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It’s Week 9, and there’s no margin for error left for the SEC’s contenders. Every game will be played under a microscope, and every individual performance will be heavily scrutinized, for better or for worse.
As always, some players will rise to the occasion while others fall short of expectations. Who is poised to have a big day Saturday? Who is in jeopardy of a letdown performance?
Here are this week’s candidates to “boom” and to “bust” around the SEC:
BOOM
1. Nick Marshall: Marshall is in his second year as the commander of Gus Malzahn’s spread rushing attack, and to this point he’s commanded it to a 17-3 record and last year’s SEC championship. South Carolina, meanwhile, ranks last in the SEC in total defense and second to last in rushing defense, allowing more than 181 yards per game on the ground. The Gamecocks have the fewest sacks and tackles for loss of anyone in the SEC, giving Auburn a huge advantage in this weekend’s matchup. Expect Marshall to post huge numbers on Saturday as Auburn’s offense torches an overmatched South Carolina defense.
2. Xzavier Dickson: Dickson is Alabama’s best pass rusher, so it stands to reason he’ll have a huge game against the SEC’s worst offensive line in Tennessee this Saturday. The Volunteers have allowed 30 sacks and 60 tackles for loss, both worst in the SEC by a wide margin (no one else has allowed more than 16 sacks or 50 tackles for loss). Dickson, meanwhile, is fourth in the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss. If Chattanooga can sack Tennessee’s quarterbacks five times, it’s safe to say Alabama’s best pass rusher should have no trouble doing the same. Look for Dickson and the Crimson Tide defense to have their way with Tennessee’s offense Saturday, whether Justin Worley plays or not.
3. Marcus Murphy: Murphy had just 29 yards from scrimmage in last week’s win over Florida, but he controlled the game with a kickoff return touchdown and punt return touchdown in a 42-13 win. This week, Murphy and Mizzou take on Vanderbilt, and Murphy is poised to have another huge game in a mismatch favoring the Tigers. Missouri’s versatile weapon is as confident as any player in the SEC, and he’ll have plenty of chances to touch the ball as a tailback, receiver and returner on Saturday. The Commodores may have had last week off, but they don’t have the speed nor the discipline to contain a player like Murphy.
BUST
1. Anthony Jennings: LSU may be playing a night game in Death Valley, but that’s not going to stop the Ole Miss “Landshark” defense tom wreaking havoc this weekend. Jennings has a tough task in facing the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense, and if Ole Miss stops the LSU rushing attack and forces the game into Jennings’ hands, he’s in big trouble. The Rebels are going to try and force Jennings to be the man to beat them, because, frankly, he probably can’t do it. If Ole Miss succeeds, Jennings is in for a long night. And since Ole Miss has succeeded in all seven of its games this year, there’s no reason to believe the defense won’t succeed again, even in a night game in Death Valley.
2. Josh Forrest: Kentucky’s starting middle linebacker will have his hands full in trying to contain one of the SECs best rushing attacks when No. 1 Mississippi State comes to town. Both quarterback Dak Prescott and tailback Josh Robinson rank in the top 5 in the SEC in rushing yards per game, and Prescott may be the best passer in America when it comes to play-action situations. Forrest has a lot to watch out for, and he hasn’t had much help from the slew of defensive tackles playing in front of him. The Bulldogs’ offense has averaged more than 40 points per game this year, and Forrest and the rest of the Kentucky defense will be in big trouble if MSU gets rolling early.
3. Johnny McCrary: Vanderbilt’s freshman quarterback is making his first career start this weekend against Missouri, and he’ll be greeted by the SEC’s best defensive end tandem in Shane Ray and Markus Golden. Ray leads the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss, and appears to be the frontrunner to back up former Tiger Michael Sam as the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year. Golden ranks seventh in the conference in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss, only adding to the trouble the Mizzou defensive line causes its opponents. McCrary is not used to dealing with a pass rush as stout as Missouri’s, and it could be a long night for a freshman commanding one of the SEC’s least explosive offenses.
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.
