B&S Rivalry Week game-by-game recaps
An incredible Rivalry Week caps off a roller coaster season full of improbable upsets, unbelievable moments, and perfect scenes.
By: The Waco Kid, The Hammer, Bossman Slim
Spencer Rattler enjoys a stogie after dashing the playoff hopes of Carolina’s archrival Clemson. (Photo via @GamecocksFB)
There are always some blues after the regular season is over, and this season is no different. What a wild ride the 2022 regular season was, and this Rivalry Week took us out with a bang. We saw terrible calls, crazy finishes, and plenty of bad blood.
Here are the final regular season standings for the B&S crew:
Hammer gained a game in the final week and was able to tie Bossman for a share of the title in the straight-up column. Over in the ATS column, The Waco Kid takes the cake, holding off both Bossman and Hammer who were right on his heels for weeks but couldn’t overcome him. Bossman finished second and Hammer third in the ATS rankings.
Let’s dig into the recaps.
Mississippi State 24 - #14 Ole Miss 22
Bossman Slim: For the second week in a row, Ole Miss came out flat and looked like they believed their coach was leaving. All of that talk over the last two weeks ended up being for not, but all of the drama surrounding Lane Kiffin still served as an obvious distraction that impacted the Rebels. I didn’t see the Rebels having those issues two weeks in a row, but I was wrong there. This one came down to an insane final seven minutes of the game, which saw some of the most absurd officiating you will ever see. It was kind of a “you had to see it to believe it” moment, but an inadvertent whistle was somehow overturned, giving Mississippi State a fumble recovery on a backward pass. A few plays later, Mississippi State thought they had a TD when Dillon Johnson ran 24 yards and reached the ball out, hitting the pylon. But upon review, the refs did not give a TD and marked the ball down at the 1-yard line. Just two plays later, Will Rogers fumbled the ball, giving it back to Ole Miss who would have 4:45 to drive 99 yards for a chance to tie the game. They would do exactly that and had a two-point conversion chance to tie the game with 1:25 left in the game. Kiffin called two timeouts to get the play call right…then Ole Miss ran a shovel pass that would have worked, except for a great athletic play by Bulldogs DL Randy Charlton. Oh, and it was pouring rain almost the entire game before Ole Miss fans started pouring trash on the field late in the game. It was a wonderful, beautifully whacked-out 2022 Egg Bowl.
The Hammer: So Ole Miss gets to keep Lane Kiffin but they lose their last two games and four out of their last five. Of course keeping Lane, who has done an excellent job in Oxford, is great news but losing in the Egg Bowl and finishing the season like they did still stings. I kept the faith, picking Ole Miss to beat Arkansas and Mississippi State to close the year and they burned me. Whether it was due to Kiffin and the Auburn job opening being a distraction, or Ole Miss was just a little overrated, I’m not sure. But what I do know is Mississippi State earned this win with a hell of a defensive effort. The Bulldogs held the Rebels potent rushing attack to just 78 yards rushing and 2 yards per carry. Mississippi State had 15 tackles for loss, which is unheard of. That is total domination by the Bulldog front seven. Credit is due to Zach Arnett for having a great game plan to slow down the Rebels attack. A rainy, cold Oxford would seemingly play right into the Rebel’s hands given their run game and State’s reliance on the pass, but not on Saturday. Big win for Mike Leach and company as he was 0-2 against Lane and OIe Miss since arriving in Starkville.
The Waco Kid: This game was probably the highlight of my poor performance on the weekend. I was the only one here at B&S that chose Mississippi State to upset Ole Miss. The Egg Bowl is always exciting and both teams always seem to show up and play their best ball. This year was no different. The difference in this game was MSU’s ability to slow down the dynamic rush game of the Rebs. Both backs combined rushed for under 100 yards which was unheard of in this offense this season. Jaxson Dart did pick up the slack in the passing game though and was able to finish the night with 250 yards for two touchdowns. Both defenses showed up and put their best foot forward. It took all four quarters to decide this game and at the end of it, Will Rogers was able to do just enough to propel the Bulldogs to a victory. Ole Miss got a moral victory the next day when it was announced that Lane Kiffin was extending his contract and passing on the Auburn vacancy. But as for the season, Mississippi and State both end the year with 4 losses and 8 wins, which will push these programs into decent bowl games. I will most likely pick all SEC teams to win, especially if they are paired with opponents in the Big 12, but bowl season is always a great time of the year and full of unexpected surprises so strap in and get ready for an eventful month.
Missouri 29 - Arkansas 27
Bossman Slim: One of the themes of this year is going against my gut doesn’t work. If I picked straight up with my gut, I’d probably have another 5-8 wins on the board. Trust your gut! As I was studying this matchup, my gut told me Mizzou would get Arkansas based on their defense, but I overrode my gut based on that Arkansas offense that had looked so stellar against Ole Miss. I called Arkansas’s score on the dot, but I missed on how well Mizzou’s offense would play - doing just enough to eek out a win. Great win for the Tigers heading into next year. Sam Pittman is getting some pressure now to make changes to his staff, and maybe they should make a few position coach changes, but I think it would be foolhardy to let go of Kendall Briles and Barry Odom. If next year goes like this again, then we’ll talk.
The Hammer: Boom! It took me nearly all year but I finally predicted another upset. In what has been a dismal year for me picking games, I have to celebrate when I can. The Hogs looked flat in this game. They’ve been up and down all year long, and this was a down week at the worst time. Finishing the regular season at 7-5 with a win over their rival would have felt great heading into the offseason, especially considering some of their losses came when KJ Jefferson wasn't healthy. Well, Jefferson was healthy in this one, but it didn't matter. The Mizzou defense showed yet again why they are one of the top units in the SEC, holding Arkansas to 325 total yards, and more impressively just 113 yards rushing on 38 carries. The Tiger front seven made a living in the Razorback backfield, tallying 7 sacks and 10 tackles for loss. Even the SEC’s leading rusher Rocket Sanders only managed 47 yards in this one. On the offensive side for Mizzou, Brady Cook balled out. Cook went 16/26 for 242 yards and one TD through the air, but made most of his damage on the ground, rushing for 138 yards and another TD on 18 carries. Cook has been turnover prone most of the year, but he took care of the ball in this one and saved his best game for last. The Arkansas defense really fell off a cliff this year. Injuries hurt the Razorbacks on that side of the ball, but the shine has worn off Barry Odom as well. That defense was poor all year and even Mizzou took advantage of that. With the win, Missouri got its 6th win and will be heading to a bowl. 2022 was a solid season in Columbia and a reality check in Fayetteville.
The Waco Kid: What is it with these lower-tier SEC teams beating mid to upper-tier teams that they have no business being on the same field with? Between Mizzou, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt I am going crazy. Each week a different team shows up, none are reliable but all seem to put together impressive performances when least expected. This was especially true for Missouri when they played Arkansas for the state line on Saturday. To me, the Razorbacks had a much more explosive offense and were a team that was on the brink of winning three, maybe even four more games this season which would have put them at 10-2 and in contention for the West, while the Tigers have had an above average defense all season but are nowhere near productive on offense week to week. This was a no-brainer, KJ Jefferson and Raheim Sanders were supposed to take over this game and leave UM in the dust. Instead, it was Jefferson that was in the dirt the majority of the night as that Tiger D-line consistently put pressure on the AU quarterback. This caused confusion in the backfield and even led to a pick. The real surprise was Mizzou QB Brady Cook who rushed for over 100 yards and a score in the first half alone. He added another passing touchdown and those with a rushing TD from Cody Schrader put the game out of reach. With this win, Eli Drinkwitz’s squad qualified for a bowl game while Sam Pittman already had his team positioned for a bowl berth. Two more SEC teams playing postseason football. Gotta love it.
#19 Florida State 45 - Florida 38
Bossman Slim: This one turned into a track meet late in the game as both defenses wore out. Here’s what the last eight possession sequences looked like: Touchdown-punt-touchdown-touchdown-punt-touchdown-touchdown-downs. And the turnover on downs? Florida was knocking on the door and nearly tied the game. They also got jobbed on a missed facemask call on the last play of the game that was uncalled. This rivalry has some juice again and it’s great to see. Really interested to see if Anthony Richardson comes back. He could probably use another year of seasoning, and if the Gators collective can put up some NIL cash to make it enticing to wait for another year, he should stay. Otherwise, go make that money, AR-15.
The Hammer: I know this is an SEC blog, but how about Mike Norvell and FSU? The Seminoles took down Florida this past weekend and finished the regular season at 9-3. Jordan Travis is a certified baller at QB, and he showed out against the Gators. Travis ran for 83 yards and two TDs, along with 270 yards in the air with one more TD. On the other side, Richardson struggled in this one. The Gator signal caller was just 9/27 through the air for 3 TDs and a pick. He also only ran for 41 yards on 10 carries. To me, the QB comparison was really the difference in the game. Both teams ran the ball really well, averaging over 5 yards per carry but Travis was far more accurate through the air and he was effective with his legs. Richardson was erratic throwing the ball and never found much running room. Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. both ran the ball really well, as they have all year but it wasn't enough to pull out the win. Florida finishes Billy Napier’s first year at 6-6, which isn't terrible but it's not what Gator fans were hoping for. The jury is still out on Napier, but I have confidence he can figure things out once he gets his players on campus.
The Waco Kid: Florida screwed me again. Every time I think the Gators and Anthony Richardson might show up, they always crap the bed. Yes, they were 9.5-point underdogs in this matchup but there wasn’t once I thought UF was the inferior team going into this one. And even throughout the game, they looked like the better team at times. They led at halftime by 3 points which put them in a great position for the second half but a 17-point third quarter for FSU pretty much spelled out their future. The Seminoles were able to control the time of possession and score multiple times on the ground during the second half and that was ultimately Florida’s demise. As stated in the preview the Gators go as AR-15’s legs go and while he threw for 3 scores his ground game was abysmal, taking away a key part of Napier’s offense. Still, UF is bowl eligible and if they can stick to the Richardson run game they may have a chance to pummel Baylor or UCLA, whichever they get paired with.
#1 Georgia 37 - Georgia Tech 14
Bossman Slim: I was pretty emphatic in my preview that Georgia Tech had no shot in this game, and I turned out to be correct. But as the teams went into the locker rooms at halftime, it looked like my “they have no chance” declarations might instead be curses on the team I picked. They had me in the first half, not gonna lie. Not to worry, the Bulldogs did what they were supposed to do in the second half, forcing a turnover on downs and a fumble, turning both into points. The running game also got going and put away the outmatched Yellow Jackets. Just another W in the belt of the Bulldogs in their hopes of world domination.
The Hammer: Not a ton to say here. Georgia Tech played pretty well early on, but the end result was never in doubt. Georgia puts the clamps down on defense only allowing the Yellow Jackets 255 total yards of offense. On offense, Georgia was efficient as usual. Stetson Bennett went 10/18 for 140 yards and 2 TDs. The running game was effective as well, totaling 264 yards on 41 carries. This was a classic Georgia game where their defense suffocates their opponent and the offense moves the ball effectively without putting up video game numbers. The Dawgs just take care of business.
The Waco Kid: Georgia didn’t cover and that’s pretty much all I cared about in this one. The first half actually ended up being a pretty close game with the Dawgs only up by 3 but that was short-lived. UGA blew it open in the second half and sent the Yellow Jackets home with the loss we all knew was inevitable. Stetson Bennett did not have to do much for this win, he threw for a measly 140 yards and two touchdowns. The running backs did the rest, rushing for a total of 242 yards and two more scores. It’s on to Athens for the Dawgs to compete in the SEC Championship. Whether it’s a win or loss Kirby Smart will most likely be competing in the Playoffs and will be favored to win a second straight national championship.
South Carolina 31 - #9 Clemson 30
Bossman Slim: Thanksgiving got Cocky. South Carolina fans should thank me because I’ve now picked against them two weeks straight - and they’ve won two weeks straight against two heavyweights. What an impressive and improbable run this South Carolina team has gone on to end the season. Credit to Spencer Rattler, who outplayed D.J. Ukulele despite throwing two picks. The Gamecocks defense also forced three turnovers, including the dagger with a fumble recovery from a forced fumble on a Clemson punt return. HUGE win for Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks, who may just have something brewing in Columbia that bodes well for the future. It could be a flash in the pan, or it could serve as a launching point for South Carolina football to build on for the next few years.
The Hammer: Hell of a win for Shane Beamer and South Carolina. I’ll be honest, I have no idea how they keep winning these games, but they do. At some point, stats don't matter and you just have to realize that some coaches and teams are winners, and that seems to be what the Gamecocks have with Beamer. Hopefully, Beamer will continue to elevate the talent level through recruiting and the portal, but one thing is clear with him at the helm: South Carolina will fight, scrap and claw for everything they get. They just find ways to win games. I mean, Spencer Rattler threw a pick 6 and another pick on Clemson’s one-yard line and they still won this game! It wasn't a fluke, they didn't get gifted any points, and they gave Clemson points. But they still won! Aside from those two costly interceptions, Rattler did throw for 360 yards and two TDs on 25/39 attempts. He’s improved a lot throughout the course of the year. South Carolina couldn't run the ball at all, which is no surprise given how bad their offensive line has been and how dominant the Tiger front seven is, but it didn't matter. What really helped the Gamecocks here is how bad DJ Uiangalelei was. DJ was just 8/29 for 99 yards with one TD and one interception. Just awful stuff from the Clemson signal caller in this one, and the Gamecocks took full advantage. Shane Beamer and South Carolina getting to 8-4 with this team and schedule is a tremendous accomplishment and a massive testament to what Beamer is building in Columbia, SC.
The Waco Kid: Ahhh, this South Carolina team is driving me up a wall. First Spencer Rattler was such a horrible quarterback in the first three quarters of the season and now all of the sudden he looks like a top-tier quarterback. I hate it. I want to say all the bad things in the world about him but his gameplay these past few weeks has just been too good to knock. First, he toppled Rocky Top and now Dabo by a point, seriously people what is the world coming to? There is one unequivocal truth about Rattler and that is that he might be the most disliked player in college football. It’s his smug looks that he’s constantly giving and his attitude that I cannot get past. I mean he was caught smoking a cigar after beating a one-loss Clemson team and winning 8 games. Not a Natty, and didn’t even qualify for a conference championship but still smoked that stick like he was a Heisman-winning National Champion. I have never seen less of a team player than I did when Rattler was on the Netflix series QB1 and if he didn’t rub you the wrong way then you’ve probably never played a team sport before. So cheers to that slithery little snake on winning the inaugural B&S most punchable face in college football award. You deserve it. As for the Gamecocks, good for you and Shane Beamer on the amazing season filled with upsets of top teams and incredible football. We wish you the best of luck in the Gator Bowl against Notre Dame.
Kentucky 26 - #25 Louisville 13
Bossman Slim: Frankly, I think this line from my preview should give me one more win in the straight-up and ATS columns: “If it’s [Brock] Domann, I’ll take Kentucky. I think it’s going to be Cunningham, so give me Louisville to break the three-game losing streak against the Wildcats and take the Governor’s Cup home.” Well, it was Domann, and Cunningham only came in to provide a spark to the Louisville offense. Scott Satterfield said after the game that Cunningham had not taken many snaps in practice the last two weeks and was not at 100%. After further review, I’m awarding myself another win and crowning myself King Biscuit of the straight-up column based on this disputed game. Congratulations to me, I respect my competitors and wish them the best of luck next season as they look to take my crown. Credit to Kentucky, who got the job done, frustrating the Louisville offense all day. They gave up 165 yards rushing to the Cardinals, but the defense forced three turnovers and a turnover on downs and turned three of those into points. Will Levis had a solid game tossing two TDs while Chris Rodriguez rushed for 120 yards and broke the school record for 100-yard games, this being his 20th. Great win for the Wildcats, and it especially feels good to cap off an otherwise disappointing season with a W over your archrival.
The Hammer: Kentucky has owned this rivalry as of late, and this year was no exception just as I thought. Statistically, this matchup was pretty even with Louisville totaling 309 yards of offense compared to Kentucky’s 346. The difference in this one was the Wildcat defense forcing 3 turnovers while the Kentucky offense didn't turn it over once. Chris Rodriguez led the way for Kentucky’s offense, rushing for 120 yards on 24 carries. Levis wasn't asked to do much, but he was efficient going 11/19 for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and most importantly, no turnovers. This was a really important win for Kentucky. Not just because it was a rivalry game, but getting to 7-5 is a much better look for Stoops and the Wildcats, even if they still fell below preseason expectations.
The Waco Kid: Can’t say I was overly shocked that an unranked Kentucky came out and beat a ranked Louisville team. The Cardinals play in a horrible conference and still managed to lose 5 games throughout the season. Usually, the ACC has Clemson to at least boost their ratings but this year even the Tigers weren’t as good. For Kentucky, it was the Levis and Rodriguez show as expected. Levis threw for two TDs and Rodriguez rushed for over 120 yards. Louisville turned the ball over as many times as they scored which is never conducive to winning games. This was more than enough to help the Wildcats close out their regular season with a win. Big Blue finishes with 7 wins and will continue on to a post-season bowl game. Another SEC win, another SEC bowl berth.
#8 Alabama 49 - Auburn 27
Bossman Slim: Yep, got this one right. I didn’t expect Auburn to score as much as they did, but Alabama had this one well in hand by halftime (35-14) after getting off to a slow start. Auburn just didn’t have enough to keep Bryce Young in check as he schooled the Tigers for 343 yards and 3 TDs. Auburn will not go bowling this year and will look to build for the future with the introduction of Hugh Freeze. Alabama on the other hand is still hoping for a playoff spot after mass chaos yesterday, though that’s highly unlikely.
The Hammer: Not much to say here other than the Auburn Tigers ran into the Alabama buzzsaw. Despite the possibility of a letdown given Alabama’s lack of postseason goals (although I wouldn't count them out just yet….), it was obvious if the Tide showed up ready to play, Auburn would not be able to hang. The Tide did in fact show up ready to play. I guess that Saban guy still knows what he’s doing. The Alabama offense was in sync all day and it started with the offensive line. They didn't allow any sacks and had a good day in the run game, leading the Tide to an average of over 5 yards per carry and four touchdowns as a team. Bryce Young looked good too, throwing for 343 yards, three touchdowns, and one pick on 20/30 attempts. Surprisingly, the Alabama defense didn't look as good. Auburn was able to move the ball on the ground all game. Credit is due to Cadillac Willaims and the Tiger coaching staff for getting creative in the run game. Jarquez Hunter led the way with 134 yards on 11 carries. Tank Bigsby added 63 more yards and Robby Ashford finished with 121 yards and two touchdowns. As expected, Ashford was far less effective through the air, only managing 77 yards and one TD through the air. Who knows what awaits Alabama in the postseason, but beware of declaring Saban’s reign over.
The Waco Kid: Bama gonna do Bama things. This week was no different and no surprise. I thought it could have been a closer game due to the history of this rivalry but I should have known better. Auburn has been horrible all season and has been unable to put together quality wins. Alabama is the same as usual outside of two losses. Saban has them competing at a high level and will once again finish the season as a top-ten team. It is amazing that this is a disappointment to any team in college football, but this program and fan base have become too spoiled with riches over the past decade and were brought back down to mortality this season. Bryce Young finished the year on a high note throwing for 3 scores and 343 yards against an SEC West opponent. While the offense added 4 more rushing touchdowns. The Tide rolls into the Bowl season and will play in a New Years 6 bowl, most likely the Sugar Bowl against whoever loses the Big 12 championship. I do not think a one-loss TCU makes the playoffs so if KSU somehow wins the conference, TCU will find itself in New Orleans for New Years.
Texas A&M 38 - #6 LSU 23
Bossman Slim: Shocker in Kyle Field. Texas A&M pulled off an improbable upset on Saturday, knocking off #5 who had everything to play for. It’s always dangerous when you have a team with everything in front of them playing a team that has nothing to play for except pissing in someone’s cornflakes. In college football, that’s a dangerous combo. I’ve been saying it all year in this space and in our weekly previews on the Locked on Ole Miss podcast: A&M is so talented that they can put it together at any given time, even though it has been a very down year for the Aggies, to put it mildly. On Saturday night, they finally put it together. Moose Muhammed and Devon Achane played like men possessed, Conner Weigman showed Aggies that the future is in good hands behind center, and the defense came up big with a scoop-n-score that gave A&M the lead for good. A baffling loss for LSU who was on the cusp of the College Football Playoff, but Brian Kelly teams have been known to disappear in big games late in the year when the pressure is on. He’ll have to buck that trend in the coming years at LSU if his honeymoon stage is to continue with the fanbase. Huge win for the Aggies, and a win that could potentially hold together some of that #1 recruiting class that many people around college football thought might unravel after this season.
The Hammer: A fitting end to a wild season in the SEC. Texas A&M played their best game of the year on Saturday night and they put an end to any playoff hopes LSU had. Kyle Field was absolutely rocking and A&M fought hard as hell. For as frustrating as this year has been, this one had to feel good for Aggie fans. Devon Achane was the story of this game. He had missed the prior two games with injury and could have easily packed his bags and milked that injury to stay healthy for the upcoming NFL Draft. Instead, Achane carried the rock 38 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns. A grown-man effort from Achane and he willed his team to a win. The young QB Conner Weigman was efficient as well, throwing for 155 yards and two TDs on 12/18 passing attempts. Moose Muhammad had several highlight reel catches as well. On the LSU side, they just got whooped. A&M’s offensive line has been bad all year. It seemed like a great matchup for the Tiger front seven, but they got pushed around. The Aggies ran for 274 yards and did not allow a sack. Harold Perkins and the rest of that vaunted Tiger front were held in check all game. LSU did run the ball pretty effectively, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, but they never found any rhythm in the passing game and that held them back offensively. A head-scratching loss from Brian Kelly and LSU, given how much was on the line, but that's college football for you. The Tigers will have to pick themselves up and get ready to take on Georgia this coming weekend in Atlanta for the SEC title.
The Waco Kid: Jalen Preston said it best “our goal (now) is to piss in LSU’s corn flakes”. And Texas A&M did not just piss in those cornflakes, they sullied them and made Brian Kelly sit at the table until he was finished eating. To be honest, this was the first game I chose A&M to lose and that was only because I have been wrong so many times this year when it came to the Aggies that I thought I would give them a fighting chance by betting against them. And low and behold it worked. Someone set a fire under this TAMU team and they came out firing on both sides of the ball. The defense was in the backfield and Jayden Daniels’ mind all game, bringing the thunder every chance they got. The offense, led by true freshman QB Conner Weigman, was moving the ball at will. Weigman threw for a pair of scores and 150 yards against a stingy Tiger defense. Devon Achane was not even sure he would play, in what likely could have been his last game in maroon, but suited up and rushed for over 200 yards and two tuddies, eclipsing the 1000-yard rushing mark for the 2022 season. Moose Muhammad, fittingly, did his best OBJ impression on a touchdown and a 30-yard completion, coming down with two nearly impossible catches. The Ags could do no wrong and ended the season on a high note which they will ride into the 2023 season. If they can retain their talented freshman class and not lose too many to the portal, this could be a lethal team next year. As for the Bayou Bengals, they head to Atlanta in hopes of overtaking the defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs. They will have to be perfect in the conference championship game and even that may not be enough to hang with the Dawgs.
#9 Tennessee 56 - Vanderbilt 0
Bossman Slim: I mean, woah. Not a whole lot to say about this one, except that it’s hilarious The Waco Kid picked Vandy to beat a top-10 team. The Vols took out all their anger on their seriously outmatched rivals. Without Hendon Hooker, I thought the Commodores would be able to keep this one closer, but I was sorely mistaken on that one. Tennessee relied heavily on their running game, racking up 362 yards and 6 TDs. Vandy has a long way to go, but they still made big strides this season despite this lopsided result.
The Hammer: Wow. I thought Tennessee was a defeated team after their stunning loss to South Carolina a week ago. On top of that, Hendon Hooker tore his ACL in that game and wouldn’t play against Vandy. Coming off two straight SEC wins, the Commodores were hot, too. None of that mattered on Saturday and Tennessee splattered Vanderbilt. A complete drubbing by the Vols. We know Joe Milton struggles with accuracy, and he did in this one going just 11/21, but Josh Heupel was smart and just ran the damn ball. The Vols had 362 yards rushing on just 31 carries. They got whatever they wanted on the ground, and the defense took care of the rest. Vandy only managed 254 yards of total offense, despite the fact that they had over 43 minutes in time of possession and ran 24 more plays than Tennessee. The Vols were just incredibly explosive and steamrolled Vanderbilt on the ground. An impressive win, and a response that says a lot about the culture Heupel has created there. Shame on me for thinking this one would be close.
The Waco Kid: Damn you Vanderbilt and all of the hope you gave to a poor young writer from central Texas. After the last two weeks I was really riding the Vandy bandy but alas all good things must come to an end. And this one came to a screeching halt. I thought perhaps the loss of Hendon Hooker and another home-field advantage would allow the Commodores to bear witness to one more miracle during the 2022 season. But Tennessee was just way too much. Even without Hooker, this one seemed to be over before it started. Backup QB and former Michigan Wolverine, Joe Milton, literally did next to nothing. He just kind of showed up, threw for under 150 yards, and let the running backs do the rest of the work. I could have taken snaps for the Vols and probably led them to victory by 30 points. The ground game accounted for 6 touchdowns and over 370 yards. Who needs a quarterback when you can put up those kinds of numbers? The Vandy offense could also not get any aspect of their game going which led to a 21-point deficit in the first half. Vandy is out of the postseason but UT will look to finish strong most likely against Clemson in a New Years 6 Bowl.