2022 Week 2: Around the SEC

Story posted September 15, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Jasper Abrahams

Week 2 in the SEC featured it all: Strong resume-building wins, nail-biting finishes and even historic upsets. From Georgia steamrolling in non-conference play, to Alabama and Texas playing the potential game of the year and everything in between, this week was a rollercoaster of emotions for college football fans.

Kentucky takes care of business

Kentucky, led by Heisman candidate Will Levis, picked up a strong conference win, 26-16, over No. 12 Florida. Levis connected with seven different pass-catchers en route to 202 passing yards and a touchdown in the victory.

The ground game for the Wildcats was strong as running back Kavosiey Smoke added 80 yards on 14 touches. Head coach Mark Stoops added his name to the Kentucky Athletics record book, as he became the winningest coach in program history with the victory.

On the other side of the field, Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson wasn't the sharpest, as he finished with 135 passing yards on top of a fumble and two interceptions. Wide receiver Xzavier Henderson led the team with six receptions for 50 yards. The Gators look to get back on track next Saturday as they take on USF.

 

Georgia reclaims its throne

As for No. 1 Georgia, the script was the same in Week 2, as they cruised to a 33-0 shutout against Samford. After allowing nothing but a field goal in Week 1 against then-11th ranked Oregon, the defense did one-better as they pitched a nine-inning shutout. The reigning national champions jumped Alabama for the top spot in the AP Top 25 rankings.

 

Alabama avoids stunning upset

With No. 1 Alabama taking on unranked Texas, many thought the game would be over before it started, with the Tide projected to win by 20+ points. Statistics and projections don't tell the full story, as this game was the opposite of a blowout. The back-and-forth, action-packed dog fight in Austin featured everything from missed field goals, blown calls and even a late 4th quarter comeback from the Crimson Tide.

Jumping to crunch time late in the 4th, Texas took the late lead with 1:39 left in regulation and the record-setting 105,213 fans in attendance thought the ‘Horns had won in grand fashion. But unfortunately, they left too much time on the clock for Bryce Young and Alabama.

The 2021 Heisman winner kept his composure and drove Alabama down the field, resulting in a game-winning field goal with just seconds to go. Alabama may bend, but contrary to popular belief, they cannot break. Nick Saban and company picked up a fantastic win against future SEC opponent Texas, 20-19.

 

Tennessee escapes the Steel City

In a thrilling match up that came down to a key stop in overtime against No. 23 Pittsburgh, the No.15 Tennessee Volunteers’ defense proved they are one of the best in the conference with a 34-27 win. With nine Tackles For Losses (TFL) and an interception, the Vols picked up a critical non-conference win. On the offensive side, Quarterback Hendon Hooker added two scores and 325-yards in the air. Hooker connected with Wide Receivers Cedric Tillman for 162-yards and one score, as well as Jalin Hyatt for 11 receptions and 73-yards. Tennessee looks to keep it rolling against Akron in week three.

 

Hogs on fire

In a shootout in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Razorbacks outlasted Spencer Rattler and the high-powered South Carolina offense, 44-30. Arkansas took an early 21-3 lead and never looked back. In a gritty fight, Rattler finished with 376 passing yards and a touchdown, but it wasn't enough to outlast the Hogs.

Running back Raheim Sanders pushed Arkansas towards victory with 156 yards on the ground and two scores. Next week, Arkansas hosts a non-conference matchup with Missouri State, while the Gamecocks host the number one team in the nation: the Georgia Bulldogs.

 

A historic upset

Do you believe in miracles? Let me introduce you to Appalachian State. This small university in Boone, North Carolina, has been the home to two of the largest upsets in college football history.

In 2007, the FCS Mountaineers stormed into the University of Michigan and put their school on the map by upsetting, at the time, No. 5 Michigan, 34-32. Fast forward 15 years later, and history repeats itself.

App State took on No. 6 Texas A&M in College Station in a low-scoring duel. The Mountaineers snuck their way into arguably the biggest upset of the year so far. A 29-yard field goal from Michael Hughes to put State up by three with 9:15 left in regulation was just enough to stop the Aggies from victory. Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M fell in a heartbreaking loss, 17-14.

 

Same old song and dance for Vandy

Well, for Vanderbilt, there’s not really much to say. After picking up two wins against Hawai’i and Elon, the Commodores came back to earth as they dropped a game to No. 19 Wake Forest.

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman had a field day against the Commodore defense as he converted for 300 yards in the air with four touchdowns. The Demon Deacons took the win, 45-25. The ‘Dores also turned the ball over three times and went 2-for-13 on 3rd down conversions.

Vandy looks to bounce back next week as it faces Northern Illinois before conference play.

 

More from the SEC:

LSU def. Southern University: 65-17
No. 22 Ole Miss def. Central Arkansas: 59-3
Auburn def. San José State: 24-16

Jasper Abrahams is a freshman majoring in communications. To contact him, email jasperabrahams@gmail.com.