Offensive Player of the Midseason
–
Erik Ainge, QB Tennessee
Defensive Player of the Midseason – Patrick Willis, LB Ole
Miss
Ten best SEC players in the first half of the season
1. Erik Ainge, QB Tennessee
2. Robert Meacham, WR Tennessee
3. Patrick Willis, LB Ole Miss
4. Chris Leak, QB Florida
5. JaMarcus Russell, QB LSU
6. Jonathan Goff, LB Vanderbilt
7. Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas
8. Andre Woodson, QB Kentucky
9. Arron Sears, OT Tennessee
10. Kenny Irons, RB Auburn
Biggest
Surprise
– Alabama QB
John Parker Wilson
With star RB Ken Darby having a rough first half of the year,
the performance of sophomore QB John Parker Wilson
has saved the Bama offense. Wilson has
thrown for more than 200 yards in each of his first six games
creating a connection with Keith Brown and D.J. Hall to give the
Tide a dangerous passing attack for the next few years.
Biggest
Disappointment
– (tie)
Brent Schaeffer, QB Ole Miss and the Georgia offense
Schaeffer wasn’t supposed to be the next Vince Young, but he was
expected to add some excitement to the Ole Miss offense with his
legs as well as his arm. He hasn’t been able to get the attack
moving without nearly enough rushing production while struggling
to get anything going through the air. At Georgia, the defense
has been good enough to contend for the national title, but the
passing game, particularly the receivers, has been awful and
there haven’t been nearly enough points put up to suggest that
the SEC champions could repeat.
The SEC
Champion will be ...
Florida over Auburn. The two meet this week for the first time,
but they’ll see each other again in December.
Best
Game of the First Half
Auburn 7 ... LSU 3, Sept. 16
Auburn survived a tough, hard-hitting battle holding on twice
with a controversial late deflection by Eric Brock to stop one
drive, after the officials picked up the flag after calling pass
interference, and a big hit on Craig Davis on the six-yard-line
as time ran out. Auburn got a one-yard Brandon Cox quarterback
sneak for a touchdown in the third quarter to cap off a 12-play,
75-yard drive. LSU got its only score on a 42-yard Colt David
field goal as time ran out at the end of the first half. Auburn
only gained 182 yards of total offense, LSU gained 309.
Second Best Game – Arkansas 24 …
Alabama 23 2OT, Sept. 23
Third Best Game – Florida 21 …
Tennessee 20, Sept. 16
Worst Game of
the First Half
Kentucky 41 ... Texas State 7, Sept. 9
It took about a quarter, but Kentucky got on a run with a
27-point first half on two Andre Woodson touchdown passes to
Dicky Lyons, an eight-yard Tony Dixon scoring run, and a 17-yard
John Connor touchdown catch. Rafael Little added a 24-yard
touchdown run in the third quarter and Maurice Grinter scored
from one-yard out for a 41-0 lead before TSU scored on a
four-yard Cameron Luke catch. UK outgained Texas State 425 yards
to 210.
Coach of the Midseason
–
Phil Fulmer, Tennessee
Actually, it should probably be offensive coordinator David
Cutcliffe. Tennessee has grown by leaps and bounds playing like
the team it’s supposed to be after the disastrous 2005.
Player who'll step up in the second half
–
Kregg Lumpkin, RB Georgia
Never quite right last year after returning from injury, Lumpkin
was limited in a crowded Bulldog backfield. With Thomas Flowers
and Danny Ware doing next to nothing in the first half of the
season, and the passing game having major problems, the big
junior will start to get the ball more and more as the workhorse
of the offense. At least, he needs to be given the ball enough
to be the main weapon.
Best performance so far -
South Carolina WR Sidney Rice caught nine passes for 161
yards and five touchdowns in the 45-6 win over Florida Atlantic.
Top Freshman – Mitch Mustain, QB Arkansas
Florida backup QB Tim Tebow has provided the best spark and
showed signs he’ll be a future superstar and Tennessee RB
LaMarcus Coker has been fantastic, but Mustain has been the top
freshman after being thrown into the SEC fire and leading the
way to a 2-0 SEC record. While he’s playing like a freshman at
times, he hasn’t been awful and has been decent in keeping the
offense moving.
Coach who needs to have a big second half – Mississippi
State’s Sylvester Croom
Year three in the Croom regime isn’t looking any better than the
first two. With no offense and a struggling defense that’s not
slowing down anyone’s passing game. MSU isn’t going to win too
many over the back half of the season, but it needs to be more
competitive.
Player who needs to have a big second half – Mitch
Mustain, QB Arkansas
The defense is decent, the running game is one of the best in
the nation, and the schedule shapes up nicely. After the win
over Auburn, if Arkansas can get consistent production and a bit
of improvement from its star freshman quarterback, it could be
the wild-card in the SEC with late season home dates against
Tennessee and LSU.
Best remaining conference game – Florida at Auburn, Oct.
14
It lost some of its luster after Auburn’s loss to Arkansas, but
it’ll still be vital to the SEC race. It might be part one of
the SEC title game and will be Auburn’s last hurdle until
closing out with a home date against Georgia and a road trip to
Alabama.
Team Mid-Season MVPs & Predictions
East
Florida – QB Chris Leak
predicted wins: Georgia, at
Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Western Carolina, at Florida State
predicted losses: at Auburn
predicted record: 11-1
Georgia – DE Charles Johnson
predicted wins: Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, at
Kentucky, Georgia Tech
predicted losses: Florida, at Auburn
predicted record: 9-3
Kentucky – QB Andre Woodson
predicted wins: at Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, UL
Monroe
predicted losses: at LSU, Georgia, at Tennessee
predicted record: 6-6
South Carolina – CB Fred Bennett
predicted wins: at Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee
predicted losses: Tennessee, Arkansas, at Florida, at
Clemson
predicted record: 6-6
Tennessee – QB Erik Ainge
predicted wins: Alabama, at South Carolina, at Arkansas,
at Vanderbilt, Kentucky
predicted losses: LSU
predicted record: 10-2
Vanderbilt – LB Jonathan Goff
predicted wins: at Duke
predicted losses: at Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, at
Kentucky, Tennessee
predicted record: 3-9
West
Alabama – QB John Parker Wilson
predicted wins: Ole Miss, FIU, Mississippi State
predicted losses: at Tennessee, at LSU, Auburn
predicted record: 7-5
Arkansas – LB Sam Olajubutu
predicted wins: at South Carolina, SE Missouri State, Ole
Miss, at UL Monroe, at Mississippi State
predicted losses: Tennessee, LSU
predicted record: 9-3
Auburn – RB Kenny Irons
predicted wins: Florida, Tulane, at Ole Miss, Arkansas
State, Georgia, at Alabama
predicted losses: None
predicted record: 11-1
LSU – QB JaMarcus Russell
predicted wins: Kentucky, Fresno State, at Tennessee,
Alabama, Ole Miss, at Arkansas
predicted losses: None
predicted record: 10-2
Ole Miss – LB Patrick Willis
predicted wins: Northwestern State, Mississippi State
predicted losses: at Alabama, at Arkansas, Auburn, at LSU
predicted record: 4-8
Mississippi State – LB Quinton Culberson
predicted wins: Jacksonville State
predicted losses: at Georgia, Kentucky, at Alabama,
Arkansas, at Ole Miss
predicted record: 2-10
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