Hogs Haven
There weren’t a lot of surprises in the college football world from Week 9. Oregon rolled past Illinois to remain atop the rankings. Boise State, a favorite to make the College Football Playoff from the Group of Five, won a close game against UNLV despite running back Ashton Jeanty rushing for a paltry 128 yards. Alabama bounced back in a big way by blanking Missouri. Vanderbilt was at it again, giving a fifth-ranked Texas team all it could handle. Unlike Alabama, Texas did just enough to escape Nashville with a win. In a game that could determine who plays for an SEC championship, Texas A&M orchestrated a phenomenal comeback by shutting down LSU in the second half.
The marquee matchup in Week 10 is #3 Penn State taking on #2 Ohio State. The game could eliminate the Bucketes from contention for the Big Ten championship, but they’ve had Penn State’s number recently. In the ACC, unbeaten Pittsburgh will take on a one-loss SMU and Clemson, whose only loss was to Georgia, will face Louisville. Fresh off their win against LSU, Texas A&M will head to South Carolina. Unbeaten Iowa State will face off against Texas Tech in the Big 12.
Below are just a few players who had a good week and might be able to improve the Commanders’ roster. Let me know what you think of these prospects and feel free to post players that stood out to you.
Arkansas rolled over Mississippi State with Taylen Green leading the way for the Razorbacks. The Boise State transfer is a blend of elite size at 6’6”, 230 lbs, and athleticism. He is creative as a runner and faster than his looks because of his long strides. There is work to be done in the pocket. His delivery is a little slow and he needs to improve how he sees defenses and where he places the ball. He accounted for six touchdowns - five through the air and one on the ground - while completing 23 of 29 passes for 257 yards with a pick and running for 79 yards on eight attempts.
When a running back not named Ashton Jeanty puts up the most rushing yards in a game for the college football season, that player deserves a look. Jarquez Hunter is 5’10”, 209 lbs, and has plenty of speed once he gets into the open field. He did a good job of reading his blocks to find the correct hole and wasted no time getting through them. Defenders making arm tackles had a tough time bringing him down. I didn’t see a lot of elusiveness or shiftiness to make defenders miss, but he didn’t need it against Kentucky and one of the best defensive tackles in the country in Deone Walker. Hunter rushed 23 times for 278 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a pretty good weekend...
