College Football's All-Week 5 First Team: Top Performers at Every Position
As the dust settles from a crazy college football Saturday that resulted in upset losses for four top-10 teams, it's time to spotlight the names and faces that made some of the insanity possible.
Florida's starting quarterback battled sickness and a heavily hyped defense in order to pull off one of those mammoth upsets. A pair of wide receivers from the Lone Star State made the end zone their home this weekend. Dominant trench play was the name of the game in several huge matchups, including a wild finish in Death Valley.
In other matchups, several stars continued their early-season pushes for Heisman consideration, including a game-saving running back for the No. 1 team in the land. On the defensive side, several names rose to the top in a handful of low-scoring struggles and impressive shutouts.
Here is the Week 5 All-American first and second teams, which—as always—are chosen by top statistical performances with bonuses going toward players who excelled in important games. The bigger the matchup, the greater the chance these stars have of making the cut.
Of course, it's always tough to limit a weekend full of great performances to just a few names for each position. Tell us your top performers of Week 5 in the comments below.
Quarterback: Will Grier (Florida)
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24-of-29 passing for 271 yards, four TDs and zero INTs
Will Grier had his own "Flu Game" on Saturday night.
The Florida freshman, who was questionable to even start after battling the flu for most of the week, threw only five incompletions against the vaunted Ole Miss "Land Shark" defense and had four first-half touchdowns. Grier's incredibly efficient effort led the way in Florida's surprising beatdown of Ole Miss in the Swamp and has the Gators looking like SEC contenders.
"Saturday's performance was just one game, but it felt like the culmination of months," Bleacher Report's Brian Leigh wrote. "Grier has climbed past [Treon] Harris, gradually gained confidence, acquitted himself in big situations and slowly become the best Gators quarterback since Tim Tebow."
Second Team: Jared Goff (Cal)
33-of-45 passing for 390 yards, four TDs and one INT
Jared Goff continued to perform like a legit first-round draft prospect, and Cal needed that kind of performance in order to stay undefeated past Washington State. He ranked fifth nationally in passing yards this weekend and was one of just seven quarterbacks to throw for at least four touchdowns.
Running Backs: Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State) and Shock Linwood (Baylor)
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Elliott: 23 carries for 274 yards and three TDs
Although Ohio State was far from impressive as a whole Saturday, the Buckeyes were able to escape Indiana with a tight win thanks to a career performance from star running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The junior set a new personal best for rushing yards and scored on incredible second-half runs of 75, 65 and 55 yards. Two of Elliott's scores gave Ohio State the lead, and the third put the Buckeyes ahead by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of what was a 34-27 win away from home.
In what has been the year of the running back so far in college football, Elliott threw himself into the thick of the Heisman race with a massive game away from home. He has now rushed for more than 100 yards in all five of his games this season and has scored a touchdown in all but one contest.
Linwood: 20 carries for 221 yards and two TDs
Baylor's video game offense did it all Saturday against Texas Tech, and Shock Linwood led the charge on the rushing front with a career-best performance on the ground.
"If you can run the football, it kind of hurts [opposing teams] in the heart," Baylor head coach Art Briles said, per Joshua Davis of the Baylor Lariat. "That’s the thing you have to be able to do—you have to be able to rush the ball."
Linwood's first game of more than 200 rushing yards came in the big-play Bears' 63-35 shootout win over the Red Raiders. He set the tone for the high-scoring affair on the third snap of the game with a 79-yard touchdown run—his first of two scores in what was a ridiculous first half for Baylor.
Second Team: Peyton Barber (Auburn) and Leonard Fournette (LSU)
Barber: 28 carries for 147 yards and five TDs
Fournette: 26 carries for 233 yards and three TDs
Peyton Barber continued to be the lone bright spot for a less-than-stellar Auburn offense by scoring a Week 5-high five touchdowns in the Tigers' 14-point home win over San Jose State. Leonard Fournette had slightly better stats—except for yards per carry—than Linwood, but his third straight 200-yard performance came against the nation's worst rush defense instead of a conference foe.
Wide Receivers: KaVontae Turpin (TCU) and Corey Coleman (Baylor)
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Turpin: Six receptions for 138 yards and four TDs
Last weekend, Josh Doctson was Trevone Boykin's biggest target in his huge day through the air. In Saturday's blowout win over Texas, Doctson got his yards and a highlight-reel catch—but freshman receiver KaVontae Turpin had the huge day for the Horned Frogs.
Two-thirds of Turpin's receptions against the Longhorns went for touchdowns, and he averaged exactly 23 yards per catch. According to B/R Insights, Turpin, who had only eight receptions and two scores prior to this weekend, became the first freshman in Big 12 history to record four receiving touchdowns in one game.
"He was one if the last guys we took in the [recruiting] class," TCU head coach Gary Patterson said, per Brad Hardcastle of Scout. "And he ended up being one of the more exciting guys."
Coleman: Seven receptions for 110 yards and three TDs
As Paul Myerberg of USA Today put it Saturday, Corey Coleman is putting up "EA Sports NCAA Football '09 numbers" so far this season.
Coleman added three touchdowns on just seven receptions against Texas Tech, giving him 11 touchdowns this season on 24 catches. That's right—Coleman is scoring a touchdown slightly less than half the time he has the ball in his hands.
Baylor has plenty of weapons on its ridiculous offense, but Coleman has been the most consistent in terms of putting points on the scoreboard for head coach Art Briles. It seems the only thing he can't do right now is high-five referees.
Second Team: Calvin Ridley (Alabama) and Michael Thomas (Southern Miss)
Ridley: Five receptions for 120 yards and one TD
Thomas: Seven receptions for 155 yards and three TDs
Alabama freshman Calvin Ridley almost doubled his career yardage in the Tide's romp over Georgia, and he sliced through the Bulldogs secondary for a sweet 45-yard score in the first half. Michael Thomas did his best Coleman impression Saturday for Southern Miss, going for slightly more yardage than the Baylor star in USM's blowout win over North Texas.
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Tight End: Cam Serigne (Wake Forest)
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10 receptions for 83 yards and one TD
Cam Serigne has been one of the most valuable pieces of a transitioning Wake Forest offense, and he showed it in the Demon Deacons' close loss at home to Florida State.
Serigne had a game-high 10 receptions for 83 yards against the Seminoles and recorded a second-quarter touchdown grab. Serigne had four receptions in the fourth quarter, setting up a late field goal that made it a one-possession game.
"We have a lot of fight in us," Serigne said, per Dan Collins of the Winston-Salem Journal. "We’re not going to lay down and die. We’re going to keep fighting until the end."
Second Team: Gerald Everett (South Alabama)
Five receptions for 45 yards and two TDs
Gerald Everett is now just behind Western Kentucky's Tyler Higbee in total receiving yardage for a tight end this season, and his two touchdown receptions were difference-makers in South Alabama's close win over rival Troy.
Offensive Line: Baylor
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680 yards of offense and zero sacks allowed
Baylor entered Week 5 with the nation's No. 1 total offense and No. 1 rushing offense, and the Bears strengthened their grip on both spots with a huge performance against Texas Tech behind a strong offensive line.
"They come in thinking we're pass-happy and we come in and hit them in the mouth," Baylor offensive tackle Spencer Drango said, per Tim Griffin of the Houston Chronicle. "If they are expecting us to throw for 700 yards, we can do it. But we can also run for 400 or 500. I definitely enjoy it when they think we're just pass-happy."
As the Bears ran for 368 yards as a team against Texas Tech, quarterback Seth Russell was never taken to the turf on a single sack. That's just pure dominance in the trenches from an offense that is known more for finesse than raw power.
Second Team: TCU
604 yards of offense and zero sacks allowed
Not to be completely outdone by its main rival, TCU had another massive day of offense behind an excellent front five, which manhandled a young Texas defense and allowed zero sacks.
Defensive Ends: Shaq Lawson (Clemson) and Ejuan Price (Pittsburgh)
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Lawson: Seven tackles (3.5 for loss)
Clemson defensive star Shaq Lawson lined up across from Notre Dame's Ronnie Stanley, a highly touted draft prospect, and dominated for most of the Tigers' important win over the Irish.
"Defensive end Shaq Lawson was a relentless force, racking up 3.5 tackles for loss in the first quarter alone, and winning individual matchups with Stanley—who at one point resorted to tackling him," Matt Brown of Sports on Earth wrote. "In total, Clemson had nine tackles for loss, mostly containing [C.J.] Prosise and the running game, even if Notre Dame made plays to come back in the fourth quarter."
Lawson and the entire Clemson defensive line brought their A-game against a Notre Dame offensive front that had a claim to be one of the best in the nation heading into Week 5. More performances like that will keep the Tigers in the playoff race.
Price: Five tackles (3.5 for loss) and two sacks
Virginia Tech's offense put up only 100 yards Saturday against Pittsburgh, and the play of Ejuan Price had a lot to do with that paltry output.
Price led Pittsburgh's swarming defense in tackles for loss and sacks against the Hokies, and he was third on the team with five overall tackles. The Panthers put constant pressure on VT quarterback Brendan Motley, who was sacked seven different times.
As SB Nation's Cardiac Hill blog noted, Pittsburgh's defensive line was a problem last season. Now, with players such as Price leading the way in head coach Pat Narduzzi's system, the Panthers are looking more like a defensive force in the ACC.
Second Team: Walter Brady (Missouri) and Tyquan Lewis (Ohio State)
Brady: Three tackles (two for loss), two sacks and one INT
Lewis: Seven tackles (3.5 for loss) and one sack
Walter Brady continued his fantastic 2015 campaign with a pair of sacks and a surprising interception against South Carolina, which put up only 10 points against a resilient Missouri defense. Tyquan Lewis has been the surprise star of the Ohio State defensive line, and he recorded 3.5 big tackles for loss for the Buckeyes in their tight victory at Indiana.
Defensive Tackles: Cory Johnson (Kentucky) and Tyler Lancaster (Northwestern)
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Johnson: 19 tackles (2.5 for loss) and one sack
Kentucky's near-disaster against FCS foe Eastern Kentucky featured one of the most ridiculous individual stat lines of the 2015 season.
Defensive tackle Cory Johnson had 19—yes, 19—tackles against the Colonels, including 2.5 takedowns behind the line of scrimmage. Twelve of those came in the second half, and his sack in overtime sealed the close victory for the Wildcats.
Johnson was already coming off a fantastic performance against Missouri that netted him the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week award. Although the competition was a step down this weekend, his 19-tackle game will be hard to ignore for the conference.
Lancaster: Four tackles (two for loss), one sack and one forced fumble
Northwestern's defense—now ranked No. 1 nationally in points per game—recorded its second shutout of the season Saturday. And while Minnesota couldn't score on the Wildcats, Tyler Lancaster rubbed some salt in the wound by creating a defensive touchdown for Northwestern.
Lancaster had two tackles for loss against the Golden Gophers, and he forced a fumble from Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner that turned into a scoop-and-score for star linebacker Anthony Walker. Minnesota would finish with just 173 yards of total offense against a crushing defensive front.
It's hard to pick just one standout player from the Wildcats' dominant defense, but Lancaster's pressure on the backfield and forced fumble earn him the extra nod this week.
Second Team: Maurice Hurst Jr. (Michigan) and Malik McDowell (Michigan State)
Hurst Jr.: Four tackles (two for loss) and one sack
McDowell: Six tackles (two for loss), one sack and one forced fumble
Like Lancaster, Maurice Hurst Jr. starred at defensive tackle in a Big Ten shutout performance Saturday—and the Michigan stud told Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free-Press he felt like Maryland "shouldn't have anything" against the Wolverines. And while rival Michigan State had to hold onto a tight win against Purdue, Malik McDowell starred again in the trenches with an impressive performance against the Boilermakers.
Outside Linebackers: Eric Striker (Oklahoma) and Jason Cabinda (Penn State)
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Striker: 13 tackles (three for loss), two sacks and one forced fumble
Senior linebacker Eric Striker, the heart and soul of Oklahoma's defense, came through for the Sooners when they needed him the most Saturday against the high-powered offense of West Virginia.
Striker recorded a career-high 13 tackles against the Mountaineers and had the biggest play of the second half in Oklahoma's 44-24 home victory. With WVU near midfield and trailing by 10 in the fourth quarter, Striker stripped the ball from Skyler Howard on a sack, and teammate Jordan Evans took it to the house for a huge touchdown.
The star linebacker had a relatively quiet start to the season for the Sooners, but he more than doubled his TFL and sack counts in a huge game between undefeated Big 12 teams.
Cabinda: 14 tackles (two for loss), two sacks and one forced fumble
Things weren't always pretty for Penn State on Saturday against Army, but the Nittany Lions held off an upset bid thanks in part to the play of linebacker Jason Cabinda.
The sophomore had his first double-digit-tackle performance of his career and forced a fumble against the Black Knights. His second sack of the day—one on fourth down with less than two minutes to play—sealed a 20-14 victory for Penn State.
"[Cabinda] put the game away with a sack, and he was all over the field Saturday afternoon," Josh Moyer of ESPN.com wrote. "Penn State has sorely missed linebacker Nyeem Wartman-White, but Cabinda has stepped up in a big way and has been a nice surprise for this defense."
Second Team: Cole Fisher (Iowa) and Joe Schobert (Wisconsin)
Fisher: 14 tackles (one for loss) and 0.5 sacks
Schobert: Eight tackles (3.5 for loss), three sacks and two forced fumbles
Cole Fisher once again led Iowa in tackles and was all over the field in the Hawkeyes' defensive upset over Wisconsin. Although the Badgers couldn't pull off the victory over Iowa, Joe Schobert deserves special recognition for his crazy-good stat line in the 10-6 result.
Inside Linebacker: Antonio Morrison (Florida)
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13 tackles (3.5 for loss) and 0.5 sacks
Antonio Morrison seemingly hit another level for Florida on Saturday night as the Gators shut down an Ole Miss offense that had been riding high to start 2015.
Morrison was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week on Sunday after leading Florida in tackles and tackles for loss in the blowout upset of Ole Miss. The senior linebacker had a huge performance against the run and had a big sack of Chad Kelly in the second quarter.
"He was a big part of getting the team together this week," safety Marcus Maye said, per Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post. "He did a great job of leading us all week. We know what we’re going to get out of Antonio, him being the guy in the middle. It’s great to see him out there flying around, making plays, doing great."
Second Team: Desmond Morgan (Michigan)
Nine tackles, two pass breakups and one INT
Desmond Morgan was the heart of a Michigan defense that recorded its second straight shutout, leading the team in tackles and picking off a pass in the Wolverines' Big Ten opener at Maryland.
Cornerbacks: Desmond King (Iowa) and Jordan Thomas (Oklahoma)
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King: Nine tackles, two INTs and two pass breakups
One day, opposing quarterbacks are going to learn to stop throwing the ball at Iowa cornerback Desmond King.
Until then, though, King will continue to rack up interceptions for the Hawkeyes. The star cornerback added two more in Iowa's 10-6 road upset win at No. 19 Wisconsin, giving him five for the season. According to Iowa, King's five interceptions are the most in a season for a Hawkeye since 2010—and he's only five games into the 2015 campaign.
King also made his presence felt against Wisconsin in other areas, recording a season-high nine tackles and averaging a solid 22 yards per kick return. He continues to be an early-season MVP on an undefeated Iowa team.
Thomas: Three tackles, two INTs and one pass breakup
Jordan Thomas and the Oklahoma pass defense as a whole needed to step up after allowing a huge amount of yardage through the air against Tulsa two weeks ago.
Thomas definitely did his part for the Sooners. The cornerback picked off two passes against previously undefeated West Virginia—and his second one had a long return that virtually sealed the big victory for Oklahoma.
"He's shown, over the last two weeks, some accountability and responsibility to the team and to always doing things the right way," Stoops said, per Spenser Davis of the Oklahoma Daily. "He played well today even without the interceptions."
Second Team: Demetrius Monday (Kent State) and Latrell Gibbs (Appalachian State)
Monday: Two tackles and two INTs
Gibbs: Five tackles, one pass breakup, one INT and one TD
Demetrius Monday pulled into a four-way tie for the nation's interception lead Saturday by recording his second multi-pick game for Kent State, which held off in-state foe Miami. Latrell Gibbs starred in App State's defensive showcase against Wyoming, recording five tackles and the longest pick-six of Week 5 at 91 yards.
Safeties: Eddie Jackson (Alabama) and Stefan McClure (Cal)
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Jackson: Four tackles, one INT and one TD
Alabama's secondary has received a good deal of criticism over the last couple of seasons, but the unit stepped up and held Georgia to just 106 yards through the air.
Eddie Jackson did a great job of patrolling the back of the defense, as the cornerback-turned-safety recorded four tackles and one of three Alabama interceptions. He returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, putting the Tide up 31-3 at Georgia early in the third quarter.
"We know what kind of guys we have in the secondary," cornerback Cyrus Jones said, per Michael Casagrande of AL.com. "We know what we can do as a whole. ... we know what kind of athletes we have and when we're on the same page and blanketing those guys on the back end, it's going to be tough to score on us."
McClure: Six tackles (one for loss), one sack, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery and one TD
Don't adjust your screens—yes, this is a Cal defensive back making an All-American team this week.
The Golden Bears have one of the most opportunistic defenses in the country, and they forced four turnovers of Washington State on Saturday. Safety Stefan McClure had one of the biggest stat lines of the entire weekend, getting an important scoop-and-score early in the third quarter and registering a jarring sack of Wazzu quarterback Luke Falk.
McClure has been a leader of undefeated Cal's defensive resurgence this season, and he'll continue to be a player to watch as the Golden Bears head into some tough road tests in the Pac-12. He showed Saturday that he can hurt high-powered offenses in a number of ways.
Second Team: Michael Eguwagu (UTSA) and Karl Joseph (West Virginia)
Eguwagu: Eight tackles, one INT and two TDs
Joseph: Five tackles (one for loss), one sack, one pass breakup and one INT
Michael Eguwagu scored two defensive touchdowns—including one off a lateral from a teammate—and had eight big tackles in UTSA's impressive 25-6 victory over in-state foe UTEP. While West Virginia didn't continue its excellent defensive pace against Oklahoma, Karl Joseph showed why he's one of the best safeties in the country with a sack, an interception and this massive hit.
Kicker: Ross Martin (Duke)
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3-of-3 on field goals with long of 53
Ross Martin was Duke's entire scoring offense Saturday against Boston College as the Blue Devils knocked off Boston College by a score of 9-7.
"The Blue Devils were fortunate to have Martin, who went 3-for-3, making up for [Will] Monday’s punting errors and a third-quarter drive that came away with no points despite Duke having it at first-and-goal from the 1-yard line," Laura Keeley of the News & Observer wrote.
Martin drilled all three of his field goal tries in the first half, including a 53-yarder in the second quarter that turned out to be crucial in the low-scoring victory. That kick was the second-longest of Week 5 and built a big enough lead for the Blue Devils defense to hold in the second half.
Second Team: Andrew Gantz (Cincinnati)
2-of-2 on field goals with long of 51; 4-of-4 on extra points
Andrew Gantz was automatic for Cincinnati in its Thursday night victory over Miami, and he hit a 51-yarder that swung momentum toward the Bearcats after a scoring run from the Hurricanes.
Punter: Drew Galitz (Baylor)
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Four punts for 203 yards (50.8 average) and long of 61
Yes, Baylor has a punter—and he's quite a good one, too.
Freshman Drew Galitz made the most of his few opportunities next to the Bears' all-world offense, controlling field position in a high-scoring victory over Texas Tech. He had the second-best punt average in the country for Week 5, and head coach Art Briles called his performance "unbelievable," according to Paul Myerberg of USA Today.
Baylor isn't forced to punt quite often, but it's got to be encouraging for Briles and Co. to know they have another weapon for a potential playoff run.
Second Team: Drew Kaser (Texas A&M)
Four punts for 196 yards (49.0 average) and long of 57
Another Texans punter named Drew showed out Saturday, as Texas A&M's Drew Kaser finished slightly behind Galitz with a trademark #Kaser4Heisman performance against Mississippi State.
Returner: Evan Berry (Tennessee)
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Three kick returns for 141 yards (47 average) and one TD
According to FOX Sports' weekly stat tracker, Week 5 was a rather quiet one for return men everywhere.
While his Tennessee Volunteers couldn't pull out a win over fellow SEC struggler Arkansas, Evan Berry started things with a huge bang, going 96 yards for a score on the opening kickoff. Berry's big touchdown was his second of the season, and he now ranks second nationally in average return yardage.
Tennessee has a lot of work to do in order to salvage a season that began with such high hopes. But the Vols should feel quite confident in their electrifying return man moving forward.
Second Team: Christian McCaffrey (Stanford)
Two kick returns for 98 yards (49 average)
Christian McCaffrey didn't break one of his long returns for a touchdown in his big day for Stanford, but he set up two scoring drives for the Cardinal with a 37-yarder and a 61-yarder against Arizona.
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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