This week saw Temple take a horrible beatdown to 18th ranked South Florida 43-7, a Villanova dog fight with Albany but lost in overtime 19-10, and a Penn state thriller with Big Ten foe Iowa in a battle of the unbeaten. Trace McSorley took Penn state down the field with 1:02 left to throw a game winning touchdown with 4 seconds left in a now or never 4th down to Sophomore Receiver Juwan Johnson. Here are the top performers from each game.
Temple:
Chapelle Russell, LB – The Junior Linebacker out of New Jersey has been having a very productive season. In a game where there wasn’t a lot of good to talk about concerning Temple, Russell was again productive. Russell had 13 total tackles plus 1.5 tackles for a loss for the Owls.
Shaun Bradley, LB – Bradley continues to show he can make plays. Against South Florida he had 5 total tackles for a team leading 2 tackles for a loss. Bradley should continue to be a valuable piece to this owl defense down the line.
Villanova:
Jeff Steeb, LB – Steeb continued his productive season with an outstanding game. Steeb led Villanova with 14 tackles and continued to be all over the field and in the face of Albany. Steeb has been one of the leaders on a very productive linebacker unit. He has been havoc and a leader as part of this talented defensive unit.
Julian Williams, S – Sophomore Julian Williams has been simply balling out this season. When star Villanova player Rob Rolle went down, Williams stepped right in to make an impact. He totaled 11 tackles and a quarterback hit. At 6-3, Williams is a great tackler with good cover skills. Williams will be depended on to continue his great play moving forward as Rob Rolle is hurt.
Penn State:
Saquon Barkley, RB – “Bo Jr.” showed up again against Iowa. After this game, Iowa will have nightmares about Barkley for weeks. Barkley did everything asked of him and made an impact every time he touched the ball. The human cheat code shook defenders, went around defenders, ran through defenders, jumped over defenders. He was dangerous running the ball, Receiving the ball, and returning the ball. The defining play, “The Run” as I call it, is when he jumped over the defender and was hit while he was in the air then landed on one foot and kept running for the first down. Barkley ran for 211 yards on 28 carries for a touchdown with a longest run of 44 yards. He caught 12 passes for 94 yards and led Penn state in rushing and receiving. Not to mention he had 53 kick return yards. The beast from Pennsylvania totaled a Penn state record 358 yards; you are not only witnessing the no.1 college football player but perhaps the best athlete on the planet.
Juwan Johnson, WR – I have raved about this guy ever since he committed to Penn state. You have seen countless displays on the field but not a standout moment. When Penn state played Iowa “It” happened, Johnson caught 7 passes for 92 yards and had the game winning touchdown reception with 4 seconds left. Johnson is 6-4 with the potential to be the best receiver in college football. The sophomore continued throughout the game to make big plays. He is physical and can win battles against the opposing defensive back. The dynamic that is Juwan Johnson is here, the nation better watch out.
