SEC Football: Game Balls: Top Performers from Week Seven

Oct 8, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; SEC Football Arkansas Razorbacks running back Rawleigh Williams III (22) runs after a catch during the fourth quarter of the game against Alabama Crimson Tide at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Alabama won 49-30. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports

Hello there. Welcome to our weekly “Game Balls” column here at Southbound and Down. In this column, we will give you our picks for who the top performers on offense, defense, and special teams from SEC Football were this week. Though some overlap may occur, this is not a re-posting of the SEC’s Players of the Week.

In addition to the top performer, we will also give you two “Honorable Mentions” for each category. If you are reading the article and think that someone was snubbed, or even omitted entirely, then please let us know in the comment section.

Below their names, I will attempt to tell you a bit about the player’s performance this week. That way you can see why I felt they deserved a Game Ball. But again, if you think someone else performed better, let us know.

This week there were several big games happening across the conference, and thus there were many players who performed at a high level for their teams. This did make it tough to decide who should get the “Game Balls” this week. Nevertheless, we here at Southbound and Down have powered through and will give you what you came to see.

Some players on losing teams perhaps deserve to be on this list. However, if a player can’t lead his team to a win, then that is a pretty big knock against them. For a player on a losing team to make our list he must perform virtually flawlessly.

Well, without further ado, let’s just dive on in. We will start with the offensive “Top Performer” and the two offensive “Honorable Mentions.” Click on the handy link below to see who gets the offensive “Game Ball” this week.

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) carries the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the third quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Offense: Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama

Jalen Hurts missed some throws against Tennessee, but it didn’t matter. It was his running ability that helped the Crimson Tide offense eviscerate Tennessee’s defense. Hurts completed just 16 passes on the day for 143 yards and threw an interception.

However, he was dominant on the ground. He carried the ball 12 times for 132 yards and scored three touchdowns. If Hurts can become a more accurate passer, then the sky is the limit for the Alabama offense.

Honorable Mentions:

Rawleigh Williams, RB, Arkansas

Rawleigh Williams is an extremely talented running back. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to find much running room this season. That changed against Ole Miss however. He carried the ball 27 times for 180 yards. That is an average of 6.7 yards per carry. Also, Williams caught two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown.

The Arkansas Razorback offense is in slightly unfamiliar territory this season. They have a great quarterback in Austin Allen, but their running game has been inconsistent. If Williams can provide a consistent threat going forward, then Arkansas will be a very dangerous team.

Derrius Guice, RB, LSU

Derrius Guice continued his brief tenure as LSU’s starting running back with another great performance. He carried the ball 16 times for 162 yards. That’s an average of just over 10 yards per carry. He also scored two touchdowns.

Sadly for Guice, Leonard Fournette is expected to return this week, which should severely decrease Guice’s workload. Still, Guice has proven that he can carry the load when he needs to. If Fournette goes down, the Tiger’s have a great second option.

Oct 15, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Nick Chubb (27) is tackled by Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Zach Cunningham (41) and defensive back Bryce Lewis (30) during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Defense: Zach Cunningham, LB, Vanderbilt

Zach Cunningham is perhaps the most underrated linebacker in the SEC. I guess that comes with the territory when you play for Vanderbilt. Against Georgia this weekend he was absolutely incredible. He had 19 tackles including the game-clinching stop of Isaiah McKenzie on fourth and one.

Currently, Cunningham is the leading tackler in the entire SEC. He has 81 tackles on the season, including 13 tackles for loss. In conference games, Cunningham is averaging just shy of 14 tackles per game. Cunningham is going to be an NFL draft pick one day.

Honorable Mentions:

Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

Tennessee got whipped by Alabama, but Derek Barnett played as well as Volunteer fans could have hoped for. He recorded only three tackles, but that included two tackles for loss and a sack. Also, Barnett forced a fumble and intercepted a pass.

The fumble that Barnett forced set up Tennessee’s only touchdown of the game. His interception stopped an Alabama drive that looked sure to put up points. In short, Barnett was the only bright spot for Tennessee on the day. He will be a first round draft pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Kendell Beckwith, LB, LSU

Much like Zach Cunningham, Kendell Beckwith is a tackling machine. He totaled 15 tackles against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Beckwith, along with Reuben Foster, is one of the top-two inside linebackers in the SEC this season. I expect that each of them will make an NFL team happy this spring.

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Eddie Jackson (4) returns a 79yd punt for a touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers during the fourth quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams: Eddie Jackson, S/PR, Alabama

Eddie Jackson housed another punt this week. It was his second of the season. This one went for 79 yards and broke the hearts of Tennessee fans everywhere. Jackson had four returns on the day and totaled 108 return yards. Jackson is a weapon on both defense and special teams.

Honorable Mentions:

Darrius Sims, KR, Vanderbilt

Speaking of great return men, Vanderbilt has one of their own in the form of Darrius Sims. Sims is something of a jack-of-all-trades. In addition to his return duties, Sims has played both running back and wide receiver.

Against Georgia this week, Sims was electric. He took the opening kickoff 95 yards and set up Vanderbilt’s first touchdown of the game. Sims currently leads the SEC in kick return average with 32.4 yards per return. He needs 44 more yards to break Vanderbilt’s all-time kick return yardage record. He will likely get it this weekend.

Corey Fatony, P, Missouri

Missouri got manhandled by the tenacious Florida defense. That means punter Corey Fatony got a lot of work. Fatony acquitted himself well. He punted 10 times and averaged over 44 yards per attempt, including a long of 59. Fatony is just a sophomore and will only improve. But, undoubtedly, Missouri fans would love to see less of him.

Oct 15, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores wide receiver Darrius Sims (6) returns the opening kickoff against the Georgia Bulldogs to set up a touchdown during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Thank You!

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed the article. If so, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Also, share your own top performers in the comments below. Finally, check in again next week to see who gets a “Game Ball” in Week Eight.