SEC Football: Best Performances from Week 1
On a highly anticipated opening Saturday with several critical matchups, the overall lasting expression for fans of college football's traditionally top conference is one of astonishment and confusion.
The SEC saw a staggering five teams lose nonconference openers, an unheard-of mark for a league that owns eight of the last 10 national championships. Six teams lost in total, but Vanderbilt's defeat came at the hands of fellow conference foe South Carolina.
It is not like the entire league played the nation's best. Southern Mississippi outscored Kentucky, 44-35, Mississippi State shanked a field goal to fall, 21-20, against South Alabama and Missouri continued its 2015 ineptitude with a 26-11 result at West Virginia. LSU also fell flat in a 16-14 loss to Wisconsin.
On top of that, Arkansas barely escaped with a 21-20 win over Louisiana Tech, and Florida struggled mightily at home before pulling away to down UMass, 24-7. Lastly, Tennessee, another preseason College Football Playoff contender, looked overhyped in a narrow 20-13 home win over Appalachian State.
There were some positives, as Alabama demolished USC, 52-6. Georgia fought back to take down North Carolina, 33-24, and Texas A&M hung on to beat UCLA, 31-24. Even Auburn looked strong, at least defensively, by coming up a Hail Mary short of upsetting Clemson.
Despite the overall team disappointments, some SEC players balled out this weekend. These top performances may not have all come in winning efforts, but it showcased that the league still possesses some of the top talent in the country.
Let us take a look at which individuals stood out on college football's opening weekend. The individual excellence of the performances, as well as their significance to the welfare of teams moving forward, were the driving factors behind these selections.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
- LB Deshaun Davis, Auburn
- QB Luke Del Rio, Florida
- TE Evan Engram, Mississippi
- CB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama
- WR Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia
- WR ArDarius Stewart, Alabama
The five players above put in solid performance this weekend, but others on this list stood out just a bit more for various reasons.
Auburn's defense looked fast and physical, as the unit stifled Clemson most of the night to the tune of 19 points allowed. Deshaun Davis was a big reason why, as the sophomore was always near the ball while stuffing Wayne Gallman and Deshaun Watson on power run plays. He also made some key plays in coverage. However, Davis did not put up the gaudy individual numbers of the players ahead of him on this list.
While he did not look strong early, Luke Del Rio eventually settled in and ended up with a nice night. He led some scoring drives in the second half to seal the win, finishing with a modest 256 yards and two scores while not turning the ball over through the air.
After an ugly second-half collapse, there were not many shining performances for Mississippi. Yet, senior tight end Evan Engram led an inexperienced Rebel receiving group. Despite a wildly talented secondary keying on him, Engram pulled through with nine catches for 121 yards and a score. Engram was a safety net for quarterback Chad Kelly, but the passing game struggled when Florida State took Engram away.
Marlon Humphrey was the closest to making the final cut, as he shut down USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster while also returning a pick for a score. Yet, Humphrey was a product of an overwhelmed Trojan offense against Alabama's defense, which did not help him stand out individually.
On a Georgia offense lacking much playmaking depth, Isaiah McKenzie was dangerous in space. He outran North Carolina's defense for six catches and 122 yards, but two other Bulldogs put in more memorable performances.
ArDarius Stewart is in a similar boat. He caught two long touchdowns to help out his freshman quarterback, but an emerging star in Alabama's backfield overshadowed his play.
RB Nick Chubb, Georgia
2 of 11
This was easily the performance of the weekend, as Nick Chubb carried Georgia to a huge opening win in his first game back since a nasty season-ending leg injury in 2015.
Chubb looked just as quick and powerful as before as he toted the rock 32 times for a regular-season career high of 222 yards and two scores, including a 55-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead by two possessions. Although he was a workhouse Saturday despite not playing in roughly 11 months, his workload did not faze him, per Georgia athletics.
"I felt good throughout the game," Chubb said. "I had no idea where I was at any point in the game, as far as carries of yards. None of that matters to me. If the team calls on me, I know all of them are behind me."
He better get used to it, as should the rest of Georgia's schedule. Chubb left no doubt that he is a legitimate Heisman contender this season.
LB Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt
3 of 11
Vanderbilt blew a golden opportunity Thursday to notch an SEC win in Week 1, but the Commodores were unable to fend off South Carolina at home in an ugly 13-10 affair.
The team as a whole may have disappointed as it relinquished a 10-0 halftime lead, but its star linebacker certainly did not.
Junior Zach Cunningham was a menace all night, racking up 12 total tackles, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. For the game, Vanderbilt held South Carolina to just 121 rushing yards, and Cunningham was a big reason why. Look for him to be a possible unanimous All-SEC selection at the year's end.
Statistics are courtesy of South Carolina athletics.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
QB Jacob Eason, Georgia
4 of 11
With the offense stagnating and North Carolina beginning to look like it would run away with the game, true freshman quarterback Jacob Eason sparked his team's comeback and new hope for the Georgia fanbase.
Backing up senior Greyson Lambert, Eason entered the game in the second quarter and led a scoring drive on his second series to put the Bulldogs up, 14-7. Then with his team down, 24-14, in the third quarter, Eason came on again and led a drive capped off by a shuffle pass to McKenzie.
He then made the throw of the game with a dime over the top to McKenzie in the fourth quarter. The 51-yard shot set up a field goal that proved to win the contest.
His numbers were not overwhelming, 8-of-12 for 131 yards and a score, but Eason looked composed in a big situation while making the offense explosive.
Per Guy Cutright of the Albany Herald, Smart would not commit to a starter moving forward. Yet the offense looked obviously better with Eason at the helm, and the freshman may have changed the outlook for the rest of the Bulldogs' season.
DB Justin Evans, Texas A&M
5 of 11
Going against a budding star quarterback in UCLA's Josh Rosen, not much was expected from Texas A&M's secondary.
Yet, Justin Evans led the charge for the Aggies. The senior was all over the field, making punishing open-field tackles and making Rosen's day miserable. He finished the day with eight total tackles and two of Texas A&M's three interceptions.
No. 14 popped off of the screen all game, which is good news for a team that tied for 59th last season with 11 team picks.
Individual statistics are courtesy Texas A&M athletics.
RB Leonard Fournette, LSU
6 of 11
If only Leonard Fournette had some resemblance of a passing game to take some pressure off of him, he could probably rush for over 200 yards each week.
With seemingly the entire state of Wisconsin keying on the ultra-talented junior, Fournette still ripped off 138 yards while doing everything possible to keep his team in the game. He even contributed through the air, finishing second on the team with 38 yards on three catches.
Fournette accounted for a staggering 68.5 percent of LSU's total offense, as quarterback Brandon Harris went a pitiful 12-of-21 throwing with 131 yards, two picks and a touchdown. It was definitely tough sledding for the back, as 64 of his rushing yards came on three runs of 30, 19 and 15 yards. He otherwise ran for 3.7 yards per carry.
This was not a marquee performance by Fournette's lofty standards, but no other player in college football could have produced as well as him Saturday in the same circumstances.
QB Jalen Hurts, Alabama
7 of 11
It seems that every offseason, the question surrounding Alabama is who takes over at quarterback. Well, it seems that may have been answered Saturday night.
Redshirt freshman Blake Barnett started the game, but after the offense struggled early and the Crimson Tide fell behind, true freshman Jalen Hurts trotted onto the field and brought the offense alive.
Flashing a strong arm and dual-threat ability, Hurts finished with 118 yards and two scores through the air to go with 32 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. The offense appeared faster and more unpredictable, which helped it overcome a tough USC defense.
Alabama head coach Nick Saban afterwards would not name a starter moving forward, but he praised Hurts' play, per AL.com's Matt Zenitz.
"Both guys were a little shaky in the beginning," Saban said. "But I think Jalen, each series that he played, got more and more comfortable. He adds a dimension with his athleticism and ability to run that I think is very effective. ... I thought he settled in and did a nice job."
Now, it is only one game, and Hurts could definitely improve on his 6-of-11 completion mark and an interception, but he seems to have the tools to lead this offense. He looked in control, and he brings an element that the team could use while it figures out some problems within its interior offensive line. Hurts also had the benefit of playing with a dominant defense, so it is not clear yet how he fares when he needs to score to keep the Tide in the game.
But thanks to Hurts, Alabama looks like it is only going to get better on offense, which could be a scary proposition to the rest of college football.
DL A.J. Jefferson, Mississippi State
8 of 11
Mississippi State's loss at home to lowly South Alabama was probably the worst blemish of the day for the SEC.
There was one brightspot for the Bulldogs, as they got a monster performance out of their senior defensive lineman.
A.J. Jefferson made a living in the opposing backfield, finishing with seven total tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. He was also in the quarterback's face all afternoon while playing a central role in South Alabama's 94 total team rushing yards.
The nation may be focusing on how Mississippi State is reeling after life without Dak Prescott, but SEC offensive coordinators are building their game plans around trying to slow down No. 47.
Statistics are courtesy of Mississippi State athletics.
WR Garrett Johnson, Kentucky
9 of 11
Kentucky's defense needs considerable work after allowing 44 points to Southern Miss, but the Wildcats offense did its part Saturday.
Junior receiver Garrett Johnson led the way, bringing in six balls for 143 yards and two touchdowns. He was by far Kentucky's most dangerous player, consistently getting behind the defense while turning quick passes into extra yardage. The Florida native is one of the preeminent deep threats in the country, which was evident by his 53-yard and 43-yard scores.
Johnson led Kentucky with 694 yards a year ago, and he seems to have improved moving forward this season. The speedster should easily top 1,000 yards in 2016 and contend for an All-SEC spot at season's end.
Texas A&M's Front Seven
10 of 11
While this list typically features individual greatness, the defensive penetration Texas A&M's front seven created all afternoon is worthy of recognition.
UCLA entered the game with a reshuffled offensive line, but with Rosen and bruising running back Soso Jamabo, the Bruins had reason to believe they could overcome this deficiency against a talented defensive front. Well, they thought wrong.
There was rarely a time when Rosen dropped back and was not knocked to the ground, as he hardly set his feet the entire game.
It was a group effort from the Aggies, as the team recorded five sacks by five different players. Nine players, including stars Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall, contributed to tackles in the backfield as Texas A&M was simply unblockable up front and on blitz packages.
This proved to be the difference in the game, as Rosen was never able to get comfortable to consistently show off his NFL-caliber arm.
Statistics are courtesy of Texas A&M athletics.
CB Tre'Davious White, LSU
11 of 11
While nearly every LSU Tiger not named Fournette fell flat at Lambeau Field, another team leader did his part to give the Bayou Bengals a chance to salvage a win.
Down 13-0 in the third quarter, senior cornerback Tre'Davious White almost single-handedly brought the Tigers back. He picked off Wisconsin quarterback Bart Houston and returned the ball for a touchdown. On the ensuing drive, White recovered a fumble that led to LSU scoring to go ahead, 14-13.
White's efforts were not enough, as the offense sputtered the entire afternoon and failed to create any scoring chances without the defense's assistance. Additionally, White finished with four total tackles and a pass breakup.
White was the lone standout on a unit that seems to lack any consistent pass rush, which puts players like him in an even more difficult position. As one of the top players nationally at his position, White can handle it, but the rest of the defense needs to improve for LSU to rebound this season.
LSU statistics are courtesy of its athletics department.
All offensive and team statistics are courtesy of NCAA.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
