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The stock in backup quarterbacks is on the upswing this week, but they’re all created equal, especially on the road in the SEC.
The Crimson Tide remain on cruise control as Nick Saban joins an elite club. His latest win in Tuscaloosa is Saban’s 40th when Alabama is ranked No. 1. That matches Bobby Bowden and Woody Hayes for the most wins coaching an Associated Press No. 1 team.
On to Week 11 and what you can expect to see in Sunday’s SEC headlines:
Mississippi State at Alabama: Howard drops haymaker on ‘Dogs
O.J. Howard shakes off a sub-par game against LSU to turn in his first multi-touchdown game of the season. His performance made armchair play-callers pump their fist as the Bulldogs struggled against the tight end.
South Carolina at Florida: Gators rip away the red carpet
So much for a memorable reunion for the Gamecocks. Jake Bentley has his first rough outing of the season as he’s picked off twice in the first half as the top-rated Gators’ defense causes plenty of headaches. Austin Appleby, meanwhile, does just enough to pull away in the second half.
Kentucky at Tennessee: Vols vanquish Stoops’ troops
The momentum Kentucky built two and three weeks ago is suddenly gone as Tennessee and known nemesis Joshua Dobbs turn in a fourth big-time game against Kentucky. The Wildcats have historically struggled against mobile quarterbacks and this becomes another chapter in that book. Stephen Johnson struggles early with a couple of strip sack fumbles that puts his defense in tight spots.
Auburn at Georgia: Latest Dawgs comeback falls short
Jacob Eason engineers a fourth fourth-quarter comeback drive this season that energizes Sanford Stadium. But Georgia leaves too much time on the clock, and Auburn rips off a couple of long runs to set up a last-minute field goal. It’s the sixth time this season Auburn scored three rushing TDs.
Vanderbilt at Missouri: Ralph rumbles over Tigers
Ralph Webb pours on yards and first downs early and often and causes Missouri its 12th consecutive conference loss. Webb eclipses 3,000 career yards, but falls short of Zac Stacy’s career rushing record for the Commodores — for now.
LSU at Arkansas: Hogs get back on track, for now
Arkansas wins the first back-to-back games since September as the Austin Allen-Rawleigh Williams show capitalizes on the LSU defense recovering from the Alabama loss. The Arkansas defense bottles up a second straight offense as Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice struggle to find footing.
Ole Miss at Texas A&M: After stumble, Aggies resume control
The Aggies send Ole Miss to its sixth loss of the season while they pick up an eighth win on the strength of Josh Reynolds with a TD catch in a fifth consecutive game. Jason Pellerin shows some flashes, but couldn’t get the offense going well enough to challenge the Aggies on the road.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
