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Beyond the boxscore: The real reasons SEC teams lost in Week 10

Chris Wright

By Chris Wright

Published:


Not every loss is created the same — unless you think Arkansas actually practiced that miracle lateral in its final walk-through Saturday morning.

We go beyond the boxscore to examine the hows and whys seven SEC teams lost in Week 10:

LSU

(Lost 30-16 to Alabama)

Leonard Fournette stonewalled (60 percent): Alabama consistently stood up a linebacker at the line, essentially playing a 5-2, and turned the Heisman frontrunner into a non-factor. Which led to  …

Brandon Harris couldn’t make enough plays (30 percent): Alabama played LSU straight up on the outside, daring Harris and Co., to win the game through the air. LSU’s longest gains were on pass plays and they picked up some pass interference penalties as well, but Harris couldn’t do enough to scare Alabama into pulling back on its all-hands-on approach to stopping Fournette.

Alabama (20 percent): Let’s give the Tide some credit. LSU didn’t lose so much as it was just thoroughly beaten. Alabama dominated both lines of scrimmage, which we knew would be key. At one point in the fourth quarter Fournette had 15 yards, a total he had surpassed on 20 different runs against other opponents this season.

Ole Miss

(Lost 53-52 to Arkansas)

Bad hop (50 percent): One play usually doesn’t decide a game, but it decided this game. If Arkansas’ wild lateral doesn’t take a perfect bounce — after being deflected, no less — straight into the hands of explosive RB Alex Collins, the Razorbacks don’t convert that ridiculous 4th-and-25 and Ole Miss escapes with its SEC Championship Game hopes intact.

That’ll be a pleasant summer thought for Hugh Freeze.

Bad defense (40 percent): Having said that, the Rebels put themselves in position by giving up a game-tying 75-yard TD drive in the final five minutes of regulation. Par for the course considering they allowed more than 600 yards of offense and a career-day from QB Brandon Allen (442 yards, 6 TDs).

Bad timing (10 percent): As wild as the lateral play was, as bad as its defense played, Ole Miss still would have won had it not been called for an obvious face-masking penalty on Marquis Haynes, who grabbed it while sacking Allen on the first two-point conversion try. The penalty gave Arkansas a second shot, which it converted for the win.

Texas A&M

(Lost 26-10 to Auburn)

Run defense (50 percent): This isn’t one of Auburn’s best rushing teams — five times the Tigers have been held to fewer than 170 yards — but Saturday brought back memories of 2004. Auburn ran for a season-high 311 yards. It ran power sweeps, dives, jet sweeps. It ran whatever it wanted to, whenever it wanted to.

The result was a surprise, but the game plan wasn’t. Texas A&M is the worst rushing defense in the SEC and has allowed 250-plus yards in three of its past four games.

Turnovers (30 percent): Freshman QB Kyler Murray threw three interceptions, and Auburn turned two of them into 10 points. Murray was spectacular the previous week in a win against South Carolina. His struggles cost the Aggies against Auburn.

Third-down issues (20 percent): Auburn converted 9 of 17 third downs, and more than half came on its only two touchdown drives.

South Carolina

(Lost 27-24 to Tennessee)

Extra effort (40 percent): No coach would ever blame a player for fighting for every last yard, but Jerell Adams’ late fourth-quarter fumble in the Tennessee red zone was costly. Adams had broken several tackles when he was stripped from behind. The Volunteers recovered at their 13 and ran out the clock. South Carolina was in field goal range. Ideally, Adams has better field/game situation awareness, but you never want to coach aggressiveness out of a player.

First-quarter blues (30 percent): Tennessee handled the noon start much better than South Carolina. The Volunteers opened the game with a near-perfect 67-yard TD drive in which the only third down it faced was on 3rd-and-goal from the 4.

After South Carolina punted, the Volunteers drove 75 yards for another score, again facing just one third down. Halfway through the first quarter, the Gamecocks trailed 14-0.

Fourth-quarter 3-and-outs (30 percent): Credit Perry Orth for rallying the Gamecocks out of a 17-0 hole and forcing a 24-24 tie. The Gamecocks stalled in the fourth quarter, however, and sandwiched consecutive 3-and-outs around Tennessee’s go-ahead field goal. That proved to be the difference.

Vanderbilt

(Lost 9-7 to Florida)

QB play (60 percent): It goes beyond the stat line (Johnny McCrary was 3 of 14 for 30 yards) and straight to the game plan. Vandy coaches have so little confidence in the passing game that they’re routinely running on third-and-long.

Not enough touches for Webb (21 percent): Vandy ran it 48 times, but Ralph Webb got fewer than half of the carries. He broke one 74 yards for the Commodores’ only points. He’s all they have. It’s on the coaches to find ways to get him the ball in space.

What can you do? (19 percent): Vanderbilt held Florida to 165 passing yards, 93 rushing yards and one touchdown. Its defense got off the field on 10 of 13 third downs. It forced the Gators into a most uncomfortable situation imaginable — asking an unreliable kicker to blast a 43-yarder with the game on the line. Credit Austin Hardin for making it.

Missouri

(Lost 31-13 to Mississippi State)

Forgot the Kryptonite (70 percent): No need to be overly dramatic or analytical. Few teams have an answer for Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott, and the Tigers certainly didn’t.

Secondary issues (18 percent): Having said that, Missouri’s normally solid pass defense allowed too many big plays, especially on scoring drives. All four TD drives included at least one pass play of 25 or more yards. In the rain, no less.

False re-start (12 percent): The first three series in the third quarter decided the game. After Mississippi State took the opening kick and drove 77 yards for a TD, Drew Lock threw an interception on the first play, and the Bulldogs added a field goal.

That 10-point swing in the first five minutes turned the tide.

Kentucky

(Lost 27-3 to Georgia)

Missing their Mojo (50 percent): A month ago, Kentucky was 4-1, Patrick Towles was rolling and Lexington was going nuts over a Thursday night home date with Auburn.

The wheels have fallen off since that 30-27 loss, and the Wildcats look like a team playing out the string. Amazing really, considering a rare bowl bid remains in play.

Offensive execution (45 percent): Yes, John McKay would be in favor of it. Georgia entered this game just as out of sorts, its season nowhere near resembling its preseason dreams. There were plenty of empty seats at Sanford Stadium. The Dawgs overcame all of that.

Kentucky offered up its weakest offensive performance to date, renewing the debate about Towles’ future as the Wildcats’ QB.

Front seven issues (5 percent): Not that it mattered, but Kentucky allowed 300 yards rushing to a team it knew couldn’t throw.

Chris Wright
Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.

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