Biscuits & SEC Week 8 Game-by-Game Recaps
Week in, week out the SEC delivers. Week 8 was sensational from start to finish.
By: Bossman, Hammer
Yeah, that’ll do. It was the first time ever we had eight conference games on a Saturday in the SEC and woah Nelly…did it live up to the hype. We saw Vandy take down LSU in Nashville, Georgia and Ole Miss go blow-for-blow in a shootout, Kentucky push Texas to the limit, and much, much more. Another Saturday, and another week college football delivers.
Here’s how Bossman & Hammer fared in Week 8:
Bossman dropped a game against the spread, so the B&S Crew is now tied at the midway point in the season…meaning it’s going to go wire-to-wire down the home stretch. Who will come out on top? Hammer picked Mississippi State to cover against Florida, which allowed him to tie it up at 43 apiece.
A TON to get into. Let’s hit the recaps.
Bossman: I would like to formally apologize to the 6-1, now-top 10 Vanderbilt Commodores, for doubting them in the preseason and picking them to go 4-8. How dumb was that!? Don’t discount Clark Lea and this Vandy team; they are legit. LSU went up 10-7 early in the second quarter, and Vandy answered on the ensuing drive with a 14-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 1-yard Sedrick Alexander rushing TD. The Commodores never trailed in the game again. Vanderbilt controlled the lines of scrimmage in this game (can you believe I’m saying that about a Vandy-LSU game?) and Garrett Nussmeier was under duress much of the day. This Tigers offensive line continues to be an issue. The offense is also struggling when they get deep in opponents' territory - LSU took five trips inside the Vanderbilt 35 and came away with just 13 points. It just isn’t good enough in Baton Rouge, and the fanbase has about McHad it with Brian Kelly. Speaking of Vandy manhandling LSU on the line - the Commodores racked up 239 YARDS RUSHING, averaging 5.3 yards per clip. Ridiculous. Diego Pavia was exceptional yet again, finishing with a 93.1 QBR and three total TDs. Vanderbilt now has a serious shot a making the CFP and if they can get past Mizzou next week…they’ll likely be favored in Austin. How crazy is that?
Hammer: I ask myself this often, but why am I such a fool? I believed in Vandy preseason (sort of) enough to pick the over in their preseason win total. But coming into this game, I picked LSU to win and cover. For some reason, I convinced myself that LSU being an underdog to Vandy would light a fire in the Bayou Bengals and we would see an inspired performance. What I failed to account for, like a fool, is that Vanderbilt is simply a better team that LSU in every aspect. Sure, LSU has more “talented” players on paper, but Vandy is a much better team. And the ‘Dores put that on full display in front of God and Country on Saturday. Diego Pavia had LSU defenders in the spin cycle all game. They had no answer for Pavia and the Commodore offense. The previously stout Tiger defense allowed four touchdowns and a FG on eight Vandy possessions (not counting the final possession when Vandy was just running out the clock). Pavia threw for 160 yards and a TD and added 86 yards and two more TDs on the ground. He was unstoppable. Vandy also bullied LSU in the trenches, rushing for 239 yards on 45 carries. On the LSU side, the offense finally wasn’t the issue. LSU only had eight possessions in this game because of how Vandy dominated time of possession, and they scored 24 points. That’s not bad at all. Now, some of those points were due to incredible plays, like the Zavion Thomas TD, and not so much great offense in rhythm. But credit where credit is due. The LSU defense, who was missing star LB Whit Weeks, looked lost. At the end of the day, Vandy was the better team on Saturday and they have been the better team all year. Only a fool, such as myself, didn’t see this one coming.
Bossman: Oklahoma got back to the form they showed early in the season in this one - drubbing South Carolina on the road behind a mean defense and steady play from John Mateer. Mateer was 18/26 for 150 yards and a TD, and did not turn the ball over. The OU rushing attack also found some life, posting 171 yards on the ground and two TDs to aid Mateer. The Oklahoma defense was all over LaNorris Sellers - this South Carolina offensive line is really, really bad. Not only did they wreak havoc in the backfield and hold the Gamecocks to just seven points, they also allowed next to nothing in the run game against a team that has rushed for nearly 200 yards in their last two games. Impressive stuff. For South Carolina, the Cocks are now 3-4 and this season is on the edge of spiraling into a disaster. Their next three opponents are all in the top 10 (Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M), and 2/3 of those are on the road. Yikes.
Hammer: This was a great performance from Oklahoma. Coming off a devastating loss to Texas, where the Sooners looked awful, they went on the road and stuffed South Carolina into a locker. The Sooner defense showed up in this one, holding the Gamecocks to 224 total yards, forcing two turnovers, and completely obliterating the Carolina offensive line to the tune of 13 TFLs and 6 sacks. I feel bad for LaNorris Sellers, man. Let me be clear, he is not playing well and isn’t helping matters. But the offensive line and skill position players are completely letting him down. Sellers is running for his life every game, has no time to throw and has no running game to help him. Oklahoma held South Carolina to 54 yards rushing on 34 carries (1.6 ypc). It’s abysmal. The Oklahoma offense, as usual, didn't light the world on fire. They only had 319 total yards, but when your defense plays like that you just need to not mess things up (ahem, Auburn). One bright spot for Oklahoma, who has really struggled to run the ball this year, was getting 101 yards and TD from tailback Tory Blaylock. Hopefully the Sooners rushing attack can gain some momentum from this performance.
Bossman: Hollywood couldn’t have scripted this one any better - unless Lane was coaching at Florida. I JOKE Rebs fans. Hardly any defense was played in this game until it mattered most - then Georgia battened down the hatches and allowed just 13 yards of offense for Ole Miss in the fourth quarter, after giving up 338 yards through three quarters. The Rebs scored a TD on their five straight drives to start the game, and then were completely shut down in the fourth quarter, going three-and-out on two straight drives and turning it over on downs to end the game. Looking at the drive chart in this one is crazy - there were 16 total drives combined in this game, not including the drive where Georgia kneeled it out to seal the win - and of those 16 drives, points were scored on 13 of 16 drives. 10 of them ended in touchdowns. There were 861 total yards between the two teams in this game! Unreal. This was a rock’em-sock’em robots game with both teams throwing haymakers up and down the field. This game lived up to the hype, and then some. Gunner Stockton is a STUD and the kid has moxy. When the game is on the line, it seems to slow down for him and he makes plays when the lights shine brightest. Both teams had players make spectacular plays in this one, but Georgia gets a hard-fought win at home. Nothing to hang your head about if you're Ole Miss, plenty still to play for. For all the talk about Georgia not being as good as the once were, they’re still going to be in the thick of it the rest of the way.
Hammer: Holy smokes what a football game we witnessed in Athens on Saturday afternoon. I keep saying it, but Georgia is the most mentally tough team in college football. They never relent and keep swinging for 60 minutes. Gunner Stockton embodies this because he just makes big plays in big moments. Given how the Ole Miss offense was carving up the Dawg’s defense, Stockton’s number was called all game and he answered the bell. How about this performance: 26/31, 289 yards and 4 TDs through the air with another 59 yards and 1 TD on the ground. A masterpiece from Stockton and the Georgia offense who, just like in the Tennessee game, knew they had to score a whole bunch of points given how the defense was playing. I can’t say enough about Stockton and the toughness of this Georgia team. For the Ole Miss side, I didn’t come away from this one thinking any less of the Rebs. That was a hell of a performance in a raucous environment. Trinidad Chambliss, hailing from Ferris State, had not played in a big time road SEC environment. People wondered how he would handle it. Well, he went 19/26 for 263 yards, 42 yards rushing and 3 total TDs. Like Stockton, Chambliss also didn't turn the ball over. The Rebels performance would win a hell of a lot of games, it just wasn’t quite enough in this one. In the 4th quarter, Georgia put the clamps down and outscored Ole Miss 17-0 to come back and take this game. Make no mistake, Ole Miss is legit and they didn’t lose this game. Georgia took this game.
Bossman: Much like the Ole Miss-Georgia game, there was hardly a defense in sight in this one. Bobby Petrino was cooking and gunning for his former team, and that’s what had Aggies worried going into this game. A&M was up 21-6 with 3:32 left in the first half, and it look like the Aggies would cruise to a victory. Instead the Hogs turned on the jets and scored two TDs in 2 minutes 22 seconds to pull within one, 21-20, heading into the locker room. The Aggie BAS was starting to flare up. The Aggies would pull ahead by two scores on multiple occasions in the second half, but Arkansas would just keep fighting back. A&M’s defense to this point in the year has been salty, but the Razorbacks gave them all they could handle on Saturday night, as Taylen Green had five total TDs and 341 yards of total offense. The kid is electric. Mike Washington also rushed for 147 yards and was running downhill all day. Even with everything the Hogs threw at A&M, though, the Aggies answered the bell. Marcel Reed played his best game as the starting QB to date, going toe to toe with Taylen Green. This game again showed that A&M can win in multiple ways - when the defense slacks, the offense picks it up. When the offense is off, the defense clamps down. The Aggies are mentally tough, 7-0 for the first time since 1994, and with 1-2 more wins, are a virtual lock for the College Football Playoff. Exciting times in College Station.
Hammer: Arkansas has a way of consistently playing in the wildest games in the SEC and almost always ending up on the wrong side at the end. This game was no different. After a two hour weather delay, which should have indicated the craziness we were in for, this game started hot and ended hot. No defense could stop the opponent all game long. Texas A&M had 497 yards of offense and Arkansas had 527. This was a track meet of the highest order and what ended up saving the Aggies was the first three Arkansas possessions, where the A&M defense forced two red zone field goals and a turnover on downs. Beyond that, Taylen Green and Arkansas carved up the Aggies like a Thanksgiving turkey. Taylen Green is so so good, man. It’s a shame he is saddled with the Hogs defense and their seemingly generational ineptitude when it comes to making plays in crunch time. Green had 5 total TDs and 341 yards of total offense. The Aggies got pressure on Green, but he found a way to escape so many times and really hurt A&M at times when they came with a blitz. For A&M, we keep saying this week after week but they keep finding ways to win. Do we need to score 40 in a shootout? No problem. Our defense needs to step up and hold an opponent under 20 points? Done. This is a new Texas A&M team. What their ceiling is remains to be seen, but they are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the SEC and will have a chance to win every game they play.
Bossman: Florida got a hard-fought win at home, but the “fire Billy” crowd got their wish on Sunday as Napier will no longer be coaching the Gators moving forward. Mississippi State gave this one away. Late in the fourth quarter the Bulldogs were in field goal range for a change to win it, but on 2nd & 10 from the Florida 29 yard line, Jeff Lebby decided to throw the ball inexplicably, and Blake Shapen threw it to no one - except for Florida DL Michai Boireau, who had dropped back into coverage. Boireau made a spectacular grab and sealed the win for the Gators. That one is going to sting Lebby for awhile. Jadan Baugh was exceptional for the Gators in this one, popping off for 150 yards and averaging 6.5 YPC. Just feed that man the ball all night, every night. DJ Lagway had a solid night but still left you wanting more. Now, we’ll see who the next Gators coach is because this season is a wash - even after a win. For the Bulldogs, they’re still in search of that SEC win.
Hammer: Well, Florida got the close win here but with fans chanting “fire Billy” despite running out the clock on a win, Napier’s fate felt sealed, and it was. Napier was fired Sunday after a 22-23 record in 3 and a half years. We’ll talk more about that on our show this week, so back to the game for now. Mississippi State almost completed a big fourth quarter come back to secure their first SEC win in two years, but a Blake Shapen interception when the Bulldogs were in field goal range ended their hopes. Brutal way to lose when they had fought so hard to be in a position to win. This game was pretty “mid” as the kids are saying. Both teams had two turnovers and statistically were quite even. Mississippi State did enough to win, but Florida made the clutch play when it mattered most. Jadan Baugh had a big game for Florida with 150 yards rushing and a TD. Lagway played so so, and threw two more interceptions which has been a massive problem for him this year. Ultimately a solid win for Florida but with Napier out who knows where their season goes from here.
Bossman: Another game, another game Texas’ offense rides the struggle bus. The Horns had under 200 yards of total offense against a Kentucky team that gave up 30+ to Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Georgia. What the hell is going on in Austin? Sure, they get the win - but they were lucky to walk out of Lexington with the W. Arch Manning was downright pedestrian again, managing just 132 yards passing and ZERO TDs. He posted a 25 QBR. The Texas rushing attack didn’t even gain 50 yards on the night. Kentucky had three sacks and seven TFLs as the Texas offensive line continues to struggle. The Wildcats on the other hand needed this one in the worst way, and they let’em off the Hook’em (nice). I cannot get over the play calling in overtime at the 1-yard line to two run two straight HB dives straight into the teeth of the strength of the Texas defense. What on earth were Mark Stoops and Bush Hamdan thinking? Play action roll out and give Cutter Boley a few options! Just an inexplicable fumbling of the play calling there in overtime when you have Texas on the ropes. The Horns get the win but continue to be a puzzling team - it’s hard to see them making much noise the rest of the way.
Hammer: I know they won, but I’m done with this Texas team. They are an average team at best. Their defense is very good and their offense is awful. Credit to Texas for finding a way to win here, but they got so lucky. Any team other than Kentucky takes Texas out in this game. Texas only managed 179 yards of total offense and Kentucky had 395, outgaining the Longhorns by 216 yards. Arch was bad again, too. Whatever momentum he seemed to find against Oklahoma was quickly dismissed with a 12/27, 132 yard performance. The Horn’s only touchdown was a 5 yard TD drive set up to a great punt return from Ryan Niblett. Kentucky held Texas to 47 yards rushing on 28 carries. An absolutely abysmal game to watch all around. Kentucky deserves credit for competing here and Cutter Boley might be making some strides. Boley outplayed Arch and finished with a solid statline of 31/39 for 258 yards with 45 yards rushing and a TD. He also threw one interception. I feel bad for Kentucky fans because they had this game and blew it. Texas found a way to win but this team stinks are will hopefully be exposed as the season continues.
Bossman: The Vols haven’t lit up cigars in Bryant-Denny since 2003…and they’ll have to wait until at least 2027 for another chance. Ty Simpson started off hot in this one, going 5/6 on Bama’s first drive, leading them on an 11-play, 91-yard march that ended in a two-yard TD pass to Isaiah Horton. The Tide offense cooled off a bit after that, but added a TD with 4:05 left in the second quarter to take a 16-7 lead, and then came a back breaker…Tennessee drove 74 yards in 15 plays, and were about to punch in a TD before the half to make it 16-14, and then disaster struck for the Vols. Joey Aguilar threw an ill-advised pass to the flat that was picked off by Zabien Brown who had nothing but green grass in front of him, and took the rock 99 yards to the house. Boom, 14-point swing, Bama up 23-7 at half. The Vols kept fighting early in the second half, bringing it within 10 and having their chances to claw back, but they couldn’t capitalize on a Ty Simpson fumble and Bama went on to put out the Volunteer flame. Ty Simpson should be the frontrunner for the Heisman to this point in my humble opinion, and Alabama looks like the machine is starting to fire on all cylinders. It was the Tide’s fourth-straight win against a ranked SEC opponent. For Tennessee, they’re still a damn good team - and if they can clean a few things up that ARE fixable (costly turnovers, tackling, penalties, finishing drives) they’ll be a tough out for the rest of their schedule. Don’t sleep on the Vols going forward. This is a dangerous team - Alabama is just better.
Hammer: Alabama continues to roll! Tennessee lost this game with the costly pick six as time expired. With Bama winning 16-7, Tennessee was on the one yard line, seemingly about to punch it in and head into halftime down just 16-14. Not so fast my friend and Joey Aguilar made a critical error as Zabien Brown stepped in front of his intended target and proceeded to return the interception 99 yards for a TD. And just like that instead of 16-14 at half, it was 23-7. The Vols and Tide traded TDs in the third quarter so Alabama went into the final frame up 30-13 and the result felt like a formality. Ty Simpson had another strong performance, going 19/29 for 253 yards and two TDs without a turnover. Ryan Williams re-emerged with 87 yards on 5 catches. If you want to nitpick here, Alabama still cannot run the ball well. Germie Bernard was their leading rusher as a WR with 4 carries for 49 yards. Jam Miller did play, but only mustered 15 yards on 12 carries. The Vols didn’t play poorly, but did not have enough to keep pace, especially after that pick six. DeSean Bishop ran hard for 123 yards and two TDs on just 14 carries. Alabama continues to show, while there are some flaws, that they are as good as anyone in the country. Tennessee appears to be just below that top tier so far in 2025
Bossman: Oh boy. A one-score game? Hugh Freeze will figure out a way to lose it. Auburn is now 2-8 in one-score games under Freeze, with the latest loss coming at the hands of Mizzou in Jordan-Hare. Auburn had their chances…and they blew it yet again. An interception that turned into points for Mizzou, inability to capitalize on Mizzou mistakes, missed field goals, dropped passes, giving up five sacks and nine TFLs…this Auburn team is just a mess. The clock is ticking, LOUDLY, for Hugh Freeze’s time on The Plains. The Auburn fanbase is getting restless, and big Auburn personalities like Jake Crain are already calling for him to be ousted. For Mizzou, they improve to 6-1 in the SEC and just keep winning, somewhat quietly as they’ve been overshadowed by some bigger names with tougher schedules. But this team is legitimately dangerous, and we’ll find out much more about them soon with top-ten Vanderbilt next and Texas A&M after that.
Hammer: For the second straight week, Auburn fans witnessed an opposing coach celebrating and yelling on their sidelines after a victory. And for a second straight week, Auburn had plenty of chances to win this game and came up short as usual. Auburn missed three field goals in this game and had a few costly drops. Jackson Arnold looked better than normal in this game, and the Auburn offense had some success. Hugh Freeze finally stuck with the run game, rushing for 150 yards on 41 attempts. Not great numbers but they stayed committed and were able to do some good things there. Jeremiah Cobb ran well for 119 yards on 19 carries. Unlike Auburn, Mizzou is good at winning these close games and that’s what they did here. Beau Pribula played alright, but again struggled with turnovers like he did against Alabama, tossing two picks in this one. Auburn’s defense shut down Ahmad Hardy for the most part, holding him to 58 yards on 24 carries, although he did get into the end zone twice. At the end of the day, this is the same old story that we’ve been reading for Freeze’s entire tenure. Auburn finds ways to lose football games, and the offense is the issue. Every shortcoming Auburn has falls squarely on Hugh Freeze.
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