Week 5 report card: Reshaping expectations
The SEC’s Week 5 report card:
OFFENSE
Texas A&M: A
Kyle Allen continues to be sensational in his first full season as the starter at quarterback, and the Aggies’ wealth of talent at wide receiver is well-known. But perhaps most encouraging for Aggies fans is the fact that Texas A&M was able to get the running game revved up again. In last week’s win over Arkansas the Aggies rushed for a season-low 65 yards as the Razorbacks controlled possession for the majority of the game. But that’s the only time this year Texas A&M has rushed for less than 170 yards, and putting up 194 on Mississippi State on Saturday showed the Aggies remain committed to keeping defenses honest this season.
Florida: A-
The Gators didn’t put up big numbers on the ground, but going against one of the conference’s best defenses, the running game provided the balance. That allowed freshman quarterback Will Grier to go to work, finishing 24 of 29 for 271 yards and four touchdowns to lead No. 25 Florida to an impressive 38-10 win over No. 3 Ole Miss.
Ole Miss: D
Chad Kelly wasn’t in peak form in The Swamp — and yet, he was perhaps the best thing about the Ole Miss offense Saturday. The Gators repeatedly harassed Kelly and put the Rebels in third-and-long situations with four sacks and four hurries. Ole Miss also had four turnovers and got stopped behind the line of scrimmage 11 times on the day. The Rebels’ inability to run against a defense as talented as Florida’s wasn’t shocking, but their problems protecting the quarterback were troublesome.
DEFENSE
Alabama: A
Other than one long run by Nick Chubb, the Crimson Tide defense played phenomenal football in leading the Alabama to a 38-10 win over No. 8 Georgia. The Bulldogs quarterbacks clearly struggled in the wet conditions, but weather aside, Georgia could get nothing going offensively. The Tide gave up just 106 yards through the air and forced four turnovers.
Arkansas: B+
This grade is rooted almost entirely in the Hogs’ second-half performance. After falling behind quickly 14-0, Arkansas outscored Tennessee 24-6 for the remainder of the game as the Vols failed to reach the end zone after their first offensive possession of the game. In the second half, Tennessee had just nine carries for 4 yards, and completed 6 of 15 passes for 86 yards. The Arkansas defense owes a debt of gratitude to its offensive teammates for some of that success, as Arkansas controlled the ball for nearly 24 of the game’s final 30 minutes.
Georgia: D
The fact that the Bulldogs struggled against one of the nation’s best front sevens is forgivable. But the fact that Georgia’s own defense was repeatedly pushed around up front is maybe a bigger issue going forward. Georgia has talent in its front seven, led by one of the nation’s best linebacker groups when it comes to pressuring quarterbacks off the edge. And while it officially held Alabama to 4 yards per carry as a team, it felt worse than that. Too often Derrick Henry found wide running lanes and was into the second level of the defense before a Bulldog put a hand on him. Maybe we’ll look back at this game as the moment that the Crimson Tide offensive line, which has been inconsistent this season, truly gelled on its way to becoming a dominant unit. The alternative — that Georgia was manhandled by a good-but-not-great offensive line — is a worrisome possibility to consider.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kentucky: C
A missed extra point nearly cost the Wildcats dearly in an eventual 34-27 overtime win over Eastern Kentucky. Luckily for Mark Stoops & Co., the Colonels had their own problems in the kicking game, missing a PAT and a field goal.
COACHING
Missouri: A
The Tigers staff gets high marks for its ability to accurately assess what needed to happen to get Missouri back on track. With freshman Drew Lock making his first start, Gary Pinkel let the defense and the running game doing the heavy lifting, while putting Lock in position to gain confidence with minimal mistakes. The freshman was efficient if not spectacular, the running game looked as good as it has since last year and the defense was typically stout as the Tigers shook off last week’s loss to earn a 24-10 win over South Carolina.
LSU: C
We might take issue with LSU’s decision to throw exclusively down the field instead of letting the passing game get some high-percentage completions, or the fact that the Tigers substituted a bit too freely before the outcome was in hand. Those are issues that could be justifiably debated. What’s inarguable is that for the second straight week, LSU let a massive underdog hang around until the fourth quarter. That kind of thing happens from time to time, but when it happens in back-to-back weeks, the coaching staff needs to examine what it’s doing to get the team ready to play.
Tennessee: F
Oh boy. For the third time this year, the Volunteers let a double-digit lead slip away. The only difference Saturday is they didn’t wait until the fourth quarter to let the opponent take control. In the wake of another loss, much can be discussed, decisions can be second-guessed, and many stats can be parsed. But the overriding issue that trumps everything is that Tennessee just isn’t winning competitive games. Plain and simple. All else is details.
OVERALL
As we approach the season’s midway point, the SEC’s unbeaten teams are Texas A&M, LSU and Florida. Just like everybody predicted, right?
If Week 5 proved anything, it’s that things can change quickly in college football. People were ready to bury Alabama, and then the Tide turns in a vintage Bama performance on the road against a top-10 team. Now, the Tide look like one of the best teams in the country again.
Ole Miss looked like an unstoppable juggernaut with Chad Kelly leading the offense and a defense stacked with talent — until Florida made us re-think those assessments.
Don’t be surprised if our ideas of who these teams are and what they might become continue to shift over the coming month or so. We’re just now getting into the meat of season, and there is still plenty left to learn.