Editor’s note: Tennessee plays tonight, so the Vols could have a player or two on this list by Monday morning.

SEC WEEK 1 NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

QUARTERBACKS

  • Kenny Hill, Texas A&M (44-60, 511 yards passing, 3 TD vs. South Carolina) — A first-start masterpiece at South Carolina, Hill’s stellar outing made us quickly forget about the Aggies as an offensive juggernaut under Johnny Manziel.
  • Jeremy Johnson, Auburn (12-16, 243 yards passing, 2 TD in first half vs. Arkansas) — The Tigers have several worthy mentions including Duke Williams and Cameron Artis-Payne, but Johnson’s outing as the starter was commendable. The sophomore was flawless on the play-fake and made several big plays down the field.
  • Bo Wallace, Ole Miss (25-36, 387 yards passing, 4 TD vs. Boise State) — Much of the post-game talk was about Wallace’s three interceptions, but the Rebels’ senior quarterback passed for the second-most yards in Week 1 and tied for the lead in touchdown passes with four.
  • Patrick Towles, Kentucky (20-29, 377 yards passing, TD vs. UT Martin) — Towles’ intense preparation throughout fall practice paid off in a big way for the Wildcats who rolled off nearly 700 yards of total offense during a blowout win.
  • Dylan Thompson, South Carolina (20-40, 366 yards passing, 4 TD vs. Texas A&M) — This senior’s career-high totals were buried in a 52-28 defeat, but Thompson put the ball on the money a handful of times in tight windows and made the most of his time under center. He had a fifth would-be touchdown pass dropped in the second quarter.

RUNNING BACKS

  • Todd Gurley, Georgia (293 all-purpose yards on limited touches, 4 TD vs. Clemson) — The SEC’s best offensive player didn’t disappoint in his junior season debut, registering a career-high 198 yards rushing on just 15 attempts. Gurley added to his magical evening with a 100-yard kickoff return for a score and set a new Georgia record with 293 all-purpose yards.
  • Cameron Artis-Payne, Auburn (26 carries, 177 yards, TD vs. Arkansas) — Auburn’s senior tailback gutted the Razorback defense with 6.8 yards per carry, driving his way into the second level on nearly half of his attempts.
  • Braylon Heard, Kentucky (2 carries, 116 yards, 2 TD vs. UT Martin) — The Nebraska transfer made the most of his two totes against the Skyhawks with a pair of electrifying touchdowns runs.  In the first quarter, he took a dive 73 yards to paydirt and added to it with a 43-yard burst early in the second.
  • T.J. Yeldon, Alabama (23 carries, 126 yards, 2 TD vs. West Virginia) — One of two Crimson Tide backs to surpass the 100-yard barrier, Yeldon scored twice on the ground and recorded his 11th career game of at least 125 yards as Alabama accumulated 294 yards rushing.
  • Russell Hansbrough, Mizzou (20 carries, 126 yards, TD vs. South Dakota State) — Henry Josey’s replacement as the Tigers’ every-down ballcarrier made the most of workload against the Jackrabbits with a team-best 126 yards.

WIDE RECEIVERS

  • Duke Williams, Auburn (9 catches, 154 yards, TD vs. Arkansas) — This star JUCO transfer made an instant splash with his new team, tallying a league-high 154 yards receiving in his first start.
  • Malcome Kennedy, Texas A&M (14 catches, 137 yards vs. South Carolina) — No player in the FBS ranks caught more passes than Kennedy this weekend after the Aggies’ veteran wideout hauled in 14 receptions Thursday night.
  • Amari Cooper, Alabama (12 catches, 130 yards vs. West Virginia) — Noticeably deliberate in his offensive game plan, first-year Alabama play-caller Lane Kiffin made sure his top receiver was a major factor in the Crimson Tide’s 33-23 victory.
  • Travin Dural, LSU (3 catches, 151 yards, TD vs. Wisconsin) — Dural got the scoring started for the Tigers with an 80-yard touchdown reception in the first half.
  • Nick Jones, South Carolina (5 catches, 113 yards, 2 TD vs. Texas A&M) — One of five SEC players with two touchdown catches in Week 1, Jones nearly had a third but had the football knocked out of his hands at the goal line by Texas A&M safety Armani Watts.