With Week 5 in the books, the SEC league office has announced its selections for the conference’s Players of the Week (offensive, defensive, special teams, freshman, offensive line and defensive line).
Here are this week’s honorees:
Offensive Player of the Week – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU
- Set career-highs for rushing (96 yards), passing (292 yards) and total offense (388 yards) in leading LSU to a 45-16 win over Ole Miss.
- Accounted for four TDs (3 passing, 1 rushing) as the Tigers registered season-highs for points (45) and total offense (573) in the win.
- It’s the fifth straight game that LSU has improved in total yards from the previous game.
- Connected on 18-of-25 passes for 292 yards and rushed nine times for 96 yards, including a 35-yard TD in the fourth quarter.
- Threw TD passes of 21, 65, and 5 yards against the Rebels … Is now 5-0 as LSU’s starting quarterback and has thrown 131 passes this year without an interception.
Defensive Player of the Week – Josh Allen, LB, Kentucky
- Played a dominant defensive role in UK’s 24-10 win over South Carolina.
- Totaled eight tackles, set career highs with four tackles for loss (-19 yards) and three quarterback sacks (-17 yards), caused a fumble and had a quarterback hurry.
- His sack in the third quarter was almost a safety and helped force a punt.
- Had two sacks and a TFL in the fourth quarter as UK fought to preserve its lead.
- His QB hurry forced a fourth-down incompletion, a turnover on downs, on South Carolina’s last offensive play of the game.
- Led a UK defense that has allowed only 11 points per game in three SEC games.
Special Teams Player of the Week – Braden Mann, P, Texas A&M
- Punted four times for an average of 48.8 with a long of 65 yards. Two were killed inside the 20-yard line.
- All five of his kickoffs were not returned and four were touchbacks.
Freshman Player of the Week – Evan McPherson, PK, Florida
- McPherson has made 8 of his first 9 collegiate field goal attempts, adding a 39-yarder and 21-yarder against Mississippi State.
- He also handled all kickoff responsibilities with four kickoffs for 250 yards. He recorded one touchback and averaged 62.5 yards per kick.
Offensive Line Player of the Week – George Asafo-Adjei, OT, Kentucky
- Graded at 90 percent in Kentucky’s 24-10 win over South Carolina.
- Had two knockdown blocks and 19 blocks at the point of attack.
- Had no missed assignments and did not allow a quarterback sack or pressure.
- Had a key block to help spring A.J. Rose’s 24-yard touchdown run.
- Scoring 24 points in this game, it is the first time since 1997 that UK has scored at least 24 points in each of its first three SEC games.
Defensive Line Player of the Week – Jachai Polite, DL, Florida
- The Gators have recorded at least five sacks for the second time in their last three games. Polite, who entered the season with two career sacks, recorded his first multi-sack game of his career and boasts a team-high four sacks this year.
- He also added three tackles and a pass breakup. He was part of a defensive line that sacked Mississippi State’s Nick Fitzgerald six times and held the Bulldogs to 202 total offensive yards.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
