B&S Week 1 game-by-game recaps 2023
Week 1 told us a lot, even though it’s early. LSU may be pretenders, Tennessee takes over Nashville, and the Gamecocks get fried in Charlotte.
By: Bossman Slim, Hammer, Waco Kid
What a Week 1 it was. Outside the SEC we saw Prime Time burst onto the scene by upsetting TCU in Fort Worth, the Baylor Bears get skinned by the Texas State Bobcats, and Texas Tech get bucked off by the Cowboys in Laramie. Overall the SEC had a pretty ugly start to the year when it comes to big games. We’ll get to those in just a second, but let’s check in on how the crew fared in our Week 1 picks:
We’re all off to a blazing 1-3 start against the spread, so fade our picks hard until further notice. We need to get this house in order. This isn’t Pate State’s Ramen Noodle Express.
Let’s hit the recaps.
#14 Utah 24 - Florida 11
Bossman Slim: Well. I called that it was going to be a low-scoring affair, do I get any points for that? This one got ugly quickly, and Florida couldn’t find paydirt on offense. The Gators had opportunities but shot themselves in the foot over and over again, whether it was a false start in the red zone or a Graham Mertz pick deep in their own territory to start the second half, not much went right for the Gators in this one. Florida’s vaunted rushing attack only mustered 13 total yards because Mertz was sacked five freakin’ times. Trevor Etienne was the top rusher with 25 yards…that is not a good omen for this Florida offense. The Gator defense gave up a couple big plays, including the 70-yard TD at the jump, but overall they gave the team a chance to win if only the offense would have woken up. The biggest question coming out of this one for me is the offensive line. Utah has some dudes and is a solid team, but we all know Florida will face tougher defensive lines in the SEC. Can the line mesh (quickly) and give Graham Mertz time and give these talented running backs holes? The jury is out, but if they don’t figure it out fast, it will be a long season in Gainesville. Tennessee rolls into The Swamp in two weeks.
Hammer: Next time I doubt Kyle Whittingham and the Utah Utes, especially at home, someone punch me in the face. I mean, how many times can Whittingham and that team prove the doubters wrong? He’s been doing it for over a decade. Utah dismantled Florida for 60 minutes and never let the Gators even think they had a chance. I mentioned in the preview that it's possible the Utah staff knew for weeks (or months) that Rising would not be ready to play, and therefore, would have a good game plan in place. Despite that, I still picked Florida but that’s exactly what happened. Whittingham and his staff had a great game plan for this one and put their backup QB Bryson Barnes in a great position. How about a play-action bomb over the top of the defense on the first play from scrimmage? That’s how you instill confidence in a backup and catch the defense sleeping. The real story in this one was Utah’s defensive line manhandling Florida in the trenches. The Utes were all over the Gator backfield, totaling 5 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Moreover, the strength of Florida’s offense, their running backs, were completely taken out of the game by Utah. Florida had 21 carries for 13 yards. Their offensive line got worked by the Utah front. Incredibly impressive showing from Utah and a great home win to start the season. For Florida, they need to improve on the offensive line and fast, otherwise, they won’t even qualify for a bowl.
The Waco Kid: Florida is in trouble, not because they lost but because how they did so opens up the Gators to many questions on the offensive and defensive line. These boys are big but their footwork leaves a lot to want, the O-line constantly seemed a step behind the Utes and were confused by any stunt run by that Utah defense. UF came in with a leg up after it was announced Cam Rising would be sitting this one out but it didn’t matter. By the end of the game, the Mountain Boys had 8 starters out due to injury and still embarrassed the SEC squad. They deployed a two-quarterback system that seemed to keep Florida guessing. When Nate Johnson was in he could pull it and rush for 15 yards in a blink of an eye. And Bryson Barnes was dropping dimes all over the Gator D. OC Andy Ludwig had the perfect game plan for size. He had the red running outside the tackle boxes where the size of Florida was negated by the speed of the Utah offense. This was a bad indicator of things to come for Billy Napier’s squad. Even so, the game was never out of reach until the final minutes of the fourth quarter so I suppose you could take that away as a positive.
Next up for Florida: McNeese State
#12 Tennessee 49 - Virginia 13
Bossman Slim: They are who we thought they were. Tennessee trounced Virginia and covered a 28-point spread. The offense got off to a fast start, scoring on their first drive, but then sputtered in the first half otherwise this game would have been a total blowout by halftime. The offense put it together in the second half and put the game away with 14 points in the last two frames. Joe Milton looked a little shaky early but put together a solid day, posting two passing TDs and two rushing TDs. You also have to mention the defense who suffocated the Cavaliers all day, having a party in the backfield with a handful of sacks and almost a dozen TFLs. Solid win for the Vols.
The Hammer: No need to spend too much time on this one. Tennessee dominated the game and covered as I expected. Virginia has a chance to be one of the worst Power 5 teams in the country this fall, and the Vols did what they should have. Tennessee dominated in the trenches, gathering 11 tackles for loss and four sacks on defense, and only allowing 1 sack and 1 TFL on offense, all while rushing for 287 yards as a team. Not too shabby. Joe Milton looked good running the Vols offense, throwing for 201 yards and 2 TDs on 21/30 attempts. Perhaps most importantly, Milton didn’t turn the ball over. If Milton can continue to take care of the ball and be efficient as a passer, the Vols will be tough to beat.
The Waco Kid: This game was as advertised. Tennessee was able to outpace a lesser team and pulled away in the second half. It took the Vols a minute to kick it into gear but as soon as they did, they looked like they may not have lost a step since last year. Joe Milton pretty much said the hell with Hendon Hooker, watch me now, throwing for over 200 yards and 2 TDs while rushing for another 2 scores and 33 yards. The running backs did as expected and rushed for over 200 yards combined. This offense is as explosive as ever, the defense held UVA to one score and a couple of field goals. If that unit can continue hitting it hard, Joe Milton will be good enough for a win in almost every contest. As I stated in the previews, this team is legit. They’ll be playing to win the East and honestly, they can. But it will all come down to that November 18th match-up against UGA. I’m jacked to the tits! As quoted in The Big Short.
Next up for Tennessee: Austin Peay
#21 North Carolina 31 - South Carolina 17
Bossman Slim: Oh no. Sound the alarms. The Gamecocks have a huge problem on their hands in the form of an offensive line that is non-existent. I didn’t trust this rebuilt North Carolina secondary to stop Spencer Rattler and the weapons around him, but apparently, I should have been keyed in on the defensive line instead. The Tar Heels looked like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, notching NINE sacks and 16 TFLs. That is absolutely ridiculous, especially when you consider that the Heels had just 17 sacks all of last season. For all the hype around Juju McDowell, he rushed or -1 yards and Dakereon Joyner only managed 23 yards on the night. This was a dominant effort by North Carolina and they look like a much improved team from a year ago. If South Carolina, like Florida, can’t figure out their offensive line (and quickly) it’s going to be a long season in Columbia.
The Hammer: Man, what a bad start for South Carolina. Either Gene Chizick remembered how to call a defense and UNC somehow has a good defense this year, or South Carolina’s offense is that bad. This will blow your mind so make sure you are sitting down when I say this. The Tar Heels sacked Spencer Rattler 9 TIMES and totaled 16 tackles for loss. Maybe UNC’s defensive line is really good but I’m leaning more towards the Gamecock’s offensive line being really bad yet again this year. With all those sacks and tackles for loss, South Carolina had -2 rushing yards on 31 attempts for the game. Simply horrendous. Spencer Rattler didn't play badly given the pressure he was under, going 30/39 for 353 yards with no TDs or turnovers. But if that offensive line doesn’t find a way to block someone, South Carolina is going nowhere. The Gamecock defense wasn’t great, but they did pick off Drake Maye twice and gave the offense a chance to be in this game. Sadly for Gamecock fans, the offense was a long way from being able to score points and compete against the Tar Heels.
The Waco Kid: I thought UNC may be too much for the Gamecocks this year and they proved it. Drake Maye turned over the ball twice and yet the Tar Heels were way too much offensively for SC to handle. If I’m being unbiased I will say Spencer Rattler played quite a game. He wasn’t able to find the end zone but lit up the Carolina blue through the air. He ended up completing 77% of his passes for over 350 yards. Those are numbers posted by elite quarterbacks. So yes, in this game Rattler was elite, even though he was under duress all night. Those stats are something that Shane Beamer can build off. The defense will provide no help through the SEC but if Rattler and Xavier Legette can keep up the production they showed Saturday, USC may just have a shot in track meet games. O-line has to wake up.
Next up for South Carolina: Furman
#8 FSU 45 - #5 LSU 24
Bossman pinpointed the LSU secondary vs. FSU WR matchup on the Biscuits & SEC Preview Show with Steven Willis. (SEC After Dark)
Bossman Slim: Wow. I thought FSU would win this game, but not by three scores. Talent-wise this was a pretty even matchup, but it didn’t look like that in the second half. Frankly, the Seminoles came out and bullied the Tigers in the final two frames, playing much more physical football and outperforming this LSU team that has such high hopes for this year. Jayden Daniels did not play badly despite the cries from some corners of the LSU fanbase. This came down to the matchup I highlighted in our Biscuits & SEC Preview Show with Steven Willis: LSU’s new secondary vs. the talented FSU wide receivers. Jordan Travis had a field day throwing the ball for 342 yards, linking up with Michigan State transfer WR Keon Coleman for three TDs, Johnny Wilson seven times for 104 yards and South Carolina transfer TE Jaheim Bell for a TD. It was also a rough night for LSU’s offensive line, which was supposed to be a strength. After taking a lead into halftime, LSU collapsed, which Brian Kelly called “a total failure.” He’s right. LSU was not prepared for this one and it’s especially embarrassing after Kelly was quoted earlier this week saying “We’re going to beat the heck out of Florida State.” Sounds like another recent LSU coach known for his bravado.
Hammer: This was the perfect way to cap off a wild Week 1. I picked LSU to win and cover so naturally they got their doors blown off. What a performance from Florida State. After a back-and-forth game in the first half, LSU was winning 17-14. The Noles then went into ludicrous speed mode in the second half and scored 31 unanswered points. Keon Coleman is a certified dude and FSU will be a problem in the ACC. For LSU, this was a tough pill to swallow. There were national title hopes in Baton Rouge, and while that isn’t 100% out of the question after game one, it seems like it is. The Tigers got worked and the defense was the main issue. Offensively, LSU still has not found a running back with no one in the backfield getting more than four carries. They still almost completely rely on Jayden Daniels for their rushing attack. He’s dynamic on the ground, but good luck with him being your only option. And the offense couldn't convert a third down. LSU went 3/13 on third down and was 0/3 on fourth down, leading to good drives that resulted in zero points. Meanwhile, FSU went 9/14 on third down and was 1/1 on fourth down. They are the team that showed poise and confidence, not LSU. The glaring issue for the Tigers was the secondary. It appears all those transfers were not ready to simply step in and play well. Perhaps they will figure it out as the season goes on, but FSU wide receivers were running wide-open in this one. Jordan Travis threw for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns for crying out loud. That doesn’t happen against LSU when the Tigers are playing up to their standard. Back to the drawing board for Brian Kelly and his staff after this one. No two ways about it, LSU got thoroughly worked by a better football team on Sunday night.
Waco Kid: I thought LSU would ride the high from the 2022 season right into this year but they did not. They hung around with FSU for the majority of the game but the second half proved too much for the Tigers. Florida State came out with a huge defensive line that was looking for blood as soon as the game started. They were scrappy and constantly swarming to the ball. For every white jersey in the vicinity, there were at least three red. The Seminoles were flying around on defense and made it a difficult night for Jayden Daniels. On the offensive side of the ball, Jordan Travis was a freakin revelation. Throwing for 4 scores against an LSU defense is always a good night. It definitely helps when you have big-bodied receivers all over the field to throw to. LSU could not seem to protect the ball on offense or special teams, with an interception and botched punt you cannot expect to win the game. Gregg Popovich said it best “Turnovers, all I see is turnovers” and that’s how I felt watching this game. The Tigers couldn’t afford this loss with their schedule but they will have to push through and win in some big games to get back to Atlanta. I don’t see a path for them after watching this one but an upset over Bama can always get you there.
Next Up for LSU: Grambling