Top 5 Quarterback Performances of Week 8 College Football: J.J. McCarthy, Cameron Ward, more

Justin's NCAA college football top quarterbacks from Week 8 of the 2023 season. Top performers include J.J. McCarthy and Cameron Ward.

Week 8 of the college football season is now behind us. And honestly, it wasn't the best week when it came to quarterbacking performances. One QB went over 400 yards and just 16 went over 300 yards. Only two quarterbacks had four touchdown passes.

I do want to highlight a player who didn't make it on this week's list: LSU's Jayden Daniels. Daniels was 11-for-15 for 279 yards and three touchdowns in his team's 62-0 win over Army. He ended up benched in the third quarter because the Tigers were up too much -- if he'd played the full game, he likely would have landed on this week's list.

Below are the top five quarterback performances from Week 8 of the college football season. These are judged through a combination of statistics, fantasy scoring, and game context, with consideration also given based on the team's offensive systems. Let's take a look at this week's top performances.

5. Diego Pavia - New Mexico State

New Mexico State’s Diego Pavia had a strong game in his team’s 28-7 win over UTEP. Through the air, he was 15-for-25 for 186 yards and two touchdowns, while he also added 14 carries for 96 yards and two scores on the ground. It was a good all-around effort for Pavia.

Pavia, whose college career began at the New Mexico Military Institute, has been a model of consistency this season. Through eight games, he’s thrown exactly two touchdowns six times, including in the team’s past six games. And while Pavia had some turnover issues early (four picks through his first three games), he’s mostly fixed that since as he’s been picked off just once over the last five games.

He also continues to post strong numbers on the ground. Wednesday’s 96 yards marked the fourth time this season that Pavia’s had at least 90 rushing yards, with all four of those coming over the past five games. He has four rushing scores this year, all in the last three games. Pavia has quietly been one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the Group of Five this season. He currently leads Conference USA in passing touchdowns and is fourth in the conference in rushing yards.

4. Donovan Smith - Houston

The Cougars came so close to taking down Texas on Saturday, with a controversial spot on a play late in the fourth quarter ultimately leading to a turnover on downs that ended the game. As a UH alum, I’m bummed, and I can’t believe the Big 12 refs made a wrong call to benefit a Texas team that’s about to leave the conference. It would have been so funny and fitting for Texas to lose to my Coogs!

Anyway, Donovan Smith had another strong game, going 32-for-46 for 378 yards and three touchdowns. He was picked off once. Through the first four games of the season, Smith had thrown just five total touchdowns. In the last three games, he’s thrown 11 of them with just one pick over that span.

The bad news is that Houston’s just 1-2 in that three-game span, as the defense has really struggled to get stops. But look --Smith’s doing what he’s got to do right now. Hard to blame the losses on him when he’s been playing as well as he has.

3. Nicholas Vattiato - Middle Tennessee State

Nicholas Vattiato was picked off twice on Tuesday against Liberty as the Blue Raiders lost 42-35. But on a week where there just weren’t a ton of great quarterback performances, Vattiato’s 332 yards and four touchdowns stand out. His final touchdown pass, a 72-yarder in the third quarter to Zack Dobson, put the Blue Raiders in position to win, but Liberty scored 14 unanswered to end the game.

This was the first time this season that Vattiato has thrown more than two touchdowns in a game, and just his second game with over 300 passing yards. On the season, he’s completed 68.1% of his passes with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

2. Cameron Ward - Washington State

Washington State couldn’t get the upset on Saturday over Oregon, dropping its third consecutive game. But after two games in a row where quarterback Cameron Ward struggled, the Cougars quarterback bounced back this week, leading the nation in passing yardage.

While he threw just one touchdown pass, Ward was 34-for-48 for 438 yards in the 38-24 loss to the Ducks. He also added 30 rushing yards. The former FCS star looked like a star at the end of September, but he began this month with back-to-back games of under 200 passing yards, throwing one touchdown and three picks in that span.

Maybe this game came at a good time, though. It was Ward’s third 400-yard game of the season and he now faces four straight games against unranked teams. There’s still plenty of time for Wazzu to get back on track this year.

1. J.J. McCarthy - Michigan

J.J. McCarthy might not have had eye-popping yardage totals in Saturday’s 49-0 win over Michigan State, but it was really only because he didn’t have to, as Michigan was able to go to the bench in the fourth quarter. McCarthy finished the game 21-for-27 for 287 yards with four touchdown passes.

Michigan remains undefeated on the season, moving to 8-0 with the win. McCarthy hasn’t really had to do a ton this season, as Saturday’s 287 yards were actually his most of the year. He’s completed 78.1% of his passes this season for 1,799 yards with 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions, all of which came in a curiously bad game against Bowling Green back in September.

McCarthy might be the biggest mystery in college football. He’s often mocked in the first round next year, but he just hasn’t really had to put this Wolverines team on his back much. We’ll get a better sense of what McCarthy can do over the next month, as he faces Penn State and Ohio State in November.

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