These were the 10 most impressive and impactful individual performances from around college football in Week 6.
Five of the top 16 ranked teams lost in Week 6, including Oklahoma taking down then-No. 1 Texas in the annual Red River Shootout and then-No. 2 Georgia outlasting No. 6 Alabama in the game of the week.
That all ballooned the list of superlative performances beyond just the stat-stuffers and made the task even harder for the TeamFB7 “Game Balls” committee to narrow the list to 10-ish for the week.
Glaring snubs were unavoidable — as always — and that even extends to a loaded honorable mentions list.
But that’s the point — it’s exclusive company to be among the 10 honorees each week.
This list set a season-high for defensive players earning Game Balls, which pushed even more stat-stuffing offensive stars to the honorable mention bin.
Here goes …
1A/1B. Oregon State QB Braden Atkinson and WR Jesse Legree
We might as well just reserve a spot each week for this duo, goodness. Actually, this week they each claim a spot of their own.
The prolific Oregon State tandem is finally starting to get some deserved national buzz (beyond our weekly shoutouts) and even some dark horse Heisman Trophy chatter.
Which is appropriate because Beavers quarterback Braden Atkinson and wide receiver Jesse Legree couldn’t do much more to merit their share of the spotlight.
It was just another day at the office in Oregon State’s 66-14 win over San Diego State as Atkinson completed 29 of 38 passes for 409 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions and Legree hauled in 10 catches for 191 yards and 3 scores.
Akinson, a sophomore transfer from Mercer, leads all FBS quarterbacks with 2,257 passing yards (his 376.2 passing yards per game is 58.6 more than anyone else) and 21 TDs while throwing just 2 INTs.
Per the Pac-12 and Opta Stats, he is just the fourth FBS quarterback this century to pass for at least 400 yards, 5 TDs and 0 INTs in back-to-back games, joining Dillon Gabriel (2020 UCF), Joe Burrow (2019 LSU) and Jared Goff (2015 Cal). He’s the only FBS QB with three 400-yard passing games this season and the only one to throw for at least 300 yards in every game.
Truly elite stuff.
Then there is Legree, the true freshman, who is now officially listed on the Heisman odds list by DraftKings Sportsbook at +9000.
He leads nationally in receiving yards (932), receiving yards per game (155.3) and receiving TDs (12) while ranking second in the country with 24.53 yards per reception.
But we’re just getting started …
Legree is one of just three FBS players this season with at least 10 catches, 190 receiving yards and 3 TDs in the same game along Miami’s Malachi Toney and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. He’s the first Oregon State WR to do that since 2004.
Moreover, this was his sixth straight 100-yard receiving game (in six games totals), already breaking the Oregon State single-season record.
This was his second straight game with 3 receiving TDs, which has only happened six times in at least the last 30 years for the Beavers with no other player doing it multiple times.
And Legree has now won Pac-12 Freshman of the Week every week this season, making him the only player to win any Pac-12 weekly award six times in any one season.
3. Louisville RB Isaac Brown
Louisville had taken it easy on star running back Isaac Brown through the early part of the season as he had only 57 carries through the first five games and had just 9 carries each of the last two weeks.
But the Cardinals were reeling after two straight losses and would be without the other half of their backfield tandem with Keyjuan Brown (no relation) injured.
So Louisville fully unleased Isaac Brown last Friday night against Florida State, and he proved he was more than up to the task while rushing for 235 yards and 2 TDs on 17 carries and adding a 71-yard kickoff return to power the Cardinals to a 44-20 win.
That marked the most rushing yards in a game for any FBS player so far this season.
Louisville actually trailed 14-0 and was on the brink of going down three touchdowns before stopping the Seminoles on fourth down at the goal line early in the second quarter. On the next play, Brown broke through the defense for a 97-yard touchdown run to swing the momentum.
Brown opened the second half with the long kickoff return to the FSU 28 while a horse-collar tackle penalty moved the ball to the 14, setting up a short Louisville touchdown drive.
Brown later put the game out of reach with a 68-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter as Louisville improved to 3-3.
It was the second straight game in which Brown averaged at least 13 yards per carry (9-125-1 vs. NC State in Week 5) as he pushed his season total to 557 rushing yards and 4 TDs on 7.5 YPC.
4. BYU QB Bear Bachmeier
With BYU playing its first game without star running back LJ Martin, who is expected to be out at least a month with an ankle injury, quarterback Bear Bachmeier put the Cougars on his back.
Bachmeier not only threw for a season-high 329 yards and 2 TDs but he did Martin’s usual job as well with a team-high 109 rushing yards on 9 carries in a 24-10 win over Iowa State on Friday night.
That marked the second-highest passing total in the sophomore QB’s college career and his most rushing yards.
Bachmeier became the first BYU quarterback to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a game since Taysom Hill in 2013.
BYU stayed unbeaten at 5-0 and is No. 8 in the AP rankings this week.
5. Indiana WR Nick Marsh
The Hoosiers faced another tough challenge to their FBS-leading winning streak Saturday before ultimately overcoming an 11-point fourth quarter deficit for a 20-17 win on the road at Nebraska in a battle of unbeaten teams.
It was the 22nd straight victory for the reigning national champions as Indiana improved to 6-0 and moved up two spots to No. 5 in the AP poll.
And wide receiver Nick Marsh was unquestionably the star of that game-swinging fourth quarter.
He finished with 6 catches for 187 yards (the second-best mark nationally in Week 6) and 2 TDs, scoring on receptions of 75 and 44 yards as Indiana scored 14 unanswered points to close out the game.
Marsh’s 75-yard TD came on the first play from scrimmage after Nebraska had pushed its lead to 17-6 as he caught a pass from Josh Hoover over the middle between two defenders and outran the defense the final 60 yards to the end zone.
His second TD — the ultimate game-winner — came on a fourth-and-1 play from inside midfield midway through the fourth quarter as Marsh got wide-open behind the defense.
That was Marsh’s best game for Indiana after transferring in this year from Michigan State.
6. Oklahoma S Peyton Bowen
Oklahoma toppled No. 1-ranked Texas, 27-24, on Saturday in one of the biggest wins of the week, and as usual the Sooners were led by their defense with safety Peyton Bowen delivering the biggest play of all.
The game was tied 17-17 early in the fourth quarter when Bowen intercepted Longhorns QB Arch Manning and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown and Oklahoma’s first lead of the game.
Texas would later tie it before Tate Sandell’s game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired ended it for the Sooners, but Bowen’s pick-6 was the pivotal momentum swing.
Bowen also had a season-high 7 tackles (6 solo) while the interception was the third of his college career.
The win was Oklahoma’s first over a No. 1-ranked team since 2007, its first over a No. 1-ranked opponent while unranked in the AP poll and its first ever over Texas with the Longhorns ranked No. 1 in the AP poll.
It saved the Sooners’ season for now as they improved to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the SEC.
7. Utah State LB Asher Cunningham
Utah State was at something of a crossroads in its season after a 1-4 start and down 16-3 at halftime Friday night at home vs. Washington State.
But the Aggies scored 17 unanswered second-half points to steal a much-needed 17-16 win, and linebacker Asher Cunningham had his fingerprints all over the comeback.
Cunningham racked up a career-high 17 tackles with 2 tackles for loss and 2 forced fumbles — both leading to second-half touchdowns.
In the third quarter, Cunningham stuffed Washington State QB Caden Pinnick at the line while jarring the ball free as Utah State recovered it at the WSU 39 and scored its first touchdown five plays later.
Then midway through the fourth quarter, Cunningham tackled Jack Pedersen short of the line on third down and knocked the ball free, this time recovering it himself as the Cougars’ 19.
The Aggies scored three plays later to take the lead for good.
8. UNLV DE Andre Porter
One of the biggest games on the Mountain West season schedule took place Saturday as unbeaten North Dakota State visited UNLV, which entered the day with one loss but unblemished in conference play.
The Bison have immediately established their program as a force in the Mountain West in their first season moving up from the FCS level, where they won 10 national championships since 2011.
But UNLV has been a program on the rise itself and made a statement Saturday with a gritty 13-7 win over North Dakota State despite not scoring an offensive touchdown.
That’s where sophomore defensive end Andre Porter comes into play here. He had a 23-yard interception return for touchdown early in the first quarter that proved to be a tone-setter for the Rebels.
North Dakota State later tied the game, but the UNLV defense held the Bison scoreless in the second half while Ramon Villela made two short field goals for the win.
Porter also had a momentous sack and forced fumble late that helped seal the victory. The Bison had the ball just across midfield with less than 7 minutes to play and facing a third-and-long when Porter sacked QB Nathan Hayes for a 6-yard loss and knocked the ball free. NDSU recovered it but had to punt.
The seven points were the fewest UNLV has allowed against a Mountain West opponent at home since 2007.
The win leaves the Rebels and New Mexico as the only Mountain West teams still unbeaten in league play.
9. Missouri RB Jamal Roberts
Jamal Roberts makes the list for the second week in a row by somehow outdoing his stellar performance in Week 5 in Missouri’s big win over Florida.
This time, Roberts set career-highs with 32 carries for 222 rushing yards with 2 TDs in a 27-6 win over Texas A&M. He converted 10 first downs or touchdowns and had seven explosive rushes of 10 yards or more, including a 54-yard TD late in the fourth quarter.
That made Roberts just the third SEC running back in the last 20 years (along with Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette) with back-to-back 200-yard rushing games. Overall, he has 433 rushing yards and 5 TDs in the Tigers’ last two games.
Roberts now ranks third nationally with 138 rushing yards per game and tied for seventh in the country with 8 rushing TDs.
10. South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers
Few coaches in college football are on a hotter seat than South Carolina’s Shane Beamer as the Gamecocks came into Week 6 with three straight losses to open SEC play.
Many expected that streak to continue as South Carolina visited The Swamp to take on a Florida team humbled the week earlier by Missouri and looking to bounce back at home.
Instead, the Gamecocks rolled to a 38-19 win over the then-No. 16 Gators with QB LaNorris Sellers playing his best football of the season.
He completed 23 of 35 passes for 279 yards, 4 TDs and 0 INTs and rushed for a score in the lopsided win.
Honorable Mentions
Purdue RB Fame Ijeboi: The Boilermakers redshirt-sophomore had the third 100-yard game of his career and easily set a new career-high with 195 yards and 3 TDs on 31 carries in a 41-13 win over Minnesota — his former school. It was Purdue’s largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game since 2021, while Ijeboi became the first Boilermaker since 2000 to rush for at least 195 yards and 3 TDs in a game.
Wake Forest QB Gio Lopez: The Demon Deacons’ impressive season continued with a 38-14 win at NC State as Lopez played his best football yet, completing 26 of 33 passes for 303 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs while also rushing for a TD.
Navy QB Jackson Gutierrez: It is true that Navy’s offense seems to produce prolific rushing numbers no matter who is at QB, but Gutierrez was the difference-maker in a 34-26 win over Tulsa while rushing 41 times for a career-high 232 yards and 3 TDs. Continuing to fill in for injured starter Braxton Woodson, Gutierrez also threw for 95 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT.
Army QB Cale Hellums: Ditto for Army and its option-oriented offense as Hellums rushed for a career-high 223 yards and 2 TDs on 38 carries while completing just 3 of 6 passes for 19 yards in a 20-17 win over Tulane. Hellums’ 58-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter tied the game before Army later scored again for the win.
Iowa RB Kamari Moulton: Moulton started the season with 183 yards and 2 TDs vs. Northern Illinois but hadn’t topped 57 rushing yards in any game since — before last Friday night. In Iowa’s 41-24 win at Washington, Moulton carried the ball 26 times for a career-high 208 yards and 2 TDs.
Louisiana Tech QB Blake Baker: Baker played arguably the best game of his three-year college career in a 32-31 win over Louisiana, completing 32 of 42 passes for 319 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs while rushing for 35 yards and a score. He led two touchdowns drives of more than 60 yards in the final 6:30 to rally Louisiana Tech back from 31-19 deficit, scoring on his own 12-yard run and tossing a 7-yard TD pass with 46 seconds left for the game-winner.
Troy QB Goose Crowder: The sixth-year senior completed 18 of 21 passes for 225 yards, 2 TDs and 0 INTs and rushed 17 times for a career-high 145 yards (his first 100-yard rushing game) and 2 scores in a 55-34 win over Southern Miss.
North Texas QB Tayven Jackson: The well-traveled QB playing for his fourth school in five years is having a career-best season, which continued last week in a 50-10 win over Charlotte as he passed for 349 yards, 5 TDs and 0 INTs.
Kentucky RB C.J. Baxter: It’s not always about raw stat totals — Baxter played the starring role in one of the big upsets of the week as unranked Kentucky took down then-No. 10 LSU, 35-34, in overtime on Saturday. Baxter led the way with 123 rushing yards — 77 on Kentucky’s very first play — and 2 TDs, including the Wildcats’ overtime score that setup QB Kenny Minchey’s game-winning 2-point conversion run. Kentucky is off to a 5-1 start under first-year coach Will Stein and jumped from out of the AP poll all the way to No. 15 with this win.
FIU K Robert Czeremcha and Eastern Michigan K Rudy Kessinger: Kickers deserve their spotlight too, but these two will have to share an honorable mention line this week. Czeremcha was a perfect 5-5 on field goals last week in a 22-3 win over New Mexico State, accounting for 16 of FIU’s 22 points while making kicks of 40, 52, 33, 21 and 48 yards. Kessinger was 4-4 on field goals in a 25-23 win over Akron with his longest kick of 48 yards serving as the game-winning inside the final 2 minutes.
