THE SEC REPORT
The SEC Report: A&M wins huge, Georgia shuts down the Gators, Arkansas packs it in and it's showdown time with Alabama-LSU
Nov 6, 2019, 6:23 am
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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!
LAST WEEKEND
Texas A&M finally had the offensive explosion fans have been waiting for all season. Putting 45 points on poor old UTSA, the Aggies showed promise and gave boosters a glimpse of what Jimbo Fisher can build if given enough time. Georgia meanwhile crushed the playoff hopes of Gator fans nationwide by dominating Florida through the first three quarters before winning 24-17. Mississippi State finished off what is left of Arkansas' season stomping them 54-24.
THREE STARS OF LAST WEEKEND
Jake Fromm, Quarterback of Georgia, finally coming closer to pulling it all together in a tough game that they had to have, threw for two touchdowns and over 250 yards in a game that Swift couldn't get going Fromm stepped up big.
Kylin Hill, Runningback of Mississippi State, this guy went ahead and had a monster game, putting over 230 yards and three touchdowns in the stat box.
Isaiah Spiller, Runningback of Texas A&M, ran for 217 yards and also scored three touchdowns in a game where they looked like they just couldn't be stopped. He literally averaged over 10 yards a carry, that's pretty good if you're curious.
THIS WEEKEND
This coming weekend there is one game the entire nation will be watching, the 2:30 game in Bryant-Denny Stadium on CBS amidst The Red Tide, No. 1 LSU comes to No. 2 Alabama. This feels like the big second act of a movie, where the two forces clash for the first but probably not last time this year. The winner is going to the SEC conference championship game and the playoffs, barring an upset between now and then, but the loser if they finish strong enough is possibly still in the top 4 of the country depending on how it all shakes out and therefore still alive for the playoffs. Missouri comes to Georgia, it's amazing how much a few weeks changes things, from leading their division and in control of their own destiny to 2-2 in conference Missouri can still make things interesting with a win against current division leader Georgia. Vanderbilt comes to Florida in a game that Florida can't afford to lose in order to keep pace with the winner of the Georgia-Missouri game.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Joe Burrow, Quarterback of LSU, here it is. This is the focus of the entire country and if the kid who is proving himself to be The Man has anything to say about it LSU walks away a winner and sealing up the season and all doubters.
Tua Tagovailoa, Quarterback of Alabama. In some ways even after everything I just said about Joe Burrows this game will be about Tua. If he doesn't play then that's going to hang over this game regardless of the outcome. If he does play and they lose then it'll be questioned, if he plays and they win then he's a legend of unimaginable proportions. So yes this is Joe Burrow's game to win, but it's Tua's story that gets written this weekend.
D'Andre Swift, Runningback of Georgia, he literally can run Missouri out of the building this weekend if he performs like he usually does. He's averaging almost 6 yards a carry against SEC teams and Missouri might not be able to stop him from raising that average this weekend.
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Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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