It was a wild week all across the College Football landscape. We were treated to several upsets, a bunch of nail-biters and several fantastic individual performances. The SEC Conference included all of the above and then some in what may have been the most entertaining week of the season thus far. We’ll start off this week’s recap with the most anticipated matchup of the week.
LSU @ Alabama
Game Recap: Alabama’s defense held Leonard Fournette in check and Derrick Henry made it be known that there’s another SEC running back in contention for the Heisman as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 30-16 victory.
Key Players: LSU – Alabama’s stifling defense held LSU in check throughout the game. Brandon Harris struggled under the pressure as he competed only six of 19 for 128 yards, one touchdown and one pick. Leonard Fournette was held to 31 yards on 19 carries for a paltry 1.6 yards per carry, something that seemed unthinkable to anyone who has watched him play. He did find the end zone for the Tigers other touchdown on the day. Malachi Dupre was the only Tiger receiver to find a modicum of success with two catches for 77 yards and a score.
Alabama: The dominant Crimson Tide defense shared the spotlight with Derrick Henry, who contributed one of the most memorable rushing performances of the season. Henry carried the ball 38 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns. Kenyan Drake perfectly complemented Henry in his change of pace role, chipping in 68 yards on the ground plus three catches for 40 yards. Jake Coker was efficient if unspectacular as he completed 18 of 24 for 184 yards. Calvin Ridley paced the receivers with seven catches for 51 yards.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: LSU – There’s not much time for LSU to lick their wounds as they welcome Arkansas to town this Saturday. Arkansas is in the midst of a three-game winning streak that has seen them score at least 53 points in each game. They remain tough against the run defensively, but have been allowing points through the air due to the high-scoring nature of several of their recent games. Fournette always has to be considered regardless of opponent, but his salary is a huge determining factor. Harris could be an interesting bounce back candidate, but the real value may lie in the Tigers receivers for this game. Dupre and teammate Travin Dural can typically be purchased for a song and provide some nice upside for this week’s matchup.
Alabama: There’s no time for the Crimson Tide to rest on their laurels as they head to Mississippi State for a tough matchup this Saturday. The Tide will want to control the pace in this game as attempting to enter a shootout with the Bulldogs’ Dak Prescott could be a recipe for a disaster. That being said, Ridley makes for an intriguing flier for this matchup, but expectations should be tempered on Coker. Henry should be front and center on the short list regardless of opponent after last week’s performance against a solid defense. A repeat of last week may be a bit too much to ask, but solid production should be a given. It will come down to salary – i.e. whether his cost justifies his projections for this matchup.
Arkansas @ Ole Miss
Game Recap: It took overtime and 105 total points to decide a wild one between Arkansas and Ole Miss. Brandon Allen threw for six touchdowns to lead the Razorbacks to a 53-52 victory.
Key Players: Arkansas – The Razorbacks proved that they have one of the more potent offenses in the SEC Conference as they compiled 605 total yards of offense and 53 points. Brandon Allen showed once again why he deserves mention as one of the top signal callers in the conference by completing 33 of 45 for 442 yards and six touchdowns. Alex Collins carried the ball 17 times for 108 yards, his third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance. Drew Morgan led all receivers with nine catches for 122 yards and three scores while Dominique Reed contributed 7/105/2. Hunter Henry had a relatively quiet six catches for 60 yards, but made one of the plays of the year with a backwards lateral to Collins, who ran for a 31-yard gain to keep the game alive in overtime.
Ole Miss: Chad Kelly put forth one of the finest offensive performances you will see all season, albeit in a losing effort. He threw for 368 yards and three touchdowns and led the team in rushing with 110 yards and three scores. Jaylen Walton carried the ball 13 times for 76 yards and a touchdown. Laquon Treadwell added another stellar performance to his impressive resume as he caught seven passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, his fifth consecutive game with over 100 receiving yards and at least one score. Quincy Adeboyejo and Damore’ea Stringfellow were the recipients of Kelly’s other touchdown tosses.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Arkansas – The Razorbacks have a tough road game at LSU next on the docket, a team that is sure to be in a foul mood after being thoroughly defeated by Alabama this past week. LSU is stout in both phases defensively and will present quite a challenge for the Razorbacks. That being said, the Razorbacks have been on a roll offensively and at least deserve consideration. The passing game may be the more attractive target, but Allen and Morgan offer some upside and should be in consideration for DFS. Collins will likely be a focus of LSU’s defense and probably prohibitively priced in relation to his projections for this game.
Ole Miss: The Rebels have the week off after being stunned in overtime and have a date with LSU on November 21 to look forward to. The Rebels running game can be safely avoided for this matchup. Even against a strong defensive team such as LSU, the combo of Kelly and Treadwell deserves strong consideration. They are one of the top quarterback-receiver duos in the nation and have combined for six touchdowns over the previous five games.
Mississippi State @ Missouri
Game Recap: A rainy day didn’t slow down Dak Prescott as he threw for four touchdowns to lead Mississippi State to a 31-13 victory.
Key Players: Mississippi State – Dak Prescott continued making his case for Heisman consideration with another outstanding performance. He threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and was also the team’s leading rusher as he chipped in 47 rushing yards. Fred Ross led all receivers with 11 catches for 115 yards and a score, while De’Runnya Wilson had four receptions, 102 yards and two touchdowns. Fred Brown received Prescott’s other touchdown throw.
Missouri: Drew Lock and the entire Tigers offense struggled to get anything going against the Bulldogs. He completed only 11 of 26 passes for 107 yards and two picks. Tyler Hunt paced the backfield with six carries for 85 yards, while Russell Hansbrough chipped in 62 yards and a score. Hunt’s lone reception for 35 yards was enough to qualify as the leading Tigers receiver.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Mississippi State – The Bulldogs have a tough matchup with Alabama on tap, who just dismantled LSU this past week. You can safely disregard the Bulldogs running game for this one. Prescott deserves consideration regardless of opponent as one of the top dual-threats in the nation. Wilson is the preferred target for any stacking situations, but a case can also be made for Ross.
Missouri: The Tigers have a game with BYU up next. BYU is a middle of the road team defensively, but with the Tigers struggling as badly as they have been on offense, it’s hard to consider any of them for DFS purposes.
South Carolina @ Tennessee
Game Recap: A late fumble recovery sealed the deal for Tennessee, who received another solid performance from Joshua Dobbs en route to a 27-24 victory.
Key Players: South Carolina – The Gamecocks showed some improvement for the second consecutive game but ultimately came up short. Perry Orth threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns and also chipped in 42 rushing yards. Brandon Wilds received the bulk of the work in the backfield as he carried the ball 20 times for 79 yards. Pharoh Cooper’s four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown was enough to lead all receivers on the day. Jerrell Adams and Jonathan Walton received the other touchdowns.
Tennessee: Joshua Dobbs led the Volunteers to their second consecutive victory by throwing for 255 yards, two scores and a pick and also contributing 35 rushing yards. Jalen Hurd contributed 103 combined yards and a rushing touchdown. Alvin Kamara had 57 combined yards and found the end zone twice, once on the ground and once through the air. Von Pearson was the leading receiver on the day with eight catches for 121 yards and a score.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: South Carolina – The Gamecocks have a tough matchup with Florida up next. Florida is one of the top defensive teams in the country. You can safely fade the Gamecocks for this matchup.
Tennessee: The Volunteers have a late season date with the bakery aisle this week as they welcome North Texas to town on Saturday. Fire up Dobbs and Hurd at will as they should accrue plenty of stats before taking the rest of the day off.
Auburn @ Texas A&M
Game Recap: Auburn held the Texas A&M offense in check and compiled 311 yards on the ground as they cruised to a 26-10 victory.
Key Players: Auburn – Jeremy Johnson was forced back into action as starter Sean White missed the game due to a knee injury. He performed well - especially considering it was his first action since Week 3 – and threw for 132 yards and a touchdown. The Auburn running game compiled an impressive 311 yards, led by Jovon Robinson’s 27 carries for 159 yards and a score. Kerryon Johnson led all receivers with three catches for 43 yards.
Texas A&M: Kyler Murray struggled before exiting the game after taking a hit to the head in the third quarter. He completed 13 of 23 for 105 yards and three picks. Jake Hubernak came on in relief and had a little more success, throwing for 32 yards and a score. Tra Carson had another impressive rushing performance with 21 carries for 109 yards. Christian Kirk paced the receivers with seven catches for 44 yards.
Key Injuries: Auburn QB Sean White missed the game with a knee injury. Texas A&M exited the game after taking a hit to the head in the third quarter.
Players to Watch: Auburn – The Tigers welcome Georgia to town this Saturday. It’s unclear who will be the starting quarterback this week, but either one can probably be avoided for this game. If Johnson gets the nod and comes in at an appealing price on two QB sites, he could make for an interesting GPP flier. Robinson seems to be taking over as the lead back as he has received more carries than leading rusher Peyton Barber over the past two games. Ricardo Louis remains the top receiving option.
Texas A&M: A visit from Western Carolina this week may provide the jolt the Aggies need after losing three of their last four. It’s unclear who will be the starting quarterback this week. Monitor the news and keep whoever gets the nod in mind for two QB sites. Carson has been the most reliable DFS target of late and should be on the short list for this game. Kirk remains the top receiver to target, but the inconsistency at quarterback has made him a somewhat risky play for DFS.
Kentucky @ Georgia
Game Recap: It was back to basics for Georgia as they rode strong performances from the defense and running game to defeat Kentucky 27-3.
Key Players: Kentucky – Turnovers and a stifling Bulldogs defense led to the Wildcats putting up a total of three points. Patrick Towles threw for 96 yards and two picks. Jojo Kemp led the running backs in the absence of Stanley Williams and carried the ball 12 times for 48 yards. Garret Johnson was the top receiver with three catches for 49 yards.
Georgia: It was back to the basics for the Bulldogs as they relied on their running game and defense to dominate the Wildcats. The team combined for 300 rushing yards and two scores, led by Sony Michel’s 165 yards and a score. Terry Godwin punched in the other rushing touchdown. Greyson Lambert returned to the starting role and threw for 64 yards and a score. Malcolm Mitchell led all receivers with four catches for 52 yards while Keith Marshall was on the other end of Lambert’s touchdown throw.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Kentucky – The Wildcats travel to Vanderbilt this Saturday and there may be a new quarterback at the helm as there are rumblings that Drew Barker will be behind center. The passing game can probably be avoided outside of Johnson, who deserves consideration as a GPP flier. No definitive word on whether Williams will return this week. If he’s a go, fire him up for your DFS lineups as he will be the focal point of the Wildcats offense.
Georgia: The Bulldogs travel to Auburn this Saturday. The team ran the wildcat offense for a good portion of Saturday’s game against Kentucky. It’s unclear if this is permanent or matchup specific, but Bulldog quarterbacks look to be candidates for the fade list. There is no definitive word on a starter and they may continue to rotate signal callers. Michel should be targeted for DFS as he should receive a heavy workload this week. Mitchell remains the top receiving option but appears to be relegated to GPP flier status for DFS purposes.
Vanderbilt @ Florida
Game Recap: A late field goal foiled Vanderbilt’s upset bid, as Florida squeaked by for a closer than expected 9-7 victory.
Key Players: Vanderbilt – The Commodores put forth a valiant effort and nearly pulled of an upset but had little to show for it offensively. Johnny McCrary threw for a paltry 30 yards. Ralph Webb was the lone offensive standout as he carried the ball 22 times for 118 yards and a score.
Florida: The Gators were held in check by the Commodores defense but still pulled out the victory. Treon Harris threw for 158 yards and a pick and also chipped in 34 rushing yards. Kelvin Taylor ran for 47 yards and a score, his fourth consecutive game with a touchdown. Demarcus Robinson led the receivers with nine catches for 106 yards.
Key Injuries: None.
Players to Watch: Vanderbilt – The Commodores have a date with Kentucky up next on the docket. You will find better options than the Commodores passing attack. Webb remains the focal point of the offense and deserves consideration for your lineups in this matchup.
Florida: The Gators travel to South Carolina on Saturday. Taylor should be able to get back on track this week and can be targeted for your lineups. Outside of Taylor, the Gators passing game has not inspired much confidence of late. Harris could be considered as a cheap option for two QB sites but temper expectations.
