Top 5 Quarterback Performances of Week 13 College Football: Noah Fifita, Joe Milton III, more

Justin's NCAA college football top quarterbacks from Week 13 of the 2023 season. Top performers include Noah Fifita and Joe Milton III.

Week 13 of the college football season is now behind us. It was a week filled with strong play from the quarterback position, with 16 different players throwing for over 300 yards. Three of those went over 400 yards, including one player who isn't on this week's list, UNT's Chandler Rogers. Rogers threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns in a win over UAB.

Some other notable QBs to miss out on this week's list include Texas State's T.J. Finley (19-for-28 for 368 yards, three touchdowns), Marshall's Cam Fancher (three passing and two rushing touchdowns), and West Virginia's Garrett Green (two passing and two rushing touchdowns). This was a tough week to cull down this list to five names. Nine QBs rushed for 100 or more yards and just one of those made the list below.

Below are the top five quarterback performances from Week 13 of the college football season. These are judged through a combination of statistics, fantasy scoring, and game context, with consideration also given based on the team's offensive systems. Let's take a look at this week's top performances.

5. Levi Williams - Utah State

Utah State's quarterback position has been a revolving door this year. Cooper Legas and McCae Hillstead have both taken turns at the position, but this week against New Mexico was Levi Williams' turn at the job.

Williams was fine through the air, going 16-for-27 for 198 yards with two touchdowns and a pick. His biggest impact, though, came in the run game, as he had 25 carries for 153 yards and three touchdowns while leading the Aggies to the overtime victory on Friday. His 13-yard overtime rushing score provided the winning score for Utah State.

In 2022, Williams joined the Aggies after three seasons at Wyoming, but he was never really able to gain a role. Last season, he threw just 17 passes. Coming into this game, he had 13 attempts all season. I'm not sure what the eligibility situation is for Williams, but I hope he gets a chance to play a full season as the Utah State starting quarterback.

4. Jordan McCloud - James Madison

James Madison didn't manage to go undefeated after last week's overtime loss to Appalachian State, but the team did manage to get to 11 wins with a huge bounce-back effort on Saturday against Coastal Carolina. The team was unstoppable, beating the Chanticleers 56-14.

Quarterback Jordan McCloud was a huge part of that win, as he was 26-for-35 for 324 yards with five touchdowns and an interception. He also added five rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground as well.

McCloud, who has bounced around in college with stints at South Florida and Arizona before landing at JMU, has played some really good football all season. He's completed 68.9% of his passes for 3,413 yards with 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He leads the Sun Belt in completion percentage and touchdowns responsible for, as he's also added eight rushing scores.

3. Dillon Gabriel - Oklahoma

The Sooners needed a win and an Oklahoma State loss to make it to the Big 12 title game. They got the first half, defeating TCU 69-45 on Friday, but they weren't able to get the second part as the Cowboys got a victory.

OU quarterback Dillon Gabriel played a strong game on Friday, going 24-for-38 for 400 yards with three touchdowns and a pick. It was the second time in the last three games that Gabriel has thrown for 400 or more yards, as he had 423 yards and five touchdowns a few weeks back against West Virginia. He also added a rushing score.

For the season, Gabriel has completed 69.3% of his passes for 3,660 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. He leads the Big 12 in pass completions, passing yards, passing yards per attempt, and passing touchdowns. After a disappointing first season in Norman, Gabriel has been the conference's best quarterback in his second year with the team.

2. Joe Milton III - Tennessee

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III has had a fairly rocky season for the Volunteers, but he ended the regular season with a huge showing against Vanderbilt, throwing for a season-high 383 yards and four touchdowns in the 48-24 victory.

Milton also added two more touchdowns with his legs, running the ball five times for 11 yards. Both touchdown runs were two-yard scores in a game where Milton was responsible for every Tennessee trip into the end zone.

This game was especially big for Milton because it showed that last week's struggles against Georgia hadn't gotten to him. In that game against the Bulldogs, Milton threw for just 147 yards and had no touchdown passes. Georgia dominated that one 38-10.

1. Noah Fifita - Arizona

Noah Fifita took over the Arizona starting job in the team's fourth game due to an injury to Jayden De Laura. He never gave the job back. After losing to Washington and USC in his first two starts, Fifita and the Wildcats didn't lose again, with the team winning nine games this season. That's the most for this program since a 10-win 2014 season.

Fifita saved his best performance for last, demolishing Arizona State on Saturday. He was 30-for-41 for 527 yards with five touchdowns and an interception in the 59-23 victory. This was the second time this season that Fifita has thrown five touchdown passes in a game.

On the season, Fifita has completed 73.6% of his passes for 2,515 yards with 23 touchdowns and five interceptions. Despite not being Arizona's starter to open the year, he ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in passing touchdowns and seventh in passing yards. Fifita has a chance to lead the Wildcats to some major success next season in the school's first year in the Big 12.

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