For college football as a whole, Week 2 turned out to be much more exciting than we thought. In the SEC? Not so much. Outside of Arkansas-TCU and -- shockingly -- Georgia-Nicholls (for non-UGA fans), Week 2 in the Southeastern Conference largely went as expected and without all that much excitement. Of course, that does not mean it lacked for standout performances.
If you're not familiar with the premise of this column, I'd encourage you to go back and read the inaugural edition from Week 1. Essentially, I'm doing a (nearly) complete All-SEC team each week, which I'll then compile together to submit my end-of-year ballot.
Starting the week after the October 1st games, I'll start publishing my running tally of full-season All-SEC performers. As it stands right now, most positions have a two- or three-way tie for first or second team, so we'll wait until things get a little less jumbled before putting out that weekly list. Anyway, on to Week 2:
Quarterback
Name | Team | Comp. | Att. | Yds. | Comp% | TD | INT | Yds./Att. | Rush | Rush Yds. | Yds./ Rush | Rush TD | Total Yds. | Total TD | |
1st Team | Drew Lock | Missouri | 24 | 37 | 450 | 64.9% | 5 | 0 | 12.2 | 2 | 1 | .5 | 0 | 451 | 5 |
2nd Team | Austin Allen | Arkansas | 17 | 29 | 223 | 58.6% | 3 | 0 | 7.69 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 231 | 4 |
Lock had the best game of his young career, repeatedly lighting up the scoreboard with long touchdowns, all five of which went to receivers and tight ends who had never scored a touchdown before.
In the best and biggest SEC game of the weekend, Allen stood out with his four total touchdowns, including the double-OT game-winner.
Running Back
Name | Team | Att. | Yds. | Yds. / Att. | TD | Tgt. | Catch | Rec. Yds. | Rec. TD | Yds./ Catch | Yds./ Tgt. | Total Yds. | Total TD | Yds./ Touch | |
1st Team | Ralph Webb | Vanderbilt | 29 | 211 | 7.3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -5 | 0 | -5.0 | -5.0 | 206 | 2 | 6.87 |
2nd Team | Kerryon Johnson | Auburn | 18 | 124 | 6.89 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 131 | 1 | 6.89 |
Webb's huge game flew under the radar. That sentence should probably be written on his tombstone.
Johnson actually finished second on his team in rushing yards -- behind Kamryn Pettway's 152 -- but his two touchdowns to Pettway's zero put him over the edge.
Wide Receiver
Name | Team | Tgt. | Catch | Catch% | Yds. | TD | Yds./ Catch | Yds./ Tgt. | Rush Att. | Rush Yds. | Yds./ Att. | Rush TD | Yds./ Scrim. | TD/ Scrim. | Yds./ Touch | |
1st Team | Antonio Callaway | Florida | 8 | 5 | 62.5% | 129 | 1 | 25.8 | 16.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 1 | 25.8 |
Jonathan Johnson | Missouri | 7 | 5 | 71.4% | 115 | 1 | 23.0 | 16.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 115 |
1 |
23.0 | |
2nd Team | Calvin Ridley | Alabama | 13 | 9 | 69.2% | 129 | 1 | 14.3 | 9.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 1 | 14.33 |
Drew Morgan | Arkansas | 11 | 7 | 63.6% | 93 | 1 | 13.3 | 8.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 1 | 13.3 |
Calloway was the Gators' best offensive player against Kentucky, and while he may not be necessary for beating North Texas, they'll need him healthy as soon as possible.
In his first career game at Faurot Field, Johnson showed out, especially on his 87 yard TD -- a pass caught behind the line of scrimmage. Plus, he took a punt back 54 yards for another score.
Calvin Ridley, what took you so long to make this list?
Morgan and his armbands have been rock solid for his entire career in Fayetteville, and he came up big Saturday night against TCU.
Tight End
Name | Team | Tgt. | Catch | Catch% | Yds. | TD | Yds. / Catch | Yds. / Tgt. | |
First Team | Jeremy Sprinkle | Arkansas | 7 | 3 | 42.9% | 58 | 1 | 19.3 | 8.3 |
Second Team | Hayden Hurst | South Carolina | 12 | 8 | 66.7% | 68 | 0 | 8.5 | 5.7 |
With Hunter Henry gone, Sprinkle is the clear number one tight end for the Hogs, and he showed his big play ability against the Horned Frogs.
Hurst showed against Mississippi State that he can be nice safety valve for South Carolina going forward.
Defensive Line
Name | Team | Tackles | TFL | Sack | PD | INT | FF | TD | Havoc | |
First Team | Trenton Thompson | Georgia | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Lewis Neal | LSU | 4 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | |
Jordan Sherit | Florida | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Jeffery Simmons | Mississippi State | 3.5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
Second Team | A.J. Jefferson | Mississippi State | 4.5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Jeremiah Ledbetter | Arkansas | 5 | .5 | .5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.5 | |
Josh Augusta | Missouri | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Kendal Vickers | Tennessee | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Though Georgia very nearly suffered the biggest upset in college football history, Thompson showed why he was one of 2015's top recruits.
The most interesting man in the SEC, Neal had a standout performance in LSU's win against Jacksonville State.
Kentucky's Drew Barker had one of the worst games you'll ever see from a quarterback, and Sherit's pressure was a big reason why.
Jeffery Simmons shouldn't be playing college football, but he had a good game.
However, Simmons' teammate A.J. Jefferson both deserves a scholarship and is really good. He's the first lineman to make this list twice.
Ledbetter was a big-time recruit coming out of Hutchinson C.C., and he was very active on Saturday for the Hogs.
The leader in the clubhouse for the Piesman, Augusta was all over the place -- on both sides of the ball -- against Eastern Michigan.
Vickers made a couple of huge plays against Virginia Tech, with a sack and a forced fumble.
Linebacker
Name | Team | Tackles | TFL | Sack | PD | INT | FF | TD | Havoc | |
First Team | Brooks Ellis | Arkansas | 10.5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Jalen Reeves-Maybin | Tennessee | 10.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 | |
Zach Cunningham | Vanderbilt | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.5 | |
Second Team | Oren Burks | Vanderbilt | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Shaan Washington | Texas A&M | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | |
Richie Brown | Mississippi State | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Ellis probably would have made this list even without the pick-six. With it, he's the defensive player of the week.
Reeves-Maybin has been consistently very good for years, and he figures to have a huge senior season.
Cunningham's huge game flew under the radar. That sentence should probably be written on his tombstone.
Burks was extremely disruptive in the passing game, with a sack and four passes defended.
Washington had a very similar game to Burks, and was perhaps even more disruptive.
Brown nearly declared for the NFL after last season. Mississippi State should be glad he didn't.
Cornerback
Name | Team | Tackles | TFL | Sack | PD | INT | FF | TD | Havoc | |
First Team | Minkah Fitzpatrick | Alabama | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Ryan Pulley | Arkansas | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
Second Team | Teez Tabor | Florida | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Derrick Baity | Kentucky | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Fitzpatrick was an immediate star as a freshman last season, and he looks to be even better this year.
TCU probably would've been better off avoiding Pulley, as he broke up three passes.
You don't want to pick on either of Florida's corners, but that's especially true of Tabor, who might be the best in the SEC at this position.
It was a rough day for Kentucky as a team, but Baity's pick of Luke Del Rio was one of their few positive plays.
Safety
Name | Team | Tackles | TFL | Sack | PD | INT | FF | TD | Havoc | |
First Team | Eddie Jackson | Alabama | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Johnathan Ford | Auburn | 7.5 | .5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .5 | |
Second Team | Justin Evans | Texas A&M | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Marcus Maye | Florida | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Any time a player has a pick-six, that'll get them noticed. Jackson's 55-yard TD certainly did that.
Ford was solid in the run game, piling up 7.5 tackles, including a shared tackle behind the line.
Evans makes this list for the second straight week off his combination of nice tackling and two pass breakups.
I mentioned Florida's corners, but their safeties aren't too shabby either. Maye got his first pick of the year on Saturday.
Kicker
Name | Team | Made FG | Att. FG | Long | Made XP | Att. XP | Total Pts. | |
First Team | Daniel Carlson | Auburn | 3 | 3 | 42 | 6 | 6 | 15 |
Second Team | Westin Graves | Mississippi State | 2 | 2 | 28 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
Carlson was perfect on the day, putting up the most points of any SEC player in week 2.
This was a rough week for kickers across the league, so Graves is getting rewarded for not missing more than making.
Punter
Name | Team | Punt Att. | Yds. | Yds. / Att. | Long | |
First Team | Sean Kelly | South Carolina | 7 | 344 | 49.1 | 66 |
Second Team | Toby Baker | Arkansas | 6 | 304 | 50.7 | 59 |
I'm going to assume you scrolled all the way down here to read my punter analysis as soon you opened this page. Well, joke's on you, because I have none.