SEC Football: Best Performances from Week 4
Week 4 in the SEC is in the books, and the big news of the day was Florida's miraculous comeback from down 13 late in the fourth quarter to stun Tennessee 28-27 and extend its winning streak to 11 straight over the Volunteers.
But it wasn't the only story of the night.
LSU survived a scare from Syracuse, Mississippi State dominated Auburn on the Plains and Texas A&M outlasted Arkansas in overtime.
Who had the best performances of the week in the SEC? Our picks based on production and importance to their teams are in this slideshow.
LSU RB Leonard Fournette
1 of 10
Ho hum, another week, another Leonard Fournette 200-yard rushing performance.
The super sophomore rushed 26 times for 244 yards and two touchdowns in LSU's 34-24 win over Syracuse on Saturday afternoon and became the first LSU running back to top the 200-yard mark in consecutive games in program history.
The performance was so impressive that it got former NBA and LSU basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal's attention.
"I'm a say it again @SHAQ: Lsu #7 MR FOURNETTE 2015 HEISMANN WINNER you heard it here first #GeauxTigers
— SHAQ (@SHAQ) September 26, 2015"
While Shaq isn't exactly the first person on the planet to suggest that Fournette will take home college football's most prestigious honor in 2015, it is an indication on how wide Fournette's reach is after his sizzling start to the season.
Georgia QB Greyson Lambert
2 of 10
In what is rapidly becoming a trend, not many Greyson Lambert passes found the turf at Sanford Stadium during Saturday's 48-6 win over Southern.
In fact, only one did.
Lambert completed nine of his 10 passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns on the night and has only tossed two incomplete passes in as many weeks.
"I haven't really done anything differently," Lambert said in quotes released by Georgia. "I have just kept playing. Bad things are going to happen and good things are going to happen. You have to keep playing and put those things behind you."
Yes, Nick Chubb was impressive, rushing for 131 yards and two touchdowns—his 12th straight game over the century mark. That's all well and good. But Lambert's performance over the last two weekends has Georgia entrenched as the favorite in the SEC East—because now there's a passing threat in Athens.
South Carolina DE Boosie Whitlow
3 of 10
Sure, quarterback Lorenzo Nunez could get some love in this slideshow for his 307-total-yards performance in his first start for the Gamecocks.
But another freshman in Columbia deserves some love: freshman defensive end Boosie Whitlow.
The Opelika, Alabama, native had four tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss—one of which went for a safety.
"Lorenzo Ward on @BoosieWhitlow 'He's a natural pass-rusher. He has a great first step.'
— GoGamecocks.com (@gogamecocks) September 26, 2015"
Wait, what?
South Carolina with a pass rush?
Sure, it was in a 31-14 win over UCF, which isn't exactly the tough opponent it once appeared to be. But South Carolina getting pressure with anybody against anybody is huge news in Columbia and could be an indication that all is not lost for head coach Steve Spurrier.
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Florida WR Antonio Callaway
4 of 10
When Florida was down and out, it was freshman wide receiver Antonio Callaway who made the play.
Perhaps even the play of the year in the SEC.
Florida looked down and out late in the fourth quarter, but after a Brandon Powell touchdown catch cut Tennessee's lead to one score late, Callaway capped off the comeback.
The freshman caught a pass from Will Grier on 4th-and-14, turned it outside and scampered 63 yards for the game-winning touchdown in Florida's 28-27 comeback win over the Vols.
"I like him a whole bunch, and I’m so glad that he’s a Gator," head coach Jim McElwain said after the game. "We knew there was something special in this kid when we were recruiting him, and I think he has proven that. I don’t think he’s even scratched the surface, and he is still learning how to play."
He finished the day with five catches for 112 yards and a touchdown and returned five punts for 30 yards. That chemistry he displayed with Grier will be huge for the Gators offense moving forward and will keep the Gators in the SEC East title hunt.
Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk
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Is there any doubt who has the inside track for SEC freshman of the year?
It should be Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk.
The 5'11", 200-pounder caught eight passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner from Kyle Allen in overtime in the Aggies' 28-21 win over Arkansas at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday night.
As Gabe Bock of TexAgs Radio noted on Twitter, he's the biggest play option in a big-play offense.
"Note: Christian Kirk leads the nation with 7 plays of 40+ yards. Updated stats...24 catches, 442 yards, 4 TDs.
— Gabe Bock (@GabeBock) September 27, 2015"
There's no shortage of wide receivers in College Station, and Kirk has emerged as the best of the bunch through four games.
Mississippi State LB Richie Brown
6 of 10
If you were looking for Mississippi State linebacker Richie Brown on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday night, you saw him.
Everywhere.
Brown notched 13 tackles, three for loss, and sacked new Auburn starting quarterback Sean White twice in Mississippi State's 17-9 win over the Tigers.
"Going to be tough finding a better defensive performance than Richie Brown's today. 13 tackles (12 solo) 3.0 TFLs, 2 sacks.
— Robbie Faulk (@robbiefaulk247) September 27, 2015"
Not a bad performance at all from Brown, who routinely found himself in the backfield and kept the Tigers in check.
Kentucky QB Patrick Towles
7 of 10
Is Kentucky going to take a small step forward and make a bowl game in head coach Mark Stoops' third year in Lexington? Beating the defending SEC East champs is certainly a good start.
The Wildcats topped Missouri 21-13 on Saturday night on the heels of a big performance from quarterback Patrick Towles.
The 6'5", 240-pound junior completed 22 of his 27 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns and added 21 rushing yards and a score to account for all three Wildcat scores and announce Kentucky as a dark horse in the SEC East.
"I was telling the team in there that I'm pretty stingy with gameballs, but I think he deserved one tonight," Stoops said in quotes emailed by Kentucky. "[He was] 22-for-27, two 2 TD's, so I gave him a gameball. I thought he played a really good game and made some really good plays with his feet and was aggressive down the stretch."
The loss to Florida hurts their chances, but the Wildcats are now 2-1 in conference and, if nothing else, are definitely a tough out thanks to "Patty Ice."
Ole Miss RB Jaylen Walton
8 of 10
Yes, Ole Miss struggled against Vanderbilt in a 27-16 win.
Yes, it should be concerning.
What shouldn't be concerning, though, is the Ole Miss running game—which was in the capable hands of speedster Jaylen Walton.
Walton rushed 21 times for 133 yards and a score in the win and paced the Rebels to a win over a Vandy defense that isn't half bad.
"TOUCHDOWN #OleMiss! Rebels use the ground game, and Jaylen Walton gets in to give OM a 27-16 lead with 6:47 to go.
— Rebel Sports Radio (@RebelSportRadio) September 27, 2015"
Quarterback Chad Kelly wasn't sharp, but Walton picked up the slack nicely. If Ole Miss can keep that balance going, it's going to be tough to beat in the SEC West.
Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs
9 of 10
No, Tennessee didn't beat Florida.
In fact, it was clear that the coaching staff had very little faith in quarterback Joshua Dobbs' arm in the 28-27 loss to Florida and that Dobbs was rattled by the Gators front seven.
Despite that, though, Dobbs put up one of the most impressive stat lines in college football this year. He finished the afternoon as his team's leading passer (83 yards), rusher (136 yards) and receiver (58 yards and a touchdown).
"Their quarterback is a warrior, and he was fun to watch," Florida head coach Jim McElwain said after the game. "[Dobbs] made a ton of plays for them, and we need to learn to wrap up and tackle."
He's not a complete quarterback yet. The staff doesn't trust him through the air for a reason. But his athletic ability can't be denied. He's an absolute stud and showed the ability to carry the team, even if it's not through the air.
Georgia RB Nick Chubb
10 of 10I'll be honest: I'm completely surprised that Georgia running back Nick Chubb extended his streak and topped the 100-yard mark for the 12th straight game and tied legendary Georgia running back Herschel Walker for the program record.
Not because Chubb isn't worthy of that company, but because I didn't expect him to get enough touches to do it against Southern.
The sophomore rushed 15 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the 48-6 win and added a 24-yard touchdown catch as well.
"It is truly an honor to be mentioned with him," Chubb said in quotes released by Georgia. "Herschel Walker—that's what you hear about when you think Georgia football."
If he's going to own the record all by himself, he's going to have to do it against the Alabama front seven.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Statistics are courtesy of CFBStats.com. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
