B&S Week 7 game-by-game recaps 2023
Tennessee notches a sloppy win, Alabama escapes Arkansas, and Mizzou might be a contender in the East.
By: Bossman Slim, Hammer
@biscuitsandsec
This week, we really did separate the pretenders from the contenders. There’s still some late-season fun to be had to see how this thing will really shake out, but the picture is the clearest it’s been all year. This season has seemed like a toss-up, but it seems as though we’re heading towards another Alabama-Georgia matchup for the SEC title.
Here’s how the crew fared this week.
Bossman gained a game on Hammer, picking Mizzou over Kentucky, inching him back into the “straight up” race. The Waco Kid continues to make baffling decisions, like picking Texas A&M over Tennessee 45-38 (???). Bossman leads the pack ATS but is still under .500. If you want to make money, fade Waco Kid’s picks hard. It’s basically a lock at this point.
Let’s hit the recaps.
Bossman Slim: Vanderbilt showed a lot more fight than expected, which is a credit to Clark Lea and his staff as well as backup QB Ken Seals, who gave an admirable effort in a loss. That effort right now still means a 17-point loss to Georgia, but the Dawgs are the #1 team in the country, and everyone, including me, thought a bulldozer was headed to Nashville (and not the bulldozers currently in the endzone of FirstBank Stadium). Vandy struck first, going up 7-0, then had a chance to go up 10-0 after a UGA fumble but missed the FG. The Dawgs started slow yet again, which is a big concern going forward with four teams left on the schedule who could give them a challenge. Georgia seems to be rounding into form, meaning that the Dawgs are the only team that can beat themselves. But with Mizzou, Florida, Tennessee and Ole Miss still to go, an undefeated regular season is not guaranteed. The biggest worry to come out of this game is the injury to Brock Bowers, who went down in the first half with an ankle injury. The X-rays were negative, so hopefully he’ll be back in short order. The Dawgs are banged up elsewhere too, so the bye week is much-needed to get Georgia healthy.
Hammer: Not much to see here from the outside as Georgia took care of business but Vandy did hang around. I’ll give more credit to Vandy for that than harp on Georgia’s shortcomings. We’ve seen Georgia play up for a big game and wipe Kentucky off the face of the earth. I can’t blame them for not being at their peak for Vandy. They still ran the ball very effectively at 7.5 yards per carry for a total of 291 yards. Daijun Edwards had a career-high 146 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. It wasn’t perfect from the Dawgs but they won by three scores. For Vanderbilt, at least they showed some fight and didn't give up after going down by 20 points midway through the fourth quarter. Clark Lea still has those guys playing hard despite being 2-6 overall and 0-4 in conference.
Next up for Georgia: BYE
Next up for Vanderbilt: BYE
Bossman Slim: Alabama was in control of this game, heading into halftime with a 21-6 advantage and looking like they would run away with this one. Instead, Arkansas hung around and pushed the Tide to the limit. Aside from a field goal in the middle of the third quarter, the Tide would not score again while Arkansas stormed back with back-to-back TD drives late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. Credit to KJ Jefferson, who is just a gamer. No one wants to play that guy - he’s essentially a one-man show for the Hogs right now. On defense, Landon Jackson was an animal, recording 11 tackles and 3 ½ sacks. In the second half, Alabama was held to just 139 offensive yards and committed two costly third-down penalties that kept Arkansas in the game. This Bama team has major flaws, particularly along the offensive line and with undisciplined play, racking up costly penalties. But they can also beat anyone they play. Jalen Milroe has to keep improving, but he has the talent to become an elite quarterback with continued development. Arkansas is demoralized, sitting at 2-5, but they got a boost of confidence playing this Alabama team so closely. They have been on the road for a month because of a scheduling fluke (one that should never happen), and they have a real shot to win every game left on their schedule. Don’t give up yet, Hogs fans.
Hammer: This game started like I thought it would, and then Alabama stalled. Arkansas deserves a ton of credit for not folding when they got down 21-6 before halftime. The Hogs have played three true road games and one neutral site game in a row and it would have been easy for them to pack it in after getting down early. But they didn't. KJ Jefferson made some plays on offense and the defense stiffened up, holding Alabama to just a field goal in the second half. I wouldn't read much into this, Alabama fans. This is what you are so far this year. A very good team that is going to win a bunch of close games because the offense can’t really pull away from anyone. Jalen Milroe is good but has limitations as evidenced by his 10/21 for 238 yards and two TD performances. It was fine but far from elite-level QB play. The Tide can also run the ball decently well against average defenses, but the offensive line is not consistent enough in run or pass blocking. The combo of all that means your offense is going to go through dry spells and allow teams to stick around, which is okay as long as you keep winning and I think they will. For Arkansas, another close, hard-fought loss is just brutal. The Hogs are now 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the SEC. Certainly not how the Razorback faithful felt this season would go but don’t count on that team to quit. They have five games left that are winnable so maybe the Hogs will get off the mat and find some wins.
Next up for Alabama: vs. Tennessee
Next up for Arkansas: vs. Mississippi State
Bossman Slim: A game billed as a big-time matchup turned out to be one of the ugliest games you will ever watch. In the “Penalty Bowl,” these two teams combined for 23 penalties for 205 yards. What’s crazy is that there were egregious missed calls for both teams (Tennessee had an argument on multiple missed PI calls while refs missed two obvious facemasks against A&M) that could have pushed that penalty number close to 300 yards. Both of these defenses did enough to win, but the offenses failed them. At this point, I think we know what Tennessee is: a run-heavy team with a good defense and inefficiencies at quarterback. A few WR drops would have improved Joe Milton’s stats downfield, but overall he leaves a lot to be desired in the passing game. A&M came into this game giving up just 84 rush yards per game, but were gashed by this UT running game for 232 yards. Lucky for them, they were able to get big stops when they needed them, holding Tennessee to field goals at critical moments. Unlucky for them, their offense looked lost from the jump. Max Johnson was running for his life all day as the Aggies offensive line woes continued. This was a critical game for both teams - Tennessee now heads into a big showdown with Alabama at 5-1 and their season still in front of them. Texas A&M is now 4-3, licking their wounds once again, with little to play for but a second-tier bowl berth. In year six of Jimbo Fisher’s tenure in College Station and with a top 5 roster in terms of talent, that is not acceptable to Aggie fans. The faction of Aggies calling for his ouster is growing louder with each passing loss and the mountain of evidence piling up of baffling coaching decisions.
Hammer: This was one of the ugliest games in the SEC I’ve seen all year. Both teams kept trying to give the game to their opponent but neither could seize control and make enough big-time plays to put the game away. Tennessee had 12 penalties for 115 yards and could have had plenty more including two clear facemask penalties that they got away with, while the Aggies tallied up 11 penalties for 90 yards. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Both QBs were below average too. Joe Milton went 11/22 for 100 yards, one TD, and one interception. Max Johnson was just 16/34 for 233 yards and two interceptions. This game was won by Tennessee in the trenches. The Vols stuck with the run game on offense and it paid off as they ran 49 times for 232 yards. The UT defensive line also played lights out, holding A&M to 54 rushing yards on 28 carries. Despite not racking up a ton of sacks (2), the Vols front harassed Max Johson all game. Johnson took 11 hits and was pressured on 25 of his 39 dropbacks (64.1%). Part of that is due to the Aggies horrific offensive line play, but Tennessee has been getting after opponent's QBs all season. This was a big win for Tennessee against a talented Aggie team that competes hard and can play with anyone in the country despite their coaches continually handcuffing them. Now Tennessee keeps their dream season hopes alive at 5-1 and heads to Tuscaloosa. The Aggies head into a much-needed bye week and unless Jimbo completely changes how he, Petrino, and offensive line coach Steve Addazio do everything on offense, this team will continue to woefully underachieve.
Next up for Tennessee: @ Alabama
Next up for Texas A&M: BYE
Bossman Slim: Time to put some respect on Graham Mertz’s name. Like Hertz, Mertz puts you in the driver's seat. The kid outdueled a hot Spencer Rattler to get a gritty win on the road in a hostile Williams-Brice Stadium, completing 63% of his passes for 423 yards and three TDs with no INTs. Ricky Pearsall led the receiving attack with 10 catches for 166 yards and a TD. Four Gators had 50 or more receiving yards. That was just enough for them to eke out a win over the Gamecocks, who had a day of their own on offense. Even without Juice Wells, this passing attack continues to impress and Xavier Legette is that dude. Legette will be playing on Sundays for a long time. He had five receptions for 110 yards, his fourth 100+ yard receiving game this season. With the win, Florida now sits at 5-2 in the conference and has the chance to make some real noise this year and get some momentum going into 2024. As for South Carolina, the answers seem far away with another loss and sitting at 2-4. Gamecocks fans are also growing tired of Shane Beamer’s blame game act after losses. The Gamecocks need wins in the worst way and they won’t come easy with Mizzou, A&M, Kentucky, and Clemson still ahead.
Hammer: What a wild and entertaining game we saw at Williams-Brice on Saturday. Both teams went well over 450 yards of offense; no team ever had more than a one-score lead. Just constant back and forth all game with Florida ultimately scoring two late fourth-quarter touchdowns thanks to Graham Mertz to pull out the win on the road. Credit to the Gators for actually playing competent football on the road. I didn't think they were capable of that. Surprisingly, the Gators vaunted running back duo was largely ineffective, totaling just 71 yards on 33 carries as a team. This left the game in Graham Mertz’s hands and he delivered, throwing for 423 yards and three touchdowns on 30/48 attempts. Rattler also threw for over 300 yards, four touchdowns, and one pick so he wasn't too shabby himself. The two South Carolina turnovers really hurt them in this game, along with their bad secondary play that’s plagued them all year. This was a big-time win for Billy Napier and his Gator team although most won’t think of it that way given how I think the season will turn out for the Gamecocks. With several tough games remaining, South Carolina making it to a bowl game is looking more and more unlikely. The Gators have multiple tough games remaining as well but should be able to grab one more and at least get bowl-eligible.
Next up for Florida: BYE
Next up for South Carolina: @ Mizzou
Bossman Slim: This one went about as I expected, I just thought Auburn might score a few more points on this porous LSU defense. My bad, I forgot just how anemic this Auburn Tiger offense truly is. Jayden Daniels is a bonafide Heisman candidate, throwing for 325 yards and three TDs, which makes that his fifth game of the season with over 300 yards passing and his fifth game with three or more passing TDs. He’s setting LSU records and blazing through the Tigers schedule. I don’t think anyone can slow down this LSU offense the rest of the season, it’s their defense that will lose them games. That didn’t happen on Saturday night, as Auburn couldn’t pass the ball for jack squat, throwing for just 154 yards. While that is a pathetic attempt at a passing game, especially against this weak LSU secondary, it was actually Auburn’s highest passing output of the year against SEC competition. Yikes. Good win for LSU while Auburn has to go back to the drawing board and figure out how they’re going to give this offense a jumpstart.
Hammer: The Auburn fans who keep waiting and hoping for some Hugh Freeze magic will have to wait until next year. Sure, there are still some big games coming against Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, etc. but this team has shown no ability to hang with a competent team outside of the UGA game. This is as lopsided of a game as you see in the SEC. Auburn had 293 total yards while LSU racked up 563. Logan Diggs continued to settle into the lead back role for LSU with a solid 18 carry, 97 yard,s and one TD performance. Jayden Daniels also kept rolling, throwing for 325 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception on 20/27 attempts…not to mention the 93 yards he gained on the ground on 11 carries. Daniels has been the best QB in the SEC this year and if he continues to play this well, LSU will be hard to beat, even with that weak secondary. Payton Thorne had another disappointing outing and I don’t see that changing at this point. He had a few solid seasons in the Big Ten, but has been pitiful in his first season in the SEC. His weapons are limited but he also misses open guys pretty consistently. LSU will continue to struggle defensively against competent passing attacks, but they can score on anyone and should play really entertaining football down the stretch.
Up next for LSU: vs. Army
Up next for Auburn: vs. Ole Miss
Bossman Slim: Got’em. I’ve been pushing the Mizzou hype train since the preseason, predicting they would go 8-4 and start climbing the ladder in the SEC East. With this win, the Tigers are 6-1 and have their sights set on an even better season than 8-4. All the hype in the preseason was surrounding Devin Leary, but Brady Cook was the better quarterback on Saturday night. Cook has been playing the best football of his career this season and continued his solid play. Kentucky jumped out to a 14-0 lead before Mizzou stormed back and scored 20 unanswered, sparked by a brilliant fake punt that went for a TD that made it 14-7. Ray Davis did his job, posting 128 yards rushing, but Leary was shaky yet again, throwing two TDs but also threw two critical picks on back-to-back drives that killed any chance of a Kentucky comeback. The Wildcats have to figure this offense out or the season could go south fast. As for Mizzou, this season has the potential to be special.
Hammer: Shame on me for doubting Mizzou and the Alpha Nerd Eli Drinkwitz! Not only did the Tigers take their show on the road and get a solid win the week after suffering a heartbreaking loss to LSU, but they did it convincingly. Mizzou outscored Kentucky 18-0 in the 4th quarter to slam the door shut on Big Blue Nation in their own house. I’m brave enough to say this after seeing Mizzou get a convincing road win: Missouri is a good team. Brady Cook didn’t play as well as he had been this week, and Luther Burden was held to just two catches for 15 yards. And they still won by 17 points on the road, meaning they can win games in multiple ways. The defense was key in this game, forcing three Kentucky turnovers and only allowing 299 total yards from Kentucky. Good teams find different ways to skin the cat, and Mizzou is good. Kentucky, meanwhile, is not very good. Hyped-up transfer QB Devin Leary continues to play poorly. He went just 14/27 for 120 yards, two TDs, and two interceptions in this one. He is clearly way out of sync with OC Liam Coen and I don’t think they are going to figure it out this year. Someone smarter than me can probably break down the Xs and Os of why Leary has not worked out given a solid track record at NC State, but I am smart enough to tell you it's just not working. If Ray Davis isn’t running wild, the Kentucky offense stinks. Missouri has some tough games remaining but if they keep up this level of play getting to nine wins is potentially in the cards. At 5-2, Kentucky will be fine but any dreams they had of winning nine or 10 games are done. There are several more losses in store for the Wildcats.
Next up for Mizzou: vs. South Carolina
Next up for Kentucky: BYE
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