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You know the saying: “Respect your elders.”
It seems like every year, underclassmen are becoming more and more prominent in the college game. In recent years, we’ve seen the younger crowd take home prestigious awards that had always been held down by juniors and seniors.
Here at Saturday Down South, we don’t overlook the old men of the college game. Let’s run down five of the best seniors from this past week.
BO WALLACE
Wallace has been criticized for his inconsistency all season, and rightfully so, but he was spectacular in leading Ole Miss to a 23-17 victory over Alabama. The turnover-plagued quarterback did not turn the ball over once all game and threw for three touchdowns, two of which came in the final six minutes of play to win the game for the Rebels. Wallace entered this season as the most veteran quarterback in the conference, and that experience clearly paid dividends in his third and final career showdown with the Crimson Tide. After playing terribly in his first two games against Alabama, Wallace had the best game of his career to end his chapter of the rivalry on a high note.
BUD DUPREE
When the season began, Kentucky defensive end Alvin “Bud” Dupree was touted as the anchor of the Wildcats defense and a potential first round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. It took him a few weeks to get his senior season in gear, but he erupted in UK’s win over South Carolina, recording six tackles and the game-winning pick six late in the fourth quarter to seal Kentucky’s come-from-behind victory. The interception returned for a touchdown was the biggest play of Kentucky’s season to this point, and it’s no coincidence it was made by the star of the defense. If you watch the play again, you’ll notice most players on the field appear frozen as the tipped pass soared through the air. Not Dupree, however, who plucked the ball right out of the air and scored untouched to give the Cats their biggest win in years.
BEN BECKWITH
It’s difficult to quantify the impact made by an individual offensive lineman, but Mississippi State guard-turned-center Ben Beckwith was huge in the Bulldogs’ statement win over Texas A&M. Beckwith slid inside to center for the game against the Aggies as usual center Dillon Day served a one-game suspension, and he was huge in keeping the line in tact against an aggressive A&M front seven. Day is not only the heart and soul of the MSU offensive line, he also calls most of the protections on a play-by-play basis. Beckwith ensured the Bulldogs potent offense didn’t miss a beat, helping Mississippi State rush for 280 yards in a 48-point performance. The Bulldogs get Day back next week, and they may have dodged a huge bullet in his absence thanks to their veteran offensive lineman in Beckwith.
NICK MARSHALL
Despite leading Auburn to an SEC championship and a national title game appearance just one year ago, quarterback Nick Marshall has been questioned much more than he’s been praised in an up-and-down start to the 2014 season. He put the criticism to bed for at least one week in Week 6, torching the LSU defense in a 41-7 rout in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Marshall completed 63.6 percent of his passes, his second-highest completion percentage of the year, and rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He may not be the best passer in the SEC, but when Marshall is locked in no one runs Gus Malzahn’s offense better than he does. Marshall established himself as a threat through the air and on the ground against LSU, and the Bayou Bengals never stood a chance in one of the most lopsided games of the year involving two ranked teams.
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.
