The eight best quarterback performances from Saturday -- an "elite eight," as it were:
8. Brendon Kay, Cincinnati
The key stats: 17 of 24, 300 yards, 4 TD passes, no interceptions in win vs. Connecticut
The buzz: Kay threw three TD passes in the first half, which ended with Cincy leading 27-7; he also scored on a 1-yard run in the first half. Kay has thrown seven TD passes in his past two games.
Things we learned
From Jadeveon Clowney returning to form to Florida State's complete dismantling of Clemson, here are the lessons learned from the college football weekend. **More ...**
7. Taylor Kelly, Arizona State
The key stats: 26 of 42, 271 yards, 2 TD passes, 1 interception, 84 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs in win vs. Washington
The buzz: Kelly and the Sun Devils rolled up 585 total yards in upsetting the Huskies. Both of Kelly's TD passes and one of his scoring runs came in the second quarter, when ASU scored 26 points and blew the game open.
6. Derek Carr, Fresno State
The key stats: 33 of 48, 412 yards, 4 TDs, 0 interceptions in win vs. UNLV
The buzz: All four of Carr's TD passes went to Davante Adams, who had eight catches for 221 yards. Carr had two TD passes in the first quarter, including a 75-yarder to Adams on the game's first play from scrimmage.
5. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
The key stats: 28 of 38, 454 yards, 4 TD passes, 2 interceptions, 48 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD in loss vs. Auburn
The buzz: Manziel ran out of heroics as Auburn pulled the upset in College Station. Manziel threw two TD passes in the first quarter, one in the second and one in the third, and his rushing TD came in the fourth quarter and gave A&M a short-lived 41-38 lead
4. Sean Mannion, Oregon State
The key stats: 36 of 46, 493 yards, 4 TDs, 0 interceptions in win vs. California
The buzz: It was Mannion's fifth 400-yard game of the season; it also was his fifth game with at least four TD passes. He had two TD passes in the first half, which ended with the Beavers leading 28-3. He also completed passes to 12 different receivers.
3. Devin Gardner, Michigan
The key stats: 21 of 29, 503 yards, 2 TD passes, no interceptions, 81 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs in win vs. Indiana
The buzz: Most of Gardner's damage in the air came via WR Jeremy Gallon, who had a Big Ten-record 369 receiving yards. Both TD passes went to Gallon. Gardner scored two rushing TDs in the fourth quarter as the Wolverines pulled away.
2. Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois
The key stats: 20 of 30, 155 yards, 1 TD pass, 1 interception, 316 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs in win vs. Central Michigan
The buzz: Lynch set a single-game FBS quarterback rushing record, one week after he became the 10th player in FBS history to run for more than 3,000 career yards and pass for more than 4,000 in his career. Lynch rushed for 232 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.
1. Jameis Winston, Florida State
The key stats: 22 of 34, 444 yards, 3 TDs, 1 interception, 1 rushing TD in win vs. Clemson
The buzz: Winston outdueled Clemson senior QB Tajh Boyd in leading FSU to a rout of the Tigers. He had two TD passes in the first half, and finished off FSU's first possession of the second half with another scoring toss. His rushing TD came late in the third quarter.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
