Upper Deck U. S. National Team alumni report: Northwestern running back Justin Jackson has a career day carrying the ball against Michigan State
By Frank Bartscheck | Posted 10/17/2016
This weekend had plenty of entertaining action for every college football aficionado.
No. 2 Ohio State was pushed to its limits during its thrilling overtime victory in Madison over No. 10 Wisconsin. The win represented the Buckeyes’ 20thstraight road win, which accounts for every road game Urban Meyer has coached for Ohio State.
No. 4 Clemson needed overtime to pull out a 24-17 victory against a very game N.C. State squad. The Tigers turned the ball over throughout the afternoon, including three fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown. Clemson will need to concentrate on ball security next Saturday against the talented No. 13 Florida State.
Alabama remained undefeated with its big victory over No. 13 Tennessee and leapfrogged into the top-ranked position in the nation. The Volunteers have shown a penchant for comebacks this season, but that did not happen on Saturday as the Crimson Tide overwhelmed Tennessee by the score of 49-10.
The U.S. National Team showed off its depth within the college ranks as three new names appear on this week’s Top 5 list.
Justin Jackson, RB, Northwestern:
The junior running back had one heck of a day during the Wildcats’ victory over Michigan State. Jackson rushed for a career-high 188 yards and added two touchdowns on 34 carries. He also chipped in four receptions for 10 yards. The game was defined by offensive output as Northwestern pulled out a 54-40 victory over the Spartans. Through six games, Jackson has already compiled 788 yards from scrimmage along with six touchdowns, including this 26-yard scamper from Saturday’s contest:
He ran wild Saturday.
Today, @NUFBFamily RB @J_ManPrime21 is @B1Gfootballco-Offensive Player of the Week.
Northwestern On BTN @NUOnBTNThe running back’s performance this weekend led to his selection as the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, an award he shared with Ohio State’s quarterback J.T. Barrett.
Justin Jackson’s performance against Michigan State led to some hardware for the Northwestern running back.http://www.insidenu.com/2016/10/17/13305174/northwestern-football-justin-jackson-big-ten-player-of-the-week …
Northwestern’s Justin Jackson named Big Ten co-offensive player of the week
A career day for the junior led the Wildcats past Michigan State.
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Ryan Reid, CB, Baylor:
The senior cornerback had a huge day for No. 11 Baylor. Last week, the Bears came out flat against an Iowa State squad they were expected to easily handle and instead Baylor squeaked out a 45-42 victory on the last player of the game. Baylor had to prove last week’s performance was a fluke and Reid was instrumental in this effort.
"We were just trying to make a statement. A lot of people they thought that Iowa State game, that's who we are, which it's not," Reid said to ESPN. "We had to make a statement with our next game, and Kansas was in the way."
On Kansas’ first possession of the game, Reid stepped in front of a Ryan Willis pass and returned the interception for a touchdown to extend the Bears’ lead to 14-0. Baylor never looked back during its 49-7 victory over the Jayhawks. Reid finished the game with two interceptions that he returned for 116 yards, which are the most interception return yards by any player in a single FBS game this year.
Terrell Newby, RB, Nebraska:
The senior running back came through in the clutch for the Cornhuskers, especially late in the game. Nebraska faced an Indiana squad that kept the game competitive throughout all four quarters, which resulted in the Cornhuskers pulling out a close 27-22 victory. The running back’s contributions sealed the win for the No. 10-ranked team in the nation. Newby ran for 122 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown, which was the game’s first.
Darius Mosely, DB, Illinois:
The senior defensive back was all over the field for the Illini on Saturday during its 24-7 victory over Rutgers. Mosely had four tackles, including a tackle-for-a-loss, one fumble recovery and one interception that he returned 78-yards for a touchdown. The huge interception return occurred in the fourth quarter and sealed the victory to end a four-game skid by the Illini.
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Darrius Sims, WR, Vanderbilt:
The senior wide receiver was instrumental in the Commodores upset victory over Georgia. Sims set the tone early by returning the opening kickoff 95 yards, which Vanderbilt cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown plunge two plays later. Sims had 124 return yards on two kickoff returns and chipped in with one catch for 18 yards. His playmaking ability has Commodore fans urging the coaching staff to get him more touches:
I have no college coaching experience and have only coached football in a Madden setting. But Darrius Sims needs more touches.
Blake Lovell @theblakelovellThe fans may be correct because Sims is a dynamic playmaker anytime he touches the ball. On Saturday, he broke a record that stood for 26 years by surpassing Mark Johnson to become Vanderbilt’s all-time kick return yardage leader. Sims has 2,282 all-time kick return yards for the Commodores. This season, Sims’ kick return average is ranked fifth in the nation, which includes the opening 95-yard kickoff return on Saturday:
Sims earned some hardware for his efforts as he was selected as the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Honorable Mention: Keep an eye on
Lewis Neal, DE, LSU:
The senior defensive end was part of an LSU defensive squad that overwhelmed Southern Mississippi throughout the afternoon. The Golden Eagles opened the game with promise by executing a 75-yard march to the end zone in its first possession of the game. However, they only managed a field goal the rest of the way. Neal was the best defensive linemen on the afternoon with six tackles, which included one sack and one tackle-for-a-loss. The Tigers won the game 45-10.
Ifeadi Odenigbo, DL, Northwestern:
The senior defensive linemen was a big contributor in Northwestern’s victory over Michigan State. Odenigbo had four tackles against the Spartans – including two sacks, two tackles-for-a-loss, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry – and now has seven sacks in six contests in 2016. Northwestern beat Michigan State in an offensive battle by the score of 54-40.
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FUMBLE RECOVERY — Ifeadi Odenigbo forces the fumble, recovered by Joe Gaziano. NU will take over in MSU territory.
Shane Cockerille, LB, Maryland:
The junior linebacker has had quite a season, especially in light of the fact that he was recruited to Maryland as a quarterback. During the offseason he made the switch to linebacker and it’s paying dividends for the player and his team. Cockerille currently leads the Terps defense in tackles with 49 through six contests, he also has four tackles-for-a-loss, 0.5 sacks and one pass defense.
It is an incredible transformation for the best defender for the Maryland defense, who accounts for 11 perfect of the team tackles this season, because he was the team’s backup quarterback just last season. There is a fantastic article in the Washington Post charting Cockerille’s journey from offensive backup to defensive juggernaut.
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