SEC Games Recap: Week 9
Week 9 in the SEC was filled with a few dramatic upsets and much needed wins for a few teams. The East division race became closer with a shocking win, and a team that has risen to the occasion as of late. Not much took place in the West division during week 9 as a few teams had bye weeks ahead of crucial match-ups next Saturday. Here is how it all went down:
East Recap:
Florida-Georgia
The annual Florida versus Georgia game in Jacksonville was fully dominated by the Gators. Florida relied on their stellar defense to notch a conference win over the rival Bulldogs. The Gators defense held UGA running back Nick Chubb to just 20 rushing yards on nine carries. Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason finished 15 of 33 for 143 yards and one touchdown. Gators quarterback Luke Del Rio finished the game with 15 of 25 for 131 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Florida’s strength in the match-up was their defense, which ran all over Georgia throughout the game, making the Bulldogs look sluggish in the 24-10 loss.
Missouri-Kentucky
The Wildcats tamed the Tigers in a much needed 35-21 win for Kentucky. Thier running back Benny Snell rushed for 192 on 38 carries with two touchdowns, and Boom Williams added 182 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. The Wildcats also piled up 582 yards of offense, their most in a conference game in 10 years. For Missouri, quarterback Drew Lock finished 18 of 31 for 220 yards and two touchdowns.
Missouri’s weakness was their offense, as they weren’t able to capitalize when it counted the most. Kentucky is now 4-2 in conference play and second in the SEC East standings behind Florida, who sits comfortably at 4-1 in league play.
Tennessee-South Carolina
This was a must-win game for South Carolina. The Gamecocks fought hard all game long. Their defense contained Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs throughout the entire game. Dobbs went only 12 of 26 for 161 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception. South Carolina’s defense showed up in a pivotal game, with freshman quarterback Jake Bentley having a tremendous game. He finished 15 of 20 passing with 167 yards and two touchdowns. South Carolina won when Tennessee kicker Aaron Medley missed a 58-yard field goal attempt with five seconds left.
West Recap:
Auburn-Ole Miss
Up until the fourth quarter, this game was close. The Rebels led 22-20 at halftime, but Auburn quickly began to pull away. The Tigers went on to win 40-29 behind Kamryn Pettway’s 236 rushing yards and single touchdown. Sean White had 247 passing yards with one touchdown. Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly went 36 of 59 for 465 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.
Texas A&M-New Mexico State
The Aggies were obviously highly favored in this game, and they never let up. Texas A&M went on to win 52-10 behind Christian Kirk having two punt returns for touchdowns. Trevor Knight accounted for two touchdowns on 15 of 24 passing with 204 yards. The Aggies came out of the tunnel firing away, and never stopped. New Mexico State never stood a chance in this game. A great overall win for Texas A&M as they resume conference play next week.
Samford-Mississippi State
Mississippi State didn’t look too hot in this game, as they only won by a final of 56-41. The Bulldogs should have won by a larger margin, but give credit to Samford. Nick Fitzgerald accounted for a whopping seven touchdowns in the game. He completed 20 of 35 passing with 417 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. The Bulldogs defense kept Samford in check and made a statement by not getting upset to an FCS team at home. Mississippi State resumes conference play next week against Texas A&M in Starkville.
Teams on Bye Week:
Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, and Vanderbilt all had the weekend off. Alabama travels to Baton Rouge to take on LSU next weekend in a pivotal game for both teams. Arkansas returns to face Florida next week. Vanderbilt travels to Auburn next week looking for a phenomenal upset.
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