Top 5 Quarterback Performances of Week 4 College Football: Cameron Ward, Jack Plummer, more

September 25, 2023

Justin's NCAA college football top quarterbacks from Week 3 of the 2023 season. Top performers include Cameron Ward and Caleb Williams.

Week 4 of the college football season is now behind us. It was a week filled with some great quarterbacking. In fact, the player with the most passing yards this week, Will Rogers of Mississippi State, isn't even on this list. He threw for 487 yards but had just one passing touchdown.

Special shout out to the South Florida/Rice game. Both quarterbacks threw for over 400 yards in USF's 42-29 victory with the losing quarterback, J.T. Daniels, coming up just short of making this week's top performance list as he threw for 432 yards and three scores. But I had to go with the winner when making my selections, so you can read more on that player below.

Below are the top five quarterback performances from Week 4 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. Byrum Brown - South Florida

I mentioned this South Florida/Rice game in the introduction. I didn't get a chance to watch it -- which might sound sarcastic, but it isn't, because I actually do like to watch the Owls! -- but it was a game filled with passing. The two quarterbacks combined to throw for 867 yards. That's not a record or anything, but it is indicative of just how much these two teams were airing it out.

South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown had 435 of those passing yards, just three more than J.T. Daniels. He only accounted for two of the combined five touchdown passes, but he added 82 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Plus, his team won.

Brown, in his second season with the Bulls, has largely struggled with his arm as the team started the year 1-2. Take out the win over FCS program Florida A&M and Brown had one touchdown and three interceptions. But he's made an impact on the ground, rushing for 351 yards and five scores so far this season. If his throwing improvement from Week 4 is real, Brown might help the Bulls make some noise in conference play.

4. Jase Bauer - Central Michigan

Jase Bauer wasn't Central Michigan's starting quarterback on Saturday. Bert Emanuel Jr. got the nod but was benched late in the first quarter with the Chippewas down 14-0.

He might not give the job back. Bauer was solid throwing the football, going 19-for-30 for 224 yards and a touchdown, but it was his rushing ability that helped Central Michigan overcome the initial two-score deficit and get the 34-30 win over South Alabama.

Bauer ran the ball 15 times, gaining a team-high 55 yards. More importantly, he scored four rushing touchdowns. He's now had five rushing scores over the past two games. I don't know the ins and outs of Central Michigan football, but you'd think a game like this would help Bauer claim the starting gig.

3. Caleb Williams - USC

Last year's Heisman winner and this year's Heisman frontrunner was off last week, but USC returned in Week 4 to defeat Arizona State 42-28. Williams led the way like usual.

His completion percentage was down from where it's normally at, as he completed just 64.5% of his passes. It was the first time this season that Williams failed to complete over 70% of his attempts.

But he made up for that by throwing for 322 yards and three scores. That alone wouldn't make him one of the top quarterbacks of the week, though. What earns Williams a spot on this list is that in addition to that, he found the end zone twice with his legs. In a game where the USC defense let Arizona State do a little more than they probably should have, Williams put the Trojans on his back and kept them undefeated.

2. Jack Plummer - Louisville

Jack Plummer's had a long college journey at this point. It began in 2019 at Purdue, where he played three seasons before transferring to Cal last year. Plummer earned the starting job for the Golden Bears and had a solid season, throwing for 3,119 yards and 21 touchdowns. Among players to attempt at least 400 pass attempts in their Cal career, Plummer ranks fourth in career completion percentage.

Now, he's landed at Louisville. His first three games saw middling results, but he broke out against Boston College on Saturday. Plummer was 18-for-21 for 388 yards and five touchdowns in the victory and also added a rushing score as well.

It was the first five-touchdown game of Plummer's career, and the 388 passing yards were the third-most he's recorded. He's now got 10 touchdown passes this season.

1. Cameron Ward - Washington State

Any time I write about Cameron Ward, I feel it's my journalistic duty to say up front that I've got some bias here. Ward's a graduate of my old high school. I've known his brother since sixth grade. It's impossible for me to ignore that I'm rooting for this kid.

That said, you don't have to have a bias to appreciate the big week that Ward had in the Cougars' 38-35 win over Oregon State. He was 28-for-34 for 404 yards in the victory, plus added 14 rushing yards and a score.

If Ward keeps playing like this, he's going to start trickling into the Heisman conversation. He's completed 74.5% of his passes for 1,389 yards and 13 touchdowns through four games. He's yet to throw an interception and has also added three touchdowns on the ground.

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