SEC roundup: Alabama crushes Wisconsin
The 2015 college football regular season got underway in full swing on Saturday, and the main event featured the third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 20 Wisconsin Badgers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tx. Alabama came into the contest as a favorite and showed why, beating Wisconsin 35-17 in front of a packed house.
The offense was led by senior transfer quarterback Jake Coker, who was making his first career start after coming over from Florida State University. Coker completed 15-of-21 passes for 213 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions against one of the nation’s best defenses, looking in command throughout the game.
However, the star of the show was running back Derrick Henry. Henry, who is finally getting his shot to start after sitting behind T.J. Yeldon last year, looked like an early candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Henry was the proverbial bull in the china shop, rushing for 147 yards and three touchdowns on only 13 carries.
It was a dominant performance by a team expected to compete once more for a national championship. The headline is not that the Crimson Tide won, it is that the offense, which many believed would lag behind the defense, looked so impressive.
Elsewhere in the SEC, the Auburn Times received a major scare from the unranked Louisville Cardinals but were able to win, 31-24. The No. 6 Tigers had to fend off a furious rally by the Cardinals, who scored 14 points in the final quarter in defeat. Auburn rode the strong performance of Peyton Barber, who carried 24 times for 115 yards. The major concern is quarterback Jeremy Johnson. Johnson is replacing Nick Marshall and completed only 11-of-21 attempts with three interceptions.
The Ole Miss Rebels had no such problems in their opening game, absolutely hammering Tennessee-Martin at home, 76-3. Ole Miss jumped out to a 27-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Quarterback Chad Kelly, the nephew of Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, made his first college start and threw for 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns while running for another. Perhaps most inspiring was the return of receiver Laquon Treadwell, who made four catches for 44 yards. Treadwell’s season ended prematurely last season with a brutally broken leg and ankle, an injury some believed would ruin his career.
The major upset of the day was pulled in a neutral-site contest by the Texas A&M Aggies, who plastered the No. 15 Arizona State Sun Devils, 38-17. Receiver Christian Kirk had a big day, catching six passes for 106 yards and a score.
Finally, the Florida Gators romped in The Swamp, 61-13, over New Mexico State and the Kentucky Wildcats barely got past Louisiana-Lafayette at home, 40-33. The No. 24 Missouri Tigers had no issues with Southeast Missouri State, 34-3, while the No. 18 Arkansas Razorbacks pummeled UTEP, 48-13. Lastly, the No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs took care of business with a 51-14 home victory over Louisiana-Monroe and the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers demolished Bowling Green, 59-30.
The No. 15 LSU Tigers had their game against McNeese State suspended due to weather.
