SEC Football Players Of The Week: Oct. 13

On Monday, the SEC announced the league's Football Players of the Week for October 13.

OFFENSIVE

Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

-Led Alabama to a third consecutive top-25 win as the Tide downed 14th-ranked Missouri, 27-24.

-Finished 23-of-31 for 200 yards and three scores through the air.
Connected with nine different targets in the game.

-Completed three passes on fourth down to help UA finish a perfect 3-of-3, including the

-Tide's final touchdown late in the fourth quarter that would prove the difference.

-Added 10 rushes, including a team-long 20-yard run.


DEFENSIVE

Malik Muhammad, DB, Texas

-Muhammad pulled in two interceptions along with recording a tackle for loss and a pass breakup to help the Texas defense keep rival No. 6 Oklahoma out the end zone in a 23-6 victory in the Allstate Red River Rivalry in Dallas. The interceptions were the second and third of Muhammad’s career as he became the first Longhorn to secure multiple interceptions against the Sooners since 2016.

-His first interception came in the first quarter at the Texas 42 to stop that drive and set up a field goal attempt for the UT offense. The second interception came in the end zone at the end of the second quarter as Oklahoma was attempting to score before halftime from the Texas 30-yard line.

-That kept the score at 6-3 in favor of OU before the Longhorns’ defense went on to shutout the Sooners in the second half. Oklahoma would be limited to only 258 total yards in the game, including just 88 in the second half after entering the game averaging 415.2 yards per and 33.8 points per game.

-Muhammad’s pass breakup also forced a fourth down on OU’s final drive of the game that the Sooners then went for and did not convert.

-Oklahoma entered the game with three interceptions thrown for the season, and Texas doubled that number with three in the game.


SPECIAL TEAMS

Ryan Niblett, PR, Texas

-Niblett registered the first punt return touchdown of his career with a 75-yard score that put Texas up 20-6 with just under 10 minutes to play in the game in an eventual 23-6 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma in the Allstate Red River Rivalry in Dallas.

-It was one of two touchdowns scored in the game and just the third punt return touchdown by a Longhorn all-time against Oklahoma with the last coming in 2013 by Daje Johnson, and the one prior to that being in 1932 by Bohn Hilliard.

-For the season, Niblett now leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation in punt return average at 21.6 yards per return.

-Niblett also posted a 22-yard kickoff return in game and leads the SEC and ranks 11th nationally in combined kick return yards with 328.


Max Gilbert, PK, Tennessee

-Gilbert was a perfect of 4-of-4 on PATs and drilled a perfect 2-of-2 field goals in what proved to be the difference in the game as Tennessee topped Arkansas, 34-31.

-Made a 37-yarder and tacked on a 50-yarder in the second half.

-He improved to 2-of-2 from 50 or more yards this season and accounted for 10 total points Saturday.

-He is 10-of-12 for the season.


OFFENSIVE LINE

Monroe Freeling, OL, Georgia

-Had four knockdown blocks and allowed no pressures or sacks during Georgia's 20-10 win at Auburn.

-Working on an offensive line that has started six different combinations in six game, he protected QB Gunner Stockton for a total 291 yards and 3-for-3 in the red zone


DEFENSIVE LINE

Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas

-Simmons collected 2.5 sacks as part of five tackles to help the Texas defense keep rival No. 6 Oklahoma out the end zone in a 23-6 victory in the Allstate Red River Rivalry in Dallas.

-First sack came early in the second quarter with Oklahoma having reached the UT 24-yard line. It was for five yards and set the tone of the series that eventually ended in a stop by the Longhorns to hold the Sooners to just a field goal and a 6-0 lead.

-His next sack came in with 6:23 left in the fourth quarter and Texas leading 20-6.

-Oklahoma was at the UT 35-yard line with a 3rd-and-20 and it forced a fourth down that Oklahoma went for but failed to convert to give the ball back to Texas.

-His final half sack came on the Sooners’ final drive for a loss of 12 yards resulting in a 3rd-and-22.

-Oklahoma would be limited to only 258 total yards in the game, including just 88 in the second half after entering the game averaging 415.2 yards per and 33.8 points per game.


Dayon Hayes, DE, Texas A&M

-Two tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery

-Posted a 91.1 defensive grade, including a 92.3 pass rush grade, according to Pro Football Focus ... his defensive grade was the fourth highest in Week 7 among FBS edge rushers who played at least 25 snaps.

-Led a defense that limited Florida to a 1-of-10 performance on 3rd down, a 0-of-1 mark on fourth down & just 74 rushing yards, including two yards in the fourth frame.

-Anchored an Aggies defense that limited Florida to five punts, two fumbles, one turnover on downs, one field goal and a 3.2 yards per play average over nine of its final 10 drives.

-Only two drives during that stretch went for more than 15 yards.


FRESHMAN

Braylon Staley, WR, Tennessee

-Staley logged the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with six grabs for 109 yards in Tennessee's 34-31 win over Arkansas.

-In the first half alone, he hauled in five receptions for 105 yards.

-The 42-yard grab by Staley late in the second quarter marked the second-longest catch of his career.