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Around the SEC: How the Rest of the League Fared in Week 6

What happened around the conference during week six of SEC play?

The cream has risen to the top in the SEC, with the three favorites in the league separating themselves from the rest of the pack: Alabama, Georgia and Florida. All three teams finished Saturday with, relatively, comfortable wins, and each control their own destiny to the SEC championship game.

With week six in the books, here’s how the Halloween slate of conference games ended up.

Georgia (4-1) 14, Kentucky (2-4) 3

The polar opposite of all of the pass-happy teams we've seen throughout the SEC this year, this game had a combined 222 passing yards and averaged less than six yards an attempt through the air.

Georgia controlled this game from start to finish, rushing for 215 yards and going 5-9 on third down. Zamir White had one of his best games as a Bulldog, picking up 136 of those yards, including a 22-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one in the third quarter that made it a two-score game.

The Kentucky defense, though, held their own. They limited Georgia to only 25 minutes of possession and picked off a pair of Stetson Bennett passes.

Kentucky simply can’t throw the football. Whether it be Terry Wilson or Saturday’s starter Joey Gatewood, the passing game simply isn’t there for Mark Stoops and company. With the Wildcats being one-dimensional, and that dimension playing into the strength of the Georgia defense, it wasn’t a good recipe for success.

However, the most significant loss for Georgia may have come after the game. 247 Sports reported that All-American safety Richard LeCounte was involved in a motorcycle crash on Saturday night and suffered serious injuries, leaving his status in doubt.

Next up: Georgia vs. Florida (3-1), Kentucky: Idle

Auburn (4-2) 48, LSU (2-3) 11

Has Bo Nix taken “the next step”? He’s looked like a competent quarterback who is in control of the offense in the last two weeks against Ole Miss and now LSU.

Nix threw for 300 yards on 18 completions and accounted for four total touchdowns. Combined with over 200 yards rushing, it led to Auburn routing LSU.

After gashing South Carolina for over 200 rushing yards, the LSU offense managed only 37 yards on 21 attempts on the ground. They weren’t able to set up play-action and it forced freshman quarterback TJ Finley to be relied on too much, and he regressed significantly from a week ago. He threw two interceptions and averaged only six yards per attempt.

Defensively, LSU hasn’t improved a bit. They struggle to tackle in space, the secondary is as porous as pasta strainer, and the defensive front gets pushed around like a pee-wee team. The experience and depth aren't there for LSU this season, but this could be a one-and-done stop for first-year defensive coordinator Bo Pelini.

Next up: Idle

Ole Miss (2-4) 54, Vanderbilt (0-4) 21

There really isn’t much to talk about when Vanderbilt is involved. Ole Miss had their way with the Commodores offensively. Matt Corral threw six touchdowns and for over 400 yards on 31-34 passing, the Rebel ground game rushed for 196 yards, and Elijah Moore had 14 receptions for 238 yards and three touchdowns.

The Ole Miss defense did their part, forcing three turnovers and holding Vanderbilt to only three yards a rush.

The bright spot for Vandy is quarterback Ken Seals. The true freshman quarterback threw for 319 yards and completed over 75% of his passes. He threw a pair of touchdowns as well.

The craziest number for this game though: There were 840 people at this game in Nashville. That’s two-percent capacity.

Next up: Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State (1-4), Ole Miss: Idle

Florida (3-1) 41, Missouri (2-3) 17

For the first 25 or so minutes of the game, Missouri put a scare in the Gators. For the first time all season, Florida didn’t score an opening drive touchdown, and Missouri used a pick-six to go up 7-6. They held that margin until late into the second quarter, then Kadarius Toney happened.

Toney scored three straight touchdowns, two at the end of the second quarter and another in the early third quarter, to give Florida separation over Missouri.

Kyle Trask continued his Heisman campaign, throwing for 345 yards and four touchdowns, while also being the Gators leading rusher.

Meanwhile, and most important for Florida, the defense was excellent. They allowed only 10 offensive points, and all 10 of them came when the game was out of reach. Missouri was 3-of-15 on third downs and averaged only 1.7 yards per rush.

Florida will need to repeat this performance in a week when they tangle with Georgia.

Next up: Florida vs. Georgia (4-1), Missouri: Idle

Alabama (6-0) 41, Mississippi State (1-4) 0

This was the first time Mike Leach has ever been shut out in his career as a head coach. It nearly happened against Kentucky, but a safety kept Mississippi State from the dreaded goose egg. Leave it to Nick Saban and company to deliver it.

The Alabama defense has become suffocating since the second half of the Georgia game. In their last 10 quarters, the Tide have allowed 17 points. Alabama held Mississippi State to 3.17 yards per play on Saturday.

On the flip side, the offense hummed along per usual. Mac Jones threw for 291 yards, four scores and didn’t turn the ball over. DeVonta Smith single-handedly had more receiving yards (203) than Mississippi St had total yards (200), not to mention three touchdowns to go with it.

The Crimson Tide won’t be tested by a quality opponent until Thanksgiving weekend when they play Auburn in the Iron Bowl, and even then, the odds of Alabama entering the SEC title game undefeated are high.

Next up: Alabama: Idle, Mississippi State vs. Vanderbilt (0-4)

Texas A&M (4-1) 42, Arkansas (2-3) 31

Much like Nix, Kellen Mond has improved his game significantly through the first six weeks of the season. The senior quarterback threw for 260 yards, completed 81% of his passes and tossed three touchdowns, leading the Aggies to a strong offensive outing against one of the SEC’s best defenses in Arkansas.

Mond frequently connected to his 260 lb tight end Jalen Wydermeyer, who had six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns and routinely found soft-spots in the Razorbacks zone defense.

Arkansas played well despite the double-digit loss. They outgained the Aggies 461-442, although a good chunk of those yards came when they were down 42-17. The Razorbacks were thwarted throughout the game on third down though, and that’s what allowed Texas A&M to separate themselves. The Aggie defense held Arkansas to 3-12 on third down. This led to Texas A&M scoring on six of seven possessions at one pint, with the one possession they did not score on being a kneel down at the end of the first half.

Since they lost to Alabama already, winning the SEC West will require the Tide to lose twice in their last four games, and for the Aggies to win out. But, Texas A&M is making the case for being one of the four best teams in the conference.

Next up: Texas A&M @ South Carolina (2-3), Arkansas vs Tennessee (2-3)