If I told you back in August…..

[Coastal Gamecock]

That we would lead the SEC in rushing and every team below us here is ranked after week 5 what would you say our 2026 would be now? Id say we were 5-0, had shocked Bama and sat ranked around 8-10, possibly playoff bound.

 

[Traildust57]

This ain't the single wing era.

 

[Dabo's Weenie]

I'd say, "How many PPG are we giving up in conference?".

If you said, "42", I'd say, "wait 'til next year".

 

[Coastal Gamecock]

This ain't the single wing era.

No but leading the SEC in rushing is very significant. And w our OL being the biggest question mark in August if someone told me we would lead the SEC in rushing it would indicate the OL was fixed and thriving.

yet we are the worst team in the league

 

[I4CtheFuture]

No but leading the SEC in rushing is very significant. And w our OL being the biggest question mark in August if someone told me we would lead the SEC in rushing it would indicate the OL was fixed and thriving.

yet we are the worst team in the league

These stats just solidify even more that Beamer needs to be fired today. #1 in rushing indicates you CAN control the clock, keep the ball out of the other teams hands, etc....

No reason we should be losing double digit leads. Our HC is a moron. Certified idiot.

 

[Dabo's Weenie]

These stats just solidify even more that Beamer needs to be fired today. #1 in rushing indicates you CAN control the clock, keep the ball out of the other teams hands, etc....

No reason we should be losing double digit leads. Our HC is a moron. Certified idiot.

I'm not so sure about that, "control the clock, keep the ball out of the other teams hands..." assertion. The YPC is very high, which means they aren't running as many plays to get those yards (how much time does a 74 yd run burn versus 12 plays, 74 yards?). 74 yards on one run followed by a bunch of 3-and-outs gives you nice looking total stats but nothing in the way of game control. And when they do need yards (looking at a number of short-yardage, 4th down plays), they can't seem to get them, which means they aren't controlling the line of scrimmage. And when they fail on those 4th down attempts, they're often setting the opponent up with good field position - something else not apparent in the stats.
So, I'd say they're misleading.

Even with all its problems, the offense has been markedly more productive than last year. What those stats don't show is the defensive ineptitude, which is the reason for most of this heartburn.

 

[I4CtheFuture]

I'm not so sure about that, "control the clock, keep the ball out of the other teams hands..." assertion. The YPC is very high, which means they aren't running as many plays to get those yards (how much time does a 74 yd run burn versus 12 plays, 74 yards?). 74 yards on one run followed by a bunch of 3-and-outs gives you nice looking total stats but nothing in the way of game control. And when they do need yards (looking at a number of short-yardage, 4th down plays), they can't seem to get them, which means they aren't controlling the line of scrimmage. And when they fail on those 4th down attempts, they're often setting the opponent up with good field position - something else not apparent in the stats.
So, I'd say they're misleading.

Even with all its problems, the offense has been markedly more productive than last year. What those stats don't show is the defensive ineptitude, which is the reason for most of this heartburn.

Good post. Fair enough. Agree.

Also, to add to what you said, I'm sure we'd all agree - from the 20 to the 20, the offense seems to do just fine. It's the red zone that's killing us. That sounds like I'm disagreeing with you about what's killing us but I'm not I'm saying, in addition to the defensive woes in the secondary, the offense in the red zone is killing us too. Take away those 2 glaring problems and we're 4-1.

 

[Traildust57]

if my aunt had.......

 

[Dabo's Weenie]

Good post. Fair enough. Agree.

Also, to add to what you said, I'm sure we'd all agree - from the 20 to the 20, the offense seems to do just fine. It's the red zone that's killing us. That sounds like I'm disagreeing with you about what's killing us but I'm not I'm saying, in addition to the defensive woes in the secondary, the offense in the red zone is killing us too. Take away those 2 glaring problems and we're 4-1.

I can't say I've spent enough time analyzing them to offer an opinion on red zone woes (shooting themselves in the foot, compressed field limitations, etc), but it wouldn't be the first time I've seen a team move the ball easily until they got there. I seem to remember some previous USC teams that suffered from the same affliction.

I'd just like to see them stop the self-destruction and find some DBs that aren't one-legged so they can actually defend against the pass. Maybe then things will start turning out differently.

 

[Deathstar]

Being such a good rushing team, you would think it would also open up the passing game for us? But then we have so many incomplete passes, dropped balls and missed open receivers. With our teams you never get all of the parts coming together in a season, something is always missing.

 

[cocksx5]

stats r for loserssssssssssssssss

 

[92Pony]

Being such a good rushing team, you would think it would also open up the passing game for us? But then we have so many incomplete passes, dropped balls and missed open receivers. With our teams you never get all of the parts coming together in a season, something is always missing.

Yep!! We always waste something!!!

 

[TheRoo]

Gameplans coming in are solid....then it fades.

• 27-point lead vs. Texas A&M (2025)
• 16-point lead vs. Mississippi State (2026)
• 17-point lead vs. Kentucky (2026)

Even the BAMA game started strong.

This is what we've gotta fix obviously.

Better decision making at key moments and hang onto the ball at all cost.

Conditioning could be a factor as well.

 

[Dabo's Weenie]

Gameplans coming in are solid....then it fades.

• 27-point lead vs. Texas A&M (2025)
• 16-point lead vs. Mississippi State (2026)
• 17-point lead vs. Kentucky (2026)

Even the BAMA game started strong.

This is what we've gotta fix obviously.

Better decision making at key moments and hang onto the ball at all cost.

Conditioning could be a factor as well.

Conditioning is NOT a factor.

Look at the MSU game - the D was barely on the field in the first half but came out and got steamrolled from the jump in the 2nd half.

Unless they were tired from sitting down too much...

The secondary is AWOL.

 

[TheRoo]

Rushing Defense​

Rank	Team	G	ATT	YDS	YDS/A	TD	YDS/G
1	Georgia	5	150	287	1.91	4	57.40
2	LSU	5	145	292	2.01	4	58.40
3	Alabama	5	159	393	2.47	4	78.60
4	Missouri	5	170	443	2.61	2	88.60
5	Texas	4	140	397	2.84	2	99.25
6	South Carolina	5	155	502	3.24	3	100.40
7	Oklahoma	4	143	462	3.23	5	115.50
8	Mississippi St.	5	166	598	3.60	5	119.60
9	Texas A&M	5	148	605	4.09	5	121.00
10	Florida	5	156	599	4.05	9	126.40
11	Vanderbilt	5	167	641	3.84	5	128.20
12	Tennessee	5	165	661	4.01	5	132.20
13	Kentucky	5	171	721	4.22	9	144.20
14	Arkansas	5	168	730	4.35	15	146.00
15	Auburn	5	213	745	3.50	8	149.00
16	Ole Miss	4	168	779	4.64	10	194.75

Passing Defense​

Rank	Team	G	COMP	ATT	PCT	YDS/COMP	YDS	YDS/G	TD	INT
1	Oklahoma	4	42	81	51.85	11.67	490	122.50	1	1
2	LSU	5	79	138	57.25	10.27	811	162.20	4	6
3	Tennessee	5	95	148	64.19	8.56	813	162.60	2	5
4	Texas	4	69	116	59.48	9.96	687	171.75	2	3
5	Georgia	5	101	164	61.59	9.27	936	187.20	5	4
6	Texas A&M	5	73	122	59.84	13.14	959	191.80	7	4
7	Arkansas	5	82	124	66.13	11.83	970	194.00	4	1
8	Auburn	5	98	162	60.49	10.62	1041	208.20	4	6
9	Ole Miss	4	70	107	65.42	12.00	840	210.00	4	2
10	Vanderbilt	5	96	150	64.00	11.16	1071	214.20	9	4
11	South Carolina	5	100	152	65.79	11.56	1156	231.20	13	2
11	Missouri	5	96	164	58.54	12.04	1156	231.20	10	4
13	Kentucky	5	109	190	57.37	10.66	1162	232.40	7	6
14	Alabama	5	88	153	57.52	13.30	1170	234.00	8	8
15	Mississippi St.	5	113	180	62.78	11.50	1300	260.00	9	2
16	Florida	5	123	190	64.74	10.84	1333	266.60	7	4

 

[18IsTheMan]

Rushing Defense​

Rank	Team	G	ATT	YDS	YDS/A	TD	YDS/G
1	Georgia	5	150	287	1.91	4	57.40
2	LSU	5	145	292	2.01	4	58.40
3	Alabama	5	159	393	2.47	4	78.60
4	Missouri	5	170	443	2.61	2	88.60
5	Texas	4	140	397	2.84	2	99.25
6	South Carolina	5	155	502	3.24	3	100.40
7	Oklahoma	4	143	462	3.23	5	115.50
8	Mississippi St.	5	166	598	3.60	5	119.60
9	Texas A&M	5	148	605	4.09	5	121.00
10	Florida	5	156	599	4.05	9	126.40
11	Vanderbilt	5	167	641	3.84	5	128.20
12	Tennessee	5	165	661	4.01	5	132.20
13	Kentucky	5	171	721	4.22	9	144.20
14	Arkansas	5	168	730	4.35	15	146.00
15	Auburn	5	213	745	3.50	8	149.00
16	Ole Miss	4	168	779	4.64	10	194.75

Passing Defense​

Rank	Team	G	COMP	ATT	PCT	YDS/COMP	YDS	YDS/G	TD	INT
1	Oklahoma	4	42	81	51.85	11.67	490	122.50	1	1
2	LSU	5	79	138	57.25	10.27	811	162.20	4	6
3	Tennessee	5	95	148	64.19	8.56	813	162.60	2	5
4	Texas	4	69	116	59.48	9.96	687	171.75	2	3
5	Georgia	5	101	164	61.59	9.27	936	187.20	5	4
6	Texas A&M	5	73	122	59.84	13.14	959	191.80	7	4
7	Arkansas	5	82	124	66.13	11.83	970	194.00	4	1
8	Auburn	5	98	162	60.49	10.62	1041	208.20	4	6
9	Ole Miss	4	70	107	65.42	12.00	840	210.00	4	2
10	Vanderbilt	5	96	150	64.00	11.16	1071	214.20	9	4
11	South Carolina	5	100	152	65.79	11.56	1156	231.20	13	2
11	Missouri	5	96	164	58.54	12.04	1156	231.20	10	4
13	Kentucky	5	109	190	57.37	10.66	1162	232.40	7	6
14	Alabama	5	88	153	57.52	13.30	1170	234.00	8	8
15	Mississippi St.	5	113	180	62.78	11.50	1300	260.00	9	2
16	Florida	5	123	190	64.74	10.84	1333	266.60	7	4

So we should be able to move the ball on Florida?

 

[Dabo's Weenie]

Rushing Defense​

Rank	Team	G	ATT	YDS	YDS/A	TD	YDS/G
1	Georgia	5	150	287	1.91	4	57.40
2	LSU	5	145	292	2.01	4	58.40
3	Alabama	5	159	393	2.47	4	78.60
4	Missouri	5	170	443	2.61	2	88.60
5	Texas	4	140	397	2.84	2	99.25
6	South Carolina	5	155	502	3.24	3	100.40
7	Oklahoma	4	143	462	3.23	5	115.50
8	Mississippi St.	5	166	598	3.60	5	119.60
9	Texas A&M	5	148	605	4.09	5	121.00
10	Florida	5	156	599	4.05	9	126.40
11	Vanderbilt	5	167	641	3.84	5	128.20
12	Tennessee	5	165	661	4.01	5	132.20
13	Kentucky	5	171	721	4.22	9	144.20
14	Arkansas	5	168	730	4.35	15	146.00
15	Auburn	5	213	745	3.50	8	149.00
16	Ole Miss	4	168	779	4.64	10	194.75

Passing Defense​

Rank	Team	G	COMP	ATT	PCT	YDS/COMP	YDS	YDS/G	TD	INT
1	Oklahoma	4	42	81	51.85	11.67	490	122.50	1	1
2	LSU	5	79	138	57.25	10.27	811	162.20	4	6
3	Tennessee	5	95	148	64.19	8.56	813	162.60	2	5
4	Texas	4	69	116	59.48	9.96	687	171.75	2	3
5	Georgia	5	101	164	61.59	9.27	936	187.20	5	4
6	Texas A&M	5	73	122	59.84	13.14	959	191.80	7	4
7	Arkansas	5	82	124	66.13	11.83	970	194.00	4	1
8	Auburn	5	98	162	60.49	10.62	1041	208.20	4	6
9	Ole Miss	4	70	107	65.42	12.00	840	210.00	4	2
10	Vanderbilt	5	96	150	64.00	11.16	1071	214.20	9	4
11	South Carolina	5	100	152	65.79	11.56	1156	231.20	13	2
11	Missouri	5	96	164	58.54	12.04	1156	231.20	10	4
13	Kentucky	5	109	190	57.37	10.66	1162	232.40	7	6
14	Alabama	5	88	153	57.52	13.30	1170	234.00	8	8
15	Mississippi St.	5	113	180	62.78	11.50	1300	260.00	9	2
16	Florida	5	123	190	64.74	10.84	1333	266.60	7	4

How do they stack up in scoring defense... since that's the metric that determines wins and losses?