Devy Roundup: Week 12

Kyle Holden

What a statement Joe Burrow and the rest of the LSU Tigers made on Saturday for their first win over Alabama in eight years. Burrow has been impressive this year but it is the first year he has been able to put it all together so I was skeptical. His strong performance against the tough Alabama defense was critical for my evaluation and probably the NFL’s as well. Not only was it a great win for LSU but college football too. We need some more parity at the top of the SEC.

Top performers

Below are some of the top performers of the week. Of course, I could not list everyone who played well, but here are a few who stood out. You can find the full set of statistics from the week here.

Joe Burrow, QB LSU (393 yards passing, 3 TDs, 64 yards rushing)

Burrow looked outstanding against the tough Alabama defense, one of the best tests in college football. His Heisman and NFL draft stocks are both soaring as he focuses in on a National Championship.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB LSU (103 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 9 rec, 77 yards, 1 TD)

Edwards-Helaire was also outstanding against Alabama on Saturday. The Tigers went from Leonard Fournette to Derrius Guice and then some looked forward to freshman John Emery while skipping over Edwards-Helaire. Not a popular devy name to start the year, Edwards-Helaire is arguably one of the more underrated running backs in college football.

Rashod Bateman, WR Minnesota (7 rec, 203 yards, 1 TD)

Both Bateman and teammate Tyler Johnson had big games en route to an upset over fourth-ranked Penn State last Saturday. Both receivers showed their playmaking ability and why so many are excited about their futures.

Salvon Ahmed, RB Washington (174 yards rushing, 2 TDs)

With Myles Gaskin gone to the NFL, Ahmed has looked good this year with his increased role. It will be tough to stand out in this stellar 2020 running back class but Ahmed has some sleeper potential.

Devonta Smith, WR Alabama (7 rec, 213 yards, 2 TDs)

Devonta Smith had another big game on Saturday and was Alabama’s leading receiver in their tough loss to rival LSU. Often forgotten among the Alabama quartet of receivers, Smith will be another value pick in rookie drafts.

Brock Purdy, QB Iowa State (282 yards passing, 5 TDs, 55 yards rushing, 1 TD)

Purdy played exceptional as the Cyclones nearly defeated the Oklahoma Sooners. Purdy threw an interception on the go-ahead two-point conversion but otherwise played really well.

Jonathan Taylor, RB Wisconsin (250 yards rushing, 1 rec, 8 yards)

He did not score in this game, but Taylor still dominated on the ground and helped Wisconsin hold off Iowa. He has been so consistently dominant in his time at Wisconsin this performance has started to feel routine for him. I would be surprised if he is not a first-round NFL draft pick come April.

Holton Ahlers, QB ECU (498 yards passing, 6 TDs, 25 yards rushing)

East Carolina and SMU put on an offensive clinic in their matchup Saturday. Even though Ahlers lost he had a nearly flawless game. Half his yards and touchdowns went to wide receiver Tyler Snead. Those two were the main reasons why East Carolina was able to keep up with the high-flying SMU offense.

Jarren Williams, QB Miami (253 yards passing, 6 TDs, 23 yards rushing

Williams’s six touchdowns were a new Miami record and tied the ACC record, pretty impressive for a redshirt freshman. In addition, Williams has only thrown an interception in one of the nine games he has played this year.

Kedon Slovis, QB USC (432 yards passing, 4 TDs, 1 INT)

A third-string quarterback to start the year, Slovis continues to impress as the starter. He led the Trojans to a win over Arizona State to improve to six and three on the season. Both receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Michael Pittman had big days too.

MARQUEE MATCHUPS

Below are some of the games I will be sure to tune into for this upcoming week’s slate. You can check out the full week eleven schedule here.

#3 Alabama @ Mississippi State – 11/16 @ 12 PM EST on ESPN

Alabama looks to rebound after a tough loss to LSU. They will likely need to win the rest of their games to have a chance at making the college football playoffs. The matchup I am most intrigued by in this game is running back Kylin Hill against the Alabama defense. I like to use their defense as a measuring stick to how a player might stack up against NFL competition since it is one of the closest comparisons we have in college football.

#19 Wake Forest @ #5 Clemson – 11/16 @ 3:30 PM EST on ABC

Like Kylin Hill against the tough Alabama defense, I will be keeping an eye on how wide receiver Sage Surratt plays against the Clemson secondary. Surratt has been a quick riser up my devy rankings this year but I am eager to see how he stacks up against tough competition. Clemson might look to let out a little frustration after seeing themselves ranked fifth in the first week of the CFP Rankings.

#6 Georgia @ #11 Auburn – 11/16 @ 3:30 PM EST on CBS

Like it is nearly every season at this time of year, the SEC has some critical matchups that will likely determine playoff seeding. Georgia needs some help to make it this year but step one is defeating an Auburn team led by true freshman quarterback Bo Nix.

kyle holden
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