Y-Option's Go Go Go Awards - Week 3
Our distinct take on college football weekly awards and as always, seen through the lens of the West Coast
Rivalry week came early this year, especially to the Pacific Northwest. When the dust settled on Saturday afternoon the now Pac-12 vs. Big Ten rivalries split the 2 games with Oregon besting Oregon State and Washington State claiming the Apple Cup over Washington. The Ducks and Cougars are both winners on our list this week as well…
Time to give out our weekly awards here at Y-Option, with a very distinct West Coast flavor to them… Y-Option’s Go Go Go Awards fueled by 76.
A reminder on what these awards are: they will honor the top players and coaches of the week through the eyes of the West Coast. The 4 honors we will give out every week:
“My 5-Star QB” - whether or not you were a 5-star recruit out of high school, you played like one this weekend.
“Go Go Gone” - the most explosive player of the week. Think big chunk plays as explosives and turnovers are the biggest predictor of wins and losses.
“That Dude!” - player who made an impact on either side of the ball. Not always about your numbers on the stat sheet.
“Headset Hero” - either a head coach or assistant coach who had their team ready and/or made the right in-game adjustments
Here are our Week 3 winners…
“My 5-Star QB” - Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel
Oregon came into the 2024 season with huge expectations and ranked #3 in the AP preseason poll. While Dan Lanning’s team won each of their first 2 games, the margin of victory in those games left some questions around the Ducks. Against their in-state rivals, Dillon Gabriel helped to quiet many critics in a dominant win over the Beavers in his first taste of Corvallis.
The former 3-star recruit who originally committed to Army before signing with UCF out of high school, Gabriel had a masterful first half - completing all 10 of pass attempts for 114 yards and a score while adding a 54-yard TD run. The Ducks pulled away in the 2nd half, outscoring the Beavers 27-0 in a 49-14 victory. The Hawaiian native finished 20-of-24 for 291 yards and 2 scores with 64 yards on the ground and a TD.
The 6th-year senior leads the Big Ten in both passing yards per game (304.7) and total offense (313.4). And one year after Bo Nix set the FBS record for completion percentage in a season at 77.4%, through 3 games Gabriel sits at an FBS leading 84.0% thanks in part to completing his first 15 passes on Saturday.
“Go Go Gone” - San Jose State’s Nick Nash
Just 2 days after former Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo was hired at San Jose State, Nick Nash put his name in the transfer portal. But roughly 24 hours later, Nash pulled his name out of the portal and decided to return for his 6th season with the Spartans. That decision appears to be paying off, leading San Jose State to a 3-0 start.
Saturday against Kennesaw State, the 2023 All-Mountain West 2nd team selection hauled in 17 receptions, the most ever by a SJSU receiver in a regular season game. He racked up 225 of former Washington State QB Emmett Brown’s 355 passing yards and 3 of Brown’s 4 TD passes. And the Irvine, California native was really on the Go Go Go with 5 catches of 20+ yards.
Nash started his career as a QB at San Jose State, spending 3 seasons behind center before converting to WR in 2022. Now, he leads the country in receptions (34), receiving yards (485), and receiving TD (6). Nash even reverted to his QB roots in Week 1, with a TD pass on a trick play.
“That Dude!” - Colorado’s Travis Hunter
“That dude is a video game” is a phrase that gets thrown around often but its not only fitting for Travis Hunter due to his talents but also thanks to his status as the actual cover of the new EA Sports College Football 25.
Saturday night, the intense rivalry between Colorado & Colorado State continued in front of the largest crowd in CSU history. And Hunter put on a show for the 40,099 in attendance…
Matched his career-high with 13 receptions
100 receiving yards for the 4th straight game
2 receiving TD, 4th career game with multiple receiving TD
interception late in the 3rd quarter, setting up the Buffs final TD
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Hunter became the first FBS player to have 100+ receiving yards, multiple receiving TD, and an interception on defense since Kansas State’s Kevin Lockett in 1996.
Nationally this season, the junior is in the Top 10 in receptions (30, 2nd), receiving touchdowns (5, T-2nd) and receiving yards (342, 7th). All while playing nearly every snap on both sides of the ball.
“Headset Hero” - Washington State’s Jake Dickert
A rivalry that began 124 years ago and traditionally played as the final game of the regular season took on a much different look 2024. For the first time in history, the Apple Cup was played in September and this time it paired one team from the Pac-12 (Washington State) and one from the Big Ten (Washington). Realignment nearly ended this rivalry, but a 5-year deal was signed in November 2023 with this year’s installment at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks.
All the drama of the last 13 months off the field, created a tense environment on it and Jake Dickert’s squad met the moment. After a back and forth 1st half where the teams combined for nearly 500 yards, the 2nd half became a defensive struggle with only 13 points scored and none of them in the 4th quarter.
The game was decided fittingly by the Cougar defense, the same side of the ball that Dickert was the coordinator of before earning the job at the end of the 2021 season. Wazzu’s defense came with a goal-line stop on 4th and 1 from the 1-yard line with just over a minute left, stringing out Washington’s speed option play for a 2-yard loss. The Cougars with their first Apple Cup victory since 2021 (the game that dropped the “interim” from Dickert’s title) and just the 2nd WSU win in the last 11 meetings.
Go Cougs! Beat San Jose State on Friday.
Kudos to the Cougs for their well-fought victory over the Huskies.