Recap of Kentucky QB Will Levis vs. Georgia’s Defense
Kentucky fell to Georgia 16-6 as the Wildcats were only able to muster up one touchdown drive in the 4th quarter. It was an impressive one, though, as Levis took his offense 99 yards for a touchdown going 5 for 6 on the drive with 71 yards passing and a touchdown along with a 10-yard run. Outside of that drive, we saw the side of Levis we have seen for the majority of 2022. As he was 15/25 for 135 yards with an interception to go along with 4 carries for 16 yards. The Georgia defense is one of if not the best unit in college football, so a pedestrian stat line was expected for Levis. But his touchdown drive was the exact reason why some scouts are so high on him for the 2023 NFL Draft. Levis is what he is now, and you can decide to look at him through two different lenses. Take this year out of the picture, where he was behind an overmatched offensive line and lacked true weapons on the outside. Factor in he is on his fourth offensive coordinator in as many years, and protecting him was a priority which forced him to stay in the pocket more and not get out in the open field as a runner. Look at the several games last year where he led Kentucky on a game-winning drive over Iowa in their bowl game, torched Tennessee’s defense for 400+ yards and 5 scores, or shredded LSU for 5 touchdowns. Or you can look through the other lens, which shows Levis as a poor decision-maker who has 10 interceptions through 10 games with a 59.4 QBR in 2022. One NFL team is going to gamble on his upside, and they’ll choose to look at Levis’ pre-2022 film as the reason why. Others will pass as they have seen what he has done this year, and in no world does he deserve to be in the first-round conversation.
This Week's Matchup to Watch
USC QB Caleb Williams vs. Notre Dame’s Defense
This week we head out west to feature the current Heisman favorite QB Caleb Williams and his matchup with the elite Notre Dame defense that has really come alive recently. Williams, who will be eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft, has had an ascending stock during the second half of the season. He has been putting up video game numbers to go along with jaw-dropping plays that consistently show him throwing accurate balls on the move and off balance. Despite a loss to Utah several weeks ago, Williams has USC back into the playoff picture with a game against Notre Dame and the Pac-12 championship standing in his way. Williams currently has 3,480 passing yards to go along with 33 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions. Williams stands at 6’1 and 215 pounds with the ability to constantly extend plays and make accurate throws on the run that make him a walking highlight on Saturdays. We have seen USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley do great things with his college quarterbacks such as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. So, Williams’ success should come as no surprise, especially since he was such a highly touted prospect coming out of high school. But he will face one of the toughest tests of the season as the pressure for his Heisman campaign and USC’s playoff hopes will look to be kept alive with a win over Notre Dame.
The Notre Dame defense doesn’t necessarily have any potential NFL standouts outside of edge rusher Isaiah Foskey, but the Fighting Irish have shown to have a solid defensive unit this year and especially against top-tier teams. Against the two top-10 opponents this year, they held C.J. Stroud and the potent Ohio State offense to 21 points which ties for their lowest of the year, and they held Clemson to 14 points, which was their lowest point total of the year. They also held an explosive North Carolina offense in check as well that’s box score didn’t indicate the true outcome of the game. Notre Dame’s pass defense is top 10 in schedule-adjusted passing success rate and yards per pass attempt surrendered. Notre Dame will hope that their starting cornerback Cam Hart can play on Saturday as he is questionable heading into the contest. Freshman Jordan Mickey would replace Hart if he cannot go. Notre Dame has the advantage in the trenches. That will force Caleb Williams to make some plays under pressure, and they will be behind the sticks at times in second and third-down situations. Williams' Heisman dreams, along with USC’s playoff hopes, will be on the line Saturday, as Notre Dame will try to end both with their defensive performance in slowing down this explosive offense.
