College Football Week 6: QB Country Players of the Week

 In College QB News, Featured News, Latest News

It was another exciting week in QB Country, with trainees turning in strong performances across college football. QB Country-trained FBS starters went 10-5 to secure a winning record overall for the sixth straight week. Through week six, 13 of ESPN’s top 50 quarterbacks (one in four) are QB Country trainees. At the FCS level, Michael Hiers of Samford and Matthew McKay of Elon have their teams in the top 25 rankings and are ranked among the nation’s top ten QBs overall. Top performers from the week included:

FBS Co-Players of the Week:

John Rhys Plumlee, UCF
John Rhys went 20-of-29 for 316 yards and 2 TDs in UCF’s 41-19 victory over SMU and earned a spot on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll. It was a dominant second half for John Rhys and the Knights offense, who scored 31 unanswered points after trailing 13-10 at halftime. John Rhys is among the nation’s leaders in total offense and ranks 3rd among quarterbacks in rushing yards. The Knights’ record stands at 4-1.

Taylor Powell, Eastern Michigan
Taylor went 20-of-30 for 293 yards and 3 TDs to lead EMU to a 45-23 win over rival Western Michigan. Taylor led the Eagles to touchdowns on their first three drives and five total in the first half. EMU’s 35 first-half points were the team’s most since 2017.

First Team:

Will Rogers, Mississippi State
Will went 31-of-48 for 395 yards and 3 TDs to lead Mississippi State to a 40-17 win over Arkansas. During the game, Will broke the all-time SEC completion record and now has 946 through 28 games. He has completed 71.6 percent of his passes for 2,110 yards and 22 TDs this season for MSU, who climbed to #17 in the national rankings. Will earned Davey O’Brien Great 8 and SEC Offensive Co-Player of the Week honors and his 81.7 passing grade was tops in the conference according to Pro Football Focus.

Drew Pyne, Notre Dame
Drew led Notre Dame to a 28-20 victory over #16 BYU, going 22-of-28 for 262 yards and 3 TDs. The win was the Irish’s first over a ranked opponent this season and the third straight for Drew as a starter, who made a number of key plays though the air and on the ground to hold the Cougars at bay. He earned Davey O’Brien Great 8 honors for his performance.

Bo Nix, Oregon
Bo was dominant and efficient in #12 Oregon’s 49-22 win over Arizona, going 20-of-25 for 265 yards and adding 70 yards and 3 TDs on the ground. The Ducks have now won five straight. During that stretch, Bo has 1,353 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns, one turnover and a completion rate of 73.8%. For the fourth time this season, Bo earned a Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week nomination.

Tyler Van Dyke, Miami
Although it came in defeat, Tyler threw for a career-high 496 yards and had 3 TDs in a 27-24 setback to North Carolina. His single-game passing total was second all-time in program history. In the second quarter alone, he completed 13-of-17 attempts for 215 yards and 2 TDs.

FCS Player of the Week: Matthew McKay, Elon
Matthew went 19-of-30 for 312 yards and 2 TDs and added 1 rushing TD in Elon’s 27-10 win over Towson. It’s the fifth straight victory for the #18 Phoenix.

D3 Spotlight: Brody Davis, Millsaps
Brody went 28-of-37 for 358 yards and 5 TDs (1 rushing) to lift Millsaps to a 34-28 win over Hendrix. He earned SAA Offensive Player of the Week honors and his single-game passing total was 8th most in program history.

Best of the rest:
Drake Maye, UNC: 19/28, 309 yards, 2 TDs (2 INTs) and 53 yards rushing in 27-24 win at Miami.  
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina: 19/28, 246 yards, 1 TD, 46 yards rushing in 28-21 win at Louisiana-Monroe. With Gray as starter, Coastal is 6-0 for the third straight season.
Stetson Bennett, Georgia: 22/32, 208 yards and a 64-yard rushing TD in 42-10 win over Auburn.
Michael Hiers, Samford: 31/42, 251 yards, 2 TDs in 28-14 win over Wofford.