Devy Roundup: Week 11
Bring out the turnover chain! There were not a lot of upsets this past weekend, but there were a few big ones amongst playoff hopefuls. Auburn dominated top-ranked Georgia and Miami crushed third-ranked Notre Dame. I saw a friendly wager placed between former Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate and former Miami defensive lineman Dwayne Johnson, better known as “The Rock.” It is safe to say The Rock won the bet rather easily.
You can find the final results of each week 11 game here.
Top Performers
Performances ranked on a 5-star scale
5 stars – Rodney Anderson, RB Oklahoma (151 yards rushing, 2 TDs, 5 recs, 139 yards, 2 TDs)
Anderson accounted for nearly 300 total yards to go along with four total touchdowns as he and quarterback Baker Mayfield helped Oklahoma cruise by TCU in a matchup of two top-ranked teams. Oklahoma continues to solidify its case for a playoff spot.
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5 stars – Kerryon Johnson, RB Auburn (32 carries, 167 yards, 2 recs, 66 yards, 1 TD)
Johnson was a key factor in Auburn’s surprising upset of top-ranked Georgia. He carried the ball a whopping 32 times and looked great doing so. He demonstrated excellent patience and vision on his runs. Johnson also had a receiving touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
5 stars – Derrius Guice, RB LSU (21 carries, 147 yards, 3 TDs)
Guice seems to be finally healthy again, or at least close to it. He has had a few dominant performances in the last few weeks, including a nice game against Arkansas. Once again, he demonstrated the speed, power, and balance that makes him so special.
5 stars – Justice Hill, RB Oklahoma State (134 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 6 recs, 35 yards)
Justice Hill is one of the most underrated players in the country. He has been impressive for the last two seasons and has been exceptional this year. He was a big factor against Iowa State last week as he had another 100-yard rushing game to go along with three touchdowns.
Honorable Mentions: Bryce Love (166 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 1 rec, 12 yards), Myles Gaskin (120 yards rushing, 3 TDs), N’Keal Harry (6 recs, 95 yards, 1 TD), Jordan Lasley (7 recs, 162 yards, 1 TD), Calvin Ridley (5 recs, 171 yards), Baker Mayfield (333 yards passing, 3 TDs, 50 yards rushing), Jonathan Taylor (157 yards rushing, 1 rec, 14 yards), Ronald Jones II (142 yards rushing, 1 TD, 1 rec, 6 yards), Sam Darnold (329 yards passing, 2 TDs, 31 yards rushing, 1 TD), Mike Weber (9 carries, 162 yards rushing, 2 TDs), J.K. Dobbins (18 carries, 124 yards rushing, 4 recs, 20 yards, 1 TD), Mason Rudolph (376 yards passing, 3 TDs), David Montgomery (105 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 6 recs, 44 yards), Allen Lazard (9 recs, 126 yards, 2 TDs), D.J. Chark (4 recs, 130 yards, 2 TDs), A.J. Dillon (196 yards rushing, 1 TD), Courtland Sutton (7 recs, 123 yards, 2 TDs), A.J. Brown (14 recs, 185 yards, 2 TDs), Lamar Jackson (195 yards passing, 3 TDs, 147 yards rushing, 1 TD), Michael Gallup (11 recs, 102 yards, 1 TD), Khalil Tate (68 yards passing, 1 TD, 206 yards rushing, 2 TDs)
Poor Performers
Performances ranked on a 5-star scale
1 star – Nick Chubb, RB Georgia (11 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD)
Chubb had a one-yard touchdown early in the game against Auburn, but could not find much room to run after that. After an early seven-point lead for Georgia, Auburn dominated the rest of the game in their upset of the top-overall seed.
1 star – Akrum Wadley, RB Iowa (8 carries, 23 yards, 2 catches, 2 yards)
Wadley had a very quiet day against Wisconsin. He had trouble finding room to run against a tough Wisconsin defense and only had ten total touches on the day. However, I am still a fan of his shifty play-style.
1 star – D.K. Metcalf, WR Ole Miss (1 rec, 7 yards)
D.K. Metcalf had another quiet day and was completely out-produced by fellow Ole Miss receiver A.J. Brown. Metcalf has all of the physical tools in the world but those do not always translate into success on the field.
Depth Chart Battles
As we approach the 12th week of the season, below are a few positional battles I continue to keep my eye on.
USC Running Backs
Ronald Jones received 25 carries against Colorado while no other USC ball carrier received more than three. Talented freshman Stephen Carr is still working his way back from injury, but Jones has thrived in the increased role.
Ole Miss Receivers
A.J. Brown continues to out-produce D.K. Metcalf when healthy. He had 14 receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns last Saturday while Metcalf only had one catch for seven yards. Metcalf was way ahead of Brown in my preseason devy rankings, but Brown has surged ahead as Metcalf has fallen down a bit. Both are very talented, but it is a much closer comparison now than it was a few months ago.
Georgia Running Backs
The entire Georgia offense struggled against Auburn, but the allocation of carries remained fairly normal. Nick Chubb and Sony Michel each received about ten carries while D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield each received a few. Look for Swift and Holyfield to receive more opportunities next year once Chubb and Michel head to the NFL.
My Rankings
Below is a preview of my Top 25 Devy rankings. I made a few adjustments after this week of play. You can find my full set of Devy rankings here.
Marquee Matchups
Below are some of the more intriguing games on this upcoming week’s slate. You can check out the full Week 12 schedule here.
1.) Michigan @ Wisconsin – 11/18 @ 12 PM EST on FOX
Michigan will look to upset Wisconsin in this crucial Big-10 matchup. However, talented freshman Jonathan Taylor and the rest of the Wisconsin running attack will have something to say about that as they look to solidify their spot in the playoff race.
2.) SMU @ Memphis – 11/18 @ 12 PM EST on ESPNNews/WatchESPN
Tune into this one to check out a couple of talented receivers. Courtland Sutton and Anthony Miller should be fun to watch in this game.
3.) LSU @ Tennessee – 11/18 @ 7 PM EST on ESPN/WatchESPN
Derrius Guice finally looks healthy again as LSU takes on SEC-rival Tennessee in this one. LSU receiver D.J. Chark is coming off an impressive game against Arkansas last week and has four 100-yard receiving games on the year. Tennessee running back John Kelly is another talented ball carrier to watch.
4.) UCLA @ USC – 11/18 @ 8 PM EST on ABC/WatchESPN
Josh Rosen versus Sam Darnold. These two Southern California rivals will play for the Victory Bell on Saturday night, as two of the top quarterbacks in the nation battle it out. It will be the first time these two play against each other.
Other News/Notes
As you can tell from the Marquee Matchups section above, there are not many high-profile matchups between top-ranked teams this week. However, it should still be a fun week of college football. I will be focusing more on individual performances than game scores. In addition, a few critical conference matchups could still change the landscape of the playoff picture as well as their conference standings.
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
