Week 10 wasn’t as thrilling as the rest of the season and lacked an abundance of marquee matchups, but it nonetheless brought fans yet another list of heroes and failures to dissect. Here are the top five studs and duds from Week 10.
Stud: Ian Book
After a blowout loss against Michigan, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish almost got upset by the Virginia Tech Hokies, but quarterback Ian Book came through in the fourth quarter. 336 yards and two touchdown passes aren’t highlight reel numbers, but his game-winning drive with under two minutes left likely saved his team’s ranked status.
Dud: Scott Frost
Back in the preseason, many expected Nebraska to take a major leap in Year Two under Scott Frost, but the Cornhuskers are currently in a dog fight just to stay bowl eligible. The team’s latest disappointment came at the hands of the Purdue Boilermakers who are down to their third-string quarterback. Nebraska is not back yet, folks.
Stud: Bryce Perkins
It has been an up-and-down season for both the Virginia Cavaliers and quarterback Bryce Perkins, but their thrilling win over North Carolina on Saturday was their greatest moment of the season. Perkins threw for 378 yards while also piling up an additional 112 yards on the ground. He was also responsible for all five of the team’s touchdowns.
Dud: Washington in the Second Half
The Washington Huskies gave the Utah Utes everything they could handle and looked to be on the verge of a PAC 12-altering upset … for the first 25 minutes. After going up 21-13 in the fourth quarter, Washington ran out of steam and Utah went on to dominate the remainder of the game.
Stud: Cuba Hubbard
In case you haven’t heard, Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard is really good. In Week 10, he ran for 233 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. He may not be getting Heisman hype, but he’s among the best players in the country.
Dud: The Arizona Wildcats
Arizona’s once-promising season has been officially derailed after a shocking blowout loss to Oregon State. After starting the season 4-1, the Wildcats have now suffered four consecutive blowout losses and their bowl eligibility is in question.
Stud: Baylor’s Defense
Week 10 brought fans a rare edition of Thursday night college football and it almost saw Baylor be upset at the hands of West Virginia. A weird back-and-forth second half was a treat to watch, but Baylor’s defense clamped down when it mattered most and the Bears are now 8-0 heading into their tough four-game stretch to end the season.
Dud: Florida’s Offense
Florida’s 24-17 loss to Georgia was by no means a blowout, but it also wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. Until the fourth quarter, the Gators weren’t able to muster up much offensive production and only managed a field goal. Both of their touchdowns came late in the game, but it was too little too late as the Bulldogs were able to grind down the clock.
Stud: Juwan Johnson
Juwan Johnson has been battling injuries all year in his first season with the Oregon Ducks, but in Week 10 he finally had a breakout performance. The Penn State transfer had 106 receiving yards to go along with three receiving touchdowns in Oregon’s demolition of USC.
Dud: Joshua Kelley
Well, would you look at that?! UCLA is on a three-game win streak. They can credit their win over Colorado to a strong performance by running back Joshua Kelley, who ran for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Chip Kelly and company close the season against USC, Utah, and Cal, but all of a sudden, they’re in the running to make a bowl game.
