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If it wasn’t for a divisional matchup between Missouri and Vanderbilt, the SEC East was in danger of not picking up a win during Week 8 action. The division finished 1-3 on the weekend as a few of its marquee teams (Florida, Georgia and South Carolina) sat out the week with a bye. With all due respect to Vanderbilt, when the Commodores are the only team to earn a win, your division, as a whole, might have had a down week.
Here’s a look at what we learned about every SEC East team during Week 8.
Florida Gators
Week 8 Result: Bye
What we learned: The Gators will face Georgia (5-2, 3-2 SEC) during a Week 9 matchup that could very well decide the SEC East. Florida (6-1, 4-1) enters the game with a one-game lead in the division. Last year, under then head coach Will Muschamp, the Gators broke a three-game losing streak to the Bulldogs with a 38-20 win in which Kelvin Taylor rushed for 197 yards and teammate Matt Jones added another 192 on the ground.
Georgia Bulldogs
Week 8 result: Bye
What we learned: Georgia played itself back into the SEC East race with a 9-6 win over Missouri in Week 7. The Bulldogs have struggled of late, with losses to Alabama and Tennessee, but a victory over Florida in Week 9 will up UGA to 4-2 in the conference with only Kentucky and Auburn remaining on Georgia’s SEC East slate.
Kentucky Wildcats
Week 8 result: Lost to Mississippi State 42-16
What we learned: Kentucky enters its bye week losers of two straight, thanks to a 42-16 drubbing at the hands of Dak Prescott and Mississippi State in Week 8. The Wildcats matched the Bulldogs in first downs (30) and won the time of possession battle by close to six minutes, but Kentucky’s 586 total yards surrendered on defense is impossible for many teams to overcome. The path to the postseason isn’t so clear cut anymore for the Wildcats (4-3, 2-3 SEC East), who need to pick up two wins against either Tennessee in Week 9, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Charlotte or Louisville to become bowl eligible.
Missouri Tigers
Week 8 result: Lost to Vanderbilt 10-3
What we learned: The two-time defending SEC East champion Tigers have fallen a long way in a short time, thanks in large part to something that resembles a junior varsity offense. When “QB Drew Lock completed 14 of 34 passes for 108 yards” is the top item on your postgame notes under offense, you might have a problem moving the ball. Mizzou rung up a miserable 188 total yards (80 rushing) in a loss to a Vanderbilt team that was searching for its first SEC win since November 2013. The bottom is near for Gary Pinkel’s squad.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Week 8 result: Bye
What we learned: South Carolina will look to reprise the offense that led to interim head coach Shawn Elliott winning his Gamecocks debut in Week 7 against Vanderbilt. Elliott was able to get the running game in gear against Vandy, as Brandon Wilds rushed for the sixth 100-yard game of his career. South Carolina gets a shot at redemption in Week 9 against Texas A&M, who buried the Gamecocks in last year’s season opener — kicking-off the eventual demise of Steve Spurrier. The Aggies are suddenly the owners of a two-game losing streak entering its home tilt with Elliott and the new-look Gamecocks. Texas A&M is coming off a 23-3 loss to No. 23 Ole Miss in which the Rebels posted 230 rushing yards as a team.
Tennessee Volunteers
Week 8 result: Lost to Alabama 19-14
What we learned: Alabama has now beaten Tennessee in nine consecutive games dating back to 2006. The Volunteers played the Crimson Tide tougher than just about anyone not named Ole Miss this season and lead 14-13 with only 2:25 to play. In the end, however, the Volunteers gave up another fourth quarter lead, the third time they’ve done so this season. The balance of the Tennessee schedule gets exponentially easier from here until the end of the seasons with contests lined up against Kentucky, South Carolina, North Texas, Missouri and Vanderbilt. It’s not completely irresponsible to think that Butch Jones’ squad can’t run the table and finish 8-4 and 5-3 in the SEC.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Week 8 result: Defeated Missouri 10-3
What we learned: Derek Mason finally earned his first SEC victory after dropping his first 12 conference games since taking over last year as Vanderbilt head coach. It’s the first victory in conference play for the Commodores since defeating Tennessee on Nov. 23, 2013 in Knoxville. Kyle Shurmur won his Vandy debut, becoming just the second freshman to accomplish the feat. The first quarterback to do so was teammate Wade Freebeck last season. Vandy’s 10 points are the fewest its scored in a victory since beating Chattanooga 7-0 during the 1985 season and it is the fewest that the Commodores have posted in a conference game since blanking Kentucky 6-0 in 1968.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
