Standouts from Week 10 in College Football
On a weekend where many top teams were tested and upsets occurred, here are the players who stood out to me the most in Week 10.
Tanner Mordecai, QB, SMU
Let's start this one off with a historic performance. Mordecai has had some prolific numbers throughout his career and has struggled a bit this season, but he was fantastic in SMU's 77-63 win over Houston. The Oklahoma transfer threw for 379 yards and was responsible for 10 touchdowns (nine passing and one rushing).
Clayton Tune, QB, Houston
As you would expect from a game like that, the opposing quarterback was also playing his best. Tune, a fellow, senior, actually outthrew Mordecai with 527 yards and seven touchdowns. Plus, he added another 111 yards on the ground. Even though his team lost the game and he threw three interceptions, that's an impressive day for anyone.
Caleb Williams, QB, USC
So far, so good for Caleb Williams at USC. The sophomore is quickly rising to the top of 2024 NFL Draft boards and is squarely in the 2022-23 Heisman Trophy race. USC got a fight from Cal, but Williams stayed cool and collected and finished the game with 360 yards and four touchdowns.
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
Nix might be the hottest quarterback in the nation right now. Since an abysmal performance in the season-opener against Georgia, the Ducks' signal-caller has thrown for 2,322 yards with 22 touchdown passes and just three interceptions while completing 73% of his passes and running for another 13 scores during an eight-game winning streak. The dual-threat never reached his potential at AUburn, but Oregon has unlocked something in him as it fights toward a potential PAC-12 title.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Richardson has been known as a running quarterback for most of his career, but he did plenty with his arm on Saturday as well. The quarterback helped lead the Gators over Texas A&M with 201 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added 78 yards and two more touchdowns as a runner.
Nakia Watson, RB, Washington State
We're used to seeing Washington State quarterbacks light up the stat sheet, but it's Watson who has been the most consistent and productive player for the Cougars' offense this season. While Stanford isn;t the same team it used to be, Watson ran for 166 yards and averaged over 10 yards per carry.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
Many consider Robinson the best running back in the country, and he shows it each week. The Longhorns came away with a huge upset over Kanas State on the road as the Wildcats could not contain him. He finished the game with 209 yards and a touchdown.
Kendre Miller, RB, TCU
Max Duggan has stood out plenty this season, but don't sleep on Miller. He ran for a season-high 158 yards in a comeback win over Texas Tech (his sixth 100-yard game of the season) and has scored at least once in every game this year.
Georgia Defense
Tennessee came into this weekend with the top offense in the country--averaging 52 points per game. The Dawgs' defense was up for the challenge, routinely beating the Vols' offensive line and making life miserable for Hendon Hooker. Potential NFL first-rounders Jalen Carter and Kelee Ringo led the way, and the unit was even missing its best pass rusher.
Brian Kelly, Head Coach, LSU
Beat Alabama on your first try and you end up on this list. Kelly had a couple run-ins with Saban and the Crimson Tide at Notre Dame but never came out on top. LSU has been rolling lately, and Kelly deserves a ton of credit for this win and the season as a whole. Plus, the call to go for the win instead of continuing to another overtime period was as gusty as it gets.