TexAgs All-SEC team of the week: Week Five
LSU was resurgent. South Carolina regressed. Alabama was remarkable. Officiating was a recurring nightmare of Auburn opponents.
New players had strong showings in last week’s SEC play. Some of the stalwarts were typically dominant.
There are several examples in this week’s All-SEC team.
Offense
Quarterback: T.J. Finley (LSU)
Finley, a 6-foot-6, 242-pound true freshman, may not start another game this season, but he played quite well in his first start in the Tigers’ rout of South Carolina. He was 17-of-21 for 265 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran for a score.
Running Backs: Tank Bigsby (Auburn), Tyrion Davis-Price (LSU) and Larry Rountree (Missouri)
Given the big-time performances on the ground Saturday – hey, it was like the SEC went back to the early 1980s! – we’re going with three running backs. Bigsby, another true freshman, has the look of a future star; he was the focal point of Auburn’s offense in the Tigers’ win over Ole Miss, rushing for 129 yards and two TDs. Davis-Price, a 232-pound sophomore, rumbled for 135 yards and a TD in LSU’s rout of South Carolina. And Rountree, a senior, was the focal point of Mizzou’s offense in its win over Kentucky; he had 126 yards and two TDs on a career-high 37 carries. He helped Mizzou to an unreal advantage in time of possession (43:10 to 16:50) and plays from scrimmage (92 to 36 – and, yes, that is real. Ninety-two plays.
Wide Receivers: Terrace Marshall Jr. (LSU) and Seth Williams (Auburn)
Marshall, a junior who took over as LSU’s No. 1 receiver, had six receptions for 88 yards and two TDs in the Tigers’ easy win. Williams, a junior, had eight catches for 150 yards (the second-highest yardage total of his career) and the game-winning TD in Auburn’s win over Ole Miss. It was the fifth 100-yard game of his career.
Offensive Line: G Case Cook (Missouri), Brandon Council (Auburn), Ed Ingram (LSU), Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) and Landon Dickerson (Alabama)
Cook, a junior, helped pave the way for Rountree in the Tigers’ win. Mizzou rushed for 220 yards and was 10-of-20 on third down and 4-of-5 on fourth down. Council was having a good game and good season before going down with an injury in the fourth quarter. Ingram’s return to the lineup after missing the Missouri game with injury made a huge difference. Alabama was dominant up front.
Defense
Defensive Line: DT Akial Byers (Missouri), EDGE B.J. Ojulari (LSU), EDGE Sam Williams (Ole Miss) and DE Byron Young (Alabama)
Byers’ numbers don’t jump off the page, but considering he was the best player up front on a Missouri defense that allowed just 145 total yards, we’re spotlighting him anyway. Byers, a senior, had two tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss and did a superb job of mucking up things in the middle. Ojulari, a true freshman, is the younger brother of star Georgia edge rusher Azeez Olujari. He did the family proud against South Carolina with four tackles, three sacks and a quarterback hurry. Ole Miss’ defense again struggled, but Williams, a senior, made his presence known in the loss to Auburn; he had 11 tackles and three tackles for loss, including a sack. Young, a sophomore, had four tackles and a tackle for loss in Alabama’s easy win over Tennessee, which finished with just 302 yards.
Linebackers: Nick Bolton (Missouri), Christian Harris (Alabama) and Ernest Jones (South Carolina)
Bolton, a junior from Frisco Lone Star, led Mizzou’s sterling defensive effort, with seven tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry. Harris, a sophomore, had his second 10-tackle game of the season in the Tide’s victory; he also had a tackle for loss. South Carolina was gouged for 541 yards in its loss to LSU, but Jones, a junior, acquitted himself well, finishing with a career-high 19 tackles.
Defensive Backs: S Yusuf Corker (Kentucky), CB Roger McCreary (Auburn), S Smoke Monday (Auburn) and CB Patrick Surtain Jr. (Alabama)
Kentucky’s defense never could get off the field in the loss to Missouri, and as a result, Corker, a senior, finished with a career-high 18 tackles, including a sack and one other tackle for loss. McCreary, a junior, had five tackles, two tackles for loss (including one on a fake punt) and an interception in Auburn’s win. Monday, also a junior, had 12 tackles and a sack in the Tigers’ victory. Surtain, another junior, had four tackles, a tackle for loss and three pass breakups in the Tide’s win.
Specialists
Kicker: Matt Ruffolo (Kentucky)
Ruffolo, a senior, nailed a 50-yarder for maybe the only bright spot for UK in its loss.
Punter: Paxton Brooks (Tennessee)
Brooks, a junior, was busy and productive in the Vols’ loss. He punted six times, averaging 45.8 yards per boot.
Returner: Trey Palmer (LSU)
South Carolina had cut LSU’s lead to 31-17 early in the third quarter, but Palmer took the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a TD to end any doubt about the outcome. Palmer, a sophomore wide receiver, initially bobbled the kick, then zoomed through the defense for the score.