SEC Rewind, Look Ahead: A Tennessee Saturday Night, Kentucky Gets Back On Track, LSU Handles The Gators

KNOXVILLE- A wild Saturday night in Knoxville, as Tennessee defeated Alabama for the first time in sixteen years, making a statement to the College Football world and the SEC.

Around the SEC, Kentucky snapped its losing streak, while LSU and Ole Miss took care of business, setting up a massive game next week.

Tennessee Defeats #3 Alabama, Snapping Losing Streak

A massive win for the Tennessee football program, defeating Alabama on a last-second field goal in Knoxville. Jalin Hyatt recorded 5 touchdowns and 207 yards receiving, behind the arm of quarterback Hendon Hooker. As Caleb McGrath sent the game-winner through the uprights, Tennessee fans stormed the field, taking out sixteen years of frustration to the tune of 'Dixieland Delight'.

Quick Stat: Tennessee is the first team in a decade to score on its first three possessions against Alabama. This was also the most points scored against Alabama since 1907.

The cigar smoke filled up the stadium as players, coaches and fans celebrated on the field. Make so mistake, this was an instant classic, with both teams battling for sixty minutes. Credit to Bryce Young for gutting it out, throwing for 455 yards and 2 touchdowns. But this night belongs to Josh Heupel and the Vols, beating the Tide' and sending a message to folks gauging the CFP Playoffs.

It was the Tennessee rushing attack that set the tone, coming up clutch with 182 total yards on the night. Now the attention turns towards where both teams go from here. Nick Saban's Tide' had 17 penalties for 130 yards. Alabama will host Mississippi State next weekend, while Tennessee will play UT-Martin. A Kentucky-Tennessee collision is two weeks away.

Kentucky Gets Massive Win Over Mississippi State

A 'must win' game for the Wildcats, who had lost two straight games. Quarterback Will Levis played through a turf toe injury, while also having to get medical attention tonight for another injury. But the Kentucky QB fought through the pain and led his team to the win, finishing with 230 yards on 17-23 passing.

The player of the game was certainly Chris Rodriguez, who rushed for 196 yards and 2 touchdowns. Mississippi State didn't stand a chance against this rushing attack. Bulldogs QB Will Rogers had a mediocre night, finishing 25-37 for 203 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int. State also only rushed for 22 yards, making this a bad night all-around.

A big game for Kentucky, who needed this win in a very bad way. As for Mississippi State, this was another disappointing loss, that seem to follow them around. Next up, Kentucky will travel to Tennessee in two weeks, while Mississippi State will play at Alabama.

LSU Goes Into Gainesville And Leaves With A Nice SEC Win

How about the LSU Tigers? Coming off a deflating loss to Tennessee at home, the Tigers went on the road and grabbed the win over Florida. Jayden Daniels was the catalyst for Brian Kelly and this offense, finishing the night 23-32 for 349 yards and 3 touchdowns. LSU also rushed for a total of 179 yards, giving them a much needed boost.

As for Anthony Richardson, the Florida quarterback had an 81-yard rushing TD late in the game, but finished with 185 yards passing for 1 touchdown. The Gators fell behind 42-21 and the fourth quarter spurt wasn't enough. This loss will sting for Billy Napier's squad, dropping their third game of the season, sitting at 1-3 in the SEC East.

Next up, LSU will host Ole Miss in a crucial game in the SEC West next weekend in Baton Rouge. Florida will have the week off, before playing Georgia in Jacksonville.

Ole Miss Takes Care Of Feisty Auburn To Take Control Of SEC West

I wasn't expecting the Ole Miss rushing attack to explode on Saturday for 448 yards on the ground, but the Rebels had three different players cross the 100-yard mark. QB Jaxson Dart was one of these players, finishing with 115 yards on the ground and 130 yards through the air. Lane Kiffin's QB finished 9-19 with 3 touchdowns.

For Auburn, running back Tank Bigsby did his best to lead the Tigers, finishing the game with 179 yards and 2 touchdowns. But the Tigers did not get enough from QB Robby Ashford, who finished the game with 140 yards passing and 2 interceptions. Credit to Auburn for actually scoring points in the second half (17).

This will be a long two weeks for the Auburn football program, with a bye-week upcoming. As for Ole Miss, they will travel to Death Valley for a showdown with LSU. A massive game awaits Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly.

Other Games Of Note In The SEC

Arkansas defeated BYU on Saturday afternoon in Provo, snapping a three-game losing streak. KJ Jefferson finished with 367 yards passing and 5 touchdowns. A big night for the Razorbacks, who needed this win. Next up, Arkansas will now have the week off, before traveling to Auburn on October 29th.

Georgia handled business against Vanderbilt, winning 55-0. Stetson Bennett finished 24-30 for 289 yards with 2 touchdowns. Next up, the Bulldogs will have a bye-week, then head to Jacksonville for a matchup with Florida.

Stay tuned on Sunday, as the new AP poll will be released.

Written by
Trey Wallace is the host of The Trey Wallace Podcast that focuses on a mixture of sports, culture, entertainment along with his perspective on everything from College Football to the College World Series. Wallace has been covering college sports for 15 years, starting off while attending the University of South Alabama. He’s broken some of the biggest college stories including the Florida football “Credit Card Scandal” along with the firing of Jim McElwin and Kevin Sumlin. Wallace also broke one of the biggest stories in college football in 2020 around the NCAA investigation into recruiting violations against Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Wallace also appears on radio across seven different states breaking down that latest news in college sports.