SEC Week 2 Impressed List: Arkansas gets the thumbs up
In terms of the Impressed/Depressed list, we’ve got quite the list of who we were impressed with and who we were really not.
There will be some surprise about No.1…
- Arkansas: THE HOGS WERE A 17 POINT UNDERDOG AND WON. WAS THERE ANY MORE IMPRESSIVE (DEFENSIVE) PERFORMANCE? Thanks to Barry Odom, who’s a better defensive coordinator in his lifetime than he’s ever been a head coach, they worked out Mike Leach, only letting KJ Costello only throw for one pass over 20 yards. It was awesome. Sure, the offense was (again) pitiful – and they managed to get the ball back off a muffed punt catch – but the losing streak is over, people.
- Georgia: Georgia went aggressive from the word ‘go’ all night long, and Auburn’s experience O-Line couldn’t deal with it. Bo Nix ran for his life over and over again. The defense had 3 sacks and 6 tackles for loss, while the offense was fine and functional if not spectacular….which is exactly what was needed on a night when 27-6 did the Bulldogs a disservice. The only bad news was the Georgia student section, who couldn’t seem to understand the words: “Wear a mask”.
- Alabama: They had a bad first quarter, but the machine whirred and Texas A&M was crushed, accordingly.
- Florida: Kyle Trask is awesome, and although Kyle Pitts added another couple of touchdowns, Kadarius Toney popped up with an 86-yard on just six receptions. Florida’s offense still wasn’t wonderful on the floor, but damn, it’s good in the air.
- Tennessee: Are Missouri very good? No. But Tennessee was a great improvement from Week 1 to Week 2, and we can’t wait for a proper test next week against Georgia. The offensive line gave Ty Chandler enough time to ground out 90 yards and give Jarrett Guarantano enough time to be functional. Which is what they need.
- LSU: They needed a SEC doormat to show what they could do, and they did it. More importantly, they didn’t let Vanderbilt score for the whole of the second half and Myles Brennan had a 336 yard, 4 TD day. John Emory’s 106 yard rushing day means that LSU is finding some sort of rush game, and the fact that 11 players had receptions means that this offense is going to be pretty fun. OH AND WELCOME BACK DEREK STINGLEY JR YOU BIG STUD! TAKE ME TO BED OR LEAVE ME FOREVER!
- Ole Miss: As much crap as we gave their defense last week with our jokes about social distancing, Kiffin’s groups improved themselves so much that they at least gave themselves a chance to have free football in Kentucky. They took advantage of it, and won by the field goal. Should we get on the Lane Train? No. Should we be thinking about it? Yes.
- Kentucky: The Wildcats shot themselves in the foot twice in an hilarious manner last week. Asim Rose celebrating before he got to the end-zone and promptly fumbling was one, and then missing an extra point in overtime was another. Kentucky is killing itself in the flag department – 81 yards total. Mark Stoops’ decision to forgo Terry Wilson’s arm and get the team to run, run, run was a good idea (408 on the floor), but when your running back is dropping touchdowns, crap like this will happen.
- Texas A&M: Little was expected, and little happened as a good first quarter was taken apart by two bad ones as A&M was rolled by the Tide. Much as been made of Jimbo Fisher, but little has been given thus far. Kellen Mond’s not the answer, folks.
- Auburn: So much was expected and so little was given on a night when what Auburn feared would happen to the offensive line happened (3 sacks given up and 6 tackles-for-loss), and the Tigers couldn’t stay on the field, totalling just 216 total yards and a pair of field goals.
- South Carolina: Can someone explain to me why Will Muschamp thought that chewing up 7 minutes and 34 yards on a fourth quarter drive with the team down 14 would be a good idea? We’ve heard grumblings from South Carolina, and none of it’s good….
- Missouri: Great things about the Tennessee game? Larry Rowntree and Nick Brown. Rowntree ran for 84 yards and a TD, and Bolton had a staggering 17 tackles. The bad things? There is no real defense past Bolton, the offense has got more kinks that a BDSM orgy, and the wide receivers can’t catch the ball (see the dropped 84 yards TD certainty for details).
- Vanderbilt: The Commodores are expected to be bad, and were bad, highlighted by the fact that two WRs managed to get in each other’s way in the end-zone and prevented themselves getting a TD at the end of the first half of their 41-7 thrashing.
- Mississippi State: Much was expected of Mississippi State after the win over LSU but little was given. OK, so the injury to Kylinn Hill ruined any chance of a setting up of the run game, but Leach couldn’t seem to work out that Barry Odom knows how to play him and structure his offense differently. The special teams screw-up by Hill cost them a try at the winning drive, but they wouldn’t have deserved it.