For the SEC’s programs expected to be contenders for the College Football Playoff this season, things went quite well.
When it comes to those just on the outside looking in, Saturday’s events answered quite a few questions fans across the south had about their respective teams. The premier game of the weekend was No. 7 Notre Dame visiting College Station for the very first time.
The Aggies lost in respectable fashion despite its lack of offensive ingenuity. Florida and South Carolina had it rough while Alabama, Texas, Auburn and others were in for sweet treats.
LOSER: TEXAS A&M’s PASSING GAME
The Aggies faced what might be the most experienced secondary in America. Notre Dame exerted its will early on with two interceptions of Conner Wiegman, who struggled mightily completing 12-of-30 passes for 100 yards. Nothing was easy for the third year passer who was projected as one of the better players at his position heading into 2024.
““We got to go back to the tape and find out how to put him in better situations to get him comfortable,” Elko said. “He was not in rhythm, and there was nothing easy. We kept trying. Just couldn’t get there.”
WINNER: GEORGIA’S DOMINANCE OVER CLEMSON
Bulldogs’ fans should feel really good about their team’s spot nationally. Clemson went into the game as one of the top ACC programs but failed due to Coach Dabo Swinney’s indifference of recruiting the transfer portal.
Georgia ripped through a Clemson roster which ranks No. 5 based off talent alone by 247sports. The Bulldogs have strung together plenty of impressive performances against the Tigers over the past decade which is reaching Alabama-Mississippi State levels.
Dating back to the 2014 season, Clemson has not scored a touchdown against Georgia’s defense. That spans 31 straight drives going back to the second quarter of its 2014 matchup, 10.5 quarters of play, two full games and 155 minutes of action.
LOSER: THE BILLY NAPIER ERA
There isn’t another team in the SEC which has fallen off at such a dramatic rate like the Gators. Former coach Dan Mullen was 34-15 in his four seasons but was fired after a string of upset losses during the 2021 season including a 5-6 record.
Dan Mullen with a sneaky retweet. 🧐 pic.twitter.com/bWx43OTX7V
— allSEC Football (@allSEC_fb) August 31, 2024
Let’s be clear, Billy Napier hasn’t been a coaching bum throughout his career. He was once considered a highly sought after successful stints in assistant roles and with Louisiana going 40-12 with four conference titles.
Things may be going south in a hurry with this message to his team following a 41-17 loss to rival Miami.
“It’s embarrassing, to be quite honest with you,” Napier said, via ESPN. “That’s how I feel. That’s how our kids feel. There’s no excuses. Keep our mouths shut, show up and work. We have to do better. I do think that our players will show up and they will respond.”
“I felt strongly that we would perform better,” he continued. “But I’m not here to make excuses. We’ve got to get it fixed. We’re going to get another opportunity next week, and we’ve got to play better and coach better.”
WINNER: TRUE FRESHMEN IN THE HEART OF DIXIE
Alabama and Auburn are both in the midst of transition just one year apart. Coaches Kalen DeBoer and Hugh Freeze recruited extremely well during the latest cycle by keeping both 5-star wide receivers home.
No. 3 overall prospect Cam Coleman signed with Auburn and made his presence known immediately with two receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown against Alabama A&M. Likewise, No. 8 overall prospect Ryan Williams burst onto the scene with two touches for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Western Kentucky.
Williams is still only 17-years-old but proved to be a trustworthy option for redshirt sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Auburn was in desperate need of talent on the perimeter for Freeze’s offensive philosophy to run with Payton Thorne at quarterback. He went out and snagged Penn State standout KeAndre Lambert-Smith and pieced in Coleman and fellow freshman Perry Thompson to assemble an improved passing game.
“It was really satisfying and I enjoyed (it),” Freeze said after the victory over Alabama A&M. “They’re just young kids, man, and they just are enjoying playing and going through the experience. It’s fun to see them.”
“[I] wasn’t sure that we could get all of them in the endzone, but it’s really nice to see that. They were quite excited for each other, too, which I love.”
LOSER: SOUTH CAROLINA’S OFFENSE
At one point, starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers was 1-of-5 passing for -3 yards to start the game. He would finish 10-of-23 overall for 114 yards in a struggling effort against Old Dominion.
The Gamecocks trend of negative plays bled into this season as it allowed the Monarchs to record four sacks and ten tackles for loss which is at the bottom in the SEC after week one. After rushing the ball 56 times, Beamer expressed his offensive line knows the need for improvement heading into its SEC opener against Kentucky.
