Around the SEC: Week Three

The best conference in college football certainly did not look – or feel – like the best conference in college football during the week three slate of matchups.

No. 1 Georgia snuck past a tough South Carolina team at home, while down in South Florida, No. 10 Alabama nearly came home with their second loss of the season.

Although it may be early in the season, the SEC should be outplaying their competition with ease, but with the transfer portal and NIL, the gap of competition between the conferences may be slimmer than you think.

No. 1 Georgia, 24 (3-0), South Carolina, 14 (1-2): A Battle in the Trenches

The Georgia Bulldogs trotted out to the field with the expectation of taking care of business at Sanford Stadium. Coach Kirby Smart has yet another elite roster with an anticipation of making it back to the College Football Playoff.

But, the Bulldogs came out on their heels as they were only able to manage a field goal in the first half on top of a 14-3 deficit.

The No. 1 team in the nation was not going to back down to any challenge. Smart’s team held the Gamecocks scoreless in the second half as they rattled off 21 points en route to a 24-14 win. The Bulldogs’ pass-thrower finished with 27-for-35 completions and 269 yards in the air. All three scores were on the ground by three different runners.

As for South Carolina, they drop to 1-2 early in the season. Spencer Rattler had a tough time managing the elite Georgia pass defense with one touchdown and two interceptions.

The Gamecocks head to Mississippi State while the Bulldogs face UAB in a tune-up matchup.

No. 10 Alabama, 17 (2-1), South Florida, 3 (1-2): Trouble for the Tide

The Crimson Tide was facing a similar situation as Georgia while its offense was not on the same page. At the end of the first half, the score at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL: 3-3.

The Tide came into the matchup as a 27-point favorite and the game was tied at halftime. When it came to skill against skill, Alabama was able to add 14 second-half points on the road to a 17-3 victory.

Alabama came into the matchup with a three-man quarterback battle between freshman Ty Simpson, sophomore Jalen Milroe and Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner. The competition is far from over as Simpson and Buchner had a combined ten completions on 107 yards in the air. The trouble for the Tide has to be resolved soon before another loss comes their way.

The Tide will take on No. 15 Ole Miss at home in a week four matchup.

No. 11 Tennessee, 16 (2-1), Florida, 29 (2-1): Rocky Top Goes Down

Could this be the turning point for the Florida Gators?

Star Quarterback Graham Mertz led the Gators to a home upset against No. 11 Tennessee, 29-16. Mertz wasn't spectacular, but it was enough to take down the Volunteers on their home turf.

Running back Trevor Etienne stole the show for UF as he dashed for 172 yards and scored a touchdown. The 5-foot-9 sophomore has given 23 carries and brought a spark of energy to ‘The Swamp”.

On the other side, the Vols were unmatched by the electricity from the Florida faithful. Quarterback Joe Milton and the offensive line did not seem their best as they were flagged for five false starts and were nearly tagged with a pair of delay-of-game penalties.

The tension between these two high-profile SEC teams did not stop within the field of play as both teams shared some extracurricular activities following the final whistle.

Both sides share an identical 2-1 record following this matchup.

No. 15 Kansas State, 27 (2-1), Missouri, 30 (3-0): Upset in Columbia

The field was stormed in Columbia, Missouri as the Tigers upset No. 15 Kansas State on a walk-off 61-yard field goal from placekicker Harrison Mevis.

Mevis stepped up to the kick with 0:00 on the clock and nailed it through the uprights to send the Tigers’ fans home with a win.

Besides the game-winning kick, five-star Wideout Luther Burden III had a field day against the Kansas State defense. Burden finished the afternoon with seven receptions and two touchdowns with 114 yards receiving.

Burden III averages 109 receiving yards per game as Missouri currently sits at 3-0 on the season.

Jasper Abrahams is a second-year Broadcast Journalism student. To contact him, please email jpa5778@psu.edu.