Hello one and all and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post, brought to you by the Logan Blackman Show! I'm sure you understand how things go around here at this point, but if you don't, let's go over some of the ground rules first.
So, down below there will be a list of the top 10 (or so) quarterbacks going into the 2024 NFL Draft. Yes, I am aware this list will be absolutely irrelevant by the time the draft rolls around, but who cares right? This is just for fun!
Now, I don't predict you'll be seeing too many changes from last week, at least at the top of the list, but we may see some new faces, and some new arrangements the further you go down, which always makes this exciting! I just hope you agree with at least some of the rankings presented before you today, as we are all individual people with our own individual ideas and beliefs. (though I'm the one with the blog post, so my opinions matter more)
Without any further delay, I, Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present our week four quarterback prospect rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
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Pictured: Caleb Williams, USC; Cameron Ward, Washington State; Michael Penix Jr., Washington
1. Caleb Williams, USC
Wk 4 - 20/31 322 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/9 carries 10 yds 2 touchdowns @ Arizona State (42-28 W)
Season - 75/101 1,200 yds 15 touchdowns 0 interceptions/21 carries 71 yds 3 touchdowns
As the season goes on, the more I fear about USC's defense. The offense, led by undisputed QB1 Caleb Williams, is fine, but their defense stresses me out, and will continue to do so as we progress further and further into the college football season. For example, this past week USC took on Arizona State, an Arizona State team that got blanked 29-0 by Fresno State and who had only scored over 20-points once so far this season. So USC, the once fifth ranked team in the country, shipping 28 is kind of nerve racking, especially when you see they have Colorado, Notre Dame, Washington, and Oregon still left on the schedule (no disrespect to Utah, but these teams have objectively better offenses), with the latter two holding the top two spots in the nation for total offense, with USC coming in at third. As long as Caleb Williams is kicking it, USC will always have a chance, and he made some fantastic plays en-route to USC's 42-28 win this past Saturday, totaling five touchdowns on the day, with the first one coming on the Trojans' first drive of the game. That being said, the drive didn't start off the best, as back-to-back penalties set them up with a third and 20 situation at their own 15-yard line. Thankfully, Williams would deliver a dart to Zachariah Branch, picking up 23-yards and the first down in the process. Though it wasn't an insanely tight window, Williams did a nice job at placing the ball between four Arizona State defenders, finding the hole in the defense and picking up the first down. Williams would flash the athleticism later on in the drive, punching it in from a yard out to give USC the 7-0 advantage. Going from what looked like a busted play to a score was very impressive, as Williams pulled the ball from his running back before rolling out to the right, going 10-yards backwards in the process, and hitting the near pylon on the far sideline for the score. Just Caleb Williams being Caleb Williams I guess. USC would fumble the ball away on the first play of their next drive, but Williams and co. would right the ship on the following drive, going on a nine-play drive to go up 14-7 after the ASU score following the fumble. The drive would start off with Williams hitting Michael Jackson III on a second and five play, picking up 16-yards in the process, with Williams doing a nice job at staying still in the pocket and delivering a strike to Jackson for the first. As we've discussed before in these blog posts, when a receiver is coming across the middle, and there's a defender in front of him, where do you put the ball? That's right, on his body. You do not want to lead the receiver into the path of the defender, so Williams did a nice job at placing this ball on his back hip, which kept him from taking an even bigger hit than he did. A few plays later, on fourth and seven, Williams would hit Brenden Rice on a very well thrown back foot throw. Leaning back in the pocket with defenders coming from around the edge, Williams threw it up to Rice hoping he'd make a play, which he did, high pointing the ball before walking into the end zone for the score. Then, after a failed Arizona State onside kick attempt, USC would find the end zone again, with Williams registering his second rushing score of the game. Before then, we'd see him hit Dorian Singer on a 14-yard curl route, as well as hitting Lake McRee on a Kansas City Chiefs esc play, before punching it in on a quarterback sneak a play later. Though not as impressive as his first rushing touchdown, they both count for the same number of points. USC would be forced to punt on their next drive, which would see Williams throw what could've been his first interception of the season. After rolling to his left, he tried to force the ball to Austin Jones, which saw an Arizona State defender jump the route and should've been picked off. Could've been a massive momentum shifter for the Sun Devils, but instead, they had to go into the half behind 21-13. That being said, they would hold the Trojans to a field goal on their next drive, with nine-yard Williams sack forcing them to settle for three. USC would have to settle for another field goal on their next drive, as a OPI brought back a Williams touchdown that would've put them up 31-21 midway through the third. Though the drive kind of stalled out, Williams would show off excellent ball placement by hitting Zachariah Branch for a 36-yard gain.
With a defender all over Branch's back, there was about a 5% chance this pass would actually be completed, but again, Williams somehow fits the ball in there for the big gain. Just a great throw from Williams, just a shame it didn't end up with six. USC's next couple drives would result in much, as they'd turn it over on downs and punt the ball away, but Williams would flash the ball placement again, hitting Kyron Hudson on a slant route which picked up 18. Not as insane as the ball to Branch, but still impressive, though it ultimately wouldn't count for anything. After an ASU fumble, USC would finally register their first touchdown of the second half, as Williams would hit Brenden Rice again for the score, this time from 29-yards out, featuring some special trickeration from Williams in the backfield to get this ball out.
Busted coverage causes Rice to be wide ass open, but that all starts when Williams scrambles around in the pocket. The receivers adjust their routes accordingly to where Williams is moving, and dude delivers the ball for six. Following a two-point conversion, USC now finds themselves up 35-21 in the fourth. USC would find the end zone on their next drive as well, which would see Williams and Tahj Washington hook up for the 45-yard score. Not the greatest throw from Williams, as Washington had a step on his defender, but like we said before, they all count for six, and USC would see out the game after that, beating Arizona State by a score of 42-28. Again, USC's defense stresses me out, but as long as Williams and the offense are humming, they'll score a lot of points. This weekend they take on Colorado, a team who just got shelled 42-6 against Oregon last weekend. I am expecting this to be a very high scoring game as neither team find much joy in playing defense. Should be a very fun match-up between Williams and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.
Preseason - 1a
Wk 0/1 - 1
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - @ Colorado
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Wk 4 - 22/30 296 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/10 carries 3 yds 2 touchdowns @ Pitt (41-24 W)
Season - 96/132 1,187 yds 5 touchdowns 4 interceptions/38 carries 119 yds 3 touchdowns
I was a little nervous going into this game for Drake Maye and the North Carolina Tar Heels. After putting forth a very solid performance against Minnesota last weekend, the Tar Heels were opening conference play against a Pitt Panthers team who boasted one of the top passing defenses in all of college football. Nervous may not be the 100% right word to use there, as I didn't think Pitt would upset North Carolina last Saturday, but I did think Pitt's defense would cause some problems for Maye and the passing offense. Though he didn't throw for over 400-yards again, Maye still put forth a very solid performance, coming up just short of 300-yards passing with three total touchdowns, one through the air and the other two coming via the ground game. Though Maye wouldn't register a touchdown on the Tar Heels first drive of the game, he would flash some of the athleticism on the ground, picking up 11-yards to pick up a first down on third and six, which would keep the drive alive ultimately setting up a Omarion Hampton score from three-yards out. Maye would hit a couple short throws to the flat as well as a ball down the far sideline, which was a very impressive display of arm strength as he threw the ball from the near hash to the far sideline with a defender jumping in his face for a 18-yard gain. North Carolina would be forced to punt the ball away on their next drive, after going three and out. That being said, Maye would punch the ball in from a yard out on the following drive, which would tie the game up at 14 a piece. All set up though by a solid punt return and a flea-flicker turned roughing the passer call that would set the Tar Heels up at the one-yard line. The flea-flicker play was really impressive from Maye, as he stood tall and strong in the pocket, knowing he was going to take a shot, before hitting his tight end John Copenhaver for the big play which again, would help UNC score a few plays later on a QB sweep. Following a North Carolina punt return touchdown, putting them up 21-17 in the latter stages of the first half, Drake Maye and the offense would be forced to start a drive all the way back on their own nine-yard line. I guess you could say on their own two-yard line, as Maye would get sacked on the Tar Heels first play of the drive. That being said, Maye would hit Omarion Hampton on a swing route which would pick up 19, before hitting Nate McCollum for 29-yards and a first down.
Very impressive placement from Maye on this throw, picking up a very solid gain in the process. Then, after Maye picked up 15-yards for a first with his legs, we'd see him hit Kobe Paysour in the end zone from seven-yards out to go up 28-17. The only thing is, Maye didn't throw this with his right hand...
Yes, you saw (or read, depending on if the video worked or not) that right, Maye hit Paysour in the end zone with his left hand. If you couldn't figure it out, Maye is not a left handed quarterback, and sure Paysour was open but still, how often do you see a quarterback throw with his non dominant hand at all, let alone for a touchdown? It just doesn't happen, does it? No, it doesn't, but what makes this even funnier is that this was Maye's only passing touchdown of the game. A 91-yard drive capped off with a left handed touchdown pass from a right handed quarterback, couldn't draw it up any better than that. On their next drive though, which would again result in six, Maye would hit J.J. Jones on a beautifully thrown deep ball up the middle of the field for a 52-yard gain. Just a very well thrown ball to pick up the massive gain, which would help set up Maye's second, and final, rushing touchdown of the day, this time just punching it up the middle for six, putting UNC up 35-17 early on in the third quarter. North Carolina would score two more field goals to get them to 41, with Maye hitting some nice passes which would set up said field goals, like his pass up the seem to Kobe Paysour up the seem for 22-yards.
This was a throw where again, the ball has to be pretty low and driven. With three defenders around the receiver, Maye had to make sure Paysour was the only one who could come up with the ball, as well as making sure he doesn't take any unnecessary hits in the process of making the catch. Maye would hit a couple nice throws on North Carolina's next drive, following the Pitt kick off return touchdown, hitting Paysour on a low drive ball to pick up a first on third and eight as well as hitting J.J. Jones on a well caught ball on the sideline to pick up a further 17. North Carolina wouldn't do a whole lot more offensively after those two field goals, punting it on their next three drives before turning it over on downs later on in the fourth. Thankfully though, Maye and the Tar Heels had done enough to come away with a nice 41-24 victory on the road, which is a nice thing to have going into your bye week.
Preseason - 1b
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - BYE
3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 4 - 23/33 159 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/10 carries -34 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.10 Oregon (42-6 L)
Season - 130/169 1,410 yds 11 touchdowns 1 interception/35 carries -93 yds 1 touchdown
This was just a rough game for Colorado. After coming off an emotionally charged victory against instate rivals Colorado State, the Buffaloes traveled to Eugene, Oregon to take on the 10th ranked Ducks. To many, including myself, this was Colorado's first real test of the season, going on the road against a top-10 conference foe. I am aware TCU went all the way to the National Championship game last season, but they lost a lot of key players and their defense wasn't that good last year, let alone this year. Plus, Colorado could somewhat use the 'element of surprise' I guess because no one really knew how good they'd be going into the season. The talent was and is clearly there, but because they had so many new pieces and were a one-win team the season before, most out there didn't know what to expect. After starting the season 3-0, people were now well aware of the threat Colorado could pose, especially on offense. Defensively they still need to answer some questions, even more so after this past Saturday's game against Oregon. Colorado is definitely on the up and up, but they were not ready for anything Oregon brought last week, as the Ducks came away 42-6 victors, which could've been more had they not called the dogs off at the start of the fourth quarter. As for Shedeur Sanders, neither him nor the offense could get anything going, as they punted on their first six drives of the game, fumbling on the seventh, with only two of those drives lasting longer than six plays. And like most games Colorado has played this season, Sanders got hit a lot, getting sacked seven times in the outing, which is the second time this season he has been sacked seven times in a game, with the first coming in Colorado's win over Nebraska. As of right now, Sanders has been sacked 22 times, which is good for most in college football. Again though, with drives not lasting longer than six plays, Sanders and the offense could never get anything going. Sanders would find Javon Antonio for 15-yards on a crossing route which picked up a first down on third and five, but the drive would ultimately stall out. He would throw a near interception early on in the second quarter after rolling out to his right after the o-line collapsed around him. It probably should've been picked off but Sanders was just trying to make literally anything happen, but it again resulted in a punt. That being said, the defense would come up with a much needed interception down 21-0, but the following drive would again result in a punt. Sanders would have a decent low throw to Michael Harrison for 11-yards and a first down, but they'd get nothing more after crossing the 50. Sanders would take a big sack just before halftime, with Colorado now down 35-0, things looked rather bleak. Later on in the third quarter, Sanders would have a nice completion to Xavier Weaver on a nice 16-yard gain on third and 15 while also showing off the athleticism picking up a 3rd and 19 with a 28-yard run, but again, nothing would come from this drive. That being said, Sanders would find the end zone on Colorado's next drive, hitting a wide open Michael Harrison for the six-yard score. Before then we'd see him hit a few intermediate passes which would set up the score, but nothing massive since he never really had time to do anything. All in all, this was a rough game for Sanders and the Buffaloes, Oregon was just too much, both offensively and defensively. Sanders was still efficient though despite having zero time to throw the ball, and sometimes that's all you can ask for. I don't know how close this Saturday's game with be against USC, but given the Trojans 'ole' style defense, Colorado should be able to put up some decent numbers, though I don't trust their defense to do much against Caleb Williams and USC's high powered offense. We could be in for a fun high scoring affair on Saturday.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - v no.8 USC
4. Riley Leonard, Duke
Wk 4 - 23/34 248 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/4 carries 30 yds 1 touchdown @ UConn (41-7 W)
Season - 67/99 778 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/29 carries 238 yds 4 touchdowns
Another predictably easy game for Riley Leonard and the Duke Blue Devils this past Saturday, as they took on a winless UConn team on the road, coming away 41-7 victors. Now, though the outcome of the game was rather predictable, in the last blog post we did go over the fact how UConn could potentially be Duke's toughest test since their week one victory over Clemson, as the other teams were Lafayette and Northwestern. Though that's not a very high bar to set, UConn did cause Duke some problems, at least early on, forcing them to go three and out on their first drive and holding them to only one score by the time the first quarter came to a close. All in all though, Duke took care of business, with Riley Leonard putting forth yet another solid performance, throwing for nearly 250 yards with two total touchdowns, which could've very well been three had Jalon Calhoun held onto the ball on a well placed pass by Leonard to the corner of the end zone. That being said, Duke would score a few plays later, with Jordan Waters punching it in from a yard out to go up 7-0 early on. Duke's next drive would see the Blue Devils start on their own four-yard line, and after a few dink and dunk passes from Leonard, we'd see him pick up 17-yards on third and eight, picking up the first down. Now, I couldn't tell if it was a designed run or Leonard just thought the best option was to just tuck and run, but he did a nice job at keeping his balance to get around the right tackle as well as beating a few Husky defenders to the sticks for the nice gain. I will say though, I'm sure his coaches will want him to learn to slide at some point, but for now, it extends the drive. We'd then see Leonard hit Sahmir Hagans across the middle for a 10-yard gain, as well as hit Jordan Moore for a further 10-yards, before trying out the deep ball to Moore again, but DPI broke the play up. It was well placed ball from Leonard, and who knows what the play could've gone for had the defender not pulled Moore back, especially given the fact Duke had to settle for a field goal. Now, they did convert on fourth down in that drive, with Leonard tossing a nice side armed pass to Jalon Calhoun for a nice seven-yard gain and a first down.
Similar to that of the Caleb Williams play, this was just a very well placed ball from Riley Leonard. Though it didn't go for a massive gain or anything, with the defender all over Calhoun's back, the ball needed to be thrown perfectly, which it was. Again though, Duke's drive would stall out and they'd have to settle for a field goal. Then, after a UConn fumble, Duke would need just one play to score, as Jordan Waters would run in from 10-yards out to extend Duke's lead to 17 in the second quarter. Leonard would fumble on Duke's next offensive drive, though the Blue Devils would ultimately jump on the ball, keeping their drive alive long enough for them to score another touchdown, where we'd see Leonard register his first touchdown of the day, pulling it from the running back and bouncing in from three-yards out to go up a further 24. Leonard would also connect with Jordan Waters in the flat on third and 18, picking up 20-yards in the process, which would help set up Leonard's touchdown run. Duke would manage to score one more time before the half via a Todd Pelino 40-yard field goal. Leonard would hit a few intermediate throws that would eat up a lot of yards after the catch, though his best throw would be to Nicky Dalmolin down the near sideline, which ultimately set up Pelino's kick, giving the Blue Devils a 27-0 halftime lead. The throw to Dalmolin wasn't a jaw dropping throw or anything, but it was well placed down the sideline, putting it only where Dalmolin could get it, forcing him to make a play, which again, set up the field goal. Now, though the finished the first half strong, scoring 20-points in the second quarter alone, they really struggled to get things going in the second half, punting and missing a field goal on their first two drives of the half, with Leonard missing some passes throughout, though he would hit some more intermediate throws throughout the drive as well. Thankfully, the defense would step up big time and return a fumble for a touchdown before Riley Leonard would register his first passing touchdown of the game, hitting Jordan Moore for the 22-yard score. Before that though, Leonard would find Jalon Calhoun on a nice 24-yard gain across the middle.
To be honest, the touchdown isn't really worth showing as it was as easy as you'd like, as Moore was wide ass open for the score, putting Duke up 41-0. With the corner coming in to blitz Leonard, and the safety not covering over top, all Leonard needed to do was not miss Brown and it would be a score, which thankfully he didn't. Unsurprisingly, with the score looking how it did, that was Leonard's last contribution to the game, as Duke would come out 41-7 victors over the UConn Huskies, setting up a very intriguing match-up against Notre Dame this weekend. I was excited to watch Duke's week one game against Clemson, but this Notre Dame game should be really fun to watch, as both are very solid outfits with very good quarterbacks. Let's hope Duke's home crowd is up to the task on Saturday.
Preseason - 3
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - v no.11 Notre Dame
5. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Wk 4 - 19/25 304 yds 4 touchdowns 1 interception/2 carries 5 yds 0 touchdowns v Cal (59-32 W)
Season - 103/138 1,636 yds 16 touchdowns 2 interceptions/6 carries 14 yds 0 touchdowns
To me, apart from maybe USC, Washington have been the most fun team to watch so far this college football season. With Penix at the helm with three studs out wide, the Husky offense shows absolutely no mercy to their opposition. Like, against Michigan State last week, Washington decided to run the no huddle offense going into halftime. I am aware that this is a fairly standard practice as you want the momentum to be on your side going into the locker room, but you don't normally see that when you're already up 28-0, that's got to count as bullying, right? Regardless of how you feel about that, I personally am for it. Never take your foot off the gas, especially when have an F1 racer for an offense, which was on display again this week against conference foe Cal, as Washington came out 59-32 victors at home. What's crazy about this game is that when Penix and the Washington offense took the field for the first time, the Huskies were already up 14-0, thanks to a pick-six and a punt return touchdown. Isn't that crazy? Gifting a potential Heisman winning quarterback a 14-0 cushion before he even steps on the field? It was a bold strategy Cotton, but it did not pay off for the Golden Bears, as Penix would throw his first of four touchdown passes on his first drive. After a few intermediate passes that would eat up quite a few yards, Penix would find Ja'Lynn Polk from eight-yards out on a well thrown fade ball to the far corner of the end zone for six. Though the throw was well placed, you got to give credit to Polk for high pointing the ball and controlling it to the ground with the defender all over him. It shouldn't be too much of a surprise though as again, Washington may have the best receiving core in all of college football. On the Huskies next drive, which started thanks to another interception, Penix would miss fire on a couple passes, which forced Washington to settle for three, thus extending their lead to 24-6, still in the first quarter. Don't worry though sports fans, as the Washington offense would find the end zone again on their next drive, which started off with a bomb to Rome Odunze for 44-yards. It wasn't the greatest throw from Penix given that there were three Cal defenders around Odunze, but give credit to the receiver, as he did an excellent job at coming back to the ball thus picking up the big gain. All that being said, Penix did throw this off his back foot with a defender pressuring him up the middle, so maybe it's a touchdown if he has time. Regardless, it was still a big gain that helped set up a touchdown. Penix would throw an interception on Washington's next drive though, which kind of like the throw to Odunze, probably wasn't the best decision from Penix.
This replay doesn't really show it, but Penix had a lot of time in the pocket before delivering that ball, so give credit to the Cal defense on that one, forcing a bad throw from a quarterback that rarely makes bad decisions with the football. That being said, the Washington defense would come away with their third pick of the game, exactly one play later, and Penix would rectify his mistake by leading another touchdown drive. Before the score though, Penix would show off the running ability, which is something he rarely ever does, picking up a nice first down on third and three. Penix would then hit Germie Bernard up the seem for a 20-yard play on second and 18 before finding Ja'Lynn Polk, again, on a beautifully thrown deep ball down the near sideline for six.
You really can't throw a ball much better than that. I know it may just look like a normal fade route, but that window was ridiculously small, and Penix led Polk absolutely perfectly for the touchdown. The first half scoring wouldn't stop there though, oh no no no, as Penix would register his third passing touchdown of the half on Washington's next drive, which would ultimately put them up 45-12 just before the half. Before the score, we'd see Penix hit Polk a few more times on this drive, mostly on curl routes, before hitting Rome Odunze for the 35-yard score.
Again, this is a very well thrown ball by Penix. Keeping it away from the defender and allowing his receiver to make a play on the ball, which of course he did. And like we brought up before, I love the fact that Washington is always trying to score, not matter what time it is in the game. Like, they were already up 38-12, most teams would've probably just run the clock out and take that lead into the half, but not the Huskies, as they always want more. What makes it even funnier is that they get the ball to start the second half too, so everything just keeps stacking on top of each other. With that being said, I don't think it'd surprise you too much if I said Washington scored on their first drive of the second half, with Penix registering his fourth passing touchdown of the game. Before that though, Washington would come out running a flea flicker, on the first play of the drive, which would see Penix connect with Polk on a 21-yard gain. Very well thrown ball between a few Cal defenders and a great catch by Polk, who had to reach up to snag that ball down for the big gain. Penix would then find Odunze on a little screen play, maybe a yard past the line of scrimmage, which would lead to that aforementioned fourth touchdown. Nothing spectacular, Odunze again, caught the ball pretty much at the line of scrimmage, turned up field, then found the end zone, putting the score at 52-12. On their next drive, though Washington would end up turning it over on downs, Penix would find, guess who, Ja'Lynn Polk for a 35-yard gain.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, that is a perfectly thrown ball by Penix. Like, would it be crazy to say that that was his best throw of the night? Am I crazy for thinking that? Because the ball placement on that throw was truly something to behold, not to mention it picked up 35-yards in the process. Unsurprisingly, Penix's night was done after that drive, as Washington would go on to defeat the California Golden Bears by a final score of 59-32. Once again, Penix put on another fantastic performance, and he really should be considered as Caleb Williams' main rival for the Heisman Trophy. With that being said, I expect the hype to continue as the Huskies are taking on Arizona. Though Arizona is a solid outfit, I don't expect Washington to have too many issues, especially with wide receiver Jalen McMillan expected to be back in the lineup. No disrespect to the Wildcats, I just think Washington is that good.
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - @ Arizona
6. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Wk 4 - 18/23 293 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/5 carries 16 yds 1 touchdown @ Baylor (38-6 W)
Season - 72/112 1,033 yds 9 touchdowns 0 interceptions/18 carries 34 yds 3 touchdowns
This was a game where we were expecting very little issues from Ewers and the Texas offense. Coming off a weird-ish game against Wyoming the week before, Texas opened conference play against a Baylor team that lost two of their first three games, with one of those loses coming against a Texas State team that lost to UTSA the following week. Like, Baylor came into that game as -26.5 point favorites, at home, and ended up losing 42-31. So, not only did they not cover, they lost by double digits again, at home. So going into a game against Texas who again, were going to want to correct somethings from that weird-ish game against Wyoming, I slightly feared for Baylor. That being said, things didn't start out the smoothest for the Longhorns, as their first play went five-yards backwards. And though Ewers did complete a short pass to Ja'Tavion Sanders that ended up going for 11-yards and a first down, they would ultimately have to punt the ball away after six-plays. Texas' next drive though would see them score the first points of the game, thanks to a 40-yard Jonathon Brooks run that was partially set up by a Ewers connecting with a wide open Xavier Worthy for 15-yards and a first down. I say partially, that was the first play of their massive two play drive, so I should say it definitely helped set up Brooks' touchdown run, but I digress. Then, after a Baylor field goal, Ewers would connect with Adonai Mitchell for 16-yards, though they would be forced to punt for the second time in the game on that drive. Texas would find the end zone the following drive though, which started off with Ewers finding Mitchell on a short slant route that picked up 17-yards before hitting Jordan Whittington after rolling out to his left for 14-yards the following play. A few plays later, we would see Ewers register his first rushing touchdown of the game, scampering in from 29-yards out to give Texas a 14-3 lead in the second.
This is probably the most improved area in Ewers' game, as last year he was more or less seen as a meat statue. But after losing a bunch of weight in the offseason, Ewers has become much more of a threat in the run game. Like, there was probably a 1% chance of him doing this last year, yet he made it look so routine. After seeing nothing open down field, and a gap to the left, Ewers makes a very smart decision by tucking it and running, great play from him here. Ewers wouldn't be asked to do much on Texas' next drive, as Xavier Worthy completed a 35-yard pass to Ja'Tavion Sanders before CJ Baxter punched it in from seven-yards out, marking Texas' second two play drive of the game. Ewers would be seen throwing the ball around on their next drive, hitting Gunnar Helm on a well timed throw up the seem for 16-yards and finding Jonathon Brooks in the flat, who made a very nice catch while also picking up 18-yards, setting up his own touchdown from two-yards out, putting Texas up further 28-3. Texas' next drive would stall out before the half, but at the start of the third quarter, Ewers would show very nice ball placement, finding Sanders up the seem for a 49-yard gain.
It must be said, fantastic one-handed grab by the tight end Sanders on this play, but again, with the linebacker seemingly cutting off the angle, Ewers did a nice job at putting it in a spot where only his intended receiver could get it, picking up a massive gain in the process. Unfortunately the drive would stall out and the Longhorns would have to settle for a field goal. Then, the Longhorn defense picked off Sawyer Robertson in the red zone, Ewers would lead Texas on a nice 95-yard seven-play drive that would see Ewers register his first passing touchdown of the evening. Ewers would have a nice little dump off pass to CJ Baxter that picked up 12-yards before hitting Johntay Cook II on a very well thrown deep ball up the seem for 51-yards. Ewers would then find Xavier Worthy a couple plays later from 21-yards out to go up 38-6 in the third quarter. Ewers' day would only last one more drive, in a drive where he'd only really complete shorter throws that would go for a decent amount of yards after the catch, before Bert Auburn missed a 26-yard field goal. All in all, Texas still came out on top, winning 38-6, with Ewers having his most efficient game of the season. From everything Ewers did in this game, the run was by far my favorite part. We already know what he can do in the pass game, if he stays consistent, but his running ability is a whole new element to his game that just continues to get better. I'm excited to see how he does against a Kansas team who possess the second best defense in regards to yards allowed in the Big 12. Should be a very fun one come Saturday afternoon.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - v no.24 Kansas
7. JJ McCarthy, Michigan
Wk 4 - 15/21 214 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/7 carries 51 yds 0 touchdowns v Rutgers (31-7 W)
Season - 71/89 915 yds 8 touchdowns 3 interceptions/14 carries 86 yds 0 touchdowns
This was a somewhat weird game from Michigan. Like, sure, they ended up winning 31-7, but this wasn't just a good ol'fashioned ass kicking that many were expecting when they saw Michigan was playing Rutgers. Sure Rutgers was undefeated going into this game, it still doesn't change that fact that when people see Michigan is playing Rutgers, at home no less, it should be a comfortable victory for the Wolverines, which in truth it wasn't. After Rutgers scored on the third play of the game, Michigan responded by going three and out, which is something I was not expecting. That being said, the Wolverines would bounce back on the following drive, as McCarthy would hit a wide ass open Donovan Edwards in the flat, picking up a whopping 33-yards on a pass that traveled two-yards past the line of scrimmage. A play later, McCarthy would hit another wide ass open receiver, this time his tight end, Colston Loveland, on a flea flicker that ended up going for 35-yards. Blake Corum would punch it into the end zone from two-yards out on the very next play. Really easy drive from McCarthy and co. as the two big pass plays of the drive saw no Rutgers defender within 15-yards of the intended receiver, which is what you want to see if you're a Michigan fan. McCarthy would then show off the athleticism on Michigan's next drive, pulling it from Corum on a read option play on third and three, picking up a nice 16-yards in the process. McCarthy wound then find Colston Loveland for a short gain a couple plays later and though they didn't end up picking up the first down, or registering any points thanks to a missed field goal, McCarthy did an excellent job at standing tall in the pocket, knowing he was going to get rocked, and delivered a catchable ball to his tight end. Sometimes it's the little things you want to see from your quarterback, and that was one of them, though again it didn't help anything on the score card. Though they didn't manage to score there, McCarthy would help Michigan get their second touchdown of the day on their next drive, starting off by hitting Roman Wilson for 23-yards on third down on a very nice ball across the middle. McCarthy would then again show off his running ability, picking up a further 22-yards on the following play, before throwing a beautiful back shoulder ball to Semaj Morgan for the 18-yard score.
That is a damn near perfect throw from McCarthy. With the defender essentially matching Morgan stride-for-stride, throwing that back shoulder was by far the best option for McCarthy, and he placed it exactly where it needed to be. Good job by Morgan too and understanding the situation and knowing the the back shoulder throw would be coming. That's the type of play you want to see from your quarterback, and McCarthy delivered. On Michigan's first drive of the second half, on fourth and one, we'd see McCarthy again using his legs to pick up a first down, pulling it from Donovan Edwards and picking up nine-yards on the play. He may want to learn how to slide though, because him cutting the run off at a 90 degree angle and running out of bounds just looked awkward, at least to me. He would later find Roman Wilson for a nice 25-yard completion before a Blake Corum run would set up a 46-yard field goal attempt, which was actually made, giving Michigan a 17-7 lead in the third. A Michigan pick six would further extend the score, making it 24-7, before McCarthy and the offense would come back on the field and put the final nail in the coffin, with Corum scoring from five-yards out to make the score 31-7. We would see McCarthy picking up another first down with his legs, though him extending the ball out with defenders all around him kind of stressed me out. He would then find Colston Loveland on a very well thrown ball up the seem, picking up 28-yards.
Great catch by Loveland, but great ball placement by McCarthy. Knowing you have your tight end in a size mismatch, throw it up high and allow him to make a play. Though it's scary having that safety coming in from the top, but again, McCarthy placed this only where his tight end could get it, which resulted int the big play and led to Corum's touchdown run. McCarthy would throw the ball one more time on Michigan's last drive of the game before just handing the ball off a bunch of times to seal Michigan's victory. Again, this wasn't as easy of a game as many out there thought, but McCarthy and the Michigan offense did a nice job at having long drives that resulted in points, most of the time. I am intrigued about this week from Michigan though, as they travel to Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers. If you remember back to last year, this was a game McCarthy kind of struggled in, completing under 50% of his passes. After seeing how he's played this year, I expect his numbers to vastly improve, though it could prove to be an interesting test for Michigan. I'm not at all insinuating a loss is on the cards, but Nebraska, though 2-2, could cause some headaches for the Wolverines, especially with this game being in Lincoln.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - @ Nebraska
8. Cameron Ward, Washington State (+2)
Wk 4 - 28/34 404 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/9 carries 14 yds 1 touchdown v no.14 Oregon State (38-35 W)
Season - 106/142 1,390 yds 13 touchdowns 0 interceptions/41 carries 109 yds 3 touchdowns
This was one of the games I was really looking forward to last weekend. Washington State v Oregon State may not normally get a lot of national attention, but when have two top 25 teams with two talented quarterbacks, more eyes are naturally going to be drawn towards you, especially if you're looking forward to the upcoming NFL Draft. Now, one quarterback has been drawing more attention this year, and that is Washington State's Cameron Ward, who jumps up one spot in the rankings from the previous week. Like we said in the last blog post, Ward was a figure in our quarterback rankings prior to the last Draft, but every question mark regarding his game from last year to this year has seemingly gone away. He's a lot more consistent in the passing game and isn't trying to force this issue so much, as one of the marks of being a good quarterback, especially in the NFL, is just taking what the defense gives you, which is exactly what Ward has been doing, while also eating on the deep ball. This game was no different, as he registered his second 400+ yard passing performance of the season as Washington State conquered another top 25 opponent last Saturday, with this game arguably being the best of his Washington State career, up until this point anyways, and it started off early. On Washington State's first play of the game we'd see Ward utilize his legs to pick up 12-yards and a first down. Then, on their second play from scrimmage, Ward would hit Kyle Williams for a 63-yard touchdown pass. As easy as you'd like, Williams absolutely cooked the Oregon State defender(s) off the line, creating about seven-yards of separation between himself and the nearest defender. It's kind of funny watching the play back because when the camera pans to Williams about ready to catch the ball, you just see three Beaver defenders giving chase, knowing damn well they're not actually going to be able to catch him, just helpless as the Cougars go up seven early on. Washington State would continue their touchdown scoring ways on their next drive, starting off with Ward hitting Josh Kelly on an insane play to move the ball 29-yards down the field.
What a ridiculous catch by Kelly. Great throw by Ward but again, Kelly had absolutely no reason to catch that football, and yet he did, moving the Cougars to the Oregon State side of the 50. Ward would find Kelly again a few plays later on a back shoulder throw down the near sideline, with a face mask penalty pushing the ball all the way to the four-yard line, which would see Ward register his first and only rushing touchdown of the game, putting the Cougars up 14-0 early on in the first. Ward would be seen hitting a few out routes from the far hash to the near sideline, each picking up first downs, before he'd hook up with Kelly, again, for a 44-yard score. Though it was a long throw, going from the near hash to the far sideline, Kelly pretty much did everything, turning up field after catching the ball, spinning out of three or four Oregon State tackles before winding up in the end zone for six. To sum it up, Josh Kelly was just on one in this game. Ward would then remind people who he is on Washington State's next drive, hitting Kyle Williams for a big play down the near sideline.
That is perfect ball placement from Ward, who put it right where it needed to be, picking up a big time gain in the process. Unfortunately for the Cougars, wide receiver Jaylen Jenkins would fumble on the very next play, turning it over to Oregon State in the process. A similar thing would happen on Washington State's next drive, but this time it would be Ward who coughed up the football. Trying to move up to the left side of the pocket, Ward had it tucked in his right arm before an Oregon State defender reached around and knocked it out. Once again, turning it over to the Beavers. To spin this in a positive way, only one of Washington State's fumbles would result in Oregon State touchdowns, as the Beavers would turn it over on downs after Ward's fumble. Ward would make up for the fumble on Washington State's next drive, finding Josh Kelly in the end zone from 11-yards out to give them a 28-14 halftime lead.
Was Kelly wide open? Yes, but that all happens once Ward starts scrambling, forcing the defenders to adjust on the fly while allowing the receivers to find openings in the coverage. Ironically, the start of this play is similar to when Ward got strip sacked. Tucked the ball in his right arm and stepped up to the left, only this time he didn't lose the ball, instead coming away with a touchdown. Washington State's first drive in the second half wouldn't reap the same benefits though, as after the defense forced the Beavers to turn it over on downs in their own territory, the Cougars would gain zero yards of offense before missing a field goal that would've put them up by three-scores. Thankfully though they'd bounce back on their second drive, as Ward would lead a 12-play drive to put the Cougars up 35-14 late into the third. After a fake punt extended the drive, Ward would hit on a few intermediate passes before finding Kelly in the end zone to again, extend their lead.
Again, Josh Kelly, what a ridiculous catch. As for Ward, again, what a perfectly thrown football. You really can't place a ball much better than that, and when you've got a receiver like Josh Kelly, you've just got to give him a chance, which he did and more. Ward's ball placement is truly something special, and it was on display in this game. Though their next drive wouldn't result in a touchdown, Ward and the offense did enough to get them into field goal range, and after a Dean Janikowski kick, Washington State found themselves up 38-21 in the fourth. That would ultimately be their final score of the game, as they'd turn it over on downs at the Oregon State two-yard line. Thankfully though, that would be enough to seal the deal, as the Cougars would come out on top 38-35. Maybe a little closer at the end then they would've liked, but still, a dub is a dub, no matter how you slice it. Like we alluded to before, this was arguably Ward's best game in a Washington State uniform, which is a great thing to say going into the bye week, giving you a little extra time to prepare for a road game against UCLA, who have been very solid defensively so far this season. I'm loving what I'm seeing from Ward so far this season, let's just hope he can keep this pace up.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - BYE
9. Bo Nix, Oregon (-1)
Wk 4 - 28/33 276 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/5 carries 9 yds 1 touchdown v no.19 Colorado (42-6 W)
Season - 104/131 1,169 yds 11 touchdowns 1 interception/16 carries 69 yds 1 touchdown
Easy as you like from Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks last Saturday. Going into last Saturday, the Ducks came in as a pretty daunting -21 point favorite. Though it was at home, many out there, including myself, though that Colorado would be able to cover the massive spread. I'm not saying I was expecting the Buffaloes to win by any means, but I did expect them to put up at least some sort of fight against the Ducks last Saturday. That being said, am I necessarily surprised Oregon came away 42-6 victors? No, not really. This is a very good Oregon football team that are very fast and very physical, led by their star quarterback Bo Nix, who had another very solid outing this past Saturday, throwing for nearly 300 yards with four total touchdowns, though he did throw an interception midway through the second quarter. About the pick, the Colorado defender just jumped the route, per se. This was just well played by the Colorado defense, as Nix had Troy Franklin open down the near sideline. Though he probably should've lofted it to Franklin rather than throw it on a line, I understand what he's trying to do, especially if there is a safety overtop, which I couldn't see from the replay. If there wasn't, the ball should've probably been floated in there. In the end though it doesn't matter, as the pick didn't end up resulting in anything for Colorado and Oregon would score a touchdown on their very next drive. Back to the start of the game and we'd see Oregon march right down the field for six points. Apart from a holding penalty, it was just an easy drive from Nix and the Oregon offense. Nix didn't really need to do a whole lot, as he took a few shorter options which would pick up nice gains after the catch. He would hit Franklin on a nice comeback route from the near hash to the opposite sideline that would pick up a calm and cool 12-yards. The drive would end with a Noah Whittington three-yard run, putting Oregon up 7-0 early. Nix would register his first passing touchdown of the game on their next drive, hitting Casey Kelly from one-yard out. They'd fail on the two-point conversion though, so they'd only be up 13-0 late in the first. In some ways this play was similar to that of Drake Maye's left handed touchdown pass. Not in the fact that it was left handed, but the play seemingly started as a quarterback run before Nix decided to dump it off to his tight end for the score.
Now, it's nowhere near as impressive as Maye's play, but it just gave me that kind of vibe, you know? Run play turned pass play turned touchdown? You see where I'm coming from? Maybe not, but either way, Oregon would still find themselves up 13-0 in the first quarter, and the lead would only grow from there, as Nix and co. would score on their very next drive, though this time the two-point conversion worked, which saw Oregon go up 21-0 in the second quarter. We would also see Oregon, in typical Oregon fashion, fake a punt backed up on their own 17-yard line, picking up 18-yards and a first down. Then, after a few run plays and some dink passes, Nix would hit Troy Franklin for the 16-yard score which would again, extend Oregon's lead. Though the throw was a little behind Franklin, Nix pre-snap read did not fool him. Troy Franklin matched up one-on-one? Running a fade route? That's easy money, and Nix took advantage of it. Nix and Franklin would hook up again on Oregon's next drive, with Nix hitting a wide open Franklin up the seem for the 36-yard score. After running back Jordan James dominated the drive, Nix and Franklin punched it in to extend Oregon's lead to 28-0 late in the second quarter. Now, that wouldn't be Oregon's last score of the half, oh no no no, as Nix would register his first and only rushing touchdown of the game from 11-yards out to go up a further 35-points just before the half. After hitting a few intermediate throws throughout the drive, hitting both Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson up the seem for 18-yard gains on what looked like the exact same play, Nix would call his own number on second and two, charging up the middle on a quarterback draw to score just before half. At the start of the second half we'd see more of the same, with Nix hitting a wide open Traeshon Holden down the far sideline for a nice 29-yard gain, before Jordan James would punch it in from a yard out, putting Oregon up 42-0 in the third quarter. Nix would have a near touchdown pass to Troy Franklin down the far sideline, but a DPI delayed Oregon's touchdown by a few plays. Oregon would try to score one more time with Nix on the field, as they'd go for it on fourth down inside the red zone, but Nix's pass would fall incomplete, which would be the end of his day. Like we said at the start, just as easy as you like. Nix didn't need to do anything particularly special in this game, apart from the interception, Nix was very smart with the ball and just took what Colorado's defense gave him and it resulted in a big time win. I'm expecting another big win for Oregon this weekend as they take on Stanford. Sure it's at Stanford, but the Cardinal posses one of the worst defenses in all of college football, so I'm expecting big things, in a short outing, for Nix come Saturday night.
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - @ Stanford
10a. Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (NR)
Wk 4 - 18/20 288 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 43 yds 0 touchdowns v Mississippi State (37-30 W)
Season - 95/128 1,242 yds 7 touchdowns 2 interceptions/32 carries 64 yds 1 touchdown
Welcome back to the top 10-ish Spencer Rattler! After a week of being on the outside looking in, the former Oklahoma product finds himself back amongst the Draft "Expert's" elite! How exciting is that? Now, I would like to say that Rattler's exclusion from last weeks list wasn't really about his individual performance, as I thought he performed fairly decently against the Georgia Bulldogs on the road, given the circumstances of course. Did he play great? No, but again, looking at the opposition, it was still an admirable performance, no? I guess that's not important now, as he again is back in the top 10 after putting forth a very solid, and efficient performance against the Mississippi State Bulldogs last weekend, throwing for nearly 300 yards, with a further 43 on the ground, along with three touchdowns while only missing on two passes. Pretty impressive stuff, don't you say? All in all, this has been a very solid start to the season for Rattler, who continues to build off last season's end of year momentum, at least when he's not picking himself up off the ground anyways. Back to this individual game though, things started off really hot for Rattler and the offense, as he'd lead a nice six-play drive that would end with him hooking up with Xavier Legette for a 76-yard score. Now granted, Rattler didn't need to do a whole lot on this throw, as Legette caught the ball in stride coming across the middle, three yards past the line of scrimmage, and burnt every single Bulldog defender for the score. Though Rattler will probably draw the most attention, Legette is definitely building some steam come draft time, and that touchdown is a firm reason why. On their second drive of the game, the Gamecocks would be set up with equally terrible field position as they did on their first drive, starting at their own one-yard line. Again, like the first drive, Spencer Rattler would come away with another passing touchdown, leading a nice 16-play drive that saw him utilize his athleticism to get around the edge and pick up a decent amount of yardage with his feet.
I know it wasn't anything that spectacular or amazing, I just thought it was pretty funny to see. Though Spencer Rattler is a mobile quarterback, you don't necessarily see him juking out oncoming defenders, especially against Jett Johnson (sick name) who's one of the nations top tacklers. We would see Rattler scramble out of the pocket a few plays later, hitting Trey Knox in the end zone for the score.
Though he's a little bit lower down in this list, Rattler is truly one of the best quarterbacks in the country when it comes to throwing on the run. I understand it ended up being a simple enough throw, but this is something Rattler consistently does at a high level. Sensing pressure from the backside edge, Rattler did a very nice job at rolling out to his right, which forced Knox to adjust his route which in turn freed him up because the defender had to try to stick with him. Ultimately he could not, and Rattler drilled it into the end zone for the touchdown. Though their next two drives would end in punts (with Rattler hitting Legette on a well thrown comeback route that picked up 14-yards) the Gamecocks would find the end zone again just before half, with Rattler again orchestrating a nice long drive, this one going for 13-plays. On that drive, Rattler would show off the athleticism again, this time picking up 25-yards on third and eight, thus extending the drive.
Now, I will say though this is a nice run, I'm sure his coaches would have loved for him to slide here, just to avoid taking any unnecessary hits. Either way, what an impressive run from Rattler, just knowing when to tuck it and run it, which is something I'm sure got beaten into him after the nine sacks he took against North Carolina week one. South Carolina would score a few plays later thanks to a Dakereon Joyner three-yard run. Again, another nice methodical drive from Rattler and co., that's definitely what you want to see moving forward. Though a failed two-point conversion would only make the score 20-14, before Mississippi State closed the gap to three right before the half with a 49-yard field goal. The start of the second half would see South Carolina continue to fire on offense, as Rattler would find Legette, again, for a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the half.
South Carolina just knows how to start halves off right, don't they? Like, their first drive of the game lasted two-plays, then they come out in the second half, and their first drive lasts all but one-play. Ironically both drives were ended by Rattler finding Xavier Legette for a 70+ yard touchdown, though the second one is much more impressive from Rattler's point of view, as it's a well thrown deep ball, hitting Legette somewhat in stride for the score. I saw somewhat because Legette did have to slow down slightly on the play, but it was still in stride, which is all you can ask for, really. Unfortunately for South Carolina their next two drives would not reap the same benefits, as a 12-yard Rattler sack would force them to go three and out before a Dakereon Joyner forced them off the field after just one play. Thankfully for South Carolina, those two bad offensive possessions only resulted in three points for Mississippi State. On their following drive, Rattler would be seen hitting Trey Knox on a 15-yard curl route for a first down as well as hitting Legette on a little pop pass that picked up a further 17. We'd then see Rattler again use his legs in the running game, picking up a very nice 28-yards on the read option play. Rattler's first incompletion of the game would come a few plays later, as he was 17-17 at the time of the incompletion. That being said, it was actually a very well thrown ball from Rattler.
Now, I don't know how this didn't result in some sort of defensive penalty, but Rattler still placed this ball exactly where it needed to be. With the defender not giving an inch, this ball needed to be thrown back shoulder, which it was, and where Rattler put it was pretty much the only spot where the receiver could at least make some sort of attempt at the ball. Again though, I think this should've been some sort of defensive penalty, but I guess we move. What makes it worse, Rattler would get sacked on the very next play, which meant the Gamecocks would be forced to settle for three, though it would give them a 30-27 lead. The run game would dominate on South Carolina's next drive. Following a Will Rogers fumble, Mario Anderson would power his way through the entire Bulldog defense to score what would ultimately be the game sealing touchdown. Rattler would throw one more incomplete pass before letting the run game do the rest of the heavy lifting as the Gamecocks came out on top 37-30 victors over Mississippi State. Again, very efficient game from Spencer Rattler, who's been having a very solid year up until this point in the season. It'll be interesting to see how he and the Gamecocks handle a ruckus crowd at Neyland Stadium come Saturday night. I wouldn't be too shocked to see South Carolina come in and pull off the upset against Tennessee. Either way, I think it'll be a fun game.
Preseason - 10b
Wk 1 - 10b
Wk 2 - 10
Wk 3 - NR
Wk 4 - 10a
Wk 5 - @ no.21 Tennessee
10b. Jayden Daniels, LSU (-2)
Wk 4 - 20/29 320 yds 4 touchdowns 1 interception/10 carries 36 yds 0 touchdowns v Arkansas (34-31 W)
Season - 90/124 1,296 yds 12 touchdowns 2 interceptions/45 carries 193 yds 2 touchdowns
LSU v Arkansas is un-ironically one of my favorite college football games of the year, though I do miss when it was the last game of the season. Like, I remember watching Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick absolutely lighting up an unaware LSU defender as Darren McFadden ran it in for six. Back in the Darren McFadden days, this game was really fun. Unfortunately this game has kind of lost it's luster in my eyes to a certain extent, as LSU has just seemingly been the better team since then, winning seven of the last eight games in this series, including this one, as LSU came away 34-31 victors in Baton Rouge. Though LSU has really taken hold of this series in recent years, Arkansas still remains competitive, and that's exactly what happened here. After going three and out on their first drive, which saw Jayden Daniels and wide out Malik Nabers misconnect on a ball that would've been good enough for a first down, we'd see Daniels throw his second interception of the season.
Daniels just got absolutely baited into making this throw, as the Razorback defender acted like he was going to stay outside before darting back in and jumping the route as Daniels let the ball go. Just a really bad decision by Daniels which thankfully didn't lead to anything as Arkansas' KJ Jefferson threw an interception on the very next play, gifting LSU the ball right back. Unfortunately nothing would come from the turnover as the Tigers would ultimately be forced to punt it away, though we would see Daniels hit Malik Nabers for 15-yards on third and 11. Though it probably should've been thrown to the outside rather than inside, Nabers was still able to come away with the ball. Daniels would also hit Aaron Anderson for nine-yards on third and three, but it wasn't his best throw as it was behind the intended receiver, though he still came away with the ball. But again, LSU would be forced to punt. The Tigers would finally get on the scoreboard on their next drive, though it would only be three, it still counts for something. On this drive we'd Daniels have his best throw of the night up until that point, hitting Nabers for 11-yards on the near sideline for a first down.
A defensive holding play would help advance this ball further but this was a very well placed ball from Daniels, keeping it away from the defender and putting it where only Nabers could really make a play on the ball. A Daniels sack would stall out the drive and again, LSU would have to settle for three. They would however register their first touchdown of the game on their next drive, with Daniels finding Brian Thomas Jr. for a nice 26-yard gain across the middle before hitting him again for a 49-yard touchdown.
Not Daniels' great throw, but it managed to get there, which Johnson grabbed and brought in for six. In those situations again you just don't want to miss the open receiver. When they've got a step or two on the defender, all you have to do is give them a chance, which he did and it resulted in a big touchdown before halftime. LSU would continue their touchdown streak on their next drive, as Daniels would find Johnson for a 49-yard touchdown, again, putting LSU up 17-16 in the third. Though it resulted in six, Johnson did pretty much all the heavy lifting, as Daniels under threw him by a good five or so yards, with Johnson having to completely stop his momentum to come back to the ball. After that, he battled past two Arkansas defenders for the score. Though it wasn't a great throw by any means from Daniels, even if Arkansas had picked it off it wouldn't have counted, as they had jumped offsides. Daniels best throw of the drive went to Malik Nabers, who ran a comeback route on the near sideline, which Daniels hit after rolling out to his right. The touchdown train would keep chugging along for the Tigers on their next drive as well, which would see Daniels finds Nabers from eight-yards out for his third passing touchdown of the game. Just a really simple throw, as Nabers was uncovered across the middle of the field, making it an easy throw and read for Daniels. That being said, though he was open as all hell, with pressure coming off the left side, some quarterbacks with Daniels athleticism would've tried to scramble or run with it, but he stayed calm and lobbed it to Nabers for the score. LSU would once again find the end zone on their next drive, as Daniels and Nabers would connect again, but this time from 20-yards out on a well thrown deep ball by Daniels.
This is by far the best deep ball Daniels had on the night, leading Nabers perfectly on the throw, making sure to place it in a good enough spot to where he wouldn't be completely carried out of bounds or have to make some ridiculous effort to make a play on the ball. That being said, all four of Daniels touchdown passes saw pretty open receivers, at least receivers with a step or two on the opposing defender. Which that's what you want to see, but this last one was the really the only one worthy really talking about, as it was a very well thrown ball. Then again, as we always say, just let the playmakers make plays, and Daniels did that. Daniels would connect with another wide open Malik Nabers on the following drive, this one going for a whopping 36-yards on LSU's first play. Daniels would complete a few more short passes on this drive before the run really started to drain the clock, which allowed LSU to attempt a last second field goal, which Damian Ramos converted with five-seconds left. Though a tough game, this was another nice win for the LSU Tigers. As for Daniels, the stats show he had a near elite game, but I'm sure there are definitely things he'll want to improve on going into their next game against Ole Miss.
Preseason - 10a
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - 10b
Wk 5 - @ no.20 Ole Miss
Others
Sam Hartman, Notre Dame (NEW)
Wk 4 - 17/25 175 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/4 carries -2 yds 0 touchdowns v no.6 Ohio State (17-14 L)
Season - 81/115 1,236 yds 14 touchdowns 0 interceptions/16 carries -9 yds 2 touchdowns
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Wk 4 - 18/31 209 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 89 yds 1 touchdown v UTSA (45-14 W)
Season - 80/128 925 yds 8 touchdowns 1 interception/22 carries 135 yds 4 touchdowns
Michael Pratt, Tulane (NEW-ish)
Wk 4 - 18/23 190 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries 33 yds 1 touchdown v Nicholls (36-7 W)
Season - 32/38 484 yds 6 touchdowns 1 interception/20 carries 72 yds 1 touchdown
Jordan Travis, Florida State
Wk 4 - 21/37 289 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries -2 yds 1 touchdown @ Clemson (31-24 W)
Season - 74/121 1,028 yds 10 touchdowns 1 interception/23 carries 94 yds 2 touchdowns
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami (FL)
Wk 4 - 17/24 220 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 39 yds 0 touchdowns @ Temple (41-7 W)
Season - 74/99 1,042 yds 11 touchdowns 1 interception/6 carries 43 yds 1 touchdown
Previous Rankings
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