Over the last 20 seasons, only one FBS player has recorded five sacks in a game against a ranked team — Texas Longhorns junior edge Colin Simmons in a big-time performance against the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
The 20-17 win marked the eighth time in the last nine games that Simmons has recorded a sack. The five-sack effort in Knoxville tied the program record set by Shone Dronett against Texas Tech in 1990.
Simmons hasn’t just been a prolific sack artist for the Longhorns — he’s showed up in
big games, recording 14.5 career sacks against ranked opponents, including at least one in seven straight games.
The total stats for Simmons were eight tackles (six solo), five sacks, one quarterback hurry, and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus credited Simmons with 10 pressures, six sacks, and eight defensive stops.
Impressive, historic stuff for the 6’3, 246-pounder. Surely good enough to earn some SEC weekly recognition, right? Right?
Apparently not.
Not only did Simmons miss out on the Defensive Player of the Week award to Georgia linebacker Chris Cole, Simmons was also snubbed for Defensive Lineman of the Week recognition, which went to Missouri edge Daeden Hopkins, who had four tackles and 3.5 sacks in the team’s 31-24 loss to Mississippi State.
