Around the SEC: How the Rest of the League Fared in Week 9

Checking in around the rest of the SEC following week nine's games.

It’s been a little while since there has been a slate of SEC games this deep. There were at least six games played this past Saturday for the first time since Halloween night.

Nothing crazy happened in this week’s slate of games, as all of the top teams in the conference got the job done against the stragglers of the SEC. Here’s how week nine of the SEC season played out.

Florida (6-1) 38, Vanderbilt (0-7) 17

Florida fans were sweating for the first two quarters of this game, as Vanderbilt had the game tied at 10-10 with less than a minute to go before the half.

The prolific Gator offense sputtered a bit after scoring on their opening drive, and was in a dog-fight with the worst team in the conference.

Still, Florida won by three touchdowns and Kyle Trask threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns. If this is what Florida looks like at their worst on offense, I think they’ll be alright going forward.

For Vandy, Ken Seals is their future. The true freshman threw for over 300 yards and didn’t turn the ball over until late in the fourth quarter. He made some clutch throws on third down, allowing the Commodores to complete 7-15 third-down attempts.

It seems like Vanderbilt has gotten it together over the past two weeks, playing Kentucky to within three points a week ago and being somewhat competitive against one of the top teams in the conference.

Next up: Florida vs. Kentucky (3-5), Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee (2-5)

LSU (3-3) 27, Arkansas (3-5) 24

This was probably the most competitive game of the week. There was a lot to like from both teams, but LSU found a way to capitalize on Arkansas' mistakes, and not let their own hurt them.

Feleipe Franks threw a critical interception to LSU linebacker Jabril Cox after the defense forced a fumble, giving LSU a goal-to-go at the one-yard line and an easy touchdown.

The Tigers also converted a ridiculous 12 of 23 third downs and were 2-2 on fourth down. Even crazier, they had nearly 42 minutes of possession to Arkansas’ 18 minutes.

Arkansas did hit numerous big plays throughout the game, as Franks averaged 13 yards per pass and found Mike Woods and Treylon Burks downfield often.

For LSU, T.J. Finley might not be as good as the injured Myles Brennan, but he has a rocket for an arm and isn’t afraid to fire balls into tight windows. His willingness to do that helped tremendously on third down, and gave the LSU offense just enough momentum to control the game.

Not to mention, the Tigers partially blocked an Arkansas field goal attempt with less than two minutes left in the game that would have tied it, securing the win.

Next up: LSU @ Texas A&M (5-1), Arkansas @ Missouri (3-3)

Alabama (7-0) 63, Kentucky (3-5) 3 

This was a thorough beat down in every respect. Alabama churned out 509 yards of offense, while limiting Kentucky to just 179 total yards. Bama converted 6-9 third downs, while Kentucky went 2-13.

DeVonta Smith had another monster game, catching nine passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. He had the majority of Mac Jones production, who had a quiet day, throwing for just 230 yards and going 16-24 with two touchdowns and a pick.

The Alabama run game was the driving force for their offense, as Najee Harris rushed for two scores, bringing his season total up to 16 (in just seven games!)

Kentucky, meanwhile, is stuck in the stone age of college football. Imagine being a fan of a team that lacks the ability to complete a forward pass in 2020. Between the three quarterbacks that played for Kentucky, they went a combined 10-25 for 120 yards and a pick.

The run game was equally as atrocious, picking up only 59 yards on 32 attempts, good for 1.8 yards per attempt.

The challenge for Kentucky doesn’t get any easier next week, as they have to travel to Gainesville to face another potent offense in Florida.

Next up: Alabama vs. Auburn (5-2), Kentucky @ Florida (6-1)

Auburn (5-2) 30, Tennessee (2-5) 17

Serious question for Tennessee: why don’t they just give the ball to Eric Gray every play? The sophomore running back has been the biggest bright spot on their offense as he rushed for 173 yards on 22 carries Saturday. On top of that, the offensive line is the strength of the entire team and blew Auburn off the ball the majority of the time.

However, for some reason, the Vols continued to let Jarrett Guarantano be a fixture in the offense, and it came back to bite them again. The senior quarterback threw a 100-yard pick-six with the Vols down only three and he took four really bad sacks that killed Tennessee drives.

Auburn wasn’t spectacular on either side of the ball, but they used big plays to pull away and win their fifth game of the season. Bo Nix exploited a coverage bust by the Vol secondary, hitting Anthony Schwartz on a 54-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, and then Smoke Monday recorded the pick-six to extend the Auburn lead to 20-10 in the third quarter.

The Auburn secondary is very underrated, and it’s their only hope to hang with Bama next week in the Iron Bowl.

Next up: Auburn @ Alabama (7-0), Tennessee @ Vanderbilt (0-7)

Georgia (5-2) 31 Mississippi State (2-5) 24

Has Georgia found their quarterback in J.T. Daniels? The transfer from USC finally was medically cleared to play, and he took advantage of the opportunity. He threw for 401 yards and four scores, the most by a Georgia quarterback since 2013.

He found freshman Jermaine Burton often, completing eight passes to him for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

The Dawgs needed the passing game to be prolific, as Mississippi State held the Georgia ground game to just eight total rushing yards.

The Mississippi State offense played its best since week one as well. Will Rogers got the start and completed 79% of his passes for 336 yards. MSST even had the game tied at 24 going into the fourth quarter, but were unable to move the ball once Georgia took the lead.

The Mississippi State pass defense has been porous all season, but it’s promising for Georgia fans to see Daniels play this way. He won’t be facing any quality defenses either for the rest of the season, outside of a bowl game, as South Carolina and Vanderbilt round out the year for Georgia.

Next up: Mississippi St @ Ole Miss (3-4), Georgia @ South Carolina (2-6)

Missouri (3-3) 17, South Carolina (2-6) 10

This was a snooze fest. Neither team averaged more than four yards a play, and South Carolina quarterback Collin Hill was benched in the second half in favor of Luke Doty.

Doty played admirably, leading the Gamecocks on both of their scoring drives in the second half, and leading the team in passing and rushing.

The Missouri defense limited the South Carolina ground game, holding them to just 114 yards on 36 attempts.

In what was interim head coach Mike Bobo’s first game since Will Muschamp was fired, the offense left a lot to be desired. However, the defense played well, even with Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu opting out for the season. They held Missouri quarterback Conner Bazelak to just over 200 yards and forced an interception as well.

Missouri now has a solid shot at finishing the season with a winning record, as all of the teams it has left to play are bottom-of-the-barrel SEC squads (Arkansas, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt).

Next up: Missouri: vs. Arkansas (3-5), South Carolina vs. Georgia (5-2)