September Superlatives: Geno Smith, Alabama Highlight First Month of 2012

September 22, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (12) passes against the Maryland Terrapins during the third quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. The West Virginia Mountaineers won 31-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

SaturdayBlitz.com Superlatives recognizes the best of September: from West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, to No. 1 Alabama’s domination of all comers, and Manti Te’o’s inspirational leadership through personal tragedy for unbeaten Notre Dame. These are the highlight stories of the season’s first month, but there was oh-so much more.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH: GENO SMITH, QB, WEST VIRGINIA

Geno Smith supplanted Matt Barkley as the overwhelming Heisman Trophy frontrunner, and with good reason. He closed out the month with an eight-touchdown performance to lead West Virginia over Baylor, 70-63, and finds himself on pace to set the NCAA single season touchdown passing record. He has 20, and the mark is Colt Brennan’s 58 in 2006.

Runners-Up

Stefphon Jefferson, RB, Nevada

Another record-setter, Stefphon Jefferson scored six rushing and seven total touchdowns against Hawai’i to set the pace for his nation-leading 11 end zone touches on the ground. He also leads college football in rushing yards per game, at 175. Take up the mantle now: Jefferson deserves Heisman consideration.

David Ash, QB, Texas

Quarterback controversy? What quarterback controversy? David Ash has made the shared routine with Case McCoy a distant memory, passing for nearly as many yards through four games of 2012 (1007) as he did all of 2011 (1079). He’s also increased his touchdown output 150 percent (four to 10), improved his efficiency (56.9 to 78.0 percent completions) and dramatically slashed his turnover rate (one interception thrown all season).

Kain Colter, AP, Northwestern

You’ll often hear coaches and pundits talk of players’ willingness to do whatever’s necessary for the team to win. Few embody such an attitude like Kain Colter. The starter entering the season after filling in for Dan Persa a year ago, Colter suffered a Week 1 injury that allowed Trevor Siemian to see the field and thrive. Colter has fulfilled any role Pat Fitzgerald has needed him to, while given Siemian more snaps. Colter has flourished, leading the team with six rushing touchdowns and an average approaching 7 yards per carry. He’s also caught nine passes for 131 yards. Altogether, he might be the most well-rounded offensive player in the country.

Kolton Browning, QB, UL-Monroe

The Detmer Award vote leader through five weeks and college football’s star of Week 2, Kolton Browning has proven he’s no one-hit wonder. He’s led the Warhawks with 11 touchdown passes to just two interceptions, rushed for three more touchdowns and is averaging just under 50 yards per game on the ground.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH: MANTI TE’O, LB, NOTRE DAME

Sep 22, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Notre Dame’s leader has battle through personal adversity and set the tone for what could be a special season. He’s been among the most greedy defenders in all college football, snagging three interceptions and recovering a pair of fumbles, while maintaing the Irish-leading tackle pace he set last year. With 38 thus, Te’o is on pace to make 114 tackles in the regular season.

Runners-Up

Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia

Jarvis Jones completely turned the tide of Georgia’s SEC-opening defeat of Missouri in a performance indicative of his entire presence on the Bulldog linebacking corps. He blitzes with a tenacity reminiscent of Ray Lewis, evident in his ridiculous 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss. He’s also a sideline-to-sideline ball pursuer, ranking third on the team with 32 total tackles.

Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State

Phillip Thomas leads the nation in interceptions with five, but perhaps more impressive is that he’s returned two for touchdowns. There are starting running backs who haven’t exceeded Thomas’ touchdown total.

Quanterus Smith, DE, Western Kentucky

6.5 sacks. 6.5 sacks! Were WKU end Quanterus Smith a team, he’d rank above half of the entire Bowl Subdivision.

Will Sutton, DT, Arizona State

The heart of a defense allowing just 13.6 points per game, Will Sutton ended the month with Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks to rank with the aforementioned Quanterus Smith atop the nation.

TEAM OF THE MONTH: ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

September 29, 2012; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban on the sideline against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-US PRESSWIRE

The defending BCS champion Crimson Tide got the year started by obliterating any title aspirations Michigan may have had. Alabama has treated opponents with the same contempt Nick Saban exhibits for

everyone as far as I can tell

reporters, routing all comers by a combined 166 points.

Runners-Up

Oregon

Oregon went 5-0 in September, winning by an average of 34.6 points per game. There’s little hope for slowing the offensive juggernaut that is Chip Kelly’s spread-offense-on-performance-enhancers.

Oregon State

Oregon State played just three games, but knocked off two top 25 opponents and won a pair of road, Pac-12 games. The Beavers’ surprising turnaround on rush defense — from No. 108 at season’s end 2011 to No. 9 currently — is credited to the commitment of the returners and dedication of coordinator Mark Banker. The OSU offense has also consistently improved each week. Sean Mannion is spreading the ball around the field at a pace approaching his 2011 output, but with vastly improved accuracy.

Kansas State

A win at Oklahoma put K-State in a prime position to lead the Big 12 Conference championship race. At home, KSU smashed visiting Miami 52-13 to hand the Hurricanes their sole defeat of the season. The Wildcats still have plenty of challenges ahead, but already cleared one major hurdle in Norman.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish is 4-0 for the first time in over a decade, in case you hadn’t heard. Notre Dame has done it with a stifling defense in a stark contrast from the latter Charlie Weis seasons, when UND couldn’t catch colds, but less ball carriers.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE SUN BELT

No particular honor is designated for a conference, but the Sun Belt deserves its own shout-out. The league boasts two wins over the SEC, and last Saturday gained one against the ACC. There were scares put into power conference foes, including a top 10 team at Kansas State. The Sun Belt has evolved, no longer existing to be a September and Homecoming week doormat to the SEC.

La.-Monroe is a legitimately good football team. So is Western Kentucky. MTSU got off the mat after losing to McNeese State and since gone undefeated. La.-Lafayette’s uptempo offense is clicking even after losing starting quarterback Blaine Gautier. The conference has erected itself through years of struggle, proving that program building is a long process with reward at the end.