Ad Disclosure
Saturday Sleepers: Holloway leads Mississippi State ground game
By Ethan Levine
Published:
After every weekend of games, you always hear about the performances of stars like Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper and Shane Ray. But there are also the performances you don’t hear as much about, coming from some under-the-radar SEC players — the sleepers.
Who were the best of the Saturday Sleepers from Week 13? Take a look.
CHRIS BLACK
Alabama’s sophomore wideout entered Week 13 with just seven catches for 77 yards on the season, but he exploded to catch six passes for 101 yards in Saturday’s win over Western Carolina. Black never reached the end zone against the Catamounts, but he did record 29 percent of his career catches and 39 percent of his career yardage in the win, coming out of nowhere to add another threat to an already potent Crimson Tide offense.
ELIJAH DANIEL
Daniel, a sophomore defensive lineman, had been quiet in 2014 prior to Saturday’s win over Samford. He’d recorded just nine tackles all season entering Week 13, and he only added two more against the Bulldogs on Saturday. So why is he a Saturday Sleeper this week? Daniel earned the honor with his fourth career sack (and first of 2014) in addition to not one, not two but six quarterback hurries in the victory. He wreaked havoc in the Bulldogs’ backfield, and never allowed Samford to gain any traction on offense even as Auburn struggled to find a rhythm in the first half.
BRANDON HOLLOWAY
Mississippi State’s explosive rushing attack has been led by Dak Prescott and Josh Robinson for most of the season, but Holloway emerged as another threat in the run game in Saturday’s win over Vanderbilt. He carried the ball 10 times for 66 yards (an average of 6.6 yards per carry), leading the team in rushing on the evening despite only seeing limited time on the field. Holloway hasn’t been called on much this season, but he made the most of his opportunity on Saturday by running right through the Vandy defense in a 51-point performance by the Mississippi State offense.
CHRISTIAN HOLMES
The Mississippi State linebacker has quietly put together a productive season as a member of the Bulldogs’ ferocious front seven, and his performance on Saturday was likely his best of the season. Holmes was second on the team with seven tackles, including a tackle for loss, but none of that was as impactful as his strip of Vandy’s Latevius Rayford, which he then returned 51 yards for a touchdown. Rayford caught the ball coming across the middle but had it ripped from his hands by Holmes, who then took off like a rocket down the right sideline on his way to the end zone. The play was one of the most impressive of the season by the Mississippi State defense, and it aided the Bulldogs in their shutout performance against the Commodores on Saturday.
ADAM LANE
Lane, a freshman, had just three carries for 12 yards in his career prior to Saturday’s win over Eastern Kentucky, but he broke through with five carries for 60 yards against the Colonels in Week 13. No, five carries is not a lot and no, Lane never reached the end zone against EKU. Nevertheless, the freshman averaged 12 yards per carry to lead the team in rushing on Saturday, and did so with just 12 yards to his name at the beginning of the week. The Gators already boast a promising rushing attack led by Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor, and if Lane continues to develop that attack will have as much depth as it does explosiveness moving forward.
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.
