College Football Week 1: QB Country Players of the Week
It was a strong opening week of the 2022 college football season in QB Country with a number of trainees posting standout performances and earning national and conference awards. Top performers from week one included:
Player of the Week
Drake Maye, UNC
Drake went 24-of-36 for 352 yards and four touchdowns and added 76 rushing yards and a TD on the ground in leading UNC to a wild 63-61 victory over Appalachian State. He captured ACC QB and Rookie of the Week honors, and earned Davey O’Brien Great 8, Manning Award Star of the Week, and Pro Football Network College Team of the Week recognition for his efforts.
First Team
Stetson Bennett, Georgia
Stetson went 25-of-31 for 368 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing TD in a 49-3 Bulldogs victory over No. 11 Oregon. His efforts earned week one Davey O’Brien Great 8 and Manning Award Star of the Week honors.
Garrett Shrader, Syracuse
Garrett went 18-of-25 for 237 yards and 2 TDs through the air and added 95 yards and a TD on the ground en route to being named the PFF Offensive Player of the Week. His 94.1 passing grade performance included five big-time throws on 25 attempts in the Orange’s 31-7 win over Louisville.
Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Will led the Bulldogs to a 49-23 victory over Memphis, tallying his sixth career 400-yard game. He finished 38-of-49 for 450 yards and 5 TDs and earned Davey O’Brien Great 8 and Manning Award Star of the Week honors.
KJ Jefferson, Arkansas
KJ led the Razorbacks to a 31-24 victory over Cincinnati, going 18-for-26 for 223 yards and 3 TDs and adding 62 yards and a TD on the ground. His efforts earned him Davey O’Brien Great 8 honors.
John Rhys Plumlee, UCF
John Rhys made a splash in his Knights debut, going 20-of-31 for 308 yards and four touchdowns and adding 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground in a 56-10 win over South Carolina State. John Rhys was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll for his performance.
Riley Leonard, Duke
Riley went 24-of-30 for 328 yards and two touchdowns in Duke’s 30-0 shutout victory over Temple. Riley also led the Blue Devils with 64 yards on the ground.
Michael Hiers, Samford
Michael earned FCS National Offensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention going 18-of-24 for 289 yards and 4 TDs in 27-17 win over Kennesaw State.
Best of the Rest:
Holton Ahlers, East Carolina – 25/41, 274 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs in a near upset of #14 NC State
Carter Bradley, South Alabama – 17/25, 263 yards, 3 TDs in a 48-7 win over Nicholls State
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina – 12/17, 174 yards, 3 TDs in a 38-28 win over Army
N’Kosi Perry, Florida Atlantic – 24/42, 364 yards, 5 TDs in a 41-38 loss to Ohio
Taylor Powell, Eastern Michigan – 21/30, 271 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 1 rushing TD in 42-34 win over Eastern Kentucky
Tyler Van Dyke, Miami – 13/16, 193 yards, 2 TDs in 70-13 win over Bethune Cookman