College Football is unpredictable. Florida, Georgia and South Carolina came into the season as the three teams to beat in the SEC East. In week eight of the college football season, who would have thought that all three of these teams would lose despite being favored in their games against Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Here's how the SEC East blew up on Saturday afternoon…..
Tennessee 23 South Carolina 21
The Vols jumped out to a 17-7 half-time lead but the Gamecocks came roaring back in the second half to take a lead deep into the fourth quarter. The Gamecocks would lose starting QB Connor Shaw in the closing minutes of the game to an apparent knee injury. Down one point. the Vols got the ball back with 2:48 left in the game and a prayer was answered when Marques North somehow came down with a Justin Worley bomb. Michael Palardy would hit his second FG of the fourth quarter and the Vols shocked the Gamecocks.
Vanderbilt 31 Georgia 27
Georgia came into this game banged up beyond belief but still with a shot at the SEC Championship Game if Mizzou were to falter. Georgia seized control of this game in the second quarter when Georgia true freshman CB Shaq Wiggins jumped a Austyn Carta-Samuels pass and returned it for a TD. On the previous series Georgia lost DE Ray Drew, who has arguably been their best defensive player, to a very question-able targeting call. Both teams would go on to lose more key players as Vandy QB Carta-Samuels and Georgia DB Josh Harvey-Clemons were both lost for the game.
The key play of the game came in the second half when Georgia LB Ramik Wilson was called for another highly question-able targeting penalty on third down. The call was reversed but the penalty stood and it gave Vandy a first down. Vandy would go on to score a TD on that drive and pull to within one score of Georgia. After that play, Georgia seemed to play "not to lose" but they ultimately cost themselves the game with a bad snap on a punt that gave Vandy the ball on the Georgia 13 yard-line late in the fourth. On Georgia's final drive, true freshman Brendan Douglas (in for injured Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall) fumbled a pass and helped secure Vanderbilt's upset victory.
Missouri 36 Florida 17
This one didn't have the shocking ending that the previous two games did, but the final score is very shocking. Much like Georgia, Florida came into this game banged up and Missouri took full advantage. The Tigers dominated the Gators in total yardage by the tune of 500 to 151 and left little doubt who was the better team on the field at the end of the day. Missouri is now in full control of the SEC East but after this weekend who knows how safe that will be?
While there was plenty of controversy in today's contests….
#UGA lost. #Florida lost #South Carolina lost. All three schools lost a key player on defense due to targeting rule in first hour.
— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) October 19, 2013
there is also plenty of intrigue in the season as it moves forward. The SEC East has been turned up-side down. Missouri, yes Missouri, now has a two game lead in the loss column in the SEC East standings. It's been a crazy season so far and it might just get crazier in the weeks to come.
