It was a disastrous week for much of the state of Texas in Week 5, but the state still managed to put together some special performances. SMU took center stage, and TCU drastically improved its ceiling. 

When finding the superlatives of the weekend, it takes much more than just seeing a final score. It’s about standing out and exceeding expectations in a way that forces the state to take notice. Here are five players who earned those honors in Week 5. 

WR Reggie Roberson, SMU (Mesquite Horn)

Before Roberson left the game with what looked like a bad lower-body injury, he was the best player on the field. The future NFL draft pick caught touchdown passes of 70 and 85 – within the first 20 minutes. He finished with five catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns in a sensational performance. 

Last season, Roberson was out for the 54-48 heartbreaker against Memphis knocked the Mustangs out of the AAC title race. He made sure that his presence was felt against the Tigers this year – and then some. If the Mustangs can get Roberson’s production back, they’re in the New Year’s Six bowl mix.

QB Max Duggan, TCU

When Duggan came into the game against Iowa State in the second half, he immediately changed the game. With a full game against Texas, Duggan proved right away that his first performance was no fluke. 

Duggan completed two-thirds of his passes for 231 yards and added 17 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns. The sophomore frustrated the ninth-ranked Longhorns with his ability to make quick passes and good decisions on the zone read. Most importantly, Duggan has completed 73.4 percent of his passes through his first two games – that’s an incredible improvement from his 53.4 percent mark last season. 

Baylor Linebackers

While Baylor’s offense struggled to find any rhythm, the defense put together a dominant performance. Nowhere was that performance more clear at linebacker, where the Bears were excellent across the group. 

Terrel Bernard (La Porte) played another All-America-caliber game with 13 tackles and a highlight reel interception off Jarret Doege. STAR Jalen Pitre (Stafford) posted 11 tackles, forced a fumble and added a pair of tackles for loss. Dillon Doyle didn’t play his best game, but style forced a fumble and finished with nine tackles. Baylor wasn’t perfect, but the middle of the field was a vacuum. 

QB Henry Colombi, Texas Tech

Colombi couldn’t quite come away with the win, but the Utah State grad transfer stepped up in a big way after he was thrust into action against Kansas State. He finished the game completing 30-of-42 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns and added 40 yards on the ground. 

After the Red Raiders went down 14-0, Colombi led touchdown drives of 88, 84 and 74 yards to take the lead in the second half. Unfortunately, an interception on a poorly thrown bomb cost the Red Raiders the game, but Colombi still deserves credit for stepping up and giving Texas Tech a chance in Manhattan. 

RB Sincere McCormick, UTSA (Converse Judson)

After opening the season with a monster game against Texas State, McCormick – the top running back in the state – was just okay in the next two. Going on the road against UAB was the perfect chance for him to break out of his funk. 

On a day when the Roadrunners cycled through quarterbacks and needed everything from their running game, McCormick stood apart. He rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on just 22 carries. Perhaps most impressively, McCormick didn’t rack up yards on a breakaway – it was just 60 minutes of consistent domination.

When McCormick touched the ball, he averaged 6.8 yards per play. When anyone but McCormick touched the ball, UTSA averaged 3.3 yards per play.