College Football Week 4: Game Balls and the Bust of the Week

There were plenty of performances worthy of game balls in Week 4's college football action.

How about that Mid-American Conference? MAC schools defeated four BCS teams this weekend.

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein took his team into Norman, Okla., and upset the sixth-ranked Sooners.

Let's not forget Old Dominion quarterback Taylor Heinicke threw for a Division I-record 730 yards on Sunday.

The MAC, Kansas State and Heinicke's performances are each worthy of being handed a pigskin from their respective coaches.

Here are the rest of our game balls for outstanding performances this week in college football.

GAME BALL: Manti Te'o and the Notre Dame Defense

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had a big challenge on their hands this weekend.

Facing Denard Robinson is a tall task for any defense.

Inside linebacker Manti Te'o led a defense that contained Robinson to 228 total yards and forced the Michigan quarterback to throw four interceptions in a 13-6 Notre Dame victory.

Te'o corralled two of Robinson’s passes and hurried senior running back Vincent Smith into heaving up a prayer that landed in the waiting arms of one of Te'o's teammates.

What makes Te'o's effort worthy of more than a game ball is his ability to fight through adversity. Te'o recently lost his grandmother and girlfriend, tragically, to leukemia.

Big ups to the man from the 808.

GAME BALL: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Cornerback, Oregon Ducks

Arizona quarterback Matt Brown seemed determined to test Oregon corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu from the outset of Saturday night's Pac-12 clash. He definitely “picked” the wrong night to do it.

Though Ekpre-Olomu was called for two pass-interference penalties, the sophomore responded like true ballplayers do after a mistake: by making up for it.

He picked off two passes, returned one for a touchdown and broke up two others as the Oregon defense shut out Arizona 49-0.

GAME BALL: Colt Lyerla, Tight End, Oregon

Colt Lyerla proved himself to be one of the most versatile tight ends in college football.

Lyerla caught two passes for 53 yards and added seven rushes for another 63 yards and a score.

On a night when star ball-carriers De’Anthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner were fairly quiet, the tight end proved why opposing defensive coordinators are going to have to start game-planning for No. 15 as well.

GAME BALL: E.J. Manuel, Quarterback, Florida State

The Seminoles are back.

In a Top 10 matchup with Clemson in Tallahassee, the Florida State defense was tested by Tajh Boyd and the speedy Clemson offense.

E.J. Manuel was aiight with that. The senior quarterback threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns in FSU’s 49-37 win.

The senior also finished the game with 102 yards rushing. 

GAME BALL: Gary Nova, Quarterback, Rutgers

Gary Nova did his job in Fayetteville.

Rutgers’ sophomore signal-caller completed 25 of his 35 pass attempts for 397 yards and five scores en route to a 35-26 win over Arkansas.

The win moves Rutgers to 4-0 on the season, while the Razorbacks fall to 1-3.

GAME BALL: Cobi Hamilton, Wide Receiver, Arkansas

In the loss to Rutgers, Arkansas wide receiver Cobi Hamilton did everything he could to change the outcome of the ballgame.

The senior set an SEC record with 303 receiving yards and hauled in three touchdowns.

The previous man in this slideshow spoiled Hamilton’s individual performance as Arkansas continued its free fall.

Bust of the Week: Arizona Wildcat Offense

Coming into Saturday’s game against Oregon, Rich Rodriguez’s offense was supposed to have the firepower to keep pace with Oregon’s high-powered spread attack.

It didn’t happen.

Despite early mistakes by Oregon, Arizona couldn’t capitalize on any of them.

The ‘Cats started three of of their first four possessions on Oregon’s 35-, 11- and 34-yard lines and left empty.

Despite making six trips to the red zone, Arizona did not come away with a single point all night. The squad committed five turnovers and failed to convert any of its four fourth-down attempts.