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You know the saying: “Respect your elders.”
It seems like every year, underclassmen are becoming more and more prominent in the college game. In recent years, we’ve seen the younger crowd take home prestigious awards that had always been held down by juniors and seniors.
Here at Saturday Down South, we don’t overlook the old men of the college game. Let’s run down five of the best seniors from this past week:
CAMERON ARTIS-PAYNE
The SEC’s leading rusher had another huge day in a losing effort, rushing for 221 yards and two touchdowns in Auburn’s defeat at the hands of Texas A&M. The Tigers’ senior tailback became the first SEC rusher to clear 1,000 yards this season, and he now sits at 1,190 yards with three games still remaining in 2014. Artis-Payne has become a mainstay among the SEC’s top “Senior Citizens,” helping lead the SEC’s best rushing attack week in and week out against some of the best defenses in the country.
CHRIS CONLEY
Conley is a “Senior Citizen” nominee for the second time this year, and for good reason. The Georgia wideout caught three passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns, and interestingly enough his longest catch of the day (29 yards) was his only reception that didn’t go for a touchdown. The Georgia offense had its way with the Wildcats, and Conley played a key role in the Bulldogs greatest offensive output in an SEC game since 1942.
MALCOME KENNEDY
Texas A&M’s offense got its swagger back in Saturday’s win over Auburn, and Kennedy was one of the greatest beneficiaries. The Aggies’ most experienced wideout only caught four passes against the Tigers, but those four catches went for 118 yards and a touchdown in a 41-38 victory. Quarterback Kyle Allen found Kennedy for a 60-yard touchdown completion to cap A&M’s first drive of the game, giving the Aggies an early lead they’d never relinquish. Kennedy still managed to add three catches for 58 yards the rest of the game, making big catches to extend A&M drives in a high-scoring affair. Saturday’s win marked just the second time all season the senior posted 100 yards receiving; he’d only achieved the feat once in his first three seasons at A&M.
HUTSON MASON
Georgia’s senior quarterback had spent most of the season as a game-manager in the Bulldogs’ run-heavy offense, but he starred in Saturday’s win over Kentucky by throwing for a career-high four touchdowns in just three quarters of play. Mason completed better than 81 percent of his passes on the day, and never turned the ball over in a dominant outing by the Georgia offense. Mason will likely revert back to being a game-manager with Todd Gurley rejoining the offense this week, but not before he posted the best game of his career in what will turn out to be his only season as a college starter.
VINCE SANDERS
Sanders had plenty to prove in his first game as Ole Miss’ No. 1 receiver Saturday against lowly Presbyterian, and he did so just two plays into the action. Sanders took a simple out-route 66 yards for a touchdown on the second play of the game, breaking a handful of tackles and showing off his impressive speed in the process. By game’s end, he’d caught four passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns, leading all Ole Miss wideouts in yards and touchdowns on the day. Sanders won’t be able to duplicate Laquon Treadwell’s presence on the field in the Rebels’ final two SEC games of 2014, but he will have the opportunity to make more game-breaking plays in those contests later this month.
PRESTON SMITH
Smith has been the SEC’s biggest surprise on the defensive side of the ball this season, and he continued his stellar senior campaign with another huge performance Saturday in Mississippi State’s win over UT Martin. Smith recorded two tackles for loss and a sack from his defensive end position, and added a forced fumble, a pass deflection at the line of scrimmage and two quarterback hurries to his already loaded stat line. UT Martin was far from Smith’s toughest test of the season, but that shouldn’t take away from yet another dominant performance by the dominant senior no one saw coming before the season.
RAMIK WILSON
Wilson is the third and final Georgia Bulldog on this week’s list, as he led the team with 12 tackles and a tackle for loss in the win over Kentucky. Wilson didn’t make any plays that changed the game, but he didn’t allow Kentucky’s offense to do so either. After allowing 24 points in the first half, Georgia’s defense held UK to just seven points in the second half of what turned out to be a 32-point game. Wilson helped keep the UK offense in check, making plays from sideline to sideline to prevent the threat of a big play that might have changed the dynamic of a one-sided game in Lexington.
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.