Each week, Matt Hayes uses his sources around the country to bring you insider knowledge about what’s going on in the SEC ahead of this week’s games.
This is what he’s hearing from SEC coaches and NFL scouts in Week 7 …
Did Florida reveal LSU’s biggest flaw?
Spoke with an SEC coach this week about LSU QB Joe Burrow, and his performance against Florida. The question: Was it the moment or something more damaging down the road?
“I think LSU, overall, got exposed a little bit in that game. They’re not that good in pass protection, and they’re banged up at the tackle spots. Plus (Florida DC) Todd (Grantham) realizes the best way to help in the back where they have problems in coverage is to get after the quarterback.
“The thing that would scare me moving forward is there are teams on (LSU’s) schedule that can get to the quarterback with just four (down linemen). Then what happens? I don’t care who you are – I don’t care if you’re Tua (Tagovailoa) – you’re not performing at a high level if you’re getting hit every other time you drop. I don’t put that on Burrow, I put that on LSU’s inability to protect.” …
Moorhead finally realizes what Fitzgerald is, and isn’t
Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead admitted last week that he needs to fit his offense around dual-threat abilities of QB Nick Fitzgerald instead of forcing his system on Fitzgerald. Moorhead had envisioned Fitzgerald as a Trace McSorley type player, but one SEC coach says after four years, Fitzgerald is what he is:
“He’s never been a guy that’s going to scare you strictly with his arm. He’s just not a drop and set and throw type of guy. But, man, is he a tough, instinctive and willing runner. He’s a helluva lot faster than you think, too.
“You start pulling up (safeties) in the back end to slow him down, he has the ability to hit a couple of big throws. Now that (Moorhead) has figured out you can’t make everyone what you want them to be, they’re going to be going to be dangerous in the second half of the season. We all want to help guys reach their ceiling, help them change, help them get to the next level. Sometimes, guys are what they are and you’ve just got to get the best out of them.” …
NFL scout: De’Jon Harris is a guy to watch
You’ll watch Ole Miss and Arkansas this weekend for the offense, for the sheer points and the reality that someone has to win. But check out Arkansas LB De’Jon Harris. “He’s not the biggest guy, and he’s not the fastest, but that dude is a football player,” an NFL scout told me last week. “A lot of people in our league are going to overlook him because he’s not going to run a 4.5 40 and he’s under 6 (feet). But if you want to watch a football player, a guy that knows the game and takes it serious and plays like the world is ending tomorrow, watch that guy.” …
SEC coach: Mizzou not using TEs properly
The Alabama back seven, clearly the biggest issue on a team with very few flaws, will get another big test this weekend against Missouri. It’s not just QB Drew Lock, who could be the first quarterback taken in next year’s NFL Draft. Check out Missouri tight ends Albert Okwuegbunam and Kendall Blanton. They’ll both play in the NFL, and Okwuegbunam could be a low first-round pick. They both will press the Tide linebackers and safeties, too.
“That’s two serious problems with those guys,” one SEC coach told me. “They catch everything, and they’re like tackling offensive linemen. You’ve got 260- and 265-pound grown men, and they’re both 6-feet-6 – so you just throw it near them and they’ve got a chance to get it. To be honest, I don’t think Missouri is using them properly. They’re matchup problems for anyone. I don’t know how many catches they have, but it’s not enough.” Okwuegbunam has 27 catches for 194 yards (7.2 ypc.) and Blanton has 11 for 96 (8.7). …
Trap is set for Florida
One SEC coach on the turnaround at Florida: “You want to see if Dan (Mullen) really has that thing turned? Watch and see what happens this weekend at Vanderbilt. That’s a sneaky game. You come off a big win like that, and then have to travel to Nashville against a team you should beat, a team that’s not playing as well as they should be, especially on defense. Your concern is they put it all together because the big dog is coming to town. And your guys aren’t ready. Florida wins that game, and I think we get an idea of the makeup of that team.” …
Jake Bentley’s problem? Trying to do too much, too often
A critically overlooked game this week: Texas A&M at South Carolina. So many subplots, so much potential for change. At the top of the list: the quarterbacks. Since a breakout game in a loss to Clemson, Aggies QB Kellen Mond has been average at best. In his past three SEC games, Mond has 3 TDs and 5 INTs and the offense is averaging 22.3 points per game. Meanwhile, South Carolina QB Jake Bentley hasn’t played well all season – a season in which many scouts believed he could become elite. He’s banged up (knee), missed last week’s win over Missouri (when backup Michael Scarnecchia threw 3 TDs and 0 INTs) and might not play.
“He looks like he’s trying to make the perfect throw every time he drops back,” an NFL scout said of Bentley. “The kid has all the tools, but you can’t take over the world every play. He’s trying way too hard out there, and the problem with that is, the more you try to make every throw perfect and continue to struggle, the more you try and the harder it gets. Everything is thinking instead of just playing.”
Matt Hayes is a national college football writer for Saturday Down South. You can hear him daily from 12-3 p.m. on 1010XL in Jacksonville. Follow on Twitter @MattHayesCFB
