Around the SEC: Week 12
While Mizzou was handling Mississippi State, the rest of the SEC was full of action. Here is a look around the rest of Saturday’s conference slate.
All rankings will be from last week’s CFP update.
No. 3 Texas A&M 31, South Carolina 30
The Gamecocks were set to shock the world.
South Carolina took the lead when LaNorris Sellers hit Vandrevius Jacobs for a 50-yard touchdown in the first quarter, then Marcel Reed was strip sacked by Dylan Stewart and Nick Barrett recovered it to put the Gamecocks up 17-3 going to the second quarter.
Two field goals and a Sellers 80-yard touchdown to Nyck Harbor sent South Carolina into halftime leading undefeated No. 3 Texas A&M 30-3.
But it was all for not.
Reed hit Isaiah Williams on a 27-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 20, then he passed to Ashton Bethel-Roman for a 39-yard touchdown with 4:18 left in the third to get within 30-17. Reed then connected with Nate Boerkircher for a 14-yard touchdown with 2:04 left in the third to get all the way back to a one-score game at 30-24 going to the fourth.
Then, with 10:47 left, A&M completed the comeback with EJ Smith rushing for a 4-yard score. In just 20 game minutes, the Aggies erased a 27-point deficit.
Texas A&M held on through the final 11 minutes to complete the biggest comeback in school history as South Carolina continued its season-long collapse.
The Aggies led 503-388 in total yards and 439-267 in passing yards. South Carolina led 121-64 in rushing yards.
Sellers was 15-of-30 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for South Carolina. Receiver Brian Rowe also threw a pass for 21 yards.
Reed was 22-of-39 for 439 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions for A&M.
No rusher had more than 30 yards for either team.
Harbor led South Carolina with three catches for 102 yards. KC Concepcion led A&M with seven catches for 158 yards, while Bethel-Roman had four catches for 139 yards.
No. 3 Texas A&M (10-0, 7-0) will hop out of conference play to host Samford (1-10) at 11 a.m. Saturday.
South Carolina (3-7, 1-7) will also jump out of SEC competition to host Coastal Carolina (6-4) at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
LSU 23, Arkansas 22
In a game of wild swings, LSU came out on top in the end.
Arkansas jumped ahead with a blocked punt. Wyatt Simmons blocked the kick and Caleb Wooden returned the loose ball 16 yards for a score. Then Taylen Green ran in an 11-yard score to put Arkansas up 14-0 going into the second quarter.
But the game swung away from the Razorbacks as Caden Durham ran free for a 27-yard touchdown, then LSU hit two field goals to take a 16-14 lead into halftime.
The game swung back in Arkansas’ favor when Mike Washington ran in a 9-yard touchdown, then Green ran in a 2-point conversion to take a 22-16 lead into the fourth quarter.
But it was LSU with the last laugh as Michael Van Buren hit Bauer Sharp on a 12-yard score with 7:53 left to play to create a 1-point win.
LSU led 390-340 in total yards and 235-165 in passing yards. Arkansas led 175-155 in rushing yards.
Green was 11-of-19 for 165 yards and two interceptions for Arkansas. Van Buren was 21-of-31 for 221 yards and a touchdown for LSU. Ju’Juan Johnson threw a 14-yard pass on one attempt and receiver Zavion Thomas also attempted a pass for the Bayou Bengals.
Washington led Arkansas with 85 rushing yards, while Durham had 65 to lead LSU.
Raylen Sharpe led Arkansas with four catches for 65 yards, while Thomas led LSU with six catches for 80 yards.
LSU (6-4, 3-4) will step out of SEC pay to host Western Kentucky (8-2) at 6:45 p.m. Saturday.
Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) will play at No. 10 Texas (7-3, 4-2) at 2:40 p.m. Saturday.
No. 11 Oklahoma 23, No. 4 Alabama 21
Mizzou’s next opponent remained alive in the CFP hunt with a comeback win.
Oklahoma jumped ahead with a field goal and an Eli Bowen 87-yard pick 6 off of Ty Simpson in the first quarter. That built a 10-0 Sooner lead against Alabama going to the second.
But Alabama put it together with a Daniel Hill 1-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 10-7.
John Mateer ran in a 20-yard score to create a 17-7 lead, but Simpson hit Josh Cuevas for a 25-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 17-14 at halftime.
Oklahoma created a 20-14 lead with an early field goal in the third, but Hill ran in another 1-yard score to put Alabama up 21-20 going to the fourth.
With 13:41 left to play, Tate Sandell hit his third field goal for Oklahoma to put the Sooners in front for good.
Alabama led 406-212 in total yards, 326-138 in passing yards and 80-74 in rushing yards.
Mateer was 15-of-23 for 138 yards for Oklahoma, Simpson was 28-of-42 for 326 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Alabama.
No Oklahoma rusher reached 35 yards. Hill led Alabama with 60 yards on 15 attempts.
No Oklahoma receiver reached 40 yards, while Cuevas led Alabama with six catches for 80 yards.
No. 11 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2) will sit firmly in the CFP bracket when it hosts Mizzou (7-3, 3-3) at 11 a.m. Saturday.
No. 4 Alabama (8-2, 6-1) will hop out of SEC play to host Eastern Illinois at 1 p.m. Saturday.
No. 7 Ole Miss 34, Florida 24
Florida took the lead into halftime, but couldn’t hold on in the end.
Former Tiger Kewan Lacy put Ole Miss up to start with a 3-yard touchdown, then Ole Miss kicked a field goal to make it 10-0.
DJ Lagway ran in a 5-yard score to cut the lead to 10-7 going into the second quarter.
Jadan Baugh ran in a 2-yard touchdown to put Florida up 14-10 early in the second quarter, but Trinidad Chambliss hit Deshaun Stribling for a 43-yard touchdown to retake the lead for Ole Miss.
Lagway hit Michael Sturdivant for a 57-yard touchdown to put Florida in front once again with 6:54 left before halftime, then both teams kicked a field goal to create a 24-20 Gator advantage at halftime.
But the Gators never scored again.
Ole Miss got back in front with a 1-yard Lacy touchdown with 14:57 left to play in the fourth, then pulled away when Lacy ran in a 4-yard score with 1:43 left.
Ole Miss led 538-326 in total yards, 301-218 in passing yards and 237-108 in rushing yards.
Lagway went 16-of-31 passing for 218 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Chambliss was 26-of-35 for 301 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Baugh led Florida with 61 rushing yards, while Lacy piled up 224 yards and three touchdowns on 31 attempts.
TJ Abrams led Florida’s receivers with three catches for 76 yards, while Stribling led Ole Miss with four catches for 76 yards.
Florida (3-7, 2-5) will host No. 23 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Ole Miss is one of two SEC teams with a bye next week.
No. 5 Georgia 35, No. 10 Texas 10
The No. 5 Bulldogs ran away with a 21-point fourth quarter to claim a top 10 win.
No. 10 Texas took the initial lead with a field goal, but Gunner Stockton hit Noah Thomas one a 17-yard touchdown to create a 7-3 Georgia lead after the first quarter. The Bulldogs would not trail again.
In the second quarter, Stockton hit Thomas again, this time for a 4-yard touchdown to make it 14-3 going to halftime.
In the third, Arch Manning connected with Ryan Wingo for a 7-yard touchdown to cut the Georgia lead to 14-10 going to the fourth. But the Bulldogs ran away in the final 15 minutes.
Stockton hit London Humphreys for a 30-yard touchdown, then found Lawson Luckie on a 6-yard touchdown before running in a 4-yard score of his own to create the final margin.
Georgia led 357-274 in total yards and 128-23 in rushing yards. Texas led 251-229 in passing yards.
Manning was 27-of-43 for 251 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Stockton was 24-of-29 for 229 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
No Texas rusher reached 40 yards, while Nate Frazier led Georgia with 72.
DeAndre Moore led Texas with five catches for 75 yards. Humphreys led Georgia with two catches for 55 yards.
No. 5 Georgia (9-1, 7-1) will jump out of SEC play for a game hosting Charlotte (1-9) at 11:45 a.m. Saturday.
No. 10 Texas (7-3, 4-2) will host Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) at 2:40 p.m. Saturday.
Kentucky 42, Tennessee Tech 10
Onto this week’s non-conference blowouts.
Kentucky scored 14 points in both the first and second quarter to take a 28-7 lead to halftime. Then the Wildcats added seven points in the third and seven in the fourth.
Kentucky led 468-264 in total yards, 261-121 in passing yards and 207-143 in rushing yards.
Cutter Boley went 18-of-21 passing for 236 yards and one touchdown. Brennen Ward came on in relief and went 3-of-6 for 25 yards.
Dante Drowdell led Kentucky with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Seth McGowan had 72 yards and three rushing scores. Boley added 24 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Kendrick Law led Kentucky with 11 catches for 124 yards, while Hardley Gilmore had two catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Kentucky (5-5, 2-5) will play at No. 14 Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
No. 23 Tennessee 42, New Mexico State 9
No. 23 Tennessee scored the game’s first 21 points, then added 21 more in the third quarter to run away with a big win.
The Volunteers led 413-340 in total yards and 194-27 in rushing yards. New Mexico State led 313-219 in passing yards.
Joey Aguilar went 17-of-23 for 204 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. George MacIntyre was 1-of-2 for 17 yards and Jake Merklinger was 1-of-2 for -2 yards.
DeSean Bishop led Tennessee with 80 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, while Peyton Lewis had 42 ground yards and a score. Aguilar ran in a touchdown with 34 yards on the ground and Star Thomas added 30 yards and a rushing score.
Chris Brazzell led Tennessee with three catches for 65 yards, while Braylon Staley had 58 yards and a touchdown on five catches.
No. 23 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3) will play at Florida (3-7, 2-5) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.