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Who will have the best individual performances of the 2015 season? That’s exactly what we’re going to try to measure with this weekly installment of the season’s top 10 individual performances.
Each week, we will move new standout games onto the list, making it progressively tougher to receive a mention.
Bonus points will be given to standout performances against tough opponents and outcome-altering plays, though huge individual performances of any kind will not be dismissed given the title of this list.
There may be alterations to the ranking of previous performances from week to week, based on the perspective gained from the progression of the season.
By the end of the season, we should have compiled the season’s very best performances.
We’re sure to have disagreements along the way, so feel free to add your Top 10 list in the comments section each week for comparison.
Some of Week 11’s notable performances:
- Alabama RB Derrick Henry turned in another highlight game, rushing for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries during a 31-6 win against Mississippi State.
- Vanderbilt S Oren Burks had himself a career day during Saturday’s 21-17 win against Kentucky, intercepting one pass in his own end zone to prevent a Kentucky score, then intercepting a second pass and returning it for a score of his own.
- Alabama DL Jonathan Allen was a key part of the constant pressure on Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, recording three sacks, seven tackles and a fumble recovery.
- Alabama DL A’Shawn Robinson joined Allen at the sack party in Starkville, recording 2.5 sacks of his own to go along with five tackles during the blowout win.
- Arkansas RB Alex Collins fueled the Razorbacks to a 31-14 win at LSU on Saturday, rushing for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
- Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk had nine receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns and was a special teams threat as well during a blowout win against Western Carolina.
- Tennessee RB Alvin Kamara was the Vols’ running back of choice on Saturday, rushing for 127 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
- Missouri’s Russell Hansbrough, Florida’s Kelvin Taylor and Kentucky’s Boom Williams were also running backs who topped the 100-yard mark on Saturday.
But were any of those performances good enough to make the big board?
After adjusting to include Week 11’s top performers, here is a look at the top 10 individual performances of the 2015 season:
1. RB Derrick Henry, Alabama vs. LSU (Week 10)
The stat line: Henry turned in a memorable performance on the league’s biggest stage of the season, rushing the ball 38 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns against No. 2 LSU in a 30-16 win.
2. QB Brandon Allen, Arkansas vs. Ole Miss (Week 10)
The stat line: 33 of 45 passing for 442 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. Allen also ran in the game-winning 2-point conversion in a 53-52 overtime win against the Rebels.
3. RB Leonard Fournette, LSU vs. Auburn (Week 3)
The stat line: 19 carries for 228 yards and three rushing touchdowns, plus one catch for 9 yards in 45-21 win against No. 18 Auburn. Highlight-reel touchdown runs of 40 and 29 yards.
4. QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State vs. Kentucky (Week 8)
The stat line: 25 of 35 passing for 348 yards and three passing touchdowns. 13 rushes for 117 yards and three rushing touchdowns in 42-16 win against the Wildcats.
5. QB Greyson Lambert, Georgia vs. South Carolina (Week 3)
The stat line: 24 of 25 passing for 330 yards and three passing touchdowns, no interceptions. Also had two rushes for 10 yards in a 52-20 win against the Gamecocks.
6. QB Chad Kelly, Ole Miss vs. Arkansas (Week 10)
The stat line: Though his team lost 53-52 in overtime, Kelly had a monster performance, completing 24 of 34 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns and rushing 11 times for 110 yards and three touchdowns.
7. QB Joshua Dobbs, Tennessee vs. Georgia (Week 6)
The stat line: 25 of 42 passing for 312 yards and three touchdowns. 18 rushes for 118 yards and two rushing touchdowns in 38-31 win against the Bulldogs.
8. RB Derrick Henry, Alabama at Texas A&M (Week 7)
The stat line: 32 carries for 236 yards and two rushing touchdowns in a 41-23 win against the Aggies at Kyle Field.
9. RB Leonard Fournette, LSU at Syracuse (Week 4)
The stat line: 26 carries for 244 yards and two rushing touchdowns, and one catch for seven yards in a win at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.
10. LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Tennessee vs. Oklahoma (Week 2)
The stat line: 13 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble in 31-24 double-overtime loss to Oklahoma.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
