SEC Review: Week Nine

Georgia stole the spotlight from Mississippi State and Tennessee with a big ole’ win in the Cocktail Party to deal Florida its third SEC loss. The eight point dogs got a twelve point win for their third win over the Gators in eighteen tries. What happened around the rest of the league? Check it:

Game of the Week

Georgia 42, Florida 30 – The ‘Dawgs opened a can on Florida with great execution and passion, using a bye week’s fresh legs to outlast the Gators late in the game, outscoring UF in the second half 21-13. Knowshon Moreno was enormous, earning 188 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries and bursting full-force on to the national stage. The Bulldogs looked pretty sharp in all facets, and pounding Tebow to the tune of negative 15 yards rushing. Percy Harvin got free out of the Florida backfield for some nice gains, but Tebow is the key, and Tebow didn’t beat UGA. Huge gameballs to Mark Richt and the entire Georgia team for yet another major league win away from Sanford.

Best of the Rest

Tennessee 27, South Carolina 24 – If this weren’t the UGASports website, this one could easily be game of the week. The Vols surrendered a 21-point halftime lead and got outgained by nearly 200 yards on its home turf, but somehow squeaked out an OT win when kicker Daniel Lincoln outdueled SC booter Ryan Succop in OT. Succop thought he had it won with a FG under 90 seconds to play, but Lincoln answered with just five minutes to go to send it to OT.

Ho Hum

Mississippi State 31, Kentucky 14 – It was a great day for SEC Bulldogs, with Mississippi State getting a landmark road win at Commonwealth and, probably, knocking Andre Woodson out of any Heisman consideration. This is MSU’s third road win of the year, and they got it by forcing 6 UK turnovers, including three Woodson INTs and three Wildcat fumbles. Sophomore Christian Ducre cut loose for 119 rushing yards and freshman Wesley Carroll played very well, with 158 passing yards and two scores against no picks. If MSU goes bowling, and they’re one game away from doing so, this will be the landmark win of the Sylvester Croom era to date.

Vanderbilt 24, Miami 13 – If you want to hold a beauty pageant, ask the Vandy student body, not the football team. It wasn’t glamorous, as the Commodores trailed Miami with five minutes left in the third when Chris Nickson got in from two yards out to give Vandy a four point lead. It wasn’t really over, though, until Jackson-Garrison scored from 15 to give Vanderbilt an 11 point edge with 6 minutes to go. To Vandy’s credit, the front line was dominant, outrushing the Commodores 290-26, but the back end gave up 212 passing yards and got no picks from a struggling Daniel Raudabaugh and the Redhawk passing game. Still, this is Vandy, and a win’s a win; one more, and they’re bowl eligible.

Auburn 17, Ole Miss 3 – This wasn’t quite as close as the score made it look, with Auburn winning the yardage battle by almost 250 yards, and surrendering only a 51-yard field goal at the first half gun to prevent the shut out. The Auburn defense is just so good – 123 passing yards on 28 attempts, 70 yards on 29 carries. Dominant. Auburn was great on third down, perfect on fourth down, and only committed one turnover. Despite the losses, this team is playing like a top 10 squad right now.

Boooooring

Arkansas 58, Florida International 10 – Big deal. Big freaking deal. You’re the SEC West champs, you have two of the best five running backs in the country, you’re an SEC team, BEAT A REAL TEAM. Arkansas beat FIU by 48. Darren McFadden looked fairly average yet again, and even Felix Jones struggled to go in to liftoff, but the Hogs spread it around to several backs and actually got competent passing from Springdale product Nathan Emert. It’s Halloween, and the defending West champs have beaten one BCS football team.