Sacked & sacks: How the SEC stacks up after Week 13
The quarterback sack is one of the most exciting plays in football, and it can often make or break the outcome of a drive.
Because it is such an important piece of the puzzle for SEC programs, we are tracking how each team is performing throughout the season.
We will take a look at both how good each team’s defense is at creating sacks, as well as how well each offensive line is at preventing them.
We’ll also take a look at some of the league’s top producers of sacks and tackles for loss.
Here is how things stack up after Week 13:
SACKS: RANKING EACH SEC DEFENSE
Is it a coincidence that the teams that will meet in this week’s SEC Championship are the two atop this list? Probably not. Getting to the opposing quarterback with strong defensive line play has long been an important ingredient to championship-level football, and both the Gators and Crimson Tide have done it well this season.
Texas A&M and Missouri are living up to their billing of having talented defensive fronts by running away from the pack in the tackles for loss category.
TEAM | SACKS | YARDS | TFL |
---|---|---|---|
1. Alabama | 41 | 257 | 86 |
2. Florida | 38 | 277 | 91 |
3. Texas A&M | 33 | 190 | 103 |
4. LSU | 28 | 193 | 66 |
5. Missouri | 27 | 171 | 106 |
T6. Ole Miss | 26 | 171 | 93 |
T6. Vanderbilt | 26 | 156 | 80 |
T6. Tennessee | 26 | 148 | 67 |
9. Mississippi State | 25 | 182 | 92 |
10. Georgia | 21 | 121 | 71 |
11. South Carolina | 20 | 137 | 64 |
12. Arkansas | 18 | 111 | 65 |
T13. Auburn | 17 | 122 | 49 |
T13. Kentucky | 17 | 110 | 53 |
SACKED: ANALYZING HOW WELL EACH TEAM AVOIDS THE SACK
Arkansas rounded out a strong regular season from a veteran offensive line by averaging exactly one sack per game. Having an experienced senior quarterback back there probably aided that number as well.
Georgia led the league with only 41 tackles for loss allowed, which was 16 fewer than the nearest competitor, and exactly half of the amount that Florida allowed.
Here are the rankings for sacks and tackles for loss allowed:
TEAM | ALLOWED | YARDS | TFL |
---|---|---|---|
1. Arkansas | 12 | 83 | 57 |
2. Georgia | 13 | 87 | 41 |
T3. LSU | 17 | 119 | 64 |
T3. Alabama | 17 | 128 | 77 |
T3. Ole Miss | 17 | 131 | 66 |
6. Auburn | 19 | 141 | 61 |
7. Tennessee | 21 | 156 | 86 |
8. South Carolina | 26 | 169 | 69 |
9. Vanderbilt | 28 | 178 | 70 |
T10. Missouri | 30 | 176 | 88 |
T10. Kentucky | 30 | 191 | 84 |
12. Mississippi State | 31 | 191 | 68 |
13. Texas A&M | 32 | 211 | 69 |
14. Florida | 37 | 208 | 82 |
TOP INDIVIDUAL PERFORMERS
Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett cushioned his lead with a sack against LSU. Tennessee’s Derek Barnett was the big gainer for the week, registering two sacks against Vanderbilt and moving into a tie for third in the league. Missouri’s Charles Harris and Walter Brady disappeared from the leaderboard after spending most of the season in the Top 5.
NAME | TEAM | POS. | SACKS |
---|---|---|---|
1. Myles Garrett | Texas A&M | DL | 11.5 |
2. Marquis Haynes | Ole Miss | DL | 9.5 |
T3. Jonathan Allen | Alabama | DL | 9.0 |
T3. Derek Barnett | Tennessee | DL | 9.0 |
T5. Lewis Neal | LSU | DL | 8.0 |
Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett recorded 1.5 tackles for loss against LSU, pulling him even with Missouri’s Charles Harris, who went without a tackle for loss this week. Ole Miss’ Marquis Haynes jumped into fifth place in Week 13, replacing Mississippi State’s A.J. Jefferson on the list.
NAME | TEAM | POSITION | TFL |
---|---|---|---|
T1. Charles Harris | Missouri | DL | 18.5 |
T1. Myles Garrett | Texas A&M | DL | 18.5 |
3. Zach Cunningham | Vanderbilt | LB | 16.5 |
4. Jonathan Bullard | Florida | DL | 15.5 |
5. Marquis Haynes | Ole Miss | DL | 14.0 |