The College Football Week 9 All-Heart Team
The Week 9 All-Heart team features college football players who refused to let their teams lose—even with an assist from the refs.
Sadly, poor officiating was the biggest story of the weekend, but as cliche as it sounds, that's football. It happens. And when it does, it doesn't diminish the effort, will and heart of the players.
Priority was given to power-conference players in high-profile games, since part of making this list includes playing well on the big stage. However, if the moment or performance was special enough, players from any FBS school were eligible to make the team.
Sound off below and let us know whom we missed!
QB Vernon Adams Jr., Oregon
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Vernon Adams Jr. put Oregon on his back, completing 23 of 40 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns in a 61-55 win at Arizona State.
The Ducks forced overtime on a fourth-down heave from Adams to Dwayne Stanford—a throw Adams made off his back foot after breaking a pair of would-be tackles. The Sun Devils had him dead to rights, but Adams refused to go down.
He then threw two more touchdowns in the overtime periods, leading Oregon to a much-needed road win. The Ducks are now 5-3, which is technically just one game better than 4-4 but feels like a massive difference. The win keeps Oregon's season semi-salvageable.
"I'll be real honest with you," ASU head coach Todd Graham told reporters after the game. "We spent more time game planning for 21, 2, 5 and 6 [than Adams]. … It's a head-scratcher when you got a straight shot on a guy and don't get him down. So evidently he's strong, I guess, slippery to tackle."
Yeah, Coach Graham.
Evidently.
DL Ryan Glasgow, Michigan
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Michigan nearly lost at Minnesota, which would have derailed its season.
Ryan Glasgow was the biggest reason it didn't.
The senior defensive tackle played his guts out in Minneapolis, plugging gaps and generally dominating against the run. So were the words of Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness, who singled out Glasgow for his role in Michigan's win.
His biggest play came at the end, when Minnesota, trailing by three, decided to play for the win instead of overtime. It had the ball at Michigan's goal line with time for one more play.
The Gophers ran a sneak with 6'4" quarterback Mitch Leidner. It was the ultimate instance of "who wants it more?" Multiple Wolverines won their battles, but none was more important than Glasgow, who was credited with half the tackle and created the key pushback.
"We sold out on the sneak," Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game, per Steve Kornacki of the team's official website. "It was a great job by Coach [D.J.] Durkin. He called it, and out guys stepped up and built a wall there at the goal-line."
WR Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech
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Jakeem Grant had a great day and deserves to make this list, even in a losing effort.
The Texas Tech receiver posted career highs in receptions (13) and yards (178) against Oklahoma State to go along with a kick return touchdown. He was inarguably the Red Raiders' best player.
But that is only part of why he made this list. The rest comes down to his longest offensive play. Leading 7-0, Texas Tech had the ball at its own 3-yard line and threw Grant a screen to the flat. He took that pass 90 yards, but covered roughly 10,000 yards to get there, zigging through defenders and twice changing fields before going down.
Grant hurt his ankle on a later reception, but fought through it and kept playing. It didn't result in a win, but on a big stage, Grant proved what Texas Tech fans already knew: He's one of the nation's best playmakers. (And maybe one of the nation's best players.)
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
DB Terrill Hanks, New Mexico State
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New Mexico State freshman Terrill Hanks is big man on campus after sealing an important win for the program.
The Aggies had lost 17 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation, but overcame Idaho 55-48 in overtime. It took a late rally to even get there, as the Vandals led 48-34 with 5:09 to play, but NM State closed the gap by scoring 21 unanswered points.
After that third straight touchdown, Idaho had a chance to answer back. A score would have pushed things to double overtime. But Hanks made one of the craziest plays of the season, trapping an interception between his feet and prompting fans to storm the field.
What a way to win!
QB Kevin Hogan, Stanford
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Not to be outdone by Adams Jr., Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan led another perennial Pac-12 favorite to a road win in Week 9.
With running back Christian McCaffrey bottled up at Washington State, Hogan took matters into his own hands. Rather, he took them into his own feet, rushing 14 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cardinal erased a late 12-point deficit to win 30-28. Others played well, but Hogan, a fourth-year starter whose career has featured numerous ebbs and flows, was easily the biggest reason why.
"Kevin Hogan has so much heart," Cardinal head coach David Shaw told reporters after the game. "He is such a fighter. I couldn't be more proud of him because not everything was working for him and we had to lean on him as a runner, and he made some great runs."
Stanford remains a playoff contender because of that.
Kick Return Unit, Miami
6 of 6Ignore, if you can, the controversy.
Ignore the uncalled penalties. Ignore Mark Walton's knee touching the ground. Ignore the ACC suspending the refs who allowed the play to stand.
Duke should have won, but ignore that.
Focus on Miami instead.
The Hurricanes trailed 27-24 before completing eight laterals and returning a kick for a touchdown as time expired. Bad calls helped the play stand, but Miami didn't know that in the moment. The players refused to stop playing until they punched the ball through the end zone.
It required a whole lot of luck, but it also required heart.
"It was kind of like just keep playing, just keep playing," interim head coach Larry Scott told reporters after the game. "I know we used a joke earlier in the week about it being a playground, about it being kind of like recess. And you know what? How about that? That's what it kind of turned into, a kids game. Out playing hard and [sic] never stop believing."
That's an easy way to make this list.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
