B&S week 8: game by game previews
Postponements leave us with the leftovers, but we’re still gonna eat. Feleipe seeks revenge, Ole Miss-South Carolina may be the longest game ever played, and Vanderbilt and Kentucky are being forced to play.
By: The Hammer, The Waco Kid, Bossman Slim
Photo: Tampa Bay Times/AP
It’s been a week. Four of seven games were postponed, but at least we still have three to watch, even if one (possibly two) are pretty meaningless games at this point.
We won’t belabor this - let’s dig in.
Early Game
Vanderbilt at Kentucky - 12:00 PM ET on SEC Network (Kentucky -17.5)
The Hammer waking up in the 4th quarter of this game with 2:00 minutes to go.
This game is a total snoozer. Kentucky is known for horse racing, basketball, and bourbon, not college football. Nashville is known for country music and bachelorette parties, not college football. Unfortunately, these teams play each year. The Commodores currently sit at 0-5 while Kentucky is limping into this one at 2-4.
Vanderbilt football does not have anything going for it. They have been close in two games this year, and were trounced in the other three. Their defense gives up 35 points a game and the offense is not good, averaging just 12.8 points and 333 yards per game. That’s a recipe to get whooped every game. True freshman quarterback Ken Seals has shown flashes but overall looked like a young kid who is overmatched, throwing eight interceptions to six touchdowns.
This plays perfectly into Kentucky’s hands. The Wildcats defense is stout and should have no trouble stopping Vandy. Look for Kentucky to pick off Seals a few times, and maybe even get a defensive score, something they have done three times this year. Kentucky’s offense, on the other hand, is abysmal. Terry Wilson can't throw the ball, and Joey Gatewood does not look much better. This unit is last in the SEC, averaging just 295 yards per game of total offense, in a year where offenses are busting the league wide open. Yuck.
We have to mention the tragedy that befell the Kentucky program this week when the Wildcat’s offensive line coach, John Schlarman, lost his battle with cancer. John passed away on Thursday. He was just 45 years old. Really sad news, our hearts go out to Schlarman’s family, the players, the coaches, and everyone in Big Blue Nation. Look for the Wildcat offensive line to steamroll the Vanderbilt front all day in homage to their late coach.
Coach Schlarman with Kentucky QB Lynn Bowden Jr. after last years Belk Bowl win over Virginia Tech.
I think rather than watching this game I’ll just pour a glass of Jim Beam and put a Waylon Jennings record on. That will bring me far more joy than watching these two teams stumble around the gridiron. Bottom line, Kentucky is the better team of the bad teams and will show it on Saturday. Go win this one for Coach Schlarman.
Kentucky - 28
Vanderbilt - 7
The Hammer
Late Games
Arkansas at #6 Florida - 7:00 PM ET on ESPN (Florida -17.5)
Everything about this game screams upset to me. For starters, the Gator defense is something out of an inappropriate Big 12 dream. Their best performance was against a subpar Mizzou offense which they still surrendered 17 points to. If you want to run the ball, you can, if you want to pass the ball, you can. For instance, take Georgia’s first play from scrimmage, a 75-yard rushing touchdown that Florida did not even come close to touching the running back on. That is not a missed assignment, that is a perfect reflection of a defense that has not been able to stop the worst of teams from finding the end zone.
Then there is Feleipe Franks, what kind of poetic justice would it be if he were to enter The Swamp and hand his former team a second loss to the SEC West. It would be a story for the ages and it’s not inconceivable. Franks and head coach Sam Pittman, have Razorback nation believing that anything is possible after a 3-3 start to the season. Double F 13 has already thrown for 17 touchdowns and almost 1,500 yards and Pittman has his team overachieving in almost every contest. When is the competition going to start taking the Hogs seriously? Outside of the second half of the UGA game, Arkansas has been competitive in every match up so far, losing to Auburn on a botched call and going the distance with a now #5 ranked Texas A&M team. Stay “woke” America.
Florida fans reading the first half of this preview.
Florida’s offense is one of the best in the nation. They feature a top quarterback and tight end that may both be invited to New York in December but will definitely be in attendance in Cleveland when the NFL draft takes place. There is no doubt the Gators will put up points against Arkansas, but for Florida to notch another win, the defense will have to slow the opposing trio of Franks, Rakeem Boyd, and Treylon Burks which has been a tough task for opposing defenses.
Unfortunately, due to COVID protocol, Head Coach Sam Pittman will not be able to join the team for this showdown. I think this will ultimately lead to a break in the gritty character that has become an embodiment of this Arkansas football team. There will be no one to turn that damn jukebox on, and in this one, the jukebox needs to be at full volume for the Razorbacks to have a chance at leaving Gainesville with a W.
Florida will walk away with a win but it will be a close contest for the majority of the evening. This should be an exciting shootout that will ultimately come down to which defense can cause the most turnovers. That being said, in this game, we can be thankful for two things: 1) Will Muschamp will not be coaching and 2) Dan Mullen will finally be reunited with his old dancing partner.
A similar scene will likely unfold at midfield on Saturday after a Gator W.
#6 Florida 38
Arkansas 31
The Waco Kid
South Carolina at Ole Miss - 7:30 PM ET on SEC Network (Ole Miss -12)
Both of these teams enter this one looking like wounded ducks, or in South Carolina’s case, wounded Gamecocks. Each team sits at a dismal 2-4, and the bright spots are few and far between. Ole Miss is coming off a win against Vandy (congratulations) and South Carolina is still cleaning the grass out of their facemasks and cleats after getting turf-stomped by their last two opponents, LSU and Texas A&M.
Photo: Travis Bell Photography
Will: “I’ll tell ya coach, it’s hilarious. They can fire me, but I’m still gettin’ paaaaaid, you know what I’m sayin’?” Dabo: “No, I don’t have any idea what language you’re speaking.”
South Carolina’s offense can get nothing going right now, and rumblings out of Columbia are that a QB change is coming. Hell, it would surprise us if Collin Hill was trotted out as the starter again. What’s that they say about the definition of insanity? Starting Collin Hill again would fit the definition. Against A&M, Hill threw for just 66-yards and missed some golden opportunities for big chunk plays, including one walk-in touchdown on the opening drive. Will Muschamp is fighting for his job, and he has two highly recruited quarterbacks in his stable - it’s time to see what they can do, and it’s surprising it’s taken this long to make a switch. The ineptitude of the passing game has lead to struggles for talented back Kevin Harris, who was only able to manage 39 yards against A&M.
That should change tomorrow, though. Ole Miss has the worst rush defense in the conference, allowing opposing teams 5.5 yards per carry, 231 yards per game, and 19 touchdowns on the season. The game plan in this one is obvious for both: Ole Miss will try to load the box no matter who starts at QB, and it probably won’t matter because South Carolina will run on them anyway.
For Ole Miss, this season has been an overall disappointment, but bright spots have come in a few places. This team could easily be 3-3 if a call goes their way against Auburn, and they took the #1 team in the country to the wire. Matt Corral has taken hold of the QB1 job and led the Rebels to have the second-best offense in the conference. Corral has a 71% completion rating on the year and has thrown for over 1,800 yards and 19 touchdowns. His numbers rank only behind Mac Jones. Corral isn’t the only star on offense - Jerrion Ealy comes in as the 4th best back in the conference right now and boasts 6 TDs on the season. Ole Miss will look to follow the LSU and A&M blueprints on offense: just do whatever the hell you want.
Photo: Rogelio V. Solis, AP
Under Lane Kiffin, Corral has blossomed into one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC.
So the obvious question is: can either team stop each other? The resounding answer is NO. We expect this one to be a game in the fourth quarter. The all-time record in the 16 meetings between these two teams is an evenly split 8-8. In 13/14 meetings, the games have been decided by seven points or less. South Carolina has taken the last three meetings...BUT NOT TODAY, JR.
It’s gonna be a scorcher and the offenses are going to have fun in this one. Ole Miss outlasts the Gamecocks as both teams pad their offensive stats and run wild all night, as these teams have less defense than Crimea did against Russia.
Ole Miss 47
South Carolina 38
Bossman Slim