Most Exciting Head-to-Head Match-Ups in CFB This Weekend
With 22 players running around in all directions, it's often hard in football to key on individual players or matchups unless they involve the person with the ball. But how certain players line up and deal with the opponent on the other side of the field can lead to a big offensive play or a huge stop on defense.
This weekend's college football games feature plenty of great team matchups, as well as a handful of head-to-head clashes that are worth highlighting. They feature some of the best skill players, defenders and blockers in the country, ones who may face their biggest test of the season during Week 11.
Take a look at our examination of the best head-to-head battles to watch for during Saturday's action-packed lineup.
Penn State Defense vs. Indiana RB Tevin Coleman
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Game info: Saturday, Nov. 8; 12 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
It's been a disappointing year for Penn State on the offensive side of the ball, contributing to a four-game losing streak. But the Nittany Lions have been able to hold their own on defense, particular when it comes to stopping the run, as they rank No. 1 in the nation by allowing only 77.1 yards per game.
But PSU (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) has yet to face a rusher of the mettle of Indiana junior Tevin Coleman, whose 1,300 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing year for the Hoosiers (3-5, 0-4).
Coleman is coming off a season-low 108 yards in a 34-10 loss at Michigan, and it was one of just two games this season that he hasn't caught a pass. He ranks second in the nation in all-purpose yards per game, at 180.
Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett vs. Auburn Offensive Line
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Game info: Saturday, Nov. 8; 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Fresh off becoming the most prolific freshman sack artist in SEC history, Texas A&M's Myles Garrett now must face his sternest test in the form of Auburn's rock solid offensive line.
Garrett is tied for third in the country with 11 sacks, getting 3.5 last week in the 21-16 win for Texas A&M (6-3, 2-3 SEC) over Louisiana-Monroe to break former South Carolina star Jadeveon Clowney's SEC freshman mark of eight from 2011. But only three of those sacks have come in conference games, and now Garrett goes up against a front for Auburn (7-1, 4-1) that has allowed only six sacks all season.
With that kind of protection, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall has thrown 13 touchdown passes and is coming off a season-high 254 passing yards in the Tigers' 35-31 win at Ole Miss.
Georgia Southern RB Matt Breida vs. Texas State LB David Mayo
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Game info: Saturday, Nov. 8; 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN3 (internet)
The great matchups aren't just limited to teams in the power conferences. To find a heck of a battle between a nearly unstoppable running attack and a player who has been a magnet to the ball we have to head to the Sun Belt Conference
Georgia Southern (7-2, 6-0 Sun Belt) has the nation's top rushing offense in the country, averaging 402.7 yards per game with 46 touchdowns on the ground in its first season as an FBS team. Three players have run for more than 500 yards in the triple option system, including quarterback Kevin Ellison, but the leading rusher for the Eagles is sophomore Matt Breida.
Breida has run for 1,104 yards and 12 touchdowns, gaining 8.9 yards per carry.
One player he's likely to run into on numerous occasions when carrying the ball is Todd Mayo, a senior linebacker for Texas State (5-3, 3-1) who leads the country with an astounding 122 tackles. He had 130 tackles during his first two seasons, but this fall he's had at least 10 every game and as many as 22 in one outing.
Mayo already has experience defending the option, logging 15 tackles in a Sept. 13 loss to Navy.
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UCLA RB/LB Myles Jack vs. Washington RB/LB Shaq Thompson
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Game info: Saturday, Nov. 8; 7 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
They may never be on the field at the same time, or they may never leave the field. You don't know from game to game what role to expect UCLA sophomore Myles Jack and Washington junior Shaq Thompson, but one thing is for certain: They'll both be fun to watch.
Jack, who last season earned the unprecedented distinction of being the Pac-12 Conference's Offensive and Defensive Freshman of the Year, has starred for the Bruins (7-2, 4-2 Pac-12) both as a running back and linebacker again this season. He's run for 71 yards and two touchdowns in limited duty on offense, while on defense he's UCLA's second-leading tackler with 62 and is third on the team with five tackles for loss.
Last year Jack ran for four TDs in a win over Washington.
Thompson, who was a standout on defense for Washington (6-3, 2-3) during his first two seasons, has upped the ante in 2014 by dominating on both sides of the ball. He has four defensive touchdowns (three on fumbles, one on an interception) and 53 tackles for the year, but recently he's moved into Washington's backfield and has gained 272 yards with a touchdown in the past two games. That includes a 174-yard effort (on 15 carries) in Saturday's comeback win at Colorado, and for the year Thompson has a team-high six TDs.
If there are any times when Jack is on offense and Thompson is playing defense, or vice versa, the chance of a collision between the two seems as close to a guarantee as anything.
Louisville Defense vs. Boston College QB Tyler Murphy
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Game info: Saturday, Nov. 8; 7:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Fresh off getting picked apart by the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and his talented young offense, Louisville (6-3, 4-3 ACC) now faces the unenviable task of trying to contain the nation's most mobile quarterback.
Boston College senior Tyler Murphy has thrived in his first season with the Eagles (6-3, 3-2) after transferring from Florida. He's rushed for 965 yards this season, most by a quarterback in FBS, and his 107.2 rushing yards per game ranks 20th in the country. Averaging nearly 7.4 yards per carry, Murphy has four 100-yard games including last week's 122-yard, one touchdown performance in a 33-31 win at Virginia Tech.
BC ranks 10th in FBS in rushing, at 274.9 yards per game, but now faces a Louisville unit that gives up only 80.3 yards per game and 2.7 yards per carry with 62 tackles for loss on the season. The Cardinals allowed 173 rushing yards and three TDs on Oct. 30 in a 42-31 loss to Florida State, a game in which Jameis Winston also threw for 401 yards and three TDs.
Murphy doesn't throw much, only attempting 169 passes in nine games with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. If he's forced to throw, though, he'd be wise to make sure to know where Louisville safety Gerod Holliman is. Holliman, a sophomore, leads FBS with 10 interceptions.
Kansas State WR Tyler Lockett vs. TCU CB Kevin White
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Game info: Saturday, Nov. 8; 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
There are a lot of factors that will determine who wins this battle for first place in the Big 12 Conference, but the single-most important individual matchup involves the man who is on pace to be his school's all-time leader in every receiving category against a defensive back coming off a shutdown performance against one of the nation's best wideouts.
Kansas State senior Tyler Lockett has 49 receptions for 682 yards and five touchdowns, giving him career totals of 192 catches for 2,877 yards and 23 TDs. He needs 26 catches, 156 yards and four scores from breaking the three Wildcat career records, all of which are held by father Kevin Lockett.
Some of those marks are within reach in this game, but that will likely mean having to get separation from TCU cornerback Kevin White. The senior has usually matched up with opponents' top receivers this season for TCU (7-1, 4-1 Big 12), and last week he helped limit the targets and production of West Virginia's standout receiver, also named Kevin White.
K-State (7-1, 5-0) has another great receiver in Curry Sexton, who also has 49 catches this season. White might end up switching off on both, but more often he'll be tasked with slowing down Lockett.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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