Around the SEC: How the Rest of the League Fared in Week 8

The SEC fielded just three games in week eight of action, but we have you covered with the recap anyway.

It was a rather meager platter of games to consume on Saturday, as four of the seven SEC matchups scheduled for this weekend were postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

However, the three games that were played featured plenty of offense. All six teams in action scored 35 or more points. The joke about the SEC and Big-12 switching playing styles is kind of becoming a fact, as the scores of the two Big-12 games on Saturday were 24-23 and 24-6. Needless to say, I think SEC fans will take the barn-burners over the slobber knockers.

Without further adieu, here’s your SEC recap for week eight.

Kentucky (3-4) 38, Vanderbilt (0-6) 35 

This is probably as close to a moral victory for Vanderbilt as they’re probably going to get this season. The Commodores showed some life, moving the ball at times at what is considered a formidable Kentucky defense. Freshman quarterback Ken Seals made some excellent throws under pressure, and led a pair of first-half touchdown drives that tied the game at 14-14 going into the break.

However, the Kentucky run game shredded the Vanderbilt defense. The Wildcats rushed for 308 yards, 149 of which came from Chris Rodriquez. The offense did bog down though in the fourth quarter, and this allowed Vanderbilt to claw their way back into the game late.

Kentucky was efficient when throwing the ball, as Terry Wilson completed 13 of 15 passes for 110 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Getting to .500 will be a tough task for Kentucky as they have games against Alabama and Florida in their next two weeks.

Next up: Kentucky @ Alabama (6-0), Vanderbilt vs. Florida (5-1)

Florida (5-1) 63, Arkansas (3-4) 35

Despite Kyle Pitts not suiting up for the Gators, Florida scored the most points they have all season.

Kyle Trask threw six touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in Florida history to do so twice in the same season. Trask completed 79% of his passes as well and nine different receivers caught passes from him.

Florida ran the ball well and consistently, picking up 208 yards on 45 carries, pacing the offense and leading to long, sustained drives. Florida won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for nearly 39 minutes compared to just over 21 minutes for Arkansas.

Feleipe Franks played a solid game in his return to the Swamp, completing 15-19 passes for 250 yards and a pair of scores. He hit Mike Woods on a pair of long touchdowns, one for 82 yards and the other for 47 yards. However, the Gators picked up four sacks in the game and applied constant pressure to Franks.

Florida though continues to give up big plays. Other than both Woods scores, the Gators allowed an 83-yard touchdown run to Trelon Smith. Arkansas’ averaged 56 yards per scoring play on their first four touchdowns.

Next up: Florida @ Vanderbilt (0-6), Arkansas vs. LSU (2-4)

Ole Miss (3-4) 59, South Carolina (2-5) 42

This Ole Miss offense is a lot of fun to watch. The Rebels racked up 708 yards of offense with 513 of those yards coming through the air with Matt Corral.

Corral had his best game of the season, completing 28 of 32 passes and averaging 16 yards an attempt. He connected often with Elijah Moore, who is already over 1,000 receiving yards through seven games after his 13 catch, 225-yard day.

The defense for Ole Miss stepped up when it needed to. After falling behind 42-38, the Rebels scored 21 unanswered points and the defense forced a punt and a pair of turnover on downs.

The South Carolina offense took advantage of the porous Ole Miss run defense early, gashing the Rebels for 318 rushing yards. Kevin Harris could not be stopped, as he picked up 243 yards, averaged nearly 10 yards a carry and scored five touchdowns on the ground.

However, when South Carolina needed quarterback Colin Hill to step up and make throws to keep them in the ball game, he was unable to do so against one of the worst secondary's in the nation.

For a coach that is supposed to be defense-oriented, Will Muschamp is losing games this year because his defense can’t stop anyone. The Gamecocks have allowed 38 points a game this season, which is shocking considering the amount of talent he’s been able to recruit on that side of the ball.

Next up: Ole Miss @ Texas A&M (5-1), South Carolina vs. Missouri (2-3)