College Football's All-Week 6 First-Team: Top Performers at Every Position
There was no shortage of options for the All-Week 6 first team, which makes sense after a three-day stretch that ranks among the craziest in college football history.
Four of the top six, five of the top eight and 11 of the top 19 teams in the Associated Press Poll went down in the span of 80 hours, which means 11 teams played well enough to beat Top 19 teams in the span of 80 hours. And what are those 11 teams if not the aggregate of their standout performers?
This list attempts to reward impressive teams and units but ultimately comes down to individual performance.
Ole Miss, for example, may well have been the most impressive team of the weekend, but it didn't place a single player on these teams. Bo Wallace played well, but other quarterbacks played better. Senquez Golson made an amazing interception, but other cornerbacks did more. Only by adding up all of the Rebels' very good solo performances do you end up with the team that beat Alabama.
As always, the list also weighed statistics against opponent. The player who passed or rushed for the most yards didn't necessarily get the nod at quarterback or running back. It depends who they logged those yards against and how they looked doing it.
Sound off below to let us know who you would add.
Quarterback
1 of 11First Team: Dak Prescott, Mississippi State
19-25, 259 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 23 carries, 77 yards, 3 TD
Dak Prescott did a little bit of everything for Mississippi State, carrying the load with his arm and his legs in a 48-31 win over Texas A&M.
His most impressive drive might have been his first, which came in response to a quick (and unimpeded) Aggies touchdown to open the game. With momentum hanging in the balance, Prescott marched the Bulldogs 75 yards in seven plays to even the score.
Mississippi State went on to score six touchdowns in the first three quarters, none of which came from an excessively short field or an excessively long play. The scoring drives went seven plays for 75 yards, eight plays for 66 yards, 11 plays for 87 yards, eight plays for 47 yards, five plays for 84 yards and five plays for 75 yards. Those latter two were marked by longer plays, but for the most part, Mississippi State controlled the clock and matriculated the ball down the field.
Doing so is the blueprint to beating Texas A&M because it keeps Kevin Sumlin's offense on the sideline—i.e., it keeps players such as Kenny Hill from working themselves into a rhythm. By that logic, Prescott helped the Bulldogs succeed on both sides of the ball.
He is now a legitimate front-runner for the Heisman.
Second Team: Connor Halliday, Washington State
49-70, 734 yards, 6 TD, 0 INT; 3 carries, 17 yards
Even in a loss, breaking a 24-year-old NCAA record deserves accolades. And that's precisely what Connor Halliday did Saturday night/Sunday morning against Cal, finishing with 734 passing yards—the most in the history of Division I football. If not for a missed field goal (that was essentially an extra point) at the end of the game, Halliday would have come out with a win and probably made the first team of this list. He did what he had to by driving his team into scoring position.
Running Back
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First Team: Jojo Kemp, Kentucky
17 carries, 131 yards, 3 TD; 1 catch, -3 yards
Jojo Kemp led Kentucky to its biggest win of the Mark Stoops era, rushing for three scores in an upset over South Carolina.
Working from the "Wild-Kemp" formation, the sophomore willed his team back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit, scoring two of his three touchdowns in the final frame. When it was over, more than 60,000 fans in Commonwealth Stadium were chanting his name.
"So proud of Jojo," said Stoops after the 45-38 win, per Mark Story of the Lexington Herald-Leader. "Other than some special guests we've had, I think that was the first game ball I've given out. I'm so proud of him, how he ground this one out."
Last week against Vanderbilt, Kemp saw his role diminished in favor of freshman Stanley Williams. Kemp led the Wildcats in rushing as a freshman in 2013, but it was unclear how involved he would be moving forward. After Saturday, it's fair to see the answer is "heavily."
In the upside-down SEC East, who knows how far the Wildcats can go?
Second Team: Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
27 carries, 259 yards, 1 TD
Melvin Gordon averaged a shade under 10 yards on 27 carries against Northwestern, rushing for a career-best 259 yards. Wisconsin finished with 14 points. It's hard to reconcile those two statements, but both are true. The Badgers committed four turnovers in the road loss and are scrambling for answers after a slow start to the season. One of the only places they do not have to assess is the backfield.
Wide Receiver
3 of 11
First Team: Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
10 catches, 202 yards, 3 TD
Jaelen Strong earned consideration for this list during the first 59 minutes and 53 seconds of Saturday's upset at USC, catching nine passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. But he cemented his spot on this list during the final, desperate heave of the game.
Trailing by two points, 34-32, with seven seconds on the clock, Arizona State opted for a 46-yard Hail Mary over an impossibly long field goal. Mike Bercovici heaved the ball toward the goal line, where Strong cut in front of an apathetic USC pass defense—led by statuesque linebacker Hayes Pullard—and hauled in the game-winning catch.
The final play was a bit of a kerfuffle, so an argument can made that USC lost the game more than Strong won it. But it was still a heady effort to steal the win. Plus, it's no coincidence that Strong—who it must be noted was my preseason pick for the Biletnikoff Award—was the one who came down with the pass.
The best player on the field making the biggest play of the game is commonplace at all levels of football.
It happened again on Saturday.
Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma
7 catches, 215 yards, 1 TD
Sterling Shepard did everything in his power to keep Oklahoma's undefeated season alive, and he deserves some credit even though he fell short in that endeavor. Without him, the Sooners might have been blown off the field. He broke his previous career high of 177 receiving yards (set less than a month ago) against what's widely regarded as one of the best secondaries in college football.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Tight End
4 of 11
First Team: E.J. Bibbs, Iowa State
6 catches, 69 yards, 2 TD
E.J. Bibbs helped Iowa State stay competitive against Oklahoma State, and his performance stands out despite his team's eventual loss.
After Tyreek Hill returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a 97-yard touchdown, the Cyclones were down 20-6 and appeared to be out of the game. But they drove down the field to respond with a touchdown of their own, Sam B. Richardson finding Bibbs from 17 yards out for one of the best catches you'll see all season.
Here it is where it belongs—i.e., on eternal loop.
Second Team: Jeb Blazevich, Georgia
3 catches, 86 yards
Jeb Blazevich put up solid numbers in Week 6, joining a pair of fellow SEC underclassman tight ends—Evan Engram of Ole Miss and O.J. Howard of Alabama—in doing so. Unlike them, however, Blazevich (a) is a true freshman instead of a sophomore and (b) didn't have at least one crippling drop. He also caught a 50-yard bomb from running back Todd Gurley, which doesn't help his case but is pretty awesome.
Offensive Line
5 of 11
First Team: C Reese Dismukes, Auburn
Reese Dismukes captained Auburn's offense to 566 total yards against LSU, at one point pancaking Kwon Alexander so hard that Carter Bryant of Bleacher Report called for syrup.
The (Auburn) Tigers rushed for 298 yards on 49 carries, leaning heavily on the ground game and finding a ton of success. The entire offensive line (along with Auburn's running backs) played well, but Dismukes is its heart and soul—the player making the majority of the pre-snap reads, then executing the play to perfection.
Despite some attrition issues at defensive tackle, LSU is still LSU. It is jarring to see a team draped in purple and gold get handled so thoroughly up the middle. It happened earlier this year against Mississippi State, and it got even worse last week against Auburn.
Dismukes is a big reason why.
Second Team: OG Ben Beckwith, Mississippi State
Ben Beckwith played well against LSU three weeks ago, and he might have been even better against Texas A&M. The former walk-on is not an NFL prospect in the vein of his former teammate, Gabe Jackson, but he's contributing like a fringe All-SEC talent. Bleacher Report's Michael Felder said he "looks like he smells terrible" and likened him to "a pig in slop," which is why Felder gets paid the big bucks. Any lineman Felder likes is a lineman we can all get on board with.
Defensive End
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First Team: Nate Orchard, Utah
11 tackles (4 TFL), 4 sacks
Nate Orchard had his way with UCLA's offensive line, something he is not alone in having done this season.
Regardless, his performance stands out because he, unlike the other front-seven players who have dominated UCLA's offensive line, was able to lead his team to an upset over the Bruins. His disruption off the edge was the main reason for Utah's 30-28 road win.
Orchard's huge day gives him 8.5 sacks on the season, 1.5 more than Vic Beasley, Hau'oli Kikaha, Shane Ray and Danny Shelton for the national lead. That is an impressive group to rank ahead of.
Second Team: Bryan Cox Jr., Florida
5 tackles (3 TFL), 3 sacks, 1 QB hurry
Bryan Cox Jr.—the son of former NFL Pro Bowler/Atlanta Falcons defensive line coach/Hard Knocks legend Bryan Cox—played the best game of his career with a heavy heart against Tennessee. Less than 24 hours after attending his grandfather's funeral, the younger Cox helped lead Florida to a much-needed road win with three sacks, per David Jones of News-Press Florida Media.
Defensive Tackle
7 of 11
Dan Pettinato, Arizona
7 tackles (1 TFL), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
Dan Pettinato plays a mixture of tackle and end, but we'll cheat and slot him in at tackle as a means for inclusion during a stacked week.
The wild-haired senior led the charge for Arizona's defensive line, which had its way with Oregon's young blockers and hurried Marcus Mariota Thursday night. With the Ducks driving and feeding off the momentum of a fourth-down conversion in the second quarter, Pettinato sacked and stripped Mariota for a timely turnover.
The Wildcats still have major defensive questions, but they mitigate that with an impressive bend-don't-break mentality. Pettinato embodied that with his relentless pressure in Eugene.
DT Beau Blackshear, Baylor
4 tackles (1 TFL), one fumble recovered, one blocked kick
Beau Blackshear did a good job in the trenches, helping Baylor dominate the line of scrimmage and hold Texas to seven points in Austin. He also recovered a Tyrone Swoopes fumble at the goal line that served as the second-biggest moment of the game. The biggest moment of the game, though, came when he blocked a 52-yard field goal in the first quarter. Baylor scooped it up and scored what would be its only touchdown of the first half.
Outside Linebacker
8 of 11
First Team: Paul Dawson, TCU
11 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD
Paul Dawson made his impact felt the entire game—see: his 11 total tackles—but let's not kid ourselves. He is on this list because of one massively important play.
Tied at 31 in the fourth quarter, Dawson intercepted a Trevor Knight pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. The play gave TCU a 37-31 lead, although a blocked PAT returned for a safety cut that lead to four points instead of a full touchdown. Either way, those were the final scoring plays of the game.
"I just thought I'd read, pick it off and take it to the house," Dawson said of his game-winning play, per Alex Apple of Scout.com. But don't let his blase attitude trick you into thinking what he did was easy.
It was one of the most important plays of the young season.
Second Team: Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
14 tackles (2.5 TFL), 1 sack
Jaylon Smith continues to make a case for being the best linebacker in the country. He was all over the field against Stanford, appearing like the only player on either team who wasn't affected by the rain. His speed is unheard of at the outside linebacker position, and he's proved to be a comfortable fit in Brian VanGorder's slashing scheme. After six weeks, he looks like a first-team All-American.
Inside Linebacker
9 of 11
Taiwan Jones, Michigan State
10 tackles (3 TFL), 1 sack
Taiwan Jones was the best player on a dominant Michigan State defense, although defensive end Marcus Rush, outside linebacker Ed Davis and safety Kurtis Drummond could also make a case.
Jones will represent them by proxy.
Despite a late-game collapse that almost saw them choke away the game, Sparty held on to beat Nebraska—and they did it on the strength of their run defense. Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah entered having rushed for 205 or more yards in three of five games this season. Michigan State held him to 45 yards on 24 carries.
The heart of that effort was Jones, who slid inside to replace Max Bullough this season. Michigan State's run defense had been atypically porous the past few games, wearing down late against Oregon and allowing some big plays on the ground against Wyoming.
Jones made sure it cleaned things up on Saturday.
Second Team: Richie Brown, Mississippi State
3 tackles, 3 INT
Richie Brown wasn't quite as good as the final numbers look; a couple of his three interceptions came floating right into his lap. Still, his performance cannot be ignored. Three picks is still three picks—and they all came off the arm of supposed Heisman front-runner Kenny Hill. Turnovers played a huge role in Mississippi State's win.
Cornerback
10 of 11
First Team: Cole Luke, Notre Dame
4 tackles (1 TFL), 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble, 2 INT
Cole Luke filled the box score against Stanford, but his two interceptions stood out as tent poles in Notre Dame's wild 17-14 win.
The first came during Stanford's first moderately successful drive, occurring around midfield. It also happened one play after Luke sacked and stripped Kevin Hogan (but Stanford recovered).
The second came in Stanford's red zone and set Notre Dame up inside the Cardinal's 30-yard line. It came up empty on that possession after a blocked field goal, but Luke's quick break on the ball was a heck of a play nonetheless.
Even when he wasn't forcing turnovers, though, Luke played one of the best games of his career in coverage against Ty Montgomery. Pro Football Focus graded him a plus-4.2 overall and a plus-3 in pass coverage, awarding him the coveted game ball.
Second Team: Steven Nelson, Oregon State
Shutting down Colorado receiver Nelson Spruce—a member of last week's first team after a 19-catch performance—was a consummate team effort, but Steven Nelson was the player most responsible. The plucky 5'11" cornerback did great work when matched up with Spruce, holding the Buffaloes' best player to six catches for 35 yards.
Safety
11 of 11
Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern
8 tackles, 3 INT
On the surface, Godwin Igwebuike's three interceptions are impressive. In context, they are really impressive.
Two of the safety's picks occurred in the end zone, on a down in which Wisconsin was in the red zone. His performance epitomized the theory of "bend but don't break." Melvin Gordon bent Northwestern's defense; Igwebuike was the alloy that kept it from snapping.
Only a redshirt freshman, Igwebuike also contributed eight tackles in the home upset that vaulted Northwestern to the top of the Big Ten West. He was recruited as an athlete who could also play offense, and his all-purpose-back hands were on full display in Week 6.
Second Team: Jordan Simone, Arizona State
20 tackles (1 TFL)
Tackles are an often overrated commodity for measuring defensive performance. This is especially true for defensive backs, who are well positioned to make a tackle after allowing an opponent to make a catch in their vicinity. But Jordan Simone made 20 tackles against USC. Twenty. And 12 of those were solo tackles too. Sometimes numbers are too crazy to ignore.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
