B&S week 11 game by game Recaps
Ole Miss gets a big win, Arkansas squeaks one out, and much more across the SEC.
By: Bossman Slim, The Hammer, The Waco Kid
Ole Miss defender AJ Finley returns an interception against Texas A&M in the Rebels big win. Photo via @OleMissFB
Another week of SEC football, and another wild weekend. Is 28-3 the most dangerous lead in football? People are asking.
Here’s how the crew fared last week:
The Hammer: 5-2; 68-16 overall
Bossman Slim: 6-1; 66-18 overall
The Waco Kid: 3-4; 64-20 overall
The Waco Kid and The Hammer had a tough week, as Bossman Slim gained another game in the race for King Biscuit. Bossman’s Mississippi State over Auburn pick was the one that catapulted him into his 2nd straight win.
Early Games
#2 Alabama 59 - New Mexico State 3
Bossman Slim: “They are who we thought they were.” - New Mexico State head coach, probably. Who coaches for the Aggies? No idea. Tide rolled, and in the words of Forrest Gump: “That’s all I have to say about that.”
The Hammer: This is what really good teams should do to really bad teams. Florida might want to take notes. The score was 49-3 at half time. Case closed, Tide Roll.
The Waco Kid: Alabama took care of business against a team that pretty much gets paid to lose against high quality teams. At one point in the first quarter it was 3-0 New Mexico State, giving the Aggie fans hope all over the Las Cruces area. Then the Tide did what they do and put up 59 unanswered points and ended any speculation that Bama might not be as good as everyone thought. Rat poison or not Saban can leave this one knowing his squad made improvements and will look to keep rolling through the rest of the season. Auburn will be the real test and I expect a wild Iron Bowl this year.
Mississippi State 43 - #17 Auburn 34
Bossman Slim: NOW THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. I’ve gotten a bit more bold with my upset picks the last few weeks, and I’ve been nailing them. Mississippi State is a dangerous team, they’re good enough to sneak up and bite you on any given week, and Auburn was overrated. Also though...how are you gonna blow a 28-3 lead, and how are you not going to score another dang point and give up 40 unanswered? Lots to answer for in Auburn after this one. Even in the face of his captors, Mike Leach would destroy Dan Mullen in a dance off, and uh, congratulations to the Bulldogs.
The Hammer: Is 28-3 the most dangerous lead in football? Apologies to Atlanta Falcons fans for bringing up a terrible memory, but Auburn led this game 28-3 with 6 minutes left in the first half. Auburn was cruising! And then it all came crashing down as Cowboy Will Rogers and the Bulldogs came storming back and outscored the Tigers 40-6 the remainder of the game. Bo Nix played pretty well throwing for 377 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, but the Tigers really struggled to run the ball yet again. That offensive line is struggling right now. Mike Leach has this Mississippi State offense humming and Cowboy Will Rogers is one of the best QBs in the SEC and maybe even the entire country.
The Waco Kid: Mike Leach makes me hate MSU worse than Texas Tech. It is a very close race but the way that Leach continues to keep this team in games they have no business competing in is overly frustrating. It was always a toss up but Auburn has been playing well and the Bulldogs are inconsistent, however this week there was nothing ordinary about QB Will Rogers. He threw for 6 touchdowns against a Tiger defense, a squad that may not be the best, but can show up on any given Saturday. State has proven they have the potential to be a force in the West for years to come but the way this year ends will set the precedent on just how high they may be able to climb.
Florida 70-Samford 52
Bossman Slim: The Gators have quit, but I hope they’re enjoying the disco. Dan Mullen doesn’t seem to care either. He knows damn well that dancing in the locker room after giving up 52 to SAMFORD FROM THE FCS is not up to Florida standards, but he did it anyway then chastised the media and the fanbase for suggesting they were wrong for questioning the jubilation. It’s an embarrassment at this point, and it’s hard to think of a more precipitous fall for a head coach. Mullen had this team in the SEC title game just last year and had the Gators within a stone's throw from one of the best Alabama teams we’ve ever seen. Yet this year he finds himself squarely on the hot seat while this team and locker room have come apart at the seams. It’s getting ugly in Gainesville.
The Hammer: Florida has given up on Dan Mullen. The Gators just allowed the most points to an FCS team against a power 5 opponent in college football history. I am honestly wondering if Dan Mullen is trying to get fired? The Gators play Missouri on the road next weekend and close out the year with a trip to Tallahassee, and they need to win one of them to get bowl eligible. If they play like that, they ain’t making a bowl.
The Waco Kid: Dan Mullen is going nowhere. This was a pathetic win by what is supposed to be a top SEC competitor. But still Florida is paying the guy 7.6 mil a year. They may want to give up on him but if they do we are looking at another University of Texas type scenario. A historical powerhouse brought down by the very pillars that they believe hold them up. The Board and alumni. Give too much to the people and they will continue to take. Is it a great look when you let Samford put up over 50 on you, No. But in contrast Emory Jones decided he knew how to play football and threw for 6 scores. That is something a struggling team can build off of. The Gators have two more contests to prove themselves and neither should be able to compete on the same field talent wise. If UF were to somehow lose against either Mizzou or FSU, then I think anyone in the front office, coaching, or playing on the field might find their jobs in jeopardy.
Midday Games
#1 Georgia 41 - Tennessee 17
Bossman Slim: I predicted this score at 38-16. Georgia games are getting extremely predictable, but I bet that Tennessee could do a little more on offense in this one than the rest of the conference has been able to muster. That turned out to be correct, but it was still a paltry 17 points, and UT got the final TD of the game in garbage time. Georgia dominated yet another opponent, Stetson Bennett was steady again and James Cook went off. The recipe is simple for Georgia: show no mercy on D, win the TO battle, steady QB play and use your athletes, because we have more of those than you. They won’t be tested until Atlanta. Nothing for Vols to hang their head about, this Bulldogs team is Buzzsaw Louie.
The Hammer: My bold prediction in this one was thinking Tennessee could score 21 points, and they came up just short, although the Vols last touchdown was in garbage time. This game played out pretty similar to most Georgia games. The Dawgs just lean on you all game and end up suffocating their opponent by the end of the game. Stetson Bennet played solid yet again, and the Georgia running game by committee did their job as well, totaling 274 yards rushing. Every time we think this Georgia defense could be tested, they pass with flying colors. Tennessee only tallied 55 total rush yards on a measly 1.5 yards per carry. It’s looking more and more like no one will be able to score much of anything on the Dawgs defense this year.
The Waco Kid: Another butt whooping by Georgia. Who woulda thunk? If you believed all the Tennessee hype coming from social media this past week then there is no one to blame but yourself. Sure, the Vols have been making moves offensively but against who? Kentucky? Please this Dawg defense is not in the same league as any defensive unit I have seen from college football. This would be a good time to post your stats about Oklahoma State being in the top 15 of college defenses in the nation. Please your biggest rival just got taken to dinner, bought an appetizer, entrée, and dessert and then left to pay by themselves by Baylor... The Big 12 is a joke at this point and I don’t want to hear it. You want to play at a high level, play some SEC defenses, not even the Red and Black, that could be embarrassing but take on Auburn and see what the outcome is. On the offensive side, Smart’s team was able to score 4 rushing TDs and that was more than enough. Georgia will continue to be the top Dawg unless proven otherwise.
Missouri 31 - South Carolina 28
Bossman Slim: Alright, well...I got this one wrong, but this was a coin flip. Kudos to Eli Drinkwitz for not letting his team completely tank and for getting them up for this game. Tyler Badie is an animal and continues to be a one man show in Columbia (Missouri, that is). That leaves USC searching for one more win to become bowl eligible...which will be hard to find with Auburn and Clemson still on the schedule. Clemson isn’t as intimidating as in years past, but this probably isn’t the Gamecocks team to take them down. Mizzou faces a similar reality with Florida and Arkansas left. Florida is obviously wounded and beatable...and if Mullen loses that game, either of the next two games, it’s probably curtains on his time in The Swamp. Drinkwitz could use 1-2 more wins to carry some momentum into 2022.
The Hammer: I fell into the trap here. I saw South Carolina beat up on Florida a week ago and thought they had enough to go on the road and win at Missouri. The Gamecocks had a chance late after rallying from a 31-14 deficit to cut it to 31-28, but couldn’t complete the comeback. As usually, Tyler Badie carried the load for the Tigers with 209 yards rushing and a touchdown on 34 carries. The Tigers defense played one of their best games of the year as well. Good win for Drinkwitz and Mizzou as they are now one win away from bowl eligibility.
The Waco Kid: I was wrong about this one, but like I said in my preview this was naptime, so I did not actually watch or care about the outcome. The game was just to see who’s small weiner was bigger in a small weiner contest. Congrats Mizzou you win, take that into next week and hope it is enough to please the crowd.
Late Games
#15 Ole Miss 29 - #11 Texas A&M 19
Bossman Slim: The Aggies were exposed yet again. Having seemingly figured it out since the Alabama game, it looked like A&M was poised to go on a run to finish the season, much like they did in 2020. Lane Kiffin and the Rebels had other ideas in Oxford on Saturday. The Aggie defense kept A&M in the game even though they got gashed most of the night, but this A&M offense was abysmal and Jimbo Fisher got outcoached by DJ Durkin. Credit to the Rebels, this defense stepped up to the plate and held A&M to field goals instead of touchdowns, and forced costly mistakes from Zach Calzada. A big win for the Rebels that catapults them back into the top 10 and NY6 bowl considerations.
The Hammer: What a win for Ole Miss! With College GameDay in town and a sold out Vaught, the Rebels get a big time win over a red hot Texas A&M team. Ole Miss was in control of this one most of the game, but a few blown scoring chances and red zone field goals let the Aggies hang around. Eventually, two Zach Calzada interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown, tipped the scales in the Rebs direction. Jerion Ealy was the MVP in this one, as the tailback carried the rock 24 times for 152 yards. The Ole Miss tempo on offense gave A&M’s vaunted front trouble all night as they racked up over 500 yards of total offense. Surprisingly, the Ole Miss defense came to play as well. DJ Durkin and this team had a great game plan coming in and were able to limit a strong Aggie run game to just 141 yards rushing and really got A&M’s offense out of rhythm. Huge win for Lane Kiffin and yet another troubling loss for A&M.
The Waco Kid: Hotty Toddy. I did not see this going down the way it did. Who would have thought the Reb defense would be the performer of the week. And yet they were. The Landsharks baited Calzada into multiple interceptions and looked like a defense that could make a name for themselves in the SEC. The Aggies on the other hand were extremely boring and disappointing. It seems they lost the flair they had gained in the past few weeks. The defensive squad can only do so much but allowing Jerrion Ealy to rush for 152 yards is a great game plan if you want to lose the game. Defense is key for Texas A&M and they showed this past weekend there are still issues that must be addressed. Corral had a decent game with 247 yards passing but it was no incredible feat. The Ags should have won this but due to the inability to slow the run and the ineptitude on offense, the problems were too much to overcome.
Kentucky 34 - Vanderbilt 17
Bossman Slim: Kentucky gets a nice bounce back win as expected, while Vanderbilt is still Vanderbilt. The Wildcats have two very winnable games left to finish at 9-3 and finish out with a very respectable season. Vanderbilt is bad and won’t win another game this year with Tennessee and Ole Miss likely to put up 100 points combined on the Commodores.
The Hammer: Not much to see in this one. Kentucky is the better team, and won handily. The Wildcats outgained Vandy 413 to 266 on the night and handled their business on the road. Vanderbilt seems to be improving but games like this just show how far that program has to go. Kentucky has a great opportunity to win out with New Mexico State and Louisville remaining.
The Waco Kid: Did Kentucky beat Vanderbilt or did Vanderbilt lose another game? That is the real question. The ‘Dores cannot seem to win no matter what and the Wildcats are on a down streak. This could have been the time for Clark Lea’s team to attack and prove they are worthy of the SEC name. Instead they did what they always do, lose. No surprise here, the win was bound to happen for UK.
#25 Arkansas 16 - LSU 13
Bossman Slim: Ed O doesn’t quit. LSU scoring 13 points is terrible, but he’s had them in just about every game since he was fired. A big win for the Hogs as they take back the Golden Boot. The Hogs are a formidable team - don’t count them out against Alabama next week.
The Hammer: I thought this LSU team gave their final good effort of 2021 against Alabama last weekend, but the Tigers came back out and competed again, coming up just short in overtime. The Tigers defense has finally found some life despite being decimated with injuries. They held Arkansas to just 283 total yards. Garrett Nussmeier saw time under center as Max Johnson’s grip on the starting job seems to be slipping, although Nussmeier made a few big mistakes, throwing two costly interceptions. Credit to Sam Pittman and this Arkansas team who keep winning even though it may not be pretty. The Hogs are now 7-2 with games against Alabama and Missouri remaining. Maybe they shock the world next weekend, who knows
The Waco Kid: Arkansas beating LSU was no shocker but the closeness of the game was a little worrisome for all of the Fayetteville faithful. There should be no worries here, LSU will play a close game every week no matter the opponent but the Razorbacks should be wary because only scoring 16 against this squad is no matter to ignore. The Hogs are already bowl eligible which is good because their next game will be against the High rolling Tide from Alabama. But after that they face a poor Mizzou team that should be an easy win. If this unfolds the way I expect, AU should be 8-4 by the end of the season and make a decent bowl game. LSU, on the other hand, needs two more wins to make a bowl and while they might get one, the last opponent on the year happens to be Texas A&M who may just take them for a ride. It will definitely be a fun season to watch the West unfold.