Patriots: Top 6 performances by current players in college rivalry games
Current New England Patriots players have had some great performances in college football rivalry games. Here is a ranking of the top 6.
Thanksgiving weekend is typically one of the best weekends on the college football calendar: rivalry weekend. On this weekend there has been some great performance by New England Patriots players in their college football days.
Even in this abnormal season, with many rivalry games either moved around or cancelled all together, we still have several heated rivalry matchups this weekend.
So in honor of rivalry weekend, we decided to look back at six great performances by current Patriots players in college rivalry games.
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No. 6 Rex Burkhead: Running Back, Nebraska
Can you imagine a game plan that involves handing the ball off to Rex Burkhead a whopping thirty eight times?
Yeah, we can’t either. But that’s exactly what Nebraska did in their rivalry game against Iowa in 2011.
The future Patriot set the school record for rushing attempts in a single game, and carved out 160 yards and scored a touchdown while doing so.
The plan seemed to work pretty well for the Cornhuskers, as they defeated Iowa 20-7 in the rivals’ first meeting since Nebraska’s move to the Big Ten.
No. 5 Donte Montcrief: Wide Receiver, Ole Miss
The Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State is one of the most heated rivalries in all of college football.
So naturally, then, Donte Montcrief’s outstanding performance in the 2012 edition of the game was celebrated by Ole Miss fans—and broke the hearts of Mississippi State fans.
Montcrief caught seven passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Rebels to a 41-24 victory over their arch-rivals, and bringing the “Golden Egg” trophy back to Ole Miss.
No. 4 Marqise Lee: Wide Receiver, USC
After signing with the New England Patriots back in April, Lee opted out of the 2020 NFL season, so we have yet to see him actually suit up in a Patriots uniform.
However, Lee’s performance with the Trojans against crosstown rival UCLA back in 2011 was so impressive that we couldn’t leave it off of this list.
On that night, Marqise Lee caught 13 passes for 224 yards—a rivalry record that still stands to this day—and two touchdowns in a 50-0 rout that Bruin fans are still emotionally recovering from nine years later.
No. 3 Sony Michel: Running Back, Georgia
Great players have one incredible performance against a rival.
Legends have multiple. At the University of Georgia, New England Patriots running back Sony Michel fell into the latter category.
In the Bulldogs’ 2015 and 2016 games against in-state rival Georgia Tech—a series simply known as “Clean, Old-Fasioned Hate”—Michel had a combined 33 carries for 319 yards and two touchdowns.
As if that weren’t enough, he added 4 receptions for 44 yards. While the Bulldogs won the 2015 matchup, unfortunately for Michel, they came up short in 2016—one of just three Georgia Tech victories in the rivalry since 2001.
No. 2 James White: Running Back, Wisconsin
If Sony Michel’s two legendary rivalry performances were impressive, then James White‘s four took it to an entirely new level.
In four career games at Wisconsin against rival Minnesota, all White did was carry the ball 74 times for 505 yards and six touchdowns.
With the Badgers winning all four games, White’s impressive performances solidified his place in Wisconsin lore.
No. 1 Cam Newton: Quarterback, Auburn
You’ve probably heard this story a million times before. In 2010, Heisman Trophy front-runner Cam Newton lead the number two Auburn Tigers into Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to take on their arch-rival, the number eleven Alabama Crimson Tide, in the Iron Bowl.
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The game started out in disastrous fashion for Newton and the Tigers, as they quickly fell behind 24-0 to their bitter rivals. From there, however, Newton would lead Auburn on an incredible comeback, as they would come all the way back to win the game, 28-27.
Auburn would go on to win the national championship that season, but it was this game—which became known as “The Camback”—that effectively clinched the Heisman for the New England Patriots quarterback, and solidified his place as one of the greatest football players in Auburn history.