THE SEC REPORT
LSU gets a big win, A&M comes up short, Georgia proved themselves, Tennessee lost again
Sep 10, 2019, 5:09 am
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Joe Burrow
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio and Sports. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
Georgia proved themselves, Tennessee failed again and Clemson submitted Texas A&M.
LAST WEEK
The second week of college football is in the books and there was even more good, bad and surprising. The good was LSU going into Austin and knocking off the Longhorns in a battle of highly ranked teams. More good was Georgia's second quarter, 35 points and a game-destroying 15 minutes of football proved #3 Georgia is as good as advertised. The bad was yet again Tennessee, ending their season basically by losing to BYU in second overtime, while expectations weren't high there is now no need for them at all and essentially they are playing out this season now for an invite to a low level bowl game. The ugly was the Clemson game, where the game wasn't as close as the end score showed. The fourth quarter started 24-3 and it never really felt close from there. The Aggies could not muster enough offense against the defending champs.
THREE STARS OF LAST WEEKEND
Joe Burrow, quarterback, LSU: Threw for 471 yards and 4 touchdowns on 31 completions against a top ten opponent in their house. It was an amazing game.
Scottie Phillips, running back, Ole Miss: Had two touchdowns and almost 150 yards on 26 carries. He averaged over 5 yards a carry in the game against Arkansas.
Ty Chandler, running back of Tennessee: They may have lost but this guy also averaged over 5 yards a carry and put 154 yards up on the board, the big problem which is really the Vols problem is he didn't score.
GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK
This weekend, there are a lot of interesting, potentially close games on the schedule. Kansas State will be at Mississippi State in a good competitive early game and in the afternoon Colorado State will be at Arkansas. In the evening Florida will be at Kentucky and that should be a great game to enjoy as well, with a whole Saturday of close competition lined up.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kellen Mond, quarterback, Texas A&M: This is a big week for him in a game they should expect to win pretty big and pretty fast but only if he bounces back.
D'Andre Smith, running back, Georgia: This week he had a quiet 60 plus yards on 6 carries, but I expect he'll see more playing time in a game that will be over early and need rushers to put it to bed.
Joe Burrow, quarterback, LSU: One thing every coach tries to prepare you for is coming back to an "easy" game after winning a close big game. This would be the "let down" game if you're underprepared, so it's up to Joe Burrow to go out there and keep up the pressure and the attacking that's worked for two weeks.
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The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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