Top 5 Quarterback Performances of Week 14 College Football: Quinn Ewers, Kaidon Salter, more

December 4, 2023

Justin's NCAA college football top quarterbacks from Week 14 of the 2023 season. Top performers include Quinn Ewers and Kaidon Salter.

Week 14 of the college football season is now behind us. The conference title games featured some good quarterback performances from some players who had a lot on the line.

Of course, with so few teams in action, there weren't a ton of eye-popping numbers. Just three quarterbacks had over 300 passing yards, for example, and only four players threw more than two touchdown passes in this week's games.

Below are the top five quarterback performances from Week 14 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. Michael Penix Jr. - Washington

Michael Penix Jr., who should finish no worse than second in the Heisman voting after leading his team to an undefeated season, didn't have the best showing in terms of stats in Friday's 34-31 win over Oregon. He threw just one touchdown pass, marking the first time Penix had fewer than two touchdown passes since Oct. 21, when he failed to throw any in a win over Arizona State.

Michael Penix Jr.'s story is incredible 👏

2018: Tore his ACL
2019: Season-ending sternoclavicular joint injury
2020: Tore his ACL again
2021: Season-ending AC joint injury

He considered retiring from football because of all the injuries. Instead, he transferred to Washington.… pic.twitter.com/T6Je2tcrk6

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) December 2, 2023

Overall on Friday, Penix was 27-for-39 for 319 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He failed to add anything in the rushing game. It didn't really matter though as the Huskies beat Oregon for the second time this season. The team is 13-0 and the No. 2 seed for the College Football Playoff.

For the season, Penix has completed 65.9% of his pass attempts for 4,218 yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He's also added three touchdowns on the ground. Big year for Penix and he potentially still has two more games to add to his numbers.

4. Jalen Milroe - Alabama

Alabama had to win on Saturday against Georgia to have any hope of making the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide did, and the team ended up jumping up to fourth in the final playoff standings. They'll face Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, with the winner advancing to the CFP final.

While Jalen Milroe didn't have the best game of his career in the 27-24 win over Georgia, he gets credit for performing as well as he did against a Bulldogs team that was ranked No. 1 heading into the game.

Nick Saban says Jalen Milroe is a Heisman candidate to him due to what he’s done for the program this year.

— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) December 3, 2023

Milroe was 13-for-23 for 192 yards and two touchdowns in the victory while adding 29 rushing yards on 14 carries. While he had his fewest passing yards since Sept. 30 against Mississippi State, Milroe did what had to be done, throwing multiple touchdowns for the fourth game in a row.

On the season, Milroe has completed 65.5% of his pass attempts for 2,718 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. He's also added 140 carries for 468 yards and 12 scores.

3. Taylen Green - Boise State

One of the best things about conference championship games and bowl games is that you get to sit down and watch teams that you didn't really get a chance to watch all season. I followed Boise State and UNLV through highlights, but I never really had a chance to just watch these two teams play football.

Of course, one of the first things I saw when I turned on my television was this play from Boise QB Taylen Green, one of the most impressive plays I've seen all year:

Taylen Green with an unbelievable run to give Boise State a 28-14 lead

pic.twitter.com/D14QHMCUFJ

— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) December 2, 2023

Green wasn't perfect in the 44-20 win over UNLV, but he was close to it, going 12-for-15 for 226 yards and two touchdowns through the air and adding eight carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. The only real mark against him was a pick-six that he threw in the second quarter.

When the season began, Green was the starter for the Broncos and he threw for 244 yards in the team's season-opening loss to Washington, but he wound up splitting snaps with Maddux Madsen for a while. A knee injury to Madsen handed Green back the starting job, and he's now had back-to-back 200-yard games.

Green finishes the regular season with 1,752 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions through the air, plus 436 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

2. Kaidon Salter - Liberty

With a 49-35 win in the Conference USA Championship Game, Liberty completed a 13-0 season and ends up with the Group of Five's New Year's Six bowl bid, though there's plenty of controversy about that as the Flames had the weakest strength of schedule in the country.

But look -- you can only beat who you play, and that's what Kaidon Salter and this Liberty team did. Salter was 20-for-25 for 319 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over New Mexico State and also added 12 carries for 165 yards and a touchdown.

Kaidon Salter just did something you can’t even do in a video game pic.twitter.com/I8NN8uig5A

— Liam (@Blutman27) December 2, 2023

It's been a really good season for Salter, who has completed 60.9% of his passes for 2,750 yards, 31 touchdowns, and five interceptions. On the ground, he's added 153 carries for 1,064 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's the CUSA leader in passing yards per attempt, passing touchdowns, passing efficiency rating, rushing yards per attempt, total yards, and touchdowns responsible for. Sure, CUSA wasn't good this year, but Salter's dominance of the conference deserves applause.

1. Quinn Ewers - Texas

Dare I say it: Texas is back.

The Longhorns took down Oklahoma State 49-21 in the Big 12 Championship Game, locking up a spot in the College Football Playoff and sending the team out as Big 12 champs in their final Big 12 season.

Quinn Ewers, who grew up a diehard Longhorn fan, talked about being part of the first Texas team to play in the @CFBPlayoff:

"It's unreal. I get goosebumps every time I even think about it."#HookEm pic.twitter.com/Uld1pu5Dgv

— Jeff Barker (@JeffBarker_) December 3, 2023

Quinn Ewers was absolutely unstoppable, minus one interception during the game. He was 35-for-46 for 452 yards and four touchdowns, making this his best passing performance of the year in both yards and touchdowns.

Ewers has completed 70.7% of his passes for 3,161 yards and 21 touchdowns this season with six interceptions. He's also added five rushing scores to the stat sheet as well.

More College Football Analysis