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You’ll no doubt hear each of the 12 SEC head coaches who’s preparing for a bowl game, along with his deep-in-preparation offensive coordinator, say they need to worry about everybody on an unfamiliar opposing defense.
But each defensive unit, whether good, average or shaky, has That Guy. The guy who keeps offensive coordinators’ office lights on for a few extra hours. The guy who can make a bowl experience go sour in a hurry. Here’s a list of the dirty dozen who SEC teams must go through or around in order to get that coveted bowl victory:
Mississippi State
Tony Reid, Miami (Ohio): The junior defensive back had a team-leading 84 tackles, which is impressive for a guy in the secondary — even if it is a red flag for a defense. Reid helped the RedHawks’ unit allow 20 points or less in four of its last six games, and now he’ll be taking aim at Nick Fitzgerald through the air and on the ground in the St. Petersburg Bowl.
Vanderbilt
Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State: Yes, Chubb is a cousin of Georgia star running back Nick Chubb. But Bradley Chubb does his damage on the other side of the ball. The junior defensive end earned third-team All-ACC honors, and he’ll be one of the main guys charged with stopping Vandy’s Ralph Webb in the Independence Bowl. Chubb compiled 55 tackles and 9 1/2 sacks this season for the Wolfpack.
Texas A&M
Jordan Willis, Kansas State: The senior defensive end is a 6-5 monster who rolled up a team-leading 11 1/2 sacks this season along with 48 tackles and 16 1/2 tackles for loss. Willis was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and he’ll be in Trevor Knight and Trayveon Williams’ way in the Texas Bowl as these old Big 12 rivals collide.
South Carolina
Auggie Sanchez, South Florida: The linebacker was first recruited to USF as a fullback. But Sanchez loved playing linebacker in high school in nearby St. Petersburg, so he asked the defensive coordinator if he could play defense. The answer was yes. This season, Sanchez had a staggering 111 tackles and a team-leading six sacks. Jake Bentley’s bowl baptism in the Birmingham Bowl will likely include a few close encounters with Sanchez.
Arkansas
Andrew Motuapuaka, Virginia Tech: The junior linebacker with the distinct name has a distinguished game, piling up a team-leading 106 tackles and three interceptions for a defense that got the Hokies to the ACC title game. Motuapuaka was a third-team All-ACC selection, and he’ll be chasing Austin Allen everywhere in the Belk Bowl.
Georgia
Travin Howard, TCU: Another junior linebacker, another tackle machine. Howard had an astonishing 125 tackles, including 70 solo stops. He’s played big in a bowl before, being named defensive MVP of last season’s Alamo Bowl against Oregon. Howard was a first-team All-Big 12 pick, and he’ll have a hefty assignment in trying to contain Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Co. in the Liberty Bowl.
Tennessee
Josh Banderas, Nebraska (below): The senior linebacker was named to the all-Big Ten Academic Team for the third time, collecting a team-high 89 tackles. He’s Lincoln, Neb., through and through, having starred in high school in the area, and he’s been a four-year player on the Huskers’ defense. His last assignment will be trying to slow Joshua Dobbs in the Music City Bowl.
LSU
Keith Kelsey, Louisville: The Gainesville product who escaped the Florida Gators’ grasp piled up a team-leading 81 tackles in his senior year, when he earned third-team All-ACC honors. The linebacker has been a rock of the defense, playing in every game since the start of his sophomore season. Look out, Derrius Guice, in the Citrus Bowl.
Kentucky
Corey Griffin, Georgia Tech: The redshirt junior was a staple in the Yellow Jackets’ secondary, playing in all 12 games and compiling 79 tackles, 59 of them solo. After making six tackles in the win over Georgia in the season finale, Griffin will take a crack at an SEC team with another great running duo in Kentucky’s Stanley Williams and Benny Snell in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
Alabama
Budda Baker, Washington: The junior defensive back was named a first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News, finishing with 65 tackles and two interceptions on a defense that helped land the Huskies in the College Football Playoff semifinals opposite Alabama on New Year’s Eve.
Florida
Josey Jewell, Iowa: Jewell’s 93 tackles were 27 more than anyone else on a Hawkeyes defense that was pivotal in knocking off then-undefeated Michigan. The junior linebacker had double-digit tackles in six games and was a Butkus Award finalist. Next assignment: taking aim at old Big Ten friend Austin Appleby in the Outback Bowl.
Auburn
Jordan Evans, Oklahoma: The senior linebacker had a team-leading 89 tackles and added four interceptions, and was rewarded with a spot on the Big 12’s first-team defense. The Norman product hopes to end a stellar career by bottling up Kamryn Pettway in the Sugar Bowl.
Cory Nightingale, a sports copy editor at the Miami Herald, lives for Saturdays. He especially enjoys the pageantry, tradition and history of SEC football.
