SEC helmet stickers: Week 8
October 25, 2009 10:00 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Alabama needed two blocked field goals to survive, and Florida was able to survive despite Tim Tebow throwing two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

It was that kind of Saturday in the SEC, meaning there was a long list of candidates for helmet stickers.

Here are the winners for Week 8:

Alabama nose guard Terrence Cody: He was already a cult hero on campus and with the fans, but the 354-pound Cody etched his name forever in Alabama lore with his two blocked field goals in the fourth quarter of the 12-10 win over Tennessee. The Crimson Tide needed both of them to survive and keep alive their national championship hopes, and you can bet Mount Cody’s last block will become legendary. He bulled his way through the middle of the Vols’ line and swatted down Daniel Lincoln’s 44-yard attempt as time expired.

Ole Miss running back/receiver Dexter McCluster: The Rebels finally gave McCluster the football this season, and he was sensational in the 30-17 win over Arkansas. He rushed for a career-high 123 yards on 22 carries and also had a career-high 137 receiving yards on seven catches. One of those was a screen pass that McCluster turned into a 64-yard touchdown. The 29 touches were easily a season high for McCluster, who got a bunch of work at tailback.

Mississippi State safety Johnathan Banks: A week after getting his first college start, Banks had a huge night in the 29-19 loss to No. 1 Florida. The true freshman intercepted two Tim Tebow passes and returned both for touchdowns. The first one came right before halftime when he gathered in a deflection in his own end zone and showed off his running skills on his way to a 100-yard return the other way.

South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery: The deeper it gets in his freshman season, the better Jeffery gets. He’s making a real bid for freshman of the year honors in the SEC, and had eight catches for 161 yards in the 14-10 win over Vanderbilt. His 43-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter put the Gamecocks ahead to stay. He’s gone over the 100-yard receiving mark in two of his past three games.

LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis: The Tigers are playing some of the best defense in the conference and doing so at just the right time. They’ve gotten better every game under Chavis and appear to be peaking with the Alabama game coming up in two weeks. They held Auburn to 193 total yards in a 31-10 win, sacking quarterback Chris Todd four times and forcing two turnovers. Auburn was averaging 464.9 yards per game coming in, but could only muster 42 yards in the first half.