Hello everyone and welcome back to another Draft "Expert" blog post, brought to you by me, Logan Blackman, the self proclaimed Draft "Expert." Like I tend to say in each and every blog post, you understand why I've gathered you here today, right? Well, if you don't, we're here to celebrate the release of our officially official week eight quarterback rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft!
I'm not going to lie, I struggled pretty hard at coming up with this top 10, going as far as to even question who I had at the number one spot. But I guess that's what you get when you're perceived top two quarterbacks both lose at home to teams they were favored to beat, whereas another barely escapes in a game against Arizona State.
All that being said, we do have some decent movers in this post, with some moving up as much as two spots from their previous ranking, as well as introducing at least one new quarterback to the top 10!
I won't leave you waiting any longer, so let's get to it! Here again is our officially official week eight quarterback prospect rankings, enjoy!
Podcast Links
Pictured: Caleb Williams, USC; JJ McCarthy, Michigan; Jayden Daniels, LSU
1. Caleb Williams, USC
Wk 8 - 24/34 256 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 27 yds 1 touchdown v no.14 Utah (34-32 L)
Season - 166/237 2,277 yds 23 touchdowns 4 interceptions/61 carries 143 yds 7 touchdowns
This has been a rough couple of weeks for Caleb Williams and the USC Trojans. After starting the season undefeated, going as high as being ranked fifth in the nation, the Trojans have dropped their last two games, getting blasted by Notre Dame on the road and losing in a close one to Utah at home. Now, this shouldn't really come as a surprise to many out there, as USC's supposed downfall was due to happen, it was only a matter of time. After struggling to a certain extent against Arizona State, the Trojans went on to allow Colorado to comeback and nearly beat them in Boulder, as well as needing three overtimes to defeat Arizona. So again, losses were due, but maybe people didn't expect them to be like this. In both losses, star quarterback Caleb Williams has kind of flattered to deceive, especially in the loss to Notre Dame. Throwing three first half interceptions and throwing for less than 200 yards in the loss, which would be the first time he had thrown two or more interceptions in a game since he played against Baylor while at Oklahoma. To follow that up with a zero passing touchdown performance against Utah, people have really started to turn on the guy who looked certain to become the second ever player in college football history to win back-to-back Heisman Trophy's. Now, to come to his defense, both Notre Dame and Utah have fantastic defenses, as both rank in the top-15 in yards allowed per game and points allowed per game. So though it shouldn't be crazy to see Williams struggle in these games, people have still been quick to jump on the Williams hate train, as him being as polarizing as he is, plus the hype surrounding him, makes him an easy target to social media trolls. All that being said, it wasn't like he was completely useless in this game, by any metric, as on USC's first drive Williams would pick up a first down on third and four with his legs, which would ultimately set up a MarShawn Lloyd touchdown run on the next play.
After scanning the whole field, going from right to left, Williams does a nice job a not forcing the issue by passing it and just taking what the defense gave him for the first down. Though he carries the ball like Shady McCoy, which stresses me out, he is able to get a big gain and a first down which again extended the drive and saw USC register their first touchdown of the game, thanks again to a 45-yard MarShawn Lloyd run. On their next drive, Williams and co. would punch it across the goal line again, this time coming off a Zachariah Branch on a reverse pitch play from a yard-out, which would be set up by Williams hitting Tahj Washington deep down the middle for a 51-yard gain, putting them on the one-yard line.
What a throw and catch between Williams and Washington on this play. Literally a finger tip grab from Washington to pick up the massive gain. Dude cooked his defender off the line, and Williams noticed it right away and hit him near the end zone. I'm sure he would've liked to register his first, and what would've been his only, passing touchdown of the game on that throw, but they ended up scoring a few plays later, so it all worked out in the end, giving USC a 14-7 lead midway through the first quarter. Unfortunately for the Trojans offense, they would be held scoreless for quite a while after that score, not register a point of any kind until the end of the third quarter, punting on four of their next six drives before then. On one of those drives, Williams would connect with a fairly open Lake McRee for a 31-yard gain down the near sideline, as well as showing off the 'arm angle' on a little screen play to Tahj Washington that went for eight-yards, but it would be all for nothing as they'd be forced to punt. A Williams sack would ultimately end the half for USC on their next drive, as they'd go into the locker room tied up at 14. Similarly, a Williams sack would also end their first drive of the second half, as they'd be forced to punt the ball away after going three and out. He would flash the athleticism again on their next drive, picking up 15-yards on second and 10.
Though the drive would come to a swift and abrupt end a play later via a MarShawn Lloyd, this is still a very impressive play from Williams. With this looking like what was supposed to be a screen play to the running back, which Utah covers very well, Williams decides to cut up the gap to the right side of the offensive line, picking up a very nice gain in the process, though he took a pretty good shot on the tackle as well. USC would find themselves down big after tat turnover, as Utah was able capitalize on the turnover, growing the lead to 28-14 in the third quarter. But, as we said before, USC would manage to register a field goal on their next drive, with Williams making some big throws during the drive, hitting Brenden Rice for nine-yards on third and seven before throwing a strike to Tahj Washington for a nice 40-yard gain.
Similar to that of the big 51-yard play we saw earlier, but this time we see Williams put this ball more on a line, which is probably the smartest thing to do there. With the defender over top, unless Williams threw the ball more towards the left, putting a lot of air under the ball may have resulted in a turnover. By putting this ball on a line, Williams has essentially eliminated the defender from making a real play on this ball. Maybe some out there would've liked to see Williams hit Washington for a touchdown, but a 40-yard play will have to do. The drive would stall out after that deep ball, though again they would still manage to come away with points for the first time since the first quarter, which is sometimes all you can ask for. USC's defense would come up big on Utah's next possession, as Calen Bullock would pick off a Bryson Barnes pass and take it back for six from 30-yards out to give USC even more of a fighting chance (though they would fail on the two-point conversion). Williams would make a 'Caleb Williams esc.' play on USC's next drive, hitting Dorian Singer down the far sideline picking up 17-yards on third and four.
I know these plays can sometimes frustrate people, but there's not many quarterbacks in college football that can make something out of nothing as consistently as Caleb Williams. Maybe you could say he should've hit Zachariah Branch near the far sideline, but knowing they needed a first down Williams extends the play and finds Singer for the big gain. Now who knows, maybe Branch is able to pick up the first down, but with two Utah defenders guarding him at the sticks, the odds of that happening are rather slim, so I like Williams taking a little bit more time to find the receiver for a first. A weird Caleb Williams fumble would ultimately stall USC's drive. As he tried to get the ball out quick the the receiver by the front pylon on the far sideline, the ball just falls right out of his hands. Thankfully for both him and USC, he was able to fall back on the ball, which allowed them to come away with some points on that drive. After forcing Utah to go three and out, Zachariah Branch would come up big in the punt return game, setting the Trojans up insanely well on the Utah 11-yard line. On USC's first play of the following drive, Williams would carry it in, giving USC a late 32-31 lead (after another failed two-point conversion).
Though the touchdown was big, Utah would still be able to march right down the field a steal the victory away from defeat. I saw a lot of people of Twitter complaining about how 'selfish' Williams was by scoring the touchdown when he did rather than go down and waste time, but there's no guarantee USC would've scored on this drive had they had not scored there. Like, if it weren't for a roughing the passer/targeting call on Utah's next offensive possession, USC could've saw this game out. Instead, Utah was able to further extend their drive, with Barnes picking up a massive 26-yards on the ground to go from the 45 to the 19, which ultimately set up the game winning field goal. I don't have an issue with Williams scoring there because again, who knows if they would be able to punch the ball across for the score. Plus, it's a lot easier said than done. Regardless, I'm sure this was a tough pill to swallow for Williams and his teammates, losing their second consecutive game of the season, and their third consecutive to Utah. This week though should prove to be a 'get right game' for the Trojans, as they're going up against a Cal team that have lost three of their last four games by double digits. That being said, this team can score, and we may be in for another USC v Colorado game if Cal is up to the task. I'm very intrigued to see how this one goes in Berkley.
Preseason - 1a
Wk 0/1 - 1
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - 1
Wk 9 - @ Cal
2. Drake Maye, North Carolina
Wk 8 - 24/48 347 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/6 carries 17 yds 1 touchdown v Virginia (31-27 L)
Season - 170/260 2,249 yds 14 touchdowns 5 interceptions/68 carries 201 yds 5 touchdowns
One of the contenders for weirdest game of the week, I don't think many people out there expected to see North Carolina come out on the losing end of things against Virginia last Saturday night. At 6-0, some out there were hoping the Tar Heels could be one of the 'Playoff busters,' as not many predicted them to be in playoff contention when the season first started. Though we knew the strength of Virginia's defense came in the passing game, we still though the Tar Heels would be able to do enough to come away with a dub, especially with the game being at home. Like, they've dropped 30, or more, points in each of their first six games of the season, who would've thought Virginia would have been the first team to hold them below 30? I certainly didn't, but again, that's exactly what happened. As for quarterback Drake Maye, though he posted his second 300+ pass game in the last three games, this wasn't necessarily his best performance, with it really not as bad as it may seem. Again though, it was against a solid pass defense. That being said, though they were forced to punt after five-plays on their first drive, Maye and the Tar Heel offense would find the end zone on their second drive, which would see Maye hit Tez Walker on a beautiful pass from 25-yards out to tie the game up at seven.
What a throw, and what a catch by Walker as well to tie the game back up for the Tar Heels. With two safeties either side of Walker, the pass had to be inch perfect in order to come away with six, which it was. He had to make sure to not only get enough on the throw, but also had to make sure he put just enough loft on it so the defender in front of Walker couldn't make a play on the ball (though it would've been a crazy play had that defender done something). So three defenders to beat, and Maye put it in the only spot Walker could get it, which again led to six. Though they scored here, it would take the Tar Heels a couple more drives to find the end zone again, punting on their next two possessions, with one seeing them go three and out. That being said, Maye would register his second, though final, touchdown pass of the game, hitting Bryson Nesbit in stride for a 62-yard touchdown.
Really solid route by Nesbitt on this play, creating really good separation between himself and the Virginia defender, giving Maye a wide open target to hit down the field. This was one of those plays where, as a quarterback, you just don't want to miss. When a receiver, or tight end in this case, creates about four to five yards of separation, you cannot miss him. Sometimes you'll see quarterbacks under throw this ball, which allows/forces the receiver to come back and get the ball, but Maye should excellent touch and timing on this throw to not only pick up a massive gain, but a touchdown as well, tying the game up at 14 in the second quarter. Maye would hit a few short to intermediate routes on North Carolina's next drive, with the biggest gain going to Tez Walker for 12-yards on a hitch route that picked up a first down. Maye would try to hit Walker again a little later but would end up over throwing him, which would lead to fourth down. Unfortunately, North Carolina would go for it on the following fourth down, and Maye would nearly throw an interception to stop the Tar Heels in their tracks. In hindsight, maybe an interception there would've served North Carolina better, as it would've given Virginia a little worse field position. Thankfully, the Cavaliers wouldn't be able to capitalize on the short field, as quarterback Tony Muskett would throw an interception at the UNC 10-yard line. That being said, North Carolina wouldn't capitalize on the turnover, as they'd go three and out on the following drive. Maye would help the Tar Heels register some points before the half, via a Noah Burnette 43-yard field goal, with this throw to Tez Walker helping set up the kick.
Though Maye broke the first rule of quarterbacking, which is never throw across your body, he still managed to get the ball to a pretty open Walker for the first. Why Walker was so open is because of Maye's threat as a runner. As Maye tucked the ball, both Virginia linebackers closed in on him, with the one to the near side opening up the hole to Walker a little bit wider. Not to mention Maye put a lot on this ball to make sure Walker was the only one who could come away with it. Maye and Walker would connect again on their next play, picking up 14-yards on a comeback route to ultimately set up the field goal try, which again, was ultimately good, giving North Carolina a 17-14 halftime advantage. Maye would then lead North Carolina to another touchdown on their first drive of the second half, calling his own number on the read option play from three-yards out to further extend the Tar Heels advantage. Maye would also be seen picking up a first down with his legs earlier on in the drive, taking a quarterback keeper up the middle on third and two, picking up 10-yards in the process. Dude would only have one completion on that drive, which came on a little dump off pass, after a fake, to Bryson Nesbit for 13-yards and a first down, which came a play before Maye's touchdown run. North Carolina would go three and out on their next drive, but would register their second field goal of the game on the following drive. Though he would come close to registering his third passing touchdown of the game, just missing Nate McCollum to the outside in the end zone.
Again, it was an incomplete pass, clearly, but still, I don't necessarily hate where this ball was placed. Yes, the receiver caught it out of bounds, but given that he threw this slightly on the run, while hitting his receiver with a defender right on him, I think this is a pretty solid throw from Maye. He would have some other nice throws on that drive, like where he hit Tez Walker on a slant route for 16-yards, or sucking in the defense and hitting Omarion Hampton on a little dump off that would pick up 19-yards. North Carolina's next few drives unfortunately wouldn't result in any points, as they'd go three and out, and would turn it over on downs, though Maye would have some very nice throws on that drive, like where he hit Tychaun Chapman for 33-yards down the near sideline.
Great job by Maye at sliding to his right in the pocket, then delivering a near perfect ball to Chapman for the big gain, placing it between a couple of Virginia defenders (special thanks to the other Carolina receiver for shielding the defender as well). Maye would hit Tex Walker across the middle for 29-yards on the next play, before, once again, nearly registering his third passing touchdown of the game, trying to find J.J. Jones in the end zone for six.
So close again, unfortunate that that didn't result in a touchdown. I must say, it does kind of scare me when Maye takes his right hand off the football after he bumps into the lineman. But still, great job at getting this ball off and at least giving his receiver a chance to make a play. The Tar Heels would end up turning it over on downs on the next play, as Maye's pass to Tez Walker down the far sideline fell incomplete, as the ball may have been a little high from Maye. That being said, North Carolina would get one more opportunity to steal the game after forcing Virginia to punt on their next drive. Unfortunately, the drive, and the game, would edn with a Drake Maye interception. Though he would have a very nice toss to Walker down the near sideline before the pick.
Not a lot of quarterbacks, college or pro, would even attempt this throw, let alone actually have the ability to make it. Sure it didn't go for a massive gain, but this was still a very very impressive throw from Maye, though it wouldn't matter in the end, as his pick would come two-plays later.
Not a lot Maye could really do here as the Virginia defender came relatively untouched around the left tackle to get the hit on the quarterback. Just a great overall play from the Virginia defense, as not only was it a great play by the defensive end, what a great catch by the Virginia linebacker as well to come away with the interception, which sealed the massive upset. Tough loss for a good North Carolina team, all but sealing the door on their College Football Playoff dream, if it was ever anything more than that. As for Maye, like we mentioned before, though this may not have been his best performance, it wasn't that bad either. Sure his completion percentage wasn't the greatest, but he still made some insane throws that would unfortunately be dropped or fall incomplete. Doesn't excuse the loss though, so I'm hoping the Tar Heels can get back to their winning ways against Georgia Tech, who statistically have the worst defense in the conference, and by some margin too. Though it's on the road, Drake Maye and the Tar Heels should come away with a victory.
Preseason - 1b
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 2
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - 2
Wk 9 - @ Georgia Tech
3. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 8 - BYE
Season - 219/303 2,420 yds 21 touchdowns 3 interceptions/73 carries -23 yds 3 touchdowns
After losing three of their last four games, last week was a much needed bye for Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes. Though they were still scoring a bunch of points, you could tell they were starting to drain a little bit, and it showed in the second half in their last loss against Stanford. Though that was a very rough loss, I still think Colorado are a good football team, who will be put to the test against a very solid UCLA Bruins team that possesses the conferences top defense. On the road, this game will certainly test Colorado's offensive capabilities.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - 3
Wk 9 - @ no.23 UCLA
4. JJ McCarthy, Michigan (+2)
Wk 8 - 21/27 287 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 8 yds 0 touchdowns @ Michigan State (49-0 W)
Season - 132/169 1,799 yds 18 touchdowns 3 interceptions/33 carries 168 yds 3 touchdowns
Another Big 10 game, another dominating win for the Michigan Wolverines, who have been on an absolute tear ever since that weird-ish Rutgers game a few weeks back. Though they ended up winning that game 31-7, remember that the Scarlet Knights were actually ahead early on in that game, with Michigan only taking the lead with just under two-minutes left in the first half. Since that game though, Michigan has been torching everyone in their path, beating Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, and most recently hated rival Michigan State by a combined score of 198-24. That is a ridiculous margin of victory, only made crazier by the fact that quarterback JJ McCarthy has barely taken any second half snaps through those games. I can't remember exactly, but I wouldn't be shocked if he hasn't played a single minute in the fourth quarter through those games, as Michigan has been putting teams out of their misery early and often. Obviously Michigan has a massive scandal on their hands, but that shouldn't take away from the play of their quarterback, who set new season highs in both passing yards and touchdowns in the win against Michigan State, throwing for 287-yards with four touchdowns. Though his first touchdown wouldn't come until Michigan's second drive of the game, McCarthy still orchestrated a very solid 12-play drive, which was capped off by a Blake Corum touchdown run from a yard out. He may not have registered his own touchdown, but McCarthy was still dealing on this drive, helping Michigan pick up a much needed first down on third and 14, hitting AJ Barner for 21-yards.
Though he had a couple receivers short, McCarthy, knowing the situation, smartly took the ball outside of the tackle box, hoping to buy some time for his receivers down the field. While still on the move, McCarthy hits Barner right in the face mask for the first down. Though he kind of threw it across his body, which is a big no no for some coaches, McCarthy put enough on that ball to make sure only Barner could come up with it. Not to mention, the placement was very good as well, as there was two to three Spartan defenders in the area, so the ball needed to be right on him, though Barner took a nice shot after catching the ball. McCarthy would go on to hit Cornelius Johnson for a first down his next throw before finding Roman Wilson on a short crossing route on third and four that would pick up 25-yards, setting up the Corum touchdown run a few plays later. McCarthy would flash the arm strength on Michigan's next drive, fitting it in to Barner, again, this time for 15-yards and a first down.
This ball really has no right to be completed, as there are four defenders in the area with two who can make direct plays on the ball. With the linebacker coming from the inside, McCarthy has to place this ball on Barner's outside shoulder, which he does. If he doesn't this ball is either getting broken up or it's getting intercepted, with the latter looking like the more likely option after watching this play six or nine times. Dude would then flash the elusiveness a few plays later, as he'd find Roman Wilson in the end zone from 25-yards out for his first touchdown of the game.
Not only is this a great job by McCarthy at breaking contain and hitting his receiver in stride for the score, but this is also an excellent job by Wilson at getting open once he sees his quarterback is outside of the pocket. These two have had a great connection all season long, and it was truly on display on this throw, excellent play all around to further extend Michigan's ever growing advantage. McCarthy would get his second touchdown pass of the game on Michigan's next drive, as he'd hit Colston Loveland from 22-yards out for the score.
Great play recognition from McCarthy to send this ball towards the end zone after seeing the Michigan State defender jump offsides. Though it was a free play, what a throw from JJ McCarthy to find Loveland in the end zone for six. With the defender playing on Loveland's inside, the big tight end has to throw on a little move to shake him back out, than just completely backs him down at the goal line for the score. With there being another Spartan defender coming in late, and the defender guarding Loveland on his back, this ball, again, needed to be on his receivers body, which it was, resulting in six. Just another great throw from McCarthy to give the Wolverines the 14-point advantage. Though Michigan would be forced to punt on their next drive, going three and out, McCarthy and Loveland would hook again for another Wolverine touchdown, with this one also coming from 22-yards out.
What an absolute dart from the Michigan quarterback on this play. It really doesn't get much better than that, hitting Loveland in stride right off the shoulder of the linebacker for the score. I haven't seen the back angle, but I wouldn't be shocked if McCarthy couldn't actually see where Loveland was, just trusted him and threw a perfect ball to him for the score. Again, perfect throw from JJ McCarthy. Before the touchdown though, McCarthy would show off the athleticism, picking up 16-yards on second and 11.
You thought I forgot about this play, didn't you? Just because I mentioned the touchdown first doesn't mean I won't come back to it. Either way, these are just two examples of why JJ McCarthy is so effective, both as a runner and as a passer. Though he statistically only had eight-yards on the ground, this 16-yard rush is really impressive. From making the first Spartan defender miss to getting to the outside and cutting up field, this is what most teams would like to see from their quarterback, let alone the dart of a touchdown he threw a couple plays later. Though Michigan's final drive of the half would end on a penalty, McCarthy would still hook up with the likes of Loveland and Barner for 20 and 22-yards respectfully, with the throw to Loveland being a really nice one across the middle on third and 10. McCarthy would only play one more drive after that, where he'd get his fourth touchdown of the game, hitting AJ Barner from 11-yards out to give Michigan an even bigger 42-0 lead.
Maybe not his greatest throw, but hey, when the dude you're throwing to is open, just don't miss, and McCarthy didn't for the score. Like I brought up before, this would be his final contribution to the game, again registering a season high in passing yards and passing touchdowns, all within the first two and a half quarters. Dude was on one in this game, and it was really fun to see him put together a performance like that against one of their biggest rivals. This is a great result to get going into the bye week, giving them an extra week to prepare for Purdue. I know Purdue isn't the best team in the world, but they have a tendency of beating second rank teams, so lets just hope Michigan is up to the task.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - 4
Wk 9 - BYE
5. Michael Penix Jr., Washington (-1)
Wk 8 - 27/42 275 yds 0 touchdowns 2 interceptions/2 carries -1 yd 0 touchdowns v Arizona State (15-7 W)
Season - 182/257 2,576 yds 20 touchdowns 5 interceptions/11 carries 3 yds 0 touchdowns
I don't necessarily know why, but I'm not too surprised that Michael Penix and co. struggled against Arizona State last Saturday. Sure, on face value alone Washington should've absolutely pissed pounded the then 1-5 Sun Devils at home, but when you look past the records, things were a little closer than they seemed. Though Arizona State is now 1-6 on the season, they have been competitive against almost every team they've played this season, against teams that have very high powered offenses in the form of USC and Colorado. Looking at the PAC-12 defensive ranks, Arizona State currently sits fourth in the conference in total defense, behind three top-25 teams in the form of UCLA, Utah, and Oregon. Now, they do usually struggle to find consistency on the offensive side of the ball, ranking dead last in the conference in yards per game, but they are a very solid unit defensively, despite the 1-6 record. So for Washington, who was coming off a very emotional, highly contested game against Oregon, a 'let off' of sorts was due. Like, Washington equally struggled against another team from the desert in the form of Arizona, who currently has the fifth best defense in the conference who also kept Michael Penix out of the end zone, with all of Washington's points coming via the ground game, and one field goal. Again, though it was at home, I'm not utterly surprised by Washington struggle. Maybe I'm surprised by how little they scored, but the one score result does not. As for Penix, like we mentioned previously, he was kept out of the end zone for just the second time this season, but this time he registered a season high two interceptions, which both came on two of Washington's first three drives of the game. After the defense forced the Sun Devils to punt on their first drive, the Husky offense came out and essentially went three and out, but instead of a punt, they gave it back to Arizona State via a Michael Penix interception.
This is just something you don't expect to see from Penix. He did a nice job originally at faking to the flat, which forced the Arizona State defender to cover that side of the field, but the throw to Odunze was just very late. The pump fake had one positive and one negative effect, and unfortunately the negative very much out weighed the positive. Just not a good decision from Penix who would've needed to get a lot more on it to get it over the defender. It would've taken a pretty insane throw to complete this pass, and unfortunately it wasn't. Thankfully Arizona State wouldn't be able to capitalize on the turnover as Dario Longhetto missed a 31-yard field goal, but Washington wouldn't be able to move the ball very much on their next drive either, being forced to punt after just five-plays. Penix would complete a couple nice passes on Washington's next drive, i.e. completing a 19-yard pass to Rome Odunze on third and 11, as well as hitting Jack Westover and Ja'Lynn Polk for decent gains and first downs, but the drive would once again end with a Michael Penix interception.
Can't really put a lot of the blame on Penix for this one, as he did have an open receiver in the end zone, the Arizona State pass rush was just too much for the Washington offensive line. With the pass rush breaking through like that, it caused the ball to get tipped, landing in the arms of the Sun Devil linebacker, who made a very nice diving catch to come away with the ball. It's unfortunate because again, Penix had an open receiver in the end zone, just a shame it got tipped at the line of scrimmage. Things wouldn't get much better for the Huskies on the following drive, as Penix and running back Dillon Johnson seemed to have miscommunicated at the mesh point, which resulted in a fumble which Arizona State jumped on. Though blame could placed on either party during this play, the box score states that the fumble was on Penix, which would mean Penix was responsible for three turnovers in Washington's first four possessions. Now, Penix did take a shot to the head a few plays before the fumble, so that may have had something to due with the turnover but however you want to look at it, whoever you want to place blame on, the fact of the matter is Washington couldn't seem to get out of their own way, and they paid for it after the fumble, as the Sun Devils would march down the field and score their touchdown of the game. Washington would go down the field and register their first points of the game on their next drive, though they'd only come away with three after settling for a field goal, making the score 7-3 going into halftime. Again, I'm wasn't too shocked to see Washington struggle, but I didn't expect them to be down 7-3 at the half. Kind of crazy to see the Huskies high powered offense scored just three points going into the half. To add on to the problems on offense, Washington would turn the ball over on their first possession of the half, as Ja'Lynn Polk would fumble the ball on just the second play of the half. Their next couple drive wouldn't be much better as they'd punt the ball away before registering a field goal at the start of the fourth quarter, bringing the game back to within one. Penix would complete a big pass to Polk on third and four early on in that drive, going for 21-yards.
Nice job at continuing his rollout and buying time for his receiver to get a little more open. It's not the mist insane throw you'll ever see, but he did a nice job at placing it between three Arizona State defenders. Nothing too fast or too soft, just floated it in there and allowed his receiver to make a play on the ball, which helped pick up the nice gain. Though they'd get a pass interference call to go their way, the drive would stall out, forcing them to settle for three. The Washington defense would come up massively on Arizona State's next offensive possession. Since they're kicker missed a 31-yard field goal earlier, the Sun Devils decided to keep their offense on the field on fourth and three from the Husky 12-yard line. Not only did they not pick up the first down, Washington's Mishael Powell would jump the route, pick the ball off, and return it a massive 89-yards for the score, giving Washington their first lead of the game coming midway through the fourth quarter (though they'd fail on the two-point conversion). Washington would get another field goal after forcing Arizona State to go three and out on their next drive, with Penix connecting with Ja'Lynn Polk for a 17-yard play.
This was probably Penix's best throw of the night. Though Polk had a decent amount of separation between himself and the Arizona State's defenders, this is very good ball placement from Penix, which allowed Polk to then turn up field, making a defender miss, and picking up the big gain. A nice screen play to Rome Odunze would further help set up Washington's field goal attempt, which they would convert, extending their lead to 15-7 late in the fourth quarter. Washington's defense would then force Arizona State to turn it over on downs on their next drive, ultimately giving the Huskies the 15-7 victory. Though it was a very tough game for Washington, probably tougher than they would have liked, they still managed to come away with a dub, and that's all that matters in game like this. It would've been insane had they lost but again, despite their record, Arizona State are not a terrible football team, and they showed that last Saturday. Now I'm not expecting the same struggles against Stanford, who have pretty much been a revolving door on the defensive side of the ball this season, with only Colorado possessing a worse defense, statistically. Though it's on the road, I expect Penix and co. to have a more 'standard' performance this weekend.
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - 5
Wk 9 - @ Stanford
6. Riley Leonard, Duke (-1)
Wk 8 - 7/16 69 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/1 carry 13 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.4 Florida State (38-20 L)
Season - 86/142 981 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/48 carries 339 yds 4 touchdowns
I feel kind of bad for Riley Leonard as he was clearly not healthy enough to play as Duke took on Florida State last Saturday night. I give him all the credit in the world for toughing it out to be out there for his team in a crucial match-up, but again, as we saw throughout the game his ankle is not all the way healed up, which is why Duke head coach Mike Elko decided to pull his starting quarterback in the latter stages of the third quarter. To be fair, Duke did try their best to make the game as simple as possible for Leonard, with him only throwing the ball six-times during Duke's first two possessions, with Jordan Waters and Jaquez Moore being responsible for most, if not all of Duke's yards during that time, which would see Duke take a 10-7 lead into the second quarter. Riley Leonard's first real contribution to this game came on a second and 15 play early on in the second quarter, which would see him connect with Jordan Moore for an 18-yard play.
This is a really impressive throw from Leonard. Not only is it impressive to get this ball around the offensive lineman in front of you, but even more impressive on where he put this ball. Perfect throw from Leonard, maybe less than an inch away from the pass being broken up. This is why I have faith in Riley Leonard. Though the numbers may not always be hitting like some of the other quarterbacks in this class, Leonard can make some really impressive throws, he just needs to continue developing. In the same breathe, Leonard would throw an interception a few plays later.
This is what I'm talking about in regards to Riley Leonard's development. I understand it's third and 21, but with two defenders blanketing Jontavis Robinson, the better throw may have just been to Jalon Calhoun in the flat. Would it have gotten a first down? I don't know, but I can bet that it wouldn't have ended with an interception. And sure maybe they would have still given the ball to Florida State, but they would've been able to pin them a lot deeper than the opposite 42-yard line. Now, if he made the throw we'd be talking about one of the best throws of the day, but instead it wound up in the hands on the defender. Duke's next drive would see them register some points before the half, with Leonard fighting through the pain to pick up 13-yards on his only carry of the game.
Like we said at the start, I give Leonard a lot of credit for toughing this game out for as long as he did. Dude wasn't expected to be much of a run threat at all throughout this game, but was able to grit his teeth and pick up a nice 13-yards on the play, even throwing it a couple of cuts down the field to get a few more extra yards, got to respect it. A little bit later, thanks to a few Jordan Water and Jaquez Moore runs, Duke was able to get three points just before the half to take a 20-17 lead into the locker room. After being forced to punt on their first drive of the half, Leonard would complete three intermediate passes, with one going for a first down, before getting sacked and brought down by his face mask, which eventually force him out of the rest of the game. After the run game further helped Duke to get down the field, getting all the way to the four-yard line, the Blue Devils would end up turning it over on downs, ultimately losing the game 38-20. Again, all the respect to Leonard for trying to tough this one out, but he just wasn't healthy enough to see the full game out. Duke fought hard, but Florida State just caused them too many problems in the second half, both offensively and defensively. Lord knows if Leonard will be suiting up in Duke's next game against Louisville, which will be another very tough road test for the Blue Devils. Though they lost their last game to Pitt, Louisville has one of the best defenses in all of college football, ranking just behind Duke for yards allowed per game. I don't really see Duke coming out on top if Leonard isn't able to go. After being forced out against Florida State I'd be kind of surprised to see him out there, but again, Lord knows what actually ends up happening.
Preseason - 3
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 4
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - 5
Wk 8 - 6
Wk 9 - @ no.18 Louisville
7. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Wk 8 - 23/29 211 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries -7 yds 0 touchdowns @ Houston (31-24 W)
Season - 151/213 1,915 yds 13 touchdowns 3 interceptions/39 carries 53 yds 5 touchdowns
Going from one injured quarterback to another, Ewers was forced to leave Texas' previous game against Houston early with a grade two AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, which should potentially rule him out for the next couple weeks. So, in the mean for Texas football, we'll be seeing Maalik Murphy start in his place, to the disappointment to many out there who wanted to see Arch Manning finally take the field as Texas' starting quarterback. As for this game though, before the injury, Ewers was putting up some very solid numbers, throwing for more than 200-yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers, which is a little bit different then the three turnovers he had in Texas' loss to Oklahoma a couple weeks ago. That being said, I was kind of expecting Texas to route the Cougars in this game, especially since Houston possessed the worst statistical defense in the Big 12, in both yards per game and points per game. Coming off a bye after an emotional loss to Oklahoma, I thought Texas would come out big victors against Houston, instead coming away with a seven-point victory. That being said, Ewers and co. did come out firing, scoring on three of their first four drives of the game, with Ewers throw both of his touchdown passes within the first two drives. After picking up a fourth down by hitting Xavier Worthy in the flat, who would take it for 16-yards, Ewers would find a wide open Adonai Mitchell in the end zone from 14-yards out, giving Texas the early seven-point lead.
Though Ewers nearly led Mitchell a little too far outside, dude was still able to get both feet down in bound for the score. It's like we always talk about, when a receiver is that open, it's usually better to under throw them, that way they can come back to the ball. That being said, I would imagine Ewers got a little excited seeing his receiver that open, so probably put a little more mustard on the throw than he would've liked. Regardless of how pretty of a pass it was, all touchdowns count for the same number of points, so I'm sure he'll take it. Ewers would throw one of his best deep balls of the season on Texas' next drive, hitting Xavier Worthy in stride for a 42-yard touchdown.
Though you make a case for Texas' right side moving before the ball was snapped, but you can't take anything away from this throw by Ewers. That's where pre-snap reads come into play, dude didn't need to look anywhere else because he got a match-up he really liked. Faked it to the back and just let it rip, very good throw from Ewers, giving him two-touchdowns on the day and Texas a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Ewers would take a nice little shot on Texas' next drive, coming up a few yards short on a run trying to pick up a first on third and nine, which led to the Longhorns punting for the first time in the game. Not to fret, as Texas would score on their next possession, with wildcat quarterback Savion Red punching it in from a yard out. Before then, Ewers would hit a fairly open Ja'Tavion Sanders for a 23-yard gain as the quarter ended, with Texas' ground attack, led by CJ Baxter, methodically gashing Houston's defense down the field for the eventual score. Another three and out and a failed fake field goal attempt would pretty much end Texas' first half, with Ewers mostly hitting short passes that would eat up a decent amount of yards after his two early touchdowns. With the Longhorns kind of stalling on offense towards the end of the first half, Houston was able to tie the game up at 21 after their first drive of the second half, adding some surprising pressure to the Texas offense. To follow Houston's touchdown, Texas would turn the ball over on downs, with Ewers' pass to Adonai Mitchell fell incomplete, with some even looking for a potential DPI call, but no flags were thrown. You could say ball don't lie, as Houston fumbled on their third play of their next drive, giving the ball back to Texas at the Cougar 38-yard line. After dumping it off to Jonathon Brooks on a screen play that picked up 18-yards on third and 13, Ewers would try to pick up a first down using his legs on third and six a few plays later, but would take a massive shot from a Houston defender, which led to fourth down. Though Ewers would finish out the drive, that would be his last of the game, with Murphy finishing the game out at quarterback for the Longhorns. Now, I don't know if the injury happened on that run play or earlier in that drive, as Ewers landed hard on his shoulder after a sack on the first play of that drive. Either way, it sucks for Texas, as again, they're going to be without their starting quarterback for a couple to a few weeks. I'm very intrigued to see how Murphy looks as Texas' quarterback, and it'll be interesting to see when Ewers is fully cleared to play. All in all, let's just hope for a speedy recovery.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 7
Wk 7 - 7
Wk 8 - 7
Wk 9 - v BYU
8. Jayden Daniels, LSU
Wk 8 - 11/15 279 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/5 carries 6 yds 1 touchdown v Army (62-0 W)
Season - 163/223 2,573 yds 25 touchdowns 3 interceptions/91 carries 521 yds 5 touchdowns
I don't know if I'm missing it or not, but I feel like Jayden Daniels isn't getting enough hype when it comes to the Heisman Trophy. Like, I've heard Michael Penix and JJ McCarthy's names being brought up, but I don't feel like he's getting as much attention as the other two. Regardless, Daniels is having a pretty crazy season which sees him ranking second in the nation in passing yards (three-yards behind Penix), first in touchdown passes, first in passer rating, and first in yards per attempt. Not to mention he ranks fifth in the nation for rushing yards by a quarterback all while registering the least amount of attempts out of the four above him. Again, he's having a really good season, being the main cog in an offense that ranks second in yards per game (behind Oregon) and first in points per game. It's been really fun watching him and the rest of the LSU Tiger offense go up against some of the better teams in the SEC, this week though was a little bit easier, going up against a then 2-4 Army team that hasn't faced anyone near the caliber of LSU, and the Tigers took full advantage of that, taking home a nice 62-0 victory. Much like we talked about with JJ McCarthy before, Daniels didn't register a lot of snaps in the second half, and by that I mean he registered a whopping zero snaps in the second half, as his day would be done at the conclusion of the first half. If he was able to play at least that first drive of the second half, we'd see Daniels hold all the top marks for quarterbacks in college football, as I'm fairly confident he would've been able to throw for more than three-yards on that drive, as his back-up, Garrett Nussmeier, registered a 51-yard touchdown pass to Malik Nabers on that drive. As for Daniels though, the first drive of the game would be cake, as all of his passes hit fairly open wide receivers, with the biggest play going to Brian Thomas Jr., which picked up 28-yards. The drive would ultimately be capped off by a two-yard Logan Diggs touchdown run, putting the Tigers up seven early in the game. Though LSU's next drive would see them go three and out, Daniels and co. would make quick work of the following drive as on their second play Daniels would show off a little bit by hitting Brian Johnson Jr. down the near sideline for an 86-yard touchdown.
Great overall play from Daniels who did an excellent job at avoiding the pressure coming from the right side and rolling out before hitting Johnson in stride for the massive touchdown. It's just a great play from Daniels who has made a habit of doing this to opposing defenses so far this season. As we stated before, Daniels leads the nation in yards per attempt and it's clear to see why. Arguably the best deep ball thrower in college football, you can't give him these types of opportunities because he will make you pay. LSU's next drive would be another short one, as in three-plays, the Tigers would find the end zone again with Daniels hitting an open Johnson, again, but this time from eight-yards out. This was all set up by the LSU defense forcing an interception, which gave them the ball at the Army 33-yard line. Then a Daniels pass to another open receiver, Malik Nabers, would set them up in the red zone after a 21-yard pitch and catch. Another Army turnover would set the Tigers up with good field position once again. Then after Daniels hit Nabers on a little screen play, which saw the receiver pick up 23-yards after the catch, Daniels would punch it in from the one-yard line on a quarterback sneak for his first rushing touchdown of the game, giving LSU a 28-0 lead midway through the second quarter. LSU's touchdown streak would end on their next drive, as they'd have to settle for three, though we would see Daniels pull a little rabbit out of his hat on a third and 11 play that actually came up short of the first down marker.
Shame this play didn't go for more yards. Credit to Daniels though at getting this pass off after getting spun around. The Tigers still managed to come away with three-points after this play though, so in a way it worked out fine. Daniels and co. would score a touchdown on their next drive though, as Daniels would hit Malik Nabers up the seem for a 26-yard touchdown.
Arguably the most lethal tandem in college football strikes again. Daniels just delivered an absolute shot to Nabers up the seem for the score. Motioning him should be illegal. Making anything easier for Daniels should be illegal, especially when you're going up against a vastly inferior opponent in Army. No offense to the Black Knights, but that's just the case, and as we mentioned before, that would be Daniels final play of the game as LSU would take a nice 38-0 lead into the halftime break. Damn near perfect outing for Daniels and co., ain't it? In games like this, you've just got to put the inferior team any early and don't look back. LSU kept the pedal to the metal the entire game and it helped them come out 62-0 victors. Like we said with McCarthy and Michigan before, it's a nice time to go into the bye week coming off a dominating performance. Not to be mean or anything, but you've basically got two bye weeks back to back to prepare for Alabama. A team you beat last year sure, but this time, being at Alabama could make things a little interesting. I don't necessarily think this is the best Alabama team ever, but they're always going to be a threat, especially at home. If Daniels and co. come away with a victory, this could potentially be seen as Daniels' 'Heisman moment' game. But again, we've got to get through the bye week first.
Preseason - 10a
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - 10b
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - 8
Wk 8 - 8
Wk 9 - BYE
9. Bo Nix, Oregon
Wk 8 - 18/25 293 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 4 yds 1 touchdown v Washington State (38-24 W)
Season - 182/232 2,089 yds 19 touchdowns 1 interceptions/28 carries 105 yds 2 touchdowns
Maybe I shouldn't be, but I was honestly kind of surprised by this result. Sure Oregon ended up winning by double digits, but after watching Washington State drop an absolute stinker against Arizona the previous week, and how Oregon wanted revenge against the state of Washington after their close loss to the Huskies, I honestly thought Oregon would route them. You know me, I love Washington State's quarterback Cameron Ward, but again, after seeing how much they struggled against Arizona, though a solid outfit, I thought they stood no chance against Oregon, especially since the game was being played in Eugene. I know I'm making it sound like it finished as a one-point game or something, the Ducks still took care of business and came away 14-point victors, but I just thought there'd be more, if you get me. As for Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, he put forth another solid performance, nearly throwing for 300-yards with three total touchdowns. Just a very consistent quarterback, as that seems to be his stat line damn near every week, right? That being said, Nix did complete a season low 18-passes, while also attempting a season low 25-passes, but that's mostly because the likes of Bucky Irving and Jordan James both registered over 100-yards on the ground. I don't think Nix will care about his stats too much honestly, as he led Oregon to the most important thing, a victory. It didn't start off the greatest for Oregon offensively though. Sure Nix completed a few nice passes to the likes of Terrance Ferguson and Troy Franklin for nice gains, the Ducks would start off the same way they finished against Washington, with a missed field goal. And though the throw to Franklin only went for 15-yards on third and 23, it was still a very nice ball from Nix on the far sideline.
Sometimes as a quarterback you got to just give your kicker a chance, and that's what Nix did on this play. Sure it didn't pick up a first down, but you went from third and 23 and the 44-yard line all the way to the 29, sometimes that's what you want. Given how the last game ended, I was kind of surprised to see Oregon go for the field goal, rather than go for it on fourth down. Maybe to give their kicker some confidence or something, I don't know. I'm not at all saying that was the wrong decision, but it did surprise me given Oregon's tendencies as an offense. All that being said, Oregon would trot the field goal unit out there again after their next drive stalled out, but this time kicker Camden Lewis would cash in on the opportunity from 27-yards out, tying the game up at three late in the first quarter. The field goal was pretty much set up by Nix hooking up with Tez Johnson on a slant route that he took 46-yards up the field. Nothing insanely fancy or anything, but Nix did do a nice job at hitting Johnson in stride which led to him making the big play. Nix would connect with Troy Franklin on a very well thrown deep ball down the far sideline on their next drive, picking up 32-yards on third and seven.
Kind of similar to a Quinn Ewers play we talked about a little bit ago, but this is another example of pre-snap reads coming in big. With Washington State clearly bringing pressure, Nix knows he has to get the ball out quick to his first read, which in this case was Troy Franklin. Not only did he get the ball off before taking a sack, Nix put this ball right on a plate for Franklin, again, picking up the nice gain. Sadly the drive would eventually stall out, as Bo Nix of all people would punt the ball away and pin the Cougars at their own three-yard line. After Washington State drove 97-yards for a touchdown, Oregon would respond with one of their own on a drive where Bo Nix did nothing other than just hand the ball off, with Jordan James carrying most of the load before Bucky Irving punched it in from two-yards out to tie the game back up at 10. Nix would register his first rushing touchdown of the game on Oregon's next drive, keeping it on a read option play from two-yards out to give the Ducks their first lead of the game, taking a 17-10 lead just before the half. Oregon would be forced to punt on their first drive of the second half, but Nix would register his first passing touchdown of the game on their following drive, hitting Bucky Irving in the flat who would take it in from 42-yards out for the score. This play was all down to Irving, who caught the ball four or five yards behind the line of scrimmage before taking it in for the score. Really good effort from the Oregon running back on this play, extending the Ducks' lead to 24-13 midway through the third. Irving would score on Oregon's next offensive drive as well, taking a Bo Nix handoff 43-yards for the score. Nix would hit on a few slant routes on this drive, but the drive, again, was capped off with a Bucky Irving score. Nix would register his second passing touchdown of the game on the following drive, hitting Tez Johnson on a back shoulder throw from 17-yards out for the score.
Though he could've probably gotten away with leading Johnson on this throw, it's still a very nice back shoulder toss from Nix for the score. Great job by Johnson as well at knowing what kind of pass Nix was going to throw and adjusting accordingly to the ball. Great chemistry between quarterback and receiver on this play which again, further extended Oregon's advantage in the contest. Nix and co. wouldn't really need to do a whole lot more on the offensive side of the ball rather than just see it out, which they did as Oregon came out 38-24 victors against Washington State. Like we mentioned before, the run game was really cooking for Oregon, but Nix still did his thing, which helped the Ducks secure the dub. Though the dub was nice, Oregon's got a very tough road trip on their hands this weekend as they take on the Utah Utes, the team currently with the second best statistical defense in the conference. Utah is famously a very tough place to play, but if Nix and the Ducks are cooking, stopping them is much easier said then done. Should be a very fun one come Saturday afternoon.
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - 9
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - 9
Wk 8 - 9
Wk 9 - @ no.13 Utah
10. Michael Pratt, Tulane (NR)
Wk 8 - 15/21 194 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/15 carries 70 yds 1 touchdown v North Texas (35-28 W)
Season - 80/113 1,121 yds 12 touchdowns 2 interceptions/47 carries 191 yds 3 touchdowns
Welcome to the Draft "Expert's" top 10 Michael Pratt! Someone who we've had in the honorable mentions section numerous times before, it is nice to see a 'smaller' college quarterback enter into the top 10, as normally you'll just see quarterbacks from all the power five schools, not here though, As for Pratt, though he missed a couple games early on in the season due to injury, namely Tulane's top-25 match-up against Ole Miss, he's still put up some very impressive numbers, both in the pass game and the run game, with this past week arguably being his most complete game of the season. Sure he only threw for 194-yards, but the dude still managed to come away with four total touchdowns (three through the air and one on the ground) as well as a season high 70-rushing yards on a season high 15-carries. Yes, I understand he put up these numbers against a North Texas team that ranks dead last in the conference in total defense, giving up a whopping 457.7 yards per game, as well as allowing 35.4 points per game. But still, that shouldn't take away from Pratt's performance, as it helped Tulane continue their undefeated streak in conference play, as well as keeping them within the top-25. With that being said, things would go rather nicely on Tulane's first offensive possession, as Pratt would zip the ball into Alex Bauman's chest from two-yards out to give the Green Wave their first lead of the game. Pratt would also low-key flash the athleticism on that drive as well, scrambling up the middle for six-yards, which helped set up the touchdown pass. Unfortunately Tulane's next drive wouldn't be as successful, as Pratt would fumble trying to get across the goal line for what would have been Tulane's second touchdown in as many drives. It's a shame because Pratt would make a few nice plays on this drive, like nearly picking up a first down with his legs on second and five after a North Texas defender nearly dragged him down for a sack, as well as his toss to Jha'Quan Jackson that picked up a further 18-yards on second and three. Though their next drive would see them turn it over on downs, Pratt would flash the arm talent by hitting Chris Brazzell II for 22-yards on their first play of the drive.
Really nice use of the double clutch from Pratt on this throw. The first pump kept the North Texas corner honest, forcing him guard the flat route, which then allowed Brazzell to get open down the field. The actual throw itself was equally as nice as Pratt put this ball right on his intended receiver. With the safety coming in over top, this ball couldn't afford to be anywhere else but right on his intended receiver. Very nice overall play from Michael Pratt, and Chris Brazzell II for coming away with the ball. Unfortunately for Tulane, they'd eventually stall out, turning it over on downs. Pratt almost had a really nice completion to Lawrence Keys III on third and three, but the pass was ultimately broken up. Pratt's run attempt on the next play would prove equally inefficient as again, they'd turn it over on downs. Dude would show off the running ability on Tulane's next drive, picking up a nice 14-yard gain, which would help set up their second touchdown of the game.
Very nice use of the legs here from Michael Pratt. After seeing nobody open down the field, he decides to just tuck it and run. Not only that, but he causes a few defenders to miss as well en-route to picking up the 14-yard gain. As we mentioned before, Tulane would punch it in a few plays later, thanks to a Makhi Hughes 10-yard touchdown run. Tulane's next drive would not result in the same success, as Pratt would throw his first interception of the game, which would equal his second turnover of the game as well.
Though it ended in an interception, if the safety didn't make an insane break on the ball, we could've seen Tulane take a nice 21-0 lead into the break. Instead, we saw Pratt throw his second interception of the season, damn shame. There's not really a whole lot I can say about the interception other than the safety made a hell of a play. Better luck next time, I guess? Luck would strike for the Green Wave on their following drive, as Pratt would hit on his second touchdown pass of the game, finding Lawrence Keys III from 23-yards out for the score.
With a defender screaming in on him from the right side of the offensive line, Pratt does a very nice job at standing tall in the pocket and delivering a strike for a touchdown. Maybe you could say he didn't get enough on the pass, but again, with the defender coming in hot like that, knowing he's going to take at least some sort of hit, I'll take the throw, especially it ended up resulting in points for Tulane, which is all you can ask for. Still, I do think this was a solid throw from Pratt, especially given the circumstances. Though they'd go three and out on their next drive, Tulane would score on their next drive, with Pratt connecting again with Alex Bauman, this time for a 21-yard score.
This is a really nice throw from Pratt. Knowing he's going to take a massive shot, Pratt still stood tall in the pocket and delivered a strike to Bauman for the score. With the North Texas corner playing a little more off, Pratt had to put this ball right on Bauman in order for the pass not to be either broken up or intercepted. Again, just a really good throw from the quarterback, and a really nice job by the tight end at keeping his balance after the hit and taking it into the end zone. Though we skimmed over it, I want to go back to a throw Pratt made earlier in the drive, where he found Lawrence Keys III near the far sideline for a 19-yard gain and a first down.
Just again, a really solid throw from Pratt to pick up the first down. I know we've brought this up before, but I feel like it sometimes gets lost on people how hard of a throw this game be. Like, sure it didn't go for an astronomical gain or anything, but dude threw this ball from the near hash to damn near the opposite sideline, picking up 19-yards in the process. Tulane would be forced to punt on their next drive after going three and out, but Pratt and co., with the game tied up at 28, would go on an impressive 13-play 75-yard drive to ultimately score the game winning touchdown, which came via a Michael Pratt 19-yard scamper. Before then though, Pratt would fit a ball through an insanely tight window to Keys again for another 19-yard play.
This is what we in the biz would call a 'dart.' Pratt absolutely zipped this s.o.b. in there in between three North Texas defenders for the first down. Like we just brought up, with three defenders around Keys, the best place for this ball is to be low and driven. This way, the chances of any defender making a play on the ball are next to zero, as Pratt put this ball in the only place his receiver could get it. What do we always say? Let your playmakers make plays, and that's exactly what Pratt did, and he was rewarded for it. A few plays later, Pratt would register his aforementioned 19-yard touchdown run, giving Tulane the late 35-28 advantage.
First off, very nice blitz pick up by the Tulane offensive line, but an even better job by Pratt at realizing nothing was open down field, and instead of forcing the issue, he tucked it and scored what would eventually be the game winning touchdown. Dude just found a lane and took it, can't ask for much more in a clutch situation from your starting quarterback, whether it be on the throw to Keys or the touchdown run. Tulane's defense would force North Texas to turn it over on downs, giving the Green Wave their sixth win of the season. Though it may have been closer than Vegas projected, I'm sure Tulane will be perfectly fine taking home a dub of any kind. As for Pratt, despite turning the ball over two times, he played a very nice game, showing off the arm talent and the running ability on multiple occasions throughout the game, putting forth a very complete effort in the victory. I'm intrigued to see how Pratt matches up against Rice and their quarterback, JT Daniels. We should have a fun one on our hands Saturday afternoon.
Preseason - NR
Wk 1 - NR
Wk 2 - NR
Wk 3 - NR
Wk 4 - NR
Wk 5 - NR
Wk 6 - NR
Wk 7 - NR
Wk 8 - 10
Wk 9 - @ Rice
Others
Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma
Wk 8 - 25/38 253 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/10 carries 22 yds 0 touchdowns v UCF (31-29 W)
Season - 166/233 2,131 yds 19 touchdowns 3 interceptions/53 carries 230 yds 5 touchdowns
Joe Milton III, Tennessee
Wk 8 - 28/41 271 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/15 carries 59 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.11 Alabama (34-20 L)
Season - 140/223 1,535 yds 12 touchdowns 4 interceptions/47 carries 232 yds 4 touchdowns
Spencer Rattler, South Carolina (10)
Wk 8 - 23/40 217 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/13 carries -15 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.20 Missouri (34-12 L)
Season - 165/233 1,941 yds 11 touchdowns 5 interceptions/63 carries 114 yds 2 touchdowns
Jordan Travis, Florida State
Wk 8 - 27/36 268 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/10 carries 62 yds 1touchdown v no.16 Duke (38-20 W)
Season - 142/218 1,750 yds 15 touchdowns 2 interceptions/50 carries 176 yds 5 touchdowns
Cameron Ward, Washington State
Wk 8 - 34/48 438 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/11 carries 30 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.9 Oregon (38-24 L)
Season - 181/259 2,217 yds 15 touchdowns 3 interceptions/67 carries 131 yds 3 touchdowns
Previous Rankings
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