Oct. 12, 2010

By David Fox, Rivals.com College Football Staff Writer

Simply being the best receiver in the SEC would be compliment enough with company such as A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Greg Childs.

Alshon Jeffery, though, is making a case to be the No. 1 receiver in the country.

In a 35-21 upset of No. 1 Alabama, he was South Carolina’s top offensive player and the clear favorite target of QB Stephen Garcia. Jeffery, a sophomore, caught seven passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns against the Crimson Tide to earn Rivals.com National Player of the Week honors.

Garcia completed 10 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown to his other receivers.

“That is a guy that you have to keep throwing at,” South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. “When you get a guy that can fall forward for 3 or 4 yards, you just have to keep getting him the ball, so certainly that was in our plans.”

If there was one slip-up on his day, it would have been a pass that bounced off Jeffery’s chest for an Alabama interception. Jeffery made up for that bounce with a 45-yard catch to set up South Carolina’s final touchdown to put Alabama away.

“I’m not dwelling on the interception,” Garcia said. “The guy knocked it out of his hands as he was coming down. It doesn’t matter anymore because he made up for it with that one-handed catch that he took 45 yards down the field. That was the game changer right there. You really can’t say enough about that kid.”