The Maxwell Football Club’s Week 3 college football update spotlighted a wide range of standout performances across the country, with quarterbacks, running backs and defensive players strengthening their early-season cases for some of the sport’s major individual awards.
The update, covering games through Sept. 19, highlighted leading Maxwell Award and Chuck Bednarik Award candidates while also recognizing Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell as the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Player of the Week.
Maxwell Award Candidates Deliver Strong Week 3 Performances
Louisville running back Keyjuan Brown played a major role in the Cardinals’ 41-31 home victory over No. 16 SMU. Brown rushed for 165 yards on just 10 carries and scored two touchdowns of more than 50 yards. Alongside Isaac Brown, Louisville’s backfield combined for 230 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.
Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles also produced an efficient performance as the unbeaten Wildcats defeated Colorado 41-7. Chiles completed 17 of 22 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns while adding two rushing scores.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss delivered one of Week 3’s most prominent performances in a 32-24 victory over LSU. Chambliss completed 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 14-yard rushing touchdown with 6:14 remaining.
Iowa State running back Aiden Flora contributed 296 all-purpose yards as the Cyclones generated 507 yards of offense and scored 55 points against Bowling Green. Flora rushed for a career-high 194 yards and two touchdowns, caught two passes for 10 yards and returned a punt 66 yards for another score.
West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins accounted for all five Mountaineer touchdowns in a 38-27 victory over No. 25 Virginia. The Oklahoma transfer threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 123 yards and three additional scores.
Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson generated 389 total yards in a 31-20 victory over Tulane, including a career-best 152 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Miami quarterback Darian Mensah continued his productive start by completing 30 of 34 passes for 220 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers against Wake Forest. Through three games, Mensah has recorded 11 touchdown passes while completing 90% of his attempts.
Nebraska freshman running back Jamal Rule added 119 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries against North Dakota. He has accumulated 329 rushing yards through three games while averaging 8.7 yards per carry.
Bednarik Award Watch Features Defensive Standouts
Kentucky safety Jordan Castell recorded a game-high 13 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup as the Wildcats defeated No. 9 Texas A&M.
Arizona State linebacker Owen Long delivered an all-around performance during a 24-17 victory over Kansas at Wembley Stadium in London. Long finished with 12 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception.
UCLA linebacker Sammy Omosigho continued his strong opening stretch with 12 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and five pressures against Purdue. His PFF grade of 92.9 was the highest among Week 3 defensive players with at least 25 snaps.
USC safety Christian Pierce recorded 11 tackles, an interception and two pass deflections against Rutgers. Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone contributed eight tackles, two tackles for loss and half a sack as the Sooners defeated New Mexico 14-6.
Pitt linebacker Alex Sanford registered 11 tackles, including 2.5 stops behind the line, and three quarterback pressures against Syracuse. Mississippi State outside linebacker Amaree Williams contributed 10 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a quarterback hurry against South Carolina.
Florida outside linebacker Jayden Woods finished with six tackles, including five solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in the Gators’ 44-39 victory at Auburn.
Keelon Russell Earns Freshman of the Year Weekly Honor
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Player of the Week following the Crimson Tide’s 50-36 victory over Florida State.
Russell finished with 376 total yards and four total touchdowns while completing 23 of 30 passes. The Maxwell Football Club supports former Alabama and Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander in annually recognizing college football’s top freshman.
Week 4 Features Several High-Profile Matchups
The Maxwell Football Club also highlighted four notable Week 4 games. Texas travels to Tennessee for a noon ET matchup Saturday on ABC, marking the programs’ first regular-season meeting as SEC opponents.
Oklahoma visits unbeaten Georgia at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, while Ole Miss travels to Florida for another 3:30 p.m. ET matchup on ABC.
The Saturday schedule also features Oregon at USC at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. USC enters the contest 4-0 behind Maxwell Award contender Jayden Maiava, while Oregon carries a 2-1 record into the Big Ten matchup.
With conference competition intensifying, Week 4 will provide another opportunity for Maxwell, Bednarik and Shaun Alexander award candidates to build on their early-season performances.
