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Who made our list of SEC studs and duds in Week 11? Let’s find out.
STUDS
1. Hutson Mason: Georgia’s senior quarterback had his best performance of the season in a 63-31 win over Kentucky on Saturday. He completed better than 81 percent of his passes for 174 yards and four touchdowns before being pulled from the game in the second half with the Bulldogs maintaining a comfortable lead. Georgia scored more points than it had in any SEC contest since 1942, and Mason threw for more than 170 yards for just the fourth time all season as Georgia recovered from a frustrating loss to Florida in Week 10.
2. Jordan Wilkins/Mark Dodson: Wilkins and Dodson rallied a dormant Ole Miss rushing attack in Saturday’s win over Presbyterian, combining to carry the ball 13 times for 299 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Dodson ran the ball just three times on the day, all in the first half, but amassed 128 yards and two 60-yard touchdowns against the Blue Hose. Wilkins complemented Dodson perfectly, rushing 10 times for 171 yards and a touchdown as the Rebels steamrolled their opponent. Considering the Rebels’ struggles in the run game this season, the strong showings by Wilkins and Dodson were a refreshing change of pace out of the Ole Miss backfield.
3. Lorenzo Carter: Carter had the best day of any SEC defender in Week 11, recording nine tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in a dominant showing against Kentucky. The freshman had just 14 tackles and a sack all season entering Week 11, but established himself as a promising piece of Georgia’s future with his outing against the Cats. Kentucky threw for a season-low 139 yards and had just one player average more than 3.7 yards per carry on the ground, thanks in large part to Carter’s overwhelming performance at the heart of the Bulldogs’ defense on Saturday.
DUDS
1. Patrick Towles: Towles had one of the worst games of his Kentucky career in Saturday’s loss to Georgia, completing just 51.6 percent of his passes for only 139 yards with one touchdown and one pick. He averaged just 4.5 yards per attempt, and led Kentucky on just one scoring drive in the second half as Georgia continued to build on its lead. His 16 completions were tied for a season-low, and his 93.48 quarterback rating was his second-worst as a starter. Kentucky had its doors blown off by the Bulldogs, and Towles was one of many who contributed to UK’s demise on its Senior Day in Lexington.
2. Johnny McCrary: Vanderbilt has made great strides since McCrary took over as the team’s starting quarterback, but he struggled mightily in the Commodores’ 34-10 loss to Florida over the weekend. He completed just 40 percent of his passes for 160 yards with one early touchdown and two late interceptions, and he posted season-lows for yards, completions, completion percentage and quarterback rating in the loss. The freshman is learning as he goes as Vandy endures the remainder of its disappointing season, but Saturday’s showing was the worst of his budding career in Nashville.
3. Auburn’s defense: Texas A&M’s once-potent offense had been slowed to a crawl in recent weeks; that is, until the Aggies faced Auburn on Saturday. Kyle Allen and the A&M spread attack posted more than 450 yards and 41 points on the struggling Tigers’ defense, including five first half touchdowns to pull ahead early. Auburn was never able to climb out of the hole it dug itself into, costing it a chance at a second straight SEC championship and a potential playoff berth. The Aggies offense deserves plenty of credit, but the Auburn defense deserves an equal amount of the blame for Saturday’s result.
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.
