Biscuits & SEC Week 7 Game-by-Game Recaps
Red River Shootout, the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, a showdown in CoMo, and much more. What a spectacular week 7.
By: Bossman, Hammer
Breaking News: another DAMN GOOD WEEKEND OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. Alabama has to hang on for dear life against Mizzou, and same with Ole Miss against Wazzu! Also, Texas is back? The Aggies are rolling, the referees defeated Auburn once again, and MUCH MORE. Around the country, there were some big results as well, with #7 Indiana beating #3 Oregon in Eugene (how about this Curt Cignetti guy?), USC upsetting #14 Michigan, Penn State lost AGAIN as a 20+ point favorite, this time to Northwestern, and ranked teams #21 Arizona State, #22 Iowa State, and #25 Florida State all lost.
You know how Michigan has the “Pure Michigan” commercials? This is college football. “Pure Chaos.”
Here’s how Bossman & Hammer fared in Week 7:
Bossman got RED HOT this week, ripping off a 6-1 clip against the spread, which pushed him ahead of Hammer by a game! If it wasn’t for Tennessee playing with their food and not covering, Bossman would have put up a doughnut next to a seven. He’s still chasing an undefeated mark on the week, but he can gloat about taking over poll position – for now.
Let’s hit the recaps.
Bossman: We didn’t pick this game because the spread was outlandish, but we said we’d use our discretion at the start of the season - and this one bears discussing. It was a puzzling, slow start, to say the least, for the Rebels in this one against a below-average Washington State team. Two early trips to the redzone yielded zero points, and Wazzu held a 7-3 lead until late in the first half when Ole Miss punched it in to take a 10-7 lead into halftime. Wazzu would answer with 10:48 to go in the third quarter to take a 14-10 lead on a nice 46-yard TD run from Kirby Vorhees, but then it was time for Ole Miss to take control. The Rebs would score on two of the next three possessions, going up 24-14 with a little under seven minutes to play. It wasn’t over yet, though - the Cougars made it 24-21 with 2:43 to play on a 19-yard TD pass from Zevi Eckhaus to Tony Freeman, and they would get one final possession with a chance to score and tie or win. The Ole Miss defense held Wazzu on their last drive to cling to a 24-21 win…and escape to fight another day. This one wasn’t Trinidad Chambliss’ best game, but he still went 20/29 for 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and added a TD on the ground - if that’s a bad day for you QB, you’re in good hands. Kewan Lacy also went off, toting the rock 24 times for 142 yards - good for 5.9 YPC. Yeah, that’ll do. Also, a tip of the cap to a few standouts on defense - Kam Franklin posted a six-tackle, 1.5 sack, 1.5 TFL game, and Princewill Umanmielen and Will Echols were all over the field as well. A few things Ole Miss can tighten up: run defense (allowed 4.5 YPC to Wazzu) and penalties (8-99 yards). Overall, I think this was just a sleepy early kick and the Rebs overlooking Wazzu with Georgia on their mind.
Hammer: I don't say this lightly, but what the hell, Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss? That was abysmal. Washington State is not a good team, and y’all let them come into Oxford and nearly beat you? Wazzou lost 59-10 to North Texas. NORTH TEXAS. They also lost to in-state foe Washington 59-24. So how in the world did Ole Miss, with all that firepower, not run up the score? Before we even get into what happened, it’s perfectly clear that either the players, Lane Kiffin, or more likely a combination of the two didn’t take this game seriously. The strange thing about this game is that statistically, Ole Miss looks like it played fairly well. Chambliss went 20/29 for 253 yards and three total TDs. Ole Miss ran the ball well, too. Lacy went for 142 yards, and the Rebs ran for 186 yards on 4.5 yards per carry. The defense didn’t play well, but they still held Wazzou to 21 points. Just a puzzling game all around. If you are Ole Miss, just be glad this one didn’t slip away because this one was in the balance the entire game. Seems like a sleepy 11am kickoff against a bad team with a roadtrip to Georgia looming next week. Ole Miss was caught slipping, but avoided disaster.
Bossman: Hammer and I were all over this one. We expected a 12-round fight in COMO, and that’s exactly what we got. This Missouri team is seriously good - but so is Alabama. A few things on the Mizzou side stuck out to me as to why they couldn’t pull through in the end – turnovers and third-down efficiency. The Tigers were 1/10 on third down on the day – tough to win ballgames when you can’t stay on the field. Turnovers also hurt MIZ; two fourth-quarter interceptions from Beau Pribula were back breakers, but especially the second INT, which came on the final Mizzou drive when they had a chance to go down and tie or win the game. The Tigers totaled 163 yards rushing on the day, but Alabama was largely able to bottle up the SEC’s top back, Ahmad Hardy, as he only mustered 52 yards on 12 carries. For the Tide, Ty Simpson continues to play at an All-SEC level, if not a Heisman level. The kid is nails, and that 29-yard throw on 4th & 8 was electric. Also, the balls on DeBoer and Grubb to call that play in that situation - they have all the confidence in the world in their QB. Something that is really starting to take shape as an identity for this Tide team is ball control. Alabama had four drives of 10 plays or more, with three out of those four drives ending in points. Bama also had 17 more minutes in time of possession than Mizzou. Boa constrictor mode and joyless murderball are BACK in Tuscaloosa. Finally, the loss of Jam Miller early in the fourth quarter was a stinging blow, and hopefully, he’s okay and can return soon. The Tide need him going forward.
Hammer: The only thing we saw in this game that I did not expect was the offenses not scoring more. I predicted a 31-28 Bama win, and in our SEC After Dark picks show, I said Ty Simpson would be the difference. He was. For another week, Simpson was very good and was nails down the stretch. Clinging to a three-point lead, on 4th & 8 near midfield, Simpson delivered one of the prettiest passes you will ever see. DeBoer and Grubb have serious guts to even go for that fourth down, and that play call shows how much they trust Simpson. He rewarded their boldness and trust with a beautiful pass and ultimately led Bama to the endzone and 10-point lead. This was not a case of Mizzou not being talented enough or being overmatched. No, the Tigers are a damn good football team. They ran for 5.8 yards per carry, and their defense got after the Tide to the tune of four sacks and seven TFLs. Missouri simply didn’t have the best QB in the game. Simpson made plays all game, and Pribula did not. Now, Pribula wasn’t that bad. He made plenty of good plays and showed why he is a legit SEC starter, but he also made two critical INTs that really cost Mizzou. When the game was on the line, Simpson delivered, and Pribula did not. Simple as that. Bama continues to roll, and Mizzou ain’t going nowhere.
Bossman: Big, much-needed win for Arch, Sark, and the Texas Longhorns. After a disappointing start to the season, Texas had their backs against the wall and answered the bell. I picked the Horns to cover, but in hindsight, I should have picked them straight up. Knowing that John Mateer was only going to be at roughly 80% at best, Texas was going to load the box and test that hand, and OU has had trouble running the ball so far this year anyway. Mateer looked good early, but then the wheels fell off, and he threw three picks on the day, finishing with a 42.8 QBR. His throwing hand was clearly not 100%, and he seemed just off the entire day. Another week of rest would have done him well, but I understand OU wanting to trot him out there. Without him, they didn’t have a chance at all. Texas did what they had to do in this game to win, and their defense played lights out. They held OU to just 48 yards rushing (1.6 YPC), and tallied 3 INTs to go along with five sacks and seven TFLs. Colin Simmons was a BEAST, tallying five tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. The Texas offense still has plenty of work to do, as they only mustered 166 yards through the air and 1 TD from Arch Manning. The 75-yard punt return TD from Ryan Niblett to seal the game with 9:54 left to play in the game was beautiful, but the Horns also got away with an obvious block in the back that wasn’t called. Overall, it was a good win for Texas, and OU should put this one behind them quickly - if Mateer can get fully healthy, this team is still quite dangerous. Arch - man the cannons and FIRE AWAY!
Hammer: Without a dog in this fight, this was a really tough watch. John Mateer was clearly not 100% healthy coming off the hand surgery, and he was rusty to boot. The Oklahoma offense looked awful all game. Bad blocking up front, inaccurate throws and missed reads. The Texas defense deserves credit because they played well, especially up front, harassing Mateer for 5 sacks and 7 TFLs. The Horns got after it. But it’s easy to get after it when the opposing QB can’t throw the ball. Three interceptions from Mateer cost them the game. He had nothing all afternoon, and it's hard to know how much of it was injury-related and how much of it was Texas. But that doesn’t matter because Texas got the win, and that’s what counts. What surprised me the most was Texas finding some room to run the ball. The Horns have been awful running the ball so far this season, but they popped Oklahoma for 138 yards on 32 carries. Sure, that’s not eye-popping, but against the Sooners, that is darn good. Tre Wisner returning for Texas was big as he carried the load with 94 yards rushing. Arch played much better than he had been, mainly because he didn’t turn the ball over. But at the end of the day, Texas scored one touchdown and offensive points. They didn’t light the world on fire, so their issues are not suddenly fixed. However, they got a big-time win when they needed it the most. They showed toughness, grit, and physicality in this one. The Horns still have issues, but so does everyone else. Good win for Texas.
Bossman: I said this on SEC After Dark last week - with slippery snake Bobby Petrino now at the helm in Fayetteville, you can bet good money that he’s going to pull out every stop and every trick in the book to beat teams and try to earn the Arkansas job. Still, I didn’t think that this Razorbacks defense would be able to hold up long enough to cover that 13.5 point spread. Lesson: don’t bet against Bobby Motorbike! This sucker was tied 17-17 at halftime, and the Hogs were in this one all the way to the end, and even fought back from a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Arkansas showed no quit, but in the end, a costly decision not to kick a field goal by Petrino, three turnovers, and the Hogs inability to get just one more stop cost them the game. Tennessee played a solid game on offense, and Desean Bishop rushed for a career high 146 yards and a TD, and Peyton Lewis also added two TDs on the ground. If Tennessee is going to keep making noise in the SEC this year, they’re going to need to shore up the defense, particularly against the run, as the Hogs posted 240 rushing yards on the Vols.
Hammer: I doubted Bobby Petrino and the Hogs in this one. Surprisingly, what I most doubted, the defense, played much better than expected. I knew Petrino and the offense would move the ball on Tennessee, but I didn’t think the Hogs defense could hold the Vols under 40. Tennessee still had 494 total yards and ran all over Arkansas, but the Hogs were able to bow up and force a few field goals, and the defense gave them a chance to win. Stop me if you have heard this before, but turnovers killed Arkansas here. It appears Bobby Petrino couldn’t cure the turnover bug that has plagued Arkansas for years. The Hogs lost the turnover battle 0-3 in this one and lost by three points. You do the math. Tennessee’s defense still looks very vulnerable as they allowed Arkansas to run for 241 yards and the Hogs totaled nearly 500 yards of offense. Again, had it not been for the three fumbles, we’re looking at a different game here. If I am an Arkansas fan, I come away from this with a little optimism. There just might be hope.
Bossman: Much to take away from this game on both sides. The Aggies are not elite yet, but they are getting very close. They can beat you in multiple ways, and when it gets late in the game, they start playing ball control and wear your defense out. The Aggie defense is playing at an extremely high level right now at all three levels of the defense. Cashius Howell was getting held almost every play (along with other Aggie defensive linemen) and was still in DJ Lagway’s face all night. There are a few things you want to clean up on offense, like Marcel Reed missing a few deep balls and going through cold stretches, but he still made some big-time throws in this one and got the job done. As for Florida, this was another head-scratcher for Billy Napier and the Florida offense, who couldn’t get anything going after the first scripted drive. Mike Elko and Jay Bateman totally outcoached Napier, and it might be the final nail in the coffin of his tenure in Gainesville.
Hammer: Another week, another Aggie win. And for the second week in a row, the Aggie defense FEASTED. After Florida scored on their first two drives, with the game knotted up at 14-14, A&M clamped down, only allowing Florida three points in the final three quarters. Texas A&M held Florida to 1/10 on third down and was all over the Gator backfield for three sacks and five TFLs. In SEC play against Auburn, Mississippi State, and Florida, the Aggies have held opponents to 2/33 on third down conversions. That is absurdly good. Elko has this defense balling out. On offense, the Aggies looked solid once again. Sure, Marcel Reed missed some throws, but the weaponry at A&M’s disposal is lethal and the Aggie offensive line is one of the best in the country. The Maroon Goons did not allow a single sack or TFL in this game (Florida just had six sacks and seven TFLs against Texas last week), and they ran for 183 yards on 42 carries. A&M continues to impress. On the Florida side, this was a reversion to the mean. They played great a week ago against Texas, but this was a 2-3 football team full of flaws playing an undefeated team at home in front of 100,000+ fans. Florida just isn’t good right now, and it all falls on Billy Napier’s shoulders.
Bossman: We said it on Biscuits & SEC LIVE last week - things get weird in Jordan-Hare at night. This was a weird one, and officiating was at the center of all of it. From the bad goal-line fumble call to “ClapGate” to a myriad of other complaints from the Auburn fanbase, this was an egregiously officiated game. Georgia had their own gripes, too. But overall, that’s not why Auburn lost the game. Yet again, the offense could only muster ten points at home and just 137 passing yards against a secondary that gave up 280 to Alabama, 371 to Tennessee, and even 225 yards through the air to Kentucky! And you have Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton on the outside, and you can’t even hit 200 yards through the air? That’s on you. The Auburn offense is the responsibility of Hugh Freeze, and it has been atrocious all year. It’s the age-old adage - you should play well enough to win so that the refs aren’t a factor. Auburn also had 11 penalties for over 100 yards. I don’t know what to tell you - you can yell at the refs all day, and trust me, I would have been giving them an earful like John Cohen did, but Auburn is a poorly coached team. Sometimes there is a call that does lose you the game - see South Carolina against LSU last year - but even they missed chances that would have won them the game. As for Georgia, I don’t have much to add other than win and move on. You got a tough SEC win on the road and it wasn’t pretty - but a win is a win.
Hammer: I’m running out of things to say about Hugh Freeze and Auburn. First, the fumble call on the goaline needs to be addressed. Yes, Auburn likely got screwed there. That looked like a touchdown, not a fumble, and the Tigers should have been up 17-0. However, what is the excuse for not scoring a single point after the fumble? Auburn had 50 total yards the rest of the game. Yet again, Auburn’s defense gave them every opportunity to win the game, and the offense, Hugh Freeze’s specialty, blew it. Georgia deserves credit here for adjusting, something they keep doing after slow starts and playing from behind. The Dawgs fight hard, man. They are a very flawed football team, but they are still really hard to beat. They are tough as hell, and they keep coming for 60 minutes. Auburn is not mentally tough, at least on offense, and they do not keep coming. They go into their turtle shell for long stretches every single game, and it is costing them games. It will likely cost Hugh Freeze his job.
LSU vs USC
Bossman: Let’s start with the positives here for LSU - while the defense gave up 317 total yards, they got stops when they needed them and held the Gamecocks to just 10 points. That’s gonna keep you in every ballgame you play from here on out, and it’s what the LSU defense has done all year. They did give up 193 yards rushing to a Gamecocks team that has struggled to run the ball this year, so they need to focus on that going forward, but holding an SEC opponent to 10 points is what you hang your hat on. On the negative side, the offense is still struggling to score points, and two INTs from Garrett Nussmeier do not make you comfortable if you're a Tigers fan with some tough games ahead on the schedule. I said this preseason - I was worried that South Carolina didn’t have the dudes around LaNorris Sellers to make a run like they did last year. So far, I’ve been correct in that, and South Carolina is staring a very underwhelming season right in the face. South Carolina only managed 124 yards passing and 10 points, and their defense gave up 422 yards to this “meh” LSU offense. With a brutal stretch coming up against Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, this could get ugly.
Hammer: This was another pretty rough game if you like offense. If you like defense, I guess you could enjoy this one. LSU keeps winning ugly, and the key there is winning. Like Georgia, this team is full of flaws, but they are winning games and sit at 5-1. The Bayou Bengals do deserve some credit for finally finding a rushing attack. They actually ran the ball 28 times for 168 yards (6 YPC) in this game. I never thought I’d see the day! Caden Durham's return definitely helped them on the ground, and even Nussmeier had a few nice runs. Good for LSU. Unfortunately, the turnover issues with Nuss appear to still be there, as he threw two bad interceptions. He’s got to get that cleaned up. That LSU defense is still salty though. They pestered LaNorris Sellers all night for five sacks and six TFLs, and forced two turnovers. Sellers had no chance in this game. He was under duress all night. South Carolina simply doesn’t have the offensive line or the skill position talent to compete with top-level teams in the SEC right now. The Gamecock offense had no shot in this game. So yet again, LSU grinds out a win. The schedule for LSU will get tougher with games against Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Oklahoma looming. They have to clean up a lot, but that Tiger defense should give them a shot in every one of those games.
Reminder that our previews and picks will come out every Thursday night as we pick the games with the SEC After Dark crew (9 ET/8 CT on YouTube & X), and we’ll put out a graphic on social media as well to keep us honest. Y’all go here to subscribe and hit that bell so you don’t miss it.
We’ll also use our discretion, but most games with a 20+ point spread we won’t recap, barring a massive upset or a result that begs discussion. You can also join us as we preview games all season long on Biscuits & SEC LIVE, every Wednesday at 7 ET/6 CT - you can subscribe to our channel here.
