Week 7 SEC Letter Grades: LSU Through Oklahoma

Credit: University of Mississippi Athletics

By Tucker Harlin

LSU: B-

The Magnolia Bowl wasn’t perfect for LSU, but it has won seven consecutive against Ole Miss in Death Valley.

The offense in particular kept the Tigers down for a significant portion of the game. The Rebels missed a field goal in the first quarter, but a circus interception gave them the ball right back in plus territory.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter and Ole Miss had just thrown an interception. The very next play, Garrett Nussmeier threw a pick on an underthrown deep pass.

Despite falling into an early hole, the defense did a few things to keep the Tigers in the game. Among the good things it did, the defense turned the Rebels over twice and finished the evening with six sack and nine tackles for loss.

But possibly the most important thing the Bayou Bengal defense did was keep the Rebels away from the end zone in the second half. Field goals will only work to a point; you have to find the end zone eventually.

The defense forced the Rebels to the fringe of field goal range in overtime, forcing them to kick a 57-yard attempt. Nussmeier followed this with a 25-yard strike to Kyren Lacy to take the win.

It wasn’t a pretty win, but it was a Top 10 win for the Tigers. Not sure if the field storming was warranted.

MISSISSIPPI STATE: C

I can’t be too harsh on a team who went out and played better than anticipated in a place it hasn’t won in since the 1950s, so I gave Mississippi State the highest grade I could for a loser.

Mississippi State’s defense came out and picked off Carson Beck to set up an early field goal. Georgia began to overpower it as the first half continued, but Mississippi State wasn’t about to roll over and die.

Trailing 34-10 on its first possession of the second half, Mississippi State put together a 75-yard touchdown drive. It picked off Carson Beck for the second time deep in its own territory and followed that with an 80-yard touchdown drive.

Even after letting Georgia score its fifth touchdown of the day it wasn’t done being a nuisance in Athens. Mississippi State constructed a nine-play drive to cut the final deficit to 10 points.

The road Bulldogs truly played like a team that had nothing to lose.

MISSOURI: A

I don’t have any other option than to give Mizzou an A because you’re supposed to win 45-3 on the road against UMass.

The Tigers were taking a test of basic addition while others were taking advanced Calculus tests. Not all tests are created equal, but you have to grade based on the test each team faced.

It only took Mizzou two plays to score its first touchdown, and it had 21 on the board before the Minutemen could score their lone touchdown of the game.

I don’t have anything else to say.

OKLAHOMA: F

It’s about to be a long year for Oklahoma.

Offensively, the Sooners’ longest play of the game was a 15-yard reception for Zion Kearney.

Other than marginally better ball security, Michael Hawkins Jr. hasn’t done much to suggest he’s a better option at quarterback than Jackson Arnold. They surrendered five sacks and 11 tackles for loss to the Longhorns.

The defense started the day off alright by picking off Quinn Ewers, but the lack of any positives on offense wore on it as the game progressed.

I’m going to release floors and ceilings later in the week for each SEC team, and I’d be shocked if Oklahoma’s ceiling is anything more than six wins.