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The Georgia football team won like a wrecking ball. If your mind wanders to Miley Cyrus’ multi-platinum records, you and Kirby Smart can’t relate. If you think of “Like a Wrecking Ball” by Eric Church (also a multi-platinum performer), you’re in the same boat as the University of Georgia coach. And when you think of the demolition crews…here’s an accurate summary of what happened at Sanford Stadium on Saturday night.
The national champion Bulldogs are 6-0, but their start hasn’t felt as dominant as they have the past two seasons. After a slow start in the first half, they came from behind to win several times as favorites, but more than anything, there were questions about whether this was truly the No. 1 team in the country. However, a dominant Georgia team faced off against the number one team at the time. 20 Kentucky won him 51-13, and the nation was reminded of what Georgia is capable of when it’s firing on all cylinders.
The offense took control and the stats were amazing. He finished with 608 total yards (508 in the first three quarters), 16 minutes of possession advantage, and scores on nine of 11 drives, including the first six of the game. While not spectacular, the defense allowed the fewest points in conference play and held Wildcats running back Ray Davis, who had nearly 300 yards against Florida last week, to 59 yards on 15 carries. suppressed.
And with tight end Brock Bowers hitting 100 yards in three straight games and on track to become Georgia’s first 1,000-yard pass catcher in over 20 years, it’s official, as Georgia fans say. It is said to be Blocktober. If things continue like this, he could head to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist. But so far, Saturday’s victory has felt like the performance of a team that listened.
It remains to be seen whether Georgia will waste the remaining dates, but it reinforced the message that the SEC East race is within Georgia’s control. It may have always been like that, but Saturday brought back fond memories.
even deeper
The atmosphere in Athens is good, but the atmosphere in Fayetteville is bad. What about the rest of the SEC?
At the halfway point, or near the halfway point depending on the games being played, the big picture for the SEC starts to come into focus, and with it, there’s no shortage of noteworthy news and notes from around the conference. Here’s the best (and worst) of the Week 6 edition of the SEC.
Most impressive performance: LSU
LSU came back in a big way with a 49-39 road victory over previously undefeated Missouri State. There were two moving aspects to him. The Tigers bounced back from a disappointing loss to Ole Miss to keep their SEC championship hopes alive. And more importantly, team captain Greg Brooks his junior got the win.
Brooks’ story resonated throughout college football. He underwent successful brain surgery to remove the tumor in mid-September, but it was revealed last Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of brain tumor called medulloblastoma. Coach Brian Kelly announced Monday that additional surgery will be required.
Thanks to Brooks’ performance, LSU overcame an early double-digit deficit and rallied in the second half to win. Quarterback Jayden Daniels was sensational again with four touchdowns, and Brooks’ defense made two key plays late in the game. A forced fumble and a pick-six sealed the victory.
The college football world will continue to pray for Brooks and LSU will continue to play for him.
Biggest coaching failure: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Texas A&M kept Alabama in a tight spot until that happened. The Aggies lost 26-20 at home to the Crimson Tide in a key SEC game. And several coaching decisions and clarifications by coach Jimbo Fisher didn’t help matters.
Leading 17-10 with 1:38 left in the second quarter, Texas A&M’s defense forced a sack on third down and, with two timeouts, was in position to get the ball back and score again. Except that Fisher chose to run out the clock instead of taking a timeout, and the game entered halftime as it was. why? Coach Fisher explained that he wanted to avoid mistakes while the Aggies were trailing by seven points and trailing in their own half.
Another key moment came late in the third quarter. With the score tied at 17, the Aggies faced a fourth-and-one from Alabama’s own 45-yard line and elected to punt. The Tide advanced 80 yards in six plays to take a 24-17 lead but never relinquished it.
“If it had been inside yards instead of full yards, I probably would have gone for (that),” Fisher said. “So I said we can push them back. Our punter did a great job…unfortunately, the one he kicked was just a little long.”
Finally, trailing 26-17 with two minutes left, Fisher called for three timeouts on fourth-and-goal to decide whether to kick a field goal to shorten the lead or go for it. I took the first one. In the end, the Aggies tried to go onside after taking the kick, but failed to recover, and Alabama ran out the remaining time. If the call had been a field goal, that timeout might have been helpful on defense.
A risk-averse strategy can yield positive results, but you can’t make money out of fear, especially against Alabama and at home.
Although the play was originally called an incomplete pass, Thomas’ incredible toe-tap touchdown eclipsed Catch of the Week honors. This was the best play all weekend. What a great thing for Thomas to score his first career touchdown at Georgia State.
Milestone of the week: Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt
The best punter in college football may be in the SEC. Hayball has continued to practice this year. He ranked second nationally in yards per punt (50.11 yards) and punted 70 yards, reaching an exclusive club on Saturday. With his 60-yard punt in the second quarter of the game against Florida, Hayball became the only punter in the nation to surpass 11,000 punting yards. take a bow.
Trending Up: Alabama
Just when you thought it was over for the University of Alabama, it found its way back to the top. The win over Texas A&M was the latest example. In a game that could have been a College Football Playoff elimination for the Tide, the team overcame 14 penalties, just 23 rushing yards and several costly penalties to win. This is their fourth straight win (5-1 overall), and suddenly, as the only Western team without a loss in the conference, the SEC West race is firmly in Alabama’s hands.
even deeper
What did we learn from Alabama’s win over Texas A&M?
Quarterback Jalen Milroe has been on the rise for College Station, with a career-high 321 yards passing. Since he returned as the team’s starting quarterback, the Tide is 3-0, with Milroe completing 76 percent of his passes with six total touchdowns and just one turnover. The defense is elite and so are the specialists. Alabama may not have the Alabama patent, but it is still a contender for the title.
At the other end of the spectrum, it feels like the University of Arkansas (2-4) has hit rock bottom. The program is on a four-game losing streak, offensive coordinator Dan Enos has been participating in fan communications via email, and anxiety within the fan base is growing with each passing week. Enthusiasm is waning: The Razorbacks travel to Alabama this weekend, but Alabama announced that the University of Arkansas has returned some of its allocated visitor tickets. So there will be even more Tide fans in attendance on Saturday.
It’s certainly not the season many imagined for the University of Arkansas, which brought back All-SEC quarterback KJ Jefferson in the preseason. The offensive line can’t defend, and the unit ranks last in the SEC in total yards and yards per play. Facing Alabama’s top-ranked defense is no relief.
Biggest crowdfunding effort: Mark Stoops, Kentucky
It was a very frustrating day for Kentucky in Athens. The Wildcats were a big underdog (14.5 points), but since Georgia looked vulnerable and Kentucky was 5-0, it seemed like Kentucky could give Georgia a point. . Instead, the Wildcats were ejected from the stadium in embarrassing fashion.
On Monday, fans voiced their displeasure on Stoops’ weekly radio show. Stoops proposed a solution to fill the talent gap with the conference elite.
“The fans have a right (to complain),” Stoops said. “I give it to them. I encourage them to give more, because that’s what they’re doing. I promise Georgia has gotten some pretty good players. Lately, it’s been a long time coming. is allowed. You will need some help.”
Is the NIL the reason Georgia has won 14 straight games against Kentucky? But from an overall perspective, would a bigger war chest help Kentucky attract talent? Of course. Will fans rush to donate more? Let’s take a look. Stoops is not the first coach to push for greater support for the NIL, and he won’t be the last.
Bad Beat of the Week: Missouri +5.5
Missouri fans were disappointed when their chance for an upset against LSU disappeared late, but they still had a chance to win by betting on Missouri against a 5.5-point spread. That was until Major Burns’ pick-six with 40 seconds left dashed his hopes. Double whammy.
(Photo of Brock Bowers (19): Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)