B&S Week 3 game-by-game recaps 2023
Mizzou nabs a big win over K-State, LSU throttles Mississippi State, the Gators chomp the Vols, Ole Miss takes care of business, and Arkansas runs into trouble.
By: Bossman Slim, Hammer, Waco Kid
Despite the chatter around the country heading into Week 3 about a weak slate, Saturday delivered some anarchy. We told y’all not to listen to folks who said it was a weak schedule. College football always delivers, and it certainly did this last weekend.
Here’s how the crew has fared through three weeks:
Bossman comes in above .500 straight up and just under against the spread. The Hammer is just mediocre so far and the Waco Kid is putting on a clinic on what not to bet.
Let’s hit the Week 3 recaps.
Bossman Slim: This one didn’t go exactly as I expected, but it was close. I thought that LSU would light it up through the air and bottle up Mississippi State’s run game, and they did both. I just thought that the Bulldogs would put up more of a fight. The Tigers jumped on the Bulldogs early and never let up, going up 24-0 in the second quarter before State scored. Jayden Daniels was spectacular throwing just four incompletions on the day and ripping off 361 yards and two TDs, both to Malik Nabers who had a ridiculous 11 catches for 239 yards on the day to add to those two scores. Mississippi State has obviously not figured it out on offense yet and it’s starting to haunt them. Will Rogers produced just a 7.6 QBR - yikes. LSU's defense played well on the day. If there’s one thing to nitpick, the Tigers need to keep working on the offensive line who gave up two sacks and six TFLs. As for Mississippi State, there are a whole host of issues Zach Arnett will need to correct in the coming weeks.
Hammer: Phew, what a beatdown in Starkville on Saturday. I thought the Bulldog defense could muck this game up and keep it close. Spoiler: they did not. LSU and Jayden Daniels absolutely carved up the Mississippi State defense in every phase. Daniels was unstoppable throwing for 361 yards and two TDs on 30/34 attempts with no turnovers. He also added 64 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. When Daniels is on, he is one of the most electrifying players in the country. Malik Nabers also had an all-time receiving day in LSU history, tallying 13 catches for 239 yards and two TDs. This was a clinic offensively from the Tigers. Meanwhile, Mississippi State’s offense looks broken. Everyone knew the transition from the Mike Leach Air Raid system to new OC Kevin Barbay’s pro-style system could be a challenge, but with the veteran players they had, I’m not sure many saw it going this poorly. The Bulldogs only managed to gain 201 total yards in this one. They got behind early and their running game was never going to be potent enough to keep pace, so they tried to throw and buddy, they couldn't throw. Cowboy Will Rogers was an excellent QB under Mike Leach for years. I hope for his sake and the Bulldog fans’ sake, they can figure this out, but right now Rogers can’t operate this system. He was awful against LSU going just 11/28 for 103 yards. Things do not look good in Starkville after this one and we’ll see if Zach Annett is up to the challenge of turning this thing around.
Waco Kid: LSU just proved they may still be the team in the West to beat. You know what they say, the sitting king wears the crown until dethroned, and with Bama’s issues so far it may not be absurd to think the Tigers could be right back in Atlanta. Jayden Daniels showed up this week scoring twice through the air and twice on the ground. And Malik Nabers played like an absolute monster. He amassed two touchdowns and 239 yards receiving. He may be next in line of Louisiana's great wide receivers. I mean someone had to step up after Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. It seems it’s Nabers’ time now. The purple defense played close to lights out and didn’t allow Will Rogers or Jo’Quavious Marks to score. If you want to beat MSU that is a great place to start. Brian Kelly is back on top even after losing to Florida State to start the season. His team could be a one or two-loss squad when all is said and done. Watch out for LSU they may have a shot at running the table the rest of the way.
Next up for LSU: vs. Arkansas
Next up for Mississippi State: @ South Carolina
Bossman Slim: That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, Drink! What a fun one this was. I’ve been on the Mizzou hype train since the preseason, thinking this is the year they finally break that .500 mark that has plagued the program since legendary coach Gary Pinkel retired. I’m still feeling good about that through three weeks. I thought Mizzou would win by a field goal, and that’s exactly what they did, and it was with a walk-off, 61-yard missile from the thicker kicker at that! Kansas State is not a slouch, and Mizzou fought hard all day, overcoming minor injuries and multiple lead changes to nab a big win. This one should give the Tigers confidence going forward, especially knowing that this Kansas State team smoked them last year. My biggest takeaway was the deep ball - Mizzou aired it out and let Brady Cook, even with WR Mekhi Miller not at 100%. Maybe this year, it really is “new ‘Zou.”
Hammer: How about those Missouri Tigers? Massive win for Eli Drinkwitz and this program. Mizzou took down a good Kansas State team and showed incredible toughness to get it done. This was not easy, but the Tigers fought, scratched, and clawed their way to a win thanks to kicker Harrison Mevis’ 61-yard BOMB as time expired in the 4th quarter. Brady Cook has taken his share of criticism from myself and others, even getting booed by Mizzou fans early in the game, but the dude deserves a ton of credit for this win. Cook carried the Missouri offense, which is still devoid of a rushing attack, and threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns on 23/35 attempts. He added one more touchdown with his legs. Most importantly, Cook didn't turn the ball over either, which is something that has plagued him in the past. Missouri has been close to winning games like this many times under Drinkwitz, but this seems like the first time they were able to get over the hump. I expect Kansas State to compete for a Big 12 title this season, so taking down a team of that caliber is huge for Mizzou. It’s hard to say what this means moving forward, but I feel confident that the Tigers will surprise another team or two this year and at the very least will be a really tough out for every team they play.
Waco Kid: Wow, Kansas State really fumbled the bag here. They came in ranked in the top 15 after embarrassing some smaller teams in the first two weeks. But Brady Cook and Luther Burden quickly took this one over before halftime and kept pounding through the 4th quarter. I still think the Wildcats have the better team but on this specific Saturday Mizzou was flawless and took care of business in an impressive fashion. Cook had two in the air to Luther Burden and they seemed to take their opponent by surprise, as well as all of the fans watching. The Tigers are now 3-0 on the season entering a week where they play an inferior Memphis squad and Kansas State draws UCF next weekend. If Mizzou can enter conference play at 4-0, they could be a factor in a very top-heavy - but open - East.
Next up for Mizzou: vs. Memphis
Bossman Slim: “PAWWWWL. WHEN ARE WE GONNA FIRE BOBO.” I said Georgia wouldn’t cover, and they didn’t. I also said UGA fans would be hot to trot over yet another slow start on offense. Boom, scoreboard says Bossman is 2/2. You have to give South Carolina credit, they played their tails off, had a solid game plan, and didn’t back down from big bad Georgia. In the end, Georgia was just too much, putting the clamps down on defense in the second half and picking up chunk plays on offense. Both teams kept figuratively tripping over their own feet, with Georgia leaving points on the field with two missed field goals and South Carolina turning it over twice and tallying 11 penalties for 74 yards. They aren’t into moral victories in Columbia, but this team showed life, much more than in Week 1 against UNC. The injury to Juice Wells is concerning, but with Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette playing at a high level, this team will continue to be dangerous. Georgia gets a good SEC win at home, but Dawgs fans are starting to get nervous. Is this still the same Dawgs machine we’ve seen under Kirby Smart, or do they have a faulty piston in the engine? Time will tell…
Hammer: Is anyone actually good this year? Because week-to-week teams look totally different and many teams, UGA included, have not looked great in their first real tests. I mean, South Carolina was winning this game 14-3 at halftime in Athens! Who would have thought? Not me, that’s for sure. I figured Georgia would wake up and dominate this game, sending a message to the entire country that they are still on top. They won, but it was a different message that got sent. The Dawgs looked vulnerable, especially on offense. It’s hard to pinpoint when watching them, but the offense is still very much a work in progress. Mike Bobo is not Todd Monken and Carson Beck is not Stetson Bennett. Both Bobo and Beck have been solid so far but it's clear there is a drop off. Perhaps with more time and experience, the UGA offense will figure things out but so far it's been a little clunky. They just are not nearly as explosive and efficient as they were a year ago. All that said, Georgia won a conference game by two scores. So the sky is not falling. The Dawgs are a work in progress, but so is everyone else. At the end of the day, just win baby.
Waco Kid: Georgia took care of business and did what they needed to do. Of course, they weren’t going to cover a 27.5-point spread, that’s a lot to expect in a conference game even from the number-one team in the nation. It’s hard to deny their talent on the defensive side, even with Spencer Rattler playing at a high level, he is turnover-prone and the Dawg defense exposed that. The UGA offense wasn’t overly great but they don’t have to be, they controlled the run game and the clock and allowed their defense to dominate in the second half the way we are used to seeing a Kirby Smart team do. As far as I’m concerned Georgia has two games left all season that could be close: Ole Miss and Tennessee, and after the way the Vols played Florida, that one may be a walk through too. I’d still be surprised if this team wasn’t in Atlanta come December.
Next up for Georgia: vs. UAB
Next up for South Carolina: vs. Mississippi State
Bossman Slim: Incredible. This one is exactly why you play the games. After getting punched in the mouth by Utah to start the season, missing a FG to begin the Tennessee game, and watching the Vols offense march down and score on their first drive of the night, Florida found their backbone. The Gators responded to that Vols touchdown on the ensuing drive and settled in, ripping off four straight touchdown drives to go up 26-7 at the half. Trevor Etienne was a menace in this one, smoking the Rocky Top defense all night. A true complete game for the Gators, great to see them get a win as Billy Napier was starting to feel the heat. This should cool that talk off for a while. As for the Vols, they head back to Knoxville with more questions than answers. All is not lost, but that one stings for Ol’ Smokey.
Hammer: If I ever pick Tennessee to beat Florida in The Swamp again, someone please remind me how idiotic that is. The Vols can’t win there. I don’t get it and I know Vol fans don’t either, but this curse is real. The Vols played like crap and got beat soundly by Florida. Major props to Florida and Billy Napier for getting up off the mat after everyone left them for dead after a bad Week 1 loss to Utah. This looked like a totally different team. They ran the ball effectively (183 yards on 43 carries) mostly thanks to Trevor Etienne’s 172 yards and touchdown. Graham Mertz remains limited but he’s been smart with the football and given a solid running game, can win you a lot of ball games. The Florida defense came in with a great plan and it worked great. Stop the Vols run game and force Joe Milton to beat you. He wasn’t able to. Now, Milton didn't play terribly and he is not the sole reason the Vols lost. But I think this game showed his limitations as well. He is not Hendon Hooker, and similarly to the Georgia offense, they just aren’t operating at as high of a level. Without the rushing attack to aid him, I’m not sure Milton is consistent and accurate enough to win games on his own. So far, he hasn’t been able to do so. Plenty is ahead for both of these teams and I expect them both to be in a bunch of close games this fall.
Waco Kid: Ummm, what? How does this Florida team go from looking absolutely atrocious to beating one of the supposed top teams in the conference? Trevor Etienne created havoc for the Vols' defense, rushing for over 170 yards and a touchdown. If your defense allows one player to run that rampant, you get what you deserve. A giant L in the win column. The worst part was Joe Milton didn’t even play badly for UT’s offense, he actually had a pretty good day. But they could not capitalize and allowed way too many points in the second quarter to try and come back from. Tennessee will still be a contender in my mind and Florida still has some things they need to prove but this just goes to show you that in the right environment, even Billy Napier can pull off an SEC win.
Next up for Florida: vs. Charlotte
Next up for Tennessee: vs. UTSA
Bossman Slim: Nearly nailed the score on this one. Georgia Tech pulled within one score early in the fourth quarter, but Ole Miss turned on the jets over the final 10 minutes to handle the Yellow Jackets. Jaxson Dart is solidifying Lane Kiffin’s choice to make him the starter each week that goes by. He had a nice night, posting a 91.5 QBR averaging 13.9 yards per play, while also leading the team in rushing as Quinshon Judkins was limited by injury. Another thing that is scary for opposing defenses: this Ole Miss team is pulling weapons out of a magic hat. If it’s not Tre Harris (who DNP with an injury), it’s Jordan Watkins. If it’s not Jordan Watkins, it’s Dayton Wade. If it’s not Dayton Wade, it’s Michael Trigg. Oh, and they’re still waiting for Caden Prieskorn and Zahkari Franklin to return from injury. This is a dangerous, dangerous team. Another good win out-of-conference for the Rebels. Now it’s time to get down to business as the Tide awaits in Tuscaloosa.
Hammer: Nothing to see here, just Ole Miss taking care of business for the third week in a row. The Rebs started off a little sluggish on offense, heading into halftime with a 10-3 lead before turning on the jets in the second half. This game was the Jaxson Dart show. Dart is quietly having the best season of any QB in the SEC so far and it will be interesting to see if he can keep this pace against better competition. He balled out in this game throwing for 251 yards and one touchdown on 10/18 attempts, along with 136 yards rushing and two more TDs. Thanks to Dart, the Ole Miss ground game finally got rolling for the first time this fall, rushing for 299 yards and five touchdowns as a team. That is the kind of offense that Lane Kiffin prefers to have. He loves a physical and effective ground game as much as any coach, and if the Rebs can get that thing rolling, they will be really formidable. Things get real next weekend with Ole Miss traveling to Bryant-Denny to take on a suspect Alabama team.
Waco Kid: Didn’t think Ole Miss could cover the spread after their performance against Tulane. But I guess I wasn’t giving the Green Wave the credit they obviously deserved. Georgia Tech should have been able to score more against the Rebel defense but they stayed stiff for the majority of the game. And then on offense, oh buddy, exactly what we expect from a Kiffin team. Jaxson Dart was a man among boys, throwing for over 250 and a score and rushing for over 130 and two scores. The dude was not going to be denied by the Yellow Jacket defense. Judkins had a subpar day rushing but that’s what happens when something is working so effectively. You keep it with the hot hand and hope it doesn’t cool off. Luckily for Mississippi, it never cooled. The Rebs travel to Tuscaloosa next weekend to take on a Bama team that has yet to find its identity. If there were ever a time to strike, it’s now. The Tide could be in for a long season (by Bama standards) or Saban could turn it around at the drop of a dime. We will find out where the big dogs in the West reside next weekend.
Next up for Ole Miss: @ Alabama
Bossman Slim: Bro, what is you talkin’ ‘bout? Arkansas was an 8.5-point favorite and get beat by a touchdown against the Stormin’ Mormons AT HOME? I needed a good soaking after this one, because that just ain’t it, man. The Cougars are not a bad football team but Arkansas should not be losing to them at home. Period. The Hogs didn’t have Rocket Sanders in this one, but that didn’t matter. AJ Green ran for 86 yards and two TDs and Arkansas totaled 177 yards on the ground. They also raced out to a 14-0 lead and held a 31-21 lead in the 3rd quarter. With all those ingredients, the Hogs are winning this one, right? RIGHT? Nope. Arkansas should have won this game. They outgained the Cougars 424-281 and beat them in nearly every statistical category. The one category they also beat them in was turnovers (Arkansas 2-BYU 1), and that’s usually how you lose a game like this. KJ Jefferson threw a crucial pick under pressure late in the 3rd quarter that BYU turned into a TD on the ensuing drive to tie the game at 31. With 3:49 to go in the game, Jefferson was sacked for a strip fumble and BYU recovered. The Hogs got the ball back one final time and Jefferson fumbled after getting sacked again, but it was recovered by Arkansas. They got one final play with four seconds to go and chaos ensued but they were unable to score. This is a deflating loss for the Razorbacks. By nearly every metric this should have been a W. They need to shore up the offensive line and the secondary needs to play better. This one doesn’t change my opinion of Arkansas - this is a good team, sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. Don’t discount them in SEC play, even though that schedule is *shudders* brutal.
Hammer: Oh boy. The SEC has had a tough start to the season, losing more non-conference games than I can recall, and that trend continued this week. Exhibit A here with Arkansas losing to BYU at home. This was a really strange game from start to finish cause neither offense played that well or gained many yards, yet the final score was 38-31. Arkansas managed to outgain BYU 424 to 281, yet the Cougs shut down Arkansas from midway through the 3rd quarter until the game was done. The Hogs just completely stalled and had no answers on offense. Here we have yet another example of a new coordinator in this conference getting off to sluggish starts. The Razorbacks have not been sharp all year in Dan Enos’ system, and it cost them a game on Saturday. If I were an Arkansas fan, I would be very worried now. That game is not one this team should've lost and now the Hogs won’t be back in Fayetteville until October 21. That’s over a month from now, and in the interim Arkansas plays at LSU, against Texas A&M in Jerry World, at Ole Miss, and at Alabama. That is a hell of a stretch of games and they are all away from home. Sam Pittman has his work cut out for him.
Waco Kid: This one took me by surprise, to say the least. Arkansas hasn’t looked dominant all season but last week they put on a show and seemed to get the offense rolling. The Razorbacks immediately came out after halftime and extended their lead to 10 but BYU had obviously made some defensive adjustments at the break as well. After giving up a quick score, the Cougars didn’t allow any more points on the board. Unless you have a defense like Georgia, you cannot go scoreless for almost two quarters and expect to win. Arky gave BYU some breathing room and they capitalized. Tying the game and forcing a down-to-the-wire battle. With the Coogs entering the fourth with all the momentum, it was only a matter of time before they struck gold. And they did, taking the final lead change on a Kedon Slovis touchdown pass with 8 minutes left. This was not a team UA could afford to lose, now they enter the gauntlet a game back looking to face multiple strong teams in a row. If they can beat A&M that may be enough to get them back on track but that’s a few weeks away and the Hogs have plenty of issues to deal with before that matchup.
Next up for Arkansas: @ LSU
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