THIS WEEK IN THE INSIDE ONE OF ’S PREMIER CONFERENCES | COMPILED BY PATRICK STEVENS, SPECIAL TO GATEHOUSE MEDIA

BY THE NUMBERS game of the week No. 9 TENNESSEE (5-0, 2-0 SEC) POWER RANKINGS STANDINGS at No. 8 TEXAS A&M (5-0, 3-0) Breaking down the SEC

(Through Oct. 1) When: 3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday Where: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas TV: CBS 1. Alabama (5-0): Five EAST Team Conf. All T25 games in, the Tide’s Tennessee 2-0 5-0 2-0 biggest headache Florida 2-1 4-1 0-1 Georgia 1-2 3-2 0-2 has stemmed Kentucky 1-2 2-3 0-2 from a backup QB’s decision to South Carolina 1-3 2-3 0-1 Missouri 0-2 2-3 0-1 With each transfer. (Last week: 1) Vanderbilt 0-2 2-3 0-1 BRIGHT passing week, WEST 2. Tennessee (5-0): Team Conf. All T25 Aggies QB Texas A&M 3-0 5-0 1-0 The Volunteers Alabama 2-0 5-0 1-0 LSU 2-1 3-2 0-1 Trevor Knight are firmly in Auburn 1-1 3-2 0-2 is pushing control of the SEC Ole Miss 1-1 3-2 1-2 KNIGHT East after winning a wild one Mississippi State 1-1 2-2 0-1 Arkansas 0-1 4-1 1-1 Keys for Tennessee coach Kevin at Georgia. (LW: 2) INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Sumlin a little Efficient Dobbs: QB Joshua Dobbs might not have 3. Texas A&M (5-0): (Through Oct. 1) another Hail Mary in him this week, but he will need to further off the Once again, the PASSING YARDS make the most of his opportunities against a Texas A&M Player Yds. hot seat Aggies are 5-0. Drew Lock, MIZ 1,675 defense that is much improved in its second season Once again, they Chad Kelly, MISS 1,596 under coordinator John Chavis. The Aggies rank 12th Trevor Knight, TA&M 1,261 face a defining stretch in Austin Allen, ARK 1,232 nationally in scoring defense and 23rd in pass efficiency October. (LW: 3) Joshua Dobbs, TENN 1,035 defense. Points could be at a premium this week for both PASSING TOUCHDOWNS teams. 4. Mississippi (3-2): A Player No. Flip the switch: It’s getting to the point that it is Drew Lock, MIZ 14 two-game road trip Chad Kelly, MISS 13 worth accepting the Volunteers aren’t particularly likely awaits the Rebels Joshua Dobbs, TENN 13 to start a game strong. They trailed Virginia Tech 14-0, Austin Allen, ARK 12 after their bye Several tied at ... 7 Florida 21-0 and Georgia 17-0 and came back to win all of week, starting with an Oct. 15 those games. Multi-score holes don’t seem to faze Butch RUSHING YARDS visit to Arkansas. (LW: 4) Player Yds. Jones’ team, though it needs to continue to be able to Ralph Webb, VAN 582 Rawleigh Williams III, ARK 559 figure things out midstream. That holds true this week 5. Arkansas (4-1): Kerryon Johnson, AUB 517 against Texas A&M. Trayveon Williams, TA&M 487 Had little trouble Stanley Williams, UK 486 brushing aside RECEIVING YARDS Keys for Texas A&M Player Yds. Alcorn State in a Evan Engram, MISS 479 tuneup for this week’s show- Pounce early — and make it stick: The Aggies J’Mon Moore, MIZ 450 down with Alabama. (LW: 5) Josh Reynolds, TA&M 399 certainly cannot be content if they build an early lead Calvin Ridley, ALA 398 Antonio Callaway, FLA 371 on Tennessee. It very well might happen given the Volunteers’ habit of playing from behind, but Texas 6. Florida (4-1): SCORING Player Pts. A&M cannot allow complacency to seep in. That might After mustering 13 Daniel Carlson, PK, AUB 58 points in a victory Daniel LaCamera, PK, TA&M 56 answer two questions — whether the Aggies can handle Adam Griffith, PK, ALA 50 a top-10 team this year, and possibly if this year’s 5-0 at Vanderbilt, the Gary Wunderlich, PK, MISS 46 same questions as last year are J’Mon Moore, WR, MIZ 38 start isn’t a mirage, unlike the last two seasons. Maintain balance: One of the elements of the Aggies’ Texas A&M’s surfacing for the Gators. (LW: 6) TEAM STATISTICS fast start this season is how effectively they can defeat Trevor Knight (Through Oct. 1) opponents with both the run and the pass. QB Trevor has thrown for 7. Auburn (3-2): The TOTAL OFFENSE Knight, a transfer from Oklahoma, has been a godsend 1,261 yards so Tigers cruised Team Yds./G Pts./G past UL Monroe Texas A&M 521 39.2 for coach Kevin Sumlin after last year’s far this season. Missouri 509 37.0 exodus, and TB Trayveon Williams has 34 carries for 378 the associated behind Kerryon Ole Miss 490 41.6 Auburn 489 31.2 yards and four TDs in three conference games. press Johnson’s 146 rushing yards Alabama 484 44.0 and two TDs. (LW: 7) Arkansas 443 36.0 Georgia 409 26.4 Prediction Florida 407 28.4 8. Louisiana State LSU 398 25.2 Tennessee 382 33.0 Tennessee 28-24: In some ways, this is a matchup of (3-2): The Tigers Kentucky 352 25.4 two enigmatic teams. The Volunteers keep erasing big Mississippi State 434 28.5 rolled past Vanderbilt 303 20.2 deficits, a trend that turned into a Houdini act last week Missouri in Ed South Carolina 302 14.0 at Georgia. Texas A&M has turned 5-0 starts into 8-5 Orgeron’s debut as interim PASSING OFFENSE finishes the last two years, and this is the Aggies’ tough- coach. (LW: 9) Team Yds. Yds./G Missouri 1,753 350.6 est test yet. Tennessee is more tested in 2016, but Texas Ole Miss 1,667 333.4 A&M doesn’t seem as likely to collapse as last season. Texas A&M 1,312 262.4 9. Georgia (3-2): Alabama 1,264 252.8 Expect a close game in College Station. The Bulldogs have Arkansas 1,232 246.4 Florida 1,232 246.4 to be crushed by Auburn 1,094 218.8 the manner in Georgia 1,076 215.2 Tennessee 1,035 207.0 this week’s other top games which they lost to Tennes- South Carolina 985 197.0 BEST OF THE REST see. (LW: 8) Kentucky 903 180.6 Mississippi State 857 214.3 LSU 807 161.4 No. 1 Alabama (5-0, 2-0 SEC) LSU (3-2, 2-1) at Auburn (3-2, 1-1) at Vanderbilt 773 154.6 at No. 16 Arkansas (4-1, 0-1) No. 18 Florida (4-1, 2-1) Mississippi State (2-2, 1-1) 10. Mississippi State (2-2): RUSHING OFFENSE The Bulldogs Team Yds. Yds./G When: 7 p.m. EDT Saturday When: Noon EDT Saturday When: Noon EDT Saturday come out of their Auburn 1,349 269.8 Texas A&M 1,293 258.6 Where: Donald W. Reynolds Razor- Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Where: Scott Field, Starkville, Miss. bye to face a LSU 1,185 237.0 back Stadium, Fayetteville, Ark. Gainesville, Fla. TV: SEC Network suddenly dangerous Auburn Alabama 1,158 231.6 Arkansas 985 197.0 TV: ESPN TV: ESPN Notes: The Tigers wrap up the first squad. (LW: 10) Georgia 968 193.6 Notes: The Crimson Tide plays three Notes: Ed Orgeron’s debut as LSU’s half of their season — and head into Mississippi State 878 219.5 Tennessee 873 174.6 of its next four on the road, start- interim coach couldn’t have gone their bye week — by visiting a Mis- 11. Missouri (2-3): Kentucky 859 171.8 Florida 804 160.8 ing with this trip to much better. Of sissippi State team Had no answers Missouri 790 158.0 Arkansas. The first course, Missouri that is coming off in Death Valley Ole Miss 785 157.0 Vanderbilt 742 148.4 five weeks of the isn’t a team likely to its own open date. against Louisi- South Carolina 524 104.8 season revealed cause many prob- Auburn upended ana State’s reserve running Alabama to once lems for the top-tier Louisiana State two backs. (LW: 11) STARS OF THE WEEK again possess a teams in the SEC weeks ago thanks stingy defense this year. Florida to six field goals, TB Derrius Guice, Louisiana State: Williams Del Rio Fitzgerald 12. Kentucky (2-3): (No. 8 nationally in could be different, and is looking for Rushed for 163 yards and They’ll need to yardage, No. 9 in points allowed) especially with the Gators’ defense back-to-back conference victories three TDs on 17 carries while recover quickly that is paired with a plenty capable ranked second nationally in total for the first time since defeating playing in place of the injured from loss to Tide, offense — this year with freshman yardage allowed and fourth in points South Carolina and Mississippi in Leonard Fournette. to deal with Vanderbilt’s at QB. The imposing front allowed. In Florida’s four victories, the middle of the 2014 season. The WR Jauan Jennings, Tennessee: stingy defense. (LW: 12) seven could face a challenge against it has allowed a combined 20 points, Bulldogs have been most effective Came down with a 43-yard the run-heavy Razorbacks, who are and that’s a problem for an LSU when QB Nick Fitzgerald thrives as Hail Mary as time expired to 13. South Carolina averaging nearly 200 yards per game offense that could not get traction in a rusher. In their two victories, he lift the Vols over Georgia. (2-3): Thirteen points on the ground this season. TB Raw- losses to Wisconsin and Auburn. The has 32 carries for 305 yards, but he will cut it against leigh Williams has 101 carries for 559 Tigers are hopeful to get TB Leonard was bottled up (13 carries, 13 yards) STAT OF THE WEEK a few teams in the yards and four TDs, and has rushed Fournette back from an ankle injury. in a loss to LSU. This is Mississippi SEC, but Texas A&M sure isn’t for at least 79 yards in every game Florida is coming off a sluggish 13-6 State’s first home game in nearly a one of them. (LW: 13) for Arkansas. Arkansas has lost nine defeat of Vanderbilt, but it might get month, and it will play its next two 5 in a row in the series. QB Luke Del Rio back this week. games on the road as well. Consecutive seasons Florida 14. Vanderbilt has won games with mul- (2-3): If the Com- modores are tiple starting . Time (EDT) Matchup TV ROUNDING IT OUT going to take the Both Luke Del Rio and Austin SATURDAY THE REST OF THE MATCHUPS bad offense/good defense Appleby have led the Gators to 4 p.m. Vanderbilt at Kentucky SECN approach, they can’t afford triumphs already this season. 7:30 p.m. Georgia at South Carolina SECN three-turnover days. (LW: 14)

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