Setting a school record for touchdown passes gives you a good chance to be honored by the SEC, and that’s where LSU QB Joe Burrow finds himself this week after a big win at Vanderbilt.
On defense, Missouri’s Cale Barrett was a poster child for the Tigers big showing against South Carolina as he scored one of two defensive TDs.
However, Garrett Shrader made a splash with a win in his first career start against Kentucky.
Here’s the breakdown of Players of the Week from across the SEC:
Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
Set LSU record for touchdown passes with six in leading the Tigers to a 66-38 win over Vanderbilt in Nashville. Burrow completed 25-of-34 passes for 398 yards and the six TDs as LSU scored the most points in regulation in a SEC game in school history. The six TDs accounted for tie the school-record he set last year in 7OT game vs. Texas A&M and is the most in regulation in school history.
With 398 passing yards vs. Vanderbilt, became first player in LSU history to pass for 350+ yards in three straight games … 357 of his passing yards came in the first half, the most in LSU history, and the most by a SEC quarterback in a conference game in the last 15 years.
Through 4 games, has more completions (100) passing yards (1,520) and passing TDs (17) than any player in LSU history over that span.
LSU has scored more points (231) through the first 4 games of the season than any team in school history during the SEC era … Now 14-3 as LSU’s starting quarterback.
Cale Garrett, DB, Missouri
Led the way in another brilliant defensive outing for Mizzou’s defense, with nine tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown that keyed Mizzou’s 34-14 SEC-opening win over South Carolina. After he jumped on the ball, an instant replay review confirmed that the Gamecock quarterback had thrown a backward pass, giving MU a 7-0 lead, and Garrett his second defensive touchdown of the season – matching the pick six interception he ran back 27 yards against West Virginia. Garrett leads Mizzou with 37 tackles through four games.
Rodrigo Blankenship, PK, Georgia
Connected on both of his PATs and drilled a trio of field goals, including a 40 and 43 yarder, to help Georgia knock off Notre Dame. He moved to fourth on UGA’s all-time career scoring list with 358 points, passing Hall of Famer Kevin Butler. Has connected on a school record 175 consecutive PATs and is 8-for-8 on his FG attempts this year.
Brett Heggie, OL, Florida
Heggie graded out a team-high 95 percent on the offensive line for the Gators with one knock down on Saturday, as the O-line was responsible for 441 total yards on offense in Saturday’s win.
Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn
Four tackles with 2.0 sacks (minus 11), 3.0 tackles for loss (minus 16), one forced fumble and two pass breakups while helping Auburn to its first SEC road win over a ranked opponent since 2015. He had a career-high day in tackles for a loss (3.0), sacks (2.0) and PBU (2). First Auburn player since Carl Lawson in 2016 (vs. Miss. State) to record at least two sacks, two TFLs and a forced fumble in the same game. First Auburn player in seven years to record at least one sack, TFL, forced fumble and PBU in the same game.
Garrett Shrader, QB, Mississippi State
Shrader, making his first career start, accounted for 305 yards of total offense, including rushing for 125 yards on 11 carries, to lead MSU past Kentucky, 28-13 in its SEC opener.
Shrader was just the second MSU true freshman QB to start in an SEC game in the last 12 years (Damian Williams, 2013 Egg Bowl). Shrader was an efficient 17-of-22 for 180 yards through the air. Shrader accounted for all six of the Bulldogs’ 20+ yard plays in the game, including rushes of 49- and 36-yards. With the score a one-possession game and 4:32 remaining, Shrader engineered a six-play, 75 yard drive and extended the drive with a 49-yard rush on third down.
The winning drive culminated with a touchdown and put the game out of reach. Shrader became the first MSU QB in school history to rush for over 100 yards and pass for over 100 yards in his first career start. He was the first to do it overall since senior Nick Fitzgerald last season.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
