Around the SEC: Week 8
While Mizzou was squeaking out a win against Auburn, the rest of the SEC was having a wild day.
Here is a recap of the conference’s other seven games for those who didn’t have time to watch them all.
All rankings will be from before Sunday’s update.
No. 17 Vanderbilt 31, No. 10 LSU 24
After falling behind in the second quarter, Vanderbilt pulled away with a 14-point second quarter to take an upset win against LSU in Nashville.
LSU took the initial lead on a field goal, then Diego Pavia ran in a 1-yard touchdown to take a 7-3 lead into the second quarter.
Garrett Nussmeier answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Trey’Dez Green to give LSU a 10-7 advantage, but Vanderbilt retook the lead with a 1-yard Sedrick Alexander touchdown.
The Commodores never trailed again.
Vanderbilt connected on a 46-yard field goal with 2 seconds left in the first half to take a 17-13 lead into the break.
Out of halftime, Pavia ran in a 1-yard score to create a 24-13 advantage, but Nussmeier hit Zavion Thomas on a 62-yard score to cut the lead to 24-21 after a 2-point conversion.
Pavia then ran in a 21-yard score to create a 31-21 lead going to the fourth.
LSU cut the lead with a field goal in the fourth, but was unable to complete the comeback.
Vanderbilt led 399-325 in total yards and 239-100 in rushing yards. LSU led 225-160 in passing yards.
Pavia was 14-of-22 passing for 160 yards and one touchdown in the air, while rushing 17 times for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Nussmeier went 19-of-28 for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Caden Durham led LSU’s rushing attack with 59 yards.
Thomas led LSU’s receivers with four catches for 75 yards and a score, while Green had five catches for 74 yards and a score.
Cole Spence led Vanderbilt’s pass catchers with 56 yards and a score.
No. 10 LSU (5-2, 2-2) will host No. 4 Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
No. 17 Vanderbilt (6-1, 2-1) will host No. 16 Mizzou (6-1, 2-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
No. 14 Oklahoma 26, South Carolina 7
The Sooners ran away from the Gamecocks for a dominant road win.
Tory Blaylock ran in an 18-yard score to put Oklahoma in front in the first, then Xavier Robinson ran in a 10-yard score to start the scoring in the second quarter to make it 14-0.
LaNorris Sellers hit Nyck Harbor with a 2-yard score to cut the deficit to 14-7 going into halftime.
Oklahoma added a 55-yard field goal with 6:01 left in the third, then John Mateer hit Isaiah Sategna with a 20-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-7.
In the fourth, Oklahoma added a safety to create the final margin.
Oklahoma led 319-224 in total yards and 171-54 in rushing yards. South Carolina led 170-148 in passing yards.
Mateer went 18-of-26 for 150 yards and a score. Sellers was 17-of-25 for 124 yards and a touchdown. South Carolina also turned to Cutter Woods for six passes, he went 4-for-6 for 46 yards with an interception. Mason Love threw one pass for an interception as well.
Blaylock led Oklahoma with 101 yards, while Rahsul Faison had 50 yards to lead South Carolina.
Sategna led Oklahoma with seven catches for 73 yards, while Jayden Sellers led South Carolina with six catches for 57 yards.
No. 14 Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1) will host No. 5 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday.
South Carolina (3-4, 1-4) will host No. 6 Alabama (6-1, 4-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
No. 9 Georgia 43, No. 5 Ole Miss 35
Georgia scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to come back for a top-5 win in Athens.
Georgia took the initial lead with a 51-yard field goal, but Ole Miss quickly responded when Trinidad Chambliss ran in a 7-yard score with 5:47 left in the first.
The second quarter was more active for both teams.
Gunner Stockton hit Lawson Luckie on an 11-yard touchdown pass to give Georgia a 10-7 lead, then former Tiger Kewan Lacy ran in a 1-yard score to retake the lead for the Rebels.
Stockton ran in a 22-yard touchdown to put Georgia back in front, then Lacy ran in another 1-yard touchdown to put Ole Miss up 21-17.
Georgia hit a 35-yard field goal as time expired to cut the lead to 21-20 going to halftime.
Ole Miss extended out of the break when Chambliss hit De’Zhaun Stribling with a 75-yard touchdown pass, but Stockton hit Luckie on a 3-yard score to bring Georgia within 28-26.
Chambliss ran in a 2-yard touchdown to make it 35-26 going to the fourth quarter.
Then it was all Bulldogs.
Stockton hit Nate Frazier on a 3-yard touchdown, then added a 7-yard scoring pass to Luckie to put Georgia in front 40-35.
The Bulldogs added a 42-yard field goal with 2:09 left to create the final margin.
Georgia stopped Ole Miss on fourth down to regain possession with 1:28 left and kneeled out.
Georgia led 510-351 in total yards, 289-263 in passing yards and 221-88 in rushing yards.
Chambliss went 19-of-36 for 263 yards and one touchdown through the air, while rushing nine times for 42 yards and two scores to lead the Rebel rushing attack.
Stockton went 26-of-31 for 289 yards and four touchdowns, in the air. Frazier led Georgia’s running game with 72 yards.
Stribuling led Ole Miss with three catches for 96 yards, while Zachariah Branch had 71 yards on eight catches to lead Georgia. Luckie ended with five catches for 43 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 5 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) will play at No. 14 Oklahoma (6-1, 2-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday.
No. 9 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) will be on a bye next week.
Florida 23, Mississippi State 21
Billy Napier might have been the first coach booed by his home fans while walking off the field with a win.
The Gators survived a Mississippi State comeback attempt to get back to .500 in SEC play.
Kamario Taylor put Mississippi State in front with a 2-yard QB keeper with 12:19 left in the first, but Florida responded with a 24-yard field goal to cut the lead to 7-3 going to the second quarter.
Florida took its first lead when Jadan Baugh ran in a 19-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, then the Gators added a field goal to go up 13-7 heading into halftime.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, then KD Daniels ran in a 1-yard touchdown for Florida early in the fourth to create a 20-7 lead.
Davon Booth ran in a 2-yard score to cut the Mississippi State deficit to 20-14, but Florida connected on a 53-yard field goal to create a two-score margin.
Booth ran in a 2-yard touchdown to cut the Florida lead to 23-21 with 2 minutes left and Mississippi State got the three-and-out it needed. The Bulldogs got the ball back on their own 28 with 1:38 left and drove to the Florida 29, but Blake Shapen threw an interception with 21 seconds left.
Mississippi State led 468-452 in total yards and 324-280 in passing yards. Florida led 172-144 in rushing yards.
Shapen was 24-of-36 for 324 yards and an interception for the Bulldogs, while DJ Lagway was 20-of-34 for 280 yards and two interceptions for Florida.
Booth led the Bulldogs with 105 rushing yards and two scores, while Baugh had 150 rushing yards and one score to lead Florida.
Brenen Thompson had 155 yards on seven catches to lead Mississippi State, while Anthony Evans had 107 yards.
Vernell Brown led Florida with 95 yards.
Mississippi State (4-3, 0-3) will host No. 21 Texas (5-2, 2-1) at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
Florida (3-4, 2-2) will be on a bye.
No. 4 Texas A&M 45, Arkansas 42
The No. 4 Aggies just barely survived a trip to Arkansas as the Razorbacks attempted a late comeback.
Arkansas took the initial lead with a field goal, but Texas A&M claimed the advantage when Marcel Reed connected with Ashton Bethel-Roman on a 24-yard touchdown with 6:11 left in the first.
The Aggies added a 3-yard Reed rushing touchdown in the second. But Arkansas hit a field goal to cut the deficit to 14-6.
Reed then connected with Nate Boerkircher on a 1-yard touchdown to make it 21-6. But Taylen Green ran in a 27-yard touchdown in response.
Arkansas got the ball back and Green hit O’Mega Blake with a 7-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-20 going to halftime.
But A&M pulled away in the third when Reed hit KC Concepcion with a 17-yard touchdown and Randy Bond hit a 29-yard field goal to make it 31-20.
Green ran in a 1-yard touchdown. But Rueben Owens added a 14-yard rushing score for A&M to make it 38-27 going to the fourth.
In the final 15 minutes, Green hit Jaden Platt with a 4-yard touchdown. Then he added a 2-point conversion to Rohan Jones to make it 38-35 with 11:30 left to play.
Owens extended the A&M lead with a 12-yard touchdown with 6:56 left to play. Then Green hit CJ Brown with a 4-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left to make it 45-42.
Arkansas did not recover the onside kick.
The Razorbacks led 527-497 in total yards and 268-217 in rushing yards. A&M led 280-259 in passing yards.
Reed was 23-of-32 for 280 yards and three touchdowns for A&M. Green was 19-of-32 for 256 yards and three touchdowns through the air. KJ Jackson added a 3-yard pass for Arkansas.
Owens led Texas A&M’s rushing attack with 69 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Washington led Arkansas with 147 rushing yards. Green added 86 and two scores.
Bethel-Roman led A&M with four catches for 83 yards, while Blake led Arkansas with seven catches for 118 yards.
Arkansas (2-5, 0-3) will host Auburn (3-4, 0-4) at 11:45 a.m. Saturday.
No. 4 Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0) will be on a bye next week.
No. 21 Texas 16, Kentucky 13
It took overtime for the Longhorns to escape their second loss in three weeks.
Quintrevion Wisner put Texas on the board with a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. Then both teams kicked third-quarter field goals.
With Texas leading 10-3 to start the fourth, Cutter Boley ran in a 16-yard touchdown to tie the game with 12:04 left to play.
Mason Shipley put Texas up with a 39-yard field goal with 57 seconds left. But Jacob Kauwe hit a 45-yard field goal with 9 seconds left to tie the game.
In overtime, Texas won on a 45-yard Shipley field goal.
Kentucky led 395-179 in total yards, 258-132 in passing yards and 137-47 in rushing yards.
Arch Manning was 12-of-27 passing for 132 yards, while Boley was 31-of-39 for 258 yards and an interception.
Wisner led Texas with 37 rushing yards, while Seth McGowan had 45 yards to lead Kentucky.
DeAndre Moore led Texas with three catches for 37 yards, while McGowan led Kentucky with seven catches for 68 yards.
Kentucky (2-4, 0-4) will host No. 11 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2) at 6:45 p.m. Saturday.
No. 21 Texas (5-2, 2-1) will play at Mississippi State (4-3, 0-3) at 3:15 p.m. Saturday.
No. 6 Alabama 37, No. 11 Tennessee 20
In one of the premier matchups of the weekend, Alabama ran away early.
Ty Simpson hit Isaiah Horton for a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter. But Joey Aguilar answered with a second-quarter touchdown to Braylon Staley from 2 yards out.
Alabama then got an intentional grounding on Aguilar for a safety before Jam Miller ran in a 1-yard touchdown to make it 16-7. Zabien Brown then intercepted an Aguilar pass and returned it 100 yards as time expired on the first half to take a 23-7 lead into halftime.
After the break, DeSean Bishop ran in a 44-yard touchdown to cut the lead. But Simpson hit Rico Scott on an 11-yard score to create a 30-13 lead going to the fourth.
Bishop ran in a 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth. But Daniel Hill answered with a 4-yard touchdown to create the final margin.
Tennessee led 410-373 in total yards, 268-253 in passing yards and 142-120 in rushing yards.
Aguilar was 28-of-44 passing for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Simpson went 19-of-29 for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
Bishop led Tennessee with 123 rushing yards. Receiver Germie Bernard led Alabama’s rushing game with four attempts for 49 yards.
Staley led Tennessee with 10 catches for 92 yards, while Ryan Williams led Alabama with five catches for 87 yards.
No. 6 Alabama (6-1, 4-0) will play at South Carolina (3-4, 1-4) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
No. 11 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2) will play at Kentucky (2-4, 0-4) at 6:45 p.m. Saturday.