At this rate, the rest of the SEC could be bowing to Sensei Mud by the end of the season.

Auburn edge rusher Jeff Holland, otherwise known by his alter ego Sensei Mud, had plenty of opportunities to flaunt his big play celebration -- a bow at the waist with his left palm over his right fist -- during Auburn's 52-20 drubbing of Arkansas last weekend. He finished with three total tackles, including 1.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles while garnering SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.

"Yeah, I think I've perfected it," Holland said.

That's because there has been no shortage of chances to execute the celebratory bow, which he typically does in tandem with a teammate; linebacker Deshaun Davis earned the honor against the Razorbacks. Holland led a barrage of hits on Arkansas quarterback Cole Kelley, as the Tigers totaled a season-high-tying six sacks for the game.

After Saturday's game, Holland now has eight total sacks on the year, which leads the SEC and is tied for the fourth-most in the FBS this season.

"Jeff Holland on the edge is dynamic, and our other guys did a good job of getting some pressure up the middle so he couldn't always step up," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. "I thought that was big. We've got a pretty good defensive line, and they played very well."

The 6-foot-2, 249-pound junior has done well in his first season as Auburn's starter at Buck. To go along with the eight sacks -- which are one shy of Carl Lawson's team-leading nine a year ago -- Holland has 23 total tackles, 10 stops behind the line of scrimmage, 10 quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. His 10 tackles for a loss are tied for 22nd nationally and rank second in the SEC behind Texas A&M's Otaro Alaka's 11.

With four regular-season games to go, plus a bowl game, Holland is 3.5 sacks shy of tying the single-season school record of 11.5 set by Nick Fairley in 2010.

"Jeff has a knack for rushing the passer," defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. "He's got a gift of doing it. But then the biggest thing about Jeff Holland is his heart, his fighting spirit. It's real. He has a passion for the game. He works extremely hard, and he enjoys going out there and giving it everything he's got.

"And sometimes in pass rush, it just comes down to relentless effort. And he's got that."

To be sure, Holland has exceeded expectations to this point after stepping in to replace the production of Lawson, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I think that's fair to say," Malzahn said. "You look at it in the offseason, but he loves football. He's a football player and he's really taken his game to the next level. (Defensive line) coach (Rodney) Garner has helped him with that. He's not just good as a pass-rusher, but he's good against the run, too."

Holland has led a dominant Auburn pass rush that had to replace not only Lawson, but defensive tackle Montravius Adams as well. The unit ranks sixth nationally this season with 25 total sacks, which matched the Tigers' total in 13 games a year ago.

While Holland said the unit still has "some things to improve upon," he acknowledged that he personally has surpassed many preseason expectations.

"It's going well," Holland said of his season. "I just been working hard, waiting my turn and trusting the process."

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.