College Football's All-Week 9 First Team: Top Performers at Every Position
Halloween football was no tricks and just treats for the playmakers on these next few slides—the members of Bleacher Report's Week 9 All-America team.
It was a decidedly #goacc type of Oct. 31 in the world of college football, as several playmakers from Clemson and Florida State had huge statistical performances to set up a monster matchup next Saturday in Death Valley.
Earlier in the week, a Big 12 dynamic duo frightened defenses everywhere with its big-time numbers against a conference foe. On the defensive side of the ball, some familiar faces from previous All-Week teams became living nightmares for offensive attacks—especially those with turnover-prone quarterbacks.
As we always do on Sundays, here are our top performer picks from this weekend's loaded college football action. The selections are based mostly on their statistical outputs compared to the rest of the country, with bonuses given to players in big-time games against higher-quality opponents.
Of course, some great players just missed the cut this week. Shout out some of your favorite individual performances in the comments below.
Quarterback: Deshaun Watson (Clemson)
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23-of-30 passing for 383 yards, five TDs and zero INTs; 14 rushes for 54 yards and one TD
With the usually excellent Clemson defense struggling in its worst performance of the season Saturday against NC State, the Tigers needed their star quarterback to lead the way. Deshaun Watson did that and then some, putting up more than 400 yards of offense and six touchdowns in a 56-41 win.
"After failing to hit the 300-yard passing mark in his first five games this fall, Watson has done it twice in his last three, coupling Saturday with a 420-yard effort against Boston College," Bleacher Report's Greg Wallace wrote. "And after throwing 14 touchdowns against seven interceptions in his first six games, Watson has thrown six touchdowns with no picks in his last two games."
Watson is hitting his stride at the perfect time for the undefeated Tigers, as they'll host upset-minded Florida State next Saturday in a matchup that will most likely determine the ACC's Atlantic Division. If Watson has another huge game, he should be considered a top Heisman contender.
Second Team: Trevone Boykin (TCU)
32-of-47 passing for 388 yards, three TDs and zero INTs; 11 carries for 84 yards and one TD
Trevone Boykin's 472-yard, four-touchdown performance Thursday night against West Virginia was so good, Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen couldn't help but high-five the TCU star after a stunning run.
Running Backs: Corey Clement (Wisconsin) and Jacques Patrick (Florida State)
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Clement: 11 carries for 115 yards and three TDs
Welcome back, Corey Clement. The Wisconsin running back was projected to have a huge year after taking over for the great Melvin Gordon, but an injury suffered in the season opener against Alabama kept Clement on the sidelines for a month-and-a-half.
Clement returned in style Saturday for the Badgers, scoring three touchdowns and rushing for 115 yards on just 11 carries. He gave the Wisconsin offense a much-needed boost in its rout of Rutgers, and he'll be a difference-maker down the stretch for the Badgers' postseason hopes.
"The junior made tacklers miss with his moves, power and burst," Tom Oates of Madison.com wrote. "His 115 yards rushing restored balance to what had been a pass-heavy offense. And, most important, he provided UW with the home run hitter it had been lacking all season."
Patrick: 24 carries for 162 yards and three TDs; six receptions for 62 yards
Florida State didn't have Everett Golson or Dalvin Cook on Saturday, but that didn't stop the Seminoles from getting huge performances on the offensive side of the ball.
Jacques Patrick was one of those breakout performers, smashing through the Syracuse defense for 162 yards and three touchdowns in his first full day of work. The 6'2", 235-pound freshman showcased great speed and strength against the Orange, especially on his third touchdown, when he broke several tackles and raced into the end zone.
Patrick's big performance was quite important for Florida State as it heads into the final stretch of the regular season nursing some injuries. If Cook isn't 100 percent, the Seminoles know they can trust their bruising freshman out of the backfield.
Second Team: Larry Rose III (New Mexico State) and Arkeel Newsome (UConn)
Rose III: 25 carries for 212 yards and four TDs
Newsome: 25 carries for 179 yards and two TDs
Larry Rose III led the nation in rushing yardage in Week 9 and also came through with four touchdowns for New Mexico State in a wild overtime victory that snapped a 17-game losing streak.
Arkeel Newsome ran all over the ECU defense in UConn's big Friday night win, breaking a 90-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to put it out of reach for the Pirates.
Wide Receivers: Travis Rudolph (Florida State) and Josh Doctson (TCU)
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Rudolph: Five receptions for 191 yards and three TDs
Florida State's offense didn't miss a beat Saturday with Sean Maguire under center, and his long-range missiles from the pocket led to a monster day from wide receiver Travis Rudolph.
Rudolph set the tone for FSU's offense with an incredible 75-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown in the first quarter that featured several side-steps and a jaw-jarring stiff arm. But Rudolph was far from done, as he caught a 45-yard touchdown later in the first quarter and a 19-yarder in the third.
The sophomore wide receiver had not recorded a 100-yard or multiple-touchdown game for Florida State heading into Saturday. But he took over against Syracuse and was the only player in the country to record three receiving touchdowns in Week 9.
Doctson: 11 receptions for 183 yards and two TDs
With Baylor's Corey Coleman off this weekend, TCU's Josh Doctson got the spotlight to himself in the battle for the title of the Big 12's most ridiculous receiver. Doctson recorded another monster performance—this time against West Virginia—and broke TCU's single-season receptions record.
"I keep telling you people to appreciate Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson," TCU head coach Gary Patterson said, per Suzanne Halliburton of the Austin American-Statesman. "I think sometimes we get so caught up with the playoffs … they play, then they’re gone. … You win and then you get to the next game, and you don’t really let it soak in what they just did."
With his 183 yards and two touchdowns against the Mountaineers, Doctson had his sixth straight game of triple digits in yardage and multiple scores. According to ESPN, the last player to do that in college football was former Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree.
Second Team: Jakeem Grant (Texas Tech) and Jamari Staples (Louisville)
Grant: 13 receptions for 178 yards and one TD
Staples: 10 receptions for 133 yards and two TDs
In addition to his 100-yard kick return in Texas Tech's shootout loss to Oklahoma State, Jakeem Grant led the nation this weekend with 13 receptions, including this 90-yard gain in which he made almost every Cowboy on the field miss.
Jamari Staples set a Louisville season high in both receptions and yards while grabbing two crucial touchdowns in a tight win over Wake Forest.
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Tight End: Brandon Lingen (Minnesota)
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Five receptions for 111 yards
Brandon Lingen and Minnesota weren't able to pull off the emotional upset of rival Michigan on Saturday, but the Golden Gophers tight end grabbed not one but two ridiculous catches for his offense.
The Minnesota tight end showed excellent concentration on his receptions, coming through with big first downs on several plays in traffic. He was the only target of Mitch Leidner to break the century mark in yards against a stingy Wolverines defense.
Lingen led all tight ends nationally in receiving yards for Week 9. While he didn't find the end zone in a losing effort, it's hard to argue with his output or his highlights from the thriller for the Little Brown Jug.
Second Team: Wyatt Houston (Utah State)
Four receptions for 66 yards and two TDs
Utah State's Wyatt Houston was the only tight end in the country to haul in multiple touchdown receptions in Week 9. His career game against Wyoming helped push the Aggies to 5-3 on the season.
Offensive Line: Texas A&M
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544 yards of total offense, one sack allowed
After two ugly weeks in bad losses, the Texas A&M offense roared back to life Saturday in a win over South Carolina. Some of that success was because of the change to dual threat Kyler Murray at quarterback, but Tra Carson also had a huge day on the ground behind a revamped offensive line.
"Our tempo was a lot higher," Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said, per Aubrey Bloom of AggieSports.com. "In order to do that, you need to change some things up front. We were able to do that, and do it effectively."
The Texas A&M offensive line did a much better job of opening up lanes after several weeks of low numbers from the rushing attack, which accounted for 321 yards against South Carolina. If the front five can continue its great play, the Aggies will be able to get back to business as usual offensively.
Second Team: Florida State
575 yards of total offense, one sack allowed
Florida State's massive offensive performance wasn't just missing Everett Golson and Dalvin Cook. The Seminoles were without two offensive line starters, but the front still dominated the matchup by paving the way for 221 rushing yards against Syracuse.
Defensive Ends: Charles Tapper (Oklahoma) and Marquis Haynes (Ole Miss)
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Tapper: Four tackles (three for loss), three sacks and two forced fumbles
Charles Tapper was a constant menace for the poor Kansas offense Saturday, as he recorded three sacks and forced two fumbles in Oklahoma's 62-7 road rout of the Jayhawks.
The Oklahoma defensive end hadn't recorded a sack in Oklahoma's seven previous games, and he only had two tackles for loss heading into Saturday's matchup. He forced a fumble on his third sack of the day, setting up another scoring drive for the Sooners' high-powered offense.
"[Tapper’s] missed some plays this year, and really the last couple of games we’ve seen him really come on, and it couldn’t be at a better time to get another playmaker up front," Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said, per Scott Hiney of the Oklahoma Daily. "He has all the ability in the world. It was fun to see today."
Haynes: Six tackles (three for loss) and two sacks
While a large focus of the Ole Miss defense Saturday against Auburn was Robert Nkemdiche's return to action from a concussion, Marquis Haynes continued to show why he's one of the most feared pass-rushers in the entire SEC.
Haynes recorded three tackles for loss and dropped Auburn quarterback Sean White twice in the backfield. The Ole Miss end now has a pair of sacks in three of his last four games for the swarming "Landshark" defense.
Auburn went an abysmal 2-of-15 on third downs against Ole Miss, and a lot of that had to do with the amount of pressure the Rebels were able to get on a decidedly pass-happier Gus Malzahn offense. Haynes was the leader of that relentless force, as he has been for the last few weeks.
Second Team: Dadi Nicolas (Virginia Tech) and Derek Barnett (Tennessee)
Nicolas: Seven tackles (3.5 for loss), one sack and one forced fumble
Barnett: Seven tackles (two for loss) and two sacks
Dadi Nicolas had a huge day in the Boston College backfield in Virginia Tech's 26-10 win, and he also forced a turnover deep in Eagles territory to set up a scoring drive in the fourth quarter.
Derek Barnett recorded his first multisack game of 2015, hitting Kentucky's Patrick Towles twice in Tennessee's big win over the Wildcats.
Defensive Tackles: Sheldon Day (Notre Dame) and Cory Johnson (Kentucky)
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Day: Six tackles (2.5 for loss), one sack, one forced fumble and one pass breakup
Sheldon Day is having a fantastic season as an elite college defensive tackle and can't-miss NFL prospect. Day pitched in another huge performance for Notre Dame on Saturday night, recording 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and even a pass breakup in a tight win over Temple—but that only tells part of the story.
"Notre Dame defensive tackle Sheldon Day’s impact went far beyond the box score," Paul Myerberg of USA Today wrote. "The interior of Temple’s offensive line was often manhandled by the senior, whose constant pressure in the backfield upset the Owls’ tempo in the running game and on passing downs."
Day spearheaded a Notre Dame defense that allowed fewer than 300 yards in Saturday's thrilling win. He'll continue to be a top-notch playmaker as the Irish stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.
Johnson: Three tackles (one for loss), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one TD
Cory Johnson couldn't keep Kentucky from getting blown out by Tennessee, but he pulled off one of the best plays of Saturday in the first quarter. The 300-pound Johnson, who also recorded one tackle for loss in the defeat, forced a fumble and took it 77 yards for an incredible touchdown.
While he's been known more for his insane tackle counts and his unique nickname of "Poop," Johnson's long touchdown return was the biggest highlight of what has been a great season for the Wildcat tackle.
"In a year that has had its ups and downs in Lexington, Johnson has been one of the stars of a Kentucky defense that needed some help up front," Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee wrote.
Second Team: Julien Obioha (Texas A&M) and Cleveland Smith (Western Michigan)
Obioha: Four tackles (one for loss), one sack and one forced fumble
Smith: Three tackles (2.5 for loss)
Julien Obioha provided quite a bit of pressure up the middle for Texas A&M, and he nearly forced a turnover of his own in the Aggies' victory over South Carolina. Cleveland Smith helped Western Michigan earn its fourth straight win—this one over rival Eastern Michigan—with 2.5 tackles for loss from the interior of the line.
Outside Linebackers: Travis Feeney (Washington) and Jarrad Davis (Florida)
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Feeney: 11 tackles (4.5 for loss), two sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup
Washington's Travis Feeney put up the most absurd defensive stat line of Week 9, creating a ton of havoc for what used to be an efficient Arizona offense in a 49-3 #Pac12AfterDark destruction.
Feeney led a dominant Huskies defense in tackles and tackles for loss against the Wildcats while forcing a pair of fumbles and breaking up a pass. Like in his standout performance in the upset of USC earlier this season, Feeney's athleticism and playmaking ability were on full display Saturday night.
"Travis is one of those athletes that can match up with [Arizona’s] spread offense pretty well," Washington head coach Chris Petersen said, per Rich Myhre of the Everett Herald. "He has that range and that speed that he can chase things down, and he’s a physical player. When he’s focused and his mind is right, and it was tonight, he [played] really well."
Davis: Six tackles (0.5 for loss), 0.5 sacks, one INT and one pass breakup
The Florida defense had several star performances in its huge win over rival Georgia, and linebacker Jarrad Davis had perhaps the best one of them all.
As Kevin Weidl of ESPN noted on Twitter, Davis continues to make attention-grabbing plays in a unit that has other big-name stars: "VHIII, Bullard and Morrison are the headline names of Florida's defense but every time I watch that unit LB Jarrad Davis is making plays."
Davis had a late interception to go along with his team-high six tackles against the Bulldogs, and he came close to picking off another pass earlier in the game. Georgia's offense was already struggling, but Davis made sure the Bulldogs weren't going to get anything going Saturday in Jacksonville.
Second Team: Vince Biegel (Wisconsin) and Dominique Tovell (UL-Lafayette)
Biegel: Five tackles (two for loss) and two sacks
Tovell: 12 tackles (two for loss) and two sacks
Vince Biegel added two sacks to an already impressive season tally Saturday in Wisconsin's stifling defensive performance against Rutgers.
Dominique Tovell had one of the busiest tackling days of any player in Week 9 and added a pair of sacks in ULL's rivalry win over ULM.
Middle Linebacker: Jordan Harris (Iowa State)
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Seven tackles (0.5 for loss) and one INT
Entering Saturday's game, Texas had scored at least 17 points against Iowa State in all their previous meetings. But this time around, the Longhorns left the field with nothing on the scoreboard thanks to an unbelievable performance from Jordan Harris and the Iowa State defense.
Harris had the second-most tackles for the Cyclones against Texas, and he also snagged a leaping interception of Jerrod Heard inside Iowa State territory to take away a Longhorn scoring opportunity. The middle linebacker was named the Walter Camp national defensive player of the week after the shutout win.
Texas entered the Iowa State game with a good amount of momentum on the offensive side of the ball, but Harris and the Cyclones defense snuffed all that out in a surprising shutout win.
Second Team: B.J. Goodson (Clemson)
10 tackles (three for loss), one sack and one forced fumble
Yes, the Clemson defense had its worst performance of the season as a whole Saturday against NC State, but B.J. Goodson's final stat line deserves plenty of recognition—he forced the only turnover of the game from a challenging Jacoby Brissett.
Cornerbacks: Quenton Meeks (Stanford) and Anthony Brown (Purdue)
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Meeks: Six tackles (one for loss) and two INTs
Stanford needed a comeback and a late missed field goal to knock off Washington State away from home late Saturday night. The Cardinal also needed the excellent performance of freshman cornerback Quenton Meeks.
Meeks picked off a pair of passes in the second half to spark the comeback, as the Stanford offense scored 10 points off his takeaways. He also had six tackles—with one for loss—as Stanford's defense held on to a victory over what had been a red-hot Luke Falk and the Mike Leach Air Raid offense.
The freshman was by far the player of the game for a Cardinal unit that only had three interceptions entering Saturday night's huge Pac-12 North clash. Now Meeks has the team lead in that category, and Stanford is still alive in the playoff race.
Brown: Four tackles and three INTs
Anthony Brown became one of the few players this season to pick off a trio of passes in one game, and his takeaways proved to be huge in Purdue's 55-45 victory over struggling Nebraska in Big Ten play.
"The Boilermakers haven’t had much to feel good about so far this season, but suddenly there was no shortage of positives on either side of the ball in the breakout victory over Nebraska," Austin Ward of ESPN.com wrote. "Brown came into the weekend with just one career interception, but he nabbed three of them to keep the Huskers at bay in easily his most prolific outing ever."
Two of Brown's interceptions set up touchdown drives for Purdue, and the other one stopped a Nebraska drive inside Boilermaker territory. That's beyond clutch for a team that needed to grab a conference victory.
Second Team: Ishmael Adams (UCLA) and Desmond King (Iowa)
Adams: Three tackles, one INT and one TD
King: Five tackles, one INT and one TD
In a weekend that featured plenty of pick-sixes, Ishmael Adams took home the title of the longest, running an interception back 96 yards for a touchdown in what turned out to be a narrow win for UCLA over Colorado.
Desmond King found the end zone, too, on his seventh interception of 2015—a number that is tied for the national lead.
Safeties: Donovan Wilson (Texas A&M) and Derwin James (Florida State)
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Wilson: One tackle, two INTs and one TD
Donovan Wilson has become a ball magnet this season for John Chavis' resurgent Texas A&M defense, and he had two big takeaways in the Aggies' 35-28 win over South Carolina.
"I'm just out there trying to do my job," Wilson said, per Kate Hairopolous of the Dallas Morning News. "It was great. Gave us a lot of momentum and it took a little pressure off the offense and the defense."
Wilson's first career pick-six, as Hairopolous noted, gave Texas A&M a two-score lead late in the third quarter. His second interception sealed the victory for the Aggies, who were only leading by one touchdown with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
James: 12 tackles, two tackles for loss and one forced fumble
Derwin James can make a strong claim as the best true freshman in all of college football, and he had the best performance of his young Florida State career Saturday against Syracuse.
James had a dozen tackles, which were a team high, and he flew into the backfield a couple of times to take down the Orange. His forced fumble in the third quarter set up a quick touchdown drive for the Florida State offense, which excelled with some young talent of its own in a 45-21 victory.
The freshman safety has already carved out a major role for Florida State, as he now leads all defensive backs on the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. James looks destined to be a superstar for years to come on this star-studded Seminoles roster.
Second Team: Tanner McEvoy (Wisconsin) and Quin Blanding (Virginia)
McEvoy: Four tackles (one for loss), one sack and one INT
Blanding: 15 tackles and two pass breakups
Wisconsin's do-it-all playmaker Tanner McEvoy had a huge day on the defensive side of the ball, and then he came to postgame interviews dressed up as Ricky Bobby from Talladega Nights.
Quin Blanding was a tackle machine for Virginia, which recorded a much-needed home win against a Georgia Tech team riding the momentum from last weekend's wild upset of FSU.
Kicker: Jaden Oberkrom (TCU)
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4-of-4 on field goals (long of 57) and 4-of-4 on extra points
Jaden Oberkrom was one of four kickers to lead the country in Week 9 with 16 points, but he separated himself from the pack with a 57-yard boot in a 40-10 win over West Virginia.
Oberkrom's long field goal tied a school record, per Matthew Martinez of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and gave TCU some extra momentum heading into what would be a big second half against the Mountaineers. He'll be a consistent weapon for the Horned Frogs as they trek into what will be a tough November slate.
Second Team: Daniel Carlson (Auburn)
4-of-4 on field goals (long of 52) and 1-of-1 on extra points
Daniel Carlson nailed one of the longest field goals of Week 9 and represented the only consistent points production for a mismanaged Auburn offense in a close loss to No. 19 Ole Miss.
Punter: Tom Hackett (Utah)
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Three punts for 162 yards (54 average) and long of 56
Tom Hackett is becoming a mainstay on this slide week after week as he continues to boom ridiculous punts for Utah's excellent special teams unit.
Hackett flipped the field position several times for Utah in its 15-point win over Pac-12 struggler Oregon State. All three of his punts traveled at least 50 yards, and he received special recognition in the postgame press conference from head coach Kyle Whittingham, per Dirk Facer of the Deseret News.
Hackett currently sits third nationally in punt average this season, and he's a strong contender to win his second straight Ray Guy award this season. He's a strong weapon for the Utes in their race for a Pac-12 championship.
Second Team: A.J. Cole (NC State)
Five punts for 253 yards (50.6 average) and long of 53
True freshman punter A.J. Cole continued a great start to his collegiate career in Saturday's loss to Clemson. Three of his five punts went for more than 50 yards, and he pinned Clemson inside the 20-yard line with his longest boot of the day.
Returner: Charles Nelson (Oregon)
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Four kick returns for 185 yards (46.3 average) and one TD
Charles Nelson has done a little bit of everything this season for Oregon, but the do-it-all Duck did something he hadn't done before in his young career on Thursday night against Arizona State. Nelson scorched the Sun Devils for a 100-yard kick return touchdown in a third-quarter comeback for Oregon.
Nelson added 15 tackles on defense in the wild triple-overtime win for the Ducks, but he'll be remembered most for the huge kick return touchdown that shifted momentum away from home.
Second Team: Evan Berry and Cameron Sutton (Tennessee)
Berry: One kick return for 100 yards and one TD
Sutton: One punt return for 84 yards and one TD
Evan Berry and Cameron Sutton were double trouble for the Tennessee special teams unit on Saturday night, as they each recorded a long return for a touchdown in a huge win over Kentucky. Teams should have already stopped kicking in Berry's direction, and now they could add Sutton to the list.
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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