SEC Football: Best Performances from Week 7
Week 7 was billed as "Separation Saturday" thanks to a loaded slate of games.
It didn't disappoint.
Alabama topped Texas A&M 41-23 in College Station, Memphis stunned 13th-ranked Ole Miss 37-24 at the Liberty Bowl, and LSU ended Florida's hopes of a perfect season in Death Valley.
Who were the key players this week?
The best individual performances in the SEC based on production and importance to the team are in this slideshow.
Auburn WR Ricardo Louis
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No "Duke" Williams, no problem for Auburn.
Senior wide receiver Ricardo Louis was there to save the day.
The 6'2", 215-pounder who's best known for hauling in the "Prayer at Jordan-Hare" in 2013 versus Georgia came up big in Auburn's first game since Williams' dismissal with seven catches for a career-high 154 yards in the 30-27 win over Kentucky on Thursday night.
"That’s our offense right there, big plays and being able to run the ball," he said after the game in quotes emailed by Kentucky. "When we do that we have great success."
Louis was the biggest reason for that success. He had six catches of 20 or more yards on the first two drives from quarterback Sean White, which helped the Tigers cash in touchdowns instead of field goals and get off to a hot start in a hostile environment in Lexington.
Alabama RB Derrick Henry
2 of 10
Texas A&M just finished a $480 million renovation to Kyle Field.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, Alabama running back Derrick Henry acted like a wrecking ball.
The 6'3", 242-pound junior from Yulee, Florida, rushed for a career-high 236 rushing yards, scored twice and played a big part in the Crimson Tide building an early 28-6 lead that led to the 41-23 victory.
"Derrick Henry had career-highs in carries (32) and yards (236). First time in his career he's carried the ball 30-plus times.
— Marq Burnett (@Marq_Burnett) October 17, 2015"
Henry is clearly a load with that monster frame, but he showed Saturday afternoon against the Aggies that he's lighter on his feet than he gets credit for, is fully capable of being the workhorse and is a big reason why this Crimson Tide team is in the mix for the SEC West title.
Texas A&M DL Myles Garrett
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In a loss, Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett still proved that he's one of the most feared defensive ends in college football.
The 6'5", 262-pound sophomore from Arlington, Texas, had five tackles, two for loss, one pass breakup, one blocked punt, one hurry and one sack in the 41-23 loss to Alabama in College Station. To make that stat line even more impressive, Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson got called for a hold on Garrett's sack, and it didn't matter.
Bleacher Report National NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller has high praise for Garrett:
"Myles Garrett reminds me a lot of Randy Gregory.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) October 18, 2015"
He's a tremendous pass-rusher off the edge, has become a force against the run and is one of those ends who are getting the "Jadeveon Clowney treatment" more and more as his career progresses. Opposing offensive coordinators have no choice but to change their plans based on where he lines up.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
South Carolina WR Pharoh Cooper
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In Shawn Elliott's first game as South Carolina's interim head coach, he relied on his star to get him his first win.
Junior wide receiver Pharoh Cooper was up to his usual tricks in Saturday's 19-10 win over Vanderbilt, catching seven passes for 160 yards and a touchdown.
"We had to come into this game with a new head coach, pretty much looking at it like we were 0-0," Cooper said, according to South Carolina's official site. "It was a fresh start to the season. [After today’s win] We were looking at it like we were 1-0. It’s a new era so we are trying to keep winning games from here on out."
Quarterback issues have plagued the Gamecocks this year. Perry Orth got the start against the Commodores, but Connor Mitch—who won the job out of fall camp—was available after recovering from hip and shoulder injuries.
Whoever takes the snaps from here on out, though, knows that the offense will be all right so long as Cooper is out there playing up to his potential during some hectic times in Columbia.
LSU QB Brandon Harris
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Yeah, so LSU running back Leonard Fournette notched 31 more carries for 180 more yards and two more touchdowns in the 35-28 win over Florida.
But in the spirit of generosity, let's spread some love around to his teammates rather than etch his name in stone in this slideshow every week.
Particularly, let's applaud quarterback Brandon Harris.
The true sophomore completed 13 of his 19 passes for 202 yards, two touchdowns and no picks in the win, establishing himself as a downfield threat in this LSU offense.
“It’s nothing but motivation to me, and I can’t stand it," Harris said about his critics, according to LSU's official site. "I play with a chip on my shoulder every single week. I say this real humbly. This team knows how talented we are passing the ball. Everybody knows what I can do throwing the football."
Well, now they do, because Harris just did it well against a really good Florida secondary.
Ole Miss DT Breeland Speaks
6 of 10
Ole Miss didn't get the win at Memphis, but don't blame defensive lineman Breeland Speaks.
The 6'3", 313-pounder notched six tackles with two for loss and generally made a living in the Memphis backfield. The redshirt freshman from Jackson, Mississippi, showed that he's much more than a big body, and even on plays in which he didn't impact the stat sheet, he routinely got quarterback Paxton Lynch off his point and on the move.
"Breeland Speaks is playing his tail off.
— Ben Garrett (@SpiritBen) October 17, 2015"
It was needed, too.
Star defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche was lost for the game after suffering a head injury while playing running back in the first half, which meant somebody had to step up.
Speaks did, and now head coach Hugh Freeze knows he has a little more depth up front if needed for the stretch run.
Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
7 of 10
For a while, it looked like former Florida and current Louisiana Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel would be the star of the early afternoon in Starkville, Mississippi. After all, he led his Bulldogs on two straight touchdown drives to open the game and silenced the rowdy Davis Wade Stadium crowd.
Then the best dual-threat quarterback in the SEC took over, guiding his Mississippi State Bulldogs to a big win in front of the home crowd.
Dak Prescott finished the afternoon 30-of-43 for 347 yards and three passing touchdowns and added 34 more rushing yards and a score en route to the 45-20 victory.
"We didn’t want to let them hang around and think they had a shot against us," he said, according to Mississippi State's official site. "We had to take over immediately or the game was going to drag out. It was going to go all the way to the fourth quarter and I mean, who knows in the close game where they think they have a chance. We’ve got to flip the momentum and get things going in our favor."
As Prescott goes, so goes Mississippi State. As Mississippi State's official Twitter account noted, he joined some prestigious company on Saturday:
"Prescott Tebow Manziel #HISTORY #HailState pic.twitter.com/QlJZDtPPvN
— MSU Football (@HailStateFB) October 17, 2015"
Alabama S Eddie Jackson
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Alabama safety Eddie Jackson had a pick-six in Week 5 against Georgia that essentially iced the game early in the third quarter.
He got started a bit earlier against Texas A&M.
The 6'0", 194-pound junior—who moved from cornerback to safety this spring—picked off a Kyle Allen pass and returned it 93 yards to the house midway through the second quarter to give Alabama what appeared to be an insurmountable 28-6 lead at Kyle Field.
It wasn't insurmountable, though.
The Aggies battled back and got within 11 late in the third quarter, before Jackson picked off Kyler Murray to set up a Crimson Tide field goal. He has turned into quite a safety after having an up-and-down career at corner through the first two seasons of his career, and he has helped stabilize the Tide secondary.
Alabama CB Minkah Fitzpatrick
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Eddie Jackson was solid for the Alabama secondary in the 41-23 win, but freshman cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick one-upped him.
Fitzpatrick got the scoring started early with a 33-yard pick-six of Texas A&M Kyle Allen midway through the first quarter and then served as the game's closer with a 55-yard pick-six late in the fourth to ice the game away and help Alabama polish off the 41-23 win.
In the process, he ran into the history books. According to the notes emailed by Alabama after the game, Fitzpatrick is the only player in Alabama history since records started being kept in 1948 to return two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game.
"The four interceptions were huge in the game," head coach Nick Saban said, according to Alabama's official site. "Three scores on defense is unprecedented and probably some kind of record. Minkah [Fitzpatrick] having two is fantastic for a freshman."
Don't sell him short, Coach Saban. It's fantastic for anybody.
LSU PK Trent Domingue
10 of 10It's rare that kickers get into this slideshow that honors the best performances of the week.
When they score the game-winning touchdowns, though, it's deserved.
LSU's Trent Domingue scored the deciding touchdown in the 35-28 win over Florida in a battle of Top 10 teams on Saturday night in Death Valley.
The 6'2", 170-pound junior took the swing pass from the holder, bobbled it and then outran Vernon Hargreaves for the 16-yard score.
"I didn’t even know they were running it," linebacker Deion Jones said, according to LSU's official site. "Then, when he was bobbling it, I was like ‘Trent (Domingue) get it!’ I was off the sideline. It was amazing."
Indeed it was. It was vintage Les Miles, and Domingue came up big when it mattered most.
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")
