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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 South Carolina Gamecocks had only failed to score once in 28 red zone trips prior to last week’s showdown with Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium. That all changed on Saturday, as the Gamecocks scored on just two of five red zone possessions despite scoring 35 points in defeat.
South Carolina had scoring plays of 22, 27 and 51 yards to cap drives that never even reached the red zone, and quarterback Dylan Thompson threw two red zone interceptions to further harm South Carolina’s numbers inside opponents’ 20 yard lines. The Gamecocks were the most efficient red zone offense in the SEC before Week 9, but now they rank sixth in the SEC behind a bevy of inconsistent offenses like Florida and Missouri.
The Gators actually rose to No. 1 in red zone scoring despite sitting out last weekend on a bye. Florida has scored on 21 of 22 red zone trips this year, including 13 touchdowns. However, those 13 touchdowns are tied for the second fewest in the red zone among SEC teams this year. Kentucky has also scored just 13 red zone touchdowns, while Vanderbilt has scored only nine.
The Commodores have made the fewest red zone visits with just 16 (Florida has the second fewest with 22), and Vandy has only scored on 13 of those 16 trips, dropping it to 13th in the conference in red zone offense. The Commodores had the worst red zone offense before last weekend, but they scored a touchdown on their only red zone possession late in the first half against Missouri last week to move out of the basement in the SEC.
Kentucky now has had the SEC’s worst red zone offense through nine weeks, scoring on just 21 of 26 red zone trips this season. Kentucky scored on three of four red zone possessions in a loss to Mississippi State, including two touchdowns.
| Team | RZ Scoring % | RZ Trips | RZ TDs | RZ TD % | RZ FGs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Florida | 95.5% | 22 | 13 | 59.1% | 8 |
| 2. Auburn | 93.6% | 31 | 23 | 74.2% | 6 |
| 3. Missouri | 92.3% | 26 | 17 | 65.4% | 7 |
| 4. Tennessee | 90.6% | 32 | 18 | 56.3% | 11 |
| 5. Texas A&M | 88.2% | 34 | 26 | 76.5% | 4 |
| 6. South Carolina | 87.9% | 33 | 21 | 63.6% | 8 |
| 7. Georgia | 86.8% | 38 | 26 | 68.4% | 7 |
| 8. Arkansas | 86.1% | 36 | 29 | 80.6% | 2 |
| T9. Alabama | 85.3% | 34 | 23 | 67.7% | 6 |
| T9. LSU | 85.3% | 34 | 23 | 67.7% | 6 |
| 11. Ole Miss | 84.6% | 26 | 17 | 65.4% | 5 |
| 12. Mississippi State | 82.9% | 35 | 25 | 71.4% | 4 |
| T13. Vanderbilt | 81.3% | 16 | 9 | 56.3% | 4 |
| T13. Kentucky | 80.8% | 26 | 13 | 50.0% | 8 |
DEFENSIVE RED ZONE STATISTICS
If you were wondering how the No. 1 team in the nation rose to No. 1 with one of the SEC’s most lackluster red zone offenses, look no further than Mississippi State’s red zone defense. The Bulldogs have a middle-of-the-pack defense in the SEC, but they have the conference’s best red zone defense, and by a wide margin, too.
Mississippi State is allowing opponents to score on just 60 percent of red zone possessions, and it has allowed opponents to score touchdowns on just 34 percent of those possessions. Only Ole Miss and its “Landshark” defense have allowed fewer red zone touchdowns, but the Rebels have allowed opponents to convert more field goals, giving them a less efficient red zone defense overall.
Auburn has the SEC’s second-most efficient red zone defense, but it has also allowed more opponent red zone possessions than any other defense ranked in the top half of the SEC in red zone efficiency. The Tigers have let opponents move inside their 20 yard line on 28 occasions, but have held those opponents to just 18 scores including 14 touchdowns on those drives.
Kentucky and Vanderbilt both rank in the bottom three in the SEC in red zone offense and defense alike, as both have allowed opponents to score on more than 90 percent of red zone possessions. Kentucky allowed Mississippi State to score on all five of its red zone possessions last week (including four touchdowns), while Vandy let Missouri score on 4 of 4 red zone possessions (including three touchdowns).
That’s not nearly as bad as Tennessee, which has failed to make a single defensive stop in the red zone this season. However, Tennessee has also allowed the fewest opponent red zone possessions in the SEC with just 17 in eight games, and the Vols only allowed Alabama to get into the red zone once last week, although the Tide did score a touchdown on that drive.
| Team | RZ Scoring % | RZ Trips | RZ TDs | RZ TD % | RZ FGs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mississippi State | 60.9% | 23 | 8 | 34.8% | 6 |
| 2. Auburn | 64.3% | 28 | 14 | 50.0% | 4 |
| 3. Ole Miss | 73.7% | 19 | 6 | 31.6% | 8 |
| 4. Arkansas | 78.3% | 23 | 16 | 69.6% | 2 |
| 5. LSU | 79.0% | 19 | 10 | 52.6% | 5 |
| T6. Georgia | 81.0% | 21 | 15 | 71.4% | 2 |
| T6. Alabama | 82.4% | 17 | 7 | 41.4% | 7 |
| 8. Missouri | 87.5% | 24 | 15 | 62.5% | 6 |
| T9. Florida | 88.9% | 18 | 9 | 50.0% | 7 |
| T9. South Carolina | 88.9% | 36 | 24 | 66.7% | 8 |
| 11. Texas A&M | 90.9% | 22 | 15 | 68.2% | 5 |
| 12. Vanderbilt | 91.2% | 34 | 21 | 61.8% | 10 |
| 13. Kentucky | 92.3% | 26 | 17 | 65.4% | 7 |
| 14. Tennessee | 100.0% | 17 | 12 | 70.6% | 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.
