Week 3 SEC Letter Grades: Georgia Through Mississippi State

GEORGIA: C

Credit: University of Kentucky Athletics

Kirby Smart usually has one or two stinker wins a year, and road trips to Kentucky are almost always stinker wins for the Bulldogs.

Of Kirby Smart’s five wins at Kroger Field, four of them have been by two or less scores and the last three are games in which the Bulldogs have scored 16 or less points.

None of those are excuses for Kirby Smart this week, and he’d probably tell you that.

Former Georgia quarterback Brock Vandagriff didn’t figure to be of much concern after Kentucky’s Week 2 outing, and his 114 pass yards did little to change that. The run game was the primary mode of operation for the Wildcats on the ground, but Georgia never let the offense get inside its 10.

The offensive field position battle was a struggle for much of the first half as the only time Georgia crossed the 50 was for the field goal it kicked near the end of the half. Obviously the Bulldogs had better luck in the second half, including a touchdown drive where Branson Robinson punched it in from three yards out.

The nine penalties for 85 yards were really the only self-inflicted errors for the Bulldogs. They didn’t turn the ball over on offense or break on defense, they just couldn’t move the ball.

I fully expect Georgia to come out pissed off over this in Tuscaloosa in two weeks.

KENTUCKY: C

Not sure anybody thought Kentucky could hang tight with Georgia after the debacle against South Carolina in Week 2, but the Wildcats tried.

All things considered, the defense and kicker Alex Raynor did all they could for Kentucky. Raynor finished 4/4 on field goals with two makes from over 50 yards, and the defense kept Georgia on its side of the 50 for much of the first half.

But the offense is where things were problematic for the Wildcats.

The rush attack was alright for the Wildcats, but one-dimensionality is part of what kept the offense from finding the end zone. Vandagriff was 14/27 for 114 passing, which funnily enough is quite a bit better than the South Carolina performance, but it’s not enough to take down a juggernaut like Georgia.

Vandagriff’s lack of consistency through the air has to be giving Mark Stoops confidence issues because any reasonable coach goes for it on 4th and 13 down a point late in the fourth quarter near midfield.

When coaches lose confidence in their pass attack, it generally doesn’t end well (see Jeremy Pruitt), and when a coach’s team doesn’t score offensive touchdowns for weeks on end, it generally doesn’t end well (see Butch Jones).

LSU: B

Credit: LSU Athletics

The reason it’s a straight B and not a B- for LSU is because it fought from behind in an incredibly hostile road environment.

Something went wrong in all three phases of the game, whether it be a bad interception thrown by Garrett Nussmeier, a bust in the run defense, or a blocked punt.

But the Tigers responded accordingly to the challenges thrown at them properly.

The offensive line tightened up over the course of the game and helped yield the Tigers’ best rushing performance in the young season. Freshman running back Caden Durham may be the revelation LSU needed with John Emery’s season-ending injury.

Defensively, the Bayou Bengals had a hard time stopping the run but didn’t face the same threat in the air. LaNorris Sellers looked iffy passing the ball before he was injured, and it’s fairly well known around the SEC that Robby Ashford isn’t a stellar passer.

While I definitely think the 2024 iteration of the Gamecocks are better than many fans thought, the Tigers haven’t exactly wowed in the first three weeks of the season.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: F-

Credit: Mississippi State University Athletics

Look, Mississippi State is about the furthest thing away from the crown jewel of SEC football, but that doesn’t excuse a 41-17 beatdown loss to Toledo at home.

The Bulldogs only had 66 yards on the ground and the line surrendered five sacks to the Rockets. Blake Shapen’s numbers in the air don’t look so bad, but they’re inflated because Mississippi State’s only option to cut the 35-3 deficit was to throw the football. The interception Shapen threw was the cherry on top of the dumpster sundae that was the first half.

Defensively, the Bulldogs still weren’t great against the run but did show some signs of improvement, only giving up 169 in comparison to the 346 they gave up in Tempe.

The big issue this time around was defending the pass. Rockets quarterback Tucker Gleason was 23/28 for 285 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Stats can always be bent for storytelling, but that’s not a statline of a guy who’s stressed out in the backfield.

Yours truly severely overestimated Mississippi State this season.