Dynasty Scouts Conference Reviews: Big 10 and ACC

Bruce Matson

cook1We will be reviewing the risers, fallers, a premier conference performer, and we will shine a spotlight on the top freshmen every week. These weekly recaps will keep you informed on the “hot” college players around the country and will make studying for your future rookie draft effortless.

BIG 10

Premier Conference Performer

Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State (Junior)
19 carries, 142 yards, two touchdowns, three catches, 29 yards vs. Rutgers

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Elliott rushed for his thirteenth straight 100-yard game as he eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the season. This is his second straight season with over 1,000 yards rushing. He put the final nail in the coffin as he rushed for a 55-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the Buckeyes up 49-0.

Rising

Michael Thomas, WR Ohio State (Junior)
Five catches, 103 yards, one touchdown vs. Rutgers 

Thomas had a few missed catches keeping him from causing a lot of damage to the Scarlet Knight defense. He caught a short pass on a curl route where he slipped past the defender, and ran it for a 50-yard touchdown. With his superb route running, Thomas proved to be a tough matchup for the defensive backs. He has 536 receiving yards for the year.

Alex Erickson, WR Wisconsin (Senior)
Ten catches, 96 yards, one touchdown, four carries, 81 yards vs. Illinois

Erickson stepped up as one of the leaders of the offense, when quarterback Joel Stave came out of the game due to a concussion. He caught a nine yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help put the fighting Illini away 24-13.

Jordan Howard, RB Indiana (Junior)
11 carries, 78 yards, one touchdown vs. Michigan State

This was his first productive game since he injured his ankle against Ohio State. He was able to get into the end zone during the first quarter on a short yardage score. I expect him to pick up where he left off before the injury. 

Connor Cook, QB Michigan State (Senior)
30/52 passing, 398 yards, four touchdowns vs. Indiana

Cook led the charge and kept Michigan State from being upset against Indiana. He was fantastic at converting third downs by passing for 10 of 15 for 139 yards. Cook was incredibly accurate while throwing the football, as he routinely hit receivers who were tightly covered. He was in the zone and this was possibly one of the best games of his career.

Christian Hackenberg, QB Penn State
13/29 passing, 315 yards, three touchdowns vs. Maryland

Hackenber submerged his spot in the Penn State record books for career completions (608) and career passing yards (7,453), taking the top spot from former PSU quarterback Zack Mills. He threw a 27-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to put the Nittany Lions up 31-27.

Falling

Leonte Carroo, WR Rutgers (Senior)
Three catches, 55 yards vs. Ohio State

I got really excited when I found out that Carroo was going to suit up and play after battling an ankle injury and not practicing all week. He was fighting through the pain as he came up limping after running some of his routes. He aggravated his ankle injury and he didn’t play in the second half.

Justin Jackson, RB Northwestern (Sophomore)
14 carries, 40 yards, two catches, 55 yards vs. Nebraska

He couldn’t get anything going on the ground against the Cornhuskers as he rushed for just 2.9 yards per carry. This was his third performance in a row where he failed to surpass 50 yards rushing.

Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State (Freshman)
20 carries, 65 yards vs. Maryland

Maryland’s stacked fronts created very little rushing lanes for Barkley to run through as they contained him to 3.2 yards per carry. He had a case of the butterfingers as he fumbled twice, losing one of them on the Penn State 31-yard line. This was the roughest game of his career.

Freshman Spotlight

Clayton Thorson, QB Northwestern (Freshman)
13/28 passing, 177 yards, one touchdown, nine carries, 126 yards, one touchdown vs. Nebraska

Thorson was Northwestern’s offense, as he was productive through the air and on the ground for the Wildcats. He busted out runs of 68 and 40 to set up scores. He threw a 37-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to help put the Cornhuskers away.

ACC

Premier Conference Performer

Bucky Hodges, TE Virginia Tech (Sophomore)
Five catches, 101 yards, three touchdowns vs. Duke

Quarterback Michael Brewer kept his eye on Hodges around the goal line as the two teamed up for three touchdowns. Hodges used his size to box out defenders. He caught a clutch 23-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to help send the game into overtime.

Rising

Elijah Hood, RB North Carolina (Sophomore)
21 carries, 101 yards, two touchdowns vs. Virginia

Late in the second half, the Tar Heels utilized Hood to run out the clock once they established the lead. He plowed his way easily through Virginia’s defense. Hood managed to score on two short yardage touchdowns. This was his fourth 100-yard game of the season.

Deshaun Watson, QB Clemson (Sophomore)
15/19 passing, 143 yards, eight carries, 98 yards, one touchdown vs. Miami

Watson had a near flawless performance as Clemson scorched Miami 58-0. His dual threat abilities were too much for the Hurricane defense. He completed 78.9 percent of his passes. Watson was able to cause this much damage while sitting out most of the second half.

Matthew Dayes, RB North Carolina State (Junior)
16 carries, 205 yards, two touchdowns, one catch, 16 yards vs. Wake Forest

Dayes started off the game with a bang by bursting through the line of scrimmage and out running the defense for an 85-yard touchdown. He had another long touchdown run of 57-yards. He demonstrated his homerun hitting speed on both touchdown runs. Dayes ranks second in the ACC in rushing with 793 yards.

Falling

Brad Kaaya, QB Miami (Sophomore)
6/10 passing, 51 yards, one interception vs. Clemson

Kaaya didn’t get the chance to lead Miami back in this game as he was knocked out of the game during the second quarter with a concussion. He was sacked twice and he threw his second interception of the season.

Matt Johns, QB Virginia (Junior)
17/30 passing, 148 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions vs. North Carolina

He had five turnovers in this game, he threw for four interceptions while also losing a fumble. He threw an interception in the end zone on a fourth and goal with under six minutes left in the game. He was off on a lot of his throws which made it hard for his receivers to make any plays. Johns’ atrocious play was the main reason the Cavaliers lost the game.

Joseph Yearby, RB Miami (Sophomore)
13 carries, 42 yards, one catch, four yards vs. Clemson

This is Yearby’s third straight sub-optimal performance. Clemson’s defense wrecked Miami’s offensive line causing Yearby to not have any rushing lanes to run through. This was a bad match up for him and I expect him to rebound in the near future.

Freshman Spotlight

Qadree Ollison, RB Pittsburgh (Freshman)
23 carries, 103 yards, two touchdowns vs. Syracuse

Pitt used Ollison’s size and power to plow through Syracuse’s defense to help sustain drives. He scored on two short touchdown runs. He rushed for seven straight carries for 26 yards on the final drive to assist with setting up the game winning kick.
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bruce matson