Week 5 SEC Football Letter Grades: Kentucky Through OKLAHOMA

Credit: University of Oklahoma Athletics

By Tucker Harlin

KENTUCKY: A

There wasn’t a bigger surprise this weekend in all of college football than what Kentucky pulled off in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The Wildcats surrendered a touchdown to Ole Miss on the first possession of the game, but they didn’t panic. The defense bent but didn’t break the rest of the way, and the offense played similar to how it did against Georgia for about three and two-thirds of a quarter.

So what differed in the final portion of the game that was different from the loss to Georgia?

Conservative Mark Stoops wasn’t on the sideline for 4th and 7 from his own 20. This Mark Stoops went for it all and got it all in return, turning a “back against the wall” situation into the best moment of the Wildcats’ season thus far.

Stoops left Oxford with Kentucky’s first win over the Rebels in 13 years, its first win in Oxford in 46 years, and its first win over a Top 10 team on the road in 47 years.

LSU: A-

The reason I gave LSU an A- is the same reason why I gave Texas the same grade last weekend: two interceptions against a group of five opponent.

Garrett Nussmeier well under threw his receiver on the first pick, and he threw a bullet in the midst of three defenders for the second interception.

But otherwise there wasn’t much to raise a stink about in the Tigers’ 42-10 win over South Alabama.

The Tigers only needed three plays to score two touchdowns at the beginning of the game. They scored 35 points in the first half while rushing for a season-high 237 yards against the Jaguars.

It doesn’t sound like much but LSU was in a fight in the third quarter with Nicholls just weeks ago, and this South Alabama team has strung together incredible offensive performances in the young season.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: D

I give Mississippi State a D instead of an F because it held its own against #1 Texas for three quarters.

The Bulldogs didn’t possess the offensive fortitude to take a lead at any point, but the defense showed strength in the opening half, forcing empty possessions on five of the Longhorns’ first seven.

State defenders stripped Longhorns’ running back Jaydon Blue on their second possession of the game and forced another fumble at the beginning of the first half.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, quarterback Michael Van Buren fumbled right back to Texas, a play that killed much of Mississippi State’s momentum in the game.

Penalties were also a serious issue for Mississippi State, finishing its time in Austin with nine for 75 yards. This program has a long way to go in order to compete with the middle of the pack in the SEC, but maybe Mississippi State’s effort boosts morale for the rest of the season.

OKLAHOMA: B

Oklahoma earned a B because it won in a hostile SEC road environment, not necessarily because I thought it played an outstanding game.

Offensively, I thought Michael Hawkins Jr. only made two great plays all game long: his 48-yard rush touchdown at the beginning of the game and the deep pass to J.J. Hester to set up Oklahoma’s second touchdown.

I’ll withhold further judgment until some of Oklahoma’s better wideouts return.

The Sooners defense has established credibility as one of the stronger defenses in the SEC, and it showed on the plains. However, Auburn’s offense has served up wins to its opponents on silver platters in the opening weekends, and such was the case with the pick six this week.

It was important for the Sooners to collect their first SEC road win, but the schedule ahead won’t serve up interceptions on silver platters.