SEC Football: Best Performances from Week 10
Week 10 was billed as Separation Saturday, and in the SEC, that meant No. 2 LSU and No. 4 Alabama throwing haymakers in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Unfortunately for Tiger fans, Alabama running back Derrick Henry did most of the damage.
Led by Henry's three touchdowns and 210 rushing yards, the Crimson Tide throttled LSU 30-16 in a game between two potential playoff teams.
Did Henry's heroics land him in our weekly slideshow featuring the best performances in the SEC based on output and importance to the team?
Arkansas QB Brandon Allen
1 of 10
Arkansas has been solid all year at playing its brand of old-school, smashmouth, ball-control offense.
When it gets out of its comfort zone, though, that's when things typically get sketchy.
Until Saturday, of course.
The Razorbacks topped Ole Miss 53-52 in overtime in Oxford, and quarterback Brandon Allen acted as the star of the shootout. The senior completed 33 of his 45 passes for 442 yards, six touchdowns, zero interceptions and the game-winning run on a two-point conversion in the win. Not bad for a guy who has gone through ups and downs throughout his career.
"Nobody deserved a game like that more than Brandon Allen. 33-45, 442 yds, 6 TD.
— Bo Mattingly (@SportsTalkwBo) November 8, 2015"
It was such an impressive performance that the local authorities had to issue a memo to Rebels fans who grew tired of Allen:
"Asking us to kick the Arkansas QB out of the stadium is not a legit reason to dial 911. #ARKvsMISS
— Oxford Police Dept (@OxfordPolice) November 7, 2015"
It's unlikely that any SEC quarterback will unseat Mississippi State's Dak Prescott for first-team All-SEC honors at the quarterback position, but Allen has cemented himself as a lock for the second team.
Georgia RB Sony Michel
2 of 10
It was a tumultuous week in Athens following the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, as head coach Mark Richt has fought against calls for his job and USA Today reported that discontent runs deep within the coaching staff.
On Saturday against Kentucky, running back Sony Michel brought much-needed good news to the Classic City with a sizzling performance in a 27-3 win over the Wildcats. The sophomore rushed for 165 yards and one touchdown and took pressure off quarterbacks Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey, both of whom shared snaps after Faton Bauta started last weekend.
"Great day for #UGA RB Sony Michel, who played with a cast on his right hand. 24 carries for 165 yards & a TD! pic.twitter.com/DsClU2KK4e
— UGA Football Live (@UGAfootballLive) November 7, 2015"
Michel was thrust into the spotlight with the injury to star running back Nick Chubb in the Tennessee game early last month. If he can replicate this kind of performance down the stretch, it will cool off what has become a rapidly warming seat for Richt in Athens.
Missouri LB Kentrell Brothers
3 of 10
Remarkably, Missouri linebacker Kentrell Brothers was not named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top linebacker.
All he did Thursday night was take out his frustration on Mississippi State, notching 14 tackles (0.5 for loss), forcing one fumble and blocking a kick in the 31-13 loss to the Bulldogs.
"Kentrell Brothers had 14 tackles on the night, up to 117 on the year. He's not a Butkus Award semifinalist.
— David Morrison (@DavidCMorrison) November 6, 2015"
Brothers has proved himself time and time again to not only be one of the 10 best linebackers in the country but perhaps the best. It's a shame that he's not up for the top award at his position.
I guess college football fans will have to settle for him tearing up opposing offenses on a weekly basis instead.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Alabama RB Derrick Henry
4 of 10
In the battle of running backs between Alabama's Derrick Henry and LSU's Leonard Fournette in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night, it was Henry who stole the show.
The 6'3", 242-pound monster took the rock 38 times, gained 210 yards, scored three times and catapulted up the Heisman Trophy rankings following Week 10.
Head coach Nick Saban said in quotes emailed by Alabama:
"The guy’s having a great year. He had a great game today. It couldn’t have happened at a better time against a very good defensive team. But I think he’d be the first one to tell you that the offensive line did a really good job today, and I think it was the whole offensive team being well prepared for what they did and going out and blocking their [defensive] front. He did a great job of carrying the ball, so it was special.
"
Special indeed.
Now Alabama controls its SEC West and perhaps even its College Football Playoff destiny, thanks to Henry's ability to dominate games for a full four quarters.
Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott
5 of 10
Very quietly, Mississippi State has been gaining all kinds of confidence during a rather anonymous October that featured a rather manageable schedule.
It has continued into November, as the Bulldogs topped Missouri 31-13 on the road Thursday night in a game that essentially amounted to the Dak Prescott Show.
The senior signal-caller threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, rushed for 47 more yards and reached a prominent SEC plateau in the process.
"Congrats to Dak Prescott for scoring his 100th career TD! #MSSTvsMIZ https://t.co/d2I0fJmzw5 pic.twitter.com/r3nDvDuQLd
— ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) November 6, 2015"
Mississippi State has an extra couple of days to prepare for a home game with Alabama next week and also gets Ole Miss in Starkville to close out the season. With Prescott playing like the same superstar who landed in the Heisman Trophy discussion last year, head coach Dan Mullen's crew could play spoiler down the stretch in the SEC West.
Florida DE Alex McCalister
6 of 10
Florida needed key defensive stops time and time again against Vanderbilt in a 9-7 win on Saturday in Gainesville, and it was pass-rushing specialist Alex McCalister who provided the spark more times than not.
The 6'6", 239-pound junior from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, notched four tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He lived in the Commodores backfield all afternoon.
"Alex McCalister. Have a day, young man. https://t.co/RP8dlEk0Xn
— Trevor Sikkema (@TrevorSikkema) November 7, 2015"
His sack of Johnny McCrary on the final drive of the game as the 'Dores neared midfield was the biggest play of the game. It essentially clinched the SEC East for first-year head coach Jim McElwain and helped his team survive a surprising scare.
While the Gators offense has been hit-or-miss all year, the front seven has been solid. McCalister was the star of Florida's best unit on Saturday.
Ole Miss WR Laquon Treadwell
7 of 10
Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell kept his freakish 2015 campaign cooking with gas on Saturday afternoon, as the junior from Crete, Illinois, lit up an Arkansas secondary to the tune of seven catches, 132 yards and a score in the 53-52 overtime loss.
What's more, the threat of Treadwell burning the Hogs deep forced Arkansas to pay extra attention to him, which is a big reason why quarterback Chad Kelly finished the day with 368 passing yards.
"In the loss, Laquon Treadwell becomes the second Rebel receiver to ever eclipse 1,000 yards in a season.
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 8, 2015"
It's a shame it came in a loss, but Treadwell did everything he could to keep his team in what turned out to be a wild shootout in Oxford.
Auburn RB Jovon Robinson
8 of 10
Auburn entered its matchup with Texas A&M desperate for a win, and with quarterback Jeremy Johnson making his first start since Week 3 due to the injury to Sean White, somebody had to step up at running back.
Enter Jovon Robinson.
After a solid game last year in place of Peyton Barber, Robinson put his stamp on the No. 1 spot on the depth chart with 159 yards and a touchdown for the Tigers.
"Jovon Robinson is the 63rd player in Auburn history to rush for 100 yards in a game & 7th player of the Malzahn era to rush for 100 yards.
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) November 8, 2015"
The win gets Auburn to 5-4, and with Idaho left on the schedule as well as a shaky Georgia team, the Tigers look like they could gain some much-needed momentum headed into bowl season.
Tennessee WR Von Pearson
9 of 10
Tennessee was forced to open up the playbook when it was down three scores to Georgia in mid-October. Since then, it's been an all-out aerial attack on Rocky Top.
The latest to get into the mix was wide receiver Von Pearson, who caught eight passes for 121 yards and a touchdown in the 27-24 win over South Carolina Saturday afternoon in Knoxville.
"We have playmakers across the board," quarterback Joshua Dobbs said, according to Tennessee's official site. "They've been making plays throughout the season and they'll continue to. They all understand that. They all know that at some point they're going to have to come up and make a big catch. It's great to see out of that room. They're interchangeable."
It was Pearson's first 100-yard game of his career, and it's a great sign that the Vols are gaining momentum down the stretch.
Alabama DL A'Shawn Robinson
10 of 10
When you look at Alabama's defensive stats in the 30-16 win over LSU, you have to work a little bit to find defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson. After all, his three tackles don't exactly jump off the page.
That doesn't matter, though, because Robinson was busy jumping in front of whatever LSU's offense threw at Alabama in the beatdown in T-Town.
He finished the night with those three tackles, two of which were for a loss, broke up a pass and blocked an extra point in—dare I say—ultra-athletic fashion.
"That's a 325-pound beast jumping over the line to block the kick pic.twitter.com/l7qXXwGzxS
— Pick Six Previews (@PickSixPreviews) November 8, 2015"
Robinson doesn't get the glory like linebacker Reggie Ragland, end Jonathan Allen or other high-profile members of the Crimson Tide defense get. He is the unit's most important player, though, and proved it Saturday night.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. 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")
