Derrick Henry broke the SEC single-season rushing record in 2015.
Leonard Fournette shattered LSU’s.
What records are in jeopardy in 2016? We pick one for each SEC West program, while trying to avoid pinning LSU’s hopes entirely on Fournette.
Alabama
Record: Career interception returns for touchdowns.
Record holder: Antonio Langham (1990-93), C.J. Mosley (2010-13), 3.
Who will break it? Eddie Jackson and Minkah Fitzpatrick both have two after returning two for touchdowns last season. Jackson picked off six passes last season, but he typically is deeper and therefore has longer to go. Both are exceptional in the open field. Jackson might break it this season, but eventually Fitzpatrick, just a rising sophomore, will own it.
Arkansas
Record: Consecutive bowl wins by a coach
Record holder: Bret Bielema, 2
Who will break it? Bret Bielema will go for his third consecutive bowl win, which not only would add a year to his record but also match Lou Holtz’s total and move him within one bowl win of Frank Broyles’ program record.
Auburn
Record: Most consecutive 100-yard games.
Record holder: Joe Cribbs, 7, in 1978.
Who will break it? Jovon Robinson. First, he has to win the starting job, which most expect him to do. Robinson had a four-game stretch last season in which he averaged 110 yards per on just 72 carries.
He’s already stated he wants 1,000 yards in 2016.
The ability clearly is there — and he benefits by not playing Alabama in the middle of the season, which likely would reduce any running back’s chance at a extending a consecutive game streak.
Ultimately, how the Tigers divide carries between Robinson and Roc Thomas will determine whether Robinson is able to make a legitimate run at the record.
LSU
Record: Touchdown passes in a game.
Record holder: Zach Mettenberger, 5, vs. UAB in 2013.
Who will break it? Brandon Harris … but probably not against Alabama no matter how much Cam Cameron tweaks the offense.
Harris matched his career-high with three touchdown passes against Western Kentucky last season.
Jacksonville State, Southern Miss and South Alabama offer the best opportunities, just from a sheer matchup/let Fournette get his and get out perspective.
Harris has the necessary weapons to do it. Mettenberger set the record in 2013 throwing to Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, who caught all five of the TDs against UAB and combined for 18 touchdown catches that season.
Malachi Dupre and Travin Dural should have a chance to reach that this season.
Of course, if they fall short, Fournette likely will wipe out several school records.
He needs 1,571 yards to break Kevin Faulk’s career rushing record of 4,557. LSU’s single-game record is 250 yards. Fournette had four 200-yard games last season, including a career-high 244 against Syracuse on just 26 carries.
One record LSU would love to see Fournette break is consecutive 100-yard games. The record is nine — and Fournette would have to crack 100 against Alabama to have a chance.
Mississippi State
Record: Most bowl appearances by a coach.
Record holder: Jackie Sherrill, Dan Mullen, 6.
Who will break it? Dan Mullen tied the program last year and added to his school-record bowl victory total when the Bulldogs routed N.C. State in the Belk Bowl.
Mullen will seek his fifth bowl victory and seventh bowl game this season.
Ole Miss
Record: Touchdown passes in a season.
Record holder: Chad Kelly (2015), Eli Manning (2001), 31.
Who will break it? Kelly will chase several school and SEC records in 2016. Last season he tied the touchdown mark and set the Ole Miss record for passing yards (4,042), just missing Tim Couch’s mark of 4,275.
Andre Woodson’s single-season record of 40 touchdown passes is probably safe, but expect Kelly to make a run at that, too.
Texas A&M
Record: Single-game sacks.
Record holder: Alex Morris, 5, against Houston in 1987.
Who will break it? Myles Garrett twice has had 3.5 sacks in a game. Assuming he doesn’t get the Jadeveon Clowney throw-it-quick treatment, Garrett should have several opportunities to chase this mark.
It will help that A&M’s offense should be better, therefore providing more leads, which leads to more passes, which gives Myles more opportunities.
Garrett has 24.0 career sacks, putting him on pace to break the Aaron Wallace’s career mark of 42, but Garrett isn’t expected to stick around long enough to threaten that.
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
