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

Week 4: Football Players of the Week

1366 days ago
SEC Staff
Photo: LSU Athletics

OFFENSE
Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

  • Set LSU record for touchdown passes with 6 in leading the Tigers to a 66-38 win over Vanderbilt in Nashville ... Completed 25-of-34 passes for 398 yards and the 6 TDs as LSU scored the most points in regulation in a SEC game in school history.
  • The 6 TDs accounted for tie the school-record he set last year in 7OT game vs. Texas A&M and is the most in regulation in school history ... Extended his school-record streak of games with at least 20 completions to 7 straight.
  • With 398 passing yards vs. Vanderbilt, became first player in LSU history to pass for 350+ yards in three straight games ... 357 of his passing yards came in the first half, the most in LSU history, and the most by a SEC quarterback in a conference game in the last 15 years.
  • Through 4 games, has more completions (100) passing yards (1,520) and passing TDs (17) than any player in LSU history over that span.
  • LSU has scored more points (231) through the first 4 games of the season than any team in school history during the SEC era ... Now 14-3 as LSU's starting quarterback.

DEFENSE
Cale Garrett, DB, Missouri

  • Led the way in another brilliant defensive outing for Mizzou's much-improved defense, with nine tackles and a fumble recovery for a touchdown that keyed Mizzou's 34-14 SEC-opening win over South Carolina Saturday in Columbia, Mo.
  • Made a huge heads up play in the first quarter with no score, when he alertly picked up a ball in the South Carolina endzone that had been ruled an incomplete forward pass initially. After he jumped on the ball, an instant replay review confirmed that the Gamecock quarterback had thrown a backward pass, giving MU a 7-0 lead, and Garrett his second defensive touchdown of the season - matching the pick six interception he ran back 27 yards against West Virginia in week two.
  • The Tiger defense was stout against Carolina on Saturday, allowing just 271 yards of total offense, a week after the Gamecocks rolled up 459 yards against Alabama. Mizzou held Carolina to just 16 rushing yards on 24 attempts, including four sacks on the day.
  • Garrett leads Mizzou with 37 tackles through four games.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Rodrigo Blankenship, PK, Georgia

  • Connected on both of his PATs and drilled a trio of field goals, including a 40 and 43 yarder, to help Georgia knock off #7 Notre Dame.
  • He moved to fourth on UGA's all-time career scoring list with 358 points, passing Hall of Famer Kevin Butler.
  • Has connected on a school record 175 consecutive PATs and is 8-for-8 on his FG attempts this year.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Brett Heggie, OL, Florida

  • Heggie graded out a team-high 95 percent on the offensive line for the Gators with one knock down on Saturday, as the O-line was responsible for 441 total yards on offense in Saturday's win.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Derrick Brown, DL, Auburn

  • Four tackles with 2.0 sacks (minus 11), 3.0 tackles for loss (minus 16), one forced fumble and two PBUs while helping Auburn to its first SEC road win over a ranked opponent since 2015.
  • Disruptive force that helped hold Texas A&M to just 56 yards rushing (2.7 ypr), the fewest yards per rush by an SEC opponent since 2017 against Georgia (1.4 ypr)
  • Career-high day in TFLs (3.0), sacks (2.0) and PBU (2)
  • First AU player since Carl Lawson in 2016 (vs. Miss. State) to record at least two sacks, two TFLs and a forced fumble in the same game.
  • First Auburn player in seven years to record at least one sack, TFL, forced fumble and PBU in the same game.

FRESHMAN
Garrett Shrader, QB, Mississippi State

  • Shrader, making his first career start, accounted for 305 yards of total offense, including rushing for 125 yards on 11 carries, to lead MSU past Kentucky, 28-13 in its SEC opener.
  • Shrader was just the second MSU true freshman QB to start in an SEC game in the last 12 years (Damian Williams, 2013 Egg Bowl the other). Shrader was an efficient 17-of-22 for 180 yards through the air. Shrader accounted for all six of the Bulldogs' 20+ yard plays in the game, including rushes of 49- and 36-yards. With the score a one-possession game and 4:32 remaining, Shrader engineered a six-play, 75 yard drive and extended the drive with a 49-yard rush on third down.
  • The winning drive culminated with a touchdown and put the game out of reach. Shrader became the first MSU QB in school history to rush for over 100 yards and pass for over 100 yards in his first career start. He was the first to do it overall since senior Nick Fitzgerald last season.