Week 12 is in the books and we are that much closer to putting a bow on the College Football regular season. It was another eventful week in the SEC Conference as we were treated to a little bit of everything, ranging from close defensive struggles to blowouts and everything in between. We’ll begin our recap of the week that was and everything you need to know for the SEC with a wild shootout in Arkansas.
Mississippi StatE @ Arkansas
Game Recap: It was a wild back and forth affair that saw stellar play from quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Brandon Allen, 14 total touchdowns and a walk-off win on a blocked field goal as Mississippi State prevailed 51-50.
Key Players: Mississippi State – We’re running out of superlatives to describe the play of Dak Prescott, who was simply amazing again on Saturday. Prescott threw for 508 yards, five touchdowns and a pick and added on 46 rushing yards and two scores on the ground for good measure. As a whole, the Bulldogs had 631 total yards of offense. Brandon Holloway chipped in 164 combined yards and a score. Fred Ross and DeRunnya Wilson hauled in 10 passes apiece, with Ross contributing 154 yards and two touchdowns while Wilson had 93 yards and found the end zone once.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks leaned heavily on the passing game and Brandon Allen delivered – and then some. Allen completed 30 of 43 for 406 yards, seven touchdowns and no picks. The running was mostly held in check in Saturday’s shootout as the team combined for 73 yards on the ground, mainly thanks to Alex Collins, who carried the ball 19 times for 53 yards. Tight end Hunter Henry led all receivers with seven catches for 129 yards and two scores, Drew Morgan chipped in 7/84/1 and Jared Cornelius contributed 5/81/1. Junior tight end Jeremy Sprinkle broke out with six catches for 47 yards and three touchdowns.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Mississippi State – The Bulldogs welcome Ole Miss to town for the Egg Bowl and what should be a highly-entertaining game this week. Prescott remains at the top of the short list for DFS and will likely be a popular target for what could be a high-scoring affair. Holloway should be considered as a GPP flier, while Wilson and Ross will work nicely as a stack with Prescott, with a nod to Wilson as the top receiving option.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks have a tough matchup with Missouri this Friday. Although Missouri can be tough defensively, it’s hard to disregard Allen with the way he has played this season. Collins is a little easier to take a pass on but still deserves consideration, although there will likely be more affordable options in better spots. Henry and Morgan remain the top options for a stack with Allen, but monitor the news on Morgan as he appeared to be playing in pain this past week.
LSU @ Ole Miss
Game Recap: Chad Kelly and the Rebels dominated a downward spiraling LSU team and walked away with a 38-17 victory.
Key Players: LSU – Brandon Harris had another rough outing as the LSU offense again failed to get in sync. He completed 26 of 51 for 324 yards, one touchdown and two picks and also carried the ball six times for 60 yards. Leonard Fournette chipped in 180 combined yards but failed to find the end zone. Tyron Johnson was the leading receiver on the day with five catches for 83 yards and a score.
Ole Miss: Chad Kelly had a hand in four of the Rebels five touchdowns and offered up another very strong performance. He threw for 280 yards and two scores and was the team’s leading rusher with 81 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. Jaylen Walton found the end zone in an otherwise quiet day for the back as he had only 14 combined yards. Quincy Adeboyejo’s 62 yards led all receivers. Laquon Treadwell and Evan Engram were the recipients of Kelly’s touchdown passes.
Key Injuries: LSU WR Travin Dural exited the game in the second quarter with a hamstring injury.
Players to Watch: LSU – The Tigers close out the regular season with a visit from Texas A&M. The team has fallen from national title contender to having questions about the longevity of its head coach in the span of four weeks. Fournette deserves some consideration as he’ll be looking to keep his flickering Heisman hopes alive. Malchi Dupre or Dural (if healthy) could be considered as low-cost wide receiver options.
Ole Miss: The Egg Bowl matchup with Mississippi State closes out the season for the Rebels. Kelly and the passing game should be targeted for what should be an entertaining game. Treadwell had his streak of 100-yard receiving games snapped at five. He makes for a strong target this week in a game that could turn into a shootout.
Tennessee @ Missouri
Game Recap: Strong defense and a big day from running back Jalen Hurd were enough for Tennessee to defeat Missouri by a score of 19-8.
Key Players: Tennessee – It was a quiet game for the Volunteers passing offense as Joshua Dobbs only threw for 89 yards, but chipped in 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Volunteers running game was a strength throughout the game as the team combined for 248 yards, led by Jalen Hurd’s 34 carries for 151 yards. Josh Malone led all receivers with 35 yards.
Missouri: The Tigers offense was held in check and Drew Lock struggled against a strong Volunteers defense. He completed 13 of 30 for 135 yards and a pick and picked up 11 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Russell Hansbrough was held to only 41 rushing yards on 12 carries. Wesley Leftwich and Cam Hilton tied for the team lead in receiving yardage with 41 yards apiece.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Tennessee – The Volunteers face off with Vanderbilt in the regular season finale. Vanderbilt can be tough on the defensive front, but Dobbs and Hurd still deserve consideration as the Volunteers look to close out the regular season on a high note.
Missouri: The Tigers close out the season with a matchup against a strong Arkansas squad on Friday. The offense has struggled all season and can be safely avoided for DFS purposes.
Texas A&M @ Vanderbilt
Game Recap: Defense and special teams ruled the day for the Aggies as they stifled the Commodores for a 25-0 victory.
Key Players: Texas A&M – Kyle Allen returned to the helm for the Aggies and threw for 336 yards and a score and also picked up seven yards on the ground. The reliable Tra Carson carried the ball 22 times for 126 yards and caught two passes for 31 yards. Josh Reynolds was the Aggies leading receiver with three catches for 105 yards and a score.
Vanderbilt: The committee approach continued at quarterback and the results weren’t pretty. Kyle Shurmur and Johnny McCrary combined for 23 yards and a score. McCrary also chipped in 17 rushing yards. The lone bright spot for the Commodores offense was the play of Ralph Webb, who picked up 79 yards on the ground. Steven Scheu’s two catches for 14 yards was enough to earn honors as the team’s leading receiver.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Texas A&M – The Aggies close out the season with a visit to LSU to face the spiraling Tigers. A few weeks back, we would’ve strongly considered avoiding Aggies players for this matchup, but the Tigers recent play has not inspired fear amongst opponents. While there is the risk of a rebound from the Tigers for the regular season finale, Allen and the passing game deserve consideration, with a nod to Reynolds and Christian Kirk as the top receiving options for a stack. Carson also should be on the radar as he produces week in and week out at an affordable price.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores travel to a hostile environment at Tennessee this week. The offense can be avoided with the exception of Ralph Webb, who could be considered for a GPP flier depending on price.
Charleston Southern @ Alabama
Game Recap: As expected, the Crimson Tide dominated Charleston Southern in all facets and rolled to a 56-6 victory.
Key Players: Jake Coker was an efficient 11 of 13 for 155 yards and two scores before handing the reigns over to Cooper Bateman for mop-up duty. Derick Henry found the end zone twice and contributed 96 combined yards, while Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris also chipped in rushing touchdowns. Calvin Ridley and Richard Mullaney were on the receiving end of Coker’s touchdown passes.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: The annual Iron Bowl versus Auburn is up next for Alabama, who will be looking to stay front and center in the mix for a spot in the College Football playoffs. Coker and Ridley could make for an interesting stack for GPPs. Henry should be on the short list for consideration as he continues his stellar campaign as a strong Heisman contender.
Idaho @ Auburn
Game Recap: Auburn racked up 460 total yards of offense and cruised to a 56-34 victory over Idaho.
Key Players: Jeremy Johnson took the reins and had himself a day with 163 passing yards and two touchdowns and 23 yards and two scores on the ground. The Tigers as a whole ran for 297 yards and five scores, with Jovon Robinson, Roc Thomas and Peyton Barber all finding the end zone. Robinson was the leading rusher with 15 carries for 99 yards. Ricardo Louis and Tony Stevens paced the receivers with 4/90/1 and 3/28/1 respectively.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: A date with Alabama for the annual Iron Bowl is up next on the docket. There are rumblings that the team could employ a committee approach at quarterback for this game, so the passing game sounds like an avoid outside of Louis, the team’s leading receiver. The running game can probably be avoided as well, outside of a contrarian play for GPPs.
Charlotte @ Kentucky
Game Recap: A dominant running game that produced 415 yards and six touchdowns led the Wildcats to a 58-10 victory over Charlotte.
Key Players: It was a quiet day for the passing game as Drew Barker threw for 129 yards, but the Wildcats running game more than made up for any shortcomings on the offensive front. The Wildcats combined for 415 rushing yards and six scores. JoJo Kemp carried the ball 11 times for 165 yards and three scores, while Stanley Williams chipped in 16 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Williams also caught his lone passing target for 22 yards. Jeff Badet was the leading receiver on the day with four catches for 39 yards.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Kentucky closes out the regular season with a tough matchup against Louisville. The passing game can probably be avoided, but the running game deserves some consideration – especially on the strength of this week’s performance. Williams remains the top running back option, but keep Kemp on the radar off of the strength of his game on Saturday.
Georgia Southern @ Georgia
Game Recap: Sony Michel’s 25-yard touchdown in overtime allowed Georgia to squeak by Georgia Southern with a 23-17 victory.
Key Players: Greyson Lambert completed passes to eight different receivers while throwing for 183 yards and a score. Sony Michel carried the ball for 23 of the team’s 30 rushing attempts and accumulated 145 combined yards and a touchdown. Isaiah McKenzie chipped in 28 total yards and a rushing touchdown. Malcolm Mitchell led all receivers with five catches for 73 yards while Terry Godwin received Lambert’s touchdown throw.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Georgia travels to Georgia Tech this week. Michel remains the top option for DFS purposes, while Lambert and Mitchell amount to contrarian GPP selections.
Florida Atlantic @ Florida
Game Recap: Florida needed overtime to dispatch of Florida Atlantic 20-14 in a much closer than expected game.
Key Players: Treon Harris threw for 122 yards, two scores and a pick and ran for 26 yards on 11 carries. Kelvin Taylor was the bright spot for the Gators offense as he had 117 combined yards and a touchdown. Antonio Callaway and Jake McGee found the end zone courtesy of Harris.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Florida closes out the regular season with a tough matchup against in-state rival Florida State. The passing game has been unspectacular for much of the season and can be avoided. Taylor remains the focal point of the offense and the top DFS option.
The Citadel @ South Carolina
Game Recap: The Citadel pounded out 350 yards and three scores on the ground to stun South Carolina 23-22.
Key Players: Perry Orth had a solid game in a losing effort as he racked up 367 passing yards and threw for a score. Brandon Wilds led all backs with 16 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown. Pharoh Cooper broke out with his finest game of the season as he hauled in 11 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: South Carolina closes out the regular season at home when Clemson comes to town. Clemson is a strong national title contender and will looking to close out the season on a high note. South Carolina players can be mostly avoided for this one outside of as contrarian selections.
