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BIRMINGHAM (SECDigitalNetwork.com) - The Southeastern Conference on Monday announced its Football Players of the Week, recognizing performances from the sixth week of the 2013 season.
OFFENSIVE: Zach Mettenberger, QB, LSU
• Threw for 340 yards and 2 TDs in leading LSU to a 59-26 win over Mississippi State … Completed a career-high 25 passes on 29 attempts in engineering the Tiger offense to 563 total yards and eight touchdowns … His .860 completion percentage is the fourth-highest total for a QB in school history in a game with at least 20 attempts.
• Became only the third QB in school history, and the first since Rohan Davey in 2001, to have 300-yards passing in back-to-back games … The 59 points were the most for the Tigers in an SEC game since scoring 63 against Kentucky in 1997 … LSU has scored 30 points or more in all six games – a first in school history.
• LSU has also gone over 400 yards of total offense in all six games, another first in LSU history … LSU outscored Mississippi State 31-3 in the second half after leading 28-23 at halftime … Has more passing TDs (15) and passing yards (1,738) than any player in LSU history through the first six games of a season and he's on pace to break the single-season school record in both marks.
DEFENSIVE: Loucheiz Purifoy, DB, Florida
• Had the best game of his career against Arkansas, returning his first career interception for a touchdown that gave Florida a lead which it never relinquished. Also made the first sack of his career, pulling Brandon Allen down eight yards behind the line of scrimmage.
• Added four tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in the win over the Razorbacks.
• Assisted a Gator defense that made two sacks against an Arkansas offense that was allowing just 0.6 sacks per game.
• Had a hand in both Gator turnovers on the day, forcing a fumble on an 8-yard quarter sack and a 42-yard INT return - the first of his career - in the second quarter.
• Also returned two punts for 17 yards.
• Named the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Marshall Morgan, PK, Georgia
• Morgan scored 10 points in the Bulldogs' 34-31 overtime win at Tennessee, including the game-winning 42-yard field goal (first FG game-winner since 2009 for the Bulldogs).
• Started the game by drilling a career-long 56 yarder to put Georgia up 3-0 (longest FG for the Bulldogs since 2011, the longest on the road in school history, longest in Neyland Stadium history, the longest for any team against Tennessee in history, the longest in the SEC this year).
FRESHMAN: Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn
• True freshman had a career-high six tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss (-10) and 2.0 quarterback sacks (-7) and one quarterback hurry.
• Helped lead Auburn to its first win over a ranked opponent since 2011.
• Part of an Auburn defensive line that recorded 6.0 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss, the most sacks by an AU team since 11 vs. Alabama in 2005 and the most TFLs by an AU defense since 2004 vs. Kentucky.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: Chris Burnette, OG, Georgia
• Graded out at 82 percent with six dominator blocks and four knockdowns during Georgia's 34-31 overtime win at Tennessee.
• Burnette anchored an offense that generated at least 34 points and 400 yards for the fifth consecutive game of the 2013 season.
• Part of an offensive line that has only allowed one sack in the last three games, including a win over #6 LSU, and helped protect QB Aaron Murray during his game-tying drive on Saturday in the final minute of regulation and on the game-winning drive in overtime.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: Michael Sam, DE, Missouri
• Notched a second-straight 3-sack game with his 3-sack, 5-tackle outing Saturday night in Mizzou's 51-28 win at Vanderbilt. Two of his sacks came on 4th-down plays in the 4th-quarter as Vanderbilt was trying to stage a late rally.
• The 3.0 sacks ties the NCAA single-game high through Oct. 5th this season, and Sam is the only player in the nation so far to record 3.0 sacks in a game twice. It's been done 16 times overall so far, but Sam is the only repeat performer on the single-game list.
• Sam leads the SEC in both sacks and tackles for loss, and ranks 5th in the NCAA so far in sacks (1.2 per game) and 6th in the NCAA in TFLs (2.0 per game)
Mizzou's Michael Sam named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week
BIRMINGHAM (SECDigitalNetwork.com) - The Southeastern Conference on Monday announced its Football Players of the Week, recognizing performances from the sixth week of the 2013 season.