(25) Missouri- 41 vs (7) Georgia- 26
Turnovers cost Georgia the win in their upset loss to Missouri. Aaron Murray threw two interceptions and Georgia fumbled twice, but Missouri did not commit a single turnover. Before leaving the game with an injury in the fourth quarter, Missouri’s quarterback James Franklin completed 18 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown, as well as rushing for a touchdown. 115 of those yards can be accredited to L’Damian Washington, who racked up those yards on seven receptions. Aaron Murray of Georgia threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns on top of his two interceptions, but received little help from his supporting cast, including Georgia’s defense.
(14) South Carolina- 52 vs Arkansas- 7
Once again, Arkansas’ one dimensional offense kept them from outplaying their opponent. Despite Alex Collins opening the game up with a touchdown run, the Arkansas offense was abysmal. That was their only touchdown of the day and quarterback Brandon Allen was 4-of-12 for 30 yards through the air, not to mention the interception that he threw. Oppositely, South Carolina’s Connor Shaw had a field day. He threw for 219 yards, threw for three touchdowns, ran for another, and did not throw an interception. Running back Mike Davis added another element to the offense and ran for 128 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
West Carolina- 3 vs Auburn- 62
As expected, the SEC powerhouse completely annihilated their competition. West Carolina’s offense totaled less than 200 yards on 48 offensive plays. Auburn’s Jeremy Johnson, a freshman that is playing in place of Nick Marshall, threw for an astonishing 17-of-21 for 201 yards, four touchdowns, and a single interception. A trio of Auburn’s running backs, Artis-Payne, Mason, and Grant, had a combined 18 carries that were good for a whopping 316 yards, as well as four touchdowns.
(17) Florida- 6 vs (10) LSU- 17
In the weekend’s ugliest matchup, both teams fought relentlessly until the final whistle. Despite incredible defensive play from both teams, there was only one turnover in the entire game (LSU fumble). LSU’s offense was, for the most part, shut down by Florida, but played efficiently enough to put up 17 points. In his biggest test of the season, as well as his career, Zach Mettenberger struggled. The elite secondary of Florida held him to nine completions, 152 yards, and zero touchdowns. Jeremy Hill was LSU’s saving grace. Although he did not score either of LSU’s rushing touchdowns, he ran for 121 yards on 19 carries. His 121 yards was 93 more rushing yards than any other ball carrier on the team.
(1) Alabama- 48 vs Kentucky- 7
While their defense played well, as usual, Alabama’s offense was jaw dropping. AJ McCarron violated Kentucky’s defensive backs as he threw for 369 yards and a touchdown. Equally as impressive, TJ Yeldon and Kenyan Drake’s combined 30 carries went for a total of 230 yards and each of them scored twice. Kentucky, on the other hand, was held to a miniscule 170 yards of total offense, but shockingly committed zero turnovers. Their only touchdown was Maxwell Smith’s aerial connection to Javess Blue.
Bowling Green- 20 vs Mississippi State- 21
Bowling Green is one of the nation’s most underrated teams and they certainly proved that against MSU, despite the loss. They went toe-to-toe with the superior SEC team and nearly came away victorious. Their Achilles heel was Mississippi State’s rushing attack. Dak Prescott and Ladarius Perkins complimented each other on their combined 31 carries for 222 yards, as well as three touchdowns. Although, MSU’s passing attack was held to under 200 yards, while Bowling Green’s Matt Johnson threw for 224 yards.
(9) Texas A&M- 41 vs Ole Miss- 38
Johnny Manziel put on yet another spectacular show, including suffering a minor injury that he returned from shortly thereafter. Manziel totaled 460 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were rushing touchdowns. Texas A&M’s three other touchdown came through the ground via Ben Malena (1) and Trey Williams (2). Ole Miss countered A&M’s offense with an explosive offense of their own. Their two quarterbacks combined for 329 yards and five touchdowns through their 40 attempts. Unfortunately, they received minimal support from their running back corps. The game ended in a heart-racing finish as A&M kicked a 33 yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter.