The Week 10 College Football Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week do not disappoint. Upsets continue, and #MACtion begins for college football. The MAC stole the spotlight early in the week, and upsets in the Top 25 followed. Teams who weren’t expected to win found ways to pull off victories thanks to some standout performances. And then, of course, there’s Purdue. There’s always Purdue when they face a top-five team.
College Football Offensive Players of the Week | Week 10
If you didn’t watch any #MACtion this week, you missed out on a bunch of our College Football Offensive Players of the Week. While the MAC frontloads the list, there are a couple of Power Five players who sneak in.
Rocky Lombardi, QB, Northern Illinois
Rocky Lombardi balled out, didn’t turn the ball over, outplayed his adversary, and his team still lost. That’s the definition of #MACtion. Lombardi and the Huskies thrashed Kent State’s secondary, but it wasn’t enough. However, his 532 yards and 3 touchdowns got him on this list, and it deserves a ton of respect — even in a loss.
Matt Landers, WR, Toledo
Matt Landers didn’t produce the most yards of any receiver, but we at Pro Football Network appreciate efficiency. Toledo’s top receiver made several big plays for the Rockets, turning 5 catches into 150 yards (30 yards per catch) and 2 touchdowns. It wasn’t enough to help the Rockets win, but it pushed Eastern Michigan to answer every single time.
Jack Sorenson, WR, Miami (OH)
It was the week of the wide receiver, though we should have seen it coming when several MAC receivers got the trend started. Jack Sorenson couldn’t singlehandedly beat Ohio this week, but he gave them plenty of headaches. He caught a game-high 14 passes for 283 yards (20.2 yards per catch) and 2 scores.
Trayvon Rudolph, WR, Northern Illinois
Again, it was a long week for secondary’s in the MAC, but none had a longer night than Kent State’s. Trayvon Rudolph posted a career-high 14 catches for 309 yards (a school record) and 3 TDs to lead the Huskies. Yet, it wasn’t quite enough to help Northern Illinois pull off the win. If anything, it made the MAC even more crowded and confusing.
DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
We’ve been waiting for DeWayne McBride to take over for the departed Spencer Brown, and we might have seen it come to fruition this weekend. In a big game against a tough Louisiana Tech defense, McBride made a statement.
He averaged 15 yards per rush on Saturday, showcasing the explosiveness we’ve heard about coming into the season. He finished with 210 yards and a game-high 4 touchdowns to lead the Blazers.
Ty Chandler, RB, North Carolina
Everyone talks about Sam Howell‘s legs, and for good reason. However, North Carolina needed another contributor on the ground to step up this weekend. Chandler answered the call for the Tar Heels, rushing for 213 yards and 4 scores. North Carolina was staring a sub-.500 record in the face against No. 9 Wake Forest. But they found a way to pull off the upset over the Demon Deacons at home.
Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
Honestly, we’re not talking enough about Jahan Dotson. For the most part, we talk about how athletic he is and how clean his routes are. Yet, he exploded this weekend in the box score. Dotson shredded Maryland’s defense for 242 yards and 3 touchdowns to highlight his impressive skill set.
College Football Defensive Players of the Week | Week 10
Don’t forget about the guys on defense because some of them had monster games this weekend. While offensive players get most of the love, these defenders deserve heaps of praise this week.
Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
Utah needed a big performance on Friday, and they delivered thanks largely to Devin Lloyd. The Utes dominated Stanford this weekend, winning 52-7. Lloyd did a little bit of everything to cement the victory.
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He finished with a team-high 9 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection, 1 interception, and returned that interception for a touchdown. I believe that gets him on our list of College Football Defensive Players of the Week.
Cam Bright, LB, Pitt
While everyone continues to gush over Kenny Pickett, Cam Bright and the defense have been making their own plays for Pitt. Pitt’s linebacker finished with 6 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 1 quarterback hurry. Duke QB Gunnar Holmberg got a little too familiar with Bright as he was in his face constantly. That helped Pitt pull away from the Blue Devils in Week 10.
AJ Finley, S, Ole Miss
Priority No. 1 this weekend for the Rebels was to limit Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. AJ Finley and the defense did just that to help Ole Miss slow the Flames’ offense. Willis threw 3 picks on the road, and 2 of them ended up in Finley’s hands. The playmaking safety also led the Rebels with 12 tackles.
Vince Sanford, LB, Air Force
Arguably the most underrated and underappreciated player who’s made the list of either Offensive or Defensive Players of the Week in college football is Vince Sanford. While Air Force couldn’t pull out a win against Army to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, Sanford and the defense did their best to make it happen. He finished with 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 quarterback hurries.
Kyon Barrs, DL, Arizona
Arizona ended a long losing streak with a 10-3 win over Cal, and it was a defensive effort. Kyon Barrs led the way with 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Normally, the Wildcats don’t get a ton of positive attention, but they found a way to win and get a player on our list of College Football Defensive Players of the Week. Count that as multiple wins.
