Week 3 on the college football slate felt like a bit of a lull in the season. It’s not like there was a ton of high stakes games and gaudy performances in said games to boot. So, it feels like this week’s Heisman Watch reflects that a little bit, but all things considered, I’m leading off with LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who hung four total touchdowns on the Mississippi State as the Tigers routed the Bulldogs 41-14. I happen to have been holding a Tigers -9.5 ticket, and thought it was quite simple: the Tigers aren’t as bad as the team we saw against Florida State, and the Bulldogs are not as good as their 2-0 start would’ve suggested. If you listened to last week’s College Football Roundup, you already know I thought the money coming in on Mississippi State in this game was insane. It felt like LSU and Daniels took this road trip to Starkville as a chance to make a statement. They did just that. Daniels was spectacular, going 30/34 for 361 yards and two passing touchdowns with 64 yards and two more scores on the ground.
Saturday night also felt like it might’ve been a turning point for Billy Napier‘s Florida Gators. Hosting the #11 ranked Tennessee Volunteers, the Gators offensive line really took over that game, established themselves, and the result was Trevor Etienne running all over the Vols. They jumped out to a 26-7 lead and never relinquished it. Patience was beginning to wear a little thin with this program, but for the time being, it feels that has subsided as this is something to build on. Etienne was particularly on fire, rushing for 172 yards and a touchdown in the upset.
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. continues to post ridiculous stat lines, now leading the FBS in passing yards with 1,332. His 12 touchdown passes are second only to Sam Hartman, but Hartman has played one more game than Penix. On the road at a Michigan State team that is admittedly enduring a little turmoil right now, Penix was 27/35 for a whopping 473 yards and four touchdowns. Sticking with Washington teams, I’m also going to mention Washington State quarterback Cam Ward, who has the Cougs at 3-0, and posted five total touchdowns against Northern Colorado on Saturday.
Finally, it’s another week, and yet again, I’m mentioning Shedeur Sanders, who would probably be considered the favorite to win this award throughout the season so far. You know the Coach Prime brand is making its mark when we’re all staying up late on a Saturday night to watch Colorado vs. Colorado State. Sanders and company engineered a 98-yard drive to score and send the game to overtime with 36 seconds left on the clock. The game went into double overtime, and we sit here today with the Buffs at 3-0. It was an enthralling game – Sanders was 38/47 for 348 yards, four touchdowns, and a pick.
Honorable Mentions: Sam Hartman, Dillon Gabriel, Bo Nix, Garrett Shrader, Malik Nabers
HEISMAN POINTS (WEEK 3)
- Jayden Daniels – 5
- Trevor Etienne – 4
- Michael Penix Jr. – 3
- Shedeur Sanders – 2
- Cam Ward – 1
HEISMAN POINTS (2023 SEASON)
- Shedeur Sanders – 9
- Michael Penix, Jr. – 7
- Jordan Travis – 6
- Jayden Daniels, Quinn Ewers – 5
- Trevor Etienne, Tyler Van Dyke – 4
- Sam Hartman, Travis Hunter, Bo Nix – 3
- Cam Ward, Caleb Williams – 1
If you haven’t already, be sure to go subscribe to the College Football Roundup Podcast, on which Steven McCash and myself break down all the action from the college football world and look ahead to the week to come.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
Subscribe to the SoBros Network Patreon here – $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers!
