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One thing each SEC team should be working on in bowl preparation
By Joe Cox
Published:
Players love getting a bowl game — it’s usually a trip to a warm destination, some cool swag, and one more chance to make 2016 a memorable season. Coaches also love it — because it means 15 extra practices and the chance to shore up some weak areas in their teams. Here’s one thing each SEC bowl squad will be working on during its bowl practices.
West
Alabama
- Defending the pass
It’s not like the Tide have any real glaring weaknesses, but they haven’t seen very many good passing games this year in the SEC. Honestly, Chad Kelly is the best passer they’ve seen in the last two seasons, and the Tide struggled mightily against the Ole Miss offense. Washington QB Jake Browning is the real deal — passing for 3,280 yards and 42 touchdowns against seven interceptions. Washington also protects Browning fairly well, allowing 21 sacks in 13 games. Alabama has the personnel to handle Browning but is a bit out of practice dealing with that level of passing game.
Arkansas
- Defending dual-threat QBs
The Razorbacks struggled this season against passers who could also run. Even when they won — 58-42 against Mississippi State, for instance — they struggled. Enter Jarod Evans and Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl. Evans passed for 3,303 yards and 27 scores and rushed for another 759 yards and 10 touchdowns. Dual-threat QBs — think A&M, Bama, even Auburn with Sean White — gave the Razorbacks all kinds of trouble. Those extra practices will have to be dedicated to a more disciplined defensive game plan.
Auburn
- Passing
Auburn ended up dead last in the SEC in passing yardage. Sure, part of the reason is the success of the run game. Another part is the poor health of Sean White. But against an Oklahoma team that averaged almost 45 points per game and sports Dede Westbrook, one of the foremost offensive weapons in the game, Auburn will have to score. Oklahoma was decent against the run but struggled to defend passers, allowing 3,348 yards and managing only eight interceptions and 25 sacks. If Auburn hopes to pull the Sugar Bowl upset, they will have to be able to pass enough to keep OU honest.
LSU
- Passing
Granted, pretty much every SEC team except Alabama and perhaps Ole Miss could use some work on the passing game. But LSU is an extreme case. The Tigers ended up 12th in the SEC in passing yardage, less than a yard ahead of 13th place Kentucky. This is doubly bad because pretty much the only way to beat Louisville, which LSU will face in the Citrus Bowl, is via the air. Only twice all year did Louisville allow 200 yards rushing. But all three teams that knocked off the Cards — Clemson, Houston, and Kentucky — did so on the strength of big games in the air. The good news for LSU is that with Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre, the Tigers have the personnel to exploit Louisville’s secondary. If they want to win, they’ll need to do so.
Mississippi State
- Rushing the passer
State is feeling lucky to be in a bowl game with a 5-7 mark that was rewarded based on APR ranking. The Bulldogs will face Miami of Ohio in the St. Petersburg Bowl. State struggled defensively this season, finishing 13th in the SEC in scoring defense at 33.1 points per game. For its part, Miami isn’t very explosive but has capitalized on passing, racking up 25 touchdowns and throwing only six interceptions. But the Bulldogs can change the complexion of the game by getting after the Miami quarterbacks. Miami allowed a whopping 41 sacks this season. State will be working with Johnathan Calvin and A.J. Jefferson to try to create enough problems in the Redhawks’ backfield to bring home a win.
Texas A&M
- Stopping the QB run game
The Aggies, as they have for several seasons, started strong and faltered late, and will now play Kansas State in the Texas Bowl. For a team that got beat up down the field by Mississippi State QB Nick Fitzgerald, that struggled with Ole Miss phenom Shea Patterson, and that had real trouble with both Josh Dobbs and Jalen Hurts, A&M’s postseason task is simple. They have to at least slow the QB run game, because Kansas State’s dual-threat QB Jesse Ertz could crush the Aggies. Ertz passed for 1,560 yards and eight scores, but rushed for another 945 yards and 10 touchdowns. With Myles Garrett looking to make a statement in what is likely his last college game, A&M will probably look to him to help control Ertz.
East
Florida
- Establishing an offensive identity
It’s not usual for an SEC division champion to spend the first week leading up to a bowl arguing whether to pull the redshirt off of a QB for one game. But Florida isn’t the normal division champion. The Gators were a defensive freak of nature, but offensively ended up 13th in the SEC in total yardage and 14th in rushing. Freshman QB Feleipe Franks could yet lose his redshirt for the bowl game — in an attempt by Jim McElwain to interject a little life into a dormant Florida offense. Perhaps the spark will be in the ground game, where JUCO transfer running back Mark Thompson has been something of a disappointment all season. But wherever it comes from, the Gators will be fixated on figuring out a way to put up points.
Georgia
- Picking up the running game
The Bulldogs were up and down all season, and now will end the year facing off with TCU in the Liberty Bowl. The Bulldogs will probably expend some practice time working on their running game. Despite having stud running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel (as well as freshman phenom Brian Herrien), UGA struggled on the ground, totaling the 9th best ground average in the SEC. TCU isn’t exactly lights out in run defense, allowing about 183 yards per game. Look for UGA to work on giving QB Jacob Eason more help.
Kentucky
- Stopping the run
Kentucky struggled defensively for much of the season, especially on the ground. The Wildcats allowed 225 rushing yards per game, 11th in the SEC. Georgia Tech, the Wildcats’ Tax Slayer Bowl opponent, runs a triple-option attack that averaged 257 rushing yards per game, mostly be preying on defensive teams’ inability to maintain solid run defense technique. UK middle linebacker Courtney Love will have to play one of his best games to give the Wildcats a shot at knocking off the Yellow Jackets in Jacksonville.
South Carolina
- Defending dual-threat QBs
Carolina, which picked up six wins, was rewarded with a Birmingham Bowl matchup with South Florida. The Gamecocks thus drew a tough matchup with USF QB Quinton Flowers, who is sort of a poor man’s Lamar Jackson in his ability to tear up defenses in the air and on the ground. Flowers passed for over 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,425 yards and 15 more scores. With the exception of beating Joshua Dobbs, Carolina hasn’t fared very well against dual-threat quarterbacks, and they’ll have to slow Flowers — or put up a ton of points, which doesn’t seem likely.
Tennessee
- Avoiding turnovers
Tennessee, despite struggling defensively down the stretch of the season, still can beat a decent opponent, such as Nebraska in the Music City Bowl. But one key will be avoiding turnovers. In the regular season, UT lost 13 fumbles and threw 12 interceptions. By comparison, Nebraska lost four fumbles and threw nine interceptions. Tennessee can’t afford to have a -2 or worse margin on turnovers, so Joshua Dobbs and the Vols’ offense will stress possession and control of the ball in their bowl preparations.
Vanderbilt
- Passing
With Ralph Webb in the backfield, if Vandy QB Kyle Shurmur can have a decent Independence Bowl against NC State, Vandy will be in great shape. The good news for Commodores fans is that the Wolfpack won’t make anybody forget the ’85 Bears. NC State allowed over 3,000 passing yards and intercepted seven passes all season. Shurmur played great against Tennessee in Vandy’s bowl-clinching win, and if he can do it again, Vandy will be in position to do more celebrating.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
