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After every weekend of games, you always hear about the performances of starts like Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett. But there are also the performances you don’t hear as much about, coming from some under-the-radar SEC players — the sleepers.
Who were the best of the Saturday Sleepers from Week 2? Take a look.
Dominick Sanders, Georgia
Sanders has proven that he is one of the Bulldogs biggest playmakers in the secondary, and against Vanderbilt on Saturday he made the play that sealed the game for Georgia. The Bulldogs led the Commodores throughout, but Vanderbilt pulled within 10 in the fourth quarter before Sanders took an interception 88 yards to the house. Sanders’ longest interception before that had been 22 yards against Missouri last year.
Jojo Kemp, Kentucky
Kemp played a big role in the Wildcats’ upset over the Gamecocks on Saturday. Kemp only has one career start for Kentucky but is the most experienced runner in its backfield. The Wildcats used an effective ground game to stun South Carolina in Columbia. Kemp is proving to be an excellent complement to Boom Williams and carried the ball in this game 13 times for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Chief Brown, Ole Miss
The Rebels have one of the few defenses in the nation where a 6-foot-1, 202-pound defensive back can fly under the radar. Against Fresno State, Brown recorded his first interception since 2013 and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown, which marked the first pick he has scored on in his career. His touchdown was Ole Miss’ final score of the game and added insult to injury to Fresno State.
Brandon Holloway, Mississippi State
On a night where the Bulldogs’ run game was completely ineffective against LSU, averaging 1.7 yards per carry, Holloway was the only Mississippi State back able to find any running room. Holloway had 37 yards on just 5 carries for an impressive average of 7.4 yards per touch and also showed his versatility as a scatback by adding 2 receptions for 13 yards. He’s the one Mississippi State back that is of a different mold and gives Dan Mullen a nice alternative option when the other runners aren’t getting the job done.
Ronnie Harrison, Alabama
Harrison was the lone bright spot for the Alabama special teams against Middle Tennessee with its kicker Adam Griffith missing two more field goals to put him at 0-of-4 for the season. In the second quarter, Harrison blocked a punt and recovered the ball in the end zone for a safety to put the Crimson Tide up 23-3. Harrison is a 6-foot-3, former four-star freshman safety whose impact will soon be felt regularly on defense and not just special teams.
Pat Donohue is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @SportsDownPat.
