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After a wild Week 1, it may seem as if the SEC schedule is taking a break — there are only three non-conference matchups vs. Power 5 opponents after five to open the season.
However, that hardly means there won’t be a lot of excitement in the conference this weekend. This week features our first conference game of the season – South Carolina at Missouri, which could produce some unreal offensive numbers – and a pair of SEC powers, Auburn and Georgia, having huge road tests against ranked opponents.
So here are my top 5 predictions for Week 2 in the SEC:
5) Trayveon Williams will rush for 200 yards
In the history of Texas A&M football, only one player has ever had two games of 200+ rushing yards in a single season (Darren Lewis, 1988), and no player has ever done it in consecutive games. That will change in Week 2.
In gaining 203 yards on just 22 carries in Week 1 vs. UCLA, Trayveon Williams showed he doesn’t need a lot of touches to be productive. Which is good, because it’s likely Texas A&M will be looking to take out the frustration of last week’s collapse on Nicholls State in the Aggies’ home opener.
With their QB situation very uncertain, expect the Aggies to continue to keep it on the ground. Lost in last week’s debacle against the Bruins was the fact that the Aggies racked up 382 rushing yards on the road. Texas A&M had more rushing yards and attempts (63) than any SEC team in Week 1.
4) Auburn’s defense will hold Clemson under 400 yards
The Tigers’ defense was impressive against Georgia Southern in their season opener, holding the Eagles to 78 total yards, easily the fewest allowed by any FBS team in a game this season.
Granted, playing on the road against the defending national champion is a HUGE step up in class. And Clemson did pile up 665 yards against Kent State in its season opener at home.
However, there are a couple of reasons why I feel this will happen.
One, the Tigers are loaded with talent. For example, all eight defensive linemen listed on the two-deep depth chart were ranked in the top 300 overall prospects in the 247sports.com high school recruiting rankings.
Second, name the only team to hold Clemson under 20 points last season? And, name the only team to hold the eventual national champions under 400 yards of total offense last season?
If you answered Auburn for both questions, you’d be on the money.
3) LSU and Vanderbilt will shut out their opponents
Last week, perhaps no SEC team was more impressive defensively than LSU, which shut out BYU and held the Cougars to 97 total yards. Saturday, they face an FCS opponent in Chattanooga that was held under 300 yards by Jacksonville State.
By the way, the last time LSU opened its season with consecutive shutouts? It was 80 years ago – 1937, when the Tigers began their season with four straight shutouts.
As for Vanderbilt, the Commodores just missed posting a shutout in Week 1, allowing a fourth-quarter TD in a 28-6 win on the road over Middle Tennessee State. This weekend they host FCS opponent Alabama A&M, a team that managed just seven points, nine first downs and 183 total yards in a loss to a UAB team making its return to football after a two-year absence.
Vanderbilt’s last shutout was during the 2012 season when it beat Kentucky 40-0. That drought should come to an end Saturday.
2) Jake Fromm will have more passing yards than Notre Dame’s Brandon Wimbush
This may be looked at as a bit of a reach. After all, Fromm is a true freshman making his first career start, and it comes on the road — at Notre Dame, of all places. In addition, Wimbush’s numbers last week against Temple were solid – passing: 184 yards, 2 TDs; rushing: 106 yards, TD.
The feeling here, however, is that Fromm is ready for the challenge. After replacing an injured Jacob Eason last week against Appalachian State, Fromm passed for 143 yards on just 10 completions, and produced an impressive 9.5 yards per pass attempt.
If Georgia’s ground game gets going at South Bend, meaning either Nick Chubb or Sony Michel rush for 100 yards, that will only open up opportunities for Fromm in the passing game.
1) Both Drew Lock and Jake Bentley will throw for 400 yards
In the last 10 seasons, there has been only one SEC game in which both QBs threw for 400 yards. That came in 2015 (Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott & Arkansas’ Brandon Allen).
Based on what happened last week in Columbia, Missouri, there is a great chance this could happen again. First, Lock showed what he can do throwing the ball, with a school-record 521 passing yards and 7 TD passes against FCS foe Missouri State. Since the Tigers are at home for a second straight Saturday, and Lock proved he doesn’t need a lot of completions to rack up his yards (only 21 completions needed for his 521 yards), expect Lock to top the 400-yard mark again.
On the South Carolina side, how can the Gamecocks and Jake Bentley not be salivating over the chance to face the Tigers’ defense? Missouri allowed 492 yards and 43 points despite coming away with the victory.
Bentley threw for 215 yards and three TDs in the Gamecocks’ win over N.C. State last weekend. While he will have to almost double his passing yards to reach 400, he will be facing a much less intimidating defense than in Week 1 against the Wolfpack.
In the last 20 years, there has been one South Carolina QB to throw for 400 yards in a game – Dylan Thompson against Auburn in 2014 (402 yards). There is an excellent chance of seeing another one Saturday.
Michael covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
