It’s fun to look back at how we got to this point in the Colt Brennan Award Tracker. Hawai’i had a pair of contenders for the first few weeks before Fresno State had its own duo take over. Then Air Force became the Group of Five and New Year’s Six bowl darling since the Falcons are postseason-eligible and James Madison is not. Their rushing attack had the clear front runners for the award until this month. But after two straight bad losses with underwhelming performances for the Falcons, James Madison had its own candidate leap into the top spot. With some monster performances individually and as a team, the Dukes now have the leader in the clubhouse to bring home the award.  

Top 5 Performances of Week 11

– Dequan Finn has begun to peak at the right time for Toledo. In Week 11, he threw for 407 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on 23-of-27 passing as the Rockets beat Eastern Michigan 49-23 for their ninth straight win. He was getting preseason hype to be deep in the hunt for the Colt Brennan Award. While Finn has been fine, he has not been spectacular. But what he has done is consistently put his team in position to win. Toledo has already clinched a spot in the MAC title game and looked primed to win the conference for the second year in a row. There is also an outside chance this team represents the G5 in a NY6 bowl game. On Tuesday, he led a comeback down 28-10 to defeat rival Bowling Green. He accounted for three touchdowns and 279 passing yards. 

– Liberty beat Old Dominion 38-10, which is impressive considering the Monarchs had been in close contention with other good programs the past few weeks. Flames quarterback Kaidon Salter affected the game in multiple ways. He was 13-of-22 for 225 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, and he rushed 11 times for 41 yards and two touchdowns. This has been Salter’s M.O. this season; when he doesn’t have the most explosive game passing, he’s then used his skills as a runner to keep the defense off balance. Salter has been on fire and could steal the Brennan Award from the current leader if Liberty can finish the season undefeated.    

– Rasheen Ali rumbled for 165 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries as Marshall took Georgia Southern 38-33 in a crucial game for bowl eligibility chances. 

Ali is one of the best G5 running backs, but a four-game losing streak where he eclipsed 100 yards just once dented his Brennan chances. However, that is more of an indictment of the team around him being average to below average in several aspects. Listed as a junior, Ali could take his talents to the NFL, but if he returns he will be a preseason favorite to win the award. 

– San José State upset Fresno State in an absolute blowout 42-18 to shake up the Mountain West title race. Kairee Robinson led the way with 19 rushes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. He started the game off with a 20-yard run, which portended the Spartans’ success for the rest of the game. The cherry on top was a two-play drive which was all Robinson. Early in the fourth quarter, he raced 47 yards to the Fresno State 5-yard line then punched the ball into the end zone to make it 42-10. The Spartans have San Diego State and UNLV left and must win one of these last two to reach bowl eligibility.  

– Jordan McCloud has stamped himself as the clear Brennan frontrunner. His performance (33-of-37, 457 yards, four touchdowns) helped James Madison blow past UConn 44-6. It was McCloud’s third game with four passing touchdowns this season and he set a career high for passing yards in a single game.

It has been a journey for the former South Florida and Arizona quarterback, but he has put together the flashes of brilliance he has displayed in the past this season. Now it looks like he’ll be on his way to claiming the third ever Colt Brennan Award. 

Honorable mentions: Sean Atkins, Jalen Buckley, Rahsul Faison, Kirk Francis, Frank Gore Jr., Seth Henigan, Makhi Hughes, Leo Lowin, La’Damian Webb, Ricky White, Hayden Wolff, Kenneth Womack

Top 5 Players to Watch in Week 12

– In a massive AAC game, Memphis hosts SMU at noon ET on ESPN2. Seth Henigan and the Tigers have been living on the edge the past few weeks but have come out on top. Meanwhile, Preston Stone and the Mustangs have mostly cruised all season, with only a single one-score game so far (a 36-31 win over Rice). In the AAC, SMU sits at 6-0 while Memphis is 5-1 with a loss to Tulane. With Tulane and UTSA at 6-0, Saturday’s showdown is a must win for the Tigers while SMU could almost seal a spot in the conference championship game with a victory.  

– Jordan McCloud and James Madison, which is ranked 11th in the latest Transfer Portal CFB’s Top 25 rankings, hosts Appalachian State as “College GameDay” comes into town. The game kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+. Last year, this game had plenty of hype with Appalachian State coming off a win at Texas A&M and a walk-off Hail Mary against Troy after hosting “College GameDay.” James Madsion ended the party with a 32-28 comeback win after trailing 28-3. Could the favor be returned this year, or will the Dukes and McCloud keep rolling?

– Ricky White and UNLV travel to Air Force at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. The former Michigan State wide receiver has been tearing up the desert the past two years but has really exploded this season. In the past three games, he has piled up 23 receptions, 461 yards and four touchdowns. The Rebels will need another big game from White as the Mountain West Conference standings are a jumbled mess. Five teams are still in the running for the conference championship game with this game featuring two teams at 5-1. The winner will almost certainly clinch its spot while the loser will need help. 

– UTSA hosts USF on Friday at 9:00 p.m. ET in the Roadrunners’ final home game of the regular season. After a rough 3-3 start, they’ve won six in a row thanks in part to the game-breaking play of linebacker Trey Moore. He lives in the backfield as his 16.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks rank in the top five in the country. If the Roadrunners can win this game and Tulane can beat FAU, it will set up a massive showdown in New Orleans on Nov. 24 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.

Top 5 Performers This Season 

5. Trey Moore LB – UTSA

4. Ricky White WR – UNLV

3. Seth Henigan QB – Memphis

2. Kaidon Salter QB – Liberty

1. Jordan McCloud QB – James Madison