YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/vKeYZBFSi_o?si=trnxH49pJT9oJ5Bi
Hello everyone and welcome back to yet another Draft "Expert" blog post! As I'm sure you can tell by the title, this weeks blog post goes over our week seven quarterback prospect rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft!
It's kind of hard to believe that we are at the midway point of the college football season. Like it's fun because we're getting closer and closer to so big time games but at the same time it's sad because we're getting closer and closer to the season ending. It's just a confusing time for us college football fans, right?
Regardless, this past weekend was a lot of fun as Colorado hosted a top 25 team, Alabama had another scare, Texas beat up on Oklahoma, LSU and Ole Miss had an overtime thriller, Oregon held on against Ohio State, etc. etc.. Just a lot of great match-ups this past weekend, with some of these results affecting some quarterbacks draft stock.
With that being said let's just get right into this! I hope you guys enjoy the post and I hope you check out the YouTube video as well!
Podcast Links
Pictured: Quinn Ewers, Texas; Drew Allar, Penn State; Carson Beck, Georgia
1. Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Wk 7 - BYE
Season - 148/214 2,219 yds 20 touchdowns 5 interceptions/28 carries 161 yds 3 touchdowns
Preseason - 8
Wk 1 - 5
Wk 2 - 5
Wk 3 - 4
Wk 4 - 4
Wk 5 - 2
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 1
Wk 8 - @ Louisville
2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Wk 7 - 34/40 388 yds 3 touchdowns 1 interception/9 carries -50 yds 0 touchdowns v no.18 Kansas State (31-28 L)
Season - 172/237 2,018 yds 17 touchdowns 4 interceptions/49 carries -25 yds 1 touchdown
After coming off of a very impressive road win against UCF a couple weeks ago, many out there eagerly awaited this match-up as it was a true test to see how 'real' Colorado was so far this season. Now, some people out there may look at me weird when I say that Colorado's win against UCF was impressive, but it was. Coming in as -12.5-point underdogs, I don't think many expected Colorado to win, let alone come out as 48-21 victors. As I mentioned a couple blog posts ago, this was the first time Colorado has won back-to-back conference games since 2020, so this was a big and impressive win on a multitude of different levels, at least in my opinion. Now, back at home against the then 18th ranked Kansas State Wildcats, I'm sure some out there thought the Buffaloes would crash down to Earth, as has been the case across the past however many years, but that didn't happen as Colorado came not only to play but to win. Though they came out on the wrong end of the result, quarterback Shedeur Sanders showcased once again why he's considered to be one of the top options in this year's draft class, throwing for 388-yards with three touchdowns while just missing on six passes (he did also throw an interception). Though overall he had himself a nice game it didn't necessarily start off that way as Colorado was forced to punt the ball away after going three and out on their opening possession. That being said their second time out would be a different story with Sanders connecting on multiple passes, including an eight yard completion to LaJohntay Wester to pick up a first down on fourth and seven. The pair would hook-up again a few plays later as Sanders would hit Lester on a quick out to the far sideline, with Lester taking it in from the 25-yard line for the score to give the Buffaloes the early seven point lead. Though they'd be forced to punt on their next two drives Sanders would still come through with some nice plays, i.e. picking up eight yards and a first down with his legs, as well as hitting Jimmy Horn Jr. across the middle for a 12-yard gain and another first down.
With four Kansas State defenders in the area, Sanders does an excellent job at putting this ball right on Horn's body for the first down. Another thing I like about this throw is that it's low, which means Horn will have to go down in order to make the catch thus avoiding a major shot by the defender. Though he got hit, his head is still attached to his body. Just a good overall play from Sanders, who come back a couple plays later and connect with Travis Hunter for a 14-yard gain.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Sanders is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation when it comes to roll out to his left. Not just that, but every time there is a defender in his face he doesn't seem to care. He's as consistent as they come when rolling out to the left, and here he hits Hunter on his body and in stride to help pick up the decent gain. Unfortunately these plays, though nice, wouldn't ultimately count for much as Colorado would again be forced to punt the ball away. Colorado would get one more chance to score before halftime and Sanders would try to put them in the best positions to do so by finding Will Sheppard on a crossing route for 22-yards before hitting Omarion Miller up the far sideline for a further 24-yards.
This is a very nice throw by Sanders to find Miller down the sideline. Sure he's 'open,' but you have to be very careful on where you place this ball as a quarterback, especially with a defender coming in late over top to try and make a play on the ball. Overall just a nice hole shot from Sanders but again, it wouldn't amount to much as after Sanders was sacked for 16-yards the drive would ultimately end, with Colorado going into the locker room down 14-7. The Buffaloes would get back to their scoring ways on their first possession of the second half, with Sanders hitting on three straight 10+ yard completions (though they were relatively short throws). He would then hit Omarion Miller who would make a nice one handed catch on third and 10 to get them down to the seven yard line before Sanders would find Will Sheppard in the back of the end zone for the seven yard score.
This is a very nice play by both Sanders and Sheppard for the score. First off, I think Sanders does a very nice job at navigating in the pocket. When the pressure started coming from the left side of the line Sanders slid to his right before climbing the pocket and delivering a strike. As for Sheppard, he did a great job at adjusting his route after seeing Sanders wasn't going to get the initial throw off. He carries his route towards the back middle of the end zone which Sanders sees and again, delivers a strike for the touchdown (around the defender no less). That's the type of throws and plays you love to see. Sanders would come out delivering some absolute ropes on Colorado's next drive, both to Omarion Miller, with the first one going for 24-yards.
Like I said, Sanders put this ball on an absolute rope to Miller. Great throw. The thing is the next one was even better, hitting Miller down the near sideline for a 51-yard gain.
Like I said, this is just a crazy throw from Sanders. I don't think you understand how hard of a throw this is to make. Coming from the far hash and throwing it from the 20 to the opposite 35 down the far sideline takes a crazy amount of arm strength, not to mention accuracy to place the ball on the receivers outside shoulder. All that being said, a play later, Sanders would register his first interception of the game.
Just an unfortunate play as the pressure coming at feet causes Sanders to airmail this pass, landing in the grateful arms of a Kansas State defender. Again, it's unfortunate, especially because of where it happened, but it's a missed throw by Sanders. Thankfully for the offense the defense would force Kansas State to go three and out. Sanders would make up for the interception by leading a nice 11-play touchdown drive, even completing a pass on fourth and three to help extend the drive.
Great job at moving around in the pocket from Sanders, giving his receivers enough time to try and create separation between themselves and the Kansas State defenders. This is what you like to see from your quarterback, keeping his eyes up while shifting around the pocket, just a very nice play from Sanders and it helped extend the drive. Sanders would connect with Drelon Miller a few plays later for 17-yards which would help set up a two yard touchdown run by Isaiah Augustave to get the Buffaloes to within three, with the score now sitting at 24-21. After the touchdown Colorado's defense would come up big, intercepting Avery Johnson and taking it all the way back to the Kansas State 17-yard line. Two plays later Sanders would hit LaJohntay Wester on an out route up the far sideline for an 11-yard touchdown, giving Colorado a 28-24 lead with just over three minutes to go in the game. Unfortunately that would be Colorado's last score of the game, as they wouldn't be able to respond to Kansas State's touchdown after turning it over on downs. With that being said, the Buffaloes would end up falling 31-28, with their record dropping to 4-2 on the season. Despite the loss, I would say Colorado showed a lot of heart. Like if you looked at last year's team, I don't think they would have the drive to claw back after being down 21-7 or 24-14, let alone actually take the lead later on in the fourth quarter. I thought Sanders put forth a very solid performance, just a shame it came on the end of a loss. I am excited to see how Colorado does this weekend as they travel to Tucson to take on the Arizona Wildcats. We had ourselves a fun match-up between the pair last year, with the Wildcats coming out 34-31 road victors, and I expect the same thing here. Arizona may be the home favorite but Colorado has a better chance to win via ESPN's match-up predictor, so we should be in for another good one Saturday afternoon.
Preseason - 2
Wk 1 - 1
Wk 2 - 2
Wk 3 - 1
Wk 4 - 1
Wk 5 - 1
Wk 6 - 1
Wk 7 - 2
Wk 8 - @ Arizona
3. Carson Beck, Georgia (+1)
Wk 7 - 36/48 459 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/1 carry 8 yds 0 touchdowns v Mississippi State (41-31 W)
Season - 142/209 1,818 yds 15 touchdowns 5 interceptions/23 carries 57 yds 0 touchdowns
At this point you should know that I would never lie to you, right? I know this may sound a little crazy, but I predicted live on the radio that Mississippi State would cover the massive -34.5-point spread against Georgia last Saturday. Now, I don't know if many people out there felt the same as me, but after watching Georgia so far this season I had a hard time believing that they could pile drive a team through hell. Beat them? Sure, by double digits? Even more so, but -34.5 just seemed like a lot right? Hell, maybe you felt the same way but regardless, Georgia won the 'Battle of the Bulldogs' 41-31 thanks in large part to an insanely impressive performance from quarterback Carson Beck, who was kind of in need of a 'hey look at me' type of performance. Sure he had the solid game last week against Auburn but he really didn't need to do a whole lot. In this game Beck set a new career high in passing yards along with throwing three touchdowns (and two interceptions) in the win. What's crazy is that Beck is the first quarterback since Bryce Young in 2021 and just the sixth SEC quarterback in the past 20-years to throw for over 450-yards while also completing 75% of his passes, that's just insane. Now, time to bring him back down to Earth a little bit as speaking of interceptions, Beck's first one would come on Georgia's second play of the game after being tipped at the line of scrimmage.
This pass was never going to be completed. Like right as Beck cocks it back to throw the Mississippi State defender rises up and gets pelted in the fall with the ball. It would've taken a minor miracle for this pass to be completed, just a shame that it happened on Georgia's second offensive play of the game. Two drives into the game between both teams, they combined for five plays with three yards of offense, what an exhilarating start am I right? We'd get back to zero yards on Mississippi State's drive after the interception going backwards three yards in three plays. That being said they would come away with three points, giving them a 3-0 lead three minutes into the first quarter. Georgia's offense would respond by converting on a 45-yard field goal from Peyton Woodring to tie the game back up with Beck working methodically throughout the drive and nearly coming away with a beautiful touchdown pass to Dillon Bell that unfortunately fell incomplete.
This is a damn near perfect throw from Beck, made even better by the fact that he was scrambling around the pocket before delivering the ball into the end zone. Just a nice play by the Mississippi State defender, saving them an extra four points on the play. Beck would help lead Georgia to their first touchdown of the game on their next drive, completing a couple 20+ yard passes in the process. The first hitting a wide open Arian Smith for 26-yards after Beck had all day to throw in the pocket, and the second would be to London Humphreys for 20-yards to get the Bulldogs down to the five yard line where Branson Robinson would punch it in on the next play to give Georgia a 10-3 lead midway through the first quarter. Beck would continue to lead long extended drives Georgia's next time on the field, completing a decent amount of passes (even one on fourth and four) to help set up yet another Peyton Woodring field goal, this time from 32-yards out. After throwing an interception on their second play from scrimmage Beck would help orchestrate drives of 10, eight, and 13 plays, all resulting in points for the offense. Their next drive would be on the shorter side of things, only lasting five plays but it would see Beck register his first passing touchdown of the game. On the first play of the drive we would see Beck connect with Dillon Bell across the middle of the field on a well thrown ball for a 23-yard gain.
Nice throw over the middle of the field by Beck, getting it over the Mississippi State defender and floating it right into Bell who was able to try and make some defenders miss after coming away with the ball. Beck and Bell would hook-up again a few plays later, this time from 31-yards out to give Georgia a 20-10 lead midway through the second quarter.
Very nice job by Beck at getting outside of the pocket once the initial pressure broke through. Not only that, but he also did a great job at putting this ball in a spot where only his intended receiver could get it, with Bell making a spectacular catch in the back of the end zone to help grow Georgia's lead. Also, great field awareness by Bell as well on this play, knowing exactly where he was on the field, able to get a foot inbounds while his momentum is carrying him out. Just a fun play overall that resulted in six. Beck would hit Mississippi State deep on the very first play of their next drive, connecting with Arian Smith for a 55-yard gain to get them from their own 20 to the Mississippi State 25-yard line.
Nice little hidden ball trick from Beck and the Georgia offense. That along with the fake hand offs really threw off the Bulldog defense, allowing Smith to get between the safeties and come through with a big time catch. Now, you could say Beck put a little too much on this pass, as Smith had to make a decent play in order to come down with the ball but playing devils advocate maybe the route was supposed to be a little more inside and Beck put the ball where it was supposed to be. Regardless, big time play for the Georgia offense that got them well into Mississippi State territory. A couple plays later Beck would dump it off to Oscar Delp for a 17-yard gain to get them down to the one yard line before hitting an open Lawson Luckie for the one yard score, putting Georgia up 27-10 with less than two minutes to go in the first half. After the Georgia defense forced an interception, Beck and the Bulldog offense took the field with a chance to add to their lead before halftime. With Beck hitting on some underneath and intermediate throws Georgia would be able to get down to the Mississippi State 37-yard line, but Peyton Woodring would miss the ensuing field goal attempt leaving the score at 27-10 going into the break. Beck and the Georgia offense would come out swinging on the first drive of the second half with Beck hitting Ben Yurosek for 29-yards up the near sideline on their second play of the drive.
Excellent touch shown by Beck on this play, fitting it in between two Mississippi State defenders for the big gain on second down. Things would get even better for Beck on this drive as he'd connect with Arian Smith on the very next play for a 42-yard touchdown, giving Georgia a 34-10 lead at the start of the third quarter.
First off, I have no idea what the Mississippi State defender was doing after Smith made the catch. It's almost like he thought the play was over but c'mon, you've got to give at least some effort on that play regardless. I don't think Georgia will mind too much as that was Beck's seventh pass of 20+ yards with just over a minute gone in the second half. Beck was having himself a fun day, and this pass to Smith gave him his third touchdown of the game. Unfortunately not all things are made to last and the fun time Beck was having was halted on their next drive as he'd throw his second interception of the game, only this time it wasn't tipped at the line of scrimmage.
This is just a really bad decision from Beck as I don't really know what he was looking at on this play. Like, the Mississippi State defender was in front of Lawson Luckie the entire play and Beck just threw it right to him. To go from what looked like another quick scoring drive to an interception in the end zone is not necessarily the most ideal situation to be in, especially since Mississippi State is gaining more and more confidence on the offensive side of the ball. Georgia would fail to really get anything going their next time out, punting after just five plays but Beck and co. would put together a nice long drive at the start of the fourth quarter, traveling 81-yards in 16-plays while burning up around seven and a half minutes in the process. Beck would hit on a couple short to intermediate passes throughout the drive before hitting Dillon Bell for 21-yards to get the Bulldogs down to the four yard line. A few plays later Trevor Etienne would punch it into the end zone to give Georgia a 41-24 lead late in the game. Mississippi State would find the end zone on their next drive but it would be too late as Georgia would come away 41-31 home victors. Though he threw two interceptions, Carson Beck had himself a very nice game. Like I brought up before, Beck is the first quarterback since Bryce Young in 2021 and just the sixth SEC quarterback in the past 20-years to throw for over 450-yards while also completing 75% of his passes, I'd say that makes for a pretty solid outing, right? Though the he had a decent game against Auburn this was the type of game we needed to see from Beck after the Alabama performance. He hit on the short and intermediate passes but was also able to hit a bunch of deep balls down the field. This week Beck and co. will be traveling to Austin to take on the top ranked Texas Longhorns. Beck is certainly going to need to be on his A-game Saturday night if Georgia wants to pull off the road upset. Should be a very fun one.
Preseason - 1
Wk 1 - 2
Wk 2 - 1
Wk 3 - 2
Wk 4 - 2
Wk 5 - 4
Wk 6 - 4
Wk 7 - 3
Wk 8 - @ no.1 Texas
4. Jalen Milroe, Alabama (-1)
Wk 7 - 16/23 209 yds 1 touchdown 2 interceptions/18 carries 36 yds 2 touchdowns v South Carolina (27-25 W)
Season - 96/132 1,483 yds 12 touchdowns 4 interceptions/77 carries 319 yds 11 touchdowns
This has been a very strange past couple weeks for Jalen Milroe and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Two weeks after beating the then second ranked Georgia Bulldogs at home 41-34, Alabama has responded by losing to Vanderbilt for the first time in 23-attempts while also trying their hardest to lose at home to a three win South Carolina team who was fresh off of a 27-3 home loss to Ole Miss. No disrespect to the Gamecocks, this was a game where many people, including myself, thought would serve as a 'get right game' for the Crimson Tide. Favored by -19.5-points, I thought Alabama would come out guns a blazing and stick it to South Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium, but that was far from the case. As for individual performances quarterback Jalen Milroe had himself a rough day, registering just over 200-yards passing with one touchdown and two interceptions, his third straight week with an interception. Now he did improve on his rushing stats from a week ago he still only managed to rack up 36-yards on 18-attempts, though the two rushing touchdowns proved vital in Alabama's home victory. Speaking of rushing touchdowns, Milroe would pick up his first one on Alabama's opening drive of the game, once again making people believe that this could be a long day for South Carolina. Though the touchdown came from just a yard out, Milroe did make some decent passes thorughout the course of the drive, with his one to Cole Adams going for 30-yards, getting Alabama down to the South Carolina four yard line.
I really like the patience Milroe showed on this play. With nothing initially open down the field, Milroe smartly rolls out to the right to try and buy some time for his receivers to get open. Then, with pressure coming in, he's able to throw it somewhat across his body and deliver a catchable ball to Adams, in stride for the big gain which ultimately helped set up Milroe and Alabama's first score of the game. The Crimson Tide would struggle to move the ball their next two times on the field, even with a roughing the kicker call extending their first drive following the touchdown. Though the drive wouldn't last very long Milroe would show off some nice timing and placement, hitting Germie Bernard for 12-yards to pick up a first down.
Milroe would connect with CJ Dippre for 19 on the following play but again this was a nice display of timing and placement by the Alabama quarterback as if either of the two are off it can very well end up in the hands of the defender, possibly going the other way for six. Though the timing and placement are nice, Milroe also has to put enough loft on the ball to get it over the initial defender while also giving his receiver a chance to make a play so again, just a very good overall play from Milroe. A few plays later Milroe would get sacked for a nine yard loss, thus ending the drive. Their next drive would end a similar way as Milroe would be sacked for eight yards after just five plays. Though they failed to really do anything on those two drives, Alabama would come back swinging as Milroe would hit Jam Miller for 13-yards on a little halfback swing route before breaking off a 27-yard run to get the Crimson Tide to the Gamecock 13-yard line.
First off, credit to Jam Miller for popping right back up after taking a shot to the face from the South Carolina defender. Second, great job by Milroe at pulling the ball maybe quicker than expected as the defender was in the backfield in a flash before cutting in between his blockers and getting out of bounds for the big gain. After a couple more Milroe runs, Justice Haynes would punch it in from two yards out to give Alabama a 14-point lead midway through the second quarter. Alabama's next drive would end as quickly as it started, as Milroe would be caught trying to do too much in the backfield, going backwards 13-yards for a safety. Whether it resulted in a sack or an intentional grounding penalty, the result still remains the same with Alabama's 14-point lead shrinking to just five with less than two minutes to go in the half. Things would continue to get worse though for Milroe and the offense as after losing three yards on a quarterback draw on first down and a sack on second down, Milroe would throw his first interception of the game just a few plays after giving up a safety with this one nearly being brought back the other way for six.
To be honest, I don't really know what Milroe was looking at on this play. I just have to assume he didn't see the South Carolina defender cause there's no world where that ends up as a completed pass. Hell, even if it does the chances of it turning into a first down are pretty much zero, so why not just try and run the ball to burn a little more clock? I know, South Carolina still had three time outs, but they were going to use them regardless if they ran the ball or if the pass was completed. Instead of doing that, South Carolina would be able to register three more points, making the score 14-12 going into the locker room. To make matters worse, South Carolina would come out firing at the start of the second half, marching 85-yards in 16-plays to take a 19-14 lead midway through the third quarter. Though Milroe would get credited with a 27-yard completion to Cole Adams, Alabama would be forced to punt the ball away on their first drive of the second half. After the defense responded by forcing South Carolina to go three and out, Milroe would register his second interception of the game after helping get Alabama all the way down to the Gamecock 14-yard line.
Maybe to a lesser extent but a somewhat similar story to what we saw with Milroe's first interception of the game, there was a very small chance that this pass would be completed. I must say though, great play recognition by the South Carolina defender as a reads Milroe's eyes, sees he's not hitting the underneath route and cuts back upfield to get to the ball before the receiver can. Great play but Milroe telegraphed this one pretty bad and he payed the price for it. Thankfully for Milroe Alabama's defense would get the ball back on South Carolina's opening play of the following drive as a mesh point fumble gave the Crimson Tide the ball back at the Gamecock 31-yard line. Three plays later Milroe would pick up his second rushing touchdown of the game, this time coming from seven yards out. Though the touchdown was the most important play of the drive Milroe would make a really nice throw to Ryan Williams in a really tight window for a 16-yard gain that would help set up the seven yard score.
This is a really tough throw by Milroe, on the move and in between two South Carolina defenders. There was very little room for error by Milroe on this throw and he zipped it in there for the 16-yard completion. Milroe has these types of throws in his locker, it's just a matter of his doing it at a consistent basis, throwing with conviction. Despite failing on the two point conversion Alabama would still find themselves up 20-19 at start of the fourth quarter. Then after South Carolina missed on a 51-yard field goal attempt to take the lead Milroe and co. would march down the field and pick up another touchdown, this time through the air as Milroe would hit a wide ass open Germie Bernard for the 34-yard touchdown to give the Crimson Tide a 27-19 lead. Before then though, on the second play of that drive Milroe would show why he's such a nuisance when on the move, evading a potential sack before picking up a first down with his legs on second and 10.
Like I said, this is what makes Milroe so dangerous. I know it only went for 10-yards but Milroe's ability to pick up a decent amount of yards after the play looked initially blown up is really impressive and something that he does on quite a regular basis. Though that touchdown would be Milroe's last involvement in the game Alabama's defense would remain busy as after a 31-yard passing touchdown South Carolina recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving the Gamecocks one last chance to snatch a road victory against Alabama. Unfortunately for them, quarterback LaNorris Sellers would be picked off by Domani Jackson in the end zone, thus sealing the game and giving Alabama a scary 27-25 home victory. Like I mentioned at the beginning, these past couple weeks have been strange for Milroe and co. After beating Georgia I said that Milroe had placed one hand on the Heisman Trophy. Sitting here today, I don't even know if he's in the top four conversation, that's how quickly things have changed. We'll see if he gets back up there as the season continues which starts again on the road against the 11th ranked Tennessee Volunteers who are coming off their own home scare, needing overtime to beat a three win Florida Gators team. This game has massive post season implications for both teams and I hope they're ready for the challenge ahead.
Preseason - 6
Wk 1 - 6
Wk 2 - 6
Wk 3 - 6
Wk 4 - 6
Wk 5 - 3
Wk 6 - 3
Wk 7 - 4
Wk 8 - @ no.11 Tennessee
5. Quinn Ewers, Texas
Wk 7 - 20/29 199 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/4 carries 3 yds 1 touchdown v no.18 Oklahoma (34-3 W)
Season - 78/108 890 yds 9 touchdowns 3 interceptions/10 carries 4 yds 1 touchdown
Welcome back Quinn Ewers! After missing the past couple weeks with an oblique injury, quarterback Quinn Ewers was back under center for the Texas Longhorns as they took on the Oklahoma Sooners last Saturday in what turned out to be an absolute drubbing with Texas coming out 34-3 victors in Dallas. In the first SEC rendition of this historic rivalry I can say with the upmost certainty that I was not surprised by this result. Oklahoma, though ranked 18th at kickoff, do not have the same feel as the Oklahoma teams of the past. I don't really know what it is but they just don't strike me as a top 25 team (which they aren't anymore). They're not a horrifically bad team or anything like that but going into the game on Saturday the talent gap between the two schools was fairly noticeable, which is something Texas would take full advantage of. That being said things didn't start off the smoothest for the Longhorn offense, as in his first game back since their 56-7 win against UTSA, Ewers would throw an interception on Texas' opening drive of the game, just thee plays in.
As you can see from this back angle, the throw is there to be made. The Texas receiver has found himself in a good amount of space in the middle of the field not only to make an easy catch and pick up a first down on third and 14, but maybe take it even further up field and pick up a massive gain for the Longhorns. Unfortunately Ewers just completely airmailed this throw. The throw was high and behind his intended receiver, landing in the grateful arms of the Oklahoma defender. Though it was a brutal throw I'll let him off somewhat because it was his first pass in over two weeks but again, still a brutal throw given the space the receiver had. Texas' next couple drives wouldn't be much better as they'd be forced to go three and out on back-to-back drives with Ewers missing another open receiver down the field on third and three for what could've been a potential walk in touchdown.
Maybe I can let him off a little bit here again given the pressure in his face but c'mon, this again is a potential walk in touchdown for Texas as Isaiah Bond has acres of space to work with in between the Oklahoma safeties. Back-to-back drives for Texas, back-to-back missed throws by Ewers that could've been massive gains for Texas, definitely not something you want to see from your starting quarterback in a rivalry game, regardless of whether or not he's coming back from injury. Like, I'm sure there were some very level headed Texas fans screaming for Steve Sarkisian to put Arch Manning in the game. Though he struggled on Texas' opening three drives, Ewers' play would pick up on their first drive of the second half, starting with him hitting DeAndre Moore Jr. down the far sideline for a 26-yard gain on the move.
Getting chased by an Oklahoma defender, Ewers does a very nice job at escaping the pocket, buying time to his right before placing it right into the arms of Moore for the big time gain. With two Oklahoma defenders in front of his intended receiver Ewers shows off very nice touch and placement to not only float it over the top of them but also place it near the sideline putting the ball in a spot where only his receiver could get it, forcing him to make a play on the ball, which of course he did. Much better from Ewers here which helped lead Texas to their first score of the game as Gunnar Helm would take a pass from Ewers seven yards into the end zone for six, giving the Longhorns the lead early in the second quarter. After going three and out again on their following drive, Ewers would connect with Ryan Wingo on a quick slant that would take the Longhorns from their own 20 all the way down to the Sooner 36. Really good pre-snap read from Ewers knowing that Wingo would be freed up thanks to the nickel blitz. That pass would lead to Texas' second touchdown of the game, with Silas Bolden recovering Quintrevion Wisner's fumble after the back came up about three yards short of the end zone. As the old saying goes, sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and luck was certainly on Texas' side as they now found themselves up 14-3 late in the second quarter. Wisner would score a touchdown himself on the first play of Texas' next drive, taking it in from 43-yards out to add to the Longhorns ever growing advantage before halftime. Oklahoma would respond by fumbling the ball away again on the first play of their next drive, though Texas would fail to register more points as Bert Auburn would miss a 44-yard field goal with seven seconds left in the half. On their opening drive of the second half Ewers would stand tall in the pocket and deliver a catchable ball to Gunnar Helm for a 26-yard gain but unfortunately Texas' drive would ultimately stall out, turning it over on downs as Ewers would overthrow Ryan Wingo in the end zone on fourth and two at the Oklahoma 10 yard line. Texas would put together another long drive their second time out, with Ewers hitting Matthew Golden across the middle on third and four for a 23-yard gain and Jaydon Blue for 11-yards on a halfback swing route helping set Auburn up for a 41-yard field goal attempt, which he would make giving Texas a 24-3 lead with just over a minute to play in the third quarter. Auburn would capitalize on another field goal attempt on Texas' next drive, this time from 29-yards out after Silas Bolden took an Oklahoma punt all the way down to the Sooner 24-yard line. On their final drive of the game, after a 30-yard hook-up between Matthew Golden and Gunnar Helm, Ewers would call his own number from a yard out to register his first and only rushing touchdown of the game, helping Texas seal up a 34-3 win in Dallas against the much hated Oklahoma Sooners. This was a relatively easy game for the Longhorns. Though they struggled to get things going in the first half Ewers and co. were able to kick into gear at the start of the second quarter, scoring 34-unanswered points in the win. As for Ewers, individually, I thought he played alright. Nothing spectacular as you could tell this was his first piece of action in over two weeks. Though he wasn't perfect he did enough to help Texas in this one. That being said they're going to need him to be back on his A-game this weekend as the Longhorns take on the fifth ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Sure it's at home, but this is Texas' first true test of the season, let's see if they're up to the task.
Preseason - 5
Wk 1 - 4
Wk 2 - 3
Wk 3 - 3
Wk 4 - 3
Wk 5 - 5
Wk 6 - 5
Wk 7 - 5
Wk 8 - v no.5 Georgia
6. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (+1)
Wk 7 - 22/51 337 yds 3 touchdowns 2 interceptions/2 carries 16 yds 0 touchdowns v no.9 Ole Miss (29-26 OT W)
Season - 160/249 1,989 yds 18 touchdowns 6 interceptions/8 carries 11 yds 2 touchdowns
What a game we had on our hands down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana last Saturday night. Not only was this a game between two (at the time) top 15-teams, but we were treated to a good a fun quarterback dual between LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart. In more ways than one this game had so much on the line. Sure whoever won this game would rise up pretty significantly in the rankings but the quarterback who came out on top would be held in higher regard than the loser. To some people out there (in regards to scouting) coming out on the winning side boosts a prospects draft value exponentially, sometimes even regardless of how they played. As for Garrett Nussmeier, he came out on the winning side of things as the Tigers won 29-26 with Nussmeier throwing the game winning touchdown on LSU's opening play in overtime. Throughout the game we saw the highs and lows of Nussmeier as a prospect, he can make some of the most ridiculous throws in the tightest of windows while also making some really questionable decisions with the ball that can sometimes put his team in harms way. Speaking of turning the ball over, after LSU failed to pick up a first down on their first two drives (though they would have if not for an illegal touching penalty) Nussmeier would see his pass on second down deflected up into the air after hitting left tackle Will Campbell in the head, landing in the arms of a grateful Ole Miss defender at their own 23-yard line.
Just an unfortunate course of events for Nussmeier and the Tiger offense as Ole Miss now has the ball deep inside LSU territory. You can see what Nussmeier is trying to do on this play, trying to bend it around both defender and Campbell in order to hit Caden Durham out of the backfield but it just wasn't meant to be. Thankfully for the offense Ole Miss would fail to do much of anything on their drive following the interception, turning the ball over on downs after just four plays with Henry Parrish Jr. getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage on fourth and one. Saved by the defense, Nussmeier and offense came out swinging on their following drive, with Nussmeier hitting Kyren Lacy for a 25-yard gain on their second play from their own five yard line.
Great throw by Nussmeier, getting it over the outstretched arm of the Ole Miss defender while also hitting Lacy in stride so he can go out and pick up even more yards after the catch. The problem is that this would really be LSU's only play of note as they'd be forced to punt the ball away a few plays later. LSU's offensive struggles would continue their next time out as though Nussmeier would hit a wide open Lacy for an 18-yard gain on third and 13, the Tigers would eventually fail to convert on fourth down at the Ole Miss 38-yard line. Four plays later, after the turnover on downs, Ole Miss would find the end zone thus giving them a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Thankfully for the LSU fans out there the offense would finally start to wake up with Nussmeier hitting on multiple 15+ yard gains throughout their six play drive, hitting Josh Williams for 17, Zavion Thomas for 21, and Kyren Lacy for 28, with the latter being the most impressive out of those passes.
With pressure coming up the field, Nussmeier does an excellent job at not only climbing the pocket but also does a nice job at keeping his eyes up field before delivering a strike to Lacy for the aforementioned 28-yard gain. This is the type of play you love seeing from your quarterback, and one play later Nussmeier would connect with Trey'Dez Green on an RPO from 12-yards out to help get the Tigers back to within three with about five and a half minutes to go in the first half. Though they wouldn't be able to stack touchdown LSU's offense would be able to register three more points there next time out with Nussmeier once again hitting a few 10+ yard completions, connecting with Aaron Anderson for 12 and Zavion Thomas and Kyren Lacy for 15 to help set up the eventual field goal attempt. That being said, Nussmeier should've registered his second touchdown pass of the first half after finding Thomas in the end zone from 16-yards out. Unfortunately Thomas could complete the catch but still, it was a fantastic throw from Nussmeier that should've lead to more points for LSU.
This is a very impressive throw from Nussmeier, on the run no less. Again, this throw deserved a touchdown, just a shame that Thomas couldn't come down with the ball. Regardless, though a touchdown would've been nice in a game like this you'll take points when you can get them, which they would continue to get in this half after Ole Miss' Henry Parrish Jr. fumbled the ball at around the Rebel 30-yard line. Four plays later Damian Ramos would convert from 45-yards out, making the score 17-13 going into the locker room. LSU's opening drive of the second half made it seem like they were going to continue along their scoring ways, especially after Nussmeier hit Aaron Anderson down the near sideline for a 46-yard gain on third and four.
Just a beautiful throw from Nussmeier, hitting Anderson perfectly in stride for the big time gain. With Ole Miss sending only three defenders it gave Nussmeier something he wasn't really used to at this point in the game, time. Given that little bit extra time allowed to calmly deliver the ball down the field and again, what a beautiful ball it was. Unfortunately after a two yard rush by Josh Williams Nussmeier would miss on his next two passes resulting in LSU needing to settle for three again, only this time Damian Ramos would miss his ensuing attempt thus leaving the score at 17-13. That being said he would come good on his next attempt as he'd convert from 41-yards out to make the score 20-16 with just over a minute to go in the third quarter. Things were starting to look up as the Tiger defense would pick Jaxson Dart off in the end zone, but Nussmeier would unfortunately return the favor on LSU's first offensive play following the turnover.
Much like I brought up with the pass to Aaron Anderson, one thing Nussmeier didn't really have throughout the game was time as Ole Miss brought pressure on almost every pass play. In this case the pressure was enough to force Nussmeier to throw this ball off of his back foot, which led to the pass being severely under thrown and wind up in the hands of an Ole Miss defender. Just a very rough play for Nussmeier, especially after the defense came away with an interception of their own literally one play early. Though they'd be forced to punt their next time out, we would see Nussmeier flash the athleticism by picking up 14-yards on third and 13 deep inside their territory.
This is not something you see too often from Nussmeier, but when his team needed 13-yards to extend the drive he took it upon himself to pick up the first down with his legs. What a time to register your longest carry rush, right? Well, that would be right if LSU had done anything else with the ball for the remainder of this drive as they'd be forced to punt the ball away a few plays later. After an Ole Miss field goal made the score 23-16, LSU's offense took the field knowing what it needed to do, score a touchdown or take a loss. It's just that simple. That being said there were some scary moments, like when they found themselves in a fourth and seven situation at their own 29. Thankfully Nussmeier would hit Mason Taylor down the near sideline for 14-yards, helping extend LSU's drive in the process. After a very questionable incomplete pass LSU found themselves in a third and 10 situation. Nussmeier, once again, would come through with a big time completion to Mason Taylor, this time for 19-yards to get them to the Ole Miss 38-yard line.
Though Taylor was ruled down it's still a fantastic play from Nussmeier to not only evade the pressure but deliver a catchable ball to Taylor for the 19-yard gain. Much like the run before, these are the types of plays you want to see your quarterback making in these types of moments, stepping up the occasion and doing whatever it takes to get their team over the line. A few plays later, on fourth and five, Nussmeier would find Aaron Anderson for the 23-yard score with less than 30-seconds to go in regulation.
Nussmeier is truly one of the best anticipatory throwers in all of college football. As the clip shows, he lets go of the ball when Anderson is still behind the Ole Miss defender, throwing him open rather than throwing it to him. Throughout this drive Nussmeier made numerous big time plays, picking up not one but two fourth down conversions, with the last one resulting in a game tying touchdown, just awesome. After Ole Miss took the lead in overtime with a 57-yard field goal, Nussmeier would hit Kyren Lacy from 25-yards out on their very first play to steal the victory away from the Rebels, winning 29-26.
I love that LSU did this. They know they needed a touchdown to win so why waste time? Just go out there and try and score a touchdown on your very first play from scrimmage. It's always rough to lose games like this, especially with how it ended. Overall, like I said before, this game had a little bit of everything from Garrett Nussmeier. From rough passes to insane completions to massive plays when it mattered most, Nussmeier really put on a show last Saturday night. I saw a stat recently that stated that Nussmeier was pressured 21-times and didn't take a single sack. With that, he is now one of only three players in the last three seasons to face 20+ pressures in a game without being sacked. Again, this was a fun watch and I hope he continues to build on this game against Arkansas this weekend. After beating Tennessee a couple weeks ago the Hogs got upsets on the brain and would love nothing more than to drop the rival Tigers out of the top 10. Arkansas hasn't made things easy for LSU in recent years and I expect the same thing this time out as well. We should be in for a fun one on Saturday night.
Preseason - 10
Wk 1 - 9
Wk 2 - 8
Wk 3 - 8
Wk 4 - 8
Wk 5 - 7
Wk 6 - 7
Wk 7 - 6
Wk 8 - @ Arkansas
7. Drew Allar, Penn State (-1)
Wk 7 - 30/43 391 yds 2 touchdowns 3 interceptions/4 carries 32 yds 0 touchdowns @ USC (33-30 W)
Season - 103/146 1,492 yds 11 touchdowns 4 interceptions/30 carries 121 yds 3 touchdowns
One of the most exhilarating games this season happened between the fourth ranked Penn State Nittany Lions and the newly unranked USC Trojans in Los Angeles. Speaking of that last bit what a crazy turn of events for the USC Trojans, right? Like, after beating the LSU Tigers in Las Vegas week one 27-20, some out their thought USC may take like a duck to water in the Big 10 as quarterback Miller Moss followed up his impressive bowl performance with a nice week one showing against the Tigers. Then we saw them go into Ann Arbor against the Michigan Wolverines and lose after coming in as -4.5-point favorites, before bouncing back against Wisconsin then losing to Minnesota on the road, taking them from 11th in the nation to unranked in the matter of one week. Against Penn State, though at home, most people thought the Nittany Lions would take care of business. Maybe not dominate but at least come away with a convincing win as after all they were the fourth ranked team in the nation. But that trip from University Park, Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, California is not an easy one, as the two campuses are 2,573-miles apart, or a 37-hour car ride depending on traffic. Classic Big 10 match-up am I right? All that being said, I was really intrigued to see how Penn State quarterback Drew Allar would fair in this game as USC boasted the fifth best passing defense in the conference, giving Allar arguably his toughest test to date so far this season. Their first drive of the gave saw Penn State rely on misdirection and shorter passes, with Allar not really asked to push the ball down the field as Penn State settled for a field goal after Allar's would be touchdown pass got called back due to offensive pass interference. Regardless, very nice 14-play drive to kick the game off for the Nittany Lions. They wouldn't really have the same amount of success their second time out as they were forced to punt the ball away after just five plays. Their next drive would be even shorter as Allar would throw his first interception of the game on the fourth play of their following drive, with Desman Stephens II returning it 42-yards to give USC the ball at the Penn State 26-yard line.
What's the phrase I always say when it comes to Drew Allar? Arm arrogance, which was fully on display here. This is a perfect display of that as there's not a lot of quarterbacks out there who would even think to attempt that throw let alone actually make it. But with the arm strength Allar has he feels he can fit a ball through any window, even if there's four or five defenders in the area, he thinks he can make that throw. More often then not I would agree, but the odds were stacked too high against him to where he'd be much better off at hitting Tyler Warren in the flat on the far sideline. I know it's third down and he wants to make a play, but you'd rather see your team punt the ball away then have an interception returned to your own 26-yard line. Penn State would be forced to punt the ball away after four plays their next time out, but Allar would help lead the Nittany Lions on a nice 10-play drive that ended with a 33-yard field goal by Ryan Barker, completing a couple of passes for 15-plus yards as well as picking up 15-more yards on the ground on their way to the three points. Down 20-6 at halftime, Penn State needed to make a statement coming out of the locker room, which they did with Allar completing four passes for 10-plus yards on a five play touchdown drive, with his one to Harrison Wallace III arguably being the most impressive.
With pressure coming in from the backside edge, Allar does a really nice job at staying calm and delivering a nice catchable ball to Wallace for the 19-yard gain, beating the safety over top all while getting hit. Near perfect throw ball Allar who would come back a couple plays later and register his first passing touchdown of the game, floating one into Tyler Warren after receiving a backwards pass from 32-yards out for the score.
This is just an insane play design from the Penn State offensive coaching staff. Like, what forced combined to make you come up with this play? Not only to completely change formations before the ball is snapped, but have Allar split out to the left and have Tyler Warren snap the ball. This is some like Andy Reid type play that seems too insane to actually work, and yet it did. Great throw by Allar putting it in a place where only his center could get it. Nice job by Warren as well at high pointing this ball and coming down with it in the end zone for six. Allar would keep things cooking on Penn State's next drive, hitting Harrison Wallace III for 25 and Tyler Warren for 34 before throwing a dart of Omari Evans down the far sideline for 16-yards (weird how the best throw yet for the least amount of yards but hey, it happens).
This is a very good throw in a really small window by Drew Allar. With pressure coming off the edge there's not a ton of time to get this ball off, yet Allar is able to put this ball in the only place where his receiver could make a play on it, which of course he did. Like, the USC defender had his arm up and everything to break up this pass, yet Allar was able to fit it in there which helped set up a one yard touchdown run by Kaytron Allen, tying the game up at 20 midway through the third quarter. Though they managed to score there, Allar would register his second interception of the game on the opening play of their next drive, throwing it into a crowded area for the turnover.
Long and short of it, Allar was completely baited into making this throw by the USC defender. After seeing nothing open to the far side of the field, Allar shifts his focus back to the center. If he were to complete this pass he would've needed to throw this at about 100 mph, as the defender got to the body of the receiver the same time the ball did. Not only was the pass broken up but there were two other USC defenders in the area, with Easton Mascarenas-Arnold ultimately coming down with the ball. Just an overall unfortunate play for Allar but thankfully the defense would hold USC's offense to just three points. Penn State would respond with a field goal of their own their next time out, with Allar hitting Tyler Warren for 21-yards to get the Nittany Lions to the Trojan nine yard line.
Very well timed and well placed throw by Allar to help set up Ryan Barker's eventual 20-yard field goal attempt. This season Allar and tight end Tyler Warren seem to have this telepathic connection, with Warren coming down with damn near everything Allar throws his way. It's truly something special to see. Their next time out would be very stressful, as Penn State would be met with a couple fourth and long situations, fourth and seven and fourth and 10. Both times though Allar would come through with some big time throws, hitting Julian Fleming twice for 17 and 16-yards.
That first fourth down conversion was really nice, especially the catch by Fleming, but the second one was just a thing of beauty. With USC clearly sending the house, Allar has to do everything in his power to avoid a sack and at least try and get the ball down the field for one of his receivers to make a play. Not only does he avoid the sack, he slides up in the pocket really well and delivers an absolute strike into the chest of Fleming for the 16-yard gain. Just two really awesome plays from Allar, showing off his growth and development from the quarterback position. A few plays later Allar would dump it off to Nick Singleton in the flat who would take it in 14-yards for the score, tying the game up at 30 with less than three minutes to go in regulation. Allar would register his third interception of the game on the final play of regulation (following a Miller Moss interception) but it was on a heave to the end zone off his back foot, nothing I'm too concerned about to be honest. In overtime, after Michael Lantz missed a 45-yard field goal, Penn State would get the ball back with a chance to seal the game. Making no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Ryan Barker comes on and makes it from 36-yards out to give the Nittany Lions a 33-30 road overtime victory. What a fun game this one was. The thing that I liked most about it was the visual growth from Drew Allar. It's hard enough to convert one fourth and long on a drive, let alone doing it twice with the second coming in the face of a blitz. I think Allar did a lot of good in this game which is something he and the rest of the Nittany Lions can take into the bye week. After the bye Penn State will travel to Maddison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers, a team that is coming off back-to-back dominating wins against Purdue and Rutgers respectfully. I'm really intrigued to see how Allar does in this road match-up, especially since Wisconsin possesses one of the top pass defenses in the conference. Should be a fun one next Saturday.
Preseason - 4
Wk 1 - 3
Wk 2 - 4
Wk 3 - 5
Wk 4 - 5
Wk 5 - 6
Wk 6 - 6
Wk 7 - 7
Wk 8 - BYE
8. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Wk 7 - 24/42 284 yds 1 touchdown 1 interception/15 carries 27 yds 0 touchdowns @ no.13 LSU (29-26 OT L)
Season - 151/215 2,384 yds 14 touchdowns 3 interceptions/59 carries 183 yds 3 touchdowns
Like I mentioned before with LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, these types of games can not only make or break a season, but could potentially make or break a players draft stock as well. That may not be fair but that's just how it works sometimes, where the winners stock goes up and the losers stock goes down, regardless of how well each quarterback actually played. I don't subscribe to the notion that wins and loses are a quarterback stat, they're clearly not. That being said quarterbacks can be the reason your team either won or lost a game, but not the sole factor in either direction if that makes sense. As for Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, he's had a semi-rough go of things these past couple weeks. After starting like a bat out of Hell through their first four games, Dart, and the rest of the Ole Miss offense for that matter, haven't really been running on all cylinders. That's not to say that they've been bad or anything, they just haven't necessarily looked the same as they did at the start of the season, one way or another. Speaking on this individual game, Dart didn't have an offensive performance or anything, but he didn't play that great either, throwing for 284-yards with one touchdown and an interception while also completing less than 60% of his passes for the second straight week. Though I don't subscribe to the completion percentage statistic being the most accurate measure for accuracy, I still think that has to be mentioned here. Now it's not like Nussmeier completed an insane clip of passes Saturday night, but I felt he popped up when LSU needed him the most, and I don't know if I can really say that about Dart in this case. On to the game, though Ole Miss went three and out on their first possession they were able to string a decent drive together their second time out with Dart completing a 24-yard pass to Cayden Lee on their opening play.
Though Lee needed to make a diving effort to come up with this ball I actually like the placement of this throw by Dart. With three LSU defenders in the area, Dart just fits it in the gap between them, forcing his receiver to make a play on the ball. Like the old saying goes, let your playmakers make plays, which Lee made on that one. That being said, could he have lofted it over the top for a potential touchdown? Maybe, but the way his feet were set he was going to just try and dart this one in there, which he did and it resulted in a nice gain for the Rebels. Dart would connect on a couple more passes throughout the drive but ultimately the drive would come to a stop with kicker Caden Davis missing a 32-yard field goal to give Ole Miss the early lead. Ole Miss would get the ball back with great field position though after Garrett Nussmeier's first interception, but they would ultimately fail to convert on fourth down, turning the ball back over to LSU after starting at the Tiger 13-yard line. Though they failed to score on their first two drives, Ole Miss would be the first to find the score sheet with Davis coming good this time, making a 49-yard field goal to give the Rebels a three point lead at the start of the second quarter. Before the field goal, Dart would connect with Tre Harris for a big 47-yard completion, taking Ole Miss from their own 15 all the way down to the LSU 38.
Maybe he under threw Harris a little bit on this throw but like I said with the first big play with two LSU defenders in the area, maybe the best play is just put it on him rather than try to lead him up field, as the defenders could readjust and make a play on the ball. Who really knows though, right? Regardless, Ole Miss wouldn't really move the ball much after that, with Davis again converting from 49-yards out to give the Rebels the early second quarter lead. Ole Miss would score rather quickly their next time out with Ulysses Bentley IV taking it in from 50-yards out on fourth and one to grow their lead to 10-midway through the second quarter. Dart would see that run and try to one up it on their next possession, picking up 17-yards on the ground on the opening play to edge closer to the 50-yard line.
Tied for his longest run of the season, I like seeing Dart make these kind of plays for the offense as he's a relatively underrated threat when he's on the move. As for Bentley, dude got de-cleated by the LSU defender before Dart decided to take off. Overall just a smart decision from Dart to pick up as many yards as he can on the ground, helping pick up a first down. A few plays later Dart would register his first and only touchdown pass of the evening, hitting Tre Harris in the back of the end zone for six to give the Rebels a 10-point advantage later on in the second quarter.
This is a prime example of a quarterback having the upmost confidence in his receiver. Before the season started Harris stated that both he and Dart make up the best duo in college football, there's a lot of trust between the pair, even after Harris' drop earlier in the game. This isn't like the most amazing or dazzling throw or anything, but like I said before, let your playmakers make plays, which is exactly what Dart did. Harris had to fight his way for the ball but ultimately came down with it for six more points for the Rebels. The rest of the first half wouldn't really go Ole Miss' way, as after an LSU field goal with 34-seconds left, Ole Miss had a chance to steal some points before the half. Only problem is that Henry Parrish Jr. fumbled the ball away on their opening play, giving the ball back to the Tigers with 26-seconds left. The start of the second half wouldn't be much better as they'd be forced to punt the ball away after one of the strangest 12-play drives I have ever seen. Just an absolute mess of a drive that was loaded with backwards plays and penalties. Ultimately Ole Miss would punt the ball away after finding themselves in a fourth and 29 situation. At it's worst Ole Miss were faced with a third and 37 after a sack, a personal foul, and a false start, just overall not ideal. The Rebels would come away with a field goal their next time out with Dart connecting with Caden Lee for 27-yards on third and six to take them to the LSU side of the 50. That being said after three straight incompletions Ole Miss would have to settle for three. Dart and Lee would hook-up for another third down conversion at the start of the fourth quarter, picking up 18-yards on third and 15 to help extend the drive.
This was just a great play overall for Ole Miss. The protection was good mixed with Dart's timing and accuracy made for a rather easy completion and a first down. Everything was just in sync which helps a whole lot when your team is faced with a third and 15 situation. Though Dart and Lee would connect for 33-yards a few plays later, Dart would register his first interception of the game, trying to fit it into a crowd in the end zone from 35-yards out.
The long and short of it is that Dart just didn't get enough on it. Like Caden Lee has a step or two on the LSU defenders giving chase, if Dart gets just a little more on it then we may be talking about this play quite differently. As it stands though, with that many defenders in the area you have to play it safe and put more on the pass, because if you under throw it you wind up in this situation. If you over throw it it goes out of the back of the end zone and you try something different on second down, I would take that scenario 10 times out of 10. Thankfully for the offense the defense would pick off Garrett Nussmeier on LSU's first play on the following drive, giving Ole Miss the ball back with just over 10-minutes to go in the quarter. Though it's nice to get the ball back, it's even better when you do something with it as Ole Miss was forced to punt the ball away after going three and out. Dart would flash the athleticism on their next offensive possession, picking up 16-yards on the very first play from scrimmage before picking up a further 15 a couple plays later.
Both runs were the exact same play, but I feel the second shows off more of Dart's athletic ability as he's able to break an arm tackle near the line of scrimmage before cutting up field and nearly making a defender miss 15-yards down the field. Just a couple of very nice plays from Dart which helped set up a 37-yard field goal by Caden Davis to give them a seven point lead with just over three minutes to go in regulation. Unfortunately LSU would score a touchdown with 27-seconds left, forcing overtime. In the overtime period Ole Miss really struggled. Dart had a decent back should throw down the near sideline to Antwane Wells Jr. that fell incomplete while also nearly throwing an interception trying to hit Dae'Quan Wright. Along with that Ole Miss had two penalties, with one coming on the very first play in overtime which set them behind the sticks instantly. It was so rough that when Davis came on to attempt a field goal it'd be fourth and 25. Thankfully for them Davis would convert on the 57-yard field goal, unfortunately that wouldn't end up mattering as LSU would score a touchdown on their first play, ending the game 29-26. Overall though I don't think Dart put forth his best performance I do think he made some decent plays throughout the game. That being said I'm sure him and the rest of the Ole Miss team are ready for the bye week, especially after they lost two of their last three games by a combined six points. They'll be back at home next week against a now unranked Oklahoma Sooners team who are fresh off of a 34-3 loss to Texas. It'll be interesting to see if they'll be able to bounce back against South Carolina, though I'm more interested in seeing how Ole Miss will bounce back after the bye. Should be a fun one.
Preseason - 9
Wk 1 - 7
Wk 2 - 7
Wk 3 - 7
Wk 4 - 7
Wk 5 - 8
Wk 6 - 8
Wk 7 - 8
Wk 8 - BYE
9. Will Howard, Ohio State
Wk 7 - 28/35 326 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/9 carries 13 yds 1 touchdown @ no.3 Oregon (32-31 L)
Season - 121/165 1,574 yds 14 touchdowns 3 interceptions/33 carries 77 yds 5 touchdowns
Preseason - N/R
Wk 1 - H/M
Wk 2 - 10
Wk 3 - 10
Wk 4 - 9
Wk 5 - H/M
Wk 6 - 9
Wk 7 - 9
Wk 8 - BYE
10. Riley Leonard, Notre Dame
Wk 7 - 16/22 229 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/6 carries 31 yds 1 touchdown v Stanford (49-7 W)
Season - 98/148 979 yds 6 touchdowns 2 interceptions/65 carries 405 yds 8 touchdowns
Preseason - 7
Wk 1 - 8
Wk 2 - H/M
Wk 3 - H/M
Wk 4 - 10
Wk 5 - 10
Wk 6 - 10
Wk 7 - 10
Wk 8 - @ Georgia Tech
Others
Brady Cook, Missouri
Wk 7 - 14/19 219 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/3 carries 16 yds 0 touchdowns @ Massachusetts (45-3 W)
Season - 119/184 1,351 yds 7 touchdowns 1 interception/40 carries 124 yds 4 touchdowns
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
Wk 7 - 23/34 341 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/4 carries 32 yds 1 touchdown v no.2 Ohio State (32-31 W)
Season - 153/201 1,790 yds 13 touchdowns 3 interceptions/28 carries 103 yds 4 touchdowns
Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Wk 7- 31/41 309 yds 3 touchdowns 0 interceptions/7 carries 30 yds 0 touchdowns @ Wake Forest (49-14 W)
Season - 123/184 1,528 yds 17 touchdowns 2 interceptions/35 carries 198 yds 4 touchdowns
Kyle McCord, Syracuse
Wk 7 - 31/42 346 yds 2 touchdowns 0 interceptions/2 carries -18 yds 0 touchdowns @ NC State (24-17 W)
Season - 185/282 2,160 yds 19 touchdowns 6 interceptions/24 carries -12 yds 1 touchdown
Miller Moss, USC
Wk 7 - 20/34 220 yds 2 touchdowns 1 interception/1 carry -4 yds 0 touchdowns v no.4 Penn State (33-30 L)
Season - 149/234 1,618 yds 11 touchdowns 5 interceptions/16 carries -24 yds 1 touchdown
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!
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