The Draft "Expert" - Wk 11 2026 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings
- Logan Blackman
- 1 day ago
- 49 min read
YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6EAdtw5r5U
Hello one and all and welcome back to yet another fantastic Draft "Expert" blog post! As I'm sure you can probably tell by the title, this one will be going over our week 11 quarterback prospect rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft!
We are really getting into the meat and potato section of the season now, as we have entered into the second week of the College Football Playoff rankings! Though that means we are edging closer to the end of the college football season, games are starting to mean more, with Playoff implications being a factor in each and every game for most of those in the top-25.
Whether your team is ranked first, second, or 15th, every game means a little bit more at this point in the season. I mean hell look at last year, five of the top-12 teams at this point didn't make the Playoff. And given how unpredictable this season has seemingly been, we could have some major shakeups still to come as the season progresses.
I'll just leave the intro at that! All in all I am very excited for you guys to check out this week's blog post! So without any further delay I Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present my week 11Â quarterback prospect rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
1. Ty Simpson, Alabama
Wk 11 - 21/35 277 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/4 carries 8 yds 0 touchdowns v LSU (20-9 W)
Season - 198/296 2,461 yds 21 touchdowns 1 interception/55 carries 87 yds 2 touchdowns
Coming off a bye following a hard fought win against South Carolina the previous week, I was intrigued to see how Ty Simpson and the rest of the Alabama Crimson Tide would fair against a struggling LSU Tigers team that had lost three of their last four games. Now, that's not to say that I thought Alabama would be in danger of being upset or anything, especially with it being at home, but I was curious about how they would look against a seemingly vastly inferior team. Though they came out with a 20-9 win, it's hard to say that the Crimson Tide played their best game, as they would really have no extended drives while also struggling to get things going on the ground, only registering 56-yards while also averaging just 2.2-yards per carry, their lowest mark of the season. Despite the run game being pretty much a non-factor throughout, quarterback Ty Simpson put forth a solid showing. In the win Simpson would go 21/35 for 277-yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, with those 277-yards through the air being his highest total since he threw for 340-yards against Vanderbilt back on October 4th. Though he would connect with Ryan Williams across the middle of the field for 14-yards and a first down on their opening drive, they would ultimately fail to convert on fourth and one from the LSU 39-yard line, turning the ball over on downs with 10:35 to go in the first quarter. Thankfully for them nothing would come from LSU's next drive, with kicker Damian Ramos failing to convert from 30-yards out. Simpson would come out firing on the first play of Alabama's next drive, hitting an open Germie Bernard across the middle for a 33-yard gain, taking them to the LSU side of the 50.
I've said it a thousand times before, but Ty Simpson is the absolute best in college football when it comes to throwing across the middle of the field. I know Bernard created a good amount of separation, but Simpson always throws down the middle with confidence, firing it into his receiver who is able to make the first defender miss before picking up a few extra yards to get them down to the LSU 47-yard line. Unfortunately for them they would fail to really move the ball any further as Simpson would miss on his next three passes, forcing Alabama to punt the ball away after just four plays. Despite the punt the Tide would be set up with excellent field position on their next drive following a Tiger fumble. That being said though they'd start their next drive at the LSU 24, Simpson would fail to find a receiver on both second and third down, forcing them to settle for a 45-yard field goal that would ultimately give them their first lead of the game with 1:20 remaining in the first quarter. Simpson would come out firing once again on their next drive following an LSU field goal, hitting Kaleb Edwards on a bubble screen to the flat for 10-yards before connecting with Josh Cuevas down the far sideline on a beautifully thrown ball for a 32-yard gain to help get them to the Tiger 24-yard line.
You can't really throw a ball much better than this if you're Simpson. It's literally inch perfect, hitting Cuevas in stride and right in the bread basket for a 32-yard gain, helping set up their first touchdown of the game which would come a few plays later courtesy of a four yard run by Daniel Hill to make the score 10-3 midway through the second quarter. Alabama would get the ball back quick and would start with decent field position at their own 40 following a three and out by LSU. Simpson would come up big for the offense on the second play of the drive, stepping up in the pocket and firing an absolute strike to Germie Bernard for a 31-yard gain, helping get them down to the LSU 24-yard line.
Excellent job at evading the oncoming pressure by sliding and stepping up in the pocket before firing a perfect pass to Bernard for the aforementioned 31-yard gain. This is another inch perfect throw by Simpson, putting it right on his receiver's body, not only to avoid the defender making any sort of play on the ball but also to allow Bernard to make said defender miss before picking up a few more yards after the catch. Just a fantastic play all around, showing off Simpson's pocket awareness and arm talent to help get the Tide deep into Tiger territory. The drive would end up stalling out, forcing them to settle for another field goal. Unlike the first attempt though kicker Conor Talty would fail to convert from 26-yards out, keeping the score at 10-3 with 2:28 to go until halftime. That being said Alabama would get the ball back with 52-seconds left to try and register some more points before the break. On said drive Simpson would come up massive, connecting with Lotzeir Brooks for 53-yards before hitting Ryan Williams in the end zone from 13-yards out to give the Tide a 17-3 lead with 22-seconds to go in the quarter.
Two fantastic throws here from Simpson to again help the Tide extend their lead late in the second quarter. The first one he once again does an excellent job at sliding and stepping up the pocket with pressure coming around the right side of the offensive line before hitting Brooks perfectly in stride for a 53-yard gain, helping set up his first touchdown of the game which would come a play later. Off his back foot with two to three LSU defenders in the area, Simpson does an excellent job at finding the gap between said defenders, with Williams adjusting his body well to come down with it in the end zone for the score. He really couldn't have placed it any better, especially with the safety coming over late. Two great throws and overall plays from Simpson to once again gift the Tide a 17-3 lead. Simpson would connect with Germie Bernard for 15-yards on their first drive of the second half, with Bernard making a nice shoe string catch to come down with it but that would really be the only positive play of the drive, with Alabama punting the ball away after six plays (Simpson would fail to hit Bernard on a deep ball on third and eight, should really have been a touchdown). Simpson would hit Josh Cuevas for a 21-yard gain on the opening play of their next drive, but would be strip sacked a few plays later to help set the Tigers up at the Crimson Tide 38-yard line. Thankfully for Simpson the defense would hold them to a field goal, thus making the score 17-9 with 10:28 to go in the fourth quarter. Simpson would nearly make up for the fumble on their next drive, picking up 17-yards on the ground before firing a near perfect pass to Ryan Williams in the face of pressure that would ultimately fall incomplete, forcing them to punt the ball away midway through the fourth.
I know this pass ultimately fell incomplete, but I felt it was a good enough throw to highlight here. Like I alluded to before, with pressure barreling down on him Simpson was still able to get off an accurate throw despite getting sandwiched between two LSU defenders. Was the pass a little high? Sure, but given the circumstances I would say this is a near perfect pass, just a shame that Williams wasn't able to come down with it at Alabama would again be forced to punt the ball away. Alabama's defense would force LSU to punt the ball away after going three and out and Simpson would come out on the second play of the following drive and hit Isaiah Horton down the far sideline who would go up and make a great catch for a 21-yard gain.
Sometimes the best thing to do as a quarterback is put the ball in the receiver's area and have him go up and make a play, which is exactly what happened here. With a defender in his face Simpson throws a confident ball down the far sideline, putting it in a spot for his 6'4" tall receiver to be able to high point the ball and bring it in. Though the defender fought hard for the ball, Horton came out on top to help the Crimson Tide pick up a nice 21-yards on second and 10. Like I always say, sometimes you just have to let your playmakers make plays. Simpson would complete passes of two and six yards before missing Kaleb Edwards across the middle on third down, forcing Alabama to settle for another field goal with Conor Talty converting from 44-yards out to make the score 20-9 with 4:25 to go in the fourth quarter. That would be pretty much all she wrote, as the Crimson Tide would hold onto a 20-9 home victory. Simpson may not have played a perfect game in the win, but he came up with big time throws when he needed to, helping Alabama secure their eighth consecutive win of the season. This week Simpson and co. play host to the Oklahoma Sooners, who are fresh off a bye after beating Tennessee 33-27 on the road. Despite the Sooners boasting the best defense statistically in the conference, I do think the Tide should be rolling come Saturday afternoon.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - 1
Wk 9 - 1
Wk 10 - 1
Wk 11 - 1
Wk 12 - v no.11 Oklahoma
2. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Wk 11 - 19/30 218 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/6 carries 20 yds 1 touchdown @ Penn State (27-24 W)
Season - 181/254 2,342 yds 26 touchdowns 5 interceptions/56 carries 240 yds 5 touchdowns
You could have heard a thousand different predictions for this game prior to the season starting. Hell, you could have heard a thousand different predictions for this one at any point throughout the season, as the perception of both teams has changed drastically as the season has gone on. During the offseason, many assumed that Penn State would be in and around the National Championship conversation, as they were returning multiple starters, including their starting quarterback, from a team that fell to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff Semi-Final. With Drew Allar entering his third season as the starting quarterback, it felt obvious that Penn State would seriously be one team worth paying attention to. As for Indiana, many out there were conflicted about what this team was or could be. Many assumed that last year was a one off, that there was not a chance that the Hoosiers would make it back to the College Football Playoff, let alone enter week 10 with an undefeated record. If you would have asked people prior to the season starting who would win this match-up, I'm confident that 99% of them would have said Penn State. Now, if you asked those same people a day or two prior to their match-up this past Saturday, I'm sure 99% of them would have said Indiana. Hell, I think those same people would have expected the Hoosiers to come away with a double digit victory, regardless of it being played in Happy Valley or not. Crazy how things change throughout the course of a season, huh? Oddly enough this game wound up being one of the craziest of the season, with Indiana pulling out a 27-24 road victory, with Omar Cooper arguably making the catch of the season with 36-seconds left to secure the win. With that being said quarterback Fernando Mendoza put forth a solid effort, going 19/30 for 218-yards with one touchdown and one interception while also picking up 20-yards on the ground and registering a touchdown there as well. Like I said a little bit ago I'm sure most people thought Indiana would run away with things, but that would have to wait as the offense really struggled to move the ball coming out, going three and out on their first drive before punting the ball away after six plays on their next one. Thankfully for them it wouldn't take long for them to find the end zone on their third drive of the game, as Mendoza would connect with Charlie Becker down the middle of the field for a 53-yard gain before taking it in himself from 18-yards out to give the Hoosiers their first lead of the game with 1:42 to go in the first.
I could be wrong, but I'm assuming that a lot of people out there thought this would be the start of the route for Indiana, as their third drive of the game took as many plays to find the end zone towards the end of the first quarter. On the drive Mendoza flashed some of his best traits, with the pass showing his ability to look off the safety before firing it down the middle to his tight end for a 53-yard gain. Just a great play overall from him, helping set up his 18-yard touchdown run. On that we saw him just take what the defense was giving him as the safeties were locked onto the Indiana receivers. Driving it right down their throats before lowering his shoulder to get into the end zone for the score. Again, a quick drive that showed why Mendoza is one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country. Mendoza would hit on a few short to intermediate passes on their next drive following a Penn State touchdown. He also flashed the athleticism a little bit as he'd pick up seven yards with his legs on second and 11. He would nearly connect with Omar Cooper in the end zone on second and 10 a few plays later but would come up big on third down, rolling to his left before side arming it to Charlie Becker for a 10-yard gain, helping get them down to the Penn State five yard line.
What an athletic play here by Mendoza, keeping the play alive to his left while sucking in the defender before firing it to Becker for the much needed first down. These are the types of plays you love seeing your quarterback make, being able to remain calm under immense pressure and come up with a positive play. As impressive as this pass play was it ultimately wouldn't lead to anything more than a field goal as a Mendoza sack/fumble (that he recovered) and a false start penalty would push them back to the Penn State 17-yard line. A seven yard pass from Mendoza to Omar Cooper would get them back to the 10, where kicker Nico Radicic would convert to make the score 10-7 with 2:30 remaining in the second quarter. The Hoosiers would get another chance to register some points before the half thanks to a Penn State fumble with 1:09 to go. It would only take Indiana two plays to find the end zone after starting at the Nittany Lion 22, with Kaelon Black eventually taking it in from a yard out to make the score 17-7 with 38-seconds left in the first half. Indiana would start their first drive of the second half with excellent field position as well, as Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer would be picked off on the second play of their drive at the 50-yard line. If the route wasn't on before, this had to be the start of it, right? The Hoosiers would focus on the run game on said drive, but would ultimately be forced to settle for another field goal as Radicic would convert from 31-yards out to make it 20-7 midway through the third quarter. Things seemingly wouldn't start out the best for Indiana on their next drive following a Penn State field goal, as they'd find themselves staring down the barrell of a potential three and out on third and seven. Thankfully for them Mendoza would hit Charlie Becker along the near sideline, who would sky up to make a great catch while picking up 10-yards and a first down in the process.
Like I said before with Ty Simpson, sometimes as a quarterback you just have to let your receiver make a play on the ball, which is exactly what happened here. Despite pressure coming from the backside and up the middle, Mendoza remains calm and delivers the ball to Becker, putting it in a spot where only his 6'4" receiver could get it. Nice throw from Mendoza but great job by Becker at again skying up to bring this in, especially through the contact, helping pick up a much needed first down on third and seven. Mendoza would try to hit Becker again later on in the drive, only this time he'd miss him trying to hit him down the field along the near sideline on third and nine, forcing the Hoosiers to punt the ball away less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Penn State would register a touchdown on their following drive to make it 20-17 with 11:36 to go in the fourth. Things would continue going Penn State's way as on the second play of Indiana's next drive Mendoza would register his first interception of the game.
Long story short, Mendoza just never saw the Penn State defender, who would go onto to make a fantastic catch along the sideline to come away with a crucial interception early on in the fourth quarter. Mendoza definitely thought he had a completion there, but the defender again did an excellent job at not only cutting off the route, but at getting his foot down as well to pick off the pass. That interception would prove to be really beneficial for the Nittany Lions as the offense would find the end zone seven plays later, thus taking a 24-20 lead with 6:27 to go in the fourth quarter. Indiana would struggle to move the ball much on their following drive as though Mendoza would connect with Charlie Becker for a 14-yard gain, they would be forced to punt after just four plays with 3:53 remaining in the fourth. The Hoosier defense would come up big on Penn State's next drive, forcing them to punt the ball away after four plays as well, meaning the offense would get 1:51 to try and steal the win away from the home team, or at least tie the game. Things wouldn't start off the greatest for the offense, as Mendoza would be sacked on the first play of the drive for a seven yard loss. Mendoza would come up with a big time pass on the following play, hitting Omar Cooper down the seam for a 22-yard gain, picking up a much needed first down on second and 17.
This was a big time throw in a high pressure moment for Mendoza, as the crowd was really rocking following the sack on first down. With pressure coming through the line, Mendoza remained calm and tall in the pocket before delivering a fantastic ball to Cooper on his back shoulder for a 22-yard gain. Mendoza would keep things going as the drive went along, hitting EJ Williams along the far sideline for a 12-yard gain on second and 10 before firing it to Riley Nowakowski down the middle for a further 29-yards, helping get the Hoosiers down to the Nittany Lion 24-yard line.
What an insane throw here from Mendoza, picking up their third second and 10+ on the drive up to that point. This was such a confident throw from Mendoza, remaining calm in the pocket while firing it down the middle of the field to his tight end for a 29-yard gain. He put it exactly where it needed to be, which helped result in the aforementioned gain. Would Mendoza be done after that? Hell no, as the dude would hit Charlie Becker down the near sideline who would sky up to make the catch for a 17-yard gain before connecting with Omar Cooper in the end zone, who would make the catch of the season from seven yards out to give the Hoosiers a 27-24 lead with 36-seconds left in the fourth quarter.
What a f****** drive by Fernando Mendoza. If you were looking for a potential "Heisman moment," there it was, with his final two completions arguably being his most impressive on the drive (at least the last one). On the first one to Becker, he saw a match-up he liked as his 6'4" receiver was matched up against a smaller corner, so he threw it high and forced Becker to make a play, which he did. With Penn State showing pressure pre-snap, Mendoza knew he had to get this ball out quick in order to avoid a potential sack. Beautiful throw and catch between quarterback and wide receiver. The next one though to Cooper though was something out of a movie. With Penn State sending seven to eight defenders, Mendoza knew that he'd just need to go straight back in order to get this pass off. Remaining calm and cool as ever, he tosses it to the back of the end zone where Cooper again registers the catch of the season, somehow getting his left foot in bounds to comes down with it to give Indiana a 27-24 lead with 36-seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Again, if you were looking for one, that was your "Heisman moment" from Mendoza as that touchdown wound up being the difference maker with Indiana coming out with a gritty 27-24 victory on the road. It may have been closer than people expected prior to the game starting, but man was it a fun one, with Mendoza making numerous big time throws throughout the game, but most notably on that final drive to help give the Hoosiers the win. You would expect things to go a little smoother this coming week as Indiana plays host to the Wisconsin Badgers, who are coming off their first win of the season in conference play. Despite that, I again think Indiana should make quick work of things come Saturday.
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - 2
Wk 9 - 2
Wk 10 - 2
Wk 11 - 2
Wk 12 - v Wisconsin
3. Dante Moore, Oregon
Wk 11 - 13/21 112 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/4 carries 46 yds 0 touchdown @ no.20 Iowa (18-16 W)
Season - 158/224 1,884 yds 19 touchdowns 5 interceptions/44 carries 177 yds 0 touchdowns
For the second time this season I have to find the courage to write a blurb about a quarterback who came out on top against my Iowa Hawkeyes. As annoying as that is I cannot lie, there was part of me that thought the Hawks would be able to pull off the upset this past Saturday. Sure the game being at home definitely helped, but after watching Oregon struggle to a certain extent against Wisconsin at home while Iowa was beating the breaks off of Minnesota, I did find myself find with some confidence. That being said much like I talked about earlier about the Indiana v Penn State game, my opinion about this one changed throughout the course of the season. Prior to the season starting I did actually predict Iowa to come out on top, but after their week two loss to Iowa State it seemed very unlikely that a victory was possible, and even more so after Oregon took down Penn State on the road in double overtime. But as the season went along I did feel myself again growing in confidence, and after Mark Gronowski scored that rushing touchdown I really thought they were going to pull it off. Unfortunately the football gods have different ideas, as the Ducks would ultimately come out on top by the score 18-16. As for individual performances quarterback Dante Moore had his ups and downs in the rain and wind, but ultimately he made plays when Oregon needed him to, helping guide them to a win. For numbers Moore would go 13/21 for 112-yards with no touchdowns and an interception (while being without Dakorien Moore and Kenyon Sadiq) while also registering a near season high in rushing yards with 46 on just four carries. Things didn't start out the smoothest for the Ducks on offense as they would go three and out with Moore registering three straight incomplete passes. Now Oregon would find themselves up 2-0 before their offense would take the field again, as the ball would fly over Iowa punter Rhys Dakin's head, with him kicking it out of the back of the end zone for a safety. Oregon would come out running the ball on each of their first five plays of their next drive before Moore would connect with Gary Bryant Jr. for a 22-yard gain, getting them down to the Iowa 18-yard line.
This is just a great overall play here from Moore as he looks off the safety with his eyes to the left before firing it back to the right to Bryant who's able to bring it in for the nice gain. Also good job by Moore at putting the ball right on his receiver's body, as with the wet conditions it's better to put it on him rather than try and force him to make a hands catch. Again, just a good overall play to help get them inside the red zone for the first time in the game. Though that pass was nice, a couple plays later Moore would be intercepted, with Deshaun Lee picking him off in the end zone with 5:16 to go in the first quarter.
Moore was a little too far out ahead of his receiver on this one, with Lee making an excellent play on the ball to come down with the interception. Despite being the furthest outside defender, Lee leaves his receiver to help cover the slot, baiting Moore into the throw as he again put a little too much on it to kill off what should have been a scoring drive for the Ducks later on in the first quarter. Thankfully for Moore and the offense the defense would force Iowa to punt the ball away after eight plays, with the Ducks starting their next drive at their own 18 with 38-seconds to go in the first quarter. Much like their previous drive Oregon would come out running the ball on each of their opening five plays before Moore would find an open Jamari Johnson down the field for a 21-yard gain, helping get them to the Iowa 38-yard line.
I know Johnson was decently open after finding a window in the Iowa secondary, but this is still a very nice throw from Moore as he again puts it right on his tight end's body to help him secure the catch and make a move up the field. The Ducks would find the end zone two plays later thanks to back-to-back 19-yard runs by Jordan Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. (who scored the touchdown) to give them a 9-0 lead with just over three minutes gone in the second quarter. Oregon would struggle to move the ball on their next drive following Iowa's first score of the game, with an offensive pass interference call on the opening play of the drive setting them back 12-yards before eventually punting the ball away from their own 32 on fourth and three. The Ducks would be able to come away with some more points as the first half expired, with kicker Atticus Sappington converting from 46-yards out to give them a 12-7 lead going into the locker room. Oregon would be forced to punt the ball away on their first drive of the second half after going three and out, with Iowa then driving the ball all the way down to their 16-yard line. Thankfully for them the defense would come up big, stripping Kaden Wetjen of the ball and recovering at the 13-yard line. Despite the seemingly rough starting field position it wouldn't take them long to completely flip the field as Moore would pick up a whopping 49-yards with his legs on the second play of the drive, taking them all the way down to the Iowa 36-yard line.
One of the easiest 49-yard runs you'll ever see as damn near everyone on Iowa's defense sold out to stop the run up the middle. With all of that happening Moore was able to cut it up and pick up a whopping 49-yards before pulling up and going out of bounds to avoid a potential hit. Unsurprisingly that was the biggest gain of the game for both teams, as it completely flipped the field on it's head taking the Ducks from their own 15-yard line to the Hawkeye 36. Despite the big gainer from Moore the drive would eventually stall out, with Oregon having to settle for a field goal with 44-seconds remaining in the third quarter, going up 15-7. The offense would run the ball exclusively on their next drive following an Iowa field goal, though they would be forced to punt the ball away after seven plays midway through the fourth quarter. Iowa would capitalize on the Oregon punt with Mark Gronowski scoring from three yards out to give them the lead with less than two minutes to go in the fourth. Thankfully for Oregon, Iowa would fail to convert on the two point conversion, keeping the score at 16-15. Moore would come up massive for the Ducks on their following drive, hitting Malik Benson down the far sideline with an inch perfect pass for a 24-yard gain, taking them down to the Iowa 27-yard line.
As the old saying goes, you cannot defend a perfect pass, which is exactly what this was. I'm sure there are some people out there saying that TJ Hall should have turned around but he is in really good position, it's just that the ball was perfect. I really can't fully wrap my head around how good of a throw this is, and it helped set up an eventual game winning field goal as kicker Atticus Sappington would convert from 39-yards out to give Oregon a 18-16 road victory. As an Iowa fan I absolutely hated this game, as I was certain Iowa's defense would hold on for the final 1:51, but that's just not how things were meant to be. In the end the Ducks made more plays, with Dante Moore stepping up when his team needed him most despite not being perfect throughout the game, which is exactly what you want from your quarterback. With that Oregon has a short week this week, as they play host to the Minnesota Golden Gophers this coming Friday. Though the Gophers are coming off of a home overtime win against Michigan State they are ridiculously bad on the road, losing each of their three road games by a combined score of 110-20. I don't really expect the Ducks to struggle too much in this one.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 2
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - 3
Wk 9 - 3
Wk 10 - 3
Wk 11 - 3
Wk 12 - v Minnesota (Friday)
4. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Wk 11 - BYE
Season - 124/201 1,536 yds 7 touchdowns 5 interceptions/117 carries 158 yds 3 touchdowns
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - 4
Wk 9 - 4
Wk 10 - 4
Wk 11 - 4
Wk 12 - @ no.3 Texas A&M
5. Darian Mensah, Duke
Wk 11 - 22/31 222 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/5 carries 3 yds 0 touchdowns @ UConn (37-34 L)
Season - 224/321 2,794 yds 24 touchdowns 4 interceptions/36 carries -64 yds 0 touchdowns
This past weekend we got treated to a battle of the basketball schools as the Duke Blue Devils traveled up north to take on the UConn Huskies. On the hardwood, these schools are two of the most historic programs in the country, as the pair rank fourth and fifth all time in National Championship wins as UConn has come away with six and Duke with five. What's crazy is that the difference between fourth and fifth for both schools is the 1999 National Championship, a game that saw the Huskies come away with a 77-74 victory, which happened to be the first in their history. With all of that being said neither school hold the same standing when it comes to their football programs, as both Duke and UConn have sub .500-records all time, though the Blue Devils do have two National Championship victories, coming in 1936 and 1941. Throughout my life no one has really respected either program. Like is there anyone out there that holds the same level of vitriol for either program in football that they do for basketball? I mean I know numerous people in the state of Iowa who hate Duke basketball, despite having no real reason to do so apart from them being good. The same goes for UConn, though I must say that the disdain for them has come up more recently. It's just crazy, how there can be two complete opposite feelings for the same school's football and basketball program, but that's one of the many reasons why we love college sports, is it not? Regardless of your feelings for either program, I think we can all agree that this was an insanely fun watch, with the Huskies besting the Blue Devils (much like in '99) by a score of 37-34. In the loss, quarterback Darian Mensah didn't really have his best game, going 22/31 for 222-yards (season low) with three touchdowns and two interceptions, with this being the first time he's registered more than one interception in a game so far this season. It's also the first time he's registered a single interception in a game since their 34-27 loss to Tulane all the way back on September 13th, which is crazy in it's own right. With that being said things would start out great for Mensah and the offense, as he would hit Que'Sean Brown on a screen to the flat that would go for 25-yards. Running back Nate Sheppard would then pick up 17-yards on the ground before taking it into the end zone from 13-yards out to give Duke a 7-0 lead after just three plays, less than three minutes into the game. Their next drive would be another quick one, only it would end with Mensah registering first first interception of the game on just the second play of the drive with 8:24 remaining in the quarter.
This is just an unfortunate play for Mensah as he seemingly made the correct read with the backside linebacker crashing. Thinking that he'd have a window to hit his receiver, the aforementioned linebacker got a paw to the ball, deflecting the ball up in the air before it fell into the waiting arms of another Husky defender for the interception. Again, it's just an unfortunate play for Mensah. Thankfully though the Blue Devil defense would come up big, holding UConn's offense to a field goal despite the plus field position to keep them within three with 6:12 to go in the first quarter. Mensah would out firing on their next possession following the field goal, as he would connect with Cooper Barkate for an 18-yard gain to help get them to the UConn side of the 50.
Very strong throw here from Mensah, and a nice catch by Barkate to bring it in despite the defender being draped all over his back. Not a whole lot more to say than that, just a strong throw and catch that again helped the Blue Devils get to the Husky side of the 50, putting them on the 45-yard line. Unfortunately not much more would come from this drive, as Duke would be forced to punt the ball away after four plays, with Mensah failing to hit a receiver on both second and third down. Duke would start their next drive off by running the ball on each of their first three plays, before Mensah would hit Sahmir Hagans along the near sideline for a 17-yard gain that would be boosted further by a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the defense, helping get them to the UConn 30-yard line.
Mensah showed fantastic pocket awareness on this play, sliding and stepping up in the pocket to avoid the Husky defender who was coming around the edge before firing it into Hagans for a 17-yard gain on second and nine. Just a great job at remaining calm with pressure barreling down on him before hitting the open receiver for the nice gain, which again was helped by a 15-yard personal foul penalty to help get them all the way down to the UConn 30-yard line. Duke would run the ball on each of their following three plays, picking up gains of six, 12, and two yards before Mensah would register his first passing touchdown of the game, hitting Andrel Anthony in the corner of the end zone from 10-yards out to give them a 14-10 lead with 12:25 to go in the second quarter.
Despite there being a free rusher who was jumping in his face, Mensah was still able to deliver a perfect ball to the corner of the end zone to Anthony for the score. Like I spoke about a little bit ago, Mensah did an excellent job at remaining calm and placing a beautiful ball in there for the touchdown, giving the Blue Devils a 14-10 lead two and a half minutes into the second quarter. Duke would not have the same success moving the ball on their final three drives of the first half as they would go three and out on two of them with Mensah registering his second interception of the game with 1:10 remaining in the first half.
This is just a bad throw here from Mensah, as not only did he not get enough on it but it was also late, hitting the defender right in between the numbers for the easy interception. With the defender initially falling down in coverage, I think Mensah thought he'd have an easier or more open throw to make along the sideline, seemingly second guessing himself while letting the ball go. Overall it's just a bad throw from Mensah, leading to a field goal for UConn with 51-seconds left in the half. Duke would get the ball one more time in the quarter, but like I alluded to earlier they would go three and out, with the Huskies taking a 20-14 lead into the locker room. The run game would be the main focal point for the Duke offense on their first drive of the second half, with even Mensah getting in on the action with a 12-yard run to get them down to the UConn 13-yard line. A few plays later Nate Sheppard would take it into the end zone from three yards out, giving them a 21-20 lead with just under five minutes gone in the third quarter. Duke would continue to stack touchdowns on their next drive following a UConn field goal to make it 23-21. On the drive Mensah would connect on passes of 14, 11, and 26 before hitting Landen King in the back of the end zone from one yard out to re-take the lead with 2:09 remaining in the third quarter.
I know this pass was only from a yard out, but I still really like the ball placement here by Mensah, especially given that it was fourth down. As good as the ball placement was, King made an excellent diving effort to come down with this ball in the end zone for the score. Overall this was just a great play for the Blue Devil offense, again helping them re-take the lead with 2:09 to go in the third quarter. The Huskies would come away with a touchdown of their own on their next drive, giving them a 29-28 lead with about four minutes gone in the fourth quarter. Thankfully for those wearing royal blue and white, Duke would respond with another touchdown, with Mensah hitting a decently open Jeremiah Hasley in the end zone from 10-yards out, giving them a 34-29 lead with 5:34 remaining in regulation.
Duke would utilize the run game almost exclusively on this touchdown drive, as Mensah would only attempt three passes while traveling 80-yards in 11-plays, with the third and final one resulting in six for the offense. Just a nice and easy pop pass here for the touchdown, with Mensah floating it to Hasley to help give the Blue Devils a 34-29 lead with around five minutes to go in the game. UConn would register another touchdown on their next drive to make the score 37-34, giving the Duke offense the ball back with 1:58 to go in the fourth. Mensah would make some pretty nice plays for the Blue Devils on the drive as he would hit Que'Sean Brown in the flat for a six yard gain on fourth and five before picking up 12-yards with his legs (longest run of the season) on the following play. Unfortunately though it would be another Mensah turnover that would ultimately cost Duke in this one, as he would be stripped of the ball in the backfield with the Huskies recovering to see out the game with 18-seconds remaining. In the end Duke would fall by the score of 37-34, with Mensah turning the ball over a grand total of three times. Though he made some nice plays throughout the course of the game, the turnovers are going to be the main thing people take away from this game, especially since it was his first multi-turnover game of the season. It's a tough pill to swallow but he can't dwell on them for too long as they're back at home this week and are taking on the 19th ranked Virginia Cavaliers. With Duke coming out on the losing side of things on eight of their previous 10-match-ups, I'm sure they're looking to pull the upset this coming week.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - 9
Wk 8 - 7
Wk 9 - 7
Wk 10 - 5
Wk 11 - 5
Wk 12 - v no.19 Virginia
6. John Mateer, Oklahoma
Wk 11 - BYE
Season - 165/265 1,949 yds 8 touchdowns 7 interceptions/94 carries 306 yds 6 touchdowns
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - 6
Wk 9 - 5
Wk 10 - 6
Wk 11 - 6
Wk 12 - @ no.4 Alabama
7. Jayden Maiava, USC (NEW)
Wk 11 - 24/33 299 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/4 carries 10 yds 1 touchdown v Northwestern (38-17 W)
Season - 178/269 2,614 yds 17 touchdowns 6 interceptions/38 carries 113 yds 6 touchdowns
As an Iowa fan, I've had a couple gripes with USC over the past couple weeks. Well, I guess I shouldn't really say it's their fault, but the AP Poll, which has been a massive talking point for all the wrong reasons this season, dropped USC completely out of the top-25 after losing by double digits to Notre Dame, just to put them back in the rankings after not playing the following week. How the hell does that work? Now, I know the College Football Playoff rankings are out so that's all that really matters, but for a brief second I was low key frustrated with how the voters were treating my Hawkeyes. Weirdly now I'm cool with the rankings as Iowa only dropped one spot after losing to Oregon this past weekend, but that's an entirely different discussion. As for USC they came into the first College Football Playoff poll of the season in 19th, with their next opponent being the Northwestern Wildcats who were fresh off of a tough 28-21 loss to Nebraska two weeks prior (the same Nebraska USC beat the previous week). With this game being back in the Colosseum after two straight road games, I think the main thing people were looking for was an improved passing attack from the Trojans, as quarterback Jayden Maiava was struggling to find consistency, as he had registered five interceptions in the previous four games (threw two against Notre Dame). Though he did register one this past week as USC took down Northwestern by a score of 38-17, he played a much better overall game, going 24/33 for 299-yards with two touchdowns and an interception while also picking up 10-yards on the ground and a touchdown there as well. Things would start off really good for the Trojan offense, as Maiava would lead a 16-play 82-yards touchdown drive to open up the game. Though the drive wound up being a success it would take a couple third down completions by Maiava to help keep the drive going, hitting Makai Lemon on a quick out that would go for 19 on third and three before firing it into Walker Lyons for a further nine yards on third and four.
I know this one was the shorter of the two passes, but I would go out on a limb and say that this is more impressive than connecting on a quick out. Regardless, this is a pretty tight window for Maiava to get this ball into, firing it to his tight end who's able to see it in despite the defender being draped all over his back. Maiava just delivered a really strong and confident ball to Lyons through a couple of hands for the first down. Maiava would come up big for the Trojans a few plays later as well, taking it up the middle himself for two yards to help the offense convert on fourth and one from the Northwestern 20-yard line. He would then rip one into Ja'Kobi Lane for an 11-yard gain to help get them down to the seven yard line before hitting an open Makai Lemon in the flat for their first score of the game, coming with 7:46 remaining in the first quarter.
Maiava just absolutely ripped this ball into his receiver for the first down. Like, the Northwestern defender played this pretty well and was in good position to break up the pass. Unfortunately for him though the ball got there too damn quick, with Lane seeing it in despite the aforementioned defender being draped all over him. Strong throw and strong catch eventually helped set up Maiava and USC's first touchdown of the game, again giving them a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Northwestern would respond with a long touchdown drive of their own on their first possession, traveling 75-yards in 13-plays to tie the game up with less than a minute to go in the quarter. The Trojans would follow suit after a successful fake punt on fourth and 10 from their own 46-yard line, as Maiava's 24-yard pass to Makai Lemon would help set up a six yard touchdown run from him to give USC a 14-7 lead with 11:27 to go in the second quarter.
Two impressive plays here from Maiava that helped the Trojans regain the lead early on in the second quarter. On the pass to Lemon, Maiava does a nice job at just placing the ball in a spot where only his receiver can make a play on it. With Lemon making his way back towards the sideline with a defender on his tail, Maiava throws it low and makes his playmaker make a play, which of course he does. The run play he not only flashed some athleticism, but some patience and some toughness as well as after not seeing anything open in the end zone he was able to stiff arm one Northwestern defender to the ground before fighting through two more on his way to the end zone for six. Overall again just two solid plays by Maiava to help USC re-gain the lead with about four and a half minutes into the second quarter. Things would seemingly get a little rough for Maiava and the offense as they would be forced to punt the ball away after four plays on their next drive before Maiava would be intercepted, with the defender nearly taking it back for six. Why I say nearly is because Maiava made a touchdown saving play to not only keep the score tied at 14, but also give them the ball back as well as it popped out and rolled out of the back of the end zone for a touchback.
Starting with the interception itself, it wasn't great. I mean, as a quarterback you never want to be intercepted, but it makes it a little worse knowing that you got picked off by a defensive lineman while trying to connect on a pass a couple yards past the line of scrimmage. Great play by the defender to come away with the ball as he again nearly took it back for six for Northwestern. If not for some fantastic effort by Maiava USC would have found themselves down 21-14 with less than three minutes to go in the second quarter. Instead, he forced a fumble, with it eventually rolling out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. USC would make sure not to waste this new lease on life, only needing three plays to find the end zone with King Miller picking up 55-yards on the ground and Maiava connecting with Ja'Kobi Lane for a further 13-yards before Miller would take it in himself from 13-yards out to give the Trojans a 21-14 lead with 1:24 remaining until halftime.
Before you say anything I am highlighting this more because of the catch by Lane than the throw by Maiava but still, I do like the placement of this ball as he's throwing from the far hash back towards the near sideline. Like I said a little bit ago, sometimes you just have to let your playmakers make plays, which is exactly what happened right here, again helping set up a 13-yard touchdown run by King Miller to help the Trojans re-gain the lead later on in the second quarter. USC would register one more drive in the first half, but that would only see them go three and out. That being said Maiava would come out firing on their opening drive of the second half as he would connect with Makai Lemon for 14-yards on the first play before firing to Lemon again down the middle of the field for a 52-yard gain, taking them from their own 23 to the Northwestern 25-yard line.
Just a really strong pass down the field from Maiava, hitting his receiver more on his body to avoid the defender making any play on the ball as well as allowing Lemon to pick his head up and make said defender miss to pick up a few more yards after the catch. Very impressive throw and placement here by Maiava, again helping completely flip the field in the Trojans favor on just their second play of the second half. A few plays later Maiava would register his second passing touchdown of the game, floating one to Ja'Kobi Lane from 10-yards out to give USC a 28-14 lead with 7:56 to go in the third quarter.
I think Maiava may have thrown this ball a mile up because this thing hung up there for a while, with Lane eventually able to bring it in despite the defender being in tight coverage. Excellent job by Lane at seeing this ball in, hitting it with one hand before getting the second on it to secure it for the score. The Trojans would do more of the same their next time out, with Maiava ripping one to Lane along the near sideline for a 14-yard gain on second and 14 before firing another one to Makai Lemon for a further 19-yards, helping get them down to the Northwestern 22-yard line.
Perfect throw here from Maiava in a decently tight window. I know it may not look that way initially, but with Northwestern playing zone and the defender along the near sideline coming in late, Lemon may not be as open as you really think. Maiava had to absolutely rip this one in there, especially with the defender breaking quick back towards the ball. Nice hands catch by Lemon as well to see the ball in, again helping USC get down to the Northwestern 22-yard line. A few plays later Lemon would get pitched the ball out of the backfield and take it into the end zone from four yards out to make the score 35-17 with 11:14 remaining in the game. Maiava would complete a pass of nine yards to Lemon to help set up an eventual field goal that would ultimately seal the game for the Trojans as they would hold onto a 38-17 home victory. It's always nice to be home, isn't it? After traveling to the midwest back-to-back weeks, I'm sure it felt good to have a midwest team travel out to you. I though Maiava put forth a very solid effort in the win, taking what the defense gave him while also flashing his arm strength by zipping the ball into some tight windows. Sure the interception wasn't great (sixth interception in his last five games) but the effort he showed to prevent a defensive touchdown was truly impressive. This week the Trojans remain at home, playing host to another midwest team as the 21st ranked Iowa Hawkeyes come into town. Following a tough loss to Oregon I am intrigued to see how the Hawks do traveling out west. Though it's not historically their strong suit, as a fan I'm hoping they are able to repeat what happened in the 2019 Holiday Bowl. Should be a fun one regardless.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - N/R
Wk 7 - 8
Wk 8 - 10
Wk 9 - N/R
Wk 10 - N/R
Wk 11 - 7
Wk 12 - v no.21 Iowa
8. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Wk 11 - BYE
Season - 144/237 2,064 yds 21 touchdowns 2 interceptions/73 carries 453 yds 8 touchdowns
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - N/R
Wk 7 - N/R
Wk 8 - N/R
Wk 9 - 8
Wk 10 - 8
Wk 11 - 8
Wk 12 - v Arizona
9. Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Wk 11 - 29/33 333 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries -1 yd 0 touchdowns v The Citadel (49-0 W)
Season - 169/264 2,356 yds 13 touchdowns 2 interceptions/99 carries 434 yds 6 touchdowns
One of the dumbest traditions in all of college football lives on, as the Ole Miss Rebels played host to The Citadel this past weekend, shockingly coming out with a 49-0 victory. Before any SEC homers say anything, I don't really care if you think the SEC is the hardest and toughest conference in all of college football, there is absolutely no reason they should be playing these types of opponents this late in the season. What point does this serve, I mean really? It's not like Ole Miss has played this other worldly schedule or anything so far this season. Sure they played the likes of Georgia and Oklahoma this season, but those are the only two teams they've played that are currently in the top-25. I don't care if LSU was ranked fourth when they came to town, they stink, and Ole Miss followed that game up by beating a bad Washington State team at home by three points. Just for reference, that same Washington State team lost to Oregon State by the same number of points two weeks ago, in a game that saw the Beavers pick up their second win on the season. So again, it's not like Ole Miss needed to take a break from their rigorous schedule to take on a below .500 FCS team. Flat out, games like this in the SEC should never happen, as it again serves absolutely no purpose, other than to just boost the home team's record. Like I stated before Ole Miss shockingly took care of business in this one, taking down the Bulldogs by a score of 49-0. In the win quarterback Trinidad Chambliss put up some fantastic numbers, going 29/33 for 333-yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions, registering season highs in both passing yards and touchdowns. What's also interesting is that this is the lowest amount of carries that he's had in a game so far this season so we were able to see him strictly as a passer, which I would say is a good thing. Unsurprisingly Ole Miss would be able to move the ball with ease on their first drive of the game, with Chambliss connecting on a few screens passes before Kewan Lacy would take it in from two yards out to give them their first lead of the game with just over three minutes gone in the quarter. Chambliss would come out firing on their next drive following a three and out by the Bulldogs, connecting with Tre Wallace for 10-yards on the opening play before firing it across the middle to Winston Watkins for a further 16-yards to get them closer to the 50-yard line.
Look, I am completely aware that Watkins was wide ass open in the middle of the field, but I still think this is a very strong throw from Chambliss. Stepping up in the pocket with pressure coming around the right side of the line before firing it down the field for a nice gain. A few plays later Kewan Lacy would take it into the end zone from 15-yards out, with Ole Miss doubling their lead with 6:34 remaining in the first. The Rebels would turn the ball over on downs on their next drive after failing to convert on fourth and one from their own 32, but thankfully the defense would keep the Bulldogs from scoring as they would fail to convert on a field goal from 46-yards out. Things would go back to normal on their following drive, with Chambliss connecting on passes of 17 and 32-yards before connecting with Watkins from 17-yards out to give him his first passing touchdown of the game.
The first throw we see Chambliss just absolutely rip it down the field, hitting Watkins down the seam and right on his body to avoid any potential pass break up or decapitating hit. Just a very strong throw from him that was boosted by a defensive face mask penalty. Now the touchdown pass I would give more credit to Watkins, as this ball could have landed anywhere after the defender got his hand to it. Watkins did a great job at tracking the ball and seeing it in even after the defender in the end zone got a hand to it as well. A short but effective drive for the Ole Miss offense, helping them take a 21-0 lead with 23-seconds remaining in the first quarter. Chambliss would come up with some more big pass plays on Ole Miss' next drive, first connecting with Tre Wallace for a 19-yard gain before hitting Cayden Lee down the middle of the field for a 22-yard touchdown, making the score 28-0 with 10:48 to go in the second quarter.
Two really strong throws from Chambliss here as on the first one he did a nice job at using his eyes to keep the defense honest to the left side of the formation before flipping back to his right and firing it into Wallace for the 19-yard gain. What also makes this throw really good is that Chambliss placed this ball on his receiver's outside shoulder, forcing him to reverse out while taking his momentum away from the Bulldog defender. Just a very good throw to set them up with a third and manageable situation. After a 12-yard run by Logan Diggs on the following play Chambliss would again hit Lee in the end zone from 22-yards out. Again, great job at utilizing his eyes to keep the defense occupied to the left before firing it down the middle to Lee, throwing it off of the linebacker's inside shoulder and in front of the safety for the score. Two very strong throws from Chambliss to help further extend their lead in the second quarter. Chambliss would help lead another touchdown drive before the half, with him hitting on a few short to intermediate passes that would eventually lead to a three yard touchdown run by Kewan Lacy to make the score 35-0 with 45-seconds to go in the first half.
This was one of the throws I alluded to just a little bit ago, with Chambliss connecting with Watkins across the middle of the field for a 16-yard gain on second and 11. First off he does a very nice job at evading the pressure while rolling slightly to the right before firing it to his receiver down the field. I know the pass was low, but this is really good ball placement from Chambliss. With a defender in behind and another playing over the top Chambliss drives this ball low and forces Watkins to make a play on it, which of course he does. If the ball is not driven low than it has a better chance at being broken up. Not only that but Watkins could have taken a serious shot from the aforementioned defender that was coming in over the top. Overall just a really solid play and throw from Chambliss, again helping set up another rushing touchdown with less than a minute to go until halftime. Chambliss would only appear in one more drive for the Ole Miss offense. But with that being said he'd make it count, hitting Caleb Odum on a shallow crossing route that would go for 40-yards before hitting Tre Wallace on back-to-back six yard passes that would ultimately help set up a one yard touchdown pass from Chambliss to Odom to make the score 42-0 with 11:31 to go in the third quarter.
I know this was only a six yard pass, but I still think this was an impressive play by both Chambliss and Wallace. With the Bulldog corner coming in on a blitz, Chambliss knows that he'll have Wallace open on the backside, just as long as he gets it out quick and places it in a spot where only his receiver can get it. On the throw he does both, pulling the ball from the back and zipping it over to Wallace who makes an excellent diving catch to come up with it for the six yard gain. Quick release and excellent placement shown here by Chambliss, again helping set up a one yard touchdown pass from him to Odom, which would again be his final contribution to the game as Austin Simmons would come in and help see out a 49-0 victory for the Rebels. As dumb as these kind of games are you still have to take care of business, which is exactly what Chambliss and co. did here. Though he missed on a couple passes Chambliss put forth another excellent showing, making numerous big time throws while flashing his quick release as well as his eye usage. All of that will need to be on display this week as Ole Miss plays host to the Florida Gators, who are coming into this game with a 3-6 record after getting blasted 38-7 against Kentucky last week. Ole Miss really shouldn't have many problems in this one, especially with it being at home.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - N/R
Wk 7 - N/R
Wk 8 - N/R
Wk 9 - 9
Wk 10 - 9
Wk 11 - 9
Wk 12 - v Florida
10. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Wk 11 - 20/27 221 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/8 carries 1 yd 1 touchdown v Florida State (24-10 W)
Season - 180/265 2,136 yds 14 touchdowns 5 interceptions/59 carries 117 yds 3 touchdowns
I'm not going to lie, I really struggled trying to figure out who I would place here at the 10 spot in this week's rankings. Now that's not to say Cade Klubnik played bad this past weekend, he definitely didn't but I did I was struggling to pick between him, Miami's Carson Beck, UCLA's Nico Iamaleava, and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier. The latter I struggled with the most as he ranked second in my preseason rankings and held the top spot for a few weeks before he started tumbling down the rankings. The previous week he came in at number seven, and this week he finds himself on the outside looking in after being benched for the second consecutive week as the Tigers fell 20-9 to the Alabama Crimson Tide. I feel kind of bad for leaving him off but like I alluded to before he's been trending down the past however many weeks, and with his starting spot up in the air I just felt like I needed to drop him out completely, which definitely sucked but the reality is that he probably isn't a top-10 quarterback at this point in time. That mixed with the fact that Klubnik didn't do anything to lose this spot made me keep him in the top-10, especially after Clemson's 24-10 home victory against Florida State this past weekend. I'm sure it felt good for the Tigers to finally get back in the winning column, as they failed to come out top in their previous two games against SMU and Duke, with the latter game being a real gut punch in large part due to a suspect (at best) pass interference call towards the end of the game that lead to a Blue Devil touchdown. They were out for blood this week, with Klubnik going 20/27 for 221-yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, while also registering a rushing touchdown in the win. Things would start off really good for Clemson on offense as Klubnik would pick up a first down with his legs on fourth and one before connecting with Olsen Patt-Henry for a 25-yard gain, taking them down to the Florida State 27-yard line.
With pressure barreling down on him, Klubnik remained calm in the pocket and delivered a strong pass down the field to Patt-Henry for the aforementioned 25-yard gain. With two defenders in the area, Klubnik smartly took some juice off of it, stopping his receiver's momentum to avoid any potential pass break up or interception. Solid throw from Klubnik to help get the Tigers into Seminole territory. Klunik would then hit Trey Smith a few yards past the line of scrimmage that would ultimately result in a 12-yard play, getting them down to the Florida State three yard line. Then following an incompletion on first down and running back Adam Randall getting stopped for a one yard loss on second down, Klubnik would take it in himself to give the Tigers a 8-0 lead (following a successful fake extra point) with 8:25 remaining in the first quarter. Clemson would struggle to move the ball on their next few drives, going three and out on each of their next three drives going into the second quarter. Their second drive of the second quarter would be quick as well, only this time Klubnik would connect with Antonio Williams for a 34-yard touchdown to make the score 15-0 with about three minutes gone in the second quarter.
Flea flickers always get the crowd on their feet, especially when the quarterback is gearing to launch it down the field. Though the pitch back took a little longer than I'm sure he was expecting, Klubnik was able to side step the oncoming pass rush before firing it towards the end zone where Williams would come down with it for the score. Off his back foot and fading away, this is a very impressive throw from Klubnik, allowing his playmaker to make a play in the end zone to give Clemson a 15-0 lead early on in the second quarter. Klubnik would come up big for the Tigers on their next drive, buying time in the pocket with pressure in his face before firing it to TJ Moore a few yards past the line of scrimmage who would take it up the field for a 24-yard gain on third and three.
I know this is technically only a three yard throw by Klubnik, but he still did an excellent job at scanning the field before buying time in the backfield with pressure coming in on him, allowing Moore to get open on the crossing route thus resulting in a 24-yard gain for the offense. Also, nice job by Moore at coming back towards the line of scrimmage, making the throw slightly easier for Klubnik. Overall just a good play for the Tigers, helping them extend the drive on third and three. Klubnik would then connect with Cole Turner on the following play for an 11-yard gain, but the drive would ultimately stall out at the Florida State 22-yard line, with kicker Nolan Hauser converting from 40-yards out to make the score 18-0 with 2:31 remaining in the second quarter. The Seminoles would register a touchdown on their final drive of the first half to make the score 18-7, but would unfortunately fail convert on a field goal from 40-yards out on their opening drive of the second half. Klubnik would come out firing on Clemson's first drive, hitting TJ Moore along the far sideline for a 12-yard gain before finding Antonio Williams in the flat who would make a defender miss before picking up 20-yards to get them to the Florida State 43-yard line.
He would also hit running back Adam Randall out of the backfield for a further 20-yards but this 12-yard pass to Moore was my favorite out of the three passes I just mentioned. I've spoken about it before, about how accurate Klubnik is when throwing outside the numbers, but this also flashed his arm strength as this is far from an easy throw, going from the near hash 12-yards down the field to the far sideline. He really couldn't have thrown this ball any better as it is placed perfectly in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on the ball. Just an overall excellent throw that helped set up back-to-back 20-yard pass plays for the Tigers, getting them all the way down to the Seminole 23-yard line. Klubnik would register a 13-yard completion to Gideon Davison a couple plays later, but ultimately the drive would stall out as they would have to settle for a 23-yard field goal attempt from Nolan Hauser to make the score 21-7 with 6:01 left in the third quarter. Clemson would utilize the run game almost exclusively on their next drive, with Klubnik's only real completion being a 14-yard pass to an open Tristan Smith along the near sideline (he would also register two one yard completions). In the end Clemson would have to settle for another field goal, with this one coming from 43-yards out to give them a 24-7 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter. The Tigers wouldn't really do much with the ball for the remainder of the game, going three and out on each of their next three possessions as they would eventually take home a 24-10 victory. Good overall showing from Clemson in this one, again getting back to winning ways after falling in each of their last two match-ups. As for Klubnik he did a nice job taking what the defense gave him while also making some strong throws along the sideline and down the middle of the field. That being said the Tigers can't afford to celebrate their victory too much as they have a short week as they travel to Louisville to take on the 20th ranked Cardinals on Friday night. I'm intrigued to see how Klubnik and co. fair in this season's match-up as Louisville gave Clemson their second loss of the season, with Klubnik struggling to find a rhythm in the passing game. Despite their 4-5 record, I believe we should be in for a fun one come Friday night.
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - N/R
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - N/R
Wk 7 - N/R
Wk 8 - N/R
Wk 9 - N/R
Wk 10 - 10
Wk 11 - 10
Wk 12 - @ no.20 Louisville (Friday)
Others
Carson Beck, Miami (FL)
Wk 11 - 18/24 247 yds 1 touchdown 0 interception/4 carries -6 yds 0 touchdowns/1 catch 14 yds 1 touchdown v Syracuse (38-10 W)
Season - 192/264 2,194 yds 15 touchdowns 9 interceptions/28 carries 45 yds 1 touchdown
Josh Hoover, TCU
Wk 11 - 34/50 319 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/1 carry 11 yds 0 touchdowns v Iowa State (20-17 L)
Season - 219/335 2,690 yds 23 touchdowns 8 interceptions/36 carries 15 yds 2 touchdowns
Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Wk 11 - 17/25 191 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/15 carries 86 yds 0 touchdowns v Nebraska (28-21 L)
Season - 165/259 1,659 yds 12 touchdowns 7 interceptions/96 carries 474 yds 4 touchdowns
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (7)
Wk 11 - 18/21 121 yds 0 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries -13 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.4 Alabama (20-9 L)
Season - 194/288 1,927 yds 12 touchdowns 5 interceptions/29 carries -57 yds 1 touchdown
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Wk 11 - 25/33 377 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/18 carries 112 yds 1 touchdowns v Auburn (45-38 OT W)
Season - 191/273 2,440 yds 21 touchdowns 5 interceptions/117 carries 613 yds 7 touchdowns
Thank you for taking the time to read through the list! Hope you enjoyed it! If you did, give the article a like and comment down below how you felt!
While you're at it, go subscribe and/or follow me on all forms of social media!
Apple Podcasts: The Logan Blackman Show
Facebook: The Logan Blackman Show
Instagram (personal): @blackmanlogan
Instagram (show): @theloganblackmanshow
LinkedIn: Logan Blackman
Spotify: The Logan Blackman Show
Twitter: @logan_blackman
YouTube: The Logan Blackman Show
YouTube (podcast): The Logan Blackman Show Podcast