What you need to know about every SEC West opponent in Week 11

Between Mississippi State knocking off Texas A&M and Arkansas upsetting Florida, the SEC West showed it’s the superior division in college football’s best conference last week.

However, the action doesn’t stop there. Saturday provides another slate of marquee matchups throughout the day.

As you prepare for this weekend’s games, here is everything you need to know about every SEC West opponent in Week 11.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (AT ALABAMA)
Mississippi State 2016 PPG: 30.9
Mississippi State  2016 PPG allowed: 29.8

Strength: Like many teams in the conference, the Bulldogs are at their best when their quarterback has the ball in his hands, but that’s even more the case with MSU. Nick Fitzgerald has not only done a good job throwing the ball (1,705 yards, 16 TDs), he’s also rushed for 839 yards and 8 TDs. Even with Fred Ross and Donald Gray on the outside as pass-catchers, Mississippi State is a ground-and-pound team that will do its best to outmatch the Crimson Tide in between the trenches.

Must stop: While Fitzgerald should be Alabama’s primary concern,  running backs Aeris Williams (346 yards, 2 TDs) and Ashton Shumpert (237 yards, 1 TD) will both receive carries. If Fitzgerald drops back to pass, chances are Ross (641 yards, 9 TDs) and Gray (511 yards, 4 TDs) will do the damage.

Notable: The last time Mississippi State upended the Crimson Tide was when it pulled out a 17-12 victory in Starkville in 2007, Nick Saban’s first season with the school. One year earlier, the Bulldogs escaped Tuscaloosa with a 24-16 win. 

LSU (AT ARKANSAS)
LSU 2016 PPG: 26.1
LSU 2016 PPG allowed: 14.4

Strength: With a double-headed monster comprised of running backs Leonard Fournette and Derrius Guice, it’s easy to point to the Tigers’ backfield as their strongest unit. But that doesn’t mean LSU doesn’t have talent at other position groups, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Just last week, the Tigers fell to top-ranked Alabama. While that should come as no surprise considering how well the Crimson Tide has played this season, LSU still managed to hold Alabama to 10 points. The Tigers’ defense can stifle opponents.

Must stop: While Fournette is its featured back, LSU has learned that Guice is also a threat with the ball in his hands. So far, Guice has rushed for 629 yards and 7 touchdowns, while Fournette has found the end zone five times and has racked up 705 yards. The Arkansas defense should be tired of hearing about the LSU running attack by the time the week of preparation is over.

Notable: The Tigers hold a 37-22-2 advantage in the all-time series with rival Arkansas.

GEORGIA (VS. AUBURN)
Georgia 2016 PPG: 23.7
Georgia 2016 PPG allowed: 25.9

Strength: Although the Bulldogs have a backfield made up of a trio of talented running backs, they still have the talent to throw the ball, too. But when push comes to shove, Georgia is fine with handing the ball off, and who could blame them with Nick Chubb (691 rushing yards, 5 TDs), Sony Michel (487 yards, 2 TDs) and Brian Herrien (347 yards, 3 TDs) in the backfield.

Must stop: As deadly as the running backs are, quarterback Jacob Eason has had some bright spots behind center. The freshman has thrown for 11 touchdowns and 1,754 yards, giving the Dawgs’ offense something to work with when the running game isn’t getting it done. When Eason is dropping back to pass, Isaiah McKenzie (459 yards, 6 TDs) is his top target.

Notable: Not only does Georgia hold a slim 56-55-8 edge in the all-time series with Auburn, the Bulldogs have also earned victories in the last two meetings.

ARKANSAS (VS. LSU)
Arkansas 2016 PPG: 30.9
Arkansas 2016 PPG allowed: 29.0

Strength: When they’re at their best, the Razorbacks are doing everything a coach would hope for. Offensively, they run the football and utilize their passing game, and defensively they create turnovers to get the football back into the hands of quarterback Austin Allen. Even though Allen has been reliable during his first year behind center, the offense has at times struggled to maintain a strong rushing attack.

Must stop: Allen is Arkansas’ biggest threat to LSU. The signal-caller has thrown for 2,291 yards and 19 touchdowns, though much of that success can be attributed to his deep and talented crop of receivers. Drew Morgan (515 yards, 3 TDs), Jared Cornelius (465 yards, 4 TDs) and Keon Hatcher (441 yards, 5 TDs) account for the bulk of receptions, but the Tigers should also watch out for running back Rawleigh Williams III, who has rushed for 955 yards and 7 scores. When Williams gets going on the ground, the Arkansas offense can really find its groove.

Notable: Even though the Razorbacks are 15 wins behind LSU in the all-time series, Arkansas has won the last two meetings between these rivals.

ALABAMA (VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE)
Alabama 2016 PPG: 40.1
Alabama 2016 PPG allowed: 13.2

Strength: While multiple SEC teams possess run-first offenses, nobody moves the chain on the ground quite like the Crimson Tide. Alabama has rushed for a combined 2,334 yards through the first 10 weeks of the season, and four different players have recorded 350 rushing yards or more. Still, that isn’t the only area the Crimson Tide shines. With ArDarius Stewart and Calvin Ridley leading the way, it also boasts a talented crop of pass-catchers. And who can forget that defense, the one that held LSU scoreless last game? The Bulldogs will have their hands full trying to gain yards on Saturday.

Must stop: Although Damien Harris has registered a team-high 750 rushing yards, the offense runs through quarterback Jalen Hurts, who does a little bit of everything for the Crimson Tide. Hurts enters Week 11 with 1,685 passing yards and 12 touchdown tosses, though it’s his legs that should scare Mississippi State. The signal-caller leads Alabama with 115 carries and has rushed for a team-high 10 touchdowns to go along with 635 yards on the ground. When he drops back to pass, Stewart (527 yards, 4 TDs) and Ridley (520 yards, 5 TDs) are his go-to weapons.

Notable: The Crimson Tide holds a massive 78-18-3 advantage in its all-time series with Mississippi State. Alabama will also enter Saturday with an eight-game winning streak against the Bulldogs.

TEXAS A&M (VS. OLE MISS)
Texas A&M 2016 PPG: 37.2
Texas A&M 2016 PPG allowed: 21.4

Strength: Even though Texas A&M has two marquee pass-catchers in Josh Reynolds and Christian Kirk, the Aggies still remain a run-first offense. It all started with Knight, who had run for 583 yards and a team-best 10 rushing touchdowns this season. However, he had a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to Mississippi State and he’s out for the rest of the regular season. Running back Trayveon Williams has also been deadly with the ball, though. So far, Williams has rushed for 804 yards and 6 scores through the first 10 weeks of the season despite struggling in the last few outings. In all, Texas A&M has rushed for 2,110 yards on 351 carries.

Must stop: The Ole Miss front seven will have to be dialed in to stop the run, but the Aggies have proven they can be dangerous through the air, too. When Knight went down last Saturday, Jake Hubenak entered and threw for 222 yards and 2 TDs, 1 INT. His favorite targets will be Reynolds (671 yards) and Kirk (590 yards), both of whom have hauled in seven touchdown passes apiece. If the Rebels can shut down those two receivers, they’ll be in good shape as the rest of the Aggies’ pass-catchers have combined for just two touchdown catches while no other single player has registered more than 15 catches.

Notable: The Aggies hold a 6-2 advantage in eight previous matchups with Ole Miss.

OLE MISS (AT TEXAS A&M)
Ole Miss 2016 PPG: 36.1
Ole Miss 2016 PPG allowed:  31.9

Strength: Forget about what the Rebels did in the first 10 weeks of the season. Without starting quarterback Chad Kelly behind center, it’s anybody’s guess what Ole Miss will look like when it takes the field on Saturday night. When Kelly was healthy, the Rebels allowed their signal-caller to use both his arm (2,758 passing yards, 19 TDs) and his legs (332 rushing yards, 5 TDs) to be a major threat. Now that he is gone for the season after suffering a torn ACL and torn lateral meniscus in his knee in Week 10, the Rebels will likely rely on their running game while either redshirt freshman Jason Pellerin, who replaced Allen once he went down against Georgia Southern, or true freshman Shea Patterson get acclimated at quarterback.

Must stop: The Aggies can expect running back Akeem Judd to anchor Ole Miss’ offensive game plan. Judd has rushed for 556 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Eugene Brazley has rushed for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns. When Kelly was at quarterback, his favorite targets were Evan Engram (775 yards, 7 TDs) and Damore’ea Stringfellow (529 yards, 3 TDs), though we’ll see how much Hugh Freeze dials up the passing attack without his starter.

Notable: Even though the Rebels have lost 75 percent of the time they’ve played against Texas A&M, they’ve won the last two meetings against the Aggies.

Brad Joyal