Top-10 CFB Showstoppers From Week 9: Darian Mensah And Dylan Raiola Lead the Way
I played offensive line for eight seasons in the NFL, and before that I spent my Saturdays in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, blocking for guys who ended up on lists like this one. So when I watch college football now, I watch for the stuff that signaled to me in the huddle whether a guy was for real.
I'm picking the 10 players who impressed me most during the previous weekend. Not just the gaudiest stat lines, but the performances that hold up when you turn the tape on. Some weeks, that'll be an edge rusher wreaking havoc. Other weeks, it'll be a lineman you've never heard of who didn't lose a rep all afternoon. I have a soft spot for those guys.
Week 9 had several guys ball out. Let's get into it.
It was ugly for Miami in Chapel Hill, but have no fear— Darian Mensah is here! The new Heisman favorite went 22 of 29 for 274 yards and three passing touchdowns in the 38-35 victory over North Carolina. Over his last three games, he's thrown 10 touchdowns with just one interception, and on the year, he has a whopping 25 passing scores and just the one interception against Florida State. He's an absolute baller.
As an Oregon fan, it’s been a wild ride watching Raiola the last month. The high of the USC game along with the lows of the UCLA and Illinois performance. Oregon switched offensive coordinators and it appears that switch did good for Raiola. He was 22 of 31 for 336 yards with three touchdowns against Northwestern. If he can keep this up, it may allow Oregon to win a few more games this season.
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Bowman may have made the offensive play of the weekend against Ohio State. Bowman caught a short pass and rumbled for 70 yards. The true freshman continues to showcase his special talents when he’s in the open space. He’s on pace to be an incredible player for USC in the years to come.
The linebackers at Georgia are a blast to watch on film. They are huge. They move like players half their size. Cole was a man amongst boys against Florida. He had nine tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. An amazing day for the future NFL star.
Stokes is making a name for himself this season and will be atop plenty of Power 4 QB transfer wish lists. He completed 29 of 35 pass attempts for 371 yards and four touchdowns against Army on Saturday. He added a fifth touchdown via his rushing. Stokes leads all of FBS in total touchdowns with 28 to his name.
Aiden put up monster numbers for Iowa State in their upset over Oklahoma State last weekend. He ended up with 29 carries for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter stretched Iowa State’s lead out to 10 points and they were able to hold on to win 51-49.
The word "quarterback" is a loose term for Air Force’s third string signal caller. He attempted one pass that was not completed. However, he rushed 35 times for 200 yards and four touchdowns. He also added a long rush of 62 yards. Air Force being able to keep the offense rolling without their starting quarterback is impressive, and Hodges gets much of the credit for that.
Roberts went off for 138 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 34-10 victory over Arkansas. He averaged six yards a carry on 23 attempts, and also caught three passes for 20 yards and a receiving score. Roberts is elusive and has incredible vision, which is why he's just one of three FBS players to have already eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing.
For the first time in college football history, both teams made a 60-yard field goal in the same game. Both of these kicks occurred in the final 19 seconds of regulation. Drzewiecki put Minnesota ahead with 19 seconds left and then McAteer came in cold (another Indiana kicker attempted four field goals) and blasted a 60-yarder to tie the game. Indiana won in overtime, both of these guys should get some love.