This article is part of our CFB Barometer series.
Even though the performance came against the New Mexico State Aggies, we may have witnessed the true coming out party for LSU quarterback Brandon Harris. The freshman Harris had been vying for playing time with sophomore Anthony Jennings, but first placed himself on the fantasy map after nearly leading a miraculous comeback against Mississippi State on Sept. 20. Harris tossed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the 34-29 loss to the Bulldogs. Still, it was Jennings who received the starting nod Saturday against the aforementioned Aggies. Jennings threw two picks while also fumbling the ball to begin the game, leaving Harris to pick up the pieces. All Harris did in relief was pass for 178 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for an additional 36 yards and two more scores. The scintillating five-touchdown performance should make Harris the starter for next weekend's highly anticipated tilt with Auburn. Although Harris may have some growing pains in SEC play, it certainly appears the freshman is the better option for the Tigers.
Next up? Some more College Football goodness in this edition of the Barometer.
UPGRADE
Bud Sasser, WR, Mizzou - Sasser has emerged as the No. 1 wide receiver for the quarterback Maty Mauk and the Missouri Tigers this season. The Tigers lost L'Damian Washington to graduation, and Dorial Green-Beckham was kicked off the team for off-field transgressions. Sasser has helped to pick up the slack from the void left by those departures. Sasser has 30 catches for 454 yards and four touchdowns through five games for Mizzou. The senior has already surpassed his previous career highs across the board, and the season is not even halfway over. Sasser has two 100-yard outputs in 2014, and caught six of Mauk's 12 completions in Saturday's comeback win over South Carolina. The Tigers do have a tough SEC slate starting Oct. 11 against Georgia, but Sasser should receive plenty of targets and remain productive for Mizzou.
Sefo Liufau, QB, Colorado - Throwing seven touchdown passes in a single game is a surefire way to get some props. That's exactly what the sophomore Liufau did in an epic shootout at Cal on Saturday. Although the Buffs came out on the losing end of a 59-56 Double OT contest, Liufau piled up 449 yards and an astounding seven scores. He found his favorite target, Nelson Spruce, an absurd 19 times for 176 yards and three of those touchdowns. All Spruce has done in 2014 is catch 10 touchdowns in five games. Meanwhile, Liufau has still passed for at least two touchdowns in each of those first five contests for Colorado, completing more than 65 percent of his throws in the process. With the Buffs likely playing from behind in upcoming contests against USC, UCLA and eventually Oregon, expect Liufau to continue to twirl the pigskin around the field with reckless abandon.
Malachi Dupre, WR, LSU - Dupre looks like the favorite target for the above-referenced Brandon Harris. While speedster Travin Dural had developed a nice rapport with sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings, Dupre looks to be more comfortable with Harris at the helm. All three of Dupre's touchdown receptions in the last two games have come from Harris. After missing two games and catching just two passes against Sam Houston State on Sept. 6, Dupre has exploded for seven grabs for 174 yards and three touchdowns over the last two contests. LSU faces a difficult test at Auburn this weekend, but with Harris expected to take the majority of snaps under center, Dupre should see plenty of balls thrown his way and could be a sleeper for the Tigers.
Jordan Payton, WR, UCLA - So much for the struggles of the Bruins. Led by quarterback Brett Hundley, UCLA crushed Arizona State on Saturday to the tune of 62-27. Payton has emerged as Hundley's top target, notching two 100-yard outbursts in the last three contests. Payton also has three touchdowns in his last two games. The junior wideout has also flashed big-play potential, averaging 17.4 yards per catch this season. Payton set career highs with 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Sun Devils last Thursday. Payton had 440 receiving yards all of last season; he already has 417 yards through the air through just four games for the Bruins in 2014. UCLA might have finally found its groove, and the Hundley-Payton connection should be in line for plenty more hookups as the season progresses.
CHECK STATUS
Justin Worley, QB, Tennessee - Worley played arguably the best game of his career in Saturday's 35-32 loss to Georgia. The senior quarterback completed 23-of-35 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. However, Worley injured his throwing elbow and was forced to miss a couple of series for the Vols. He returned to the game, but it remains to be seen if he was simply running on adrenaline and is really hurt. If Worley is not injured, he has looked much more poised under center in 2014, and now has a bevy of playmaking weapons at his disposal. Marquez North and Von Pearson are physical specimens on the outside, while freshman Jalen Hurd has provided explosiveness out of the backfield. The Vols appear to finally be making strides under coach Butch Jones, but Worley's health is paramount to their success. Tennessee has a grudge match with Florida this weekend.
Devante Davis, WR, UNLV - Davis was among the more productive wide receivers in the land as a junior in 2013, hauling in 87 passes for 1,290 yards and 14 touchdowns. He even flirted with bolting to the NFL before coming back for his senior campaign. Davis began 2014 with a bang as well, posting two 100-yard outbursts in his first three games. However, Davis injured his wrist prior to the game Sept. 20, and the Rebels did not disclose the injury. He caught just one pass in that contest before getting hit on the wrist and leaving that game in the third quarter. Davis was seen with a cast on his right arm during Saturday's 34-17 loss to San Diego State and wore a sling on the same arm following the game. He is day-to-day, but check his status before Saturday's game at San Jose State. The Spartans are on a three-game losing streak and have allowed an average of 35 points per game over that span.
C.J. Brown, QB, Maryland - Sometimes the game of football is a war of attrition, a knockdown, drag-out, last-man-standing-type of battle, as witnessed by the plethora of injuries mentioned in this section alone. Brown suffered a wrist injury Saturday at Indiana. Brown had completed 10-of-15 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown before exiting; the dual-threat QB had also rushed for 22 yards and another score. Junior Caleb Rowe stepped in admirably for the Terps, tossing two touchdowns in the 37-15 win. However, Brown is the much more dangerous quarterback due to the multiple ways he can affect a defense. Maryland is off to a nice start at 4-1, but would love to have Brown for a crucial matchup with Ohio State on Saturday.
Matt Miller, WR, Boise State - Miller was forced to leave Saturday's loss to Air Force in the second quarter due to a left leg/ankle injury. Miller was seen wearing a boot on his left foot following the game. Like the above-mentioned Davis, Miller had a standout 2013 season as a junior, snagging 88 passes for 1,140 yards and 12 scores. He has 28 grabs for 461 yards and three touchdowns this season. Miller has been a steady contributor despite the struggles of the Broncos at quarterback. Starter Grant Hedrick was benched Saturday in favor of redshirt freshman Ryan Finley after tossing four interceptions in a three-quarter span. It looks like Hedrick will remain the starter for the time being, but the loss of Miller would be a crushing blow to whoever takes snaps under center. Boise State travels to Nevada on Saturday, as Miller's status remains in question.
DOWNGRADE
Shai McKenzie, RB, Virginia Tech - The Hokies finally appeared to find a running game with McKenzie, only to see him leave Saturday's victory over Western Michigan in the fourth quarter with a right knee injury. Perhaps even more disconcerting, McKenzie tore the ACL in the same knee in high school. He has been diagnosed with a sprained knee, but was seen on crutches following the game and will undergo further evaluation. The freshman had rushed 18 times for 87 yards and a touchdown before departing due to the injury. In his place, fellow freshman Marshawn Williams will shoulder the load. Williams and McKenzie have been in a timeshare for the majority of the season, though it appeared McKenzie had a slight edge before the injury. Now Williams should be the chief beneficiary if Williams misses an extended period.
Christian Hackenberg, QB, PSU - The Penn State passing attack has been grounded the last two games. Hackenberg has averaged less than 200 yards passing over that span. In fact, in the last three contests for the Nittany Lions, Hackenberg has failed to throw a single touchdown. The sophomore quarterback also had a brutal interception that was returned for a touchdown by Northwestern in Saturday's 29-6 loss. Penn State has a week off before traveling to Michigan to face an extremely downtrodden foe in the Wolverines. However, Hackenberg made the defenses of Rutgers, UMass and Northwestern look like superstars over the past three contests, so even a trip to Ann Arbor may not be able to cure PSU's passing ills.
Lavon Coleman, RB, Washington - The Huskies knew it'd be no easy task to replace Bishop Sankey, one of the most productive backs in the illustrious history of the Washington program. The freshman Coleman has been the leading rusher for the Huskies in 2014, but has been stymied the last three games. Coleman started his career with 34 carries for 196 yards and a touchdown, but since that time has 45 carries for just 148 yards and zero scores. That's an average of just 3.3 yards per tote. The Huskies do face an extremely suspect California defense in two weeks, though the Bears have been burned more by the pass than by the run in 2014. Coleman still has loads of potential, but he hasn't found much room lately.
Deontay Greenberry, WR, Houston - Was Saturday's lack of production for Greenberry just an aberration? Or a sign of things to come? Greenberry caught just one pass for 17 yards against UNLV on Saturday. Greenberry entered 2014 as one of the top wideouts in the nation, having snagged 82 passes for 1,202 yards and 11 scores. The Cougars' high-flying attack was held to just 135 yards through the air Saturday, though; meanwhile, Houston rushed for an astounding 399 yards on the ground. Greenberry still has 18 catches for 297 yards and two touchdowns this season, but a newfound trust in the running game could curb Greenberry's production as the season moves on.
