Take a bow: The On3 players of the week from Week 8

Here are the On3 players of the week for Week 8 of the season. Each week, we pick a player of the week in each Power 5 conference as well as an overall Group of 5 player of the week. Everything being equal, more weight is given to big performances against “good” opponents.

ACC

QB Sam Hartman, Wake Forest
The buzz: If you didn’t watch Wake Forest beat Army 70-56, you missed what might end up being the most entertaining game of the entire season. Hartman, listed as a fourth-year sophomore by Wake, was razor-sharp in going 23-of-29 (79.3 percent) for 458 yards and five TDs as Wake rolled up 638 yards against what had been the nation’s No. 6 unit in total defense. Hartman, who completed four passes of at least 50 yards, also rushed for 22 yards and a touchdown. The Demon Deacons scored TDs on 10 of their 11 possessions (that was a failed fourth-down run) before kneeling out the game on their final possession. Eight of those scoring drives were at least 62 yards, six were at least 71 and three were at least 82. None lasted more than 3:10. Indeed, Hartman and Wake scored 70 points in just 17:17 of possession time. The yardage and TD totals were career-highs for Hartman.

Big Ten

RB Chase Brown, Illinois
The buzz: When Brown, a fourth-year junior, has big games, he has big games. He rushed for 223 yards and a TD on 33 carries in the Fighting Illini’s huge nine-overtime upset of then-No. 7 Penn State. It was his second 200-yard outing in three games; he rushed for 257 yards on October 2 in a win over Charlotte. Brown was a big part of a rushing attack that rolled up 357 yards against Penn State, which begs the question why the Illini threw the ball so often on their possessions in overtime. Indeed, in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth overtimes — when you have to attempt a two-point conversion — the Illini threw on all four plays. Brown is a Canadian who went to high school at Bradenton (Fla.) St. Stephen’s and began his college career at Western Michigan before transferring after the 2019 season.

Big 12

WR Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
The buzz: Hutchinson, a senior, had 12 receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the Cyclones’ big victory over then-No. 8 Oklahoma State; the win puts them back in the Big 12 title race. He caught a 1-yard pass from Brock Purdy for Iowa State’s first TD in the first quarter, then snagged a 9-yarder in the third period for the team’s second score. While his scoring catches were short, he finished with 84 yards after the catch on the day. Hutchinson caught a 51-yarder in the second period but was called for taunting as he ran into the end zone. The penalty moved Iowa State from Oklahoma State’s 3 (where the taunting was deemed to have started) to the 18, but Hutchinson made up for it by catching the 9-yarder three plays later. The receptions total set a career-high for Hutchinson, who was a JC transfer last season.

Pac-12

RB B.J. Baylor, Oregon State
The buzz: Baylor, whom Oregon State lists as a fifth-year junior, rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries as the surprising Beavers moved to 5-2 with a 42-34 victory over Utah. His TD came on an 8-yard run five minutes into the fourth quarter and gave Oregon State a 42-31 lead. He had a 68-yard run in the second quarter that set up a 1-yard TD pass. Oregon State overcame a 24-14 halftime deficit and 11 penalties for 114 yards to get the victory, which keeps them on pace with rival Oregon in the Pac-12 North race. Baylor — who is from Wharton, Texas, which is about 60 miles from Houston — leads the Pac-12 and sixth nationally in rushing at 118.4 yards per game.

SEC

QB Bryce Young, Alabama
The buzz: Young, a second-year freshman, threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 44 yards and two scores in the Crimson Tide’s 52-24 victory over Tennessee. Young accounted for two TDs (a run and a pass) in the fourth quarter as the Tide finally subdued the Vols; Alabama led just 24-17 going into the final period. He also accounted for two TDs in the second quarter. The rushing TDs were the first two of his career. Young finished 31-of-43; the completion total was a career-high, while the attempts were the second-most in his career, behind the 48 in the loss to Texas A&M.

Group of 5

WR Malik Williams, Appalachian State
The buzz: Williams, a fifth-year senior, is in the top 10 in school history in receptions and receiving yards, but never had he had a performance like the one he had in the Mountaineers’ 30-27 victory over then-No. 14 Coastal Carolina. Williams had 10 receptions for 206 yards and a TD in the 30-27 victory; he set career-highs in receptions and yards to earn our player of the week honors. Williams’ TD came on a 47-yarder in the second quarter that tied it at 14; he also had receptions of 26, 32 and 45 yards against a defense that had been allowing just 151.5 passing yards per game.