A lot can change in a year.
As Alabama and Florida were prepping for their colossal matchup in last December’s Southeastern Conference football championship, Cam Newton was on the verge of quarterbacking Blinn (Texas) College to a junior college national title. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley was struggling through his first season at Auburn after transferring from a junior college in Mississippi, while tailbacks Marcus Lattimore and Michael Dyer were still in high school.
Newton, Fairley, Lattimore and Dyer are four of the five most prominent players in Saturday’s matchup between Auburn and South Carolina for the conference crown. Only Gamecocks receiver Alshon Jeffery, who made the SEC’s all-freshman team a year ago after amassing 46 catches for 763 yards and six touchdowns, entered this season as an established player within the league.
A look at Saturday’s big five:
5. Auburn freshman tailback Michael Dyer
Dimensions: 5-foot-9, 215 pounds
Hometown: Little Rock, Ark.
2010 Stats: 146 rushes for 886 yards (6.1 per carry), five touchdowns
Top factoid: He broke Bo Jackson’s school record for rushing yards by a freshman.
Breakdown: Dyer had 23 carries for 100 yards in the first meeting against South Carolina but looked tentative last Friday against Alabama, rushing nine times for 27 yards. Will the spotlight that will accompany Saturday’s showdown result in more hesitation?
Quotable: “You can tell his comfort level has improved drastically since the beginning of the year. He’s a guy that we know can move a pile.” – Auburn coach Gene Chizik
4. South Carolina freshman tailback Marcus Lattimore
Dimensions: 6-foot, 218 pounds
Hometown: Duncan, S.C.
2010 Stats: 232 rushes for 1,114 yards (4.8 per carry), 17 touchdowns
Top factoid: In the two biggest games against East Division challengers Georgia and Florida, Lattimore rushed for 394 yards on 77 carries.
Breakdown: Lattimore had 33 yards on 14 carries in the September loss at Auburn, when his 2.4-yard average was his worst against an SEC foe. Yards could be tough again Saturday, as the Tigers rank 10th nationally in rushing defense, allowing 108 yards a game.
Quotable: “Marcus is a very even-keeled person. He doesn’t have a lot of big highs and lows. You don’t see him in wild celebrations. He scores, flips the ball to the ref, gets a high-five from his teammates and he’s ready to keep playing.” – South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier
3. Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley
Dimensions: 6-foot-5, 298 pounds
Hometown: Mobile, Ala.
2010 Stats: 51 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, one interception
Top factoid: Fairley has been named SEC defensive player or defensive lineman of the week five times this season
Breakdown: One of the greatest SEC menaces ever. He knocked Ryan Mallett out of the Arkansas game with a concussion. He had a key sack (or body slam) against LSU’s Jordan Jefferson. And he provided the game-turning play last Friday at the expense of Alabama’s Greg McElroy.
Quotable: “He gave us a lot of trouble and knocked some of our offensive linemen around pretty well. We’re definitely going to have to scheme around him and put some plays in to get around him. He is definitely a focus of our preparation.” – South Carolina fullback Patrick DiMarco
2. South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery
Dimensions: 6-foot-4, 233 pounds
Hometown: St. Matthews, S.C.
2010 Stats: 75 catches for 1,351 yards (18 per catch), eight touchdowns
Top factoid: With 2,114 receiving yards in less than two seasons, Jeffery is just 980 away from breaking the SEC career mark (3,093) held by Georgia’s Terrence Edwards.
Breakdown: Jeffery had 192 yards on eight catches in the first meeting at Auburn and is the biggest reason why South Carolina could win the rematch. The Tigers have struggled all year against top-notch receivers and rank 106th nationally in passing defense.
Quotable: “He knows how to use his body very well, and he’s definitely tall. We’ve got to find ways to stop him and keep him in front of us. No one person in the SEC can really guard him one-on-one right now.” – Auburn safety Zac Etheridge
1. Auburn quarterback Cam Newton
Dimensions: 6-foot-6, 250 pounds
Hometown: College Park, Ga.
2010 Stats: 228 rushes for 1,336 yards (5.9 per carry) and 18 touchdowns; 148-of-218 for 2,254 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions
Top factoid: Although Newton jumped to the Heisman forefront with his rushing ability, he has completed 78 of 110 passes (70.9 percent) the past six games for 12 touchdowns and one interception.
Breakdown: Newton accounted for five touchdowns in a game twice this season, and once was against South Carolina. He rushed for 176 yards and three TDs on 25 carries the first time around against the Gamecocks, who rank fifth nationally against the run (allowing 93.17 a game). No team has yet to shut down his rushing and passing, with Alabama coming the closest last Friday.
Quotable: “Obviously he’s had the ability to not let any of that [NCAA investigating his recruitment] bother him. He acts like he doesn’t read the newspapers or hears any of it. He’s a sharp young man who has the ability to help his team focus on winning the game.” – South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier