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 six of the best seniors from this past week:
JAVESS BLUE
Kentucky’s senior wide receiver was the only productive member of the Wildcats’ offense in Saturday’s loss to Tennessee, catching six passes for 131 yards in defeat. Blue never found the end zone against the Vols, but he was one of just two wideouts in the SEC to go over 100 yards in Week 12, earning him recognition among the SEC’s best seniors.
BUD DUPREE
I know, I know, opening this list with two Kentucky players after the Cats lost by 34 to Tennessee seems unwarranted. But Dupree made 15 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, in last week’s showdown in Knoxville, end he deserves recognition for his strong showing on Saturday. The team may not have played well, but Dupree looked like a future NFL pass rusher with his performance against UT.
MARKUS GOLDEN
Golden reminded the SEC there’s more to Missouri’s potent pass rush than just Shane Ray with his dominant showing against Texas A&M on Saturday. The senior recorded nine tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble in the Tigers’ 34-27 victory, and it was Golden, not Ray, who terrorized freshman Kyle Allen for much of the game. When both Ray and Golden are on their game, Missouri is as tough a team to protect against as any in the conference, maybe the country.
AMARLO HERRERA
Herrera had another banner day at the heart of the Georgia defense, leading the team in tackles with 12 while also recording a tackle for loss and an interception of Auburn’s Nick Marshall inside his own five yard line as Auburn appeared on its way to a much-needed touchdown. The Bulldogs defense never let the Tigers off the hook, and Herrera’s huge interception and consistent play in defending Auburn’s spread rushing attack helped lead UGA to its best win of the year.
BLAKE SIMS
Sims has starred in Alabama’s home games this season, and Saturday’s victory over then-unbeaten Mississippi State was no exception. He completed 61 percent of his passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, and he never turned the ball over against the Bulldogs in a winning effort. Sims looked as sharp as he has all season, and as a result the Crimson Tide is now back in the driver’s seat in the SEC and the race for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
MARTRELL SPAIGHT
The Hogs’s senior linebacker was once again the most productive member of the Arkansas defense, leading the team with 10 tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. The entire Razorbacks’ defense came to play in a shutout of LSU in Fayetteville, earning Arkansas its first SEC win since 2012, and Spaight was the brightest star of the bunch, forcing LSU’s only turnover of the day while helping hold the Tigers to just 1.1 yards per carry on the evening.
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.
