Kirk Herbstreit reveals top performing coaches from Week 10

photos -jpgby:Ashton Pollard•11/09/21•

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In true 2021 fashion, Week 10 of the college football season saw a number of surprising outcomes. Four top-15 teams lost, 10 ranked teams were defeated, and several others eked out close wins over teams they were expected to beat handily.

As a result of the chaos, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit’s weekly coaching honors went to some unfamiliar faces:

  1. TCU interim head coach Jerry Kill: Less than a week removed from taking over the reins from Gary Patterson, Kill notched a top-15 win. Kill has prior experience as a head coach, most notably at Minnesota from 2011-2015, but he took over the Horned Frogs team under less-than-ideal circumstances. In a game that saw four lead changes in the first half, TCU ultimately came out on top 30-28. Kill was hired in January 2020 to oversee the offense, and his quarterback put on a masterful performance against Baylor. Chandler Morris was 29-for-41 with 461 passing yards, 70 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. 
  2. Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm: The theme of 2021 is do not overlook Purdue. On Saturday, the Boilermakers notched their third straight top-five win as an unranked team in a 40-29 victory over Michigan State. In total, they now have 17 of them in program history, by far the most of any other Power Five program. Purdue is now 6-3 and narrowly missed joining the AP Poll this week. They head to Columbus on Saturday with the opportunity to all but knock Ohio State out of playoff contention. 
  3. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel: The first-year head coach got his first ranked win as a Volunteer on Saturday, a 45-42 victory in Lexington over No. 18 Kentucky. Quarterback Hendon Hooker continues to be one of the hottest quarterbacks in college football, and he was 15-for-20 for 316 yards and four touchdowns against a very good Wildcats defense. Kentucky entered Saturday’s game allowing just 17.8 points per game, and Tennessee eviscerated them.
  4. South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer: In arguably the most shocking result of Saturday’s slate, Beamer’s team annihilated a spiraling Florida squad 40-17. The Gamecocks were very clearly the better team on the field. They out-gained Florida 459 to 340, forced two turnovers, dominated time of possession, and allowed just 13 first downs to what has been at times one of the more explosive offenses in the country. South Carolina is just one win away from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. 
  5. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema: Illinois is having a rollercoaster season in Bret Bielema’s first year. On Saturday they beat Minnesota, grabbing their second win over a ranked team in three weeks. Minnesota had scored at least 30 points in their previous three games, and the Illini held them to a season low in a 14-6 win. Illinois has two ranked games remaining against Iowa and Wisconsin, both eyeing a shot at the Big Ten title game, and they have shown they should not be written off. 
  6. Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko: Elko’s defense is now the second-best scoring defense in the country after holding Auburn to a field goal on Saturday in a 20-3 win. Auburn had just 226 total yards, and Auburn quarterback Bo Nix had a completion percentage of 48.8% and a QBR of 26.1. They are still firmly in the conversation in the SEC West, especially after Alabama looked very shaky against LSU last weekend. The Texas A&M defense could get them to Atlanta.
  7. UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo: UNC’s playoff hopes are dead, but they can still play spoiler. They aced that role on Saturday, toppling previously undefeated Wake Forest 58-55. UNC had 546 yards of total offense, including 330 yards on the ground and six touchdowns. Running back Ty Chandler was the Tar Heels’ top performer with 22 carries for 213 yards and four scores. UNC is averaging 38.9 points per game, third in an ACC filled with high-powered offensive attacks. 
  8. Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles: The Cowboys defense completely shut down West Virginia on Saturday in a 24-3 rout. West Virginia had averaged nearly 27 points per game entering last weekend’s contest, and they could only muster the field goal and 133 yards of total offense against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are second in the nation in third down defense, allowing conversions just 25.6% of the time. They are third nationally in total defense and have not allowed a touchdown since Oct. 23.