Devy Roundup: Week Two
Hurricane Irma took center stage over the weekend, tormenting the Southeastern region of the United States. Four collegiate football games were postponed, but many great ones were still played.
The Oklahoma-Ohio State game was one of the better ones of the week. The first half was a low-scoring, defensive battle and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield stepped up in the second half. After battling numerous lower-body injuries in the first half, he displayed grit and toughness to throw three touchdowns in the second half after falling behind 10-3. Oklahoma pulled away in the fourth quarter and won 31-16. Filled with excitement, Mayfield stuck an Oklahoma flag near midfield as teammates surrounded him and cheered on. Although controversial, I enjoy seeing such raw emotion from players, especially on big stages like this critical game.
In addition, Lamar Jackson deserves much more praise than he has received to start the year. He was nearly impossible to defend last year and looks even better this season. He added muscle in the offseason and seems to be going through his progressions quicker. In addition, his remarkable athleticism often overshadows his underrated accuracy. He continues to impress me every time I watch him.
Finally, USC made a statement in their PAC-12 showdown with Stanford. After a rusty outing against Western Michigan last week, Sam Darnold looked more like the top quarterback prospect many have pegged him as. The running back combination of Ronald Jones and Stephen Carr also looks special. Once again, the USC offense looks like it is going to be very fun to watch this year.
You can find the final results of each week two game here.
Top Performers
Performances ranked on a 5-star scale
5 stars – Baker Mayfield, QB Oklahoma (27-35, 386 passing yards, 3 TDs)
Mayfield is a true leader, something you love to see in your quarterback. He battled numerous injuries in the first half but kept returning to the game and grinding it out. He displayed grit and competitiveness as he was seen giving high-fives and encouraging teammates after touchdown passes in the second half. He ended the night with nearly 400 passing yards to go along with three touchdowns and no interceptions against a very good Ohio State defense.
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5 stars – Courtland Sutton, WR SMU (8 catches, 163 yards, 4 TDs)
Sutton was truly dominant against North Texas. He caught eight passes and half of them went for touchdowns. I am excited to see how he fares against tougher competition later in the year.
5 stars – Lamar Jackson, QB Louisville (25-39, 393 passing yards, 3 TDs, 132 rushing yards, 3 TDs)
Lamar Jackson is a generational talent. I honestly have not seen anything like him since Michael Vick. His blend of arm talent and exceptional athleticism is truly special. He is the ultimate playmaker at the college level and is my current choice for this year’s Heisman Trophy winner. He continues to put up video-game-like numbers.
4 stars – Sam Darnold, QB USC (21-26, 316 passing yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs)
As many predicted, Darnold made a statement after his rough outing last week against Western Michigan. He routinely extended plays with his feet and picked apart the Stanford secondary, possibly one of the best he will face this year. For anyone who doubted him, Darnold looks like the real deal.
4 stars – Jonathan Taylor, RB Wisconsin (26 carries, 223 yards, 3 TDs)
Much like J.K. Dobbins, true freshman Jonathan Taylor has had an impressive start to his collegiate career. He carried Wisconsin on his back last week, as he ran for over 200 yards and had three touchdowns. He looks like he might be next in the long line of great Wisconsin running backs.
4 stars – Shea Patterson, QB Ole Miss (32-43, 489 passing yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT)
Sure, it was against UT Martin, but Shea Patterson put up a monster stat line against them. He had nearly 500 passing yards to go along with five touchdown passes. He has one of the best wide receiver duos in D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown so it will not be a surprise if he has more games like this as the season progresses.
Honorable Mentions: Mason Rudolph (25-38, 335 passing yards, 3 TDs), Josh Rosen (22-25, 329 passing yards, 5 TDs), Ronald Jones (23 carries, 116 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 1 catch, 10 yards), Bryce Love (17 carries, 160 yards rushing, 1 TD), Will Grier (19-25, 352 yards, 5 TDs), A.J. Brown (8 catches, 156 yards, 2 TDs), Akrum Wadley (28 carries, 118 yards, 1 TD, 4 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD), Jacob Park (25-46, 347 passing yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT), Richie James (8 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD), L.J. Scott (18 carries, 86 yards rushing, 1 TD, 3 catches, 25 yards, 1 TD), Kelvin Harmon (9 catches, 121 yards, 1 TD), Royce Freeman (29 carries, 153 yards, 2 TDs, 1 catch, 9 yards), D’Angelo Brewer (38 carries, 262 yards, 3 TDs)
Poor Performers
Performances ranked on a 5-star scale
1 star – Jarrett Stidham, QB Auburn (13-24, 79 yards, 0 TDs, 18 carries, -42 yards)
While Stidham’s stat line looks putrid, it was not entirely his fault. He was constantly running for his life, as Clemson ended up sacking him eleven times. He actually made some nice throws last week. Let’s just hope Auburn can find a way to protect him going forward.
2 stars – J.T. Barrett, QB Ohio State (19-35, 183 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 18 carries, 66 yards)
It sure seems like J.T. Barrett has been at Ohio State for about eight years. Unfortunately, he just does not excite me as a passer. Sure, he is an athletic quarterback who can run the ball efficiently, but he just has not proven he can make critical throws when needed.
There was one play that stuck out in my mind on Saturday. Ohio State had a third and goal with about eight minutes left in the third quarter. The game was tied at ten apiece. Barrett had a receiver open in the corner of the end zone and just overthrew him. The Buckeyes settled for a field goal and a little of their momentum was lost. Plays like that one really change games and might have affected the outcome of this one.
2 stars – Deon Cain, WR Clemson (2 catches, 27 yards)
Clemson and Auburn played a defensive battle last Saturday, as the 14-6 final score indicates. Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant only threw for 181 yards, but I still expected more out of Deon Cain than the 27 receiving yards he had. He will look to bounce back against the tough Louisville defense he scored two touchdowns against a year ago.
2 stars – Equanimeous St. Brown, WR Notre Dame (2 catches, 16 yards)
St. Brown was simply not involved much in this game. Georgia made him a priority in their defensive game plan. To make matters worse, St. Brown dropped a deep ball. Hopefully, another Notre Dame receiver can step up to open the field for St. Brown.
Depth Chart Battles
As we approach the third week of the season, a number of positional battles continue to form. It will be fun to watch these play out over the course of the season.
Alabama Running Backs
The blowout against Fresno State allowed Alabama to get freshman Najee Harris some extended run. He tallied 13 carries compared to the six Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris received. While I do not expect this ratio to be repeated as the season progresses, Alabama still has a crowded backfield and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Georgia Running Backs
Sony Michel and Nick Chubb each received 13 carries on Saturday. While Elijah Holyfield did not receive any, he did return two kicks. As he works his way back into the rotation from suspension, this backfield figures to continue to be one of the more difficult ones to predict each week.
USC Running Backs
Freshman running back Stephen Carr was impressive again, rushing for 119 yards and adding 18 receiving yards as well. Ronald Jones was equally impressive, running for 116 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Together, they look to be forming one of the most dangerous backfields in the country. Pairing them with star quarterback Sam Darnold is going to be scary for opposing defenses.
Ole Miss Receivers
D.K. Metcalf is near the top of many people’s Devy rankings, but A.J. Brown has clearly outplayed him over the first two games this year. While both figure to see a lot of playing time, could Brown make a push for the lead receiver role this season?
My Rankings
Below is a preview of my Top 25 Devy rankings. I made a few adjustments after two weeks of play. You can find my full set of Devy rankings here.
Marquee Matchups
Below are some of the more intriguing games on this week’s slate. You can check out the full week three schedule here.
1.) Clemson @ Louisville- 9/16 at 8 PM EST on ABC
This was one of the best matchups last season and figures to be a great one this year as well. Let’s see if Heisman Trophy candidate Lamar Jackson can get revenge against the stout Clemson defense he lost to last year. Can Kelly Bryant and Deon Cain step up against Louisville?
2.) Texas @ USC – 9/16 at 8:30 PM EST on FOX
Last week, we saw the Sam Darnold we became enamored with last season. I am expecting him to have another strong performance against Texas this week. Expect to see a heavy dose of Ronald Jones and Stephen Carr as well.
3.) Ole Miss @ Cal – 9/16 at 10:30 PM EST on ESPN
For those of you who live on the west coast or like to stay up late, be sure to tune into this game to watch Ole Miss receivers A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf. They form one of the best receiving groups in the nation. Quarterback Shea Patterson should have fun slinging them the ball in this one.
4.) LSU @ Mississippi State – 9/16 at 7 PM EST on ESPN
It is almost always fun to watch LSU running back Derrius Guice. For this reason alone, I will be tuning into this game. I still cannot decide if he or Saquon Barkley is my number one Devy prospect, but you cannot really go wrong with either.
5.) Wisconsin @ BYU – 9/16 at 3:30 PM EST on ABC
Jonathan Taylor has had an impressive start to his collegiate career. If you have not watched much of his first two games, tune into this game to catch one of the most impressive freshmen running backs in the country so far.
Other News/Notes
The Heisman Trophy race continues to heat up as the season progresses. Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Mason Rudolph, Sam Darnold, and Josh Rosen have all had impressive starts to their seasons. Saquon Barkley and Derrius Guice have consistently played well too. Do not forget about J.K. Dobbins, Akrum Wadley, Ronald Jones, Richie James, and Kelvin Harmon either.
Look for this series to continue to be published every Thursday. In the meantime, feel free to follow me on Twitter @TheDevyDude and get ready for another exciting week of college football!
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- Devy Roundup: Week 14 - November 26, 2019
- Devy Roundup: Week 13 - November 20, 2019
- Devy Roundup: Week 12 - November 12, 2019
