College Football All-Week 12 Team
If you spent your Saturday knee deep in college football, there's a great chance you witnessed a few historic performances.
There was a catch by an SEC receiver that could have an impact on how the national championship picture looks. A running back set an NCAA record that may never be broken. And once again, a Pac-12 linebacker continued to dazzle by doing the majority of his damage on offense.
The end of the regular season is quickly approaching, forcing a lot of these talented players to step their game up a few notches.
Who had the best performance in Week 12?
Quarterback
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Bryce Petty, Baylor
Petty should now seriously be thrown into Heisman discussions. Not only did he help bring Baylor back from an early 14-point deficit, but he also had five total touchdowns for the second straight game.
In a 63-34 victory over Texas Tech, the junior quarterback threw for 335 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for two touchdowns. Petty has now thrown for at least two touchdowns and rushed for at least one score in every game this season except the season opener.
Talk about efficiency. Blame Baylor's offense all you'd like for his video-game numbers. Petty is playing at an elite level no matter how you slice it.
Running Back
2 of 8Cartel Brooks, Division III Heidelberg University
Chances are you've never heard of him or his university. But Brooks will forever be tied to college football greatness after rushing for 465 yards in a single game. It's an NCAA record for any level. Nobody who has ever played collegiate ball has had more rushing yards in one game than Brooks. He also made sure to score three touchdowns and lead his team to a 42-14 win.
Most teams won't even rush for that many yards in one game. Impressive stuff.
James Sims, Kansas
It's safe to say that Sims was tired of watching his team lose. So he decided to put the team on his back. In a game against West Virginia, he carried the football 22 times for a monstrous 211 yards and three touchdowns. And guess what? Kansas won the game 31-19, snapping a conference losing streak that began in 2010. The senior running back was a one-man wrecking crew.
Wide Receiver
3 of 8Ricardo Louis, Auburn
I'm sure you've seen his touchdown catch by now. If not, prepare yourself to see it more than Tim Tebow on ESPN. It will be played forever, as it helped form one of the greatest moments in SEC history. The 73-yard touchdown reception also keeps Auburn in the SEC and national championship pictures.
Louis finished the game with four receptions for 131 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 66 yards as well. But that one catch could change the outcome of the entire BCS picture.
Paul Richardson, Colorado
In somewhat of a surprising win over California, Richardson caught 11 passes for 140 yards. Not only did his performance help the Buffaloes win their first Pac-12 game in 15 tries, but he also set a school single-season receiving record with 1,201 yards. He's also only eight receptions away (71) from shattering the single-season school reception record.
Needless to say, Richardson has established himself as one of the best at his position.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Tight End
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Devin Funchess, Michigan
Anybody but Jace Amaro, right?
A struggling Devin Gardner looked for Funchess all afternoon in a triple-overtime meeting against Northwestern. He caught seven of those pass attempts for 61 yards. And while that may not seem like an overly productive day, the sophomore was able to move the chains on five of those receptions. If you know how bad Michigan's offense has struggled this season, you know how critical those first downs were.
Michigan ended up beating the Wildcats on the road, 27-19.
Offensive Lineman
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Duke's Offensive Line
I have to show some love to Duke somewhere.
How about the offensive line?
In a 48-30 win over Miami, the Blue Devils rushed for 358 yards. That really says all you need to know. We're talking about the Hurricanes, a program that has top-tier players at each position. Duke, well, its roster isn't exactly filled with future NFL players and usually struggles against superior teams.
Not in this game. Miami also sacked the quarterback only once.
Give a standing ovation to the big boys up front who play for the basketball school that is quickly having major success on the gridiron.
Defensive Lineman
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Kareem Martin, North Carolina
North Carolina is now only one win away from qualifying for a bowl appearance after winning its fourth game in a row. In a 34-27 win over Pittsburgh, it was the defense that stepped up to the plate and flexed its muscle.
Nobody more than Martin on the defensive line.
The senior finished the game with eight tackles, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a quarterback hurry. Martin should be considered the Defensive Player of the Week for that effort.
Linebacker
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Myles Jack, UCLA
He did it again.
Jack, who is primarily a linebacker in UCLA's defense, played both sides of the ball in the Bruins' 41-31 win over Washington. Still only a true freshman, he had five tackles and a broken-up pass on defense. He also carried the ball 13 times for 59 yards and four touchdowns.
He is the first UCLA player to rush for four touchdowns in a single game since some guy named Maurice Jones-Drew.
If Jack had played on both sides of the ball a little earlier this season, there's no doubt he would have received some Heisman love.
Defensive Back
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Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma State
Well, the Oklahoma State-Texas game was supposed to be competitive. Guys such as Gilbert helped make sure that was going to be the case in the Cowboys' 38-13 blowout victory.
The senior cornerback returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half to give Oklahoma State a 28-10 lead. He later intercepted another pass in the third quarter with his team up big.
Did I mention he also led the team with nine tackles, seven of which were solo?
Yeah, Gilbert played like a man.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
