SEC Recap, Week 2: Bama, South Carolina make huge statements

story by Chris Rushing, College Sports Matchups (CSM is a content partner with The City Wire)
[email protected]

I’m not going to lie. I regretted my pick almost immediately after I posted the forecast on the site.

“No way South Carolina loses to Georgia again,” I told myself. The Gamecocks had all the right experience at all the right positions. Marcus Lattimore was the right signee at the right time for Steve Spurrier as the Ol’ Ball Coach headed into a pivotal year in his South Carolina rebuilding project.

Yet, you cannot hide behind print and I sit at two weeks having missed two predictions instead of just one (and that one was unforeseen by pretty much everyone not located in Calhoun County, Ala). The Gamecocks made an enormous statement and vaulted themselves to the top of the Southeastern Conference’s Eastern Division with a 17-6 program-defining victory even greater than that of their mascot-sharing counterparts from Jacksonville State.

Lattimore made his name well-known nationally (if it wasn’t already) with these eye-popping stats: 38 carries, 198 yards of total offense (131 of those after first contact) and 29 broken tackles. Is it a sign of Lattimore’s talent or a sign of growing pains for Todd Grantham and the 3-4 defensive front scheme being implemented at UGA?

Stephen Garcia was serviceable in his role as the USC signal caller (12-of-17, 165 yards) as he was happy to keep giving Lattimore handoff after handoff. Aaron Murray had slightly better numbers (14-of-21, 192 yards) but the only stat that truly matters is the 2-0, 1-0 mark South Carolina carries with itself into week three.

Meanwhile, Auburn slowed down its hurry-up approach and held on for a 17-14 win in raucous Davis-Wade Stadium to take its 18th SEC opener in the last 19 seasons, and Trent Richardson leapt to the top of my Heisman watch list with a tremendous performance in Alabama’s 24-3 shellacking of Penn State.

• Auburn 17, Mississippi State 14
For 10 months, Dan Mullen and his MSU team pointed to Thursday night’s showdown with Auburn as a night of recognition. This was supposed to be the game where Mississippi State proved it belonged in the championship conversations for longer than one weekend.

Then, Cameron Newton put the Auburn Tigers on his shoulders for a second-straight week and AU survived a couple of key injuries to seniors Lee Ziemba and Mario Fannin in the form of a 17-14 victory.

Sometimes, good teams have to hold on and get a win when it’s absolutely necessary. Great teams have a knack of putting away most opponents early and pounding the nail into the coffin when absolutely necessary. Auburn found its way to win by going away from its philosophy on offense and riding a strong defensive performance, perhaps the strongest on that side of the ball since Gene Chizik took over. However, there were opportunities to put the Bulldogs away that the Tigers missed and it almost cost them dearly.

On the other hand, Mississippi State did everything it could to win the game and fell short time after time in the third and fourth quarters. Nick Fairley and the rest of the AU defensive front had a lot to do with that, but dropped passes on several of Chris Relf’s attempts were bigger causes to the 0-1 conference mark Mullen and Co. currently have.

• Florida 38, South Florida 14
Never mind that this game was tied 7-7 at halftime. To me, it says a lot about Urban Meyer and the Gators that UF has looked awful compared to what we’re used to seeing from that program over the past five years yet, without much fanfare, Florida is averaging 36 points per outing while giving up just 13.

Luckily, defensive touchdowns count just as much as offensive scores on the scoreboard or Florida fans would have even more to gripe about. However, just how much complaining is warranted when winning ugly still holds a couple of comfortable margins between two overmatched opponents?

• Alabama 24, Penn State 3
I found myself lucky enough to experience quite an atmosphere Saturday night in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Due to connections, my dad and I took in the sights and sounds of this special evening from the 45-yard line with 102,000-plus others.

Richardson had 144 yards on the ground and another 46 in receptions. He only twice by my count went down on first contact, proving that his goal to survive the first hit sustained on every carry he confessed to Erin Andrews on ESPN’s College GameDay segment is very much obtainable every week he carries the football for the Tide offense.

I’ve now seen five teams in person through two weeks, and Alabama is by far the most impressive. Richardson, also, is the best of all the players who have taken the field in the three games I’ve attended. Good luck to any team unfortunate enough to have to play at Bryant-Denny Stadium this year or any season for the foreseeable future.
 
Only one thing will prevent Richardson a prolonged run atop everyone’s Heisman lists: last season’s winner and backfield-mate, Mark Ingram. When the 2009 stiff-arm trophy recipient returns in the coming weeks, how do you not keep Richardson in the lineup? Sounds like Jim McElwain has a good problem on his hands.

• Oregon 48, Tennessee 13
If you want to know where this game turned, you only have to look at these numbers. Before Matt Simms, UT’s freshman quarterback, threw a back-breaking pick-six to give Oregon its first lead midway through the third quarter, the Vols had accumulated 322 yards with no sacks and no turnovers en route to a 13-10 lead.

The rest of the way, Derek Dooley’s offense sputtered to a 0.6 yards per play average (20 plays, 11 total yards) with Simms being sacked twice.
 
Game. Set. Match.
 
UT has a lot to work on, and it was no secret that Oregon was going to be able to come in and win (perhaps overwhelmingly) before the two teams met Saturday night. However, it’s inexcusable to give up 45-unanswered points in the last 30 minutes of any game, regardless of the offensive firepower possessed on the other sideline.

• Arkansas 31, Louisiana-Monroe 7
Most of the preseason expectations were levied on the Arkansas program thanks largely in part to the playmakers littering the offensive depth chart. However, the Hogs’ defense has been tremendous in two contests against admittedly weak opponents as Willy Martinez’s unit allowed only 188 yards in a sloppy 31-7 win over the Warhawks Saturday night in Little Rock.

The Razorbacks have allowed just 10 points in the two wins to open the 2010 season, and the defense will have another reason to feel great about itself (and the Hogs’ chances at a division championship) by taking on a wounded Georgia offense in week three.

• LSU 27, Vanderbilt 3
Les Miles has not ruled out a possible quarterback controversy after third-year starter Jordan Jefferson had just 96 yards passing with connecting on just 8-of-20 attempts. In the first half, Jefferson was a paltry 3-of-9.

The Tigers did score 17-unanswered points in the final frame, but let’s face it: they were taking on a Vanderbilt squad that is led by a former turkey farmer. Whether it’s Jefferson or battle-tested senior Jarrett Lee that takes the first snap under center against MSU this upcoming weekend, if LSU doesn’t get better quick, that preseason prediction of finishing fourth in the West may not be an insult any longer to the Bayou Bengals’ faithful followers.

It might become a goal.

• Kentucky 63, Western Kentucky 28
Randall Cobb had a field day as he collected touchdowns via special teams (50-yard punt return in the second quarter), the UK passing game (a 15-yard scoring strike to fullback Moncell Allen in the wildcat formation) and as a receiver (35-yard TD reception from classmate Mike Hartline) in the Wildcats’ 63-28 trouncing of in-state foe Western Kentucky.

Cobb came into the 2010 campaign as being touted as one of the SEC’s top playmakers, and Saturday night did nothing to discredit those honors. The senior gave his teammates a spark with his punt return score and UK never looked back.

• Ole Miss 27, Tulane 13
It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the means, but when you drop your season opener to a much weaker opponent, the best you can hope for is a 1-1 mark heading into your conference opener in week three.

Houston Nutt has a problem on his hands in the form of the 2010 Ole Miss Rebels, and the defense seems to be the weakest link on a roster that is filled to the brim with talent on that side of the ball. Surprisingly, both Tulane and Jacksonville State were able to move at will on Tyrone Nix’s defense – especially through the air.

The Rebels said goodbye to one of their best offensive linemen, Rishaw Johnson, as the junior was given his unceremonious walking papers Thursday afternoon after violating team rules. Sophomore linebacker Brandon Sanders also is serving an indefinite suspension, giving Nutt a couple more major distractions as UM desperately attempts to keep the 2010 campaign from slipping away into mediocrity.

Ole Miss had a very tough time putting Tulane away in the Superdome Saturday night. The offense did its part in putting up 27 points, but the Green Wave fumbled away a couple of key chances inside the redzone in the second half to cut the Rebels’ lead shorter twice.

Back-to-back 9-4 seasons will keep most of Nutt’s detractors at bay in Oxford, but this team is mostly relying on his recruits in the playmaker roles. A decisive win over Vandy this upcoming weekend could do wonders in giving Ole Miss much-needed confidence to get things back on track.