Around the SEC: Week 9
The season moves on, and the SEC continues its dominance over the rest of college football. In Week 9 we saw three teams move to eight wins on the year, and two top teams stay unbeaten.
This week, we look forward to two ranked SEC matchups, including a showcase between No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Tennessee.
The first team to recap, for good reason, is that of the Georgia Bulldogs (8-0). The reigning national champions took care of business against Florida, dominating via the air and the ground en route to a 42-20 victory.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett put together another solid outing, throwing for 316 yards and two scores. Bennett connected often with his star tight end Brock Bowers, who logged 154 yards receiving and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs didn’t let up in the ground game either, as junior running back Daijun Edwards and senior back Kenny McIntosh combined for almost 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Edwards stole the show, rushing for 106 yards on almost nine yards a clip.
Georgia will face a much tougher opponent this week, however, as they host No. 2 Tennessee (8-0) in a heavyweight SEC showcase.
Speaking of the Volunteers, they exploded on offense this past week against No. 19 Kentucky (5-3). Most expected a tight game with the return of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis from injury — but that was not the case, as the Vols delivered a 44-6 victory at home.
Heisman front runner Hendon Hooker put together a stellar performance, accounting for 268 total yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt was the main target once again, logging five catches for 138 yards and two scores.
Tennessee struggled to get it going on the ground, as junior running back Jabari Small had a tough outing. Small took 21 carries for 78 yards, only averaging 3.7 yards per carry. That could be a weakness that the Vols must correct as they face a stout Georgia defense this week.
The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels (8-1) got right this past week, downing SEC opponent Texas A&M (3-5), 31-28. The Rebels were efficient through the air, as quarterback Jaxson Dart threw for three scores on only 20 passing attempts.
The story of the game was how dominant the Ole Miss rushing attack was. The Rebels ran the ball a whopping 63 times, headlined by freshman running back Quinshon Jenkins who had a field day. Jenkins took 34 handoffs for 205 yards and a touchdown, averaging six yards a clip. Dart took 17 carries for 95 yards as well.
Arkansas (5-3) was triumphant in their SEC showdown, downing the Auburn Tigers (3-5), 41-27. The Razorbacks were efficient through the air, as quarterback KJ Jefferson went 16-for-24 on the day for 234 yards, while also rushing 45 yards and two scores on the ground.
Sophomore back Raheim Sanders put the team on his back, as he carried 16 times for 171 yards, averaging almost 11 yards a clip.
Two top SEC teams were on bye this past week, and they face off this Saturday. The No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) travel west to take on the No. 15 LSU Tigers (6-2).
Alabama needs to get right this week, as it currently trails both No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Tennessee in the SEC standings. The Crimson Tide will look to their sensational quarterback Bryce Young, who has almost 2,000 passing yards on the year, with an impressive 18-3 touchdown to interception ratio.
The Tide running attack is led by junior back Jahmyr Gibbs, who is averaging almost seven yards a carry on the year with six scores.
On the other side, LSU will have to rely on junior quarterback Jayden Daniels, who has accounted for 1,800 yards through the air in 2022. Daniels also miraculously leads the Tigers in rushing this season as well, notching nine touchdowns on the ground.
We can expect some high scoring affairs in the southeast this weekend, as the college football community prepares for some SEC action.
Parker Silverman is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.
