Like just about everything in 2020, the Saturday after Thanksgiving looked a little different in the SEC. Alabama still faced Auburn and Ole Miss still played Mississippi State, but with no out-of-conference contests in the SEC this season, many other schools needed different opponents for its first game after Turkey Day.
It looked different, but the various matchups weren’t the only bit of history made in the conference Saturday.
Consider this your weekly need-to-know on all things SEC. Just served up for the appetite of the discriminating Georgia reader.
This Week’s Scores
No. 1 Alabama 42, No. 22 Auburn 13 No. 6 Florida 34, Kentucky 10 Missouri 41, Vanderbilt 0 Ole Miss 31, Mississippi State 24 No. 5 Texas A&M 20, LSU 7
What does all of that mean for Georgia? Here is all of what DawgNation needs to know:
Next Game’s Opponent: Vanderbilt (0-8)
How they fared: In summary, not good. The Commodores failed to score 10 points for the third time this season. They also gave up at least 40 points for the fourth time in 2020.
What Vanderbilt did well: Well, again, not much, but the Commodores did make history with Sarah Fuller becoming the first woman to appear for a Power 5 program. Without any kicking opportunities on offense, she made history on the kickoff to begin the second half.
What Vanderbilt did not do well: They allowed 603 yards while posting 185 yards. That about sums it up, but Vanderbilt struggled in just about every aspect of the game Saturday.
The big stat lines: Running back Keyon Henry-Brooks led all Vanderbilt players with 88 yards from scrimmage. He rushed for 64 yards on 15 carries while chipping in 24 receiving yards with three catches.
DawgNation Outlook: It’s never a good idea to take an SEC opponent for granted, but the Bulldogs should quickly dispose of the Commodores next week.
Previous Schedule:
Arkansas (Week 1 win): Bye Week
Auburn (Week 2 win): The Tigers didn’t reach the end zone until there was under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Alabama scored six touchdowns before that, as Auburn lost its fifth straight at Tuscaloosa.
Tennessee (Week 3 win): Bye Week
Alabama (Week 4 loss): With Mack Jones throwing for five touchdowns, the Crimson Tide made quick work of the Tigers, cruising to a 42-13 victory. Alabama continues to look every bit the part of the best team in the country.
Kentucky (Week 6 win): The Wildcats hung in with the Gators through the first half, but to the disappointment of Bulldogs fans everywhere, Kentucky didn’t score in the third or fourth quarters in a 24-point defeat.
Florida (Week 7 loss): Behind a 17-point third quarter, Florida scored 27 unanswered points to blow out the Wildcats in the second half after Kentucky took a 3-point lead late in the second quarter. Kyle Trask threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns.
Missouri (Week 8 postponement): Larry Rountree III rushed for a season-high 160 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Tigers to a 41-0 victory over the Commodores.
Mississippi State (Week 9 win): Wil Rogers threw for 440 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough, as Mississippi State failed to complete the comeback in Oxford. Mississippi State never led and lost the Egg Bowl by a touchdown.
The Rest of the SEC:
TEXAS A&M: The Aggies only mustered 267 yards of offense, but they nearly shut out LSU to improve to 6-1. Buddy Johnson returned an interception 15 yards for a touchdown during the victory.
LSU: The Tigers broke Texas A&M’s shutout bid with 38 seconds remaining but still lost, 20-7. LSU finished with the exact same amount of yardage as the Aggies, but the Tigers turned it over three times.
OLE MISS: The Rebels jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead and never trailed in the Egg Bowl. Mississippi State pulled within a field goal midway through the fourth quarter, but the Rebels answered with a touchdown to essentially put the game out of reach.