B&S Week 4 game-by-game recaps 2023
Bama outlasts Ole Miss, A&M sends a message and LSU takes home the Golden Boot.
By: Bossman Slim, Hammer, Waco Kid
Another fun week of football with multiple games that went down to the wire. Alabama figured things out in the second half and got right against Ole Miss while A&M dominated Auburn in College Station. South Carolina notched a much-needed win while Arkansas pushed LSU to the limit. If that don’t wet your whistle I don’t know what will.
Bossman continues to make stellar picks and is leading the pack through four weeks, but Hammer and Waco Kid are right on his heels in the Straight Up column. It’s another story ATS, as Bossman kept his lead over the pack.
Bossman Slim: Impressive win for the Aggies. I expected the offense to score points on Auburn’s defense, but it took them figuring things out in the second half to really start moving the ball. The real story was the A&M defense, which only allowed three offensive points and suffocated Auburn’s offense all dang day. This looked like the Wrecking Crew days when A&M’s defense was revered in the 90s. The Aggie D made a living in the Auburn backfield, tallying 15 TFLs and seven sacks, and held the Tigers to just 200 yards of total offense. ULM had 222 yards of total offense against A&M last week, which shows how glaring the holes are on offense for Auburn. The Tigers were able to get a few chunk plays in the running game, but only notched 56 yards through the air as Payton Thorne looked out of sorts all game long. The Auburn fanbase is starting to get restless and the calls for Holden Geriner have already started. Finally, the Aggies losing Conner Weigman for a few weeks with a high ankle sprain hurts, but Max Johnson could start at multiple SEC schools right now, so there shouldn’t be much drop-off for A&M until Weigman gets back.
Hammer: And my record against the spread just gets worse and worse. I had the Aggies winning here, but I thought Auburn could keep it closer than they did. And frankly, the Tigers were lucky it was as close as it was thanks to a gift scoop and score for Auburn and the refs calling a pitch a forward pass because after reviewing it in super slow motion for 10 minutes they determined it was actually a forward pass that traveled millimeters forward, wiping off a Texas A&M scoop and score. Rant over, but the point is this game could have been far, far worse. I didn't realize how bad the Auburn offense was. The Aggie defense deserves some credit for dominating the line of scrimmage with their front seven (7 sacks, 15 TFL) but I was surprised with how bad Auburn was on offense. I figured the ole snake oil salesman Hugh Freeze might have some tricks up his sleeve. He did not. Payton Thorne was awful, and the other two QBs were just as bad. The Aggies dominated. Hopefully, the injury to Conner Weigman is not serious, but Max Johnson is one of the most experienced and talented backup QBs in the country.
Waco Kid: The biggest news from this game was the injury sustained by A&M quarterback Conner Weigman. It sounds like he is going to be out 2-4 weeks in the middle of the toughest part of the Aggies’ schedule. Good news for the Ags is that their defense really came alive against Auburn. They were in the backfield all day and were relentless in the secondary. Points were hard to come by for the Tiger offense and that’s not a good sign going into a matchup against #1 Georgia this week. If AU could score negative points they actually might against that Dawg defense. A&M found a ground attack and will need it against those piggies in Arlington this weekend. The second weekend of conference play has come to an end and it did not disappoint.
Next up for A&M: @ Arkansas (*in Dallas)
Next up for Auburn: @ #1 Georgia
Bossman Slim: Stoops revenge. The Wildcats burst out to a 24-0 lead and this one was never close as Kentucky avenged their loss to the Commodores from a year ago. It was 38-13 before Vandy scored two late touchdowns (AJ Swann’s second pick-six of the day was sandwiched between the TDs) that made the score closer than it was. For Kentucky, you don’t love giving up 28 points to Vandy, but it was a good day overall for the Wildcats and it’s hard to be mad about much. Devin Leary will need to keep progressing as he posted just a 28.4 QBR, going 15/29 for 25 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs. Thankfully for him, he’s got Vandy transfer Ray Davis in the backfield to pick up the slack (17 carries/78 yds/2 TDs). Kentucky is 4-0 and faces their toughest test yet next week as Florida travels to Lexington. The Gators are hot and cold and didn’t play so hot against Charlotte. As for Vanderbilt, their work is cut out for them. It’s another year of “just compete” instead of looking at the scoreboard because the losses will mount. #23 Mizzou comes to Nashville next week and I have a feeling that one will get ugly as well.
Hammer: Kentucky is quietly 4-0, but how good are they? They got revenge on Clark Lea and Vandy for the loss a year ago, but the offense is still behind expectations. Vandy threw four interceptions in this one between AJ Swann and Ken Seals (had no idea Seals was still on Vandy), two of which Wildcat defensive back Maxwell Hairston returned two for touchdowns. So the Kentucky offense only tallied 31 of those 45 points. Devin Leary has been decent but pretty underwhelming overall and he struggled again yesterday, going just 15/29 for 205 yards and one TD compared to two interceptions. The Wildcats ran the ball fairly well and Ray Davis found paydirt twice against his former team. Not much else to say about this one. I remain skeptical that Kentucky is better than an 8-win team, and Vandy is not good. They might prove to be pesky, but so far they just aren't a good team.
Waco Kid: This went as expected, Vanderbilt lost. It really doesn’t matter who they play, you can pretty much count on them to throw away the W. Kentucky is now sitting at 4-0 but really haven’t played anyone worth noting. There’s not much more to say about this game. This week will be the first real test for the Wildcats and the Commodores will most likely lose by default.
Next up for Kentucky: vs. Florida
Next up for Vanderbilt: vs. #23 Mizzou
Bossman Slim: Hand up, I messed up. Please forgive me, Sir Nick Saban. Why did I ever doubt the Tide against Lane Kiffin? Saban doesn’t lose to Kiffin, especially at home! Here’s the stat: 1.9 YPC for Ole Miss. ONE POINT NINE. We knew this Alabama defense was mean, and that the offense had been the issue through three games. The offense is still an issue, but the defense has enough juice to win a national championship. The Tide bottled up the Rebels rushing attack all day and frustrated Jaxson Dart for much of the afternoon. Ole Miss had three straight three-and-outs after their first TD and Bama had 10 TFLs and five sacks on the day. The Rebels were holding their own in the first half and Tide mistakes were piling up, but Alabama settled down in the second half and Jalen Milroe hit a couple of deep shots that extended the Tide lead to double digits. Milore also looked better in the intermediate passing game, which was one of my keys to the game. There are still many things Alabama needs to clean up on offense, but they took a major step this week in turning their season around. Ole Miss slinks home with another loss at the hands of Alabama. The Rebels did some nice things on Saturday and their defense gave them a shot to be in the game, but the offense wasn’t able to generate enough in the end. Back to square one in Oxford and don’t let me doubt the Tide at home again.
Hammer: I am an idiot. Next time I think Lane Kiffin can beat Nick Saban and Alabama, someone please talk some sense into me. We’ve seen this before. Ole Miss and Kiffin come in looking good, playing well, and stirring the pot. Bama, regardless of how they have looked leading up to the game, just squashes Ole Miss. It happens every year. And this game was competitive for 3 quarters. It was 7-6 Ole Miss at halftime but the Alabama defense had the Rebel’s attack figured out. The formula is pretty simple: Alabama never allows Ole Miss (or anyone) to run the ball effectively. When Ole Miss can't run the ball and they get into 2nd and/or 3rd and long downs, they struggle. Alabama held Ole Miss to 1.9 yards per carry in this one. That’s pretty much it. That is where the game was won. Judkins and the Rebels running game had no room to operate, and Jaxson Dart and the playmakers on the outside, couldn’t move the ball. Now, Ole Miss played pretty well on defense, especially up front. The Rebels have a good front seven and limited the “joyless murder ball” Alabama to 2.9 yards per carry but the Tide kept at it and found some room to run in the second half. Alabama remains vulnerable but they going to be tough to beat. Their defense is really, really good, and on offense they’re decent. Milroe and the skills guys on Alabama are not nearly as dynamic as we’ve become accustomed to, but if they can just protect the ball and find room on the ground, this becomes a very well-balanced team. TDLR: Nick Saban continues to own Lane Kiffin.
Waco Kid: These two giant turds above me chose Bama to lose to Ole Miss. Not only that, they thought Kiffin could outcoach his mentor Nick Saban. I didn’t see a scenario where this was going to happen so I’ll always default to Saban and the Tide. My hunch served me well this time. Alabama quickly established dominance on the defensive side by completely halting the Rebel rush attack. And if you think you’re going to take advantage of the Crimson secondary think again. Was it pretty by Bama on offense? No, but they did what they needed to in order to secure a W. That’s all Nick wants is for the offense to play smart and the defense to shut down the opposition. The SEC West gauntlet has begun and both step into arenas with conference foes this weekend. Ole Miss has a tougher Saturday but Mississippi State won’t be a walk in the park for Alabama either.
Next up for Alabama: @ Mississippi State
Next up for Ole Miss: vs. #13 LSU
Bossman Slim: Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Sorry, Hogs. This was a classic four-quarter, knock-down, drag-out SEC rock fight. Games you live for as an SEC football fan. Hats off to Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks, who proved many people (me) wrong who didn’t think they stood a chance in this game, especially without Rocket Sanders. Instead, the Razorbacks went punch for punch with a stout LSU team down to the wire. At the end of the day, LSU just outlasted the Hogs. Jayden Daniels threw one bad pick in the first quarter, but aside from that, he dazzled yet again with a 69% completion percentage, 320 yards and four TDs. The Tigers have two legitimate threats on the outside in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., who each had over 130 yards receiving on the night. KJ Jefferson played like a man among boys and tried to put the team on his back, showcasing why he is also still considered one of the top QBs in the SEC. This is a solid win for LSU, while Arkansas feels like they let one get away. It doesn’t get any easier from here for Arkansas and the fanbase is getting restless when it comes to Sam Pittman. He needs to put some wins on the board - but they won’t come easy with A&M, Ole Miss and Alabama coming up in the next three games.
Hammer: Another example of me not knowing a thing about these games. I keep saying the SEC West is as wide open as it's ever been, and this game is another example of why. Arkansas looked like crap against BYU the week prior but had no issue going into Death Valley at night and pushing LSU to the absolute limit as 17.5-point underdogs. Give credit to Sam Pittman and his staff for getting this team ready to go. They had a good plan and KJ Jefferson is still a beast. Arkansas doesn't have great playmakers, especially with Rocket Sanders still injured but KJ still dragged this team to 426 yards of offense. The Hogs continue killing themselves with penalties, tallying 11 for 69 yards in this game. For LSU, I don’t really knock them for this. Sure it’s not great to nearly lose at home to a big-time favorite, but the offense played well and Jayden Daniels is rolling. We knew the Tiger secondary was a liability, and Arkansas took advantage of that. That’s expected, but LSU still found a way to win the game, and they might have found a rushing attack which they desperately need. Jayden Daniels wasn't their leading rusher for once as Logan Diggs toted the rock 14 times for 97 yards. The Tigers finished with 189 rushing yards at a 6.5-yards-per-carry clip. Keep an eye on this because if LSU can find a run game, they will be really tough to stop for opposing defenses.
Waco Kid: I thought this would be a good one, didn’t think it would end up being as close as it was. This went all 4 quarters of some quality SEC play. You can never completely count out a team that has a guy like KJ Jefferson behind the center. And the dude showed up huge against that Tiger defense. But at the end of the day, the better team won. LSU was a little too much for the Hogs to handle. Jayden Daniels is slowly solidifying his status as the top QB in the SEC. He lit up the Arkansas defense to the tune of 320 yards and 4 scores. It’s hard to beat a team that dismantles your defense as badly as LSU did. Both have huge games on the horizon and will have to play top-tier football to come out of this weekend with a win. These should be some fun games for the Saturday slate.
Next up for Arkansas: vs. Texas A&M (*in Dallas)
Next up for LSU: @ # 20 Ole Miss
Bossman Slim: What a fun game. Williams-Brice was rocking as Spencer Rattler continued to play lights out, posting a 96.7 QBR, 18/20 passing for 288 yards and three TDs with no INTs. Xavier Legette is that dude (5 rec/189 yds/2 TDs) and stepped up big-time in the absence of Juice Wells. Mississippi State looked like the Air Raid of old as Will Rogers threw for 487 yards and a TD, with Lideatrick Griffin accounting for 256 of those yards on seven receptions and a TD. Both offensive lines still looked a little suspect as it seems that will be a problem for the rest of the year for each squad. This was a much-needed win for the Gamecocks in a raucous night environment at home. Mississippi State is going to struggle this year with growing pains in Arnett’s first year, I think we can be certain of that at this point. It’s tough to see many more wins going forward, but they’re sure to jump up and get someone…it is Mississippi State after all.
Hammer: Last week, Mississippi State was embarrassed by LSU, and the Kevin Barbay and Will Rogers experience looked awful. They couldn't throw the ball, so naturally this weekend Cowboy Will Rogers loaded his guns and threw 48 passes, completing 30 of them for 487 yards and one TD and interception, respectively. The Bulldogs showed fight in a tough road environment. It was great to see. However, it wasn't enough as Spencer Rattler and Xaiver Legette are playing unbelievable football right now. Rattler completed his first 17 pass attempts on the night and finished 18/20 for 288 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns went to Legette, who hauled in five catches for 189 yards. His touchdown receptions with 75 and 76 yards! The dude is a bonafide #1 receiver on the outside and his connection with Rattler is fun to watch. Surprisingly, Mississippi State could not get anything going on the ground and seem to be really struggling to run the ball now, after really being dedicated to that for the first three weeks. In order for this offense to work, the Bulldogs need to improve in that area. This game was pretty evenly matched, but Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks were just a little sharper, more efficient, and smarter with the football.
Waco Kid: As good of a game as this was, it unfortunately did fall in my favor. The good news for MSU was that they finally found an offensive rhythm. The bad news, it was against a team that had already hit their stride behind the play of Spencer Rattler. This played out as advertised, close to the final seconds and it just added to a great list of games this past weekend. Rogers torched it through the air with 427 yards but only found pay dirt once. While opposite of him, Rattler passed for about 290 but struck gold 3 times. Xavier Legette had a breakout game for the ‘Cocks hauling in 2 touchdowns for 189 yards. The Bulldogs never got the rush attack established while South Carolina deployed some pound and ground offense. This could have gone either way but swung in Shane Beamer’s favor this time. Both play top 25 teams next week and are looking at potential losses but this was a great game to find their grooves rolling into big matchups next weekend.
Next up for South Carolina: @ #21 Tennessee
Next up for Mississippi State: vs. #12 Alabama
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