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 taking into account difficulty and distance of throw, game situation, and opponent.
Here are the four biggest throws from Week 3 in college football, plus an honorable mention including one Arch Manning.
Christian Veilleux (Georgia State): 25-yard TD pass to Ted Hurst
In a bid to upset Vanderbilt, Georgia State allowed a go-ahead touchdown with 1:14 left and took over at its own 25-yard line. Christian Veilleux, the transfer who played at Penn State for two years and at Pitt last season, quickly got to work, moving into Vandy territory in just four plays.
After a five-yard completion and then an incomplete pass, he faced third-and-fives from the 25-yard line. He backed up and threw a perfect strike to Ted Hurst for the game-winning touchdown with just 15 seconds remaining.
This play was +5.4 in EPA and was the highest of the week in a close-and-late situation across the FBS.
It was Veilleux’s third touchdown pass of the game, tying his career high, and it gave him back-to-back wins for the first time in his career as a starter.
“[Vanderbilt] was in man-to-man coverage and I felt like my quarterback would give me a chance,” Hurst said after the game. Veilleux also gave Georgia State its second win over an SEC team in six seasons, after a win at Tennessee in 2019.
Eli Holstein (Pitt): 40-yard TD pass to Daejon Reynolds
The Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pitt was back in our lives for the third straight year last weekend after a 10-year hiatus. And after scoring 17 straight points in the second half, the Mountaineers took a 10-point lead with less than five minutes remaining.
Alabama transfer Eli Holstein took over with 4:55 on the clock, and he took over, running twice for 34 yards and throwing for a first down to get to the Pitt 20-yard line. But two straight holding penalties and an incomplete pass made it second-and-30 from the 40-yard line.
Holstein stepped up into the pocket and threw it in a perfect spot for Reynolds to come down with it and make it a three-point game. And after Pitt forced a three-and-out, Holstein came back out and led a six-play, 77-yard game-winning touchdown drive.
That play was +6.0 EPA, and Pitt is the only team this season to win a game in which it trailed by double digits in the final four minutes.
Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): 78-yard TD pass to Talyn Shettron
This play is the longest play on the list, and has the highest EPA at +6.1. The reason it’s not a little higher is point in the game (first quarter), situation (already up 14-0) and competition (Oklahoma State won this game over Tulsa, 45-10).
But it’s a great throw in a game that had certainly not been decided yet, and Bowman puts it right on the money for Shettron to turn it into six.
It was part of a huge day for Bowman, who threw for 396 yards and five touchdowns, matching his career high for TD passes — a mark he set six (!) years ago while at Texas Tech.
Bowman is 16th in the country in EPA per dropback and has the second-most dropbacks of any player who hasn’t taken a sack yet this season.
Nicholas Vattiato (MTSU): 71-yard TD pass to Omari Kelly
Middle Tennessee found itself down by 28 to Western Kenutcky in the third quarter but Vattiato and the offense were heating up. He led a seven-play, 82-yard touchdown drive on their first possession of the second half, capped off by a scoring strike to Omari Kelly, the transfer from Auburn.
On the first play of their second drive of the half, Vattiato pump-faked, moved out of the pocket, directed traffic and threw a perfect ball to Kelly who had gotten behind the defense.
This play was +5.7 in EPA, and was part of a huge day for both the quarterback and the receiver. Vattiato threw for a career-high 456 yards and three scores, all of which went to Kelly, who hauled in nine catches for 239 yards (all career highs). We don’t think MTSU’s 49-21 to WKU lies on Vattiato.
Honorable mention
Arch Manning (Texas) 75-yard: TD pass to Ryan Wingo
Texas already had a big lead against UTSA, and Ryan Wingo was wide open, but we had to give some love to a quarterback who we expect to keep showing up on this list as his career goes on.
This is a great throw by a young player with fewer than 20 pass attempts in his career at this point. It had the 12th-highest EPA of any throw in the country last week (+5.8) and he stood tall in the pocket while being pressured and delivered a beautiful ball to put this game out of reach.
Manning has only 18 pass attempts this season, but he has more TD passes (five) than incompletions (four) and leads the country in EPA per pass attempt at +1.39 (minimum of 15 attempts). He has added more than a full expected point every time he’s thrown the ball this season.
MORE: Why Arch Manning is the best NFL QB prospect out there
