Top 10 individual SEC performances through Week 13
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 13’s notable performances:
- Alabama RB Derrick Henry put on a show in the Iron Bowl, carrying the ball 46 times for 271 yards and a touchdown in a win on The Plains.
- Georgia RB Sony Michel continued to thrive in a mostly every-down role without Nick Chubb in the second half of the season, finishing things off with 149 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 13-7 win against Georgia Tech.
- South Carolina WR Pharoh Cooper played his final college game against Clemson on Saturday, and though he did not win, he did haul in a 57-yard touchdown as a parting gift to Gamecocks fans. However, it was WR Deebo Samuel that led the Gamecocks with 104 yards receiving and a touchdown.
- LSU RB Leonard Fournette set a school record for single-season performance during the Tigers’ 19-7 win against Texas A&M, and did so thanks in part to his 159 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries.
- Mississippi State WR Fred Ross continued to be a target machine for Dak Prescott during a 38-27 loss in the Egg Bowl, making 12 receptions for 117 yards, which was the high-mark for SEC receivers in Week 13.
- Arkansas won a sloppy game in the rain on Friday, and RB Alex Collins was a big reason why. The junior carried the ball 30 times for 130 yards and three scores during a 28-3 win.
- Tennessee DE Derek Barnett had a pair of sacks and five tackles in a blowout win against Vanderbilt.
- Vanderbilt LB Zach Cunningham made 10 tackles, all of which were of the solo variety, in a loss to Tennessee. RB Ralph Webb also ran for 149 yards in the loss for the Commodores.
- Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly did nice work in his first Egg Bowl experience, throwing for 236 yards and two scores, while also rushing for 74 yards and a third touchdown in a 37-28 win against Mississippi State.
But were any of those performances good enough to make the big board?
After adjusting to include Week 13’s top performers, here is a look at the top 10 individual performances of the 2015 season:
1. RB Derrick Henry, Alabama at Auburn (Week 13)
The stat line: With a trip to the SEC Championship Game on the line, Henry put the Crimson Tide offense on his back in the Iron Bowl. Henry carried the ball an eye-popping 46 times for 271 yards and a touchdown, salting away a 29-13 win on The Plains.
2. QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State at Arkansas (Week 12)
The stat line: Prescott turned in the QB performance of the season in Fayetteville, throwing for 508 yards and five touchdowns on 38 of 50 passing and rushing for 46 yards and two more touchdowns in a 51-50 win against the Razorbacks.
3. 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.
4. QB Brandon Allen, Arkansas at 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.
5. QB Brandon Allen, Arkansas vs. Mississippi State (Week 12)
The stat line: 30 of 43 passing for 406 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. Allen became just the second SEC quarterback to throw for seven touchdowns in a league game.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
Falling out of the rankings this week:
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.