College football provided fans with another round of ranked matchups, and fans certainly weren’t disappointed. Which individuals stood out? We dive into the College Football Week 8 players of the week.
Week 8 College Football Players of the Week
Quarterback of the Week: Bo Nix, Oregon
Bo Nix throws picks suddenly became Bo knows touchdowns. The Nike campaign might not follow, but the message should put the Pac-12 on notice. UCLA saw their undefeated season come to an end thanks to Nix, and it builds more excitement within the Ducks program.
Nix played with tremendous confidence on Saturday, connecting with wide receiver Tony Franklin quite frequently. He accounted for 334 total yards of offense along with 5 touchdowns to lead the Ducks to a 45-30 win over the Bruins.
Not only did Nix look confident, but his coach took the confidence to a new level. Dan Lanning talked about his quarterback after the game saying, “You can’t watch a football game right now and tell us that guy is not elite.”
It’s easy to see why many are hyped over Bo Nix and his performances, and the best part is there are plenty more opportunities for him to prove that he’s one of the best players in the entire country.
For now, he joins USC’s Matt Leinart as the only Pac-12 quarterback to account for 5 touchdowns against a Top 10 team. All of this should get the rest of the league’s attention.
Honorable mentions: Ben Woolridge, Louisiana: 21/34 passing for 316 yards and 5 touchdowns. Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State: 34/57 passing for 391 yards and 2 touchdowns
Offensive Player of the Week: Will Shipley, RB, Clemson
Jalin Hyatt made a run for back-to-back Offensive Player of the Week honors, but Clemson’s star running back made a bigger impact to dethrone him in Week 8.
Clemson should thank Will Shipley for this weekend. Well, they should thank their defense first, but Shipley’s right up there. Even after a fumble early in the game, Shipley bounced back to help the Tigers avoid an upset against Syracuse.
MORE: Week 8 CFB Team of the Week
He rushed 22 times for 172 yards and 2 touchdowns. While that wasn’t the most impressive box score, his impact on the game was greater than anyone else. He got the scoring started to put Clemson up 7-0 and then added a 50-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to put the Tigers up for good.
While Clemson figures out the quarterback situation, Shipley remains the rock of the offense. He’s a threat as a runner, pass catcher, and blocker, so they have many ways to utilize his skill set. That at least provides some stability while the signal-caller situation gets figured out.
Honorable mentions: Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa: 20 carries for 231 yards and 1 touchdown. Alex Adams, WR, Akron: 9 catches for 199 yards and 1 touchdown. Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee: 7 catches for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Defensive Player of the Week: Ja’Had Carter, S, Syracuse
You can blame almost anyone on Syracuse for the loss to Clemson this weekend, but one player you cannot blame is Carter. The Defensive Player of the Week in Week 8 was an easy decision, thanks to him.
First, he made an athletic interception early in the game when Clemson was driving. Not much later, he picked up a D.J. Uiagalelei fumble with Clemson just three yards away from the end zone and took it to the house to put Syracuse up 14-7.
He finished the game with 9 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception, but it wasn’t enough to stun the Tigers. After what we saw, the Orange should have put him on offense. After eight consecutive drives without a score to end the game, he might have made an impact.
Honorable mentions: Marcus Fuqua, S, Buffalo: 4 tackles and 3 interceptions. Jaylen Mahoney, DB, Vanderbilt: 12 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack. Shaun Peterson Jr., LB, FIU: 6 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 fumbles recovered. Owen Porter, LB, Marshall: 9 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 4 QB hurries, 1 pass defended.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Noah Ruggles, K, Ohio State
When you look at the final score, it’s easy to think that the offense did the most work in a 54-10 win over Iowa. However, without Ruggles, the game could have been closer. Ruggles finished with 10 made kicks (4 field goals, 6 extra points) on 10 attempts, and most of his field goals came in the first half.
Ohio State led 26-10 at halftime, with 14 of those points coming from Ruggles. The scary part is that even when teams don’t allow Ohio State’s offense in the end zone, they still manage to score.
The Buckeyes scored six times in the first half, and Ruggles proved that he can get them three points when they fail to get seven. He hit a pair of 40-yard field goals in the first quarter with ease to give and extend the Buckeyes lead.
Honorable mentions: Mason Fletcher, P, Cincinnati: 3 punts for 195 yards. Daniel Trejo, P, Texas: 8 punts for 337 yards. Joshua Karty, K, Stanford: 5/5 on field goals in a 15-14 win.
Freshman Player of the Week: Damien Martinez, RB, Oregon State
We’ve heard about Martinez and his potential in the Oregon State offense, but now we’re seeing it come to fruition. Last week, the freshman produced 111 yards but didn’t find the end zone against Washington State. This week, he made sure to get in the end zone.
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Martinez rushed 22 times for 178 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 42-9 win over Colorado. The Beavers became bowl eligible for the second consecutive season, and the future of their rushing attack appears to be in great hands.
Honorable mentions: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss: 25 carries for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri: 4 catches for 66 yards and 1 touchdown. Stephon Johnson Jr., WR, Oklahoma State: 6 catches for 90 yards.