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:
A.J. JOHNSON
Johnson has been Tennessee’s best player on either side of the ball in 2014, and he posted another huge performance in a 34-3 loss to Ole Miss last weekend. The Vols’ star linebacker recorded 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in a losing effort, and he helped the Tennessee defense force Ole Miss to punt on each of its first eight possession to keep UT in the game as long as possible. Johnson will be playing on Sundays this time next year, but until then he’ll continue to serve as the anchor of an underrated Volunteers’ defense that continues to carry the load for a sputtering offense.
MARCUS MURPHY
Murphy only ran for 27 yards on eight carries in a 42-13 win over Florida, but he still managed to have one of the best all-around games of anyone in the SEC in Week 8 thanks to his contributions on special teams. Murphy returned the game’s opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to give Missouri an immediate lead one week after being shutout by Georgia. He also returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown following Florida’s opening drive of the second half, extending the Tigers’ lead to 28-0 at the time. Murphy did manage a 5-yard rushing touchdown midway through the first half as well, giving him three total touchdowns in three different areas of the game Saturday night. The Tigers only managed 119 yards of total offense yet won by 29, thanks in large part to Murphy’s dynamic playmaking abilities.
TERRENCE MAGEE
Magee is normally just a role player in LSU’s offense, but the tailback amassed 127 yards and two touchdowns on only nine carries in a 41-3 win over Kentucky in Week 8. Magee far exceeded his usual numbers on the ground as the Tigers ran for more than 300 yards as a team, and he even caught three passes for 44 yards to contribute to the passing game as well. Kentucky did a nice job in limiting LSU starter Leonard Fournette to just 40 yards on 15 carries, but Magee made UK pay with every carry, helping the Tigers run up a convincing 38-point win.
CHRIS CONLEY
Conley entered Georgia’s Week 8 showdown against Arkansas with just 14 catches for 208 yards in 2014, but he erupted with five catches for 128 yards and a touchdown in a 45-32 win over the Razorbacks. The victory marked Conley’s first 100-yard game of the year, and his five catches represented exactly half of Georgia’s 10 total completions for the game (no other Bulldog caught more than three passes). Conley made two catches of 36 yards or longer against Arkansas, and his touchdown represented the Bulldogs’ only points of the second half. Those points turned out to be critical, as Arkansas cut a 32-point halftime deficit to 13 by the end of the game.
BRAYLON WEBB
Missouri’s star defensive back had not one, but two interceptions in the Tigers win over Florida in the Swamp. Webb intercepted Gators’ quarterback Jeff Driskel in the second quarter with Mizzou leading 17-0, and he returned the interception 37 yards to set up a field goal to extend the lead to 20-0 by the end of the drive. He pulled in his second interception in the fourth quarter and returned it 20 yards, although the Tigers would not get points off that particular turnover (they already led 42-7 at the time). Webb added six tackles from the defensive backfield to help smother the Florida offense, posting his best game as a collegiate in one of the strangest wins in school history.
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.
