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Allocating blame: 3 reasons each losing SEC team had a sad Halloween
By Chris Wright
Published:
Five SEC teams lost games Saturday.
The reasons and margins varied. We went beyond the box scores to determine the three most culpable for each.
Auburn
Third-down woes (40 percent): The Tigers converted just 2 of 15 third downs (0-for-2 on fourth down), and most of that fell on QB Sean White. White was just 12 of 28 on the day, but he converted just one third down via the air. That pass — a 46-yarder to Ricardo Louis — set up an Auburn field goal.
In a one-possession game, Auburn’s third-down issues were its most costly issue.
Laquon Treadwell (35 percent): Ole Miss didn’t look Treadwell’s way much in the first half. Not so coincidentally, the score was tied at 10. Treadwell went to work in the second half, however, and Auburn’s secondary had no answer.
He finished with 114 receiving yards — his fourth consecutive 100-yard game and fifth this season.
It wasn’t so much the total as the timing.
Treadwell had three catches during Ole Miss’ go-ahead touchdown drive, then punctuated the afternoon with a tough touchdown catch with Tigers cornerback Carlton Davis on his back.
First-and-goal wasted (25 percent): Auburn trailed 20-16 when Kris Frost intercepted a Chad Kelly pass near midfield. On the next play, Jeremy Johnson hit Tony Stevens for a 44-yard gain to Ole Miss’ 3-yard line.
Auburn lost lost a yard on a run, had an ineligible man downfield penalty, and White threw two incomplete passes to set up fourth down. Daniel Carlson kicked a 26-yard field goal for Auburn’s final points.
Georgia
Couldn’t run (50 percent): Sony Michel is not Nick Chubbs, and that was obvious Saturday as Georgia’s normally physical between-the-tackles ground game struggled to find traction.
Michel was held to 45 yards on 13 carries. His 3.5 yards per carry was only slightly better than the 3.3 he posted two weeks ago against Missouri.
Couldn’t stop the run (40 percent): The good news is Florida didn’t run for 400 yards and didn’t have two runners almost go for 200 yards apiece. That all happened last year. Saturday, the Gators ran for 258 and had two runners (Kelvin Taylor and Jordan Scarlett) nearly break 100 apiece. Taylor ran for 2 TDs.
Florida sealed the win with an 80-yard drive. The Gators ran six plays (one was wiped out by a penalty). Four of the five that counted were runs of 3, 3, 60 and 16 yards.
QB issues (10 percent): Faton Bauta replaced the benched Greyson Lambert, and the numbers didn’t lie. He threw four interceptions. But the numbers didn’t tell the whole truth, either. Florida’s rush tipped a pass to force one interception, and another came after pick deflected off a Georgia receiver’s hands. Bauta is an easy target, the reality is he had a much better completion percentage than counterpart Treon Harris and threw for just one fewer yard (155 to 154).
South Carolina
Run defense (60 percent): Texas A&M ran for 321 yards and had two backs crack 100 yards (Kyle Murray 156, Tra Carson 122). Three of their four offensive TDs were on the ground.
Texas A&M entered the game averaging just 147 rushing yards, making the ground-and-pounding they put on the Gamecocks even more troubling.
Costly turnover (20 percent): Perry Orth threw two interceptions, but the first was the costliest.
South Carolina trailed 28-21 and was moving toward midfield when Donovan Wilson intercepted Orth and returned it 60 yards for a back-breaking touchdown and 35-21 lead.
Couldn’t get off the field (20 percent): Texas A&M converted 6 of 13 third downs and its only fourth down try.
The Aggies set the tone early, converting a pair of third-and-shorts on their first touchdown drive.
The most painful conversion came with the Gamecocks trying to protect a 21-14 lead. Kyler Murray ran for 28 yards on a third-and-6. Two plays later, Texas A&M tied it.
Kentucky
Not-so-special teams (40 percent): The game was already out of reach, but Kentucky gave up a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown on consecutive special teams plays.
Joshua Dobbs (39 percent): Tennessee’s dual-threat QB isn’t Dak Prescott, but he accounted for four touchdowns (2 passing, 2 rushing). Dobbs gave Georgia fits too, and Kentucky’s defense isn’t as stout as the Bulldogs. He clearly was the difference before Tennessee’s special teams took over in the second half.
History (21 percent: Kentucky hasn’t posted a winning record in the SEC since 1977, and the dubious streak will carry on at least one more year. The Wildcats started 5-1 last season before losing six consecutive games. They started 4-1 this season and have dropped three straight. At some point, doubt creeps in.
Vanderbilt
The QBs (75 percent): Vandy completed 5 passes and threw 3 interceptions. What more needs to be said?
O-line issues (20 percent): In fairness to QBs Johnny McCrary and Kyle Shurmur, Houston lived in the backfield. A third-quarter sack illustrated the issues as two blitzing linebackers shot through the A-gap untouched.
Lack of creativity (5 percent): Issues A and B forced the coaches’ hands and rendered any defensive issue moot, but Vanderbilt ran the ball 41 times despite trailing 34-0.
An APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
