A couple of totally trivial confessions:

  • Some of these questions constitute commentary thinly veiled as trivia.
  • I’m not anti-Alabama, but I sure would find the SEC more interesting if it looked like some other team could truly challenge the Tide.

Given those things, I’m hitching my wagon to the LSU Tigers. Those other SEC West Tigers might still be in play, but I’m easily discouraged. It’ll take weeks — and an offensive pulse — for Auburn to win me back.

So, last week I pointed out that LSU’s star running back Derrius Guice had 1 catch for 4 yards in Week 1. He followed with zero catches in Week 2. Some of my colleagues here at Saturday Down South say LSU is being deliberately vanilla in its cupcake games, that Guice can and will catch passes if and when the offense needs it. Me, I’m a believer in practicing and perfecting plays against lesser competition.

I’m also a fan of forcing really tough defenses (Alabama, Auburn) to cover as many options and as much of the field as possible.

(Coach O, Matt Canada, whatever you guys think is best. Just thinking out loud here.)

Maybe I’m off-base in thinking it’s an issue. Teams have won national titles with one-dimensional backs (LSU, for example, in 2003 with Justin Vincent rushing for 1,001 yards and netting 80 yards on 8 receptions).

Hopefully, the inspiration for this lead-off offering is as trivial as the question itself. Geaux Tigers!

Questions

1. When was the last season LSU had a 1,000-yard rusher who had less than 100 yards receiving? Was it 2013, 2010, 2008 or 2003?

2. Kentucky senior Blake Bone caught 3 passes for 93 yards against Eastern Kentucky. A) Has he ever had more than 3 catches in a game? B) Has he ever had more than 93 receiving yards in a game?

3. Shea Patterson threw for an Ole Miss record 489 yards Saturday, his second straight 400-yard game. Until his next monster game, he’ll share the school record for career 400-yard games with three guys. Name them.

4. Alabama had 28 first downs against Fresno State. Seems like a lot, but is it? How many times did the Crimson Tide have at least 28 first downs in a game last season? Was it one, two, three or four times?

5. Arkansas QB Austin Allen has 273 passing yards through two games. Last season, did he ever have a two-game stretch with less than 300 yards?

6. Name the only SEC player in Week 2 to lead his team in rushing attempts/yards and receptions/yards.

7. Vanderbilt seems to be easing workhorse senior Ralph Webb into the season. He has only 104 rushing yards through two games. In his 1,000-yard seasons the past two years, how many times has he had a two-game stretch with 104 or fewer rushing yards? Was it no times, once, twice or three times?

8. Did more than 100,000 fans show up at Kyle Field for Texas A&M’s game against Nicholls State?

Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

9. If South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel (above) maintains his current pace and gets the same number of kick returns he had last year, would he top 1,000 yards in kick returns this season?

10. How many times in his career has MSU’s Nick Fitzgerald passed for at least 100 yards, run for at least 100 yards and averaged 10-plus yards per carry? Is it two, three, four or five times?

11. Through two games, do any of Missouri’s running backs have more than one reception?

12. Assuming Georgia plays at least 13 games this season, are Nick Chubb and Sony Michel both on pace for 1,000-yard rushing seasons?

13. Florida and Tennessee met 19 straight times as ranked teams between 1985 and 2007. Saturday, they are scheduled to meet as ranked teams for a second straight year. From 2008 through 2015, how many times did they meet with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25? No times, once, twice or three times?

14. Through two games, do any of Auburn’s running backs have more than one reception?

Answers

1. In 2010, Stevan Ridley ran for 1,147 yards and caught 11 passes for 61 yards. LSU went 11-2 under Les Miles that year.

2. A) Yes. B) No. Bone had 7 catches for 85 yards two years ago against Eastern Kentucky, both career highs before Saturday.

3. Chad Kelly, Bo Wallace, Eli Manning.

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4. Twice. They had exactly 28 first downs against Tennessee and Texas A&M in 2016.

5. No. Allen’s worst total in back-to-back games was 414 yards to start the season.

Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

6. Tennessee’s John Kelly (above) went 18-80 rushing, 5-60 receiving vs. Indiana State.

7. Once. In Vandy’s first two games in November last season, Webb totaled 80 yards combined against Auburn (46) and Missouri (34). He followed with three straight 100-yard games to finish the season.

8. Yes. According the the official game summary, 100,276 showed up.

9. Yes. Oh my lord, yes! He’d finish with 1,552 on 16 returns. Can Samuel average 97 yards per kick return for an entire season? Probably not. But he sure is fun to watch.

10. Three. Fitzgerald did it Saturday against La. Tech (124, 111, 11.1) and last season against South Carolina (178, 195, 11.5)  and Ole Miss (109, 258, 18.4).

11. No. Damarea Crocket has 1 for 6 yards; Ish Witter has 1 for 8.

12. Yes. Michel is one pace for 1,040 yards and Chubb for 1,034.

13. Once, in 2012. No. 18 Florida beat No. 23 Tennessee 37-20 in a battle of 2-0 teams.

14. Yes. Kam Martin has 2. Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson have none.