Week four in the Southeastern Conference showcased seven games, three being a battle of the unbeatens. In those three games, it became abundantly clear which teams are the best in the league. LSU and Alabama took care of business easily. South Carolina came through with a solid effort. Florida ran all over Kentucky. This week, we found out who’s got the target on their backs for the rest of the season.
Georgia Bulldogs 27, Mississippi Rebels 13
In the hot seat bowl, Mark Richt prevails over Houston Nutt. The Bulldogs get to the .500 mark in overall record and SEC play, while the Rebels fall to 1-3. Georgia’s defense held the Ole Miss offense to 183 total yards and only 34 yards rushing. Meanwhile, Dawgs quarterback Aaron Murray had a pretty good game, throwing for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman running back Isaiah Crowell toted the ball 30 times for 147 yards. It’s obvious for Georgia to compete the rest of the way, Crowell is going to have to shoulder the load. Murray’s a good quarterback, but his wide receivers haven’t been as productive as he’d like. His most dangerous option is tight end Orson Charles, who, with his athleticism, creates a lot of mismatches. Georgia’s got a test next week in Mississippi State, but those Bulldogs from Starkville are lacking some confidence right now. Meanwhile, it could be another tough game for the Rebels next week when they travel to The Valley to play at Fresno State.
#14 Arkansas Razorbacks 14, #3 Alabama Crimson Tide 38
This is the Crimson Tide team that scares everyone. Even though the game was played at home, Alabama completely dominated a very good Arkansas team. That vaunted Alabama defense held the potent Arkansas offense to only 226 yards and only 17 rushing yards. The Crimson Tide had 10 tackles for loss, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), six pass breakups and four quarterback hurries. On the other side of the ball, running back Trent Richardson had a big day with 126 yards rushing and a 61-yard touchdown reception. And quarterback A.J. McCarron was efficient, throwing for 200 yards, two touchdowns, and, most importantly, no interceptions. For Arkansas, this proves that maybe their offense isn’t quite as good as last year’s team when Ryan Mallet was at the helm. Tyler Wilson sat out most of the fourth quarter after throwing for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Alabama’s defense and rushing attack will face a stiff test next week with Florida’s speed at running back and ferocious front seven. But the same goes for the Gators going against the Crimson Tide. The Razorbacks don’t get any rest, facing future SEC foe Texas A&M at Cowboys Stadium.
Florida Atlantic Owls 14, Auburn Tigers 30
Auburn didn’t look too great in their win against Florida Atlantic. Coming off their first loss since 2009, Jordan-Hare Stadium wasn’t filled to the brim like it normally was, and the Tigers played like a team that lost 18 starters from last years team. Auburn began to pull away with two interceptions in the third quarter, one returned for a touchdown. The Tigers offense struggled at times, totaling only 315 yards. Meanwhile, Auburn’s defense gave up 307 total yards and ended up making the plays to get the Tigers the win. Auburn had better regroup quickly, as they play South Carolina in Columbia next week.
#15 Florida Gators 48, Kentucky Wildcats 10
I go more in depth here. Basically, Florida ran all over the Kentucky defense, rushing for 405 yards. The Gators pressured the Wildcat’s quarterbacks throughout the entire game. The final score means Florida has outscored Kentucky by 164 points the past four meetings and have won 25 in a row against Big Blue.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 20, Mississippi State Bulldogs 26 OT
Mississippi State was coming off of two tough losses and needed an interception in overtime to beat Louisiana Tech. The MSU offense, supposedly the strength of this team, stuggled mightily. Miss St. actually had less yards than La Tech (340 for MSU, 359 for LT). But Chris Relf threw the game winning touchdown pass in overtime to even up the Bulldogs to 2-2. Mississippi State had better regroup for next weeks matchup against Georgia at Sanford Stadium.
Vanderbilt Commodores 3, #12 South Carolina 21
This game, believe it or not, featured two unbeatens going into the game. Vanderbilt did what they have been doing all season with four interceptions, but unfortunately for the Commodores, they could not convert the turnovers into points. The South Carolina defense was smothering, allowing 77 total yards. But kudos also goes to the ‘Dores defense, as they held manchild Marcus Lattimore under 100 yards rushing. Vandy’s going to compete in the SEC this season, but they’re not worthy of the top spot in the East division. The Gamecocks continue to win, however unimpressively they get it done. If they continue playing like this, USC could go through their typical late season swoon against tougher competition.
#2 Louisiana State Tigers 47, #16 West Virginia Mountaineers 21
LSU dominated pretty much the entire game. But when the Mountaineers got within one score in the third quarter, LSU responded accordingly with a 99-yard kickoff return and 20 straight points to put the game away. The Bayou Bengal’s defense gave up 533 total yards, including 463 passing yards by West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith. That may be cause for some concern, but the defense also forced four turnovers. The offense was incredibly efficient, with Tigers quarterback Jarrett Lee throwing three touchdowns and no interceptions. LSU has played one of the toughest September schedules in recent memory and passed with flying colors. They certainly proved they are BCS Championship contenders during this month and are making a case for being number one in the nation. And they’re doing all this without Jordan Jefferson, who they thought would be their starting quarterback at the beginning of the season. The Tigers continue to impress and will get to host Kentucky next week.
Like the column? Hate the column? Feel free to comment or hit me up on Twitter @GatorBK.
