Dayon Hayes named SEC's co-Defensive Lineman of the Week

Challenge accepted. Challenge completed.

On Monday, Texas A&M graduate defensive end Dayon Hayes was named the Southeastern Conference’s co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.

Hayes shares the honor with Colin Simmons of Texas.

The challenge in question refers to Mike Elko’s halftime request of his defense. Up 21-14 at the break, the goal was simple: Get takeaways.

“I challenged the guys at halftime on defense to go out and get us two turnovers,” the head coach said on Saturday. “I said, two turnovers will win us the game in the second half, and we were able to go out there and cause two fumbles and recover them both.”

Hayes forced and recovered the challenge-completing fumble (A&M’s second of the night) with less than five minutes remaining in the 34-17 Aggie victory.

Up two touchdowns after a Randy Bond field goal, Florida started a crucial drive at its 25-yard line.

Yet it went from crucial to crippling before it ever got started, all a credit to Hayes.

On the first play of the possession, the 6-foot-3, 264-pounder ran right by left tackle Austin Barber and knocked the ball out of DJ Lagway’s hand before the Gator quarterback could get rid of it. Hayes then won the scramble for the loose fumble to complete A&M’s second takeaway of the night.

It represents the fourth forced fumble and his first recovery of his six-year collegiate career.

All told, Hayes had just two tackles on the night, but the biggest was the strip-sack in the fourth quarter.

On the year, the former Pitt Panther and Colorado Buffalo has 11 total tackles, eight solos, 2.5 TFLs and two sacks.

This is the third weekly honor of his collegiate career, though the first two came from the ACC while he was at Pitt. Additionally, he is the third Aggie defensive lineman to win the award this year, along with Cashius Howell (twice) and Albert Regis.