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Fantastic freshmen and super sophomores got a lot of attention in the first week of the SEC football season, and with standouts such as Texas A&M’s Christian Kirk and Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd, it was deservedly so.
But we also know football is a man’s game and sometimes it takes an experienced senior to get the job done. Here at Saturday Down South we don’t want to overlook the veterans who have paid their dues and are seeing it come together in their final season. Here’s a look at five of the best senior performances from Week 1.
BRANDON ALLEN
Arkansas’ senior quarterback is the SEC’s leading passer, throwing for 308 yards in the Razorbacks’ 48-13 victory against UTEP. Allen completed 14 of 18 passes and four touchdowns for an almost off the charts quarterback rating of 294.8. The competition will get tougher, but it looks like the Hogs offense is in good hands.
KEON HATCHER
Allen’s success throwing the ball for Arkansas was at least partly thanks to having a top-notch senior receiver to toss it toward. Hatcher had six catches for 106 yards and caught two of Allen’s touchdown passes. His longest reception of the day was a 38-yard touchdown grab. Look for Allen and Hatcher to be one of the most dynamic senior duos in the SEC all season long.
DAK PRESCOTT
The Mississippi State quarterback has had better games in his career, but his 237-yard passing performance Saturday was third in the SEC and he reached an important career milestone, becoming the Bulldogs’ career touchdown pass leader after finding receivers in the end zone twice. Prescott completed 22 of 38 passes and also rushed for 78 yards, keeping his name in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
KENTRELL BROTHERS
The Missouri linebacker was the leading returning tackler in the SEC and got off to an outstanding start in that regard. He finished with 16 tackles to lead the league. He got most of those in the first half before the Tigers began resting starters in a 34-3 victory against Southeast Missouri State.
REGGIE RAGLAND
We could be in for a season-long debate over whether the best senior linebacker in the SEC is Brothers or his Alabama counterpart Ragland. In Week 1, Ragland had 12 tackles to help the Crimson Tide take down No. 20 Wisconsin. The Tide is loaded on defense, but Ragland was a major reason Alabama was able to hold the Badgers to 17 points.
Shane Mettlen is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Texas A&M, Missouri and Alabama.
