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Best SEC team at every position group in Week 1
Here are some of the top position group performances from the opening weekend in the SEC. No surprise, Alabama has a couple of mentions. Somewhat surprising, so does Kentucky.
QUARTERBACKS
Kentucky: The Wildcats blew a 25-point lead at home in a loss to Conference USA’s Southern Miss. But QB Drew Barker had a pretty good day. A ton of it came in the first half, but Barker was the lone quarterback to crack 300 yards on opening weekend (with Chad Kelly still to play). Barker completed 15 of his 24 passes for 323 yards. He had four touchdowns and one pick, all while running for his life (four sacks). All four scores and 287 yards came in the first half, but the total was good for nearly 13.5 yards per completion.
RUNNING BACKS
Georgia: Nick Chubb returned with a vengeance. Chubb rushed for 222 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries to rank second in the nation in rushing yardage early in 2016. His performance helped lead UGA to a 33-24 win against North Carolina. As a team, the Bulldogs ran for 289 yards on 52 carries. Freshman running back Brian Herrien got in on the action, totaling 59 yards on 7 carries with a touchdown for an 8.4-yard average.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Missouri: The SEC took its lumps on opening weekend, and Missouri took one of the worst ones, losing 26-11 at West Virginia. Lost in the loss was the production of receivers J’Mon Moore and Chris Black. The junior and senior went for 104 and 102 yards, respectively, on eight and six catches. The two are in the early top five in the SEC in receiving yards.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Texas A&M: The Aggies have found the quarterback to find a talented group of receivers. Trevor Knight’s offensive line got him and the running backs plenty of room. Knight threw for 239 yards and was never sacked in a 31-24 overtime win against UCLA. The Aggies rushed for 203 yards on 41 carries.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Alabama: The Tide allowed a meager 64 rushing yards on 30 USC carries in a dominating 52-6 win against the Trojans. Take away Ronald Jones II’s 46-yard carry and yikes.
LINEBACKERS
Kentucky: Not sure it’s cool to put Kentucky in this list twice, but linebackers Jordan Jones and Kobie Walker combined for 29 tackles and a sack. Jones had 19 of them and the sack. In a one-man, runner-up performance, the absolute only thing Mississippi State did well in that humiliating loss to South Alabama came from redshirt freshman Leo Lewis, who had nine tackles.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Alabama: South Carolina held Vanderbilt to 73 passing yards, a paltry 3.2 yards per attempt. But over in the big boy game, Alabama held No. 20 USC to 130 yards on 18-of-37 attempts. Starter Max Browne went 14-of-29 passing for 101 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. That was good for a QBR of 8.0. Two USC receivers had four catches each, no one else more than two and Tide sophomore DB Marlon Humphrey took a pick-six 18 yards for a touchdown.