Even after falling short in last year’s College Football Playoff, The SEC remains college football’s premier powerhouse conference. They entered the season with three teams ranked in the Top 10 and they flexed their muscle in Week 1. Each of those three Top 10 teams opened the year with wins in big part thanks to notable performances by at least one standout player. Here is a look at the five best individual performances in the SEC from Week 1 of the college football season.
Derrick Henry, Alabama Crimson Tide
Running Back
Despite being ranked No. 3 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, Alabama entered this season with some major question marks – on the offensive side of the football in particular – but those were quickly put to rest. Their workhorse running back helped quell those questions with a monster performance in a 35-17 win over Wisconsin. Henry ran for an impressive 147 yards and three touchdowns and added two catches for 12 yards. He was also incredible as a blocker in pass situations. The 6’3’’, 242-pound back is an absolute beast in the Tide backfield. It helps that he’s working with an incredible front-five clearing the paths. As long as he stays healthy, he will dominate as a potential Heisman trophy candidate this season.
Nick Chubb, Georgia Bulldogs
Running Back
The ninth-ranked Bulldogs also got a major spark out of their running back with the sophomore Chubb running for 120 yards and two touchdowns in their 51-14 win over Louisiana Monroe. Chubb topped the century mark for the ninth straight game dating back to last season. He’s really the key to their success on offense and a lot of Bulldog fans were happy to see him carry over his performance from last year – even if it was against Cupcake State. His combination of elusiveness and track star speed have him primed for a monster season at Georgia.
Montravius Adams, Auburn Tigers
Defensive Tackle
Auburn had the toughest game of the three SEC teams ranked in the Top 10 but a solid performance from their defensive tackle Adams was a big reason they came out on top in a 31-24 win over Louisville. The 6’4’’, 296-pound Adams finished the game with seven tackles – including 1.5 for a loss – as well as a sack and a forced fumble. There has been a lot of talk about the Tigers defense being reinvigorated with the return of defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and he has to love what he saw from Adams in Week 1. Although they gave up points late in the game, they were quite impressive overall – including a fumble returned for a touchdown.
Treon Harris, Florida Gators
Quarterback
The Gators starting quarterback job has not been settled yet but the sophomore Harris took a step towards securing that role with a strong performance in a 61-13 win over New Mexico State. Harris completed 14-of-19 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns and added another 23 yards on five carries to prove the coaching staff was right for giving him the nod in Week 1. Head coach Jim McElwain hasn’t made a final decision at the position and that’s mostly because Harris’ solid performance came against New Mexico State. However, Harris solidified his position as the frontrunner to be the starter this season with a quality outing.
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Skai Moore, South Carolina Gamecocks
Linebacker
South Carolina’s defense was far too inconsistent last season but they got off to a good start this year in big part because of a dominant outing from their junior linebacker Moore in a 17-13 win over North Carolina. Moore recorded 11 tackles and two interceptions with both of those picks coming in the end zone – including a late INT that helped the Gamecocks hold on for the victory. They did a good job of limiting what many expect to be an explosive Tar Heels offense. Moore has led South Carolina in tackles in each of the last two seasons and he is on pace for another monster season in 2015.
