Biscuits & SEC Week 12 Game-by-Game Recaps
A&M completes one of the greatest comebacks of the last 20 years, Georgia eliminates Texas from playoff contention, and Oklahoma tops Bama in Bryant-Denny.
By: Bossman, Hammer
If last week was blowout week, this week was sweat-it-out week. Texas A&M started out the day with one of the most insane comebacks you will ever see over South Carolina, while LSU had to sweat it out in Tiger Stadium to ultimately get a one-point win over Arkansas to keep The Boot.
The 3:30 window saw Oklahoma and Alabama go down to the wire, and the nightcaps had Ole Miss fans sweating against Florida. Texas and Mississippi State got taken behind the woodshed, and it looks like the Longhorns playoff hopes are finished while Georgia remains firmly in the race. Another awesome week in the SEC.
Here’s how the crew fared in Week 12:
Bossman picked up a game in the ATS column by picking Georgia to cover against Texas to keep pace with Hammer and push this competition into the waning weeks of the season. We’ll see what Week 13 brings to see if Bossman can overcome the slight deficit in both columns…
Let’s hit the recaps.
Bossman: WHAT WAS THAT? It’s like Robert Lewis Stevenson wrote the script for the Aggies in this game, who played the most Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde game I’ve ever seen. As another famous author once wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Aggies fans felt all of that in three hours in Kyle Field on Saturday. In the first half for A&M, it was the worst of times – and the worst half of football I have ever seen played in my life at any level. Interceptions, scoop-n-score, couldn’t tackle, two missed FGs, critical dropped passes, dropped interceptions, blown coverages, and on and on and on. The first half never seemed to end for the Aggies, and South Carolina capitalized on their opportunities. South Carolina beat their season average for yards in a game in the first half, popping off for over 300 and 30 points in one half to take a 27-point lead into halftime. And then the best of times started for the Aggies, as Mr. Hyde came out in the second half and completely changed the trajectory of the game. A&M scored on four straight possessions to start the second half, posting 28 unanswered points to take a 31-30 lead halfway through the fourth quarter. The Aggies made play after play after play in critical moments to keep the momentum alive, energize the Kyle Field crowd, and fuel the largest comeback in school history and the biggest comeback in the SEC in over 20 years. There were many heroes for the Aggies in this game, starting with Marcel Reed, who had a career-high 439 yards passing – 298 of which came in the second half. KC Concepcion, Ashton Bethel-Roman, and Izaiah Williams combined for 14 receptions, 347 yards, and two TDs in the absence of the injured Mario Craver. On defense, Cashius Howell, Tyler Oneydim, and Dayon Hayes came up with critical sacks down the stretch that helped seal the game for A&M. For South Carolina, while it was an explosion in the first half for 312 yards and 30 points, they only managed 76 yards of total offense in the second half and didn’t score again. It was a monumental collapse for Shane Beamer’s squad when you had the #3 team in the country on the ropes in their own building. This one will sting in Colubmia for a while, while the Aggies look like a team destined for a special season – maybe it really is different in College Station under Mike Elko.
Hammer: Hold on, let me go get my jaw off the floor before I write this. Okay, got it, now we’re good to go. Holy smokes, what a game! We call games roller coasters all the time, but I’m not sure there is a more apt description for this game. South Carolina fans were on cloud nine in the first half, while Aggie fans were as dejected as can be. Literally everything that could have gone wrong for A&M in the first half did. Multiple missed field goals, multiple interceptions, a fumble that South Carolina returned for a touchdown, sure-handed wide receivers dropping easy catches, etc. It was a masterclass on how to lose a football game. And I don’t want to discredit the Gamecocks here. While a ton of the first half madness was due to mistakes from the A&M side, South Carolina took advantage of those mistakes, and they forced some of them. For example, the Gamecocks defensive front dominated A&M in the first half, holding them to negative rushing yards and sacking Marcel Reed multiple times. LaNorris Sellers made some great throws and was effective with his legs. After firing Mike Shula, the Cock’s offense seemed to have some rhythm. The Gamecocks were handed some things in the first half, but they also played a really good half of football. Unfortunately for Gamecock fans, that did not continue. Texas A&M came out in the second half like a bat out of hell, and before the fourth quarter even started, the Gamecocks 27 27-point lead had evaporated, and they were clinging to a six point lead entering the fourth quarter. After one of the worst first halves you will ever see, Macel Reed and the Aggie wideouts put the team on their back in the second half. Reed finished 439 yards passing, three TDs, and two picks on 22/39 attempts. Given what his stat line was after the first half, that was remarkable. There is so much more to be said about this game, but the bottom line remains that Texas A&M is just so dang hard to beat. They made some many mistakes in this game, South Carolina took advantage of those mistakes, but the second A&M quit shooting themself in the foot, the Gamecocks could not keep up at all. Credit to Mike Elko and the Aggie players for never giving up. One of the more remarkable games I have ever seen.
Bossman: The Golden Boot has had more juice in previous years, as this year’s contest was more aptly named the “Interim Bowl.” This one was played in a sparsely attended Tiger Stadium, as LSU fans are ready to move on to 2026, but don’t tell that to the teams on the field. The Tigers and Hogs played a spirited game that came down to the final minutes. Arkansas jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the back of a blocked punt returned for a TD and a Taylen Green-designed run touchdown in the first quarter. But LSU kept chipping away in the first half, scoring 16 points to take a small 16-14 lead into halftime. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the story of this game was the Arkansas shooting themselves in the foot. Arkansas had three turnovers that turned into 13 points for LSU, and one of them was an INT in the endzone as Arkansas was marching and about to punch it in to take a 21-13 lead in the waning seconds of the half. That’s not to mention a turnover on downs when LSU made a goal-line stand on 4th & 1 midway through the third quarter. Despite all of that, Arkansas would take a 21-13 lead on a nine-yard Mike Washington TD run late in the third quarter. It wouldn’t be enough, as down the stretch, President Michael Van Buren led a 12-play, 92-yard drive that chewed 6:17 off the clock and ended in a 12-yard TD pass from Van Buren to Bauer Sharp. Sans Garrett Nussmeier, who was out with an injury, President Michael Van Buren played well in relief, tossing the rock for 221 yards and a TD. LSU kicker Damian Ramos unsung hero in this one, as he hit three critical kicks from 50, 42, and 42 to help propel the Tigers to victory to keep the Golden Boot in Baton Rouge.
Hammer: Another week, another devastating Arkansas. It’s just like clockwork at this point. The Hogs can’t win an SEC game, and they continue to find new ways to lose in heartbreaking fashion. First order of business, yet again for Arkansas, was losing the turnover battle. At this point, it seems like a given that Arkansas is going to shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly. The Hog’s lost the turnover battle here 0-3, and the turnovers were at incredibly costly times. Taylen Green threw a pick from the LSU nine-yard line, Mike Washington fumbled at the LSU 24-yard line, and Green threw another interception on his own 25-yard line, leading directly to an LSU field goal. For those keeping track at home, that is at least a nine-point swing where the Hogs gifted LSU a field goal and committed two additional turnovers within field goal range themselves. To add insult to injury, Arkansas also got stopped on 4th & goal from the LSU one-yard line and missed a field goal. This was one of the worst games for Arkansas offensively, so credit to the LSU defense and Blake Baker for devising a great plan against an explosive offense. For the LSU offense, they still struggled quite a bit, but did commit to running the ball. On the day, LSU had 37 carries for 155 yards, which is one of their best rushing outputs all year. The Tigers also only threw the ball 33 times, so they were balanced on offense for seemingly the first time all year. They still have deficiencies there, evidenced by only scoring 23 points and totaling 390 yards of offense, but they at least looked like they had a plan with Van Buren at QB. Good for Frank Wilson and that LSU team to get back into the winner’s circle.
Bossman: If there is one word to define this game for Alabama, it would be “mistakes.” When you look at the box score, you wonder how Alabama lost this game. Bama outgained OU by 194 yards, passed for 188 more yards than the Sooners, and had nine minutes more of possession time. But the Tide spotted Oklahoma 20 points off of turnovers and miscues – An 87-yard pick-six by Eli Bowen, a fumbled punt return by Ryan Williams, a missed FG at the end of the half, and a Ty Simpson sack-fumble late in the third quarter that turned into the game-winning field goal for OU. Hard to win ballgames when you make that many mistakes and give a good opponent like Oklahoma extra possessions. Even though they gave up 406 total yards of offense to the Tide, this Oklahoma defense held Alabama to just 21 points and affected Ty Simpson down the stretch, notching three of their four sacks on the night late in the game. This is a huge win for Oklahoma and keeps them squarely in the hunt for the College Football Playoff, with Mizzou and LSU left to play. Win out, and you’re in. It’s a very impressive bounce-back after losing to Texas and Ole Miss midseason. Brent Venables finally has this OU program where he wants it. As for Bama, I was wrong about the black hoodie when we talked with Chloe Rigdon this week…Kalen DeBoer is now 16-1 when wearing the black hoodie.
Hammer: I wised up here and picked the Sooners to cover thanks to that great defense. However, I did not see them winning this ballgame. Yet, for the second straight road game, Oklahoma went into a hostile environment, scored a defensive touchdown, and won by less than a TD. I remain skeptical of Oklahoma long-term due to their offensive issues, but that defense is nasty, man. Ty Simpson and Alabama got a front row seat to what that group can do. Eli Bowen’s 87-yard pick-six and two additional forced fumbles from the Oklahoma defense was the story here. Alabama uncharacteristically coughed up the ball three times, failed to force a turnover themselves, had a field goal blocked, and lost by two points. Down to down, Alabama was more efficient in this game. They outgained Oklahoma 406 to 212 and lost the game. To reiterate, somehow Oklahoma went into Bryant-Denny and only managed 212 yards of total offense and still won the game. It’s hard to see Oklahoma continuing this trend of scoring defensive touchdowns each week and winning by one score, but perhaps they can. They are tough, gritty, and make you earn everything. Ty Simpson, without the help of a run game yet again, had his worst game since the opener at FS,U and that is a credit to Venables and the Sooner defense. Oklahoma continues to prove doubters like myself wrong, so maybe they can keep up this win streak with a pedestrian offense. Big picture, Alabama should be fine, but they can’t afford another loss, so the margin for error is gone. I don’t look at the Tide much differently after this one. I just think Oklahoma deserves a ton of credit here.
Bossman: Another notch in the belt for the Biscuits & SEC crew, who were on the Gunner Stockton train before it was cool. Stockton balled out against the Horns, posting a 94.4 QBR, four TDs to one INT, and 229 yards. Yeah, that’ll do. Right now, the Dawgs own the Longhorns. This is the third time the teams have played, and Georgia has won those games by an average of 9.3 points, and two of the Dawgs wins were blowouts. In this one, it was very clear who the better team was, despite the Longhorns frustration with the refs. Special teams miscues also cost Texas in this one, as a big Ryan Niblett return was called back for holding and they gave up a 40+ yard return to Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, and Kirby got’em on a sneak onside kick to steal a possession. Georgia WR Noah Thomas has burst onto the scene the last few weeks after a lackluster start to the season. He had four receptions for 32 yards and two TDs in this one, and looks to be a major factor in this offense going forward, especially in the redzone. Also, it’s probably time to start putting Gunner Stockton’s name in the Heisman race. His overall stats may not blow you away, but he’s as critical to the Dawgs success this season as anyone, and posted over 220 passing and five total TDs on Saturday night. Texas’ CFP hopes have been dashed, but Georgia is starting to peak at the right time…which should worry the rest of the country.
Hammer: Poor Texas fans. They went from Arch Manning as the Heisman favorite and starting the season preseason #1 to sitting here in mid-November with their CFP hopes gone and Arch Manning crying on national television as Georgia routed the Longhorns 35-10. Gunner Stockton continues to show he is one of the best QBs in the SEC and the entire country, efficiently carving up a previously stout Texas defense on 24/29 passes for 229 yards and 5 total TDs. Stockton is just a gamer, man. He may not look like the prototypical NFL QB, but he is clutch and can play football with the best of them, measurables be damned. For the third consecutive game between these two, Georgia was the more physical team. In the second half, the Dawgs leaned on Texas and found running room on the ground. For the game, Georgia ran for 128 yards on 35 carries while Texas only managed 23 yards on 17 carries. The Texas offense has struggled away all year, and Saturday was no different. Finishing with just 10 points and 274 total yards. Arch Manning came back to earth a bit after his last few games, but as has been the case all season long, it’s unfair to blame him for their struggles when the offensive line is below average, the run game is nonexisten,t and wide receivers are dropping passes. Kirby Smart also coached circles around Sark, and that onside kick midway through the fourth quarter was a gutsy call and executed perfectly. Georgia executes their plan extremely well. Huge win for Georgia and a tough loss for the Longhorns.
Bossman: The Gators gave Ole Miss a run for their money, but ultimately fell short in the fourth quarter. Gators fans were getting excited about a possible upset, but I asked the question on Twitter if they really wanted to win this one – it was an odd position to be in. The entire fanbase has decided they want Lane Kiffin as their next head coach…but if you beat him in his own building, with a 3-6 Gators team? Is that the guy you want? Thankfully, Florida fans didn’t have to answer that question as Ole Miss owned the fourth quarter to take down the Gators. The Rebs raced out to a 10-0 lead before Florida stormed back to take a 24-20 lead into halftime. DJ Lagway’s deep ball was working on Saturday night, but Ole Miss countered that with 12 plays of 15+ yards, including two 40+ yard plays. Kewan Lacy played like a man possessed in this one, rushing for 224 yards and three TDs, good for 7.2 yards per carry. Florida gained just 52 yards in the fourth quarter, and the Lagway interception deep in Ole Miss territory with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter was a back-breaking blow. Florida still had another possession to drive down and score after a goal-line stand with 2:40 to go in the game, but were unable to muster anything on offense with their backs against the wall. It was a gutsy win for Ole Miss, who are likely playoff-bound no matter what happens in the Egg Bowl. However, if Lane Kiffin leaves, it may be the best season of Ole Miss football ever, coupled with the most devastating blow the program has experienced in years. In the waning moments of the game, a loud “We want Lane” chant broke out at Vaught-Hemingway. One wonders what is going through the head man’s mind as he remains coy in discussing openings like Florida and whether or not he will be back in Oxford next season.
Hammer: What a game and atmosphere is Oxford, Mississippi. I left Florida for dead after Kentucky plastered them a week ago in Lexington, but the Gators came back from the dead in this game and played hard. An early Trinidad Chambliss interception that Florida returned to the 5-yard line really helped, as the Gator offense struggled most of the day, totaling 326 yards and getting shut out in the second half. Despite the slog offensively, Florida led the Rebels 24-20 entering the 4th quarter. Then it was all Rebels who scored 14 unanswered points to seal the deal. While Chambliss had a decent day and went for 301 yards through the air, this was the Kewan Lacy game. Lacy has been great all year, and he sealed his name in Ole Miss history with this performance, toting the rock 31 times for 224 yards and three TDs, including both 4th quarter Rebel scores. Given all the rumors swirling around Lane Kiffin and the Florida job, this was a charged-up environment, and Ole Miss drew a record crowd. Kiffin sidestepped any questions about his coaching future after the game and tried to keep focus on this team and what they are doing. The Rebels now sit at 10-1 and are basically a lock to make the CFP with only one game remaining. Undoubtedly, the best season Ole Miss has ever had in the modern era.
Bossman: I’m not really sure what happened here to Mississippi State. I thought that with a freshman QB playing for Mizzou and the old school MSU on the helmets, the Bulldogs would put up more of a fight. I was wrong. The Tigers beat the brakes off of Mississippi State, and the defense absolutely mauled the Bulldogs front. You know what they say – the game is won in the trenches, and the Tigers lived in the backfield all night. Matt Zollers threw two early TDs before Ahmad Hardy said, “Hold my beer,” and took over the game, putting up TD runs of 10, 72, and 43 yards. He finished the game with grown ass man numbers, with 300 yards on the ground and averaged 12 yards per carry. That’s EA Sports create-a-player numbers. Mizzou made a few mistakes, but they were overshadowed by even worse blunders from State, like two pick-sixes thrown by Blake Shapen that blew the lid off this game and a botched field goal attempt deep in Mizzou territory that turned into a 62-yard fumble return by Toriano Pride. State fans are going to leave this one thinking “what if,” because if you eliminate the catastrophic self-inflicted mistakes, the Bulldogs are right in this game. For Mizzou, this is a solid home win that gets you to 7-3 and keeps you in the hunt for a solid 8-4 to 9-3 season. It won’t be easy to get there with Oklahoma and Arkansas left on the schedule, but it’s certainly achievable.
Hammer: Shame on me for thinking Mississippi State could hang in this game. I’ve been high on the Bulldogs dating back to the summer, and it’s paid off for the most part this year. Mississippi State hit the over on their win total before conference play even began, lost in overtime twice to Texas and Tennessee, and won an SEC game, but my belief in them went too far here. I should have seen the matchup nightmare this game was in favor of Missouri. The Tigers have a stout defense, led by their front seven. Mississippi State struggles in pass protection. Mizzou runs the ball extremely well, and Mississippi State is bad at defending the run. Those two matchups in favor of Mizzou essentially tell you all you need to know about this game. On defense, Mizzou was in the backfield, terrorizing Blake Shapen and stuffing the State run game. The Tigers finished with 13 TFLs and 4 sacks. Thanks to that pressure, they also had not one but TWO pick-sixes in this game. I doubted the ability of Mizzou backup QB Matt Zollers after his performance a week ago against A&M. Well, it turns out they didn't need him in this game. He was just 8/15 for 112 yards with two TDs and one interception on the day because Mizzou ran all over Mississippi State. Ahmad Hardy had one of the best games you will ever see by an SEC running back, carrying it 25 times for 300 YARDS and 3 touchdowns. That’s not a typo, he actually ran for 300 yards in a single game. Bravo, young man. Good for Mizzou for getting up off the mat after two tough losses to Vandy and A&M. Drink continues to show that he is a great coach, and this team fights for him.
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