The eight best quarterback performances from Saturday -- an "elite eight," as it were:
8. Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville
The key stats: 25 of 29, 344 yards, 3 TDs in win vs. USF
The buzz: It was his sixth 300-yard game of the season, and he now has 23 TD passes and just two interceptions. Bridgewater threw a scoring pass in each of the first three quarters.
7. Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois
The key stats: 16 of 20, 223 yards, 4 TDs, 99 rushing yards, 1 TD, 1 receiving TD in win vs. Eastern Michigan
The buzz: Lynch was the first player with two TD passes, a TD reception and a TD run in the same game since Ohio QB Boo Jackson in 2010. It marks the third time in his career he has thrown four TD passes in a game, and he now has 1,031 rushing yards on the season.
6. Bryce Petty, Baylor
The key stats: 20 of 32, 430 yards, 3 TDs, 1 rushing TD in win vs. Kansas
The buzz: Petty threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score in the first half, which ended with Baylor leading 38-0. It was the first 400-yard game of Petty's career; he has thrown for at least 300 yards in each of the Bears' seven games this season.
5. Tommy Rees, Notre Dame
The key stats: 17 of 22, 284 yards, 5 TDs in win vs. Air Force
The buzz: Rees was knocked out of last week's win over USC with a strained neck, but he showed no signs of the injury against hapless Air Force. The five TDs were a career high, and he now has 54 career TD passes, third-most in school history.
4. Braxton Miller, Ohio State
The key stats: 18 of 24, 252 yards, 3 TDs, 68 rushing yards, 2 TDs in win vs. Penn State
The buzz: Miller, a junior, set a career high in passing yards. It was the third time in his career he threw at least three TD passes in a game. And the rushing touchdowns were his first two of the season.
3. John O'Korn, Houston
The key stats: 24 of 30, 364 yards, 5 TDs in win vs. Rutgers
The buzz: O'Korn, a true freshman from powerhouse Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, torched Rutgers' shaky secondary. He set career highs in passing yards (he threw for 1 more yard than he did last week) and TDs, and he had at least one TD pass in each quarter against Rutgers.
2. David Fales, San Jose State
The key stats: 27 of 37, 482 yards, 5 TDs, 1 rushing TD in win vs. Wyoming
The buzz: Fales, a senior, set career highs in passing yards and TD passes. His rushing touchdown came with eight seconds left and was the game-winner in the Spartans' 51-44 victory. Fales threw three second-half touchdown passes as San Jose State rallied from a 30-14 third-quarter deficit.
1. Garrett Gilbert, SMU
The key stats: 37 of 53, 538 yards, 4 TDs, 97 rushing yards, 2 TDs in win vs. Temple
The buzz: Gilbert had a game for the ages as the Mustangs rallied from a 21-point second-quarter deficit to beat the Owls. He threw one TD pass in the first half, then threw two and ran for one in the third and threw one and ran for one in the fourth. His total yardage of 635 yards is seventh-best in FBS history.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
