Impactful coaching moves: The best and worst decisions of Week 4

We learned quite a bit about a few SEC teams in Week 4.

We learned that Tennessee and Arkansas still need to learn how to finish games, and that Kentucky and Mississippi State can grind out wins in tough spots.

We learned that South Carolina still has a pulse offensively, and that LSU’s Leonard Fournette is a really good running back.

OK, maybe we already knew that last thing.

We were also reminded, once again, that coaching matters. Let’s take a look around the league at the good — and not so good — moves from guys with the headsets from the weekend’s slate:

GOOD MOVE

Coming into Week 3, Stanley “Boom” Williams was the centerpiece of the Kentucky running attack. However, it didn’t go down that way in the Wildcats’ 21-13 win over Missouri on Saturday.

Jojo Kemp had 13 carries for 66 yards — all in the second half, while Williams finished the night with seven carries for 21 yards. Williams’ last carry was with just under 9:30 remaining in the third quarter.

Give credit to offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson for finding, and riding, a hot hand late in a tight ball game.

“Kid absolutely stepped up when it’s crucial and grinded it out and gave us an opportunity to win the game,” Dawson said. “Couldn’t be more proud of a kid than I am of him.”

Dawson also deserves a nod for quarterback Patrick Towles’ success (22 of 27, 249 yards and two scores) in the contest. A good offensive game plan, and knowing where to go with the ball, can take a team a long way.

BAD MOVE

Tennessee coach Butch Jones is taking some heat for the Volunteers’ second come-from-ahead loss this season. But, in the wake of a disappointing 28-27 loss to Florida, I think the brunt of that criticism is a bit misplaced.

I didn’t have a problem with Jones not going for two when the Vols scored to go up 26-14. He surmised that his defense wouldn’t allow a pair of touchdowns in the game’s final minutes.

It was a reasonable expectation that went a bit awry.

I think defensive coordinator John Jancek had a tougher day. The Gators were perfect on fourth down conversions (5-for-5) — and the last one was a back-breaking 66-yard touchdown catch-and-run on a fourth-and-14 play with less than two minutes to go.

Antonio Callaway caught the pass near the sideline short of the sticks, wheeled away from a handful of Tennessee defenders and raced into the end zone. CBS analyst Gary Danielson wondered why Tennessee had a spy on Florida’s Will Grier on the play, and I have to agree. Grier is mobile enough to worry about, but not on fourth-and-14.

There were two other fourth down conversions on the other touchdown drive for Florida in the quarter.

Two drives, three fourth downs. One stop wins the game.

It’s going to be a long week in the defensive meeting rooms in Knoxville.

GOOD MOVE

It’s no secret that Auburn has been struggling on offense.

But after visiting Jordan-Hare Stadium, keeping the Tigers out of the end zone and leaving with a 17-9 SEC win, you have to praise Mississippi State’s defense.

Bulldog defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and his players took the “bend but don’t break” ethos to the extreme, allowing plenty of yardage between the 20s, but almost nothing in the red zone.

In total, Auburn had four trips inside the red zone, resulting in a pair of field goals. On those other two drives, the Tigers were inside the five. A Will Redmond interception ended the first drive and a missed field goal closed out the second.

Diaz clearly wanted to get after new Auburn quarterback Sean White, and his players obliged. White was sacked four times and hurried on eight more of his pass attempts.

It was the first time in the Gus Malzahn era that Auburn failed to record a touchdown, and it was the difference in the game for the Bulldogs.

BAD MOVE

Sometimes, you can find good and bad in the same game from the coaching ranks.

Malzahn has to be wondering how he didn’t win that game on Saturday.

No one is questioning his offensive credentials, but you have to ask questions about how a team can dominate time of possession, rush for more than 200 yards and not score a touchdown. A little more variety in short-yardage situations may have been the difference.

He’s a proven recruiter and an acknowledged offensive mastermind. But with Auburn’s current issues, he’s facing his biggest head coaching challenge to date.

Still, I wouldn’t bet against a strong course correction next week when San Jose State comes calling.

Randy Capps

Randy Capps is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, South Carolina and Georgia.