The Draft "Expert" - Wk 14 2026 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings
- Logan Blackman
- 1 day ago
- 62 min read
YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cEUUW6nKWU
Hello everyone and welcome back to yet another exciting and exhilarating Draft "Expert" blog post! As I'm sure you can probably tell by the title, this week we will be taking a look back at how each quarterback prospect did during week 14 of the college football season!
Brace yourself because I'm going to do it for what seems like the thousandth time, but man I cannot believe that we are at this point in the season. Like, last week was the final week of the regular season, which I don't know about you, but to me that is absolutely crazy.
Now I must admit, I am kind of saying "crazy" in a somewhat of a positive and negative way as it sucks that the college football season is almost over, but in the same breath it is exciting knowing that conference championship week is this week, and that we're going to soon find out the final CFP rankings as well as who gets to take home the Heisman Trophy.
Some of the most exciting times of the college football season season are upon us, so I guess I can end this one by saying don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.
As always I am very excited for you guys to check out this week's blog post! Without any further delay I Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present my week 14 quarterback prospect rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
1. Dante Moore, Oregon (+2)
Wk 14 - 20/29 286 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/7 carries 11 yds 1 touchdown @ Washington (26-14 W)
Season - 227/313 2,733 yds 24 touchdowns 6 interceptions/57 carries 191 yds 1 touchdown
Much like we spoke about last week, I still have a decently hard time wrapping my brain around the fact that a game featuring the likes of Oregon and Washington was in fact a Big Ten game, and not a Pac-12 game. Maybe that's just the little kid in me but I'm sorry, even though Oregon won the Big Ten crown last season I still have a hard time stomaching that they're in the same conference as the likes of Michigan and Ohio State. Same goes for all of those other former Pac-12 schools, and each of these past two weeks for all four of the schools (Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington) we have seen them feature in games that all of us would look at and instantly think, "Pac-12 after dark." I obviously could be completely alone in this, but I had to get that off of my chest before we really got into the meat and potatoes section of Dante Moore's description. Regardless of how I feel about conference re-alignment, I will always look forward to games like this, as Oregon and Washington are much more heated rivals than I think most people outside of the Pacific northwest really realize. One of the top-25 most played rivalries in all of college football, this game marked the 118th meeting between the two (only three less times than Michigan v Ohio State), with the pair even facing off in the final Pac-12 Championship game (2023), with Washington of course coming out on top 34-31 to secure their spot in the College Football Playoff. All in all I was really excited to see these two teams square off, especially given the fact that these two schools have some very exciting players at quarterback. As fun as Demond Williams is, the main focus of this game was on the aforementioned Dante Moore, who helped the Ducks secure a 26-14 road victory, giving Oregon their second consecutive win in the rivalry. In the game Moore would go 20/29 for 286-yards with one touchdown and no interceptions to go along with 11-yards on the ground and a touchdown there to boot (his first of the season). Moore would come out on Oregon's first drive firing, hitting Jeremiah McClellan down the near sideline on a perfectly thrown ball for a 35-yard gain on third and seven.
One thing I love about Dante Moore is his accuracy when it comes to throwing the ball deep down the field. Whether it be his insane throw against Iowa or this one, Moore always does an excellent job at putting the ball in inch perfect locations, away from the defender and where only the receiver can make a play on it. Given the situation, with it being third and seven pushing the ball down the field can be pretty risky, unless of course you're Dante Moore. Again, placed it perfectly into McClellan who was able to bring it in for the 35-yard gain. Unfortunately that would really be the final big time play of the drive as Moore would miss on passes on second and third down later in the drive, forcing the Ducks to settle for a 46-yard field goal from Atticus Sappington to give them a 3-0 lead less than four minutes into the opening quarter. Oregon would struggle to move the ball on their next two drives, going three and out both times before a Demond Williams interception at the goal line would help flip momentum back in their favor. The Ducks would start off their next drive running the football, with Moore even getting in on the action by picking up six yards on their opening play. Later though on second and eight with 11-seconds remaining in the opening quarter Moore would zip one over to Jamari Johnson along the near sideline for an 11-yard gain.
Despite the corner blitzing and jumping right in his face, Moore is still able to deliver a strong pass to the back shoulder of Johnson for the 11-yard gain. With the defender playing over top, Moore cannot afford to throw this ball down the field, and again smartly places it to the outside and in a spot where only his receiver (or in this case, tight end) can make a play on the ball. Great adjustment as well from Johnson to bring it in on what would be the final play of the opening quarter. Moore would then help the Ducks convert on third and five by picking up six with his legs before eventually punching it into the end zone himself from a yard out to make the score 10-0 with 10:54 to go in the quarter (his first rushing touchdown of the season). Moore and Johnson would find each other again on Oregon's next drive, this time with Moore hitting his tight end down the middle of the field for an 18-yard gain, taking them to the Washington side of the 50.
It's not uncommon to see quarterbacks throw interceptions in these kinds of situations. With Washington showing pressure pre-snap, worse quarterbacks would look at the coverage and think they'd have an easy throw down the seam to the tight end in the slot, but that's why we watch film. Instead of sending pressure from the right, the linebacker drops back into zone coverage, potentially jumping the throwing lane for Moore. But like I've spoken about before, Moore shows off impressive touch and placement to not only get the ball over the outstretched arm of the aforementioned linebacker, while also putting enough on it to beat the inside defender as well. Overall just a great throw from Moore to again help them get to the Washington side of the 50. Moore would then connect with a wide open Malik Benson across the middle of the field for a 22-yard gain on fourth and three, but once again the Ducks would be forced to settle for a field goal to make it 13-0 with 3:18 to go in the second quarter. Moore would come out firing on Oregon's opening drive of the second half, hitting Jamari Johnson down the near sideline for a 31-yard gain on third and 10, taking them from their own 25 to the Washington 44-yard line.
You really can't ask for a much better throw from Moore right here. With the edge defender dropping back into coverage late, Moore not only is able to get it over his outstretched arm but also in a perfect spot for Johnson to see it in and cut up field for the nice gain after the catch. Just a perfect throw here from Moore to not only help the Ducks pick up a much needed first down on third and 10, but also get them to the other side of the 50-yard line. Moore would hit on a couple shorter passes as the drive went on, but much like a couple of their other drives up to this point in the game Oregon would have to settle for another Atticus Sappington field goal, this one coming from 37-yards out to give them a 16-7 lead midway through the third quarter. Moore wouldn't waste much time pushing the ball down the field on their next drive, hitting Jeremiah McClellan down the far sideline for a 41-yard gain on the very first play of the drive.
This ball was thrown on an absolute rope by Moore. Like, he threw this thing from his own end zone and it hit McClellan in stride on the 40-yard line and like the broadcast said, this thing wasn't more than 10-yards off the ground. This is what I was talking about before when it comes to Moore throwing the deep ball, the touch, placement, and accuracy are damn near second to none in all of college football, it's truly a sight to see. Stop me if you've heard this one before though, despite the big play Oregon would have to settle for another field goal to make things 19-7 with 2:34 to go in the third quarter. The Ducks would struggle to move the ball on their next drive as they'd be forced to punt after going three and out. Their next drive would also only last three plays, the difference is that they would be able to find the end zone as Moore would fire it to Malik Benson across the middle for a 64-yard touchdown on third and nine from their own 36-yard line, giving them a 26-14 lead midway through the fourth.
Once again Washington tried to throw Moore off pre-snap by showing pressure, only to eventually back out of it. As you can see on the clip Moore does one more glance following the shift before snapping the ball. With there being a single high safety, Moore does a nice job at using his eyes to get him to the left before he flipping back to his right and fired it into Benson in a nice window who would take it the rest of the way for the score. Great play recognition and great use of the eyes by Moore. Oh yeah, and the throw wasn't half bad either (it was fantastic), again helping the Ducks gain a double digit advantage with 7:55 to go in the fourth quarter. That would be pretty much all she wrote in this one as the Ducks would hold on and take home an impressive 26-14 road victory. I don't to sound too over the top or anything, but I think that this may have been Dante Moore's best game of the season. It didn't matter if he was throwing the ball deep down the sideline, across the middle, or back shoulder, he was making every single throw with ease while also being able to dissect the phony blitz packages from the Washington defense. Just such a great overall game here from Moore. That being said no conference championship appearance for the Ducks this time around, all they can do is sit tight, rest, and prepare for whoever comes their way in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
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 - 3
Wk 13 - 3
Wk 14 - 1
Wk 15 - BYE
2. Ty Simpson, Alabama (-1)
Wk 14 - 19/35 122 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 31 yds 0 touchdowns @ Auburn (27-20 W)
Season - 256/389 3,056 yds 25 touchdowns 4 interceptions/75 carries 126 yds 2 touchdowns
I can't speak for everyone out there, but I'm sure there were a good amount of people this past week that thought Alabama would absolutely roll Auburn in this year's Iron Bowl. With the Tide sitting with a 9-2 record, and the Tigers sitting below .500 at 5-6, it would be easy to see why an Alabama victory would look all but certain going into this game. The thing is though, when it comes to the Iron Bowl things are not always what they seem. Sure Alabama has won each of the last six outings (including this year) but all but pretty much one of them were close encounters, with Auburn even taking the Tide to double overtime despite one team ranking third and the other on the outside looking in on the top-25. That season (2021) would see Alabama go all the way to the National Championship game, whereas Auburn would finish the season with a 6-7 record and a loss to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl. So again, don't let records fool you, when it comes to this game literally anything is possible. Along with that, it's also important to look at how the Tigers had fallen to such a disappointing season. Despite their aforementioned 5-6 record going into this game, Auburn ranks near the top of the SEC in most defensive categories, ranking seventh in total defense and fourth against the run. Though they were 1-6 in conference play going in, they had only lost one of those games by double digits, which came via a 20-10 loss to Georgia. A game that saw them leading 10-0 at halftime back in early/mid October. Alabama may have the far superior record, but Auburn ain't no push over, which was fully on display as the Tide came out 27-20 road victors. In the win, quarterback Ty Simpson may not have put forth his best statistical showing, but he certainly made plays when it mattered, registering all of Alabama's scores as he would go 19/35 for 122-yards (season low) with three touchdowns and no interceptions, as well racking up 31-yards on the ground. Simpson would hit on a couple shorter throws on their first drive of the game, but they would ultimately be forced to punt the ball away after six plays. The run game would be a prominent feature on their next drive, with Simpson missing on three passes (two consecutive ones to end the drive) as Alabama would settle for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 7:29 to go in the first quarter. The Tide would go three and out on their next possession before Simpson would flash the athleticism on their final drive of the first quarter, picking up 26-yards with his legs on third and three to get them down to the Tiger 12-yard line.
We've seen Simpson pick up decent gains with his legs throughout the course of the season, but rarely have we seen him do it on designed quarterback runs like he did on this play. With time running down on the play clock on third and three, he does an excellent job at following his blockers and keeping his balance before cutting up field and hugging the side line for a 26-yard gain. Simpson and co. would be faced with another third down situation a few plays later, only this time it would be his arm as well as his legs that would get them out of trouble as he would buy time in the pocket before hitting Isiah Horton in the back of the end zone from six yards out to make the score 10-0 with 1:14 to go in the first quarter.
Despite Auburn sending more rushers than Alabama had blockers, Simpson did an excellent job at buying time in the pocket before finding Horton in the end zone for the score. One thing that I've loved about Simpson's game this year is his calmness in the pocket, which is something we don't really see from someone with as little starts as he does. It doesn't matter how many rushers are barreling down upon him, he always stays calm in the pocket before making strong throws down the field, with this one helping Alabama grow their lead later on in the opening quarter. Though the run game would be a big factor in their next drive it would be Simpson's arm once again that would help them punch the ball across the goal line, as he would hit Horton out of the backfield for a three yard touchdown to make the score 17-0 with 11:28 to go in the second quarter.
Back-to-back drives see back-to-back touchdown passes between Simpson and Horton, though I would say this one was a lot easier (and a lot less stressful) than the one that came at the end of the first quarter. Sure there was a couple Auburn defenders coming into the backfield, but all Simpson really had to do was float it up to an open Horton who was able to bring it in for the rather easy three yard touchdown, again making the score 17-0 early on in the second quarter. Things would slow down a good amount for the Tide on offense as they would go three and out on their final two possessions of the first half, with the Tigers registering a couple field goals to make the score 17-6 going into the break. Auburn would then come out on their opening drive of the second half and put up their first touchdown of the game, with Ashton Daniels and Malcolm Simmons hooking up for a 64-yard touchdown on just their fourth play of the drive. Now only up four with a minute gone in the third quarter, Alabama would really need to start going again if they wanted to hold onto the lead. Simpson would come up big for the Tide on their next drive as they would face a third and six situation from their own 29-yard line. Knowing damn well he's going to take a shot for the defender, Simpson stands tall and delivers a nice ball to Isaiah Horton across the middle for a 16-yard gain.
Like I've mentioned before, Simpson is one of the calmest quarterbacks in the country when it comes to pressure barreling down on him. Like I mentioned before despite knowing damn well he's going to take a nice shot as there's a free rusher coming from the back side, he remains tall and calm in the pocket and delivers a strike to Horton for the 16-yard gain on third down. Sure Horton created some separation on the play, but credit to Simpson for again standing tall in the pocket and delivering a strike down the field despite knowing he's going to get hit. To the shock of no one Alabama would be faced with another third down situation later on in the drive. Once again Simpson would come up big for the Tide, only this time using his legs to get outside the pocket and pick up eight yards on third and seven.
He may not do it a ton, but Simpson is more than capable of picking up decent gains with his legs. With no one open down the field and the pocket collapsing around him, Simpson smartly gets to the outside and cuts up field before slipping a couple ankle tackles and picking up the first down on third and seven. Despite that third down conversion Alabama would ultimately be forced to settle for a field goal, with kicker Conor Talty converting from 29-yards out to give the Tide a 20-13 lead with 7:31 to go in the third quarter. Though they came away with points there, their next couple drives would see them go three and out. In that time frame Auburn would tie the game up at 20 with 11:43 to go in the fourth quarter. Simpson would use his legs to pick up a first down on fourth and one on their next possession following the aforementioned Auburn touchdown, making a couple of defenders miss before falling down a yard past the marker. Following that fourth down conversion Alabama would mostly rely on the run game to help get them down the field, that is until Simpson would connect with Germie Bernard for a nine yard gain on second and 11 before firing it to Isaiah Horton in the end zone from six yards out to give the Tide a 27-20 lead with 3:50 to go in the fourth quarter.
A connection so nice they did it thrice, am I right? For the third time in the game Simpson would find Horton in the end zone for the score, with this one being the most important as it again helped the Tide take a seven point lead later on in the fourth quarter. Nice job out of Simpson at scanning the whole field to give Horton time to come across the formation before firing it into him between two Auburn defenders for the score. Once again, Simpson would come up big for Alabama on a crucial down, registering his second fourth down conversion of the drive to help them take the lead again with 3:50 to go in regulation. Not a whole lot else would happen throughout the rest of the game, as the Tide would hold onto a hard fought 27-20 road victory in the Iron Bowl. Like I mentioned before don't let the record of these two teams fool you, this will always be one of the tightest games of the season, with Alabama taking home their sixth consecutive victory in the series. As for Simpson, though he wasn't at his absolute best throughout the course of the game he still made plays when the Tide needed him to, helping pick up numerous third and fourth down conversions throughout the course of the game. Though those plays were nice he'll need to be more on top of things in the SEC Championship as they take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Alabama won in their first match-up of the season back in September, with Simpson really announcing himself to the college football world by putting up some impressive numbers in the 24-21 road win. We'll probably need to see that again from him this time around if they want to come away with the SEC crown.
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 - 1
Wk 13 - 1
Wk 14 - 2
Wk 15 - v no.3 Georgia (SEC Championship)
3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (-1)
Wk 14 - 8/15 117 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries 27 yds 1 touchdown @ Purdue (56-3 W)
Season - 211/293 2,758 yds 32 touchdowns 5 interceptions/64 carries 243 yds 6 touchdowns
I don't know about all of you, but I was honestly expecting a little bit more out of Fernando Mendoza this past weekend. Don't get me wrong I'm sure he's perfectly fine with his stat line given the fact that Indiana kicked the ever living shit out of their in-state rivals by the score 56-3, but for someone who is widely considered to be the favorite for the Heisman Trophy his stats were pretty underwhelming. Now obviously there is things to take into consideration like weather, as it was a brisk 24-degrees come kickoff on Friday night (the coldest game in the series' history) but given that Purdue ranks dead last against the pass I did not expect to see Mendoza only register 117-yards throughout the game (season low). Overall Mendoza's stat line would show that he went 8/15 (also season lows) for 117-yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, while also registering a further 27-yards on the ground and another touchdown there to boot (fourth rushing touchdown in the last five games). Most of Indiana's success in this game came via the rushing department, as the Hoosiers racked up a whopping 355-yards on the ground on 37-attempts (9.6-yards per carry), with Roman Hembry himself picking up 152-yards on 12-carries. This game was never in doubt, as the Hoosiers can boast an aggregate score of 122-3 over the Boilermakers across the past two seasons. Pretty ridiculous stuff if you ask me. That being said things wouldn't start off the greatest for the Indiana offense. Despite their opening drive starting on the Purdue 47-yard line (due to an interception) the Hoosiers would be forced to punt the ball away after just three plays with Mendoza missing on passes on second and third down. It wouldn't take the offense long to find the end zone on their next possession though, only needing five plays before Kaelon Black would take it in from a yard out to give them their first lead of the game midway through the first. Prior to the score, Mendoza would rip one down the near sideline to Elijah Sarratt for an 18-yard gain, helping get them down to the Purdue 17-yard line.
As I've spoken about before, Mendoza is the best back shoulder thrower in all of college football. Despite only being with the program for a season, he has fantastic chemistry with his wide receivers, especially with Elijah Sarratt. This is just a bullet of a throw from Mendoza, zipping it in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on the ball. Also, nice job by Sarratt at adjusting to the ball and bringing it in through the contact of the defender. Great play from both quarterback and receiver to again eventually help set up a one yard touchdown run to give them a 7-0 lead with 8-minutes left in the first quarter. Indiana would go three and out on their following possession but would be able to find the end zone again on their opening drive of the second quarter, with Mendoza taking it in himself from seven yards out to cap off a 11-play 65-yard drive with 10:29 to go in the second quarter.
This is something that has become more prominent in Mendoza's game in recent weeks, and I cannot say I'm not a fan of it. To those who watched him at Cal last season, we knew that there was a good athlete in there, he just didn't need to utilize said athleticism at early parts of the season. Now we're seeing more designed quarterback runs or read option plays to get him on the outside, and they're paying off for him and the Hoosier offense. On this one he did a nice job at trusting his blockers and getting it to the outside before cutting up field and registering his second total touchdown of the game, with this being his fourth rushing touchdown within his last five games (like I said before). Indiana would punt the ball away after just four plays their next time out but would find the end zone after two plays on their following drive, with Mendoza registering a 20-yard rush before Kaelon Black would take it in from 16-yards out to make the score 21-3 with 3:40 to go until halftime.
I know Mendoza picks up the aforementioned 20-yards without really any problems, but I just like seeing him go through his progressions while also not being afraid to tuck it and run and take what the defense was giving him. I mean, it looked as if he was going to take the underneath route had the defender not brought him down, so smart job by Mendoza at not throwing it and tucking it to pick up the first down. Do I wish he slid rather than diving forward? Sure, but I'll definitely take the 20-yard gain that would again lead to a 16-yard touchdown run by Kaelon Black to further extend their lead later on in the second. Indiana would put forth another two play touchdown drive their next time out, only this time we'd see Roman Hemby take an inside handoff 82-yards for the score, making it now 28-3 with 1:33 to go in the second quarter. The Hoosiers would start their first drive of the second half deep inside their own territory, kicking things off at their own 11-yard line. Despite the poor starting field position Indiana would march their way down the field, with Mendoza capping off their 89-yard drive by hitting Elijah Sarratt in the flat for what would result in a 17-yard touchdown to give them a 35-3 lead with 7:37 to go in the third. Much like they have done a couple of other times up to this point, Indiana's next drive would see them find the end zone in just two plays as Mendoza would connect with Omar Cooper for a 43-yard touchdown to make it 42-3 with 4:02 to go in the quarter.
Before you say anything I am really highlighting this play because of the effort by Cooper to find his way to the end zone after being pretty much dead to rights after making the catch. This was a pretty poor ball from Mendoza as he under threw the crap out of it, but Cooper did a nice job at not only adjusting to it but battling through multiple Purdue defenders on his way to the end zone for six. That throw would wind up being Mendoza's final contribution to the game as his younger brother would come in and help see out an impressive 56-3 road victory. Though many rightfully expected Indiana to have their way with Purdue, I'm not sure those same people expected the Hoosiers to finish the regular season with an undefeated record, especially after picking up their first 10-win season in program history just one year prior. This was truly an impressive regular season for Mendoza and the Hoosiers, who will look to continue their undefeated ways against the also undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten Championship. If they were to come out on top, this would be their first conference title since 1967.
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 - 2
Wk 13 - 2
Wk 14 - 3
Wk 15 - v no.1 Ohio State (Big Ten Championship)
4. Jayden Maiava, USC
Wk 14 - 21/29 257 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 10 yds 0 touchdowns v UCLA (29-10 W)
Season - 247/373 3,431 yds 23 touchdowns 8 interceptions/51 carries 150 yds 6 touchdowns
Another week, another section, another time we get to talk about a once great Pac-12 match-up. I do have to say that I don't have an inherent problem with any of the four Pac-12 schools that joined the Big Ten (Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington), but like I alluded to in Dante Moore's section I just have a hard time looking at a game like USC v UCLA and saying to myself yep, that's a Big Ten conference game right there. It's just a weird feeling inside of me that I wish I could just push away or something, but unfortunately I cannot, at least not at this point in time. I love college football with every ounce of my soul, and though I know we will never get back what was taken from us due to conference re-alignment, I can still hope for a brighter tomorrow, right? Regardless of my feelings on the matter games between USC and UCLA have been pretty lopsided as far back as I can remember. I mean, ever since 2000 the Trojans have won 19 (including this year) out of a possible 25-games, and yes I am counting the wins that were "voided" in 2004 and 2005. Sure the Bruins had a good run of things in the 90s (winning eight in a row from '91-'98) but to be honest I have never really viewed UCLA as a real "challenger" to USC, even with the Trojans not really being at the top of the college football pyramid anymore. That feeling of UCLA being inferior was very much on my mind going into this past weekend, as I whole heartedly believed that USC would be able to take care of business in this one. In the end the Trojans came out on top by the score 29-10, with quarterback Jayden Maiava going 21/29 for 257-yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Things would start off pretty good for Maiava and the offense, as he would hit Tanook Hines on an underneath crossing route for a 26-yard gain on third and nine, taking them down to the UCLA 48-yard line. Maiava would then hit tight end Lake McRee in the flat that would go for a further 14-yards, helping set up a five yard touchdown run by King Miller to give them their first lead of the game with 9:15 to go in the first. Maiava would come up big for the Trojans on third down on their next drive, not only getting the defender to jump offsides, but also fitting it into Jaden Richardson while fading back for a 10-yard gain on third and five.
Like I've spoken about before, Maiava has the arm strength to make every single throw on the field, all while making it look effortless in the process. Starting with his eyes to the left, he flips back to the right and fires an accurate ball into Richardson while falling backwards for a 10-yard gain on third and five. Given the situation, you can't really ask for a much better throw from your quarterback. Maiava would flash the athleticism a few plays later, picking up 21-yards on the ground to help get them down to the UCLA 22-yard line.
He may not have run the ball as much as some of the other quarterbacks in this class, but Maiava can definitely make opposing defenses pay with his legs in they're not careful. This is something we've been seeing more and more of as the season has gone on, and to be honest I can't hate on it. He may have been fooled by the edge defender not fully committing to the running back, but he was able to make him miss before cutting up field and picking up 21-yards with his legs (his longest rush of the season). Unfortunately the drive would pretty much stall out there, with the Trojans having to settle for a 38-yard field goal with 4:13 to go in the first. To make matters worse the ensuing kick would be blocked, keeping the score at 7-0 later on in the opening quarter. USC would move the ball well to start their next drive as Maiava would hit King Miller out of the backfield for a 20-yard gain before fitting it into Walker Lyons for a further 10-yards to help pick up a first down on third and six.
Just a really well weighted pass here by Maiava, fitting it into his tight end over the outstretched arm of the nearest UCLA defender. You really couldn't have asked for much better ball placement here from Maiava, who again put it perfectly in a spot where only Lyons could make a play on the ball to help pick up the first down on third and six. Maiava would continue throwing the ball down the field as the drive continued, firing one into Riley Wormley out of the backfield for a 17-yard gain, taking them down to the Bruin 24-yard line.
Little bit of a busted coverage for UCLA as two defenders followed Makai Lemon to the flat rather than track the running back out of the backfield. Seeing that Maiava zips one into the body of Wormley, making sure that the defender overtop can't make a play on it as well as allowing his back to brace for the eventual hit. Really solid throw from Maiava to again help the Trojans get deeper into Bruin territory. Maiava would then find an open Ja'Kobi Lane down the middle of the field for 12-more yards before having to settle for a 30-yard field goal attempt with 5:42 to go in the second quarter. Unlike the first attempt it would not be blocked, like the first attempt though no points would come from it as kicker Ryon Sayeri would send it wide right, with the scoreboard staying tied up at seven later on in the second quarter. UCLA would come away with a field goal before halftime to make the score 10-7 in their favor. USC in turn would go three and out to kick things off in the second half. That being said they would come out firing on their next drive as Maiava would connect on passes of eight, 12, and 14-yards (as well as passes of six and four yards) before hitting Makai Lemon in the end zone from 32-yards out to make the score 14-10 with 25-seconds to go in the third quarter.
One thing I really like about Maiava is that he can generate so much velocity on the ball without really getting his lower body activated, as you can really see on both of these throws, with the first one being to Lane to help them pick up a first down on third and four. With a defender blocking his throwing lane and two more in coverage (with one playing overtop) there was very little room for error for Maiava. That being said he delivered a strong and accurate throw to Lane, who was able to secure it through the big hit from the defender to again help pick up a much needed first down. The second throw I highlighted to Lemon once again shows off how effortless of a thrower he can be, delivering a nice back shoulder ball to his receiver who a defender right in his face and another in tight coverage. Great job at adjusting to the ball by Lemon to bring this ball in but again, I love how effortless Maiava looks when pushing the ball down the field with this touchdown giving USC the lead with 25-seconds to go in the third quarter. Maiava would throw an interception on the very first play of their next drive, but thankfully it would get wiped out due to a roughing the passer penalty (would have either been that or defensive pass interference). What makes the penalty wiping out the turnover even better is that it would take much longer for the Trojans to find the end zone as a 28-yard pass from Maiava to Lane would eventually help set up a two yard touchdown pass from Maiava to Lake McRee to give them a 21-10 lead with 11:24 to go in the fourth.
Great job at scanning the entire field by Maiava before firing it into Lane for the eventual 28-yard gain. Good thing Maiava has the arm strength that he does because if he didn't, this ball is probably going back the other way for six. Instead, he was able to fit it into his receiver before the defender could come in and make a play on it, allowing Lane to spin away and pick up a nice gain after making the catch. Again, this would help lead to Maiava's second passing touchdown of the game, helping USC gain a double digit advantage early on in the fourth quarter. Maiava would attempt zero passes the remainder of the game as the rush attack got them down the field in just four plays to give them a 29-10 (successful two point conversion) while also helping them secure the home victory. It may have been more difficult than they initially expected, but in the end the talent USC has pulled through to help give them a nice double digit win. As for Maiava I thought he made a lot of confident throws throughout the game. He has the upmost confidence in his receivers and you can tell the feeling is mutual with them. Though the Trojans won't be making an appearance in the Big Ten Championship game, I am excited to see which bowl they wind up getting invited to. This is a good team and Maiava is a very good quarterback.
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 - 4
Wk 13 - 4
Wk 14 - 4
Wk 15 - BYE
5. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati (+3)
Wk 14 - 23/33 282 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/10 carries 59 yds 0 touchdowns @ TCU (45-23 L)
Season - 207/336 2,800 yds 27 touchdowns 5 interceptions/100 carries 580 yds 9 touchdowns
I hate to say it, but we kind of had a repeat of last season when it comes to Cincinnati football. Sure the falloff may not have been as great as it was last year, but after starting the season off with an impressive 7-1 record, I don't think a lot of people out there really expected them to lose each of their remaining four games to finish out the regular season with a 7-5 record. Now I don't want to act like Cincinnati was playing a bunch of scrubs throughout these last four weeks, they played some damn good teams but I also thought that they could be a damn good team as well but that just wasn't the case as they lost three of those four games by double digits, with the most recent one coming via a 45-23 drubbing on the road against TCU. I guess that's kind of the way of the world in the Big 12, where everyone kind of just takes turns at eating one another. I've said this before but anyone can really beat anyone in the Big 12, like Colorado's one singular win in conference play came against 8-4 Iowa State, and one of West Virginia's two wins in conference play came against 9-3 Houston, who's currently ranked 23rd in the most recent College Football Playoff poll. It really is a bat shit insane conference, and I for one love it for that. That being said I'm sure Cincinnati isn't the biggest fan of it, as it has caused them a lot of pain these past two seasons. I mean last year they started 5-2 and finished 5-7, this year they again started 7-1 and finished the regular season at 7-5. One difference though between this year and last year is that quarterback Brendan Sorsby's play didn't completely drop off a cliff. Was he playing as good as he was to start the season? Not necessarily, but I still think he helped put the Bearcats in positions to win football games. Like this one, despite the loss Sorsby put up some really good numbers, going 23/33 for 282-yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions to go along with a team leading 59-yards on the ground. That being said things didn't really start off the greatest for Sorsby and the offense as they would turn the ball over on downs after just four plays before going three and out on their second possession. The next time they would take the field they would find themselves in a 14-0 hole, with Sorsby starting things off by firing it into Noah Jennings for a 18-yard gain, helping pick up their first first down of the game.
I've spoken about this quite a few times about Sorbsy throughout the course of the season, but the dude is just such an effortless thrower. Like, it sometimes looks as if he's not throwing it that hard at all, and yet he delivers it at such a high velocity, with this one being zipped into Jennings for the aforementioned 18-yard gain. Nice accurate throw from Sorsby to help the Bearcats pick up their first first down of the game with 5:35 to go in the quarter. Following a few nine yard plays from Sorsby (run and pass) he would hit a wide open Evan Pryor out of the backfield for a walk-in 26-yard score, bringing them back to within seven with 1:53 to go in the opening quarter.
I think we can kind of chalk this one up to busted coverage, as neither the linebacker nor the safety followed Pryor out of the backfield following the corner blitz. Regardless, I do like seeing how Sorsby was able to remain calm despite the free rusher before flipping it down the field to the open Pryor for the easy walk-in touchdown, making the score 14-7 in favor of TCU with less than two minutes to go in the quarter. Cincinnati would rely on the run game a good amount on their next drive following yet another Horned Frogs touchdown. Now, Sorsby would complete a couple passes throughout the possession, none bigger though than his 14-yard pass to Jeff Caldwell in the end zone to help bring them back to within seven once again early on in the second quarter.
One thing I absolutely love seeing from quarterbacks is how they use their eyes to manipulate the defense. As seen here, Sorsby does an excellent at looking the high safety off to the left, freeing up the middle of the field for him to hit Caldwell for the eventual score. It must be said though, really nice job by Caldwell at bringing in the ball despite it being slightly behind and with contact from the defender in coverage. Just a solid overall play from Cincinnati to make the score 21-14 with 11:27 to go in the second quarter. It would be a little bit before the Bearcat offense would take the field again as though the defense came up big by forcing a three and out, Manny Covey would muff the ensuing punt return with the Horned Frogs recovering and taking over at the Cincinnati 33-yard line. Thankfully for Covey the defense would be able to hold TCU to a field goal, making the score 24-14 later on in the second. Sorsby would come out firing on Cincinnati's next drive, hitting Noah Jennings across the middle for a 24-yard gain before connecting with Caleb Goodie down the near sideline following a flea flicker for a further 40-yards to get them down to the TCU 11-yard line.
Two big time pass plays from Sorsby to help get the Bearcats down the field in a hurry. The first one we see Sorsby absolutely rip one to Jennings on the slant. With the linebacker standing pat, Sorsby knows to pull it from his running back and throw it off of the inside shoulder or said linebacker. Really good read, timing, and placement here from Sorsby, as well as a nice job by Jennings at picking up a good amount of yards after seeing the ball in. The second one is pretty simple as Sorsby tossed up an accurate ball to an open Goodie down the near sideline for a 40-yard gain. I love when teams use flea flickers to actually push the ball down the field, it feels like teams have been throwing them shorter quite a bit recently (maybe that's just me). The main job there from a quarterback is just to not miss the receiver, which Sorsby didn't to again help get them down to the TCU 11-yard line. Unfortunately not much more would come from this drive, as they would ultimately have to settle for a 26-yard field goal from Stephen Rusnak to make the score 24-17 with 3:13 to go in the second quarter. The Horned Frogs would come away with another touchdown before the half, taking a 31-17 lead into the locker room. Things wouldn't go too smoothly for the Bearcats to kick off the second half as they would go three and out on their opening drive before turning the ball over on downs after failing to convert on fourth and five from the TCU 25-yard line. Though they would turn the ball over on that drive Sorsby would still come up big for Cincinnati, connecting with Joe Royer for a 26-yard gain to extend the drive on third and four.
I really like the play design here by the Cincinnati offense. With Sorsby running to his right with running back Tawee Walker, it does look like he's either lining up to take it himself or pitch it out to the back. Instead Sorsby rips it down the field to Royer, who did an excellent job at selling the block before peeling out and giving his quarterback an option down the field for a nice 26-yard gain on third and four. Again, I'm a big fan of this play, just a shame that it wouldn't wind up leading to anything as they would turn the ball over on downs just a few plays later. Sorsby would flash the athleticism early on their next drive, picking up a whopping 41-yards on the ground to help take them from their own 11 all the way down to the TCU 48-yard line.
Got to love when quarterbacks can make something out of nothing. With nothing seemingly open down the field, Sorsby rolls to his right and cuts up the field, taking what the defense gave him for a 41-yard gain, completely flipping the field in the process. Sorsby is one of the better athletes at the quarterback position in this draft, and this 41-yard rush would go down as his longest up to this point in the season. A few plays later Sorsby would register his third passing touchdown of the game, hitting Cyrus Allen down the middle of the field for a 35-yard score with 12:47 to go in the fourth quarter.
With TCU playing zone and no one playing deep, once Allen got past his initial defender all that was left for Sorsby to do was not miss him, which is exactly what happened here. Was the throw a little long here from Sorsby? Possibly, but like I've said numerous times before sometimes you just have to allow your playmakers to make plays, and Allen did exactly that by fully extending to bring it in for the touchdown. That would be the final big play for the Bearcats in this one, as they would go three and out on their final drive with TCU wrapping up an impressive 45-23 home win. Like I said before this was a pretty disappointing way to end the season for Cincinnati, but it sure wasn't for lack of trying by Sorsby who, despite the losses, played well enough for the Bearcats to get some sort of result in these games (minus the Utah game). There's a lot of speculation regarding Sorsby's future, whether he stays at Cincinnati, transfers, or enters the draft. There's no doubt the dude is talented, now we just have to wait to see what his decision ends up being.
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 - 8
Wk 13 - 8
Wk 14 - 5
Wk 15 - BYE
6. Darian Mensah, Duke (-1)
Wk 14 - 24/35 268 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries -12 yds 1 touchdown v Wake Forest (49-32 W)
Season - 286/424 3,450 yds 28 touchdowns 4 interceptions/50 carries -53 yds 1 touchdown
Now maybe I was alone in this, but I had absolutely no idea how important this game could have been or was going into last Saturday. Like, I have watched almost every single Duke football game so far this season, and I could not have told you for the life of me that if they defeated Wake Forest on Saturday they would have a shot at a trip to the ACC title game in Charlotte. Obviously they would need some other things to go their way outside of their control as well, but isn't that just crazy to think about, or realize? That the then 6-5 Duke Blue Devils could be playing for a conference title should they come out on top against another in-state rival in the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Not only did Duke take care of business, they came away with a resounding 49-32 victory on Senior Day, giving them a shot at what once seemed like an impossible dream. I mean, Duke has appeared in one conference title game in their history (2013, lost 45-7 to Florida State) other than that the last time they've sniffed conference superiority came all the way back in 1989, which was Steve Spurrier's final year at the helm. We'll obviously get more into that later as the game that ultimately decided their fate happened later that evening, but Duke definitely took care of business here. In the win, quarterback Darian Mensah would go 24/35 for 268-yards with two touchdowns (first time he's thrown more than one touchdown in two weeks) and no interceptions while also registering his first rushing touchdown of the season. That being said Mensah wouldn't really need to utilize his arm on their opening drive of the game, with him only registering two completions of five and 11-yards with the run game really carrying the drive as Nate Sheppard would cap off an eight play 75-yard drive with a five yard rushing touchdown, giving Duke a 7-0 lead less than five minutes into the game. Mensah would use his arm more on their next drive, hitting on a few short to intermediate passes (longest going for 17-yards) before taking it in himself from four yards out to make the score 14-3 as time expired in the first.
Like I stated before this resulted in Mensah's first rushing touchdown of the season, and it couldn't have been much more exciting. Sure it came from only four yards out, but I love even with pressure coming up the middle that forced him out to his left, he still kept his eyes down the field, directing traffic before diving for the near pylon for the four yard touchdown. Love this play here from Mensah as it helped Duke gain a 14-3 lead again as the first quarter expired. They would struggle to really get things going on their next couple possessions, as they would go three and out on back-to-back drives registering -10-yards in the process. Things would start picking up again their next time out though following Wake Forest turning it over on downs, with Mensah hitting on a couple of shorter passes before tossing it up to Que'Sean Brown for a 16-yard gain on third and seven, helping get them all the way down to the Demon Deacon one yard line.
With Wake Forest sending pressure, Mensah is able to remain tall and calm in the pocket and deliver a nice catchable ball to Brown for the 16-yard gain on third and seven. Sometimes as a quarterback your job is to just let your playmakers make plays, which is exactly what happened here as he just put it in a spot and told his receiver to come back and make a play on the ball, which of course he did. One play later Anderson Castle would take it in from a yard out, making the score 21-10 with 1:38 to go in the second quarter. Duke would try to make some magic happen before halftime, but ultimately they would take a 21-17 lead into the locker room. The second half wouldn't start off the greatest for the Blue Devils on offense as they would be forced to punt after going three and out. Their next drive would be short too, only difference is that Mensah would hit Sahmir Hagans down the far sideline for a 30-yard score, giving them a 28-17 lead midway through the third.
Was this pass slightly under thrown? Sure, but I will still take this throw from Mensah as it again help the Blue Devils regain their double digit advantage with 9:45 to go in the quarter. Great concentration shown here by Hagans to see this ball in through the defender, even letting said defender have it after bringing it in. Also, this touchdown pass from Mensah helped set a new school record for touchdown passes in a season with 27, a record that would be further extended as the game went on (but more on that later). Mensah would complete a couple passes of nine and seven yards early on Duke's next drive, but once again it would be the run game that would cap off the drive as Anderson Castle would register his second rushing touchdown of the game from two yards out to make the score 35-17 with 3:51 to go in the third quarter. It wouldn't take long for them to find the end zone again following an impressive 80-yard kick return set them up at the Wake Forest 13-yard line, with Nate Sheppard taking it into the end zone from said distance to give them a 42-25 lead just over a minute into the fourth quarter. Duke would attempt to go for it on fourth down twice on their next possession, converting once thanks to a successful fake punt and 26-yard run by punter Kade Reynoldson on fourth and eight. They wouldn't be so lucky on their second attempt though, as Mensah's pass to Cooper Barkate fell incomplete on fourth and three from the Demon Deacon 40-yard line. The Blue Devils would meet the same fate on their next drive as they would fail to convert on fourth and three again, only this time from the Wake Forest 20-yard line. That being said on the drive Mensah would connect with Barkate on a slant that would go for 37-yards, helping get them down to the plus 27-yard line.
Though this pass play wouldn't wind up leading to anything significant, I still think it's worth highlighting due to how quick Mensah was able to flip back around after faking to his left before firing an accurate ball into the body of Barkate for the eventual 37-yard gain. I know it wasn't really any spectacular or anything, but it was still a massive gain for the offense, though again it didn't lead to any points. Thankfully for Duke, Wake Forest would turn the ball over themselves on their following drive, setting the Blue Devils up at the 11-yard line. Four plays later Mensah would hit Jeremiah Hasley in the end zone from 11-yards out, further extending his school record of passing touchdowns as well as helping Duke gain a 49-32 lead with 23-seconds to go in the fourth.
Not too much to talk about here with this one, as this is just a nice and simple play Duke has run to success quite a few times up to this point in the season. Just a very nice floated ball in there by Mensah to not only give them the score, but also lock up the game in the process as the Blue Devils would take home an impressive 49-32 victory on Senior Day. The win itself was nice, as it seemingly just boasted moral going into bowl season. But following a shocking SMU loss to Cal, Duke was gifted a golden ticket to the ACC Championship game, going up against the 17th ranked Virginia Cavaliers, a team that beat the Blue Devils 34-17 a few weeks ago. I don't know how or why this happened, but with a College Football Playoff birth on the line, I don't think we'll be hearing too many complaints coming from Durham, North Carolina. I am really excited to see how Mensah and co. fair against Virginia this time around.
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 - 5
Wk 13 - 5
Wk 14 - 6
Wk 15 - v no.17 Virginia (ACC Championship)
7. Carson Beck, Miami (FL)
Wk 14 - 23/29 267 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/5 carries -17 yds 0 touchdowns @ Pitt (38-7 W)
Season - 263/352 3,072 yds 25 touchdowns 10 interceptions/38 carries 39 yds 1 touchdown
A nice and easy way to end the regular season for Carson Beck and the Miami Hurricanes. Look, I know the Pitt Panthers are a decent to good football team, but they are a pretty wild and somewhat inconsistent bunch (much like their home crowd). Like how do you go from losing to Notre Dame at home by double digits to beating Georgia Tech on the road by double digits? I understand that Notre Dame and Georgia Tech are not as comparable as their records may show, but never the less that is still decently confusing, right? If I were to compare Miami to either of those two teams I would say that they're much closer to being Notre Dame than Georgia Tech, and that's not just because they beat the Irish 27-24 on the opening week of the season. The Hurricanes just have a bunch of talent on their roster that if not hindered by coaching, can really light up opposing teams, which is exactly what happened here as they came away with a resounding 38-7 road victory. When Miami's offense is playing in rhythm, there are not a lot better in all of college football. A lot of credit obviously goes to the aforementioned Carson Beck, who has been able to bounce back from a couple rough performances midway through the season by stringing together some really solid games to end the season. This one wasn't an exception, as Beck would go 23/29 for 267-yards with three touchdowns (third straight game with three or more touchdowns) and one interception in Miami's 38-7 win. Though his numbers wound up being good things didn't necessarily started off the greatest for the Hurricanes on offense as they would be forced to punt the ball away after just five plays. Beck would hit on a couple screen and shorter passes on their next drive as Miami would take their first lead of the game courtesy of a 29-yard field goal from Carter Davis to make the score 3-0 with 4:31 to go in the opening quarter. Beck would come out firing on their next drive following a Pitt touchdown, hitting Malachi Toney down the near sideline who would make a spectacular one handed catch to pick up 19-yards and get them down to the Panther 21-yard line.
Really good throw here by Beck to get it to his receiver despite there being a defender right in his face as he was letting the ball go. As good as that throw was the catch by Toney was even better. This is one of those scenarios that I always talk about as Beck let his playmaker make a play, putting it in a spot where only his receiver could make a spectacular catch to bring it in for the 19-yard gain. You can't for much more from either party on this one, as it helped Miami get even deeper into Pitt territory. A couple plays later Toney would hit Elija Lofton in the end zone from nine yards out to make the score 10-7 less than four minutes into the second quarter. Don't worry Beck would get in on the touchdown action on Miami's next drive. After hitting Alex Bauman a few yards past the line of scrimmage for a 23-yard gain, Beck would float one into Toney for a 22-yard touchdown to give them a 17-7 lead following a missed field goal by Pitt with less than two minutes to go until halftime.
One thing I have been critical of when it comes to Beck is sometimes he can get a little too much air on the ball when he's throwing it deep down the field. That's not really the case here though as he was able to float it rather nicely into Toney for the aforementioned 22-yard touchdown. Love the little pick play Miami set up here to free Toney, making for an easy score to give them a double digit lead with 1:55 to go in the second quarter. Beck would come up with another easy yet big time completion early on their first drive of the second half, dumping it off to Alex Bauman for what would result in a 33-yard gain, taking them all the way down to the Panther 28-yard line.
This was really just a nice and simple dump off from Beck to his tight end, but I do like how quickly he was able to get this ball off despite pressure barreling down on him. I know the play was set up that way but hey, some quarterbacks panic when there's two free rushers right in their face. Beck did not and was able to deliver a nice short pass to Bauman who was able to rumble down the field for the aforementioned 33-yard gain. The run game would be the thing that would ultimately help them get down the field as Beck would be sacked on the following play for an eight yard loss before going 2/5 the remainder of the drive (missing on his final three pass attempts). In the end running back Mark Fletcher would take it in from four yards out, giving Miami a 24-7 lead midway through the third quarter. The touchdown streak would continue on their next drive, with Beck hitting a wide open CharMar Brown out of the backfield for a walk-in touchdown from nine yards out to extend their lead to 31-7 with 4:28 to go in the quarter.
I know the pass itself wasn't really spectacular or anything, but I do like how Beck was able was able to climb the pocket and deliver a nice floated pass to Brown for the eventual walk-in touchdown. Really couldn't have asked for a much better look if you're the Hurricanes as it again helped further extend their advantage later on in the third quarter. Miami would be forced to punt the ball away after six plays on their next drive. Things wouldn't get much better for them on their following possession as Beck would be intercepted for the first time in the game, coming at the 6:18 mark in the fourth quarter.
You can tell Beck wasn't fully committed to making this throw as he barely put anything on it which lead to the easy interception. Unfortunately that will happen from time to time, it just sucked that it happened here as the Hurricanes were deep inside Panther territory with a chance to further extend their lead in the fourth quarter. Not to worry though as they would get another opportunity to do so on their next drive, with Beck hitting CJ Daniels down the near sideline for a 33-yard touchdown to make the score 38-7 with 41-seconds to go in the regulation.
This is a good example of what I kind of alluded to before, as Beck can sometimes put a little too much air under the ball when throwing it down the field. Now, Daniels did a very nice job at adjusting to the ball as it was a little behind him, but as the old saying goes "they all count the same" as this touchdown helped secure a 38-7 road victory for Miami on the final week of the regular season. Despite their record and ranking, the Hurricanes will unfortunately not have a shot at competing for the ACC title as they'll have to sit at home and watch Virginia take on Duke. Despite that this was a nice way to cap off the regular season, with Beck playing with confidence and making smart throws (minus the pick) while coming away with three passing touchdowns. I'm really intrigued to see what the future holds for Miami as their Playoff hopes hang in the balance. I think they're good enough to compete in the Playoff and have done enough in my opinion to warrant a spot, let's see if the committee agrees.
Wk 1 - 8
Wk 2 - 9
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 8
Wk 5 - 8
Wk 6 - 7
Wk 7 - 7
Wk 8 - N/R
Wk 9 - N/R
Wk 10 - N/R
Wk 11 - N/R
Wk 12 - 10
Wk 13 - 7
Wk 14 - 7
Wk 15 - BYE
8. John Mateer, Oklahoma (-2)
Wk 14 - 23/38 318 yds 2 touchdowns 3 interceptions/8 carries 27 yds 0 touchdowns v LSU (17-13 W)
Season - 221/356 2,578 yds 12 touchdowns 10 interceptions/130 carries 416 yds 7 touchdowns
Oklahoma truly has been one of the more interesting teams from this past season. If you cast your line back to the very beginning of the season, not only do they have one of the more fun offenses in college football, but their starting quarterback is the clear runaway favorite for the Heisman Trophy. Like does anyone remember when reporters asked John Mateer what's the difference between him and Johnny Manziel following their 24-17 win over Auburn? The hype was real, and ironically all the hype seemed to come to a screeching halt a few days after that game as it was announced that Mateer had suffered a significant hand injury that would keep most players out for multiple weeks. Being the gamer that he is Mateer battled through the injury, coming back way sooner than expected to face Texas in the Red River Shootout. Ever since that moment the view of Oklahoma's offense has changed completely, going from once high powered and must watch to dull and boring, with Mateer's numbers taking a massive dip as he had only registered two games with over 200-passing yards since returning from injury (Texas and Ole Miss). Compared to the four that he had through just the first four weeks, I would say that's a decent dip in production. That is until Oklahoma's most recent game against LSU, a game that saw the Sooners come out with a tougher than expected 17-13 victory on Senior Day. With the run game not producing very much at all, Mateer had to let it rip more times in this game than any game prior to, going 23/38 (season high attempts) for 318-yards (second most yards this season, 392 v Illinois State) with two touchdowns and three interceptions (joint season high, Texas). Speaking of interceptions his first one would come just three play into Oklahoma's opening drive of the game, with the ball being hit at the line of scrimmage and landing in the grateful arms of an LSU defender.
This is just an unfortunate interception here for Mateer, as again the ball was hit at the line of scrimmage and fluttered helplessly into the arms of Harold Perkins, who nearly took it the other way for six. That is really one of the worst feelings for a quarterback, going from what seemed to be an easy (enough) completion to it being batted and intercepted. Thankfully for Mateer the Oklahoma defense would come up massive despite LSU starting at the four yard line, picking off Michael Van Buren in the end zone on their opening play of the drive to keep the score level at zero. That being said the Sooner offense wouldn't do much with this new lease on life, punting the ball away after going three and out on the following drive. The offense would start to get things going on their next drive, with Mateer hitting JaVonnie Gibson down the field for a 27-yard gain on third and 11, taking them from their own 25 to the LSU 48.
This is just a really strong throw here by Mateer. On third and 11 with an LSU defender driving the left guard back into his lap, he was able to stand tall and deliver an accurate ball in a spot where only his receiver could bring it in. Great extension shown here by Gibson, as he was able to secure it for the aforementioned 27-yard gain. Mateer would hit on a couple of short to intermediate throws throughout the rest of the drive, with the Sooners ultimately having to settle for a 38-yard field goal attempt from Tate Sandell to give them their first lead of the game with 4:31 to go in the first quarter. Oklahoma would turn it over on downs after failing to convert on fourth and one from their own 49-yard line on their next drive before punting the ball away after three, four, and eight plays on their final three drives of the first half. I wish I could say things improved on their opening drive of the third quarter, but on the fifth play of the drive Mateer would register his second interception of the game (annoyingly coming right after a 29-yard pass to Sategna).
I hate that these two plays directly followed each other because one is awesome and the other one sucks. Starting with the throw to Sategna, you really couldn't have asked for a much better throw given the situation. On third and 15 Mateer steps up in the pocket and just rips it down the field to his favorite receiver who fully extends to bring it in despite there being two LSU defenders in the area. You just love seeing plays like that. What you don't love seeing is plays like this interception, as the defender read Mateer's eyes the whole way and jumped the route to come away with the interception. He tried to hold off the defender by starting his eyes to the left, but he locked onto his tight end a little too long to allow the safety to again jump the route and come away with the turnover. An unfortunate throw following a really solid throw, can't afford to be doing that. Mateer would make a couple big time throws on Oklahoma's next drive following his second interception of the game, hitting Kaden Helms for a 16-yard gain while rolling to his right before firing a ball into JaVonnie Gibson for a further 30-yard gain on third and 14.
Like I said before, these are two pretty big time throws here from Mateer. Rolling out to his right on the first one, Mateer is able to get the defender(s) to commit to him just enough in order to create a bigger hole to fire it into Helms for the aforementioned 16-yard gain on second and eight, fitting it through a decently tight window in the process. The second one we'd see Mateer once again come up big for the Sooners on third and long, this time even catching the defense lacking and drawing an illegal substitution penalty (that they declined). With pressure coming around the edge and through the line on the right side, Mateer remains tall and calm before firing it into Gibson's body for the 30-yard gain. I love the placement here from Mateer, allowing his receiver to secure the ball and get his head up to avoid the initial hit and pick up extra yards after the catch. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, as Mateer would register his third interception of the game game just a few plays later.
Long story short, this is just a bad throw here by Mateer. You can tell that he wanted to throw this thing to the back shoulder of his receiver, but the LSU defender read it like a book and jumped in front of said receiver to come away with the easy interception. Again, I understand what he was trying to do, but the placement just wasn't there, as it lead to yet another driving killing interception. The Sooners would go three and out on their next possession, but would finally come away with some points on their next drive as Mateer would hit Deion Burks on a screen to the flat who would take it in from 45-yards out for the score, tying things up at 10 with 1:47 to go in the third quarter. Oklahoma would then go three and out on each of their next two possession, gaining just eight yards in the process. Their following drive would be another short one as well, only this time we would see Mateer connect with a wide ass open Isaiah Sategna for a 58-yard touchdown, giving them a 17-13 lead with 4:16 to go in the fourth quarter.
One of the easiest touchdown passes Mateer will ever have. With LSU playing zone, and with the high safety drifting to the left (their right), no one tracked Sategna who again found himself wide ass open down the field for the easy walk-in touchdown. You really couldn't have asked for a much better look if you are the Sooner offense, as this touchdown not only gave them their first lead since the opening quarter, but it also helped secure the win as the defense would force the Tigers to turn it over on downs after seven plays to give them a hard fought 17-13 victory, all but securing their spot in the College Football Playoff. Like I alluded to before, this game was a little tougher for Oklahoma than I'm sure most people thought but hey, a win is a win. As for Mateer you cannot throw three interceptions in a game. I know the first one wasn't entirely his fault due to it getting batted, but the other two just weren't great throws. Two touchdowns are nice, but if we're being brutally honest he didn't need to do a whole lot other than just not miss the open receivers. All in all a win is a win and Mateer will just have to wash this performance before their Playoff match-up. I don't know who it'll be, but I hope the Sooner offense can put up some points to help the defense out.
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 - 6
Wk 13 - 6
Wk 14 - 8
Wk 15 - BYE
9. Josh Hoover, TCU (NEW)
Wk 14 - 19/22 306 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries -3 yds 0 touchdowns v Cincinnati (45-23 W)
Season - 272/413 3,472 yds 29 touchdowns 13 interceptions/55 carries 4 yds 2 touchdowns
Welcome back to the top-10 Josh Hoover! Things have been pretty weird for Hoover and the rest of the TCU Horned Frogs as of late. I mean, early on in the season Hoover was good for three to four touchdowns a game, registering those numbers in five of their first seven games. The thing is though, even since their 42-36 home win against rivals Baylor back on October 18th Hoover and the offense really struggled to find a rhythm. In each of their next four games (prior to this past one) Hoover registered a combined four touchdowns with seven interceptions, while the offense as a whole only managed to score over 20-points one time during that span, which came via a 23-17 road win against West Virginia. As I've spoken about numerous times before though the Big 12 (in recent years anyway) is kind of known for eating itself, with one of their losses coming at home against an Iowa State team that had lost each of their previous four games, with one of their loses coming against a bad Colorado team. The Big 12 is a strange conference man, and I think that is shown pretty perfectly in TCU's final game of the regular season. As I alluded to before the Horned Frogs had scored more than 20-points one time across their last four games, so it only makes sense that they have an offensive explosion against a seven win Cincinnati team, right? This past weekend TCU came away with an impressive 45-23 win, totaling over 500-yards of offense and eating up damn near 38-minutes of the game clock. Along with that Hoover put forth an excellent showing, going 19/22 for 306-yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions (reminder: he registered four touchdowns total across their last four games). Hoover would come up big for the Horned Frogs on their opening drive of the game, rolling out to the right and firing the ball to DJ Rogers along the far sideline for a 12-yard gain on third and 13, helping set up a possible fourth and one conversion.
Hoover dropped back a long ways before letting this ball go, but sometimes that's what you have to do in order to make a play. Do I love it all the time? Not necessarily but again, sometimes that's what's required, and he was able to deliver a really strong throw to his tight end to get them a yard away from the first down marker. They wouldn't have much trouble converting on fourth and one, as running back Jeremy Payne would pick up 11-yards on the ground to get them down to the Cincinnati four yard line. A couple plays later Hoover would register his first passing touchdown of the game, hitting a wide open Joseph Manjack in the end zone from three yards out to give them their first lead of the game with 9:51 to go in the first quarter. It wouldn't take long for TCU to find the end zone again on their next drive, with Hoover connecting with Payne out of the backfield for a 40-yard gain on third and four before hitting Eric McAlister on a well thrown back shoulder ball to the far side of the field for a 17-yard touchdown.
As you've probably picked up on by now, I love myself a good back shoulder pass, and they can't really be placed much better then where Hoover did right here. Hoover and McAlister have excellent chemistry, as we've seen numerous times throughout the course of the season. With that chemistry you have trust, and Hoover trusts his favorite receiver enough to adjust to the back shoulder throw to come down with it (after bobbling it) in the end zone for six, giving TCU a 14-0 lead with 5:44 to go in the first quarter. Hoover would lead another short touchdown drive for the Horned Frogs their next time out, needing only three plays before hitting Jordan Dwyer down the near sideline for a 69-yard touchdown.
What a nice touchdown here for the Horned Frogs, with Hoover again connecting with Dwyer for a 69-yard touchdown. Hoover got a ton of air under this ball, forcing his receiver to slow down slightly but as I've spoken about before, sometimes you just have to trust your playmakers. Dwyer not only did an excellent job at bringing the ball in through the defender, but also did a good job at keeping his balance to help TCU register their third touchdown of the opening quarter, making the score 21-7 with less than a minute to go in the first. Hoover would connect on a few short to intermediate passes on their next drive following a muffed punt by Cincinnati, ultimately leading them all the way down to the one yard line before punching it in himself for the score. Or at least that's what it looked like initially, instead TCU would be called for an unsportsmanlike penalty, pushing them back to the 16-yard line where kicker Nate McCashland would convert to give them a 24-14 lead with 5:21 to go in the second quarter. Hoover would come out firing on their final possession of the first half, hitting Eric McAlister along the near sideline with a defender in his face for a 15-yard gain.
Despite there being a rusher in his face, Hoover delivers this ball on time and in a perfect spot. You really can't throw a ball much better than this if you're Hoover, this is what you want to see when it comes to throwing comeback routes. Great job at staying calm in the face of pressure and delivering a perfect ball to McAlister for the 15-yard gain on first down. Hoover and McAlister would connect again a few plays later, only this time they would pick up 27-yards and get the offense down to the Bearcat 10-yard line.
Nice job by Hoover at going through his progressions before firing it across the middle to McAlister who made a very nice catch to pick up 27-yards on the play. Much like the throw he made on the comeback, Hoover does an excellent job at remaining calm in a crowded pocket, delivering a really strong and accurate ball to his favorite receiver to help get them all the way down to the Cincinnati 10-yard line. Two plays later running back Jeremy Payne would take it in from nine yards out, giving TCU a 31-17 lead with 23-seconds to go in the first half. The touchdown streak would continue on their opening drive of the second half, with Hoover firing it down the middle of the field to Joseph Manjack who would actually wind up fumbling the football away, only for Jordan Dwyer to recover it in the end zone for the score.
As the old saying goes, they all out the same. Doesn't matter how it happened, as long as they posses the ball across the goal line I'm sure they'll take it. Now, Manjack probably got a little butt chewing on the sideline for fumbling the ball but again, I'm sure everyone got over it pretty quickly. As for the throw you can't really place it much better if you're Hoover, getting the ball over the outstretched arm of the nearest defender before hitting his receiver in the window for the nice gain. Great throw from Hoover, but a weird play overall to help the Horned Frogs take a 38-17 lead with 11:08 to go in the third quarter. TCU would punt the ball away on each of their next two drives, but would be able to find the end zone again early on in the fourth quarter as Jeremy Payne would take it in from 51-yards out to give them a 45-23 lead with 10:28 to go in the game. That would pretty much be all she wrote in this one as TCU would hold on to finish the regular season above .500 in conference play. The offense may have been "off" these past few games, but man oh man were they on against Cincinnati, with Hoover arguably playing his best game of the season. One of the more underrated quarterbacks in the country, I can't wait to see what the future holds for him.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - N/R
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - N/R
Wk 6 - 10
Wk 7 - N/R
Wk 8 - 9
Wk 9 - N/R
Wk 10 - N/R
Wk 11 - N/R
Wk 12 - N/R
Wk 13 - N/R
Wk 14 - 9
Wk 15 - BYE
10. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Wk 14 - 24/39 268 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries 12 yds 1 touchdown @ South Carolina (28-14 W)
Season - 235/353 2,750 yds 16 touchdowns 6 interceptions/74 carries 107 yds 4 touchdowns
I think we can all agree, this is not the season we were expecting to see from Cade Klubnik and the Clemson Tigers. I know I've spoken about this probably a thousand times before but I still struggle to fully wrap my head around it. I mean, this team had serious National Championship aspirations prior to the season starting, with Klubnik being mentioned as not only one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy, but also one of the favorites to go first overall in April's Draft. Now I don't want to be the bearer of bad news or anything, but I have a really hard time believing that any of that is going to happen at any point in the future. That's not being a Debbie downer or a hater or anything, those are just the cold hard facts. I mean, you can't start off the season ranked fourth then finish the season with a 7-5 record, that just can't happen. Now I will say, the Tigers did end the season on a nice little four game winning streak, with their final win coming on the road against their in-state rivals in South Carolina, in a game that saw them come out on top by the score 28-14. I'm sure that win did feel pretty sweet given the fact that the Gamecocks beat them in Memorial Stadium last year but still, I'm sure there was a bitter feeling in the pit(s) of their stomach thinking about what could be seen as a wasted season. As for this one though Klubnik didn't necessarily put up the most eye popping stat line, he still did enough to help them see out the win, going 24/39 for 268-yards with no touchdowns and an interception to go along with 12-yards on the ground and a touchdown there to boot. Though they wound up coming out on top things didn't really start off the greatest for the Tiger offense, punting the ball away after four and three plays on their first two drives of the game. That being said Klubnik would come up with a nice completion on their first play of the game, connecting with TJ Moore down the far sideline for a 25-yard gain.
Now that's a pretty solid way to kick things off in a rivalry game, right? With the help of a pick play, Moore was able to create separation between himself and his defender, with Klubnik hitting him perfectly in the window for the 25-yard gain. With two defenders playing short and another playing over the top, Klubnik smartly took enough off of it to force Moore to come back to the ball, allowing him to secure the catch and pick up some more yards to get them down to the 50-yard line. In the end though nothing more would come from this play, on this drive or the next. Clemson would start off with pretty solid field position on their next drive following a South Carolina fumble. Starting at the Gamecock 46-yard line, Klubnik would help get the offense down to the 19-yard line, hitting Antonio Williams for a 12-yard gain on third and six in the process. The only problem is that they would fail to come away with points yet again, as Klubnik would be picked off trying to hit Adam Randall in the end zone with 3:43 to go in the quarter.
This is just a poor throw from Klubnik. Like I've spoken about quite a few times before, when a receiver (or running back in this case) creates that much separation between himself and the nearest defender, the main job of the quarterback is to not miss him. Most of the time that means to take a little off of it since they can always slow down, but in this case Klubnik took way too much off of it which lead to the nice interception by the South Carolina defender, killing what should have been a scoring drive for the Tiger offense. Despite the pick Klubnik would come out pushing the ball down the field on their next drive, hitting TJ Moore down the middle of the field for a 31-yard gain before tossing a very nice ball down the sideline to Antonio Williams for a further 26-yards on third and six.
Sorry for the poor camera work on the first one, but these are two really strong throws from Klubnik as the Tigers looked to push the ball down the field. With the safety creeping down on the aforementioned first one, Klubnik knows that he's going to have Moore in one-on-one coverage with no safety help over top. That being said Klubnik still has to be wary enough to not lead his receiver too far inside, as then the safety to the near side could have enough time to recover and make a play on the ball. I like the placement on the throw from Klubnik, throwing it more on a line than leading Moore across the middle, forcing him to make a tough catch for the 31-yard gain. The second one would see Klubnik make an insanely accurate throw while on the run. With a South Carolina defender giving chase, Klubnik has to get outside the pocket in order to keep the play alive on third and six. Not only does he do that, but he puts this ball in an inch perfect spot, floating it in their perfectly to Williams for the 26-yard gain. Those two passes would eventually help set up a 10-yard touchdown run by Adam Randall, giving Clemson their first lead of the game with 12:37 to go in the second quarter. Klubnik would come up with another 20+ yard completion on their next drive, hitting Cole Turner down the far sideline on a back shoulder ball for a 21-yard gain, helping get them down to the Gamecock 21-yard line.
Nice back shoulder throw in the face of pressure here from Klubnik. With a rusher coming through pretty much un-blocked, Klubink smartly rolls to the right and fires it to Turner who makes a nice adjustment to come down with the ball for the 21-yard gain. A few plays later Klubnik would take it in himself from three yards out, giving them a 14-7 lead with 5:48 to go until halftime. Unfortunately they wouldn't hold onto the lead for too long, as South Carolina would find the end zone on the opening play of their next drive to tie the game back up about 20-seconds after Clemson's go ahead score. Klubnik would hit on a few short to intermediate passes on thier next drive, helping get them all the way down to the Gamecock 14-yard line. Unfortunately they wouldn't be able to find the end zone as they would have to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Nolan Hauser to make the score 17-14 with 56-seconds to go in the second quarter. Clemson would register another field goal on their opening drive of the second half, but not before Klubnik would hit an open Christian Bentancur for a 24-yard gain to help get themd own to the Gamecock 29-yard line.
Was Bentancur decently wide open on the play? Sure, but this was still a very well weighted pass here from Klubnik, getting it to his tight end in a spot where the defender playing over the top couldn't make a play on it. Also, nice job at getting it off before the edge defender got to him. Overall this was a solid throw from Klubnik to help get the Tigers to the Gamecock 29-yard line. A few plays later kicker Nolan Hauser would convert from 42-yards out, making the score 20-14 midway through the third quarter. The Clemson offense would struggle to move the ball much at all throughout the rest. the game, with the defense coming away with the lone second half touchdown as they would come away with a 28-14 victory (successful two point conversion following the touchdown). Like I mentioned before Klubnik definitely didn't have the greatest game of all time, but he did make some throws to help set the Tigers up with scoring opportunities. Despite winning their last four games it wasn't enough to earn them a spot in the ACC Championship, which is something that seemed unfathomable prior to the season starting. With that I am intrigued to see where Clemson goes bowling, because I'm pretty sure wherever they go is going to be below their preseason expectations.
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 - 9
Wk 13 - 10
Wk 14 - 10
Wk 15 - BYE
Others
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (9) (I think he's either staying at Ole Miss or transferring to LSU)
Wk 14 - 23/34 359 yds 4 touchdowns 0 interceptions/8 carries 26 yds 0 touchdowns @ Mississippi State (38-19 W)
Season - 218/333 3,016 yds 18 touchdowns 3 interceptions/118 carries 470 yds 6 touchdowns
Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Wk 14 - 27/38 200 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/11 carries 15 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.17 USC (29-10 L)
Season - 208/323 1,928 yds 13 touchdowns 7 interceptions/112 carries 505 yds 4 touchdowns
Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Wk 14 - 18/28 268 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/20 carries 165 yds 1 touchdown @ no.19 Tennessee (45-24 W)
Season - 242/340 3,192 yds 27 touchdowns 8 interceptions/152 carries 826 yds 9 touchdowns
Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Wk 14 - 23/46 309 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/4 carries 13 yds 0 touchdowns v Houston (31-24 L)
Season - 304/503 3,681 yds 31 touchdowns 12 interceptions/56 carries 17 yds 3 touchdowns
LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Wk 14 - 23/42 381 yds 2 touchdowns 2 interceptions/12 carries 2 yds 0 touchdowns v Clemson (28-14 L)
Season - 178/293 2,437 yds 13 touchdowns 8 interceptions/149 carries 270 yds 5 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
Comments