B&S week 1 game by game recaps
Week 1 left us with plenty of questions, some big blowouts, and some bad losses.
By: Bossman Slim, The Hammer, The Waco Kid
LSU did not enjoy their first trip to the Rose Bowl. (Photo: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)
Wow, what a weekend! It felt so dang good to have college football games on TV all day, from 12 ET all the way through primetime. Opening weekend of college football is the best dang time of year. That first Saturday is Christmas morning. What a joy it was.
It wasn’t joyous for everyone, however. Nashville had that sad face 😢 after losing to an FCS squad, and the Bayou Bengals walked out of the Rose Bowl with their tail tucked between their legs. Week one also brought us lots of questions heading into week two, like who is the quarterback for Florida? Can Coach O right the ship in Baton Rouge before the chorus of angry fans and boosters take his job? Can anyone, anyone at all, beat Alabama? Is the Kentucky passing game for real, or was it a fluke against inferior competition? Do you love the Applebee’s commercial?
We’ll get into all that and more in our recaps below. But first, check out the B&S staff records from over the weekend. LSU, you screwed us all with the false bravado and sissy blue shirt talk.
Bossman Slim: 11-2
The Hammer: 11-2
The Waco Kid: 10-3
We’ll be keeping track all year and may come up with a little side bet. We’ll see. Now let’s dig in.
Early Game
Kentucky 45 - UL Monroe 10
Bossman Slim: I nearly was spot on picking this game, picking Kentucky 42-10. Not that anyone should give me a medal, UL Monroe is very bad. Terry Bowden hasn’t had the time to work his magic at ULM. Kentucky looks solid, and that Liam Coen offense may be for real. Will Levis looks like he can sling it, Wan’Dale Robinson is a godsend for Mark Stoops, and the O-line looks well-coached and good as expected. The defense was also salty holding ULM to just a 10 spot. The big test comes this week as the ‘Cats get Mizzou at The Big Grocery Store. Maybe Levis can find a few more bananas to keep his nutrition up and keep the trend going.
The Hammer: Great start to the season for Kentucky. They outperformed my expectations. Will Levis went 18/26 for 367 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. No doubt that many yards through the air brought a tear to Big Blue Nation’s eyes. Chris Rodriguez couldn’t let Levis get all the glory though, and he added 125 yards and one TD on the ground. The offense definitely looked different and Wan’Dale Robinson looked like a legitimate threat on the outside. It will be interesting to see how Kentucky can do against better competition because ULM is very, very bad but a great opening game nonetheless.
The Waco Kid: C-Rod performed just like expected in the season opener with over 100 yards rushing and a TD. The real surprise was Penn State transfer Will Levis who torched the Warhawks through the air with 4 TDs and almost 370 yards passing. The only mistake Levis made was throwing a pick at the beginning of the game. After that, it was all uphill for the ‘Cats. With three quarters of scoring 14 points each, Kentucky stepped on the gas and didn’t let up. I underestimated the defensive unit and gave UL Monroe 7 more points than they actually could muster. Keep an eye on that bluegrass secondary, they only gave up 70 yards passing on the day.
Midday Games
Arkansas 38 - Rice 17
Bossman Slim: Again, I was just six points off the final score, 3 off on each side. It’s always been this way for me, since I was a kid. I don’t know what to tell you, but I might have ESPN. I can tell when it’s raining. Besides Mean Girls references, Arkansas had trouble with the super nerds from Houston. That could spell trouble, but I’ll chalk it up to first-game jitters. I wish they had one more tune-up before Texas walks into town, but there ain’t no rest for the weary. Go Hogs on Saturday, give those boys from Austin a nice, warm SEC welcome.
The Hammer: The Hogs rallied late and pulled away from Rice, but this game was very close for a long time. It wouldn’t be an Arkansas football game unless they got a few controversial calls, and that's exactly what happened with both Connor Morgan and Bumper Pool being ejected for targeting. KJ Jefferson showed some juice with his legs, but he looked pretty shaky through the air. Give credit to the Razorbacks for rallying in the second half, but a big test is coming with Texas traveling to Fayetteville this coming weekend. Jalen Catalon had a huge game with two interceptions and looks like an All-American. He’ll need to be just as good if Arkansas has a chance to beat the Longhorns.
The Waco Kid: By the looks of the final score one would think Arkansas cruised to victory. If you thought this, you were wrong. The Hogs were down 10-7 at halftime and did not take a lead in the game until the fourth. But three touchdowns in the final quarter made it look like an easy win. Trelon Smith had a decent game, rushing for over 100 yards and a TD. The bigger surprise was the Razorbacks’ passing attack or lack thereof. KJ Jefferson passed for 128 yards and could not seem to find top receiver Treylon Burks all game. If Burks continues to be held to under 50 yards a game, the Fayetteville crew could be in for a long year with a stagnant offense.
#1 Alabama 44 - #14 Miami 13
Bossman Slim: I overestimated Miami’s offense in this one, but was right on the money with Bama, predicting a 45-28 final. That Bama defense is mean. Not Georgia mean, but they’re right there with the Dawgs. The Crimson Tide have weapons all over the field yet again, Bryce Young already looks like he’s in midseason form, and the Tide rolled. Saban has these kids disciplined and in tip-top shape, primed and ready for another run at a title. It might just be Bama and everyone else yet again. Alabama eats a cupcake for lunch this week before heading to The Swamp for a massive early-season matchup.
The Hammer: No surprise here. While I still think it’s possible that Alabama isn’t as good as they were in 2020, they are still the best team in the country, and Miami is not that good. By year’s end, Miami might be a top 20 team, but that is how big the gap is between The Tide and a top 20 team. There are only a select few teams that can potentially hang with Alabama and Miami is not one. The defense suffocated D’Eriq King all afternoon and Alabama’s offense looked as dominant as ever. Bryce Young is as advertised and will be a problem all year. If your team plays Nick Saban in a season opener, I recommend forfeiting to avoid the inevitable embarrassment.
The Waco Kid: Another year, another terrifying Alabama team. Who cares Mac Jones, Devonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and Najee Harris are now starters in the NFL? The Tide are right back at it, Bryce Young earned part of that seven-figure paycheck with a 4 TD night. John Metchie showed up like expected but it was the emergence of Jameson Williams and tight end Cameron Latu that will make opponents wonder how they can play another stacked receiving corps efficiently. The three combined for 245 yards and 4 scores. Yikes, looks like the next chapter of greatness has arrived.
Mississippi State 35 - Louisiana Tech 34
The Bulldogs survived a scare from the other Bulldogs (Photo: Matt Bush, USA TODAY Sports)
Bossman Slim: Told you Mike Leach was playing games, look at that man Jayden Walley! Walley had a solid game. What I didn’t tell you is that Mississippi State would almost lose this game. LA Tech is not a good football team. Mississippi State is obviously not either. But they get the W. My pick of the Bulldogs being 7th in the West in ‘21 is looking good.
The Hammer: Man, I was off on this one. Give credit to Mississippi State for making an epic 4th quarter comeback but this was a bad game. I thought the Bulldogs’ defense would be much better. The offense eventually woke up but still doesn’t look like a vintage Leach offense. Looking like it will be another long year in Starkville.
The Waco Kid: I picked LA Tech by three and regret nothing about this prediction especially because Tech had a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter. This ended up coming down to the last two seconds of the game, LA Tech had the ball on the Mississippi State 28 yard, called a timeout and placekicker Jacob Barnes had the opportunity to win the game 37-35. What did he do? He shanked the ball so badly that it bounced into the endzone. I mean there was no rotation on the ball, it was a dead duck falling through the air, waiting for a dog to pick it up and take it back to its rightful owner Mike Leach. Will Rogers had a decent night with 3 passing TDs and 370 yards. But if MSU goes down 20 points to a team in the SEC, there will not be a comeback in the fourth. Looks like the Pirate is still in the rebuilding phase.
Missouri 34 - Central Michigan 24
Bossman Slim: Blaze Alldredge looked the part of replacing Nick Bolton, tallying three sacks. RB Tyler Badie is a baddie - 203 yards and a TD. Mizzou looked pedestrian though for most of the game, allowing Central Michigan to take them to the wire. Can Mizzou figure it out before a pecking order game against Kentucky this week?
The Hammer: I thought this one was going to be closer than expected, and it turned out to be a great game. Tyler Badie carried the Tigers’ offense rushing for 203 yards and a touchdown. Connor Bazelak played fine, but I’m worried he doesn’t have many weapons on the outside. Mizzou didn’t play badly, this just seemed to be a pretty evenly matched game, which doesn’t bode that well for the Tigers moving forward. Big test coming up against Kentucky.
The Waco Kid: Well Mizzou may have won but they didn’t cover at -14, so the team is dead to me going forward. Bazelak looked pretty good but it was running back Tyler Badie that came through with 203 yards and a score to go with it. If you can rush for over 200 yards a game, your quarterback does not have to be spectacular. You can control the time of possession and limit what your opponent can achieve on offense. I do not think this will be viable in the SEC but maybe that old school ground and pound is making a comeback in the conference that made it famous.
Late Games
Auburn 60 - Akron 10
Bossman Slim: It was good to see Auburn light up the scoreboard, but Akron is pretty darn bad. The Tigers did what they were supposed to do, which is a good sign, but hard to take much away from a game where the competition is inferior by about one light-year. War Eagle gets another tune-up game before they return to earth to take on Penn State in week three.
The Hammer: I knew Auburn would win big because Akron is probably one of the worst teams in the FBS. That said, I was still impressed by how smooth the Auburn offense looked. Tank Bigsby ran for two touchdowns and 113 yards on just 13 carries, which was not a surprise. Tank is a beast. But Bo Nix looked surprisingly competent as well, going 20/22 for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Hard to say if the Auburn offense is actually that good or if Akron is just that bad, but the Tigers looked good regardless. Great start for Hard Ass Harsin and the boys on the Plains.
The Waco Kid: Akron is baddd. It was the Nix and Bigsby show, which sounds like it could be a primetime Miami television hit. Head coach Bryan Harsin made a splash in his debut and seems to have figured out the key to making Bo an effective quarterback. Or maybe it was the level of competition, but either way, we will find out soon enough. Even if Nix can’t keep a level head throughout the gauntlet, Tank will be a reliable source of scoring in the run game. The sophomore running back will put up great numbers this year but will not be enough to keep Auburn afloat through SEC competition. This team will live and die by how the quarterback conducts himself on the field, and if the past is any indication it may be a long season for the Tigers.
South Carolina 46 - Eastern Illinois 0
Bossman Slim: Zeb Noland. That’s all you need to know. And he may get another start this week against East Carolina. Tune in if you enjoy aerial assaults.
The Hammer: Similar to the Auburn game, I was surprised at how good the Gamecock offense looked. Zeb Noland was serviceable and they should only get better once Luke Doty returns. ZaQuandre White looked good running the ball as well and could be a good second option behind Kevin Harris once he returns from injury. With all the injury issues the Gamecocks had coming into this game, fans should be very happy with the result, regardless of the opponent. I wouldn’t read too much into it since Eastern Illinois is terrible, but everyone should be satisfied in Columbia for the time being.
The Waco Kid: What did I tell you, Zeb MFin Noland! Kid showed up at the last second and threw for 4 TDs IN THE FIRST HALF. Were his statistics overly impressive? Absolutely not, but he put the ball in the endzone and kept Eastern Illinois at arm’s length throughout the game. That’s really all you can ask of a grad assistant turned starting QB. Shane Beamer impressed in his head coaching debut, even without a starting quarterback, but it only gets tougher for the Gamecocks as the season goes on. Enjoy the cupcake win.
#6 Texas A&M 41 - Kent State 10
Bossman Slim: A&M is starting to make a habit of coming out flat in opening games, and they did so again on Saturday. It was 10-3 Aggies at halftime before they turned on the jets in the second half. I pretty much nailed it in my preview (I have ESPN) when I said “A&M is notorious for coming out flat in opening games like this, as they did against Vandy last year. Close early, then the Aggies turn on the jets in the second half after Jimbo gives them a tongue lashing at halftime.” Jimbo’s tongue lashing worked. The Aggies get their first real test against Colorado this weekend, playing at Mile High in Denver. Aggies defense is stellar, but new QB Haynes King has some mistakes to iron out before this team is ready for primetime.
The Hammer: This one was actually pretty close at halftime and into the third quarter before the Aggies turned it on and pulled away. A&M’s defense stifled Kent State’s high-powered offense all night and forced two interceptions, one of which was taken back for a touchdown by Leon O’Neal. Haynes King looked solid in his debut, but made a few boneheaded throws and ended up with three picks on the night. A&M could have run the ball all night if they wanted to as both Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane topped the 100-yard mark and averaged over 8 yards per carry combined. I think this is one of the best one-two punches at running back in the country. Overall, a solid performance from A&M but lots to improve on if they have dreams of beating Alabama and making the SEC Championship.
The Waco Kid: I was not a fan of this game from an A&M perspective. Sure Kent State only scored 10 points but at times they seemed to move the ball with ease against the 2020 top SEC defense. On offense, Haynes King looked like a freshman out there, making multiple mistakes which ultimately led to 3 interceptions. Devon Achane, Isaiah Spiller, and Ainias Smith are still a problem for opposing defenses. These three combined for 377 yards from scrimmage and 4 TDs. King will come into his own and with Cerberus, the three-headed monster, as a supporting cast, the outlook in College Station still looks highly optimistic.
ETSU 23 - Vanderbilt 3
Bossman Slim: From my preview: “Ken Seals can play some ball while ETSU plays in the FCS. ‘Dores in a drubbing.” HA! What a prediction. ETSU rocked Vandy. Ken Seals looked out of sorts. It is going to be a very long year in Nashville. This is a total overhaul job for Clark Lea.
The Hammer: This was a complete disaster for Clark Lea in his first game as head coach. Vanderbilt not only lost to in-state FCS school, ETSU but got whipped. The ‘Dores turned the ball over 3 times and only mustered 321 total yards of offense on 75 total plays. Ken Seals looked shaky and Vandy struggled to get anything going on the ground. This team is staring down the barrel of an 0-12 season.
The Waco Kid: Could things have gone worse in Clark Lea’s debut as the Vandy head coach? I cannot possibly think of a more embarrassing outcome. I thought the ‘Dores would run away with this one, I guess you can change the captain but if the boat is full of holes it is still going to sink. This was not an overnight fix, it will take years for the black and gold to be relevant in the East, if they ever are. QB Ken Seals was a huge disappointment throwing two picks and no scores. A team that cannot get into the endzone against ETSU will not make many waves in the SEC, unless those waves are caused by the crashing of the vessel.
#5 Georgia 10 vs. #3 Clemson 3
Bossman Slim: Maybe defenses are back? The only TD scored in this one was a pick-six. It was a slugfest like we expected, but it was a defensive trench battle. Georgia affected DJ Uiagalelei all night, and Clemson hasn’t found an answer yet in replacing Travis Etienne. On the other side, the Dawgs defense is elite, but where was the offense? UGA will need that offense to figure it out quickly, or this isn’t the “Year of the Dawg.”
The Hammer: Man what a game. The offenses forgot to show up, but they weren’t given much breathing room by these two defenses. I don’t recall the last time a big matchup like this didn’t have an offensive touchdown, but I’m here for it. Old school football at its finest and Georgia made a few more plays than Clemson, most notably the pick-six by Christopher Smith. The scariest part is Georgia was missing several key players due to injury as well. JT Daniels and this Bulldog offense will need to find some way to push the ball downfield if they want to win a national title, but they have plenty of time to figure it out. Massive win for Kirby and the Dawgs, they are for real this year.
The Waco Kid: I had Georgia as a 19 point favor, and while I was a little over-ambitious, Clemson brought nothing to the table. 3 points by the #3 team in the nation could undoubtedly be a sign that the Tigers may be in rebuild mode. I may have been off on interceptions (my prediction was for at least two from the Dawg D) but I nailed it with the forecast of multiple sacks. UGA tallied 7 sacks in this game against a Swinney offense that was supposed to not skip a beat. Kirby Smart’s offense had its own difficulties it will have to address but with a nasty defense, all you really need to do is score 21 per game to get the W. JT Daniels was a bit off, hopefully, it was just nerves and shaking off the cobwebs from last year, but there is no way he can play that way week in and week out in the conference. Until they lose, Georgia is still the top Dawg in the East.
#13 Florida 35 - FAU 14
Bossman Slim: I was higher on Emory Jones than most to start the year. Now it looks like he may be in a battle for his job. Anthony Richardson came out and looked stellar, igniting a fan and media-fueled QB competition. Florida took care of business in the end, but should have put FAU away faster. This week's tune up against USF will likely determine who walks out as the starting QB in week 3 against Alabama. The rushing attack also might be back for the Gators, as they churned out 400 yards.
The Hammer: The Gators took care of business in week one, but similar to Texas A&M, it wasn't always pretty. Florida’s offense was not quite clicking on all cylinders as I thought they would. Given Dan Mullen’s track record of developing quarterbacks, I figured Emory Jones would step right in and perform well. Not quite. In fact, backup QB Anthony Richardson had a few splash plays and folks out of Gainesville are wondering if there is a quarterback competition. Seems like Mullen will stick with Emory Jones, but he better figure it out because Alabama comes to the Swamp in week three.
The Waco Kid: Emory Jones was not the answer this past week. In fact, a whole different offensive plan came to life for Florida. They ran the ball and they did it well. The backfield rushed for 400 yards and 4 TDs. This does not look like the air raid offense we saw last year that tore up opponents left and right. Florida is still a contender but if the passing game cannot improve, UF will not be in the talks for the East come December. The defense also had issues in the secondary. If you give up over 250 yards through the air to FAU, there might be an issue.
UCLA 38 - #16 LSU 27
The sissy blue shirts outworked the Bayou Bengals and earned the W. (Photo: Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times)
Bossman Slim: Oh no...the LSU faithful are getting restless. The Tigers don’t lose to the likes of an unranked UCLA team, on the road, hurricane issues or not. It’s not okay with the fanbase, and it never will be. The Tigers looked like the Pac 12 team while UCLA looked like the SEC team. Coach O has dudes everywhere on the LSU roster, more talent than almost anyone in the country. Take a look at UCLA’s last few recruiting classes. The gap between UCLA and LSU in talent is a mile. So then how did LSU lose…? Coaching. Chip Kelly outcoached Orgeron and this new staff. LSU needs to figure it out, fast, or this thing could spiral.
The Hammer: Welp, consider this the last time I bet on Coach O and LSU. I thought the Tigers would be much better this season (and they still might, it's just one game) and have no trouble with UCLA. Regardless of how improved UCLA is, LSU should be able to win that game. They should be able to physically win at the point of attack, and the exact opposite happened. UCLA bullied LSU on the lines of scrimmage and took it to them all night. LSU’s offensive line was awful and they had no running game. Brad Johnson’s son (I’ll call him by his name when he earns it) looked like a young QB on the road, not the gunslinger we had been told about all offseason. I can’t help but think how all the Tiger fans came out after Myles Brennan was injured and said it was no big deal because Johnson was going to win the job anyways. Maybe that’s true, but I bet they wish Brennan was healthy right about now. LSU didn't adjust to anything and looked unprepared yet again. There is still time to right the ship, but Coach O has put out a lot of uninspiring and unprepared performances lately, and this group looks like an 8-4 team.
The Waco Kid: Well just like Texas, LSU is most definitely not back. In the shocker of opening week, Coach O fell to Chip Kelly and UCLA much to my dismay and every other college football fans’. Bruin QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson went blow for blow with Max Johnson, each of which produced 3 scores and an interception. The difference was the run game, which the Rose Bowl team added two more TDs and over 200 yards in. Something that the Tigers could not get going. Last year was viewed as a fluke for the Bayou boys, but after week 1 it looks like we can expect more of the same to come.
Ole Miss 43 - Louisville 24
Bossman Slim: Is the Landshark defense back? It’s too early to tell, and Louisville may be real bad, but it’s a solid win for the Rebels regardless. Matt Corral threw for 381 and a TD and has receivers like Dontario Drummond and Braylon Sanders who should be able to replace the production of Elijah Moore. Jerrion Ealy needs to get going, but Snoop Conner shouldered the burden in the run game with 60 yards and 2 TDs. Good win for the Rebs, especially without Kiffin on the sidelines.
The Hammer: No Lane Kiffin, no problem. The Scott Satterfield experience could be done in Louisville if he doesn't figure something out soon. Matt Corral looked really sharp and the Ole Miss offense spread the ball around. Dontario Drummond led the way with 9 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Ole Miss looked competent, only surrendering 355 total yards to the Cardinals. Based on what I saw, that result is a combination of Ole Miss improving defensively and Louisville being quite bad offensively. Louisville ran the ball decently well but got down so many points early, they had to abandon the run, and QB Malik Cunningham is not very accurate. Solid start to the season for the Rebels.
The Waco Kid: Even without Lane Kiffin on the sidelines, the Rebel offense was nearly impossible to slow down. Matt Corral and Jerrion Ealy produced just as anticipated. After watching Louisville, I do not think they were a formidable opponent, but hey a win over a power 5 team is way better than a cake walk win. Corral had the yardage (381 passing to be exact) and the backs had the scores. This is a high flying offense with a defense that leaves viewers salivating for more. Same story, different year. Kiffin’s approach could work like it has in many other sub top tier conferences, but with SEC defenses being as athletic as they are can Ole Miss really out score opponents? They will, once again, have to hope so to have any shot in the West.