Big Ten and ACC Conference Reviews: Week One

Bruce Matson Posted On September 6, 2016

Here at Dynasty Scouts, we’ll always do our best to keep you informed about the latest happenings in college football. We watch all of the games so you don’t have to. Here’s some of what we noticed this past weekend.

Big Ten

Premier Conference Performer

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Justin Jackson, RB Northwestern (Junior)

23 carries, 124 yards, three touchdowns, two catches, 47 yards vs. Western Michigan

Jackson carried the offense on his back with 171 totals yards and scoring all three of Northwestern’s touchdowns, allowing him to own an insane 53.61 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. In the third quarter he blew by the defense for 46-yard touchdown run. Jackson is in pursuit of his third straight 1,000-yard season.

Rising

Rodney Smith, RB Minnesota (Sophomore)

25 carries, 125 yards, two touchdowns, one catch, two yards vs. Oregon State

Smith looked good in this game, he demonstrated excellent burst while running the football. He looks much improved compared to last year, running the ball with authority displaying an increase in quickness from his freshman season. The team leaned on him to keep the chains moving, utilizing his ability to grind out extra yards to control clock. Smith was a key component to the offense, owning 54.82 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. His two yard touchdown plunge early in the fourth quarter gave the Golden Gophers a one point lead, helping the team come away with the victory.

Devine Redding, RB Indiana (Junior)

22 carries, 135 yards vs. Florida International

This was a close game until the fourth game when Indiana made it rain with 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to give them a 34-13 victory. Redding was a key part of Indiana’s success as he was heavily used to grind out tough yards to control the clock. Compared to last season, Redding looks a little bit thicker in the upper body, increasing his ability to absorb contact. He ran with a lot of power between the tackles. He lost a controversial fumble late in the third quarter but he was able to regain composer in the fourth quarter as the team used his ability to run between the tackles to control the clock.

Corey Clement, RB Wisconsin (Senior)

21 carries, 86 yards, one touchdown vs. LSU

Clement had a 25.37 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. He started the game off slow but he reeled off a few spectacular runs early in the third quarter and he managed to score on a short-yardage goal line run. His size, burst and his ability to finish runs was problematic for LSU’s defense, as he was tough to tackle in the open field. Clement is flying under the radar currently and he could potentially become a key prospect in next year’s draft.

J.T. Barrett, QB Ohio State (Junior)

21/31, 349, six touchdowns, one interception, six carries, 30 yards, one touchdown vs. Bowling Green

Barrett was on his A-game Saturday against the Falcons, completing 67.74 percent of his passes while showing great poise in the pocket by completing some of his passes while under pressure. His ability to run the football kept the defense honest.

Curtis Samuel, H-Back Ohio State (Junior)

13 carries, 84 yards, one touchdown, nine catches, 177 yards, two touchdowns vs. Bowling Green

Samuel, a four-star recruit from Brooklyn, New York, played a major role in the offense by heavily contributing in both the running and passing game for the offense, which allowed him to own a 33.63 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. He scored on an 80-yard catch and run to help put the Buckeyes up 21-0 early in the first quarter. barkley

Saquon Barkley, RB Penn St. (Sophomore)

22 carries, 105 yards, one touchdown, one catch, 17 yards vs. Kent State

Barkley had a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give the Nittany Lions a 13-6 lead. He owned a 34.46 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. Barkley wore down the defense with his physical running styel and his ability to keep the chains moving allowed Penn State to control the clock late in the fourth quarter.

LJ Scott, RB Michigan State (Sophomore)

20 carries, 105 yards, one touchdown vs. Furman

Scott scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the beginning of the first quarter to give to give the Spartans a 7-0 lead. The game was too close for comfort for Michigan State and Scott’s ability to wear down the defense by using his body as a battering ram helped MSU to maintain their lead and prevented Furman’s dreams of upsetting the Spartans in colossal fashion.

Falling

Simmie Cobbs Jr., WR Indiana (Junior)

Suspended vs. Florida International

Indiana suspended six different players for the season opener for not living up to the team’s expectations during the off-season. There’s not much information detailing what Cobbs did to get suspended, but more than likely he was doing something he shouldn’t have been doing during the offseason. The suspension was for one game and he should be back in Indiana’s lineup next week.

De’Veon Smith, RB Michigan (Senior)
6 carries, 27 yards vs. Hawaii

Smith took a hard hit to the ribs early in the first half and had to come out of the game. He then returned to action later in the first half but the pain was too much for him to play through. The injury isn’t serious and Smith’s injury status should be considered day to day.

Trace McSorley, QB Penn State (Sophomore)

16/31, 209 yards, two touchdowns, 14 carries, 47 yards vs. Kent State

Penn State started the game off slow, and McSorley’s inefficient play was the main reason Kent State was able to hang in the game during the first half. He completed only 51.61 percent of his passes with a dismal 37.1 QBR.

Freshman Spotlight

Chris Evans, RB Michigan (Freshman)

Eight carries, 112 yards, two touchdowns vs. Hawaii

Evans, a four-star recruit from Indianapolis, Indiana, showcased his speed when he exploded through the defense for a 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He also scored on an 18-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, elevating Michigan’s lead to 35-0.

ACC

Premier Conference Performer

Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville (Sophomore)

17/23 passing, 285 yards, six touchdowns, 11 carries, 119 yards, two touchdowns vs. Charlotte

Jackson lit up the score board last Thursday night, connecting with 16 different wide receivers while passing for six touchdowns. He set a school record of 405 offensive yards and eight touchdowns by half time, which was previously held by Chris Redman in 1998.

Rising

Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State (Junior)

23 carries, 91 yards, 7 catches, 101 yards vs. Ole Miss

Cook accumulated 192 total yards against one of the toughest defenses in the country. Ole Miss did a really good job at stopping the run in the first half, but Cook’s receiving ability and his ability to make plays in open space kept Florida State in game. His speed, burst and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield are some of the reasons why he is considered one of the top running back prospects in the country.

Matthew Dayes, RB North Carolina State (Senior)

23 carries, 138 yards, two touchdowns, two catches, 18 yards vs. William & Mary Tribe

Dayes was on pace for 1,000-yards rushing last season until a foot injury derailed his season. Even though he was playing against a lower level of competition he demonstrated that his previous injury is no longer a factor in his ability to run the football. He had a nice play in the third quarter when he took a pitch for 30-yards down to the opponent’s four yard line. Dayes proved to be an integral part of the offense by owning a 29.17 percent market share of the team’s offensive production.

James Conner, RB Pittsburgh (Junior)

17 carries, 53 yards one touchdown, three catches, 16 yards one touchdown vs. Villanova

If you didn’t already know, this was Conner’s big comeback game as he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year. After multiple chemotherapy sessions that left him feeling weak and drained, Conner eventually restored his health and was able to hit the football field again, which is a remarkable achievement by its self. He scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, giving the Panthers a 14-0 going into halftime. Even though he ran for just 3.1 yards per carry and was stuffed on a lot of his runs, it’s still good to see him back on the field again.

Wayne Gallman, RB Clemson (Junior)

30 carries, 123 yards, one touchdown, one catch, eight yards vs. Auburn

Gallman carried the load for the Clemson Tigers by toting the rock 30 times, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. He scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to help Clemson obtain an early 7-3 lead. He also had a magnificent play late in the fourth quarter where he finished a 20-yard run by leaping over one of his own teammates.

Mike Williams, WR Clemson (Junior)

Nine catches, 174 yards vs. Auburn

This was Williams’ first game back since a severe neck injury prematurely ended his season last year. He was targeted early and often by quarterback Deshaun Watson which led to him owning a 70.16 percent market share of the team’s passing production. He’s a player to keep an eye on this season because he has the potential to become a first-round pick in rookie drafts next year.

Brady Kaaya, QB Miami (Junior)

12/18 passing, 135 yards, four touchdowns vs. Florida A&M

Kaaya proved why he is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the nation by throwing for four touchdown passes. His accuracy allowed him to carve up the defense as he completed 66.66 percent of his passes while throwing for 7.5 yards per attempt.

Falling

Matt Colburn, RB Wake Forest (Sophomore)

11 carries, 23 yards, two catches, 29 yards vs. Tulane

This was a hard fought game and the defenses prevailed as both offenses were ineffective at moving the football. Colburn was shut down on the majority of his rushing attempts causing him to average just 2.1 yards per carry.

Mitch Trubisky, QB North Carolina (Junior)

24/40 passing, 156 yards, 3 carries, 7 yards, one touchdown vs. Georgia

Trubisky was horribly inefficient, averaging 3.9 yards per pass attempt and only completing just 60 percent of his pass attempts. He was very inaccurate throwing the ball to the intermediate and deep sectors of the field. He will get the chance to redeem himself next week when North Carolina hits the road to play Illinois, which is a much easier matchup and should help him shake any early-season jitters.

Stacey Coley, WR Miami (Senior)

Two catches, 13 yards, one touchdown vs. Florida A&M

Game flow didn’t fall into Coley’s favor as Miami had a 28-3 lead going into halftime, which curtailed the amount of target he could have potentially received. He should get a lot more opportunities to produce this season, so keep an eye on him because he should be a trendy mid-round option during next year’s rookie drafts.

Freshman Spotlight

Moe Neal, RB Syracuse (Freshman)

9 carries, 68 yards, one touchdown vs. Colgate

Neal exploded for a 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He could potentially become an important asset for Syracuse in the future, because his speed provides an element that the team doesn’t have, giving them the ability to score from anywhere on the football field.

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Bruce Matson

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

I'm a financial counselor for a hospital in South Central Ohio. I graduated from Muskingum University with a bachelor's in business while minoring in Economics and Accounting. I won my first fantasy football title with Jake Plummer as my quarterback.