Biscuits & SEC Week 6 game-by-game recaps 2024
Instead of a quiet weekend with just one ranked-on-ranked matchup across college football, all mayhem decided to break loose in Week 6.
By: Bossman, Hammer, Waco Kid
If you got dragged to Target or to apple picking this weekend, I am so sorry. This was one of the most insane days of college football you will ever see, and there were upsets all over the place. With just one ranked-on-ranked matchup the entire Saturday, it did not matter. BAM! Down goes #9 Mizzou. FIRE THE CANNONS! Down goes #1 Alabama. WHOLE HOG! Down goes #4 Tennessee. And that was just inside the SEC. Outside the SEC, #8 Miami had to escape for their life for the second week in a row against Cal, Washington upset #10 Michigan, and #11 USC got paddled by Minnesota.
What a freakin’ Saturday. DON’T GO TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH!
Let’s check in on how the B&S crew fared in Week 6.
Bossman had his worst week against the spread to date, going 0-fer and coming back down to earth. Hammer took the lead in the straight-up column, and while Waco Kid lags behind in the SU column, he kept his lead against the spread.
Let’s hit the recaps.
Bossman: Wow. I knew the Aggies were a decent team, but they looked like a legitimate contender on Saturday. This was a total dismantling in College Station. A&M did catch multiple breaks that stunted some Mizzou momentum, including an early pass interference call on Will Lee that got picked up, and a 75-yard TD pass from Brady Cook to Luther Burden that was called back for holding. That called-off TD would have made it 10-7. Instead, Mizzou had to punt. Overall, though, the Aggies dominated in every facet of the game. The defense was suffocating, allowing just 254 total yards to this talented Tigers offense, and bottled up RB Nate Noel, holding him to just 30 yards. Meanwhile, the Aggies dominated on offense, racking up 512 yards. Conner Weigman got the start and looked like his old self, going 18/22 for 276 yards and a 93.7 QBR. He didn’t throw a TD but there were multiple chunk plays to his WRs, including a 33-yarder to Terry Bussey, a 29-yarder to Noah Thomas, and a 40-yarder to Jahdae Walker. Weigman was bailed out a few times on potential INTs, but overall he was solid. Le’Veon Moss and Amari Daniels were absolute dogs in the backfield, posting 172 rushing yards and five TDs between them. On defense, the Aggies were flying around and frustrated Brady Cook all day, especially Nic Scourton, who finished the day with 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFLs. If there’s one thing to nitpick for the Aggies, they had 10 penalties for 79 yards. Gotta clean that up. Overall it was a great all-around team win, we’ll see if A&M can keep it rolling with their tough but favorable schedule.
Hammer: I picked A&M to win and cover, but I never saw this result coming. Texas A&M does not beat top 10 opponents like that. If the Aggies win a big game like that, it’s usually a close upset, not a complete blowout. Things are looking up in Aggieland. Mike Elko has this team at 3-0 in SEC play heading into the bye week in his first season. Connor Weigman is back and looked like his former self, throwing for 272 yards on 18/22 attempts. The Aggie offensive line and running game continues to impress. They steamrolled Mizzou for 236 yards rushing at 6.6 yards per carry. The Aggies have a top 10 rushing offense in the country right now, which is a giant improvement from the last few years under Jimbo, and Le’Veon Moss is the 7th leading rusher in the nation. In this game, Moss carved up Mizzou for 138 yards and 3 TDs on just 12 carries. Defensively, A&M was equally as dominant. I said in our previews that Missouri had not been tested like this yet. The A&M defense has athletes that Mizzou had not seen yet in 2024, and they got exposed. The Tigers offensive line got wrecked by A&M, allowing the Aggies to tally 6 sacks and 8 TFLs. They averaged just 2.3 yards per carry and only managed 254 total yards. Missouri was officially exposed as a fraud on Saturday and A&M looks like a legitimate CFP contender. There is a long way to go, so don’t get ahead of yourselves Aggies fans, but if the team continues to play like that, they should at least be in the mix. Mizzou needs to do some soul searching after that, especially with all the smack they talked, only to get that ass handed to them.
The Waco Kid: Well, well, well looks like the Ags are back in business. Conner Wiegman coming off injury threw for over 275 yards. While that was an impressive outing, it was the run game that could not be contained. Le’Veon Moss ran like a mad man against a top SEC defense and the Tigers had no answers. Moss finished with 138 yards and three scores while Amari Daniels added another two on the ground. Welcome back to reality Eli Drinkwitz. The Book of Eli is still being written but this loss will be an ugly footnote for years to come.
Bossman: In terms of stats, Auburn was actually able to hang with the Dawgs, but Georgia made their opportunities count while Auburn did not. Payton Thorne and the Tigers didn’t turn the ball over, but they also weren’t efficient through the air. They were able to get a few chunk plays, and the running game got going a bit, but it was never enough as Georgia went boa constrictor mode. The turning point in the game was a 4th & 1 from the Auburn 44 where Thorne audible to a zone read that got blown up by Georgia. The Dawgs would take advantage of the mistake just five plays later, scoring a TD to go out 28-10 and put the game out of reach. After the game, Hugh Freeze said “He absolutely didn’t go with what we had called…” Another week. Another push in front of the bus. It was a good win for Georgia to get back on track, but you can be sure that Kirby has plenty for the Dawgs to work on this week.
Hammer: I need to quit trusting Kirby Smart against Hugh Freeze. I figured Georgia would come out angry and just steamroll Auburn, but the Dawgs just don’t have that kind of offense right now. Of course, it wasn’t surprising that Auburn's offense couldn’t do much of anything and only managed 13 points. Problem was, the Georgia offense looked pretty average as well. The Georgia offense has looked pretty average all year, in fact. Their offense isn’t bad. We saw what it can be in the second half against Alabama. But they haven’t put together a great 60 minute performance yet this season. The offense still has plenty of kinks and they never were able to pull away in this one. Auburn’s defense deserves credit for making UGA earn everything they got and keeping this game close. In the end, I’m just salty because Georgia didn’t cover but this was a relatively stress free win for the Dawgs.
The Waco Kid: I don’t care what anyone says, the Dawgs bounced back in this one. Carson Beck was efficient and that UGA defense looked nasty. Then add in Etienne’s two tuddies and you are going to have a hard time beating Kirby Smart. Auburn still sucks and they proved it.
Bossman: Looks like I had a little too much faith in the South Carolina offense to cover here. I was right that the Gamecocks defense was able to slightly slow down the Rebels high-powered attack, but they could get nothing going on the offensive side of the ball. South Carolina had two turnovers and turned the ball over on downs three times. Those types of offensive stats are how you only score 3 points at home. The Ole Miss defense deserves a ton of credit here too. For the second game in a row, the Rebel offense was sluggish at best, but the defense bailed them out in this one. They never let the Gamecocks find any rhythm, were tough against the run and Sellers only averaged 5.1 yards per attempt. Good bounce back win for Ole Miss.
Hammer: Similarly to the A&M game, I picked Ole Miss to win and cover here but I expected it to be much closer than it was. Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss deserve a ton of credit for getting up off the mat after a disastrous loss to Kentucky last week and going into a hostile Williams Brice Stadium and sucking the wind out of the crowd almost immediately. This game was never in doubt as Ole Miss led 24-3 at half time and then just sat on the Gamecocks for the final 30 minutes. The Rebel’s offense still seems to be working some things out. They surrendered 7 TFLs and one sack to a strong South Carolina defensive line, and only managed 3.4 yards per carry. Jaxson Dart played pretty well, but overall it was an average game as he went 14/27 for 285 yards and another 44 yards on the ground. Solid game but not great by his standards. The real story here is Pete Golding and the Rebel defense. That defense played well enough to beat Kentucky, and they played even better against South Carolina. The Ole Miss front seven was dominant, totaling 6 sacks and 10 TFLs. They also forced two turnovers here. Simply put, the Rebel’s defense was not going to allow them to lose this game. And a strong defense like that is what has staying power and can win championships. It’s what has been missing so far in Lane Kiffin’s tenure. I’m not saying Ole Miss will win an SEC or National Championship this year, but their defense is playing better than they have in a decade, and that is a good sign. On the South Carolina side, this was rough. It’s a tough pill to swallow when you get beat wire to wire at home. Their offense still has tons of issues and just needs to find some consistency.
The Waco Kid: Not overly impressive by either team. Honestly, it was a sloppy game but in this scenario the better team won. South Carolina should have capitalized on holding the Rebs to only 27. But if they can’t win a game like that, they don’t deserve the dub.
Bossman: One of the more surprising results in SEC conference play I can ever remember. Vanderbilt beat Alabama. Let that sink in. The Tide had not lost to Vandy since 1984, and with this victory, Vandy secured its first win in program history against a top 5 opponent. The Commodores were previously 0-60 against AP top-five teams, but now they are 1-60! Perhaps even more surprising was that Vandy stood toe to toe with Alabama in this game. This was not a fluke. Bama scored with 2:44 left on the clock and kicked it back to Vadny. The Commodores proceeded to run seven plays, convert multiple first downs and run the clock out. Bama knew Vandy was going to run the ball, and they couldn't stop them. And that was indicative of the entire day. The Alabama defense could not stop Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt, which is a sentence I never thought I would utter. Congrats to Clark Lea and all the Vandy fans who have endured some really, really low points. This is why we love college football.
Hammer: Wow. Hard to put this into words. Not just because Vanderbilt beat Alabama, but because of how Vanderbilt beat Alabama. Here are some stats to show that this was not simply a wild fluke. Vandy outgained Alabama 418 to 394, outrushed Bama 166 to 84, and the ‘Dores had a time of possession of 42:08 while Bama only had the ball for 17:52. The Tide had the ball for less than 18 minutes!! Vandy did win the turnover battle 2-0, and they also returned an interception for a TD. But on a down to down basis, this was an evenly matched game. Alabama, somehow, did not blow Vandy off the ball on either side and allowed Vandy to convert on 12/18 third downs. Simply put, Vandy was the better team on Saturday and that is not a sentence I ever thought I would say when discussing Vandy and Alabama. Just an incredible win for Clark Lea and Vanderbilt that resulted in their goal posts taking a swim in the Cumberland River. Shout out to Diego Pavia for injecting belief and swagger into a team and fanbase that desperately needed it (I wonder if Hugh Freeze could have used a QB like Pavia?). Now, for Alabama this was extremely concerning. Not just because they lost. Alabama loses a game or two every year under Saban, and they just beat Georgia, which showed they can still play and beat anyone in the country. What would concern me as an Alabama fan is the mindset and mentality here. Under Saban, this type of game would almost never happen. The let down spot was obvious here. You play a wild, emotional, back and forth game against Georgia and win last week. Then you head to Nashville to play Vandy, a team you think you can just show up and beat. And they punk you. The week in and week out consistency and dominance we came to expect under Saban is off to a rocky start under Kalen DeBoer with this loss. It’s early in his tenure, and DeBoer obviously can coach in a big game. But to see Alabama come out that flat and get outplayed and ultimately lose to Vanderbilt is crazy.
The Waco Kid: How? Many may ask but like I said in the preview, this would be closer than expected. Diego Pavia showed his inner Johnny Football and may have given Nashville the biggest win they’ve seen since Dolly Parton put Broadway on the map. I mean, he threw for two scores against a Bama defense and added almost 60 yards on the ground. In prior years Vandy would be excited if they accumulated 60 total yards. What an electric atmosphere, the Dores’ fans tore down the field goal post and carried it for a few miles before throwing it into the Cumberland River. Take advantage and enjoy because you are looking at maybe two more wins on the season.
Bossman: This weekend was pandemonium, huh? Another giant upset that no one saw coming. In our previews, I predicted Tennessee to score 38 points so thanks for nothing Josh Heupel. In all seriousness, what a game by Arkansas, especially on defense. They held the Vols to just 332 total yards and Nico looked like a freshman making a start in a hostile environment. He didn’t play terribly, he just wasn’t special at all. Nico finished with 158 yards on 17/29 passing, and it’s clear at this point that Heupel doesn’t quite trust him yet. This is the second game in a row where Nico has looked average, but unlike the Oklahoma game, the rest of the Vol team wasn't able to overcome average QB play. Texas A&M just scored 21 points on Arkansas the week before with a backup QB. And TEnnessee was coming off a bye! Massive credit to Sam Pittman and this Arkansas team for finally winning a close game. The Razorbacks had less penalties than Tennessee and they did not turn the ball over. The Hogs finally avoided shooting themselves in the foot and they actually won a close game. Good on them.
Hammer: More chaos!! Isn’t college football the best? Arkansas and Sam Pittman needed this game so badly. They had two crushing losses to Texas A&M and Oklahoma State but had been playing pretty well overall, they just kept shooting themselves in the foot. Now, a top five Tennessee team came into their house for a night game, and they pulled it off. Hats off to the Razorback team and staff for this one. Similar to the Vandy game, this was not a fluke. Arkansas outgained Tennessee 431 to 332. The Vol secondary, as many feared, was a little exposed in this game, as Talen Green went 19/27 for 266 yards. As a team, Arkansas threw for 297 yards. The Hogs only ran for 134 yards and 3 YPC but because of what they did through the air, they were able to maintain possession, move the chains and score enough to win. For Tennessee, their defense still looks very good. The front seven had 7 TFLs and 2 sacks while only allowing 3 YPC. The secondary showed weakness, but not enough that they should have lost this game. The issue here was obviously the Vols offense. Dylan Sampson had a big night as usual, finishing with 138 yards and two TDs on 22 carries. So if Sampson and the Vols ran the ball well, but they only scored 14 points, that means QB and the passing game was the weak link. Nico looked like a freshman in this one, going 17/29 for 158 yards. Those aren’t awful numbers, especially considering Nico didn't turn the ball over. But to be blunt, those numbers will not win you road games in the SEC. Arkansas did a great job of avoiding explosive plays and keeping Vol receivers in front of them. Nico missed a few shots downfield and just never found much rhythm. This is the second game in a row for Tennessee where Nico has looked pretty average. Oklahoma has a great defense, and Arkansas has a good but not great defense so it's understandable that Nico has looked average in these two games, especially on the road. The only issue here is the expectations in Knoxville for both Nico and this team have been sky high, and unless he really improves it’s going to be hard to win games in the SEC. With their defense and running game, the Vols will still win plenty of games. But when it comes time for Nico to put the team on his shoulders and throw them to a victory, he hasn’t shown the ability to do that.
The Waco Kid: Taylen Green was sensational, while Nico left a lot to be desired by Vol faithful. Sam Pittman called a great game and allowed those sneaky little Hogs to capitalize on Tennessee’s mistakes. The SEC is in the upside down, straight stranger things style. Top teams are losing to bottom tier teams, and each week is bringing excitement and a thrill of not knowing what’s about to happen. Could it be that teams don’t care as much due to the new 12 team playoff? I hope not but it seems to be the case.
Bossman: Just like Hammer and the Waco Kid, I picked UCF here, which was just the cherry on top of a terrible week for me. UCF didn’t come close here. I thought KJ Jefferson, Gus Malzahn and company would come into this game and run all over the Gator’s porous run defense. This could not have been more wrong as Florida finally showed a pulse on defense and only allowed UCF to rush for 108 yards on 40 carries. Getting out to an early lead really helped Florida here, and GRaham Mertz looked good. Maybe they figured something out in the bye week? We’ll see as the Gators travel to Rocky Top this coming weekend.
Hammer: “I’m not dead yet!” - Billy Napier, probably. Congrats to Napier and Florida who survive another week. I was wrong about this game and thought Napier would be fired on Sunday after losing to UCF. The Gator defense, who had been horrendous so far this year defending the run, answered the bell in this game. UCF came into this game as one of the best running teams in the country, and we all knew they would try to run the ball down Florida’s throat. Well, they tried but Florida stiffened up and only allowed 108 yards on 40 carries in this one. Once Florida stuffed their rushing attack, the Golden Knights had no answer and only managed 273 total yards. The Gator offense looked about the same as it always does. Graham Mertz was very efficient but not explosive at all, going 19/23 for 179 yards and one TD. That’s who he is and if coupled with a good defense, Florida can win some games. I’m not ready to trust Napier and Florida’s defense, however, they played well this week and deserve credit for not quitting when their season got off to a tough start. The Gators have no gimme games for the rest of the year so they needed this win and they got it.
The Waco Kid: I thought UCF would take this with no problem. But the Gators found a way to put together a win with a subpar offense. Finally we are seeing UF play to their potential on defense. Keep playing that way on D, and Florida might actually put together a winning season and allow Billy Napier to keep his job down in the Swamp. Still, no one cares about a UCF win, that should be an easy win in the SEC’s mind. 5 of the next 6 games are against top 25 teams, so don’t expect much from Florida. But in a year like this, I guess anything can happen.
