Sept. 17, 2007
Birmingham, Ala. – Vanderbilt senior offensive tackle Chris Williams was named Southeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week today for his performance in the Commodores’ 31-17 win over Ole Miss on Saturday.
Williams, a two-year starter and All-SEC performer as a junior, was part of an offensive line that helped the Commodores gain 383 total offensive yards en route to their first home conference victory in two years. His performance in the win included five knockdown blocks.
It marks the second time SEC officials have recognized Williams’ abilities on the offensive line. Last year, he earned similar honors after Vanderbilt’s 24-22 win at Georgia.
“Chris is very deserving of this honor. He was part of a solid overall offensive line effort against Mississippi,” Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson. “He and Josh (Eames, senior guard) both did an excellent job on the left side of our line.”
Behind an effective line that repeatedly opened holes, the balanced offense produced 25 first downs, 183 rushing yards and 200 passing yards. Cassen Jackson-Garrison and Earl Bennett paced the team with 119 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards, respectively.
The Commodore offense dominated the line of scrimmage, holding a wide margin in total yards and time of possession. In the second half, Vanderbilt was able to hold on to the ball for 20:26, and ran 43 offensive plays to the Rebels’ 22. After Ole Miss closed to 14-10 in the third quarter, Vanderbilt produced two lengthy scoring drives to seal the victory.
Williams, named as a preseason All-SEC tackle by the coaches and third team All-America by Athlon’s, is on the watchlists for two prestigious postseason awards, the Outland Trophy and Lombardi/Rotary Award.
Williams, a product of Catholic H.S. In Baton Rouge, La., started at guard as a sophomore. In 2006, he was named second team All-SEC in his first year as a starter at tackle.