ATHENS — Alabama needed all four quarters to pull away for a 52-24 win over Tennessee that was much closer than the final margin indicated.
The Vols stuck with the Crimson Tide for three quarters, down 24-17 entering the final stanza before Alabama exploded for four touchdowns on a worn-down Tennessee defense.
The Tide controlled the clock for 40 minutes, 26 seconds, en route to 574 total yards (on 92 plays) to Tennessee’s 346 (54 plays).
But the Vols’ with their lightning-quick pace of play, had actually gotten the jump in Bryant Denny Stadium with a 14-7 lead entering the second quarter.
The takeaway for No. 1-ranked Georgia is that Alabama’s offense is every bit as balanced and explosive as advertised, and the Tide would indeed present a challenge for the Bulldogs’ elite defense.
But also, that the trip to Knoxville to Tennessee on Nov. 13 might prove interesting.
Of course, no one at Georgia is overlooking the Bulldogs’ 3:30 p.m. game against Florida in Jacksonville on Saturday.
They might be overlooking the Nov. 6 home date with Missouri — but not the Florida game.
Texas A&M 44, South Carolina 14
This same Aggies’ team lost to Mississippi State and Arkansas, and if Alabama doesn’t slip, A&M fans can only wonder “what if?”
The Aggies made short work of the overmatched Gamecocks, sprinting out to a 31-0 halftime lead.
“That’s what a dominant SEC football team looks like and they played like it,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said in an ESPN report.
Both South Carolina and Texas A&M are idle on Saturday.
Ole Miss 31, LSU 17
Rebels quarterback Matt Corral is working his way up in the Heisman Trophy conversation, running for one touchdown and passing for another against LSU.
Ole Miss scored 31 straight points in the second and third quarters of this home game after falling behind 7-0.
Corral said it’s just a matter of executing for the Rebels, who have improved to 6-1 overall under Lane Kiffin this season.
“Just execute and trust. It’s just a matter of selling out every play and executing,” Corral said, per ESPN. “We have the plan. We have the scheme. We have the coaches. Everything is in place. I do my job and what I do sends a message to the team.”
Mississippi State 45, Vanderbilt 6
SEC passing leader Will Rogers was 41-of-57 passing for 384 yards with 4 TDs and 2 interceptions against the Commodores.
Vanderbilt had just 9 yards rushing in the game after having none on 8 attempts at halftime.
Arkansas 45, Arkansas Pine-Bluff 3
The Razorbacks led the Golden Lions 45-0 by halftime, effectively turning out the lights against this 1-6 FCS team early, and giving backups plenty of time to play.
SEC POWER POLL
1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Kentucky
4. Ole Miss
5. Texas A&M
6. Florida
7. Auburn
8. Tennessee
9. Arkansas
10. LSU
11. Mississippi State
12. Missouri
13. South Carolina
14. Vanderbilt
