What you need to know about every SEC West opponent in Week 10

Even though Alabama, LSU and Arkansas were all off last Saturday, Week 9 was still meaningful for the SEC West race. Auburn made a case as perhaps the biggest challenger when it bested rival Ole Miss, 40-29, on the road.

As you prepare for a full slate of action this weekend, here’s a preview for every SEC West team’s opponent for Week 10:

LSU (VS. ALABAMA)

LSU 2016 PPG: 29.9
LSU 2016 PPG allowed: 15

Strength: Don’t look now, but the Tigers are on a roll. Since Les Miles was fired following a last-second loss at Auburn in Week 4, LSU has cruised to win its next three games by an average margin of 29 points. Part of their recent success has been ignited by the return of running back Leonard Fournette, who helped the Tigers run wild for a 38-21 victory over Ole Miss last Saturday. In all, LSU rushed for 311 yards against the Rebels. However, before Fournette returned in Week 9, the running game was led by Derrius Guice, who gives the team another option should its featured back need a blow.

Must stop: Fournette looks as determined as ever. He ran for 284 yards and 3 touchdowns against Ole Miss. After being shut down by the Crimson Tide last season, Fournette will likely look to continue the success he had against the Rebels in Saturday’s rematch. But the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy isn’t the only LSU running back Alabama should worry about. Guice was phenomenal when he carried the duties as the No. 1 back, and he has rushed for 621 yards and 7 touchdowns this season. In his final start before Fournette’s return, Guice rushed for 162 yards and 2 scores in a 45-10 victory over Southern Mississippi.

Notable: The Tigers upended Alabama in both 2010 and 2011, but ever since the Crimson Tide won the 2011 BCS National Championship Game, 21-0, this rivalry has been dominated by Bama.

VANDERBILT (AT AUBURN)

Vanderbilt 2016 PPG: 20.8
Vanderbilt 2016 PPG allowed: 21.4

Strength: Neither the passing attack (145.8 yards per game) nor the running game (162.9 yards per game) are particularly stellar, leaving the Commodores to rely on their defense to hold opponents long enough to pull out victories. It has worked in recent weeks as Vanderbilt snuck out of Athens with a 17-16 win two weekends ago. Last week, the defense — which ranks 26th in the nation in points allowed per game — held Tennessee State to a mere 17 points. That was all the offense needed to help lead the team to its second win in a row.

Must stop: Vanderbilt favors its running game on offense, and for good reason. Ralph Webb has been the anchor of the unit, rushing for 855 yards and 6 touchdowns on 164 carries. Even though Webb is the featured back, Khari Blasingame has also given opponents trouble, especially in the red zone. Despite only receiving 61 carries, Blasingame has rushed for 301 yards and a team-best 7 scores.

Notable: Amazingly, the Commodores have had Auburn’s number, leading the all-time series 21-20-1. Vanderbilt will look to extend its winning streak against the Tigers to three games on Saturday.

FLORIDA (AT ARKANSAS)

Florida 2016 PPG: 29.4
Florida 2016 PPG allowed: 11.7

Strength: Considering the Gators have surrendered less than 12 points per game on average, the offense hasn’t had much to worry about. Still, Florida has utilized its balanced offense, which has been good enough to beat every opponent its faced not named Tennessee. Five different players have rushed for touchdowns, while eight more have hauled in touchdown passes. It doesn’t matter which way the Gators try to attack the Razorbacks, they’ll bring plenty of talent with them to Fayetteville on Saturday.

Must stop: Even though quarterback Luke Del Rio wasn’t at his best against Georgia last week (131 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT), the signal-caller still has helped Florida build a 6-1 record (4-1 SEC) this season. He has made the most of a deep receiving corps, which is led by Antonio Callaway (441 yards, 2 TDs) and Brandon Powell (218 yards, 2 TDs). But the Gators are much more dangerous on the ground, especially when they hand the ball off to Jordan Scarlett, who has rushed for 468 yards and 6 touchdowns on 93 carries.

Notable: Florida holds a commanding 9-1 advantage in the all-time series between these two teams. To make matters worse for the Hogs, the Gators’ nine wins have come in the last nine meetings.

ALABAMA (AT LSU)

Alabama 2016 PPG: 43.9
Alabama 2016 PPG allowed: 14.9

Strength: Defensively, the Crimson Tide boasts one of the best defenses in the country. It isn’t too bad on offense, either. Although Alabama has used its dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Damien Harris to showcase a run-first offense, the unit has also proven it can stifle opponents through the air when it needs to. No matter if the Tide stays on the ground or opens it up through the air, the offense always seems to find a way to manufacture points. On the flip side, the defense doesn’t allow many and has contributed plenty of points on its own.

Must stop: Hurts is among Alabama’s most dangerous weapons as he does a little bit of everything to help the offense roll. He’s completed 129-of-204 passes for 1,578 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also running for 521 yards and a team-best 9 scores on the ground. When the signal-caller isn’t running for big gains, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin often turns to Damien Harris, who has rushed for 700 yards and a touchdown on 87 carries. Hurts has plenty of weapons when he drops back to pass, including Calvin Ridley (497 receiving yards, 5 TDs) and ArDarius Stewart (472 yards, 4 TDs).

Notable: Alabama leads the all-time series 50-25-5 and has won the last five meetings between these two SEC West rivals.

TEXAS A&M (AT MISSISSIPPI STATE)

Texas A&M 2016 PPG: 38.4
Texas A&M 2016 PPG allowed: 19.8

Strength: When the Aggies have their A-game, their offense runs the ball with a purpose and their defense stifles opponents. That recipe has worked wonders as the team carries a 7-1 record into Week 10. Although quarterback Trevor Knight and the passing attack, which averages 249.6 yards per game, can be effective, it’s the Texas A&M running game that has sparked the team’s strong start. Through their first eight games, the Aggies have had the 14th-best running attack in the FBS, averaging 249.1 yards per game.

Must stop: Knight has been above average in both areas behind center as he has thrown for 1,868 yards and 13 touchdowns. The quarterback’s legs may be an even bigger threat, leading Texas A&M with 9 touchdown runs to go along with his 529 rushing yards. Knight may have the most rushing touchdowns, but running back Trayveon Williams anchors the ground game. Williams leads the team with 776 rushing yards, and he has crossed the goal line 6 times on the ground.

Notable: The Aggies have a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series, and they’ll look to make it two in a row after winning 30-17 in College Station last year.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN (AT OLE MISS)

Georgia Southern 2016 PPG: 26.8
Georgia Southern 2016 PPG allowed: 24.3

Strength: The Eagles will be outmatched at every position on the field on Saturday, but they’ve still managed to use their run-first offense to build a 4-4 record. Three different players have rushed for 400 or more yards, including the team’s dual-threat quarterback, Kevin Ellison. Although the Rebels should have no trouble delivering a lopsided loss to Georgia Southern, quarterbacks who can both run and pass are always dangerous, and Ole Miss is 13th in the SEC in defending the run (236.9 yards per game).

Must stop: Through the air, Ellison has tossed for 579 yards and 5 touchdowns. But the signal-caller does like to take off and run, and he has used his feet to amass 408 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. Wesley Fields (423 rushing yards, 3 TDs) and Matt Breida (406 rushing yards, 1 TD) are two other players wo have helped the Eagles run for nearly 2,000 yards through the first nine weeks of the season.

Notable: Don’t let the Eagles’ mediocre record fool you. They have proved they can hang with SEC teams. Just last year, Georgia Southern forced overtime against Georgia in Athens, though the Bulldogs ultimately pulled out a 23-17 win.

MISSISSIPPI STATE (VS. TEXAS A&M)

Mississippi State 2016 PPG:  30.4
Mississippi State 2016 PPG allowed: 30

Strength: The Bulldogs really do have one of the most balanced offenses in the conference as they average 220.5 yards through the air and 209.6 rushing yards per game. Still, that attack has only yielded a 3-5 record overall, and Mississippi State’s only SEC win came in a Week 2 victory over South Carolina. In order for the Bulldogs to upset the Aggies, they’ll need dual-threat quarterback Nick Fitzgerald to carry the team.

Must stop: Fitzgerald is their biggest asset, there’s no question about that. Not only has the signal-caller thrown for 1,496 yards and 14 touchdown passes, he also leads the Bulldogs’ running game in both yards (657) and touchdowns (6) by a wide margin. Just how much does Fitzgerald mean to the running attack? The next two leading backs — Ashton Shumpert and Brandon Holloway — have rushed 90 times for 439 yards and 2 touchdowns combined. When Fitzgerald drops back to pass, Fred Ross (543 yards, 7 TDs) and Donald Gray (479 yards, 4 TDs) are his two favorite targets.

Notable: Even though the Bulldogs fell to the Aggies last year, they have won two of the last three meetings away from College Station. They won 48-31 in Starkville back in 2014, and they also earned a 43-41 win over Texas A&M in the 2000 Independence Bowl.

Brad Joyal