A look at how SEC offenses are doing heading into this Saturday:
Alabama: Quarterback AJ McCarron pulled out his laser gun and averaged a stellar 10 yards per pass attempt in win over Arkansas. Bama offense also did not turn the ball over. Now Nick Saban’s club meets a Florida defense that has not allowed more than 299 yards in a game – the 299 coming last week against UK.
Arkansas: After rolling up at least 454 yards in each of their first three games, Hogs managed just 226 yards against Alabama. Bobby Petrino’s club has a turnover margin of -6 over its last three games. The Hogs step out of conference this Saturday to play Texas A&M, which has to still be stinging from that 30-29 home loss to T. Boone Pickens State last Saturday.
Auburn: Tiger offense sputtered against Florida Atlantic, gaining just 315 yards. Gene Chizi’s team would not be 3-1 if not for a +2 turnover margin. Now Auburn travels to South Carolina, where Gamecock defense is coming off a performance in which it held Vanderbilt to four rushing yards and all of five first downs. South Carolina was allowing an average of 381 yards per game. That number now is 305.
Florida: Gators’ 405 yard rushing against Kentucky is the best by an SEC team this year. Second is Alabama’s 347 rushing yards against North Texas State. Now the Gators meet an Alabama defense that held Arkansas to all of 17 yards rushing. First game of the year, Kent State had a -9 yards rushing against the Tide.
Georgia: Quarterback Aaron Murray averaged 10.31 yards per throw in win over Ole Miss. Bulldog offense has steadily improved from 373 yards vs. Boise State to 436 vs. South Carolina to 470 vs. Coastal Carolina to 475 vs. Ole Miss. Now the Bulldogs play a Mississippi State defense that has been consistently average, giving up between 338 and 381 yards in each of its four games.
Kentucky: The Cats have broken 300 total yards in a game just once – 344 versus Central Michigan. If only Kentucky still ran that Air Raid offense, the one former Hal Mumme and Mike Leach protégé Dana Holgorsen used at West Virginia to gain 533 yards on LSU last week. The Cats travel to face the Tigers in Baton Rouge on Saturday.
LSU: The Tigers’ turnover margin is a ridiculous +8 through four games. Running game gained 175 vs. Oregon, 148 vs. Mississippi State and 186 vs. West Virginia. Now LSU meets a Kentucky defense that allowed 405 rushing yards to Florida, a UK defense’s worst showing against the run since 1994.
Ole Miss: Rebels averaged 1.31 yards per rush against Georgia, and gained just 183 total yards on day. In its two SEC games, Mississippi is averaging 208.5 yards of total offense. Houston Nutt’s team gets on a big old jet airliner and heads to Fresno State this Saturday.
South Carolina: Stephen Garcia threw four interceptions against Vanderbilt and it didn’t matter. Given that the next opponent, Auburn, is allowing 477.5 yards per game, the Gamecocks may meet the Auburn traveling party at the airport to welcome it to Columbia.
Tennessee: Vols were off last week, which gave Derek Dooley more time to work on a running game that posted a -9 against Florida. The Vols play visiting Buffalo this week, and thankfully that doesn’t mean the Bills.
Vanderbilt: The Commodore offense was an unmitigated disaster at South Carolina, gaining four yards on 25 rushing plays, and just 73 yards on 23 pass plays. Vanderbilt had just five first downs. James Franklin’s club does have a +7 turnover margin, which explains the 3-1 overall record. Vandy has an extra week to work up the courage to go to Alabama on Oct. 8.
