College Football's All-Week 4 Team: Top Performers at Every Position
Week 4 of the 2015 college football season was accentuated by several explosive offensive performances across the country, especially in a few high-scoring contests in the Big 12 and the Pac-12.
Down in Texas, a star quarterback continued his Heisman push with a massive passing performance—and several of his biggest plays went to one standout receiver. Other title contenders stuffed their stat sheets with huge rushing performances again this weekend.
On defense, a few inspiring and downright dominant performances highlighted Week 4's action. An ACC defensive back had a huge role in shutting down one of the nation's most prolific rushing attacks, and a Big Ten defensive tackle took over a game just hours after the death of his father.
Here is a position-by-position look at the best Week 4 performances in college football, ranging from the ones in massive nationally televised showdowns all the way to some important Group of Five matchups. As always, these selections are determined mostly by statistical dominance, with some bonus points thrown in the direction of players who performed exceptionally well in high-profile or close games.
It's hard to limit an entire weekend of statistical greatness to just a few players from each position. Tell us who you think had the best performances of Week 4 in the comments below.
Quarterback: Trevone Boykin (TCU)
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34-of-54 passing for 485 yards, four TDs and zero INTs; 14 carries for 42 yards
With a banged-up defense surrendering a lot of points and yards to Texas Tech's high-powered attack, Trevone Boykin had to do it all for the Horned Frogs offense in a crazy victory away from home.
Boykin completed more than 60 percent of his passes for the FBS' second-highest passing-yardage total of Week 4, behind Cincinnati quarterback Hayden Moore. Throw in the five first downs Boykin picked up on the ground, and you have more than 500 yards of total offense in a comeback win.
The TCU quarterback came through in the clutch with a circus touchdown completion to running back Aaron Green on fourth down with just 23 seconds left. The Horned Frogs might be hurting with so many injuries, but they're still a Top Five program thanks in large part to one of the nation's best playmakers.
Second Team: Brandon Doughty (Western Kentucky)
33-of-41 passing for 457 yards, six TDs and zero INTs
Western Kentucky bounced back from its loss to Indiana last weekend in a huge way as star quarterback Brandon Doughty completed more than 80 percent of his passes in an efficient six-touchdown performance over Miami (Ohio).
Running Backs: Leonard Fournette (LSU) and Tyler Ervin (San Jose State)
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Fournette: 26 carries for 244 yards and two TDs
Make it 3-for-3 for superstar LSU running back Leonard Fournette—he's made this weekly All-American team in all three of his games so far this season.
He came close to breaking the single-game LSU record for rushing yards per game Saturday in a road win at Syracuse. The sophomore finished with 244 yards on 26 carries, and he had an 87-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that was called back for an illegal-formation penalty.
Although he didn't break the 300-yard mark this week, Fournette continues to build his Heisman campaign with a simply ridiculous start to the season. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Fournette's 631 yards is the most through three games for an FBS running back in the last 15 years.
Ervin: 42 carries for 300 yards and three TDs
San Jose State running back Tyler Ervin might be in the middle of the best rushing start to 2015 that you haven't heard of yet. He entered Saturday tied for third nationally with six rushing touchdowns in three games, and he promptly added three more in a mind-blowing performance against rival Fresno State.
After his fantastic game in Mountain West play, Ervin will have a bigger stage next week when the Spartans head to struggling Auburn. He has a good chance to keep a lackluster Tigers defense down.
Second Team: C.J. Prosise (Notre Dame) and DeAndre Washington (Texas Tech)
Prosise: 15 carries for 149 yards and two TDs
Washington: 22 carries for 188 yards and four TDs
C.J. Prosise continued his red-hot start to the 2015 campaign with another big day behind a dominant Notre Dame offensive line. And while Texas Tech couldn't pull out the upset victory against TCU, DeAndre Washington lifted the Red Raiders offense with four touchdowns and 8.5 yards per carry.
Wide Receivers: Josh Doctson (TCU) and Christian Kirk (Texas A&M)
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Doctson: 18 receptions for 267 yards and three TDs
Trevone Boykin's main target Saturday in TCU's wild road victory over Texas Tech was a star wide receiver who became the first Horned Frog to catch 10 or more passes since—Trevone Boykin, according to Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News.
Doctson finished with a good deal more than 10 catches, as he was the nation's top Week 4 receiver in multiple categories with an unbelievable stat line against the Red Raiders.
And while Boykin's game-winning touchdown pass was just out of the reach of Doctson, the senior was instrumental in keeping TCU alive in what was an old-fashioned Big 12 shootout down in Texas.
Kirk: Eight receptions for 173 yards and two TDs
Texas A&M true freshman wide receiver Christian Kirk starred once again Saturday with a ton of yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the Aggies' overtime win over Arkansas.
Before his 20-yard touchdown reception in overtime, Kirk grabbed a 44-yard scoring bomb from Kyle Allen early in the second quarter. What's even more impressive is that first trip to the end zone came shortly after a special teams mistake by the freshman that backed A&M up near its own goal line.
Kirk now has three 100-yard performances in his first four college games, and he broke the century mark before halftime Saturday evening.
Second Team: Corey Coleman (Baylor) and Ed'Marques Batties (Middle Tennessee State)
Coleman: Six receptions for 100 yards and three TDs
Batties: 13 receptions for 175 yards and two TDs
The high-flying Corey Coleman is becoming a fixture on these teams thanks to his nose for the end zone—eight of his 17 receptions this season have now gone for touchdowns, which leads the FBS. And while Middle Tennessee State fell short against Big Ten program Illinois, the Blue Raiders' top wideout Ed'Marques Batties finished with the second-most receiving yards of Week 4.
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Tight End: Jaylen Samuels (NC State)
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Five receptions for 84 yards and two TDs
Jaylen Samuels keeps producing in multiple ways for the North Carolina State offense, and the sophomore tight end had the best receiving game of his career Saturday in the Wolfpack's 63-13 rout at South Alabama.
Samuels had a pair of touchdowns through the air, and his five catches pulled him ahead for the overall team lead in that category through four games. N.C. State, now 4-0, started the season getting great production from Samuels out of the backfield—he's scored five touchdowns on 12 carries in 2015.
But he thrived more with the air attack at South Alabama, helping N.C. State silence the home crowd with an explosion of first-half points. As Joe Giglio of the News & Observer noted earlier this month, the secret is out now on this versatile offensive weapon.
Second Team: Tyler Higbee (Western Kentucky)
Four receptions for 55 yards and two TDs
Tyler Higbee jumped out to the nation's lead in both receiving yards and touchdowns for tight ends this weekend, grabbing two scores in quarterback Brandon Doughty's big day against Miami (Ohio).
Offensive Line: Notre Dame
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681 yards of total offense, one sack allowed
Notre Dame's offense kept up its strong pace Saturday in a rout over Massachusetts by posting almost 700 yards and more than 60 points. After another high-level performance on the ground, running back C.J. Prosise gave plenty of credit to his dominant offensive line.
"There are times I’m getting 10 yards before I’m even getting touched by anybody," Prosise said, per Nick Ironside of 247Sports. "The offensive line is doing an amazing job."
The Irish only allowed one sack in the victory, bringing their total allowance through four games to a respectable five. That kind of line play is going to be crucial next weekend when Notre Dame travels to face a tough Clemson defensive front.
Second Team: Utah
530 yards of total offense, zero sacks allowed
Utah's offense dominated proceedings against Oregon on Saturday night, and the front five played a huge role in the stunning blowout victory. So far this season, the Utes offensive line has only allowed one sack, which is tied for second-best in the nation with Navy and Texas Tech.
Defensive Ends: Jonathan Bullard (Florida) and Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State)
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Bullard: Eight tackles (3.5 for loss) and one sack
Versatile Florida defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard continued his blazing start to 2015 with a huge performance against Tennessee.
Bullard had 3.5 tackles for loss, with two of them coming on Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs in third-down situations in the second half. His total of eight tackles was good enough for third on the team in what was a wild comeback victory for the Gators.
While Bullard can line up at both tackle and end, he was listed as a defensive end on Florida's Stat Broadcast. He deserves a ton of credit for his performance at both spots, and that's why he's a first-teamer this week.
Calhoun: Six tackles (three for loss), 2.5 sacks and one blocked field goal
Shilique Calhoun looked and played like one of the nation's best defensive ends on Saturday against Central Michigan, as the Spartans put the clamp down on the Chippewas with elite defense.
Calhoun got into the backfield three different times, dragging down the quarterback for big stops. He also blocked a field goal for an impressive all-around game that drew high praise from his teammates.
"That definitely made a difference, and we expect that out of Shilique, and he expects that out of himself, to be the big-play guy that he is," Michigan State linebacker Darian Harris said, per Mike Griffith of MLive.com. "Three sacks, a blocked field goal. He really cut it loose today and showed why he's an All-American."
Second Team: Trey Hendrickson (FAU) and Carl Nassib (Penn State)
Hendrickson: Six tackles (three for loss), three sacks and one forced fumble
Nassib: Two tackles (two for loss), two sacks and one forced fumble
Trey Hendrickson played a major role in Florida Atlantic earning its first win of the season by recording three sacks and a forced fumble against new Conference USA foe Charlotte away from home. Carl Nassib only had two tackles for Penn State on Saturday, but he made the most of them by recording both for sacks—including a forced fumble that led to a touchdown.
Defensive Tackles: Anthony Zettel (Penn State) and C.J. Johnson (Kentucky)
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Zettel: Seven tackles (2.5 for loss) and 0.5 sacks
Penn State defensive tackle Anthony Zettel had an excellent performance in the Nittany Lions' home win over San Diego State, making plenty of tackles near or behind the line of scrimmage.
But the timing of his huge game is quite incredible. Zettel starred for the Penn State defense on Saturday just hours after his father Terry died Friday night following a long battle with cancer.
"That’s our brother; we always got his back," Penn State linebacker Brandon Bell said, per Josh Moyer of ESPN.com. "He plays hard every down—that’s one thing you know, he’s going to bring it every down. And it doesn’t surprise me he had the most tackles."
Johnson: 11 tackles (0.5 for loss) and 0.5 sacks
In terms of tackles, Kentucky's C.J. Johnson had one of the busiest days of any FBS defender.
He started in place of the injured Regie Meant and delivered in a huge way for the Wildcats. He recorded double-digit tackles from the defensive tackle position as the Wildcats upset a ranked Missouri team.
Just a few weeks after his return from suspension due to a violation of team rules, Johnson had more tackles Saturday night against Missouri than he had all of last season. He followed up a big-time performance in a loss to Florida last week with an even larger stat line against Missouri—this time in a winning effort.
Second Team: Orion Jones (Toledo) and Hassan Ridgeway (Texas)
Jones: Four tackles (three for loss) and three sacks
Ridgeway: Six tackles (1.5 for loss), one sack, one fumble recovery and one TD
Toledo continued its undefeated start to the season with a big 37-7 victory over Arkansas State, and Orion Jones' three sacks had a lot to do with the paltry offensive production of what is normally a better Red Wolves attack. Hassan Ridgeway and Texas didn't pull out an upset win over Oklahoma State, but he excelled with a scoop-and-score in the first half and a crucial third-down sack in the fourth quarter.
Inside Linebacker: Richie Brown (Mississippi State)
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13 tackles (three for loss) and two sacks
On Saturday night, Auburn's once-potent offense under Gus Malzahn did not score a touchdown for the first time in several years thanks to an excellent performance from the Mississippi State defense, and Richie Brown was the all-around star for the Bulldogs.
Brown led all players in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks, constantly pressuring new Tigers starting quarterback Sean White and limiting the entire offense from generating any big plays in the red zone.
"It's just kind of our Mississippi State mindset," Brown said, per Michael Bonner of the Clarion-Ledger. "Once we get down there, we know if they can't cross goal line, they can't score."
Second Team: Raekwon McMillan (Ohio State)
16 tackles (one for loss) and one sack
Ohio State overcame a slow defensive start against Western Michigan on Saturday, and Raekwon McMillan was all over the field for the Buckeyes. He had one of the biggest tackle counts of any FBS defender in Week 4 and also registered a sack.
Outside Linebackers: Denzel Nkemdiche (Ole Miss) and Evan McKelvey (Marshall)
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Nkemdiche: 14 tackles (two for loss)
One week after commanding attention for his devastating block on Alabama quarterback Cooper Bateman, Denzel Nkemdiche had the best game of his career in Ole Miss' victory over Vanderbilt.
Nkemdiche had 14 tackles—twice as many as the next-highest Rebel on the list—and led the team with two tackles for loss Saturday night. A dozen of his tackles were solo efforts, which was also a career high for the senior linebacker.
Denzel's brother, elite tackle Robert Nkemdiche, has received most of the spotlight on Ole Miss' "Land Shark" defense this season, but Denzel grabbed plenty of his own against the Commodores.
McKelvey: 18 tackles (two for loss) and one fumble recovery
The best stat line of Week 4 for an outside linebacker has to go to Marshall's Evan McKelvey, who finished two takedowns shy of the 20-tackle mark in the Thundering Herd's overtime victory at Kent State.
"I want to be the guy to make the big play," McKelvey said, per the program's official website. "I want to be that guy."
McKelvey definitely was that guy Saturday for the Herd, as he also recorded his first career fumble recovery in the third quarter of what was a tight game.
Second Team: Dakota Cox (New Mexico) and Tegray Scales (Indiana)
Cox: Eight tackles (3.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks and one INT
Scales: Nine tackles (two for loss) and two sacks
Dakota Cox did a lot of everything for New Mexico in its Mountain West victory over Wyoming, as he provided great pressure on the Cowboys backfield while also coming up with an interception. Indiana's Tegray Scales led the way for a swarming Hoosiers defense, and he made a huge sack on the final drive of a 31-24 win over Wake Forest.
Cornerbacks: Darius Phillips (Western Michigan) and Ocie Rose (FAU)
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Phillips: Three tackles and two INTs
For the second straight week, a MAC cornerback frustrated Ohio State's high-powered offense by coming down with two interceptions in the Horseshoe.
While Western Michigan made too many early mistakes to hang with Ohio State in the second half, Darius Phillips picked off a pair of second-half passes from star quarterbacks Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. According to Brandon Fitzsimons of Hustle Belt, Phillips was also credited with an impressive four pass breakups.
This isn't the first time Phillips has come up big against a powerhouse opponent, as the former wide receiver also had a long kick return for a touchdown against Michigan State this season. With interceptions now in back-to-back games, he's carved out a spot as a top Group of Five cornerback, too.
Rose: Five tackles, two INTs and one TD
A Florida Atlantic freshman had one of the biggest performances for a defensive back in Week 4, as Ocie Rose intercepted two passes and returned one of them for a game-sealing score against Charlotte.
Charlotte threw six interceptions against the Owls, and while the offense couldn't take advantage of many of them, Rose took matters into his own hands by running one back with 1:30 remaining.
The pick-six was a huge moment for Rose—who flipped from rival FIU to FAU earlier this year—and the Owls program after three straight losses to open the season.
Second Team: Shawun Lurry (Northern Illinois) and Holton Hill (Texas)
Lurry: Two tackles and one INT
Hill: Two tackles, one INT and one TD
Shawun Lurry, the aforementioned cornerback who frustrated Ohio State with two interceptions last weekend, had another pick and a 79-yard return that set up a NIU touchdown in a close loss to Boston College. Holton Hill led the charge for a resurgent Texas defense in a tough loss to Oklahoma State—he had a long pick-six late in the third quarter to give the Longhorns the lead.
Safeties: Jeremy Cash (Duke) and Dameon Baber (Nevada)
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Cash: 12 tackles (three for loss), one sack and two forced fumbles
Duke bounced back from last week's disappointing loss to Northwestern in a big way Saturday, knocking off ACC Coastal favorite Georgia Tech, 34-20.
Star safety Jeremy Cash was the defensive leader for the Blue Devils, leading them in tackles, forcing a pair of fumbles and recording their only sack of Georgia Tech quarterback Justin Thomas.
According to Laura Keeley of the Raleigh News & Observer, Duke's defense held the Yellow Jackets' normally potent option attack to just 2.9 yards per carry, which was their lowest as a team in almost four years. Cash was a huge reason for that success by making big plays all over the field for the Blue Devils.
Baber: 10 tackles and two INTs
Dameon Baber had a dream collegiate debut Saturday. After not playing in the first three games of the season for Nevada, he was inserted into the lineup at safety against Buffalo and had a tremendous game.
Baber came down with two game-changing interceptions in a 24-21 victory over Buffalo, including one on Buffalo's final offensive play of the game. His other second-half pick, which came in the end zone, stopped the Bulls from scoring and set up a touchdown drive for Nevada.
The Nevada freshman was one of just seven players in Week 4 to pick off a pair of passes, and his might have been the most crucial to his team. With 10 tackles as well, Baber definitely had one of the nation's best individual performances this weekend.
Second Team: Jered Bell (Colorado) and Jordan Sterns (Oklahoma State)
Bell: Two interceptions
Sterns: 12 tackles and one pass breakup
Jered Bell, who tore his ACL in both 2011 and 2014, had a game to remember Saturday with two interceptions in a rare shutout victory for Colorado. Jordan Sterns took the national lead for tackles by defensive backs with plenty of quality stops in Oklahoma State's road win over Texas.
Kicker: Tyler Rausa (Boise State)
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4-of-5 on field goals (long of 51), 6-of-6 on extra points
Tyler Rausa wasn't perfect in Boise State's road rout of Virginia on Friday night, but he was quite close.
Rausa nailed four field goals, including a long of 51, and hit all six of his extra points in the Broncos' 56-14 victory away from home. His lone miss hit the upright from 54 yards out.
"If we are in those situations, if we are on the plus side (of the field) and we don’t have the momentum to go score a touchdown and we can kick it from 40 out or 50 out, whatever it is, he knows he can do it," Boise head coach Bryan Harsin said, per Dave Southorn of the Idaho Statesman. "It just builds confidence in us being able to put points on the board."
Second Team: Drew Brown (Nebraska)
5-of-7 on field goals (long of 50), 3-of-3 on extra points
Nebraska's Drew Brown tied an FBS record with five field goals before the halftime break, according to Nick Rubek of the Omaha World-Herald. If it weren't for a pair of misses in the second half that would've helped seal the victory over Southern Miss for the Huskers, he would've easily been a first-teamer this week.
Punter: Tom Hackett (Utah)
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Three punts for 181 yards (60.3 average) and a long of 76
You wouldn't expect a punter to get that much attention in a blowout victory, but Utah's Tom Hackett did just that Saturday night against Oregon.
The defending Guy Award winner boomed a punt in the first quarter that went for 76 yards, setting the tone for an FBS-best performance in both punt average and longest punt for Week 4. He later had a huge punt that hit the Fox SkyCam's wires, which forced him to take a re-kick.
When the re-kick's snap flew too high, Hackett made an incredible play to control the ball and then run it for 33 yards and a Utah first down. Thanks to the single-best punt of the week and an acrobatic play to set up a long run, Hackett takes first-team honors with style this week.
Second Team: Cameron Johnston (Ohio State)
Four punts for 206 yards (51.5 average) and a long of 67
As Austin Ward of ESPN.com put it on Twitter, Ohio State doesn't want to use Johnston that much—but he's a weapon whenever he takes the field. He had three long punts downed inside the 20-yard line this week, and only one of his long punts went for a touchback.
Returner: DeVon Edwards (Duke)
14 of 14One kick return for 100 yards and a TD
DeVon Edwards only needed one chance Saturday to show why he's one of the most electrifying return men in all of college football.
Edwards' 100-yard kick return for a touchdown midway through the third quarter of Duke's upset win over Georgia Tech gave the Blue Devils an important two-score lead. The return touchdown was Edwards' second of the season and the fifth of his career.
He ranks second nationally in kick-return average this season and is one of only three players to run two kicks back for touchdowns in 2015. Maybe opponents will finally learn to stop kicking his direction.
Second Team: Rashaad Penny (San Diego State)
Two kick returns for 137 yards (68.5 average) and one TD
Rashaad Penny joined Edwards in the two-touchdown club this weekend, returning his second of the season for 100 yards in a road loss to Penn State. He also went for 37 yards on another, giving him the second-best average of Week 4 behind Edwards.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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