Utah CFB Offensive Awards: Week 8
Week 8 has come and gone and the hierarchy of the college football world doesn’t become any more clear because of it.
The parity and balance in this year’s season has been exciting, unprecedented and still leaves a lot to be discovered.
On a week to week basis, you cant expect to discover a new favorite, rather you can expect good football and upsets galore.
It’s no different right here in the state of Utah.
The preseason darlings in Utah have more questions than they do answers and have now lost two consecutive ball games after falling to TCU in Salt Lake City 13-7.
The preseason afterthoughts at BYU are surging, stealing a victory from Oklahoma State 38-35 in Provo, allowing them to remain undefeated and tied atop the Big 12 standings with Iowa State.
Weber State got a heavy dose of heartbreak after mounting an epic 4th quarter comeback only to fall in Sacramento, dropping an overtime showdown 51-48 to the Hornets.
Utah State was on the wrong side of a 21 point New Mexico 4th quarter that downed the Aggies 50-45 in a high scoring Mountain West tilt.
Utah Tech lost a hard fought defensive slug fest in St. George to Austin Peay, 13-7.
If I had a nickel for every time a team lost a home game in Utah with a final score of 13-7 in the year of 2024 of week 8, I would have two nickels.
Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird its happened twice.
Anyways, lets get down to business, and hand out the offensive hardware from a wild week 8.
Awards will be given to the following:
BEST QB
BEST RB
BEST PASS CATCHER
Reminder: We are naming the top offensive efforts from the following groups at the D1 level in Utah and Utah only.
Lets-a-go.
QUARTERBACK: JAKE RETZLAFF, BYU
There wasn't a quarterback in the state who was without an interception on ten or more pass attempts.
So throw away the “cleanest QB play” this week and go for overall impact as a whole.
Richie Munoz was once again stout for Weber State with 211 yards and three touchdown strikes, throwing for more touchdowns than anyone in the state.
Spencer Petras was asked to throw 47 times against the Lobos and in doing so, threw for the most yards in the state at 360, with two touchdowns to boot through the air and one on the ground.
Jake Retzlaff threw two interceptions and struggled in spurts against Oklahoma State but ultimately thew two touchdowns, one being a part of a game winning drive with 1:13 seconds on the clock as he found Darius Lassiter on a 35 yard strike for a BYU game winner.
Retzlaff also led all QB’s in the state with 81 total rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown of his own.
One of those runs was a 27 yard scamper on the aforementioned game winning drive to set up his eventual game winning toss to Lassiter.
An actual moment of “putting the team on your back.”
Retzlaff statistically didn’t have the best week of all Utah quarterbacks, this is true.
Retzlaff did however have the best week of all Utah quarterbacks from a standpoint of desirability.
A win? No one else got one of those, and no one else certainly displayed the required moxie/swagger to push their team down the field and throw a 35 yard dart with 19 seconds remaining.
Ignoring statistics and riding the wave of hype off of one drive seems dangerous but we are doing it anyway.
Jake Retzlaff is the Week 8 Winner.
RUNNINGBACK: DAMON BANKSTON, WEBER STATE
Rahsul Faison found the endzone twice in the Utah State loss, but struggled to find traction tallying 79 total yards on 24 carries.
LJ Martin struck paydirt two times himself and had the yardage, averaging 6 yards per carry on 20 attempts for 120 yards to lead BYU.
Shoutout to Snow Canyon’s Bretton Stone for scoring Utah Tech’s lone touchdown on 9 carries and 44 yards.
But no one had the game that Damon Bankston did for the Weber State Wildcats.
Bankston posted a career night, giving the Wildcats every chance to pull off the win VS FBS wannabe Sacramento State.
It wasn't meant to be as the Hornets survived the Wildcats efforts, but Bankston’s day will be remembered fondly by those in Ogden.
On 25 carries, Bankston averaged 9.4 yards per carry, nearly a first down per tote, and ran for a grand 234 yards on the night.
He had a long of 54, only ever lost a total of 3 yards and of course was able to punch it one time.
The total yardage and yards per attempt were untouchable for week 8 giving Bankston the honors.
PASS CATCHER: JALEN ROYALS, UTAH STATE
JACOB SHARP, WEBER STATE
DARIUS LASSITER, BYU
As per weekly tradition, we give a co-award because we are too big of cowards to just pick an individual.
All three of these guys had more than 100 yards on the week.
Darius Lassiter netted 129 yards.
Jacob Sharp had 119 yards.
Jalen Royals led the way with a whopping 188 yards to lead the state.
Royals has the edge on the yards, but Jacob Sharp won the touchdown battle.
Sharp posted a hat trick out in Sacramento, snagging all three receiving touchdowns for Weber State in an awesome showing.
So Royals had the yards on 11 receptions, Sharp had the touchdowns on 9 catches, and Lassiter the….. oh yeah. Game winner.
See: Jake Retzlaff, above, for logic on decision making here.
Royals had a long of 59 as well, Lassiter had a long of 50 cementing both as very valid options next to Sharp scoring a touchdown on 33 percent of his catches.
That does it for this week, sorry Utah... it wasn't intentional, but I'm sure you will make an appearance in tomorrows defensive awards!