Thursday’s results
South Carolina vs. North Carolina, late
Western Kentucky at Vanderbilt, late
Saturday’s games
Louisiana-Monroe at Georgia, noon, SEC Network
Tennessee-Martin at Ole Miss, noon, SEC Network Alternate
Louisville vs. Auburn (Georgia Dome), 3:30 p.m., CBS
Texas-El Paso at Arkansas, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU
Bowling Green vs. Tennessee (Nashville, Tenn.), 4 p.m., SEC Network
Southeast Missouri at Missouri, 4 p.m., SEC Network Alternate
Arizona State vs. Texas A&M (Houston), 7 p.m., ESPN
Louisiana-Lafayette at Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPNU
New Mexico State at Florida, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network
McNeese State at LSU, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network Alternate
Alabama vs. Wisconsin (Arlington, Texas), 8 p.m., ABC
Mississippi State at Southern Miss, 10 p.m., Fox Sports 1
Quarterback quandaries and controversies have controlled conversations across SEC country for several months, but there aren’t many issues surrounding the conference’s top running backs.
Eight of the SEC’s top 15 rushers from 2014 return (including Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott), a total that was at nine before Jonathan Williams, one-half of Arkansas’ once-dominant duo, was lost for the season with a foot injury.
The group includes Nick Chubb (Georgia), Russell Hansbrough (Missouri), Leonard Fournette (LSU), Derrick Henry (Alabama), Ralph Webb (Vanderbilt), Jalen Hurd (Tennessee) and Collins.
Most of the offseason focus and Heisman Trophy talk has been on Chubb (1,547, 14 touchdowns), Henry (990 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Fournette (1,034 yards, 10 touchdowns), but Hansbrough was one of seven SEC backs with more than 1,000 yards last season (1,084) and scored 10 touchdowns.
And both Collins (1,100 yards, 12 touchdowns) and Williams (1,190 yards, 12 touchdowns) did it while sharing snaps for the Razorbacks.
Webb and Hurd completed the SEC’s Freshman Foursome (along with Chubb and Fournette).
Despite being Vanderbilt’s lone threat on offense, Webb finished with 912 yards, and Hurd helped spur Tennessee’s resurgence with 899 yards.
And depth isn’t an issue for many of the top programs.
Sony Michel and Keith Marshall back up Chubb, Kenyan Drake (Hillgrove) has returned from injuries at Alabama and Alvin Kamara (Norcross) signed with Tennessee.
Even Auburn, which lost SEC leading rusher Cameron Artis-Payne (1,608 yards in 2014), appears set with a combination of Roc Thomas, Jovon Robinson, who signed after two years at Georgia Military College, and Peyton Barber (Milton).
Model of consistency: LSU's Vadal Alexander (Buford) has started 34 games in his three-year career, and now returns to the position where he began.
Alexander, who is 6-foot-6, 329 pounds, is back at right tackle this season after two years at left guard.
He played right tackle as a freshman and moved inside for two seasons, where he became one of the SEC’s top offensive linemen. Alexander was selected to the preseason All-SEC first team.
“I feel comfortable. Tackle is my natural position,” he told NOLA.com. “My pass blocking has gotten a lot better. It’s extremely more consistent. I’m handling guys very well off the edge. Tackle is different with faster, more athletic, guys outside.”
Jerald Hawkins, who has 26 consecutive starts, moved from right tackle to left tackle.
Volunteers hurting: Injuries have slammed Tennessee, damaging depth on the offensive line, at receiver and in the defensive backfield.
Starting guard Marcus Jackson and reserve Austin Sanders are out for the season with torn biceps tendons, and receivers Vincent Perry (meniscus) and Jason Croom (Norcross), who has a knee injury, also will miss time.
Pig Howard, who led the Volunteers with 54 receptions and 618 yards in 2014, is suspended one game, adding more issues at receiver for the opener against Bowling Green.
Safety LaDarrell McNeil (neck), one of Tennessee’s more experienced defenders with 31 career starts, also is out for an undetermined amount of time, and cornerback Rashaan Gaulden (broken foot) will miss the season.
“You just don’t replace the production of some of those individuals,” coach Butch Jones told reporters.
Filling nickname: Kentucky fullback Will Thomas Collins recently told the story of how he gained the nickname "Taco Meat."
It seems he was hungry one day after a summer workout and went to his uncle’s house. He saw about 2 pounds of taco meat in the fridge.
“So I took it out, microwaved it, put some cheese and taco sauce on it, and ate it with chips,” he told Kentucky’s athletic website. “(My uncle) came home. I was watching TV and he said, ‘Where is all my taco meat at?’ And I said, ‘Well, I ate all your taco meat.’ He said, ‘That was for supper. It was for the whole family.’ ”
Collins was a walk-on linebacker who switched positions and now starts at fullback.
Rebels on the defensive: Ole Miss lost several key players from last year's 9-4 team that defeated Alabama and Mississippi State, but return seven starters from the "Land Shark" defense.
They include cornerback Tony Conner, end Marquis Haynes and tackle Robert Nkemdiche (Grayson).
Ole Miss led the nation in scoring defense (16 points a game) and ranked eighth with 34 takeaways.
The Rebels are 17th in the preseason AP poll and have been ranked for 18 consecutive weeks, the program’s longest streak since 69 weeks in a row from 1957-62.
He said it: "There's no doubt that Auburn, when this team looks at itself in the mirror, they see themselves as a contender." — CBS analyst Gary Danielson.
Etc.: Thomas is No. 1 at running back on Auburn's depth chart, but offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said Robinson and Barber will see action. "We really still don't have a starter, but Roc has earned the right to go out there first," Lashlee told reporters. … Prescott needs 1,015 yards rushing this season to surpass Tim Tebow for the SEC record in career rushing yards by a quarterback. Prescott has 1,933 and Tebow had 2,947 from 2006-09. … SEC West teams combined to go 28-0 in nonconference games last season. … The SEC East was 5-0 in bowl games. … Stanley "Boom" Williams (George Walton) is listed as Kentucky's starter at running back after leading the Wildcats with 486 yards rushing as a freshman last season. "He's been very explosive," coach Mark Stoops said.
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