SEC Football: Tyrann Mathieu and the 5 Best Defensive Performances in 2011

The SEC is loaded with defensive talent that has impacted games all season long.

With so much defensive talent around the conference, the question is, which defensive players have had the biggest games in 2011?

I power ranked the best offensive individual performances of the regular season last time. Now we will look at defense.

In this slideshow I have ranked the top five best individual games from a SEC defensive player this season.

Jarvis Jones, LB (Georgia)

The Game: Georgia 19, Kentucky 10

In a game many thought Georgia would win big, the Bulldogs had to fight for a nine-point win against feisty Kentucky.

The Bulldogs had to lean on tough defense, as the offense was struggling to get much going against the Wildcat defenders.

The star of the Bulldog defense in this matchup was talented linebacker Jarvis Jones. The sophomore defender racked up seven tackles, including 2.5 big sacks, and forced a fumble in the game.

His most impressive stat in the game was his ridiculous 12 quarterback hurries.

Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)

The Game: Alabama 38, Florida 10

Florida, ranked in the Top 15 nationally at the time of the game, was blown out by the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier this season.

One of the keys to the big win for the Tide was the play of the defense that held the Gators to just 10 points.

The biggest star of the Bama defense that day was big outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw. The playmaking senior made four solo tackles, including three tackles for a loss and two sacks. He also added a quarterback hurry.

However, Upshaw's biggest impact in the game came from an interception he took back 45 yards for a touchdown.

Winston Guy Jr., DB (Kentucky)

The Game: Kentucky 10, Tennessee 7

The biggest win of Kentucky's season was in the last weekend of the year when they defeated the Tennessee Volunteers.

Senior defensive back Winston Guy Jr. had a huge game against the Vols and was the most valuable player for the Wildcats in the victory. He racked up a huge 14 tackles, including two tackles for a loss and a key sack.

If that wasn't enough, the speedy defender also knocked down two passes and returned a punt 19 yards in the game.

Danny Trevathan, LB (Kentucky)

The Game: Georgia 19, Kentucky 10

Many prognosticators picked Georgia to blow out Kentucky.

However, Kentucky was able to keep things close.

The main reason for the tight game was the play of the Kentucky defense, especially star linebacker Danny Trevathan.

One of the very best defensive players in the nation, Trevathan is a leader on the field and made a big impact on this game. He made an impressive 17 tackles, including an amazing 12 solo stops, three tackles for a loss, two sacks and a QB hurry.

On top of all of that, Trevathan forced two fumbles in the game.

Tyrann Mathieu, DB (LSU)

The Game: LSU 40, Oregon 27

In one of the best matchups of the season, LSU faced off against dangerous Oregon the first week of the season.

The Tigers beat the Ducks handily with a mix of solid offense and defense.

And the defense was led by Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu.

Mathieu made 10 tackles, including five solo tackles and a tackle for a loss. His biggest impact was a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a touchdown during the win.

To add to those impressive numbers, Mathieu also earned two defended passes and returned three punts for 26 yards.