Byrum Brown quarterbacked Auburn to a monster upset of then-No. 1 Georgia, in Athens, while safety Jordan Castell was the backbone behind another Kentucky victory.
Two days after Brown and Castell had incredible Saturdays, they were rewarded on Monday by the conference they battle in by being named the SEC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week. Brown and Castell were the headliners in a roll call of SEC heroes from a wild Week 7.
First, there was Brown, who just might have made Alex Golesh‘s first year on the Plains a success with this 27-24 victory alone over the previously top-ranked Bulldogs. Brown went 15 of 26 for 150 yards passing, 1 touchdown and, most importantly, 0 interceptions against that vicious Georgia defense.
But where Brown was really special against the Bulldogs’ fierce rushing defense was on the ground, where he piled up 115 yards on an incredible 26 carries with 1 touchdown. Brown’s performance on the ground alone was SEC Player of the Week worthy, and as a bonus he led the unranked Tigers to that mammoth upset on the road.
Castell also did his damage in Week 7 on the road, helping Kentucky win its 5th game in a row with a 21-13 victory at Oklahoma. The senior Castell had 9 total tackles against the Sooners, 2 of them solo, and he was a playmaker in the truest way with 2 interceptions, including a 41-yard pick-6 late in the 4th quarter that sealed the victory in Norman.
The win improved Kentucky to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the SEC, with the Wildcats moving up to No. 12 in the AP Poll, and Castell was a major reason for all of it on Saturday.
Here’s the complete list of SEC Player of the Week honors:
- Offensive player of the week: Byrum Brown, Auburn
- Defensive player of the week: Jordan Castell, Kentucky
- Co-special teams player of the week: Alex McPherson, Auburn
- Co-special teams player of the week: Cooper Ranvier, Tennessee
- Co-offensive lineman of the week: Patrick Kutas, Ole Miss
- Co-offensive lineman of the week: Kash Courtney, Arkansas
- Co-defensive lineman of the week: Tyree Weathersby, Tennessee
- Co-defensive lineman of the week: LJ McCray, Florida
- Freshman of the week: Jake Kreul, Oklahoma
With the SEC having a chaotic week in Week 7, the drive for the conference championship continues into late October. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the best odds to capture SEC supremacy come December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
