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SEC Football: Three Things We Watched for in Week Five
Sep 3, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; The SEC logo on the chains during a game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the UCLA Bruins at Kyle Field. Texas A&M won in overtime 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
This week in SEC Football turned out to be a bit more exciting than I initially thought it would be. Georgia and Tennessee had a finish for the ages, Florida got taken to the wire by Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M had a surprising amount of trouble with South Carolina.
Nevertheless, there were still some cupcakes to be enjoyed. Auburn cruised to an easy victory over Louisiana Monroe. Alabama started slow but then pulled away from Kentucky. The Arkansas Razorbacks spanked Alcorn State. Finally, Ole Miss handled Memphis, unlike last season.
Perhaps the only truly shocking result of the day was LSU romping over a solid Missouri squad. We will discuss this game in more detail later in this article. After reading be sure to share what things you watched for in SEC Football this week in the comments section below. Let’s get to it.
Sep 17, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio (14) drops back during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the North Texas Mean Green 32-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
3. Will Luke Del Rio Play?
No. Del Rio missed his second consecutive game. And, not coincidentally, Florida struggled for the second consecutive game. Fortunately for the Gators, they were playing Vanderbilt this week. That means that their struggles didn’t cost them a game. However, beating Vanderbilt 13-6 is hardly anything to be excited about.
In Del Rio’s absence, Purdue transfer Austin Appleby again got the starting nod at the quarterback position for Florida. He was decidedly average. He completed 19 of his 28 passes for just 144 yards and no touchdowns. That’s an average of just 5.1 yards per completion. That won’t do the job against tougher opposition.
Naturally, the Gators have some tougher competition coming up this Saturday. The suddenly dangerous LSU Tigers would undoubtedly love to face off against the Appleby led Gators. Florida fans had better hope and pray that Del Rio can go this Saturday. If he can’t this game could really get ugly. Head Coach Jim McElwain said that he would see how well Del Rio was able to practice this week before making the call.
Oct 1, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers interim head coach Ed Orgeron celebrates with his team following a win in his first game against the Missouri Tigers at Tiger Stadium. LSU defeated Missouri 42-7. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
2. How Will LSU Perform Without Les Miles?
Exceptionally well. Not only were the Tigers without their former head coach, they were also mostly without superstar running back Leonard Fournette. It didn’t matter.
Derrius Guice and Darrel Williams both ran wild on the Missouri defense. Both totaled over 100 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns apiece. That is an encouraging sign for the Tigers, who have long been considered a one-man offense.
Perhaps even more encouragingly, Danny Etling had an efficient, albeit unspectacular, night at the quarterback position. He went 19 of 30 for 216 yards and no touchdowns. And, most importantly, no interceptions. Etling is not a star, but he doesn’t have to be. All he needs to do is keep the defense honest so that they can’t stack the box. If he can do that, the LSU offense will be tough to stop.
In addition to the LSU offensive explosion, the Tiger defense also had a great game. Drew Lock was sacked twice, hurried twice, and threw an interception. Even more impressive, the LSU defense held lock to just 167 yards on 37 pass attempts. He completed 17 of those attempts, also known as less than half of them.
Missouri did have a little bit of success on the ground early in the game, but they fell behind early and never really had a chance to establish it. All in all it was a great performance by LSU. If they can continue to play at a high level they may still be a factor in the SEC West race.
Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) reacts with fullback Nick Moore (43) prior to the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
1. Will Georgia Bounce Back?
Yes. Georgia bounced back in a big way. They gave Tennessee all they wanted and really should have won the game. Kirby Smart‘s team showed a lot of heart to come back and play so well after being crushed by Ole Miss.
The Bulldogs are deep at the running back position. Sony Michel and Brian Herrien both played well in relief of a banged-up Nick Chubb. Also, Jacob Eason is growing quickly. He looks ready to become the next great Bulldog quarterback.
Nevertheless, this Bulldog team is weak in a few key areas. They don’t have any elite, A.J. Green type receivers on the roster. Isaiah McKenzie is more of an athlete than a true wide receiver. Plus, the offensive line is pretty awful at the moment.
In short, this just isn’t the year for the Dawgs. However, Kirby Smart has his team playing tough and hanging in there against more talented foes. Once he gets a chance to recruit some of his own guys the SEC East will be his for the taking. This could happen as soon as next year. Tennessee will take a step back, and Florida might do the same. The time could be right for the Dawgs to take over.
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