Week 7's impressive slate did not disappoint as several of the Top 25 matchups ended up being back-and-forth, high-scoring affairs. We likely saw the game of the year with Tennessee taking down Alabama on a last-second field goal to take a 52-49 lead. Utah - not content with overtime - executed a 2-point conversion in the final minute to take down a previously undefeated USC team, 43-42. And in the Big 12, TCU outlasted Oklahoma State in overtime to remain undefeated with a score of 43-40. So in those three games among Top 20 teams, all six squads reached 40 points. That's a lot of offensive talent on display and doesn't even get into the other heavyweight matchup, which featured two freshman running backs from Penn St. that I told you to look out for in last week's article. Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, those freshmen were held to a combined 35 rushing yards on 12 carries. The real stars of the show were Michigan running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, who is featured below.
Top Week 7 Performances
Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan, Sophomore - 16 carries for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns
In a massive showdown with #10 Penn St., Edwards and Corum combined for 339 yards and 4 touchdowns. Edwards came in as the consensus #2 running back in his class but has mostly taken a backseat to Corum this year. That's no indictment of Edwards's talent. Corum is just having a phenomenal year. He showed on Saturday that he has the balance, vision, and speed to make it at the next level and should be in line for a huge season in 2023.
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina, Redshirt Freshman - 28/38 for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns & 70 rushing yards
There's not much more I can say about Maye at this point. He's absolutely crushing it in his first season as a starter. He has the Tar Heels sitting at 6-1 and undefeated in conference play. After seven games, he's on pace for more than 3900 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes, and nearly 650 rushing yards. According to BetMGM, he has the 11th-best odds of winning the Heisman. In Week 7, he was PFF's highest-graded quarterback, with a final grade of 92.4.
Oronde Gadsden II, WR, Syracuse, Sophomore - 8 receptions for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns
Longtime fans of the NFL may recognize this name. Oronde Gadsden was a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins from 1998-2003. He was a respectable 6-foot-2, 215 pounds. The latter Gadsden stands at 6-foot-5 and has found a home with the Syracuse Orangemen. He's eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark in THREE of his last four games. He knows how to use his size and the way he uses his reach to pluck the ball out of the air will serve him well in the future. After being rated no higher than the #146 wide receiver coming out of high school, I'm curious to see how much NFL buzz he can generate with his play in the ACC. He's on pace to finish with more than 60 receptions for 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Syracuse takes on #5 Clemson in a Week 8 battle of unbeatens.
Other Standouts:
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ole Miss, Freshman - 25 rushes for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona, Freshman - 7 receptions for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns
Marion Lukes, RB, Central Michigan, Sophomore - 26 rushes for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns & 4 receptions for 71 yards and 1 touchdown
Carson Steele, RB, Ball State, Sophomore - 32 rushes for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns
Caleb Williams, QB, USC, Sophomore - 25/42 for 381 yards and 5 touchdowns & 57 rushing yards