How Well Do You Know the SEC Statistical Leaders?

As we head into the final stretch of SEC football games, there are numerous storylines to follow. The following questions and comments are full of unique statistical data that may surprise you, while some will be where many SEC football fans expect them to be.

1) Which SEC quarterback is closest to Jayden Daniels in touchdown passes, and what's the margin?

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels leads the SEC in passing yards with 2,792. That’s a slight lead over the 2,716 yards that Georgia’s Carson Beck has. It’s the passing touchdown margin that’s shocking though.

With 27, Daniels is nine touchdown passes ahead of Kentucky’s Devin Leary’s 18, which is good for second in the SEC.

2) Quick, which SEC player leads the league in sacks?

It’s Mississippi State edge defender Nathaniel Watson. He’s a sixth-year senior who did not record a sack in 2018, 2019, or 2020, but 5 sacks in 2021, 6 sacks in 2022, and already 8 sacks in 2023, have Watson as the SEC leader. Great story and congratulations to Watson!

3) Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante is one of the most well-rounded defensive players the SEC has to offer. He’s 6th in the conference with 67 tackles, 19th in tackles for loss at 7.5, and his 4.5 sacks place Asante 13th in the SEC.

4) Which SEC team leads the conference in rushing?

It’s the Volunteers of Tennessee. Wait, aren’t the Vols a passing team? Well, last season Tennessee certainly passed the ball all over the gridiron. In total, the Vols threw for 326.1 yards per game and had 4,239 yards overall. That was No. 1 in the SEC for passing.

It flipped to the Vols averaging 227.8 yards rushing per game, and 2,050 yards rushing overall. Quite the change indeed.

5) For SEC teams, the red zone touchdown percentage leader is not surprising as it’s LSU, but the team in dead last might surprise you.

Again, it’s Tennessee. Yes, even though the Vols are the best rushing team in the SEC, the Vols are converting only 51.2% of their red zone opportunities into touchdowns.

6) Which SEC defense is in the top three for total defense, rushing defense, and passing defense?

If you went with the Georgia Bulldogs, you’d be correct. Here are Georgia’s numbers within the SEC: 100 rushing yards allowed (3rd), 182.2 passing yards allowed (1st), and 282.2 in total (1st).

7) Although a true freshman, Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson III is 6th in the SEC with 45 receptions. He’s also 21st in yards with 416, as well as 10th in touchdowns with 4.

8) What do the four SEC teams with the best conference records – Georgia, Ole Miss, Alabama, and LSU – also have in common?

They are the four schools with the most offensive plays of 20 or more yards. Here are the totals: LSU (77), Ole Miss (65), Alabama (53), and Georgia (51).

9) The SEC has irony as well.

Vanderbilt is actually tied with Georgia at 51 offensive plays of 20 or more yards, but the Commodores hold an abysmal 0-6 conference record. Need to play some defense as well, with the evidence for that being Vandy allowing 435.5 yards per game, dead last in the SEC.

10) It's hard to pass the football against SEC defenses!

The SEC has long since been known for its defensive back play, and defense overall. That’s why the following interception statistics should not surprise veteran SEC fans.

Auburn, Georgia, and Vanderbilt lead the SEC by having 11 interceptions on the season. Right behind those three SEC schools, it’s Ole Miss with 10. Overall, 10 of the 14 SEC schools have 8 or more interceptions.