The 2016 Heisman Trophy Winner Will Take on One of the Most Talented Defenses in the Country
Fans of college football have been spoiled the first two weeks of the season. There have been a ton of good games to watch.
Week three doesn’t offer as many match-ups between top teams, but there are a couple that will be worth watching. One of those games will put one of the most productive players college football has ever seen against a very talented defense.
These are the two games that are worth your attention on Saturday:
Texas at #4 USC 8:30 pm on Fox
Texas is off to a shaky start under new head coach Tom Herman. They lost to Maryland 51-41 week one. Losing to Maryland is never a good sign. However, they did bounce back week two, dismantling San Jose State 56-0.
USC notched a big win last week against Stanford, in what was one of the top match-ups of week two. If the Trojans perform like they did last week against Texas they should win easily. They had a tough time week one against Western Michigan, so if that’s the USC that comes to play this week then it will be a battle.
Although Texas has underperformed in recent years, they still have talent. The Longhorns you should watch are offensive tackle Connor Williams and linebacker Malik Jefferson.
Williams is a 6’6” 315 lbs. junior and is considered to be one of the best tackle prospects in college football. He seemingly does everything well. You’ll probably end up hearing his name called early in the 2018 draft.
Jefferson – a 6’3” 240 lbs. junior – has the tools needed to be a star in the NFL. He has great athleticism that allows him to make plays all over the field, both against the run and in coverage. The problem is that so far his production hasn’t necessarily matched his talent. He needs to show he can translate his abilities into making plays.
USC benefitted from big performances by their top offensive guys against Stanford. Sam Darnold completed 21 of 26 passing attempts for 316 yards and four touchdowns but did have two interceptions. Wide receiver Deontay Burnett reeled in nine passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Ronald Jones II (pictured above) took 23 carries for 116 yards and two scores.
USC has one of the most talented teams in college football and all three of those top guys will be playmakers on Sundays.
#3 Clemson at #14 Louisville
Clemson is another team that played another top match-up last week. They beat Auburn 14-6. The Clemson defense played very well and will need to do it again this week.
The Clemson defense was led by their front seven against Auburn. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins recorded 10 tackles, two for loss, and one and a half sacks. Clelin Ferrell, a future NFL defensive end, notched six tackles and a sack.
In terms of NFL talent, Clemson’s defense has as much of it as any team in college football.
Louisville is off to a 2-0 start. Their defense has been a little suspect but the offense has made up for it. They haven’t faced anyone with the talent that Clemson has though.
On defense Louisville’s top NFL prospect is junior cornerback Jaire Alexander. Alexander was a playmaker in 2016, intercepting five passes and handled punt return duties. Unfortunately, he is questionable for this game due to a knee injury suffered week one.
Unless you live under a rock, you know that on offense Louisville features the most exciting player in college football, quarterback Lamar Jackson (pictured above).
In 2016 Jackson put up monster numbers and took home the Heisman trophy. He passed for 3,543 yards, rushed for 1,571 yards and scored a total of 51 touchdowns.
He’s off to a great start again this year, passing for over 300 yards and rushing for at least 100 yards in each of the first two games.
Some question Jackson’s ability to play quarterback in the NFL due to his thin frame and the fact that he isn’t a prototypical pocket passer. He spent the offseason working on footwork and does have a pretty decent arm strength. Anybody who plays Madden has to be hoping that Jackson does play quarterback in the NFL because he would be the perfect video game quarterback.
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