Here’s our weekly look at the SEC quarterbacks with most difficult assignments on Saturday.
Johnny McCrary, Vanderbilt
Opponent: No. 10 Georgia
Coming off a disappointing 12-point showing in a loss to Western Kentucky, McCrary and company are now staring down a top-10 opponent and one of the most fearsome linebacker corps in all of college football.
Led by versatile junior Leonard Floyd, Georgia has a bevy of capable pass rushers to deploy and returns the bulk of the secondary that helped the Bulldogs finish second in the SEC in passing yards allowed last year.
Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is in search of a spark. The Commodores moved the ball reasonably well last week and out-gained Western Kentucky by nearly 150 yards, but McCrary threw two interceptions in the end zone to spoil a pair of valuable scoring opportunities. Such miscues must be avoided against an opponent of Georgia’s caliber if Vanderbilt is to have any hope of pulling off the upset.
Brandon Harris, LSU
Opponent: at No. 25 Mississippi State
A warm-up round against McNeese State would’ve been beneficial for Harris, but due to Mother Nature’s interference, he’ll be making just the second start of his career in the hostile environs of Davis Wade Stadium.
Harris, who started one game as a true freshman, saw the first significant action of his career against the Bulldogs last year and looked sharp as the Tigers attempted to rally from a big deficit in the second half. He finished 6 of 9 for 140 yards with two scores and an interceptions, but after going 3 of 14 against Auburn two weeks later, he threw just one pass the rest of the season.
Reports out of Baton Rouge have been positive throughout the summer, but Saturday night will mark Harris’ first true test as LSU’s undisputed starter. Though Mississippi State was last in the conference in passing yards allowed last season, the Bulldogs were much better in terms of efficiency with 16 interceptions and 17 touchdowns allowed.
Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee
Opponent: No. 19 Oklahoma
This one’s more about the size of the stage rather than the difficulty of the opponent. Make no mistake, the Sooners will be a tough out. But looming even larger is the opportunity in front of Dobbs and the Vols to make a resounding statement.
Dobbs missed on a couple of throws last week, but it’s hard to find much fault when he finished 15 of 22 with two scores through the air and added another 89 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He’ll get Pig Howard, last year’s leading receiver, back from suspension this week, and Marquez North should be closer to full health.
That should help against a Sooners defense that shut Tennessee down a year ago in Norman. Oklahoma registered five sacks in that game, but the Vols offensive line has come a long way since then, as evidenced by last week’s 399-yard rushing performance.
Look for the Sooners to load up in an effort to limit the running room of Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara this week, and if they’re successful, Tennessee’s success or failure will likely be largely determined by the performance of their junior quarterback.
Brent Holloway is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State.
