OFFENSE
Georgia: A
Coming off a Vanderbilt game in which starting quarterback Greyson Lambert failed to complete a pass in the first half, there was real concern that the Bulldogs might be a one-dimensional offensive team. Rest easy, Dawgs fans.
Lambert set an NCAA record for completion percentage on Saturday against South Carolina, connecting on 24 of 25 passes for 330 yards and three scores. Dating back to the second half of the Vanderbilt game, Lambert has now completed 35 of his last 39 attempts.
Meanwhile, Nick Chubb and the Georgia running game remained brutally consistent, churning out 246 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Bulldogs are averaging better than 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns per game this season.
LSU: A-
The Tigers get dinged slightly for not being as well-rounded as Georgia on Saturday, but the proper response to such admitted nit-picking should be a resounding “so what?”
LSU needed only 74 yards through the air to humble visiting Auburn, as Leonard Fournette ran for 228 yards on 19 carries, including a pair of touchdown runs we might be seeing a lot of December. It’s difficult to avoid hyperbole when describing Fournette’s day. He drew comparisons to Herschel Walker and Adrian Peterson from the CBS broadcasting team, and both felt appropriate.
Brandon Harris’ accuracy was less than pinpoint, but the coaching staff showed greater confidence in him in his first home start, and his ability to run could cause headaches for opposing defenses this season.
DEFENSE
Florida: A
It was far less than a vintage Florida offensive performance, but the Gators were dominant on defense in a 14-9 win over Kentucky. Wildcats quarterback Patrick Towles, who passed for 369 yards against Florida last year, completed just 8 of 24 passes for 126 yards. He was intercepted twice and sacked six times, as the Gators held Kentucky to 241 yards of total offense and less than 3 yards per carry on the ground.
Missouri: A
Similar to the Gators, the Tigers defense turned in a stellar performance when their offense needed it most. Missouri held UConn to just two conversions on 13 third-down attempts, registered three sacks and nine tackles for loss, and held the Huskies to 233 yards of total offense. Standout linebacker Kentrell Brothers had 10 tackles to bring his season total to 42 through three games.
Arkansas: D
A pair of interceptions is the only thing saving the Hogs from a failing grade. Arkansas was again unable to apply pressure to an opposing quarterback, and the season-long trend of poor tackling in the open field persisted in a 35-24 loss to Texas Tech. Through three games, Arkansas has just one sack on the season. Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes responded to the lack of duress by picking the Hogs apart, completing 26 of 30 passes on the game. Arkansas also gave up 171 yards on the ground and more than 6 yards per carry.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Texas A&M: A-
It feels like a mild disappointment when Christian Kirk doesn’t pop a huge return, but the Aggies’ freshman sensation was solid in the return game, and Texas A&M’s other specialists were strong. Taylor Bertolet was perfect on three field goals and Drew Kaser averaged more than 50 yards per punt as the Aggies downed Nevada, 44-27.
Alabama: D
The Crimson Tide, which didn’t have a single fumble in its first two games of the season, put the ball on the turf twice on kickoff returns Saturday, practically gifting Ole Miss two first-half scores and setting the stage for the Rebels’ 43-37 win.
COACHING
Ole Miss: A
This grade isn’t about any specific strategy or scheme adjustment. Hugh Freeze and his staff simply had their team ready to play on a big stage in a hostile environment and remained unshaken throughout the twists and turns of the second half. Ole Miss looked like a team that believed it should win in one of the country’s toughest venues, and Saturday night’s win felt more than a christening than it did a stunning upset. Building the Rebels program to that level is a perhaps Freeze’s greatest accomplishment thus far.
Auburn: D
On the other end of the spectrum, we find Gus Malzahn and the Auburn Tigers, grasping for answers. It’s difficult to pin one specific development in Saturday’s humbling loss at LSU on the coaching staff, but that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, because Malzahn, Muschamp & Co. remain the men responsible for the substandard product Auburn fans have been subjected to this season. We don’t mean to be too harsh. The Tigers are 2-1 and will have ample opportunities to reverse their fortunes. But it feels like the season has been building to Saturday’s embarrassment, and Auburn was ill-prepared to do anything about it.
OVERALL
Not bad. Ole Miss, LSU and Georgia looked like playoff contenders — and given Alabama’s refusal to die, we know the Tide will bounce back. The continuing slides of Arkansas and Auburn hurt in terms of depth of quality for the conference, but there’s a typically elite brand of football being played in the top half of the SEC right now.
Brent Holloway is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State.
