Texas A&M QB Zach Calzada named SEC Offensive Player of the Week

Defeat No. 1 Alabama? Check. Become an Aggie legend? Check. Win SEC POTW?

Check.

Texas A&M quarterback Zach Calzada has been named the Southeastern Conference's Offensive Player of the Week after engineering a 41-38 upset victory of the top-ranked Crimson Tide on Saturday night in Aggieland.

In the victory, Calzada finished the game 21-of-31 for 285 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air. The performance was undoubtedly the best of his young career.

A sophomore from Sugar Hill, Georgia, Calzada took over at quarterback in the first quarter of the Aggies' Week Two win over Colorado. It's no secret that he has struggled in place of an injured Haynes King, but on Saturday, Calzada silenced the haters (of which there were many).

Under his direction, the Aggies jumped out to an early 17-7 lead thanks to a pair of first-quarter passing touchdowns. Calzada completed his first 10 passes of the game. The Aggies took a two-touchdown lead into halftime at a raucous Kyle Field.

However, as they tend to do, the Crimson Tide stormed back, taking a 38-31 lead late in the game.

When 106,815 Aggies needed a hero, Calzada rose to the challenge, guiding the Maroon & White on a game-tying touchdown drive punctuated by a beautifully lofted 25-yard pass to Ainias Smith in the endzone with three minutes to play.

However, the excitement was short-lived as Calzada was slow to get up and ultimately helped off the field.

Many feared he had been lost for the game, but after the A&M defense pitched a quick three-and-out, it was Calzada who returned to lead the drive that resulted in Seth Small's game-winning field goal as time expired.

In upsetting the top-ranked Tide, Calzada joined Reggie McNeal and Johnny Manziel as the only Texas A&M quarterbacks to beat the nation's No. 1 team. He also joined Manziel and Edd Hargett as the only Aggie QBs to beat Alabama.

A truly historic showing worthy of the honor.