Hello one and all and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post. As I'm sure you've figured out by now, this is our sixth installment of our weekly quarterback rankings and frankly, this was one of the weirder weeks to watch college football. I'm not necessarily saying that like it's a bad thing, but we saw some very interesting performances this past weekend, both good and bad.
Like, we saw two of our top three guys struggle at times against Arizona based teams, we saw one of our more non-turnover prone quarterbacks cough it up three-times, and we almost half our quarterbacks register 10+ carries. Not to mention we had like 18-quarterbacks on byes this week. Just a very odd week, really.
With the bye weeks coming into effect, we see most stay exactly where they were from the previous week, though we do see a pretty big shake-up down at the bottom of the top-10, you don't want to miss that!
So, without any further delays, I, Logan Blackman, the self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present to you our week six quarterback prospect rankings. Enjoy!
Podcast Links
Pictured: Quinn Ewers, Texas; Drake Maye, North Carolina; JJ McCarthy, Michigan
1. Caleb Williams, USC
Wk 6 - 14/25 219 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/12 carries 41 yds 3 touchdowns @ Arizona (43-41 3OT W)
Season - 119/166 1,822 yds 22 touchdowns 1 interception/38 carries 124 yds 6 touchdowns
Something I did not expect to see after last week was Caleb Williams, and USC, struggle this mightily against the Arizona Wildcats. Like, I understand Arizona kept it close against a very high powered Washington offense, but quarterback Michael Penix still put up solid numbers in the game, despite not registering a single touchdown. To give credit to Caleb Williams, he did manage to score four touchdowns in the game, which helped USC take home a triple overtime dub against the Wildcats, but this is by far his worst game of the season, and I don't think it's that crazy to say that. Williams has been on an absolute tear so far this season, and his worst games are some quarterbacks best games, so this is not me slamming on Williams or anything like that, but c'mon, this wasn't his great performance, and that's ok, it doesn't change a whole lot when it comes to these rankings. The craziest part to me about this game was that USC didn't register a score until the second quarter, punting or fumbling on their first four drives, going three and out in three of those. It gets even weirder when you realize Arizona was on top of USC 17-0 at a point in time. Like, it was just an odd game, and I can't be the only one who thought so. All in all though, Williams and co. got the dub, and that's all that truly matters in all of this. Individually for Williams, let's start off on the drive that ended with a fumble. On that drive, dude hit Brenden Rice on a decently well thrown deep ball for a 53-yard gain, Rice couldn't keep his balance which kept him from potentially scoring a touchdown. Then, on the very next play, Williams would cough it up. It was on one of USC's famous play action roll out bubble screen plays, but Williams didn't really have a play to the wide out, so he decided to try and tuck it and run. But, as he decided to tuck it, he had second thoughts and tried to get the ball into position to toss it to Mario Williams in the flat, but had the ball stripped in the process, turning it over to Arizona. Just an absolute momentum killer, going from a 53-yard gain on one play to a fumble on the very next one. Thankfully though USC's would grab momentum right back, picking off Noah Fifita two plays after the fumble and returning it all the way to the Arizona 12-yard line. Two-plays later, Williams would score.
Though the touchdown run in itself is impressive, Williams' ability to scan the whole field before tucking it and running is almost more impressive. You can see it from the clip, he scans the entirety of the field, waiting for someone to find some sort of opening, before feeling the pressure coming off the back side, then running up the right and sneaking past some Arizona defenders for the score. Very nice bounce back play from Williams after the costly fumble. Though they'd go three and out on their next drive, Williams would lead USC on their longest drive of the game, scoring on six-plays just before the half. After a very nice catch from Brenden Rice down the near sideline for a 31-yard gain, Williams would hit Kyron Hudson from five-yards out to get USC within three.
Like we brought up earlier, great job by Williams at scanning the field, going from left to right, seeing nothing was available before tucking it. The difference between this is the rushing touchdown though is that Williams kept his head up the whole time, waiting for even the smallest opening in order to get it to a receiver for the touchdown. Once the linebacker and defensive back committed to the quarterback, that gave Hudson just enough of an opening for Williams to hit him for the score. A play earlier though, Williams would nearly find Mario Williams in the end zone, unfortunately the receiver couldn't bring the ball in, delaying the eventual score by a singular play.
Great ball placement from Williams on this play, especially given that he was throwing on the run. Shame the other Williams couldn't haul it in but again, USC still came away with seven on this drive, bringing the score to within three just before the half. After an Arizona field goal to start the second half, Williams and co. would march down the field for another touchdown, with Williams showing off the running ability early on in the drive, picking up gains of 11 and 20 to get to the Arizona side of the 50. Weirdly, Williams would only throw it twice on this drive, both resulting in defensive penalties against the Wildcats. This drive would be dominated by USC's rushing attack, with MarShawn Lloyd punching it in from nine-yards out to give the Trojans their first lead of the game, going up 21-20 in the third quarter. Williams would register his second rushing touchdown of the game on USC's next drive, and would once again show off the escapability early on in this drive.
Maybe he should've given it here, but I'm sure he and the rest of the Trojan offense are fine with him picking up 10-yards and a first down on the play. Not a lot of quarterbacks can make those kind of plays, but Williams just seems to have a habit of making it look routine. Williams would then hit a few intermediate throws to the likes of Kyron Hudson and Tahj Washington before hitting the latter on a nicely thrown back shoulder ball for a 26-yard gain.
Very nice back shoulder throw by Williams to hit Washington for the big gain. Though some may say he should've led Washington further up field, I actually like the placement of this ball, as it carries the receivers momentum away from the defender, as #12 for Arizona was right there to make a big play had the ball been further inside. I just think this is an overall good play, and it help set up Williams aforementioned rushing touchdown, which came a few plays later (though he would have a throw to Mario Williams on a slant that should've been ruled a touchdown, but instead was ruled down at the one-yard line).
For not being the biggest guy on the field, Williams shows excellent power, both physically and mentally, to carry the Arizona defender into the end zone for the score. It's not often we'll make an example out of a quarterback sneak, but this was just great effort by Williams, further extending USC's advantage in the game. After one of the longest three and out drives I've seen in a while, USC would have one more chance to win the game in regulation. Though Williams would hook up with a wide open Tahj Washington for 26-yards, USC would turn into their own worst enemy as the drive progressed. After Williams tried to hit Brenden Rice near the goal line, that potentially could've been returned for six, they would fumble on the read option a play later, with neither Williams nor MarShawn Lloyd wanting to hold onto the ball. It would all culminate with a bad snapper to holder exchange on the potential game winning field goal from 25-yards out, which would lead to one of the weirdest field goal attempts I have ever seen, ultimately leading to overtime. In overtime, we'd see Williams scamper in from 18-yards out to put USC up 35-28, after the successful extra point. That would be followed up by an 11-yard run by Austin Jones before Williams would score the two-point conversion in the third overtime to give USC the home victory. This was by no means Williams' greatest game, but he did enough in the end, especially in the run game, to help USC take home the dub. They escaped last week, but I don't think this weeks opponent will allow USC to get away with the same mistakes, as the Trojans travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame. With Sam Hartman at quarterback and a tough defense to boot, this should be USC's biggest test of the season, by far. Williams will need to be on his absolute A-game if the Trojans want to leave victorious.
Preseason - 1a
Wk 0/1 - 1
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - @ no.21 Notre Dame
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Wk 6 - 33/47 442 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/14 carries 55 yds 1 touchdown v Syracuse (40-7 W)
Season - 129/179 1,629 yds 8 touchdowns 4 interceptions/52 carries 174 yds 4 touchdowns
It maybe took a little longer than most out there were expecting, but Drake Maye put on an absolute show this past weekend against conference foe Syracuse. Though he's had games with solid output this year, but to the everyday fan, he hasn't necessarily 'wowed' anyone to this point in the season. Now, we've held firm on our belief that Maye is far and away the second best quarterback in this class, and maybe even rivals Caleb Williams in some categories, but with only five touchdowns compared to four interceptions before last Saturday, I understand why people may have taken a step back from the North Carolina quarterback. This game though, against a solid Syracuse Orange defense, Maye was on rare form, throwing for a season high 442 passing yards with a season three touchdowns and no interceptions. Not to mention he racked up 55-yards on the ground on a season high 14-carries with a touchdown there to boot, putting everyone back on notice that Maye should widely be considered the second best quarterback in this class. After leading a nice 14-play drive to open the game up, which resulted in a field goal, Maye and the offense put together one of the best drives of the season their second time out, posting a 16-play 94-yard seven and a half minute long drive to register their first touchdown of the game. Now, what makes this drive more crazy than impressive is that North Carolina was forced to punt six-plays into their drive. Lining up to punt the ball away, Syracuse is able to get a hand to the ball blocking the punt. The football gods were truly on UNC's side though, as the blocked punt pretty much landed next to the punter, who picked it up off the bounce and carried it three-yards for the first down. I don't think I've ever actually seen something like that happen, absolute craziness. After the blocked punt first down, Maye would hit Bryson Nesbit on a well thrown ball across the middle before picking up a first with his legs after the pocket collapsed around him. Then after a bubble screen to Nate McCollum and a few plays to Omarion Hampton, Drake Maye would punch it into the end zone from a yard out on the quarterback sneak to again, give UNC their first touchdown of the game. The next two drives would follow suit, as Maye would register his first two passing touchdowns of the game, with the first one being a beautiful ball to Bryson Nesbit for the 23-yard score.
Maye had a couple other decent throws on this drive, like his quick throw to Kamari Morales on the slant to avoid the Syracuse blitz, but nothing was a nice as this touchdown throw. The touch, the placement, everything, damn near perfect one may say, and I do. They've been a thing for a while, but slot fades are becoming more and more popular throughout college football, but this one was just very well executed all around. After a sack on their next drive pinned them at their own three-yard line, Maye would hit J.J. Jones on the far sideline for a 15-yard gain and a first down.
I like this clip for the angle of the throw, but what it doesn't show is Maye going through his progressions, right to left, before hitting Jones on the sideline. Great job by Jones to get a foot down in bounds to secure the catch, but the ball placement from Maye, after shifting to the left, was fantastic, putting the ball where only his receiver could get it. Maye and receiver Kobe Paysour would hook up a few plays later for an 18-yard gain, as Maye hit his open receiver across the middle for a big gain. Very nice play, but not as nice as their second to last play of the drive, where Maye hucked it deep to Nate McCollum for a 49-yard gain.
Now, Maye may have led McCollum a little too far on the throw, as the receiver needed to make a decent effort in order to bring the ball in. But with pressure coming off the right side, not to mention while slightly leaning back, Maye was able to delivered a catchable ball to his receiver. He asked McCollum to make a play and he sure as hell did, which set up Maye's aforementioned second touchdown pass a play later, which was just a little shovel pass to John Copenhaver from a yard out for the score. It's a pretty funky play, as Maye faked it to the back and shoveled it over the Syracuse defender, but there's nothing too crazy about it, just a nice drive capped off by another Drake Maye touchdown pass. Maye would show off the accuracy and arm strength on North Carolina's final drive of the half, hitting Bryson Nesbit on the first play of the drive for 28-yards.
What a throw, am I right? Splitting it between two Syracuse defenders and hitting Nesbitt right between the numbers, exactly where it should be. Again, with Nesbitt splitting the defenders, Maye can't afford to lead him too far, as that could cause the pass to be intercepted. This was an incredibly tight window, and Maye hit it damn near perfectly to help pick up the nice gain. A few plays later, Maye would show off the athleticism and escapability, picking up 12-yards and a first down, after what looked like nothing at the start of the play.
As you can kind of tell at the start of the play, North Carolina was trying to run another one of those slot fades. But once Maye saw nothing was there, he didn't try to force the issue, instead quickly went through the rest of his progressions, then decided to tuck it and run it for a first down. Like we've mentioned in previous blog posts with some quarterbacks, I'm sure Mack Brown and the other UNC coaches would love to see Maye slide after picking up the first, rather than get slammed to the ground on the tackle. That being said, he did do a decent job at bracing himself, so I guess that's all you can ask for, right? Ultimately, North Carolina's drive would stall out, forcing them to settle for three. Though they would've loved to punch it into the end zone, I'm sure they were fine taking a 27-point lead into the half. Maye would show off the touch and arm strength on UNC's first drive of the second half, hitting Nate McCollum down the field for a 33-yard gain.
It must be said, what a great route by McCollum to create enough separation to make this a much easier throw. Shame he couldn't keep his balance, but everything about this play is great, from the route, to the throw, to the catch. Though the drive didn't result in North Carolina scoring a touchdown, it did help set up a 36-yard Noah Burnette field goal, thus extending their lead to 30-7. Then, after a Syracuse punt, Drake Maye have have thrown the luckiest touchdown of his career, hitting Kobe Paysour across the middle for a 77-yard score.
Like, there's absolutely no reason this should've been caught by Paysour, let alone be taken 77-yards to the house. This is by no means a good throw from Maye, but as the old saying goes, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and that was fully on display here, as Paysour really put the final nail in the coffin with this touchdown reception. This would be Drake Maye's final contribution to the game, finishing with his best stat line up to this point in the season. Though Syracuse was a solid outfit, this weekend the Tar Heels are taking on their first top-25 team of the season, as the host the Miami Hurricanes. After whatever the hell happened in their last game, I'm sure Miami will be ultra motivated to come away with the upset in this one. Boasting the conferences second best defense, Maye and co. may struggle at certain points in this game, but ultimately I think the Tar Heels will find a way to come out on top. We should be in for a very fun quarterback battle come Saturday between Maye and Miami's Tyler Van Dyke.
Preseason - 1b
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 2
Wk 7 - v no.25 Miami (FL)
3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 6 - 26/42 239 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/11 carries -17 yds 1 touchdown @ Arizona State (27-24 W)
Season - 186/256 2,020 yds 16 touchdowns 2 interceptions/60 carries -60 yds 3 touchdowns
This game really shouldn't have surprised as much as it did when I first saw the final score. A team with a very high powered offense and suspect defensive play travels down to the desert to take on the Sun Devils and struggles throughout the game? I feel like we saw nearly the exact same thing a couple weeks ago, when the Caleb Williams led USC Trojans went down to Tempe and came away 42-28. Like, USC actually dropped three spots in the rankings because of that game and now Colorado, who just lost to USC, had a somewhat similar story line, only winning by a score of 27-24. Not only that, but they went three and out on three of their first five drives, with a fourth drive also ending in a punt, but the drive extended to five-plays. The final drive we'll talk about though, which was actually the second drive in this five drive sequence, resulted in the Buffaloes coming away with a touchdown, as Shedeur Sanders led a very nice 16-play drive to tie the game up at seven in the first quarter. Though he didn't score the touchdown, Sanders made a lot of very nice throws on the drive that led to Xavier Weaver's one-yard score, like his check down to Dylan Edwards that would pick up 15-yards and a first down on fourth and eight.
At face value I understand it just looks like a bog standard check down throw. But with Arizona State sending more defenders than Colorado has blockers, Sanders knows, pre-snap, that this ball has got to come out quick. We've brought this up before with other quarterbacks, but the ability to stay calm and tall in the pocket while delivering the ball, no matter how far it travels, is a very good skill to have, let alone when it comes on fourth and eight. Given their kicking struggles this season, I'm not the least bit shocked they went for it, so again, good job by Sanders at getting the ball out quick for the first down. Sanders would have a nice ball to Michael Harrison on the next play that would set them up at the two, which, after a few mishaps, would help Weaver punch it in for six on the jet sweep. After their 16-play touchdown drive, their next three drives, combined, would total 13-plays, not necessarily the greatest recipe for success. That being said, they would find the end zone again before halftime, with Sanders registering his first, and only, rushing touchdown of the game. Before that though, Sanders would make a few nice throws up the field to set up his touchdown run, like his one to Jimmy Horn Jr. that picked up 24-yards and a first down.
Nice use of touch on this throw from Sanders. As the linebackers were blocking a clear sight line to Horn, dude had to float in into his receiver to pick up the first down. And though Horn may have taken a decent shot from the Arizona State defender, with the throw not insanely leading him up field, Horn does have a split second to brace himself before the hit comes in. The placement also keeps it from landing in the grateful arms of the defender, so all around just a good play from Sanders and Horn. Dude would register his aforementioned rushing touchdown a few plays later, tucking it on third and 10 from 14-yards out to tie the game up just before halftime.
Though he may not have his dad's insane speed, Sanders has proved on more than one occasion in the previous weeks that he can be very effective in the run game.With pressure coming in from the left side of the offensive line, Sanders does a nice job at feeling it, seeing a lane, then cutting up for the score. Also did a nice job at evading the Arizona State tackler in the open field, which is easier said than done for most quarterbacks out there. Really good play, and really solid drive, from Sanders to close out the half. Though the start of the second half would see the Buffaloes go three and out, and their next drive also end on a punt, Sanders would lead a touchdown drive on their third drive of the half, though it started with him trying to run over an Arizona State defender. As we said with Maye before, and many quarterbacks previously, I'm sure coaches would much rather see him slide and avoid the hit rather than try to lower his shoulder and run over a defender, which didn't really work. That being said, on the very next play Sanders would slide and still take a shot from the ASU defender, so I guess it didn't really matter. Ultimately, Sanders would find Javon Antonio from nine-yards out to give Colorado their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter.
On this play, Sanders did an excellent job at getting the ball out quick to his receiver. If you're running an RPO style of offense, that ball, more often than not, needs to leave your hand really quick in order for the play to work to it's full potential. Let's say hypothetically he holds on to the ball for a split second longer, that could wind up being picked off or he could freeze, however unlikely, and take a sack. Really good play recognition from Sanders, again, helping the Buffaloes take their first lead of the game at the start of the fourth quarter. After a very solid Xavier Weaver punt return, Colorado was set up at the ASU 25-yard line. To the surprise of really no one though, Sanders was sacked on the first play of the drive, which really put the whole drive on hold, as they'd have to settle for a Alejandro Mata 42-yard field goal, rather than fully capitalize on the great field position set up by the punt return. Though the Buffaloes would be forced the punt on their next drive, we would see Sanders make a very solid play on third and 10.
This play is just all about knowing the situation. With it being third and 10, with Arizona State defenders guarding the first down marker, Sanders knows he probably shouldn't try to tuck it and run for the first, which is easier said than done, especially given that he's made plays with his feet a few times throughout this game. Again, knowing the situation, he has to find a receiver down the field, because picking it up via the run ain't it. Dude does a really good job at buying time by scrambling to the left and flipping his shoulders before hitting Javon Antonio for the 12-yard gain. This drive should've really gone a few plays further, as Sanders hit Anthony Hankerson for what would've been a first down on third and six, but Hankerson dropped the pass, which was almost intercepted after the hit jarred it free. Though ultimately, whether it was a pic or a punt, the ball would've been at a fairly similar spot, just a play sooner. After Arizona State scored to tie the game up with 50-seconds left, Sanders and co. would have to drive almost the length of the field to steal the dub on the road. With that being said, Sanders would find a wide open Javon Antonio for a 43-yard gain, which would pretty much flip the field and set them up at the Arizona State 32-yard line.
The ASU corner must've thought he had safety help over top because he just let Antonio breeze by him, making this a very easy read for Sanders who lofted it in there very nicely for the game changing play. Shame the Antonio couldn't keep his balance, because that was a very nice throw from Sanders. Thankfully though, they were in Mata's range, as he sank the 43-yard field goal for the win, giving Colorado the 27-24 road victory. This may not have been the prettiest game from Sanders and co., but they got the dub, and that's all that matters. After coming off two-straight loses, I'm sure this win felt really good, regardless of who it was against. This week though they take on Stanford on Friday night, at home. Though the Cardinal made things difficult for Oregon early the previous week, the Ducks still came out 42-6 victors on the road. With Colorado's high octane offense and Stanford's porous defense, I do expect the Buffaloes to stack another win before their tough road match-up against UCLA.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - v Stanford (Friday)
4. Riley Leonard, Duke
Wk 6 - BYE
Season - 79/126 912 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/47 carries 326 yds 4 touchdowns
After coming off their first loss of the season, Duke will look to get back to winning form against their in state rival NC State. Now, whether quarterback Riley Leonard plays or not is a different story, as he suffered a high ankle sprain in the loss against Notre Dame. Reports suggest he's 'progressing,' but time will tell if he'll be able to suit up come Saturday.
Preseason - 3
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 4
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - v NC State
5. Michael Penix Jr., Washington
Wk 6 - BYE
Season - 133/178 1,999 yds 16 touchdowns 2 interceptions/8 carries 9 yds 0 touchdowns
Though they're coming off another victory, last week's match-up against Arizona proved to be a little tougher than many initially thought, keeping Penix out of the end zone for the first time this season. This week should prove to be a much tougher test though, taking on an Oregon Ducks team that possesses the second best defense, statistically, in the conference. This will be a very fun one to watch.
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - v no.8 Oregon
6. JJ McCarthy, Michigan (+1)
Wk 6 - 14/20 219 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/4 carries 17 touchdowns 2 touchdowns @ Minnesota (52-10 W)
Season - 97/125 1,290 yds 11 touchdowns 3 interceptions/20 carries 133 yds 3 touchdowns
After a couple weeks of not really playing up to their full potential, the Michigan Wolverines, led by JJ McCarthy, have steam rolled their last two Big 10 opponents, coming in the form(s) of Nebraska and Minnesota, with both games coming on the road. Like, this is the Michigan team we came to expect going into the season, but after suspect-ish performances against Bowling Green and Rutgers, they came through and absolutely blasted the two aforementioned Big 10 West teams, winning by a combined score of 97-17, beating both by an average of by an average of 21-points at the break, versus the seven and a half they averaged against Bowling Green and Rutgers. Though a lot of their success in these recent games has come through the run game, JJ McCarthy has looked really solid, registering six total touchdowns through these two games. For this game, after the defense came away with a pick six on Minnesota's opening drive, McCarthy and the offense would register the first offensive points of the game, though it only came via a James Turner 31-yard field goal. On that drive, McCarthy would help Michigan pick up a first on fourth and one with a nice dump off pass to Kalel Mullings that would pick up 13-yards and a first, as well as hit Cornelius Johnson on an out route to the far side of the field that would pick up a further 20-yards. That being said, Johnson would later drop a McCarthy pass that would've picked up the first down on third and two, which ultimately forced them to settle for three. Though Michigan's next drive would result in a punt, McCarthy and Johnson would hook up on second and seven on a well thrown ball, picking up 17-yards.
Again, this is a very well placed ball by McCarthy. With four-ish Minnesota defenders in the area, McCarthy did a nice job at putting the ball right on Johnson's body, as not to lead him into the path of the oncoming defender. Though the throw may be slightly behind, this is pretty much exactly where you'd want you quarterback to put the ball, helping Michigan pick up a very nice gain. All that being said, the Wolverines would be forced to punt a few plays later, but would come back on the field for their next drive and punch it in for six. Squarely on the back of the run game, Michigan marched right down the field, with Blake Corum ultimately punching it in from a yard out to go up 17-3. Though he didn't do much of anything on that drive, McCarthy would register a rushing touchdown of his own on Michigan's next offensive possession, which would be set up by him hitting Johnson, again, this time for a nice 49-yard gain, getting them down to the Minnesota five-yard line.
Much of this play goes down to the protection McCarthy was receiving on this play. With the Michigan offensive line not giving a single inch to the Minnesota pass rushers, McCarthy had time to survey the field before finding Johnson for the big play. Maybe not his best throw, but that can sometimes happen when you see something a little later while going through your progressions. Fantastic catch by Johnson as well, not losing the ball with the defender jumping in his face and being able to reel it in, once again helping set up McCarthy's first touchdown run of the game, where he showed off his athleticism before punching it in.
I'm sure some of Michigan's coaches would rather McCarthy didn't lower his shoulder into the Minnesota defender, especially his throwing shoulder, but I'm sure Harbaugh loves and appreciates his quarterback's willingness to punch the ball into the end zone on that play. Great job by McCarthy though by getting around the first would be tackler for Minnesota, being able to break away from the weak arm tackle before cutting back up field and getting into the end zone. After going three and out on their first drive of the second half, we would see McCarthy register his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time from seven-yards out. Before then though, we'd see him make a really nice throw in the face of pressure to his favorite wide out, Roman Wilson, for a nice 17-yard gain on third and seven.
With Minnesota clearly showing pressure pre-snap, McCarthy does a very nice job at staying calm in the pocket and delivering a strike to Wilson for the first. Some quarterbacks out there, when seeing this many defenders on the line of scrimmage, would panic and either try to scramble before the play even really gets going or just fall to the ground and take a sack. Again, McCarthy stayed tall in the pocket, waited for the routes to develop and hit Wilson for the nice gain and a first down. McCarthy and Wilson would hook up again on Michigan's very next play for a nice 34-yard gain, as no defenders were really within five-yards of Wilson on the play. Then, after a few Blake Corum and Kalel Mullings runs, McCarthy would again punch it in from seven-yards out to go up 31-10 in the third. Fairly similar to the first one, McCarthy pulled it from his running back, got around another fairly weak arm tackle, before hitting the corner for the score, showing off a nice little stiff arm in the process. McCarthy's next, and final contribution to this game came on the Wolverines next drive, as again, in the face of pressure, he'd find his tight end, Colston Loveland, for the 24-yard score.
As this angle shows, McCarthy does an excellent job at identifying the pressure coming off the edge, shifting his offensive lines protection before delivering the ball to Loveland for the touchdown. Though he shifted the protection, he knows damn well there's still going to be pressure in his face, but he does a nice job at not rushing the throw and stepping up the pocket, all while knowing he's going to get hit. To make this even better, Minnesota got hit with a roughing the passer penalty, though it wouldn't change a whole lot given how McCarthy had well and truly sealed the game thanks to that touchdown toss. Again, McCarthy's day would be done after this drive, as Michigan would once again come out victorious, beating Minnesota by a score of 52-10. Dominating win for the Wolverines, who look to be stacking wins before their tough end of season stretch. With McCarthy and the run game being this effective, team's will struggle to hang with Michigan this season. I don't know if Indiana, who got spanked 44-17 by Maryland a couple weeks ago, will be able to keep up.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - v Indiana
7. Quinn Ewers, Texas (-1)
Wk 6 - 31/37 346 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/8 carries -14 yds 0 touchdowns v no.12 Oklahoma (34-30 L)
Season - 128/184 1,704 yds 11 touchdowns 3 interceptions/33 carries 60 yds 5 touchdowns
To the surprise of pretty much no one, this game was a lot more competitive than it was a season ago. In Ewers' first game back from injury, the Texas Longhorns steam rolled the Oklahoma Sooners by way of a 49-point shutout in Dallas, with Ewers having arguably his best game to date, registering over 300-yards of total offense with four touchdowns to his name. That being said, again, with Oklahoma looking like a much better team to this point in the season than they were this time last year, many out there, including myself, were expecting a much more highly contested game, which is exactly what we got, with Oklahoma pulling off the upset and taking home a 34-30 victory. As for Ewers, the game really couldn't have started off much worse, as he threw interceptions on Texas' first two drives of the game, with the first coming on their second play from scrimmage.
With a mixture of delay from Ewers and a lazy-ish route from the receiver, Gentry Williams was able to jump the route, allowing him to come away with a very easy interception. I know it's much easier said than done, but that's a throw Ewers has to either eat of try to gain some sort of yards in the run game. The last thing you want to do on this type of play is be late on the throw, and the slight hesitation from Ewers sees Oklahoma come away with the ball in plus territory, which of course they would capitalize on a few plays later. Texas' next drive has to be one of the more eventual drives from the entire college football season. Like, Texas got stopped twice on this drive, and both times they went for it on fourth down and both times they picked up the first down. The first time they went for it they executed a very successful fake punt that went for 20-yards, and the second time would see wildcat quarterback Savion Red dump the ball off to Gunnar Helm for 25-yards. Then, to cap it all off, Ewers would throw his second interception of the game.
I know the ball hits Ja'Tavion Sanders in the hands, but this would've taken pretty ridiculous hand strength to pull that ball in. I'm kind of caught in two minds on this throw, on one hand Ewers had to throw it a little higher in order to get it over the outstretched arms of the Oklahoma defensive linemen. On the other hand, the height and path of the ball led Sanders right into the path of the defender, setting him up to take a massive shot, which of course he did. The shot mixed with the higher throw led to the interception, which is a damn shame given how hard Texas had to work to even get into that position. Thankfully for Texas, Oklahoma wouldn't move the ball on offense, which led to them being forced to punt the ball away which in term led to a blocked punt and a touchdown for Texas. So all in all, Texas registered their first touchdown of the game, just took a little longer than they expected after driving down the field. Then, after a short 26-yard punt on Oklahoma's next drive, Ewers and the offense were set up on the OU side of the 50. Unfortunately, after one first down and a mixture of bad fortune, Texas would also be forced to punt, though they would find the end zone on their next offensive possession, which would be started by Ewers' first completion past the line of scrimmage of the game, where he hit Jordan Whittington on a 13-yard pass and catch. He would then hit a fairly wide open Adonai Mitchell for a 14-yard gain a play later, and Xavier Worthy on a 18-yard play on second and 25 a few plays after that. Ultimately, he would find a wide ass open Gunnar Helm on fourth and one on an easy 22-yard touchdown touchdown pass to give Texas their first lead of the game. With all eyes on Ewers after the roll out, Helm was able to sneak behind the defense, giving Ewers acres of space to hit him for the touchdown. Just as easy as you'd like. Texas' final drive of the first half would see Ewers hit Xavier Worthy up the middle for a nice 39-yard gain.
Maybe Ewers should've led Worthy a little bit more on this throw, as it could've potentially resulted in a touchdown but still, it was a nice throw on the run to pick up a big gain. The worst thing he could've done would be to either under throw it or throw the ball a little more outside of Worthy's left shoulder, as it could've potentially been picked off. Good adjustment by Worthy as well to turn slightly towards the right to avoid the defender and pick up a few more yards. Ewers would hit Adonai Mitchell on the near sideline after rolling to his right for a 10-yard gain as well but again, as we stated before, Texas' drive would ultimately stall out and they'd have to settle for three. After Oklahoma would use back-to-back possessions to grow their lead to 10, Ewers and the Longhorn offense would start the second half as they did the first half, with a turnover. Though Ewers would have a decent throw to Ja'Tavion Sanders for a 13-yard gain on third and two, it would be his fumble a few plays later that would ultimately end the drive. Sure Ewers took a nice little shot from the Oklahoma defender, but still, you cannot afford to turn it over at the start of the half again. Thankfully for Ewers and the offense, Texas' defense would force Oklahoma to go three and out, punting the ball away. Texas' next drive would see Ewers hit a wide open Xavier Worthy on their first play of the drive down the far sideline, picking up 26-yards, but ultimately again, the Longhorns would have to settle for three, though they did cut Oklahoma's lead down to just one score with that drive, one that started on their own six-yard line. Texas would have a chance to score a touchdown on their next drive, thanks to Ewers hitting Jordan Whittington on a skinny post for a nice 28-yard gain.
Really nice quick release from Ewers. With Oklahoma bringing the safety up from the back side, Ewers knows he has to get the ball out after faking it to the running back, hitting Whittington perfectly in stride for the big gain. Unfortunately for Texas, despite getting down to the one-yard line, they would be unable to punch the ball across the goal line for the score, ultimately turning the ball over on downs. After an Oklahoma missed field goal, Ewers and Whittington would connect on back-to-back plays Texas' next drive, picking up first downs via 17 and 11-yard completions, setting up a Jonathon Brooks 29-yard touchdown run a play later, tying the game up at 27. Ewers' would show off the quick release again on their next drive, hitting Xavier Worthy for a nice 11-yard gain on second and seven, which would help set up a 47-yard Bert Auburn field goal a few plays later. After an Oklahoma touchdown with 15-seconds to go, Ewers and co. would get one more shot to try and steal victory from the jaws of defeat, but after a few throws to Jordan Whittington that would pick up decent gains, a failed Hail Mary to the end zone would ultimately end the game, resulting in a 34-30 win for Oklahoma. This was a very competitive game, and a stark contrast to what we saw last year. Though he completed a decent number of his passes, three turnovers are the key thing to look at when it comes to Ewers' game, especially since one of them came in the red zone. You can look at the turnovers however you want, but Texas failing to punch it in while in the red zone on more than one occasion came to bite them in the ass in this one. The best time for a bye week is after losing a tough one to your biggest rival. I'm sure Ewers and co. will correct their mistakes from this game and bounce back in a big way against Houston, who have the worst defense, statistically, in the Big 12.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 7
Wk 7 - BYE
8. Jayden Daniels, LSU (+2)
Wk 6 - 15/21 259 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/15 carries 130 yds 1 touchdown @ no.21 Missouri (49-39 W)
Season - 132/181 1,969 yds 19 touchdowns 2 interceptions/75 carries 422 yds 4 touchdowns
Jayden Daniels has been on a pretty impressive tear as of late. After struggling week one against Florida State, Daniels has been putting forth some very solid performances against some good SEC opposition, with three of LSU's last four games coming on the road. So if playing well against solid opposition wasn't enough, imagine him doing that on the road, in the SEC no less. Now this isn't too surprising to us, as Daniels has always been on our radar here at the Logan Blackman Show. Like, you can check out our quarterback rankings from all the way back during the 2022 Draft and you'd still find Jayden Daniels somewhere amongst the top-10. He's always been on our radar but I don't think I ever expected him to be playing at this high of level. I don't know if y'all are aware of this or not, but dude is currently third in the nation in passing yards, who would've thought that when he was quarterbacking Arizona State? Crazy how things change over time, but Daniels put forth an all around great performance against 21st ranked Missouri, again on the road, last Saturday, throwing for over 250-yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, not to mention a season high 130-yards on the ground with a touchdown there as well. That all being said, the day didn't necessarily start off with the biggest bang, as the Tigers offense went three and out on their first possession, though they would punch in on their second drive, starting with Daniels finding Malik Nabers over the middle for a 39-yard gain.
This was a very well placed ball from Daniels, who did a nice job at floating it over the Missouri linebacker surveying the middle of the field as well as not leading Nabers too far inside and into the path of the safety, putting it a little more on the receivers body rather than fully lead him. Daniels wouldn't be asked to throw the ball too much on this drive following that play, but would decide to tuck it and pick up a nice 19-yards on first and 20.
One thing you can't teach is speed, and Daniels has that in abundance. Great job at evading the first tackler, and even better job at getting back upfield after making said guy miss. He's electrifying when he's got the ball in the open field and is able to pick up close to a first down on the ground when not a lot of quarterbacks could do so. After what felt like 100-penalties, Logan Diggs would punch it in from a yard out a few plays later, bringing the game to within one midway through the first quarter (Missouri went for two after thier first touchdown, so the score was 8-7 Missouri). After another Missouri touchdown to go up 15-7, LSU would go three and out. Then after another Missouri score to make it 22-7, LSU would finally start moving the ball again on offense. Though the drive would only end in a field goal, Daniels would complete a nice contorted-ish throw to Malik Nabers for 11-yards and a first on second and seven. Nothing too insane to highlight, but it's at least worth mentioning. Then, after a Brady Cook interception, LSU would punch it across the goal line before halftime, with Daniels registering his first passing touchdown of the game. After Logan Diggs gashed Missouri's defense up the middle for a 34-yard gain, Daniels would hit Mason Taylor in the flat for a fairly easy three-yard touchdown. Missouri would end up scoring a field goal just before half, but would see their first field goal attempt of the second half blocked by LSU, which would lead to their own field goal attempt just a few plays later (a lot of field goal attempts close together). Daniels would hit a few intermediate throws to Malik Nabers that would eat up a lot of yards, as well as hit Missouri with a 27-yard run but again, they'd ultimately settle for three. Then, after a Missouri punt, LSU would take their first lead of the game, as Daniels would hit Brian Thomas Jr. on a 42-yard pass play to put them up 27-25.
I understand Johnson had about a step or two on the defender, but that was a perfect throw from Daniels, who is slowly becoming one of the best deep ball throwers in all of college football. It feels like every game Daniels is hitting one of LSU's stud receivers on a deep ball, with this one going to Johnson for the score. Daniels would zip one over to Kyren Lacy for a 20-yard gain on their next drive. Unfortunately Daniels would be forced to leave the field as the drive continued after getting banged up on a near touchdown run, which led to LSU setting up for a 29-yard field goal, which was ultimately missed by Damian Ramos. Thankfully for LSU, Daniels would return on their next drive, which would see them travel 92-yards in seven-plays for the score. On this drive, Daniels would have a couple big hitters, as he picked up a first down on third and nine with his legs from their own nine, which was directly followed by him zipping a ball across the middle to a fairly open Malik Nabers for a nice 35-yard gain. A few plays later, Daniels would register his first rushing touchdown of the day, splitting the defense on third and three, scoring from 35-yards out to give LSU a 35-32 lead in the fourth (after the two-point conversion).
As we said before, speed kills. Once Daniels gets to full speed there's very few defenders in America that can catch him. Not only was the play itself impressive, but Daniels was still clearly hurting from the previous drive, but still managed to punch it across the goal line for the massive touchdown in the fourth quarter. Daniels would flash the speed on their next drive as well, picking up 31-yards on third and five, jumping over a downed player in the process. The very next play, Daniels would find a wide ass open Malik Nabers down the near sideline for a walk-in touchdown to go up 42-39.
This was just one of those plays where, as a quarterback, your receiver is so wide open, that all you need to do is not miss him and you'll score. In this situation, you're probably better off under throwing the ball, because a receiver can always slow down, they can't always speed up, and Daniels found him for the score. LSU would go three and out on their next possession but a pic-six would ultimately seal the game for the 'Bayou Bengals,' as they'd leave 49-39 victors. Gritty performance there at the end from Daniels, who put forth another great all around performance in the victory. After playing their last two games on the road, LSU will finally be back at home against another Tiger team, this time in the form of Auburn. Though Auburn is coming off back-to-back loses, they've been really competitive games, for the most part, with them almost upsetting the top ranked Georgia Bulldogs last weekend. That being said, I think Daniels and the LSU Tigers will be able to do enough, at home, to secure their third dub over a Tiger themed team (Grambling & Missouri).
Preseason - 10a
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - 10b
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - v Auburn
9. Bo Nix, Oregon
Wk 6 - BYE
Season - 131/163 1,459 yds 15 touchdowns 1 interception/19 carries 87 yds 1 touchdown
In what was a pretty weird game, at least early, Oregon managed to handle Stanford pretty easily last weekend. Though it took Bo Nix until the second half to record his first touchdown of the game, the Oregon quarterback still managed four in a 42-6 victory. This week though should prove to be the Ducks toughest test of the season, taking on an insnanely high powered Washington Huskies offense, led by Michael Penix. With the Huskies coming out on top in Eugene last year, let's see if Nix and co. can return the favor this time around in Seattle. Like we said with Penix, this should be a fun one.
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - 9
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - @ no.7 Washington
10. Cameron Ward, Washington State (-2)
Wk 6 - 19/39 197 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/7 carries -12 yds 0 touchdowns @ UCLA (25-17 L)
Season - 125/181 1,587 yds 14 touchdowns 2 interceptions/48 carries 97 yds 3 touchdowns
Going into this game, I was very well aware of the threat UCLA's defense would pose, even against Washington State's high powered offense, quarterbacked by Cameron Ward. Like, going into this game, UCLA possessed not only the second best defense in the conference, but a top-10 defense nationally. Since then, the Bruins have now moved to the top spot in the PAC-12 and into the top-five nationally, and it their great play started off rather early on in this game, forcing three turnovers in the first half alone. If it weren't for a pic-six right before halftime, Washington State would've had just as many turnovers as points, which is pretty crazy to think about. And if it weren't for another interception on UCLA's first offensive possession, which set them up at the UCLA 19, who knows if they would've even scored that first field goal. It was kind of rough watching the Cougars second offensive possession, which ended in a fumble, because Ward was making some very nice plays in the face of pressure all the way down the field, taking some massive shots in the process from a relenting pass rush. The worst part about the fumble is that it came on a first and goal from the 15 (it was first and goal from the 15 after Ward was sacked). Not to mention this play would've gotten the Cougars down to the UCLA eight-yard line, surely setting them up for something more than a field goal but alas, the fumble gave the ball right back to UCLA. Thankfully, the defense would force the Bruins to go three and out, only for the offense to fumble the ball away again, once again coming once the Cougars started building some momentum. It may have not come in the red zone, but they gained two first downs on that drive and crossed to the UCLA side of the 50, just another gut punch. Ward did show off the escapability before the fumble though, helping Washington State pick up their first first down of the drive.
Really good use the legs from Ward, and a nice job at feeling the pressure come in from the backside, rolling to the left and finding an open receiver for a decent gain and a first down. Again, just a shame the drive had to end on a fumble, because this is the second straight time a drive has been killed off by turnovers. Unfortunately for the Cougar offense, after two straight drives that ended with punts, Ward would throw not only his first interception of the game, but his first interception of the season.
This was just a very bad throw from Ward. The UCLA defender read his eyes the whole way, not really jumping the route, but rather just being there once Ward released the football. It would've taken an out of this world throw to complete that pass, and it just wasn't on for the Washington State quarterback. Like we said before, if it weren't for the pic-six, Washington State would've maybe had one of the more depressing first halves I've seen in a while, stealing the lead just before the half. Apart from the two interceptions, the Cougars really had nothing going for them, and when they did, they'd turn it over. Nothing would change for Washington State at the start of the second half, as both of their first two drives would end with them going three and out. Their fortunes would change on their third drive of the half, as Ward would march the Cougars down the field for his first and only touchdown of the game, while hitting a couple nice passes along the way, like his one to Isaiah Hamilton, which picked up a whopping 39-yards.
Of course he'd fumble at the end, right? Thankfully he recovered it, but nice placement from Ward on this throw, hitting Hamilton on his back shoulder which turned him away from the safety that was coming in from the inside. On these throws, it's very important not to lead them into the path of the defender, and Ward's placement of the ball not only kept his receiver from getting killed, but it helped carry his momentum to the outside, thus helping in the big gain. Ward's touchdown pass would come a few plays later, which would see him dump it quickly off to Nakia Watson for the nine-yard score. The toss was pretty immediate, as UCLA brought the house again on Ward, so nice job by him on getting it out quickly to the back who scampered in for the score. Unfortunately for the Cougars, that would be their final score of the game, and to make matters worse, three of their next four drives would see them go three and out. The one that didn't? Well, that saw Ward register his second interception of the game, with this one being even worse than the first.
Though again it would've needed a super human throw to complete the pass, I can kind of see what Ward was thinking on the first interception, I don't know how to explain this one. He threw it right into the chest of the UCLA defender. Similarly to the first one though, Ward just never saw the defender, which led to another easy interception for the UCLA defense, which their offense would capitalize on a few plays later. Washington State's next few drives would be more of the same, two three and out drives (with Ward narrowly avoiding another interception) and a turnover on downs to ultimately seal the game. That being said, Ward would find Josh Kelly for 12-yards and a first down on their final drive, hitting with a defender screaming in his face.
Given all that has happened in this game, this is still a very solid throw from Ward. Again, with a defender barreling down on him, Ward still managed to deliver a driven ball, away from the defender, into the diving arms of Kelly for the first down. Like we mentioned before though, this drive would ultimately stall out, with Washington State losing their first game of the season, 25-17. The UCLA pass rush really effected Ward in this game, as when he wasn't taking sacks, the pass rush was enough to throw him completely off his rhythm, which led to his worst game of the season. I'm intrigued to see how Ward and the Cougars bounce back this week, coming back home to face a tough Arizona Wildcats team. They may have three losses on the season, but two of those three games ended in overtime, with their latest one being a three overtime thriller against Caleb Williams and USC. Their only game that didn't end in OT was their seven-point loss to Washington, in a game where they impressively kept Michael Penix out of the end zone. I think Washington State has enough to bounce back but again, it'll be a tough one.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - 8
Wk 5 - 8
Wk 6 - 10
Wk 7 - v Arizona
Others
Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma (NEW)
Wk 6 - 23/38 285 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/14 carries 113 yds 1 touchdown v no.3 Texas (34-30 W)
Season - 141/195 1,878 yds 16 touchdowns 2 interceptions/43 carries 208 yds 5 touchdowns
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Wk 6 - BYE
Season - 101/160 1,164 yds 9 touchdowns 3 interceptions/24 carries 139 yds 4 touchdowns
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina
Wk 6 - BYE
Season - 119/163 1,411 yds 7 touchdowns 3 interceptions/43 carries 83 yds 2 touchdowns
Austin Reed, Western Kentucky (NEW-ish)
Wk 6 - 19/34 297 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/1 carry 4 yds 0 touchdowns @ Louisiana Tech (35-28 W)
Jordan Travis, Florida State
Wk 6 - 18/24 170 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 25 yds 0 touchdowns v Virginia Tech (39-17 W)
Season - 92/145 1,198 yds 12 touchdowns 1 interception/33 carries 119 yds 2 touchdowns
Previous Rankings
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