WEEK 6 GAME SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5
Missouri (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at Texas A&M (4-1, 2-0 SEC)
Series: TAMU leads, 9-7
11 a.m. CT • ABC
Last: TAMU, 35-14 (2021 at Columbia) Bryan – College Station, Texas
• Kyle Field (102,733) SiriusXM: 82 – 138/190
THE SERIES
Mizzou and Texas A&M have faced off on 16 previous occasions, with the Aggies holding a 9-7 advantage in the series. The Aggies claimed a 35-14 victory in Columbia during the teams’ most recent matchup, but the Tigers have claimed seven of the last 10 contests in the series (dating back to 2002). A&M holds a 5-4 edge against MU in Bryan-College Station, although the Tigers have won three of the last four meetings at Kyle Field (since 2010).
Missouri Notes
TIGERS TREK TO TEXAS A&M FOR SEC SHOWDOWN
University of Missouri football embarks on its first road trip of the 2024 season Saturday when the No. 9 Tigers meet the 25th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies in a Southeastern Conference contest at Kyle Field. Owners of the nation’s longest win streak, the Tigers (4-0) will be shooting for their ninth-consecutive victory this weekend. Saturday’s game kicks off at 11:07 a.m. CT and airs on ABC and the Tiger Radio Network.
FIRST AND TEN – STORYLINES
• Missouri is off to a 4-0 start for the second-straight season and will be seeking its fourth 2-0 SEC start since joining the conference in 2012. • The Tigers’ current eight-game win streak, dating back to Nov. 11, 2023, is tied with Army West Point for the longest in the nation (NCAA FBS). • MU’s current win streak marks the Tigers’ best stretch since 1960 and represents the second-longest in program history. • Mizzou’s defense ranks third in the nation in total defense (219.0 ypg) and fifth in passing defense (127.3). • The Tigers have not yielded a 100-yard individual rushing performance since Oct. 14, 2023, at Kentucky. • MU’s offense has converted 19-of-20 trips to the red zone into points this season, as well as 75-of-78 trips overall since the start of the 2023 season. • QB Brady Cook has recorded four consecutive 200-yard passing performances to start the 2024 season; Additionally, he moved into the No. 4 spot on the Tigers’ all-time passing yardage list against Vanderbilt (7,424). • Luther Burden III recorded six receptions against Vanderbilt, extending his streak of games with at least one catch to 26 in a row, dating back to Oct. 1, 2022; Burden III also tallied a pair of touchdown receptions in the contest, giving him at least one TD in five-straight games (since Dec. 29, 2023, vs. Ohio State). • RB Nate Noel ranks fourth among all active NCAA FBS backs with 3,515 career rushing yards following his careerbest 199-yard effort vs. Vanderbilt. • Head Coach Eliah Drinkwitz has guided the Tigers to a 17-3 record in their last 20 contests (since Nov. 19, 2022), matching the program’s second-highest winning percentage (.850) over a 20-game period. • MU is riding a string of 17 consecutive weeks ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, marking its longest streak in a decade.
HISTORIC STARTS
• Missouri is off to a 4-0 start for the second-straight season. • This season marks the 20th time in program history MU has won its first four games. • The Tigers will be looking for their 14th 5-0 start Saturday. • Mizzou has gone on to post a winning season in each of the previous 19 years in which it won its first four contests.
TERRIFIC 20
• Missouri has gone 17-3 over its last 20 contests dating back to a Nov. 19, 2022, victory over New Mexico State. • The stretch represents the Tigers’ best 20-game period since another 17-3 run during the 2007 and 2008 seasons (Sept. 1, 2007 – Oct. 11, 2008). • Mizzou’s all-time best 20-game stretch came during the period of Nov. 7, 1959, to Oct. 21, 1961, when the Tigers went 18-1-1. • MU’s .850 win percentage trails only Georgia (.900) and Alabama (.900) for the top mark among all SEC programs over the same stretch. • QB Brady Cook has started each of those contests for the Tigers, matching Chase Daniel for the top winning percentage by a Mizzou starting quarterback over a 20-game stretch.
WE’RE GOING STREAKING!
Missouri enters Saturday’s game on a roll, bringing a string of eight consecutive victories into the contest. • The streak, which dates back to the Tigers’ Nov. 11, 2023, win over Tennessee, represents the longest streak in the NCAA FBS ranks (shared with Army West Point). • The Tigers’ current streak matches an eight-game win streak by Mizzou’s 1941 Sugar Bowl team for the second-lengthiest in school history (Oct. 4 – Nov. 22). • Mizzou’s eight-straight wins is the Tigers’ longest win streak since a program-record 13-game streak spanning the 1960 and 1961 seasons (Sept. 17, 1960 – Sept. 30, 1961). • The Tigers 13-game win streak officially includes MU’s 1960 forfeit victory over Kansas (Nov. 19, 1960), which used an ineligible player during its 23-7 win that stopped the Tigers’ nine-game win streak, which would still represent Mizzou’s all-time longest win streak, excluding the forfeit.
SPEAKING OF STREAKS…
• In addition to its eight-game win streak, Missouri enters the month of October on a roll in several statistical categories. • Mizzou has won three-consecutive top 25 matchups after its Sept. 14 win over No. 24 Boston College; the Tigers also knocked off No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl (Dec. 29, 2023) and No. 13 Tennessee (Nov. 11, 2023) as part of the streak. • Mizzou’s defense has not permitted a 100-yard rusher in any of its last 10 games (since Oct. 14, 2023, at Kentucky). • WR Luther Burden III recorded six receptions for 76 yards vs. Vanderbilt (Sept. 21), giving the junior at least one catch in 26 consecutive games (dating back to Oct. 1, 2022); Chase Coffman (2005-08) holds the Mizzou record with at least one reception in 45-straight games. • Burden III has also reached the end zone in five-straight games after scoring twice in the Tigers’ SEC opener with Vandy. • QB Brady Cook has recorded four consecutive 200- yard passing performances to open the 2024 season, giving the graduate 23 200-yard games for his career.
IN THE ZONE
• Mizzou has been nearly unstoppable in the red zone, converting 19-of-20 trips inside of the opposition’s 20-yard line into points this season. • The Tigers have found the end zone on 13 of those possessions overall (65%). • The Tigers red zone offense was one of the nation’s best in 2023, putting points on the board in 56-of58 (96.6%) trips inside the 20-yard line to rank third among all FBS offenses. • MU converted 36 red zone TDs, while Harrison Mevis booted 20 red zone FGs to rank second among all FBS kickers.
Texas A&M Notes
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• Texas A&M hosts Missouri for the first time since 2014 and aims to make it back-to-back wins in the series after topping the Tigers 35-14 in Columbia in 2021 … The Aggies lead the all-time series with Missouri, 9-7. • Junior RB Le’Veon Moss leads the strong Aggie rushing attack and ranks fifth in the SEC with 94.2 yards per game, while his three rushing scores are tied for ninth in the league … Moss is coming off a career-best 117 yards in the win over Arkansas, marking his second 100-yard game of the season. • Freshman QB Marcel Reed has led the Aggies to three straight victories in each of his starts under center this season, accounting for all eight offensive touchdowns in that span. • The Aggies’ new-look offensive line has controlled the battle in the trenches, ranking second in the SEC and tied for 14th nationally allowing 15.0 tackles for loss, while clearing the way for the rushing attack, which ranks 13th in the country averaging 231.6 yards per game. • The Maroon & White have disrupted the opposition’s aerial attack, tallying seven picks on the season, which is tied for first in the SEC and 10th nationally. • Junior DB Will Lee III has brought veteran leadership to the secondary and leads the SEC with seven passes defended this season after breaking up four passes in the win over Arkansas, while he also ranks 10th in the SEC with 18 solo tackles. • Junior DL Nic Scourton made a massive impact in the win over Arkansas as all four of his tackles were for a total 16 yards lost, including a strip sack late in the fourth quarter to get the ball back in A&M’s hands and help the Aggies seal the victory … Scourton ranks ninth in the nation and second in the SEC with 7.5 tackles for loss on the season, while his 3.0 sacks on the year are good for ninth in the league.
QUICK HITS
• The Aggie rushing attack has racked up over 200 yards in three of the last four games, putting up back-to-back 300-yard rushing performances for the first time since 2012 with 333 and 310 yards in the wins over McNeese and Florida, respectively. • Freshman QB Marcel Reed ranks 18th overall in the SEC averaging 57.5 rushing yards per game, while his 5.5 yards per carry is the best average among league QBs. • Junior RB Amari Daniels has played a key role in the Aggies’ success in the run game, ranking among the top-25 in the SEC with 42.2 yards per game and two touchdowns. • The Aggie defense has racked up 32.0 tackles for loss on the season, which ranks 29th nationally and fourth in the SEC … A&M has limited its opponents to 100-for-fewer yards on the ground in three straight games after only giving up 100 yards to Arkansas. • Takeaways have been a key piece of the Aggie defense early on as A&M sits at No. 2 in the SEC and No. 16 in the country in turnover margin (1.2/g). • Sophomore LB Taurean York is the nucleus of the defense and boasts a team-best 27 tackles on the year, good for 16th among league players and sixth among second-year players. • Sophomore DB Marcus Ratcliffe has picked off a pass in three of the last four games to help him rank third nationally and lead the SEC with three interceptions on the year. • Graduate K Randy Bond tallied 14 points in the win over Bowling Green, marking the ninth time in his career he has scored 10-plus points in a game … Bond ranks seventh nationally with nine made field goals this season while his 43 total points are good for 23rd. • Sophomore DL Nana Boadi-Owusu was named the 12th Man ahead of the 2024 season, becoming just the sixth student-athlete in program history to hold the season-long honor.
QUARTERBACK ROOM
• The Aggies boast proven depth in their quarterback room with three players that have made multiple starts in their A&M careers and each thrown for at least 290 yards and multiple touchdowns in a game. • Sophomore Conner Weigman started the first two games of the season before being sidelined due to injury … In the win over McNeese, Weigman guided the Aggies to touchdowns on all five drives he was in on in the first half, helping A&M take a 38-0 lead into the half. • Through 11 career games Weigman has thrown for 2,100 yards on 178-of-295 passing, including three 300-yard passing games … In his first career start in 2022, Weigman put up a freshman record 338 yards, connecting on four scoring passes. • Freshman Marcel Reed has filled in nicely for Weigman, leading the Aggies to three straight victories … In his three starts, Reed has been responsible for eight touchdowns while compiling 514 yards through the air and 187 on the ground … In the win over Bowling Green, Reed became the first Aggie quarterback to rush for 75-ormore yards in back-to-back games since Kellen Mond in 2019. • Reed garnered SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his performance at Florida after throwing for 178 yards and two scores to go along with 13 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown. • Junior Jaylen Henderson started the final four games of the 2023 campaign, accounting for four touchdowns in the lopsided win over Mississippi State in his first start for the Maroon & White … He has completed 53-of-78 passes for 715 yards and six touchdowns as an Aggie, while also adding 104 yards on the ground and two scores.
DEPTH ON THE D-LINE
• Texas A&M boasts one of the most talented and unpredictable defensive lines in the nation, led by the veteran experience and consistent production of senior Shemar Turner and junior transfer Nic Scourton. • Scourton has played with consistency early on, registering at least 1.0 tackle for loss in four of A&M’s five games … In the win over Arkansas, he finished with 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, including a strip sack late in the fourth quarter to help the Aggies seal the victory … He ranks ninth nationally and second in the SEC with 7.5 tackles for loss on the year, while his 3.0 sacks are good for ninth in the league. • Turner started the 2024 season with a career-high seven takedowns against Notre Dame and made a pair of solo tackles for loss in a game for the second time in his career with 2.0 against Bowling Green … He ranks among the top-25 in the SEC with 3.5 tackles for loss. • Juniors Shemar Stewart and Albert Regis have earned starting jobs on the line this season after being part of the Aggies’ consistent second rotation last year … Stewart has come on strong in the last two games, getting to the quarterback in back-to-back victories while matching his career high with five tackles at Florida. • In the win at Florida, the Aggies limited the Gators to just 52 yards on the ground and one rushing score and made it back-to-back weeks of keeping their opponent in double figures on the ground when they limited Bowling Green to just 89 yards and one score.
SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS
• Graduate K Randy Bond was one of the nation’s leading scorers a season ago and continues to rank among the best in 2024 while also climbing A&M’s all-time scoring, field goals made and extra point lists. • Bond currently ranks seventh nationally and fourth in the SEC with nine field goals this season, while his 40 total points land among the top-25 in the country and top-nine league scorers. • Bond has posted double-digit points in a game nine times in his career, racking up 14 points in the win over Bowling Green and 10 points in the win over McNeese this season. • He recently eclipsed the 200-point mark for his career adding 10 points in the win over McNeese and added 14 points against Bowling Green to crack the top-15 of A&M’s all-time scoring list with 233 to-date … His 48 career field goals are good for sixth all-time at A&M while his 89 career PATs rank among the top-12 in program history. • Last season, Bond registered a new career-long with a 52-yarder against ULM and he later connected from the same distance against South Carolina and Mississippi State. • Four Aggies on the 2024 roster have registered a blocked kick in their careers … Senior DL Shemar Turner blocked a pair of field goal attempts last season,
Auburn (2-3, 0-2 SEC) at Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC)
Series: UGA leads, 64-56-8
3:30 p.m. ET • ABC
Last: UGA, 27-20 (2023 at Auburn) Athens, Ga.
• Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium (93,033) SiriusXM: 391 – 138/190
SERIES HISTORY
• In the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, first played in 1892, Auburn trails the all-time series 56-64- 8; the Bulldogs have won 18 of the last 23 games. Auburn owns a winning record in Athens (18-17) while Georgia has a winning mark on the Plains (19-12-2). Auburn is 17-24-1 against ranked Georgia teams all-time (8-9 in Athens), while the Bulldogs are 16-28-1 vs. the Tigers when they are ranked (13-6 in Athens). The series is older than Georgia-Georgia Tech (116 games) and Auburn-Alabama (88). Auburn and Georgia first met in 1892 at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park; each first played its in-state rival in 1893.
Auburn Notes
FIRST ROAD GAME
• Auburn (2-3, 0-2) travels to No. 5 Georgia (3-1, 1-1) on Saturday, October 5, for a 2:30 p.m. CT game at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. ABC will televise the contest. • In all-time SEC play, Auburn holds a 338-275-18 mark (.550) back through 1933. In SEC games played in Auburn, the Tigers are 145-71-6 (.667) all-time; away from Auburn, the Tigers are 193- 203-12 (.486) overall in SEC play. • Auburn is 83-42-6 (.656) all-time in road openers and 385-369-39 (.510) all-time in all games played away from Auburn. The Tigers have won 12 of their last 20 road openers, including a 14-10 win at California last season. • The Tigers are 46-39-6 (.538) all-time in their SEC road openers and have won 20 of their last 28 SEC road debuts; Auburn lost 27-10 at Texas A&M last season in its first SEC road game.
IN OCTOBER
• Auburn is 321-173-18 (.645) all-time in October. Auburn’s October home record is 176- 39-3 (.814). Away from Auburn, the Tigers are 145-134-15 (.519) in October. The Tigers are 12-3 in games played on October 5, 7-1 in SEC contests and 5-2 away from Auburn on that date.
ON OFFENSE
• KeAndre Lambert-Smith caught six touchdowns in his first five games at Auburn. The Penn State transfer caught touchdowns of 67 yards and four yards vs. AAMU and had a 15-yard score against California. He’s the first Auburn player with a TD catch in consecutive games since Rivaldo Fairweather caught a touchdown at Vanderbilt, two at Arkansas and one against
N.O.T. GOING TO LOSE
• Auburn is 29-2 since the start of the 2013 season in games when scoring a non-offensive touchdown, the latest being Malcolm Simmons’ touchdown recovery of a Micah Riley blocked punt against Alabama A&M in the season opener. Last season: Eugene Asante’s 67-yard fumble return for a score at Texas A&M, a Jaylin Simpson interception return against UMass and Keionte Scott’s 74-yard punt return at Arkansas.
FOR THE DEFENSE
• Auburn is allowing just 121.0 rushing yards per game through five games.. The Tigers held Alabama A&M to 36 yards and California to 99 yards on the ground. It was the first time Auburn held consecutive opponents to under 100 yards rushing since the Tigers held Mississippi State (13), Texas A&M (94) and Western Kentucky (85) to fewer than 100 yards rushing in consecutive games in 2022.
Georgia Notes
Bounce Back
In the Kirby Smart era, the Bulldogs are 13-3 after a loss and haven’t lost back-to-back games in the regular season since 2016, his first year at the helm. The last seven times Georgia has lost a game, it has won its next contest. Back in 2016, Georgia fell to Vanderbilt in Athens on Oct. 15 and then to Florida in Jacksonville on Oct. 29. Georgia dropped its final two games of the 2018 postseason, falling to No. 1 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and then were upset by No. 15 Texas in the Sugar Bowl.
The Standard Is The Standard
The more things change the more they stay the same. Through the first three games of the season, the Bulldogs were the only FBS team that did not allow a TD as opponents combined for six field goals. Georgia limited then 14th-ranked Clemson to three points, Tenn. Tech kicked a field goal on the final play of the game and UK made four field goals. However last Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala., fourth-ranked Alabama built a 28-0 lead on the Bulldogs and hung on for a 41-34 win. Going into the game with the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs were one of just three teams in FBS that did not have a turnover on the season. Then, the Bulldogs had four in the loss. They now are even in Turnover Margin this season. Meanwhile, Auburn is minus 11 in Turnover Margin after five games. Georgia enters this week’s game against Auburn ranked 18th nationally in Scoring Defense (14.8 ppg) and 52nd in Scoring Offense (32.3 ppg). The Tigers are 38th nationally in Scoring Defense (18.8 ppg) and 42nd in Scoring Offense (33.4 ppg). Did You Know? The Bulldogs were the only FBS team to finish the 2023 season nationally ranked in the top five in both Scoring Offense (40.1 ppg/5th) and Scoring Defense (15.6 ppg/5th).
Aiming To Be Elite Against One Tough Slate
The Bulldogs opened the 2024 season ranked No. 1 in the AP and US LBM Coaches poll for the third time in school history (2008, 2023). Georgia dropped to No. 2 in the AP poll after its 13-12 road win over Kentucky on Sept. 14 and remained there for another week before falling to No. 4 Alabama on Sept 28. In this week’s AP poll, the Bulldogs check in at No. 5. Georgia was No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches poll until its first loss, and this week, they are No. 5. The Bulldogs have the longest active streak of being ranked in the AP top 10 (55 straight polls). Georgia’s schedule features five teams that were preseason ranked in the top 15 including three of those matchups on the road in Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss plus a fourth at a neutral site (Clemson in Atlanta) while Tennessee visits Athens too.
SMART Football: Streaks ‘n Stuff
*Georgia is riding a school record 26-game home winning streak, which leads in FBS. *The 2024 Senior Class is an FBS-leading 45-3 (39-1 in the regular season) since 2021. The next best marks in this span belong to Michigan (44-4) and Alabama (40-6). Georgia’s only three losses since 2021 have come to Alabama. Georgia’s 2023 Senior Class set the school record at 50-4 with two national titles, an SEC crown plus went 6-0 in bowl/CFP games. *Georgia owns the nation’s longest active bowl streak at 27 seasons and has won its last seven matchups. *Georgia is 49-3 in last 52 games. However, it saw its school record streak of 42 consecutive regular season victories end last Saturday with a 41-34 defeat at No. 4 Alabama. *Georgia had an SEC and school record streak of 28 consecutive SEC regular season wins end at No. 4 Alabama. Also, Georgia had a 16-game winning streak in an opponent’s home stadium snap. *Head coach Kirby Smart is unbeaten against all active head coaches over the past five years except Kalen DeBoer (Alabama). Georgia is 65-7 in that span. The coaches no longer active who have wins over Georgia during this stretch: Nick Saban (3) along with Will Muschamp, Ed Orgeron and Dan Mullen. *In the Smart era, the Georgia defense has ended the year ranked in the top five nationally in Scoring Defense five times including leading the nation twice (2019 at 12.6 ppg & 2021 at 10.2 ppg). Also, Georgia has been ranked in the final top 10 in Scoring Offense from 2021-23. *Georgia is the only team to have finished in the top seven of the final AP poll in each of the past seven
Beck At The Controls
Fifth-year senior Carson Beck, a 6-4, 220-pound native of Jacksonville, Fla., owns a 16-2 record as a starter. Led Georgia to 13-1 mark in ’23. *On the 2024 watch list for numerous national awards. He was a 2023 Manning Award finalist and a Maxwell Award / Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist * 6-2 versus top-20 opponents with a 69.4 Completion Percentage (175-252) for 2,410 yards, 18 TDs, 5 INTs in those contests. * SEC Offensive Player of the Week after 34-3 win over #14 Clemson this year * Set Career Highs in road loss at #4 Alabama, 50 att., 439 yards, 3 INTs *439 passing yard @ #4 UA ranked 4th most in school history, most since ’94 (Eric Zeier, 441 vs. VU, going 23-for-54) * School record 72.4 Completion% in 2023 (5th nationally). * 302 completions in 2023 ranked 2nd in UGA single season history, trailing only Stetson Bennett (310 in ’22 when the Bulldogs went 15-0); 3,941 passing yards ranked 2nd in school history (Bennett, 4,127 in ’22) * Georgia’s quarterback room also includes redshirt sophomore Gunner Stockton, freshman Ryan Puglisi and redshirt freshman transfer Jaden Rashada (Arizona State). Stockton saw action in four games last year and completed 63% of his passes (12-for-19) for 148 yards and two TDs. This year, Stockton is 10-for-12 for 90 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INT.
Seasoned Line Keeps The Chains Moving
Georgia’s starting unit has featured Earnest Greene III, Dylan Fairchild, Jared Wilson, Tate Ratledge and Xavier Truss while Micah Morris and Monroe Freeling have been the next men up. Truss has 32 career starts while Ratledge, who had 31, is now out after an ankle injury against UK. Morris made his first career start in place of Ratledge at #4 UA last week. *Georgia is averaging 6.88 yards per play and 431.5 yards per game in 2024. * The 2023 Georgia offense set a school record averaging 7.26 yards per play while the 496.5 yards per game average ranked second all-time.
Recap of The Running Backs
Georgia’s top running backs to date include Trevor Etienne, Branson Robinson, who was sidelined in 2023 due to a knee injury, Cash Jones and freshmen Nate Frazier. Etienne has a team-high 212 yards (5.9 avg.). *Robinson made his first career start in the season-opening win over #14 Clemson. He was one of seven Bulldogs who combined for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Frazier led the attack with 83 yards on 11 carries including a 40-yard scamper and his first TD. Jones’ lone carry was a 15-yard TD that featured an impressive stiff arm plus he was a key contributor on punt returns. * Etienne, who did not play in the season opener, had a team-best 78 yards on five carries in the win over Tennessee Tech. The Bulldogs fell behind 28-0 at #4 UA and leaned on their passing game. Etienne had a team-best 55 rushing yards and one TD on 12 carries plus two catches for 11 yards at #4 UA.
Are We Punting? Nope.
Faced with a 30-7 halftime deficit at No. 4 Alabama, Georgia attacked every drive in the second half with a four-down mentality. After going 1-for-1 on 4th down in the first half, Georgia went 4-for-4 in the second half to finish 5-for-5, the best ever in the Kirby Smart era. The Bulldogs came into the game 1-for-2 on 4th Downs. Under Smart, the Bulldogs have a 63% success rate in 4th Down Conversions (69-for-109) with 10 TDs. This year, the Bulldogs rank 5th nationally in 4th Down Conversions at 86% (6-for-7).
Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1 SEC) at South Carolina (3-1, 1-1 SEC)
Series: UM leads, 9-8
3:30 p.m. ET • ESPN
Last: UM, 59-42 (2020 at Oxford) Columbia, S.C.
• Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559) SiriusXM: 83 – 113/191
OLE MISS-SOUTH CAROLINA SERIES HISTORY
• This will be the 18th meeting between Ole Miss and South Carolina dating back to 1947. • Ole Miss leads the all-time series 9-8, while the series is tied 4-4 in Columbia. • This marks the ninth meeting between the Rebels and Gamecocks since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1992. • Ole Miss has won six of the last nine, but South Carolina has won three of the last four. • Lane Kiffin is 2-0 all-time vs. South Carolina, winning in 2009 at Tennessee and in 2020 with the Rebels … This marks Kiffin’s first trip to Columbia.
Mississippi Notes
• This is the 18th meeting between the Rebels and Gamecocks … The Rebels lead the series 9-8. • Ole Miss has won six of the last nine in the series, but South Carolina has won three of the last four. • Ole Miss leads the FBS in eight different team categories across both offense and defense. • Head coach Lane Kiffin stands at 99 career victories entering Saturday … He is 38-16 in his fifth season at Ole Miss. • The Rebels are 33-11 overall since 2021 and rank third among all SEC schools in wins in that span. • Ole Miss has held all five opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing, the first such streak since doing so six times to start the 1999 season … The Rebels lead the FBS in rushing defense at 46.2 yards allowed per game. • The Rebels lead the FBS in TFL (53) and forced yards lost (220), averaging 10.6 TFL for 44.0 yards per game. • Ole Miss has two of the top-five PFF pass rushers in DE Jared Ivey (2nd, 91.1) and DE Princely Umanmielen (4th, 86.6), and two of the top-five run defenders in DT JJ Pegues (1st, 90.9) and DT Walter Nolen (5th, 87.0). • LB Chris Paul Jr. leads Ole Miss in tackles (37) and TFL (7.0), and ranks as the top SEC linebacker per PFF (90.7). • QB Jaxson Dart leads the nation in three statistical categories and is PFF’s current top-rated QB at a 92.7 grade … Dart is one of four active FBS QBs with 9,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. • WR Tre Harris leads the FBS with 804 receiving yards, 157 more than the next best receiver nationally (TCU’s Jack Bech, 647) and 342 yards ahead of the SEC’s No. 2 receiver (Alabama’s Ryan Williams, 462). • Harris is one of three active FBS receivers at 3,000 career yards and 25 TD. • Ole Miss leads all FBS offenses since 2020 at 508.3 yards per game and is the lone team to rank top-10 in both rushing (6th, 215.6) and passing (10th, 292.7) in that span.
LAST FIVE GAMES AGAINST SOUTH CAROLINA
Nov. 14, 2020 • Oxford, Miss. • Ole Miss 59, South Carolina 42
Trailing by four, the Rebels scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to outlast the South Carolina Gamecocks 59-42. Matt Corral threw for 513 yards with four touchdowns and became the first Rebel quarterback to crack 500 yards passing in a single game.
Nov. 3, 2018, • Oxford, Miss. • South Carolina 48, Ole Miss 44
An explosive day from the Rebel offense wasn’t enough to top South Carolina at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Jordan Ta’amu totaled 445 yards of total offense, as Ole Miss had two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher, but South Carolina overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit, scoring the last 14 points of the game to win the shootout.
Sept. 25, 2009, • Columbia, S.C. • South Carolina 16, #4 Ole Miss 10
No. 4 Ole Miss scored first, but South Carolina responded with 16 unanswered points and upset the Rebels 16-10. The Gamecocks limited Ole Miss to just 248 yards of total offense in the upset.
Oct. 4, 2008, • Oxford, Miss. • South Carolina 31, Ole Miss 24
Ole Miss pushed the nation’s top defense to the brink, but couldn’t hold on as the Rebels fell to South Carolina 31-24 on homecoming. The Rebels saw their 21-14 halftime lead fade away in the second half, and a late TD midway through the fourth quarter put Ole Miss away.
Oct. 9, 2004, • Columbia, S.C. • Ole Miss 31, South Carolina 28
Bill Flowers caught a 29-yard TD pass from Ethan Flatt on fourth down with 1:05 remaining to lift Ole Miss to a 31-28 road win over No. 25 South Carolina. The Gamecocks managed one more threat. Syvelle Newton drove South Carolina to the Rebels’ 31-yard line, but Patrick Willis sacked Newton, and his next two passes fell incomplete to end the threat.
South Carolina Notes
QUICKLY:
After enjoying the first of their two bye weeks this past weekend, the South Carolina Gamecocks (3-1, 1-1 SEC) return to conference action this week when they host the No. 12/11 Ole Miss Rebels (4-1, 0-1 SEC) on Saturday, Oct. 5. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 pm kick from a sold-out Williams-Brice Stadium (77,559). This marks the Rebels first trip to Columbia since Sept. 24, 2009, a South Carolina 16-10 win over No. 4 Ole Miss, a game that is affectionately referred to as the birth of Sandstorm.
LET ME REINTRODUCE MYSELF:
The South Carolina Gamecocks are off to a 3-1 start overall and 1-1 in SEC play. They opened the campaign with a hard-fought 23-19 win over Old Dominion, then dominated Kentucky in the SEC opener, winning by a 31-6 count in Lexington, the largest road win in the Shane Beamer Era at South Carolina. The Gamecocks were unable to hold onto a 17-0 first half lead in a heartbreaking 36-33 setback to No. 16/17 LSU despite rushing for 243 yards, forcing two turnovers and blocking a punt. They bounced back with a convincing 50-7 rout of Akron before enjoying an off week last weekend. This marks their first 3-1 start since 2017 when they also opened 3-1 with wins over NC State in Charlotte and at Missouri before a home loss to Kentucky and home win over Louisiana Tech. That squad went on to a 9-4 campaign and an Outback Bowl win over Michigan.
A LITTLE HISTORY:
2024 marks year four of the Shane Beamer Era and the 131st season of intercollegiate football at the University of South Carolina, dating back to 1892. It is the 118th-consecutive year in which South Carolina has competed on the gridiron. The University did not field a team in either 1893 or 1906. Carolina owns an all-time record of 637-614-44, a .509 winning percentage. Since the start of the 21st century, the Gamecocks are 171-132, a .564 winning clip. In four seasons under Coach Beamer, the Gamecocks are 23-19, a .548 winning percentage, including wins in six of their last eight games.
IT JUST MEANS MORE:
The 2024 season is South Carolina’s 33rd year in the Southeastern Conference. South Carolina and Arkansas joined the SEC prior to the 1992 campaign. The Gamecocks earned the SEC Eastern Division title in the 2010 season. The Gamecocks are 110-149-1 (.425) all-time in SEC regular season play but posted a 42-38 (.525) record in conference action from 2010-19. Under Coach Beamer, the Gamecocks are 11-15 in SEC play, a .423 winning clip.
TOUGH SLATE:
South Carolina again has one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2024, as seven of its 12 regular-season opponents were ranked in the nation’s preseason top-20. The Gamecocks’ 2024 slate includes contests against preseason top-20 teams Alabama (5/5), Ole Miss (6/6), Missouri (11/11), LSU (13/12), Clemson (14/14), Oklahoma (16/16) and Texas A&M (20/20). All seven of those teams remain in the top-25 through the first five weeks. Carolina’s next four opponents have a combined 16-3 record
IT FIGURES TO BE CLOSE:
Thirteen of the last 15 meetings between the two teams have been decided by seven points or less, including six decided by a field goal or less. The Gamecocks have won eight of the 17 games in the series, but never by more than seven points.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET:
The Gamecocks traveled to Oxford, Miss. on Nov. 14, 2020, and came out on the short end of a 59-42 shootout. The Gamecocks logged a season-high 548 yards of offense, including 318 on the ground, but could not stop the Ole Miss attack that recorded 708 total yards, including 513 through the air. The following day, Carolina AD Ray Tanner informed Will Muschamp that he was being relieved of his head coaching duties. Mike Bobo was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD:
The Gamecocks and Rebels combined for 101 points and 1,256 yards of offense in that 2020 contest. The 101 points scored is the second-most combined points in a Carolina game in school history, topped only by the 65-39 win at Mississippi State in 1995.
Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-1 SEC)
Series: UA leads, 60-19-4
3:15 p.m. CT • SEC Network
Last: UA, 55-3 (2022 at Tuscaloosa) Nashville, Tenn.
• FirstBank Stadium (28,934) SiriusXM: 132/192 – 374
INSIDE THE SERIES
Overall: 86th Meeting (Alabama leads, 63-18-4) In Nashville: Alabama leads, 29-13-2 Current Streak: Alabama, Won 23 Last Meeting: Sept. 24, 2022 – Tuscaloosa (W, 55-3) Series Notes: Alabama and Vanderbilt will share the field for the 86th time when the two schools collide at FirstBank Stadium. Alabama leads the all-time series, 63- 18-4, including a 29-13-2 mark in Nashville. Alabama has won its last 23 matchups with Vanderbilt, including the most recent pairing on Sept. 4, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, a 55-3 Crimson Tide victory. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer has never faced the Commodores during his career, while Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea is 0-1 in his only opportunity against the Crimson Tide.
Alabama Notes
OFFENSIVE NOTES
PILING UP THE POINTS:
Jalen Milroe has accounted for 18 total touchdowns in four games of action this season, including 10 passing and eight rushing. His 18 touchdowns and a two-point conversion have led to 110 points, the third-best total in the nation. Milroe’s eight rushing scores are tied for the national lead among quarterbacks in Division I, while he is one of only 24 FBS quarterbacks with at least 10 passing touchdowns.
THROWING THE BOMB:
Through four games this season, Jalen Milroe has completed 62-of-85 passes for 964 yards. Entering Alabama’s matchup with Vanderbilt, Milroe is averaging 11.34 yards per pass attempt, good for third in the SEC and nationally. He has also accumulated 15.55 yards per completion which ranks fourth in the conference and 10th in Division I.
HOME RUN HITTER:
alen Milroe’s passing touchdowns have typically come in the form of a big play during his time as QB1 at Alabama. Across 17 starts the last two seasons, he is averaging 35.3 yards per passing touchdown, accumulating 1,166 total yards on 33 scores. This season alone, the Katy, Texas, native has thrown for 10 total touchdowns with every score coming from at least 16 yards or better. He has also recorded three touchdowns of 55-plus yards, highlighted by an 84-yarder in the season opener with Western Kentucky. As the starter in 2023, Milroe averaged 33.1 yards per score across his 23 passing touchdowns.
DUAL-THREAT JALEN:
Jalen Milroe has proven to be a threat with his arms and legs during his time at the Capstone. He has rushed for 21 total touchdowns during his career, including eight this season. Milroe’s eight rushing touchdowns are tied for the most by a quarterback in Division I and are also tied for the fifth-most at any position. In 2023, he totaled 12 rushing touchdowns which finished as the second-most by a quarterback in Alabama single-season history, trailing only Jalen Hurts’ 13 from the 2016 campaign.
UNPRECEDENTED IN THE AP ERA:
Following UA’s 41-34 win over Georgia on Sept. 28, Jalen Milroe became the first player since the creation of the Associated Press Poll to manage 300-plus yards passing, 100- plus yards rushing and 2 rushing scores against a top-five opponent.
LOCKED IN:
Jalen Milroe was given a 92.9 passing grade by Pro Football Focus following his performance against then No. 2/1 Georgia on Sept. 28. It marked the second-highest grade of any FBS quarterback in Week 5, and was the highest single-game passing grade for Milroe in his collegiate career.
MILROE vs. THE BEST:
As Alabama’s starter each of the last two seasons, Jalen Milroe has played some of his best football against the top competition. He has guided the Crimson Tide to five wins over Associated Press Top 25 teams, including last weekend’s victory over then-No. 2 Georgia to go with four wins a season ago. In seven total contests against AP Top 25 foes across the last two seasons, Milroe has completed 67.8 percent (116-171) of his passes for 1,601 yards while accounting for 15 total touchdowns (nine passing, six rushing). He has accumulated 2,040 total yards in those matchups.
Vanderbilt Notes
STORYLINES NEXT UP
• Vanderbilt hosts top-ranked Alabama on Saturday with the action airing on SEC Network. • Saturday’s contest will mark Vanderbilt’s 11th game all-time against a team ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll. The Commodores hosted top-ranked Georgia last season and faced the No. 1 Bulldogs in 2022 to give Vanderbilt a top-ranked opponent in each of the last three campaigns. • With Alabama entering the weekend ranked top-10 in both polls, Vanderbilt will be facing its ninth top-10 opponent under head coach Clark Lea (since 2021) and second in as many games after falling in double overtime at No. 7/8 Missouri on Sept. 21. • Saturday’s game will be the 86th meeting between the two sides since 1903. • Vanderbilt will be looking for its first-ever win over a top-ranked opponent and first win over Alabama since 1993.
LAST TIME OUT
• Vanderbilt took No. 7/8 Missouri to two overtimes on Sept. 21 before falling to the Tigers, 30-27. • The Commodores’ defense posted eight tackles for loss, the second time this season with at least eight. • Joseph McVay caught a 65-yard pass from Pavia, his first career catch and the Dores’ longest play of the season. • Diego Pavia finished with 14 completions off 23 attempts and two touchdowns for 178 yards, his third game this season with 100- plus passing yards. It is also the third time this season he has finished with at least two passing touchdowns. • Gabe Fisher caught his first career touchdown off his first career reception to boost Vandy in overtime. • Brock Taylor connected for a program-record 57-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half. Taylor is now 2-for-3 on 50- plus yard field goals this season. • Vandy has played two overtime games already this season, the most since 1998.
SIGNAL CALLERS WITH SPEED
• Diego Pavia’s 279 rushing yards this year are already the 24th-most in a season by a Vanderbilt quarterback (since 1965) and 10thmost since 1996. • At his current pace of 69.8 rushing yards per game, the best mark by a Commodore QB since at least 1996, he would finish the regular season with a quarterback school-record 837 rushing yards. • Chris Nickson owns the current single-season mark for a QB with 694 rushing yards in 2006. • Pavia’s performance marks the 57th time a Commodore quarterback has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in a season since 1965. • Nate Johnson is currently 24 yards away from joining the list. It would be the 14th time Vanderbilt had two 100-yard rushers at the quarterback position in the same season since 1965 and the first time in over a decade. It last happened in 2013 with Patton Robinette (214 yards) and Austyn Carta-Samuels (115 yards). • Vanderbilt has had a quarterback reach 100 rushing yards in all four seasons under Clark Lea after not having a signal-caller reach 100 rushing yards in the previous five seasons.
SPECIAL PLAYS, SPECIAL PLAYERS
• Vanderbilt leads the SEC and ranks 10th in FBS with 21.3 yards per punt return. • Vanderbilt’s special teams efficiency of 67.2 ranks 24th among FBS programs according to ESPN’s FPI. • In the win over Alcorn State, Martel Hight became the first Dore with 100-plus punt return yards since Jonathan Krause on Nov. 24, 2012 at Wake Forest (110 yards). Hight’s punt return for a touchdown was the first since Krause’s in that contest. • Hight is now the first Commodore to have 100-plus punt return yards in a season since the 2019 campaign, reaching the mark in just two games. • Jesse Mirco totaled 111 yards on just two punts in the win over Alcorn State and is averaging 44.8 yards per punt on the season. Mirco’s 69-yard punt vs. Alcorn State is tied for the sixth longest punt in FBS this season. • Brock Taylor drilled a program-record 57-yard field goal at Missouri on Sept. 21. Taylor has two makes of 50 or more yards this season.
Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) at Arkansas (3-2, 1-1 SEC)
Series: UT leads, 13-6
6:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Last: ARK, 24-13 (2020 at Fayetteville) Fayetteville, Ark.
• Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000) SiriusXM: 84 – 138/190
THE TENNESSEE-ARKANSAS SERIES
• Tennessee and Arkansas are meeting for the 20th time and the first time in Fayetteville since the COVID-shortened season of 2020. The Vols lead the all-time series 13-6, but the Razorbacks have captured the last three meetings. • This will be the seventh meeting between the two teams in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks have won the last three meetings in Fayetteville, including a 24-13 win on Nov. 7, 2020, in Jeremy Pruitt’s final season. • The last time Tennessee defeated Arkansas was on Nov. 10, 2007, by a score of 34-13 in Knoxville. That season the Vols captured the SEC East championship. • This is just the fourth meeting between the two programs in the last 16 years. • UT is seeking its first win in Fayetteville since Sept. 8, 2001, when the Vols opened SEC play with a 13-3 win. Arkansas held a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter of that contest, but UT scored 13 unanswered highlighted by a Travis Stephens 3-yard TD with 1:05 to play. • This is the first time Josh Heupel will face Arkansas as a head coach, but Heupel owned a 2-0 record against Arkansas as the offensive coordinator at Missouri (2016-17). The Tigers won those contests, 28-24 (2016 in Columbia) and 48-45 (2017 in Fayetteville). •Two former Vols are on Arkansas’ roster, including senior defensive back Doneiko Slaughter and RS sophomore offensive lineman Addison Nichols. Slaughter played four seasons with the Vols from 2020-23, and Nichols played from 2022-23. • RS-sophomore wide receiver Chas Nimrod hails from Bentonville, Arkansas, which is 29 miles north of Fayetteville. He was a four-star recruit out of Bentonville High School. • Tennessee director of competition development Kurt Schmidt served as strength and conditioning coordinator at Arkansas from 2008-12 under Bobby Petrino and John L. Smith. • A total of 706 miles separate the two campuses.
Tennessee Notes
STORYLINES
BACK ON THE ROAD:
No. 4/4 Tennessee will play its second straight SEC road game in primetime following an open week as the Volunteers take on Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday from DWR Razorback Stadium. All three of Tennessee’s games away from Neyland Stadium have been ABC primetime. The Vols are off to a 4-0 start for the second time in three seasons under Josh Heupel, representing the first time since 1991-92 that they have achieved that feat twice over a three-year stretch. Tennessee has won six straight games dating back to last season’s Nov. 25 Vanderbilt contest. That is the fourth-longest current streak in the nation behind Missouri (8), Army (8) and Duke (7). All six wins have come by double-digits. Arkansas has won three straight in the series, but the Vols lead the all-time matchup, 13-6. The Razorbacks fell to No. 24 Texas A&M, 21-17, in Arlington. The Vols are seeking their first 5-0 start since 2022, Heupel’s second year.
HEUPEL ERA:
Josh Heupel, the 2022 AP SEC Coach of the Year, is in his fourth season at UT. Since taking over a program that was 3-7 prior to his arrival, Heupel owns a 31-12 record and has won 26 of his last 33 games. He led UT to the program’s winningest two-year stretch (20 from 2022-23) since the Vols won 20 from 2003-04. Since 2018, he ranks sixth nationally among active FBS head coaches in victories with 59. Heupel became the quickest UT coach to reach 30 wins (42 games) since Phillip Fulmer did in his 38th game on Nov. 18, 1995, at Kentucky (34-31). He was the fifth-quickest Vol coach in history to reach the milestone, behind Gen. Robert Neyland (33 games, 1929); Bill Battle (35 games, 1972), John Barnhill (37 games, 1945) and Fulmer (38 games). Heupel will be coaching in his 80th game as a head coach.
NEVER TRAILED:
Tennessee is one of four FBS programs who have not trailed this season, joining Texas, Indiana and Army. The Vols have not trailed in 24 straight quarters dating back to last season’s Vanderbilt game. The last time Tennessee trailed was when it lost to top-ranked Georgia on Nov. 18. Tennessee has led in 202 minutes and 53 seconds of game action this season and is outscoring opponents 216-28. That +188-point differential is currently the best in the nation and the seventh-best by an FBS team through four games since 2000. The Vols are outscoring their opponents 149-6 in the first half this season.
OPEN WEEK SUCCESS:
Josh Heupel owns an 8-1 record in games played after an open week in his six previous seasons as a head coach, including a 3-0 mark at Tennessee and a 5-1 record at UCF. The Vols are 85-49-9 all-time after open dates and 51-35-2 after open weeks in league play. Tennessee has outscored opponents 105-68 under Heupel following open dates with wins at No. 18 Kentucky (2021), at No. 25 LSU (2022) and vs. Texas A&M (2023). The Vols also have an open date on Oct. 26 following the Alabama game.
TOP FIVE IN THE FBS:
Tennessee heads into the Arkansas contest ranked in the FBS top five in 11 major categories: scoring offense (1st – 54.0), total defense (1st – 176.0), yards per play allowed (1st – 3.13), third-down defense (1st – 17.0), first down defense (1st – 11.0), scoring defense (2nd – 7.0), rushing defense (2nd – 50.8), total offense (3rd – 565.8), kickoff return defense (3rd – 5.0), pass defense (4th – 125.3) and rushing offense (4th – 290.0). The Vols are the only team in the country boasting a top five scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense AND total defense. UT has surrendered the fewest offensive touchdowns in the country this season (2). Both came in the fourth quarter at Oklahoma – 2-yard pass and 1-yard rush. The other touchdown scored on the Vols this season was an 87-yard interception return by NC State. Opponents have failed to score an offensive touchdown in 19 out of the last 20 quarters played vs. Tennessee.
TENNESSEE DEFENSIVE STREAK OF NOT ISSUING A TOUCHDOWN ENDS AT 19 QUARTERS
• Dating back to the 2024 Citrus Bowl vs. Iowa on Jan. 1, Tennessee went 19 consecutive quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown before Oklahoma crossed the goal line with 8:25 remaining in the fourth quarter on Sept. 21. It was the second-longest streak in program history, longest in the FBS in the last 20 years and longest for Tennessee since shutting out 15-straight opponents from Nov. 5, 1938 to Dec. 9, 1939. • The Vols enter the Arkansas game having allowed only two offensive touchdowns in the last 20 quarters.
PERFECT SEPTEMBER
• With the win at Oklahoma on Sept. 21, Tennessee secured a perfect September for the second time in three years under Josh Heupel. The Vols were 4-0 in September 2022. • Since 2000, Tennessee has produced five undefeated Septembers: 2003, ’04, ’16, ’22 and ’24. • Heupel was the first Tennessee coach to produce undefeated Septembers in two out of his first four seasons as a head coach since Doug Dickey went 1-0-0 in 1965 and 1-0 in 1966.
Arkansas Notes
THE RUNDOWN
• Arkansas returns to the friendly confines of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium for only the second time through the first six weeks of the season to host fourth-ranked Tennessee. Kickoff between the Razorbacks and Volunteers is set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, on ABC. • With a win against Tennessee, Arkansas would improve to 2-1 in SEC play for the first time under head coach Sam Pittman and the first time since 2011, when the Razorbacks, led by then-head coach Bobby Petrino, got off to a 2-1 SEC start before finishing 6-2 in league play and 11-2 overall. • Arkansas enters Saturday seeking its first home win over a top-five opponent since defeating No. 3 Tennessee, 28-24, on Nov. 13, 1999. The Hogs have won three-straight (2011, 2015, 2020) against the Volunteers and each of the last three meetings between the two teams in Fayetteville (2006, 2011, 2020), with their last home loss coming in 2001. • QB Taylen Green has completed 88-of-162 (54.3%) passes for 1,236 yards and five touchdowns through five games this season. A dual-threat quarterback, the Boise State transfer has also run for 331 yards and four scores on 72 carries (4.6 ypc) to help power Arkansas’ rushing offense, which ranks third in the country in rushing touchdowns (18) and 15th in rushing yards per game (240.0). • RB Ja’Quinden Jackson has made his case as one of the best running backs in the country with three 100-yard rushing games and three multiple rushing touchdowns performances through Arkansas’ first five games. The Utah transfer, who ran for 37 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries (3.7 ypc) against Texas A&M (Sept. 28), has rushed for a touchdown in every game this season, becoming the first Razorback running back to score a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games since RB Alex Collins in 2015. Entering Saturday night’s game, Jackson leads the SEC in rushing yards (509) and ranks second in rushing touchdowns (9) and third in rushing yards per game (101.8). • WR Andrew Armstrong has solidified himself as QB Taylen Green’s go-to target, leading the Hogs in receptions (29) and receiving yards (420) despite missing the season opener. Armstrong, who ranks second in the SEC in receptions (29) and receptions per game (7.3) and third in receiving yards (420) and receiving yards per game (105.0), enters Saturday having caught a pass in 32 consecutive games and recording multiple receptions in 27 straight games since his 2021 season at Texas A&M-Commerce. • DL Landon Jackson turned in his best game of the year against Texas A&M (Sept. 28), registering a season-high 2.0 sacks, his second career multi-sack game, and tallying a season-best eight tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss. Jackson is the only Razorback since 1997 with two games of 8+ tackles, 3+ tackles for loss and 2+ sacks in his career.
Central Florida (3-1) at Florida (2-2, 1-1 SEC)
Series: UF leads, 2-1
7:45 p.m. ET • SEC Network
Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548) SiriusXM: 374
Central Florida Knights vs Florida Gators
SERIES HISTORY
Overall: Florida leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: UCF 29, Florida 17 (Dec. 23, 2021 – Tampa, Fla.)
Recent History: UCF, W1
In Gainesville: Florida leads, 2-0
In Orlando: N/A
In Tampa: UCF leads, 1-0
Central Florida Notes
FIRST AND 10
• UCF will make the short trip north to Gainesville, Florida, this weekend to take on the Florida Gators at 7:45 p.m. Saturday on SEC Network. Taylor Zarzour will handle play-by-play, while Matt Stinchcomb will be the analyst and Tori Petry is the sideline reporter. • It will be the Knights’ third trip to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and first since 2006. • Gus Malzahn put an exclamation point on his first season as the Knights head coach in 2021 by leading UCF to a 29-17 victory against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl the last time the two teams met. UCF outscored the Gators 20-7 in the second half and didn’t allow Florida to score after a third-quarter touchdown. The Knights held the Gators scoreless for almost 23 minutes to end the game. • The last time Malzahn was at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was Oct. 5, 2019, when his Auburn Tigers played at Florida – exactly five years to the date of Saturday’s contest (Oct. 5, 2024). • UCF has won 13 straight games against teams from the state of Florida. That list includes the win over Florida in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl and six consecutive victories against South Florida. UCF was the only Big 12 Conference newcomer to make a bowl game last season, as the Knights finished with six wins and played in the 2023 Gasparilla Bowl. It marked a program-record eighth consecutive postseason bowl appearance, the 11th in the last 12 seasons and 15th in 19 years. The Knights are one of just 13 programs to earn bowl eligibility in each of the past eight seasons and the only team from the state of Florida. • The Knights have now rushed for 1,304 yards with 14 touchdowns on the ground through the first four games of the season. The Knights are second in the nation with 326.0 rushing yards per game, which is nearly 40 more than the next-closest Power Four Conference team (Tennessee 290.0). • UCF is the only team in the nation that has rushed for at least 140 yards in each of the last 17 games, dating back to last season. During that span, the Knights have rushed for 200 or more yards 12 times and 250 plus six times. • UCF leads the Big 12 Conference in explosive running plays, as the Knights have recorded 46 rushing plays of at least 10 yards. Additionally, the Black and Gold own 16 explosive passing plays of at least 20 yards this season. • In contrast, UCF’s defense has been stout against the run, allowing just 80.0 rushing yards per game. That mark leads the Big 12 and is the 11th-fewest nationally. The Knights have yielded just 11 rushing plays of 10 yards or more – tied for the fewest in the league. • Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 68 wins, the 10th-most nationally by an FBS program and the most by a team from the state of Florida. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, 9-4 in 2021, 9-5 in 2022 and 6-7 last season. The Knights join Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan and Appalachian State as the only programs to win at least 67 games since 2017.
THE OPPONENT
• Florida owns a 2-2 record heading into Saturday’s game and a 1-1 mark in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play. The Gators are coming off a bye weekend and defeated Mississippi State in their last outing, 45-28, on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Starkville, Mississippi. • Now in his third season with the program, head coach Billy Napier has a 13-16 record at UF and a 53-28 overall record in his seventh season as a head coach. Saturday’s contest will be the first meeting between Napier and Gus Malzahn as head coaches. • The Gators have won 14 of their last 20 home games but are 3-16 in their last 19 contests outside The Swamp and 3-12 in their last 15 true road games. • Florida is averaging 31.7 points per game, while opponents have scored 27.5 ppg. Florida has been playing two quarterbacks in recent games with Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway splitting time. Against Mississippi State, the duo finished 26-of-28 for 277 yards to compile a 92.8 completion percentage.
A WIN WOULD… –
Give UCF its 14th consecutive win against a team from the state of Florida – Give the Knights their second consecutive victory against the Gators – Give UCF its first win at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Give UCF head coach Gus Malzahn his second win against Florida during his tenure with the Knights – Be better than a loss
13 STRAIGHT AGAINST TEAMS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA
UCF has won 13 straight games against teams from the state of Florida. That list includes a win over Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl in the 2021 season and six consecutive victories against South Florida.
Florida Notes
THE STORYLINE
• Week 6 marks the fourth all-time meeting between Florida and UCF, including the third in Gainesville. • Florida is 2-0 vs. the Knights in Gainesville with its lone loss in the series (2-1) coming in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl. • UCF defeated Florida, 29-17, in the 2021 Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. • The all-time series dates back to 1999 in Gainesville, with the Gators posting wins in 1999 (58-27) and 2006 (42-0). • In two previous games vs. UCF in Gainesville, the Gators have outscored the Knights by a combined score of 100-27. • The Gators totaled 500-plus yards and 350-plus passing yards in each of the previous-two home meetings with UCF. • Across the previous-two home meetings, UF outgained UCF, 1,138 yards to 600 yards (+538, +269 YPG). • Florida and UCF are also scheduled to play on Sept. 14, 2030 in Orlando and Sept. 3, 2033 in Gainesville. • This is the first meeting between UF HC Billy Napier and UCF HC Gus Malzahn as head coaches. • Napier and Malzahn have coached on opposing sidelines six times with Napier 4-2 (more on Page 9’s ‘Crossing Paths’). • In Week 4 at Mississippi State (W, 45-28), Florida’s two-QB tandem of Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway finished a combined 26-of-28 (92.8%, UF single-game record) for 277 yards, connecting with 10-different receivers. • Florida’s 17-point win tied for the team’s largest road victory vs. a Power 5 opponent under Napier (2022 at TAMU). • The win tied for the third-largest margin of victory by the Gators over a P5 opponent in the Napier era. • Mertz and Lagway are one of four FBS QB duos with 450-plus passing yards apiece (Texas, W. Kentucky, NC State). • Led by first-year senior analyst Joe Houston, Florida ranks third in the FBS in net punting (45.54), t-10th in punt return defense (0.50), t-17th in kick return average (24.67) and 20th in punt return average (16.67). • Florida enters Week 6 ranking 18th in the FBS in passer rating (168.4) and 30th in passing offense (278.5). • C Jake Slaughter grades No. 1 in the FBS in pass blocking (90.3) and No. 7 overall (78.3) out of 281 FBS centers. • He pairs with Week 4’s SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week in T Austin Barber, who became UF’s first OL to score a TD in 300 games in the win at Mississippi State, as well as one of two FBS OL to score this season (more on Page 4). • Florida owns the No. 1 strength of schedule in the country, featuring eight Preseason AP Top-20 opponents. • Dating back to the 2018 season, Napier ranks 15th in the FBS with 53 total victories. He has more wins than Mario Cristobal (52), Mike Norvell (51), Sonny Dykes (50) and Mark Stoops (50) in that time, among others. • The Gators have won 14 of their last 20 games in The Swamp (including nine of 14), but are 3-16 in their last 19 contests outside The Swamp and 3-12 in their last 15 true road games. • Florida boasts a 360-117-13 (.748) all-time record at The Swamp, holding the third-highest home winning percent- age in the nation since 1990 with a 179-38 (.825) record. » The Gators have outscored their opponents, 8,099 to 3,557 in 217 games inside The Swamp since 1990, putting the average outcome at 37.3 to 16.4 (20.9 points). • Florida has scored in 452-consecutive games dating back to 1988 – an NCAA record and 53 games longer than any other college football team in the history of the sport (TCU, 399-straight games, active streak).
– MERTZ & LAGWAY LEAD TWO-QB SYSTEM –
• Florida deployed a two-QB system for the second-straight game in Week 4, with QB Graham Mertz handling the first, second, fourth and fifth drives of each half and QB DJ Lagway taking the third and sixth possessions. • The duo finished 26-of-28 (92.8%, UF single-game record) for 277 yards, hitting 10-different receivers. • Mertz (218.0) and Lagway (191.2) both delivered a QB rating above 190. • Mertz has posted his top-two QB ratings as a Gator vs. a P5 team in the last two weeks (197.9, 218.0). • Mertz threw only two incompletions (19-of-21, 201 yards, three TDs) in Week 4 to record the third-highest completion percentage (90.5%) by a Gator ever while Lagway went a perfect 7-for-7 for 76 yards. • Mertz reached 75 total touchdowns for his career, passing for three scores (62 career passing TDs) while rushing for one (13 career rushing TDs). He was the 10th active FBS player (sixth in P5) to eclipse 60 passing TDs. • In his first SEC road game, Lagway led two scoring drives starting inside UF’s 10-yard line, becoming the first freshman QB to lead a pair of 90-plus-yard drives in a road SEC tilt since Jalen Hurts in 2016. • Mertz has posted a completion % above 62.0% with at least one passing touchdown in 13 of his 14 starts at UF. • The only game he fell short of those marks was the Week 1 loss to Miami. • Making his first-career start in the Week 2 win over Samford, Lagway passed for the most yards ever (456) by a Florida true freshman quarterback, breaking Chris Leak’s mark of 269 vs. Kentucky in 2003. • Lagway’s 456 passing yards are the tied for the second-most in the FBS this season and rank ninth all-time at Florida (most since Emory Jones threw for 464 yards vs. Samford on Nov. 13, 2021). • Lagway completed 18-of-25 passes (72.0%) highlighted by three touchdowns and a 264.8 rating. • Lagway became Florida’s first true freshman starter at quarterback since Treon Harris in the 2014 Birmingham Bowl (UF’s seventh true freshman starter at quarterback overall). • Mertz led the SEC with a program-record 72.9% completion percentage last season (third nationally). • Mertz has thrown just four interceptions across his last 409 passes. • Across his last nine games dating back to last season, Mertz has thrown for 2,170 passing yards (241.1 YPG), 193 completions, a 70.2% completion percentage, 18 touchdowns and three interceptions. • Mertz has started all 46 games he has played since 2020, ranking third among active FBS QBs in that time.
– EXPERIENCED JOHNSON JR. LEADS RUSH ATTACK –
• Entering with three rushing TDs on the season, RB Montrell Johnson Jr. rushed 15 times for 68 yards in Week 4 while adding three catches for 22 yards to surpass 3,000 all-purpose yards in his career. • Florida rushed for a season-high 226 yards, eclipsing 200-plus yards for the first time in the 2024 season. • Through five games, Johnson Jr. leads Florida with 234 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry. • Johnson Jr. ranks 17th in the SEC in rushing YPG, t-ninth in rushing TDs and 23rd in yards per carry. • Johnson Jr.’s 30 career rushing TDs are six more than any other active SEC player and sit t-eighth in the FBS. • He owns 32 multi-purpose TDs (20 at UF: 18 rushing, two receiving). • Johnson Jr. eclipsed 2,500 career rushing yards and 2,000 all-purpose yards at UF in Week 1. • Johnson Jr. rushed for 100 yards for the ninth time in his career and for seventh time as a Gator in Week 1. • Johnson Jr. is tied for ninth in the SEC (seventh among RBs) with 18 rushing touchdowns since 2022, including t-third among active SEC rushers. • Last season, Johnson Jr. led UF in carries (152) and net rushing yardage (817) for the second-straight year. • Florida has punched in a rushing touchdown in 11-consecutive games and in 24 of 29 contests since 2022.
– THE 2024 RECEIVING ROOM –
• Ten different Gators caught a pass in Week 4 while three caught TDs. Six players caught at least three balls. • TE Arlis Boardingham put Florida on the board with his first TD reception of the season (fifth of career). • WR Marcus Burke caught his first-career TD reception to put Florida ahead, 14-7, in the second quarter. • Burke set a career high with four receptions for 45 yards (t-team high). • TE Hayden Hansen hauled in his first TD catch of the season (third of career) to extend the UF lead to 21-7. • WR Aidan Mizell had a career-high five catches for 36 yards and WR Andy Jean made his season debut. • TE Tony Livingston made his first-career start and set career highs with three catches and 18 yards. • WR Elijah Badger leads UF with 305 receiving yards (fourth in SEC), 76.3 YPG (fifth), 21.8 YPC (fourth) and 14 catches (25th). • Badger has now caught a pass in 30-straight games, which ranks t-12th in the FBS. • UF returned four of its top-five receivers in terms of receptions AND yardage in 2024: Eugene Wilson III (61 for 538), Boardingham (26 for 289), WR Kahleil Jackson (21 for 251) and RB Montrell Johnson Jr. (30 for 236). • Three of the four to catch multiple TDs last year were freshmen: Wilson III (6), Boardingham (4) and Hansen (2). • Florida had two 100-yard receivers vs. Samford in Wilson III (6 catches, 141 yards) and Badger (3 catches, 123 yards) for the first time since Nov. 19, 2022 at Vanderbilt (Daejon Reynolds & Justin Shorter). • In Week 2, WR Tank Hawkins became the first UF true freshman to catch a TD pass for his first-career reception since Caleb Douglas vs. Eastern Washington in 2022.
– OFFENSIVE GRAB BAG –
• Over the last five seasons (2020-24), Florida ranks 12th in the P5 and sixth in the SEC with 449.1 YPG. • Since 2018, UF ranks ninth in the P5 in passing efficiency (153.3) and 14th in TD-INT ratio (2.86). • The Gators have totaled 500-plus yards in seven of the last 26 games and in 19 of their last 53 contests. • In Week 4 at MSU, the Gators eclipsed 400 yards for the 14th time since the start of 2022 (first of 2024). • Florida has amassed 400-plus total yards 31 times in its last 51 games including 44 of the last 70 contests. • With 226 yards at MSU, UF rushed for 200 yards 18 times since 2021 including 12 occasions in the Napier era. • Florida has scored 40 points 10 times in 42 games from 2021-24 including six times in the Napier era. • Florida has scored 30 points 21 times in 42 games from 2021-24 including 15 times in the Napier era.
Open:
Kentucky (3-2, 1-2 SEC)
LSU (4-1, 1-0 SEC)
Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2 SEC)
Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1 SEC)
Texas (5-0, 1-0 SEC).
THIS IS SEC FOOTBALL
• Sixteen times in the last 18 seasons, a team from the SEC has advanced to the national championship game. The SEC has won 13 of those contests, with two of the losses coming in the game’s final seconds. The winner of the SEC Championship Game has advanced to the National Championship Game all but twice since 2006. • With Florida in January 2009, five different teams from the SEC (Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Georgia) have played for and won the national championship. All five have multiple appearances and at least one victory since in the national championship game since 2007. • The SEC won four consecutive CFP National Championships, by three different programs (LSU, Alabama, Georgia), from 2019-2022. • Not counting games versus each other, the SEC is 14-4 all-time in College Football Playoff games, playing in eight of the 10 CFP Championship Games (winning six of those eight). The SEC is 10-2 in CFP Semifinals, including 10 consecutive semifinal wins. • Since 2006, the SEC has posted a 34-16 (.680) record in BCS/CFP games, more wins, appearances, and winning percentage than any other A5 conference. • The Southeastern Conference led the nation yet again in 2023 with 372 former players on opening weekend 53-man active rosters, including injured reserve. • A total of 24 former SEC players were on active rosters of Super Bowl LVI between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. • The SEC is 114-71 (.616) in bowl games since 2006, the only FBS league with a .600 or better winning percentage and nearly 40 wins more than the next closest conference. • The SEC has now won 65 games in the last nine postseasons and has sent no less than eight teams to post-season bowls in each of the last 17 seasons. • In the 10 seasons of the College Football Playoff era, only eight programs nationally have been ranked No. 1 in the weekly CFP Top-25 Poll (which begins in late October each year) – five of those seven programs (Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, Tennessee) are from the SEC. Prior to 2023, no team outside the SEC had been ranked No. 1 in the weekly CFP Poll since 2019, while four schools from the SEC were ranked No. 1 during that time. • Ten different SEC teams, including all seven from the former SEC Western Division, have made BCS/New Year’s Six bowl game appearances since 2006: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Texas A&M. Since the formation of the College Football Playoff in 2014, six of the seven schools in the former Western Division have advanced to a New Year’s Six bowl. • With Georgia and Alabama both earning victories in the CFP Semifinals in both 2021 and 2017, the national championship game has featured two SEC teams twice in the last seven years and three times since the 2011 season. • The SEC Championship has been the most watched conference championship nationally for 15 of the past 16 seasons, including 12 in a row from 2008-2019. The only year it was not #1 was 2020 when the SEC did not have a traditional schedule due to the pandemic. The 2023 SEC Championship Game averaged 17.519 million viewers, +61% vs. last year’s game, and peaked with 22.350 million viewers. It was the most-watched Conference Championship Game on any network in five years. • The SEC finished the 2023 season as the most-watched conference in college football based on total minutes consumed for a second-straight year. The SEC was also #1 in average audience for at least the 13th consecutive year.
