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Red Zone Watch: Which SEC teams are excelling in the red zone?
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Unfortunately, ESPN hasn’t rolled out an SEC version of NFL RedZone for the conference’s new network. It would fit well on the alternate channel and would’ve rocked this season. Instead, we’ll keep track of red zone stats for you each week.
OFFENSIVE RED ZONE STATISTICS
The Florida Gators maintain the SEC’s best red zone offense after a Week 10 win over Georgia, scoring on all three of their red zone possessions in a 38-20 victory in Jacksonville over the weekend. The Gators scored two touchdowns on those three possessions, but still possess one of the worst red zone touchdown rates of any team in the SEC (60 percent — fourth-worst in the conference).
The Gators have only failed to score on one of their 25 red zone possessions all season, but only the Vanderbilt Commodores have moved the ball into the red zone on fewer occasions this season (22).
The Dores have the worst red zone scoring rate of any team in the SEC, earning points on just 77 percent of their red zone possessions (17 of 22). Vandy also has the fewest red zone touchdowns (13) and the second-worst red zone touchdown rate (59 percent) of any team in the conference.
The Commodores only scored on four of six red zone possessions in a 42-28 win over Old Dominion, but all four scores were touchdowns. Nevertheless, Vandy’s two empty red zone possessions dropped them from 13th in the SEC in red zone scoring last week to dead-last this week.
Here’s a full rundown of all 14 SEC teams’ numbers in the red zone this season:
| Team | RZ Scoring % | RZ Trips | RZ TDs | RZ TD % | RZ FGs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Florida | 96.0% | 25 | 15 | 60.0% | 9 |
| 2. Missouri | 92.9% | 28 | 18 | 64.3% | 8 |
| 3. Auburn | 91.7% | 36 | 27 | 75.0% | 6 |
| 4. Tennessee | 89.7% | 39 | 23 | 59.0% | 12 |
| T5. Texas A&M | 86.5% | 37 | 28 | 75.7% | 4 |
| T5. South Carolina | 86.5% | 37 | 24 | 64.9% | 8 |
| 7. Georgia | 85.4% | 41 | 28 | 68.3% | 7 |
| T8. Alabama | 85.3% | 34 | 23 | 67.7% | 6 |
| T8. LSU | 85.3% | 34 | 23 | 67.7% | 6 |
| 10. Mississippi State | 83.8% | 37 | 26 | 70.3% | 5 |
| 11. Kentucky | 81.5% | 27 | 14 | 51.9% | 8 |
| 12. Ole Miss | 80.7% | 31 | 20 | 64.5% | 5 |
| 13. Arkansas | 80.5% | 41 | 30 | 73.2% | 3 |
| 14. Vanderbilt | 77.3% | 22 | 13 | 59.1% | 4 |
DEFENSIVE RED ZONE STATISTICS
No. 1 Mississippi State continues to boast the SEC’s best red zone defense, holding opponents scoreless on 12 of 28 red zone trips this season while limiting them to a field goal or less on 19 of 28 possessions. The Bulldogs not only have the SEC’s best red zone defense, they’ve also allowed the second-fewest red zone touchdowns this season and have allowed the lowest rate of opponent red zone touchdowns in 2014.
The Bulldogs’ red zone defense came in handy in a 17-10 win over Arkansas last weekend, as MSU held Arkansas scoreless on three of its five trips inside the Bulldogs’ 20 yard line. The Hogs scored one touchdown on a first half red zone possession following a muffed punt, and they converted a field goal on an 11-play, 60-yard drive in the first half, their longest drive of the game until the final eight minutes.
On the other end of the spectrum, Tennessee held a team scoreless on a red zone possession for the first this season when it held South Carolina without points on a red zone trip in the first half of the Vols’ 45-42 overtime win in Columbia. The Vols have now allowed 20 scores in 21 opponent red zone possessions, which is still the worst red zone defense in the conference.
Here’s a full rundown of the SEC’s red zone numbers on defense this season:
| Team | RZ Scoring % | RZ Trips | RZ TDs | RZ TD % | RZ FGs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mississippi State | 57.1% | 28 | 9 | 32.1% | 7 |
| 2. Auburn | 63.6% | 33 | 17 | 51.5% | 4 |
| 3. Ole Miss | 75.0% | 24 | 10 | 41.7% | 8 |
| 4. LSU | 79.0% | 19 | 10 | 52.6% | 5 |
| 5. Arkansas | 80.0% | 25 | 17 | 68.0% | 3 |
| 6. Alabama | 82.4% | 17 | 7 | 41.2% | 7 |
| 7. Georgia | 83.3% | 24 | 17 | 70.8% | 3 |
| 8. Florida | 85.7% | 21 | 11 | 52.4% | 7 |
| 9. Missouri | 88.0% | 25 | 16 | 64.0% | 6 |
| 10. South Carolina | 88.4% | 43 | 29 | 67.4% | 9 |
| 11. Vanderbilt | 91.7% | 36 | 23 | 63.9% | 10 |
| 12. Texas A&M | 92.0% | 25 | 16 | 64.0% | 7 |
| 13. Kentucky | 92.9% | 28 | 18 | 64.3% | 8 |
| 14. Tennessee | 95.2% | 21 | 15 | 71.4% | 5 |
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
