Week 6 in the SEC shook up the league picture in a hurry, with Georgia grabbing a marquee win over Alabama, Oklahoma toppling No. 1 Texas, and Kentucky pulling off a one-point upset of No.
9 LSU. Missouri, South Carolina and Ole Miss also handled business, while a handful of teams sat idle.
Georgia’s 20-17 win over No. 4 Alabama was the headliner.
Gunner Stockton put together the kind of stat line that drives a win in a game like that, throwing for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception while adding 12 rushing yards and a rushing score. Dwight Phillips Jr. helped keep the pressure on with 120 rushing yards.
Alabama still had some individual production in the loss. Trae’shawn Brown finished with 90 rushing yards and 7 receiving yards, while Bray Hubbard came away with an interception.
Oklahoma landed one of the weekend’s biggest swings by beating No. 1 Texas 27-24.
Lloyd Avant chipped in with 72 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown and 16 receiving yards, while Courtland Guillory and Peyton Bowen each recorded an interception. Dakoda Fields added a return touchdown.
Kentucky’s 35-34 win over No. 9 LSU was another tight finish that landed in the Wildcats’ favor. LSU came up one point short in the loss, while Kentucky moved to 5-1 overall.
Missouri took care of Texas A&M 27-6, and South Carolina rolled past No. 14 Florida 38-19. Ole Miss was even more emphatic, blasting Vanderbilt 52-17.
Auburn and Mississippi State did not play this week.
Elsewhere in the conference, Arkansas fell 24-17 to No. 20 Tennessee.
Shelton Lewis and Miguel Mitchell each had an interception for the Razorbacks, while Tennessee escaped with the win. Florida’s loss to South Carolina dropped the Gators to 4-2.
Texas had standout performances in the loss to Oklahoma from Cam Coleman, who posted 110 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Colin Simmons, who had two sacks. Texas A&M’s loss to Missouri included an interception from Daymion Sanford. Vanderbilt’s defense got a takeaway from CJ Heard in the defeat to Ole Miss.
The standings reflect how crowded the middle of the SEC remains after the weekend. Georgia sits alone at 6-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Alabama and Kentucky are next at 5-1, followed by Mississippi State at 4-1, Missouri at 5-1, Tennessee at 5-1 and Ole Miss at 4-1. Oklahoma is 3-2, Florida 4-2, Texas 4-1, LSU 4-2, Auburn 3-2, South Carolina 3-3, Texas A&M 3-3, Vanderbilt 3-3 and Arkansas 2-4.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Adds To LSU Fans' Frustration After Loss
The mood around LSU was already sour after the upset loss to Kentucky, and Lane Kiffin did little to lift it when he pointed to execution errors and turnovers as the reasons the Tigers let one get away. For a fan base expecting a steadier response, the defeat only deepened the frustration around a season that has already produced too many anxious Saturdays.
Then came a bit of added off-field noise during the Red River Rivalry, when Landry Kiffin drew attention online by showing support for several SEC programs, including LSU, Ole Miss and Texas. The social media criticism that followed was less about football allegiance than the timing, since LSU supporters were already bristling over the loss and looking for something, anything, to settle the conversation back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Faces A Dangerous LSU Temptation Right Now
LSUs fast start has given way to a rougher stretch in league play, and the Tigers are suddenly trying to steady themselves after consecutive SEC losses. There have still been flashes of what this team can become, especially on offense, but the inconsistency has been hard to ignore. Too often, LSU has left plays on the field in the moments that matter most, and the defensive effort has followed a similar pattern, with strong outings mixed in with performances that have not held up against conference competition.
For Lane Kiffin, the appeal is obvious because the talent is there and the upside has already shown up in stretches. The challenge now is figuring out whether LSU can turn those promising pieces into something more durable before the seasons biggest games start to define it. The Tigers have enough capability to stay in the conversation, but the margin for error keeps shrinking until the execution catches up with the potential. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Brings Auburn Fans A Bigger Question Than Media Day Absences
LSUs trip to SEC Media Day in Birmingham ended up looking a little thinner than planned, with coach Will Wade and several members of the program left behind by weather problems in Baton Rouge. The same travel issue also kept transfers Abdi Bashir Jr. and Mouhamed Dioubate from making the event, while Kim Mulkey and several LSU womens players were also absent from their own session, turning what should have been a routine preseason stop into a logistics story almost as much as a basketball one.
Beneath the inconvenience, though, the more interesting question for LSU is what the roster actually looks like once the season gets moving. The programs official group has been updated to 10 players, but several names still are not appearing there, and Wade has already been open about taking an unconventional approach to building out this team. For Auburn fans and everyone else around the league, the media-day absences were only the surface issue. The bigger issue is figuring out how complete LSU really is before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]