The SEC’s Week 3 honors went to a familiar mix of playmakers and difference-makers, with Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Kentucky linebacker Sam Greene, Alabama kicker Conor Talty and Florida center Harrison Moore among the players recognized after a busy weekend across the league.
Chambliss grabbed the spotlight in the Magnolia Bowl, where Ole Miss beat No. 7 LSU behind a massive all-around effort from its quarterback.
He piled up 365 yards of offense and three touchdowns, going 33 of 48 for 363 yards and two scores through the air while also delivering the punch that decided the game: a 14-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. That run broke a tie with 6:14 left and held up as the game-winner.
It was Chambliss’ 10th 300-yard passing game as a Rebel, tying Eli Manning for sixth in program history, and his 4,861 career passing yards moved him past Archie Manning into 12th place at Ole Miss.
Greene’s day for Kentucky was built on timely stops and game-changing instincts in the Wildcats’ 31-21 upset of No. 9 Texas A&M.
On the Aggies’ opening drive, he shot off the edge on fourth-and-1 and stopped the runner for no gain at the Kentucky 11-yard line to force a turnover on downs. He followed that by ending Texas A&M’s second possession with an interception, returning it seven yards after the Aggies had already moved into Kentucky territory.
Greene finished with six tackles, half a tackle for loss, the interception and the fourth-down stop, and he also helped force a third-quarter punt that Kentucky turned into a touchdown drive.
Talty was flawless for Alabama in its win over Florida State, putting together a career-high 14 points. The senior converted all five of his extra-point tries and knocked through field goals from 32, 43 and 45 yards. His longest kick came late and stretched Alabama’s lead to two scores, while his steady production gave the Crimson Tide important points throughout the game and helped settle the offense when it needed it most.
Moore earned his recognition by helping Florida control the line of scrimmage in a 44-39 road win over Auburn. The Gators piled up 495 total yards, with 243 on the ground and 253 through the air, and Moore did not allow a sack, quarterback hit or quarterback hurry over 81 snaps.
Florida averaged 4.6 yards per carry on 53 rushing attempts, produced a 100-yard rusher and put together six straight scoring drives of at least 65 yards, good for 34 points from the first quarter through the third. The victory was Florida’s first at Auburn since 1999.
Mississippi State defensive end Amaree Williams also drew conference attention after a standout performance in the Bulldogs’ comeback win at South Carolina. Williams led Mississippi State with 10 solo tackles, added a sack, two tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry, and had an interception wiped out by penalty.
The Bulldogs were especially sharp defensively to open the second half, holding South Carolina to minus-15 yards across its first four drives of the period. That fueled Mississippi State’s largest road comeback since 2021 and its first back-to-back road wins in consecutive weeks since 2014.
Vanderbilt freshman quarterback Jared Curtis rounded out the honorees after a strong first collegiate start against NC State. Curtis accounted for 341 total yards and three touchdowns, completing 20 of 34 passes for a career-high 277 yards and three scores while leading all players with 64 rushing yards on 12 carries.
He was at his best late, throwing for 205 yards in the second half and going 8 of 13 for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. His performance helped Vanderbilt erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, the program’s biggest comeback since 2012, and push the Commodores to 3-0 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1946-47.
In Other News...
Kentucky Finally Gets To Enjoy The SEC Shorts Joke
SEC Shorts leaned into another round of SEC chaos this week, and Kentucky got a rare turn in the spotlight for the right reasons. The Week 3 video touched on LSUs loss to Ole Miss and Kentuckys upset of Texas A&M, while also playing with Lane Kiffins return to Oxford and even bringing in Morgan Freeman as the voice guiding the mayhem.
For Kentucky fans, the amusing part is not just the win getting noticed, but the tone of the joke itself. After plenty of past sketches where the Wildcats were the punch line, this one had them in a much better place, which is about as good a sign as any that the football season has started to tilt their way. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Minchey May Have Started A New Kentucky Quarterback Conversation
Kenny Mincheys performance against Texas A&M gave Kentucky something it has been searching for at quarterback, and the reward followed quickly. The Wildcats passer was named a Davey OBrien Great 8 Quarterback of the Week after completing 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns in an upset victory that turned plenty of heads.
Mincheys recognition also moved him onto the Davey OBrien Midseason Watch List, adding another layer to a week that already felt significant for his place in the offense. For Kentucky, the bigger question now is whether one sharp outing was just a breakthrough moment or the start of a much larger conversation under center. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's Upset Left Texas A&M Dealing With A Brutal New Blow
Kentuckys 31-21 upset of Texas A&M in Week 3 did more than hand the Wildcats a notable win. It also left the Aggies trying to absorb a sharp drop in the rankings, from No. 9 to No. 23, after a game that felt costly well beyond the final score.
Texas A&Ms bigger concern came almost immediately, when wide receiver and kick returner Terry Bussey went down on the opening kickoff and never returned. Bussey had been a key piece for the Aggies and entered the season as a preseason All-SEC kick returner, making the loss especially tough for a team already recalibrating after a setback that changed the mood in College Station fast. [Read more 🡒]