Oh mah gad! We actually have a recap!!! I'm pushing this out early in the week, meaning no dressing it up, I'll just run down the list and say a few words about each game... I missed 2 picks from this past weekend, and I really hate that I was wrong about ours because I felt like that was our game to lose. So anyway here we go...
Louisville 27 - Kentucky 13
I credited the Cardinals with more offensive punch, but the results were pretty much what I expected outside of that. The Wildcats don't need to be too discouraged by this loss, they are still moving in the right direction as a program, but it takes time. (Just ask any MSU fan....)
Arkansas 24 - USM 3
The Razorbacks took care of business, and the defense locked down better than I expected. Kudos to all my friends in Arkansas, I know it's nice to win the games you're supposed to win handily...
Oregon 59 - Tennessee 14
Tennessee jumped up on the Ducks early, but I had a feeling it wouldn't last 60 minutes and sure enough Oregon got rolling and couldn't be stopped. The Vols are another team that shouldn't let this one loss linger too long in their minds. They should continue to improve as the season wears on...
Alabama 49 - TAMU 42
This game was even better than I expected, and it came right down to the wire. On a Nick Saban team the defense is traditionally going to be the major strength, which is why I expected Bama to limit the Aggies' offensive production more than they did, but perhaps that's a credit to A&M's players and coaches. The Tide Rolls on...
LSU 45 - Kent State 13
Not much to say about this one. The Tigahs did what they deaux... The next two games should show us what the Bayou Bengals are really made of, though.
South Carolina 35 - Vanderbilt 25
Vandy played a good game but the Gamecocks were the better team when it's all said and done. It's tough for Vandy, but if anybody knows what it's like playing extremely talented opponents week in and week out, it's another middle-tier SEC team... #AllTheFeels, bro...
Ole Miss 44 - Texas 23
Well, turns out my pick here most certainly WAS a mistake... Texas is far worse off than I imagined. Credit to OM, they have improved greatly to go on the road and win this game in the manner they did, but it turns out all the talking heads were right about how depleted Texas was. I'm still looking forward to that Egg Bowl on Turkey Day...
Auburn 24 - MSU 20
So first let me say this: I did NOT like the call of going for two on our opening touchdown. That speaks volumes to me about what Dan Mullen is playing for here, and I didn't like what I saw. Auburn caught us napping and went for two, kudos to Gus for pulling it off. But you HAD to know we would at least be considering it, so when we lined up to go for the two point conversion you better believe Auburn's players/coaches/fans/comatose followers could see that coming and were well prepared.
And what is the logic there??? Go for two and get it, great, you're tied, but go for two and miss it, wonderful, now you're down 2. Down by 1 or down by two doesn't matter, you say? Think, I say. If we had kicked the PAT we'd be down by one. Then when we scored again we kick the PAT again, suddenly we're up by 6. Then when we hold Auburn to that FG on their second score we're up by 3... I said all this during the game as it was playing out, so this isn't exactly hindsight talking, but ultimately on that last drive, if we had been up 4 instead of 3 as Auburn is driving the field that puts the pressure of "we HAVE to get a TD, can't settle for a FG" in their heads, which certainly wouldn't have hurt matters. Instead when our secondary goes MIA on that final drive and Auburn eats the clock up and scores WE are down by 4, and that anxiety is in our helmets. I just don't like that call, Dan... you fucked up, there.
I said that winning the turnover battle would win the game for us, and I was more or less right, I just didn't count on some ridiculous luck... like a State defender batting a pass out of the sky... and right into the hands of the QB who just threw it, who then scampers for 37 yards. The ball did not bounce our way a few critical times, and that definitely hurts, but it's something you can't control.
The positive takeaway from this game is practically EVERYTHING ELSE, though... this was our game to lose, and I feel like our team played their best game with the exception of the final 2 (and most crucial) minutes. Defense looked good, offense moved the ball well with Dak in... and speaking of Dak, I tried to give Russell the benefit of the doubt and not just spew the typical "put in the backup QB" crap, but Dak fits in this offense so much better than Russell. Russell sits in the pocket too long, always has. That probably isn't going to change. Dak at least tucks the ball and runs when the pocket collapses, and although he ran more than we'd really like him to this game he produced solid yardage and moved the chains. If Dak Prescott can make Les Koenning look like the man actually deserves his paycheck then play his ass. Period. I still want Les gone, though...
And now for Professor D's take on this weekend's action... Take it away, Professor!
(Professor D) The SEC just cannot get its act together right now. Alabama is giving up 42 points, Tennessee suffered their worst loss in over a century, and Kentucky… well Kentucky was Kentucky. The one good win for the conference came when Ole Miss took down Texas, but considering the Longhorns game against BYU last week that might not be as impressive as it sounds. Overall the conference is getting a D+ this week. Arkansas went into the locker room against Southern Miss, who is now on a 15 game losing streak, up 10 - 3. It could have been a lot worse this week if not for LSU’s handling of Kent State, and Ole Miss trouncing Texas in the second half. Also I might, just a bit, be projecting my frustration over the last portion of the Mississippi State game onto…. you know what, I just remembered Miami and Clemson. The SEC deserves that grade this week, it’s cumulative. This is going to be some painful recaps, I don’t think I was pleased with the outcome of a single game this weekend. At least the Saints won again.
LSU 45 - Kent State 13
Alright I lied. I was pleased with this game. Zach Mettenberger looks good in the Tigers new offense. Like I said in the preseason, LSU’s defense isn’t what it has been the past two years, but man this offense. Mettenberger threw for 264 yards on just 13 completions…. of 18 attempts. That’s impressive. The even better news for the Tigers? They put up 307 yards rushing, led by Jeremy Hill’s 117 yard performance and Terrence Magee’s 108, and supported by Alfred Blue’s workhorse-type 56 (low right? still averaged over 5 yards per run). That’s just… stupid. Two 100 yard rushers, and all anyone can talk about is how good this passing game is. Unfair? Not really. Mettenberger is that good right now, making reads, taking care of the football, and letting his team work for him. Additionally, these LSU receivers are quietly starting to build up a pretty good reputation. It feels like the rest of the SEC is still sleeping on these guys, but I think Alabama better get ready. Yeah Texas A&M has a great offense, but so does LSU, and you won’t be scoring 49 against the Tigers. It’s going to be a crazy finish, here’s to hoping the Tigers can return some respect to the SEC down the stretch.
Arkansas 24 - Southern Miss 3
It took some time but Arkansas finally got on board late in the first quarter with a touchdown against a Southern Miss team that they should have been running all over. Literally, with those young, talented, running backs. Arkansas eventually got it going on the ground rushing for , which was good, because they totaled 69 passing yards for the game. They didn’t really need it though, not with the SEC’s leading rusher, and the SEC’s third place rusher. Seriously guys, the run game in the SEC is pretty impressive. LSU, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi State all have a stable of running backs. It’s become the new thing the SEC can hang their hats on, cause it certainly isn’t defense this year. Although, the Razorbacks did hold the Golden Eagles to just 3 points, thanks to a pair of interceptions and some stiff 3rd down defense. Overall, I was pretty disappointed in Arkansas performance in this game, I hoped to see something more out of the passing game, even if the starting quarterback went out in the first quarter, you’ve got to be better than 69 passing yards. That isn’t going to cut it for the rest of Arkansas schedule.
Kentucky 13 - Louisville 27
This Kentucky defense is for real. They basically lived in (probably former now) Heisman hopeful Teddy Bridgewater’s face for most of this game. The problem is the Wildcats just don’t look comfortable in their offense yet. There were drives where that Air Raid looked good, and then there were times where it just looked embarrassing. I think Kentucky is on its way out of the bottom of the SEC East with this new coach and this new approach. If the defense can keep playing to this level Kentucky may see a few games go their way this year (careful Mississippi State).
Oregon 52 - Tennessee 14
So I realize Oregon is really good at scoring points and has had probably the best offense ever seen in college football the past few years, but come on Tennessee. You’re SEC, we’re supposed to have defenses in this league, although they all seem to have left us this year. I didn’t really expect the Volunteers to win this game, but I did expect them to score more than 2 touchdowns. This offense had been looking so good, as had the defense to be honest. I’m not sure the Ducks are the best measuring stick for this team, but much like Arkansas, I expected better. Not only did Oregon pass for 471 yards, they rushed for 216. That’s insane against an SEC team. This has to stop guys. Georgia allows 40+ twice in a row, Alabama gives up 40+. Florida and South Carolina don’t look strange being among the SEC’s best defenses, but Mississippi State and Kentucky? Come on (Yeah I left out LSU, they’ve got to play a high powered offense before we really get a look at this defense, and Alabama, you don’t get to say anything about how good your defense is after giving up 40 points).
Texas 23 - Ole Miss 44
I was pretty close predicting this game. I had Texas 24 and Ole Miss 38. Heh, I’ll call that a win, as it’s the best part of this game. I know I wanted Ole Miss to win, but it still hurts. Considering how bad the Longhorn’s run defense is right now Ole Miss looks like a pretty balanced offense. The defense doesn’t look half bad either. Overall TSUN is looking sort of like Vanderbilt from last year. Too bad they play in the SEC West, where wins are a little harder to come by. As good as they’re doing, they aren’t in the same class as Alabama, Texas A&M, and LSU. To be honest I’m not sure they’ll run the table against Auburn, Arkansas, and Mississippi State either. Yeah, I’m not talking much about the actual game Ole Miss played, but that’s because Texas is in free fall, which don’t get me wrong, I enjoy, I just wish it was anybody else taking advantage of it. TSUN rushed for over 200 yards in this game, and didn’t look bad on defense against the run or the pass. Still not sure they deserve their ranking, but they’ll have a chance to prove it next week against Alabama.
South Carolina 35 - Vanderbilt 25
Woo another game I got pretty close to calling! South Carolina 34 - Vanderbilt 21 was my prediction, and hey, that’s not bad. I was really hoping the Commodores would come out and do something special, but the Gamecocks were just too dominant. The score says this was a 10 point game, but it was never really in question as South Carolina led 35 - 10 going into the fourth. There are some teams you can score 25+ points in a quarter against, Clowney, I mean South Carolina, isn’t one of them. That said the Gamecocks still have some issues to work out, as they had three turnovers. Offensively they looked good, especially considering how much better Vanderbilt’s secondary is then normal, but defensively it’s still all Clowney. It shows in the fourth quarter when he starts getting tired. Vanderbilt on the other hand, has to go back to the locker room and figure something out. They’re a complete team, with one of the best receiving corps around. They’ve got to figure out how to get things going earlier in the game. This team is disciplined though, they committed zero penalties in the loss.
Texas A&M 42 - Alabama 49
Yeah, Game of the Century, right. Texas A&M started off great but the offense sputtered at times. Normally I’d say this is because Alabama has a great defense, but allowing 628 yards just doesn’t scream good defense. I hated everything about this game in the end. Texas A&M couldn’t stop the Tide after the first quarter. Their defense looked atrocious. The only thing keeping them in the game: Mike Evans. Not Johnny Manziel? No, while Johnny Football was impressive his two interceptions really negate everything else he did. Case and point was that unbelievable escape-from-defenders-scramble-for-twenty-seconds-heave-it-forty-yards-for-a-ten-yard-gain pass that got negated by an interception in the endzone on a stupid throw later in the drive. Manziel just couldn’t get out of his own way. Mike Evans, on the other hand, made his case for best receiver in the league. He’s pretty much the Calvin Johnson of college football. That kid can run, catch, jump, he’s just really fun to watch. Everyone knows he’s getting the football, and defenses plan accordingly, but it doesn’t matter. When Manziel does crazy antics for seven seconds and needs a receiver to get open, Evans finds a way. Johnny Football wouldn’t look half as good as he does without this smart, talented receiver backing him up. Alabama’s offense, meanwhile, looked polished. They put up 568 yards of offense and were balanced most of the game. This offense is impressive. Much like LSU this year, this is not the Alabama we’ve come to expect. The Crimson Tide controlled the clock to perfection this weekend, owning a 10 minute advantage in time of possession, so why was this defense unable to hold the Aggies to under 40 points? Well the secondary just isn’t up to standard this year, neither are the linebackers, or the defensive line to be honest. This defense looks underwhelming against top-tier opponents, and with Georgia and LSU on the schedule, that could spell trouble. Wait, no, I forgot, Alabama doesn’t play any of the top four teams out East. Come on Tigers.
Auburn 24 - Mississippi State 20
Except not these Tigers. I said in my predictions Mississippi State had to be ready when the Tigers came roaring in the 4th quarter. Well, we weren’t. I had high hopes for this game. Dak Prescott looked impressive. I know I was on the other side of this argument last week, but I’m jumping ship. Play Dak. The play calling is so much better when he is in the game. This offense clicks. He proved these past two weeks he can make the throws and protect the football. He also proved he might just be a better runner than we anticipated. He looks like an every-down back as a quarterback, which was great because Perkins didn’t look 100% in this game. Mississippi State put up a respectable 415 yards of offense, perfectly balanced 213 - 202 between the passing and rushing attacks, respectively. That balance allowed the Bulldogs to control the clock and throttle Auburns impressive running backs. So what happened? Well Auburn put up 339 yards of passing, the Bulldogs committed 5 penalties to Auburns 1, and our play calling really sucked late in the game. We knew this secondary was young, and they were going to give up plays at times. 339 yards against them is excusable. What isn’t excusable was the change in play calling late in the game on both the defensive and offensive sides of the ball. With a young secondary that impressive Mississippi State front 7 has got to keep pressure on the opposing quarterback. What happened to our blitz packages halfway through the 3rd quarter?
Offensively the playcalling was electric in the first half. Dak was slinging it across the field, when we ran the ball no one knew who was going to get it or where they were going. It was the spread-option in full force, it was what we expected when Dan Mullen first came to town, and it worked. It threw Auburns talented defense into panic mode and led to some pretty impressive, game controlling drives. Honestly, Mississippi State looked like the dominant team right up until the last drive of the game. So why did we revert back to running the ball with just one back in the backfield, abandon the play-action pass, and just give up on everything that was great about the first half? Because as soon as we got the lead we changed to a mindset of “Don’t Lose” as opposed to “Win,” and it cost us big time. I really like the defense Mississippi State is fielding right now, but I’m going to call for that Offensive Coordinators head again this week. The Bulldogs have to find a way to score in the last 3rd of the game. It is ridiculous we lost this game, and it could keep us from playing in a bowl game. That said, and I know we’re all tired of hearing this, this team showed some real potential in this game with a lot of young players. I want a new offensive coordinator bad, but let’s not make any other changes before next year, cause if we can figure out this offensive line thing it might be a lot of fun. That said, looking at the schedule, there are still 5 more wins out there for us to get a bowl game, but we’re starting to get thin. The Bulldogs can’t afford to throw another game or we’re going to have to pull something out of our ears against South Carolina, who is probably our best chance of an upset outside of Ole Miss. Come on Baseball season, practice starts October 4 and is open to the public.
(Mr. Hooch) And there you have it, friends! An actual weekend recap! So blah blah blah, share the love, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, carrier pigeon... just do it! Until later this week, #HailState and #GoDawgs!
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