With Week 7 officially in the books, let’s take a look at the best performances of the weekend in this week’s All-SEC Team.
OFFENSE
QB Dak Prescott: Prescott did not play a perfect game against Auburn, but he still boosted his Heisman campaign with 246 yards through the air, 121 yards on the ground and three total touchdowns. His two interceptions could have cost MSU, but his superb play the rest of the game more than made up for those errors in another huge win for Mississippi State.
RB Nick Chubb: Georgia needed Chubb to have a huge game in place of the suspended Todd Gurley as the ‘Dawgs approached a tough road contest against Missouri. The freshman did not disappoint, amassing 174 total yards and a touchdown on 42 total touches. Chubb carried the load for most of the afternoon as Georgia ran up a 34-0 score by game’s end, marking one of the best individual performances in the SEC this season.
RB Leonard Fournette: LSU’s star freshman had his best game as a collegiate in a 30-27 win over Florida in the Swamp. Fournette carried the ball 27 times and ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the win, wearing down an above-average Gators defense by the end of the night. Fournette’s physical brand of running paid off against Florida, as LSU recorded its first SEC win of the year.
WR Speedy Noil: Noil is yet another freshman who played like an upperclassmen this weekend, catching 11 passes for 105 yards in Texas A&M’s loss to Ole Miss Saturday night. Noil has starred in both of A&M’s losses the last two weeks, and his combination of speed and size has given opposing secondaries fits all season. Going over the 100-yard mark against the Rebels’ defense is no easy feat. Noil was dominant for the Aggies, even in a losing effort at home.
WR D’haquille Williams: Williams torched a vulnerable Mississippi State secondary to the tune of six catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns in a 15-point loss. Auburn does not operate out of a pass-oriented offense, and it needs Williams to help provide some balance when playing the top defenses in the SEC. The star junior did his part, creating big plays every time he touched the ball as the Tigers played from behind for most of the game. Although Auburn lost, Williams still had one of the best games of any SEC player this weekend.
O-line Mississippi State: The Bulldogs offensive line came to play Saturday, helping MSU rush for 233 yards and four touchdowns in a winning effort. Prescott went over 100 yards on the ground with two rushing touchdowns, and tailback Josh Robinson added 97 yards and two touchdowns of his own. Furthermore, the line allowed Prescott to be sacked just one time all game, allowing the Heisman contender to shine in a convincing MSU victory.
DEFENSE
DL Myles Garrett: Garrett recorded yet another sack in A&M’s disappointing home loss to Ole Miss, putting him just 0.5 sacks shy of Jadeveon Clowney’s SEC freshman record for sacks in a season. Garrett has 7.5 sacks on the year; Clowney’s record is 8. Even as teams aim to double team him in obvious passing situations, Garrett is still finding a way to disrupt opposing quarterbacks each and every week.
DL Trey Flowers: Arkansas’ star defensive end had a huge performance in the Razorbacks’ loss to Alabama, recording eight tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack in defeat. The Alabama offensive line proved no match for Flowers, who was named Tim Tebow’s “Freak of the Week” on last Saturday’s edition of SEC Nation, and as long as the star senior continues to shine up front the Razorbacks will have a chance in every one of their SEC games the rest of the way.
LB Kwon Alexander: Alexander was huge in LSU’s win over Florida, leading the team with 10 tackles on the night. Not only was he consistent at the heart of the Tigers’ defense, he also made a handful of game-changing plays, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the victory. Not only was Alexander the star of LSU’s defense Saturday, he had the best performance of any linebacker in the SEC in helping the Bayou Bengals to a much-needed victory.
CB Senquez Golson: Ho hum, the SEC’s best cornerback had another huge day in an Ole Miss victory. Golson pulled in his conference-leading fifth interception of the year, and helped hold A&M to just two touchdowns through the air, well below the Aggies’ season average. The Aggies final touchdown came on the final play of the game, with most of Ole Miss’ starters watching from the sideline. Golson only recorded two tackles on the night, and A&M still managed to throw for 400 yards, but thanks to Golson’s efforts the Rebels defense posted another huge performance in a win over a top 15 team.
S Cody Prewitt: Prewitt quietly earned All-America honors last season, and he’s been even better this season, although he still hasn’t received the credit he deserves in the back-end of the Ole Miss defense. He made seven tackles in the win over A&M, and his 75-yard pick-six broke the game wide open for the Rebels. Prewitt is consistent, versatile and explosive, and he always saves his biggest plays for the biggest moments. Even if no one else noticed, the Rebels’ star safety had perhaps the best showing of the week around the SEC on the defensive side of the ball.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
