No. 23 LSU at No. 21 Missouri
Saturday, Oct. 7 — Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field — Columbia, Missouri
11 a.m. on ESPN
A big catfight is brewing in Missouri this Saturday between No. 23 LSU and No. 21 Missouri. Despite the same mascot namesake, the two teams have had different starts to the season.
Missouri shot out of a cannon, marking the best start in the Eli Drinkwitz era with a perfect 5-0. This stretch is highlighted by a dramatic win over then No. 15 Kansas State. Senior kicker Harrison Mevis, made SEC history, drilling a 61-yard field goal.
The gold and black’s offense has been efficient, led by junior quarterback Brady Cook, who’s thrown for 11 touchdowns with zero interceptions. It also helps to have a stud sophomore receiver, Luther Burden III, who’s leading the country in receiving yards with 644 and has hauled in 43 receptions.
The visiting Tigers’ start to the season has not been ideal. They dropped their first game to Florida State and lost their latest game to Ole Miss. Through the ups and downs, the one thing that has stayed consistent is senior quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The dual-threat QB holds the third spot in the country in passing yards, going for 1,710 yards. He’s thrown 16 touchdowns to only two picks. Daniels’ stellar play has produced the ninth-best quarterback rating in the country with 86.1.
The matchup will come down to which defense can hold its own as both teams boast top-notch offenses in an early SEC game.
Prediction: Missouri 34, LSU 31
No. 20 Kentucky at No. 1 Georgia
Saturday, Oct. 7 — Sanford Stadium — Athens, Georgia
6 p.m. on ESPN
The Bulldogs come into this game as the heavy favorites. They are well-rounded both offensively and defensively, but ran into a scare against Auburn. With their win streak and ranking at stake, junior tight end Brock Bowers delivered a late touchdown to help Georgia escape with a win. To avoid another scare, or even upset this time around, the Bulldogs will need to have a strong start, especially against the on-fire Wildcats.
Majority of the Georgia offense has come through the air. Junior quarterback Carson Beck is eighth in the country in passing yards, with Bowers being his go-to guy. After missing the first two games to injury, senior running back Daijun Edwards has created lanes in the offense, rushing for a team-high 260 yards to go with five touchdowns.
While Kentucky’s offense isn’t anything special, their defense has been outstanding. One of the best defenses in the country in keeping opposing offenses in check, sophomore defensive back Maxwell Hairston has led the way. Hairston’s play has been all over the field, leading the team in tackles with 33 total and has made life hard for opposing quarterbacks with three passes defended and three picks.
Don’t be surprised if Kentucky makes it a close game and even pulls out the upset win, but it’ll come down to an offense that needs to put up points by any means necessary.
Prediction: Georgia 31, Kentucky 24
Arkansas at No. 16 Ole Miss
Saturday, Oct. 7 — Vaught-Hemingway Stadium — Oxford, Mississippi
6:30 p.m. on SEC Network
In the last slate of SEC games, the Rebels will take on a struggling Razorbacks team. Ole Miss is fresh off a shootout win against LSU where they showcased a strong balance between the pass and run game. Meanwhile, Arkansas has dropped its last three games in a row, losing to BYU, LSU and Texas A&M.
The Rebels’ offense has been churning out yards with 517 yards per game, good for second in the conference and eighth in the nation. Conducting the offense is junior quarterback Jaxson Dart. His dual-threat ability has translated well, throwing for 11 touchdowns to two interceptions and has garnered the second-most rushing yards on the team.
For the visiting Razorbacks, this season has not been kind to them. Though senior quarterback KJ Jefferson has been keeping the offense afloat, the defense has let the team down. In the three-game losing skid, Arkansas’s defense gave up over 30 points in each game, and against a running Rebels’ offense that has seen much success so far, it may falter yet again.
Prediction: Ole Miss 40, Arkansas 24