SEC Football: Best Performances from Week 6
Week 6 is in the books, and my, what a week it was.
Tennessee won a wild affair over Georgia at home 38-31 after falling behind by three touchdowns. Leonard Fournette did "Leonard Fournette things" in LSU's 45-24 win over South Carolina, and Alabama survived some early struggles to top Arkansas.
Who had the best performances in the SEC in Week 6?
Our picks based on output and meaning to the outcome are in this slideshow.
LSU RB Leonard Fournette
1 of 9
Congratulations, you've reached the point of the "performances of the week" where LSU running back Leonard Fournette makes his weekly appearance.
While the super sophomore didn't top the 200-yard mark this week (he managed a "measly" 158 yards and one score), he did top the 1,000-yard mark in just his fifth game of the season and provided the best off-the-field story of the weekend.
The New Orleans native, who lived through Hurricane Katrina, announced a special auction to benefit the victims of the South Carolina floods after beating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the game relocated from Columbia to Baton Rouge.
"The NCAA will allow Leonard Fournette to auction his game jersey. All proceeds will be donated to #SCFlood relief. pic.twitter.com/wnAHqbqaTd
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 11, 2015"
Fournette is a monster running back, consistent star and all-around good guy.
He's also the best player in the game.
Tennessee QB Joshua Dobbs
2 of 9
Remember when Tennessee only had a running game and the downfield passing attack was more myth than reality?
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs is here to change the perception.
The junior dual-threat signal-caller of the Volunteers went off on Saturday in the 38-31 comeback win over Georgia, tossing for 312 yards and three touchdowns, rushing for 118 and two more scores and handing his home-state Bulldogs a devastating loss.
"DOBBS: I just went out and did my job. My job is to score touchdowns.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 11, 2015"
It was the first time all year that Tennessee's offense looked balanced, and Dobbs provided that balance despite the fact that he was digging out of the hole from about the midway point of the second quarter.
Mississippi State DL Ryan Brown
3 of 9
Ryan Brown is one of the veteran key pieces of the Mississippi State defensive line, and he came to play Saturday afternoon in the 45-17 win over Troy in Starkville, Mississippi.
Brown had seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack and broke up a pass for the Bulldogs. He helped get some momentum back in Mississippi State's corner after last week's loss at Texas A&M.
"Another sack by Ryan Brown. Defensive line continues to play well.
— Bulldog Sports Radio (@BulldogsRadio) October 10, 2015"
Mississippi State's front four is fast, physical and aggressive, and Brown was the star of the show Saturday in Starkville. That momentum needs to keep up during an October that isn't exactly daunting, so Mississippi State can click on all cylinders when November hits.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell
4 of 9
While quarterback Chad Kelly will likely dominate the headlines for his 384-yard, four-touchdown (three passing, one rushing) performance in the 52-3 win over New Mexico State, it was wide receiver Laquon Treadwell who will land on ESPN's SportsCenter.
The junior star hauled in eight passes for 136 yards and this ridiculous one-handed touchdown:
"Welcome to the #SCtop10, Laquon Treadwell. http://t.co/N41Ll3ZmtE
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 10, 2015"
It's great to see Treadwell back and at 100 percent after last year's gruesome broken leg that kept him out during the final month of the season.
The Rebels will need him clicking on all cylinders down the stretch if they want to get back in the mix for the SEC West title.
Florida RB Kelvin Taylor
5 of 9
For the first time in his career, Florida running back Kelvin Taylor looks like a playmaker and a difference-maker for the Gators.
The 5'10", 205-pound junior from Belle Glade, Florida, rushed 28 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns against a stout Missouri front seven and paced the Gators to a 21-3 win in Columbia, Missouri.
As Landon Watnick of InsideTheGators.com noted on Twitter, his ability to play to the whistle is a lesson he learned from his father and Gator legend, Fred Taylor:
"#Gators RB Kelvin Taylor on his 2nd TD run: "My dad is always preaching about ‘finish, finish, finish.'"
— Landon Watnick (@LandonWatnick) October 11, 2015"
Taylor is the key that makes first-year head coach Jim McElwain's offense go. His ability to establish the run allows quarterback Will Grier to work off play action and opens up passing lanes downfield. If he keeps this up, the Gators are going to be tough to beat.
Georgia RB Sony Michel
6 of 9
Sony Michel always has had the talent to be the star, and on Saturday in the 38-31 loss to Tennessee, he became one.
When stud running back Nick Chubb was lost for the game on the first offensive play, it was up to Michel to shoulder the load. He handled the responsibility quite well.
Michel toted the rock a career-high 22 times, gained 145 yards and kept the ever-so important run threat as the focal point of the Georgia offense despite the absence of its star running back. Despite that, it wasn't enough for Michel—who fumbled on a kickoff return late in the first half.
"I know my team fought hard," he said, according to Georgia's official site. "We made a lot of mistakes and I feel like I made the biggest mistake to turn this game around. I kind of want to take this game upon myself—I feel like we lost this game because of me."
He's wrong.
He was the reason Georgia was in the game in the first place. The running game at Georgia is in good hands if Chubb is out for a prolonged period of time.
Alabama LB Reggie Ragland
7 of 9
Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland is known as one of the biggest hitters in the SEC, and he showed why early and often in Alabama's 27-14 win over Arkansas in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night.
The senior finished the night with eight tackles, one for loss, one sack, two quarterback hurries, one pass breakup and one forced fumble.
As Aaron Suttles of the Tuscaloosa News noted on Twitter, it was one of his best days as a member of the Crimson Tide:
"What @reggieragland did tonight was one of the better games I've seen a linebacker play. The d-line kept him clean, but RR was everywhere.
— Aaron Suttles (@AaronSuttles) October 11, 2015"
The defense in Tuscaloosa is fierce, and Arkansas had no room to make anything happen in the second half thanks to Ragland's strong performance.
Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly
8 of 9
After a sluggish game last week in the loss at Florida, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly rebounded with authority on Saturday by lighting up New Mexico State in a 52-3 win in Oxford.
The junior college transfer completed 24 of his 33 passes for 384 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also ran three times for 32 yards and a score.
"There’s a lot of smiling going on around here," Kelly said, according to the Ole Miss official site. "We just have to get better, and we did that today. The offensive line did great, receivers ran great routes, and running backs ran hard. It was a good day."
It was needed, too.
Ole Miss has a tricky road game next week against unbeaten Memphis, which can push the football up and down the field on any team in America. Kelly needs to be on point, and he looked ready on Saturday.
Tennessee P Trevor Daniel
9 of 9
It takes a lot for a punter to get a mention in "performances of the week," so you know when you see Tennessee punter Trevor Daniel in this slideshow, he did something right.
His stats were solid. He punted seven times for a 45-yard average, had a long of 56 yards and placed three punts inside the 20-yard line in the 38-31 win over Georgia.
He saved his best for last.
With 1:48 to play and the Vols up a score, Daniel hit that 56-yarder, which made a hard left and bounced out of bounds just in front of the pylon to force Georgia to try to go 99.5 yards on its final drive of the game.
"This punt is the greatest male Tennessee athletic achievement of my lifetime pic.twitter.com/1DZMwEtKkx
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 10, 2015"
It couldn't; quarterback Greyson Lambert's final pass was knocked out of bounds, and Tennessee pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in program history.
Had it not been for Daniel, it might not have happened.
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")
