The Draft "Expert" - Wk 3 2026 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings
- Logan Blackman
- Sep 19
- 51 min read
Updated: Sep 20
YouTube Video: https://www.theloganblackmanshow.com/post/the-draft-expert-wk-3-2026-nfl-draft-quarterback-prospect-rankings
Hello everyone and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post. As you can probably tell by the title, in this one we will be going over the top 10 quarterbacks from week three for the 2026 NFL Draft!
It's kind of crazy to say this at this portion of the season, but a lot of changes have been made from last weeks to this weeks, mostly because I dropped Texas quarterback Arch Manning completely out of the top 10, while also adding in two new faces as well.
About Manning, I do think he'll come good in time, but his performance through three weeks (most notably this past weeks performance) have not been up to par, which leads me to believe that he'd be best served coming out next year. Now that was most people's preseason prediction, but there was also a feeling that if he balls out he could ultimately come out this year. Like I said a little bit ago though, I don't feel like that's the case.
As I stated a few lines ago there has been a decent amount of changes in this week's rankings. From two new faces being added, to two faces being dropped, this week's list is my favoirte one up to this point in the season, and I hope you feel the same!
So without any further delay, I Logan Blackman, host of the Logan Blackman Show and self proclaimed Draft "Expert," am proud to present to you my week three quarterback prospect rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft! Enjoy!
Podcast Links
1. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Wk 3 - 15/27 220 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/1 carry 5 yds 0 touchdowns v Florida (20-10 W)
Season - 69/106 689 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/8 carries -20 yds 0 touchdowns
Out of all the games from this past weekend this one was definitely the strangest, as the third ranked LSU Tigers played host to the seemingly free falling Florida Gators. Fresh off a rough home loss to South Florida, not many people were expecting a whole lot from the Gators in this one. That being said, I'm not sure what people were expecting from the Tigers as well, especially since they were coming off of a closer than expected home win against Louisiana Tech. Now, the reason I said this game was strange was not because of the 20-10 victory for LSU as I would assume most people expected the Tigers to come away with a win, but it was the matter in how they did it. Not only were the Tigers out gained in regards to total yards, but they were dominated in first downs (23 to 10) and time of possession (37:46 to 22:14) as well. The main reason for that was because of the fact that Florida quarterback DJ Lagway threw a whopping five interceptions, while also attempting 49-passes throughout the course of the game as well. Again, prior to the game I would not have been surprised in the slightest if the Tigers came out with a double digit victory, but how they managed it definitely surprised me. As for LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier he had far from his best performance, going 15/27 for 220-yards with a touchdown and an interception. Him and the Tigers just struggled to move the ball on offense, especially early on as they went three and out on each of their first three possessions of the game. Things wouldn't really get going for the LSU offense until the second quarter as Nussmeier would hit Barion Brown for 18-yards on second and 10 to get them to the Florida 26-yard line. Despite the nice gain the drive would ultimately stall out as they'd be forced to settle for a 47-yard field goal from Damion Ramos to make the score 3-3 early on in the second quarter. The LSU offense would continue to build up some momentum on their next drive, with Nussmeier connecting with Zavion Thomas for 15-yards and Aaron Anderson for a further 22, both picking up much needed third downs.
Out of the two third down conversions Nussmeier's throw to Anderson that would end up going for 22-yards was the better of the two, in my opinion. With pressure coming in Nussmeier gets the ball out of his hand really quick, hitting Anderson in the middle of the field before any Florida defender has time to react to it. Just a very heads up play from Nussmeier who is again the best processor in this year's draft class. A few plays later Nussmeier would hit Zavon Thomas in the end zone from 23-yards out to give the Tigers their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter.
Just a nice throw from Nussmeier, hitting Thomas in the end zone for a 23-yard score to give them their first lead of the game. With the tight end motioning out and Florida only sending three, Nussmeier not only knows where he's going with the ball before it's snapped, but he also knows he has time for the play to develop, which resulted in the easy score. Florida would respond with a touchdown of their own on their next possession, tying the game up at 10 with less than four minutes to go until halftime. On third and two on LSU's next drive Nussmeier would fire it into Aaron Anderson on a slant that would go for 14-yards, helping them get closer to the Florida side of the 50. That being said nothing much more would come from that drive as they'd be forced to punt the ball away a few plays later with about a minute to go until the half. Now they would get the ball back one more time before halftime following a Lagway interception, which they would capitalize on as Damian Ramos would convert from 45-yards out to give them a 13-10 lead. Nussmeier would nearly be picked off twice on their opening drive of the second half, with both passes falling incomplete as LSU would go three and out. Though the offense would fail to register points the defense would come up big, picking off Lagway for the second time and returning it for six to give them a 20-10 lead midway through the third quarter. The Tigers would punt the ball away after four plays on their next drive, but on their first possession of the fourth quarter Nussmeier would connect with Bauer Sharp for 65-yards to get them to the Florida 16-yard line.
Despite there being a Florida defender in coverage Nussmeier does an excellent job at throwing it off his inside shoulder, hitting Sharp in stride for what would result in a 65-yard gain. A nice little game of pitch and catch between quarterback and tight end on that play. Unfortunately for the LSU offense Nussmeier would register an interception a few plays later, turning it over on third and 27 from the Florida 33-yard line.
This is a good example of Nussmeier just trying to do too much. With Florida sending pressure and forcing him out to his right, Nussmeier should have just tossed this ball out of bounds and given Damion Ramos a chance to convert from 50-yards out. Instead he forces the issue and gets picked off, ending a drive that should have resulted in some points early on in the fourth quarter. LSU would see the ball two more times the rest of the game as the defense would come away with two more interceptions, helping see how a 20-10 home win in conference play. Like I said before this was a very strange 20-10 win, as neither offense played that great. As for Nussmeier, he made some good throws throughout but the interception is something that he still needs to continue working on. As a gun slinger he always wants to make a play, but sometimes the best play is just tossing it out of bounds and living to fight another play. I expect a cleaner game from Nussmeier this next time out as the Tigers play host to Southeastern Louisiana, especially with it being a night game.
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - v Southeastern Louisiana
2. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
Wk 3 - 6/7 94 yds 0 touchdowns 1 interception/3 carries -3 yds 0 touchdowns v Vanderbilt (31-7 L)
Season - 29/45 431 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/24 carries 45 yds 1 touchdown
I could be reaching here, but I'm assuming Saturday did not really go as planned for South Carolina fans. Obviously I'm being sarcastic as not only did the Gamecocks fall 31-7 at home against Vanderbilt, but they lost quarterback LaNorris Sellers late in the second quarter due to him taking a nice shot to the head. When Sellers left the game the score just became 14-7, with South Carolina given the chance to either tie the game up or register a field goal before halftime, as they got the ball back with just under two minutes to go. After losing Sellers the Gamecocks fell apart, turning the ball over either on downs or a fumble/interception on five of their final six drives of the game. The only time they didn't turn the ball over was on their first drive of the second quarter when they were forced to punt the ball away after going three and out. Again, they completely fell apart after Sellers departed, and though he did register an interception late in the first quarter he still put forth a solid outing, going 6/7 with 94-yards through the air. Things started off pretty good for Sellers as on South Carolina's first play from scrimmage he would connect with Jordan Dingle for what would result in a 33-yard gain.
Nice throw from Sellers while rolling out to the right to hit an open Dingle for what would result in a 33-yard gain. You want your quarterback to make the easy throws, and this is a prime example of one. A few plays later Sellers would then connect with Nyck Harbor on a hitch for 11-yards on first and 10 that would help set up a seven yard touchdown run by Rahsul Faison to tie the game up at seven with six minutes left in the first quarter. Sellers would make a really strong throw to Harbor for 26-yards to kick things off on their next drive. Following that and a few run plays the Gamecocks would get the ball all the way down to the Commodore 13-yard line. Unfortunately for them the drive would come to a screeching halt there as Sellers would throw an interception with less than a minute to go in the opening quarter.
Long story short, Sellers just didn't see him. With the running back coming out of the backfield, I'm sure Sellers thought he not only had an easy completion, but an easy touchdown as well. Unfortunately for him the Vanderbilt defensive tackle dropped back into coverage, jumping right in the passing lane as Sellers hit him right in the face mask for the easy interception. Sellers would connect with Nyck Harbor on the following drive for 17-yards on third and nine, but after an eight yard sack and an untimely fumble the Gamecocks would find themselves in a third and 33 situation. Though Rahsul Faison would pick up 16-yards on the ground, South Carolina would be forced to punt the ball away. Vanderbilt would score on the following possession before Sellers would get knocked out of the game after taking a shot to the head on their first play of their next drive. Like I said before, that hit would take Sellers out for the remainder of the game as South Carolina would fall 31-7 at home to Vanderbilt. Not really a whole lot to report on in regards to Sellers' overall game. Sure he had a few passes go for 15+ yards but the unfortunate interception deep in Vanderbilt territory will be the thing most people talk about. His status is still up in the air for South Carolina's next match-up as they're on the road taking on the now 23rd ranked Missouri Tigers. Boasting the second best statistical total defense in the conference, South Carolina will be in for another tough test in conference play.
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - @ no.23 Missouri
3. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (+2)
Wk 3 - 19/20 270 yds 5 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 19 yds 1 touchdown v Indiana State (73-0 W)
Season - 55/76 708 yds 9 touchdowns 0 interceptions/15 carries 72 yds 2 touchdowns
I obviously cannot speak for everyone out there, but pretty sure most of us felt that this game could go like this. I mean, under Curt Cignetti the Indiana Hoosiers have not been afraid to run up the score, seemingly working under the mindset of "if you don't like it, then stop it." Indiana does not care if your feelings get hurt, even more so if you're an in-state rival (of sorts). With that being said the Hoosiers absolutely took it to the Indiana State Sycamores by the score of 73-0, with quarterback Fernando Mendoza going 19/20 for 270-yards and a whopping five touchdowns, setting a new career high for touchdown passes, breaking his previous record of four which he recorded last week against Kennesaw State. Things would start off pretty good for Mendoza and the Indiana offense as he would connect with Omar Cooper Jr. on a bubble screen that would go for 14-yards before firing it into E.J. Williams Jr. for a further 18, fitting it in between two to three Sycamore defenders for another first down.
With three Indiana State defenders in the area, Mendoza did not have much room for error. That being said, he was able to fit it into Williams for the aforementioned 18-yard game. As I've stated a few times before, Mendoza has one of the best arms in all of college football. The ball just explodes out of his hand, which definitely comes in handy on plays like this. Mendoza would flash the arm strength on the following play as well, firing it into Elijah Sarratt for a further 15-yards to get them down to the Indiana State 19-yard line.
With the safety crashing, Mendoza knows that he's got an opening to hit Sarratt down the field. That being said he also knows he has to get this ball out quick as there's a defender coming around the edge and Sarratt is in between two Sycamore defenders. Not only does he get the ball out quick, but he puts the ball perfectly on Sarratt's body as not to lead him into the path of the defender, giving him a second to brace before contact. We've all seen these types of throws picked off or broken up because the quarterback places it too far inside but again, Mendoza places this perfectly for a 15-yard gain. A few plays later Mendoza would take it into the end zone himself from seven yards out to give the Hoosiers an early seven point lead. Indiana's offense would come out firing once again after the defense forced Indiana State to punt after going three and out. Mendoza would connect with E.J. Williams Jr. and Omar Cooper Jr. both for nine yard gains before firing it into Charlie Becker for a 31-yard gain to get them to the Sycamore 24-yard line.
Like I stated before, the ball just explodes out Mendoza's hand. There are not many quarterbacks out there that would even think about attempting this throw, let alone actually fitting it in between three to four Indiana State defenders. Mendoza has the upmost confidence in his arm talent, as it showed on that pass to Becker. Mendoza would come up with another big time throw later in the drive on third and 10, hitting Jonathan Brady for 11-yards on an out route to the far sideline from the near hash, helping set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mendoza to Omar Cooper Jr. on a screen pass to make the score 14-0 with less than five minutes to go in the opening quarter. The Hoosier offense would stay hot their next time out, with Mendoza and Cooper connecting again from 13-yards out to make the score 21-0 with a minute to go in the first quarter.
On third and 11, Mendoza throws an absolute strike to Cooper in the end zone for the score. Mendoza knew exactly where he was going with this ball prior to it being snapped, letting it rip while Cooper was equal with the defender. There's just nothing you can do to stop that if you're the defense as Indiana again took at 21-point lead late in the first. The Hoosiers would have to settle for a field goal on their next drive despite taking it all the way down to the Sycamore two yard line. A false start penalty on fourth and goal from the two would push them back to the seven, where Nico Radicic would convert to make it 24-0 less than five minutes into the second quarter. Though they would be forced to settle for three points on that drive it wouldn't take long for the Indiana offense to find the end zone again. On their next drive we would see Kaelon Black pick up 29-yards on the ground before Mendoza would hit Cooper for 18 and Holden Staes for a further 18 in the end zone to make it 31-0 midway through the second.
Indiana would make quick work of things their next time out as well, as Mendoza would connect with Cooper on a bubble screen that would go for 31-yards that would get them down to the Sycamore four yard line. That play would end up setting up a four yard touchdown pass from Mendoza to Jonathan Brady on the very next play to make the score 38-0 with five minutes to go in the first half. Mendoza and Cooper would connect for their third touchdown on Indiana's next drive, this one coming from 31-yards out to make it 45-0 with less than two minutes to go until halftime.
With a defender in his face, Mendoza remains calm and delivers a perfect ball to Cooper in the end zone for the 31-yard touchdown. Just floated it perfectly in between the Indiana State secondary for the score. Doesn't really get much better than that. That would be Mendoza's final contribution to the game, totaling six touchdowns in the first half to help give Indiana a 45-point before his younger brother would come in and help see out an eventual 73-0 home win. Once again Mendoza showed why he is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in this draft class. I know the Hoosiers haven't really played anybody of note as of yet, but I've been very impressed with some of the throws Mendoza has made so far this season. This week though will be their toughest test yet, and by a wide margin as they play host to the ninth ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, a team that boasts the fifth best scoring defense in the country. We should be in for a fun one come Saturday night.
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - v no.9 Illinois
4. Drew Allar, Penn State (-1)
Wk 3 - 16/29 209 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/2 carries 18 yds 0 touchdowns v Villanova (52-6 W)
Season - 57/88 626 yds 4 touchdowns 1 interception/10 carries 27 yds 0 touchdowns
Penn State has had a pretty interesting start to the season. Yes, the are 3-0 and are currently ranked second, but they haven't really put forth a consistent or dominant performance despite playing Nevada, Florida International, and most recently Villanova. I know that may sound strange to say given the fact that the Nittany Lions have won by a combined score of 132-17, but I can't be the only one who has been left wanting more after each game, right? Now this could be the case of them playing as vanilla as possible prior to their much anticipated rematch against Oregon next week but I still want more, especially from quarterback Drew Allar. Though he's put up decent numbers so far this season he has struggled with consistency, missing on some of the layups that you would hope he'd connect on as his third year as the starter. Now, he's still got a miraculous throw in him but I just want to see him play with more consistency, especially against the teams they've played so far up to this point. Like in this game against Villanova he went 16/29 for 209-yards with a touchdown and an interception, his first of the season. Things would start off smoothly for the Penn State offense as after picking up 11-yards on a jet sweep on the first play of the game Allar would come out and connect with Trebor Pena along the far sideline for a further 14-yards to get them closer to the Villanova side of the 50.
Very good throw from Allar in the face of pressure while rolling to his right, delivering an accurate ball to Pena for the first down despite a defender coming free at him. Allar would then connect with Kyron Hudson for 13-yards, eventually helping set up a four yard touchdown run by Nicholas Singleton to make it 7-0 midway through the first. Allar would toss it to Devonte Ross on the jet sweep that would go for 12-yards on the first play of their next drive, but unfortunately they'd be forced to punt the ball away after six plays with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter. Penn State would start their next drive at the Villanova 32-yard line their next time out, but they would get nothing really going and would have to settle for a 45-yard field goal from Ryan Barker to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter. The Nittany Lions would go three and out their next time on the field, but would come away with another field goal on the following drive that was set up by the run game and a 22-yard completion from Allar to Luke Reynolds, making it 13-0 midway through the quarter. Penn State would finally find the end zone again following a Villanova missed field goal as Allar would fire it into Trebor Pena from 22-yards out to further extend their advantage before halftime.
These are the types of throws that I was talking about before as there are very few quarterbacks in the country that could make this throw, and yet Allar makes it look so damn effortless. Like this window is ridiculously small, and yet he fits it in perfectly for the score. I just need him to figure out how to balance these types of throws with the layups, as that's his biggest flaw at this point in time. Again, just a crazy throw to go up 21 (following a successful two point conversion) with 30-seconds to go in the half. Allar would miss on his only pass attempt on Penn State's first drive of the second half, though he would pick up 16-yards on the ground to help set up a 42-yard field goal by Ryan Barker to give them a 24-0 lead about five minutes into the third. The Nittany lions would be gifted excellent field position following a Villanova interception. Despite that though, at the Wildcat 11-yard line, Allar would register his first interception of the game with nine minutes left in the quarter.
This is an insanely rough interception thrown here by Allar. After seeing nothing open down the field he decides to try and check it down to his running back, only for a Villanova defender to jump in the path of the ball and come away with the interception. He just flat out didn't see him, but that doesn't take away from the fact that you cannot afford to do that given the field position and his experience. Though the interception there was rough he would help leading Penn State down the field on their next drive as he would pick up a first down on fourth and inches by punching it up the middle before hitting an open Luke Reynolds for 21-yards to get them down to the Villanova three, which would lead to a three yard touchdown run by Nicholas Singleton to make it 31-0 later on in the third quarter. Allar and Reynolds would connect for 21-yards again to kick things off on their first drive of the fourth quarter. That mixed with some solid runs by Singleton and Kaytron Allen would ultimately help set up a 18-yard touchdown run by Allen to make it 38-0 less than five minutes into the fourth. That aforementioned 21-yard completion to Reynolds would be Allar's final contribution to the game, as Ethan Grunkemeyer would come in and help see out a 52-6 home victory. Like I stated before, this may have been a convincing win on the scoreboard, but the offense was far from convincing once again. As for Allar I just need him to start finding some consistency in regards to hitting those easier throws. He can make some crazy throws throughout the course of a game, but again I need him to hit on those short to intermediate throws with more consistency. Hopefully Penn State can get right during the bye week as they've got an insane match-up against Oregon coming up on September 27th, which could be an early Big Ten Championship preview...
Wk 1 - 1
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - BYE
5. Dante Moore, Oregon (NEW)
Wk 3 - 16/20 178 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/2 carries 5 yds 0 touchdowns @ Northwestern (34-14 W)
Season - 50/64 657 yds 7 touchdowns 1 interception/7 carries 34 yds 0 touchdowns
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has been on fire to start the season off. Sure the Ducks haven't played the toughest schedule in college football, but so far this season Moore has accounted for 657-yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. Good numbers on their own, but even crazier when you think about the fact that Moore played in two and half quarters against Montana State in week one and Oklahoma State in week two, as well as only playing the first play of the fourth quarter against Northwestern before coming out after throwing an interception. In total that's around eight quarters of football that he hasn't played, which makes his numbers look even crazier. Should we be surprised though about his play so far this season? I ask because on one hand Moore was a five star recruit coming out of high school, so we know he has talent, but on the other hand the last time we really saw him play football was two years ago at UCLA, where Moore completed 53.5% of his passes for 1,600+ yards with 11-touchdowns and nine interceptions, splitting reps with Ethan Garbers in the process. I would say I was hesitant going into the season about how good he would be, but sitting behind Dillon Gabriel for a season really did wonders for his development, as he now considered to be one of the favorite for not just the Heisman Trophy, but one of the favorites to go first overall in next April's Draft, which is pretty crazy to think about. All that being said the real evaluation of Moore's improved game will come later in the season, most notably in a weeks time when Oregon take on Penn State in Happy Valley. But for now Moore has again been one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and in this game against Northwestern he was his usual quality self, going 16/20 for 178-yards with a touchdown and an interception, which again ironically came on his final throw of the game. Though the Ducks would end up winning this game in pretty convincing fashion, the Wildcats made them work for it early, forcing them to punt after seven plays to open up the game. Northwestern would also make things hard for the Oregon defense to start the game, that is until Preston Stone threw an interception that was returned back to their own 23-yard line. Moore and co. would make quick work of things following the interception with Moore connecting with Dakorien Moore to get them down to the two yard line before Jayden Limar would take a pitch to the outside and walk in from a yard out to give the Ducks their first score of the game. Oregon would put together a solid drive their next time out following a Northwestern three and out, as Moore would connect with Kenyon Sadiq on a screen for 11-yards before hitting Dakorien Moore on the run for 11-more yards on second and 10 to get them to the Wildcat 27-yard line.
A good athlete, Moore does a great job at getting outside of the pocket with pressure coming around the edge. He does a nice job at keeping his eyes down the field while waiting for Dakorien Moore's route to develop, hitting him right before the Wildcat defender can get a hit on him. Also, nice job by Dakorien Moore at going down and snagging that pass from Moore, helping the Ducks pick up a first down. Moore and Moore would try to connect again a couple plays later, this time coming down the far sideline. Unfortunately Dakorien Moore wouldn't be able to come down with it, forcing Oregon to settle for a field goal, thus making it 10-0 midway through the second quarter. The Ducks would find the end zone again on their next drive following a Wildcat punt, despite starting at their own 11-yard line. After gaining and losing a yard on their first two plays of the drive, Moore would hit Dakorien Moore between a couple of defenders for a 20-yard gain on third and 10.
In a third and long situation with their backs against the end zone, Moore does an excellent job at flipping his eyes from left to right before driving this ball down the seam, hitting Dakorien Moore right on his body in between a few defenders for a 20-yard gain. Like I've stated a few times before on previous throws, with three defenders in the area it is always smart to just drive the ball into your receiver's body, eliminating the threat of an interception, pass breakup, or the receiver getting their head taken off. Just a good overall play from Moore (both of them, really) to help extend the drive. A play later Moore would drive a ball into Malik Benson along the near sideline for a further 12-yards, getting them closer to the Northwestern side of the 50.
Like I've stated a few times before, throwing a ball from the far hash to the near sideline (or vice versa) is a lot harder than people think, but Moore does it with ease. With a defender coming around the edge and another one about to jump in his face, Moore does a really nice job at driving this ball to the outside to Benson, away from the defender and in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on it. Moore and Benson would connect for a further 20-yards a few plays later on third and eight, as Moore would escape a crowded pocket before hitting his receiver down the field for a nice gain. A few plays later Moore would hit Kenyon Sadiq down the seam for a 24-yard touchdown, making the score 17-0 with 31-seconds to go before halftime.
Just a nice and easy throw from Moore to hit Sadiq down the seam for the score. This is a really solid throw from Moore, and it was kind of made easier by the fact that the safety came down right before the ball was snapped, which Sadiq took advantage of by streaking right past him with ease. Either way, with a man in coverage and another over top there's not a ton of room to work with for Moore, though he makes it look so easy for his first (and I guess only) touchdown of the game. Oregon would make quick work of things on their first drive of the second half following a 12-play drive by Northwestern that saw them ultimately turn the ball over on downs. On their first play of the following drive Dierre Hill Jr. would take it on the ground 66-yards to the house, making the score now 24-0 midway through the third quarter. The Ducks would find the end zone quickly again their next time out following another Preston Stone interception as Moore would connect with Jamari Johnson for 17 and Jeremiah McClellan for a further nine yards to help set up a two yard touchdown run by Jordon Davison for further extend their lead with less than three minutes to go in the quarter. Oregon's next drive would be Moore's last, which was kicked off by him making a fantastic throw on the run to Malik Benson for 27-yards down the far sideline to get them to the Northwestern side of the 50.
Just a ridiculous throw here from Moore. The placement from him here while on the move is just fantastic, getting the ball over the Wildcat defender and in a spot where only his receiver could get it along the sideline. Really can't ask for much more from your quarterback. Unfortunately though all good things must come to an end, as a couple plays later Moore would register his first interception of the season trying to hit on a home run ball on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Just a badly under thrown ball here from Moore. It's upsetting because if this ball was thrown long instead of short, the Ducks may have had a touchdown. But alas, Moore under threw a pass to a receiver with four defenders in the area, rarely is that ever going to work out well for the offense. Like I said before though that interception would be Moore's final contribution to the game as Oregon would ultimately see out a 34-14 road victory, their first in Big Ten play. Despite the interception I though Moore played a really solid game, making some big time throws for the Ducks, driving the ball through some tight windows in the process. Though the season is still young, Moore has proven to be worth the price of admission, and I'm excited to see how he does throughout the rest of the season. This weekend Moore and Ducks are back at home, facing their in-state rival Oregon State in the second rendition of the "Civil War" rivalry since Oregon moved to the Big Ten. Much like last season I don't really see the Ducks having too many problems with the Beavers, especially at home. With that, I don't think we'll see Moore play much in the fourth quarter of this one either.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - v Oregon State
6. John Mateer, Oklahoma (+1)
Wk 3 - 20/34 282 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/7 carries 63 yds 1 touchdown @ Temple (42-3 W)
Season - 71/105 944 yds 5 touchdowns 3 interceptions/33 carries 161 yds 4 touchdowns
It's no secret than John Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners have been one of the most fun teams to watch so far this college football season. The thing is that not only has the offense been explosive and exciting with Mateer taking over at quarterback, but the defense is playing at an elite level as well, ranking in the top five in regards to total, passing, and scoring defense. All around Oklahoma have looked much improved on what they did last year, and you hope that they're able to continue that as the season goes on. As for right now though they continue to take care of business, as this past weekend they traveled up to Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls, coming away with a nice 42-3 victory for their first road win of the season. In this game Mateer wound up going 20/34 for 282-yards with a touchdown and an interception, along with a further 63-yards on the ground and another touchdown there to boot, as he continues to be one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in college football. Things would start off exciting for the Oklahoma offense as Mateer would once again make something out of nothing, connecting with Jaren Kanak for 20-yards on a play that should have resulted in a sack for the Owls.
I know I've stated this a few times before, but nobody in college football is better at making something out of nothing than John Mateer. Like, not only is he able to push off a potential sack, but he's able to keep his eyes down the field and fire it into his tight end between a couple Tempe defenders for a 20-yard gain. Not a lot of other quarterbacks would even think of pulling off a play like that, but for Mateer it just seems routine. Mateer and Kanak would connect again later in the drive, as Mateer would hit his tight end along the near sideline for what would result in a 23-yard gain on third and 19. Dude got the ball off right before the defender brought him down for a sack, a great play that would eventually lead to Oklahoma's first touchdown of the game as Jovantae Barnes would take it in from three yards out to make it 8-0 early (following a successful two point conversion). Mateer would come out on their next drive hitting Zion Kearney on a quick out to the far sideline that would result in a 15-yard gain before connecting with Jaren Kanak again on third down for a 12-yard gain to get them to the Temple 25-yard line.
Very nice job by Mateer at stepping up in the pocket and rolling to the left as the Temple defender came around the edge. He also does a great job at keeping his eyes down field and delivering a nice ball against his body to Kanak for the aforementioned 12-yard gain on third and eight. Unfortunately for the Sooner offense the drive would ultimately stall out as Mateer would take a 10-yard sack on second and seven before Jovantae Barnes would lose two more yards on the ground to put them in a fourth and 19 situation. Thankfully for them Tate Sandell would convert from 52-yards out to make the score 11-0 with four minutes to go in the first. Oklahoma would find the end zone again on their next drive as Mateer would help lead a 12-play 89-yard drive to further extend their lead in the second. On the drive Mateer would connect with Keontez Lewis for 13 and Isaiah Sategna III for a further 20 before hitting Zion Kearney for 16 to get them down to the Temple 11-yard line.
Was the jump throw completely necessary? I'm not too sure, but regardless it was still a very nice play from Mateer to help extend the drive on second down. He does a very nice job at scanning the entire field from the pocket before stepping up to the left and firing it down field to Kearney for the aforementioned 16-yard gain. Again, the jump may not have been necessary, but it was cool. You know what's even cooler though? Touchdowns, as that pass would help set up a six yard touchdown run by Tory Blaylock to make it 18-0 with 12-minutes to go in the second quarter. Set up with excellent field position on Temple 45-yard line to kick off their next drive, Mateer would connect with Isaiah Sategna III for 17-yards before Blaylock would take it in again for his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time from 18-yards out to make the score 25-0. Things wouldn't go as smoothly for the Sooner offense their next couple times out as they would be forced to punt the ball away after four plays (despite Mateer connecting with Deion Burks for 20-yards) before Mateer would register his first interception of the game at their own 13-yard line.
This is just a rough decision from Mateer right here. Not only does he turn his receiver right into the path of the defender, but said defender is able to rip the ball away following the hit, coming up with the interception. I understand the receiver got both hands on the ball, but this is tough spot to put your receiver in, and Mateer has to be better. Thankfully the Oklahoma defense held the Temple offense to a field goal, making it now 25-3 with about two and a half minutes to go until halftime. Mateer would flash the athleticism to kick things off on their next drive, picking up 15-yards with his legs down the near sideline to get them to the 50-yard line. He would then connect with Isaiah Sategna III on a screen that would go for 13-yards, but the drive would ultimately stall out and they'd be forced to settle for a 29-yard field goal from Tate Sandell to make it 28-3 just before the half. Oklahoma would be forced to punt the ball away on each of their first two drives of the second half after going three and out both times. Things would get better on their third drives of the second half as Mateer would hit Sategna on a pop pass that would go for 28-yards before finding an open Jaren Kanak down the far sideline for a 31-yard gain, helping set up a six yard touchdown pass from Mateer to Xavier Robinson to make it 35-3 midway through the third. The Sooners would make quick work of it on their next drive as they only needed two plays to find the end zone again. After Tory Blaylock went for 25-yards on the first play Mateer would take it in himself from 51-yards out to further extend their lead in the third.
Great blocking up front by the Oklahoma offensive line, allowing Mateer to get into the end zone untouched from 51-yards out to give them a 35-3 advantage with about five minutes to go in the quarter. That run would be Mateer's final contribution to the game as Michael Hawkins Jr. would come in and help see out a 42-3 road victory for Oklahoma. Like I said before, Oklahoma is one of the most fun teams to watch in college football, on both sides of the ball, as Mateer continues to show why he's one of the early favorites for the Heisman Trophy. He needs to tone down on the interceptions but overall he's been playing at a really high level all season. This week though will be a big test for him and the Sooners as they play host to the 22nd ranked Auburn Tigers. This should be a fun one as it's a return to Oklahoma for current Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold. Against a somewhat leaky Tiger defense, I'm expecting Mateer to continue to prove why the Sooners made the right choice by bringing him in this offseason.
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - v no.22 Auburn
7. Carson Beck, Miami (FL) (+2)
Wk 3 - 23/28 340 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/6 carries 28 yds 1 touchdown v no.18 USF (49-12 W)
Season - 65/83 812 yds 7 touchdowns 2 interceptions/8 carries 28 yds 1 touchdown
The re-emergence of Carson Beck continues on another week, as him and the Miami Hurricanes took care of business against a red hot South Florida Bulls team that was coming off of back-to-back wins against top-25 opponents. Based on what I saw leading up to the game, I think it'd be fair to say that most people out there expected the Bulls to come away with some sort of result against the Hurricanes. Maybe not fully come away with a win, but at least give Miami a run for their money. Now, I don't want to spoil things too much, but neither one of those things happened as the Hurricanes came away with a resounding 49-12 victory. Oddly enough, the last team to start a season off with three straight top-25 wins was Miami back in 1987. Not only did the Hurricanes not allow the Bulls to take that title away from them, but they beat them by their biggest victory margin over a ranked opponent since beating Washington 65-7 back in 2001. As much as I would have liked to see USF make Miami sweat a little bit, this game was never really close, with Beck going 23/28 for a season high 340-yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, which pretty much came on back-to-back drives. He also managed to pick up 28-yards on the ground with another touchdown there to boot, his second rushing touchdown across the past two seasons. Things would start off rather smoothly for Beck and the Miami offense as he'd hit CJ Daniels across the middle for 15-yard on their first play from scrimmage before connecting with Malachi Toney for a further 20-yards a few plays later to get them deeper into USF territory.
With a defender screaming in his face, Beck is able to remain tall and calm in the pocket before getting hit, delivering a perfect ball to Toney for the aforementioned 20-yard gain. With a defender in front and one in behind the window for Beck to work with is rather small, which makes it that much more impressive knowing that he made this throw while getting hit. Beck would then connect with Tony Johnson across the middle of the field for a further 13-yards before a two yard run by Mark Fletcher Jr. would set up an eight yard touchdown pass from Beck to Joshua Moore to give the Hurricanes their first lead of the game midway through the first quarter. Miami would focus a little bit more on the run game their next time out following a USF punt, but the drive would end courtesy of a 39-yard pass from Beck to Joshua Moore to make the score 14-0 with less than three minutes to go in the quarter.
Slightly under thrown ball here from Beck after the long pump fake, but really nice job from Moore to bring this in through the defender for the score. But as the old saying goes, if your receiver is open down the field it's better to miss them short then to over throw them. They can always slow down and/or adjust to the ball (see Moore) but it's hard to speed up when you've already reached your top speed. Regardless, nice touchdown on third and seven to double their advantage in the first. Miami wouldn't do much of anything on their following drive as they'd be forced to punt the ball away after going three and out. That being said they would make rather quick work of things on their next drive, scoring after three plays with Beck connecting on passes of 17 and 20-yards before Mark Fletcher Jr. would take it in from 38-yards out to make the score 21-6 about five minutes into the second quarter.
That was Beck's first completion on the drive as he'd hit Keelan Marion for a 17-yard gain. It may not look like much but this is a solid throw from Beck. With Marion's route carrying him across the middle of the field, and the USF linebacker dropping back into coverage, Beck does a nice job at throwing this slightly behind his receiver, keeping it both him and the ball away from danger. Again, doesn't seem like a whole lot but it's a very experienced throw from Beck for the nice gain. Miami would go three and out on their next possession but would find the end zone again shortly after a Byrum Brown interception. Beck would do most of his damage on the ground on said drive, picking up 11-yards to get them down to the two before taking it in himself on the bootleg to give the Hurricanes a 28-6 lead before the two minute warning. Things started off pretty good for Miami on their next drive as CJ Daniels would make a ridiculous catch along the far sideline for a 27-yard gain. Unfortunately on the very next play Beck would throw his first interception of the game, coming at the USF 15-yard line.
This is just a rough decision from Beck. Like, I know there's not a ton of time left in the first half and you want to make a play but it's still first down, you don't need to try and fit this ball in past three USF defenders, especially while you're getting hit. My guess would be that this pass would have been probably been picked regardless of the hit on Beck as again, it's just not a smart decision. Thankfully nothing would come off that turnover as the Bulls would punt the ball away with the Hurricanes taking a 28-6 lead into the locker room. Miami's defense would come up big on USF's opening drive of the second half, forcing them to punt after going three and out. The only problem is that USF's defense came up even bigger, picking off Beck again for the second time in three drives.
Regardless of who he was really trying to hit, this is still a hard throw to make for Beck. Hey, maybe he's hitting the outside receiver and fits it in between the two defenders and we're talking about a potential touchdown. But the deflection by the first receiver definitely didn't help anything, as it made the ball stay up longer in the air which lead to it being intercepted. Just an unfortunate play all around for the Hurricane offense, with their next drive not being much better as they were forced to punt the ball away after going three and out. Miami would finally get things cooking on their next drive. Despite starting at their own nine yard line, Beck would help guide a six play 91-yard drive to help the Hurricanes find the end zone with 35-seconds to go in the quarter. Though they only gained one yard on their opening play Beck would more than make up for it on the next two, hitting Malachi Toney for 24-yards on second down before tossing it down the near sideline to Keelan Marion for a further 36-yard gain to get them to get them to the USF 30-yard line.
These are just two fantastic throws from Beck. The first one sees him make a strong throw down the hash marks to Toney with three USF defenders in the area. Now, I wouldn't recommend always throwing this ball falling backwards, but Beck makes it look effortless for the first down. The next one Beck puts the ball in a spot where only his receiver can make a play on it. With the defender pretty much matching Marion stride-for-stride, Beck throws this to the outside and away from the defender for the aforementioned 36-yard gain. The defender is in good coverage, you just can't beat a near perfect throw. Two very good throws from Beck that really flipped the field in Miami's favor, going from their own 10 to the USF 30 in just two plays. A few plays later Mark Fletcher Jr. would power through multiple would be tacklers on his way to the end zone from 13-yards out to make the score 35-6 late in the third quarter. The Bulls would follow up with a touchdown of their own to make it 35-12 in the fourth. On third and three on their next drive, Beck would hit Tony Johnson up the middle for what would result in a 51-yard play for the Hurricanes.
This is really solid throw here from Beck, hitting Johnson in the middle of the field right off of the USF defender's shoulder. Also, great job by Johnson at adjusting to the ball, then getting his eyes up field to generate a massive play for the Miami offense. A few plays later Beck would roll out to his right and hit CharMar Brown out of the backfield for a one yard touchdown to make the score now 42-12 midway through the fourth quarter. That touchdown pass would be Beck's final contribution to the game as Miami would ultimately come away with a 49-12 home victory. Other than the two interceptions, I thought Beck put forth a very solid outing once again. Like I've spoken about before, you can clearly tell that Beck is playing with confidence and looks like he's actually having fun playing football again. I'm excited to see how he does as the rest of the season goes on, especially this weekend as the Hurricanes play host to the Florida Gators who are coming off of back-to-back losses. Despite their rough start to the season as a team, Florida still has a fairly solid pass defense that could cause Beck problems if he's not careful. After throwing three interceptions against the Gators last year while at Georgia, I'm sure Beck will be extra motivated to put on a show this weekend.
Wk 1 - 8
Wk 2 - 9
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - v Florida
8. Taylen Green, Arkansas (NEW)
Wk 3 - 22/35 305 yds 1 touchdown 0 interceptions/14 carries 115 yds 1 touchdown @ no.17 Ole Miss (41-35 L)
Season - 63/92 866 yds 11 touchdowns 2 interceptions/32 carries 307 yds 2 touchdowns
I'm not going to lie, there haven't been a lot of quarterbacks in college football better so far this year than Arkansas' Taylen Green. Like, we've all known that the former Boise State quarterback has a tone of talent as he possesses great size (6'6" 224 lbs.) and athleticism to go along with a live arm, the only thing missing from his game was consistency, and so far this season we've been getting that. In just three games, Green has thrown for 866-yards with 11-touchdowns (had 15 all of last season) and just two interceptions, as well as leading all quarterbacks nationally in rushing yards with 307 (ranks 11th regardless of position) with a further two touchdowns there as well. Overall he's just had a fantastic start to the season, now it's just a matter of if can keep it up for the remainder of the season. This past weekend we saw Green and the Razorbacks travel to Oxford to take on an Ole Miss Rebels team that absolutely had their way with them last season. To recap, Ole Miss won the game by a score of 63-31, with then quarterback Jaxson Dart putting up an 515-yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions against Arkansas' 100th string corners. As for Green, he would leave the game due to injury, but not before going 10/14 with 158-yards through the air with 16-yards on the ground and a fumble that would result in an Ole Miss touchdown. Safe to say that Green and co. were out for revenge against the Rebels this past weekend, and though they ultimately fell up short Green put up some fantastic numbers. In the game Green would go 22/35 fir 305-yards with a touchdown to go along with 115-yards on the ground and another touchdown there to boot, all with no turnovers. A vast improvement, but it wasn't enough as they'd ultimately fall by the score of 41-35. Games in the SEC are tough, even more so on the road. That being said Green would come out the gates firing, hitting Jaden Platt down the far sideline for a 34-yard gain on their first play from scrimmage.
This may look like just a nice and easy throw between quarterback and tight end, but this is a pretty impressive play here from Green. Rolling out to his right, Green has to get enough on this ball to get it over the top of the initial Ole Miss defender, but not too much as to over throw Platt in the process. Just a really solid throw from him right here, which helped the Razorbacks get to the Rebel side of the 50. Despite the 34-yard gain to kick off the game nothing would come from this drive, as kicker Scott Starzyk would fail to convert from 51-yards out, leaving them scoreless just over two minutes into the first. Green would stay on on Arkansas' next drive, picking up 11-yards with his legs on a read option before firing it over to Jalen Brown for 15-yards on second and 10 to get them to the Ole Miss 49-yard line.
I know he's not technically throwing from the near hashmark, but this is still a hard throw to make, and yet Green hits it with ease. Was the pass a little high? Sure, but he put it in a spot where only his receiver could get it, away from the defender. Much like the basketball player, this Jalen Brown skied up to get it for the first down. Green would flash the athleticism a few plays later, as on third and 10 he would bootleg to his left and pick up a much needed first down with his legs.
I know Green is insanely athletic, but it always stresses me out how far he goes backwards on some of these plays, even dating back to last season. I mean, the line of scrimmage is at the Ole Miss 49 and he goes all the way back to the Arkansas 37/38, drifting back nearly 15-yards before cutting up field. Again, I know he's athletic, with this play more than proving it, but it still stresses me out, and I'm not even a Razorback fan. Regardless, very nice pickup using his legs, converting on third and 10 to help extend the drive. A few plays later Green would register his first touchdown of the game, hitting an open O'Mega Blake across the middle of the field for a 30-yard score, tying the game up at seven.
Green comes up big on another third and long situation for the Razorbacks, standing tall in the pocket and delivering a strike to Blake for the eventual score. His receiver may have been fairly open in the middle of the field on the play, but Green didn't miss him, which again led to an easy touchdown to tie the game up with 10-seconds to go in the opening quarter. Arkansas would make quick work of things their next time out following an Ole Miss touchdown, as Mike Washington Jr would take it in from 45-yards out to tie the game up at 14 early on in the second quarter. Green would come out hot on Arkansas' next drive following yet another Ole Miss touchdown, taking what the defense would give him by hitting Jaden Platt on a little five yard out route that would go for 15 and CJ Brown on a five yard hitch that would go for a further 26-yards and get them down to the Rebel 21-yard line. Green would then call his own number by picking up 11-more yards with his legs, which would help lead to a three yard touchdown run by Braylen Russell a few plays later, tying it back up at 21 midway through the second. The touchdowns wouldn't stop there as Ole Miss would score again on their next possession, but Arkansas would respond in kind by putting together a seven play 75-yard scoring drive just before the half. Green would push the ball down the field on their second play of the drive, hitting Mike Washington Jr out of the backfield on a wheel route that would go for 35-yards and get them down to the Rebel 40-yard line.
Really well thrown ball here from Green, hitting his streaking running back in stride down the far sideline for what would result in a 35-yard gain. With a defender coming over late, Green makes a very accurate pass for the aforementioned nice gain. Green would pick up gains of 15 and 20-yards on the ground later in the drive, helping set up a five yard touchdown run for him to tie the game up at 28 with 1:18-left in the second quarter. Ole Miss would come away with a field goal to make it 31-28 just before the half, and both teams would come out slow to kick things off to start the third as they would punt it away after three and seven plays. That being said Green would hit an open Rohan Jones on a curl route that would ultimately go for 21-yards. They would be forced to punt a few plays later but I still thought that pass play was worth mentioning. Ole Miss would shake off the rust on their next possession, finding their way to the end zone to make it 38-28 with five minutes to go in the third. Arkansas would need to get something going themselves if they wanted to stay in this, and on third and one Green would buy some time to his right before hitting O'Mega Blake down the field for a 10-yard gain.
With nothing really open down the field initially, Green does a nice job at keeping the play alive by rolling out to his right, waiting for something to open up down the field. With a defender in his face he delivers a nice ball to a standing Blake, who is able to bring it in for the first down. Green would then pick up 11-more yards on the ground before dumping it off to Mike Washington Jr. out of the backfield for an 18-yard gain on second and 10. The drive would ultimately stall out after that, forcing them to settle for a 49-yard field goal. Unfortunately Scott Starzyk would miss the ensuing attempt, keeping the score at 38-28 with less than a minute to go in the quarter. Ole Miss would come away with a field goal of their own on their next possession to make it 41-28 to start the fourth. Thankfully for Green and co. they would be able to dink and dime their way down the field, with Washington ultimately punching it in from three yards out to cap off a 12-play 75-yard drive to bring them back to within six with five or so much left in the fourth quarter. The Arkansas defense would come up big on Ole Miss' next possession, forcing them to go three and out on a drive that took less than a minute off the clock. With just under four minutes to go the Razorbacks would have a chance to steal the game. Things couldn't have started off much better as Green would hit Jalen Brown on a bubble screen that would go for 15 before firing it into O'Mega Blake for 18-more yards to get them to the Rebel 44-yard line.
This is a really good play here from Green. With pressure coming from the right, Green does an excellent job at sliding to his left and delivering a perfect ball in really tight coverage for an 18-yard gain on second and 10. Again, just a great overall play from Green, showing the strides he's made as a passer. A couple plays later Green would hit Jalen Brown on a bubble screen that would go for three yards before Brown would cough up the football and gift it back to Ole Miss with less than two minutes to go in the game. That fumble would ultimately seal it up, as the Rebels would run out the clock and take home a 41-35 victory. Overall, this game was much better this year for the Razorbacks than last year. Not only did they not get blown out, but Taylen Green was able to stay on the field the whole time and put forth another fantastic performance. Like I said after his 18-yard completion to Blake, you can see how much he's developed as a passer already through just three games so far this season. I'm excited to see how he continues to grow as the rest of the season goes on. This week Green and the Razorbacks travel to Memphis to take on the 3-0 Tigers. Despite the better record, I think Green may prove to be too much for them in this one.
Wk 1 - N/R
Wk 2 - N/R
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - @ Memphis
9. Cade Klubnik, Clemson (-3)
Wk 3 - 15/26 207 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/17 carries 62 yds 1 touchdown @ Georgia Tech (24-21 L)
Season - 37/62 426 yds 2 touchdowns 2 interceptions/13 carries -3 yds 1 touchdown
I think you could say this season has not started off as well as many originally thought. Prior to the season starting, many out there (including myself) thought Clemson would be one of the best teams in the country, with quarterback Cade Klubnik being one of the favorites to come away with the Heisman Trophy. I know it's a long season and things can definitely turn around for the better, but I don't think many expected to see Clemson start the season 1-2 following a week three loss to Georgia Tech. It's not just the loss to Georgia Tech though, Clemson has looked rough even in their lone win, as they were down 16-3 to Troy before eventually coming away with a 27-16 win. Like I stated earlier, this season has been rough so far, but after watching them against Troy, was anyone truly surprised that they fell to Georgia Tech? I mean, the Yellow Jackets played top-25 teams tough all last season, even beating an undefeated Miami team in Atlanta, knocking them out of the ACC Championship game and the College Football Playoff in the process. Regardless of how good the Yellow Jackets are, it's still a rough loss for the Tigers who could see themselves on the outside looking in of the top-25 next week. As for quarterback Cade Klubnik, he had another rough showing throwing the football, going 15/26 for 207-yards with one touchdown and an interception, though he did make some plays on the ground as he gained a further 62-yards and registered another touchdown in the 24-21 road loss. Though the rushing numbers were good, things didn't start off so well for him and the Tiger offense as he'd fumble the ball away on their own 20-yard line on their first drive of the game.
It's unfortunate that he fumbled the ball because it looked like it would be a solid play for the Clemson offense that would have picked up a first down on second and eight. He did a good job at pulling it from his back as the Yellow Jacket edge rusher crashed hard inside, he's just got to hold onto the football, which I know is a lot easier said than done given that the defender put his helmet right on the ball. Just an unfortunate play for Klubnik and the Tiger offense, thankfully for them though the defense would come up big and hold the Georgia Tech offense to a field goal, with them only gaining seven yards on that drive. Klubnik would help move the ball down the field on their following drive, connecting with Bryant Wesco Jr. for seven on third and six and Cole Turner for a further 18 on third and two to help them get down to the Georgia Tech 35-yard line. Unfortunately Nolan Hauser would miss the ensuing 52-yard field goal attempt to keep the score at 3-0 with less than two minutes to go in the first. Things wouldn't get much better for Clemson their next time out as after a Georgia Tech touchdown to make it 10-3, the Tigers would be forced to punt the ball away after going three and out on their opening drive of the second quarter. Clemson would find themselves down even more after the Yellow Jackets' next drive as they'd register another field goal to make it 13-0 midway through the quarter. That being said the Tigers would string together a very nice 16-play 75-yard drive to give them their first score of the game, which was a one yard run by Klubnik to make it 13-7 with less than a minute to go in the first half. Apart from the score Klubnik would play a big roll on the drive, picking up some decent gains with his legs as well as helping set up the score by hitting an open Bryant Wesco Jr. for 13-yards on third and four to get them down to the four yard line. That touchdown drive was massive as they would receive the opening kickoff of the second half. With a chance to take their first lead of the game, Klubnik would hit Josh Sapp with a defender in his face for a 33-yard gain on second and seven to get them down to the Yellow Jacket 11-yard line.
With a defender breaking through the line, Klubnik does a nice job at sliding to his left before tossing up a beautiful ball to Sapp for the aforementioned 33-yard gain. With a defender in front, and another in behind, the throw from Klubnik has to be perfect, and it was. Dropping it right in between the defenders in a tight window for the nice gain. Unfortunately for Klubnik and the Tiger offense that beautiful pass would be wiped out as Klubnik would throw his first interception of the game just two plays later.
This is a great disguise by the Georgia Tech defense as Omar Daniels fakes like he's going to crash, which would open up a throwing lane for Klubnik to potentially hit T.J. Moore in the end zone. Instead of crashing he drops back into coverage, jumping in the throwing window which leads to the interception. Things would go much better for Klubnik and the Clemson offense their next time out as following a Georgia Tech punt, Klubnik would connect with Bryant Wesco Jr. for what would result in a 73-yard touchdown, giving them their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter.
With a free rusher, Klubnik knows he has very little time to get off an accurate pass to any of his receivers down the field. Thankfully for him, the one coming in motion threw off the incoming defender's path, giving him a second or two more to get the ball out to Wesco for what would result in a 73-yard touchdown. With a defender right in his face, Klubnik does an excellent job at remaining calm and delivering a nice and catchable ball to his receiver for the eventual score. The offense would sputter out following that score, going three and out on their next two possessions which would see Georgia Tech take a 21-14 lead with about 10-minutes to go in the fourth quarter (following a successful two point conversion). Though the found themselves down, Klubnik would help guide a nice 13-play 75-yard touchdown drive to tie things up with three and a half minutes to go in regulation. On the drive Klubnik would pick up some decent gains with his legs, most notably picking up 13-yards on a third and two situation. He would also connect with Wesco along the near sideline for a further 13-yards on second and six to help get them down to the Yellow Jacket 25-yard line. A few plays later the Tigers would find the end zone, courtesy of a two yard run by Adam Randall to tie the game up late in the fourth quarter. That would be the last time the offense would see the ball, as the Georgia Tech offense would travel 38-yards after 10-plays to set up an eventual 55-yard game winner by Aidan Birr to give them the 24-21 upset victory. Like I said before, no one should have really been surprised by this result, as the Yellow Jackets have played top-10 teams tough in recent history, especially at home. As for Klubnik, he hit on a couple nice throws throughout the game and helped pick up decent gains on the ground, but overall it was a pretty rough performance from the Clemson quarterback. Now on the outside looking in at the top-25, the Tigers play host to a 2-1 Syracuse Orange team that can really throw the piss out of the ball on offense, but struggle when asked to defend the pass as they rank third from the bottom in the ACC in passing defense. You would really think that this could be a game for Klubnik to flash his ability (you would hope anyways).
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 9
Wk 4 - v Syracuse
10. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (-2)
Wk 3 - 23/37 211 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/3 carries 11 yds 0 touchdowns v Samford (42-7 W)
Season - 84/135 1,070 yds 10 touchdowns 2 interceptions/13 carries 12 yds 0 touchdowns
I'm not going to lie, I was expecting a little bit more out of Sawyer Robertson and the Baylor Bears last Saturday. Yes, I am aware that they came away with a 42-7 home victory, and yes I am also aware that all wins count the same, but against a now 0-3 Samford Bulldogs team I don''t know, I guess I just wanted more. Is that bad of me? I mean, Baylor put up 48-points in a road win against SMU just a week ago, whereas Samford had allowed 34 and 40-points in two games this season. With that, I just assumed Baylor would blow them out of the water, but that was not the case. As for Robertson, individually he had by far his worst game of the season, going 23/37 for only 211-yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Just not what I was expecting from someone who had thrown for over 400-yards in both games against Auburn and SMU, as he ranks second in the nation in passing yards, a measly two behind Syracuse's Steve Angeli. Now, things started off pretty good for Robertson and the Baylor offense. Starting at the Samford 28-yard line following a blocked punt, Robertson would connect with Kole Wilson for eight and four yards before Bryson Washington would punch it in from two yards out on their fourth play of the drive to give them a seven point lead early in the first. Robertson and Wilson would connect again early on Baylor's next possession, with the pair going for 15-yards after starting from their own 18-yard line. Big runs of 23 and 31-yards by Bryson Washington would get them down to the Samford 10-yard line, which would lead to Robertson hitting Josh Cameron on a well thrown fade ball in the end zone for their second score of the game.
Again, this is just a very well thrown fade ball from Robertson, putting this ball in a spot where only his receiver could make a play on it. Now, it always helps when the defender doesn't even think of actually playing the ball, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this was still a very good throw and catch between Robertson and Cameron to double their advantage in the first. Baylor would struggle to get anything going on their next couple drives as they would go three and out before Robertson would register his first interception of the game with 20-seconds to go in the first.
Long story short, Robertson just didn't see the Samford defender. I don't know if the twist by the defensive line threw him off or what, regardless it's a rough interception and gave the Bulldogs the ball with excellent field position. Thankfully for Robertson and co. the defense would come up big, forcing a fumble on Samford's fourth play of the drive, gifting the offense the ball back just over a minute into the second quarter. Robertson would make up for the interception on their next possession, hitting Bryson Washington on a screen for 11-yards on third and six, along with Michael Trigg up the middle for 11-more and Josh Cameron for 15 before connecting with Kobe Prentice in the flat for a 12-yard score to give them a 21-7 lead midway through the second. Baylor would find the end zone again following another Samford turnover, this time seeing Bryson Washington punching it up the middle from five yards out to further their advantage in the second. Robertson would connect with Caden Knighten for nine yards to opening things up on their next drive, before hitting Ashtyn Hawkins. fora 36-yard gain to get them down to the Samford three yard line.
Could Robertson have led Hawkins a little bit more? Could he have put more air under this ball, rather than throw it so much on a line? You could say yes to all of those questions, but ultimately it would eventually help set up a one yard touchdown run by Caden Knighten to make it 35-7 with just over a minute to go until halftime. Baylor would struggle. todo much of anything after halftime, going three and out and punting the ball away on each of their first two drives of the second half. They would punt the ball away again after nine plays on their next drive before Robertson would register his second interception of the game with three and a half minutes to go in the third quarter.
This is just a bad throw here from Robertson. The throw is really late, and unless there was an act of God or something this ball was getting intercepted. Robertson would try and make up for the interception his next time out, as he would connect with Louis Brown IV on a very well thrown fade ball to the end zone from 11-yards out to give him his third passing touchdown of the game, making it 42-7 less than four minutes into the fourth quarter.
Like I spoke about before the season started, there aren't many quarterbacks better at hitting the fade ball than Robertson, which is something we saw him hit on twice in this game alone. His touch and timing are always spot on when it comes to this throw, and it resulted in a couple scores for the Baylor offense. That throw would ultimately be Robertson's final contribution to the game as the Bears would come out 42-7 victors. Again, after watching this offense the first couple weeks I can say that expected a little more from this game, especially from Robertson. I know there's probably a part of them that subconsciously looked past Samford and towards Arizona State, but still, you have to play clearer against a bad FCS team. With that I do hope Robertson cleans things up against the Sun Devils this weekend, especially given that they rank at the bottom in the Big 12 in passing defense. Regardless, we should be in for a fun one.
Wk 1 - 10
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - v Arizona State
Others
Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Wk 3 - 14/25 265 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/5 carries 4 yds 1 touchdown @ Arkansas State (24-16 W)
Season - 65/100 860 yds 7 touchdowns 1 interception/27 carries 48 yds 2 touchdowns
Eli Holstein, Pitt
Wk 3 - 22/37 303 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/14 carries -27 yds 1 touchdown @ West Virginia (31-24 L)
Season - 58/88 822 yds 9 touchdowns 3 interceptions/25 carries 50 yds 1 touchdown
Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Wk 3 - 22/34 217 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/6 carries 33 yds 0 touchdowns v New Mexico (35-10 L)
Season - 62/97 608 yds 3 touchdowns 3 interceptions/30 carries 139 yds 1 touchdown
Sam Leavitt, Arizona State (10)
Wk 3 - 15/25 188 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/12 carries 59 yds 1 touchdown v Texas State (34-15 W)
Season - 50/86 527 yds 5 touchdowns 3 interceptions/27 carries 157 yds 3 touchdowns
Darian Mensah, Duke
Wk 3 - 30/51 313 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/1 carry 2 yds 0 touchdowns @ Tulane (34-27 L)
Season - 80/119 1,036 yds 8 touchdowns 2 interceptions/12 carries -6 yds 0 touchdowns
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