It was not the opening weekend the SEC had anticipated as it lost five games to non-conference opponents with another potential loss looming on Monday.

The SEC East contributed, struggling against some low-caliber opponents and failing to eschew any notion that it was the SEC West’s weaker half.

It wasn’t all bad for the East, however.

Here’s what we learned about every SEC East team after opening weekend.

Florida Gators

Week 1 result: Defeated Massachusetts, 24-7

What we learned: Florida looked well on its way to becoming the latest SEC team to lose inexplicably before a fourth-quarter flourish sealed the win.

The Gators may have a new quarterback in Luke Del Rio, but they weren’t lighting up the scoreboard. UMass held Florida to short passes throughout the night, as Del Rio threw for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns but averaged only 5.8 yards per attempt.

Defensively, it’s difficult to glean much against this level of competition, but Florida looks like it can be strong in that area once again. The Gators limited UMass to only 187 yards on offense. There were too many penalties, however, including two personal fouls on the Minutemen’s touchdown drive.

Not to be overlooked is the performance of kicker Eddy Pineiro. After kicking woes plagued the Gators last season, Pineiro looks to have that fixed moving forward. He converted three field goal attempts from 40, 48 and 49 yards in the victory.

Georgia Bulldogs

Week 1 result: Defeated North Carolina, 33-24

What we learned: The Bulldogs delivered a strong victory in Kirby Smart’s first game as head coach. Against a potent North Carolina offense, Georgia’s defense allowed only 17 points and the offense came up big in the second half.

Perhaps most important, Nick Chubb proved his health with authority. Rushing for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns on 32 carries, Chubb returned to his Heisman-like form that he showed before his knee injury last October. Freshman back Brian Herrien also stepped up in his debut, running for 59 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries.

The quarterback battle was Georgia’s biggest offseason storyline, but freshman Jacob Eason made a big statement Saturday. Completing 8 of his 12 pass attempts, Eason threw for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Georgia’s defense will likely continue to be a project as the season progresses, but the secondary looked strong against North Carolina’s veteran passing attack and the front seven were able to get pressure in critical situations.

Kentucky Wildcats

Week 1 result: Lost to Southern Miss, 44-35

What we learned: The Wildcats put the capper on an opening weekend to forget with a collapse that won’t soon be forgotten.

Kentucky jumped out to a 35-10 lead at halftime, only to watch that lead slowly disappear as Southern Miss scored the next 34 points. Quarterback Drew Barker, like his team, had an impressive first-half performance thrown out the window later in the game. He threw for 287 yards and 4 touchdowns but also committed 3 turnovers in the second half.

The defense was somewhat of a bright spot for the Wildcats. J.D. Harmon intercepted two passes and Blake McClain snagged another. They won’t be shutting anyone down, especially if the offense is turning the ball over, but they deserved some recognition.

Missouri Tigers

Week 1 result: Lost to West Virginia, 26-11

What we learned: Missouri was among the SEC East teams that struggled on opening weekend.

The Tigers fell behind early and went into halftime down 13-3. It was much the same in the second half, as Missouri only one touchdown. It wasn’t a game to completely forget, however, as there were some positives to take away.

Drew Lock wasn’t spectacular, completing less than 50 percent of his passes, but he did manage to throw for 280 yards and a touchdown. J’Mon Moore took a big step forward to begin his junior campaign, catching 8 passes for 104 yards. Fellow receiver Chris Black added 6 catches of his own for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Although the Tigers’ defense allowed 26 points, they delivered a winning effort. Missouri is known for its stingy defenses, and this unit looks no different. Forcing three turnovers, Missouri’s defense did its best to keep the game close, but it wasn’t to be.

South Carolina Gamecocks

Week 1 result: Defeated Vanderbilt, 13-10

What we learned: The beginning of the Will Muschamp era wasn’t pretty for South Carolina, but the Gamecocks opened with a division win. Kicker Elliott Fry sealed the victory for Muschamp’s team, nailing a career-long 55-yard field goal with only 35 seconds remaining.

One of the top storylines heading into their opener was the quarterback battle between senior Perry Orth and freshman Brandon McIlwain. Both played, but Orth started both halves and helped rally the team to a victory. Neither quarterback looked particularly sharp, but Orth looked much better in the second half completing 6 of 8 pass attempts for 117 yards.

Bryan Edwards was South Carolina’s offensive star. He finished with 8 catches for 101 yards. A.J. Turner got the start at running back, and looked solid for most of the night running for 70 yards on 13 carries.

Defensively, South Carolina held Vanderbilt to only 73 yards through the air on 23 pass attempts but did surrender 169 yards on the ground. Seniors Chaz Elder and Marquavius Lewis led the team with seven tackles each. The Gamecocks should face a tougher challenge next week when they travel to play Mississippi State.

Tennessee Volunteers

Week 1 result: Defeated Appalachian State, 20-13

What we learned: After an offseason of lofty expectations and Playoff dreams, Tennessee came crashing back to reality against Appalachian State. Still, escaping with a win is all that matters, and the Vols still control their destiny but will need to sure up some exposed weaknesses.

Perhaps the biggest issue was Tennessee’s offensive line, which consistently allowed pressure on quarterback Joshua Dobbs and failed to open running lanes. Appalachian State sacked Dobbs twice and pressured him into some poor decisions, including an ill-advised pass off his back foot that resulted in an interception.

The Volunteers’ defense suffered a big loss early when senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin was ejected for targeting. Tennessee struggled to contain the Mountaineers’ running game in the first half, but looked much better in the second half, limiting Appalachian State to only 102 yards offensively.

Dobbs and running back Jalen Hurd did not have the start to the season many had expected. After working to become a better passer this offseason, Dobbs was 16-of-29 through the air for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Hurd managed to gain 110 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, but the offensively line limited his effectiveness.

Next week, Tennessee will face Virginia Tech in the much-anticipated Battle of Bristol. With the nation watching, the Vols will need to put together a much better performance.

Vanderbilt Commodores

Week 1 result: Lost to South Carolina, 13-10

What we learned: For all of the talk about a new direction, Vanderbilt’s season opener brought up some familiar memories. The offense was never able to muster much of a threat, and questionable decisions hurt the Commodores down the stretch.

Vanderbilt looked to be in good position early on, taking a 10-0 lead into halftime. The Commodores recovered a muffed punt, following their first possession, to set up good field position. Vanderbilt converted a field goal after the recovered fumble and scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Khari Blasingame during its next drive.

Vanderbilt’s offense gained only 123 yards after halftime, and could not get off of the field defensively. Coach Derek Mason made a questionable decision late in the game by not electing to call a timeout with 1:20 seconds left, allowing South Carolina to run the clock down and kick the field goal. This limited the amount of time Vanderbilt had to put together a final drive.

Quarterback Kyle Shurmur struggled for much of the game, completing on 8 of his 22 pass attempts for 73 yards. Running backs Ralph Webb and Blasingame found room on the ground, gaining 97 and 68 yards, respectively.

William McFadden covers the University of Georgia for Saturday Down South. For news on everything happening between the hedges, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.