SEC Roundup: Texas A&M Rolls, Tide Hold On Late
College football is weird this year. If Kentucky’s 45-42 loss to Tennessee being the most Big-12-style SEC game ever wasn’t enough, the rest of the conference said, “hold my beer.”
No. 2 Alabama def. LSU 20-14
When thinking of the Crimson Tide against the Tigers over the last 12 years, you think of classic matchups. Even in a down year for LSU, they still took it to Alabama and I have to say, this interim coach Ed Orgeron should be considered for the real LSU head job.
A missed extra point by Alabama kept LSU’s hope alive throughout the fourth quarter. Three trips into Crimson Tide territory had ‘Bama and Tiger fans alike on the edge of their seats.
With just under seven minutes remaining, the Alabama defense stopped Max Johnson and LSU on fourth and goal to halt a 14-play, 75-yard drive to keep the lead at six. That would be as close as they’d get and the Crimson Tide held on late to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
Heisman trophy candidate Bryce Young completed 24-37 attempts for 302 yards and two touchdowns to will Alabama to victory.
Watch the highlights below:
No. 14 Texas A&M def. No. 13 Auburn 20-3
A 3-3 game at halftime turned into an Aggie shutout in the second half against Auburn in College Station.
The only matchup between ranked opponents in the SEC–and country for that matter–was a defensive showcase. Rightfully so, the game’s only touchdown was scored on a 24-yard fumble recovery by Texas A&M’s Micheal Clemons early in the fourth quarter.
The fumble recovery put the game out of reach for Bo Nix and Auburn. Nix finished with a frustrating 20-41 completion rate for 153 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Tiger star running back Tank Bigsby was limited to just 69 yards on the day as well.
The Aggies have one more big test this season as they head to Oxford to take on a dangerous Ole Miss Rebel team next week that has one of the most explosive offenses in the SEC. That game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
Arkansas def. No. 17 Mississippi State 31-28
Oh, how it must hurt to be a Bulldog fan.
After a last-minute touchdown by Arkansas, overtime seemed like a sure thing when Mississippi State marched right down the field enough to attempt a 40-yard field goal. Those dreams were put to bed faster than a Josh Heupel offense.
These two teams have had the most upside-down, backward seasons ever. Mississippi State has losses against Memphis, LSU and Arkansas, but have blown out Kentucky, took down Texas A&M in College Station before the Aggies upset Alabama the following week and barely beat Louisiana Tech in the season opener 35-34.
Consistency is key, right?
Arkansas can’t attest to that either, though. After a 4-0 start that had the country buzzing about the new and improved Razorbacks, they dropped three SEC games in a row (where have I heard that story before?) before rebounding well and winning their next two.
South Carolina def. Florida 40-17
If I would’ve told you at the beginning of the season that through nine games, Dan Mullins’ Florida Gators are sub-.500 on the season, you’d have probably cried tears of happiness. Well, let the waterworks flow.
You can thank three Gamecocks for sending the Gators back to Gainesville with a sour taste in their mouth: Kevin Harris, Za’Quandre White and Josh Vann.
Harris, the SEC’s leading rusher a year ago, had his first game with over 100 yards this season. The standout running back carried the ball 16 times for 128 yards, including a 39-yard burst that had South Carolina fans reminiscing on his 1,000-yard season in 2020.
White also had his most impressive game since the season opener against Eastern Illinois, amassing 111 yards on 13 carries. The senior averaged 8.5 yards per carry on the night.
Gamecock quarterback Jason Brown had 14 completions for 175 yards—seven of which went to Vann for 111 yards and a touchdown as well.
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