Week 7 SEC Letter Grades: Ole Miss Through Vanderbilt

Credit: University of Tennessee Athletics

By Tucker Harlin

OLE MISS: D

Ole Miss is getting a D because Death Valley is a hard place to leave with a win, but Lane Kiffin might as well get an F because he’s still never won a game of significance in his coaching career.

Surrendering six sacks and committing 12 penalties for 110 yards is pretty terrible. Ole Miss had a double digit lead at one point in this game, but it was unable to find the end zone after the first half.

The offense lost a fumble and an interception. The defense gave out late in the game, surrendering a touchdown on a 4th and 5 with just 27 seconds to play that sent the game to overtime.

The inability to find the end zone bled into overtime, and it ultimately cost the Rebels a win.

The fact Ole Miss was projected so high in the AP Poll to start the season and already has two losses with such a talented roster is a serious letdown to the Rebel fan base.

SOUTH CAROLINA: C

Despite a rough start, South Carolina gave Alabama everything it could handle in Tuscaloosa.

The Gamecocks were in 14-0 hole in the second quarter, but a 4th and 9 touchdown pass to Mazeo Bennett flipped all the momentum to their end for about a quarter and a half.

Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart made life miserable for Jalen Milroe, leading to numerous sacks and a safety. The secondary also made DeBoer and company question Milroe’s ability as a passer with a pair of interceptions.

But once Alabama began to design quarterback runs for Milroe to counter, the momentum flipped away from the Gamecocks.

They had a chance to tie the game late with a two-point conversion but missed. Beamer Ball actually pulled off a successful onside kick with 13 seconds to play but turned it into a pick just two plays later.

Believe it or not, this iteration of South Carolina may be the best we’ve seen it play under Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks aren’t getting the wins, but they’re making life hard on their opponents.

TENNESSEE: C+

The first half of Tennessee’s 23-17 win against Florida felt like a repeat of the first half in Fayetteville but worse.

Nico Iamaleava put the ball on the ground on the opening possession, instantly killing the buzz in the stadium. Iamaleava and his receivers felt out of sync with one another all game, so the offense became predictable with a constant effort to run the football.

But the defense kept the Vols alive. Florida constructed a long drive that should’ve ended with a Graham Mertz rush touchdown, but James Pearce recovered a fumble at the 1-yard line instead.

After Florida scored its first touchdown in the second half, Graham Mertz left the game with a lower body injury, forcing D.J. Lagway to shoulder all the pressure for the Gators.

One play after the Vols scored their first touchdown, Arion Carter picked Lagway off to set up a field goal and helped tie the game.

Outside of the Gators’ last drive of regulation, the Vols defense consistently kept them behind the chains once Lagway started the remainder of the game.

Not a pretty win for Tennessee by any stretch of the imagination, but wins over Florida don’t come often.

TEXAS: A

A 31-point win over one of your biggest rivals is deserving of nothing less than an A.

I’ll attribute the slow start for Texas to Quinn Ewers missing close to a month and the Red River Shootout being his first game back in action.

The Longhorns surged at the end of the first half thanks to a 4-play, 84-yard touchdown drive and another touchdown that came as a result of a fumble by the Sooners.

This the second blowout win Texas has prevailed in due to an inept offense wearing down a solid defense on the other end.

VANDERBILT: A

The fact Vanderbilt is coming off its biggest win in almost half a century and was able to get a win on the road as a double digit underdog qualifies it for an A.

Diego Pavia’s interception in the first half was the worst mistake the Commodores made all game, and the defense got it right back by forcing a fumble on a Dane Key reception.

It was the same game plan Vandy used to propel itself to a victory against Alabama, only Kentucky has far less potency on offense than the Tide.

The Commodores didn’t panic when they had to punt after surrendering a touchdown near the end of the game. They went out and sacked Brock Vandagriff and forced the Wildcats to commit a pair of holding penalties to stick them behind the chains in their last ditch effort to tie the game.

Clark Lea is in serious consideration for SEC coach of the year.