Our list of the SEC’s best and worst in Week 13:
STUDS
1. Derrick Henry: It’s not absolutely clear if Henry’s 46 carries and 271 yards against Auburn produced a “Heisman moment,” but it made it borderline inarguable that the 240-pound junior is the SEC’s most valuable player. The Tide have other offensive weapons, particularly when Kenyan Drake is healthy, but they don’t have any as reliable as Henry, now the nation’s leader in total rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
2. Chad Kelly: Few players in SEC history have had the kind of career Dak Prescott has enjoyed over the past four years at Mississippi State, but Kelly made a strong argument Saturday that he’s the best quarterback in the Magnolia State this season. After a midseason stretch plagued by turnovers, Kelly has been more careful with the ball recently, throwing 98 times without an interception in the his past three games. He finished Saturday’s win over Mississippi State 21 of 30 for 236 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 74 yards and a third score.
3. Leonard Fournette: The nation’s leader in rushing yards per game, Fournette churned out 159 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries and also grabbing four passes for 43 yards in LSU’s 19-7 win over Texas A&M on Saturday. On the game-clinching touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Fournette touched the ball on eight of the 13 plays and accounted for 62 of the 80 yards, including a crucial 17-yard reception on third-and-11, and a 4-yard touchdown run.
DUDS
1. Treon Harris: It’s absolutely true that Florida has problems on the offensive line, but those alone don’t explain the offensive regression the Gators have experienced since losing starting quarterback Will Grier due to suspension. Harris had a nice game against LSU, but the offense has sputtered mightily since then, culminating in Saturday’s 27-2 loss to Florida State. Harris finished 19 of 38 for just 134 yards through the air and was sacked four times. Coach Jim McElwain said he never considered benching the sophomore, but the fact that the question had to be asked is telling.
2. Missouri’s offense: A poor showing from the Tigers offense this season is anything but a surprise, but this week’s flop was especially disappointing. In Gary Pinkel’s final regular season game, the Tigers failed to gain bowl eligibility, falling 28-3 at Arkansas. Rainy weather slowed both teams, but Missouri fans could’ve justifiably expected more than 171 yards of total offense against the league’s worst-ranked defense.
3. Joe Alleva: Regardless of how you feel about Les Miles’ job status at LSU, one thing that should be agreed on is that the veteran of 11 seasons on the Death Valley sidelines deserved better than to twist in the wind for the better part of two weeks before his athletic director assured him that he’d be back for a 12th year. We’ll likely never know what forces were at work behind the scenes or precisely why Alleva remained mum as speculation mounted, but it’s clear that the LSU powers-that-be mangled this situation at least as poorly as Les’ worst clock management gaffe.
Brent Holloway is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State.
