We’re detailing the biggest throws on a weekly basis, giving extra attention to huge throws that quarterbacks make all around the country.
We start by looking at the pass plays with the most Expected Points Added, and then take into account difficulty and distance of throw, game situation, and opponent.
Here are the five biggest throws from Week 13 in college football.
DeShawn Purdie (Charlotte): 75-yard TD pass to O’Mega Blake
Charlotte came into its game at Florida Atlantic on a four-game losing streak, and with an interim head coach after firing Biff Poggi and installing Tim Brewster.
So the 49ers had a big challenge on the road, facing another team playing its first game with an interim head coach.
With the third quarter winding down and nursing a six-point lead, Charlotte took over on its own 25-yard line. On the first play, Purdie faked the handoff and patiently waited for his receivers to get open.
He spotted Blake crossing the field and threw a dime that was just out of the reach of the defender. Blake took it the rest of the way for the 75-yard touchdown.
That play was +6.0 EPA, not even Purdie’s highest-EPA throw to Blake in this game (see below).
DeShawn Purdie (Charlotte): 47-yard TD pass to O’Mega Blake
This is not a mistake — Purdie-to-Blake is on the list again. These two had a huge day for the 49ers.
Trailing by a point and facing fourth-and-7 from FAU’s 47-yard line, Charlotte sent the offense out to try to keep the drive going. Purdie faced a blitz but never moved and fired a perfect pass 40 yards downfield, putting it in a perfect spot for Blake to grab it and give his team the lead for good.
That play was +6.7 EPA, the highest-EPA throw of the freshman’s career. And it was the third receiving TD of the game for Blake, all of which went for 40-plus yards. He’s the third player this season with three 40-yard receiving TDs in a game.
Matthew Caldwell (Troy): 30-yard TD pass to Devonte Ross
Troy was looking for its third straight win when it visited Louisiana on Saturday, the leaders in the Sun Belt West division.
In the final seconds of the first quarter, with the score tied at 7-7, Troy decided to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Louisiana 30-yard line.
Caldwell faced a heavy blitz, and recognizing the one-on-one matchup, he threw a perfect ball for Ross, who got just enough separation to give Troy the lead.
The play was +6.0 EPA, the second-highest EPA throw by Caldwell this season.
Louisiana would pull away and win big, but Caldwell threw a career-high four touchdown passes, none bigger than that one to Ross for the early lead.
Joey Aguilar (Appalachian State): 64-yard TD pass to Makai Jackson
Appalachian State was looking to get back to .500 and faced a stiff test with James Madison coming to town.
Trailing by a touchdown late in the first half, the Mountaineers picked up a huge fourth-and-1 in their own territory to keep their drive alive.
On the very next play, Aguilar faked the handoff and spotted Jackson one-on-one on the outside. He lofted a beautiful pass about 50 yards downfield in a perfect spot, and Jackson took it in for a 64-yard touchdown to tie the game.
That play was +5.9 EPA, Aguilar’s second touchdown pass of the game and 21st of the season. He has thrown a TD pass in every game this year.
Appalachian State scored again before halftime and led the rest of the way in a huge win over JMU.
CJ Ogbonna (Buffalo): 75-yard TD pass to Al-Jay Henderson
Buffalo was visiting Eastern Michigan looking for its third straight win and to stay in contention to play in the MAC Championship Game.
After taking a 17-0 lead in the first half, that lead was down to three about halfway through the fourth quarter. On the first play of the drive, from his own 25-yard line, Ogbonna dropped back and dropped a perfect pass in between the defense, giving Henderson a chance to catch it and make a move on the way to a 75-yard touchdown.
HONORABLE MENTION
Luke Altmyer (Illinois): 40-yard TD pass to Pat Bryant
We can’t talk about big plays this week without mentioning Illinois’ game-winning touchdown against Rutgers in the final seconds on Saturday.
After Rutgers called a timeout to ice the Illini kicker before attempting a go-ahead 53-yard field goal, Illinois decided to go for it on fourth-and-13 instead of trying the long kick.
With 14 seconds on the clock, Altmyer dropped back and got good protection, then stood in and took a big hit while delivering it to Bryant in a soft spot in the defense. Bryant got an angle and got some blocks and turned an unlikely field goal attempt into a huge touchdown and a win for Illinois.
The play was +6.2 EPA, the highest-EPA play by any Big Ten team all weekend.
It’s the longest touchdown in FBS this season in the final minute of the fourth quarter, with a team trailing, that put them in the lead.
Rutgers has now lost 40 straight games against AP-ranked teams, the longest active streak in the FBS.
