Week 4 was without some of its usual suspects with Quinn Ewers still sidelined by injury, replaced for now by Arch Manning, who had some stumbles in Week 4 making his first career start.
That’s to be expected with a quarterback with a low number of in-game reps, though, and the bar was certainly set high for him by the fan base after he turned heads in relief against the UTSA Roadrunners. There was also no Carson Beck or Jalen Milroe, as both Alabama and Georgia had some time off from the action in an open date.
Related: Heisman Watch 2024, see where Cam Ward lands
Beck and Milroe will face each other in Week 5 in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season in what will be a big one for both players’ respective draft stock.
But, for now, let’s take a look into five of the best quarterback performances from Week 4:
1. Cam Ward, Miami.
Ward continues to hold strong to his place as the Heisman Trophy frontrunner for now as what could be a storybook season for the Miami Hurricanes continues. While Ward and Miami were expected to best the USF Bulls in the manner in which they did indeed do, it’s impossible to ignore the tremendous stat line Ward posted in the 50-15 victory.
Related: Week 5 college football schedule
The journeyman signal-caller was 23-for-34 passing for 404 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 43 yards, putting him at second in the category behind running back Jordan Lyle, who rushed for 104 yards and one touchdown on five carries.
Ward may have entered the season as more of a wild card than anything else, but he’s far surpassed that status now.
Also Read: Takeaways from Tennessee’s win over Oklahoma
2. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Clemson was almost dismissed as a team that could be a true contender when the Tigers fell 34-3 to the Georgia Bulldogs in the season opener, but that’s not been the case as the team and quarterback Cade Klubnik have looked solid ever since then. Dabo Swinney’s team has won every one of its matchups following that loss, combing for 125 points over two games.
They most recently knocked off NC State, 59-35, as Klubnik completed 16 of his 24 passing attempts for 209 yards with three touchdowns. He was also effective in the ground game as the team’s second-leading rusher, carrying the football four times for 70 yards with one touchdown.
3. Alonza Barnett III, James Madison.
There have been some upsets and big wins by underdogs this season, but none have transpired in quite the way James Madison’s 70-50 win over UNC did. It was enough to make head coach Mack Brown tell his players that if he was unable to get things fixed up, that he would be willing to go as far as to resign.
Also Read: Takeaways from Michigan Wolverines’ win over USC
Perhaps the most important engineer behind those 70 points was Barnett III, who finished the game with 500 yards of total offense and seven scores to his name. He was 22-for-34 passing with 388 yards through the air and five passing touchdowns. He also carried the ball 13 times for 99 yards and two scores on the ground.
4. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado.
Colorado may be the most intriguing team in the nation — and that’s for a multitude of reasons. It is the fanfare and drama surrounding Coach Prime and some of his player’s antics, the popularity players like Sanders and cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter bring to the table and just how much those two stand out despite some of the major shortcomings that surround them both.
Related:Â Week 5 college football rankings
Sanders had a solid day in the team’s 38-31 overtime battle against the Baylor Bears, delivering behind an offensive line that’s been consistently inconsistent. He finished the outing 25-for-41 passing with 341 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 26 rushing yards and one touchdown.
5. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss.
New week, same eye-popping numbers for Jaxson Dart. The Ole Miss quarterback has operated Lane Kiffin’s high-flying offense as beautifully as could be desired, turning in yet another monster stat line as the Rebelos destroyed the Georgia Southern Eagles, 52-13.
Related:Â Winners, losers from College Football Week 4
Dart was 22-for-31 passing with 382 yards through the air to accompany four touchdowns and one interception. The least number of passing yards Dart has had in a single game this season is 377, tied between the wins over Wake Forest and Middle Tennessee.
His season high is 418 passing yards against Furman in the season-opening 76-0 shutout victory. All eyes will be on Dart this coming week to see if he can replicate this type of play as Ole Miss moves into conference play to face the same Kentucky team that nearly knocked off Georgia.
