SEC Football: Vandy Escapes in OT, Playoff Contenders Avoid Upsets
In week 11 of the SEC football schedule, every game was a make or break moment for someone. This week’s slate of SEC games was no exception.
Vanderbilt holds on to playoff hopes in OT
Auburn faced a tall task in Nashville in its first game without coach Hugh Freeze, who was fired the previous Sunday. Vanderbilt entered the weekend at No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings, putting it in must-win territory for the rest of the season.
Auburn transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels started hot in his third appearance of the season. Daniels threw an early touchdown to Eric Singleton Jr. and got another one with his legs to put Auburn up 14-3 to start the game.
The game heated up after halftime with Vanderbilt taking its first lead in the third quarter. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and running back Sedrick Alexander each accounted for a couple of second-half touchdowns, giving Vandy a late lead, but Auburn receiver Cam Coleman made two spectacular catches in consecutive plays to tie the game.
Vanderbilt scored on its first overtime possession and held off the Tigers to win 45-38. Pavia put the ‘Dores on his back with a career-high 377 passing yards, 112 rushing yards and four total touchdowns. It wasn’t pretty for Vanderbilt, but in a week with three top-15 upsets, a win means one more step closer to the playoffs.
Missouri continues to backslide without Pribula
The No. 22 Tigers were looking to be the first team to scratch No. 3 Texas A&M all season.
Despite their homefield advantage, the Tigers just could not put points on the board. Their first-half drives ended with three punts, a turnover on downs, a fumble and the end of the half. The Aggies weren’t moving with ease, but they were at least able to rack up 21 points before Missouri got on the board.
With Beau Pribula out, freshman Matt Zollers started at quarterback for Missouri.
“We didn’t do a good enough job getting him comfortable throwing the football,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said. “We gotta do a better job, with a freshman quarterback, protecting him.”
Zollers had only seven completions in 22 attempts. Missouri’s 77 passing yards were its fewest in a game since losing 34-0 against Alabama in 2024.
Texas A&M remained in control through the second half, beating Missouri 38-17. The Aggies can now afford to exhale just a little bit. They escaped a stretch of three SEC away games unscathed and will now host South Carolina and Samford en route to their season finale in Austin.
Bama, Georgia, Ole Miss cruise
The rest of the SEC’s top dogs looked the part on Saturday.
Alabama hosted LSU in the Tigers’ first matchup with an interim head coach. The Crimson Tide took a lead into halftime, and their defense held the lead through the rest of the game. LSU didn’t have a single drive longer than 50 yards. The Tigers totaled only 232 yards on offense, and Alabama won 20-9.
Georgia, as usual, started slow in Starkville. Mississippi State took a 7-0 lead on its first drive and kept the lead through the quarter. By the time Mississippi State scored its second touchdown, though, it was down 38-14. Gunner Stockton threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns, as Georgia rolled to a 41-21 victory.
Ole Miss flexed in its tune-up game against Citadel. Three was the magic number for Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. The freshman had 333 yards and three touchdowns in 33 attempts, and he did all of it in only three quarters. Ole Miss won 49-0.
Category: College Football, SEC
