The Official Website of the Southeastern Conference
The Official Website of the Southeastern Conference

Week 1: Football Players of the Week

2213 days ago
SEC Staff
Photo: Missouri Athletics

OFFENSE
Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

  • Began the season with a record-shattering performance that saw him throw for 521 yards and an SEC record-tying 7 touchdowns in a 72-43 win over Missouri State Saturday.
  • Lock ended the day 21-of-34 passing with 1 interception, and his QB rating of 252.54 was a personal best. Lock's yardage and TD totals broke Mizzou single-game records on the day. The yardage total had been on the books since 1992 (Jeff Handy vs. Oklahoma State for 480 yards), while the TD total of 5 had been achieved eight times before, including twice by Lock a year ago).
  • Lock also broke the MU single-game record for total offense, with 515 yards. That broke the old mark of 480 set by former great Brad Smith in 2005.
  • Lock had 10 pass plays of 20 yards or more, including TD passes of 65, 50, 50, 28 and 27 yards. His 65-yard TD pass came on the first play of scrimmage in the game, to WR Johnathon Johnson.
  • His exploits helped the Tiger offense to a school-record 815 yards of total offense, surpassing the previous mark of 744 set in 2011 against Western Illinois.
  • Sunday morning saw Lock named the Walter Camp FBS National Offensive Player of the Week, making him the first Mizzou player to win the weekly honor since 2004.

DEFENSE
Shaun Dion Hamilton, LB, Alabama

  • In his first game back after a knee injury in last year's SEC Championship Game, the senior recorded a team-high eight tackles in leading the Alabama defense versus No. 3 Florida State.
  • He led an Alabama defense that held third-ranked Florida State to just seven points and 250 total yards.
  • Hamilton also led the team with 3.5 tackles for loss (-8 yards).
  • He accounted for the first of three Alabama sacks in the game.
  • The Crimson Tide held the Seminoles to just 40 rushing yards for the game and just 65 total yards in the second half.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Deebo Samuel, WR/KR, South Carolina

  • Junior Deebo Samuel scored three times in the Gamecocks' 35-28 win over NC State.
  • He returned the opening kick 97 yards for a touchdown, then hauled in touchdown passes from 6- and 39-yards out.
  • All three scores gave the Gamecocks a 7-point lead.
  • The 6-0, 215-pounder from Inman, S.C. finished with five receptions for 83 yards and totaled 185 all-purpose yards.

FRESHMAN
Chase Hayden, RB, Arkansas

  • Became just the third player in Arkansas history rush for 100 yards in his freshman debut, joining Felix Jones (2005) and Alex Collins (2013).
  • One of seven FBS freshmen to rush for over 100 yards last weekend and one of just two true freshmen to do so.
  • Only true freshman player in the FBS to rush for over 100 yards and score a TD last week.
  • His 120 yards on the ground rank fourth in the SEC and are the 14th-most by a true freshman in Arkansas single-game history.
  • Five of his 14 runs went for 10 or more yards - tied for most by an SEC player in week one.
  • Half (7) of his runs resulted in a first down.
  • Six of his last eight runs against Florida A&M resulted in a first down or touchdown.
  • 10 of his 14 runs against Florida A&M went for eight or more yards.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Garrett Brumfield, OG, LSU

  • In first career start, graded out at 86 percent for highest among LSU linemen against BYU.
  • LSU's offense racked 479 total yards (294 rushing, 185) and accounted for 26 first downs in the win.
  • The Tigers held the ball for 41:54 and averaged 6.4 yards a play.
  • Led Tigers with 12 knockdown blocks and no sacks.
  • For the game, LSU had only three negative yards plays, didn't allow a sack and didn't turn the ball over.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Denzil Ware, DE/LB, Kentucky

  • Played a role in two touchdowns - including scoring what proved to be the eventual game-winning TD - in UK's 24-17 win at Southern Mississippi.
  • In the first quarter, he recovered a fumble that set up UK's first touchdown of the game.
  • In the third quarter, he recovered a fumble and returned it 20 yards for the eventual game-winning touchdown.
  • Also caused a fumble with a quarterback sack in the third quarter.
  • For the game he totaled two tackles, one QB sack (-10), two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
  • The touchdown was his first collegiate TD but his second collegiate score; in 2015, he returned a fumble for a 2-point defensive PAT at South Carolina.
  • As a team, UK held Southern Miss to 55 net rushing yards, the fewest allowed in a game since 2014.
  • UK held Southern Miss to 1.4 yards per rushing attempt, the lowest allowed in a game since 2012.