By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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Three games came down to the final play in an exciting Saturday of SEC football.

Now, THATs more like it. After a Week Two that was smattered with blowouts and FCS opponents, Week Three in the SEC produced three games that came down to the final play as well as some outstanding individual performances.

Lets revisit Saturdays action.

Missouri 38, UCF 10

The Tigers won because: They finished drives. Missouri only outgained the Knights by 20 yards, but of its five drives inside the UCF 40-yard line (not including garbage time), the Tigers scored four touchdowns. Thats a winning before formula against any opponent. Maty Mauk completed just 14 of his 24 attempts, but the Missouri offense continued to make explosive plays and stretch the field with its two speedy tailbacks. Defensive ends Markus Golden and Shane Ray, who combined for 4.5 sacks, continue to play as good as or better than Kony Ealy and Michael Sam did last year.

Vanderbilt 34, Massachusetts 31

The Commodores won because: They had to. Vanderbilts backs were against the wall trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter and staring at an 0-3 start. But the game turned on the teams second special teams touchdown of the season, a blocked punt return for a touchdown by Stephen Weatherly. A stop and an ensuing touchdown drive gave the Commodores the lead, but it took a missed 22-yard field goal by UMass as time expired for Derek Mason to finally earn his first win as a head coach. This team remains filled with issues, as its fourth quarterback of the season, true freshman Wade Freebeck, was pulled after less than a half. But for one week at least, spirits are bright in Nashville.

Arkansas 49, Texas Tech 28

The Razorbacks won because: They dominated the trenches. This game was one of the few in college football that was highly predictable. Arkansas was going to run, run and then run some more, to the tone of 438 yards in a resounding win. The defense struggled early, but clamped down in the second half to hold the explosive Red Raiders to just 353 total yards. Brandon Allen threw just 12 passes, as the Hogs ran it 68 times and held the ball for more than 40 minutes. It was performances like Saturday that show why Arkansas hired Bret Bielema.

South Carolina 38, Georgia 35

The Gamecocks won because: They needed 10 yards and got 10.01. A mere chain link prevented Georgia from having a chance to tie or win the game late after trailing since late in the first quarter, as South Carolina held on for a wacky win after Georgia placekicker Marshall Morgan missed a 28-yard field goal that would have tied the game with just over four minutes remaining. Todd Gurley was great, but the Gamecocks showed poise and resolve in answering back every time Georgia threatened to take control of the game. The game truly had everything you can ask for, and now the SEC East race reverts right back where it started three weeks ago.

Ole Miss 56, Louisiana-Lafayette 15

The Rebels won because: Bo Wallace was outstanding. OK, so there was one interception, but Wallace completed his first 14 pass attempts en route to a 23-of-28 day for 316 yards and four touchdowns. The Ragin Cajuns were run over for the second week in a row, as four turnovers doomed their effort, falling to 1-61 all-time against SEC opponents. Wallace has been nearly lights out since a poor first half in the season opener, and with the defense continuing to rock, the ceiling remains high for the Rebels.

Mississippi State 35, South Alabama 3

The Bulldogs won because: The running game worked. In a tricky road trip against a Sun Belt title contender, Mississippi State was able to impose its will in the trenches, running for 288 yards, including 139 from quarterback Dak Prescott. Four turnovers did little to help the Jaguars cause, as they appeared overwhelmed by playing an SEC opponent in their home stadium for the first time. We have no idea how good the Bulldogs are after three easy wins, but now comes a three-game stretch of at LSU, Texas A&M and Auburn.

Alabama 52, Southern Miss 12

The Crimson Tide won because: Amari Cooper is the best receiver in the country. The junior continued his dazzling start to the season, catching eight passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. He now has 454 yards on the season despite the unsettled quarterback situation in Tuscaloosa. Of course, Alabama dominated on the ground as well, as four different tailbacks received at least seven carries. The Tide now begin SEC play next week against Florida, but still have as many question marks as theyve had in any recent year at this point in the season.

LSU 31, Louisiana-Monroe 0

The Tigers won because: The defense has been nasty. Since falling behind 24-7 early in the second half against Wisconsin, LSU has not allowed a point, outscoring opponents 108-0. The caveat is, of course, that the Tigers have yet to face a quarterback with a pulse. That changes next week when Dak Prescott and Mississippi State come to Baton Rouge. Like the Bulldogs, were not quite sure what we have in the Tigers, but nearly 10 quarters without allowing a point bodes well for SEC play.

Florida 36, Kentucky 30 (3OT)

The Gators won because: Zero doesnt always mean zero. Facing a must-have fourth-and-7 in overtime, Florida appeared not to get the snap off before the play clock expired. No penalty was called, however, and Jeff Driskel connected with Demarcus Robinson for the 15th time on the night for the game-tying touchdown. The teams traded field goals in the second overtime, before an empty possession for Kentucky allowed Florida to punch it in for the game-winning score. It was the Gators 28th straight win over the Wildcats, but none have been so close to going the other way.

Oklahoma 34, Tennessee 10

The Sooners won because: The Tennessee offensive line was exposed. This was going to happen against a nasty Oklahoma front seven, and the Vols skill position players couldnt overcome being dominated at the line of scrimmage. This might be the best team Tennessee faces all year, so the fact that the defense kept it competitive for most of the night is a positive sign for such a young team. This wasnt a winnable game, but Tennessee battled hard and built some character as it prepares for a brutal five-game stretch that includes Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama.

Texas A&M 38, Rice 10

The Aggies won because: Kenny Hill took care of business. Rice outgained Texas A&M on a divot-filled Kyle Field, but Hill tossed four touchdown passes to help the Aggies win comfortably despite having possession for less than 17 minutes. Allowing 481 yards to the Owls is a concern, but if the Aggies are to go places this season, its not going to be because of its defense. Junior college transfer Josh Reynolds, who flew under the radar during the offseason amidst all the other skill position talent in College Station, might be the best wide receiver on the roster after catching two more touchdowns.

Game Balls

RBs Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, Arkansas 3 49 carries, 357 yards, 6 TD, 7.3 yards per carry

RB Todd Gurley, Georgia 3 20 carries, 131 yards, 1 TD

WR Demarcus Robinson 3 15 receptions, 216 yards, 2 TD

Quick Hits

*Whos the favorite in the SEC East right now? I still think its probably Georgia, but dont sleep on Missouri. The Tigers have flown under the radar, but will face South Carolina, Georgia and Florida in a three-game stretch starting in two weeks.

*Will Muschamps fate will ultimately be determined by wins and losses, but there werent many positive signs from the Gators triple-overtime win over Kentucky. Demarcus Robinson appears to be the only skill position player who can be a reliable target for Jeff Driskel, and the offensive line looked overwhelmed by a good, but not great, Kentucky defensive line. Much tougher tests lie ahead, starting next week at Alabama.

*You watch Tennessee, and you see its young talent, and you cant help but get excited to watch the Vols in the coming years. 5-star true freshman Jalen Hurd broke two long runs against the Oklahoma defense. Hell be a nightmare for SEC defenses to bring down. Sophomore wideouts Marquez North and Josh Smith combined for 11 catches and a touchdown. This team wont be better than 6-6, but there were a lot of positives to take away from its effort in Norman. Butch Jones is doing things right in Knoxville.

*You worry about the damaging mistake, but Maty Mauk is the most talented passer in the conference. His first touchdown against UCF came on a Manziel-esque spin out of the pocket in which he rolled left and through across his body to Jimmie Hunt, who was streaking across the end zone. It was a throw that makes NFL scouts drool. That wont be the last time that happens this season.

*What happened to the Georgia secondary? A near-flawless second half against Clemson gave way to a thorough gashing by Steve Spurrier and quarterback Dylan Thompson. Gamecocks receivers were running free for most of the evening, as Georgia wasted another phenomenal effort by Todd Gurley and the running game. Which of course leads us toxa6

*Why did Georgia not run the ball after Damian Swanns interception? Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo called for a pass play on first-and-goal from the three-yard line, which resulted in an intentional grounding penalty when the play broke down. Theres a time and a place for cuteness in play-calling, when you have Gurley, those times should be few and far between.

*How high can Arkansas go now? I still think five wins is about right for this team, but itll be far more competitive on a week-to-week basis in SEC play than it was a year ago. There probably isnt enough balance to defeat some of the leagues heavyweights, but are the Razorbacks good enough to knock off Texas A&M in two weeks at AT&T Stadium? Thats now at least a plausible scenario.

*Alabama needs to stick with Blake Sims. He has his drawbacks, but hes clearly proven to be the Crimson Tides best option as conference play gets ready to begin. There will be some bumps on the road, but Sims is good enough to maximize the immense talent around him and even make a play with his feet at times. The Jacob Coker experiment was a logical idea, but its time for him to take a permanent back seat to Sims.

If the Playoffs Started Today:

Sugar Bowl: (1) Florida State vs. (4) Oklahoma

Rose Bowl: (2) Texas A&M vs. (3) Oregon

Week Four Lookahead

The SEC slate ramps up next week with three conference games, highlighted by Florida at Alabama (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS). But things get started on Thursday night with a non-conference game filled with intrigue, as Auburn visits Kansas State (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Mississippi State gets its first test of the year when it tries to snap a 14-game losing streak to LSU (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), while South Carolina hopes to avoid a letdown at Vanderbilt (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network). Missouri welcomes Indiana to Faurot Field (4 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

Arkansas, Georgia and Texas A&M all play non-Power Five opponents, with Northern Illinois visit to Fayetteville the only one of the three worth keeping an eye on. Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee are idle.