Week 10 of College Football had plenty of big performances and some disappointing performances as well. We will look at what happened in Week 2 and some players to watch out for in Week 11.
Week 10 Review
Sam Howell, North Carolina – North Carolina has not met expectations for this season, but Howell was able to bring North Carolina back against Wake Forest this past weekend. While he did not have eye-popping passing numbers, he did not turn the ball over and had over 100 yards rushing along with 2 rushing TDs. Howell does not get the credit for his legs like other QBs but he now has 6 games with over 90 rushing yards this season and was graded as the most elusive player in college football by PFF through week 9.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State – In a surprise announcement prior to kickoff, Garrett Wilson missed the game vs Nebraska with a concussion, allowing Smith-Njigba to have a bigger role. He did not disappoint with 15 receptions (an OSU record) for 240 yards and a TD. He had 42% of CJ Stroud’s completions and twice as many catches as the next highest receiver. This is his 4th straight game with over 90 yards receiving and is a good sign for next year where he will officially take over the lead role for Ohio State.
Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State – Vaughn had a great Freshman season with over 600 yards and 7 TDs but is having an even better Sophomore season so far for the Wildcats. At his size, many just think of Vaughn as a scatback. While he is great at receiving, with 5 games over 45 receiving yards, he also is a very good runner between the tackles. Vaughn already has 5 games with over 100 yards rushing and has 3 games with over 20 carries. It is time to start thinking about Vaughn as an NFL asset because he just continues to produce.
Week 11 Preview
David Bell, Purdue – Bell has his 2nd 1,000-yard receiving season and had another monster performance against 3rd ranked Michigan State. Bell was crucial in the upset with 11 receptions for 217 yards and a TD. This year he has 5 games over 100 yards receiving and 2 games over 200 yards. Those 2 games were against the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams at the time they were played. This week he gets another big opponent in Ohio State and will need another big effort for the upset. While many do not believe Bell is going to go in the 1st round, his production cannot be denied, and should provide a solid floor as a receiver in the NFL.
Caleb Williams, Oklahoma – After a bye week for Oklahoma, Williams looks to keep the offense humming against a good defense in Baylor. While Oklahoma is on the outside of the playoff picture, they likely control their own destiny with multiple games against top competition remaining on the schedule. Last game Williams did not run as much but made up for it with over 400 yards passing and 6 TDs against Texas Tech. Since taking over, the Sooners have scored over 50 points in 3 out of 4 games with Williams as the starter. Even as a Freshman, Williams is already getting pegged to be a top Devy pick and with another big week, it is hard to argue.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Georgia Tech – While some argue that Gibbs has struggled this year, he has surpassed his freshman year totals in rushing AND receiving. He is a true dual-threat at RB and had over 130 total yards with 2 TDs in a losing effort vs Miami. Georgia Tech’s offense is not consistent enough for Gibbs to produce huge numbers but every week he shows off a skillset that looks to translate very well to the NFL. He gets a strong Boston College defense this week that is 33rd in total defense, with another big performance on the ground and through the air he can help make his case for 2nd RB in the 2023 class.
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