Game One, 8-30-12: 

South Carolina 17  Vanderbilt 13

Who got Nasty?

#1 Kenny Ladler FS Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt’s fall camp featured a bevy of spectacular plays from the true junior, who established himself as an honors candidate with consistency dating back to the 2012 spring.  During last Thursday night’s nationally televised opener on ESPN, Ladler was spotted blitzing from the outside, coming down into the box as an active run defender, and covering receivers in the slot.  

He also showed fine range from the middle of the field as a deep third safety. Each phase of his game showed up in the stat column as the versatile safety finished with nine tackles, one quarterback sack, and an interception in the team’s hard-fought loss to the ninth-ranked Gamecocks.

Game Two, 8-31-12: 

Tennessee 35 NC State 21

Who got Nasty?

#71 Dallas Thomas LG Tennessee

A legitimate first-round prospect for the 2013 NFL Draft, Thomas has been a fixture on the Vols’ line the last three seasons.   Despite making 25 consecutive starts at the all-important left tackle spot in 2010 and 2011, the redshirt senior unselfishly slid over to the left guard position this past offseason. 

The versatile Thomas led Tennessee’s 532-yard offensive performance vs. NC State last Friday night.  It was a big reason why QB Tyler Bray was sacked just once the entire night.  The Vols ran behind the road grader on the left side in many of their critical situations.  Thomas shows good footwork and the ability to anchor against power, as he was often matched up against NC State DT Brian Slay.  The fifth-year senior will need to continue this type of play to endure the long journey that’s sure to lie ahead through SEC play in 2012.

Game Three, 9-1-12:  

Maryland 7  William & Mary 6

Who got Nasty?

#50 Luke Rhodes MLB 6’2 230 William & Mary

Rhodes, whose father, Doug, played at the Naval Academy, had a daunting task in his first career start.  Not only was the redshirt freshman facing an ACC foe on the road in Maryland, he was also being asked to replace one of the Tribe’s best players in fifth-year senior LB Dante Cook.  He did not disappoint. 

Throughout the afternoon, he read the Terrapins’ pulling guards in the tackle box, wrapped well on contact and exhibited fine lateral speed when tracking screens and outside zone stretch runs.  The former two-time Pennsylvania Class 3A All-State LB finished the afternoon with 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for losses. 

Game Four, 9-1-12: 

Clemson 26  Auburn 19

Who got Nasty?

#23 Andre Ellington RB Clemson

The fleet-footed RB displayed tremendous balance on several runs in Saturday night’s Chick-fil-a Kickoff.  What was most surprising about Ellington was his ability to keep the chains moving on multiple downhill running plays in-between the tackles.

The performance did not come as a surprise to the fifth-year senior.  In his post game interview with DraftNasty.com Ellington stated, "This is the healthiest I've been since 2010." The former Berkeley HS (SC) product set a new Chick-fil-a game record with 231 yards rushing on 26 carries.

Game Five, 9-2-12: 

Baylor 59   SMU 24

Who got Nasty?

#11 Nick Florence QB 6’1 205 Baylor

Was there any player under more scrutiny than the 6’1, 205-pound Florence?  Only a few collegians  (Auburn QBs Barrett Trotter and Clint Mosley most recently come to mind) truly understand what it means to replace a Heisman Trophy winner.   All Florence was asked to do this past Sunday was help Bears’ fans begin life without RG3.

All he did in his 2012 debut was complete 21-of-30 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns in a resounding 59-24 victory over SMU in Waco.  In the process, he exhibited outstanding deep ball touch, a knack for running the zone read and sneaky athleticism.  Not bad for a player in just his eighth career start.   Guess what?  His passing marks weren’t even a career-high.  As a true freshman in 2009, he threw for a then-Baylor record 427 yards and three TDs vs. Missouri in place of the injured Griffin III.   The best may be yet to come.