SEC studs and duds: Week 6
Our list of the SEC’s best and worst in Week 6:
STUDS
1. Joshua Dobbs: The Tennessee quarterback entered Saturday’s game embattled, faced with rumblings that maybe the Vols should replace the junior with true freshman Quentin Dormady. Dobbs did plenty to quell that angst by leading Tennessee to a 38-31 win over Georgia. He finished with 312 passing yards, 118 rushing yards and had a hand in five touchdown as the Vols overcame a 21-point deficit.
2. Calvin Ridley: The talented freshman receiver is quickly emerging as Alabama’s go-to option in the passing game. With nine catches for 140 yards against Arkansas, he has 260 receiving yards in his past two games, and it was his 81-yard reception Saturday that finally put the Tide in front late in the third quarter.
3. Fred Ross: With Dak Prescott limited by illness, Mississippi State needed playmakers to emerge, and Ross obliged. The junior receiver scored on the Bulldogs’ second play on a 59-yard touchdown reception and stretched their lead to 21-0 before the first quarter was finished with a 77-yard punt return for a score.
DUDS
1. Nick Chubb’s knee injury: It’s football and these things happen, but that doesn’t make Chubb’s gruesome knee injury any less gut-wrenching. After 13 consecutive 100-yard rushing games, the star sophomore was injured on Georgia’s first play from scrimmage Saturday. The early word from Chubb’s mother on social media is that three knee ligaments were affected and he will require surgery.
2. Georgia’s pass defense: Tennessee entered Saturday’s game ranked 11th in the conference with 192 passing yards per game surpassed 300 against the Bulldogs. Georgia mostly contained running back Jalen Hurd, but had no answer for Dobbs when the Vols cranked up the offense in comeback mode.
3. Arkansas’ fourth quarter: The collapse actually started late in the third when the Razorbacks defense that had played well most of the night got beat for an 81-yard touchdown pass that put Alabama ahead 10-7. From there, the Hogs’ slowly fell apart. An ill-fated fake punt set the Tide up less than 50 yards from paydirt, and a third-down pass interference call was too much for a gassed Arkansas defense to overcome. The Hogs played well enough for three quarters to pull off the upset but were overwhelmed late.