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Unfortunately, so far this season the SEC has learned some hard lessons.
No one should ever take a mid-major or FCS team lightly. The referees have no problem calling a player for targeting and folks should think before they speak.
But, there are some positive trends in the conference that can make SEC fans proud.
Rebels’ all-points bulletin: Yes, Ole Miss is putting points on the scoreboard in record fashion. It is the only team in conference history to score 73 or more points in back-to-back games. The Rebs are averaging more points in two games than Andy Kennedy’s basketball team last season.
Let’s face it, Ole Miss is scoring more than Bradley Cooper would at a sorority formal.
Quarterback Chad Kelly has been very diplomatic when it comes to distributing the ball so far this season. Twelve Rebels have scored touchdowns already with wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo leading the way with four TDs. There are six players with two and five others with one touchdown.
Two of the players with a pair of scores are defenders. Robert Nkemdiche has joined the offensive huddle on occasion and scored on a reception and a short run. Safety Trae Elston has done his damage more conventionally. He has two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns.
Even kicker Gary Wunderlich has been perfect by hitting a field goal and making all 17 extra points.
Out of the locker room on fire: The SEC coaches must have taken a few motivational speaking classes in the offseason. SEC teams have scored 270 points in the first quarter this year while limiting the opposition to just 85. In all, 11-of-14 conference teams have scored double digits in the first 15 minutes and only three have allow 10 or more points.
The league teams have outscored opponents 956-508 in all.
It’s only three games: Pundits are loving the fact Toledo upset Arkansas, Tennessee blew a 17-point lead to lose to Oklahoma and Auburn needed overtime to beat FCS Jacksonville State.
But overall, the SEC is 19-3 in non-conference games, with the LSU-McNeese State game being ruined by Mother Nature. The other loss came when Vanderbilt fell to Western Kentucky.
Against the ACC, Pac-12, Big Ten, AAC and FCS teams, the Southeastern Conference teams are undefeated.
Pinpoint passing: The days of the wishbone are truly gone in the SEC. In two games, eight quarterbacks are completing passes at a clip of more than 60 percent. Florida’s Will Grier is pacing the league at 74.3 percent with Kelly right behind him at 72.5.
Arkansas’ Brandon Allen, Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, Alabama’s Jake Coker, Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson, Texas A&M’s Kyle Allen and LSU’s Brandon Harris are all above a 60 percent completion rate.
Patrick Towles of Kentucky and Georgia’s Greyson Lambert just missed the list at 58.7 and 57.6 percent respectively.
Getting after the other team’s guy: The accuracy of the conference’s quarterbacks can be traced to having enough time to throw the football. The same cannot be said for the opposition. Five SEC defenders have recorded multiple sacks in the first two weeks.
Daeshon Hall of Texas A&M showed what a brute force he could be by leading the way with four sacks already. Jordan Jenkins of UGA and the Gators’ Joey Ivie each have three, while Mississippi State’s A.J. Jefferson and the player with possibly to coolest name in the league, Cassanova McKinzy of Auburn each have a pair of sacks.
Maybe the checkbook helped: Four SEC stadiums went through some kind of restoration in the offseason. South Carolina built a plaza at Williams-Brice, Kentucky added seats at Commonwealth, Kyle Field went through a massive makeover at Texas A&M and at Auburn, Jordan-Hare now boasts a Jumbotron on steroids.
Each venue has played host to one game. The home team is 3-1. The lone loss was at South Carolina, but it was to Kentucky. Perhaps the Wildcats brought some lucky bluegrass on the trip.
Steve Barnes is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football.
