up a third and 11.
Sure he just hit the receiver on a little curl route, but that ball had to be damn near perfect in order to pick up the first. Like, not just the throw, but the timing of it had to be spot on too. With two defenders either side of Dawson, a second or two late, or even early, would result in this play being null and void, with it either being fourth down or a turnover for Colorado. Sanders would drill another pass on the very next play to Michael Harrison, which would push Colorado all the way down to the four-yard line.
Sanders absolutely zipped this ball to Harrison, driving it low and fast to avoid any possible plays from the CSU defenders. Similarly to the previous throw, with two defenders either side of Harrison, the throw, and timing, needed to be spot on, which it was, resulting in the big gain that would help set up a 20-yard field goal to get the score back to 21-17. On the next Buffalo drive, Sanders would show off some of the running ability, with the first two plays of the drive being nice eight and seven-yard runs by Sanders. He would though flash the arm again, hitting Xavier Weaver for nine-yards to get them inside the 15.
Nothing flashy on this throw, and nothing jaw dropping, but Sanders did a nice job at throwing a low driven ball, away from the defender's out stretched arm, and forced his top receiver to make a play, which he did, picking up a first down in the process. The drive would ultimately stall out though, as Colorado were forced to settle for three, though Colorado State still held a 28-20 advantage mid-way through the fourth. The last real drive of regulation from Colorado and Sanders would be the most impressive though. After stopping Colorado State after nine plays, the Rams punter pinned the Buffaloes all the way back at their own two-yard line, meaning a 98-yard drive was needed in order to force overtime. And oh yeah, there's just over two minutes left, so good luck. That being said, this drive would showcase all of Shedeur Sanders' talents, starting off with a roll out from his own end zone, hitting Michael Harrison for an 11-yard gain.
After seeing no one open down the field initially, Sanders forces Colorado State's defense to adjust on the fly by rolling out to his right. While getting chased by a few Ram defenders, Sanders delivers the ball to Harrison for a big first down on second and eight. Though the throw was a little high, Sanders had to get it over the arms of the Colorado State defensive lineman, while also knowing he's throwing to his 6'3" tight end, who made a nice catch. Sanders would then show good pocket presence a play later, hitting Dawson on the near sideline for a nice gain.
Some quarterbacks would have crumbled or tried to run the ball had the pocket pretty much swallowed them whole. Really good job by Sanders at staying calm, finding the hole in the pocket, and delivering a nice catchable ball to Dawson who did the rest after catching the ball. Sanders would then find Xavier Weaver on a 26-yard pass play before hitting Jimmy Horn Jr. for a 45-yard touchdown.
Was Horn wide open? Yes, but Sanders did a nice job at stepping up in the pocket, avoiding the pressure, and delivering a strike on the move to his intended receiver, who made the first defender miss before finding the end zone for six. The Buffaloes would of course score on their two point conversion play, where Sanders found Harrison wide open in the end zone, which forced overtime. In overtime, Sanders would find Harrison again, this time for six instead of two from three-yard out to take the lead in the extra period.
Though the Rams only brought three, dropping that extra guy into coverage makes it near impossible to score, so Sanders smartly rolled out to his right in order to shift the defense, hoping to find some sort of opening and wouldn't you guess it? Sanders would find Harrison in the end zone for the score. Great catch again by Harrison, and nice job by Sanders at extending the play which allowed Harrison some time to create separation. Sanders would then hit Xavier Weaver on a very well thrown pass to the far sideline for 22-yards, which would set up the eventual game winning score, where Sanders and Harrison would hook up again for six.
A nice and easy play, but an even more impressive play came on the two-point conversion.
With two defenders jumping in his face, it's impressive the Sanders had the wherewithal to notice a wide open Xavier Weaver in the back of the end zone. Like we mentioned before, some quarterbacks would shite themselves if two defenders jumped in their face, trying to then force the issue which could lead to a turnover. Sanders didn't do that, and delivered an awkwardly thrown ball to Weaver for the score, which would ultimately seal the deal. Though it was just a Mountain West school, Colorado State came to play. Thankfully for Shedeur and co. the Buffaloes were able to pull off the come from behind dub. I don't know if they can start that slow against the likes of Oregon and USC, who are their next two opponents, but I definitely won't rule them out of pulling off some upsets.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - @ no.13 Oregon
4. Riley Leonard, Duke
Wk 3 - 15/20 219 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/13 carries 97 yds 2 touchdowns v Northwestern (38-14 W)
Season - 44/65 530 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/25 carries 208 yds 3 touchdowns
As predicted, Duke handled Northwestern in the 'Battle of the Nerds' with relative ease. Like, I've seen some bad football teams in my time, but Northwestern seems to have gone to a whole other level, at least when it comes to power five conference teams. Sure Northwestern beat UTEP the previous week by a score of 38-7, but the last time the Wildcats won on US soil was all the way back on October 16th of 2021, when they beat Rutgers 21-7. The last time they won a game in general of course came against the Nebraska Cornhuskers last year, where they won over in Ireland by the score of 31-28. Yep, it's been a long road for the Wildcats, and the Blue Devils just pilled on by beating them 38-14 this past Saturday. It was just an all around easy game again, as predicted. Duke has looked very good to start the season, with their 28-7 win over Clemson week one being the cherry on top to this point in the season. Much like that game, quarterback Riley Leonard put forth a solid performance, namely in the ground game, putting up 97-yards with two touchdowns, with a further 219 yards through the air on 20 attempts. The first drive was relatively easy, scoring on six plays to go up 7-0 early. Leonard wouldn't really be asked to do a whole lot on Duke's early drives, hitting a few intermediate passes for first downs but nothing insane by any means. He had a throw to Jalon Calhoun that was alright, as he hit Calhoun across the middle while also putting the throw on his body as to not lead him right into the linebacker.
But again, it's nothing really to write home about. We would see Leonard hook up with Calhoun for a nice 34-yard gain, but it was fairly similar to the play above, but this time Calhoun just cut his route off, then sat in the hole in the defense before turning up field and eating up a lot of yards after the catch. Leonard would almost score on a quarterback draw from about seven yard out, but would come up a yard short of the end zone as thew quarter expired. That being said, Duke would punch it in a few plays later via a Jordan Waters touchdown run, putting them up a further 14-points in the contest. On their next drive, Leonard would flash some of the arm talent, hitting Calhoun, again, for a 13-yard play.
Looking at it from face value, all you really see is about a five-yard completion that Calhoun turns up field to pick up a further eight and the first down. But, with Leonard having to re-gather himself after catching/bobbling the low snap, to going through his progressions (left to right) while his center is getting driven back into him, to then getting the ball out while falling back, getting hit, and side arming it to get it around said center makes this an impressive throw. Again, it's no 70-yard bomb or anything, and it's not an insane demonstration of Leonard's arm strength, but it's still impressive none the less, at least to me. A more impressive feat from Leonard came on the very next play.
One of Leonard's better attributes is his ability to run the football, and more notably his ability to not go down on first contact. I've once compared Leonard's run style to that of Josh Allen, where it's nothing flashy, but it's insanely effective. Like, with a defender freely rushing from the right side of the offensive line, most quarterbacks out there would've just taken the sack, but Leonard saw that pre snap, so even with his attention first to the left, he was able to feel the pressure and step up into the pocket before fully tucking it and running. It's not just evading the first defender though, him breaking through arm tackles with ease gets me excited about this play. Again, for most quarterbacks out there, if they were able to avoid the first tackler, they're then getting wrapped up at the line of scrimmage, but Leonard's able to break through, thanks to a mixture of power, willingness, and the fact that he's playing Northwestern. Then is able to break a few more arm tackles before finally getting pushed out of bounds 33-yards later. Impressive stuff from Leonard on that play. Sadly though, after another Leonard run, this one much shorter, Duke would have to settle for a field goal. Though Northwestern would score on their next drive just before the half, Leonard and the Blue Devils tried their hand at getting some points before the half. With 34-seconds left, Duke came back on to the field swinging, with Leonard hitting, you guess it, Jalon Calhoun for a 24-yard gain and a first down.
Much like we talked about with Leonard's first side arm throw, one of the offensive linemen was getting driven back right into him, so he had to side arm it to get it around said lineman. But to the deliver a strike between two-ish Northwestern defenders makes this a very impressive throw from Leonard. I mean, just look at this angle...
Like we've gone over before, this is one of those throws that can turn pretty sour should it be thrown a yard or two ahead or behind the intended receiver. The half would end with both Leonard and his backup, Henry Belin IV, taking sacks, but Duke still found themselves up 17-7 at the break.
This was a throw made just after halftime, as you could probably tell by the scoreboard. Now, this isn't as much focused on Leonard's arm talent or anything, but more about him staying calm and going through his progressions before dumping it off to his running back who would pick up the first down. He did a nice job at evading pressure from the left side of the offensive line before stepping up in the hole in the pocket while keeping his eyes down field before checking it down. That's what coaches will want to see, someone who just takes what the defense gives them. If you go through your progressions and see no one is open down field, check it down and pick up the first, very smart play from Leonard. Then after a set up screen play to Jordan Moore that would pick up 25-yards , Leonard would find the end zone from three-yards out to put Duke up 24-7 at the start of the half. The highlight isn't worth showing, but I will, say Leonard should've probably just handed it off to the running back rather than pulling it, as the d-end stay up the field rather than crashing. That being said, as coaches teach, if you make the wrong read, just follow the back through the whole which Leonard did, and wound up with six points. Then, on their next drive, and after a nice 13-yard run by Leonard, we see him show off some excellent touch to hit Calhoun on a 28-yard play.
Now, let's not get it twisted, Calhoun made a ridiculous catch on this play, like, crazy good catch, but we have to sing Leonard's praises on the throw as well. Once again, with pressure coming up the middle, Leonard does an excellent job at getting the ball off even before Calhoun makes his break. It's out of necessity of course, but Leonard showed off very impressive arm strength and touch given the circumstance, delivering a catchable ball to Calhoun for the first down. Leonard stood tall in the pocket, took the hit, and delivered a very nice ball, capped off by a fantastic catch by Calhoun. On third down no less? Damn near perfect play I'd say, and I do. Then, after a nice completion to Jordan Moore for a first down and another impressive 12-yard run, Leonard would punch it in from two-yards up to put Duke up 31-7.
Nothing insane here, but I love the play call, giving Leonard the option of a run or pass to the flat is very hard to defend, which is why he basically just walked into the end zone for six. Leonard's day would be pretty much done after that, as his last drive would see him hand the ball off three times and run once himself before they were forced to punt. All in all though it was a very solid day for Leonard and the Duke offense as he showed off all his tools en route to an easy victory. Duke have been very fun to watch so far this season, and a lot of that goes down to the play of their quarterback. I'm intrigued to see how they do this week against UConn, which could potentially be the Blue Devils toughest test since their week one match-up with Clemson. I mean, the other games were against Lafayette and Northwestern, is that too much to say? That being said I do think Duke should cruise to another comfortable victory, which would set up a very exciting game against Notre Dame on September 30th.
Preseason - 3
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - @ UConn
5. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (+2)
Wk 3 - 27/35 473 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/0 carries 0 yds 0 touchdowns @ Michigan State (41-7 W)
Season - 84/113 1,332 yds 12 touchdowns 1 interception/4 carries 9 yds 0 touchdowns
Putting it mildly, Michael Penix has had real a barnstorming start to the season. Like, I think we all knew Penix would put up some very nice numbers this season, especially given the three studs he has out wide, but dude currently leads the nation in passing yards as well as being second, behind Notre Dame's Sam Hartman, in passing touchdowns with 12. I'll always try to mention this when talking about Penix, but to go from where he was at in Indiana to now is pretty remarkable. This game though, like the previous two, I wasn't too surprised that he put forth another statistically great performance, playing against a Michigan State team who just fired their head coach and one who does not possess the greatest defense in the world. Let me tell you, Washington put it on Michigan State early and often, going up 35-0 at halftime, on the road no less. Like, Washington's first play of the game was a 39-yard connection between Penix and Jalen McMillan, which would set up a Germie Bernard touchdown run a few plays later.
Wide open, as easy as you like. That's one of those plays where since he's so wide open, you just don't want to over throw the receiver, so putting it right on his body works perfectly for Washington again, picking up a massive gain and setting up a touchdown. Penix would throw a near interception on Washington's next drive though, as he tried to hit McMillan again for a big play on third and 10. Unfortunately he threw it over the out stretched arms of McMillan, and almost into the grateful arms of the Michigan State defender.
That being said, Penix did get his arm hit on the play, which kind of caused the ball to sail on him. Even then, McMillan was able to get both hands on the football, so maybe he should've actually come up with the catch. Thankfully for everyone on Washington, the ball clearly hit the ground, though they would be forced to punt after that incomplete pass. Speaking of interceptions, the Washington defense would come away with their own, picking off Noah Kim and setting up the offense with very good field position, which they would capitalize on, starting with a Penix bomb to Ja'Lynn Polk on a 38-yard play.
Though it was a solid throw from Penix, all the credit should really go to Polk on the play, as he made a pretty spectacular catch to pick up the massive gain, while taking a nice shot from the Spartan defender. This would ultimately set up Penix's first passing touchdown of the game, hitting Jack Westover on a little dump off play from five-yards out to go up 14-0.
Nothing crazy, just a little dink to the tight end for the score. Those motions and fakes make it damn near impossible to defend, and Washington took advantage to go up by two scores in East Lansing. On Washington's next drive, Penix again would hit a big throw on the first play, hitting Rome Odunze up the middle for a 50-yard gain.
Once again, great catch from the Washington receiver, snagging it away from the Michigan State defender. As for Penix, knowing he's going to take some sort of shot, he's does an excellent job at standing tall and delivering a very nice ball down the middle of the field for a massive gain. As we alluded to before, Washington has one of, if not the, best receiving trio in all of college football, so Penix knows he can lob it up to them, knowing they'll be able to come down with the ball. Dude would then hit Ja'Lynn Polk on back-to-back plays, with one going for 15 and a first, and the other going for a 30-yard score, extending Washington's lead even further, though this one could've also ended with an interception.
This was not the greatest decision by Penix, as he probably should've wait a second or two longer so Polk could free himself up a little more. Thankfully though, Michigan State wasn't able to come away with the ball and Polk was able to bring the ball in after the deflection, punching it in for six more points. Better to be lucky than good sometimes, right? Penix would come back on the next drive a throw a beautiful ball to McMillan on the far sideline, connecting on a 16-yard play.
With the defender pushing the left tackle back, Penix knew he was going to take some sort of contact on the throw. Though it was slight, him getting hit in the leg could've very easily caused this ball to miss the target, but dude threw a near perfect ball to McMillan for the first down. This is a very hard throw to make, as the distance is great and timing needs to be on point, and Penix had everything working for him on that throw. He would then find Germie Bernard on a nice 12-yard comeback route and McMillan, again, for a seven-yard gain before hitting Jack Westover on a wheel-ish route to go up 28-0.
Just an easy play really, as Westover was wide ass open after the pick freed him up. Can't ask for an easier score for your second touchdown of the game (for Westover). Penix would come out firing again on their next drive, hitting Polk, who made another spectacular catch, for a nice gain, though it would be nullified by an unsportsmanlike penalty on Polk. A better play from Penix came a little later, as he'd find Odunze, while on the run, on a nice 27-yard pitch and catch.
Though Odunze took a nice shot after making the catch, it was still a nice ball from Penix would we don't normally see make throws on the run. I say 'on the run,' really it was just a half roll out, but still, a nice ball from Penix and a nice job at being able to hold on to the ball by Odunze to pick up the nice gain. Penix would try to hit Odunze again a few plays later, but the throw into double coverage got broken up, which forced Washington to punt the ball away. Just before the half though, while up 28-0, Penix would find McMillan up the far sideline for a 34-yard gain.
Was the throw a little high? Yes, great job by McMillan to bring that ball in as well, but it was still nice ball placement from Penix, at least on where the ball should be placed along the sideline. That ball needed to be on a line since the safety was over top, the throw just sailed a little too much which forced McMillan to make a nice catch. Either way, first down Washington. A few plays later Penix and Westover would hook up again, this time from seven-yards out, going up 35-0 just before the half.
Another easy ass touchdown for Penix, marking his fourth and final one of the day. I love the somewhat disrespect from Washington on that drive, already up 28-0 before half, they marched right down the field and scored to go up 35-0 with eight or so seconds left in the half. I think that's hilarious from the Husky offense. Though Penix wouldn't register another touchdown in this game, with Washington somewhat calling the dogs off, he would still have some decent throws left in him, like his one to Rome Odunze on a 14-yard play.
This is perfect ball placement from Penix. With a defender jumping in his face, he was able to deliver a damn near perfect ball to Odunze along the sideline. Another great catch from Odunze, which shouldn't surprise anyone, but the placement was spot on, helping Washington pick up another first down. Penix and Odunze would hook up again a few plays later, this time on a fade route down the far sideline.
The throw was slightly behind Odunze, but it was placed well enough to where the defender couldn't actually make a play on the ball. That would be Penix's last real contribution to this game, as he'd sit and watch the rest of the game as Washington came out 41-7 victors against Michigan State. This was an insanely easy game for Penix and the Washington offense, and I'm expecting to see something similar-ish this weekend against Cal. Though the Golden Bears have played well enough against the pass so far this season, they haven't played an offense anywhere close to Washington's. So, back at home, the Huskies should come away with another victory.
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - v Cal
6. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Wk 3 - 11/21 131 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries -5 yds 1 touchdown v Wyoming (31-10 W)
Season - 54/89 740 yds 8 touchdowns 0 interceptions/13 carries 18 yds 2 touchdowns
To be honest, I wasn't too surprised with how this game went. After watching Texas beat Alabama on the road the previous week, a down turn in play was bound to happen. I wasn't expecting this to a real trap game for Texas, but they were going up against a Wyoming Cowboy team that beat their in-state rival Texas Tech week one, so this wasn't going to be an easy outing for Ewers and the Longhorns. On another note, I know Texas ended up winning 31-10, but did anyone actually think they were going to cover the massive 30-point spread? To be honest, I wasn't sure Texas would be able to beat Wyoming by 21 after seeing how things started, with Texas only up 10-7 at the half, and tied at 10 going into the fourth quarter. Pretty crazy stuff. As for quarterback Quinn Ewers though, this wasn't necessarily his best performance, but again, that was partially expected following the emotional win against Alabama. That being said, I didn't really expect to see Ewers miss on his first three passes of the game, which led to a Texas three and out after Wyoming went up 7-0 early. Thankfully, the coaching staff drew up a halfback screen play to the flat for Ewers to garner him some confidence, which was even more boosted as Keilan Robinson took it a further 16-yards. A few plays later though, Ewers would get away with one, as Wyoming should've definitely come away with an interception in the end zone.
Did Ewers have his tight end somewhat open in the back of the end zone? Was Ewers forced to throw off his back foot due to a defender being in his face? The answer to both those questions is yes, still, if you're getting pushed to throw off your back foot with two defenders around your intended receiver, why force the issue? Especially when you're at the oppositions 19-yard line. Thankfully though, Ewers and Texas absolutely got away with one and were able to get some points on the drive thanks to a Bert Auburn field goal. Texas' next drive would see the Longhorns finally punch it into the end zone, thanks to a Ewers touchdown. The lead up to the score though was dominated by the run game, as Texas ran 17 plays on that drive, with seven of their final 11 plays of the first quarter coming via the ground game. Like we mentioned before though, the drive was capped off with a Ewers touchdown pass that was set up by a nice little dink to Gunnar Helm for a nice 14-yard gain to set them up at the one-yard line.
Nothing particularly amazing with this throw, but it does show Ewers' pocket awareness, stepping up the pocket and finding the open receiver for the nice gain. Ewers would get his touchdown of the game a few plays later.
It's a one-yard touchdown pass so it's not going to be talked about a ton on social media or anything, but after almost throwing an interception on their last drive, to come back with a 17 play touchdown drive is really good to see. Especially since it was Byron Murphy, the 300+ lbs. defensive lineman. Though Texas' next drive would result in a punt, with Ewers throwing three straight incompletions, he would have a decent throw to his tight end Sanders over the middle that could've been a very nice play.
Like, for this being an incomplete pass, it's actually very good ball placement from Ewers. Sure it would have needed a pretty spectacular catch to result in a completion, but he gave his receiver a chance to make a play putting the ball on the defenders inside shoulder. Again, it may have just resulted in an incomplete pass, but it was still a solid throw from Ewers. Texas' next two two drives would result in punts as well, though they would put together a nine play drive to open the second half. With Ewers showing off his improved ability to throw on the run, hitting Jordan Whittington on a nice 14-yard play, as well as finding Adonai Mitchell over the middle for 16-yards, both plays picking up crucial third downs.
I would like to draw attention to the throw to Mitchell, because though the throw was behind the receiver, it was well placed by Ewers. Sure Mitchell took a nice shot from the Wyoming defender, but if you watch carefully, the defender's initially thought is to try and jump the route, and if Ewers threw that pass in front of Mitchell, we could be talking about Ewers first interception of the season. That being said, the drive ended with Ewers taking a big sack and Texas punting the ball, so maybe the interception would have just sped up the process a little bit. The start of the fourth quarter, Texas finally woke up, scoring 21 unanswered points to make the scoreline a little worse than what it actually was, starting off with Ewers hitting Xavier Worthy in the flat for a 44-yard touchdown.
Just a nice set up screen play to Worthy, who beats every Wyoming defender to the end zone for the score. Everyone is aware of Worthy's game changing speed, and it was fully on display there. All Ewers needed to do was not miss him, and Texas would be likely to score, and they did, putting them up 17-10. On their next drive, Ewers would show off his much improved mobility, being able to punch it in the end zone from five-yards out to extend Texas' lead even further.
This touchdown was set-up by a nice 61-yard rush by Jonathon Brooks, who registered a whopping 164-yards on the ground in this game, but Ewers was the one who capped it off. I understand it was only five-yards out, but this wasn't something we saw Ewers do a lot of last season. Though the season stats don't necessarily show it, Ewers has drastically improved as a runner, which is adding another threat to his game. A pick six for Texas would seal the game up, giving them the 31-6 victory over Wyoming. It wasn't the prettiest game from Ewers and the Longhorns, but they got the job done in the end, moving to number three in the process. Opening up conference play on the road against Baylor, I'm fully expecting Ewers and co. to come away with a nice little victory, hopefully looking better this week than they did against Wyoming.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - @ Baylor
7. JJ McCarthy, Michigan (-2)
Wk 3 - 8/13 143 yds 2 touchdowns 3 interceptions/3 carries -1 yd 0 touchdowns v Bowling Green (31-6 W)
Season - 56/68 701 yds 7 touchdowns 3 interceptions/7 carries 35 yds 0 touchdowns
This was a game I was expecting to be a breeze for quarterback JJ McCarthy and the Michigan Wolverines. Though the final score read out a 31-6 victory for the home team, this was anything but an easy game, especially early on. After a Blake Corum touchdown run on their opening drive, the Wolverines wouldn't be able to find the end zone again until about four minutes left in the first half, with the halftime score reading out 14-6 in favor on Michigan. For a team with aspirations of a National Title, to see them only up by eight at the half against Bowling Green of all teams truly surprised me, to be honest. Not only that, but seeing JJ McCarthy, a guy who was being very smart and efficient with the football through the first two games of the season, to see him throw three interceptions was truly surprising. Especially after Michigan were given great field position on the Bowling Green side of the 50. He flashed the arm strength on the field play of the drive, hitting Cornelius Johnson in the flat before a few runs by Corum and Donovan Edwards set Michigan up inside the 10-yard line. McCarthy would then be read like a book by the Falcon defender, who picked him off in the back of the end zone for a turnover and a touchback.
McCarthy just flat out didn't see him, as the defender did an excellent job at basically hiding behind the Michigan tight end before popping out for the interception. Again, dude just read McCarthy like a book, and it hurts because Michigan was set up with great field position and were putting together a nice looking drive before the interception. The interception bug wouldn't leave McCarthy though, as he would throw his second one of the game on Michigan's next offensive drive.
This one is kind of weird because McCarthy just short armed the pass. For a guy who definitely has the arm strength to make that throw, to see him under throw the receiver for the interception was kind of surprising. He did a nice job at the start of the play stepping up into the pocket, didn't really panic or anything before letting the ball go, it just happened to fall into the grateful arms of the Bowling Green defender. On Michigan's next drive though, which would see McCarthy register his first passing touchdown of the game, we'd see him hitting tight end Colston Loveland for a 22-yard gain, which would set up the touchdown a play later.
This was a really nice throw from McCarthy, with a great catch by Loveland as well. With two Bowling Green defenders in the area, McCarthy showed off very nice touch to fit the ball in between the aforementioned defenders, picking up a nice gain in the process which in turn, again, set up the touchdown.
This one was nice to see because it was basically the same play Michigan ran when McCarthy threw his second interception. This time though, he was able to get enough on the ball to lead Roman Wilson for the 33-yard score. This ball was on a line too, so this throw from McCarthy had to either be in front of Wilson or right on his body, otherwise this could've been picked off again. Thankfully though, it resulted in six for Michigan which again, would be their last score of the half. McCarthy would fumble the ball on Michigan's first drive of the second half, thankfully for him he was ruled down, though it would lead to Michigan going three and out to start the half. That being said, after the punt, the defense would force a Bowling Green interception, taking the ball back to the two-yard line, which would lead to another Blake Corum touchdown a play later. The defense would come up big again on Bowling Green's next drive as well, forcing a fumble two plays into their drive, which would set up McCarthy and the offense on the Falcon 30-yard line. That being said, Michigan would have to settle for a field goal, making the score 24-6 in the third. Michigan would get a touchdown on their next offensive drive though, as McCarthy would hit Cornelius Johnson on a flee flicker for a 50-yard score.
This was one of those situations where it pays to be more lucky than good, because this ball really should've been picked off, as McCarthy didn't lead Johnson nearly as much as he would have liked to. Thankfully for him and the offense, the defender wasn't able to come up with the ball, and Johnson was able to make a pretty sweet play in order to come up with the ball for the score. McCarthy would have one more pass after that Johnson touchdown, which would see him throw his third, and thankfully final, interception of the game.
On this play, McCarthy did a very nice job at evading the pressure coming from the unblocked defender by rolling out to his left. At the peak of his run, he was 15-yards back from the original line of scrimmage, which is a testament to his athleticism as he was able to avoid taking a long sack there. Unfortunately though, a sack may have been the better option, as he threw a very ill-advised interception on again, his last throw of the game. I understand he saw Loveland on the sideline but still, just throw the ball away at that point, don't try to force the throw when there are three or four defenders giving chase. Just a really bad decision from McCarthy in what would be his worst game of the season, by far. Thankfully Michigan came away 31-6 victors. What's crazy about this game is that McCarthy came into this game with only seven incompletions to his name, as he was looking really efficient through those two games, this game was anything but efficient. I'm hoping the turnovers and mistakes don't follow him into this week as Michigan opens up conference play against a 3-0 Rutgers team.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - v Rutgers
8. Bo Nix, Oregon
Wk 3 - 21/27 247 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 14 yds 0 touchdowns v Hawai'i (55-10 W)
Season - 76/98 893 yds 8 touchdowns 0 interceptions/11 carries 60 yds 0 touchdowns
Much like we mentioned when we talked about Michael Penix and Washington, Oregon just had an absolute field day against Hawai'i last Saturday. Though the blowout was predictable, given the gap in quality between the two programs, Oregon looked arguably even better than initially though, scoring on every drive in the first half, and not punting until their second drive of the second half. Just a calm game from Oregon, with quarterback Bo Nix having another solid performance under center. Again, much like Washington, Oregon got on the board very early, with Nix hitting Tez Johnson on their second play from scrimmage for a 49-yard touchdown.
Back-to-back weeks Nix connects with a receiver deep for Oregon's first touchdown, and this was an inch perfect throw from Nix, hitting Johnson in stride to go up 7-0 early. Even hitting a little pump fake before unloading it deep, not to mention he was halfway jumping when he let this ball go. Again, just a perfect throw from Nix, as the deep ball is one of the stronger areas of his game. Though Nix would go 0-2 on Oregon's next drive, which would end in a field goal, they'd get back in the touchdown department on the drive after, with Nix hitting Troy Franklin after a busted flee flicker on the run for a 40-yard gain.
Though Franklin was wide open, the busted play could've caused most quarterbacks to either take a sack or panic and turn the ball over. After receiving the pass back, Nix did an excellent job at rolling to his right, avoiding the pressure, and delivering a good ball to Franklin who picked up a nice gain after the catch. Oregon would via a Jordan James 22-yard run a play later, extending Oregon's lead in the first to 17-0. Then, on their next drive, in classic Oregon Duck action, they went for it on fourth down not once, but twice, getting a massive 41-yard gain out of the second fourth down attempt, which would set up Nix's second passing touchdown of the game.
What more could you ask for on that touchdown pass? There's acres of space between Traeshon Holden and the nearest Hawai'i defender, all Nix needed to do was not miss him and they would score. Thankfully Nix is a good enough quarterback not to miss a wide ass open receiver from one-yard out, and Oregon further extends there lead to 24-0 with just six seconds left in the first quarter. Then, in anti-Oregon fashion, Nix lines up under center, drops back, and hits another open receiver, this time being Gary Bryant Jr. for a 31-yard gain.
I'm really only drawing attention to his because Nix was lined up under center. I'm not saying it never happens, but Oregon rarely lines their quarterbacks under center. Nix would then deliver a very nice ball to Bryant for the first down, setting up another Jordan James rushing touchdown, this time from three-yards out. Oregon's next drive would see Nix hit a few intermediate passes, with a throw to Bucky Irving initially looking like a passing touchdown, though he was ultimately ruled down. Nice effort from him though. Nix would also hit Tez Johnson on a nice 12-yard gain on third and four, putting nice zip on the ball to get it between two Hawai'i defenders.
This wasn't an insanely long throw or result in points or anything, but Nix had to put a lot on this ball to fit it into Johnson for the first down. The placement of this ball was really good too, as he put it on his shoulder, giving him the chance to turn up field, avoid the bigger hit, and gain some extra yards. You cannot lead a receiver into the path of the linebacker in that situation, good throw all around by Nix. He would have a chance to toss in another touchdown after scrambling for his life in the backfield before delivering a ball to his tight end Terrance Ferguson, but the pass was incomplete and wouldn't have counted anyway due to an illegal touching penalty called on Ferguson. So Oregon would have to ultimately settle for three. Nix would register his third and final pass touchdown on Oregon's first drive of the second half, hitting Tez Johnson, again, this time on a set up screen play that Johnson took to the house from 12-yards out, putting Oregon up 41-3.
Nothing to see here really, easy touchdown, again. Nix would have a couple nice throws leading up to the touchdown though, hitting Troy Franklin on a slant route which picked up 16 and a short throw on the move to Gary Bryant who ended up getting 11-yards on the play. That touchdown drive though would be Nix's last of the game, as the game was pretty much done with the score, again, being 41-3. Another solid outing for Nix, and I'm expecting him to put up decent numbers against a Colorado defense that has been shipping yards so far this season. I think we'll be in for a good old fashioned shoot out on Saturday, which should be very fun.
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - v no.19 Colorado
9. Jayden Daniels, LSU (NR)
Wk 3 - 30/34 361 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/15 carries 64 yds 2 touchdowns @ Mississippi State (41-14 W)
Season - 70/95 976 yds 8 touchdowns 1 interception/35 carries 157 yds 2 touchdowns
Welcome back to the top-10 Jayden Daniels! After starting the season as our QB10a, sharing the number 10 honor with South Carolina's Spencer Rattler, Daniels saw himself fall out of favor after not having his greatest performance week one against Florida State. Given his talent though, we knew he'd always be either in or around the top 10, coming in as an honorable mention the previous two weeks. That being said, Daniels is again back amongst the 10 best quarterbacks in the draft, at least in my opinion, coming in at number nine. It's really hard to say he doesn't deserve this honor after his performance this past Saturday against conference foe Mississippi State, missing on just four passes while totaling four touchdowns, with two through the air and two on the ground. Daniels and wide receiver Malik Nabers were on a different planet than everybody else last Saturday, with Nabers being on the receiving end of 239 of those yards with both of those passing touchdowns. All around, this was a great game for Daniels and co., which started off early, with the Tigers scoring a field goal and a touchdown on their first two offensive drives. On that first drive, we'd see Daniels show off his scrambling abilities, extending what looked like a busted play and turning it into a first down for LSU.
This play right here is why Daniels is such a problem for opposing defenses. His ability to move around in the pocket, evading potential tacklers before getting the ball out to a receiver for a first down. Not to mention he threw this ball side armed while leaning back. Sure the receiver was open, but that's still not an easy throw for Daniels, though he made it look pretty routine. Daniels would then show his ability to stand tall in the pocket, knowing he's going to take a massive hit, while still getting the ball to his intended receiver.
Though it didn't pick up the first down, the ability to stand tall in the pocket, knowing you're going to get drilled, is something that is easier said than done, especially when the defender comes through pretty much untouched. That being said, LSU would pick up the first down a play later with Daniels pop passing it to Nabers for a five-yard gain. That being said, LSU's drive would end up stalling out, and they'd have to settle for three. On their next drive, Daniels would show off his abilities at throwing on the run once again, hitting Nabers for the first down.
I don't understand how defenses can let a team's best receiver get that wide open. Still, solid throw from Daniels on the run, picking up 32-yards on the play. Daniels and Nabers would hook up again a couple plays later, connecting on a deep ball down the near sideline to go up 10 in the first.
Daniels made it very clear what he was doing that play. He saw Nabers with a match-up he liked and stared him down all the way into the end zone. Just a very well thrown ball from Daniels, and a nice job by Nabers at turning his body in order to make the catch. Very easy drive for LSU, with Daniels and Nabers combining early and often to extend LSU's advantage. LSU's next drive would see Daniels hit a few short to intermediate range passes before getting tackled in the backfield for a four-yard loss. The next play though, on fourth and seven, Daniels and Nabers would connect again, running pretty much the exact same play on their previous touchdown, this time from 33-yards out to go up 17-0.
Like, I 'm pretty sure this is the exact same play LSU ran on their last touchdown drive, but you could say this was a better throw from Daniels as he led Nabers damn near perfectly into the end zone for six. Just as easy as you like. If you like what the defense gave you the last time you ran that play, why not do it again? I love the confidence, because that's not a play you usually see when a team is going for it on fourth and seven, and yet it worked perfectly for the Tigers, once again extending their lead. Though not for a touchdown, Daniels would find Nabers again, this time just picking up a first down on second and seven.
Like we've brought up a few times in this blog post, this isn't necessarily a 'wow' throw or even mean anything in the long run, as LSU would punt a few plays later, but this is a very good throw from Daniels. I try to reiterate this as much as I can, throwing from the far hash to the opposite sideline is a very hard throw, especially when there are defenders in the area. Daniels put a little extra zip on this ball to get it between the defenders, driving it fast and low while picking up a nice first down in the process. Like we mentioned before, the drive would ultimately stall out with LSU being forced to punt, after Daniels was sacked on third and 23. On their next drive though, essentially on the very next play, Daniels would find Nabers down the near sideline for a massive 48-yard gain.
Sure the throw was a little behind Nabers, but I'd honestly rather have that than having Daniels over shoot his intended by five yards. Regardless, I'll take the throw from Daniels, with that throw leading to an eventual Josh Williams touchdown run, putting LSU up 24-0 in the second quarter. On their drive of the second half, Daniels would connect with Brian Thomas Jr. on a 19-yard gain, picking up a first on third and four.
I really like the fact that Daniels put it right on Thomas' body on the throw. After scanning the field from left to right, he zipped the ball into Thomas' chest for the first down. Sure he could've tried to lead Thomas on the throw, but with the defender over top, I think putting it on him was the best option. I could be wrong, but I'm cool with it. This angle shows more of what I mean (nice block too).
Daniels would come close to throwing his second interception of the season later on in this drive, as he tried to hit Chris Hilton Jr. who was coming across the middle.
Though there's a flag on that replay, the refs ended up picking up the flag, which forced LSU to settle for three on fourth and eight. Scary play, but I would say that Hilton ran a pretty lazy route, pretty much halfway jogging to the middle of the field when Daniels let the ball go. Very close to being an interception. Though they settled for three there, the Tigers would score touchdowns on their next two drives, starting off with Daniels picking up a first down with his legs.
Now, obviously Daniels is going to need to learn to avoid the hit stick on that play, but all in all, you love it when you quarterback is able to pick up big gains in the run game. Again though, he needs to avoid those big hits, either go out of bounds or slide, don't try to hit em with a jumping juke move (which he does quite a bit) and get your ass planted, though the Mississippi State player would get ejected for targeting. Daniels would be seen picking up another first donw with his legs before scoring his first of two rushing touchdowns of the game from five-yards out.
Easy. But then on their next drive, which would lead to Daniels scoring again, he'd throw a beautiful ball down the far sideline, hitting , you guessed it, Malik Nabers on 45-yard hook up.
Let's call a spade a spade, that's a damn near perfect throw from Daniels, which would set up his second rushing touchdown of the day, putting the score at 41-7. That would be Daniels' final contribution to the game, which saw LSU absolutely dominate Mississippi State in their first conference game of the season. I don't expect to have as easy of a time against Arkansas this week, as the Razorbacks will be looking to bounce back from their loss to BYU. Should be a fun one.
Preseason - 10a
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - v Arkansas
10. Cameron Ward, Washington State (NR)
Wk 3 - 20/26 327 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 12 yds 1 touchdown v Northern Colorado (64-21 W)
Season - 78/108 986 yds 9 touchdowns 0 interceptions/32 carries 95 yds 2 touchdowns
Welcome to the top 10 for the first time this season Cameron Ward! If you read our blog posts covering the 2023 NFL Draft, Ward was a pretty consistent figure, whether that be him in the actual top 10 or being brought up in the honorable mentions. I am a rather big fan of Cameron Ward's game, and his start to this season has been really fun to watch, it was just hard for me to place him in the top 10 without one or two quarterbacks slipping out. Well, his opportunity has arrived! Again, Ward has been on an absolute tear this season, throwing for almost a thousand yards with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions, while also registering almost 100 yards on the ground with two touchdowns as well. Though he hasn't amassed an outrageous number of rush yards, to this point, he still leads the Cougars in rushing and has been their leading rusher in two of their first three games, which I bet you could've figured out since he is the team leader after all. This past week though, in Washington State's 64-21 victory over Northern Colorado, Ward only registered 12 yards on the ground, though one of his two attempts saw him score a touchdown. In this game, Ward absolutely lit up the Northern Colorado secondary, throwing for 327 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions. And like some of the other quarterbacks we've mentioned in this post, this game was pretty much over before it started, as the Cougars helped an impressive 43-7 lead at halftime, with them scoring a touchdown on every single drive, no punts or turnovers in the first half. Yes, it was against a winless FCS team, who cares? You still have to play well, which Ward and co. did. On their first drive of the game though they did come across a fourth down situation. That being said Ward was able to pick up the two yards necessary to pick up the first. After that though, we'd see Ward dial up the deep ball, hitting Lincoln Victor down the far sideline on a 26-yard play.
Though it was a very good catch from Victor, that is a perfect throw from Cameron Ward. With the defender matching him stride for stride, and another defender playing over top, Ward throwing that on Victor's outside shoulder was the right decision. As the old saying goes, 'let your playmakers make plays,' Ward gave Victor an opportunity to do that with a perfect ball to the outside. A play later, Ward would register his first and only rushing touchdown of the game.
What I really like about this play from Ward is that he starts with his attention focused to the right side of the formation, then once he sees nothing there, he rolls to the left before beating the Northern Colorado defender to the corner for the score. The ability to evade those two tacklers in the backfield then beat the linebacker to the corner is very impressive. Now, if you want to nitpick, he had his receiver to the outside open, which is who I think he was looking for, but the Bears defender popped up in his face, which forced him to ad-lib. Either way, I think Washington State was coming away with six points. Then, after a two point conversion, the Cougars would find themselves up 8-0 early on. Washington State's next drive would be more of the same, with Ward hitting a wide open Kyle Williams for a 37-yard touchdown.
Now, it definitely helps when the defender falls over, but Williams was wide ass open and beat everyone for speed to the corner for the score. To Ward's credit as well, he did a nice job at leading Williams down the field, but that's what you'd expect with a receiver being that wide open. Before the touchdown, Ward just took what the defense gave him, which was pretty much anything and everything. Another fairly easy drive, capped off by an extra point to make it 15-0. I think you can guess where I'm going with this next drive, but I first want to discuss a play Ward made early on in this drive.
At fist glance this is just a dump off, which it is. But I want to focus on Ward evading the oncoming pass rusher before dumping it off to his halfback. Not only that, but look at his eyes, he's scanning the whole field before taking the check down. It's nothing insanely flashy, but it's a very good play from Cameron Ward, which would lead to his second passing touchdown a couple plays later.
I know it's fairly obvious, but Northern Colorado just couldn't match-up with Washington State, whether that be in man or zone coverage. Like, Victor just sat his route down in between two Northern Colorado linebackers, then just beat them for speed once they realized he had the ball. Ward saw the zone, saw what Victor was doing, and again, just took what the defense gave him, which resulted in six more points. Ward would have a very nice bootleg throw to Kyle Williams on their next drive, but the main play to talk about here, other than the touchdown, is Ward's pass to Cooper Mathers.
Here's a better angle.
That is just a crazy throw from Ward. Like we've mentioned a few times before, when two defenders are closing in on your intended receiver, you've got to throw that thing low and hard, which Ward did to perfection. He would then register his third passing touchdown of the game a play later, hitting Josh Kelly from 18-yards out for the score.
If I want to be nit-picky, with the defender playing over top of Kelly, Ward maybe should've driven that ball towards the front pylon, hitting him with a back shoulder throw but again, if you have playmakers, let them make plays. Ward gave Kelly a chance to make a play and he more than did that, skying above the defender to catch the ball for the score. Very good play for the Cougars putting them up 29-0 early in the second quarter. On their next offensive possession, Ward would drill a pass to Josh Kelly on a slant which would pick up 21-yards.
Ward just reared back and zipped that sob to Kelly for the first down. Great hands catch by Kelly too, but great job by Ward at throwing the ball right off the inside shoulder of the linebacker. As he's shuffling outside, Ward throws it pretty much to where he was, which saw Kelly sear past, caching the ball for a nice gain. Ward would hit Lincoln Victor a few plays later on the exact same route, just on the opposite side, which would set up a nice six-yard Nakia Watson touchdown run. The next drive would see Ward flash some of the arm talent again, hitting Josh Kelly on a well thrown and timed comeback route, which put the Cougars in excellent field position.
Ward's last touchdown came by way of a Lincoln Victor screen play, which saw him hit the receiver right at the line of scrimmage before Victor would do the rest for the score.
That would be Cameron Ward's final contribution to the game, as he wouldn't see the field in the second half, and the Cougars would come out massive victors over Northern Colorado in this one. This coming week should provide an interesting test for the undefeated Cougars, as they take on a tough Oregon State team who have a fairly decent pass defense. I do think Washington State will have enough to overcome this challenge, especially with it being at home, but I guess time will tell.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - v no.14 Oregon State
Other
Joe Milton III, Tennessee (9)
Wk 3 - 20/34 287 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/5 carries 6 yds 0 touchdowns @ Florida (29-16 L)
Wk 3 - 2- 62/97 716 yds 6 touchdowns 1 interception/17 carries 46 yds 3 touchdowns
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (10)
Wk 3 - 22/42 256 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/8 carries 35 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.1 Georgia (24-14 L)
Season - 77/108 954 yds 4 touchdowns 2 interceptions/24 carries 21 yds 1 touchdown
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky
Wk 3 - 21/37 207 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/7 carries 14 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.6 Ohio State (63-10 L)
Season - 77/120 796 yds 7 touchdowns 1 interception/14 carries 55 yds 2 touchdowns
Jordan Travis, Florida State
Wk 3 - 15/24 212 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 38 yds 0 touchdowns @ Boston College (31-29 W)
Season - 53/84 729 yds 8 touchdowns 1 interception/17 carries 96 yds 1 touchdown
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (FL)
Wk 3 - 19/23 247 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 16 yds 1 touchdown v Bethune-Cookman (48-7 W)
Season - 57/75 822 yds 8 touchdowns 1 interception/4 carries 4 yds 1 touchdown
Previous Rankings
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